Zines Suck!

Not Really, but it really caught your attention I'm betting. I made these flyers to have on tour. My regular website is still not online, but the blog has been thriving lately, so I figured people might care about its content. The photo is a photo I took of Government Warning at Pointless Fest, and I did the rest in Photoshop (not cut and pasted).
I think zines in the past have been a viable part of hardcore punk, but there's been fewer and fewer good zines. A lot of the zine scene has been overrun with dumb poetry and diary writing zines. If I'm grabbing a zine I want photos, reviews, interviews that just talk about HARDCORE. A lot of people are flying the cut and paste only flag, and I mean it's all well and good, but when you're typing everything up on a computer anyway you may as well just design it on one. What my site lacks in punk look, I feel it makes up for in content. I haven't had any interviews yet, but that's only because I hate social interaction. I think a lot of fly by night zines just start because people try to get free records out of labels. 99% of the stuff I review I bought because it's what I like. Some may say it accounts for the lack of diversity... oh well.
In short, zines still rule, there just aren't enough good ones. The internet rules because it's easily accessible, and nowadays anyone can share their opinions for free. And hey, if you don't like it, there's an X at the top of your screen to make it go away.

*I should note that I have had a subscription to MRR for a while... what else am I gonna read on the toilet?

Question I've always had...

After watching Back to School and Weekend and Bernie's today (life is hard), I had an important question:
Why was "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boing used in Back to School and not Weekend at Bernie's?
There was a party at a dead man's house in the fucking movie...

At The Movies (summer blockbuster edition)

First of all, welcome to the 100th post! Secondly, if you haven't left your house recently, you've been missing out on some killer flicks. I'm glad that with today's movie making technology we can get some good comic book movies finally. Iron Man, Hellboy 2 and the Dark Knight were all great!

Iron Man kicked the summer movie season off the right way. I was a little skeptical since I honestly don't think I even own any Iron Man comics. I kinda figured it'd just be a good action movie w/ big explosions and special effects. And it did have all those elements, but it was an extremely well done movie behind all that. Some friends of mine described it as the best comic book movie, and it certainly ranks up there. Robert Downey Jr. is perfect to play the cocky drunk Tony Stark (go figure). Marvel now has their own production studio, so I have big hopes that they'll make some more quality movies based off their characters. Amazing post-credits scene.
I was surprised to see Hellboy 1, but the fact that they made a Hellboy 2 is amazing. Such a great comic book, and with the success of Pan's Labyrinth, Del Toro pretty much is able to do whatever he wants. Thank god, because Hellboy 2 was possibly better than the first one. While the movie didn't follow any comic book, it had the same fairy tale/ legends style story line. The movie was also much more funny, with some Men in Black style moments. Die hards will love it.
Dark Knight had some big shoes to fill being Heath Ledger's last movie, but holy crap did it deliver. Heath Ledger was perfect as the Joker, he played him so dark and maniacal. The Joker is Batman's primary villain, so it was nice to see him in the second movie so they didn't have to waste time on an origin story. I always hated the original Batman series, even as a kid I thought it was lame and cheesy. These more recent Batmans however have taken cues from classic Batman stories such as Year One and the Long Halloween. I really like what they did with Two Face also; his makeup wasn't stupid like the Tommy Lee Jones Two Face either. Overall another solid movie, which might bas as bold as say it was better than the first one.

As far as non-comic related movies I saw this summer... Wall-E, the new Pixar movie was cool. There was a kinda lame love story and a thinly veiled political agenda. It was kinda like watching an animated Michael Moore movie at times. Overall though it was pretty good. Had the typical Pixar cuteness and ridiculously good animation and art.
I also caught Step Brothers one day when my job let us out early and I had some time to kill before a show in Philly. The concept and everything is obviously stupid, but it was a damn funny way to kill time. If you like Will Ferrel and John C Reilley movies, this is one of the better ones I thought. Real low brow humor, but sooo good.

On a side note, they showed a trailer for the new Watchmen movie before Batman. I didn't want to like it, but it honestly looks fucking great. A trailer for the new Wolverine movie also leaked to the internet recently also, and that looks great too!

Birthday Blog '08

Well, it's that time again... Here's what's been going on with my life the past year. Had some ups and some downs, luckily the downs seem to be far behind me. Over the past year I left a horrible full time job, and freelanced for the summer. Got rough at times, but I've been working at a job I like since October. I'm doing pre-press and production work at a cool design studio in PA. I did a pretty big freelance project recently, designing environmentalist t-shirt designs. Ten designs were completed, and I'm really proud of how everything came out.

My bands have been more productive this year also. Wormeaters finished recording our "In God We Thrust" 7", which will be out on Hardware Records in a month or so. The mastered version should be coming this week, and I need to finish the artwork. SPG just finished our demo last night, and have our (2nd) first show tomorrow. We're going to re-mix it, but we'll have some limited "shit mix" demo tapes at the show. The Wormeaters boys also have an alter ego, which we've been calling Video Nasty. The name may change, but we sound like late 70's/early 80's California styled punk (Germs, Adolescents, Sin 34). We've got like 8 songs, so we'll probably be recording soon also. I've been booking shows still, but I'd like to be more selective since it's a real headache to organize.

Today my family went to Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que for my birthday dinner, and had this:

Yea, it's served on a garbage can lid...

So pretty much more of the same; work, punk bands and general complaints. Thanks for stopping by.

more brushes with fame

So I was browsing my local comic shop a few weeks ago and a comic called My Brain Hurts caught my eye. First of all since it's an awesome Screeching Weasel record, and then I saw the Limp Wrist shirt on one of the characters. I flipped it over to look at the back, and saw a collage of flyers. Then I noticed one that looked familiar- a flyer I did for a show I set up. ( this one) Needless to say I was pretty surprised and flattered.



I did wind up purchasing it, and enjoyed the comic by the way.

Comics

I've been real busy with a lot of stuff lately, so I haven't made as many posts as I'd like. I haven't done something not related to hardcore/punk in a while. Before I was into hardcore, I was a comic book nerd. While I still enjoy comics, my main collecting has been through graphic novels. While I was working at a book store, I accumulated a bunch of cool graphic novels. I tracked down the "classics" of the genre (Sin City, V for Vendetta, Watchmen...), and checked out some of the newer hyped books (Exiles, Supreme Power...). I mainly always stick to Marvel titles; New Mutants, X-men and Spider-Man in particular. I also got into stuff like Hellboy, Runaways and Y: the Last Man thanks to my local library heavily stocking their "young adult" section with graphic novels.
So, what sparked my recent resurgence into the world of comics is that every Wednesday, people I work with all go to a comic shop near work. I had previously maybe went to a shop every 6 months or so. Here's what I've been reading lately...

Y: the Last Man- This book I got into through trades. The last issue just came out, and it was probably the best way to end the comic. The story is of a plague that wipes out every man from the earth, leaving only Yorick, his monkey and a planet full of women. The last issue takes place in the future with Yorick telling stories to a clone of himself about what happened after the main storyline ended. An epilogue of sorts. I hear that the book is in the development stages to be made into a series of movies. I'm not really a fan of a lot of the comic movies coming out, but this would be one to look out for.

Madman- I was surprised to see that Madman was back, and it's really good. I've been a fan of Mike Allred's work (Madman, Atomics, X-Force) for a while, and it's good to see Madman back. The latest story revolves around the main character essentially dying, and struggling to find his way back. Madman was a part of the indie comics boom in the 90's, but stood out among a lot of mediocre crap.

Scud- Another great comic from the 90's returns. Scud is probably my favorite comic book ever. It is about a robotic assassin who is supposed to self destruct once it kills its target. This Scud however decides to just cripple his target, and take up freelance assassin gigs to pay the hospital bills. Scud ended in 1998 with a huge cliffhanger, now 10 years later it returns for 4 more issues to wrap up the series. I'm extremely excited, and the first issue back actually progresses the story 10 years. The creator of Scud went on to do some great things in Hollywood (Monster House, Sarah Silverman Show), and thanks to the writers strike was able to finish this. There will be a huge collected trade once all 4 new issues wrap up. I couldn't recommend a comic any more than I can with Scud.

Runaways- Another comic series that I got into through the trades. The story is about a group of children who find out that their children are super villains. Only one of the children in the group have superpowers, though one child has a pet raptor. The kids have to rely on their own resources to outsmart their parents, and strike out to make up for their bad deeds. It has a youthful charm, which reminds me of the New Mutants.

Manchild- This comic only exists in a series of graphic novels. The illustrator/ writer is somewhat known in the HC/Punk community for doing art for some classic records, and playing drums in Double Negative. The comic strips are humorous observations and stories. A lot of the subject matter is HC/Punk related, but is humorous and pokes fun at people without being condescending. The most recent graphic novel comes with a bonus CD of a Melvins demo from 1987.

Exiles- Exiles also just published its last issue, followed by a relaunch soon after. The back story is a cross between X-Men and Quantum Leap, with superheroes traveling to different time periods to fix their own time lines. The series started out strong, then got weak once Chuck Austen took over, then got better later on, then got re-crappy. I think it really suffered when Marvel did the Age of Apocalypse and House of M crossovers. Maybe it was just me who had no interest in it.

Spider-Man- You know Spider-Man, and you know his story. The most recent "One More Day" storyline really fucked up good. Aunt May gets shot, and is going to die (finally!). But in order to save his Aunt, Peter Parker makes a deal w/ Mephisto that if he makes it so Peter and MJ never got together, Aunt May would survive. This basically relaunches all the Spider-Man books, and re-writes history. I'm sorry, but this just doesn't make any sense. Has Marvel forgot the Spider Clone disaster?

TV Party- Annihilate all week long

So the new TV season is in full swing, and unfortunately with the writers strike, may be over soon. I'll let you know what I've been watching, as if you care...



MONDAY
At 8pm on CBS is How I Met Your Mother, the premise behind the show is of a father telling stories to his kids about his friends and how he met their mother (who they still have yet to introduce). The show's really funny, and is basically a cross between Scrubs and Friends (before it got terrible). Pretty much the only thing on CBS worth watching.
When I was working in NYC, there were huge billboard for 2 new shows: Chuck (on NBC) and the Big Bang Theory (CBS). I've given both a shot, and neither are really all that great. Chuck starts at 8, but I just flip to the last half hour before Heroes comes on. The premise of that one is that a nerdy dude happens to get an e-mail w/ government secrets in it. Now he works with the FBI and done some crazy James Bond type shit. Big Bang Theory is about nerd who live next door to a hot chick, yawn.
Heroes is on NBC at 9, and is probably my favorite show on TV now. I know I've talked about it before, but it's basically a comic book in a live action setting. Unlike 90% of the comic movies that have come out recently, it's totally not crap. The most recent Season adds new characters, and puts some of the prominent ones from last season into the background. The mid season cliff hanger in 3 weeks may be the season finale, and I read that they made an alternate ending just in case. Fox's 24 will have some tough competition for the 9pm slot.
After Heroes at 10 is a new show on NBC, JourneyMan. It's somewhat similar to Quantum Leap, except the guy jumps into the past in his own body, and has to fix the future. It's not bad, but by the end of the hour I start losing interest. I'll probably keep with it until the end of the season, but if it changes time slots, I probably wouldn't follow it.

TUESDAY
The only thing I really watch on Tuesdays at 9 is House on Fox. Dr. House is an unorthodox doctor, who always has some sort of crazy diagnosis. This season however, he needs to find a new team since his last team abandoned him last season. It started out interestingly enough with an American Idol style weeding out of people, but it's still not decided who the new team is. It's still entertaining, but it's becoming more like CSI and Law and Order, where each episode is basically the same.

WEDNESDAY
An interesting new show on ABC is Pushing Daisies, which is like a crime drama mixed with a Dr Seuss book. There's a narrator which follows the storyline, and gives background information. Pretty cool, and probably the only thing I watch on ABC.
9-10 is kind of a bust until LOST starts again (if it starts again). I've been watching Kitchen Nightmares, where a chef goes to disgusting restaurants and tells them what to change to stay in business. Definitely not something to watch while eating, but it's funny to see him make fun of these dumb owners.
At 10, Comedy Central's been showing the new season of South Park, which for some reason is still just as witty 10 years later. Obviously you get the same satirical gross out humor, but there's been a lot of political shows and shows where they just make fun of a celebrity for a half hour.
The Sarah Silverman Program is a relatively new sitcom. Sarah plays herself as a character who's extremely juvenile and annoying. The supporting cast consists of her sister and her boyfriend, and her 2 gay neighbors. Pretty good off the wall humor that I'd take any day over Mind of Mencia.

THURSDAY
Thursday's a pretty big day, where I stick to NBC. At 8, it's My Name is Earl which is kind of different this season, since Earl is in prison. Normally it revolves around Earl traveling around with his brother Randy. The supporting cast of his ex-wife, the crab man and the maid at the hotel where they live are also great. Unfortunately the dynamic of the characters has been a little off this season, but I hope Earl gets out of jail soon, and they get back on track.
At 8:30 I usually watch 30 Rock, which is basically a sitcom about the making of an SNL stlye sketch comedy show. It stars SNL alumni Tina Fey (former writer), Tracy Morgan (former cast member) and Alec Baldwin (frequent guest). It's an alright show, but hardly the best of the lineup.
The Office has been a favorite of mine for a while. It took a little while to click, but the dry awkward humor is perfect for on the job based comedy. The show is set up like a reality show, and is based on a BBC program of the same name. This is by far my favorite comedy right now, and it even has a soap opera aspect to it.
This is the final season for Scrubs, and while I enjoyed the show since its beginning, it's the right time. The show's still funny, but the characters are changing, and the show's seemed to have lost it's stamina. JD just had a baby, Carla and Turk also have a baby, Elliot called off her engagement, and they killed off Laverne. It just doesn't have the same spark as it did before. Don't get me wrong, it's a great show, but I'd stick to the re-runs.

FRIDAY
I'm rarely home on a Friday night, but if I am, Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet is pretty awesome. Occasionally Discovery Channel will have Mythbusters reruns on, and that show is amazing.

SATURDAY
As big a loser as I am, I don't watch anything on Saturday.

SUNDAY
Sundays have been dominated by Fox for me because of theSimpsons. However at this point, it's more a force of habit since the show hasn't been funny in about 10 years. It's kind of ridiculous how long that show's been on TV. I remember when it started, me and Bart were both in the 3rd grade. Of the almost 20 years the show's been on TV, it maybe had 5 or 6 truly great seasons. The jokes now seem extremely forced and predictable. I'll occasionally watch it, and it has gotten better than it was, but still not at the level of its hey day. The Simpsons movie was surprisingly decent though.
I think King of the Hill is on after that, but that is seriously the WORST show. I have no idea who watches that crap, probably the same people who like those redneck comedy shows.
Family Guy got resurrected from the dead a few years ago, and I honestly wish it hadn't. Originally it was fresh how they had little non-sequitor parts would break up the story. Maybe it loses its charm over time, but the tired pop culture referances and lack of plot really lose my interest now. South Park had a good episode which tore into the fact that their jokes cover up the fact that they have no plot.
American Dad is done by the same pople as Family Guy, and relies more on plots than pop culture jokes. It revolves around a right wing CIA agent and his wacky family. It seems to only get by when placed before/after Family Guy, but probably couldn't stand on its own.

ALL WEEL LONG!
Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming has been reigning supreme over my late night TV viewing since it started up. During the week it runs from 11-12:30, then the Anime starts, and I go to bed. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report on Comedy Central are usually good for more high brow / low brow humor. During the 11pm-12am block of time, Adult Swim has Futurama and Family Guy (both of which I own on DVD), so I'm not really missing much if I decide to miss those. Adult Swim has original programming which airs in mass on Sunday. Great original shows like the Boondocks, Metalocalypse, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Harvey Birdman, and old shows like Sea Lab 2021 and Space Ghost are ridiculous and great. The Adult Swim style of humor is usually pretty offensive, and sometimes ridiculous. I still don't get why anyone watches Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job.

My claim to fame

Back in 2002, I won a design contest to do a t-shirt for a horror movie website. I got some free shirts, but that's about it. The site was cool enought to put my contact info on the page for the shirt. Occasionally I'll get fan mail from people who were just really into the design.


A few years ago my old band, SNAKEBiTE, played with another local band called Scream Hello. I was looking at their merch at the show, and saw a sticker with some familiar artwork. I guess they saw the shirt design online and liked it. As an artist and a punk, I've stolen tons of movie images for flyers; it's pretty flattering to have the punk scene steal my art.


When I went down to Richmond for No Way Fest a few months ago, and I ran into someone with the same art tattoo'd on their arm. I was shocked and excited that someone thought it cool enough to get permanently inked on their body.

This weekend I was at the Monster Mania convention, and saw a vendor selling that same shirt design. I guess it's cool to create something of quality that is still being produced. It would've been nice to get a cut of that, but it's just cool to have been a part of something like that.

Ramen Noodles

Being as I've been unemployed for the past few months, I've fully embraced the lifestyle. I've been going to the local library pretty regularly, and eating a lot of Ramen Noodles (8/$1.00!!!). I've taken the liberty of suggesting a new recipe, since the one on the back of the packaging is totally wrong. The most glaring problem being "serve immediately for best results."


1. Boil 2 cups of water (that's the only thing they did right). For god's sake don't add any salt to make it boil faster.

2. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the flavor packet. I recommend "oriental" or "beef." The packet should dissolve instantly.

3. Place brick of noodles in water without breaking them up. Let them sit in there and soak up the broth.

4. Once the noodles begin to soften, lower the heat, and unfold the noodles. You can see the difference in color, so make sure to stir it around.

5. Let the pot sit and cool for around 15 minutes. There should be little broth left, and the noodles should be brown colored.

I recommend putting the whole pot in a large bowl and eating it with a fork (or chop sticks if you're so inclined). Enjoy!

Who needs the Kwik E Mart?

I do!
While I generally try to avoid NYC, despite living about an hour from it. I just find it way too crowded and big, plus it just seems so dirty. I had heard that 7-ELEVEN had converted a handful of stores around the country into Kwik E Marts to promote the upcoming Simpsons Movie. I gotta be honest, and say the Simpsons hasn't been funny in over 10 years, and I'm not really too excited about the movie. However, when it was good, it was great! Anyway, one of those Kwik E Marts is in NYC on 42nd St., and since I had a job interview in the city, I figured I should go check it out.

It's pretty crazy all the effort that they put in this promotion. There were life size stand-ups of a bunch of favorites, and Simpsons related products. They were selling Krusty O's, which I remember they made a few years back and were pretty good. They also had Buzz Cola, which kinda tasted like Vanilla Coke, and the pink donuts w/ sprinkles. I there was supposed to be a Radioactive Man comic for sale also, but they must've sold out. All of the clerks had Kwik E Mart shirts, which would make Apu proud. I think my favorite was that they had a huge sticker of Jasper on one of the fridge doors, which referenced the episode where he froze himself, and Apu changed the store to the Freak E Mart.

For all the effort they put in, it seemed like it was packed w/ people just visiting it as a tourist attraction. A lot of people were buying Simpsons related merchandise, so I tip my hat to you Fox.


I know I haven't done a reviews post in a while, I've been busy with shows (booking/ attending/ playing) and searching for a job. I'll try to compile a mega post soon.

shows and records, records and shows

So I wouldn't consider myself a show promoter really, but if a good band needs a show and wants to play NJ (for some reason), I'll set one up. I only work with venues that don't charge for the space, usually basements, but I did do a show at a burrito shop a few weeks ago. I set up 3 shows this past month, and each show seemed to go well in retrospect, but seemed worse and worse. The first show was pretty well attended, though I thought more should've been there. The second one was kinda last minute, but between going to 3 shows that week and handing out 50 flyers at a show around the corner 2 days prior, only 12 people came. And most of them were from PA. The third show had another low attendance, and the touring bands showed up late and drunk, despite them asking for a matinee show, so it would end earlier. The sad turnout really put a bad taste in my mouth about doing more shows. I mean the bands all appreciated it, but it makes me re-think my loyalties to other local bands. I've gone to shows for a while, and have bought records from bands I don't necessarily like just to support them. The fact that my band even played 2 of the 3 shows, and people who's bands I supported weren't there. I'm in the process of getting 2 shows in June going, but I'm trying some different places and different bands. Also, my favorite NJ band, the Degenerics are playing a reunion show at the end of June, which I'm very excited about.

The past month's been crazy! between job interviews, setting up and promoting/ attending a bunch of shows, sick w/ allergies and just general work I haven't had much time to rest. Luckily, I've had a nice chunk of sweet records to listen to.

7"s

the Vicious- Igen
The new Vicious record was luckily ready for their US tour, which I was lucky enough to catch on 4 dates. The new record isn't nearly as good as Obsessive of Alienated, but still really catchy. 3 new songs, and 2 of them aren't in english. I don't really mind when foreign bands switch up english and foreign lyrics (like No Hope For The Kids), so maybe this will be more regular for the Vicious. The new stuff has a real Gorilla Angreb vibe to it. I wouldn't suggest this as a good starting point, but it's a good indication of where they are and where they're going.


Terminal State- Sick
Terminal State didn't do too much since that 7" came out in 2005, but this new record shows that their sound has matured a bit. They've always reminded me of old early 80's KBD style hardcore, with a DC simplicity. These 3 songs are great, I just wish there were more. They played a show in NJ a few weeks ago on a weekend tour, and they've got a bunch of new material that's totally killer. Probably going to be an LP from these guys sometime soon, and it'll be great!


Acid Reflux- s/t
This 7" is basically their demo on vinyl. Since I already reviewed the demo, I'll spare repeating myself. This band rules, get this fucking 7"!


Dustheads- Tall Tales II
Following up last year's "Tall Tales" 7" with its second installment. Dustheads continue where they left off, with heavy rock influences over some old school sounding fast hardcore. Occasionally the rock parts seem a bit forced, or mismatched, but when it's good it's real good. "Altered States" is a great beginning, and should appeal to fans of hardcore and heavy stoner rock. I think both "Tall Tales" will be on one LP, once both 7"s are out of print.


Total Fury/ the Jury
Another new release to coincide with a US tour. Total Fury is from Japan, but don't play the traditional "buring spirits" style. They have a sound that's much more early 80's american HC, like the DC bands. However, there's an intensity to the sound that not many bands can touch. This has a re-recorded version of "You're Too Old" from the LP, with some more rockin guitar parts. There's also a Scream cover. The Jury had a 7" come out last year, which reminded me of 9 Shocks a lot. This stuff is fairly similar, but compared to TF, it kinda falls flat. They also cover "Crash The Pose" by Gauze (HOLY SHIT!), but it doesn't really touch the speed and intensity of the original. Overall it's pretty rough to tackle a song by the gods of Japanese hardcore, and do a split w/ a totally raging current Japanese band, but I applaud the effort.


Dissystema- s/t
The Philly "motorcharge" returns after a hiatus with a new drummer. A lot of their older stuff was pretty standard D-beat / Doom sounding stuff, but there's some real cool Motorhead sounding parts on here. Their sound's breaking out of d-beat mold, and would probably appeal to people into crust and fast hardcore. They're recording their 2nd LP soon, and it should be a rager and a half.


Harpoon Guns- s/t
I liked the LP they had out last year, so figured I should check out this new 7". This time you get more fast old school sounding hardcore, with some surfy leads. The rough recording quality makes it sound old too. The ammount of great old HC sounding bands from California right now is crazy.


Out With a Bang!- I'm Against It
Some good fast Italian hardcore here. They cram an LP's worth of songs on this 7", and it doesn't let up. They have a real old dirty punk sound, with some rockin guitar leads. Similar to classic old offensive hardcore punk, I really wish I saw them on their last tour. Stupid flooding rain and an hour drive kept me away...


Upstab- Somebody Threw a Jug of Thunderbird Wine at Me
This little guy came out a while ago, but I just got myself a copy recently. If you're not familiar w/ Upstab, it's Chris Erba's (H-100s) new band. Similar to other related Clevo bands, they rage through some of the best sloppy fast hardcore punk. I think they broke up already, but Cleveland bands never really die.


Hostages- Legend In My Head, Failure to the World
Kinda different, I did a show for them when they were on tour w/ Ruiner last month. Not really my thing, kinda sounds like a less metal influenced version of the Hope Conspiracy. some good parts, but they have a lot of songs which seem to ring out for a long time. I'd prefer things more stripped down and faster, but definitely a solid debut. I'd take this over a lot of more popular modern hardcore bands.

12"s

the Ergs- Upstairs/Downstairs
The long awaited 2nd full tength from NJ's own pop-punk masters. A lot of these songs I've known for while between seeing them somewhat often, and from demo versions. Overall, I think DorkRockCorkRod was a little faster, but Upstairs/Downstairs won't disappoint. The last track (Upstairs/Downstairs) is a really long mostly instrumental, which I think is pretty boring. "Books about Miles Davis" would've been a perfect ending track.


Severed Head of State- Power Hazard
Most bands get boring and more predictible with time, not Severed Head of State. The last few 7"s that came out after their "Anathema Device" LP were great. This EP/LP picks up where they were going, but with more songs. With bleak lyrics and crushingly heavy riffs, you can't help but do the crusty fist banging thing. Somehow Severed Head of State write some catchy songs, without being melodic at all.


Bastard- Wind of Pain(boot)
If you're not familiar with Bastard, they're a pretty legendary Japanese hardcore/thrash band. I would put them in a caliber with Gauze, Gism, Lip Cream, etc. This material has been bootlegged a few times before, and with good reason... It rules! This LP had their Wind of Pain LP, as well as their 7" and comp tracks. Japanese hardcore records are usually hard to come by in America as it is, so boolegs have a positive aspect of putting some classic foreign hardcore in American hands. If you're into raging classic styled Japanese hardcore, and don't have this then you're missing out.


V/A- DC Demo's(boot)
My favorite scene of early 80's HC/punk is without a doubt the DC scene. So many classic diverse bands came from there, and this LP combiness 4 of their demos. Void, Artificial Peace, Double O and the Faith. Some of the Void tracks were put on the "Condensed Flesh" 7", and are good but don't match the power of the Faith split. Same goes for the Faith tracks; I think the Faith hit their peak with the "Subject to Change" LP. A lot of the tracks were re-recorded, so it's cool to see where they came from. Most peope are probably only familiar w/ Artificial Peace's awesome contributions to the "Flex Your Head" comp, but they have a ton more material. It was all bootlegged on an LP called "Outside Looking In" on Lost and Found some years back. Either way, these demo tracks all rule, but I think they may have been a pre-AP band called "Assault and Battery," but I can be wrong on that. Double O most people don't know at all. They did a 7", which was half released by Dischord. They evolved from Red C, and incorporated the emo-ish sound of revolution summer, without sounding weak and boring. I actally like these demo tracks more than the 7". I'm done nerding out about harDCore, good luck finding this bad boy.


Subhumans- s/t (boot)
This little gem is by the far superior Canadian band, not the crappy UK Subhumans. The Canadian band had a much more catchy melodic sound. This boot compiles a few 7" and comp tracks, but unfortunately is missing the classic "Death to the Sickoids" 7". These guys recently released an LP of brand new songs on Alternative Tentacles, but what I heard didn't really do anything for me. This LP though compiles some of the band's best material, and would be a great intro to their stuff, which you can probably also find on some mp3 blogs.


V/A- Retro Is Poison
This is a 4-way split between Ciril, Karnpaven Attack, I Object and Active Minds. I had a Ciril CD which I found in a used bin and wasn't super into it. They kinda sound like late 80's California punk, with some crossover influence. Karnvapen Attack are named after a Mob 47 song if I'm not mistaken. They're from Spain and play some hyper fast screamy hardcore punk in the same vein. I Object follow up their awesome LP with these few songs. The songs continue in the same fast hc/punk w/ heavily political lyrics. This is also Ryan's last stuff w/ the band, hopefully their sound won't change too much. This is the newest Active Minds stuff in a long time; they are an old UK political hardcore band. Overall, a pretty solid mix of current politically charged hardcore punk.

CDs

the Horror- The Fear, The Terror, The Horror
The Horror's new CD is killer. If you've been under a rock, the Horror is basically all of Voorhees w/ a different singer. On their earlier records, the singer had a more high pitched voice, but on this it's much deeper and still sounds cool. Definitely still rooted in old school hardcore, but adding some classic rock guitar riffs. Not in an obvious way, but just subtle enough to set them apart from similar styled bands. If you were lucky enough to catch them on their recent tour, you'll know they rip live too.


the Misguided- Fuggets
Similar to the Major Conflict reissue on the same label, this compiles the discography of a little known early 80's NYHC band. I found mine in a used bin without a cover, which is kind of a bummer, so I don't know much of the history of the band. I had mp3s of 2 of their 7"s from an mp3 blog, and those are good. This also has some live and demo tracks. The Misguided kind of remind me of a less raw version of SOA or Urban Waste. A cool compilation by a band that most people aren't too familiar with.


L'Amico Di Martucci/Ozuharu- Collection
So here's a little history lesson on these two bands from Italy. Ozuharu was this band, then they broke up, and members went on to do L'Amico Di Martucci. After that, Ozuharu reformed and did an LP and US tour. Members from both now play in La Piovra, who you may have seen on their US tour last year. L'ADM I was familiar with from their awesome 7" that came out a few years ago on 625. Ozuharu, not so much, but I assumed they were good. This is the early Ozuharu stuff, which is alright, but I think L'ADM are much better. I haven't heard the Ozuharu LP, but I'm sure it's also good. Both bands have a smilar thrashy fast-core, with rock guitar influenced leads. This is a discography for both bands, and you get cover songs of DRI and Anthrax(!).


Imperial Leather- Something Out of Nothing
This Cd came out a while back, but I just found the CD in a used bin. I had heard good things about these guys, so I got their "Antibodies" EP that came out last summer. I liked it, but probably didn't listen to it as much as I should have. Imagine if Turbonegro were less weird, and had a female singer, and you'd more or less get Imperial Leather. Despite it being on Profane Existance, this is more of a rock n roll mixed with older punk sound. This predates "Antibodies," and is almost as good.

Demos
Middle America (cassette)
Saw these guys a few times, and they've always been real fun and played good covers. If these guys were from someplace like VA, more people would know about them. They're from the Lehigh Valley of PA, and share a similar approach as the Gatecrashers, who were from the same area. Fast no frills old sounding hardcore, like the Neos or Die Kreuzen. Recording quality is a little rough, but totally fit their style. This rules, seriously.

Staring Problem (cd)
Real nice packaging on this, and it's an actual pressed CD too. the Jersey Shore's Staring Problem is Andy's (FTD/TIU) new band, and has a somewhat similar sound to other recent shorecore bands. It has elements of old school hardcore, with some heavier parts. The vocals are sung kind of high, and fall flat in certain places. It is a demo, so I'll cut them some slack. Decent first offering, but I'm not really blown away.

Disnihil (cd-r)
Disnihil, from Long Island NY play heavy hardcore, similar to His Hero Is Gone. I guess a more modern equivilant would be somewhere between Celebrity Murders, Deathcycle or Tragedy. This cdr has the demo, plus some live stuff and tracks from their upcoming CD. Has some potential, but lacks the more crusty/Japanese influence that keeps bands like Tragedy interesting. I liked them live when I saw them, so maybe the new stuff is better.

I also got leaked versions of the new albums by Pissed Jeans and Municipal Waste, but I don't feel right reviewing them fully. Pissed Jeans isn't as catchy as "shallow," but if you liked the long heavy pats, you're in luck. All the songs are pretty long, but don't really hold my interest as well. Municipal Waste ups the production level and their ridiculous level. You're not gonna be let down. They also re-recorded an extended version of "Born to Party" from their split w/ Crucial Unit from like 2002.

*this post's been almost a month in the making. I've already got another stack of records to go through, damn!*

dumb thoughts

So while driving recently, I saw one of those big trucks carrying a long trailer. On this huge trailer was a weird gigantic metal cone-shaped object. I couldn't help but wonder if it was a major component in a device for a mad super villain. I could be the drill tip for some sort of machinery that would drill to the center of the earth. If only terrorists were more like James Bond villains...

This is the random crap that floats through my head on a daily basis. I kinda want to get a tape recorder to record my random thoughts, ala Norm MacDonald in Dirty Work.


I've got 2 more shows that I'm booking in the next few weeks. between finding places and bands, and going on numerous job interviews- I'm burned out.

American Hardcore DVD review

After reading the book of the same name, I wasn't exactly about to go out of my way to see the movie. The book was loaded with opinions, one-sided arguments and inaccuracies; the movie naturally was full of the same. It seemed like certain topics, like the violence and craziness overshadowed the more positive aspects of hardcore. Straight edge and women's roles in the scene were merely glanced at. Notable problems were the lack of any Misfits or Dead Kennedys content, and the inclusion of DOA (who are from Canada) and way too much on the Cro Mags (who suck). I'm sure some of it due to legal reasons, but they were in the book so I don't see why not include anything. There was a lot on the NY scene, which didn't really take off until after they claim HC died, or maybe the NYHC scene killed it. It also seemed like they directors wee playing favorite with who's stories were told, since it seemed like certain people were always talking. There was also some poor editing decisions, which cut off stories before they ended. I also thought it was weird that certain people's credits under their name were omitting bands of worthy mention. For example it said "Brian Baker: Minor Threat," what about Dag Nasty and Bad Religion?

My biggest gripe is that (like in the book), they stated the fact that hardcore died in 1986. I mean if that's true, what have I been doing with my life for the past 10+ years? You look at the footage of Black Flag, SSD and DYS from their later eras, and could see why people would lose interest. Here it is in 2007, and that stuff still sucks, but their earlier stuff still sounds awesome. They try to blame the fact that they were losing interest and writing shitty music on the scene dying away. If hardcore was dead, why would anybody know who these people were or care about this "documentary?"

The bonus features had some of the live footage, deleted scenes and footage of the opening party in Toronto. The live footage was all stuff shown in the movie, except in its entirety, of course I would have wanted more... The deleted scenes are interesting, but not skippable, so you need to watch it all the way through. Plus it seems like the deleted scenes got cut out too. There is a pretty funny moment w/ Vinnie Stigma and Jimmy Gestapo at NYHC tattoo at the end. There's also a director's commentary, which I am reluctant to give a chance.

Despite all its problems, it was an alright movie. I think you'd need a lot more than an hour and a half to cover the history of hardcore, but I'd be willing to watch that DVD. There would need to be a lot more live footage, and it would need to cover all the important states and their bands with more live footage. American Hardcore probably won't open people's eyes to hardcore who weren't already into it, but at least the soundtrack to the movie makes for a pretty decent mix tape.

car > health?

On Friday, my car broke down on the way home from work. While I was waiting for the tow truck, I had some time to think. Why is it illegal to not have car insurance, but health insurance is a privilege?
I guess having car insurance be mandatory insures that if you get into an accident, that your insurance company will pay for the damages to the other person's car. This seems to be the only time it's ever used though. My car needed a new alternator, and by the time it was done, it cost $450, and the brakes still squeak, the check engine light is still on, and the car's still filthy. I mean you figure for what I paid (over a week's salary at my shitty job), it'd be running better than before. When you go to the doctor for a checkup, health insurance covers it. Why is it that car insurance doesn't cover maintenance? If I didn't have to have car insurance, I could have saved the money to fix the car by not paying insurance for a few months. Car insurance money is basically wasted unless you get in an accident, and when you do use it your insurance rates go up. So basically, unless your car is totalled, it's completely useless.
The insurance industry makes no sense to me. It seems like health care costs are astronomical, because insurance companies will pay them. This however leaves health care unaffordable to the common person. You basically pay into this account monthly, and whether you use it or not it's the same. If you just set aside a savings account for car insurance, you could have interest added onto your savings. Granted it would take discipline, but there's at least some benefit to it. It just makes no sense to me that people's health would come second to people's transportation. Universal health care and car savings accounts would by ideal, but will never be a reality.

OK, I swear I'll do more reviews next time; I'm sure nobody care about my insane rants.

the State tribute

No this post isn't about the classic hardcore band, the The State (who by the way ruled). It's about the old classic comedy series, from back in the 90's on Mtv. It seemed that back in the mid-late 90's there was a resurgance in sketch comedy troupes. Comedy Central was in its infancy, and had a bunch of new sketch comedy shows, mixed in with old SNL episodes. At the same time, Mtv had a little show called the State. There were maybe like 10 people in the cast (only one was female), and they played all the characters, as well as writing and directing. The comedy style was a mix of classic Monty Python style men in drag comedy, but with a lot of edgy off the wall sick humor. It did 3 seasons on Mtv before it was cancelled. CBS picked it up briefly, but never made it past the pilot episode. The members went on to movies and tv shows. Most notable Wet Hot American Summer, one of the best movies in recent years.

It seems like the State has faded into history, due to a lack of a DVD collection maybe. I'd been hearing about a DVD for years, I think some of the cast members were even selling bootlegs at some point. The problem was that the shows used a lot of popular songs from the era. At the time Mtv was able to use any songs that had a video on Mtv as a part of any of their shows background music. Since it's been like 10 years, the license agreements had ended. This however left the state with a big chunk of sketches that couldn't be reproduced. Recently though, all the episodes have been re-cut with new music. Mtv put the episodes on iTunes a few months ago as well. Maybe they did this to test how well a potential DVD would sell, but I mean honestly who buys tv shows on iTunes? Why would I pay $2 poer episode to watch a 5" wide tv show? I know for a fact that I'd buy a boxed set in a heartbeat. Also a few members of the State star in the new Reno 911 movie, and apparently there will be guest appearances by other State alumni.

SIIIICK!

Ugh, so anyone who's talked to me recently may know about my recent health problems. I'm sure I've commented on them in relation to my insurance ere. Basically I have IBS, which you can read about on Wikipedia. It basically means my stomach feels like crap regardless of what I eat, or if I eat at all. It comes and goes at random times, and medicine seems to have no effect.

I had gone to a Gastrointerologist a few weeks ago, who is making me go for some tests. Today I had an upper GI test, which was pretty weird. It started off with me having to change into these gigantic paper clothes. Then I was brought into a room, where I had to drink some weird stuff. First I had to drink this stuff that was basically alka seltzer, but I wasn't allowed to burp. Then I had to drink this thick white liquid, which looked more like paint than milkshake. It also tasted more like paint, and felt like it weighed 5 lbs. After drinking it, I had to lay down on a table and get a bunch of x-rays. The X-rays tracked the progress of the sludge flowing through my system. Later a doctor came in and gave me another scan. During which, I had to drink some more white liquid. This time, it was diluted, but still tasted horrible. Then after those, I had a ton more x-rays. After that I was told to drink some more of the disgusting white liquid. There wasn't too much left at this point, but the sight of it made me want to vomit. However if I did vomit, it would only result in drinking more crap. I finished and kept it down, and had a few more X-rays and another scan. The whole thing lasted about 3 hours, but I'd rather have the liquid go in my mouth than have the other option (enema).

I won't know the results for a little while, but I hope maybe I can get some answers. Right now, my stomach is killing me, and I've been pooping white.

*UPDATE: I got the test results, and there is nothing physically wrong with me. I have a follow up appointment at the end of March, so I guess we'll determine the next move then.*

Carlos Mencia needs to shut up

I guess when Dave Chappelle walked away from his show, Comedy Central thought there was a void in the racially themed humor department. Enter the completely not funny Carlos Mencia. I can honestly say I've never found anything he's said remotely funny. I basically only watch Comedy Central, and now stupid Mind Of Mencia is on literally every night. His stand up special has been on quite a lot lately too. It's horrible all he does is state obvious racist jokes. Mexicans jump the border, black people are criminals, white people are lame, asians are smart. Real ground breaking stuff there Carlos... He also makes fun of the handicapped with his stupid fucking catchphrase of "deet dee dee." Again, real ground breaking. Dave Chappelle's racially observant humor was always fairly witty, but Carlos is basically rehashing worn out territory. You'd think that for someone whos ripping off jokes, they can at least be funny.

thanks to the Carlos Mencia Isn't Funny Myspace page

Apparently I should look different...

So I was out in public earlier this week (something I try to avoid as much as possible), and someone told me they expected me to be more social. I guess on the surface, you'd see a shaved head, earrings and tattoos; I guess that's generally associated with more open types. For me, it's not really a sign of wanting to seem like something I am not, It's just how I am. The shave head is due to my fucked up curly hair, which grows in unnatural directions. I had shaved my head a few years ago out of being sick of slopping gel on my head to make it look somewhat normal. When I tried growing it out over the winter, I realized that my hair not only curls, but parts itself in the dumbest places. The earring for the most part were gotten out of boredom, and I've probably only changed each of them once, and never take them out. They're just kinda there. The tattoos are I guess a little different. As an artist myself, I like the idea of having art on my body. I'm not going to lie and say I enjoy the pain, or it's not too bad, because I'd be lying. But generally speaking all my tattoos are generally covered up. The ones on my arm are usually covered in a short sleeve shirt, but in the summer the ones on my legs are more visible. It's not that I'm ashamed of them, But I got them for myself not to make people thing I'm a tough guy or anything like that. Plus most of my tattoos are the nerdiest things ever. I guess I could end this with the ol' "don't judge a book by it's cover" adage; despite my outward appearance, I'm still a shy, socially awkward nerd at heart.

Reunions are lame

In the past few years there's been a lot of old hardcore or punk bands reuniting. I can't honestly say I care about seeing the majority of them. There are various circumstances for reunions, for a purpose, for fun, or for money. The first two I have no problem with really. It's that last one that's shitty. Bands have done reunions as benefit shows, which is cool because you know the money they make is going to a good cause, and a lot more people than usual will go since it's a special reunion show. Another purpose could be an unreleased record or discography being released, and to celebrate such thing the band gets together and plays another show. I've seen shows where all the members happen to be at the same show, and on the spot decide to play a few songs together. Sometimes these lead to the band burying old arguments and deciding to be a productive band again, like the State and Lifetime recently.

Other bands, especially the straight edge ones, who do reunions don't stand behind all the values their songs once preached. Bands like Youth of Today and Carry On members both stopped being sXe after they broke up, but when they got together sang the same songs. It takes the meaning and passion away from the music, and contributes even more to straight edge looking like a joke. Now the Gorilla Biscuits are doing a reunion tour, after their one time reunion to "save" CBGB's last year. Again, a straight edge band who went on to form bands featured in car commercials. I mean I love the Gorilla Biscuits, and they were one of the first HC bands I got into, but I have no interest in seeing them in a shitty rock club with for like 20-30 bucks. I'd rather see current bands sing Gorilla Biscuits covers, and actually stand behind the lyrics.

"why play for us if your heart's not in it"- Gorilla Biscuits

It's kind of sick that within the hardcore/punk scene it's actually a possibility to do a reunion for the money. People seem to be more concerned that they're seeing the original members doing the old songs again, and aren't concerned with the moral conflict of them singing about things they no longer believe.

Stalemate

Hmm, maybe I've talked myself out. I bought a few new records recently, took some pictures, made some flyers, did some new stencil paintings, and made my first show poster. Other than that, I haven't really done much interesting stuff.

On a side note, the recent trend of people showing up to hardcore shows late, then staying outside until the band they want to see plays, then leaving afterward is pathetic. These same people complain about hardcore not being interesting any more, and how there's no good bands. This also goes for the bands, a lot of bands will show up, load in their gear, leave then come back to play, then leave or stay outside for the rest of the bands. You can give all the shoutouts during your set you want, but you're not fooling anybody because you weren't watching those bands you were just praising. The real kids can see the fake ones a mile away.

Mac Users Are Pretentious Assholes

I'm sure you've seen these dumb commercials on TV recently. If not you can see them on the apple site. Basically it shows a hip youngster (symbolizing a Mac) talking about computers with some old square nerdy dude (symbolizing a PC). The Mac talks about how it runs better, is smaller and has no viruses. Now I'm no hacker, nor do I pretend to be, but if you made a big deal about not having viruses, I'm pretty sure that's going to be taken as a challenge. Now I can see a few years ago, Mac hard drive capacity was higher, and the operating system was a lot more stable compared to the PC and Windows. Nowadays, you can get as much memory in a PC as you can a Mac if you custom build it. I use a PC at home, and a Mac at work, and I can definitely say the Mac freezes a whole lot more than my PC with Windows XP. Mac also says that they can organize all your music, videos and pictures, however that can all be done through iTunes, which is a free download for PC and Mac.

Now I have no problem at all with Macs, I can't honestly say I prefer my PC to a Mac or vice versa. I just hate the stupid attitudes that Mac users have, where they think they're better than PC users. It's just a computer, get your head out of your ass. Most Mac users use their computers in the same way as a PC user, they just get to join an elite clique and pay more to do the exact same thing a PC does.

EDIT: The new Macs with the intel chips freeze up Adobe and Macromedia programs, which are extermely important to graphic design jobs. Graphic Designers are some of the most rabid Mac supporters, so it seems like a slap in the face that now they seem incompatible.

I don't get it...

This is an undoctored image of the cover of the NY Post. Does anyone else find it extremely disturbing that the picture of a dead and bloody Zarqawi has been everywhere? I mean when they went looking for Saddam, they weren't looking to blow him up, just find him. Why now with this new threat did they blow him up along with his family and spiritual advisors. It all seems rather forced. The US government has lately been trying to alter the past by saying they were aware of Zarqawi before invading. What about Saddam? What about Bin Laden? It seems that the US needs to have a figurehead of evil, when actually there's a country full of people who hate us. By killing their leader, it will only intensify this hatred. Can't we all just get along?

"Osama Bin Laden? More like Osama Been Hidin'"- Black Gallagher

Punk's not Dead!?

For as long as I've been going to shows (about 10 years or so) I've heard the phrase "punk's not dead" about as much as "punk's dead." It seems no matter how old or how young you are, people will always complain that "shows aren't like they used to be." I'm kind of in the middle age group, too old for the young new kids and too young for the old dudes. I've watched people come and go, luckily it's the good and sincere people who stick around for the most part.

I guess my own definition of what punk is and its relation to hardcore. Punk rose up from bands who were sick of disco and arena rock, and were more influenced by tripped down rock and roll than what was occupying the airwaves at the time. However, in a few short years the fashion and lifestyle seemed to take a front seat, and punk wasn't something hidden away. Around 1979 is when punk was more or less considered officially "dead." A lot of bands who were punk decided to add crappy keyboards and go new wave. However at the same time there were people who saw what punk was, and what it could have been. Bands like Black Flag and Minor Threat took to releasing their own records, and booking their own tours which essentially kick-started the DIY hardcore scene. A lot of people will try to tell you that "hardcore" is and always has been about being tough and "hard," not so. Hardcore merely referred that they were more passionate, passionate about their music and their community. This phase of hardcore punk was considered "dead" around 1986, when all the founding bands had either broken up or started to sound like bad metal bands.

So if punk died in 1979, and hardcore died in 1986, then why re there still punk and hardcore shows now? Simply put, hardcore punk didn't die... The people who were into it at the time lost interest and wrote it off. Rather than see that things changed, and make an effort to do something about it, people choose to move on with life. There are currently tons of people in DIY hardcore bands who tour all over the world, release their own records and book their own shows. The music can be just as raw as ever, these bands still exist but you have to put forth the effort.

Nowadays the garbage on the radio, while it may certainly be punk-influenced, it has nothing to do with punk. Operation Ivy said "music [is]somehow more than just sound," which I think explains punk perfectly. While these bands can get a fashion makeover and look punk, the fact of the matter is that a real punk wouldn't care about looking good for a photo shoot or making a music video. People view this as what modern punk is all about, and I can see where people would definitively say punk had died long ago. These new bands all over MTV2, regardless of where some of them were they have long forgotten their punk roots by catering to the corporate rock machine. Bands like Green Day and AFI at one time used the DIY touring network to tour the country and get their name out there. These bands then turned to the type of bands who play major label showcases and radio station festivals. Bands like this do not represent people who are passionate about keeping out scene away from those who want to exploit it. I'd say that the punk bands on the surface are so far removed from the ethics and values we have that it's not even punk anymore. There are still people who care, there are still bands that care, you just have to care enough to find them.

"If Punk is Dead, Then What The Hell Is This?"- taken from the back cover of the "Not So Quiet on the Western Front" compilation LP (1982)

ImmigrationMasturbation

There's been a lot of talk about immigration lately, out of nowhere to get everyone's minds off the failing "war" abroad. It seems odd to be much of a political issue, since many large corporations and rich folk alike love immigration. Why pay someone a fair day's work when some illegal immigrant will do it for half the price? They don't get rich by being honest... The fact of the matter is that it's impossible to guard every stitch of our borders, even the parts that don't touch land could potentially enable someone to come in illegally. You can't put a wall up on our coastline and have people guard it constantly. A lot of it seems to be more concerned with Mexican immigrants than Canadian immigrants, which is more of a thinly veiled racist issue. I don't have any statistics, but I'm sure there's a good number of Canadian illegals here as well.

I had a Canadian friend who had moved to America, and married an American. You'd think that'd be enough to convince immigration to grant a citizenship, nope. He got a work green card, but the process to become a legal US citizen was so much of a hassle that him and his wife moved to Canada. First of all it was extremely expensive, then he had to list every organization he'd been a member of since the age of 18. This included internet sites and mailing lists. I know I've probably signed up for tons of useless crap on the internet I could never remember. The problem begin that if they find out you omitted an affiliation, you could be denied citizenship and be out your money and basically screwed. Another thing that was weird was that you couldn't leave the country for a year. I mean if you're coming from Canada or Mexico, chances are you have friends/family there. You wouldn't be able to see them for a year? That hardly seems fair, I think there should be a little more leeway within the continent of North America. If anything, it's almost flattering that so many people want to join our country, but if there's such a problem with them being there legally, there should be some effort to make it easier to obtain legal citizenship.

American Idle?

Does it make anyone else sick to know that more people voted for the American Idol winner than in any presidential election. I mean more people formerd an opinion on who they want to see sing cover tunes on a cruise ship than who they'd want to see run the country. Are people really this desperate to be on TV, I mean what have all the past American Idols really done? Aside from Kelly Clarkson, nothing of merit... Maybe a fair or carnival in some southern state. This is why every other country hates us.

EducationMasturbation

So lately with all the graduation speeches on the news, and my own mother finally graduating college; I've been thinking about the impact and importance we seem to place on education. Myself being a college graduate with an and Associates Degree and a Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design. After graduating college, it took me about 2 and a half years to find a full time job in my field. In a way it leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth in regard to my educational experience.

Could I have gotten a job in my field with just a high school degree? NO, my high school guidance counselor even gave me grief for taking "too many art classes, and no honors classes." While to the average student, I suppose honors level classes look nice on a transcript, however for an artist, obviously your portfolio is graded higher than your academic scores. It seems like the high schools are more concerned with making your learning experience hard, so that college seems easy. I was a B/C/D student in high school, then when I went to college, I miraculously became a A/B student. WHY? What's the point in scaring students into thinking "if high school was this hard, college must be horrible." Maybe if my high school was a little easier, I would have had better grades and more confidence to apply to a 4 year college, rather than the local county college. Plus, the arts departments were ether being demolished to make way for a new cafeteria, or were given PC with no design programs on them. The only function they ever filled was to type out text in MS Word to print and glue on to projects.

Could I have gotten a job in my field with just my Associates Degree? Maybe, but nothing that I would enjoy doing. The teachers at the school were way too old to be teaching graphic design, which is a field which forces you to stay on top of things. By teaching us the extreme basics, and filling our head with pointless outdated knowledge, I feel like I was wasting time. And it turned out I kind of did, since when I transferred, I wound up losing about a year worth of classes. What is the point of tenure for teachers, sure job security is nice, but if you're essentially training a workforce for the job field, then you should be forced to keep on top of things, just like any professional. Now my father is a teacher also, but he's taken classes in graduate study, and goes to seminars to keep up with things, and teaches a basic level class.

Could I have gotten a job in my field with my Bachelors Degree? Potentially yes, however I didn't. I certainly learned a lot about design, but I had little experience and no clue how to search for a job. The experience was by my own initiative to get an internship, and do freelance work, but the average graduate had no experience what so ever. After graduation, my school did nothing to help with the job finding process. I had a nice portfolio, and a resume but no real leads on a job. By the time I actually found a job, my portfolio was outdated, and I barely showed any student work.

Do I regret going to college? No because I learned many skills on the way to my degree, which helped me in the long run. However, a lot of what I learned on my own is what made me have the skill level I have now. I was able to take things further, and am able to adapt to various diverse jobs. I'm still not at my dream point in work, ideally I'd want something that was well organized, busy and allowed me to utilize my skills to their fullest.

Is college necessarily for everyone? Definitely not, I know plenty of people who didn't go to school who make a lot more money than me. Plus they don't have as many student loan bills to worry about, and have been working professionally longer than me. If you're willing to dedicate yourself to get the skills you need without college, you will find that you are judged more on your skills, dedication and abilities in the long run. The stigma that you need to have a degree to so somewhere in life is ignorant, and doesn't apply to everyone's career goals.

Just to Get Away

I'm back from Florida, and had a great time hanging out with Annie. Saw some great bumper stickers (If you can't stand behind the troops, you should stand in front of them), saw some sketchy weirdos (they call me "the Rooster"... you know like that Alice in Chains song), did som