Turn Around And Meet The Hater

Fuck it all and fucking no regrets

2005-02-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

So, I know I've been bitching about my band situation for a long time and a while back I said that I finally did something about it. I've been jamming with this drummer out in Ballwin for a couple of weeks and it's really sounding promising (his favorite bands are Skynyrd and Pantera, it's like he's my long lost brother or something). We've worked on a few covers and are looking to get a bass player soon. Then (probably) another guitarist and maybe a vocalist. And he's really serious about writing too, which kicks ass. So, unlike my other band, this one might actually amount to something other than house band at Lake James Pub. Well, until next time ................ Hasta La Vista Mutha Fuckas!

LIFESBLOOD FOR THE DOWNTRODDEN COMES OUT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! New Crowbar cd people, follow along.

I'm 18, and I don't know what I want.....wait, damnit

2005-02-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

So my 19th year on this earth has come and gone. I am now officially old. I had a pretty decent birthday though. Got a PS2 and a couple of games. Nothing particularly amazing happened. Pretty normal. I have decided that I absolutely love my welding class. It only meets one day a week (for 3 hours) and welding fucking rules. I don't know if I want to weld as a career or anything, but it's nice to have the knowledge just in case. Anyway, that's all I can think of for now. Hasta La Vista Mutha Fuckas!

Oh, and this Spring is looking pretty kickass! New Crowbar cd on Feb. 8, new Black Label Society cd on March 8, and new Corrosion of Conformity cd on April 9. I think this year is going to be pretty damn good.

December 8, 2004

2005-01-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

I just thought that everyone, even those who didn't really care for Pantera or Damageplan, to know exactly what happened at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio that fateful December evening. I will tell you right now, this is long and somewhat disturbing and was taken directly from The Columbus Dispatch.

"It was like he suddenly realized, 'I've got another man's blood on me,' " said his friend Crystal Levings, 25, of Mount Vernon.

Wever was cleaning the blood from his hands, face and clothing in the Alrosa Villa bathroom when he was struck by the horror he had witnessed.

Like other fans at the heavy-metal concert by DAMAGEPLAN, he had watched a gunman shoot guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott in the back of the head, then turn the gun on those who tried to intervene. For reasons he can't explain, Wever climbed onstage to try to save a bleeding victim, even as the gunman, Nathan Gale of Marysville, continued shooting.

"I have no clue why I jumped up there," said Wever, a 33-year old Mount Vernon man who is trained in CPR for his job in store security. "I wasn't thinking anything. I just did it."

Gale was waving a handgun behind a wall of amplifiers as Wever began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the victim while another fan, Jimmy Van Fossen of Reynoldsburg, did chest compressions. Both assumed they were working on Dimebag.

But even that was a matter of confusion. The men recently learned that the victim they were trying to save was Jeff "Mayhem" Thompson, DAMAGEPLAN's security chief, who died later at Riverside Methodist Hospital.

Other fans had dragged Dimbag off the stage and onto the floor, where they attempted CPR until paramedics arrived and pronounced him dead.

Confusion continues to swirl around the night of Dec. 8, when Gale rushed onto the stage of the North Side nightclub during DAMAGEPLAN's opening song.
In the three minutes of chaos that between the first shot from his Beretta 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and a Columbus police officer's shotgun blast that killed Gale, the gunman fatally shot four people and wounded three others.

"It was mass hysteria," said Van Fossen, a 35-year old EMT who was one of the fans closest to the stage when the shooting began.

Ty Stewart, a Worthington firefighter and paramedic who was among the first responders, described the scene as "organized chaos."

The Dispatch interviewed more than three dozen witnesses, rescue workers and law-enforcement officers to clarify what happened that night.

The picture that emerges is of a mentally ill man determined to kill and a number of individuals willing to risk their lives to stop the shooting or assist the gravely wounded. The daylight hours of that Wednesday had passed with the mundane routines of a rock club preparing for a show.

DAMAGEPLAN's tour bus had arrived in the parking lot early that afternoon after an overnight drive from a gig in Buffalo, N.Y. Long before the Alrosa doors were to open, while DAMAGEPLAN's crew began setting up and the band relaxed on the bus, a few hard-core fans began to show up.

Kevin McMeans, 26, of Hilliard, arrived about 1:45 p.m. determined to meet Abbott and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, before they went inside.

The Texas siblings were stars of the heavy-metal world, gaining fame with the band PANTERA, which they formed in 1982. The group's down-tuned sound evolved into a relentless hybrid of punk and speed-metal and the band began playing big heavy-metal festivals, including Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest. PANTERA's 1994 album "Far Beyond Driven" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

With his high-pitched, lightning-quick, Eddie Van Halen-inspired solos, Dimebag was one of metal's most influential guitarists by the time PANTERA disbanded in 2002. The brothers then formed DAMAGEPLAN with lead singer Patrick Lachman and bassist Bob "Zilla" Kakaha.

Once featured in stadium shows, the brothers and their new band were working smaller halls such as the Alrosa, a modest, stucco-sided club at 5055 Sinclair Rd. that has featured local and national metal acts for more than three decades.

Vinnie Paul stepped off the bus about 3:40 p.m. the day of the show, followed about 50 minutes later by Dimebag. McMeans chatted with the brothers, who were known for mingling with fans, and got their autographs on several CD booklets. Dimebag joked about the leopard-print jacket and fuzzy multi-colored hat he was wearing while a crew member prepared to snap a photo.

"This picture will be a classic," the guitarist told McMeans as they flashed the two-fingered heavy-metal salute.

McMeans wasn't the only person who came looking for the brothers behind the club.

A man later identified as Nathan Gale approached the bus shortly before the band took the stage to ask if the brothers were on board.

Aaron Barns, the group's sound man, told him the Abbotts were already inside.

Before the doors of the club opened, three other men met up in the parking lot to share beers.

Billy Clark had com east from New Carlisle, a small city north of Dayton, while his Army buddy John Muirhead had traveled from his home in the northern Pennsylvania town of Snow Shoe.

The friends had trained at Ft. Campbell, Ky., and served together for six months in Afghanistan. Clark also spent six months in Iraq.

Clark, 23, and Muirhead, 25, were there as fans of PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN, but it was the first heavy-metal show for Clark's other friend, Troy McKelvey of Dublin.
"Billy had been talking about Dimebag for three weeks," said McKelvey, 27, who also served in the Army. "He was pumping it up, telling me Dimebag was the greatest."

They watched the four warm-up bands, moving closer to the stage as the time approached for DAMAGEPLAN to begin performing.

Alrosa can accommodate up to 700 music fans, some of whom mingle around the pool tables and bar near the front of the nightclub, but most of whom descend into the mosh pit — a sunken floor where fans sometimes collide to the music— and squeeze toward the stage.

By the time DAMAGEPLAN took the stage around 10:15 p.m., Clark was standing against the chest-high, metal barricade separating the crowd of about 400 fans from the stage.

The band was playing it's opening song, "Breathing New Life", when Gale — a 6 foot-5, 268–pound semipro football player wearing a Blue Jackets jersey and blue jeans — emerged from behind the 7½-foot-high wall of amplifiers and headed across the stage for Dimebag. With many in the crowd thinking they were witnessing a stunt, Gale pulled a handgun fired three shots at close range into the back of the guitarist's head and another that struck his hand.

Dimebag collapsed, his right leg twisting awkwardly under his body, his head and shoulders toward the crowd. Feedback screeched from his guitar.

As patrons realized it was no stunt, the club erupted in chaos.

Some fans and crew members moved to grab Gale or help Dimebag while others headed for the exits, toppling tables and chairs adjacent to the pit. At least 10 people placed frantic calls to 911, several from inside the club.

"The person is still loose with the gun," a breathless Lisa Moore, 42, of Columbus, told an operator as she fled the club. "Please hurry, please."

Alrosa security guards think Gale, 25, got inside by scaling a 6-foot wooden fence on the north side of the club. One saw him enter through a patio door and work his way through the crowd toward the stage.

A longtime PANTERA fan, he had no previous history of violence. But his mother and a former employer have said that Gale told them he was discharged from the Marines because of a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.

His mother, Mary Clark, also has said he was not taking medication for his illness — a claim confirmed by an autopsy conducted by the Franklin County coroner's office, which found no trace of drugs in Gale's system.

Former acquaintances in Marysville said the symptoms of his illness included claims that PANTERA had stolen some of his songs.

Gale was discharged from the Marines in October 2003, less than two years into a four-year stint. Military records appear to link the discharge with his weight. One document from April 2003 criticized him for weighing 243 pounds, 23 pounds above his permitted maximum.

His mother bought him the gun he used at the Alrosa as a Christmas gift during his military service and before his illness was diagnosed.

Clark said she won't tell the story of his life.

"Nothing I say about him is going to erase what happened in the end, in those few minutes," she said. "People don't want to hear it. They'll just think, 'Well, she's the mom, what else is she going to say?"

"I'm sorry for what happened, I'm sorry for those people who were killed, but I lost a son, too.

With more than 200 interviews to sort through, Columbus police detectives are still figuring out the details of what happened after Gale shot Dimebag.

"We may never know exactly," said Sgt. Jeff Sacksteder.

Witnesses speak of a struggle on stage, with one or more fans or crew members wrestling with Gale after Dimebag fell.

The commotion — and the sound of more gunfire — moved behind the wall of amplifiers on the right side of the stage and out of view for many concertgoers.

Lachman, the band's singer, leaped off the front of the stage and told fans that what was happening was real and to call 911.

Witnesses think all of the victims after the 38-year-old Dimebag were trying to help the guitarist or subdue the gunman.

Thompson, the 40-year-old crew member who some say was the first to grab Gale, was shot twice in the body and once in the leg.
Erin Halk, a 29-year-old Alrosa employee from Columbus, was shot four times in the chest, once in the hand and once in the leg.

Nathan Bray, a 23-year-old fan from Grove City who apparently had jumped onstage, and Chris Paluska, 39, DAMAGEPLAN's tour manager, each were shot once in the chest.

John Brooks, 34, the band's drum technician, was shot twice in the leg. A bullet also grazed the arm of Travis Burnett of Gahanna, 23, a crew member for VOLUME DEALER, one of the warm-up bands.

As victims fell, others tried to grab them and pull them to safety.

Billy Clark was among the fans who climbed over the barricade and reached for Dimebag. He put one knee on the stage for leverage and shouted for his friends, Muirfield and McKelvey, to help.

"I said, 'We've got to get him out of here. He's still a target.'

"I'm not sure if the soldier in me took over. He was up there bleeding and needed help."

The trio and at least one other man pulled Dimebag off the stage and carried him to the floor, where Clark began CPR after searching unsuccessfully for a pulse. Mindy Reece, a 28-year-old Columbus nurse, was scrambling from the mosh pit with a friend when she turned and saw Dimebag being carried from the stage. She went to his side, identified herself as a nurse and asked for someone's shirt to place against Dimebag's wounds.

McKelvey pulled off his T-shirt, which they slipped under the guitarist's head.

Meanwhile, Van Fossen and a friend, Andy Meravy of Gahanna, worked their way from a spot on a platform left of the stage to Thompson. The bodyguard, a giant of a man at 6-foot-8 and 346 pounds, was on his back on the right side of the stage, one of his feet dangling off the edge.

Van Fossen, who has worked for two Columbus hospitals, detected a weak pulse and began chest compressions. Wever quickly climbed onto the stage beside him. He could see Gale behind the speakers, waving the handgun.

"I'm certified in CPR," Wever told Van Fossen and began mouth-to-mouth after Meravy, also trained in CPR, cleared Thompson's airway.

"I had to spit blood out a couple of times," Wever said.

As sporadic gunfire continued, Meravy convinced Van Fossen that they needed to leave. Outside the back door, they bumped into Columbus Police Officer James D. Niggemeyer.

Niggemeyer had just started his shift at the 18th Precinct, about 2 miles away at Morse and Karl roads, when the report of shots fired at the club came in at 10:18 p.m.

He pulled into the Alrosa parking lot, grabbed the 12-gauge shotgun that police are trained to use even in situations that involve crowds, and headed for the back door of the club. Meanwhile other officers ran past panicked concertgoers fleeing through front and side doors.

"People were screaming, 'Get in there, get in there. He's killing people,' " said Officer Ricky Crum, who head three or four shots as he approached the building.

When Gale realized officers were closing in, he grabbed one of his victims and began using him as a shield. A handful of bystanders, some onstage, pointed at Gale and screamed for officers to shoot him…

"He got spooked and started retreating," said Officer Kevin G. Ferencz. "That could have been just pure by luck, but I believe he did see some of us coming at him."

Crum, armed with a shotgun and climbing steps on the left side of the stage, thinks that Gale was preparing to fire at officers in the pit when Niggemeyer stepped through the stage door.

With the shotgun raised, Niggemeyer moved around the abandoned drum set and killed Gale with a single blast of lead pellets to the face. "

I had to do it. I had to do it," he immediately told bystanders and fellow officers.

Niggemeyer has not publicly discussed the incident because it still must be reviewed by a grand jury, as is standard protocol for al fatal shootings by police officers.

Meravy, who was among the concertgoers who witnessed the scene, said, "He seemed floored that he had to do it."

Niggemeyer's shot took on added significance last week, when police revealed that Gale had enough ammunition to do much more violence.

Another five rounds remained in Gale's gun, and he was carrying 30 more live rounds. Sacksteder said the gunman had fired 10 shots, reloaded the magazine and fired five more rounds before he was killed.

"He had the gun in his armpit and he was putting bullets in the clip," recalled Marvin Woodruff, of Mount Vernon, who attended the concert with Wever. "It seemed like it took two seconds to reload that gun."

After Gale went down, Crum saw the hostage scramble away and roll off the front of the stage.

Some of the bystanders who remained on the stage had to be ordered out of the building after they cursed at and kicked Gale's body, Crum said.

Although investigators have declined to name the hostage, Barns, the club's sound man, identified him as Brooks, the band's drum technician. Officers who responded to the scene have said the hostage had gunshot wounds in the leg, which is consistent with Brooks' injuries.

He and the other surviving victims have declined interview requests.

"Jim (Niggemeyer) prevented further injuries and deaths," Crum said.

"The suspect wasn't going to stop unless someone stopped him."

After the shooting had ended, Lt. Rick Schoch of the Columbus Fire Division was the first paramedic to enter the club, walking through the same patio door that Gale used on his way to the stage.

"There was an overall feeling of shock and despair and agony about what had just happened," he said.

Dimebag was on the floor, Thompson and Halk were on the stage and Bray was in the dressing room. He considered all to be in level-one trauma, or critical condition. Gale was pronounced dead.

Columbus firefighters Mark Williams and Bryan Cross arrived aboard Medic 24 six minutes after the first report of shots fired and took their stretcher and other equipment through the patio door.

"People were still leaving," Williams said. "Some were screaming, some seemed to be in shock, with blank stares on their faces."

Schoch directed Williams and Coss to Dimebag's body. They found Reece, the Columbus nurse, performing CPR, and asked her to continue while they hooked up monitors and checked his condition.

He was pronounced dead within minutes. "His heart activity had stopped," Williams said.

Williams and Coss then moved to the small dressing room, stepping over Gale's body to reach Bray. He was alive, with a bullet wound to the chest, but died after they took him to Riverside.

On stage, Tinnerman and two other firefighters from Worthington determined that Halk was dead.

Nearby, Clinton Township Firefighters Chris Biasella and Kellie Ruetsch found Van Fossen and Wever performing CPR on Thompson.

"Dude, we had a pulse right before you got here," Van Fossen told Biasella.

With the help of police officers, they moved Thompson from stage onto a gurney. Van Fossen continued chest compressions until Thompson was loaded onto the Clinton Township rescue squad for the trip to Riverside, where he was pronounced dead.

Paramedics found tour manager Paluska slumped against a vehicle in the parking lot, still conscious but with a serious chest wound. Brooks, the drum tech, wound up on the band's bus after fleeing the club.

Both men were taken to Riverside, where they recovered from their injuries.

Burnett was treated at the scene for a bullet that grazed his arm, but he declined transport.

The remaining members of DAMAGEPLAN haven't spoken publicly since the attack. For many of the other people who witnessed the devastation of that night, the memories are unforgettable.

Niggemeyer, in his only comment to The Dispatch, said he is dealing with the killing, "as good as can be expected."

Alrosa manager Rick Cautela remembers his last view of Dimebag's brother, Vinnie Paul, who took refuge in the club's front bar.

"He was wrapped in a blanket, and he was clutching Dimebag's guitar."

Justin Caudill, of Mansfield, a fan who tried unsuccessfully to pull Dimebag off the stage, cried off and on for a week after the shootings.

"I'm a 28-year-old metalhead covered with tattoos and this is killing me," he said at the time.

"My life's changed, man. I'll move on from it, but it will never go away."

RIP Dime.

CFH

Soundtrack To A Beating

2005-01-13T14:38:00.000-08:00

Well, it's finally happening. I know that I constantly talk about getting another band and leaving that other one, but now it's official (99% anyway). I told Rod last night that he got way too drunk at the New Year's Eve party that we played at and made us all look very unprofessional (couldn't hardly stand up, couldn't keep his eyes open, would stop in the middle of a song to drink a beer, and for the countdown [which he was leading, by the way] he was switching numbers all over the place. I.e. 10, 9, 7, 5, 6, 4, 2, 3, 1...Happy New Year you fucking drunk!). I told him that if he gets drunk again at a gig be it tonight, or any night, that would be my last gig with them. Now it's all up to him. We play tonight at Porky's and Saturday at The Elevator (possibly, if Rod doesn't get drunk tonight). So this may be the last time you ever hear me bitching about being in a band that I hate. The only person I feel sorry for is Justin. He's a good guy, and yeah he drinks a little when we play, but it never causes a problem like it does with Rod. I also feel bad for our drummer who is in Florida right now. He was the only person in that band that never, NEVER pissed me off. Well, I'm off to possibly find a new band.

And on a totally unrelated note: I just saw the worst movie ever last night. Don't get me wrong, I love M. Night Shyamalan (or whatever) but The Village sucks! There needs to be about 1/3 of the dialogue and maybe some more action. The creatures weren't scary at all, and the concept was absolutely retarded (for lack of a better word). If you haven't seen this movie yet, do yourself a favor and don't. And if you have, there is nothing I can do to help you. Sorry.

Hasta La Vista Mutha Fuckas!

Floods

2005-01-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

It's been rainy here for the past couple of days so I bring to you a nice rainy day song. The song kicks ass, and if you disagree you can lick mine. To do this song justice you should all download it. NOW!

"Floods" - PanterA

A dead issue, don't wrestle with it, deaf ears are sleeping
A guilty bliss, so inviting (let me in), nailed to the cross

I feel you, relate to you, accuse you

Wash away us all, take us with the floods

Then throughout the night, they were raped and executed
Cold hearted world

Your language unheard of, the vast sound of tuning out,
The rash of negativity is seen one sidedly,
burn away the day

The nervous, the drifting, the heaving

Wash away us all, take us with the floods

Then throughout the day mankind played with grenades
Cold hearted world

And at night they might bait the pentagram
Extinguishing the sun

Wash away man, take him with the floods

I'm So Fucking Bored!

2005-01-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

Name: Zach Hopper

Age: closing in on 20

Zodiac: the dawning of the age of Aquarius

Location: Prairietown IL

Gender: male

Birthday: Jan. 30, 1985

Height: 6’0”

Weight: is that a fat joke?

Eyes: hazel

Hair: light brown

Favorite Band: diggin’ Alabama Thunderpussy at the moment

Favorite Song: probably “Stone The Crow” by Down

Least Favorite: Nirvana

A band/singer you wished you hated: If I want to hate something, I hate it. stupid motherfucker

A band/singer you listen to but hate: Kelly Clarkson......shut up

Favorite one to two lines of a song: hmmmm.......’To walk through the world by oneself, you can’t be protected. Your trust is in whiskey and weed and Black Sabbath, it’s Goddamn electric.’

Song that puts you in your happy place: 5 Minutes Alone (Pantera)

Name a depressing song: Fade to Black (Metallica)

Favorite Food: Jack Daniels

Favorite TV Show: King of the Hill

Favorite Book: either A Time To Kill by John Grisham or Intensity by Dean Koontz

Favorite Color: black or navy blue

Favorite Season: winter

Favorite movie: The Big Lebowski

Least favorite: anything involving Japanese animation

Which movie have you seen most? Big Lebowski

How many times? probably close to 100 times

Why? holds the record for most f-bombs in one movie

Best soundtrack: Joe Dirt, period.

How are you feeling today? tired

Are you usually happy or sad? somewhere in between

How many people would you like to kill (in the face)? kill in the face? Couldn’t that have been worded better? I would probably kill close to 6 billion people, give or take 10 or 12.

How's life at home? fine, you nosey bastard

If you have siblings, do you get along with them? better than I used to, that’s for damn sure

Have you lost any family members? yes, about 6

Do you get along with your parents? most of the time

Have you ever cussed someone out? fuck yeah

Have you ever mugged someone? yes, I have thrown a mug at someone

What is your greatest fear? the Olsen twins

What makes you happy? the Olsen twins

If you could sit down to a cup of coffee with anyone who would it be? Dimebag Darrell, because he would have spiked the coffee with Crown Royal.

Do you like to smile? if something makes me smile

...Do you know smiling is good for you? I do now

Do you get frustrated easily? oooooooooooh yeah

How tolerant are you of others? depends how gay they are

Do you act your age? most of the time

Have you ever commited a crime? yes, but never caught, boo ya

What was it? theft, sale and consumption of illegal substances, vandalism, etc.

Have you been in jail? nope

Hugs or Kisses: doesn’t matter

Candles or Lights: lights. Candles suck

Stars or Sun: Sun

Brush or Comb: brush

Pixy Stix or Fun Dip: Pixy Stix burn like fuck when you snort them!

Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb: Pibb, baby

Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter: LOTR, no question

Barbies or Action Figures: both. Big old plastic orgy

The Matrix or Minority Report: neither one

England or United States: USA, all the way

Starbucks or Java City: coffee blows

CDs or Records: records sound better, but it’s easier to find CDs

Be at the game or Watch the game at home: watch at home since I can’t legally drink yet

Cheetos or Doritos: Doritos

Playstation or Nintendo: Playstation

TV or Movies: tv

Individual or Team sports: individual

Day or Night: evening

Mysterious or Outgoing: little bit of both

Blondes or Brown: blondes, biatch

Blue or Green eyes: blue

Virgins or Experienced: whoever’s feeling horny is alright with me

Security or Happiness: can’t have one without the other

Pool or Spa: pool

Books or Internet: books

School or Work: work

Public Transportation or Private: you can’t piss in your own car

Color or Black and White Photos: black and white

Tape or Tacks: the fuck?

Bike or Skate: bike. Skaters are fags

Out on the town or home in PJs with a movie and food with boy/girlfriend: home, PJs, porno and no girlfriend

Long but unhappy life or short and fulfilled life: long and fulfilled

Kissing in the rain or kissing in front of the fireplace: if the fireplace caught us on fire, I’d have to say rain so it could put us out

Be the life of the party or Skip out on the party: skip

Is it okay for the girl to ask the guy out or not: sure

Skater shoes or Fashionable Shoes: biker boots

Who is the last person that called you? um, it’s been a while

Who is the last person you called? work

Are you in love? psh, fuck no

How many times have you been in love? never

Does the person know? does who know? Who the fuck are you talking about?

Are you in a relationship? nope

If so, for how long? did you not hear me?

Do you believe there is someone out there for everyone? yeah

Have you ever been dumped? yup

Have you ever dumped anyone? kind of

What's the most sexual thing you've done with the opposite sex? does jerking off to a Jenna Jameson video count as ‘doing something sexual with the opposite sex”? It does? Then what I just said.

Dream a little dream of me

2005-01-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

All the talk of dreams in my friend Tim's blog has made me want to tell you of the mindboggling little dream I had of my own last night. Let me begin by saying that I have no idea where these thoughts came from, but they did.

I was drafted into the Army to fight in the jungles of Baghdad (yes, I know that Iraq is basically all desert) with a small unit of maybe 7 or 8 people. One of the people in my unit was the guy that plays Lucy's husband on 7th Heaven. The other people will come into play in a moment. My commanding officer was none other than Bill Freakin' Cosby. His kids from his show were the other members of our unit. After Theo, 7th Heaven guy, and I volunteered to machete into the jungle to find the Insane Clown Posse, we were armed with our spears (which had small atomic bombs at the tips), guns, and toilet paper (I don't fucking know). Obviously 7th Heaven guy was killed and Lucy was very angry in the hot tub. She tried to beat up Theo and Rudy (another Cosby kid) stopped her by throwing tea bags at her. I was not as lucky as 7th Heaven guy though, I fell off of the truck that we were driving (it was a flat bed, which is standard military issue, by the way) and was captured by Aboriginees. They were about to torture me to get the location of our HQ when my dad so rudely woke me up. Every word I spoke is true and retarded. I seriously have no idea how those thoughts got into my head. Maybe I need to stop dropping acid before bed.

Hasta La Vista Mutha Fuckas!

Planet Caravan

2005-01-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I had a good enough time this holiday season. Worked alot of over time, made some money, played a couple of gigs, and slept like a fucking baby. I hadn't had a good night's sleep in months, so this was a welcome change of pace. My sister got an Xbox and I've been addicted to the game Topspin that came with it. It's some tennis game that I thought would be really stupid, but I can't seem to stop playing it. Well, anyway, I know this isn't the chock full of information update that I usually post (about once a month), but it'll have to hold you over for a little while. My birthday is on the 30th of this month, if y'all got me a present, I wouldn't hate you! I'll probably have more to talk about after I turn 20 (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm a fucking geezer!!!!!!!). Well, hasta la vista mutha fuckas.

In Memoriam "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott 1966 - 2004

2004-12-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

I'm sure that most of you have heard that at 10:18 pm on December 8, the music world lost one of it's most influential guitar players. Seeing all of the posts on forums and reading the stories on CNN.com made me realize that I had to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and let out my feelings about Dimebag Darrell.

I vividly remember the first time I ever heard Pantera's music. I was at my buddy Andrew's house in Troy and I was looking through his CD collection. I noticed his copy of Cowboys From Hell and asked him to put it in the stereo. I was totally blown away. I'd never heard that kind of unbridled energy or power in music before. That was the beginning of my infatuation with Pantera.

I've been a subscriber to various guitar magazines since 1996 and have always been intrigued by the images of some of these guitar players. But no player has ever caught my attention like Dimebag. With his tiger striped Chuck Taylor's, his purple goatee, and his weird shaped guitar, he personified 'Rock Star'.

I first got the news that Dime had been killed last night, 20 minutes before my band was set to take the stage at Porky's in Wood River. I was shocked and full of disbelief. I am not ashamed to say that I cried and felt that the world had been robbed of a great talent. At first I felt a little weird about crying for this man that I had never met, but then I realized just what an impact he had on me. I've been reading articles and interviews of him for the better part of ten years. That's about half of my life. And in that time I've gotten to see what kind of person he was and how he felt about his fans. I've learned lots of things from his columns in those magazines that no other person on the face of the planet could teach me. I feel like I've truly gotten to know the man the world knew as Dime throughout the last eight years. I truly have lost an icon, a hero,and a teacher.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Rita, his brother Vinnie Paul, the rest of the Damageplan family, Rex Brown, Phil Anselmo, and the families of the other three who were viciously murdered.

Rest in peace, brother.

Que Lastima

2004-10-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well, what is new in the life of the most exciting man alive? I'll tell you, my friends. NOT SHIT! Since the last time I really posted in like September, nothing has happened. I need a life, folks. If any of you would like to donate one to me I'd be most appreciative. I'll tell you why I don't have a life: apparently my subconscious doesn't want me to have one. Anytime I get invited to something I say I'm going to go. But whenever time comes for me to leave, I decide to do something else. Like, say, help my dad work on the garage or stay home and practice guitar. Wow, it's no wonder people don't invite me to do things anymore. And it's my own fault. I mean, I live about 30-45 minutes away from a great majority of my friends, and my car is a gas-hog. If I'm not going to be making money going somewhere, I pretty much don't want to go. I could drive 45 minutes to a friend's birthday party, but I don't because I'm too fucking cheap to drive there. I could go see a movie with a group of friends, but I don't because movies cost money and gas costs money. No money = No movie. And I should have money because I have a job. But to tell you the truth, my job covers the cost of my car payment every month and gives me about 20 cents of spending money. I tell you, I live quite possibly the most worthless, pathetic life ever. I see my friends a total of about once per month (if that) and I haven't been on a date in about 2 years. Somebody fucking slap me.
Hasta La Vista Mutha Fuckas!

Fuck

2004-10-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

Fuck. I figured I should put something here just to say that I updated. There.
Hasta La Vista Mutha Fuckas!

No Turning Back Now

2004-09-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's come to the point of no return. I placed an ad in the St. Louis classifieds that I'm a rhythm/lead guitar player and a vocalist looking to form an original metal band. And I've responded to a few of those ads. This is a perfect time too, because my current band plays this weekend and then doesn't play again until November 13. So that will give me alot of time to think and to possibly try out with new bands or try out new musicians. Wish me luck.

Hasta La Vista Mutha Fucka!

Senor Limpio

2004-09-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

After seeing people's lists of bands in their profile, I decided to make a list of my own. Keep in mind, bands that I put in the 'Bad' section are bands that I personally do not like. This does not mean that they are not good at what they do. Just that I do not personally like the music that they make. And, unlike some of those other more closed minded people, just because someone doesn't write their own music or play their own instruments doesn't mean they can't be good artists. Anyhoo...

The Good-Bands that I think are, well, good
MetallicA
Megadeth
Pantera
Black Sabbath
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Corrosion Of Conformity
Alice In Chains
Down
Superjoint Ritual
ZZ Top
Aerosmith
AC/DC
Motorhead
Slayer
Gov't Mule
Black Label Society
Allman Brothers
System Of A Down
Dropkick Murphys
White Zombie
Rob Zombie
The Misfits
Danzig
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw
Garth Brooks
David Allan Coe
Trace Adkins
Pink Floyd

The Bad-Bands that I think suck
Slipknot
Mudvayne
Nirvana
Blink-182
SR71
MxPx
Justin Timberlake
Staind
Nickelback
Korn
Limp Bizkit
Sum41
Led Zeppelin

The Ugly-Good or bad doesn't matter. These dudes are UGLY.
Snoop Dogg
Rancid
The Ramones
Stone Temple Pilots (Scott Weiland, actually)

Now I don't want to be getting any motherfucking comments saying how stupid my opinions are because that's just what they are....OPINIONS. If you disagree with my opinions, that's fine. But don't come bitching to me because some band that you really like is on my bad list. However, if you do complain to me, saying that Metallica sucks and sold out and all of that other horseshit, you should do yourself and the world a favor and fucking kill yourself. Seriously.

Hasta La Vista Mutha Fucka!

Live Like Your Were Dyin'

2004-09-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well, shit. Not much has happened since last time I posted. My band was hired by the Lake James Pub for next year. Every other weekend in 2005 we'll be playing. So I'm hoping we can get some gigs other places too so that I can make some damn money. We're working on writing originals down for New Year's Eve. We've now got 6 that we're working on. Only one is named with a few words floating around. It's called "Throwdown" and it's got kind of a Charlie Daniel's Band meets Hank Williams Jr feel. It should be a really good beer drinking bar song. Well, that article about us in the Madison County Chronicle has given us quite a few calls from bar owners and people having parties and such. It should be getting heavier pretty soon. Until next time.......
Hasta La Vista Mutha Fucka!

You Never Even Called Me By My Name

2004-09-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well, the band is going to be in the Madison County Chronicle. That's cool and all, but what I'm most psyched about is the fact that we will soon be playing at the Music Room in Meadowbrook. You're probably wondering to yourself as to why I'm so thrilled about playing a small roadhouse in Meadowbrook. Well, I'll tell you why. The same stage that we will soon be gracing is the same stage that has shared the likes of The Marshall Tucker Band, Confederate Railroad, Eddie Money, The Charlie Daniels Band, Hank Williams Jr and Mr. Outlaw himself, David Allan Coe. And all of these concerts were in the last four months. DAC was just there last weekend. I can't wait to say that I've played the same stage as Hank, Charlie, and David. And what a time it will be.

Hasta La Vista Mutha Fucka!

Naked Women And Beer

2004-09-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

I'll bet that got your damn attention! Anyway, my band played at the same place we've always played. It was the best we've ever done. Played to a packed house with people hootin' and hollerin' when we played ZZ Top, Skynyrd, and SRV. I'd have to say the most fulfilling thing about that evening was after I had finished the lead to ZZ Top's Waitin' For The Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago medley and hearing some guy in the crowd say, "Goddamn, that boy can fucking play". I love you drunk man, whoever you are. We've got some very promising prospects for new bars. A bar in St. Jacob called The Elevator wants us to play there. The bar at Fairmount Park wants us bad. So we should be playing there in a few weeks. We'll also be playing at a few bars in Godfrey (Tony's Ranch House, Regal Beagle, Maggie May's). It's all starting to hit pretty well. Hopefully I'll be able to quit my terrible job at the dog kennell. I'm also putting an ad in the paper for guitar lessons. So, if you know anyone who wants to learn to play guitar, let me know. I figure if we get two or three gigs a week and I can get maybe 10 students, I'll definitely be able to quit my job. That's the goal anyway. And then the next goal is my Harley. But, baby steps.

Hasta La Vista Mutha Fucka!

That's How I Like It

2004-08-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Woo, damn. Ain't nothing better than a Skynyrd concert. Took absolutely no pictures because I wasn't sure if I was able to bring a camera, but i had a ton of fun and made a bunch of memories that I don't need a camera for. Brought my Confederate Flag because I wanted to wave it during Sweet Home Alabama and Simple Man and pretty much every other song. It was a damn good time.

Where I come from it's grits and gravy
Not champagne n' caviar
We got pickup trucks ain't no Mercedes
That's who we are

Ooh, my life is good.

I ain't no saint, sometimes a sinner
And I can't tell you why
But I get up every morning
And thank the man above

Ooh, wouldn't change a thing.

I like my women hot and my beer ice cold
Little fast cars and my whiskey old,
Like a slow drive down an old dirt road
That's how I like it

And I can turn my music way up loud
Ain't nothin' better than the sound of a crowd
American flag it makes me proud
That's how I like it

There ain't no cellphone towers
You won't catch me online
Workin' with my hands for hours is how I spend my time

And I don't stand in line for coffee
It ain't my cup of tea
Out here in the country we've got everything we need

Ooh, wooo

Like my women hot and my beer ice cold
Little fast cars and my whiskey old
Like a slow drive down an old dirt road
That's how I like it

And I can turn my music way up loud
Ain't nothin' better than a Skynyrd crowd
American flag it makes me proud
That's how I like it.

Yeah, that's how I like it. Hasta La Vista Mutha Fucka!

Hit The Door, You're Fucking Fired

2004-08-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FLOAT TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was a damn good time. Lots of tunes, lots of beer, lots of boobs, and lots of relaxation. I think that might have actually been the most fun I've ever had in my entire life. I'll post pictures later after they're developed. I only took about 12 so I'm saving the camera for the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert next weekend. Hasta La Vista Mutha Fucka.

Saturday Night Special

2004-08-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

Well damn, hasn't been long since I updated this damn thing. It's Wednesday, one more day closer to Saturday which means one day closer to FLOAT TRIP!!!!!! I've got everything ready. I've got a case or Coors Light, a bottle of Jack Daniels and a waterproof disposable camera (for boobs, of course). It's gonna be so much fun. I think I mentioned the Gin Bucket in the last posting and I thought that I should describe, for those who don't know, what it contains. This is a trademarked John Wiemers drink which consists of one full 750ml bottle of gin, one 750ml bottle of vodka, two cans of Sprite, and a bunch of lemons and limes chopped up and mixed together in a metal pail. This concoction gets passed around the campfire until the bucket is empty. Now, it seems to me that a mixed drink consisting of a full bottle of gin and a full bottle of vodka would probably fuck you up pretty fast. But, eh well. Sounds like a good time to me. Then Saturday morning comes the floating. There's going to be a lady there who was my first grade reading teacher. Hot then, hot now. She used to wear white button-up shirts with a black bra. Fuckin' A right. And last year she flashed everyone there. I'm hoping she does that again this year because I've been waiting since first grade to see those thangs. And that's why I bring the waterproof camera. Anyway, Prairietown homecoming was last weekend. Good times I guess. It actually sucked more than it usually does. First of all there were cops there IDing anyone who had a beer in their hands. So it's a good thing that I only drink in the middle of large groups of people. And I only had one beer anyway, so they would have had to catch me pretty fast. Needless to say, I am so damn sly that I wasn't caught. What else is going on in the life of El Dudarino (if you're into the whole brevity thing)? Oh, how could I forget that a week from Saturday is the day I go, for my second time, to see Fuckin' Skynyrd!!!!!! What song is it that you want to hear?

Hasta La Vista Mutha Fuckas!

Tennessee River Run

2004-08-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

So, my folks came back last Thursday from Indiana and left tonight for Tennessee. This is the second week in a row that I have the house all to myself. It don't get no better than that. Also, this Friday I'm leaving at 5:30pm for Missouri to some river for a float trip. It's going to be fucking sweet. Friday night, pass the Gin Bucket around the campfire, and Saturday morning wake up early and float the river and drink beer all day. WOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Party on the water baby! I'll let you know how it turns out. Hasta La Vista Mutha Fucka.

Georgia On My Mind

2004-07-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be wondering why I haven't been online for the past few days. Others could give a shit. But for those of you who did, I was in Stone Mountain, Georgia visiting my relatives. We had a great time visiting with my cousins and aunt. We climbed Stone Mountain, we visited the Dekalb Farmer's Market (biggest store in the world), we went bowling, we played trivia at a restaurant, and all sorts of other stuff. On the way home we visited the Kennesaw Mall (biggest mall in Georgia, I hear) and we also took a really big detour to visit historic Lynchburg, Tennessee. Now, I know you may be thinking, 'who cares about some stupid little town like Lynchburg?'. Well, let me tell you. Lynchburg, Tennessee just happens to be the home of my best friend in the whole world. Jack Daniels. We took a tour of the distillery and got our picture taken, which will be on the website, btw. I also bought a collectible bottle of whiskey showcasing the gold medals that Jack has won over the last hundred or so years. I bought a t-shirt and that bottle. Well, actually, I gave my mom money and she bought the bottle (19). But anyway, a great time was had by all. Hasta la vista mutha fucka

Satan's Fall

2004-07-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

Well, what's new in the life of me? A whole damn lot actually. First of all, my band is about to fall apart. The fact that everytime I go to Rod's house to practice, he starts a political debate with me is not a fun situation. Rod is a Gung Ho republican. I hate people who are strictly republican or democrat because they're too damn closed minded to vote for a person instead of a party. But those strict republicans piss me off more. They're just so damn arrogant. Also, Rod thinks that he's always right when it comes to musicality. Like, if a song should be faster or slower, softer or louder, longer or shorter. But in reality, he's wrong about 95% of the time. Another thing, I'm not a bass player. I'm a guitar player who happens to (half-assedly) play bass. Justin is a bass player who happens to play guitar. And yet, who plays more bass. ME, that's who. Every new song we do has me on the bass. That's nice. Last thing, I promise. The entire band is a giant group of sellouts. They're always saying "it's not about us, it's about the people in the crowd. It doesn't matter what we want to hear or what we want to play, you have to play what the crowd wants." And, of course, the crowd wants to hear funk and bullshit like that. If I never play a funk song it will be too soon. I finally got a light at the end of my tunnel the other night. A buddy of mine asked me if I wanted to be in a band with him. I'd be playing lead guitar and no vocals. I loved that idea, that way I wouldn't be singing and could focus all of my attention on guitar. Then last night he tells me that he thinks that my already existing band would get in the way of this band and that it probably wouldn't work out. He said he didn't want to only be able to practice when I could. That's beautiful. He'd rather wait for the drummer to LEARN THE FUCKING DRUMS than he would to wait for me to get home from my other practice to practice with them. That makes sense. I'm starting to hate the whole band thing. In fact, I think I'm going to sell my guitars and just take my dad's advice and put in an application to Alton Steel where he works. I'd be making pretty good money and have benefits and wouldn't have to go to school. Ah well, it doesn't really matter anyway. Hasta La Vista mutha fucka.

...And Justice For All

2004-07-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

Heavy metal! You rock! It's mostly about the
music instead of lyrics for you...but you
channel most of the emotion through the lyrics!
Mosh pit for you! Just be careful you don't
give yourself a concussion with so much
headbanging...

What genre of rock are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

America's Volume Dealer

2004-07-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

your fuck.

What swear word are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Wiseblood

2004-07-13T22:04:00.000-07:00

Pirates of the Caribbean!

What movie Do you Belong in?(many different outcomes!)
brought to you by Quizilla

Went to Noah's the other day to visit my bud Matt (who, I should add, I haven't seen in like 8 years). Good times. Played some pool (got my ass kicked), played Texas Hold-em, and shot some frogs with a BB gun. Good stuff. Noah got one right in the eye. It was crazy. Well, nothing else has really happened. Hasta La Vista mutha fucka.

Use Once And Destroy

2004-07-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

Rod's house is built too close to a creek. Anytime it rains alot, I'm talking flash flood, his whole yard and his basement flood. The yard includes his inground pool. I told you that story to tell you this story: Today I went to Rod's at 10 to help him clean out his pool (mud, leaves, sticks, frogs, and whatnot). We went to Ace Hardware in Troy and rented a trash pump. Seven hours and thirty cans of beer later, the pump dies. Just flat out fucking dies. Was it out of gas? No. Was it out of oil? No. Was the spark plug bad? Yes. But what could we do about that at 7pm? Jack shit. By that time Justin got there and we sat around, talked about going to some cave on Sunday and drank a few more beers.

Totals: Beers Times had to piss
Me 15 0
Justin 10 8

Interesting.

A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred

2004-07-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

So the 4th of July has come and gone. The party was a huge fucking success. It was hotter than hell but we still busted ass and sweat our balls off to give them a kickass show. They asked us back next year for $400. We'll definitely do it again. That storm last night was something else. I don't think I've ever seen so much lightning in my entire life. There was a shitload of red lightning right over my house. And that sky looked like fuckin' Armageddon. Well, I'm off tomorrow so if anything interesting happens, you'll be the first to know. Hasta la vista mutha fucka.

2004-07-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, for your optic pleasure, my new kickass, motherfucking, bitchin', cock sucking, shit eating, god damn blog from hell! Now that I got all that swearing out of the way, we can get to the fucking point. My band played last night at the Lake James Pub in Holiday Shores. We had a great time even though we sucked ass. Hell, I got flashed and the chick that flashed me bought me a drink, so all in all it was a very VERY fulfilling experience. The only thing that sucked worse than us was the fact that I had to work this morning at 8 after we played until 2. Fun shit! Got to bed around 5, got up at 7 and worked a 9 hour day. Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming. No, my friend, I am in fact speaking the truth. We play again tomorrow at a private 4th of July party. Hopefully we won't suck and hopefully the rain will hold off. But, que sera, sera. Hasta La Vista mutha fucka.