I haven't had time to post anything substantial.

The other night was Sublime with Rome at Jones Beach Ampitheater. It was awesome seeing our friends rock out to a crowd that large. I'm so proud of them. Tour manager, Cheez, invited us backstage afterwards where we got to meet up with our friend Amber and talk with her, as well as our friend Bud, and Todd. Rome and Eric were both busy, but that's okay. I'd rather talk to Bud and Todd; they're really nice. Bud looked really tired, but really excited to hear that we're planning another trip to Reno to visit them. :)

I'm exhausted this morning and my stomach is killing me. Luckily, I only have 5 hours of work ahead of me... I can't handle this pain. :(

Awesome.

This weekend has seriously been the best of my life.

Friday, we went to see Pepper/Offspring/311 (the show went on in that order.) and we got there early. Like... really early. The doors opened at 6pm and we were there at 1pm. But it payed off. Jesse got to network with someone from Mulcaheys-- a local venue, and we got a bunch of free Donovan Frankenreiter tickets for this Tuesday. Then we were hanging out and a couple of hours passed bye and we chilled in the car.
Megan thought she saw a mirage, and asked if the hot guy on the horizon was real. It was Kaleo, skateboarding through the parking lot. So we then got  out of the car, and Kaleo told us that he's hook us up with 3 all access stickers.
When the time came to get the stickers, they had run out because I'm pretty sure the intern gave them to his friends who only went backstage for a minute. Anywho, the Coach escorted us to the backstage area where Kaleo and Bret followed. They had a whole BBQ set up with food and cornhole and some weird kind of ringtoss. So we hung, BBQ'd, bullshitted with the band. Megan was in shock and awe of being near Kaleo, but her bubbliness made him adore her -- in a non sexual way, more like how one would adore a puppy.
We had some chicken legs, which were so spicy I thought I was eating fire, and made some industry connections. Then I heard over Coach's walkie that he should fire up the grill because 311 is coming back.


OH MY GOD.

In a matter of minutes, Chad Sexton walks past me. I ALMOST CRAPPED MYSELF.
Then Tim came in with Nick and SA. It was WONDERFUL. We got the opportunity to not only meet 311, but to converse with them and take pictures.
And by converse with them I meant, Jesse did the talking and I just said "Thank you" a billion times because I forgot how to say anything else.
It was seriously the greatest night of my life.

Then, yesterday, I was at Sound Room Studios alll day, during the Hazmat Bay recording session. They got 4 songs finished in an 11 hour time frame. There was a slight intermission where Matt performed some IMPRESSIVE urban wakeboarding (skim board, 8 inch deep and 40 yard long puddle, tow rope, water shoes, a hard hat, and a Jeep) in the studio parking lot. I got to chill with Kim and Nova for the first half of the day, and the second half I hung out with Kathi. Then after they were finished for the day, Jesse, Tom, Jeff, Kathi, and I went to Applebees for some food and called it a night. It was so much fun!

This morning, Jesse, Allan, Teri and I went on a fishing boat. Teri and I didn't fish, but Jesse and Allan did. Jesse caught 4 fluke and about 2 dozen crabs, and Allen caught a bunch of fish and won the pool for the largest fluke in length. +$40 prize moneys.

Now I'm here, getting ready to shower, because I haven't since Friday morning and we're gonna eat some foods, and then Brian's coming home after the World Cup final. Roger went to go get him.

Tomorrow's work, then on Tuesday I'm going to go to Walmart to develop my 311 photos in duplicate and pick up some fuchsia hair dye...

Then Wednesday's the Jack Johnson concert.

Very busy month... will probably update sometime in September.. :)

Beeps for BP.

A while ago, I started a habit of beeping at everyone who throws cigarette butts out of their car windows, into the street/grass/whatever. It's fun. I don't want your addiction, thank you very much. And I don't feel like our Earth should suffer from your stupid habit.

Currently I'm developing another habit. My cousin Leesa tweeted that every time she passes a BP station with patrons fueling up, she leans on the horn. EXCELLENT! I've adopted that, and made it into another beeping habit. I mean, why? Why fill up at BP? It's not like they're the ONLY oil company in the world; they just so happen to be the worst! It bothers me especially when there are alternatives to BP within eyesight. For example: Vets Hwy in Ronkonkoma-- There's a Hess station, and a BP on one side of the road, and DIRECTLY OPPOSITE is another Hess. Not too far away. Just across the Hwy; a simple u-turn would do the trick!

This morning I looked on the live feed of the oil spill --- it's still spewing out oil at an incredible rate. Really, I would've never expected that 8 weeks later it would be spilling at the same velocity --- actually, a heightened velocity thanks to BP blowing it up into a giant hole instead of a big one and 2 little ones --- as day 1.

Well, I would've never expected that it would still be uncovered, and unresolved 8 weeks later.

An approximation of 634 live oiled birds have been captured, 42 of them were released, and 783 were collected dead. 


Also, according to Surfrider's estimate - the spill is at approximately 62,244,000 gallons of oil in the Gulf.
And on that same blog, it states that "BP continues to drill two more 'relief wells' that are intended to intercept the blown-out well at a depth of about 16,000 feet. Drilling mud and cement would then be pumped into the well to seal it. The wells will take at least two more months to drill."
So, not only has it gone on for two months, it's going to take AT LEAST two months before the relief wells are drilled. Ok, that will be 4 months down the drain, and what's going to happen then? BP realizes that it was a bad idea to continue drilling on their disaster? Then we have to wait 2 more months for another idiot solution? At this rate, oil will be reaching us in NY before we know it.


So, being BP is destroying pretty much everything in the Gulf at this point, the LEAST a civillian can do is boycott their gasoline, and beep at those fueling up at the stations. Don't beep in extreme anger at these people, consider their circumstances: they're clearly stupid, so treat them with care, beep to encourage them to use other gas stations. Unless you're really in the middle of the desert with ONLY BP in sight, and your car is already out of gas and stalled on the side of the road and you have to walk to get to the next gas station to get some temporary fuel and that lone gas station you have to walk to happens to be BP. That, my friend, is an extenuating circumstance, and nobody should be expected to boycott under those conditions. But! A suggestion: Fill up that little red container with enough gas to get you to another gas station, a non-BP station. That way you don't give BP too much of your money. 10 dollars is acceptable in my book; as long as you're in that situation. Anything less than that: BEEP!

You Suck

Please note: Christopher Moore is a genius. Finished reading "You Suck" a couple of weeks ago, after not having picked it up for a year due to school. Picking it up right where I left off was much easier than anticipated. I felt as if I had never gone on a year-long leisure reading hiatus. After finishing the book, I realized that it was only part 2 of 3. I hadn't read part one, and thankfully I didn't have to because Christopher Moore did a great job with providing a back story. The book is a continuation of the first of the trilogy "Bloodsucking Fiends" (which I'll get around to reading) but, "You Suck" is basically about a girl who turns her guy friend into a vampire as retaliation to him having sex with her as she's asleep. The girl has an 800 year old vampire lifemate that turned her. She'd only been a vampire for a couple of weeks before turning this other guy. (Forgive me, I'm terrible with names) So we've got two n00b vampires in California, trying to figure out how to be vampires, and a bronzed 800 year old vampire lifemate-- thanks to the new guy. They meet a girl Abbey Normal who wants to become a part of the "vampire legion" and pretty much acts as an assistant to the two vampires. Being pursued by vampire hunters they make an attempt to flee with the help of their lovely assistant Abbey. Christopher Moore does well in keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, while making them giggle their asses off. I would definitely suggest this novel to everybody... but I would also suggest to read the first of the series... well, first. It was disappointing finding out that there was more to the story that I had just missed because I didn't research my shit. The novel is a wonderful parody of serious vampire books, as Abbey is brought in thinking that vampires are noble, eloquent creatures, where they're just normal people --- except they're undead, need SPF1,000,000 sunscreen, and suck the blood of the living. 

I'd give it a 7/10.

And with not having read the first novel, I would still give the book a re-read value of 5/10.

Chris Moore is funny.

Life Experiences

Piggy-backing off of my friend Moon's blog entry on life experiences in Dec. 2008; I took the same Life Experience Test as she did. I love Facebook tests like that, because they make me laugh. I love that people create these tests to tell one how much he or she has lived in their lives thus far, or what celebrity they are most like, because obviously the creators know all about the personal lives of the celebrities.

Clearly, I have only achieved 36% life experience. Nevermind the time I went with Jesse and road-tripped from Reno, NV to Los Angeles, CA; meeting Bud Gaugh from Sublime for the first time. Never mind the amount of established musicians we have gotten the privilege of knowing, hanging out with, and becoming friends with; such as Pepper, Sublime with Rome, and the Dirty Heads. As well as meeting the Original Wailers and the late Les Paul. Nevermind that. 

We can't base our lives off of Facebook, and the tests that have shown up on it. We can't base our heritage on the stereotypes we fulfill and check off in teeny boxes. We can't base what we chose to do on the celebrity we're most like or want to be. I have an old friend, who I believe has gone off the deep-end, with an obsession with Audrey Hepburn. Everything she does, involves Audrey Hepburn in some way. So when she took a quiz on Facebook to see which celebrity she's like, she altered her answers to be most like Audrey Hepburn; kind of an excuse for the obsession. I used to do the same thing... when I was like 10. I used to love the anime show Inu-Yasha, and I would alter my answers to prove that I was most like the girl character on that show--- the chick with the bow&arrow... I can't remember her name. I would pretend that I was into archery and adventures and had a wolf-person friend so that my result would be that character.

Anyways. The moral of the story: Fuck Facebook. Be yourself. Don't alter your test answers to be like anyone else. You are you for a reason. Focus on being the most wonderful you you can be.

To The Sea, Any Port in a Storm, and more!

Haha... the title seems like a gimmick. No gimmick here, just procrastination.

I bought Jack Johnson's "To The Sea" when I purchased tickets to his concert at Madison Square Garden. On the first of this month, I was able to download it. I couldn't explain the excitement, being I had been waiting for this release since "Sleep Through The Static", and his single "You and Your Heart" was just so happy and amazing. I learned from "Sleep Through The Static" that the later of Jack Johnson's music I have to listen to over and over for the music to grow on me. Unlike "In Between Dreams" and "On and On", etc. I've been listening to this album almost non-stop since 6/1... and I'm sick of it. I couldn't believe the album... I'm actually going to have to put it away for a month or two, listen to nothing but death metal for that time, and then try to listen to the "To The Sea" again. The CD is just so.... boring. I know that Jack usually puts out very chill music, and I love that; but on this album, every song sounds almost exactly the same. Plus, for me to get sick of an album after 11 days, isn't a good sign. As of right now I'd give the CD a 3 out of 10. Lyrically, the songs are pretty cool (except for "At or With Me"), but musically, they all sound the same. But, in the defense of all musicians--- all music groups have a shitty album or two. I know Pepper will admit that "Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations" is their least favorite album, and as much as I enjoyed it-- I understand that many fans feel the same way. And in my opinion 311's "From Chaos" on the whole wasn't as great as the other albums. So hopefully this album grows on me, or Jack will come out with some AMAZING stuff in a couple of years.

I have also been listening to (almost nonstop) since May 1st, "Any Port In A Storm" by The Dirty Heads. Since meeting them backstage at Sublime with Rome, Dirty Heads, and Del Mar; I started listening to them. I find it weird that I didn't listen to them before I saw them perform... but their live show is exceptional. And they are all such great, kind guys... with a sense of humor.... or senses of humor? I don't care. But being I've been listening to this album nonstop, I have to say that it's one of the best albums I've ever laid ears on. Haha. It's been out for quite a while, too. They just released the Special Edition of the album this year, but I'm pretty sure the original album has been out for at least a year and a half. The song "Believe" is pure genius, and as I told them, I first heard of them with "Stand Tall" on the movie "Surf's Up" I kind of flinched when I told them because I heard of their music on a cartoon penguin surf movie made for kids, Dirty J (Jared Watson) told me that the song featured on the actual movie was butchered compared to the regular song... so I went home and watched the movie and then compared it to the track.... he was right. Anywho, the entire album is musical genius... I can't wait to hear more from them, but to be honest I don't mind listening to this album for the rest of eternity, either. Their song "Lay Me Down" with Rome has been chillin' at the top of the charts for quite some time. I recommend this album to everyone with ears-- you won't be disappointed. So I officially give it a 10 out of 10. :)

Hazmat Bay has officially added a new bassist to the group! The new guy's name is Jeff Lockhart and he's a BEAST on the bass. He came in with a great attitude, and great renditions to the previously established bass lines. As Hazmat continues to practice, their sound becomes tighter with an added funk. The band will debut the new bassist at the Vibe Lounge in Rockville Centre on June 25th as they open for Law Records' The Supervillains. Then, after that, the band will be opening for Ballyhoo! at the Vibe Lounge in Rockville Centre on July 3rd. After that, I think the band may plan on laying low for a while, performing at a house party or two, and working on writing new material as well as making their sound and on stage performance even tighter. Great things are in store for this band! They're currently working on recording a new album, with Tom Romano at Sound Room Studios in West Babylon. Now that all the pieces are properly in place, Hazmat has nowhere else to go but up! You can check them out on Facebook, (under Hazmat Bay) and from there check out their Reverb Nation account. They have pretty awesome merchandise available online; including some mp3's from "The Red Tide", ringtones, t-shirts, and tote bags. Buy stuff, it's good for you. :)

BP is stupid. They suck. Boycott them. They screwed up on April 20th and oil's been leaking into the Gulf since April 20th. Almost 2 full months ago. Wildlife has been killed, including birds and just about every species of shrimp in the gulf. Oil has hit the beaches of Alabama, and Louisiana and are headed towards  the coast of Florida and up the panhandle. Projections show that if the spill continues at this rate for another month or two, oil will find it's way up the East Coast to Virginia, New Jersey, and even New York. Their attempts at stopping the spill have been pretty stupid and continue to fail. Currently, many people are finger-pointing to the American Gov't for not stepping in to stop the fill, and I think instead of blame-placing... we should all be brainstorming for a solution. Plus, many American citizens still fuel-up at BP. My cousin told me that she leans on the horn every time she passes an occupied BP station; I've begun to follow the trend. Especially on my way home from work yesterday: I passed a Hess station that was moderately empty, and then maybe two blocks away there was a fully occupied BP station. I mean, how are they not boycotting this horrible company?! Do they live under a rock!?! So I leaned on my horn. It wasn't like they were stuck in the middle of nowhere with no gas and nowhere to fuel up-- there was a Hess like 40 feet away! Dumbasses. The UCB Comedy group has filmed a small-scale version of this oil spill- taking place at the BP Headquarters board room. It's really funny, and is sadly true.

Another bit of stupid sillyness.

Australian 
[x] you wear flip flops all year 
[] you call flip flops thongs not flip flops 
[x] you love a backyard bbq 
[] you know a barbie is not a doll 
[x] you love the beach 
[x] you are tan / kind of tan 
[] you’re a bit of a bogan(what does that mean?) 
[x] you have an australian something 

Total= 5 

Italian 
[] the Sopranos is a good show. 
[] your last name ends in a vowel. 
[x] your grandmother makes her own sauce. 
[x] you know how a real meatball tastes. 
[] you know a lot of italian songs. 
[x] you have dark hair and/or dark eye color 
[] you speak some italian. 
[x] you are under 5'10" 
[] pasta is the best food in the world. 
[x] you talk with your hands/ sometimes 

Total=5 

Hispanic 
[] you say member instead of Remember 
[] you speak spanish/ or a little 
[] You love tacos. 
[] yoU TyPe lIkE ThIs On Da CoMpUtEr/ sometimes 
[] you know what a Bodega is. 
[] you cantalk fast 
[x] you have dyed your hair 

Total= 1

Russian 
[] you say villian as: Vee-lon 
[x] you can get short tempered 
[] you know of sombody named natasha 
[] white skinned 
[] you dont get cold easily 
[] snow is fun for you 
[] you get into contests often 
[] You can easily make do with the cold weather 
[] It’s about the vodka. 
[x] you curse in everyday language 

Total= 2

Irish 
[] you think beer is the best 
[x] you have a bad temper/ sometimes 
[] Your last name starts with a Mc OR Murph or O’ or Fitz or ends with a ley/ly,on,un,EN,an,RY,ny. 
[] you have blue or green eyes. 
[x] you like the color green. 
[x] you have been to a st-pattys day party. 
[x] you have a family member from Ireland-- i guess it counts if theyre dead... right? 
[x] you can be very loud 
[x] you are a happy person 

Total = 6 

Asian 
[] you have slanty eyes 
[x] you like rice a lot 
[] you are extremely smart 
[] you can play the piano 
[] you have family from an asian country 
[x] you laugh sometimes covering your mouth 
[] most people think you’re chinese 
[] you call hurricanes typhoons 
[] you go to Baulko 
[] you know how to speak any asian language 

Total= 2 

German 
[x] you like bread 
[] you think American Chocolate would be better with less Sugar 
[] you drink your coke without ice. 
[x] you Speak a little German 
[x] you know what Schnitzel is 
[] you are Catholic Christian or Lutheran 
[] you hate it when stupid people call you a Nazi 
[x] you went to Kindergarten/Pre-school 
[x] you’re at least or over 5'4 
[] when you get angry some sort of accent comes out. 
[] techno is your favorite or trance. 

Total = 5 

Polish 
[x] you start laughing out of no where 
[] you laugh with a high pitch 
[] you like techno 
[] you have to ask someone how to spell Polish 
[x] you have a round shaped head 
[x] you have dark brown, or blonde hair 
[] you dont get tan in the summer 
[] you know that your not called Polish your called a Pole 
[x] you are at least 5' 5" or taller 
[] you are athletic 

Total = 5 

Canadian 
[x] you like/play hockey 
[] you love beer 
[x] You’ve said eh 
[] you know what poutine is 
[] you speak some french 
[] you love Tim Hortons donuts 
[] at one point you lived in a farm house 
[] you have watched degrassi 
[] You've made your own maple syrup 

Total= 2







Even though none of this made sense, it was accurate... I am Irish...