You're welcome, me.

"If I help you, how will it benefit me?"

I can't say I've ever had that thought before -- or at least directly. There may have been few times in my life where it may have been a subconscious thought that never reached that exact question, purely on the basis of safety or my well-being. When I think back, there are a few times when the question could have been asked. Heck, it could have saved me from a lot of wasted time if that were the case. But, I didn't take it that way.

Lately, I have found myself in instances where I have felt like I the person on the other side of the question. I feel like I may as well have a sign hanging form my forehead that says "Help Wanted - Inquire Inside". Of course, this isn't a job and you probably won't make any money from it. So, you ask yourself the question, "How will this benefit me?"

I was raised with the answer of that question being, there is no answer to that question because you don't ask that question. And if you do, your answer should be, "...because I am a nice person" or "...they really need help". My grandfather on my dad's side is exactly that person. If I was broke down on the side of the road, three hours away, and if I called him telling him that, you can bet that he would be there as fast as he could. Granted, I am his grandson, but you get the point. My current roommate watched me struggle the first week I was in California with problem after problem. Ultimately, my truck stopped functioning like a vehicle. He knew me for less than a week and was gracious and humanly enough to lend me his second vehicle so I could get back and forth to work until I could fix my truck. It didn't benefit him beyond me being able to keep my job and keep paying rent. They both did it because they are nice people. Because I needed help.

If you didn't already know, California has treated me oddly. I won't go in to too much detail, but it has been a bit of a bumpy road and my off-road shocks were not installed. As I have been around the people here, listening to them talk, interact, and demonstrate, I have come to find that question arise without it being said. I think it is the nature of this place -- working as hard as you can so you can be successful. Cutthroat, I know. And really, there were some of those people back where I lived, too. It's about me. Not you. We may be friends, colleagues, acquaintances, but I am here for me. Only me.

Oh well. It's just my "grimm" outlook, right? (See what I did there?) I wish the world didn't act like it did sometimes -- especially lately. People are weird. Odd at best. But I guess the weirder you are, the more normal you are.

Guess I am pretty normal.

Has it really?

Well it's been three months since I've came to LA. No, wait, I am terribly sorry. I moved to Orange County. Don't say you moved to LA unless you moved to LA. I did not, and the people here don't hesitate to remind me.

So Michael, what have you been up to? Have you been playing music every night? Hanging out with celebrities? Partying on the beach?

Ha.

I've been working. That right there takes up most of my days and week and whats left over is a few hours of homework and at that point, I'm tired. As far as music, you could say I dabble here and there. Most of it is just myself trying to write new songs for them to probably just sit in my computer and gather simulated dust. I did, however, get the opportunity to do a little bit of recording the other day (even though I didn't play a single thing). I also got to attend the Guitar Center's Drum Off Championship as a VIP and got to watch Darren King shred the shit out of drums for like 7 minutes straight. So two highlights in my life here so far. And the beach thing? Yea, still haven't even been to the beach. But don't get on your judgmental high horse...I didn't move here for the beach. Plus, it's been a little cold. Cold as in low 50's. Where people have to wear snow coats and a huge scarf around there face. Silly Californians.


After sitting here for about thirty minutes, watching Always Sunny on Netflix, I finally thought of something to talk about that wasn't about myself. Facebook and the internet.

Is anyone sick of the internet yet? I am (as he sits on his computer getting ready to hypocritically post a new entry into his blog). Facebook as become so damn annoying. If it wasn't for the contacts I know that live in different areas of the country that I know through music, or however the circumstance, I would delete that stupid thing. It has become polluted with worthless whining, attention starved people, exploitation, and straight up idiots. As much as I don't want to admit it, Facebook has become such a new norm that outside life is dwindling. People come on the internet and post whatever they want to potential complete strangers. Did we forget that fifteen years ago, people on the internet would barely post their age, sex, and location? Some people would barely give out there name even though there was no way to really trace it back to you. Now, people don't give a shit. Why? Could it be that the internet is actually making the human race a little dumber by the day? I guess the benefit to this is that myself and some of my friends can find stuff on the internet to use as fuel for jokes. Not very hard actually.

I'm just getting sick of it I guess. I tend to forget what the past was like when we had to communicate outside of technology. Sadly, because of my age, I guess I don't really know what it was like. But if I had the choice to go back to the 60's or stay here? I'd go back to the 60's. Or maybe the 80's. I think being old enough through the early 80's music would have been awesome. Listenin' to Steve Winwood, Judas Priest, Eagles, and all that good stuff? Sold. But deal with the crap that's around now? Over it.

Ok enough of my rambling. Until next time.

Hello and Welcome.

This is The Grimm Outlook.

I've never "blogged" before, but I feel like being in a new city, new state, and a new atmosphere, maybe now is a better time then ever.

I had never thought about blogging before because I am not a person to speak my feelings to others (unless you are my parents, or the handful of close friends I have). But I am one to join into conversation and I sometimes will go off on a subject. Normally, I am just poorly researched and just ramble about my own feelings, never being able to get my point across until I think of something 40 minutes later. At that point, I'm not going to bring it back up. With certain subjects, though, some would say that I can have a very "negative" input on the subject, even when it is something I should enjoy. I don't care to look into what I like about it, but I like to look at what I don't like about it and why. Does this really make it negative though? Well...yes, but I'll let you be the judge.

I will start with a topic that first started the idea of me blogging. In a hotel room in Rexburg, Idaho,  the new Mumford and Sons album had came out. The drummer of my band, Ben, and the bass player, Andy, were both crowded around to listen to it. I managed to keep my ears open while surfing my phone and nothing about the album caught my attention. After Ben and Andy had shared their initial feelings, I proceed to explain that the CD (to me) was just Ehh, nothing stood out, and it was just the same thing over and over again. My opinion scale, of course, being Nah (1), Mmm (2), Ehh (3), Meh (4), and Alright (5). And people say I am negative. I was ridiculed a little for my sense of negativity over music that I should like. It was just my opinion, and that was all. Probably won't voluntarily listen to the CD, though.

And thus sparked what you see now, The Grimm Outlook. More to come.