Death of a Rock Star

Today I found out Scott Weiland died, and his death has me totally bummed out. The part that hit me was just last week I was talking to a buddy about how I was surprised he's still alive. One may argue that there is some pretty heavy shit happening in the world right now; and while that may be true, it just seems so far, yet regular. Mass shootings seem to be a weekly occurrence, while terrorism and war seem to be inevitable. I digress; the death of a rock star seems to hit closer to home, especially when these guys are the guys I looked up to as a kid/ teen.

Growing up in the 90's I always dug the music of STP, and Weilands later band Velvet Revolver, along with his underrated solo material. For whatever reason I've always thought the reckless rock n' roll lifestyle was totally cool, and still kind of do to this day. Booze, drugs, and ladies; doesn't sound too bad right? Unfortunately when someone finally dies it brings ya back down to Earth. What could have been if some of the rockers could have cleaned up a little bit.

Lying on stage with the band.

I was luck enough to finally see Scott a few years ago on his solo tour promoting 'Happy in Galoshes.' Unfortunately he had been a mess for many years, and it became quite clear as the show progressed. His voice sounded good, the band was tight, but he was also obviously fucked. By the end of the show he was lying on the stage singing The Doors and trying really hard to be Jim Morrisson. It seemed that he was lost at that point, and most of his band joined him on the ground, though it seemed awkward and unplanned. Those years ago I predicted he'd have an untimely death much like the man he was emulating and it's now come. It's shocking to me he got on as long as he did, and in the end it's a shame, because now he's just another dead former role model. Living fast and dying young sound cool, but in reality, dying alone and completely recked seems so utterly disappointing.

Fall To Pieces Indeed.

The Back To Blogging Blog

Hello internet! It's been a while since my last blog, I have written a multitude of drafts but never got around to finishing them so hopefully if you are reading this it has been published. I thought I'd blog about some current events and rather than writing a bunch of blogs I'm just going to make this one mega blog. Here is my 2¢ on some recent news...

Facebook Hacking:
I've noticed on Facebook and around the web that the worlds most popular site is being flooded with porn and gore. Some images you may be lucky enough to stumble across include mutilated dead animals, Jesus involved in lewd sexual acts, and doctored photos of celebrates to bad things among many others. I've been hearing that the group Anonymous is responsible; if you've never heard then welcome to the internet!

This shit totally seems like a legit thing to click on!

Wether they are or not is not really the issue here, the issue is that people still don't seem to understand basic internet security. The way these images/ viruses/ spam get sent around is through the dumbasses who will click on anything. Wether you beleive that Facebook will start charging, that there is breaking news of some strange event that is only on Facebook, an IQ test, free anything (not directly from the company), or some celebrity behaving badly think twice before clicking. One can easily do a Google search to check if any of this is true, another way is read the description, if it's not in a way your "friend" would write or uncharecterstic of them to post then it is probably bullshit.

I suppose people will continue to cry afoul but these people affected are idiots for the most part. If you've used the internet for most of your life there is no reason you shouldn't be able to determine what is a real link and what is out to steal your information. If you wouldn't respond to an e-mail about the Nigerian lotto scam, why would you click on a picture of Jesus participating in gay sex? If it doesn't seem right don't do it, using a scapegoat like Anon for people's own stupidity on the internet is laughable, and they deserve to have the consequence given.

Dr. Conrad Murray/MJ:

I don't have much to say about this guy other than that he took the blame for Michael Jackson's suicide. The guy was addicted to Propofol. I have no problem with drug addicts but what I do have a problem with is people who can take no responsibility for their mistakes in life. In life MJ couldn't talk responsibility and admit that sleeping with young boys was wrong, and in death his family could not accept he had no responsibility for his death. Poor Michael, the guy was just a big kid at heart, maybe so but he was still an adult. If Murray hadn't given him the drugs some other quack doctor would have. MJ killed himself and it's time for people to start accepting that.

More to come...finally a start, but if I don't post it will never make it up. :P

A Hipsters View on the Music Industry

"Who needs a record label? We seem to be a sidewalk sensation!"

Hipsters are a strange creature, they have a love hate relationship with the music industry today. They say they like music but won't buy albums, they'll have a favourite band but then love to seem them fall once they make it to the top. They'll say things like "I liked them before they were cool." Maybe so, but based off their views, let's see exactly how the average band today should work.

A band literally starving for success gains some notoriety in the underground scene, wherever it may be.  From this initial success they may get signed to an indie label like Sup Pop Records. From there they begin to play nationwide and maybe get one of their songs played in an Apple commercial or featured at Starbucks or other chic chain hipster store.

The hipsters soon here the ad on TV and then instantly it becomes un-cool as the band begins to garner wider mainstream success. This further alienates some of the original fans so the band must now do something hip to gain the core fans back.

By this point the band will probably be on a major label like Sony. They'll play their concerts then encourage fans to pirate their album, and say something like "Fu** the record label!"

The band will then realize that at end of the day without their record label they are nothing, will get dropped, and start all over. By this point the indie fans have abandoned them for someone less mainstream and they go back to their day jobs. Band's cannot  succeed without money, and you can't have money without a label. Next time a band says screw Sony, just smile and know that they'll be washing your car/flipping your burger/mowing your lawn in the next six to eight months. 

John Lennon: Still Missed 30 Years Later

Thirty years ago today John Lennon was murdered outside The Dakota in New York. Deranged 'fan' Mark David Chapman fired the bullets that killed one of the most iconic men in music history who was also an important supporter of the anti-war and civil rights movement in a time of turmoil in America. Unfortunately Lennon never got to experience his later years like had been planned in "Just Like Starting Over";

Our life together is so precious together
We have grown, we have grown
Although our love is still special 
Let's take a chance and fly away somewhere alone

It's been too long since we took the time
No-one's to blame, I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you darling
It's like we both are falling in love again
It'll be just like starting over, starting over.

Thirty years on and his message of peace still rings true, and people still mourn his death every single year. It's a shame he had to go so soon, but the message of peace and hope for a better a future can still be held by everyone, and his music both solo and with The Beatles will never be forgotten. Thirty years ago today, RIP John Lennon. (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980)

 

War is over...if you want it. 

Pepsi Ripped off The Grateful Dead?

Today I was looking at a can of Pepsi sitting in my kitchen and I realized something...it totally looks like the Grateful Dead's "Steal your face" logo. Is it a conspiracy to make me want to listen to The Dead?! If so it worked, I'm listening to some China Cat Sunflower right now! I don't drink soda but I guess I can say...well, thank you Pepsi?!

Steal Your Face

Pepsi Logo

 

 

 

They look a lot alike to me, but hey you be the judge!

Corporate Greenwashing and Telus

The other day I was checking my e-mail like I normally do and received a message from Telus. Telus only sends me e-mails for two reasons, to let me know about rising costs or when I forget my password. Unfortunately this e-mail was about a price increase, and this was just to receive the bill.

Telus informed me that if I wanted to continue to receive my paper bill I would have to pay them an additional $2 a month. Fortunately for me though I'll be saving the world by giving that $2 to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Wow! Now I'm forced to give a to an organization I already give a fair amount of money to anyways due to Telus being a bunch of greedy bastards.

I'm all for helping the environment as it is the biggest cause I support, but if Telus really did care they would print their bill on recycled paper, or hemp paper, or even paper made out of elephant feces. (yes it exists, I have some) Instead the are forcing a 'green fee', this is really just a way for them to save money by not having to print paper to save them money, and knowing customers don't want to pay more will switch to the e-bill. Some customers don't have this option, such as people without the internet and have no option but to pay it.

Telus presumably saved killed all of these animals after this photo.

I will be switching to the e-bill but Telus wont be donating anything for me saving the world by saving paper. Again if they truly cared they would make a substantial donation to the Nature Conservancy for every customer who goes paperless which they are not. Telus should not be using animals in their ads, they do no more than any other company to save the planet and they don't care, so why try to go green now?

So hats off to Telus for joining the ever growing list of companies pretending to be green by screwing the customer. As if I didn't already have enough reason to hate the company; now I will surley be switching cell cariers come August when my contract expries. Greenwashing doesn't work, customers see through it and don't like it. If you want to be green do something about it, but please don't screw the customer to save you money!

Death Don't Have No Mercy

Today was a really shitty day for me, not the usual Monday blues, no it was strep throat! Woke up this morning struggling to swallow and breathe so I realized it was time to miss my first day of school. I departed to the walk in clinic, unfortunately rather than a walk in walk out clinic it was more like a walk in and get gawked at by old people and angry babies. Bad scene yes, but finally an hour and a half later the doctor sees me, tosses me penicillin for the strep throat I knew I had, went to Shoppers and got my meds.

The thing is all that happened today wasn't that bad, I mean bad enough but at least I have more than months to live. I hopped on the Avondale expecting to hear half senile old men complaining bout all those damn kids on their lawn, but today was different. I actually got choked up on a bus; my life was put in perspective for that ride as I listened to two older fellas talk.

There was a man in his early 60's with a thick grey beard talking to an even older 70+ decrepit looking fella. The older of the two begins by asking grey beard how his day is, but it's not the usual, he tells him he just found out he has Emphysema and it's probably going to kill him. He says 40 years of smoking was bound to catch up on me, I just never thought it would be today. He casually asks the older man how he is doing, he explains how he has a check up soon and should be in perfectly fine health. He then says to grey beard, I guess you wont be making it to England for Christmas this year, the grey beard pauses, looks around then says I guess not, I'll take it as it comes and gets off the bus.

The thing that got me the most in that conversation was the fact that both of the men were seniors and have just accepted death at their door. Even a man with one foot in the grave, so calm cool and collected; I thought then and there that his life must have been exactly as he wanted because he seemed to have no regrets.

Even though I am still young now it just puts your life in perspective, the reaper can call at anytime, take life as it is and dig every minute of it because one day it will be gone. I hope when my time comes I can come to accept the fact that it's the end and as my life flashes before my eyes I'll say, fuck, I lived one good life, cuz in the end death don't have no mercy.