What's your musical horoscope? (Put your music player on shuffle and write down the first 10 songs that come up.) Inspired by Stephanie.
Sebastian Bach & Dimebag Darrell - Believer
Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
Wada Kanako - Natsu no Mirage
Metric - Combat Baby
R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
Nickelback - Figured You Out (One of the only Nickelback songs I enjoy.)
Something Corporate - Globes & Maps
Bad Religion - Individual
She Wants Revenge - She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not
Eisley - Tree Tops
What are your personal memories of September 11th?
A mere freshman in high school, I remember it being a colder September morning as I changed into my gym clothes in the locker room. I wondered about trivial things, like if a cute upperclassman would be on my team in the outdoor gaming unit we were on and if the teacher would make us complete arduous tasks, as she sometimes did. It was one of the first days of school and being a brand new high school student was still very interesting to me. It was a normal morning, after all. Just another tuesday. When first period ended, I went back into the same locker room and changed into my usual attire. There were girls talking and laughing all around me, eager to finish up the day to go home to their parents and boyfriends and cliques. I made my way to second period, Keyboarding, and sat down next to Ian as I usually did. The class proceeded as usual. I was bored, completed my work faster than the rest of the students, then surfed the Graal forums for the rest of the period. Glancing up at the clock near the front of the room, I noticed that it was nearly time to go and gathered my belongings. My peers made a cluster near the door, awaiting the loud ringing that signified our exit. That was when our principal's voice came over the PA.
"I don't know how to say this, but... Please don't panic. We are not in danger. Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center. It doesn't look like Vermont is going to be attacked, so do not worry. The rest of the day will still continue."
A myriad of confused voices piped up around me, questioning this strange message. What had just happened? The principal was far too vague for any of us to make sense of it, but we all had heard her voice shaking. Almost immediately after, the bell rang and I made my way down to the "A La Carte," where students would go to buy snacks in between class periods. Around me, everyone was talking hurriedly to each other. No one really knew what to make of anything, but they did understand that "we (were) not in danger." The principal did not specify who was in danger, nor did she elaborate on the seriousness of what had happened. I wasn't the only one who had no idea that so many people were dead and dying in New York City. As much as it disgusts me, there were even people who made light of the matter; who, in one instance, used the tragedy as a way out of class.
During French class, the teacher was very upset. He told everyone that if they had loved ones in New York City, they could leave class to call them and see if they were all right. Several people lied and left. No one was aware of the seriousness yet. In fact, the demeanor of the school in general didn't even change until the following day. Most people found out from their parents and the news. While I still do not understand why the principal did not elaborate on the matter further, I suppose her reasons may have centered around wanting to keep the students pacified. Either way, I was pretty much clueless as I left school that afternoon and got into my mom's car.
Something I remember quite clearly is singing Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood" as I opened the door and sat down into the passenger's seat. I glanced over and saw my mom look at me in horror, her eyes red and puffy and her cheeks streaked with tears. I stopped singing abruptly, blinking in stunned silence. "Don't you know what happened?" she asked me, blowing her nose into a kleenex. "Didn't you hear about the thousands who died and are still dying?"
I shrugged my shoulders in reply, shaking my head. "No, we weren't told much." Feeling somewhat awkward, I faced forward and looked at the road, gripping my bookbag. "Are... are you okay?"
She then proceeded to inform me of what had happened. I became even more confused about why the principal didn't say anything, and it now made sense to me that my French teacher was so upset. How could something this tragic have happened to us, to America, the proudest country in the world? I had heard about things like this in stories, but I had never been alive to witness anything quite like it. Needless to say, I was floored.
When I got home and turned on the news, I was greeted by crying reporters, complete and total carnage, and sheer devastation. There is one particular image that I will not be able to get out of my mind until the day I die, and I could probably still cry right now if I thought about it long enough. It was simply of a man in a business suit being filmed falling from one of the burning buildings, his tie pressed to the side of his face. This man had a family. He probably had a wife and kids. And there he was, jumping out of the World Trade Center on that fateful day, choosing an option that wasn't burning to death in the inferno. I can't imagine being his wife or daughter, turning on the television to see footage of their husband or father leaping to his death. In a sense, I don't understand why that type of footage was even aired. Yes, it's real, and yes, it's relevant, but it certainly didn't help the general demeanor of the world. One thing it did do was enforce the seriousness of the situation. And I do suppose that is, in fact, enough justification.
Later that afternoon, I walked outside into my backyard and stared off across the lake. On the other side was Plattsburgh, New York. While I couldn't see New York City no matter how far I looked, I couldn't help but feel strange about the fact that everything was so peaceful and serene where I resided and it was complete and utter chaos elsewhere. I felt very guilty for being so safe when there were so many suffering and dead. Even though I had no friends or relatives dead or dying, I was definitely still very emotional about the tragedy. And looking back on that day, I probably always will be. It's one I still remember vividly and photographically; one I may never forget.
Regardless of what anyone says about it, I am still proud to be an American. I love my country. I always have, and I more than likely always will. I don't say much about it, nor do I really voice my opinion on subjects like this much, but I feel far too out of place in any other country (except Canada, but I'm half-Canadian anyway). There are places I love to visit, sure, but America will always have the biggest place in my heart. George W. Bush or not, I will never stop appreciating my home country. I only wish more people felt the same.
Today is a day of remembrance. It is not to be joked about or laughed at. If you were living in New York City at the time of the incident, you would not be laughing. The complete detachment I see is disgusting. Yes, it has been five years. So what? That's five years that small children have grown up without their mother or father. Five years people have lived as widows. Five years without the twin towers, one of this country's great symbols. If you were affected by the tragedy, you would not make light of it as I see so many of you doing. Instead of being so snide, be thankful. I just can't fathom why anyone can honestly laugh about something like this and live with themselves as people.
(The above entry was written as a friends only post in my LiveJournal last year. The only thing I've edited is the last paragraph. It has now been five years instead of four. My sentiments are still the same and the post applies in full.)
So basically, I've got black hair now. People have speculated on exactly what I'm wearing in the picture, so I figured I'd clarify. Ever heard of the L.A.-based clothing line American Apparel? Yeah, that's a gold bikini top underneath a green dress (that's fitting kind of weird in the picture, but whatever). I did a bit of shopping the other day.
That's not really how my hair looks often, though. I straighten it mostly every day, and when I blow it dry, it doesn't do that strange wavy thing. It only gets like that when I take a shower and do absolutely nothing to it. Oh well.
I turned on VH1 Classic's Metal Mania today when there was only 5 minutes left in the show. Guess what was on? "It's the same ol', same ol' situaaaaaation." I'm always pleasantly surprised when I turn to a channel and it's playing the Crue.
The other day, I got home from Seattle. I was there for two weeks and even made my last post from Angel's house. I'm pretty stoked about going back, but that won't be for a little while at least. Shame.
What's your favorite song to sing karaoke-style? If you don't have one, why not?
You know, I'm going to have to go with Skid Row's "I Remember You" for this one. I was singing karaoke with Josh and Ashley once... though Josh, naturally, was doing more listening than singing. His niche is guitar, after all. I digress.
So we're singing karaoke, right? I warm up with Radiohead's "Karma Police" and then sing "I Remember You." I didn't do so hot on "Karma Police" because I realized the song doesn't leave me much room for personal style, but after singing "I Remember You," my friends seemed impressed. Especially Josh. And impressing Josh is like impressing the head of the United States armed forces. Very difficult to do.
When my band decides to do a cover, though, I am going to be strongly pushing Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road." I've always wanted to cover that for personal reasons. I adore singing that. Hell, I just adore the Boss.
Maybe I'll do Escape Club's "Wild Wild West" and make a creepy-ass video. (Remember that post?)
Take a picture of something that made you smile.
It's a very cute stuffed snake hanging from my doorknob to symbolize Snakes on a Plane opening in theatres tonight. For those curious, yes, I will be there. And yes, I will be wearing that snake as a boa (get it?). The real question is whether it'll be sold out or not.
We shall see.
What's your morning beverage of choice? Coffee, tea, juice? Homemade or store-bought?
As of lately, my morning beverage of choice has by far been water.
Eight letters: H-A-N-G-O-V-E-R.
When you were younger, were there any game shows that you religiously watched and wanted to be a contestant on?
Do any of you remember Nickelodeon before it started to suck? Being a 90's child (well, born in the 80's, but still relatively a 90's child), I got to tune in when Nick was in its prime. Way before all these ridiculously overdone shows that I can't even remember the names of, you could watch fun things like the first season of Doug, Rugrats, Hey Arnold, All That, Nick Arcade, GUTS, and various other kiddy shows that just plain ruled.
My personal favorite, though, was Legends of the Hidden Temple. Don't ask me why, but I was always dying to be on that show. I had such a vivid imagination that I'd even go so far as to stage faux-Legends runs in my house with a couple of my friends. I'm not entirely sure how that worked back then, but we had a good time doing it, I'd imagine. I had no idea how to get on the show and didn't want to ask my mother, so I kept my desire to run through Olmec's temple locked in my own mind. I never lived in Florida anyway. Wasn't that the requirement?
Further research into the subject tells me that Legends ran from 1993 to 1995. For some reason, it feels like so much longer! I thought I'd watched it for years, not just when I was 6, 7, and 8. Interesting.
This video came out in 1988 and sketched me out so bad when I was young. I remember sitting on the couch in my old home in Milton and being so afraid of the flying limbs that I had to switch the channel or leave the room. It was pretty ironic because it was one of my favorite songs growing up, too. That and Aerosmith's "Angel," which I'd force my mom to play over and over so that I could dance to it.
But really, how weird is that video? It's creepy even now, but in a hilarious way that I can't help but laugh to. I love the limbs. Escape Club were geniuses. Or maybe just on acid.
What are some videos that creeped you out growing up?
Thanks to Ari over at the melon-flavored blog, I have Goldfinger's cover of 99 Luftballoons (or 99 Red Balloons, whichever you prefer) stuck in my head. I first heard that song when I was around 14 years old, but I hadn't heard it in years until he posted it in response to one of the Questions of the Day. Here it is, a red balloon. I'll think of you and let it go.
I write this post in clarifying a certain thing for those of you who ask the following question when you view my blog: Who the hell is Nikki Sixx and why are you using his name?
It's pretty simple. Ever heard of Mötley Crüe? You know, "the band Tommy Lee's in"? Or maybe you know them as "that one glam metal band from back in the 80's" or "oh, I saw their lead vocalist getting plastic surgery on TV!" Well, whatever your definition may be right now, the fact of the matter is that the band has sold millions of records and pioneered an entire genre of music. Back in '82, five years before I'd pop out of my mother's womb, a belligerent teenager named Frank Ferrano lived just off of L.A.'s Sunset Strip. After almost sending his mother to jail and changing living arrangements constantly, he decided to try to be like his heroes, Johnny Thunders and the New York Dolls. This meant big hair, big shoes, and a wardrobe that would lead buff, toned jocks to call his skinny ass a "fag." His sink would get permanently stained by black hair dye. He'd buy eyeliner and Aquanet from the local grocery store. His first band, London, was taking off quite well, leading him to live life as his own perceived "king of the world" -- he had girls whenever he wanted them, free drugs whenever he wanted them, and he would sit in the corners of clubs just looking pretty. But then his band fell apart.
He resolved to make a new one, as determined as ever. And this time, they were going to make it. Getting together with a kid named Tom Bass who was four years younger than him and could really bang on the drums was the first step. Then Tom showed him an ad in the paper stating, "loud, rude, and aggressive guitarist available." Frank answered the ad and soon enough, standing at his door was Bob, who would go on to play lead guitar. Then they needed a vocalist, eventually stealing one of Tom's high school acquaintances from another band he was doing just fine in. Bob told the boys that he'd always wanted to play in a band called Mottley Cru. They changed the spelling (of the already misspelled words) around a little bit and Mötley Crüe was born.
Led by bassist Nikki Sixx (who changed his name from Frank Ferrano Jr. after his father denied ever having a son and told him not to call his house again), the band consisted of drummer Tommy Lee (Thomas Lee Bass), lead guitarist Mick Mars (Bob Alan Deal), and vocalist Vince Neil (Vincent Neil Wharton). Relying on an elaborate stage show and appearance as well as hard-hitting tunes, Mötley Crüe became unstoppable. And they didn't slow down until the 90's, when inter-band turmoil broke them up and got them back together time after time. Currently, they're on tour with Aerosmith. Who'd have thought a bunch of L.A. punks would've lasted so long and made such an impression?
My useless knowledge about Mötley Crüe serves no real purpose. I didn't refer to anything while typing that up, it's all in my head. Of all the things that could've stuck with me, why did that? I'd have liked to use that kind of memory when studying for exams back in high school, that's for sure. But I know myself pretty well by now; well enough to know that unless I'm passionate about something, I won't remember it. It will go in one ear and out the other, so to speak.
If you're wondering what in the hell the band sounds like, I've uploaded one of my favorites, "Primal Scream." It's easily accessible compared to some of the stuff on their first album, Too Fast For Love, which may not leave an impression on a listener who isn't familiar with and/or a fan of the genre. Enjoy!
Do you have any tattoos? If not, if you were going to get inked, what would you get?
I don't currently have any tattoos, no. This is because of a few things.
First of all, I tend to go through stages regarding what I'm passionate about. If I'm really gung ho about a certain image that I'd like tattooed onto myself one month, I may question what the hell I was thinking a month later. For instance, at one point I really wanted to dye my hair pink. Looking back on it, I'm so glad I didn't.
Secondly, they look gross later in life. Who wants to see an 80-year-old walking around with a naked woman smoking pot on his arm? If I ever choose to change my image around later in life (a la Avril Lavigne), I'm not quite sure I'd want to go to a formal event with a chest piece.
Third, I just don't like the idea of sitting in immense pain as a needle bores into my skin for hours on end. I'd probably go insane and leave with 1/4 of a tattoo or something.
However, all this aside, if tattoos were painless and not necessarily permanent...
I'd probably get the Japanese kanji for music (ongaku) somewhere. What's the significance? Well, I've always been quite passionate about both Japanese culture and, even more famously, music. The two have been prevalent in my life for quite some time, so the tattoo would have a deeper meaning than like in my friend Lydia's case, "I have a Celtic sun on my shoulder because it looked cool and I liked it." I don't really know if she's going to wonder what the hell she was thinking later on in life or not, but I guess that's for her to find out, right?
So when it comes down to it, I'm probably not going to end up getting any tattoos. I'm very impulsive, prone to change, and getting permanently inked would be something I'd regret in the future.
Recent Comments
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Nikki Sixx said:
[this is good]Hahaha, that is an AMAZING idea. read more
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retromama said:
How cool! We are going to see Snakes on a Plane tommorow and are bringing a bag (or 6) of... read more
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Mitsuko said:
OMG Temple *__*. I love that show, it's so amazingly cheese now (ahaha). read more
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American Apparel is awesome. Sweatshop free clothing. read more
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