Holding Onto The Floor

So I thought I'd finish off my 12th and final blog with some more of my lyrics. This one is called Holding Onto The Floor and we played this song every show. Its really laid back, with me on acoustic guitar and vocals, Cameron on bass, and Jeff on the bongos. Check it out.

Holding Onto The Floor

Verse:
Stuck in the middle of the ocean
And I ain't got no paddle
I would dive into the water
But its lookin' kind of shallow
I accustomed to accepting defeat
I fall in love with every girl that I meet
Things aren't exactly the way that they seem
But then again who really knows what that means?

Bridge:
Well the only thing I'm not sick of is goin' out at night
Drinkin' brew I never knew I'd end up in a fight
And the best kind of love affairs are when you cant see straight
It's about time I change my luck and finally catch a break

Chorus:
Beacause...
Its been a long week, and an even longer year
So when were sick of our dull lives
I'll reach for the bottle with the number 45
I'll go to see my favorite bands and practice my stage dives
I'll crack open a fresh one until the day I die
I'll crack open a fresh one and I'll say cheers
Until the end of time

Verse:
I'm sick of workin' my ass off
But I hope I don't get fired
I know too well from first hand
That the taste of pain is acquired
As I trip over my two left feet
When I play my favorite reggae beats
I'll call around until I locate a dime
I know the words to every song by Sublime

Bridge

Chorus

Outro:
I wouldn't have it any other way
Don't mind the shitty feeling the next day
It if wasn't for prior engagements I had
If I wasn't asleep on the floor at my dad's
We would surely party everyday
I'm sorry that I missed Adam's birthday
But I think tonight the floor is where I'll stay

By the way the line about my friend Adam in the outro is an inside joke.

Three Cups Of Tea

I found this book to be very interesting. It is basically about a mountain climber named Greg who ends up helping Pakistani people build schools. He is threatened by extremists, and some of the schools are destroyed, but he carries on and succeeds in establishing over 7800 schools in 10 years. Greg's determination was moving and the way that he helped those people was very compassionate. This is an amazing story and I would recommend it to everyone.

Slightly Stoopid

One of my favorite bands of all time is called Slightly Stoopid. Basically, they picked up where Sublime left off after the tragic death of Sublime's Bradley Nowell. Slightly Stoopid mixes classic reggae sounds with hip hop and punk rock to make a totally different sound. Its mainly two guys who both play guitar, bass, and sing. They have hardcore punk songs as well as upbeat reggae-pop songs, all the way to slowed down heavily dubbed out roots reggae. Its a crucial sound. They have a variety of different songs and their message is similar to that of the songs I write. To party, have a good time, and the struggle against the police. They have been a very influential part of my music, and I think they have at least one song for everybody's taste.

My Birthday

Yesterday was my 18th birthday. Finally! I've always had a late birthday, which drives me crazy, but yesterday, was my big day. So I'm no longer a minor. I feel like many new opportunities have opened up to me and I'm excited to take advantage of them. One thing I'm excited for is legally getting a tattoo. My dream tattoo would be a few palm trees one a remote little island, maybe with a sun in the background. There would be chill little waves and a guitar leaning up against the one of the trees. I picked this because it represents two things I love: music and the beach. But anyway, there's other things I can do now too. I gotta watch out though. If I get in trouble with the law, my parents aren't going to bail me out. For now on I'm responsible for myself, and if I slip up, they can take me to jail. Being 18 has its ups and downs, but I'm willing to be more responsible. Now I'm just counting down till my next big birthday...my 21st!

First Semester

So the semester is coming to a close huh? Having been my first semester in college, I think it went pretty well. I learned a lot about how things work, like actually studying for tests, not saving work till the last minute, and attending class regularly. I guess you could say I was somewhat of a slacker all through high school, but I've come the the harsh realization that it doesn't fly in college. One of my biggest obstacles has been procrastination, and due to my laziness, I have had to pull a few all-nighters. I'm trying to avoid that though, considering I don't work as well and I walk around like a zombie the next day. The bottom line is I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm not saying I have stopped procrastinating completely, I've just gotten a little better with time management and hope to improve even more in the future.

This Town

As I mentioned before, I wrote about 90% of the lyrics in my band, which was great experience for writing in general. Writing music will always be a passion of mine and I like to think I've gotten pretty good at it. Here are the lyrics to one of our most popular songs back in the day called This Town.

This Town

Chorus:
Something about the changin' seasons
Bright skies provide good times, no rhyme no reason
Well I can feel the love in the air
Why don't you sit back, relax, let down your hair
Well its about that time of year
Not a cloud, not a dime, just a lime and a couple beers
We wont leave the beach till the sun goes down
And then we'll tear apart this town

Verse:
Lazy days, catchin' rays
Layin' in the sand I'm watchin' waves
Gettin' blazed on week-long stays
I've countin' days till the month of May
Pretty girls, lots of pretty girls
But I know that there ain't one in the world
Like the one I got, always in my thoughts
Who loves the summer just as much as me

Verse:
Blowin' rings between the songs I sing
About the sun on my back, and the ice in my drink
One less thought for every fish that I caught
Sittin' with my bowl and the bag I just bought

My Old Band

So I played in this reggae/punk rock band for a few years in high school with my buddies Cameron and Jeff. It just started out as us jamming for fun, but much to our surprise we started booking shows and selling tickets. We all shared a passion for reggae music, so we instantly had a connection and were able to write some (in our opinion) really chill songs. I learned a lot about music in my band through experimenting with bass and guitar and writing lyrics. Eventually, we decided to break it off with college approaching and everyone going their separate ways, but all in all it was a really cool experience. I had a blast and don't regret a minute of it. I'm still writing my own music and would love to someday play in reggae band again, maybe even with Jeff and Cameron.

www.myspace.com/justplainridiculousmd

These recordings are a little rough, but those were some of the songs we played. I wrote all of them and I sing in the second two. Check em out!

Siblings and Relationships

http://www.essortment.com/all/firstbornchild_rsod.htm

I read this article and thought it was interesting that the youngest sibling of one family is very likely to marry the oldest sibling of another family. This is because the youngest sibling is used to being taken care of, and therefore needs to take care of someone themselves. In contrast, the oldest sibling is used to taking care of others, and therefore needs someone to take care of them. I thought this was especially interesting because this is the exact situation between me and my girlfriend. She is the youngest of 3 and I am the oldest of 5. What are you thoughts on either the only child syndrome, or this youngest-oldest sibling relation ship?

Police Stereotyping

I absolutely 100% think that cops stereotype younger people. I believe it has more to do with age than race. I'm 18 and I'm white, and I've had a few ridiculous run-ins with the cops. I don't consider myself a "sketchy" person, but I guess I just fit the profile of what a "young delinquent" must look like. Cops just target younger people and try to confuse them and/or force a confession (sometimes false) out of them. Its been to the point where I was temporarily detained by an undercover cop at a Home Depot for attempted shoplifting. I was buying mulch for my dad's girlfriend and a can of spray paint to touch up minor paint chips on her car. I was told that I was suspiciously walking through the garden center and was obviously trying to steal the spray paint. I was promptly searched. I was never told my rights. I was arrested and taken to the police department without ever leaving the store with any stolen merchandise. My only advice is KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! I learned a lot of valuable information from this documentary entitled: Busted: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters.

Longboarding

There is nothing more exhilarating than cruising down a hill reaching speeds of 15-20mph on a long plank of wood. I'm talking about long boarding. Skating has always been a passion of mine, but long boarding is a whole new take on the skateboard. I remember back in the day, fumbling around with a skateboard, trying to learn tricks and sometimes make them up myself. Skating ramps and grinding curbs and rails is fun, but lacks that essence of freedom and most importantly, speed. Rather than focusing on tricks, long boarding is basically going down a big hill really really fast. It may sound kind of simple, but its a bit more complicated than that. It involves carving down the hill, bending your body in the most aerodynamic shape, and sometimes even sliding around sharp corners. Long boards are built differently too. Obviously, they're longer than a normal skateboard. They are also thicker with wide trucks and bigger wheels for improved stability. The trucks are generally looser so you can carve smoothly down the hill, but not so loose that you get speed wobbles. The last thing you want is to crash face-first into the pavement traveling at speeds rivaling the cars on the same road. Long boarding can be dangerous, but it is fun and I definitely recommend trying it. There is a whole long boarding community and many skate companies make long boards such as Sector 9 shown above. I have a Sector 9 board and I am honestly in love with it. Boards are generally cheap and in my opinion, easier to ride than a normal skate deck. The bottom line is long boarding is pretty crucial. I love it and do it all the time. I think everyone should try it.

Watching vs. Thinking

After looking over Friday's assigned readings, I've come to the conclusion that I could easily agree and disagree with both of the author's opinions. I'm sort of on the fence when it comes to what is appropriate television content and a reasonable amount one should watch TV. Johnson makes a good point that shows that more complex story lines stimulate viewers minds and really make them have to think to put the pieces together. What he calls the "Sleeper Curve," is present in most prime-time dramas as well as other shows. I agree when he says they "enhance our cognitive faculties, not dumb them down." However, Stevens brings up some strong points as well. While this cognitive stimulation may be present, television has always been the most effective venue for advertising, especially to children. Stevens shows this well in the article, referring to children as "fresh meat for the advertising industry." Also, many Americans watch way too much TV. I like how Stevens puts it when she says we should "judge our own doses," as if television itself is some sort of drug. The bottom line is both these authors have pros and cons to their opinions. While some programs are cognitively stimulating, people must make the choice not to fall victim to intense advertising and most importantly, not to spend too much time on the couch.

The Beatles

If there's one band I despise more than any other band, it's The Beatles. I don't know why there is this new Beatles craze, but frankly I find it really irritating. The band is overrated and given credit for much more than their worth. I don't think their music is that "monumental" or "inspiring." Every time I get in this argument with someone, they pull out the same line: "Well if it wasn't for them, there would be none of the bands today. They changed music forever!" Honestly, I don't find this statement very credible. Personally, my favorite genre of music is reggae. Reggae has absolutely no correlation to The Beatles whatsoever. Maybe if it wasn't for Bob Marley or Peter Tosh, there would be no reggae, but The Beatles don't fit into the equation. The fact that they even have their own new "Rock Band" edition based on their music just pisses me off. Wheres "Rock Band Chuck Berry" or "Rock Band Buddy Holly " or I'd even go as far to say "Rock Band Led Zeppelin?" The bottom line is The Beatles are not the founders of rock n' roll. They are simply a side note in a vast history of a very extensive genre. Why they are so famous? I don't know. Why are they suddenly so popular again? I have no idea. Compared to the popular music today, they are outdated and lame. In my mind, The Beatles are exactly what they're name says. Beat.