So, one fine day, Jah, our newest addition, had run into the bathroom with Chambers and was in his typical position watching the water. I'm sitting on the couch, about 10 feet away. Chambers flushes, and all I hear is "Where did all the pee go, Jah?"
At this point I should tell you that Jah loves to watch water. Water swirling, water cascading, water falling, water sitting. He loves the stuff. When you go to the bathroom, he runs in ahead of you to beat you to the toilet in hopes of watching you pee. In my case, he attempts to place himself in the 3 inches behind my ass and the back of the toilet. In Chambers' case, he puts his paws on the toilet seat and gazes into the depths of the bowl.
Having cats is like having kids. Fuck.
12.13.2005
12.12.2005
Come the fuck on...
I'm sure all you received the FBI email virus, and if you didn't, lucky you! I opened Thunderbird and started to sort through my copious emails. One immediately caught my eye: "IMPORTANT: Your IP address has been logged at several illegal sites." Well, I thought, that's a little weird. I look at the sender, and it says simply "FBI." Hmmm. I run my virus protection on it, and it comes up null (mainly because it had already cleaned it and I'm retarded), so I take a chance and open it. I really want to see what they think an FBI email would read like. I was appalled. I was amazed. I was laughing my ass off.
Listen fuckers, do you really think the FBI doesn't know someone's name? Or that they would attach "questions" for you to answer, then ask "please?" Come on fuckwads, don't you think we're smarter than that? Just because 51% of America is stupid doesn't mean the rest of us are.
Dear Sir/Madam,Look, first of all, if the FBI wanted to ask you questions, they would come to your door. They stop you outside of work. They call you the phone. They do not contact you by letter, electronic or otherwise. Secondly, what kind of illegal websites? Let's assume that the FBI is really contacting you regarding your illegal surfing habits. Pre-9/11 the FBI would have needed a warrant to "tap" your online habits, for the most part, which means they would have already have proof of your illegal surfing habits. Now of course, they can listen/watch/fuck with you whenever they damn well please. The FBI is not interested in music or movie downloading, no matter what the media might tell you. They are concerned with large-scale drug trafficking, smuggling, kidnapping/slave trade, child pornography/abuse, and terrorism, though not necessarily in that order. What makes them illegal? Are you searching kiddie porn, or are you just downloading music?
we have logged your IP-address on more than 30 illegal Websites.
Important:
Please answer our questions!
The list of questions are attached.
Yours faithfully,
Steven Allison
Listen fuckers, do you really think the FBI doesn't know someone's name? Or that they would attach "questions" for you to answer, then ask "please?" Come on fuckwads, don't you think we're smarter than that? Just because 51% of America is stupid doesn't mean the rest of us are.
11.25.2005
Happy Thankstaking Day!
Well, this turkey day was a little different than the past few ones. You see, my mom has been pretty apathetic about holidays since I moved out (probably a common occurence in a one child house), so we've taken to going out on turkey day, usually to Shoney's for their Thankstaking buffet. For some strange reason, this year mom decided to cook and do the family thing again. She baked cookies, did the turkey, the whole nine yards. It was a little surrealistic, especially after several years on home-cooked meal hiatus. I'm feeling all tired from all the food I've eaten today, what with the snacks and the turkey I feel about a hundred pounds heavier. Thank dieties it only happens once a year!
My dad had an accident in bed again today, and my sweet Chambers cleaned him up and helped him to the table while I helped mom finish the mashed potatoes and set the table. Alzheimer's is a shitty thing, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. If any of you have loved ones, donate to Alzheimer's research, and keep up with the news about it. There are lots of crazy whacked out theories regarding its origins and risk factors, but at this point I'm willing to believe almost anything.
I must go now, one of my cats is trying to rehang our curtains using only his claws and a small toy mouse, so I must express my domination and displeasure in cat-speak. Have a happy Turkey day, and don't forget about all the taking we did on that first celebration years ago.
My dad had an accident in bed again today, and my sweet Chambers cleaned him up and helped him to the table while I helped mom finish the mashed potatoes and set the table. Alzheimer's is a shitty thing, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. If any of you have loved ones, donate to Alzheimer's research, and keep up with the news about it. There are lots of crazy whacked out theories regarding its origins and risk factors, but at this point I'm willing to believe almost anything.
I must go now, one of my cats is trying to rehang our curtains using only his claws and a small toy mouse, so I must express my domination and displeasure in cat-speak. Have a happy Turkey day, and don't forget about all the taking we did on that first celebration years ago.
11.24.2005
Hair Metal Bands are not shitty
For the most part.
A pox on Christ Richter and his XANGA site where his facts are skewed and his opinions are WRONG. And the worst part is I can't even comment without being a member of xanga, which is against my beliefs. Fuck Xanga!
Listen, Christ, "Heaven Isn't Too Far Away" is by Warrant, not Skid Row, as evident by the forced soprano of Jani Lane, rather than the lilting falsetto of Sebastian Bach, the sexiest man in leather pants. And he's super smart, as evidenced on The Weakest Link. He was 2nd, mother fuckers! Let's see Jani beat that with a brand new can of Aqua Net! And if that isn't enough for you, Skid Row womped Pantera's asses in a softball match.
And, Springfield has never had a good music scene, except maybe in 1993 for about 15 seconds.
In addition, Black Flag was the best band of the 70s, since that was when they started. Fuck the 80s! "The Reagan Years!"
You might think this angst is jealously-driven, and you'd be right. I'm so fucking jealous of the cleverness of Christ that I can't type straight. You should give him a read, always good for a laugh.
A pox on Christ Richter and his XANGA site where his facts are skewed and his opinions are WRONG. And the worst part is I can't even comment without being a member of xanga, which is against my beliefs. Fuck Xanga!
Listen, Christ, "Heaven Isn't Too Far Away" is by Warrant, not Skid Row, as evident by the forced soprano of Jani Lane, rather than the lilting falsetto of Sebastian Bach, the sexiest man in leather pants. And he's super smart, as evidenced on The Weakest Link. He was 2nd, mother fuckers! Let's see Jani beat that with a brand new can of Aqua Net! And if that isn't enough for you, Skid Row womped Pantera's asses in a softball match.
And, Springfield has never had a good music scene, except maybe in 1993 for about 15 seconds.
In addition, Black Flag was the best band of the 70s, since that was when they started. Fuck the 80s! "The Reagan Years!"
You might think this angst is jealously-driven, and you'd be right. I'm so fucking jealous of the cleverness of Christ that I can't type straight. You should give him a read, always good for a laugh.
11.21.2005
ColourLOVERS
You should check out this great color site ColourLOVERS. Its a color community with some great features. Along with Flickr, its one of the best sites on the web! Check out my colors at my profile.
11.13.2005
Sage fucking Francis
Sage Francis is awesome. Just saw him in Fayetteville, Arkansas on November 5 and it was, as always, a beautiful experience. Sage, Sole, and the Sollioquists of Sound make a beautiful family.
That's the thing about Sage and his shows; they are so intimate. There could be hundreds of people there, but you think that Sage is only performing for you, he's that real. I don't gush about artists, and especially not about rap artists, but Sage is to hip hop what Picasso was to painting. Sage is a brilliant man, the best wordsmith I've ever heard, and has a wicked sense of humor.
Amid reservations about playing in the "buckle of the Bible belt," Sage and his crew played the best show I've managed to catch, and left everyone feeling that much more "together." The Sollioquists of Sound dedicate a song to all the 9-5 workers out there, then tell them to quit their jobs and do what they love. "You think you can't do it? You've got a whole support group here, you should help each other do what you love, do what you dream about." When they say things like that, and you're in that audience, you believe it can happen, you believe in the decency of your fellow man.
Speaking of, we were driving home on a local US highway a couple of nights ago, when we saw a girl walking on the side of the road, obviously stranded. We turned around and picked her up to discover she was walking to Rogersville (a good 10 miles from where we picked her up) after her Tracker's wheel fell off. She couldn't have been more than 16 years old, and the tiniest little thing you've ever seen; she wouldn't have lasted more than ten minutes on that highway. We were more decent human beings for a little while after that.
Have you done a good deed today?
That's the thing about Sage and his shows; they are so intimate. There could be hundreds of people there, but you think that Sage is only performing for you, he's that real. I don't gush about artists, and especially not about rap artists, but Sage is to hip hop what Picasso was to painting. Sage is a brilliant man, the best wordsmith I've ever heard, and has a wicked sense of humor.
Amid reservations about playing in the "buckle of the Bible belt," Sage and his crew played the best show I've managed to catch, and left everyone feeling that much more "together." The Sollioquists of Sound dedicate a song to all the 9-5 workers out there, then tell them to quit their jobs and do what they love. "You think you can't do it? You've got a whole support group here, you should help each other do what you love, do what you dream about." When they say things like that, and you're in that audience, you believe it can happen, you believe in the decency of your fellow man.
Speaking of, we were driving home on a local US highway a couple of nights ago, when we saw a girl walking on the side of the road, obviously stranded. We turned around and picked her up to discover she was walking to Rogersville (a good 10 miles from where we picked her up) after her Tracker's wheel fell off. She couldn't have been more than 16 years old, and the tiniest little thing you've ever seen; she wouldn't have lasted more than ten minutes on that highway. We were more decent human beings for a little while after that.
Have you done a good deed today?
10.26.2005
Are you a tard?
I've thought a lot about this, and I wonder...wouldn't the definition of 'retarded' be 'to be tarded again?' So, wouldn't one have to first be a 'tard' to subsequently be 'retarded?' Is the rampant misuse of this word evidence of America's dumbing down? Or do I just have too much free time on my hands?
Speaking of free time, have you seen the eHarmony commericials, with the founder and all the lovely heterosexual couples who are (supposedly) living happy lives they started through eHarmony? Not only have I seen merely two black couples and no other races or biracial relationships, I've not seen any homosexuals who've found happiness through the service. We know that gay people always look fab, so it can't be that they can't find a photogenic couple. Perhaps homosexuals can't find love of eHarmony. And speaking of homosexuals, have you ever seen Dr. Neil Clark Warren, the founder of eHarmony, with his partner, hetero or otherwise? Obviously he hasn't used the service. Hey Neil, you can find your soulmate at eHarmony.com. Try it today and get a free personality profile.
Quick fact: that thing underneath your close button (in PC browsers) that animates when you're loading a webpage is called a "throbber." Yeah, you heard it here first.
Speaking of free time, have you seen the eHarmony commericials, with the founder and all the lovely heterosexual couples who are (supposedly) living happy lives they started through eHarmony? Not only have I seen merely two black couples and no other races or biracial relationships, I've not seen any homosexuals who've found happiness through the service. We know that gay people always look fab, so it can't be that they can't find a photogenic couple. Perhaps homosexuals can't find love of eHarmony. And speaking of homosexuals, have you ever seen Dr. Neil Clark Warren, the founder of eHarmony, with his partner, hetero or otherwise? Obviously he hasn't used the service. Hey Neil, you can find your soulmate at eHarmony.com. Try it today and get a free personality profile.
Quick fact: that thing underneath your close button (in PC browsers) that animates when you're loading a webpage is called a "throbber." Yeah, you heard it here first.
10.07.2005
Why me?
Typical conversation with my significant other:
C: I think Spazz [one of our cats] is gay.
Me: Why?
C: If Mosrael [another of our cats] were a boy, then she would be Phil [a gay guy we know].
Me: What does that have to do with Spazz?
C: If she were a boy, she would be gay and that would make Spazz gay...
Me: First, you're just hypothesizing about a hypothetical, and that's just ass-fucked retarded. Second...you know, there doesn't even need to be a second.
9.07.2005
Submissions and headaches
Well, just got back from the Colorado State Fair, and I just want to reiterate a certain point... I HATE KANSAS!
I also submitted a t-shirt design to Synthetic Apparatus, a 50/50 band/fan community. You should check it out and vote for me. My submission, Always, is below:
More later. Sleep now.
I also submitted a t-shirt design to Synthetic Apparatus, a 50/50 band/fan community. You should check it out and vote for me. My submission, Always, is below:
More later. Sleep now.
8.13.2005
Funny shit
This is a great photo from one of my contacts at Flickr, the best photo-sharing site on the internet. In my opinion. Which is correct. If you want to see my photos, click here.
8.10.2005
PWM Fiasco Revisted
Well, you may have read my tirade about local band Playing With Matches a few weeks ago. I'm revisiting this because I had a huge altercation with one of the mods from Mo Rawk (a local music messageboard), and the more I think about it, the more angry I get. So I decided to make this a multi-part blog post (and I need more posts, so nyah!).
After my blog entry, I knew I wasn't going to be satisfied with the hundred or so people who visit my blog every day, I needed everyone to know what PWM was doing, and hopefully inspire a movement against arrogant no-talent assclowns upstaging the band(s) people paid to see. Where, I thought to myself during my morning blood-letting sacrifice to pagan gods, could I post a message that would be seen by the people it would matter the most to, the kids in the music "scene" here in Springfield. Ahh, the Evil One must have been pleased with my offerings, because - BAM! - inspiration: Mo Rawk, our local music scene messageboard. Ye-ah! I rushed to my computer (concientiously wiping the blood off my hands) and registered for an account at once.
At the registration screen, I was buffeted by the canned disclaimer that phpBB packages with its BBS software...South Park styly, I clicked "I agree and am over or exactly 13 years of age" (like 10 years ago). There I chose my screen name (can you guess?), entered my information, and waited for the confirmation email. As soon as I had it in my hot little Gmail inbox, I activated my account and got ready to post in the "Music & Culture" topic.
Okay, if you know me, you probably know my most favorite word is "fuck," and not in a slutty way (at least, not all the time). But, because I was posting to a public forum, I held my tongue on the f-word, because, hey, there might be kids listening. Besides, I'm not so self-absorbed that I think everyone wants to hear (or read) me saying fuck every third word. Or agrees with my opinions, for that matter. The most profane word I posted on Mo Rawk was "assclown." Which I think describes PWM perfectly. C'mon, "assclown" is totally PG-13!
I also posted a poll, and this was a piece of work, if I do say so myself:
Pretty civilized and polite, eh? I thought so too, and not just because he agreed with me. Okay, that was a little of it, but take that sentance out and its still a professional way to handle an "offensive" post on a public messageboard. Presented this way, Mr. Grokenberger could have completely deleted my post and banned me from posting and I wouldn't have been angry, I would have been cowed. Which I was anyway, even though he simply deleted the poll and all mentions of the word "assclown." My main beef was what PWM did, and I'm articulate enough to express myself without excess profanity. I responded immediately:
Next episode: the mod from HELL.
After my blog entry, I knew I wasn't going to be satisfied with the hundred or so people who visit my blog every day, I needed everyone to know what PWM was doing, and hopefully inspire a movement against arrogant no-talent assclowns upstaging the band(s) people paid to see. Where, I thought to myself during my morning blood-letting sacrifice to pagan gods, could I post a message that would be seen by the people it would matter the most to, the kids in the music "scene" here in Springfield. Ahh, the Evil One must have been pleased with my offerings, because - BAM! - inspiration: Mo Rawk, our local music scene messageboard. Ye-ah! I rushed to my computer (concientiously wiping the blood off my hands) and registered for an account at once.
At the registration screen, I was buffeted by the canned disclaimer that phpBB packages with its BBS software...South Park styly, I clicked "I agree and am over or exactly 13 years of age" (like 10 years ago). There I chose my screen name (can you guess?), entered my information, and waited for the confirmation email. As soon as I had it in my hot little Gmail inbox, I activated my account and got ready to post in the "Music & Culture" topic.
Okay, if you know me, you probably know my most favorite word is "fuck," and not in a slutty way (at least, not all the time). But, because I was posting to a public forum, I held my tongue on the f-word, because, hey, there might be kids listening. Besides, I'm not so self-absorbed that I think everyone wants to hear (or read) me saying fuck every third word. Or agrees with my opinions, for that matter. The most profane word I posted on Mo Rawk was "assclown." Which I think describes PWM perfectly. C'mon, "assclown" is totally PG-13!
I also posted a poll, and this was a piece of work, if I do say so myself:
So, along with a toned-down yet still angry version of my blog post, I had this poll. I'm not stupid; I knew I was going to get reamed by PWM fans (all 5 of them) after they got out of school, but I wasn't expecting what actually happened. I received a message from one of the mods in the forum about my post:Do you think the local band Playing With Matches are assclowns?
- Yes
- Yes, but their music is ok.
- No
- Who?
- They're a band? That's supposed to be music coming out of those amps?!
- No, and I don't appreciate you having an opinion.
From: Helmut Grokenberger
To: xtoq
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:43 am
Subject: posts
Thanks for your input to the board, I checked out your blog and I agree with you on the PWM scenario, however. I had to edit some of your post.
We try to draw the line at personal "attacks" and namecalling, or else things get a little crazy. I do not object to the topic of sharing opinions no PWM, but please keep the "ass clown" stuff out of it.
Thanks and hope you post more.
If you have any questions, please PM be back.
_________________
Here we are in our summer years / Living on icecream and chocolate kisses
Pretty civilized and polite, eh? I thought so too, and not just because he agreed with me. Okay, that was a little of it, but take that sentance out and its still a professional way to handle an "offensive" post on a public messageboard. Presented this way, Mr. Grokenberger could have completely deleted my post and banned me from posting and I wouldn't have been angry, I would have been cowed. Which I was anyway, even though he simply deleted the poll and all mentions of the word "assclown." My main beef was what PWM did, and I'm articulate enough to express myself without excess profanity. I responded immediately:
From: xtoq
To: Helmut Grokenberger
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:01 am
Subject: Re: posts
Thanks, sorry, guess I didn't read the rules too closely. I understand.
_________________
There is absolutely no evidence to support the theory that life is serious.
Next episode: the mod from HELL.
8.08.2005
Subdivisions are the new trees
Everywhere I go, I am beseiged by the sight of "development." They are "developing" nature into suburbia. Just today, I drove by a driveway with an old house at the end of it, bulldozers knocking on the door. Its neighbors were six-figure cookie cutters arranged eighteen inches apart on a couple of dozen acres. Shit, they could fit five houses on the generous lot of the farm house. Did someone really build and care for this house only to have it demolished because it was a square peg in a round hole?
I live in a rural area, where agriculture is the primary means of support. Families have been farming and raising livestock in this area for over two hundred years, passing their land and possessions down through the generations. Now, with agriculture in the slump that it is, big-time developers are coming forward and offering farmers and their families crazy amounts of money for their prime farm land. They buy thousands of acres of forest, forest that is just beginning to recover from massive logging trauma in the late 19th century, then tear down the trees, build a million houses, and plant trees. Why? Those trees will take at least a decade to be of any use to the owners. Wouldn't one or two of those trees be useful, or God forbid, asthetically pleasing?
If you can't agree with anything else, agree with this: if you pay six figures for a house, your yard should be at least as big as the square footage of your home. Burn suburbia!
I live in a rural area, where agriculture is the primary means of support. Families have been farming and raising livestock in this area for over two hundred years, passing their land and possessions down through the generations. Now, with agriculture in the slump that it is, big-time developers are coming forward and offering farmers and their families crazy amounts of money for their prime farm land. They buy thousands of acres of forest, forest that is just beginning to recover from massive logging trauma in the late 19th century, then tear down the trees, build a million houses, and plant trees. Why? Those trees will take at least a decade to be of any use to the owners. Wouldn't one or two of those trees be useful, or God forbid, asthetically pleasing?
If you can't agree with anything else, agree with this: if you pay six figures for a house, your yard should be at least as big as the square footage of your home. Burn suburbia!
7.28.2005
Twin Fish Records
So you may or may not know, but I'm now "working" for a local record company called Twin Fish Records. They're pretty new, so no website yet, but we're working on it. Its actually a collaboration between many Electronic Arts (sound, video and animation majors) students and Darcy Stevens. Darcy's wife owns the company, and Darcy is the vice-president, and the students are the employees. I'm pretty excited about this; not only is this exactly what I want to do with my life, but the people I'm working with are people I like, which may not always be the case in later years. At least until I'm a big-league producer/mixer and everyone wants me for their record; then I can pick and choose who I want to work with. Till then though, I'll have to take what I can get.
7.27.2005
Text Sex
Well, it was only a matter of time. Sex has finally come into the 21st century, straight to your cell phone via the magic of test messaging. For a mere $0.99 per message, you can chat with a hot, sexy babe who's aching to read what you have to text. Jesus.
I'm sure you're wondering what such a conversation would look like, so I did some research and found a text message translator to experience it without the cost. Observe:
ey bb, wuz ^?
u bb.
wotU warin?
A SxC thong. u lk thongs, dnt u bb?
cn u hear me nw? gud
(From the same website:
Y is it u cn sue a cigrett cmpny 4 canca, McDs 4 getin fat bt u cant sue Jim Beam 4 all da ugly c*nts uve f*cked!)
I'm sure you're wondering what such a conversation would look like, so I did some research and found a text message translator to experience it without the cost. Observe:
ey bb, wuz ^?
u bb.
wotU warin?
A SxC thong. u lk thongs, dnt u bb?
cn u hear me nw? gud
(From the same website:
Y is it u cn sue a cigrett cmpny 4 canca, McDs 4 getin fat bt u cant sue Jim Beam 4 all da ugly c*nts uve f*cked!)
7.26.2005
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
"A radioactive dinosaur fights a genetically engineered monster and battles pterodactyl Rodan for custody of a reptilian infant."
Now, the question is, what are you doing on Saturday night?
Now, the question is, what are you doing on Saturday night?
7.19.2005
Wow...
I'm already getting flak for my last post, and it hasn't even been three hours.
Look, to clear some things up:
1) I have personally experienced PWM's "alleged" antics at each of the concerts I mentioned. If you haven't, that's great. 100% of the time I have ever seen/dealt with them they have tried this nonsense. Only once did they fail. I have heard from other people that they have done this on numerous occasions, but since I did not experience this, I did not post about it. I may have few good qualities, but integrity is one of them.
2) I don't feel I'm damaging the scene in anyway. First of all, Springfield's "scene" is pretty pitiful, and that's because everyone in it is too focused on figuring out what the "scene" is to actually play or enjoy local music. Scene is what you make it. Support the bands you like, don't support the bands you don't. Trust me, if I had known Playing With Matches was going to be at the concert, I probably wouldn't have gone. Or, since it was a national act, I would have gone late to avoid physically supporting the local band I don't like Oh wait, I couldn't have done that last night because they stole the headlining spot. Which was the whole point of my post.
3) I don't feel the need to sugar-coat my opinions. It's a free country, I'm entitled to what I want to think. You can think of me any way you like as well, and I'm not going to email you or post hateful things about you on the internet. At least not using your name and linking to your website. Hello? Thanks for the traffic!
4) I'm not attacking them personally. I know a lot of people get this confused. Because I don't like a band's practices does not mean I don't like the people in the band. I am attacking their blatant disrespect for their fans (not booking the show well enough in advance to advertise on the flyers) and other artists. I don't think any local scene should support bands with this sort of attitude.
Honestly, I had hoped for a little more support. Guess this is why Clear Channel, the RIAA, and Bush are running our country - no one really has any taste anymore, for manners or music.
Oh yeah, and I'm not a professional, so I don't have to be on my blog. I'm not claiming to be a professional, so... don't know why people would confuse my personal blog with that. Just because I can have a personal opinion on my blog doesn't mean I can't have a professional opinion somewhere else. Or does it? Where is the line drawn, nowadays?
Look, to clear some things up:
1) I have personally experienced PWM's "alleged" antics at each of the concerts I mentioned. If you haven't, that's great. 100% of the time I have ever seen/dealt with them they have tried this nonsense. Only once did they fail. I have heard from other people that they have done this on numerous occasions, but since I did not experience this, I did not post about it. I may have few good qualities, but integrity is one of them.
2) I don't feel I'm damaging the scene in anyway. First of all, Springfield's "scene" is pretty pitiful, and that's because everyone in it is too focused on figuring out what the "scene" is to actually play or enjoy local music. Scene is what you make it. Support the bands you like, don't support the bands you don't. Trust me, if I had known Playing With Matches was going to be at the concert, I probably wouldn't have gone. Or, since it was a national act, I would have gone late to avoid physically supporting the local band I don't like Oh wait, I couldn't have done that last night because they stole the headlining spot. Which was the whole point of my post.
3) I don't feel the need to sugar-coat my opinions. It's a free country, I'm entitled to what I want to think. You can think of me any way you like as well, and I'm not going to email you or post hateful things about you on the internet. At least not using your name and linking to your website. Hello? Thanks for the traffic!
4) I'm not attacking them personally. I know a lot of people get this confused. Because I don't like a band's practices does not mean I don't like the people in the band. I am attacking their blatant disrespect for their fans (not booking the show well enough in advance to advertise on the flyers) and other artists. I don't think any local scene should support bands with this sort of attitude.
Honestly, I had hoped for a little more support. Guess this is why Clear Channel, the RIAA, and Bush are running our country - no one really has any taste anymore, for manners or music.
Oh yeah, and I'm not a professional, so I don't have to be on my blog. I'm not claiming to be a professional, so... don't know why people would confuse my personal blog with that. Just because I can have a personal opinion on my blog doesn't mean I can't have a professional opinion somewhere else. Or does it? Where is the line drawn, nowadays?
Being a rock star, the Playing With Matches way
A) book a show at a local venue, hopefully with national acts
B) the night of the show, feign ignorance of the lineup and insist you are the headliner
C) convince the venue and the other bands that its in their "best interest" to let you headline because, after all, you bring in the peeps
D) end up with no fans watching your show because they have middle school in the morning
At A Wilhelm Scream last night, Playing With Matches again committed their rock crimes. As I arrived at the Rockwell, a friend told us that Playing With Matches was added to the lineup. Okay, fine, local bands are often added to lineups at the last minute here in Springfield, especially for nationally touring acts. My friend went on to say, however, that the lineup had changed; it seemed that Playing With Matches was now headlining. Yup, you read that right: headlining for a nationally touring act.
When I dug deeper into the story, a Rockwell guy gave me the scoop: it seems the Rockwell was concerned that A Wilhelm Scream wouldn't draw enough of a crowd, so they (the Rockwell) decided to add Playing With Matches and have them headline to up ticket sales. First of all, Playing With Matches was not on the original concert flyers (see photo at right), so many people didn't even know they were playing. Secondly, the Rockwell didn't deliver tickets to the ticket outlets, decreasing ticket sales dramatically anyway. Third, it was a summer Monday in a college town, your drinking crowd isn't even interested.
I have difficulty believing that it was the Rockwell's idea to have Playing With Matches ultimately headline. I'm sure they enforced it, but I suspect that the band used a little sway to make that happen. The evidence:
1) At a John Galt Line Show at the Blue Room, the crowd eagerly anticipated the metal show that was about to take place. At the last minute, John Galt Line was informed that Playing With Matches, who were scheduled to play second-to-last, were to be headlining instead. The reason? More ticket sales. After the John Galt Line finished playing, however, most of the crowd left, leaving Playing With Matches to play with themselves.
2. At the Growl Benefit Concert, Fallen From the Nest, a Texas band, was the headliner, with Playing With Matches the second-to-last act. The concert started at 8:45p, and at 9:15p, Playing With Matches suddenly "realized" that they were not the headliner, and began whining that they were told they were the main attraction. Besides their unprofessional attitude when the coordinator attempted to book them in the first place, this usurpation did not endear them to the concert promoter. Check out the flyer, kiddies, and tell me who you think was the headliner.
I ask you, do you want asshats of this degree musically representing the 'Field? Remember what your mother always told you: Playing With Matches is not cool or safe.
EDIT: In response to the comment "Way to help the scene in Springfield..."
Yeah, I agree. This is no way for Playing With Matches to help the scene in Springfield.
B) the night of the show, feign ignorance of the lineup and insist you are the headliner
C) convince the venue and the other bands that its in their "best interest" to let you headline because, after all, you bring in the peeps
D) end up with no fans watching your show because they have middle school in the morning
At A Wilhelm Scream last night, Playing With Matches again committed their rock crimes. As I arrived at the Rockwell, a friend told us that Playing With Matches was added to the lineup. Okay, fine, local bands are often added to lineups at the last minute here in Springfield, especially for nationally touring acts. My friend went on to say, however, that the lineup had changed; it seemed that Playing With Matches was now headlining. Yup, you read that right: headlining for a nationally touring act.
When I dug deeper into the story, a Rockwell guy gave me the scoop: it seems the Rockwell was concerned that A Wilhelm Scream wouldn't draw enough of a crowd, so they (the Rockwell) decided to add Playing With Matches and have them headline to up ticket sales. First of all, Playing With Matches was not on the original concert flyers (see photo at right), so many people didn't even know they were playing. Secondly, the Rockwell didn't deliver tickets to the ticket outlets, decreasing ticket sales dramatically anyway. Third, it was a summer Monday in a college town, your drinking crowd isn't even interested.I have difficulty believing that it was the Rockwell's idea to have Playing With Matches ultimately headline. I'm sure they enforced it, but I suspect that the band used a little sway to make that happen. The evidence:
1) At a John Galt Line Show at the Blue Room, the crowd eagerly anticipated the metal show that was about to take place. At the last minute, John Galt Line was informed that Playing With Matches, who were scheduled to play second-to-last, were to be headlining instead. The reason? More ticket sales. After the John Galt Line finished playing, however, most of the crowd left, leaving Playing With Matches to play with themselves.
2. At the Growl Benefit Concert, Fallen From the Nest, a Texas band, was the headliner, with Playing With Matches the second-to-last act. The concert started at 8:45p, and at 9:15p, Playing With Matches suddenly "realized" that they were not the headliner, and began whining that they were told they were the main attraction. Besides their unprofessional attitude when the coordinator attempted to book them in the first place, this usurpation did not endear them to the concert promoter. Check out the flyer, kiddies, and tell me who you think was the headliner.I ask you, do you want asshats of this degree musically representing the 'Field? Remember what your mother always told you: Playing With Matches is not cool or safe.
EDIT: In response to the comment "Way to help the scene in Springfield..."
Yeah, I agree. This is no way for Playing With Matches to help the scene in Springfield.
7.13.2005
Redesign complete
Welcome to my redesigned blog! Thanks to StyleMaster 4.0 and Chugs for the awesome template. And thanks to me for tweaking it to work for my blog. And thanks to you for reading this.
Perhaps you've heard I'm in MUS 216, introduction to audio engineering. Darcy Stevens is my instructor (the only one for that class, actually), and he's a kick in the pants. Seriously, check out this statement:
Is that not fucking cool? I have a million of them, I write them down every day. And, there's the world's dumbest guy in my class. I swear he asks dumb questions just to hear himself ask dumb questions.
Well, I've been working on this goddamned template for hours now, so I think I'll go to bed now. Look for another redesign in the future, done completely by me! Not in the near future, but soon...
Peace.
Perhaps you've heard I'm in MUS 216, introduction to audio engineering. Darcy Stevens is my instructor (the only one for that class, actually), and he's a kick in the pants. Seriously, check out this statement:
Better is the enemy of good enough.
Is that not fucking cool? I have a million of them, I write them down every day. And, there's the world's dumbest guy in my class. I swear he asks dumb questions just to hear himself ask dumb questions.
Well, I've been working on this goddamned template for hours now, so I think I'll go to bed now. Look for another redesign in the future, done completely by me! Not in the near future, but soon...
Peace.
7.12.2005
Lame CSS shit
God, I've been working on a redesign for my blog for a solid fucking week, and I can't get it done. First it was the design part itself, then I said fuck it and used a template. Now I can't get the template to work correctly, so I'm thinking of a complete redesign. FUCK! Oh well though, stay tuned a few more days and I should have something done. Meanwhile, I'll change the background around for youse guys.
7.08.2005
I'm famous!
(That exclamation point is much deserved!)
Wow! My blog is in the Springfield News-Leader, our local paper (well, Springfield's local paper, I don't receive it). Thanks to Andy Cline, who lists southwest Missouri blogs for mentioning mine. And, since it starts with an "A," it was at the top of the list (don' you love the alphabet?).
Well, this definitely calls for more posts and more updates, and possibly getting my website up and running again. Wow! I still can't believe it! This is really amazing. Guess I'll have to bust my ass to get my blog redesigned, huh?
Anyway though, my fourth was happy and fun, and hopefully yours was too. Our friend Lucas made an artillery shell hand cannon, which is simply a gun you can use to point artillery shells. (Pictures to come soon.) Needless to say, it was the most popular toy at the party. Our finale was a sight to see, unless you were my mom, who got to see it a littly more up close and personal than she might have liked. Note: use flat surfaces to shoot off those large fountains (i.e. Diamonds in the Dark, Color Me America, Punk Rockers, etc.). Four people in my MUS 216 class have bandages on their hands from varying degrees of firework burns, and my hearing just came back yesterday.
I just had to do a wipe and reinstall on my laptop =( , but things are pretty much back to normal from that. After a long and angry conversation with Dell, that is. Dell used to have great customer service, but this past couple of years its gone to the dogs. I could give you a huge story, but I think I'll leave that particular customer "service" story until a day I'm more angry.
Wow. I still cannot believe it. Wow.
For those SW Missourians just coming to my blog for the first time, you should check out my Flickr site (which I'm much more proud of), and give me ideas for my blog and website redesign. Tell then, cheers!
And thanks to Amy from Gentle Whisper for commenting and turning me on to the News-Leader story.
Wow! My blog is in the Springfield News-Leader, our local paper (well, Springfield's local paper, I don't receive it). Thanks to Andy Cline, who lists southwest Missouri blogs for mentioning mine. And, since it starts with an "A," it was at the top of the list (don' you love the alphabet?).
Well, this definitely calls for more posts and more updates, and possibly getting my website up and running again. Wow! I still can't believe it! This is really amazing. Guess I'll have to bust my ass to get my blog redesigned, huh?
Anyway though, my fourth was happy and fun, and hopefully yours was too. Our friend Lucas made an artillery shell hand cannon, which is simply a gun you can use to point artillery shells. (Pictures to come soon.) Needless to say, it was the most popular toy at the party. Our finale was a sight to see, unless you were my mom, who got to see it a littly more up close and personal than she might have liked. Note: use flat surfaces to shoot off those large fountains (i.e. Diamonds in the Dark, Color Me America, Punk Rockers, etc.). Four people in my MUS 216 class have bandages on their hands from varying degrees of firework burns, and my hearing just came back yesterday.
I just had to do a wipe and reinstall on my laptop =( , but things are pretty much back to normal from that. After a long and angry conversation with Dell, that is. Dell used to have great customer service, but this past couple of years its gone to the dogs. I could give you a huge story, but I think I'll leave that particular customer "service" story until a day I'm more angry.
Wow. I still cannot believe it. Wow.
For those SW Missourians just coming to my blog for the first time, you should check out my Flickr site (which I'm much more proud of), and give me ideas for my blog and website redesign. Tell then, cheers!
And thanks to Amy from Gentle Whisper for commenting and turning me on to the News-Leader story.
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