Halloweenies

It's always been a close race but I have to say Halloween is definitely one of my favorite holidays. As a kid you get to dress up and walk around the neighborhood asking for free candy. As an adult, you dress up and walk around downtown asking for free booze. It's a pretty awesome concept!

One of my favorite things about Halloween is the people who can't handle it. It's a time of scaring and pranks and a little good ol' fear. Most people, like myself, enjoy it. The little rush you get when something jumps at you in a haunted house, the chill down your spine when the door creaks after a scary movie, etc. Of course, there are always going to be people who just don't "get it".

Take for example, the person in Salisbury, NC who called the cops on their neighbors decorations. This guy has a riding mower setup with a straw filled "body' underneath like someone got mowed over. As was intended, it looks pretty real at first glance.

Well, instead of checking on their neighbor, someone decided to skip Step 1 and go ahead and call 911. Luckily, the cops knew about the prop and expected calls already.

Although, my favorite unnecessary panic thus far this year has to be the family who called 911 because they were LOST IN A CORN MAZE! Now, this is no ordinary maze. It's a 7 acre maze that was designed a little more difficult than usual this year. Here is an aerial shot:

Getting lost is no fun, but there are 3 funny twists to this story. The first being that it was only 6:30pm when they called. Really? It probably wasn't even dark yet! Second, there is no fencing around the maze. They could, at any time, have just picked a direction (maybe towards the sound of the traffic on the street nearby) and walked straight to safety. Third, and definitely the funniest, they were less than 25 feet from the end when they were found (it took the cops less than 10 minutes to find them).

I'm not saying to not be alert this Halloween season, just make sure you're freaking out over something real and not being a Halloweenie who just became the butt of the joke.

Hypocrites and Homophobes

Two words that I feel perfectly describe the Westboro Baptist Church. I have avoided even mentioning these people for a long time, mainly because I didn't want to give them any publicity, but by now most everyone has heard of these people.

For those who haven't, the Westboro Baptist Church is a group centered in Topeka, Kansas who try to market their extreme stance against homosexuality by protesting and picketing anything they feel promotes or accepts homosexuality. Most of us here in ENC got wind of these idiots when they started protesting MILITARY FUNERALS right here in our own backyard because since the military doesn't discriminate due to sexual orientation, the WBC takes that to mean they are actively promoting homosexuality.

Basically, anyone who isn't outwardly anti-gay is bad in their eyes.

Now they have focused their attacks on Steve Jobs and are planning a picket at his funeral. The leader of the WBC's daughter posted on Twitter that Steve "had a huge platform, gave God no glory, and taught sin"... using her iPhone! Does that make her a lesbian according to WBC ideals? I'm not sure. Honestly, I'm not even sure THEY know what they are protesting anymore.

If you want to see something fun involving the WBC, hit the videos on my DJ PAGE at 995thex.com and watch the Foo Fighters making fun of them in song before a FF show they were picketing and watch the tools trying not to smile. Even they know they are a joke.

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

Yesterday we got to hear the first track from the Metallica/Lou Reed project, Lulu, titled "The View." If you haven't heard it, CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY DJ PAGE and give it a listen.

Before I move ahead, let me say I am a HUGE fan of Metallica. I was never into Velvet Underground but I didn't dislike them either, just never listened much one way or the other.

Anyway, I was very excited about a Metallica concept album hoping for another S&M. Sadly, doesn't seem to be the case. The riffs are very Metallica and the brief parts where James sings sound good, but the song as a whole is crap. It sounds like beatnik poetry read over Metallica riffs.

So back to the title. Back in 2003, Metallica released St. Anger. As a rock album, not bad. As a Metallica album, I hated it. The drums sounded odd and there were NO GUITAR SOLOS! Not one! Now I am all for a band growing and their sound growing with them. Some of my favorite bands like Incubus and Korn sound worlds apart recently from their original sound. But those changes happened slowly. Album by album. Not 20 years of one style then a sudden shift into something completely different.

If bands want to put out an "experimental" album, I say go for it, but don't lead fans to believe it's the sound they know and love. Green Day did this by putting out an album as Foxboro Hot Tubs. Same members, different sound and style.

If you're not growing over time as a band and want to try something different, at least admit to the world that it's an "experimental" or "concept" album so we know what to expect.

The Calm Before The Storm

Growing up in Eastern North Carolina, hurricane season was always a strange time of year. It was always a pretty safe bet that each year at least one or two hurricanes would make their way up here and dump a ton of rain and some decent winds on us. Some years we were lucky and got the edge of the mess. Other years, I remember the eye passing directly over us. Either way, preparation was key.

The strangest thing was, the calmness of it all. My parents grew up in the area too so to all of us, every summer/fall meant hurricanes. If we lucked out one year then yay, but that was rare. Everyone just knew it was coming and what needed to be done to get ready. No panic, no chaos, just a little preparation and patience.

As an adult, whenever a storm is coming I see everyone whipped into an immediate panic. Grocery stores are wiped clean of essentials (toilet paper, water, bread, and Natural Light), gas stations are backed up as people fill up their cars, generators sell like hot cakes, etc. I guess it's all perspective. To me, it's just another big storm but to many (especially those who have moved to ENC) it's terrifying!

It's not a bad thing to be alert and prepared when a hurricane comes, but the key is to not panic. Stop, think, and try to stay calm.

Movies That Rock Pt. 2

So I had intended to do one of these a month but I kinda got slack on it. There have been a ton of great movies this summer so far so I'll try to hit some of the highlights.

After Transformers 2, I had low expectations for Transformers 3. It seemed like they were heading down the same road as The Matrix (great first movie, ok sequel, terrible 3rd) but it didn't. Transformers 3 was freakin awesome! Very rich story line, lots of emotion ranging from fun to very dark and sad, and the hot chick was a halfway decent actress this time! If you skipped part 3 because of part 2, catch it on DVD!

A movie that really caught me off guard recently was Source Code. The previews made it look like a time travelling love story but it was far more. The movie centers around Jake Gyllenhall's character who is an army pilot who wakes up 2 months after a helicopter crash to find himself knee deep in a secret military program that can actually look into the past in an attempt to find the cause of train bombing and stop future attacks. A good bit of sci fi, lots of action, great acting, and a touch of a love story make this a must watch!

On the humourous side of things, stoner comedies are the way to go this summer. On DVD, Paul (written and starring the guys from Shaun of the Dead) follows 2 British geeks on trek after Comic-Con to visit UFO hotspots who meet an alien named Paul and end up trying to help him escape the people who have been holding him captive for years. Still in theaters, 30 Minutes or Less is another instant comedy classic. 2 spoiled losers sponging off their parents decide to use a bomb vest to force a pizza delivery boy to rob a bank for them. Not a very deep story line here, think Superbad meets Crank. Lots of funny, lots of action!

There have been plenty of other good flicks this summer but those are the ones that really stick out to me.

The Quarter Life Crisis

I was reading an article the other day that shows that people are more likely to have a "crisis" in their mid to late 20's nowadays instead of their 40's as in the past. Could it be true?

Most everyone has heard of, or even used the phrase, "mid-life crisis". Usually a male, but females experience it too, in their 40's or 50's who suddenly tries to "find their youth". This leads to things like purchasing new vehicles (i.e. convertible sports cars), dating much younger, and things of that nature. Basically, things that make them feel young. This was more of a celebration than a crisis. After spending half of their life chasing a dream, it makes sense that many cut loose and "play".

Well, this new "quarter life crisis" is a different thing entirely. Many people are getting into their mid to upper 20's and are crumbling under the weight of... real life! Kids have had more and more spoon fed to them over the years and it's gotten to a point where people have no idea what "real work" is when they get out of school. I'm not talking about actual manual labor (most would die from exhaustion). No, these kids are falling apart over 40 hour work weeks and having to be responsible for their own work without someone coming behind to powder their ass and fix whatever they screw up.

So the "quarter-life crisis" seems less like a personal crisis like a "mid-life crisis" and more like a disturbing social trend.

Summer Unity 2011 Recap

Last night was one of my favorite concerts of all time! Not only was the show outstanding, but the whole evening was just one smile after another.

Last night was the Raleigh stop on the Summer Unity 2011 Tour featuring 311 & Sublime With Rome. For those who don't know, this is Sublime With Rome's first tour since the passing of Bradley Nowell, the band's original singer. I went in somewhat skeptical, I was always a big fan of Sublime and I was interested to see what the new kid was bringing to the table. I was blown away! Rome brought a whole new life to the band. At 23, he is nearly half the age of Eric and Bud which definitely added a lot of energy to the show. Not to mention the kid is talented! Shredding guitar solos, silly on-stage antics, great crowd interaction, and a voice that just won't stop. They played all the big Sublime hits (with a big "REST IN PEACE BRADLEY" in the chorus of What I've Got) perfectly mixed with tracks from their debut album, Yours Truly.

Between bands I ran off to spend way too much on water (almost $5 a 20 oz., ugh) and bumped into an old radio buddy I hadn't seen in ages. We got caught up chatting and next thing I knew 311 was cranking up on stage. I took off to get back to my seat and, as always, got rocked! I've seen 311 3 different times and each show was better than the last. They played the big hits each time but always mix up the rest of the playlist so you're not seeing the same show over and over again. One thing I'm always impressed by is how tight they sound on stage. Hearing the album, one would think they use a lot of studio tricks and effects but anyone who has seen them live knows that's not the case. Mix in a thunderous drum solo from Chad Sexton, P-Nut's bass shredding solo, and the full band percussion breakdown and you've got yourself a 311 show.

Thinking the fun was done we started heading home. While fighting through traffic in the parking lot I caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Turned out, it was a couple of friends I haven't seen since Unk's in Greenville closed (for those who don't know what Unk's was, you missed out) which was over a year ago. After some quick catching up (and a dash back to my buddy's car) we headed home. Today I'm sore from standing, tired from lack of sleep, and would turn around and do it again tonight if I could!