Doug Van Pelt

Random Thoughts from the host of the Pity Party

I've been slogging through the worst deadline ever.* And lately it seems like I've either felt too busy too put together thoughts and make a blog (at least with the consistency with which I used to), and there's so much I've wanted to say, but with twitter allowing for the quick thoughts to get scribed, I thought I'd share some random thoughts that've passed through my jello brand pudding that serves as my cerebellum:

KEY: Whenever you see an asterik* (that is your cue to go "Wah!" like a little baby whining for attention, food, or assistance in cleaning up the poop).

Random Observation #1
The other night (Wednesday, August 29th, to be exact) Corey, Kelly and I were at the sidewalk intersection of 6th Street and Red River, as we were splitting ways to approach our parked cars, which were located at different places in the entertainment district of downtown Austin. This wily guy approaches us and half-mutters/half boldly starts talking. Part of me gets that uneasy apprehension, knowing I'm about to be hit up for money. I'm glad that my pockets are empty, because I'd much rather use that excuse than the flat-out declaration of, "Yeah, I've got some money, but am not giving you any right now, Sorry!" Turns out this guy wanted to deliver some comedy for our entertainment in exchange for payment. He first asked me if I liked to laugh. Funny, because I was laughing at something Corey was telling me when he arrived. Anyway, he tells us "guys" some jokes and has some special ones for "the ladies," of whom Kelly represented. Well, what I wanted to share here was the look Kelly gave me a couple times. It was one of those uncomfortable looks that said, "I'll give you some serious cash if you punch this guy in the mouth!" His jokes were plenty off-color. I probably shouldn't have smiled at some of them, but I'm not a big fan of insulting someone's attempts at communication. Kelly's look was classic, though.

Random Observation #2:
Steve Hindalong (of The Choir) kind of interrupted Terry Taylor at his recent solo gig at Austin's Hope Chapel. "I'd like to say something, Terry," he said. Then he talked about substituting for Ed McTaggert at a Daniel Amos show many years ago and how neat it was that he was playing drums for Terry again. He was honored. But he stated that how seeing Paul Q-Pek performing that night (opening as the band We2, a U2 cover band) with his daughter "was victory, man. That's victory!" That was a neat statement/observation that he shared.

Random Observation #3
Axl Rose sounds kind of like Geoff Tate on their long-awaited album, Chinese Democracy. At least in the song "There Was A Time." I think maybe I should buy that album. I look in a used CD shop for some disappointed fan's discarded copy. Maybe it'll even be a journalist's unwanted advance copy. Who knows?

Random Observation #4
Chicken Pot Pie (the homemade variety) tastes even better when it's warmed up as a leftover -- especially when it's one of those "I didn't know we had any more pieces of this left" discoveries.

Random Observation #5
One of the members of Kiros last night said he heard from one of the Emo's employees that a member of August Burns Red, who played a terrific sold-out show last Wednesday, had brought a thermometer up onstage and measured the temperature at the club as a scorching 118 degrees, thanks to all those sweating bodies in the audience moving around.

Random Observation #6
I'm going to have a fun time compiling a list of the Top 100 Christian Rock albums of all time for our 25th Anniversary issue next July.

Random Observation #7
It's hard to share the struggles I'm having with the magazine business, because human nature creates the very real fear that some small number of people will interpret my honesty as a sign of vulnerability as a sign that "HM is going out of business," which is the very thing I'm resisting and fighting against with every fiber in my magazine editor's body. However, when one person shares with another and elaborates a little bit and then the listener shares with someone else and so on and so on, it can get more dour-sounding as it spreads. Before you know it, someone that could actually support us and help our fight might hear a version that's not true. Let me state once again that I believe the power and need for print magazines will continue and I plan (Lord willing) on being around for a long time to come.

Random Observation #8
Based upon my experience, which I truly appreciate as a wise friend shared with me once, I cannot ever share that someone owes my business money. The reason for this is that some people will wonder, "I wonder who it is?" And they'll curiously wonder if it's this company or that company. Instead, I should find a close friend when I have those "needs to vent" and just vent to them. I've thought about publishing a list of people that owe me money, but shaming someone in public is probably not cool. I want to be cool, so I'll probably never do that. Another idea I've had is to print a list of people that don't owe me money, so the first concern will be nipped in the bud. This could possibly keep the "Good Guys get suspected as Guilty-by-Association" syndrome from happening. Maybe I'll do that. On the other hand, maybe if I just shared our policy of extending credit to businesses that haven't paid for previous invoice/bill. Our policy is: We don't do that. If someone owes us money, we don't allow them to keep doing business with us until they clear up their bad debt. So, people that you see advertising in HM Magazine or stores that are carrying HM Magazine -- those are the "good guys" (that pay their bills). It's the people that you don't see advertising in HM Magazine or stores that don't carry it ... those could possibly be people or businesses that owe us money. Not necessarily every past advertiser or store that used to carry HM are bad debtors, but it's one clue. And, who knows? Maybe this policy will work in our benefit! Some company that is on good business terms with us will want to avoid the stigma and/or suspicion of being a "bad guy" that they'll carry HM in their stores and/or run ads in HM Magazine. (laughter ensues)