this was from a logietch promotion in japan during the +44 tour there. just found it in my inbox. it takes a really great artist to make me look cool…

this week i did an interview with our friends over at pickrset. you can check it out here.

one of my best friends passed away today. jerry finn was one of the most talented, funniest, coolest, smartest, and honest people i’ve ever known. he was true in every sense of the word. true in his love of music, true in his friendships. jerry loved life. he was happiest when quietly making music he loved, and loudly making fun of everything he didn’t. when i think of times spent with jerry, all i can think of is us laughing. so much laughter. he’s just one of those guys with the quickest wit in the room. he also knows more about music than anyone. and i mean that seriously. he knows musicians, instruments, amplifiers, recording equipment, engineers, producers, albums, and studios like some people know sports statistics. jerry could tell you who played what instrument on which track of pretty much any album you could name, and then go on to tell you who produced it, who engineered it, in what room of which studio, and so on. it’s really kind of amazing. he worked on many of my favorite albums of all time, and helped shape the sound and direction of blink-182 from enema of the state all the way through to the end and into +44. he was into family guy, south park, and mr show before anyone else had even heard of those shows. and when my son was born, while everyone else was sending us baby blankets and teddy bears, jerry and his girlfriend gave him a tiny extra small black leather jacket covered in metal studs and ramones pins.

i’m sitting here now and i don’t even know what to type. i’m at a loss for words. nothing i can say will come close to describing what an amazing human being jerry was. his talent, his laughter, his love of life. every day i spent with jerry over the past ten years i feel like he taught me something new about music, or recording. or life. i think everyone who knew jerry would say the same thing. i feel blessed to have worked with and learned so much from him. but most of all i am honored to call him my dear friend. jerry, i miss you already.

yeah you know you love bingo! don’t act like you’re too cool…

well you’re in luck, because here’s your chance to both celebrate your love for the game of bingo, AND help out a great organization called teen line. for those who don’t know, you can check out teen line here. or you can read this from their “about” section:

TEEN LINE is a confidential telephone helpline, help online and online chat for teenaged callers. It operates every evening from 6:00pm to 10:00pm and is toll-free from anywhere in California. The TEEN LINE volunteers who answer the calls, emails and chats are Southern California teenagers who have been specially trained. They won’t judge you or give advice – their job is to listen to your feelings and help you to clarify your concerns, define the options available to you, and help you make positive decisions. No problem is too small, too large, or too shocking for the TEEN LINE volunteers.

PROBLEMS SOME TEENAGERS FACE … Abuse, AIDS, alcoholism, depression, divorce, drugs, gangs, homelessness, pregnancy, sexuality, violence, suicide.

TEEN LINE was founded in 1980 to help adolescents address their problems through a confidential peer hotline and community outreach program.

TEEN LINE is a sanctuary for the more than 10,000 youth each year that call the hotline. Toll-free in California, it’s a place to talk things out with another teen in a safe, non-judgmental environment.

TEEN LINE’s Community Outreach Program takes panels of volunteer youth directly into schools and youth groups to talk about topics pertinent to adolescents. More than 20,000 youth attend outreaches annually – learning about issues, and, most importantly, that whatever their problem, they are not alone.

TEEN LINE’s educational materials include brochures on such topics as teen suicide, drug abuse, self-injury, eating disorders, growing up gay, and sexuality. We also publish a resource handbook – The Youth Yellow Pages – and youth-oriented videos on various subjects.

TEEN LINE Consultation and Training involves specialized education on such topics as tolerance, “growing up gay”, teen suicide and substance abuse prevention. These services are offered to schools, adolescent-serving agencies, law enforcement and the media.

here’s the flyer for the event:

and finally, one of the COOLEST things about being asked to be part of this event is the fact that the woman who founded the project is now 82 years old, and loves “adam’s song.” i mean, how can you NOT support an organization as great as this, run by a great-grandmother with amazing taste in music?
hope to see you there…

you can pretty much wrap any electronic device you own with +44 or blink-182 logos, from a company called ding. for the +44 page click here, and for the blink-182 page click here.

i wish i could wrap my atari 2600. i miss the hack for space invaders where if you hold down the reset button while powering it on, you could fire two laser at a time. i used to really clear some levels.