DIARY OF A MADMAN

STAY TUNED...

2010-01-11T16:04:00.003-06:00

I recently re-discovered that I had a blog as well as numerous un-finished posts. They may see the light of day sometime in the near future...

PROPOSITION (H)8.

2008-11-02T22:10:00.011-06:00

Well folks, as it stands right now, my faith in humanity as a whole is slowly and surely going down the shitter. Why you may ask? Well for me, I don't see why people have such an instinctive need to hate and suppress. A desire to deny basic human rights to people of another colour, another class, or in this particular case, another 'preference'. Of course, I'm referring to 'Proposition 8'.

In a nutshell, Proposition 8 is a proposal to amend the California constitution. An amendment aimed at eliminating the rights of same sex couples to marry. The argument, that public institutions (as it stand right now) are confusing the youth of today. That kids are being taught that it's okay to be gay, that same sex marriages are the same as traditional marriages (between a man and a women). Furthermore, it forces Californians to "not just be tolerant of gay lifestyles, but face mandatory compliance regardless of their personal beliefs." In other words, the argument is that same sex marriages are not natural, that they go against traditional values and teachings.

Now I can just start ranting (like in previous posts) about how this is an example of why I'm not religious and blah blah blah but I'm not going to do this. Rather, I'm just going to say some words on what I think about Proposition 8.

I honestly don't see the problem of allowing same sex couples to be together in marriage. After all, if two people love each other unconditionally and unselfishly, why shouldn't they be allowed to be together in matrimony? Why should it matter if they are the same sex? Seriously, how does it affect you personally if same sex marriages are legalized? The reasons given by supporters of Proposition 8 are so riddled with hypocritical statements that it's hard to take it seriously.

As stated above, Pro-Proposition 8 argues that it's dangerous to teach kids that gay marriages are okay and that gays are equal, that it's okay to be gay. Well isn't it? Why shouldn't it be okay to life the lifestyle you want? Does it really hurt anyone if a gay couple wants to be married? How is it any better if we start teaching our kids that it's not okay to be gay? Think about the ramifications of that for just a second! By saying yes to Proposition 8 your saying to YOUR kids that it's NOT okay for them to be what they want to be and that they're a travesty and an embarrassment to humankind if they do otherwise. What's next? Are you going to teach your kids that if they don't go to university, marry and start a family that they're a failure? Will you disown them if they're gay? What ever happened to love? What ever happened to decency? What ever happened to loving your child unconditionally? Are you going to love your kid less if he/she is gay cause if you do, you're the real travesty here...not them.

Here's a proposition for you. Explain to me why you think same sex couples should not be allowed to marry without referring to the bible or resorting to discriminatory statements. Has it been shown that same sex couples hurt the economy? Has it been shown that same sex couples are worse parents? Are same sex couples supporting terrorism? Explain to me...EXPLAIN!

Another key argument for Proposition 8 is that it's not fair to force Californians to face mandatory compliance regardless of their personal beliefs. All I'm going to say here is that how is Proposition 8 any different? If you don't see how this statement is hypocritical, then you're an idiot...simple as that.

One sky, one world, one existence for all.

POWERTHIRST!

2008-08-16T20:04:00.002-06:00

I've been watching the Olympics (cause there's nothing else on TV now!) and I thought of this...

Being Emo To Be Made Illegal In Russia?

2008-07-24T22:52:00.003-06:00

This made me laugh...

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/1010/42/368995.htm

"Global Metal" - Documentary Trailer

2008-04-09T18:31:00.001-06:00

Cryptic Writings

2008-03-28T11:11:00.001-06:00

When I started this blog, I made it a point to never post on anything that I was unsure of. In other words, I wasn't about to post a post that a) wasn't grounded in anything b) I have no firm opinion/stance on and c) I can't back up logically and reasonably.

After all, why stir up shit just for the hell of it?

The point of my blog is to voice my opinion on a particular issue and if need be, defend my stance...well, that and simply vent about ridiculous and otherwise, pointless shit (hey it's my blog, I can do whatever the fuck I want!). You may recall my "If Religion is Love, Well Then Love is Control" post and the response that it elicited from an anonymous blogger. Or you may remember my post on "The Bridge" and the response (and rebuttal) that came out of that. Obviously when you voice an opinion on 'sensitive' issues like religion and suicide, people will inevitably respond. Some of the responses are good but unfortunately, most are not. The responses that I'm referring to are the ones in which the 'reader' simply lashes out at the 'author' simply because the author has touched on a subject in which the reader is passionate about. Here the readers 'passion' for a particular issue overcomes them, therefore making it impossible for them to articulate a response that is both logical and passionate. The reader fails to read and understand the content of the actual post, they fail to 'read the lines' (let alone 'read between the lines') and usually end up asserting insulting claims of 'ignorance' onto the author.

So why the hell am I talking about this?

Well, apparently I'm not the only one among my immediate blogging community that manages to piss people off. Just recently my friend CP received an anonymous response on her wonderfully crafted post on the irony of religion. The response was short and simple: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel."

Ahh anonymous bloggers, beautifully ironic in oh so many ways...

The fact that you even posted a response (in this context) indicates that you have an opinion to voice and that you're willing to engage in a 'dialogue' of sort. But when you post anonymously, you essentially cut off all means of efficient 'communication'. Posting anonymously suggests that you don't want to reveal yourself because you're not confident enough in the content your words to allow an open discussion. A good example would be the response I got for my post "The Bridge". the individual who posted on the blog posted under the moniker 'pkh' and even though we didn't see eye to eye, at least we had an 'open discussion'. Conversely, the individual who posted on my "If Religion is Love, Well Then Love is Control" post, posted anonymously, claiming that I was trying to advocate my 'moral superiority'.

If you got the guts to respond to what I am saying, at least have enough 'balls' to reveal yourself! I really don't have time for anonymous bullshit! Confront the logic behind the argument, not the topic. Attack the content, not the individual.

Nonetheless, I do recognize that this is in fact, an off tangent, slightly pointless rant triggered by my own incapability to deal with ridiculous shit...but as I said before, 'hey it's my blog, I can do whatever the fuck I want!'

P.S. Oh, by the way, if you're one of those people who do in fact post anonymous insulting and derogative responses (unless it's done in a playful and light hearted manner, indicating that I do in fact, know you) don't even fucking bother because I will just delete it.

P.S. By no way, shape or form, am I trying to prove my 'intelligence' or anything like that. I never considered myself a genius or anything like that, I'm just a guy who thinks too much!

(NOTE: The anonymous bloggers that I'm referring to should not be mistaken for the Internet group "Anonymous", who have recently waged a war on Scientology)

There's Nothing Wrong With A Little Melody...

2008-02-22T20:04:00.011-06:00

When it comes to heavy metal, a lot of people fall into this false preconception that somehow if the vocal lines are melodic, it's not metal. Hell, I've even come across some people that would say something like "what the fuck is this emo crap" or "this isn't metal" while I'm listening to a melodic metal band (vocally speaking of course)...

NO!

A melodic vocal line DOES NOT make a song/band emo! It's the DELIVERY that's makes the song/band emo! If you ask me, emo is pop rock with a punk/indie/hardcore delivery and if you're into that kind of stuff, hey, knock yourself out...but I'm not particularly a fan of emo

It's important to take into account how each of the instruments (including vocals) interact and compliment one another and how they deliver a particular sound BEFORE attempting to ascribe what band belongs to what genre. If you try to try to place a particular band into a particular genre based on a sole attribute alone, you're going to run into problems.

So what is the point of this otherwise, pointless rant?

Well lately I've been getting into a different kind of metal, a mixture of Swedish metal riffings (i.e. In Flames, Dark Tranquility, etc) an atmospheric Gothic feel (i.e. Cradle of Filth) and on top of that, a very melodic vocal melody. Some would call this "Progressive Metal"...but I'll leave that up to you!

I guess my point (if there is even a point) is that it's important to be open to music. Let the music speak for itself and don't automatically dislike a band or not give them a chance because of this, that or the other. It's okay to be passionate about a particular music genre, but it's not a crime to be open as well...

So sit back and enjoy!

Oh, and yes, this is metal!

Voices In A Dream
Echoes of Eternity
Forgotten Goddess (2007)

The Other Side
Sirenia
Nine Destinies and a Downfall (2007)

A Touch of Blessing
Evergrey
Inner Circle (2004)

Why Can't We Be Friends?

2008-02-01T22:43:00.000-06:00

Do you know what I love, shit that doesn't make any sense...and do you know what makes absolutely no sense to me...racism. Ahh racism, the burning desire that one has to ascribe hatred, poverty and sickness to any race but their own. Only something as fucking stupid and lame as racism has the ability to tarnish the credibility of something that I love... heavy metal music.

In Tampere, Finland an anti-racism non-governmental organization known as the 'Rasmus Network against Racism and Xenophobia' is urging foreigners to avoid the city's downtown area on February 1st (yes I know that it's passed February 1st but I really don't give a fuck). The cause of this warning, a heavy metal concert held at a Tampere heavy metal rock club featuring four neo-Nazi bands: DER STÜRMER (Greece), ABSURD (Germany), GOATMOON (Finland) and SATANIC WARMASTER (Finland).

The tour was organized by the Pagan Front Record Label, which proclaims itself as "the Hammer of National Socialist Black Metal". As a matter of fact, the promotional poster for the show reads at the bottom "FUCK OFF ALL YOU ANTIFA BASTARDS! YOU WILL NEVER WIN THIS WAR!"

Funny...I wasn't aware that there was a war of this sort going on...

Oh, and the bands...nothing short of credible! For example, DER STÜRMER website praises the Nazis while former members from ABSURD are in prison for murder and neo-Nazi activities...and the sad thing is that according to the club's promoter, the concert was sold out well in advance.

It's kinda fucked up and sad that so many people would fall into this false preconception that all that is wrong with the world is simply due to the existence and presence of a "foreign" race. I don't know, maybe it's just easier to blame others for why your life is so fucked up and why you can't get a job and blah blah blah. Perhaps it's easier to be told what to believe as oppose to believing what you want to believe. Such is the way of ignorance I suppose...

Here's a suggestion, if you're all so passionate about the teachings of Hitler and so keen on following his philosophical teachings, well maybe you should...

Read the original story here

Chimaira, Kataklysm, Terror and Divine Heresy at Ryley's Night Club (November 22, 2007)

2007-11-23T15:54:00.000-06:00

Well its been a while since I saw a good metal show. Yes yes I'm aware I just saw Ozzy with Rob Zombie on October 24 but when I say a good metal show, I mean the kind of metal that makes you want to break shit! The kind of metal that WON'T ever be played on the radio!
Well last night I saw a killer metal show...
Since my friend Cara will eventually post a review of the show in yet another installment of the "Chicken Concert Series", there is no need for me to post a review of the show because 1) being repetitive sucks and 2) I'm lazy. So I'll just leave you with some random thoughts...
1) Ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares's new band Divine Heresy kicked major ass.2) Hardcore dancing is still hilarious!3) The ratio of girls to guys at metal shows needs to be raised!4) Being groped by random hot metal girls is still flattering!5) The unspoken rule of 'at least 1 black item of clothing at any metal show ' is still alive and well.6) Free shots kick ass.7) If you wear 'bling' at a metal show, you'll look like an idiot and will be mocked for it.8) Double kicks and guitar solo's still kick ass!9) Metal break downs are a sure way to get the head's a banging!10) Chanting 'I hate everyone' with a room full of people is awesome!
To give you some idea as to what last night was like, here's a video of Chimaira performing the song "Pure Hatred" off the album "The Impossibility of Reason" (2003). And just to let you know, this is where I got the idea for my infamous e-mail/blog address!
Ahh metal...this machine rages on!

Chimaira
Pure Hatred (Live at Download)
The Impossibility of Reason (2003)

Bear Encounter!

2007-10-17T16:14:00.000-06:00

Holy crap I ran into a bear today! I could have easily died but I managed to fight it off...and it just so happen that Jason was across from where I was working, with a video camera!

Ahh PKH, Here We Go Again...

2007-09-29T22:44:00.000-06:00

___________________________________________________________________

pkh said...

Chino

I am a native of San Francisco and live less than five minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. Please go back and read my comments a little closer.

The span is a little over a mile long and kills one person on average every week.

Come to San Francisco - you will see that the rails are too low and access is too great.

One of the most effective methods of deterring suicide is by eliminating means. Which is why raising the rails will end the deaths

No other place in the United States has the access to death the Golden Gate Bridge affords.

Suicide is an impetuous act - a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Stopping a person will in 92% of the cases documented lead to that person to never try to commit suicide again

And yes I am working very hard to end death on the Golden Gate Bridge.

And yes I am part of an organization that is doing something the link is
http://www.bridgerail.org

And clearly you were just throwing thoughts ... next time read and then compose something that has substance.

You are part of the problem

____________________________________________________________________

Next time, you should take your own advice into consideration because you obviously didn’t read my comments close enough. It seemed to me (in this post) that you were basically trying to take jabs at me (i.e. you are part of the problem). Basically, you resorted to throwing out the same facts as before, facts that I never disagreed with - presented in such a manner which implies that I’m oblivious or something along that line.

I can assure you I'm not

Yes I know you are a ‘native of San Francisco’.

Yes I know the bridge is over a mile long

Yes I know the rails are too low and that they should be significantly higher

Yes I know that people jump off the Golden Gate Bridge because it is easily accessible

My problem with your original post was that you did not indicate whether you ARE part of an organization or not. I wasn’t sure what your point was? Were you just some random blogger who just happen to come across my post and decided to rip me a new one because of my philosophical ponderings of suicide or were you just putting in your two cents with no personal attacks in mind? That is why I posted my response to your response because I wasn’t sure what you point was.

Go back and read your original response and my response with that in mind!

Also, my original post was triggered and influenced by the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was NOT ABOUT the Golden Gate Bridge per se (something that I also indicated in my response). It was about my personal reflection on suicide.

I’m happy that you’re part of an organization (www.bridgerail.org) that is trying to do something about the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a commendable cause and I wish you the best of luck and if there’s a petition that needs signing or something along the sort pass it this way. Now that I know that you are tied to such an organization, your statements ‘raise the rails end the deaths’ makes a little more sense. You should have stated that in your original post as oppose to leaving an anonymous post.

However, I still do not agree that raising the rails will end the deaths per se. You make it sound like raising the rails will end the suicide crisis for the Bay area completely (i.e. Stopping a person will in 92% of the cases documented lead to that person to never try to commit suicide again). It won’t. It may cut the total percentage down a little (which is again a noble cause) but it will not eliminate the problem, it will not eliminate the desperation. It will eliminate a mean but there are other means out there. That is a fact that you have to recognize. Once again, I have to stress that this is not me saying that nothing should be done about the Golden Gate Bridge. Obviously something has to be done, that's why I posted the original post...to spread awareness because prior to seeing 'The Bridge', I was unaware of what was going on.

Oh, and in case you were wondering – yes I AM familiar with suicide! I know how it feels to be beaten down. I know how it feels to feel like you’re worthless, I know how it feels to realize that you’re nothing you wanted to be, I know how it feels to be hopeless and lost and the desperation attached to it. That’s how I know that suicide is not just an impetuous act, but a contemplated one as well. And eliminating a mean will not eliminate the problem.

And no, I am not part of the problem...I WAS the problem.

Does that have enough substance for you?

The Bridge: A Response to a Response...

2007-09-21T21:35:00.000-06:00

___________________________________________________________________

pkh said...

Dr. Richard Seiden, a professor emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley’s School of Public Health and the leading researcher on suicide at the bridge, has written that studies reveal “a commonly held attitude that romanticizes suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge in such terms as aesthetically pleasing and beautiful, while regarding a Bay Bridge suicide as tacky.”"

It is too bad that Dr. Seiden spent so much time in the class room and so little time in the practical realities of life.

People jump from the Golden Gate not because of romance - but because of desperation. They choose the Golden Gate Bridge not because it is less tacky but because it has easy access and pedestrian walkways.

No other Bridge in the Bay Area has pedestrian walkways. No access no deaths.

The Directorate of the Golden Gate has managed to keep the public in the dark for over 70 years ! Only now because of the internet can the story get out -

Not only that but the GG Bridge is bankrupt - the real reason that nothing is being done to end the deaths.

People open your eyes - and do just a little research before you opine as to the deaths at the Golden Gate Bridge which by the way have now climbed to one a week - yes one a week and over 2,000 to date that we know of...the research and studies are unanimous - if a person is prevented from suicide 98% yes 98% never try again.

I wish the Doctor and the rest of those that spend their time talking about death on the Bridge would do less talking and more action.

While they are talking and philosophizing one person leaps off the Bridge every week.

I am a native of San Francisco and I am horrified at the inability of citizens to understand that this one mile stretch of road is killing one person and devastating their families forever while people like the good doctor write about romance others advance their sophomoric take on death at the Golden Gate.

Open your eyes and look - this is a real tragedy and if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.

Just imagine the uproar if someone were to throw a poodle off the Golden Gate once a week ...

raise the rails end the deaths

___________________________________________________________________

Although I am aware that this particular response was posted awhile ago (July 28) while my actual post was posted back in May, I decided to post a response to this response because 1) there's not a hell of a lot to do up here in Hinton Alberta (besides archaeology) and 2) the more I read it, the more irritated I become because I can't tell whether this post is just a general comment on suicide and the Golden Gate Bridge or a personal attack on me...

So here we go...

PTK, are you accusing me of romanticizing suicides off the Golden Gate Bridge? Now I'm aware that I do have a slightly 'stylized' form of writing, some would even go as far as calling it slightly poetic, but I never said anything about suicide being 'beautiful' nor did I even come close to implying that the Golden Gate Bridge makes suicide's somehow beautiful. I am not advancing my 'sophomoric take on death at the Golden Gate'. Hell, I'm not even advancing my 'sophomoric take on death'! The post resulted from me simply turning on the television one night and flipping to the documentary channel (which happen to be playing 'The Bridge'). This led me to ponder suicide, that's what the post represented...MY PERSONAL TAKE on life, depression and suicide. That's it and nothing more.

Suicide is a terrible act, there's no question about it, there's no denying it. It doesn't matter where it occurs or how it occurs, suicide destroys people and families and forces us to question the meaning of existence. Why are we here? What went wrong?

Can you really sit there and deny what I'm saying from any truth?

I particularly found your comment "Open your eyes and look-this is a real tragedy and if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem" quite amusing. Throwing out a couple of numbers here and there doesn't make you part of the solution, it just makes you informed that's all. You throw out numbers and statistics as if they really mattered. 1 person or 10 people, does it make it any more or less of a tragedy that SOMEONE SOMEWHERE DECIDED TO TAKE THEIR OWN LIFE? The only difference here is that instead of 1 story, you have 10...10 stories that just happen to end at the same locale. Would it make it less of a tragedy if these 10 stories ended at different locales?

Now I am fully aware that all I have been doing is typing and pondering about this, that and whatnot...but when it comes down to it, I don't see you doing much more than essentially voicing your dissatisfaction as to how nothing is being done about the situation at hand.

I'm up in Canada, far far away from the Bay area. What's your excuse?

Are you part of an organization that is actively trying to make a difference? If so provide me with a web link! Do you have a petition that needs signing? If so pass it along this way because I'll be more than happy to sign it! If you don't have either, well then you are in no position to accuse me of being part of the problem...because you, my friend, are not part of the solution.

And finally, you close with the comment 'raise the rails end the deaths'. Sorry but it's not that easy. You cannot divert someone from committing suicide if they truly feel that it is their only way out. People aren't lemmings (as in the video game), people aren't just going to walk the other way because there's a wall in front of them...they will find a way. The Golden Gate Bridge is simply easily accessible, that's why you have all these different stories ending at the bridge. Raising the rails WILL NOT end the deaths, it will simply divert the acts to somewhere else. Suicide is a mental disease, you just can't flip on a light switch to make the darkness go away! You have to get to the root of the problem.

Oh, and by the way, your statement 'raise the rails end the deaths'...that is a sophomoric statement.

Just thought that I should throw that out there...

Why I Hate Virtuoso's...

2007-09-17T21:31:00.000-06:00

...because they make me feel like shit!!!!

As a musician, I’ve had moments where I’ve been modest about my musical skills. However, those moments are often fleeted because I have this annoying tendency to stumble across (more often then not) musicians that put me (and a lot of other people) to shame (cough...Dragonforce).

Showboating at its best...this is what these guys aim to do! It’s like they’re saying ‘Hey motherfucker look at what I can do! This shit isn’t really useful for anything but goddammit does it ever make me look cool!!!!’

Well you know what you take away when you pull this shit off...hope...

SON OF A BITCH!!!! I HATE YOU!!!!

Emo Kids....You Got SERVED!!!!

2007-09-03T00:35:00.000-06:00

The following Message was posted on the official Machine Head Website on August 28 :

___________________________________________________________________
Machine Head's "Best Album" win at last Thursday's Kerrang! Awards over pop-rock powerhouses My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy has apparently cut deep with fans of both bands, prompting a flood of angry whining and sad-faced emoticons on the Kerrang! message boards. Machine Head's upset victory over the multi-platinum softcore acts sent their inherently sensitive fans into an emotional frenzy, building into a tizzy of unparalleled proportions. Wrought with dismay, polished fingernails the world over lashed out at the band and metal as a whole with diatribes the likes of "MCR really should have won!!! I'm mad now!!!!”, "what a load of shit, who the fuck listens to them?" and "Stupid Machine Head!!", at times stooping so low as to say the competition was fixed, and often gravely endangering the integrity of their carefully sideswept hair with posts like "I H8 METAL, I H8 METAL, I H8 METAL, I H8 METAL, I H8 METAL, I H8 METAL, I H8 METAL".

Not surprisingly, Machine Head fans responded en masse to the tirades, lashing back in defense of the band and the undisputed quality of the album, citing critical praise, technicality, songwriting and fan response to 2007's "The Blackening", as well as the band's influence on and history within their genre, with the occasional "Machine Head piss all over anything MCR have ever done" thrown in for good measure

To much less internet-based commotion, the band also took home the "Hard Rock Hero" award, netting them two Kerrang! awards for the first time since "Burn My Eyes" where they received "Best International Band" and "Best Video" for the song "Davidian".
_____________________________________________________________

First off, I would like to give Machine Head a big 'hell yeah' for their elegantly crafted post. Not only does it portray Emo kids as a bunch of whiny little crybabies but it also pokes fun at the Emo sub culture.

I don't know about you, but I find it both sad and hilarious that something as trivial as a fucking Kerrang! award would be enough to send someone into a little hissy fit. If you're not pleased with the results...hey that's fine. If you're not a fan of the band or the music...whatever, but don't rationalize your dissatisfaction through elementary-playground logic. There is no need to pout like a five-year old child!

Come on you whiny little fucks...go find something better to do with your time...go watch a sunset or something...or at the very least find something legitimate to bitch about!

So Why Do You Dig?

2007-07-13T18:16:00.000-06:00

Ahhh archaeology, the word itself elicits for one images of adventure and notions of glory; a pseudo adventurer who spends his/her days traveling the world in a constant and ongoing search for priceless treasures and what not. However, many people fail to recognize that archaeology does not specifically concern itself with the biggest and most spectacular finds out there. All in all, people fail to recognize what archaeology actually is...

As an archaeologist, I find myself being asked the same questions over and over again. Unfortunately, the majority of these questions are...well...for the lack of a better term...retarded. Seriously, for those of you in archaeology, how many times have you resisted punching someone in the face after being asked about dinosaurs?!?!. GODDAMMIT! However, in contrast to these mind numbing questions, I have also been asked some pretty good and intelligible questions concerning the theoretical and/or practical aspects of archaeology. One question in particular has led me to consider my own love for archaeology...

‘So why do you dig?’

The essence of archaeology has been, and always will be rooted in its desire to study the past through the static material remains recovered from its present context. Whether its theoretical constructs are governed by antiquarian allures, functional explanations or structural interpretations, the field of archaeology as a whole aims to articulate a fragmented dynamic past through the careful analysis of cultural material. Nowhere...anywhere (not even in the fucking liner notes) does archaeology say anything about explicitly seeking out and finding the oldest and most spectacular finds out there!

That’s called treasure hunting people...not archaeology.

Archaeology (to me) is history but at a more specific and exclusive level. Sure totalizing histories are great and all, but do they really tell us what the past was like? What the people were like? The totalizing histories that we are all so familiar with do nothing more but give us the generalities of the period in question, the milieu of daily life if you will. We have to understand and recognize that these totalizing histories are comprised of many ‘minor’ histories; the mundane and forgotten stories of the everyday. It has long been recognized that material culture and social constructs are linked together in an exclusive and mutual way. The presence of mutuality between the material and the social itself was never a question. The question here is concerned with the extent and manner in which the material and the social are linked together. So how do we uncover these hidden links that exist between the material and the social? That’s right folks...archaeology! And what do we get from uncovering these links? If you answered ‘a better understanding and representation of what life was like in the past’ you are correct! But if you answered something completely different...go outside and stand in the middle of the road until someone hits you!

So why do I dig?

Well because I appreciate the little things that make up the articulated whole. I admire the fact that even our most subtle actions potentially holds the capability to personify who we are and what we are about...what our story is and where we are potentially heading. So in a nutshell, that is why I dig...

So my fellow archaeologists, I ask you, why do you dig?

The Bridge

2007-05-29T22:53:00.000-06:00

The Golden Gate Bridge has been recognized by many as one of the greatest intellectual achievements of the 20th Century. Materializing itself as a testament to man's ingenuity, the Bridge represents to many progression and stability, beauty and brilliance...an international icon to the American way of life.

Oddly enough it has also been recognized as one of the most popular suicide destinations in the world today.

The mystery behind this truth has been caught by filmmaker Eric Steel in his 2006 documentary "The Bridge". Filmed in 2004, "The Bridge" chronicles the stories of individuals who have contemplated, attempted or chosen to end their life at the Golden Gate Bridge. The film is comprised mainly of raw video footage of suicidal individuals quietly pacing the Golden Gate Bridge with auditory comments/interviews of various individuals laid over. There is something deeply disturbing about watching these people during their last heart-wrenched filled moments while simultaneously listening to the voices of the people they chose to leave behind...

No two stories are ever alike. They are characterized by variations and variables that make them distinct from one another. An intricate series of twist and turns casually caused by a series of events and factors (whether they be internally or externally), eventually leading to an inevitable end. The same can be said about suicide. Each path towards a suicidal action is truly its own, defined and characterized by a series of twist and turns that eventually leaves the individual feeling alienated, isolated and desiccated. It is an intense trial of hardships and tribulations; private in nature and mysterious in form.

It is not a diagnosable disease.

The film effectively catches the dynamism of suicide and the stories intertwined with each. Some individuals were saved through the compassionate nature of perfect strangers who just happen to be wondering by as these individuals jumped the bridges railing onto the exterior beams (some of the which were later interviewed by Steel and his crew). However, the other extreme was also caught on camera...

For example, the picture to the right was caught by photographer Peter McCandless who just happen to be one of these 'perfect strangers'. McCandless manages to snap this photo before realizing what was going on, in which he immediately attempted to talk to this girl before resorting to grabbing her shirt and pulling her back over the railing. The interesting thing about this segment was that video footage of this scenario was also caught by Steel and his crew from the base of the bridge.

An intriguing and yet, horrifying exploration of one of the most mysterious forms of violence ever...

The particular and mysterious nature of suicide has fuelled our imaginations for years. Its absolute horror has elicited fear and confusion to those who have little or no personal familiarity to the underlying bleakness of the act. There have been many attempts to assign meaning to the logistics of the act. However, it is in the mind where our search should begin. It is here, in the mind, where one derives their own philosophy of life hence, their own philosophy of suicide.

A fact that Steel attempts to explore in the film.

In my opinion, the belief that life is not worth living is a false inclination based on a skewed observation of life. Unfortunately, this is the overall view that dominates life for the suicidal. They believe that no good can come out of life, that destiny is greater than ourselves as individuals. They believe that suicide is a one step program, designed to eliminate worries and guaranteed to ease the mind. Simply pull the 'trigger' and the nightmare stops. They fail to believe that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. That struggles and hardships are simply the catalyst to derive appreciation and meaning to an utterly pointless existence. As Gibran elegantly put it “[y]our pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain”. To deny pain is to deny the very essence of life. It is pain that created us through birth, that guides us through life; that drives us through obstacles and supports us through love.

It is pain that defines us.

Life is what we make it, defined through how we live it, and refined through how we endure it. As Miles Davis once said "Sometimes you have to play a long time, to play like yourself".

If Religion is Love, Well Then Love is Control: A Response to a Response...

2007-05-02T23:29:00.000-06:00

___________________________________________________________________
Anonymous Said...

Enough with the moral superiority! No Love isn't control - that's obsession. Love is peace, acceptance, understanding. it doesn't have to be mutual it's giving, not necessarily receiving. People find that in religion (or in themselves and their friends).

Some people don't like feeling rage, because frankly, it is unhealthy and unproductive - no, I don't mean unproductive - look what the anti-abortionists were able to do with it to use your example (and no, that's not love). Rage is what makes people unhappy, regretfull, fearfull, and perpetuates more negative feelings and actions. Can you really say you're not controlled by your rage?

I don't have a problem with people wanting to have a sense of community and be a part of a "greater existence". Those people live longer, are happier, and contribute to society in a generally positive way.

___________________________________________________________________
First off, I would like to thank you for responding to this post (whether I know you personally or not). Everyone is entitled to their opinions and beliefs and I acknowledge that. However, I think that you have missed the point of the post. To highlight this I am going to 'expose' the structure of my argument and contrast it with your posted response.

The post had four goals:
1) To illustrate WHY people choose to be religious (i.e. assurance)
2) To demonstrate HOW the so-called soldiers of God justify their actions by appealing to religion.
3) To EXPOSE the inherent hierarchical nature of religious institutions and...
4) Use this information to substantiate MY DECISION to keep away from organized religion.

Alright...Lets Get This Straight...
By no way, shape or form am I trying to advocate my 'moral superiority' as you so put it. My argument (if you can even call it an argument...I'd rather call it a personal philosophical reflection) is simple. I suggest that people are instinctively inclined to embrace religion for the simple purpose of assurance and support. You are not obliged by anyone or anything to embrace religion. You CHOOSE to embrace religion. Whatever justifications you may have, whatever rationals you may offer, what it eventually boils down to IS assurance. Religion offers you support. Religion offers you understanding. No one in their right mind will argue against that...nor am I deliberately trying to trivialize this situation. As a matter of fact, I explicitly stated in my post that I am NOT out "to collectively bash religious teachings or peoples."

Alright...now let us consider the hierarchical structure of religion. When it comes down to it, you can't argue that it doesn't exist, plain and simple. ANYTIME anything or anybody is placed/preferred over anything or anybody else, they are placed in accordance to an order. It may not be explicit, it may not be intentional, but nevertheless its an ordering of preference and privilege hence, a hierarchy. In this context, religious institutions trace their teachings back to the 'divine' source. The morals and values promoted by religious institutions are based (and taught) in accordance to the 'divine'. Here we have an appeal to a higher source in which the teachings of the divine takes precedence over anything and anybody. So what does that give us? That's right...a hierarchy.

However, the "Soldiers in the Army of God" take this to the extreme. By justifying their actions by appealing to the 'will of God', these people treat themselves as defenders of the faith, protecting those incapable of protecting themselves. And since God's word takes precedence over anything or anybody...their actions are 'justified'.

My Rebuttal to Your Post...

"Enough with the moral superiority! No Love isn't control - that's obsession. Love is peace, acceptance, understanding. it doesn't have to be mutual it's giving, not necessarily receiving. People find that in religion (or in themselves and their friends)."

The reason why I chose to equate love with control IS because of the content of the documentary. I never said "love is control", I said that "IF religion is love, well THEN love is control". In the documentary, love is casually tossed out into every other sentence within the immediate context of religion. For example, in one scene , a picketer yells out to a couple "God loves you...even if you choose to murder that unborn child!" I agree with you that love is peace, acceptance and understanding...but isn't that what religion also teaches? If religion and love essentially stand for the same principles, does that not make them in a way synonymous with one another by virtue of their nature? My assertion of 'control' here is not rooted in notions of peace, acceptance and understanding. Rather, the problem lies in the medium in which these central notions of religion and love are conveyed and the implications of their extent. The structural nature of religion makes it susceptible to the religious 'fanatics' who attempt to justify their actions by tracing the reasoning of their conduct directly back to the divine. In other words, these people justify their actions by arguing that their conduct is implicitly controlled by the will of the divine.

"Some people don't like feeling rage, because frankly, it is unhealthy and unproductive - no, I don't mean unproductive - look what the anti-abortionists were able to do with it to use your example (and no, that's not love). Rage is what makes people unhappy, regretfull, fearfull, and perpetuates more negative feelings and actions. Can you really say you're not controlled by your rage?"

This paragraph made me chuckle...not because I think its silly (because I don't think it is) but because I never considered myself as someone prone to feelings of rage. With that said, I can see how someone can mistake me as a rage-filled person by virtue of my blog (i.e. the blog address, my 'angry' posts, etc). Although I do admit that I am prone to angry rants, by no means do I consider myself a rage-filled individual. There's a difference between rage and anger. Everyone is prone to anger...EVERYONE. You would be lying through your teeth if you tried arguing that you were NEVER angry with anything or anybody at any point in time! I have merely voiced my anger (or dissatisfaction) with certain things, I have never openly said anything about being rage-full or hate-full towards anything or anyone in particular. Yes I am aware that the address of this blog is www.ih8everybody.blogspot.com, but do you really think that I am serious about that? If, in fact, I was sincere about hating everybody, why the hell would I provide links to other blogs on this site?

"I don't have a problem with people wanting to have a sense of community and be a part of a "greater existence". Those people live longer, are happier, and contribute to society in a generally positive way."

I never said anything about being against people wanting a sense of community and belonging. The need to belong is instinctual. From the moment we are born we feel and require the need of belonging...everybody knows that. What needs to be addressed here is NOT this instinctual need to belong, but rather the nature of the 'community' in which one belongs too. There are countless examples of 'communities' who despite their claim to a greater existence, contribute to 'society' in a negative way (i.e. KKK, Neo-Nazi youth movements, the Peoples Temple).

I have absolutely no problem with the principles of religious teachings. However, what I do have a problem with is HOW religious principles are taught and misappropriated by proponents of organized religion! That's the premise of my 'argument'...

If Religion is Love, Well Then Love is Control

2007-04-30T23:05:00.000-06:00

For one reason or another, humanity (as a whole) seems to be particularly susceptible to religious indoctrinations. Buddhism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Mormonism...it doesn't matter what the religious sect is, the fact of the matter is that people seem to latch onto religion for one fundamental reason...for some sort of assurance. Religion provides people with a sense of purpose and a purpose for desire. It forces us to question our values while asserting values onto our questions. In other words, religion simply provides people with an avenue to appropriate and negotiate their existence in accordance to their personal philosophies...and nothing more.

For those of you who may think that I am denigrating religion or ripping religion out of its 'divine' context, I invite you to do the following...Just for a moment negate notions of divine intervention and creationist proclamations, sit back and ask yourself...why am I religious? Why do I choose to devote my life to a particular religious sect?

Is it practice (i.e. the way that you were raised)? Is it routine (i.e. something that you just do)? Or is it reason (i.e. what is it exactly that you are looking for)? Whatever your answer may be, it is based on a central notion of 'choice'. You CHOOSE to be because...

It's not like I'm holding a gun to your head now is it?

It should be noted here that I am NOT trying to collectively bash religious teachings or peoples. If you're a devoted (insert religious sect here), great! More power to you! But all I am saying is that religion provides people with a mechanism to justify their actions and rationalize their existence.

...which leads me to the purpose of this post.

A couple of weeks ago, I managed to catch the beginning of a documentary called "Soldiers in the Army of God". Released in 2000, the documentary chronicles a group of anti-abortion extremists who since the early 1970's, have been responsible for more than 2,400 violent incidents against abortion clinics (and workers) across the US. Peaceful picketing and political activism are not suitable options here. Rather, these people actively proclaim a call for blood against those who are responsible for murdering 'unborn' children. Not only do these people openly and intentionally engage in violent encounters with abortion clinic workers, they urge others to do the same. 'How-to-manuals' with instructions for building bombs and booby traps are openly exchanged among these circles while pointers for murder are casually passed on to anyone willing to lend a ear. Convicted criminals and murderers equipped with divine agendas are glorified and celebrated through assorted banquets and awards.

And yes...this is all done in the name of God.

Whatever your particular view regarding abortion may be, I think we can all agree that blood for blood is not a suitable justification for this sort of action. It's okay to be religious and it's okay to be devoted, but when devotion crosses the threshold into fanaticism...personal agendas become invested with divine connotations and justified through a plea to divine interjection.

Killing in the name of...that is the name of the game here

Now I don't consider myself a 'religious' person. Sure I abide to good will philosophies and sure I believe that there has got to be something more to this world then what is directly in front of me, but when it comes down to organized religious institutions, I'd much rather keep my distance from it...and "Soldiers in the Army of God" serves to illustrate one of the reasons why I choose to do so. Religious institutions are highly structured and organized by nature of construction. The very essence of religion is based on the dichotomy of subordination and superiority. Whoever you are, whatever you do, the 'purity' of your conduct is automatically evaluated in accordance to some celestial principle (which by nature, is completely out of your control). Its actually quite simple when you think about it. One of the reasons why this notion of control seems implicit in religion is because of the word 'love'. 'Love' is a term NOT used sparingly in religious practices: 'love your neighbour', 'I love God', 'God loves you' and so forth. Since 'love' (in its true sense) implies mutuality, notions of control (which implies dominance) seem improbable and incomprehensible to most. In other words, 'love' is treated here as being synonymous to dedication, devotion and determination...key characteristics of organized religion...

If religion is love, well then love is control.

I don't know about you, but if I choose to believe in something I'm also going to choose to NOT be controlled by it!

Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums

2007-04-26T00:07:00.000-06:00

A Perfect Circle
Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
eMOTIVe (2004)

For Your Enjoyment...

2007-04-08T17:44:00.000-06:00

Since muchmusic has proven itself incapable of playing music videos (and performances) outside of the top 40 range, I have (in recent times) been diverting my attention to Youtube as a means of acquiring my 'fix'. And now that I know how to post videos via the blog (thanks to Cara), I figured 'hey, why the hell not?'

So in addition to my angry rants, this blog will now feature random videos of whatever! Some of them you might like, some of them you might hate...but it's my blog so deal with it!

So sit back, enjoy, and check back often!

Video #1
Thrice
Stare at the Sun
The Artist and the Ambulance (2003)

Video #2
Godsmack
Drum Solo/Battle (Live)

Now the Animals Have A Voice!

2007-04-02T23:50:00.000-06:00

If you thought the incomprehensible vocal glory of death metal acts like "Cannibal Corpse", "Morbid Angel" and "Death" are too brutal and intense for you brittle little eardrums...you haven't heard anything yet!!!

Meet Caninus, the world's first heavy metal band fronted by two dogs. No that's not a type-o, two dogs....TWO...DOGS!!!! Imagine "Napalm Death" but with two dogs barking together in unison. The angst really shines through when it sounds like the vocalists are ripping you apart and feasting on the goo inside. I'd like to see Lassie do this!

Click here to listen to Caninus...

If the rough and tumble vocal duo of Caninus is a little much for you, then maybe you need something a little more....chirpy? Well then Hatebeak is right up your alley! Imagine Caninus, but with a parrot...A PARROT!!!! If I had to choose between this or the happy morning chipping's courtesy of those damn birds outside my house...I'd choose this hands down!

Click here to listen to Hatebeak...

This is the future of heavy metal right here ladies and gentlemen!

GSA (Graduate Students' Association)

2007-03-29T21:47:00.000-06:00

At first glance, you'd think that an organization such as the University of Saskatchewan GSA (Graduate Student's Association) would be comprised of individuals who are a) knowledgeable and b) reasonable. After all, with a mission statement that essentially stresses the importance of cohesion, solidarity and sensibility...you'd think that GSA Executives would be...well grounded individuals...

Apparently the lesson here is to NEVER, EVER judge a book by it's cover...

NEVER in my life have I EVER been associated with a group more dysfunctional and disorganized than the GSA. Although I admit that I've only attended two GSA meetings, I feel that the shit that I had to endure during those meetings have provided me with enough evidence to justify yet, another ruthless, merciless rant.

Consider this...At the first meeting (which was scheduled to commence at 5:30pm), only two GSA Executives (the President and the Vice President) managed to show up on time...everyone else was a half an hour late! So, of course we had to wait around until those lazy pricks showed up. Keep in mind that during this half an hour wait, the President and Vice President aren't doing anything, they're just sitting there chatting away. When the other GSA Executives finally show up, the President and Vice President decide that now would be a good time to get the computer ready for a powerpoint presentation...except they can't get the projector to work...

So as they all crowded around the strange metal contraption, staring at it in utter amazement, I thought to myself "...you fuckers had a half an hour to figure this shit out...a half an hour you spent doing NOTHING!"

15 minutes pass...the GSA decides to abandon the power point presentation and proceed with the meeting. First on the agenda, a 'detailed' report regarding changes to the Health and Dental Plan...a presentation that took a half an hour to tell me that....there is no change to the Health and Dental Plan...NO CHANGE...NONE..NOTHING...and all it took was a half an hour.

And then there was the meeting earlier this week...

The hot topic was the U-Pass, a year long bus pass that will (approximately) add an additional $200 to your tuition. It sounds like a good idea for students who do use the bus on a daily basis. But for those of us who either walk, drive, or barely use the bus, there is no need for such a pass. Hence, it would only be logical for students to have a opt-in or opt-out option in regards to the U-Pass. Sounds reasonable, sounds logical...right? Well...the GSA President made it quite clear that the Graduate Student U-Pass will NOT have a opt-in/out option if the U-Pass is passed at its current state. However, the fucker couldn't give us an explanation of why there wouldn't be this option. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulders.

NO! NOT ACCEPTABLE! If you're heading the negotiations regarding this damn pass, you better give me some good reasons as to why I can't opt-in/out, give me some information, give me something! You'd think that the GSA would have enough brainpower to get the necessary information out to the councillors PRIOR to the meeting. But they don't. INSTEAD they expect us to make split decisions based on half-ass presentations that essentially don't tell you shit!

Apparently I wasn't the only councillor that recognized this dilemma since other councillors started raising questions regarding the issue. Some of the questions were great. However, most of the questions (if you can even call them questions) were so mind boggling, so dumb...that my brain came to a screeching halt...and in a moment of astonishment, the left hemisphere looked at the right hemisphere and said "...did it just get dark in here?"

One councillor tried to rationalize the U-Pass dilemma by talking about the socioeconomic status of individuals living in Europe and Asia. Another councillor suggested that we should take solace in the mandatory U-Pass fee because not only do you help poorer students get to school, your money will also go to road maintenance and the community...

At this point it seems like people are more concerned with hearing their own voice then they are of the issue at hand. Because when you think about it, it's simple...you pass the question, let it go to a referendum, and then you vote NO asshole!

But nooooooooo...people insist to keep this whole ordeal going...for another hour.

And then there's the GSA President...At this point the President starts becoming defensive and touchy. Dude...if you're the President, you have to remain calm, collective and cool because the MOMENT you get snappy...rationality is lost...and the so-called productive discursive powers of the GSA becomes no more productive than a drunken argument between two assholes in some random pub...

I'll be honest with you all...I left the meeting before it was over...I couldn't take it anymore...I don't know what happened after that and frankly...I don't care...

Next time...I think I'd rather watch a bowl of shit then put up with the GSA...I really would...

Punk Rock 255

2007-03-21T23:31:00.000-06:00

A multimedia class exploring the process of signing Emo bands. Students must have successfully completed "Punk Rock 101" to take this course for credit. Your lecturer will be MC Lars.

Click here when you are ready to proceed...

It's A Baby Girl...Named Metallica?!

2007-03-20T16:47:00.000-06:00

Alright, everyone knows that I'm one of the biggest Metallica fans ever. Aside from owning all their records and being able to play all their songs on the guitar, I can name you all the songs in the order they appear on each CD. Even if they all farted into a microphone and released it as an album, I'd still go out and buy it! But even I have my limits...

In Kungalv, a Swedish couple thought that it would be a great idea to name their seven-month-old girl "Metallica" (check out the story here). Seriously people, what the fuck are you thinking?!?! Metallica?!?! Are you trying to scar the poor kid for life?! While your at it, why don't you name your second child "Slayer", or "Godsmack"...

"Slayer, can you help your mom with the dishes?"
"Godsmack dear, I think this dress will look fantastic on you!"

Now, if the seven-month-old girl was a seven-month-old cat...the story would be different. I've even played with the idea of buying a cute little dog and naming it after the Judas Priest album "Jugulator" (which is a killer record by the way)! But if you wanted to show your devotion to a particular band, there are better ways of doing it. For example, you could take the name of a particular band member, lets say James Hetfield, and manipulate the name so its more suitable for a girl...Jamie Hetfield...problem solved.

Naming a child after a band is a terrible idea, and if you're someone who thinks it's a great idea...then you're living proof that evolution fucked up.

Punk Rock 101

2007-03-19T19:48:00.000-06:00

Does anyone remember when punk rock use to be...well...good? When the music was defined by attitude and integrity, whether it was in the politically charged lyrics of Propagandhi or the fun filled anthems of NOFX? Although a majority of these 'classic' punk bands have withstood the test of time and to this day still crank out records, the essence of punk music seems to have been shifted and largely redefined. No longer is punk defined by its traditional staples of rebellion and anarchy, now it seems to be primarily associated with an abbreviate form of the word 'emotional', watered-down to a genre simply referred to as "emo".

Now if you're already sensing some resonating negativity in this post and if you are easily offended by vulgar verbal bashings, your best bet is to stop reading now....cause this is going to get very...very...ugly.

Emo is essentially boy bands with guitars, a diluted form of pop with hints of metal and punk riffs coupled with 'bad-ass' screams just for good measure. The genre is specifically aimed at a demographic age range comprised of young adolescent girls who, despite being under the loving umbrella care of mommy and daddy long for something a little more 'dangerous' . With emo you get the illusion of authenticity and sincerity below a front of rebellion. But in reality, what you get is a bunch of trendy fucking yahoo's who are essentially trying to seduce young and impressionable girls by convincing their targets that underneath their rough exterior, all they want in life is to be held, loved and caressed by a significant other.

Let's take "Hawthorne Heights" (bottom left) for example. In the chorus to the song "Saying Sorry", lead singer mc-jackass passionately sings "Saying goodbye this time, the same old story; Seeing you cry, makes me feel like saying sorry." Still not convinced? Okay, well consider the song "Discovering the Waterfront" by Silverstein (bottom right); "I will promise myself I won't care, distracting myself from your stare; And I've seen this mistake once before, with your games I will never fall for; I've hung up my guns, I won't kill again." Geez, if that's not poetic genius at its finest, I don't know what is (emphasis placed on sarcasm)! By crooning emo-tionally charged lyrics over pseudo-aggressive music, these assholes hope to convince the masses that they're sensitive and sincere while maintaining that they're much more dangerous and manly than boy bands like "Backstreet Boys" and "N-Sync".

I am so sick of this shitty emo heartbreak crap that has in recent years, dominated the airwaves. Sure there are still lots of good punk bands around that have avoided this trend (i.e. Bad Religion, Rise Against, Thrice), but nowadays, it seems to be cool to be emo. Even AFI frontman Davey Havok (left) started 'rocking' that fucking emo-hairdo that I oh so hate!

I'll be blunt, there's a place and time for 'heart-filled' lyrics...they're called ballads, and by an unspoken rule inherent in rock and roll, you're only allowed one ballad per album!!!! If you devote an entire album to broken hearts and concrete floors, that doesn't make you deep...it makes you a fucking crybaby that needs to find better things to do than bitch about some girl that let you down! Now I'm not trying to sound tough. Everyone knows that relationships are tricky and when they don't work, it sucks (and if you don't recognized that simple fact, you deserve to be hit), but there is no need to devote a whole subculture to this false imagery of sincerity!! It's time we take the music back...

Heaven & Hell/Megadeth

2007-03-18T02:13:00.000-06:00

From screaming "Die!, Die!, Die!" along side thousands of fellow Metallica fans during the bridge of "Creeping Death" to having Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo give me the thumbs up as I raised my broken arm in the hair to throw up the devil horns (after having the late great Dimebag Darrell throw beer on me). From feeling almost sick from the sonic assault of Lamb of God's wall of stacks to witnessing the most brutal and violent circle pit ever known to man during Strapping Young Lad's 2005's "Sounds of the Underground" set, it's safe to say that I've had my fair share of metal-fuelled memorable moments. However, I never dreamt in a million years that one day, I would be able to see Black Sabbath live in concert! That dream just recently came true and I gotta say, hands down, it was one of the greatest concerts I have ever been too!

Under the name of "Heaven & Hell", Black Sabbath passed through Regina on March 16...and I was there. Providing support for Sabbath was Megadeth, one of the undisputed kings of pure American thrash metal! Although their set was not even an hour, they still managed to put on a kick-ass show, performing classics like "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying", "Wake up Dead", "In My Darkest Hour, "Hanger 18", "Holy Wars" and of course "Symphony of Destruction"! Oddly enough I found myself both mesmerized and angered by Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine. Fucker makes the guitar look so god damn easy! If you're a guitarist, you'd know that "Holy Wars" and "Hanger 18" are hard songs to play!!

After Megadeth finished their set, I managed to push my way up to the front of the stage, to the extreme right side. Why the right side? Well because that's where Tony Iommi will stand, the man that invented heavy metal! It goes without saying that nowadays, there are guitarists out there that play faster, heavier and louder...but when it comes to writing dark riffs, he's the king.

The lights go out and the curtains drop. The stage is decorated in a medieval type, cathedral-like setting. And out comes Sabbath...My buddy Ben put it best when he said "It was like the devil arrived in Regina and decided to put on a concert!"

With Ronnie James Dio on vocals (who is MUCH uglier in person!), Sabbath limited their set exclusively to Dio-era Sabbath songs (hence, didn't perform classic Sabbath songs like "Paranoid" or "Children of the Grave"). The set was filled with classic Sabbath doom and gloom riffs coupled with Dio's ear piercing screams! They even played two new songs, "The Devil Cried" and "Shadow of the Wind". "Shadow of the Wind" is my favorite out of the two. The main riff is slow, dark and groovy, but then again what do you expect from Iommi?! Speaking of Iommi, I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw him. When he first came onto the stage, he was dressed in all black with a crucifix hanging around his neck and he had a huge smile on his face. He looked like a nice pleasant man. But when he struck that guitar, the essence of his presence changed...

It was evil, it was dark, it was disturbing...and I fucking loved it!

"In The Desert" By Stephen Crane

2007-03-16T11:34:00.000-06:00

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, "Is it good, friend?"
"It is bitter-bitter", he answered;
"But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart."

The Notebook

2007-03-15T18:57:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm not proud to admit this but yes, I finally succumb to female peer pressure and watched that train-wreck of a movie called "The Notebook". No you didn't just imagine reading that, I just admitted to watching "The Notebook" (thanks to the combined efforts of Denise and Kim).

If you've never seen the movie, here's a synopsis of it: Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl falls in love with boy, parents interject and boy and girl are separated, boy and girl find their way back to eachother, sex scene, they get married, the end. Now if you sprinkle that plot with a handful of cheese and a dash of Alzheimer, you get "The Notebook". Ahh yes, nothing like a romance movie about Alzheimer to get the old heart a pumping...because when I think about romance, oh yeah, I think about Alzheimer.

Revolution Is My Name

2007-03-15T18:03:00.000-06:00

So you're probably thinking to yourself "Dude, what the hell is this?" "Why are you wasting your time with this blog?" Well, essentially I need a place to vent, a place where I can simply just complain about the many things in this world that irritate the hell out of me. And, well to be brutally honest with you all, a lot of you annoy the hell out of me (just kidding...but seriously)!

Like many people out there, I tried the whole Hi5 and myspace thing, until I realized that it was stupid and a complete waste of time. I'm cool with myspace as long as it's used for what it's suppose to be used for (i.e. promoting artists and bands), but I've come to the conclusion that Hi5 is the dumbest thing ever. Essentially you sign up, post a little blurb about yourself, and then you don't do a god damn thing except get e-mails about complete strangers checking out your profile. You can check out other people's profiles, but then you just feel like a creep. Really, if I want to look at strangers, I'd take a walk. If I want to meet new people, I talk a little more. At least with a blog I can be opinionative and feel productive (to and extent). And if people don't want to hear it, all they have to do is ignore it.

So where did I get the idea to start a blog? Well I noticed that many of my fellow archaeologists (aka. my fellow nerds) had blogs so I figured "hey, why the hell not?". And if I decide that this is, in fact, a complete waste of time, I'll just stop and find myself some other means of procrastination.

So is this blog going to be one long giant angry rant about absolutely nothing? Possibly. Occasionally there will be some posts of intellectual value and some reviews regarding this and that. But mainly this blog will be just me commenting on miscellaneous things in the world, good or bad.

By the way, "Revolution Is My Name" is the title of a Pantera song. And if you don't know who Pantera is, I suggest you go to the library and do some research cause you're an idiot!