>>_STEP INTO 2004

In the third grade I made a New Year's resolution never to make a New Year's resolution again. I've kept it ever since. Perhaps there's a certain gravity to a resolution made into a construction paper mobile.

After a relaxing and wonderful week spent travelling, visiting family, shopping, seeing good movies, and enjoying great coffee (with great company, naturally), I'm on the verge of getting back to everyday life for 2004...but not quite yet.

Awake and rested at 6:00am today, it's a good sign that I've gotten the better of a cold that was creeping up on me. We'll see what this means for staying up well past midnight tonight. I'll be spending New Year's Eve this year in my pyjamas at Brian and Laura's house. I hope you have fun plans, too, whatever they may be.

>>_A LAST THOUGHT ON 2003

Thanks to everyone who worked hard with me and for me in 2003:
- Webmaster Nick
- Design-master Rob
- Jamie, Barry & DNA Lounge
- The :CODEtv Productions crew Bruce & Shane
- The norcalDJMPA team, especially Thoryn & Russell
- Annie & all the ladies of Sister SF
- Danny, Heidi & Shelly with Cosmic Productions
- XLR8R and Emily "Ms.E"
- The many crews who have let me share my music including
Friends & Family, Qool, Shaolin Productions & Pixel Biscuit
- And Tantek for making this year the very best

>>_YOURS OR MINE

Well, I didn't get the co-host/DJ role on that new MTV gameshow. Thanks to everyone who sent their best wishes and votes of support, it's good to hear from so many of you! On the upside, rather than them picking someone else it sounds like they may have not picked anyone at all and abandoned the co-host idea for the show.

Keep your eyes on MTV for the "Your Face or Mine" gameshow.
If there's no co-host/DJ, then it's all good.
If there is one, be sure to tell me how bad she is. :)

There were a lot of plusses to this experience. I was definitley very, very nervous, and under the gun for the auditon I think I did very well. I rarely perform better than when I'm in the most impossible (improbable?) situation. They're also keeping the audition footage for "another, much bigger project..." Whatever that means. That's showbiz.

Another plus is at the audition I met up with San Francisco's DJ LadyHouse, a hardworking up-and-comer to the DJ scene. We flew back together and I shared a lot of good conversation, and I got to hear about the DJ collective she recently founded, Femme DJs.

>>_WE INTERRRUPT THIS IHA...

No gigs until January 8th, but of course there's still news! Instead of a gig announcement, included with this post is a tale of escapes to Vegas, birthdays, and one very last minute MTV audition...

>>_KEEP ON TRACK

Following a very hectic week preparing to teach the weekend long intermediate DJ course intensive at norcalDJMPA (a tremendous success!) I launched into a second week with an even higher goal--to finish my first original electronic track.

The deadline - Friday December 12th.
The goal - an original remix for Karmacoda
The amount of work - gigantic!

Up until 4am, then 6am. To the studio, to work, to meetings. Where's my latte? How many days left? Two? One? The target was to have the remix done in time to bring copies to the Las Vegas conference for Just Say Agency.

With the track done just in time (don't worry, I'll share it here soon enough) I'm off to the conference in Vegas December 12th, also my 27th birthday, and a great one at that!

Dinner at the top of the Stratosphere in the rotating restaurant.
Great food, great conversation, and a little desert with a candle.
A short conference, a gig at Casears, dinner at the Venetian...

The trip was my favorite visit to Vegas ever. It's not about the city, it's about who you're with and their commitment to fun...(thank you!)

I'm told there's an audition in L.A. for a new MTV game show, seeking a co-host/DJ. Am I interested? Sure, why not! The audition is Monday or Tuesday, times to be announced Monday. Monday?! Less than 24 hours after I return from Vegas I'm off to Burbank on a ticket purchased that same day.

They're only talking to a handful of DJs & taping starts Friday.
The audition takes all of ten minutes.
I'm home only six hours after I first left.

Am I crazy? Probably. Am I excited? Definitely. Have I heard anything? Not yet.

Can I believe this is my life? No way. :)

>>_IHA PRIZEPACK CONTEST EXTENDED

Join the I Hate Amber (IHA) email newsletter by Friday, December 5th to qualify for the prizepack including t-shirt, knit cap, keychain & CD. To subscribe, send a blank email to ihateamber-subscribe@topica.com. All new subscribers get a free CD!

>>_SF AIRTIMES ADDED FOR :CODE

Comcast Cable Channel 28 in San Francisco will be showing a special encore presentation of :CODE episode two this weekend. Look for it Saturday and Sunday (December 6 & 7) at 2:30pm.