Xmas Recap

Hope everyone had a very Merry Xmas! If you have issue with the phrase "Merry Xmas", please refer to my last blog post :)

This year was the first year our family wasn't together for Xmas. My little brother got married earlier this year and he and his wife are in California and she is currently pregnant with my niece or nephew so they were unable to come home for the holidays. They were definitely missed but we still had a great time.

Me and my girlfriend headed down to my parents on Xmas Eve and spent the day relaxing, visiting a few family friends, and eating a delicious chili dinner. As with tradition, we opened our 1 present on Xmas Eve. Mine was a copy of Brian "Head" Welch's book from my parents which I was super excited to read. Girlfriend got a very cute hoodie and my parents got some badass new fishing rods & reels. Then it was off to bed so Santa could make his stop.

The next morning, as with every Xmas, I was wide awake before 8am and ready to go. We got up and once everyone's eyes were open we tore thru the wrapping paper like rabid badgers on a deer carcass. The highlights were the very awesome bear hood I got my girlfriend, my mom's new bracelet, dad's new creeper stool for the garage, and my deep fryer! I also ended up getting a copy of the same book my parents got me from my girlfriend which was fine by me, obviously I made it clear that I wanted that damn book!

We had planned for some friends of the family and my cousins to join us for dinner but everyone ended up sick so it turned into a very quiet day which was great. We Skyped with my brother and sister-in-law and I got to see her baby bump for the first time and a cool video tour of their new house. Then we packed it up and headed home to rest up for work the next day.

All in all it was a little strange not having my little bro around for Xmas but it turned out to be a great time as always!

The War on Stupidity

Before I dive into my rant I'd like to first say that I hope everyone has a very Merry Xmas and hopefully Santa will bring you everything you wanted! Now, on to the rant...

What the hell is this "War on Christmas" crap I keep hearing? First off, if you want a war to pay attention to, why not getting informed about the chaos in the Middle East and Syria? There are plenty of actual conflicts worth devoting your time to out there which are much more pressing than something petty like whether people are saying "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays". Sadly though, if it's not happening in their backyard most of us don't care so let's take a look at this "War on Christmas".

Basically it boils down to people searching so hard for anything they can be offended by that people have actually found a way to complain about other people wishing them good tidings. On one side, you have people who celebrate Christmas. Apparently the phrase "Happy Holidays" stopped including Christmas at some point because people are actually getting pissed off when someone says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". 

Some Christmas celebrators also take offense to the abbreviated "Xmas" instead of the full "Christmas". I've even dealt with this over the years since we are a station with X in our name and abbreviate the holiday accordingly. After doing some research (aka taking 10 seconds to Google something instead of making assumptions) I found that X is an ancient abbreviation for Christ so to everyone who has claimed we "took the Christ out of Christmas"... YOU WERE WRONG!

On the other side of the coin, you have those who don't celebrate Christmas taking offense when someone wishes them a "Merry Christmas". I realize religion is a very touchy subject but even if you don't celebrate the holiday, December 25th is recognized as Christmas Day so instead of being upset that someone wished you a happy day for the wrong religion, just take it as a wish to have a good Dec. 25th and move on.

I celebrate Xmas but I wouldn't be offended if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Holidays or whatever. Stop being so damn sensitive and be glad someone is telling you to have a good day at all.

Stop the PC BS!

I've talked (and even blogged) about this in the past but this PC epidemic seems to be going worldwide!

PC, for those who don't know, means Politically Correct. Politically Correct is just a fancy way of saying "not offensive" which in theory is a good thing. You don't want to offend people or be offended. The problem is that people have become so hyper-sensitive that EVERYTHING is offensive to someone and the reactions are getting more and more unnecessary.

First on my griping block this week is the Dallas Cowboys. I've been a proud Cowboy fan since I was a kid and always will be but lately they've had me shaking my head worse then when Romo throws another interception. Nose tackle Josh Brent recently wrecked his car while driving drunk and caused the death of teammate Jerry Brown during the accident. I am very against drunk driving and believe that Josh deserves whatever sentence he gets handed (he was charged with intoxicated vehicular manslaughter and could face 20 years in prison).

My problem with this story is how the Cowboys office is reacting. Instead of using Josh as an example they are talking about treating the team like a bunch of toddlers instead. They are thinking about installing breathalyzers in player's vehicles to prevent future drunk driving incidents. WHAT? The rest of the team didn't drive drunk and kill somebody, why should they have to deal with the inconvenience?

My second story this week is about the radio DJs from Australia who prank called the hospital in England where Kate Middleton was staying during her pregnancy illness. These DJs, like many others, have been doing prank calls for years and managed to convince a nurse they were the Queen and Prince Harry and got the inside scoop on Kate's status. Nothing embarrassing or shocking by any means, just some basic info that she was doing better. Well the nurse ended up committing suicide and the assumption is that she was ashamed of being tricked. Instead of using this as a learning tool and training nurses how to better identify family members asking about a relative's status, the DJs were FIRED! WHAT? Someone overreacts to being part of a harmless prank and 2 people lose their jobs?

Please don't read this and think I'm some insensitive dick. I try daily not to offend people but in today's world, some people are just looking for something to be offended by. Some are just combative and want to find a reason to square off, some do it for the attention being offended gets you these days, and admittedly there are some people out there who get genuinely offended by things but they are usually the last ones you hear bitching about it.

Tis the Season To Be Greedy

This past weekend was Thanksgiving weekend which marks the beginning of the holiday season which marks a season of caring and sharing... or it used to at least.

This past Saturday I drove in one of the local holiday parades and was truly appalled at the way people acted. Some parades allow the participants to throw candy and others do not so we usually don't bring candy just to be safe. We had a few kids ask "Where's the candy?" but when we told them we didn't have any most would either go back to being kids or comment on how awesome our Van Moustache looked. The adults on the other hand were horrible. Multiple people basically begged for station gear and one man even told us "You guys can't come back next year" when we told him we didn't have any candy to throw out. Really? Go to the store and buy some candy if it's that important you greedy ass.

Then I got home and started seeing some of the images from Black Friday. Black Friday started as a big sale day and a kickoff to Christmas shopping. Now it's turned into a day where normal people can go out and act like selfish, greedy jerks in public. Here's a few pics that really sum up what Black Friday has become:

If this is how we act during the time of year when we're supposed to be at our most generous and caring, how can we expect anything else during the rest of the year? 

Rock The Vote

Today is one of the most anticipated and heated days in America... Election Day! Every 4 years we Americans throw all logic and civility out the window and scream like starving animals at one another over who should run our country for the next 4 years.

I went this morning and cast my vote and I hope you do as well. This blog isn't meant to try and persuade anyone at the last minute or disparage any candidate or party. I just wanted to take a moment to ask you to get out there and vote and next time, let's try to keep it a little more civil.

It amazes me how quickly people who know jack shit about politics turn into political experts when an election is coming. Now I know it seems everyone knows lots about politics because of all the statistics and "facts" they quote left and right but a HUGE percentage of those people are just regurgitating whatever they were told by whichever political pundit they support.

Democrats make Republicans out to be the devil and vice versa and nobody is willing to listen to any OPINION other than their own. And yes, these are opinions. Saying "Blah blah will do a better job as President" is NOT A FACT, it's an opinion. And many of those statistics you love to quote and throw in the other party's face are tiny pieces of a larger picture that, when looked at on their own, do look bad but should be seen as part of the whole.

I'm done ranting and I'm glad I got my vote counted and that these damn political posts and commercials are going away for another 4 years. That gives us 1460 days to learn how to discuss politics like educated people and stop flinging poo and screaming like primates. I'm not holding my breath but we'll see...

Tour de Lance

For most Americans, when you think about professional cycling, one name always jumps out... Lance Armstrong. "Big Tex" won 7 consecutive Tour de France races from 1999 to 2005 even while battling testicular cancer and still kept competing after he won the fight. He used his fame to found the Livestrong Foundation and help build awareness and raise funds for cancer research.

It's probably been going on for years but more so since his final victory, there has been investigation after investigation into whether Lance was "doping" (using performance enhancers during his racing career). There have been several cyclists, both rivals and teammates, who have testified to seeing or knowing of Lance using performance enhancers but until recently it never stacked up.

Recently, another investigation has brought several testimonies to light and has now ended in Lance being stripped of everything. All 7 of his titles have been taken away, he has been banned for life from professional cycling, and may end up having to repay the $14 million he won from his Tour de France victories.

Now, I'm no advocate for cheating in any way or form but it seems to me like the cycling community had it out for Lance. Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but there has been more time spent and investigations started to investigate Lance than I feel like should have been necessary. If the allegations are true, then I can understand the stripping of his titles but it seems to me that they kept investigating until they got the answers they wanted.

Either Lance Armstrong is a evil mastermind behind the most carefully planned and perfectly executed cheating campaign in the history of sporting events or he's the victim of his own fame and was brought down by jealous rivals and teammates alike. I'm not sure which is true or if the reality lies in the gray area in between but it truly is a shame to see an American hero and champion fall from grace in such a way.

Politics Are Taking Over!

As most anyone reading this already knows, I hate politics. Now, don't take that to mean I don't care about the state of our country or who is making those decisions because I do, very much so. I hate the way politics divides people and how instead of voting based on well thought out, researched decisions many people vote for who they are either TOLD to vote for or who they have been CONVINCED to vote for.

It's not a new idea or anything mind blowing but there's all kinds of political commentary in TV and movies and media in general. It's expected. People have opinions and of course they are going to work them into their craft when they can. However, there are ways of doing it casually or even with humor but Tim Allen's new show, Last Man Standing, is one example of how to take it to unnecessary places.

In an episode scheduled to air before the election, Tim Allen's character tells his daughter "The Democrats will tax your inheritance and will probably use that money to throw gay weddings for illegal aliens." That has got to be the single most politically UNINFORMED statement I've ever read. Liberals do support gay and immigrant rights but to make the leap to the government funding "gay weddings for illegal aliens" is moronic. I realize it's veiled in the cover of humor but in PC America, how is that not considered offensive? The commentary goes on but I think I've made my point.

Now many people will read this and immediately think, "Well, Blando must be some bleeding heart liberal Obama lover" or whatever but that's not the case either. I am not Democrat or Republican and instead of voting for the party I'm told to vote for, I make a personal decision each election year as to who I want running my country. I'm just saying, if you are going to vote (and I hope everyone does) please don't get your "political information" from the TV... or the news... or even FROM ME! Go do some damn research, read about what the candidates have supported on paper NOT IN FRONT OF A MICROPHONE and look beyond Democrat and Republican and check out the "third party candidates" and you might actually find someone you WANT to vote for, not someone you are WILLING to vote for.

A Different Type of School Shooting

School shootings have gone from rare, individual incidents to becoming a more recurring theme here in America. As sad as they are, this blog is about something completely different... a girl being shot JUST FOR WANTING TO GO TO SCHOOL!

Malala Yousafzai looks like a normal enough kid.

Malala grew up in Pakistan under Taliban rule and when she was 11, she started blogging for BBC Urdu describing her life under the Taliban. 

In Jan. 2009, she posted about how the Taliban had decreed that girls were no longer allowed to attend school and how afraid she was even though she kept going. They also banned shopping by women but Malala wasn't worried about new shoes, she wanted her education.

She began writing anonymously for fear of violence or even death from the Taliban and later in Jan. 2009 posted that her school had been closed. Her family fled the area until later that year when the Taliban had been driven back and began appearing publicly to push for female education. 

Malala is currently recovering after being shot in the head and neck earlier this week by a Taliban militant which has sparked a growing sense of concern in the Pakistani government about addressing the issue of female education and will hopefully one day mean Malala and other girls in Pakistan can get the education they deserve.

Halloween Costumes That Rock (And Roll)

It's still almost a month away but by now most everyone has started putting thought and maybe some preparation into a Halloween costume. Whether you're brainstorming ideas, growing your hair or beard, saving money, or building it yourself there's always some prep that must be done.

For ladies, most store bought Halloween costumes are slutty versions of various things:

For the guys, there's much more to choose from but they usually stick to something funny or embarassing:

But when it comes to kids, those were the days. Dressing up as your favorite action hero, princess, cartoon character, or one of the Halloween essentials like ghosts or witches:

But something I never considered over the years is how traditional costumes don't work for everyone. I saw an article today about Halloween costumes for kids in wheelchairs and they are freaking AWESOME! Things like the Flintstones car or Mario Kart or the Batmobile or even a DJ Booth can turn a wheelchair into a Halloween costume like none other. Check these out:

Every one of the parents or guardians or whoever took the time to create these costumes for these kids (and any others like them) should have a parade in their names!

Weenie Roast 12

This past Sunday was the Weenie Roast 12 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte and what a hell of a way to wrap up the summer!

For those who don't know, Weenie Roast is a big end of summer concert that's been going down in Charlotte since the mid 90s. This year was the first in a few years and you could tell the rock fans were ready for a show.

We arrived a little late and missed local rockers VESS but did see a few songs from Eve 6. We also missed Evans Blue and Anberlin's sets but were able to hear most of them as we wandered around the venue or waited to meet bands. The Offspring headlined the main stage along with Garbage, Flogging Molly, Coheed and Cambria, Switchfoot, Anberlin, Our Lady Peace, and Eve 6. Our local boys Paper Tongues closed out the side stage with Foxy Shazam, Evans Blue, Drop D, and VESS.

We also had the pleasure of meeting Foxy Shazam, Our Lady Peace, Coheed & Cambria, Paper Tongues, and The Offspring. They were all nice, Foxy was crazy, Coheed was nerdy, Paper Tongues were all hugs and stories, and Offspring were nice but kind of stand offish.

If I had to pick a favorite band from the day, it would be a tie between Foxy Shazam, Paper Tongues, and Flogging Molly. Fozy Shazam has one of the most amazing live shows I've ever seen. My girlfriend describes it as a carnival freakshow and it's pretty spot on. Paper Tongues' set was great and filled with new music added to how nice these guys are makes them an unforgettable experience. Flogging Molly are legends in the punk world and rock in general but I had never seen them live until Sunday and, along with the rest of the crowd, was speechless as they rocked the stage!

It was a great day and a great concert and possibly the best way to wrap up the summer that I can think of!

Scripted Reality

I've been an outspoken hater of most all Reality TV but lately it's getting to a point that just blows my mind.

Reality TV is defined as a genre of television depicting SUPPOSEDLY unscripted situations. The word supposedly is in there because most anyone who can count to 10 knows that reality TV isn't real. It's scripted. People are pushed into certain roles and situations and video is edited to depict certain characters in certain ways (i.e. villains, heroes, mean, nice, etc).

Reality TV to me is the new generation of soap operas. For a long time, reality TV stuck tightly to celebrities and rich people showing off a life that most of us will never live. As much as I hated it, at least it could be looked at as a cautionary tale of how money and power can change people. Now the new trend seems to be to find the most pathetic people they can and shine a spotlight all over them.

We have shows like Swamp People and Redneck Island and now this Honey Boo Boo thing. Why? My theory is that by looking down their noses at these people, the ones watching the shows feel better about their own lives. How messed up is that?

I have, do, and will always hate reality TV. Even when it was sort of real back in the old Real World days it still got old fast. If I want to watch TV and movies, I either want fact like a documentary about some major event/person or fiction where I can get lost in another world. If I want reality, I turn off the TV and walk outside. THAT is reality. Totally unscripted, unsponsored, and unpretentious REAL reality.

(De)Classified

Should our government keep secrets from the public? It's a huge question with tons of consequences on either side. Here's my thoughts:

On first thought I'd say no, they should be open with us about anything and everything that may effect us on any level. Then when I stop to think about it, maybe there are somethings we just don't need to know. 

The reason it's even on my mind started with this book No Easy Day that one of the members of SEAL Team 6 wrote about the mission that ended with the death of Osama Bin Laden. Like most Americans, when this all first happened I wanted to know more. That sadistic a-hole killed hundreds of innocent people and I wanted to see him suffer like they did. Once things calmed down though, I was fine knowing he was dead and didn't need to know the details. Now this book is coming out that tells everything which I think is a bad idea. Not only will we as Americans get to see what happened, our enemies will as well. The details in this book could fuel another group to start conflict with the US or even give details on how US military operations are coordinated and executed putting current and future troops in more danger.

Another bit of info that's been made public lately that I'm baffled by is the Secret Service's codenames for those they protect. For example, President Obama is "Renegade", Mitt Romney is "Javelin", and so on. What is the point in having codenames if EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE! In normal every day situations, it won't make much difference but if something does go wrong and someone needs to be discreetly moved from one place to another, they wouldn't even be able to use their codename without everyone knowing exactly who they were talking about!

I'm all for open government and people being informed about what happens on Capitol Hill, but I think it's safe to say that SOME things just aren't meant for the public. The problem is, who decides...

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Most everyone has heard of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If not, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is an area in Hollywood where 2,400 five pointed stars are embedded in the sidewalk as "public monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry" for famous actors, actresses, musicians, producers, directors, theatrical groups, fictional characters, and more.

This morning I saw a story that made me angry, confused, and sad all at once... Kim Kardashian wants a star on the Walk of Fame. Really? Don't get me wrong, I love to look at Kim and her ass... actually, let's do that for a minute...

Alright, now where was I? Oh yea, so this chick thinks she deserves a star among the likes of Clint Eastwood, Alfred Hitchcock, John Williams, and other legends of the entertainment world? The only thing bigger than her ass is her EGO!

She justifies this idea saying "reality TV is still a new form of entertainment" and people don't understand it. So let me get this straight, being rich and spoiled and having cameras follow you around makes you an entertainer? I thought it made you a rich spoiled brat that had cameras following her around.

She went on to compare reality TV to rap music because people didn't understand rap at first either. So now she's saying she's as talented as Jay-Z or Dr. Dre or her new bedroom buddy Kanye? Negative madam. 

The big difference here is that people who are on the Walk of Fame did something special and were recognized for it, Kim Kardashian just lives her pampered life with cameras in tow. If anyone deserves a star on the Walk of Fame, it's the people behind the scenes at reality TV shows for making these bottom feeders look like real people.

Encore... Or No Encore?

The subject of bands doing encores at concerts has come up quite a few times in my own personal conversations as well as the media lately so I figured it was time to share my thoughts on the subject. Most people get angry when there isn't an "encore" because they feel like they got screwed out of part of the show. I use quotation marks back there because, in my opinion, it's not an encore if it was planned all along.

Dictionary.com defines encore as "A repeated or additional performance of an item at the end of a concert, as called for by an audience." To me, that means an encore is when the band does something extra at the end of the show because the audience demanded more, right? Then how can you call it an encore when a band has been planning it since the tour started? 

There are a few bands out there who just don't do encores. System of a Down has ended their shows with no encore both times I saw them. A few other bands I've seen also ended sans encore and it was great. Now I don't mean hit the last note of the last song and the band hauls ass. Take a minute, thank your fans for being there, have the whole band come to the front of the stage and take a bow, or whatever. I just don't understand why we HAVE to have a 5-10 minute pause near the end of every concert before the last few songs.

Now I'm not saying I'm against encores, honestly I think they are one of the coolest things about a live show. A true encore happens when a band has finished and is heading to the tour bus and the roar of the fans is so overwhelming they decide "Fuck it, they want more, we're giving them more" and go back on stage to have fun. 

When an "encore" is part of the schedule, there's nothing special about it... it's just part of the show.

Reunited And It Feels So Good

When a band reunites, it can go one of several ways. Some bands come back together for the wrong reasons (money, boredom, etc) and it goes horribly. The fans end up disappointed and the love of that band is replaced with memories what they became. Luckily for me, System of a Down's reunion seemed to be for all the right reasons and came together like they never missed a beat. 

We hit the road Tuesday morning bound for DC for the System of a Down/Deftones show. The drive there was pretty uneventful aside from a little rain here and there and navigating DC to find our hotel was surprisingly easy as well. The hotel (Helix) was INSANE! It was like walking into Studio 51 or something. There was a bar/nightclub downstairs and the whole place had a very trendy/artistic feel. Here's a few pics of the room:

We had dinner at a place called Logan's (not the steakhouse) which was all locally grown and was super delicious. Then we tried to walk to the venue (which wasn't far) and ended up getting good and lost. We then caught the worst cab ever (dude screamed into his phone the whole freaking ride and kept pumping the breaks at stops to keep the meter running... douche). 

Finally, we get to the show and before we go find out seats, we got to meet Serj Tankian with a group of fans. I met him in California and he was just as friendly and excited to meet the winners as we were to meet him! 

After that we grabbed a beer with our buddy Ravi and his girlfriend and headed to our seats.One of my favorite things about a tour like this is that neither band has a current album out (Serj's solo album but not System) so there was no requirement to play more new material or whatever, basically they played what they wanted!  Deftones kicked it off with an amazing set mixed with hits, deep cuts, old, and new!

Then the moment we'd been waiting for...

The boys blasted through a setlist including old favorites, their big hits, and everything you could want from a SOAD live show. And their chemistry on stage was just as prominent as always. They were all grinning from ear to ear, headbanging like teenagers, and having as much fun (if not more) than the fans!

After that we caught a cab (with a much nicer driver) back to the hotel, got some sleep, and headed back to ENC. The drive home was a little hectic at times but not too bad either. All in all, it was an amazing rock experience and I'll have fingers crossed that either or both of these bands come back through soon!

America: F*** Yea!

Every 4 years (well 2 if you count Winter) most of the world puts their differences aside as the elite athletes come together to compete in the name of their countries... THE OLYMPICS! The first summer Olympics were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece and only 14 countries competed. Fast forward to 2012 in London and 204 National Olympic Committees are represented!

There are two things that really stand out about the Olympics to me: the variety of events and the way it unites countries. The events range from swimming to soccer to skeet shooting to judo and everything in between. I'm not a huge sports fan myself but something about watching the men and women (and in some cases, boys and girls) who have trained years and years to excel in their sport go head to head with nothing to lose. Just the sheer intensity they compete with blows my mind, not to mention the precision and perfection they portray on the field of play.

It also brings a swelling of national pride to watch our fellow Americans (and in some cases, neighbors, friends, or family) fighting to win not only for themselves, but for America. It seems that no matter how divided the situation here at home (and I would assume the same for other countries) we always seem to put those issues and differences aside for 15 days and rally behind our Olympic heroes.

If you haven't been watching, there is 24 hour coverage on several channels and tons of content online. As of today, America is tied with China with 23 overall medals and is in 2nd behind China in Gold medals.

Keep kicking ass Team USA!

Diamond in the Rough

On many occasions I've thought about spending time going to second hand stores and places like that where you can buy used and random stuff but never seem to have the motivation but this story I read today makes me think it might be time to give it a shot.

Beth Feedback is an artist from Greensboro who went to Goodwill to grab a sweater and picked up 2 large paintings for $10 each. She didn't like the paintings but was going to reuse the canvas for her own works. A few months later, she noticed an art gallery tag on one of the paintings and decided to look up the original artist before she turned the paintings into scrap. The artist turned out to be Ilya Bolotowsky and the painting is worth over $15,000! Here's Beth, her hubby, and the painting:

How freakin awesome is that? $10 for a $15,000 painting! It's not a common occurrence so don't start searching planning on making it rich but every once in a while instead of shopping at the mall or some big chain store, hit the thrift shops or swing by a local yard or garage sale and give it a good once over. You may not find something worth a ton of money, but you may find some of the coolest collectibles or random treasures you've ever seen.

Under the Covers

There are several ways to cover a song. You can do a direct cover where the new song is essentially a copy of the original or throw the whole format out the window and use the lyrics to build a totally new sounding song. And covering a song isn't a new thing BUT it seems to me that in today's world where music comes and goes at the speed of light, that some people have started to abuse the cover.

In the past covers were a rarity. Most bands didn't even record them but would use them as a cool extra or encore song in concerts. Then slowly but surely more and more covers were added as "hidden tracks" or "bonus tracks" added to a re-release. Nowadays, there are whole albums of covers and even bands who built careers doing covers... but that's not always a bad thing.


Two of the biggest "cover bands" out there have got to be Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine and Me First And The Gimme Gimmes. Richard Cheese takes popular rock and metal songs and twists them into a lounge/swing style. Me First does the same but with a punk sound instead of lounge. Both acts have built careers on covering other songs in their respective styles but both do it with a tongue-in-cheek attitude that makes it more about having fun than making money off someone else's ideas. Here's a sample from each:

Then you have albums that compile covers like Fearless Records' Punk Goes... series. Each album focuses on a genre like pop, 90s rock, and hip hop and modern punk and metal bands cover songs from that genre. Some bands stick more to their personal style and others stay more true to the original track with a touch of their own style mixed in. These are also more about having fun as the artists doing the covers all have active touring and recording schedules and make plenty of their own music. Here's an example:

Then you have bands like Puddle of Mudd or Counting Crows who, after years of making original music, crank out a cover album and start releasing singles like it's a new album. This is where my love of covers ends. Covering a song to honor the original artist or even to have fun and blow off some steam is all well and good, but just because you've run out of creativity, don't start trying to peddle someone else's wares as your own. 

Happy Birthday America!

Tomorrow is the 4th of July. For most countries it's just the 4th day of the 7th month, but here in America it's got a slightly different name... Independence Day!

Every year we celebrate July 4th as the day we officially became an independent nation, but that may not be exactly right. Turns out July 4th was the day the Declaration of Independence was approved. Congress had actually voted to approve our independence on July 2nd. There's even rumor that the Declaration of Independence may not have been signed until early August. But regardless of the specific details, we became seperated from British rule in the summer of 1776 and that's a damn solid reason to celebrate.

Celebrations have been held every anniversary, and even back in the 1700's they partied similarly to what we do now: a 13 gun salute (for the 13 colonies) at sunrise and sunset, a big dinner, parades, speeches, fireworks, and red, white, & blue EVERYWHERE! Most of the traditions started there ring true today. Honestly, the only major changes since 1800 were in 1870 when July 4th became an UNPAID federal holiday and in 1938 when it switched to a PAID holiday.

Have a safe and happy Independence Day tomorrow. Celebrate being an American and hold your drinks high in toast to the freedoms we enjoy here. Take a moment to remember that no matter how bad you think it is here, it's much worse in many other places. Remember that even though government makes us crazy sometimes, the fact that we can complain openly about that government is a privilege not many have the luxury of enjoying.

I'll let Bill Pullman close this blog out for me. Bill...

Rock In The Desert

So this past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd annual Sunset Sessions Rock! This time we were back in Cali but moved the party to Palm Springs (the desert). The scenery was unbelievably beautiful, here's the view from my balcony:

Mind blowing, right? Well, if you missed the recap from last year, Sunset Sessions Rock is a rock conference that brings up and coming artists, rock veterans, radio programmers, and all kinds of music professionals together for a weekend of discovering new artists and building the rock community. 

The first day started for me at 4am (1am Pacific time) when I left for RDU and flew out to Dallas to connect to Ontario, CA. I shared a rental with a few friends from last year so we piled in and made the 2 hour drive to the resort. The surroundings blew me away immediately because of how different it was from ENC. Mountains everywhere, wide open desert, and wind farms galore!

We arrived and wasted no time getting things going. The first day started with The "Real" Social Networking Panel, which was basically an organized meet & greet. It was a fun way to get to know some of my fellow rockers and talk music for a while. Then we had a little happy hour with Serj Tankian while we listened to his new album, Harakiri, and an interview with Serj and Matt Pinfield.

Each night there were 2 mini concerts: the Main Stage Shows and the Late Night Lounge. The first night Versus The World (Warped Tour punk), Black Oxygen (alt rock), The Parlotones (alternative), and Dead Sara (high energy female fronted rock) performed on the main stage and Slatr (very talented young teen rockers), Tanlines (power pop), Big B (rock hop), and Lit (90s rockers) rocked the lounge. Our good buddies Skratch 'n Sniff worked the turntables between bands in the lounge.

Day 2 was spent mostly in the pool. It started with a Creating Change panel that focused on going green and working with charities. That was followed by a pool party where we listened to Linkin Park's new album, Living Things. We hung around the pool until the SECOND pool party where we listened to Lostprophets' new album, Weapons. Here's the view from the pool:

That night the main stage hosted Killinger (80s metal), Cheating Daylight (teen rockers with a 10 year old bassist who stole the show), The Last Nova (rock), Courier (alt rock), and P.O.D. (90s rap rockers). The lounge was rocked by Beware of Darkness (Jack White meets early Nirvana), Hyro Da Hero (hip hop fronted hard rock), 7Lions (2 singer rock), and Oedipus (rock). That night also hosted a Super Duper Late Night Lounge with an acoustic performance by The Nowherenauts.

Day 3 I was too sunburned from Day 2 so I avoided the pool for the most part. The day kicked off with a very insightful Radio Panel followed by an acoustic performance by the legendary Richie Sambora! After that we sat down for a Q&A with Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins and then took turns doing one on one interviews with Billy. I had a great chat with him and was blown away by how articulate and friendly he turned out to be.

The last night of the main stage was closed out by The Royalty (indie female fronted rock), The Nowherenauts (alternative), Stellar Corpse (rockabilly punk), A Silent Film (brit alt), and Taproot (rock). The final late night lounge hosted Art of Dying (rock), Junior Giant (alt rock), and Everclear (90s alt rock). 

There was a lot of partying, I learned a lot, met some amazing people, and brought home several bands that absolutely blew me away! Can't wait to see what next year has in store...

The Dirty 30

So today is the big day, my 30th birthday. It's one of those events in life you don't really think about until it happens but strangely, it feels the same as yesterday.

Like most people, the closer 30 got, the scarier it seemed. I had moments where I would question myself and what I've done with the past 30 years but the more I thought about it, the better I felt. I've got a great family that's been there every minute of the past 30 years for anything I needed. I still have fond memories and great friends from my grade school and high school days.  I spent 5 years at ECU partying my ass off, making some of the best memories with some of the most awesome people ever. Then I stumbled into my dream job and have been living the dream every day since.

But the strange thing is, today has become less about what I've done and more about what's next. I've heard more than one person say "My 30s were where I had the most fun" which sounds like a challenge to me. My early years were great and my 20s were unbelievable so if the next 10 years have the chance to top that, I can't wait to see how!

And after that, who knows! What will I do in the next 30 years? Where will I go? Who will I meet? What adventures await? Guess we'll have to wait till 2042 and see...

The Death of Celebration

I was driving to work this morning and in the news heard that schools in Pitt County were cracking down on excessive cheering at their upcoming graduations. Really? We stress how important school is to kids for the first 18 years of their lives and they can't celebrate making it to the end? The people who are proud of them should be able to express that feeling, otherwise there's no damn point in having a graduation other than to take pictures with your principal in a cap and gown.

A student in Ohio had his diploma DENIED because his family cheered too loudly at his graduation. So let me get this straight, your family being proud of you is a bad thing? I always thought America was all about "family values" and all that crap but apparently it's not ok to be excited and celebrate your children's accomplishments. The worst part about this story is that the kid is now being forced to perform 20 hours of community service before he can get his diploma. He's being treated like a damn criminal because his family was proud of his accomplishment.

Another incident happened in Myrtle Beach when a girl's mother was ARRESTED for cheering when her daughter walked across the stage. ARRESTED! The school had posted that anyone cheering would be escorted out but arresting this woman is ridiculous. Honestly, I think it's insulting to "outlaw" cheering in the first place, but to arrest someone for showing their daughter how proud they were blows my mind. Again I ask, what is the point in having a graduation ceremony if you can't cheer for your friends and family?

If this is the way things are going to be done, why not just have someone film the damn ceremony in an empty auditorium and send the parents the DVD of their kid's graduation? Then they wouldn't have to worry about anyone making noise. Or do 2 ceremonies: one where they do all the speeches and tassel turning and any other "traditions" that is only open to immediate parents/guardians and then a second later in the day where the students actually get to "walk" that is open to friends and family where people can cheer, students can celebrate, and a day that should be happy and full of fun and excitement can actually have some fun and excitement. Hell, you could even make the 2nd part optional so the lameasses can go home.

I just don't see why a celebration needs so many rules and restrictions.

Taking the "Social" Out of "Social Life"

It's been sad to watch people's definition of "social" evolve over the years. 10 years ago, if you described someone as "social" it probably meant they had a lot of friends and spent a lot of time going out to social gatherings like bars, concerts, or wherever. Now social means you have a Facebook or Twitter and a bunch of "friends" or followers (I use quotations back there because really, how many of your Facebook friends have you met in person?). Now that line is blurring even more with the new app SceneTap.

SceneTap is an app connected to cameras that are mounted in bars and clubs that estimate the number of patrons, average age, and male to female ratio of a particular bar so you can check to see if it's somewhere you want to go. It also tracks recent data from the bars it covers. Most of you just read that (as did I) and thought "Wow, that's pretty awesome! No more nights at an empty bar or sausagefest!" but take a minute to think a little further down the road.

RIGHT NOW the app is great because it's still got a small base of people using it but think 10 years down the road. If the app really takes off and every bar in every town has a camera installed and 90% of people use the app NOBODY WILL EVER GO OUT AGAIN! If it gets to a point where more than half of people are checking an app to see if people are at a bar/club before going out... EVERYBODY WILL BE AT HOME CHECKING THEIR SMART PHONES!

And that's even looking at the issue of invasion of privacy. Right now the cameras don't record faces or personal information, but how hard would it be to install upgraded cameras and/or software to start tracking where people frequent and selling that info to corporate America (basically just like Facebook does every time you log on and keep browsing the internet)? Nothing! Just the monetary push to make it worthwhile.

And if this trend continues, what's next? An app that tells us when the bathroom at work is vacant? An app to check and see if lines at the grocery store are short?

Don't wait for your phone to tell you it's ok to go out and live life. Just open the door and step out.

Rebellion Revisited 2012

Carolina Rebellion 2012 was everything I enjoyed about the first Rebellion, only BETTER!

The weekend started Friday night at the Friday Night Campground Party. We didn't camp out but we did swing by to catch the show. I missed the first few bands but got to see Lez Zeppelin SHRED for a few songs when we first arrived. That was cool because I was there for one thing... Foxy Shazam. The boys blew my freakin' MIND! The show was like watching a tornado with instruments and microphones. The singer rode the guitarist's shoulders while he was jamming a solo, the keyboardist stood on his keyboard several times, even the trumpet player was going nuts. It was insane!

Saturday we rolled out around 7am heading for the big show. Right away it was very obvious it was going to be a HOT day (reaching around 90). We were off to the right of the main stages so didn't get to catch many of the Jagermeister stage bands (well, I didn't SEE them but I definitely HEARD every bit of P.O.D. and Redlight King from across the yard). There were way too many awesome things to tell them all but here's a few of my favorite highlights from the day:

Weaving the Fate kicked off the main stages with a badass tribute to Adam "MCA" Yauch of the Beastie Boys. Paper Tongues debutted a new track from their upcoming 2nd album. Volbeat and Evanescence were just as badass as I hoped they were live (first time seeing both). Five Finger killed it even though Ivan was fighting a cold. Slash shredded through G'nR, Velvet Revolver, and his solo material (and I had the pleasure of MEETING him backstage, very nice guy). Halestorm blistered the stage (and the booty shorts Lzzy was wearing backstage could have killed a healthy man). Staind ran the gambit from their classic ballads to the hard hitting new album and ended with the acoustic track "Something To Remind You". And Shinedown brought it all home with an energy like none other.

For me, however, the highlights of the day focused around my favorite band: Korn! First, I heard rumor that Brian "Head" Welch was in attendance to perform with RED during their set. During the show, I had the pleasure of talking to Munky backstage who confirmed Head was there and it was the first time they'd seen him face-to-face in almost SEVEN YEARS! Korn hit the stage like a bomb blasting through a medley of old and new hits mixed with a few album cuts wrapping up with the full length cover of "Another Brick In The Wall" (where Munky SHREDDED for what seemed like days) and before closing with their trademark "Blind", Jonathan walked to the right of the stage and said "This spot on the stage has been very lonely for 7 years. I'd like to invite one of my favorite people ever to come out and have some fun with us." At that point Head came out from behind the stage with his axe held high and joined the boys for the final song. It was a moment I as a Korn fan had dreamed about since Head first departed in 2005 and I couldn't believe I was there to witness it LIVE!

2 years in and the Rebellion is already an establishment. Talks of 2013 have already begun and rumor is, this year may be looking at THREE DAYS OF ROCK! Guess we'll find out next year!

Digital Narcissism

Ever since "smart phones" became popular, there has been a flood of apps that seem to be able to do everything: simple things like making your phone a flashlight to games to educational tools to the just plain weird. Now there's even an app to make you feel more insecure about yourself... UGLY METER!

I don't get this at all. It costs 99 cents and basically the app does one thing: scans your face and tells you how ugly you are. THAT'S IT! The science behind it is that it takes things like facial symmetry, proportions, and overall bone structure and gives you a ranking between 1 and 10. One interesting thing about the app is that it isn't affected by facial hair, makeup, hair styles, or other ways people decorate their face, it ONLY analyzes the hard data that is your actual face. 

The worst thing about this app is the fact that over 500,000 people have downloaded it so far. That means half a million people are either so vain or so insecure they need a phone to tell them whether their looks are acceptable. 

Size Matters

And I'm here to tell you, bigger isn't always better... but sometimes it is! Let me explain.

I heard a commercial the other day for the new Coke 12.5 ounce bottles and it got me thinking. I remember back in the early 90s when there was a race to see who could make teh biggest sodas. It started at 12 ounce, then up to 16, then to 20, then 24, then the mighty BIG SLAM 1 Liter. Around that time was when I first remember seeing the gigantic 3 Liters starting to roll out. (Side note: I always hated 3 liter sodas. They always tasted flat, even when you first open them.)

At the same time that soda and several other food items started growing, technology started shrinking. TVs, cell phones, laptops, even the Playstation 2 started trying to make things smaller and smaller... well, physically at least. Storage space has constantly grown but the actual items themselves were shrinking.

Fast forward to now and watch a few minutes of commercials: drinks, chicken nuggets, and all manner of foods are now going with "snack sizes" and "handheld" and other types of SMALLER portions while technology has gone the opposite direction as well. TV screens, smart phones, tablets, and all kinds of tech is getting BIGGER.

Is bigger better? Depends on WHAT and WHEN you are talking about.

Patience is a Virtue

Today's society is all about NOW! We eat fast food because cooking takes too much time. We text because phone calls take too long. Basically, the idea of waiting in anticipation seems to be a lost art... or is it?

I feel old just saying this but I miss the days of waiting for things. I remember waiting for Tuesday to roll around so I could beg mom to take me to the nearest record store and see what new albums had come out. Or grabbing the newspaper when I got home from school to see what new movies were coming out that weekend. Hell, I even miss smelling Sunday dinner cooking the minute we walked into my grandmother's house and counting the minutes until it was time to eat.

Lately, however, even I have fallen victim to the NOW mentality. I get fussy when my cell phone won't IMMEDIATELY do what I tell it. How dare it make me wait 3 seconds to see a picture?

I don't know if I really had a point when I started typing this (looking back, I doubt it) but even typing it has made me think and I hope it does the same for you. Next time something is taking longer than you want, try to be excited about what you are waiting for rather than mad that you don't have it already. You'll find yourself happy a lot more often.

Who Is Joseph Kony?

If you have a Facebook account you have most likely seen a post or twelve about Kony 2012. No, it's not another presidential campaign that finally figured out how to reach young people. It's a campaign to end a reign of terror in Africa.

This is Joseph Kony:



Joseph Kony is the leader of a Ugandan guerilla group called the Lord's Resistance Army. Since the late 80s Kony and the LRA have run the gambit of atrocities: murder, rape, kidnapping, torture, and even reports of cannibalism. What may be the worst part of all of this is the LRA's tactic for recruiting new "soldiers". They basically kidnap children, murder their families, and force them to fight for the group. An estimated 100,000 or more kids have been "enlisted" since this practice started in 1986.

There is a lot more reasons to hate Joseph Kony but why are we just now hearing about it? He was indicted for 33 charges by the International Criminal Court back in 2005 and has had arrest warrants pending ever since. The US has had an eye on him ever since 9/11 and even sent troops in to assist the Ugandans (not to engage Kony).

The reason it's the big buzz right now is due to a 30 minute documentary titled Kony 2012 that hit YouTube earlier this week documenting the atrocities carried out by Kony and LRA.

I agree this is a cause that needs to be addressed and a problem that needs fixing, but I also think it shows just how flighty Americans are today. Within 24 hours, thousands of people went from having no clue what Uganda was (Is it a new dubstep DJ?) to fighting for their freedom from oppression.

Fight for what you believe in, not what your Facebook friends tell you is important.

That being said, here's the video. I hope everyone reading this actually takes the time to get informed and, if they so choose, help the cause and not just jump on the bandwagon because it's the thing to do.

The End?

So it is 2012. Well, has been for just over a month anyway. According to translation the Mayan Calendar ends this year. That has lead people to assume everything from "Well, they must have just figured that would be a good stopping point on the calendar" to "OH MY GAWD THE WORLD IS GONNA END IN DECEMBER!" I must admit, I'm somewhere in the middle with the "I don't really know what the hell it all means" group.

Here's the facts: The Mayans were a very sophisticated culture who created a 5,125 year calendar that ends on our December 21, 2012 (their calendar and what we think of as a calendar now were organized very differently). It is believed that they based theirs around the movement of celestial bodies (i.e. sun, moon, planets, stars, etc) and the end point marks some specific alignment or configuration.

We, as humans, took that information and came up with the most self-centered conclusion possible... the entire universe is just a big clock counting down to Earth's destruction. Now there are theories that there may be a 2nd Big Bang or something universally catastrophic but most theories revolve around Earth's doom. A planet destroying comet/meteor/gamma ray or collision with another planet or being eaten by a black hole. 7% of people asked in a recent survey even thought we could be living in Planet of the Apes in LESS THAN 25 YEARS!

I myself fall into the "not sure" category. A recent study actually found that 27% of people think SOMETHING will happen. I think something will happen but not from mystical magical forces. I think PEOPLE will happen.

The human race is prone to mass hysteria when "imminent doom" is approaching (anybody remember Y2K?). I hope I'm wrong but I'm expecting a good percentage of people will start to act crazier as the date approaches. Living in bomb shelters, looting and riots, etc.

Whether any world changing or ending event happens, I am more worried about what the world's reaction leading up to that will be.

Bacon!

So I was inspired by the new Dr. Pepper 10 commercial that asks "Have you ever blogged about bacon?" and being a guy (and a fat guy at that) I realized I had not. So here we go!

Bacon by definition is "cured meat from the back or sides of a pig". Cooked, it looks like this:



Bacon, in my opinion, is the perfect food. It can be a main course, a side item, a topping, a condiment, a flavoring for soups & stews, or even dessert! And now, thanks to J&D Foods, bacon has come to be a seasoning salt, a flavoring for popcorn, mayo, and more, as well as a flavored LUBE!

You can find bacon style band-aids, bacon infused vodka, Wendy's glorified it with their mighty Baconator sandwich, and the artery crushing Bacon Explosion! (click here for instructions on that monster)

Yes it's bad for you, yes we (and I) eat way too much of it, and yes it's mostly fat. But who cares... IT'S BACON!

So there you go, no real direction or purpose, but I have successfully blogged about bacon. Now I'm craving some bacon myself...

SOPA/PIPA

If you haven't noticed, the internet is a little dark today. Many sites like Wikipedia, Craigslist, Reddit, and others have turned their sites off for the day to protest 2 bills coming through Congress: SOPA & PIPA.

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is in the House of Representatives and PIPA (Protect IP Act) is going through the Senate. Both bills were written with the intent of stopping online piracy of things like music, movies, and more by giving copyright holders more options for punishing websites with pirated content. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

The problem is people. Copyright holders will be able to basically remove a website from American web browsers by merely ACCUSING THEM of spreading pirated content. The way the law is at the moment, websites can be shut down by the government but are allowed an opportunity to remove any pirated content first... PIPA and SOPA would remove that chance.

The intentions are aimed the right way but this puts way too much power in a few hands and could lead to websites being shutdown for censorship instead of violation of piracy laws.

Click here for more info on SOPA & PIPA and how you can make your voice heard.

2011 Holiday Recap

So this is my 3rd attempt to write a blog about the holidays but I never really know how to approach it. The holidays with my friends and family fall in the gray area where they are not boring and dull but not worthy of a trip to the ER either.

My family and friends are all very outgoing and kinda wild so there is always some partying involved. The festivities started with my friends "Tacky Xmas Sweater Party" the weekend before Xmas that led me to the mecca of tacky sweaters, KMart, and a snazzy little number I picked up for the event (not to mention the Xmas Scream PJ pants I found).



Sexy huh? And yes, it was a ladies shirt (as if the ring o' tanline wasn't a dead giveaway).

Xmas weekend was a blast. Took the girlfriend to my parents for the weekend and ended up in an epic drinking version of Apples to Apples on Xmas Eve. Xmas Day was a nice reminder of the fact that I'm not a kid anymore. My favorite gifts were my new skillet, a crock pot, and Gears of War 3 (ok, so not totally grown up either). And to top off that domesticated cake, I spent my Xmas money on... a new vacuum. May not sound exciting but I was super happy with it all!

For New Year's we headed up to Raleigh for my friends house warming/New Year's Eve party. I got started a little early and around 7pm had to slow down, sober up a bit, and start back a little later so I could make it past midnight. Lots of drinks, lots of video games, and a few rounds of Apples to Apples and it was 2012. Then we started the year with GIANT cinnamon rolls for breakfast, steak for lunch, and black eyed peas for dinner (not the crappy band, the good luck food).

2011 had some ups and downs like any year but I think 2012 has a chance to make the record books. Only time will tell...