I Hope I Don't Cry During Class

Here is a speech I going to give to my Speech Class:

"As my parents were struggling students and newlyweds with one then two then three then four boys, my grandmother was there to take care of all of us. Being her first grandchild, she would show me off to all of her friends and relatives as if I was some prize she had one. And I, vice versa looked at her as my prize because I happened to have the greatest grandma ever to exist.

My grandmother always put others before herself. I do not have one single memory of her doing something just for herself. All of my memories of her are of her serving others and not just serving, going out of her way to give the best service possible. For example, when I was in sixth grade my grandmother offered to take me to a movie after a minimum day at school. My best friend at the time went to a different school and did not have school that day. When I went to the parking lot at my school to meet my grandma, I found out that she had gone across town to pick up my best friend and then back to pick me up. This small act has always stuck in my mind. It’s is something she did not have to do and probably was inconvenient for her, but she knew it was what would make me happy. This was just the woman my grandmother was, it was not an act, it was who she was.

When I was fifteen years old, my grandmother passed away, abruptly changing my life dramatically. I felt lost, not just for me but for my entire family. She was our rock and glue that kept us together up until that point. Needless to say, the rest of my teen years were a slight struggle and I felt ever distant from the rest of my family. Feelings that are still felt in my family today.

As I have lived these past fifteen years without my grandmother in my life, she is always in my mind. Her memory is my constant companion to reminding me to live my life to my fullest potential. This is not to say that it always works, because I have made my share of mistakes and stumbles. However, her inspiration to put others before yourself is a goal I am always struggling to reach, which may be hard because she was perfect at it. I know that if my grandma was still alive today she would love me unconditionally because that was who she was. I am more concerned if my grandma would be proud of me and still treat me as her prize."

Metallica still rulez??

Maybe I'm alone, but I'm listening to the new Metallica album right now, I kind of like it. Who woulda thunk?

Advice to everyone: The new season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia starts this week. Watch it. One of the best comedies of all time.

I've learned this weekend that I seriously lack patience and probably tact. First step is recognition, right?

After starting www.HappyAll365.com I already notice a slight difference in my day to day operation. I always have it in my mind to try and put a positive spin on any potentially negative situation I may be in. I'm excited to see where else this road takes me.

Sorry, kind of random thoughts this time. Just thinking of some stuff before I go to bed.

I'm looking for  a new good band I've never heard of to listen to. Let me in on your secret.

Final thought:

I found this line I wrote down to myself in one of my notebooks years ago. I think it is really appropriate for my past weekend: 

"Like a spider trapped under glass,

My options are not out, only up."

Thanks for being random. As they say in Jamaica, "One love. Right near da beach!"

I am also a liar

Ok, so I took some crap for saying that I'm back for good, but really I am, kind of. Today is my birthday, so that means I started my daily blog over at www.HappyAll365.com, so go check it out, I really do promise that I will be posting to it everyday. I think I'm going to use this blog to just get some thoughts off my chest whenever I deem fit. 

Anyway, as far as new music I've been listening to, I really enjoy the new Alkaline Trio (Agony & Irony) album. I once heard Henry Rollins say that whenever the metal world needs a great new, surefire metal album they just break Slayer out of ice and let them record, because you know its always going to be solid. Thats exactly how I feel about Alkaline Trio, except in the world of Pop/Punk. Just good solid album, no complaints.

I think my favorite music related piece as of late has to be the Engine Down farewell tour DVD. If you've never heard of Engine Down, go listen now, you will not be disappointed. One of the absolutely best best bands that no one has ever heard of. (myspace.com/enginedown) They consist of members of the now defunct Denali, and in fact Keeley (vox/guitar) is now the guitarist for Sparta. Amazing, Amazing, Amazing. (P.S. If you watch the documentary and look real close, you can see me at two of their shows)

On a personal note, a thought I had the other day; I was assigned in a class to give a speech about myself to introduce who I am to the class. I hate that subject: me. I'm so boring, my interests are few and far between. I am really boring. However, walking around downtown on my lunch breaks I often over hear people talking to others or on their cellphones. They are always talking about their problems. Some of their problems seem legit, while others seem to blow things out of proportion to make them into bigger problems than they really are. It dawned on me, I'm boring, what a wonderful thing to be. I have no problems, everything comes pretty easily for me. So I am feeling extremely fortunate and lucky this week to be a boring person. 

I don't know just a thought. I hope everyone is having a great summer like myself. Thanks for reading.

Insert plug for other blog here:

I'm back for good, I promise

So it's been sometime since I've added to this blog. I've had some major issues to deal with (i.e. the quest for a new job), but i can't sleep tonight and I figured I would give some updates on things going on and things to come.

I recently got to go down to L.A. to the Red Bull Studio with my boys in EIGHTFOURSEVEN (www.myspace.com/eightfourseven) and watch them lay down guitar and bass tracks for their new album. It was amazing and the album is shaping up to be their finest yet. I hope to make a short video blog of the experience here shortly.


Last weekend I got to fulfill a dream and went and saw The Kids in the Hall LIVE! It was without a doubt one of the most hilarious experiences of my life. They may be older, but I think that age has only heightened their comedic senses. My only worry is that I didn't laugh as much as I would have liked due to the absolute stun that I was actually seeing them preform live. If you have the opportunity to see them, DO IT! Their influence on comedy today is the cornerstone of all new comedy. They took the randomness that Monty Python used in their sketches one step further, by adding touches of slapstick and situational comedy. Seriously one of the best live acts I've ever been honored to see. I only hope that Scott is still OK after his fall from the stage.

In a couple of weeks I'm going to go see two shows: The Flight of the Conchords & Thrice/Circa Survive. Those will be posts all to themselves I'm sure, and hey, maybe I'l even get pictures or something and add some color to this page.

My goal is to start writing more and keeping up to date on my blog, so I 've come up with a new project called Happy All 365. I believe that life should never be a stand still and everyone, no matter what your situation, should be trying to improve themselves, their situation or the people around them. With out going into too much detail I encourage and would appreciate if you would check out my new blog at www.HappyAll365.com I would also like to start a blog on new album reviews by me, but I 'm trying to come up with a way to make it a bit different than your average joe telling you why he liked or disliked a record. Any ideas?

We as the human race have only begun to scratch the surface of our full potential. However, no advancement has ever come without someone using creativity. It's our most important tool. We need to cherish it. More importantly, we need to encourage it from those around us. Help each other, Look for the good in each other, Love each other. Good night.

<<--Sign Off--->>

My Favorite Bands Won't Toss You A Pass

Why do douche bags insist on ruining good music? Please if anyone has an answer to this please tell me. It’s as if they hunt out any band that might have a impact in your life and decide, “Yeah, I can totally go to that band’s concert and act like an idiot right next to the guy who actually wants to be there so I can ruin his night! Yeah, WHOOO! (Add some obscene crotch grab here)! Hey! Get Some!”

There I was, standing in the back of the venue so I wouldn’t get in the way of anyone who might want to dance (because I respect you, if that’s what you want to do, not my thing, but go for it, have fun), when some Jack-Knob starts running his white trash mouth to his girlfriend about how he’s obviously the greatest person in the room. As she tells him to lower his voice, he sees his buddy enter the room and so he throws his arm out perpendicular to his body and begins to run through the defensive line that is the crowd to get to his friend. As douchey (yeah, douchey, it’s a word, deal with it) as that sounds, there was a good three foot area right behind the people he ran through where no one was standing.

Why do these people exist? These guys are at every show I’ve ever been to since I was 14. My only theory is that most football-douche-wads (I’m assuming that every douche-wad has played football, not that everyone who has played football is a douche-wad, however, I have my suspicions) don’t have good taste in music, but their girlfriends do. So their sweet innocent girlfriends are forced to bring their Neanderthal boyfriends to see the bands that they actually enjoy. Sorry guys, Disturbed can’t be in every city, every night.

My only moment of glory was when Exhibit D (I’ll let you guess what “D” stands for) pulled his “get through the crowd quick” move trying to get to the bathroom. Instead of arriving at the stairs that lead down to the bathrooms he over shot the entrance by a good 10 feet. Ha ha, you’ll have to wait an extra 30 seconds before you can go pee. Bastard.

Let us begin with shame

I can't like this!

I refuse to like this!

Man, I REALLY like this!

Everyone has to have felt this at one point in his or her life. You suddenly find yourself exposed to some sort of medium that you have decided to loathe for one reason or another and all of the sudden you find yourself enjoying it. Maybe it’s because you will look uncouth to your peers. Whether it’s food, music, movies, clothes, whatever...the pressures to stay in the "cool" are always there.

Such an incident happened today at work. I left the comfort of my office on the second floor, filled with the posh aura of indie sounds like Metric and Creeper Lagoon, and ventured into the warehouse to run a quick errand. The warehouse is ran by a great group of guys who all live up in the mountains and whom I affectionately refer to as "Mountain Folk." I get along with the entire "Mountain Folk" just fine, but we are from two different worlds. They tend to have more hippie tendencies then a normal city boy would have. So as you may have guessed, a lot of Grateful Dead and Phish get airplay in the warehouse. Probably great bands, but the hippies can have them, I'm OK without.

However, today it was Bob Marley.

When I was in High School I had a "I really like Bob Marley" phase as I assume most people do, but it quickly passed and I put Marley in my category of music I don't listen to anymore because I'm not a hippie. Today was different, I L-O-V-E-D, loved it! I wanted to go upstairs a throw away my Marley-less Ipod. It was now inadequate for my needs.

This is where my dilemma began. I couldn't love it. It was on my list of music not to love. But who's to say I can't love it now. Of course I can, I'm my own boss. Right?

I can remember a few years ago when I thought metal was probably one of the most confusing types of music around. I didn't get it; a guy screams his lungs out so you can't understand what he's saying while a guitarist plays ridiculous solos on his guitar. And then BAM! I understand what's so great about metal. The extreme emotion portrayed, the insane rhythms expressed through guitars and some of the best drumming in all of music.

It's amazing to me how we as people can learn to love things we detest in such short time expanses. Who knows what’s next for me? The feel of fleece? Mushrooms? or dare I say it, Country Music?? Watch out Vince Gill, here I come!