Nothing like a KoRn Concert \m/

Monday night reminded me why I love going to concerts. And not the kind of concerts where you get to sit in a seat and a relax. I'm talking about the kind of concert where you fight to keep your spot on the floor in middle of a huge swelling crowd of fans while you're headbanging to the heavy riffs and breakdowns and throwing your hands up in the air, fingers forming the horns universally known as the symbol for rock music. You're half singing half screaming the lyrics to songs that you've listened to almost obsessively because in some way you can relate to those words. And as you're singing/screaming the singer makes his way to the side of the stage you're standing at and you hope that maybe out of all the other faces in the crowd he sees yours. He sees the passion on your face as you rock out to the song he helped create. That's your moment. And that's why I love those types of the concerts. Even in a large space filled with hundreds of people you can feel the intimacy of the concert because you can see the band (if you're lucky enough to be somewhere near the front) and you believe that they can see you. 
Two nights ago I went to my first concert since August to see KoRn play with Mutiny Within and 2 Cents at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC. All the bands were incredible but KoRn blew me away!The crowd went wild for KoRn. I've listened to them for so many years, since high school, but this was the first time I saw them in concert. And I can't wait to see them again. The energy they gave off was amazing. Seeing Fieldy slap  his bass while in a trance-like state almost gave me chills. I've never seen it played like that live. It was awesome. And then having Munky come over to the side of stage I was standing at to throw guitar picks was one of those moments where you feel some sort of connection with the band. You shout and jump up and down hoping that he notices you. (Too bad I didn't catch any guitar picks, though) And then there's Jonathan Davis. The guy can get away with wearing kilts and Adidas sweat suits and make them look cool. And he's so consistent. His image hasn't changed since the band began.There is nothing like seeing him perform in person holding onto KoRn's iconic microphone stand while headbanging to the heavy bass and drum beats with his long dreads swinging back and forth. He emitted so much great energy while performing that you couldn't help but feel energized yourself not matter how tired or beaten up you felt. And that is the best thing about seeing one of your favorite bands perform live. Nothing can top the energy you feel at the show. It's contagious. I go for that energy. I don't go to concerts to jump into the mosh pits or start fighting with the person next to me (although sometimes I can't deny feeling that aggression) The music is all the energy I need. And maybe I'm showing my age but I just don't understand how some people can enjoy the performances while pushing and fighting with each other. I don't need any of that childish crap. Hard rock and metal runs through my veins. That's all I need to feel alive. 

No Room for Patriotism Anymore

While I never really meant to comment about anything vaguely political in this blog, I just can't help myself after reading an article on MSN.com about 5 teenagers who were sent home because they wore clothing decorated with the American flag. I actually reread the first line of the article because I couldn't believe that a public school in America would punish students for having the American flag displayed on their clothing. I mean seriously, what has the country come to? Students are being punished for patriotism! But the real kicker is the reason why the principal sent the boys home. The boys wore their American flag bandannas and t-shirts on May 5. Or as we've all come to know it, Cinco de Mayo. The principal felt that since it was a Mexican holiday the boys should be sensitive enough not to display the American flag in a school that has a large Mexican-American  population. According to the article the school's administrators called the clothes "incendiary" and said they would incite fights on school grounds.  The teens were given two choices: Turn the shirts inside out or get suspended. They went home to avoid suspension.  One Mexican-American student was quoted saying, "I think they should apologize because it is a Mexican Heritage Day. We don't deserve to get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on the Fourth of July." Well for starters I find it offensive and disturbing that someone who lives in the United States is offended by the nation's flag. It shouldn't matter that these boys wore t-shirts decorated with the American flag on Cinco de Mayo. I don't know if the boys decided to wear these t-shirts on May 5th to make a point or to start something. That's besides the point.  As Americans they have right to wear the t-shirts whenever they want to. But their rights were stifled by extreme political correctness. There is nothing wrong with ethnic groups having their cultural days to celebrate here. That is the beauty of this country. Everyone is allowed to celebrate their cultures freely. The ugliness here lies in the fact that American patriotism was not allowed. To facilitate other ethnic groups and cultures, Americans have to be extra sensitive to the point where it crosses a line. It crosses the line of freedom of speech and expression. And let's not forget we are all Americans here anyway. No matter what country you came from if you are living here as a citizen you are an American. I am the child of immigrants and my parents strongly and proudly identify themselves as Americans. Partly because they came here to escape a country that was persecuting them and didn't allow for the opportunities that we have here. That's a huge reason why many people come to this country. Partaking in the American Dream should also involve having pride and patriotism for the country that has accepted you and has given you opportunities.  Patriotism and pride is what unifies everyone who lives here. If we don't have that unifying factor to unite us and give us common ground then what will happen to the strength of our country? It'll get weaker as I fear it already is. 
Even after reading the article a few times I still could not wrap my head around the reason why the boys' clothing was so offensive to the Mexican-Americans in the school. The statement from one girl comparing Cinco de Mayo to the Fourth of July also confused me. July 4th is Independence Day. It is the day that we celebrate our independence from Great Britain. So I did some research on what Cinco de Mayo celebrates. It commemorates the unlikely victory of the Mexican army over the French army at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.  So while it is a patriotic holiday for Mexicans and a day of celebration and pride it is not Mexico's day of Independence. That day is in September.  So no comparison could be made to the Fourth of July. And while I understand that Cinco de Mayo is widely celebrated here and in some way has become a pop culture thing, it is still a Mexican national holiday. That being said, those boys should not have been punished for wearing the American flag on American soil. Now if they showed up wearing the French flag on their t-shirts I might understand why the Mexican-American students would get offended. 




Oh and while we're talking about political correctness here's another interesting tidbit. Comedy Central is working on a cartoon about Jesus that depicts him as "a regular guy" who moves to New York to "escape his father's enormous shadow." Funny that Comedy Central could possibly air a cartoon about Jesus that will probably ridicule him and offend many Christians but they can't air Muhammad in a bear suit. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?


Here's the link to the Comedy Central article.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gxnZK5i67vuSLHEv_p8Db2L9mCAgD9FHICJO0

Feeling Good from the Blindside

I just finished watching The Blindside and the one word that came to mind as the ending credits rolled was "wow." Knowing that the movie is based on a true story makes it even more amazing. Watching this movie and witnessing how one woman changed a boy's life so drastically can make nearly anyone feel good and want to do good. I know it sounds kind of sappy but I don't know how else to describe it. I wonder what would have happened to Michael Oher if Leigh Anne Tuohy and her family never took him in. No one else paid much attention to him even though he was hard to miss. This makes me wonder how many people like Michael Oher fall through the cracks of the foster system? How many children have potential and want to do something with their lives but never have anyone to care for them and guide them in the right direction? It's really disheartening to think about it but that's the reality of the situation. I'm sure hundreds of children never get the chance to reach their potential because they were unfortunate to be born to parents who can't even take care of themselves. And then many of them get placed with foster parents who are just in it for the government money. I've never really been the kind of person to think about these things. I'm more like the person who can read a sad story in the newspaper and think to myself how horrible that is and feel bad for a moment but then  flip to the next page and never look back. But this movie made me think. And maybe that's the purpose it served for many people who saw it. Many people who are like me and need to see a portrayal of one of those sad stories to really feel the impact of it. And on the other hand maybe we need to see the actions of a kind hearted person like Leigh Anne who took it upon herself to change a young man's life and give him the family  he's never had. Seeing how someone can open her heart up so much to a stranger can make you wonder what you can do. It makes me wonder what I can do. What the Tuohy family did was extreme and is not realistic for most people. But there are smaller things that people can do. Whether it's through charity, volunteer work or pursuing and becoming dedicated to a career that allows you to help people. And while I'm still finding myself I have added another item to my list. Finding some way that I can make a difference. Maybe I should have pursued a career as  a teacher. It must be amazing be an amazing feeling to know that you were that one teacher that made a difference in a student's life that he or she will never forget. But either way I do feel inspired by this movie to try and find my way to do something good. So maybe The Blindside isn't just purely entertainment. Maybe it can inspire everyone to try and find a way to their part. 

Forever Loyal to South Park

Last night I enjoyed the latest episode of South Park. This morning I found out that certain people did not enjoy it as much as I did. In fact they hated it so much that they threatened violence on Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of the amazingly genius South Park. So who are these people that would publicly demand the death of two men who didn't set out to harm anyone? No surprise here. They belong to a group of radical Muslims called Revolution Muslim. A post by Abu Talhah Al-Amrikee  on the group's website threatened the writers with the same fate that met the Dutch filmmaker, Theo Van Gogh. He was fatally shot in Amsterdam in 2004. His crime? Creating a short film that criticized the way Islamic society treats women.  But wait, I take back what I wrote before. This group did not issue a threat.  Al-Amrikee wrote, "This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them." Oh sure it's just a mere warning. So I guess this is supposed to make the writers feel more secure? Yeah, right. All this outrage is over the depiction of the prophet Muhammad in a 2 part episode of South Park. Well not really a depiction since apparently Comedy Central banned Parker and Stone from depicting Muhammad in the show. So part 1 of the show featured Muhammad in a bear suit but  part 2 didn't even show that much. All we got to see was the word  "CENSOR". Even the mere mention of the prophet's name was bleeped out. As was a whole speech by the one of the characters, which by the way, I am dying to hear. I think an uncensored version should be released somewhere. Which brings me to my point. Why does an American show have to censor itself because of a radical religious group that doesn't like the content of the episode? People this is AMERICA! We have the right to free speech. Our writers have the right to channel their creativity without fearing death. We don't place restrictions on art because we're afraid it will offend a certain group. Well apparently we do now. At least when it comes to anything that to do with Islam. Hell, our president won't even call terrorists what they are and can't even bring himself to admit that we are fighting a war on terror with Muslim extremists. (On a side note, who's willing to bet that Obama will inevitably apologize for South Park's "offense?" He's already apologized to everyone for America's "offenses.") I remember one New York City artist created a painting of Jesus or the Virgin Mary (I can't remember which one exactly) covered  in feces. Sure some Christians were upset but they didn't call for violence. We didn't have riots in the streets. That artist wasn't killed for his art.
 Besides the point that this kind of censorship goes against the beliefs our country was founded on, people need to understand what kind of show South Park is. South Park makes fun of EVERYONE!!!!!  Not one group can escape this. And guess what? No other group has threatened violence against the writers. Because while South Park does generate intelligent social commentary it is still a cartoon. Who gets upset over a cartoon? South Park has made fun of my religion many time and I laugh it off each time.  Every South Park episode is based on some aspect of society. The censored episode was just satire of the riots that occurred in Europe after a cartoon depicted Muhammad's image. And speaking of Europe, let's not turn into them. Let's not bend over backwards and change our beliefs just so we don't offend extremists. Back in 2007 a report by the U.K. Department for Education and Skills stated that schools in England were dropping the lessons about the Holocaust to avoid offending Muslim students were taught to deny the Holocaust. Imagine wiping out a crucial chapter in history just because one group does not agree with it. In 2009 I read that Britain denied entry for a controversial Dutch politician, Geert Wilders. The article mentioned banning entry for someone was extremely rare for the British government but the reason they chose to do so in that case was because this particular Dutchman created a short film that blamed Islam for terrorist crimes by Muslim fanatics. He placed images of the crimes side by side with passages from the Koran and or speeches by Muslim clerics that justified the crimes. This film was his interpretation of what he saw but it got him banned from entering Britain because the British were afraid of the Muslim extremists who took up residence in their country. 
I truly hope that America is strong enough to withstand bending over backward to appease extremists. (Of course we probably need stronger leadership but that's for another blog) I don't appreciate this group of Muslim extremists threatening American citizens for voicing their opinions. Don't try to impose your totalitarian rules on us. They won't work here. This is not a country run by Islamic views. If you don't like our culture you are more than welcome to leave and go back to a country that abides by your views.  Don't impose your religious views on us. You might not be allowed to depict Muhammad according to your faith but last time I checked the creators of South Park weren't Muslim. They are free to do what they want. 
One last thing I'm left wondering is how did this extremist group know of South Park and its content if Muslim extremist want nothing to do with Western culture. Could it be that they watched the episode? Shocking. 

Tending to a Relationship

We are surrounded by relationship advice. If you subscribe to lifestyle magazines there's a chance there will be a relationship article buried somewhere in those pages. Especially if you're an avid subscriber to  Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Glamour magazines like I am.  The internet is also filled with relationship articles. There's always something on Yahoo's, MSN's or AOL's homepages. So before checking my e-mail I'm bound to check those articles out. Now some people might not see the point to all these articles and don't see how they apply to their relationships. But I think that even if you don't take away any specific bits of advice you should still realize, after reading such articles, that relationships take a lot of work. That's why people write these articles. They're basically like instruction manuals. You wouldn't build something without consulting the instruction manual so why would you be in something so complicated as a relationship without having some basic advice? Yes, relationships are extremely complicated. It's almost a paradox. Something that makes you so happy is just so damn hard sometimes. But nothing in life is easy and I think that sometimes the best things are the ones that you work hard for. And relationships need a lot of work. Think of your relationship as a garden. Gardens are beautiful but they take a lot of hard work. Lots of sweat and energy gets poured into maintaining a healthy and beautiful garden. The same is needed with a relationship. You can't just relax and let it take its course thinking that if this is the right person for you then you don't need to put in an effort. Of course you need to put in some effort. As soon you become lax in your relationship your partner will start thinking that you don't care. Because when you care about something you work hard for it. When you want a great looking body you go for it and you work out hard and eat right. When you want a great career you go out and pursue it without giving up. So if you want a great relationship why would you sit back and not do anything? Sure the relationship was perfect for you in the beginning. Everyone feels that way but eventually all relationships get old. But that doesn't mean they can't be good anymore. People just need to stop delusional and think that everything should feel the way it did in the beginning. Once you let go of that notion and realize that those feelings of newness and excitement can't be recreated unless you find someone new, then you can go on and start making what you have even better. For me the small things count. Texting me randomly to tell me that you miss me make me melt. Sending me funny things in an e-mail to cheer me up are greatly appreciated. Surprising me with small gifts like my favorite chocolate would show me that you still care. There are so many little things that you can do to make your relationship better and show your partner that you care. The advice is out there. All you need to do is start paying attention to it. I've always heard that doing good things for other people makes you feel good. And while I've never really considered it before, I understand it now. Doing small things for my boyfriend, whether it's showing up to his house with his favorite drink or sending him a text reminding him that a show he likes to watch is on tonight, really does make me feel better. And it shows a certain thoughtfulness. 
If you don't pay attention to anything else you read on relationships, make sure that you at least remember this. Just like not watering your flowers will cause them to die, neglecting your relationship and forgetting the small things that make the relationship strong and happy will ensure  its end. 

Bus Rides From Hell

So I endured yet another hellish bus ride today courtesy of the MTA. I've realized it's a mistake to take the bus at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and if I could avoid it, trust me I would. You would think the buses in the afternoon would run faster and be emptier since most people are at work. But what a drag it is that school gets out so early. See I can deal with a crowded bus (well sort of; I still curse every minute of it) but there's something about a crowded bus full of teenagers that makes me wish I didn't have to leave my house at all. Before I go on let me just state that I really don't have anything against all teenagers. After all, I was one a few years ago. Though, I do believe that I was quieter and more well behaved when I was out in public. Which brings me to the reason why some of these kids make me dread ever having to raise one. Why are they so damn loud on the bus??? They're young so they shouldn't be going deaf yet but for some reason the ones I'm stuck with on crowded buses feel the need to scream to their friends who are just mere inches away. Of course I always make sure to have my Ipod on but why should I have to set the volume to a deafening level just to block out their mindless talk? Maybe they feel everyone would love to hear their interesting conversations about who hooked up with whom, which teacher sucks the most, or whatever perverted thoughts decide to run through their heads. Oh yeah and did I mention how vulgar these kids get? Okay I know that when I was in high school my conversations weren't always G-rated. It's unrealistic to think that teenagers don't talk about things that adults wish they didn't talk about. But some of them just don't seem to have any shame. In fact they probably think it's cool. (It's funny how you see things differently once you're older) But forget the shame factor. At the very least they should have some sense of courtesy and should know how to conduct themselves in public. That means no yelling across the bus, not blocking people's paths and not shoving each other for fun. There have been plenty of times when some boys felt like roughhousing it  in the bus or at the bus stop. And as someone who's only 5 feet tall I can say it's not fun to have teenage giants fall into you. Seriously, do parents teach their children anything anymore? Oh and something has to be done about those monstrous backpacks. When the bus is crowded to the max it would really helpful if those huge backpacks weren't pushing into people. Just take it off and hold it.  

So all this venting is coming from years of enduring bus rides in these conditions and even worse sometimes. Today I was lucky enough to get a seat, albeit in the back stuck with a group of high school girls who of course had to scream to one another because a few inches is just too much distance between them. Oh and did I mention that in 85 degree weather there didn't seem to be any air conditioning on the bus?

Soon one day I will have my own car and to hell with these bus rides!

An Easy Way Out

The other day I read that Jesse James was entering rehab for sex addiction. Gosh there must be an epidemic going on here! First we have David Duchovny (although with all these new juicy scandals he's probably not someone to remember), then Steve Phillips, the infamous Tiger Woods and now Jesse James. So is sex addiction a real disease or just an easy way out for these sleazy men? While sex addiction may be a real problem like alcohol addiction I feel that these men are using it as an excuse for their disgusting behavior. It's an easy way out for them. They have their fun and once they get caught they claim they have a sex addiction to save their reputations. After all the public might be more willing to forgive a celebrity if he claims he has a sex addiction rather than admitting he just felt like cheating on his wife a bunch of porn stars and strippers. So I think the whole sex addiction excuse is just used to cover up immoral and overindulgent behavior. These guys probably just have over inflated egos and think they can do whatever they want but once they get caught they have to come up with a really good excuse as to why they did what they did. And what's better than claiming that you have an addiction? Maybe I'm wrong but I always felt that having an addiction means you don't have control over yourself. From what I read in the press all those extramarital activities seemed planned.  Here's something I got from medicinenet.com: "Generally, a person with a sex addiction gains little satisfaction from the sexual activity and forms no emotional bond with his or her sex partners." So if Tiger Woods really had a sex addiction would he send sweet text messages to his mistresses? Would Jesse James cuddle with his overly tattooed Neo-Nazi girlfriend? I don't think so. I think that our society has enabled a culture of excuses. People don't take responsibility for their actions.  And while I do understand that addictions are all too real and that there are people who suffer from them, I don't think all these cheaters have sex addictions. They're just jumping on the bandwagon created by the first celebrity who went to rehab to cure his sex addiction. They just need to own up to their mistakes and admit that they cheated because they wanted to. Who do they think they're fooling? Hey at least former Governor Spitzer didn't claim he had a sex addiction!