Cruises, Batman, and the VMAs

And sooooo....

We are a little over two weeks since we got back from our cruise with Royal Caribbean.  To say that it was a resounding success would be somewhat of an understatement.  The wife and I had a blast, to say the least.  From the various shows they had in the ship's theater, to the several games we got to play with the ship's staff and other passengers, all the way to the Bahamas, even.  And the food.  Ohhhhh, the food!  Breakfast buffets, lunch buffets, a sitdown dinner that was, even I'll admit, a little too high class even for me, and then a midnight buffet?  I don't think I've eaten so much in my life.  It's pretty safe to say that I would highly recommend going on a cruise to ANYONE, and I know that I sure as hell would go again.  There were also pictures a-plenty.  Just a good time all around, and I think it was a perfect fitting to a honeymoon.  Hey, if the wife's happy, then I'm happy. 

So MTV just had their Video Music Awards this past Sunday.  And where was I?  At work.  And you know what I say to that?  I've read about Miley Cyrus's performance with Robin Thicke, and how horrendous it was.  Naturally I had to see it for myself.  BIG mistake, because that was, as I swear to all things holy, the absolute worst thing I have ever seen in my entire life.  Here's the thing:  Miley Cyrus, you have absolutely NO talent whatsoever, and you're not hot by any means of the imagination.  If anything, you look like a chipmunk with a bad haircut and Downs Syndrome.  Hannah Montana was a piece of shit show too, and the movie based on that show was one of the worst I've ever had the displeasure to sit through.  It is to the point where all the VMAs are, is a once-a-year happening in which MVT pretends to care about music.  It's not the MTV that I grew up with, where almost all they showed on their channel was music videos.  Sure there were shows like Remote Control, Just Say Julie, Singled Out, Beavis and Butthead, and one of my favorites, Pirate TV, but those were just minor occurrences.  But now?  It's just reality show after reality show after reality show.  I think that the absolute last time I truly watched MTV was 2001's VMAs, and after that atrocity of a show it's gotten worse and worse.  The very little music they DO show isn't true music.  It's like the "artists" of today have forgotten that true talent, artistry, and the ability to write a good song.  Even Fuse has gotten worse by the year, and for a short while, I would live and die by that channel.  This is why I stick to channels like Palladia and VH1 Classic.  And I'm always going to. 



Ben Affleck has just recently been cast as the new Batman in the Man of Steel sequel that's set to hit theaters in 2015, and a lot of people seem to be pretty angry about it.  They remember movies like Gigli and Daredevil.  Now granted, I've never seen Gigli, but it has been universally panned as one of the absolute worst movies ever made.  Besides, any movie with Jennifer Lopez has gotta suck right?  In my opinion, she hasn't come out with a good movie since Anaconda.  And for those who remember Selena, that came BEFORE Anaconda, if I remember right.  And then there's Daredevil, which a lot of people hated too.  I didn't.  I won't say that it's the greatest movie of all time or anything like that, but I will say that I very much enjoyed it.  AND I keep hearing that the Director's Cut was a much better movie than the one we all saw in theaters.  Here's my opinion on the whole thing....from what I hear, Ben Affleck has come a LONG way since those films, and even got to direct some damn fine movies as well.  Hell, remember when Michael Keaton was cast as Batman?  Or when Heath Ledger was cast as The Joker?  Many people weren't happy about that either.  Until they saw the films for themselves,  and they were AWESOME!  So don't give up on Ben Affleck just yet.  Give it a chance, go to the theaters in 2015, and hope to be pleasantly surprise, like I was with Keaton and Ledger.

2nd Chance CD of the Week
Iron Maiden
Dance of Death (2003)

Tracklist
Wildest Dreams
Rainmaker
No More Lies
Montsegur
Dance of Death
Gates of Tomorrow 
New Frontier
Paschendale
Face in the Sand
Age of Innocence
Journeyman

   The comeback of the legendary British metal juggernaut was in full swing.  With the success of 2000's return-to-form album Brave New World, the (now) six piece band looked to continue the momentum with 2003's Dance of Death.  I say now a six piece because back in the 1990s, longtime guitarist Adrian Smith had left the band, and was replaced with Janick Gers.  With the return of lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, Smith had also looked to return to the band as well.  But he didn't replace Gers, for they liked him so much that they decided to keep him in the band, making the dual guitar lineup a three guitar, along with co-band founder Dave Murray.  And to Janick Gers's credit, he wasn't just a guitarist for hire, as he had a hand in writing a couple songs on this album, such as "Gates of Tomorrow," as well as the album's title track and centerpiece, "Dance of Death."  The latter is a huge favorite of mine, and I often list it as one of those songs I wish I had written.  Listen for yourself....

With Dance of Death, Iron Maiden had begun making the move towards a more progressive metal approach.  I've always been a sucker for that sorta thing.  I feel that progressive rock and prog metal has been where the true talent is.  A lot of metal fans get labeled as Satan worshipers, idiots, and brutes.  Most think that the only kind of music that metal fans listen to is basically just a guy burping and growling into a mike talking about killing people.  This is absolutely, 100% not true, as I consider myself a metal fan.  Iron Maiden doesn't have a singer that burps into a mic, as a matter of fact, many of Bruce Dickinson's vocal performances are almost operatic.  They sing about the trials of war, finding oneself, battles between good and evil, Greek mythology, and Alexander the Great, for Christs' sake!  Dance of Death is an example of just about everything I just said, and then some.  From the kick in the face, road trip-esque opener "Wildest Dreams," onward to the album's final track, the acoustic "Journeyman," this album is a must-have, and one of the few CDs in my collection that I an listen to, from beginning to end, without skipping a track.  Give it a shot, why don't ya?

Thumbs up.
Miller

Family, boats, and vacations

And so, with another stretch of work in the books, in what felt like an eternity, even though it was only for the past month, I find myself back on vacation once more.  Only this time, it's step 2 of this whole wedding process as my wife and I set sail on our honeymoon cruise tomorrow.  In my first marriage, we never had a honeymoon, as a matter of fact, the day after, I was shipped off to Camp Lejune, North Carolina for a training mission, where I spent a couple weeks there.  So to have a proper one this time around, with the RIGHT person this time, feels pretty good.  We'll be hitting the Bahamas sometime during our cruise, and other places I can't quite recall right now.  My goal is to pretty much eat as much as possible in those four days.  And if anyone knows me well enough, they know that Scotty likes his eatin' lol. 

I've pretty much decided that March 28, 2014 will be my last day working at my grocery store.  My entire department, hell, my entire store and I have been through so much that enough is enough.  I've been busting my hump for the past 6 years, and it honestly feels that I have accomplished nothing.  Sure I've been given raise after raise left and right, when the truth is I should have been moved up through the ranks.  I feel in my heart that there are a lot of things that go on with my company that are just simply wrong, and I was consumed with the goal of being promoted through the years to the point that I can right those wrongs, and make things better, not only for my store, but for the company in general.  I've always been content to just say, "I'll just bust my ass, and let the hard work speak for itself."  And I've become the most improved, fastest, hardest working associate in my department.  But as a whole, it's gotten me nothing.  And there's one thing that I refuse to do no matter what, is play politics.  I'm not an asskisser, I don't play games.  I never have, and I am never going to.  So...in that case, my lease ends next May, I believe, and a month before I will quit my job.  To pack this place up, to move to wherever the hell it is we're moving to, and that will be it.

In my last blog, I touched upon meeting for the first time, a family I never really had before... 

...As a disclaimer, I will say that the family I grew up with, all facets of it, mean the world to me, and they always will. 

What I'm talking about is a set of siblings, as well as my biological father.  These people took me and my wife under their wing without so much as a hitch, and with wide open arms.  Of my siblings, I feel that I've been drawn the most to my sister, Stacy.  She was the first of the three that I got to speak to, and the first one that I had the chance to meet: last year, a couple of days after I proposed to Heather.  Her husband, and her three children, have really taken to us as well, much to the point of surprise, and believe me, kiddies, nothing really surprises me anymore.  They have all been extremely good to us, and she and her family have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome into the family.  And it falls into my direction, as well.  When we first started talking back in 2011, I pretty much took her in and accepted her as my sister as if nothing happened.  For me, it was immediate.  And I was instantly happy that I had.  I know that we are technically half siblings, but I don't see it that way.  I feel in my heart that once you're family, you're family for life, no matter what.  I've always had one major regret in my life, and it's that I never was able to gather up the courage to approach Stacy while we were both still in high school, 17 years ago.  If I had, we would have forged that long-fabled brother/sister bond long before we have now.  You know what they say though, the past is the past, and it's the new memories that we can make that matter to all of us the most. 

I think that's pretty much it this time around.  No reviews, just a couple videos, a little rambling.  Pretty straightforward this time around.  See ya after the cruise.

Miller

Full Circle

A few things that I wanna talk about this time around.  So first order of business....

I found out a few days ago that the search for an actor to play the lead role in a movie based on the life of professional wrestler Chris Benoit was on.  I truly, honestly, have absolutely no idea how to feel about it.  Will I see it when it comes out?  Most likely, but there will be a lot of mixed feelings going into it.  See, for the longest time, Chris Benoit was my favorite wrestler, next only to legends like Steve Austin, the Hart Foundation, and the Nature Boy Ric Flair.  For those who don't know, Chris Benoit committed suicide in 2007, and when I first caught wind the he had passed, I was, as a wrestling fan, heartbroken, as we had lost one of the true greats in the ring.  Then the next day I found out that not only killed himself, but his wife and son also died by his hand as well.  I can honestly say after being a fan of the fake sport for 17 years (at the time), I was ready to just put an end to following it altogether.  Was he one of the greats in the ring?  Yes he sure was.  But I was unable, and unwilling how anyone, no matter who they are or what they do, could commit such a heinous act.  Thinking back to that summer of 2007 still turns my stomach at this day.  Some say it was steriods, some say it was out of depression after losing his best friend Eddie Guerrero two years prior.  But the culprit came in the form of his autopsy results, as Benoit's brain was compared to that of a 70 year old with Alzheimer's Disease, due to the concussions he suffered throughout the course of his career.  I don't find this as an excuse, and I will indeed viewing this film with a lot of questions in mind.

Next order of business...

June 22, 2013.  That is a day that will forever burn in my brain (for all the right reasons) and my heart (for even better reasons) for the rest of my life.  Heather and I finally got married after being together for over two years.  I feel like I finally did it right second time around, and Scotty Gets Hitched, Take Two was a resounding success.  Friends came from out of town, every side of my family was represented in one way or another.  It was a small ceremony, and we didn't exactly have a whole lot of money to throw around, but I didn't care about that.  All I cared about was finally saying "I do" to the love of my life, and hearing the same words from her.  To my wife Heather, my better half, my soul mate...I love you with all my heart and soul.  Always remember that first and foremost, because I am a far better man for due to having you in my life.

I feel that my entire 33 years of being on this earth had come full circle, not only for that wedding day, but for the days following.  I was presented, for the first time, face to face, with a whole other family that I may have known about, but was for many years unsure of how to approach.  One of my brothers...yes, brothers...came to the wedding with his wife and kids, as well as my sister and her family.  A family I had known about since I was 14, but was unable to do anything about until now.  Add in a biological father, various nieces and nephews and a stepmother, and you pretty much have the whole package.  And not only was I able to come face to face with all of these people, but I honestly feel in my heart that I was welcomed with open arms.  I welcome them the same way, with wide open arms, no apprehension, and without hesitation.  I feel that my family almost tripled in size, for not only do I have the family I grew up my entire life, but I married into a great family in their own right, and I also was welcomed into this new family.  They know who they are as they read this, and I hope EVERYONE knows that I love them all equally, no matter what.

2nd Chance CD of the Week
Queensryche
Queensryche (Deluxe Edition) (2013)

Tracklist
X2
Where Dreams Go to Die
Spore
In This Light
Redemption
Vindication
Midnight Lullaby
A World Without
Don't Look Back
Fallout
Open Road
Queen of the Ryche (live)
En Force (live)
Prophesy (live)

     Queensryche had always been one of my favorite bands since I was about ten years old.  Their albums Empire (1990), Operation: Mindcrime (1988), & Promised Land (1994) rank right up there as some of my all time favorite albums.  Hell their 1984 debut, The Warning is my all time favorite Queensryche album.  Sure, the quality of their music had pretty much dipped downhill since the departure of long-time guitarist and primary songwriter Chris DeGarmo, in 1997.  It sure as hell didn't help matters much when the voice of lead singer Geoff Tate slowly started going to shit over the years as well.  Fast forward to a couple years ago when Tate was fired from the band because the rest of the group was sick and tired of his egotistical crap.  After starting a fight with various members of the band, Geoff Tate was given the axe after almost 30 years with the band.  I caught wind that he had later on put together his own group of musicians and had the gall to call them Queensryche.  They released an album earlier this year and called it Frequency Unknown.  That...was probably one of the absolute worst rock albums I have ever heard in my life.  The whole CD sounded rushed, half-assed, and it was VERY clear that Geoff Tate just didn't have it in him anymore.  This review...is NOT that CD.  This review is the album released a couple months later by the REAL band known as Queensryche.  Last year, it was announced that the band had enlisted in the services of former Crimson Glory vocalist Todd La Torre, in what can only be described as a much-needed shot in the arm, not only for the band, but for its fans as well.  Todd La Torre, in my personal opinion, sounds like Geoff Tate singing in 1984.  He's THAT good. When I first heard the album's first single, "Redemption," I was practically drooling, waiting for June 25 to come so I can run to the first place that had the album in stock.  Of course, I opted for the Deluxe Edition of the album, as not only did it have a couple bonus tracks at the end of the CD, but a set of buttons, a patch, a band sticker of the album cover, and a guitar pick.  Picking out favorite songs of the album, I'd have to go with "In This Light," "Spore," and "Redemption."  Although I can easily listen to the entire album from start to finish without a single skip.  There aren't many CDs that I can do that with.  This is the REAL Queensryche, and as far as I'm concerned, this blows Geoff Tate's version of the band clear out of the water.  Needless to say I am satisfied after hearing this, and I look forward to hearing what else the band has lined up for us.

Thumbs way the hell up.  'Ryche on!

Honesty, healing, and misjudged book covers

Usually when I write a blog, it's when I truly have something to say.  I guess this is one of those times.  It's been about three months since I've last posted anything, and I guess it's time.  Normally I would make jokes about a lot of things going on in my life, or about things in pop culture that I know to be wrong.  But I believe that today will be one of reflection, of looking back at a couple things here and there,  kinda to just put myself out there in so many words. 

Almost six years ago, I came to Florida to heal.  My heart and spirit equally broken, I made the decision that in order to be able to begin picking up the pieces, was to come here.  I'd like to say that I was welcomed into this area with open arms, but that did not come to pass.  Being as completely broken as I was really came through in my everyday life.  At home, at work...well, especially at work.  Proverbially speaking, I was the cover that people blindly judge a book by.  There were a lot of people there, that would take one look at me, and say to themselves "I really don't like that guy," and most of them, admit it or not, wouldn't even know why.  It didn't help matters much that I was still angry, still heartbroken, and still bitter at the way my life had gone in the course of the previous six years.  In some ways, I guess there is still some resentment there, like, why judge me without even knowing me?  You know, that sort of thing.  And you know, to this day, there will still be people out there who STILL won't be able to tell you why.  At that point, for better or worse, the healing process began.

I jumped back into the dating game long before I was ready.  The results disastrous in just about every turn.  You know all that shit you hear about being in the Friend Zone?  At the time, I was renting beachfront property there.  Either I was too short, or too broke, or too old, you name it.  Hell, once, I was even Friend Zoned for being white...BY A WHITE CHICK!  Figure that one out, BROTHERS!  I made the decision in November of 2010 to acquiesce to the fact that I was going to spend the rest of my life alone.  The anger that I had held within me for so many years was already gone at that point.  My insecurities about my shortcomings had faded, and I was more or less back to normal.  I was content, I was at peace with myself for the first time in a long time, I was just done trying to find someone special.  I knew I wasn't going to be in Florida forever, and I had actually been wanting to leave this state for quite some time. 

Next thing you know, Heather comes along, sheds new light on what was left of my life, and pretty much lit a fire under my ass I gave up on almost a decade ago.  That whole spending my life alone bit?  Out the window.  I came across someone who wanted the same things in her life that I did.  I came across someone who didn't make me feel like it was wrong to want to have the dreams in my life that I've wanted.  She became that one final piece of the puzzle, the one thing to complete my healing process.  And I honestly do feel that as a result, my time in Florida is bound to come to an end within the next couple of years, at the most.  There have amassed so many things in the almost-six years that I have been here, so many reasons, for me, for us, to not be in this state any longer.  For me?  A job in which morale is at such a pathetic level that it puts my time in the Navy to shame.  I've amassed friends that, maybe they weren't really friends at all.  That maybe I've been kept around for their entertainment.  There are a very few select group of friends that I keep close in my circle, and I love them all for it, but for the most part I've become nothing more than an afterthought.  I honestly feel forgotten, left behind, so maybe it is time that I, we, leave IT behind.  There is no sense of stability here, nothing that says, "It's time to set some roots, finally."  So finally, by this time next year, by the grace of God, Heather and I will be far away from the state of Florida, forging ahead with our lives together.  I'll be a married man at that point, and I long for the years ahead. 

2012 in (more than) a Few Words...

Another year in Florida, another year of chaos. 

That's how I feel every time I run into any group of tourists...

The wedding is less than six months away, and I wait in anticipation for probably the greatest day of my life...take two.  Not too long ago I explained to Heather that for a period of about 6 or 7 years, I was more or less one of the worst people on the planet to know.  Five years ago I was angry, dejected, and broken, in just about every way possible.  I came down here at that time to heal, everything from my heart to my dignity.  I did that just in time for me to meet Heather late last year, and I haven't looked back since.  The person I was before that I once was has been dead and gone, and has been for quite a few years now.  Being with Heather pretty much clinched it for me.  And to know that I am finally going to be truly happy, with someone who actually cares about me, someone who doesn't care about what materialistic possessions I may or may not have.  This is it for me, and I'm not looking back.  Even though, having pyrotechnics at the reception and not having to wear a tie to the wedding would have been nice.  But hey, I'll take it lol

Things at work have been pretty stagnant as of late.  Since transferring to my current location a year and a half ago, I've had the idea of going full time planted in my head by many.  A year and a half later, I'm in the same position I've been for the past five years with my company.  The only difference in the past year has been the fact that I've been placed on the evening stock crew.  The group of people who work through the shipments we get every few days.  Which just so happens to be a full timer's job.  So let me get this straight...I'm working like a full timer, I'm being treated like a full timer, and I don't get ANY of the perks?  I'm still topping out at 35 hours every week, when it should be 40.  Some of the best workers they have there, I work circles around on a regular basis.  I'll go so far as to say I'm probably the best grocery clerk they have at that damn store, but when asked about it, my managers say that I'm not heading up in that direction anytime soon.  So, once again I'm getting jerked around.  Working full time is something I have worked at for years, and they downright refuse to give it to me, even though I've earned it again, and again, AND AGAIN!  At this point, I don't even want it anymore.  Every fucking time I've been up for a raise I've gotten it.  Which is fine.  That just makes me the store's highest paid part timer.  And I get carte blanche to just mosey on up to at least two or three of the full timers on my crew and ask them how it feels to know that this lowly part timer is a better worker than they are.  So Publix can pretty much take their full time and shove it up their asses.  I'm just there for the paycheck now, that's it. 

Usually when I write these things I pick out a CD to review, "The 2nd Chance CD of the Week."  But since this is the end of the year, it's time for a little something like this...

2nd Chance CD of the Year
Rush
Clockwork Angels (2012)

Tracklist
Caravan
BU2B
Clockwork Angels
The Anarchist
Carnies
Halo Effect
Seven Cities of Gold
The Wreckers
Headlong Flight
BU2B2
Wish Them Well
The Garden

       This should really be no surprise that I'm picking something like this as the best album of the year.  I've been a huge Rush fan for a number of years.  A lot of people I know aren't fans of them though, and to them I've always asked them, "What's wrong?  Too highbrow for ya?"  Asking that usually illicits some anger to a degree.  But I digress.  Clockwork Angels has essentially been about five years in the making, as the power trio from Canada had been working on this little gem since touring for their 2007's Snakes and Arrows album, another favorite of mine.  The first little bit of this album was actually heard two years before the album's release, in the form of it's first single, "Caravan."  I heard the song the day it came out and I was excited almost immediately.  When the B-Side to "Caravan" was leaked onto the Internet, "BU2B" my degree of excitement only grew that much more.  Clockwork Angels was originally supposed to hit shelves in the summer of 2011, but had kept pushing it back since they weren't finished with making it.  I'm glad they did, too, because Clockwork Angels would become a modern day masterpiece.  This was probably the best album that Rush had released since drummer Neil Peart reformed the band after a soul-searching, four year long motorcycle road trip.  Clockwork  Angels is a concept album (and we all know I'm a sucker for concept albums) about a person living in a utopian future who becomes unsatisfied with his life, and he leaves his life behind to find answers to his questions on his own.  With Peart writing the lyrics for the entire album, and members Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee taking care of the music aspect of it, there was nothing stopping this album.  If you're looking for the best songs that AREN'T the singles, I highly suggest "Headlong Flight," "Seven Cities of Gold," (complete with a kickass Geddy Lee bassline intro), and the album's ending song, "The Garden." 

A deal was even reached between the band and science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson to write a novelization based on the lyrics heard one the CD, which is something I have never heard of before.  I haven't read the book just yet, but I have a feeling that it will soon have a place on my bookshelf.  I'm curious as hell to see how Anderson interprets the album into his own words.

This is the end of 2012, and the last blog I'll write for the rest of the year.  It's been full of ups and downs, but rest assured that I'm ready for whatever's to come in 2013.

Deuces!
Miller  

The wedding, families, and Jim Cornette on politics...

Just some of the usual rambling that I do, but first....

Things have fallen into place for me, and it continues to do so.  With little more than seven months away from my wedding (wow, I didn't think I'd EVER say those words again), the exitement's finally starting to settle in.  Our shining moment, my shining moment, is just right around the corner, and I'm finally doing it right.  With friends and actual family in attendence, I am gonna feel like a king.  A KING, damn youse!  Our photographer is set, our DJ is good to go, and the venue is locked in.  Now all I'm gonna need is some fireworks, a bonfire made from pallets and tires, and about 50 pounds of bacon.  Then I'm all set.  I love the fact that Heather has taken so wonderfully to my family, and they to her.  My family didn't care for my ex, and for good reason.  So Heather is definitely a breath of fresh air to them.  On June 22 of next year, I want Heather to feel like the most important person in the entire world.  Because to me, she is.  And to me, she is perfect in every way imaginable.  I admit, I kinda wanna feel like kind of a big deal as well, but hey, what can ya do?  All I gots ta do is show up lmao.

Turns out I have TWO families though, one I am only just recently getting to know.  I feel that for the most part, I've taken to two of my siblings as though nothing happened.  And although I've only been getting to know that side of the family for little over the past year, I still love them like any man would love members of his family.  My brother proudly serves this country, and even though that sort of life wasn't for me, I respect the hell out of anyone who makes that sacrifice every day.  My sister?  One of the finest human beings I know in the short time I've known her, and I love her to death for that.  As far as anyone else I haven't mentioned for one reason or another, I'm always here, and I'm always around. 

So the election is finally over, and Barrack Obama has another four years coming.  I think I'm gonna need Jim Cornette to help me with my thoughts on this past election season.  Jim, take it away...

Well, I could have just started a "FUCK YOU, ROMNEY!" chant, but I think this pretty much says it all.

Anyway, a short one this time around.  But next time, what was my CD of the Year?  Gotta read it to find out.

Fuck you, Romney
Miller

Uncivilized

It's been about two months since my last post.  I'd like to say that there's been a lot going on in that time, but I'd be lying.  I've just been a lazy sumbitch.  No I don't really care lol.  BUT...for your listening pleasure, I give you this.  Hey Sesame Street cast, you're on!

That should give you a good laugh for a while.  But anyhow...

The big day is just a little over ten months away.  Might as well be in a week or two, really.  With my Schedule From Hell that I've been on over the past eight months, it's just been coming along so fast, it's not even funny.  Gives me a little bit of time to reflect, really.  See, years ago, I was NOT a good guy.  In any way, shape or form.  I was constantly angry.  At people around me, and closest to me.  At myself.  At pretty much the world in general.  I had a really short fuse, and everything was fair game.  And because of that anger, I've done some pretty terrible things to some people that were closest to me.  And in turn, I end up losing everything.  Worse comes to worse, and I end up finding myself in a sense of dispair, nearly tragic at times.  And it took just about my entire family to pull me out of it.  Obviously I've come out of that hole since that time, and I am forever grateful for it.  I once had love and lost it, along with my ability to feel happiness and joy.  Now?  I'm the happiest I've been in years, and my heart has once again been filled with that joy and love I've been missing for years.  I have everyone I know to thank for that.  See, the things I'd done, I thought I would never be able to forgive myself for.  But knowing how laid back I've become, and how much I've relaxed, and hell, how I've been able to let someone into my heart, I think that's my way to forgive myself, and with that I've been able to move on. 

Anyway enough of that mushy love fest we just had there.  Y'all know who you are, and I love you all for being there for me, in good times and bad, blah blah blah. 

Something I've never been able to understand over the past few years is how a person can be wronged so greatly by people that they are supposed to trust the most, and then be painted as the bad guy.  This has happened to me at least three times in the past five years.  Samantha Kullinger.  Alexandra Buckley.  Kayla Williams.  Three of the best friends I'd had in this amount of time, and not only, one way or another, have they all done a great injustice to me, but, especially with the latter, wronged my fiancee as well, and yet, all of a sudden I'M the bad guy.  In Samantha's case, she looked down on me for having nothing, and living out on my own in a humble setting.  In Alex's case, she stole rent money from me to score drugs.  Then cheated on her boyfriend (who I've talked to a few times, and trust me, the guy's as good as they come) a handful of times AT LEAST, while I stood by and did nothing to help the poor guy.  In Kayla's case, she blasted my fiancee Heather, in a public forum, and then cut ties to ME just because I'm even WITH Heather in the first place.  I'm sorry, but a friend's signifigant other is OFF LIMITS no matter what.  It put a lot of things in perspective for me.  See, I have felt for years that no one in this world is better than anyone.  I was wrong about that.  For I just named three people that I am above, head and shoulders.  See, while I've seen them in the dust, I know where my life is going.  I know what the future holds.  I'VE got my shit together, and the future looks bright as can be.  I'm better than them, and trust me, BROTHERS, I'll say it right to their face and spit in it if I were to ever be given a chance.  They can just smile and like it

And I'm gonna laugh all the way into the sunset.

2nd Chance CD of the Week
Bad Salad
Uncivilized (2012)

Tracklist
Crowded Sky
Nemesis
Mourning
The Second Calling
Damned
The Sights Within
Dawn of the Machine



     Over the past five years or so, I've come across hard rock/metal bands that aren't confined to the United States.  Nightwish from Finland.  Within Temptation AND The Gathering from the Netherlands.  And now, Bad Salad from Brazil.  I've been paying close attention to this band over the past two years, back to the first time I saw a video on Youtube of guitarist Thiago Campos and a splitscreen of other musicians from around the globe doing Dream Theater songs.  I haven't been that impressed by a cover band in many many ages, so you can imagine my excitement when I learned that Campos was putting his own band together, and were working on an album of original material.  Enter drummer Caco Goncalves, bassist (and Thiago's brother) Filipe Campos, and lead singer Denis Oliveira, and you've got a recipe of epicness that harkens back to admitted influences such as Dream Theater, Metallica, The Beatles, Queen, and Iron Maiden.  I had heard their first original song, "Crowded Sky" in 2010, and my jaw DROPPED!  Sure there was a LOT of the aforementioned bands' flavors in the mix, but with their own twist. 

Fast forward to just a couple of weeks ago, and Uncivilized was finally released.  The 78-minute album wasn't just listening to a new album by a new band, it was an EXPERIENCE!  The Brazilian quartet could not have possibly picked a better vocalist than Denis Oliveira, as his singing can be as searing, or as soft and sweet, as any talented singer can muster.  Starting off with "Crowded Sky" the band just puts the gas petal to the floor and demands your attention.  At 6 and a half minutes, this is the shortest song on the album.  The rest of the disc's tracks run anywhere from 9 to 15 minutes, and it sure as hell doesn't sound like it.  For the entire length of the album, you are not bored for a single attention.  Thiago Campos's guitar playing is akin to Dream Theater's John Petrucci, who in his own right is a guitar legend.  Concalves drums as though he has eight friggin' arms, and I would give my soul to play as well as he does on this record.  Filipe sounds like he's practically beating the hell out of his bass, and I love every second of it.  Songs like "Dawn of the Machine," "Damned," and "Nemesis" are great examples of these.  Every member of the band takes a turn in writing lyrics for every song here, and damn it all, I know that I've always wanted to be a songwriter, but I wish I could write as well as these guys.  All in all, Bad Salad is Brazil's best kept secret, and for the major part, if you haven't seen these guys play on Youtube, then you've never heard of them.  Listen to me now, LOOK these guys up.  You won't be disappointed.  They're already huge in their home country, and I hope to all things that are holy that they blow up just as big, if not more, right here in the US.

Thumbs up
Miller

Ashes and Sparks

First things first, something to get you good and hungry...

It seems that these days that it always seems to look like I'm the only one at work who knows just exactly what the hell he's doing.  See, I go in every morning, usually around 3am, sometimes as early as 2am, and I go in with the mindset of, "OK, let's get our shit done, clean up, and get the hell out of here.  Of course, 9 times out of 10 my team leader has different things in mind.  Boneheaded decisions, a lack of orginizational skills, and an apparent desire to crush morale within my entire department, and I'm usually there one, two, sometimes up to four hours later than I am supposed to.  Then my manager will come in, ask us all why things aren't done yet (it's usually around 9 or 10am at this point), and all I can say is, "Sorry, team leader's too busy having us just doing stupid shit."  I even told my department manager last Wednesday, that I get a lot more done when no one else was there to help me.  See, last Wednesday, I was the only one in my department scheduled, and no shit, I got a hell of a lot more done.  My manager laughs and says he understands perfectly.  It's pretty sad when I get a lot more done at work when I have no one to help.  Speaks volumes, as a matter of fact.  I think they need a new person leading my department, and I think it's not much of a guess as to who that should be.  I mean come on, seems like I'm doing everything myself anyway.  Goddamn awe-inspiring.  I barely sleep, I work harder than anyone else in that place, and I have close to nothing to show for it.  Something's gotta give, BROTHERS!



2nd Chance CD of the Week
Nightwish
Imaginaerum (2011)

Tracklist
Taikatalvi
Storytime
Ghost River
Slow, Love, Slow
I Want My Tears Back
Scaretale
Arabesque
Turn Loose the Mermaids
Rest Calm
The Crow, the Owl, and the Dove
Last Ride of the Day
Song of Myself
Imaginaerum

     In 2007, I first caught wind of the Finnish band Nightwish.  There was an ad on TV promoting their then-new album, Dark Passion Play, with a short clip of the single "Ameranth" playing in the background.  I was morbidly curious, and decided that the next time I got the chance to hit the mall, that I was gonna pick it up.  A few weeks later, I did, and became a fan almost immediately.  Since then , I've been trying to hear various songs from them, from the era of their original singer, the opera-trained Tarja Turunen, to current vocalist Anette Olzen.  Since Dark Passion Play, I had been chomping at the bit to hear some new materail.  Then I caught wind of the album Imaginaerum being recorded.  I was already chomping at the bit as it is.  Finally, the symphonic metal band from Finland were finally coming back, but little did I know that the end result would end up being their true masterpiece.  Then, even months later, I hear that the new album was going to be a concept album, which I'm a sucker for anyway.  On top of all THAT, come to find out that it's currently in the process of being turned into a movie as well.  Trust me, opeining day, I will be all over that.  I even hear that the members of Nightwish are going to make a cameo appearance in the film as well.

The "concept" of this concept album tells the story of an aging writer on his deathbed, riddled with dementia, the best memories of his life leaving his memory long ago.  He slips into a coma, and while in his coma, begins the search for his memories so that he can take them with him when he dies.  The album starts off with "Taikatalvi," which is sung in Finnish by bass player Marco Hietala.  I looked up the translation and the gist of it is basically, "This is my story," and elaborates on that thought.  Once the track ends, while sounding almost like a nursery rhyme in the process, the floodgates open with the first single from the album, "Storytime."  From then on, Anette Olzen and Marco Hietala trade vocal duties and even duet a couple of songs as well.  Notable tracks depicting this would be "Ghost River," "I Want My Tears Back," and "Last Ride of the Day."  My favorite song on this album has to be "Rest Calm," a seven minute epic, and, in my view, the centerpiece of the entire 75-minute album.  Imaginaerum has quickly been put on my list of my 10 favorite albums of all time, which is a rarity.  To further attest to the album's greatness, it won the Album of the Year award in Finland after only FOUR WEEKS on the charts.  That's insane, and it's certainly gotten my notice.  It should get yours too.

Miller.

Some random musings for your reading pleasure

So I'm feeling a little lazy this time around.  A lot of working and running around all over the place will do that to you.  So I'm going to go the equally lazy route and share some random thoughts with you all.  But first...I need some coffee.  Excuse me...

OK, now I'm ready.

Random Thoughts, part...I lost count

- Finally that hillbilly idiot Skylar Layne has been voted off American Idol.  I'm sorry, but that chick just irritated the shit out of me every time she was on my TV.  I mean, that grin she had was the stereotypical country moron smile TO A T!  She didn't really have much to offer and she had no variety to her.  That's why Elise got voted off, that's why Kellie Pickler didn't win Season 5.  They couldn't offer anything of variety.  At least they weren't good enough to show any variety.  Then again, it could be worse.  It could still be Sanjaya from Season 6 on there.

- One of SourceFed's videos today talked of a high school student from...I forget where...who was bullied so much that he brought in a stun gun to ward them off.  He was of couse, arrested as a result.  My opinion on this?  Good.  I was bullied pretty much throughout all my years in school, and for someone to have to go this length just to defend himself has GOT to open up some eyes on the subject of bullying.  Hasn't anyone learned ANYTHING from Columbine?  Jesus H Christ.

- I know this happened weeks ago, but Rick Santorum has dropped out of the Presidential Race.  And he endorses that money hungry piece of garbage Mitt Romney in the process.  Oh well.  At least there was one thing that I agreed with Santorum on: his stance on Puerto Rico.  Seriously, it's a United States territory, translation - We OWN that shit.  Learn English.  Period.

- I've always been a fanboy of just about anything related to DC Comics.  My closest friends and family know this, ad nauseum.  But DAMN, "The Avengers" looks to be EPIC!  I must see this movie, and I must see it NOW!

- Martha Hart has filed ANOTHER lawsuit against the WWE in order to keep them from using the image, name, and footage of her late husband Owen, which pisses me off to no end.  Anyone who's a wrestling fan knows that Owen Hart was a damn fine wrestler, and that he loved the line of work he was in.  And I'm pretty sure that he would have wanted to be remembered as such.  The other wrestlers loved him, the promoters loved him, and any fan worth his salt loved seeing him perform.  Let the man's legacy live on, and quit trying to make money off his death, you stupid bitch.

- MCA from the Beastie Boys passed away a couple days ago, and I was shocked.  I was never THAT big a fan of the Beasties, but I know a great loss in music when I see one.  I was shocked when Kurt Cobain committed suicide.  I cried when Freddie Murcury died in 1991.  I didn't see that big of a loss when Amy Winehouse died, but it was still baffling to know how young she was.  There has only been one singer that made me happy that they had passed on, and that was Left Eye.  Sorry, this is gonna be unpopular as hell but I absolutely, positively, HATED TLC with the greatest of passions.  Predictably enough, the rest of the group never recovered from that.  Thank GOD!

- Men, if you're ever put in the "Friend Zone" by a girl that you really like, walk right up to her, call her out on it, tell her how much of a frigid bitch she is, and walk away.  Trust me, I've been "Friend Zoned" more times than any person is willing to count, and I wish I had done this every single time.  You all should too.  Tell 'em Scotty sent ya. 

That's it.  Yep, a short one this time around.  Whenever I get a little more motivation, I'll write a more lengthy blog next time.  Until then, just do what you can with this one, huh.

Miller

Weddings, Road Trips, and WrestleMania

Talk about a busy month...

April 1 brought about a day that every wrestling fan in the world looks forward to.  And that day is WrestleMania.  Football has the Super Bowl, hockey has the Stanley Cup, the winner of the Masters gets an ugly jacket, but for professional wrestling, WrestleMania is the place to go.  This year was one of the best I've seen in years.  I was disappointed with the event's opening match this year, as one of my favorite wrestlers, Daniel Bryan lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Sheamus in just eighteen seconds.  I feel that both men are excellent athletes and had they been given about fifteen minutes or more, there was potential there to steal the show right from the get-go.  But THE match that I was looking forward to, and no it wasn't John Cena v The Rock.  Hell in a Cell...Triple H...Undertaker.  Easily the match of the year already.  I was standing the whole time, wrought with every emotion a fan can muster in one match.  See the three main events this year each had something going for it.  Cena v Rock had the "big fight" feel to it.  CM Punk v Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship had two great wrestlers putting on a clinic for over 20 minutes.  Hell in a Cell...for me?  Had one big thing going for it.  Pure, raw, emotion.  Not since Chris Benoit winning the World Title in 2004 was I so emotionally invested in a match in my 20-plus years as a wrestling fan.  And all in all, this year's WrestleMania made me proud to be a wrestling fan.

A few weeks later, Heather, her mother, her mother's best friend Susie, and I went up to Bluffton, South Carolina to see her brother get married.  After countless incometant trogoliditic morons causing accident after pain-in-the-ass accident, making a six hour road trip into a to10-plus hour hell ride, we made it in one piece.  With one wedding down and another to go (mine), the next fourteen months are sure to be exciting, chaotic, and a long road to the happiest day of my life (TAKE TWO!).  I'm hoping to bring in as many friends and family as possible, and I'm ready ot get this one right.  Our wedding's gonna be in Ohio, my homestate, my hometown, and knowing me, I'll be screaming "YES!  YES!  YES" Daniel Bryan style all the way out of the church after kissing my bride.  I wanna make it perfect, I wanna make it right, but at the same time, I wanna add in a little bit of humor into the festivities.  I mean, come ON, this is me we're talking about, right?  lol

2nd Chance CD of the WeekIron Maiden
From Fear to Eternity:  The Best of 1990 - 2010 (2010)

Tracklist
The Wicker Man
Holy Smoke
El Dorado
Paschendale
Different World
Man on the Edge
The Reincarnation of Benjamen Breeg
Blood Brothers
Rainmaker
Sign of the Cross
Brave New World
Fear of the Dark

Be Quick or Be Dead
Tailgunner
No More Lies
Coming Home
The Clansman
For the Greater Good of God
These Colours Don't Run
Bring Your Daughter...to the Slaughter
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
Dance of Death
When the Wild Wind Blows

     Ah, yes, Volume 2 of the Best of Iron Maiden.  And to be honest with you, this is the era of the band that I gravitate more towards.  It was during this era that Maiden started leaning more towards progressive metal tendencies, and I've been a sucker for that sorta thing over the years.  I like that more epic feeling sound, and I have for a very long time.  This double CD set covers material from their 1990 album No Prayer for the Dying up until 2010's The Final Frontier.  Side note, Final Frontier?  Awesome friggin' album.  But I digress.  Continuing on...the opening song, "Be Quick or Be Dead" kicks you squarely in the knickers, and every song after that, spanning both discs, continues to do the same.  As with Somewhere Back in Time, this album adds in a couple of live versions of some of their songs, including "Fear of the Dark," "The Clansman," and "Man on the Edge."  The latter of the two were from the short era that lead singer Bruce Dickinson left the band and he was replaced by Wolfsbane vocalist Blaze Bayley.  I've heard the original versions of these songs sung by Bayley, and trust me, BROTHERS, I was not impressed in the least.  But these live versions were recorded after Dickinson returned to the band.  And Bruce KILLS "Man on the Edge," "The Clansman," and "Sign of the Cross" like it's nobody's business.  I, for one was impressed.  Now, in my previous blog, I said that "Aces High" was my favorite Iron Maiden song from the 1980's.  But THIS?  From Fear to Eternity included my favorite Iron Maiden song of ALL TIME!  So much in fact, that just by that song alone, I wanna fine the album it came from.  What is it?  Take a listen...

Taken from the band's comeback album of the same name, this song is wrought with that epic, emotional feel I wish I was able to muster.  Trust me, if I had the vocal range to belt this baby out, I would do it at every karaoke bar I encounter from now on.  Singing well is one thing, but adding emotion to it?  That's a whole different ballgame.  That's something I have not perfected yet.  And I hope I get to one day.  But anyway, track down Somewhere Back in Time  AND From Fear to Eternity.  I promise, you will NOT be disappointed.

YES!

Miller

Aces High

It appears that I've all but forgotten what a good night's sleep actually feels like.  Ever since I got switched to mornings about two months ago, my schedule has amassed to "sleep, work, sleep some more, work, rinse, lather, repeat."  Needless to say it's been kicking my ass worse than any bully I've encountered in my school years.  And believe me, BROTHERS, that is a LOT.  Couple that with the fact that my department team leader is just about as sharp as a bowling ball makes things a little bit harder.  I mean, seriously, I'm trying to get my OWN work done, and it never fails.  About two hours left of work, I've just about got everything done, and BAM!  Last minute bullshit that I have to deal with, which somehow makes me up to two hours, maybe more, late in getting off from work.  So you can imagine my joy and amazement when I came back from our vacation and I was told that he was gonna be gone for a couple weeks.  Thank.  Friggin.  God.  And, predictably, those weeks that he was gone, I was working with no pressure.  Get work done, go home.  Get work done, go home.  That is, until this waste of space came back TODAY, and I was (surprise, surprise) late getting off work.  Again.  Trust me, there have been many times in the past couple of months where I was just ready to quit my job, right then and there.  I'm not there to babysit anybody.  I'm not there to do someone else's job for them cuz they can't handle it.  I'm there to take care of my own business.  I'm there to bust my ass for myself, not nursemaid any incompetant douchebags that can't handle doing their own job.  That's the way I see it.  I'm right, they're wrong.  That's all there is to it. 

 - Side random thought:  Parents these days should still be allowed to whoop their children's asses when needed.  Maybe that way when they get brought along to places like my store they'll behave like they're supposed to.  Trust me, I've had plenty off ass whoopings handed to me as a child, and I can tell you firsthand that I've earned EVERY one of them.

Anyway, moving on...

A lot of things going on these past couple of months.  Our Ohio vacation has come and gone, and with great success, I must say.  Visiting my parents every year is always a good time, and this year was no different.  This time I had Heather in tow, and it was a relaxing week that we both needed.  Just about everyone in my family, from my mother, to my sister...yes, sister...to just about anyone else you can think of, had the pleasure of giving us the grand tour of everything.  Granted, I'm an un-country country boy from a small town, so I'll admit there's not a whole hell of a lot to tour, per se, but we all made it fun, regardless.  But something different, something special happened on our first night there.  I've talked about putting the pieces of a puzzle together, and on February 29, I made the final step I've needed to make for a long time.  My friends were in on it for months.  My family was in on it for months.  Everyone was in on it, and all I needed to do was man up, and get it done.  What happened, you ask?

I proposed.

That's right, BROTHERS.  I waited til it was me, Heather, my parents, my grandmother, and my aunt gathered together at the house, and for the second time in my life (and hopefully the last), I asked a woman I love dearly to marry this beer drinking, broken down bag of bones.  In that instant, I finally experienced that "perfect moment" that was referenced in the movie Star Trek: Insurrection.  The Perfect Moment in a person's life was defined in that movie as a moment where time just seems to stand still, and you feel that need to relive that moment over and over again.  Why is this, you ask?  Because of the answer I got, that no one in a million years would ever think I'd get again. 

She said yes.

Now, my future feels certain, for the first time in years.  I'm in love with someone that loves me back, with someone who wants to spend the rest of her life with me, no matter what flaws or shortcomings I have.  I've been happy this past year, happier than I could ever hope to be.  But not only do I have that, but I also have the added bonus of being validated.  I've finally been proven right, after years of confusion and uncertainty.  And on June 22, 2013, we get to stand in front of our closest friends and family, in my homestate of Ohio, and I finally get to say what Heather has been trying to tell me for months, and that everyone deserves a second chance.  And any mistakes that were made when I was married the first time, I know not to make again, as I'm older, wiser, and more mild-mannered than I was in my youth.  That makes me feel good about myself, and that's a feeling that I haven't had since at least 2002.  So to those of you that have stood by me through every step of the way, I say thank you, and I love you.  You know who you people are.

2nd Chance CD of the Week
Iron Maiden
Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989 (2008)

Track List
Churchill's Speech
Aces High
2 Minutes to Midnight
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Children of the Damned
The Number of the Beast
Run to the Hills
Phantom of the Opera
The Evil That Men Do
Wrathchild
Can I Play With Madness
Powerslave
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Iron Maiden

    After hearing 2010's The Final Frontier a couple of years back, I've finally felt compelled to dip my toes into some of Iron Maiden's earlier material.  Obviously I'm glad I did, cuz if I wasn't I wouldn't be featuring them here, now would I?  This is more of a "Volume 1" of sorts, as this CD chronicles the best songs of their 80's era.  The second volume, From Fear to Eternity, would cover their music from the years 1990 to 2010.  But that's a blog for another time.  Back to this one.  If you're a Maiden fan, you'll be happy with the tracklist presented here.  My all time favorite 80's Maiden song, "Aces High" starts the album following a snippet of a speech made by Winston Churchill.  What follows is classic British heavy metal at its finest.

All the notable classic tracks are here, such as "The Number of the Beast," Wasted Years," and two personal karaoke favorites of mine, "The Trooper," and "Run to the Hills," among the 15-track setlist.  What puzzles me a little bit is that there are a few live versions of a couple of the songs that are on here.  Songs like "Iron Maiden," and "Wrathchild" serve as examples.  Those two songs were originally sung by the band's first vocalist, Paul D'Anno, but on the live versious, it's current singer Bruce Dickinson on the mic.  As a matter of fact, D'Anno isn't featured on here at all.  I love that and I hate it at the same time.  Sure, Dickinson KILLS on the live tracks, and he sounds great, but at the same time Paul D'Anno is all but forgotten.  I'll take what I can get though, as it's still a damn fine compilation.

Thumbs up.

Next blog I post, I'll rand and rave some more, as well as cover Iron Maiden's second compilation album, From Fear to Eternity.  Then next on the chopping block is the new Nightwish CD, Imaginaerum.  But like I said, a different story for a different time.

Miller

Blood and Fire

My first blog of the year and it's taken a little longer than it usually does to post one of these.  So what lol  I've been on a real funky schedule lately.  I've been put on mornings, which is usually lead-in to full time.  So it looks like good times and good money are ahead.  And as far as I'm concerned, it's about damn time.  It's been nearly five years since I've been hired by Publix, and for the first time since I've been hired by the company, it feels like all of my hard work has been finally paying off.  There have been so many times in my career that I've felt like I've wasted my time, and that me busting my ass has been overlooked, but no longer.  Finally, I don't feel like I'm just in it to grab a paycheck and go.  I finally have something worth looking forward to.  And that makes me feel good about my job.  Kinda weird really.  But what the hell, I'll go with it.

Tax time, well, for me at least, has come and gone, AND I've still gotta little bit of money to spare.  My big purchase this year was (finally!) a smartphone.  Yes, the Killer has joined the Land of the Living.  That, and, as always this time every year, plane tickets.  At the end of this month me and Heather are heading up to Ohio for a week to visit my family.  This is actually a big step for me.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I go up there every year around this time, and it's always been a good time every year.  This time it's different, because this is the first time since Jennifer that I've brought a girl I've been seeing back home to meet the family.  So that kinda gives you a little clue as to how serious our relationship is.  It's gonna be a good time, for sure.  I just know that it's going to be a lot colder than what she's used to.  Given the fact that she's born and raised in Florida, yeah, that's gonna be a litte bit of a shock.  I'm looking forward to seeing that reaction more than anything :-D

2nd Chance CD of the Week
Van Halen
A Different Kind of Truth (2012)

Tracklist
Tattoo
She's the Woman
You and Your Blues
China Town
Blood and Fire
Bullethead
As Is
Honeybabysweetiedoll
The Trouble With Never
Outta Space
Stay Frosty
Big River
Beats Workin'



I could probably write a book on my lifetime experiences, live or otherwise, about my favorite band of all time, Van Halen.  The first Van Halen album I've heard from beginning to end was Fair Warning, which my dad owned the cassette to.  I was nine years old.  The first CD I ever owned was For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, which I bought in Japan when I was 14.  Their album Balance changed my life forever, again at age 14.  There've been so many issues with the band over the years.  The ugly departure of original and current singer David Lee Roth, the coming and going of second vocalist Sammy Hagar, to Eddie Van Halen being in and out of rehab so many times they might as well have a revolving door in place, and that is only to name a few.  Ever since 1998's trainwreck Van Halen III I've waited patiently for new material from the band, no matter what the lineup was.  When the band announced a reunion tour in 2007, I was bombarded with a ray of hope.  Original bassist Michael Anthony was no longer with the band, which I can live with, even though he's one of my favorite musicians.  Being replaced by Eddie's 20-year-old son Wolfgang, the band announced early last year that a new album was in the works.  To say that I was excited would be like saying that the bomb dropped on Hiroshima was nothing more than a wet fart.  Fast forward to this year, and the song "Tattoo" was released to the public.  It took me a couple listens but it really grew on me, and I had hoped it would.  And then, the big day came...February 7, just a few short days ago, A Different Kind of Truth hit stores all over the world.  Needless to say, my heroes in rock have still got it.  For years singer David Lee Roth has sounded like shit as a vocalist, dating back to his solo album, 1994's Your Filthy Little Mouth.  But on A Different of Truth, he's sounded better than he has in years.  Wolfgang Van Halen is a beast on the bass guitar, as he's a great fir for the band.  Eddie and Alex Van Halen sound better than ever on guitar and drums, respectively.  The album kicks off with the aforementioned "Tattoo" and just continues to kick you in the face for the next 50 minutes.  Roughly half the songs on this CD are rewrites of music they've done in their early club days, pre-first album.  Not necessarily a bad thing, as finally a lot of these songs have finally hit the official light of day, such as "She's the Woman," "Bullethead," "Big River," and "Blood and Fire."  One of the more fun songs on the album would be "Stay Frosty," which is reminicent of "Ice Cream Man" from the band's debut 1978 album.  Some other personal favorites of mine would have to be "You and Your Blues," "As Is," and the blistering "China Town."  I really didn't know what to expect to hear when I first bought this album, I just know that I wanted it to be as good as their classic material from the 70's, 80's, and 90's.  But after a couple of listens, I'm going to have to say that I was surprised, amazed, and ultimately satisfied with the end product.  Welcome back guys.  It's about time.

Thumbs up
Miller

All in a year

Lessons Learned 2011

What a difference a year makes. 

At the tail end of my "healing process," all that was left was confusion.  The fear, the hurt, the despair, was all gone.  Only confusion and uncertainty remained.  Back in January my mind was set.  After the way things panned out with one of my ex-girlfriends, I thought it was just simply time to give up.  On Florida, on the whole dating thing, and just head home back to Ohio and forget it all.  At the time, I thought and felt that everything I knew about being a man was wrong, and that I was in the wrong place to find what I was looking for.  There I was, still in my studio apartment (RIP Castle Killskull), nowhere to go in my job because of the constant ineptitude I've had to deal with.  Nowhere to do, and nothing more I can truly do with my life as it stood at that moment in time.  The spirit of the Scottish Killer was truly broken and there was just simply nothing left for me here.

I can gladly say that three months later I was proven very much the contrary. 

A week after I came back from my vacation I met probably the most wonderful human being I have ever encountered.  There she was, all of about five feet tall...with shoes lol...and she noticed, from the very beginning, how utterly nervous I was for our first date.  Nervous?  No, I was horrified.  I was sweating like a pig the whole time, I stuttered and stumbled over my words in a way that made my high school self say, "Damn, this dude's got problems."  Surprisingly enough, she laughed the whole thing off, which allowed me to do the same.  The words came, my anxiety faded, and the rest, as they say, is history.  I've truly met the love of my life, finally and at last.  This Clark Kent had finally found his Lois.  And trust me, at the beginning, I fought it tooth and nail.  I was ready to just see her a couple of times and then end things before it began.  I figured, "Nah, it ain't gonna work out.  Just like always."  They say that most people notice when someone captures your heart, but for me, it came out of nowhere, and with time.  My faith in true love had been restored, and my faith in the basic good in people had been reunited.  Heather McMahon, I love you dearly and deeply.  With you, a lot of the anger and confusion has faded, and at the end of it all, there's only you.  I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, and I'm thankful that you were the one you finally open my heart once more.

No, I'm not done with this section yet.

I've taken a lot of people out of my life this year as well.  People I thought I could trust.  Turns out these people were so wrapped up in their own bullshit to even worry for a second about me.  These are people that I will never welcome back, for any discernible reason.  So goodbye to all of you, you know who you are.  I've mentioned you all in this column and a refuse to do so again.  Also, today, I look back at how truly miserable I was at my old store location.  I was never really truly liked by most of the people working there, I know that, and I'm fine with that.  I was working in a system that was just simply not working, no matter what I tried to do to improve.  All of my hard work went unnoticed and unappreciated, and I felt like I spent the first four years of my career wasting my time.  I honestly feel that you have to enjoy what you do for a living in order to be good at it.  And after a while, work stopped being fun for me, and as a result, I stopped caring.  I was at the point where I was just in there for the paycheck, and that was it.  I ended up moving out of my small, no bedroom apartment, moved in with Heather in July, transferred stores, and I can't be more happier than I am these days.  The people there recognize my hard work, they appreciate it, and hell, they even thank me for coming in to work.  Hey, don't thank me, it's what I get paid for.  Most of the customers even ask for me by name because they know that I know my shit, and I'll go out of my way to help them out.  

My quest to take over the universe may just see the light after all lol.

This year, I've done a "Random Thoughts" column or two, and I decided that I'm gonna post the best of them here, not only from this year, but for previous years as well, for your amusement.  As always I hope you either get a good laugh or you become offended as hell.  Either one's good for me.

The Best of Random Thoughts


- To parents with kids that are throwing a fit cuz they're not getting what they want...Shut your kid up or I will.


- I'm sorry, but fat is not a disability.  Get your fat ass out of that electric wheelchair and go to the damn gym!

 - Good God Almighty, did Gwen Stefani's solo music go down the shitter or what?!  I recently heard one of her new songs, and it sounds like something out of an old school, 8-bit video game.  And trust me, if your music sounds like I should be playing Nintendo right now, that's when you know you suck.  No Doubt was decent, get THEM back out there.


- When someone tells you that they aren't trying to be a pain in the ass, guess what? That means that they actually ARE trying to be a pain in the ass. Trust me, after seeing tourist after tourist over the years, I know these things.

- If you are a white person, be a white person. If you are an African American, be an African American. Don't be a white guy pretending to be black. Me, I'm a small town, pasty faced white boy. I talk in coherent sentences, I rock out whenever I can, and I think that 50 Cent needs to be shot one more time. I'm not racist, I'm just for not being afraid of who and what you are.

- Since I was 4 years old, I knew that Van Halen was the GREATEST BAND IN THE UNIVERSE.

- I don't care how hot she may or may not be.  Beyonce has got to be one of the most annoying people on the entire planet.  Every picture I see of her and she's smiling, it's that kind of knowing smile that says, "Yeah, that's right, I'm a bitch."  Not to mention that her music is by far some of the worst I have heard in my lifetime.  And then, "If I Were a Boy" hit the airwaves.  The first thousand times I heard it, I thought to myself, "Hey...she's actually attempting to write a decent song."  After that, I realized just how damned WHINY she sounds throughout the song.  No thanks.  Oh, and Beyonce, Destiny's Child sucked too, by the way.

  - Justin Bieber....seems that he's EXTREMELY popular among the prepubescent female community.  Coincidentally, he's also just as popular among the adult homosexual male community.  So if you've got Bieber Fever, and you're not 12 years old OR a girl, you've got a lot of explaining to do.

- I REALLY don't understand the appeal of reggaeton.  And no, it's got nothing to do with its racial background.  Every song, EVERY DAMN SONG, has the same exact beat to it.  There's no originality behind that.  Which means there's not one bit of talent behind it.  And I'm sorry, but I only listen to talented musicians.

Those were my best ones over the years, and trust me, BROTHERS, there'll be plenty more to come throughout the year.



It's that time of the year again, kiddies.  It's time for...


2nd Chance CD of the Year


(Originally written 9-13-11)

Dream Theater
A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011)

After looking at all the CD's I've reviewed this year, it's a no-brainer that this ends up being the album of the year for me.  I've been a huge fan of Dream Theater since 2009, and after seeing them at Hard Rock this year, was made into an even bigger fan than before.  I honestly believe that their performance there outshined my first ever concert experience with Van Halen, in Tokyo, in 1995. 

Tracklist
One the Backs of Angels
Build Me Up, Break Me Down
Lost Not Forgotten
This is the Life
Bridges in the Sky
Outcry
Far From Heaven
Breaking All Illusions
Beneath the Surface


This album is an interesting one, and one that I have been looking forward to since hearing their previous CD, Black Clouds and Silver Linings (2009).  Since then, founding drummer Mike Portnoy left the band, citing that he wanted to take a break from writing and recording.  The rest of the band wanted to continue at the breakneck pace they had been known to go, so Portnoy left.  In the meantime, Avenged Sevenfold's drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan unexpectedly died from an enlarged heart at the age of 28.  They enlisted the services of Portnoy to take over the drums while recording A7X's Nightmare album.  After completing the record and supporting tour, Portnoy made the attempt to return to Dream Theater, which they declined, saying that they were already on the search for a new drummer.  Enter Mike Mangini.  Mike Mangini was famous for replacing Paul Geary in the band Extreme in 1995.  By the time Mangini joined Dream Theater, however, the songwriting had already been completed.  At that point, all the band did was send the completed tapes to Mangini so that he can lay down his own drum track, and "add his own shit too."  The result is A Dramatic Turn of Events, released today.  I honestly don't think they could have gotten anyone else to replace Mike Portnoy, as I feel that Mike Mangini is fitting in quite well.  The main thing that I was worried about upon hearing about the release of this album was that Portnoy was one of the main songwriters in Dream Theater.  Thankfully, the music did not suffer from Portnoy's departure, as A Dramatic Turn of Events is just as good as anything Dream Theater had come out with.  Hell, I would say it's one of their best albums in years.  With songs like "This is the Life," "Outcry," and the album's lead single and opening track, "On the Backs of Angels," it's hard to argue that point.  If I had to introduce anyone to Dream Theater, this would be the album to start them off with.  Definitely worth a listen.

Thumbs up.   

This is obviously my last blog of the year.  Hopefully I'll put another one out either next week or the week after.  Until that time, Happy New Year, and remember, kids, only YOU can help stop tourism.  To close things out, probably my best lyrical work EVER!

1000 Days - completed 7-18-10 after about a week of writing

I. Clarity
Afternoon, mid-July, the whole landscape changed, so did I
I stood frozen, diamond in my sights
What once was darkness had now become my light

I had my dream once, and it still stands
Take these matters into these two hands
You have to know this wasn't my plan
Even I still can't understand

Then one day, anyone's guess
My steel resolve was put to the test
I set out to place my bets
For in my dreams she always says "yes"

It's all just a dream, but it's my dream...

II. Conflict
What more must I say, to not face this again?
My heart's light and heavy at the same time...

Pilgrimage to the north
Ever looming, neverending
Wage a war in myself
"Never break your heart again."
From the rich, to the poor
Mix these signals, sending
Die within but live to tell
"Never let you hurt again."

I am pulled to shreds, sings, but sinks instead
I am in conflict with my own heart
Gain, but lose it all, right from the start

Whipped and weary, full of fear
Pride is tested, breaking near
Anxiety please disappear
"Just do this for yourself."

...I am at a crossroads
Which way do I turn?
I'm another lost soul
Which bridge do I burn?

III. Rise
Like two stars crossing, two ships passing
I'm left a beaten man
Waited far too long
It's too late to turn back

My heart's been yours this whole time
These words, yours as I write
Why do I feel like I'm torn apart?
When did this war begin with my heart?

As far as I can tell, there's no one left but me
It's all been explained, but it's only Greek to me...

IV. Fall
"Wake up, young soldier.  This nightmare is ending.  Those three words, repeating, they're now never-ending."

This heart of mine sits still
Those three words cost me dear
I'd take it all back if given the chance
To make it disappear

A thousand days, the angels sang
Now they no longer speak
The words came out, as my heart breaks
I've never felt so weak

I look to the skies,
The stars in your eyes
I wish that you were mine
Oh, I wish that you were all mine...


Thanks again
Miller