Really Important

Please Help
-Rick

Everyone please go check this site out.
http://www.noperformancetax.org/issue.asp

A radio performance tax would destroy music as we know it. The radio is already full of crap, and this would destroy local stations. Please, please, please get involved.

How can I get involved?
There are currently two bills pending in Congress that would levy a performance tax on local radio – H.R. 848, sponsored by Rep. John Conyers (MI-14) and S. 379, sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT). Your members of Congress need to hear that you strongly oppose these bills.

Additionally, anti-performance tax resolutions have been introduced in the House and Senate in support of local radio. In the Senate, Sens. Blanche Lincoln (AR) and John Barrasso (WY) introduced S. Con. Res. 14, and in the House, Reps. Gene Green (TX-29) and Mike Conaway (TX-11) introduced H. Con. Res. 49. Both are known as the "Local Radio Freedom Act." Encourage your senators and representative to cosponsor these resolutions.

Not to Be Forgotten

by Conor Levis


What does Memorial Day mean to you? It's a day that often means different things to different people. Maybe it's a day off from work, maybe it's a day off from school. Maybe it's a beach day, a cookout, or a time to observe fireworks. Or maybe you celebrate the day for it's true meaning. Unfortunately, it seems that the latter is in the minority these days. For most people, the holiday has become just another day in a long weekend. And really... who can blame them? When the weather gets nice and people can take time out of their busy lives, it's hard to fully appreciate something that doesn't resemble a major holiday. I'll admit, in the past Memorial Day was always just another day to me. Not the day that's supposed to commemorate U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. That is...up until recently.

A few months back, I had just finished a short, solid shift at work and feeling a bit more upbeat and high spirited than usual. I was walking out to the parking lot when I spotted a man wearing veteran clothing. He must have seen me looking because he began staring in my direction as he approached. It was a stare of familiarity as I had seen this man around there before. I decided to say something to him as I was about to pass. I noticed he was wearing a hat that said Vietnam Veteran, so I decided to ask him the obvious question. "Where did you serve?" the only thing that came out on the spot. "Vietnam", he responded as he came to a complete stop. I wanted to make it short and sweet so I simply reached out to shake his hand. "Thank you" is all I said as I looked him in the eye. He looked back at me almost a bit confused or perturbed. I wasn't sure if I had said or did something wrong so I took a step forward to walk away but he grabbed my shoulder to stop me. Then he said something I will remember for the rest of my life. "You know, you're one of the only people to thank me since I've been back", he said with tears in his eyes. The Vietnam War ended 34 years ago. I had no idea what to say next. As tears trickled down his face, I was happy because I felt I had done something good but so sad for this man at the same time. I basically let him know that there were others out there who felt the same way and that his service was greatly appreciated. He shook my hand again and walked away, almost like he was a little embarrassed. He had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Why had this man been so unappreciated after returning from war? I did some reading and research on it and found that this was much more common than people would think. I didn't realize how badly Vietnam veterans were treated when they returned home. Because the Vietnam War was the most unpopular and greatly protested war in this country's history, many people who were frustrated with the government back in the mid 60's to early 70's began taking it out on the soldiers. The press began spinning the returning news to negatively change public perception and painted our soldiers as "baby killers" who would willing kill innocent people. Protesters would show up at the airport to heckle and ridicule some of our returning men. Vets would refuse to wear their uniforms upon return to avoid the backlash. It still blows my mind how this could have been when most of the men serving were being drafted and had no say on whether to fight or not. How can you fault them when those factors are at play?

Thinking about it now, I can still picture his face. The more I look back, I start to realize that there was more behind those tears than one man's nonrecognition. Behind each tear was a story. All the things he had seen, the pain and suffering he had endured, but most importantly...the friends and comrades he may have lost along the way. And that's what the holiday is all about.

Yesterday I spent Memorial Day like I do every other one. Hanging out with friends, lounging poolside, even went kayaking. But in spite of all this, my mind stayed elsewhere. I was quiet all day for the most part and even had a few friends ask me if something was wrong. I thought about my friend from a few months ago and the friends he must have lost. I thought about the youth of my generation that are serving as I write this and the lives that are lost each and every day. I finally felt in touch with this great day that we take for granted. So I ask again...What does it mean to you?

Come on and Safari with Me

Today's Random Thought
by Conor Levis

I want to go surfing this Summer. I'm not sure why but I've always wanted to try it. It looks so fun and it's just my kind of scene. I love the ocean, I love action, I have good balance, I know I can do it. Then again, I said the same thing when I tried to snowboard for the first time last year and it turned out to be one of the more traumatizing experiences of my life. I couldn't keep my balance for the life of me, I was scared shitless when I gained any kind of speed, and I had no idea how to stop or change directions. It took me about a half an hour to get down the mountain and when I finally reached the last hill by the resort area, I slid all the way down on my back and landed at the feet of complete strangers. It was probably the most embarrassing experience of my life. You're probably thinking surfing isn't a good idea for me but I gotta try it atleast once. It's just one of those things. I won't let my past experiences with a similar activity stop me. You know what they say... if you fall off your horse, get right back on again (unless you're Christopher Reeve. Too soon? Even I thought that was in bad taste.)

Reasons to Love Beach
by Conor Levis

Because of the 90 degree weather yesterday, I went to the beach for the first time in at least a year and half. The beach is my favorite place in the world but I haven't been able to go in recent years for a number of reasons, primarily school and work. Some of the most important events of my life I want to take place on the beach. My ideal date is at the beach. I want to get married...on the beach. When I die, I wish that the beach be incorporated in some way. So it was great to be back out there on the sand, staring out at the ocean with my best gal. Here's why I love the beach:

1. There's nothing better than relaxing on the sand and taking in some sun. Not only is it one of the few chances a guy gets to work on his tan without seeming incredibly gay, but for me it's the ultimate form of relaxation. It doesn't even matter if it's crowded, I always feel at peace when I'm laying on the sand (As gay as THAT just sounded).

2. The activities. If you go to a beach like Hampton, you've got the boardwalk with all sorts of fun things to do. From arcades to tattoo and caricatures, there's never a dull moment at a place like Hampton. And now that I'm older and wiser and 21, I can hit up the bars and legally drink. Life is good. If a beach doesn't have a boardwalk, you can still find things to do whether it be swimming, going for a walk, or depending on how old you are...go crab hunting (so what if I still do it).

3. The food. Food always seems so much better at the beach. Beach pizza is always a lot better than normal pizza and it's pretty much the only place to get fried dough these days. I don't know how they make beach pizza but whatever they do, keep it up! There's also a plethora of good restaurants, especially if you like seafood like I do.

4. The females. For a young, single, sometimes handsome guy like myself, the beach is like a gold mine. To quote a friend of mine, "It's like fishing with dynamite." What could be better than hundreds of good looking girls in their bathing suits? Nothing I tell you. Nothing.

5. You know that game you play where you just zone in on a stranger and watch their every move for an extended period of time and it always ends up being really funny? Oh...you don't? Well I play that game sometimes cause I'm weird but the beach is the absolute best place for it. Watching people on the boardwalk is probably a solid 7 on the unintentional comedy scale. On the actual beach...not so much because people are usually laying out. You have to be careful when you play this game though because you might accidently spot someone you know, and that would be bad. There's nothing worse than running into someone you know in a public place because then you are obliged to start a "stop and chat" which is one of my least favorite things in the world. They always turn out really awkward and make me very uncomfortable. Remember to look away if you accidently spot someone you know and pretend you never saw them in the first place. Unless you lock eyes. Then you're fucked.

Nothings better

My first beach experience of 2009 was a great one and I'm hoping to make more visits this summer than I have in years past. As long as my schedule allows me to (F-U establishment).

Until next time

Reflecting: the 2008/2009 Boston Celtics
by Conor Levis

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. I've been in mourning since my beloved Boston Celtics were bounced from the playoffs on Sunday. Now that I've had two full days to grieve, I think I can finally move on and start looking to next season. Besides, I'm proud of what the Celtics accomplished this season. It was a gutty title defense. They overcame adversity, played hard and fought till the end. It's all you can really ask for as a fan. The team relished being the champs and played with a ton of heart all season long. They took the number 3 seed in the East to 7 games without two of their top six players...one who happened to be the leader. Brian Scalabrine was a major contributor. If you told me that 2 months ago I would have said you were crazy. It's hard to be mad when you consider all of these things. They are a group that Celtics fans will remember for a long time.

Rondo was like "Jekyll and Hyde" this postseason

I was more disappointed with how the game could have been won, pointing the finger at Rajon Rondo in particular. I don't know why but since the Bulls series it seemed like his head got big and he adopted this shoot first mentatlity instead of being the playmaker we needed him to be. We lost Game 6 because Rondo took 19 shots and 4 three's. That's not what we need from our PG. In Game 7 and most of the series, he refused to play defense which created all sorts of problems for the Celtics. He refused to fight through screens and instead chose to walk down toward the basket to get a cheap rebound. He constantly left his man open to double Dwight Howard and try for a cheap steal. This caused either his man to hit the open shot or for another Celtics defender to jump out on him, leaving another man open for the swing pass. That's why Anthony Johnson had a huge Game 3 and Rafer Alston destroyed Rondo in Game 7. Note to Rondo: WE DIDN'T NEED TO DOUBLE HOWARD! Perkins was handling him just fine. The only time Dwight Howard scored was when Celtics players, often Rondo, were getting beat off the dribble and Perk had to help, leaving Howard open. When Perk played him straight up, the only thing Howard could do was throw up the ugliest running hook shot in NBA History. D-Howard has ZERO post moves, he's not a threat offensively. Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu were the threats and were getting open looks all series long because of the breakdown in our defense. Eddie House had 0 shot attempts in Game 7 because Courtney Lee wouldn't allow him to get a look. Why couldn't our guys do this? Why couldn't our guys stay at home on the perimeter and contest the three point shot? It starts and ends with our PG, Rajon Rondo. I hope he got this phase out of his system and goes back to his unselfish ways.

There...that feels better. Now that I was able to vent, let's move on to the offseason!

But first one more thing to cheer up all my fellow Celtic fans................





Smiling? Thought so.


What's Ahead?

The Celtics have an interesting offseason ahead of them. "Big Baby" Glen Davis, Leon Powe, Stephon Marbury, and Mikki Moore are all free agents. Realistically only two of these players will be coming back. It might be hard to bring Baby unfortunately. After his play this season and especially this postseason after Garnett went down, I imagine he's going to be a hot commodity on the market. The Celtics will not overpay for him...so if another team comes along and gives him an offer he can't refuse, he'll be gone. My prediction is that Powe is resigned for multiple years and Marbury will be back if he accepts another mid level contract. No matter what, we need a better offseason than this past one. Losing James Posey was big, but so was signing Patrick O' Bryant and Tony Allen and passing on Chris Anderson aka "Birdman" who is doing for Denver exactly what the Celtics needed this postseason. Speaking of Tony Allen....

500 Ways to Trade Tony Allen

Starting this week, we're going to begin a new segment called "500 Ways to Trade Tony Allen This Offseason". From now on, every blog we post this offseason will include a new way to get Tony Allen off of our team. He's useless, he's the most unintelligent player in NBA History, and I want him gone! Feel free to send us some of your own proposals and we might include them in the blog.

There's an 88% chance this play resulted in a turnover

Hot Bitch of the Day:

Celtics Dancer Alexis

Celtics Dancer Alexis, she's from Boston, she's works in Bank Regulation and fraud detection, and she listed her biggest pet peeves as bad drivers and Yankees fans (Me too!!). That's good enough for me. She's one hot bitch and Hot Bitch of the Day!

New Cage

New Cage video directed by Shia LaBeouf. It'll be on MTV2 every hour all day. Here is the link on mtv2
There should be a free EP there too sometime soon.

Update
New EP is called I Never Knew You and can be found here.
Cool artwork for it too

Smart went Crazy

Dirk....WTF!?

A story broke last week that a woman, said to be Dirk Nowitzki's fiancee Cristal Taylor, was arrested at Nowitzki's home for having outstanding warrants for her arrest. Turned out she was a 37 year old con-artist wanted for theft. As disappointing as that is for Dirk, nothing was more disappointing than Cristal Taylor's mug shots....
UGH! What the fuck!? That's Dirk's girlfriend? That's the woman that could potentially be carrying his baby? Can somebody please tell Dirk that he's famous and can pretty much get any good looking girl in her mid to late 20's? Reggie Miller called and he wants his face back. Did Dirk meet this woman at the Zoo? I'm not saying she looks like a primate, but when I google imaged her, the first result back was a Planet of the Apes poster. She must have really drove him bananas. The best part too was another story broke and former NFL QB Tony Banks admitted to dating this woman back in 1997. Why would you ever admit to dating this woman!? He even used the word "gorgeous" to describe her. I guess Tony Banks' vision hasn't gotten any better since the NFL. I'm just so disappointed in Dirk. I really am.



Love Your Life
by Conor Levis

Love your life, especially if you were at the House of Blues in Boston on Wednesday night to see Atmosphere perform. There were a lot of things to love about the show. First, for anyone who hasn't been to the House of Blues in Boston yet, I highly recommend it as a venue. I love the way it's built. It's wide open in the middle in front of the stage for everyone to stand. On each side are two levels of standing room balconies right above the stage for people who don't want to be on the floor level. And to top it all off, there are bars in every corner of the venue. The only flaw is the price of beer. I spent $6 on a regular 12 oz. can of Miller Lite! With the tip, I could have bought a 6-pack at the store for less money. I was livid at first but it became less of an issue after I got a few in me.

As for the show, the opening act Attracted to Gods had the crowd warmed up with a little Bluesy Rock, including a nice cover of "House of the Rising Sun". I enjoyed their set as it was refreshing to hear some good live Blues music for a change. Brother Ali continued where they left off and brought a lot of energy to the building with his set. Ant came out early to spin for Brother Ali and it got the crowd going a bit. Ali didn't get too political on us either which was a good thing. By the way, Ant is the biggest chain smoker of all-time. The guy constantly had a cigarette in his mouth through Brother Ali's set and Slug's set. As soon as he finished one, immediately another one went in. It was quite a sight to see. Then Slug came on and killed it with his set and everybody went crazy.

The best part of the night though was the actual atmosphere, not to be confused with the group. It was like a giant party in there, everyone was dancing...just having a good time. Even Slug commented on it a few times how this was the best crowd he's seen since LA or back home in Minnesota. I really believe him too because it was one of the best crowds I have been a part of. It was crazy, that's the only way to describe it. You could tell Atmosphere performed more songs than they intended on because of this. Overall, I give the experience an A+. It was a great show all around. Next up is Third Eye Blind at Hampton Beach tonight. You better believe we'll be partying like it's 1997.

From a Momma's Boy

Moms
by Conor Levis

First, I would be remiss if I didn't post something for Mother's Day. I wanted to make a Mother's Day post but I've been incredibly lazy with any spare time I get...so I failed. I apologize. So being the big Momma's boy that I am, love your mommy! She created you, it's the least you could do. Here are some of the great Moms throughout history:

Wendy from the ShiningShe fends off an axe-wielding, scenery-chewing maniac (Jack Nicholson) to save her son in The Shining. Great Mom.

Mrs. Gump from Forrest Gump

Mama Gump would do anything for her Forrest...even if it meant sleeping with the principle to get Forrest into public school. Great Mom.

Carol Brady from the Brady BunchWhat can you say about Mrs. Brady? The stay-at-home mom had to raise all of those bratty Brady kids. Plus she gave birth to Marcia, every young boy's wet dream. Thank you, Mrs. Brady. Great Mom.

Norma Arnold from the Wonder Years
Mrs. Arnold did it all. She did everything for her family...whether it was maintaining the Arnold household, making Jack's lunch, driving Kevin to school, or building an ashtray for 200 people. Norma Arnold, the ultimate Mom.

Nadya Suleman - the "Octomom"
Nadya is a single, unemployed mother who gave birth to octuplets in January after already having 6 children within 5 years of each other from 2001-2006. It seems impossible that she can afford them as she is living off of the state and I really don't know how she can take care of them all by herself. Great....uhhhhhh...nevermind.

So I guess not all Moms can be great, but I'm sure yours is and to all the Mothers out there...we love you!

American Idol Report
by Conor Levis

And then there were three. We are finally down to three contestants after Allison Iraheta was eliminated from "Rock Week" last week. The remaining contestants are now Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, and Kris Allen. Here's how I rank them:

1) Adam Lambert- He is the clear cut favorite at this point after performing "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin last week. I'm not sure how America will vote...but he's definitely the best one left in the competition.

2) Kris Allen- Kris is the contestant who will challenge Adam. He isn't as talented but he's going to grab a lot of votes from those little teenyboppers who have already figured out that Adam is gay. He was mediocre last week performing "Come Together" by the Beatles...which is always a tough task.

3) Danny Gokey- He's lucky to still be here after that god awful performance last week of "Dream On" by Aerosmith. I'm sure he'll be the next one gone. Don't these people know their limits? What made Danny Gokey think he could hit the high notes like Steven Tyler? It doesn't make sense. Which brings me to my next rant.....


You're Not Janis Joplin!

Somebody should have told this to Allison Iraheta before she took the stage last week because it might have saved her another week. Allison's performance of "Cry Baby" by Janis Joplin was another classic example of something I wrote about a month ago. Some artists and songs are simply untouchable and Janis Joplin is one of them. I loved Allison because she was one of those classic bluesy, soul singers that you don't see much of anymore. I had high hopes for her until she tried to pull off a Joplin. She just isn't on that level and never will be. Listen, Janis Joplin is one of a kind. There will never, ever be another Janis Joplin. She would have had a much better time with her other choice which she stated was "Somebody to Love" by Jefferson Airplane. Grace Slick is another great singer but I believe Allison could have worked with it. Not somebody who cracked my Top 15 greatest singers of all-time in the list I made last December. I thought there was a chance she could still stay after a nice duet with Adam performing "Slow Ride" by Foghat, but it just wasn't enough. If there's anything future contestants should have learned from this Idol it's simple...stay within your limit.

I'll leave you all with my favorite performance of "Ball and Chain" by Janis and her band Big Brother and the Holding Company at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Watch how blown away Mama Cass Elliot (a great singer in her own right) from the Mamas and the Papas is at the end of this video. This is how you sing the Rock N' Roll. Enjoy the goosebumps.

Big Baby Saves the Day

What can you say about Game 5 of the Celtics-Magic series? Big Baby stepped up down the stretch when he had to, Paul Pierce made an unselfish play that most superstars wouldn't have with 2 seconds to go and really carried the Celtics for 3 quarters scoring 27 in 32 minutes despite the refs doing all they could to foul him out, and the Celtics made this a series in regaining home court advantage. I couldn't be happier with my Celtics, they've done everything I wanted them to do. Play with heart and defend their title despite all the injuries. I'm so proud of them. Let's hope they've got a little more in them for the remained of this postseason.



The Bruins also staved off elimination by beating the Carolina Hurricanes in convincing fashion Sunday night in Boston. The Bruins finally got back to the style of play that made them so successful this season. I really like where they are right now. Another do or die in Carolina tonight, let's see if they have what it takes.

By the way how was Scott Walker not suspended for punching Cam Ward in the face at the end of Game 5? It was one of the worst cheap shots I've seen. Hopefully the B's will use it as fuel on the ice rather than retaliate. They need to focus on the game at this point if they hope to come back. Let's go Boston.

London...Calling All Manny Critics

R.I.P. Dom DiMaggio

Former Red Sox great, Dom DiMaggio, died early this morning at his Massachusetts home. He was 92 years old. Dom, the younger brother of Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio, was a 7-time all-star playing centerfield for the Boston Red Sox. He had been suffering from pneumonia up until his death. He was a Red Sock until the end. We'll love and miss you, Dom.

R.I.P. Dom
February 12, 1917 – May 8, 2009

How I Would Fix One of the Best Songs Ever
by Conor Levis


I was listening to "London Calling" by The Clash the other day and decided there was a way to make it even better. It's already one of the 15 greatest songs of all-time...but I feel something is missing. Wouldn't a short guitar solo around the 2:00 mark of the song make it that much better? Just a thirty second solo, that way it isn't over the top and it keeps the song under 4 minutes which is still acceptable for radio airplay. I don't know why they never incorporated one, every time I listen to the song I'm always waiting for it around the 2 minute mark. It's still a classic regardless...I've just always felt this way.




Leave Manny Alone!
by Conor Levis

Get off of Manny's back...unless you've got his back. I'm tired of all the Manny Ramirez bashing because it's completely unwarranted. As I'm sure everyone has heard by now, Manny was suspended 50 games by the league for taking a banned substance under it's drug policy. Since the story broke, there's been all sorts of hate thrown in Manny's direction. Some people, notably Bill Plaschke from the LA Times, have called him selfish, a cheater, and a fake. How can somebody who calls himself a journalist make such outrageous allegations before we have all the information? This is what we know so far about the Manny situation:

1) The banned substance, a woman's fertility drug, was in a medication that was prescribed to him by a doctor. He wasn't prescribed the drug itself, just a drug that had the substance in it.

2) Manny didn't know the substance was in the medication and he didn't even know the substance was banned with MLB's drug policy. If you were to believe any player who pleads ignorance...wouldn't you believe Manny? Manny is the same guy who asked his agent if he could afford a $200,000 house after signing an eight-year, $160 million contract with the Red Sox. I think you would.

3) The reason the fertility drug is on the banned substance list is because players use it as a masking agent for steroids. That's why it's on the list...that does not automatically mean that Manny took it for that reason. Why is it so inconceivable that Manny receieved a personal prescription medicine that had that substance in it? I'm pretty sure there are a ton of banned substances on that list. The odds seem pretty good that one of those could cross the path of a Major Leaguer if a doctor is not completely familiar with everything on that list. I'd like to hear from Manny's doctor about all of this.

4) Direct quote from Manny: "I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons." Isn't there truth to that? Think of how many tests Manny probably had to go through since the MLB cracked down on steroid use. This has never been an issue before, he obviously passed them all. Now people want to call him a cheater because he tested positive for a woman's fertility drug, something that isn't even a steroid? There's no basis to that claim.

Look, all I'm saying is give the guy a chance. The way the media has handled this situation is disgusting, everybody is jumping to conclusions. We don't have enough information yet to start crucifying this guy. For all we know he could have been taking some kind of viagra. He's still the best right handed hitter of this generation, maybe ever. We can't take that away from him just yet.

Leave this man alone.

The Great Adventures of Slick Rick 2

by Rick

Sorry for the length, I normally keep them short but this is the tale of an entire weekend. Enjoy or just pass over it if you have ADD.

A few weeks ago I embarked on a journey of a lifetime... well maybe not lifetime, but it certainly was an expierence. I am a huge fan of both Pharrell Williams and Lupe Fiasco, and when I heard the two would both be at the same concert I decided I had to go. The concert was at St. Johns. I figured since I was going to NYC why not just hop on a bus and visit a second friend at Villanova. I woke up Friday morning, the day of the concert, at 6. I then got on the Amtrak from Durham to North Station. At this point in the story I'd like to inform the reader that I had not prepurchased any ticket. So I get to Boston, take the T from North to South Station, and then look for the Fung Wah Bus Terminal. If you dont know anything about the Fung Wah bus then get educated. Needless to say this was a risk. I boarded the bus and I was on a $15 dollar journey to Chinatown. Sitting on the Fung Wah one soon begins to understand how all of our country's great immigrants felt while on the boats from Europe to America. It was uncomfortable, the chances of making it there were just as good as not making it, there were like 8 different languages all being spoken at once, it was an expierence. I suggest anyone who hasnt please take the 5 hour busride alone on the Fung Wah at some point. I made it to NYC, I met my fake canadian friend, and went to St. Johns. It really is a beautiful school. We started drinking and things of that nature to prepare for the concert. Word around the Queens campus was Lupe cancelled. This upset me but whatevs NERD was still playing. After an incredibly long wait Lupe came out and killed it. Another long wait and then out came NERD. Wow. Thats all you can say about them. The energy is incredible, its definately a show to see if you ever get a chance. Live band, moshing, things most rap shows dont have, but NERD really put it together well. The next morning I got on the bus to go to Philly, normally a short trip, unless there is a 10 car accident on the exit ramp on 95 in Jersey. Guess where I was at at 1 pm on 4/25/09... on a greyhound sitting unaware that the next 6 hours of my life would be shot to hell. I saw people turning their cars around and driving the wrong way down the breakdown lane, but busses dont have the turning radius required for that manuever. Poeple just parked and got out of there cars. Imagine the Six Flags parking lot, thats what it looked like on the highway. By the time I got to Nova everyone had begun falling asleep from drinking all day. That didnt stop me from drinking the better portion of a fifth, walking with Chris to get some of the best wings ever, and then meeting a reasonably racist kid near a giant climbing wall. I wanted to climb the wall, but they had removed all the lower footplaces, probably to keep kids like me from climbing it. The next day I took a bus from Philly to NY, where I met a dude who goes to church with Ben Watson, and sat next to a dude who got on the wrong bus. Apparrently this guy and his girlfriend were going to NC to see his dad, who he hadnt seen for 17 years. This guy got on the wrong bus in Philly and went back to New York after taking a bus to Newark, Trenton, then Philly. Once he realized that his girlfriend was on her way on a different bus, he said, and I quote, "its been 17 years, a few more hours wont hurt" I then walked from Port Authority to Chinatown, which doesnt seem far on the map, but is a days journey by foot. I felt like Ponce de Leon on his quest for the fountain of youth, except I was looking for an Asian bus company. I took the 5 hour trip back to Boston, where this girl sitting behind me faked an Australian accent. When she was talking it was clearly defined, but once she recieved a phonecall and was awaken from her slumber she answered in a hazey regular voice. What a fake bitch. If your reading this please just stop pretending. Be yourself! I again had to get from South to North Station, where the weirdest part of my journey happened. I saw a drunkard while waiting for the T, and when he talked to me I was polite and kept talking with him. He asked me where I was heading and said he could show me the way. He stayed with me until I got to North Station. Along the way he told me he was 50 and gay, asked for my number (I said i didnt have a phone, but in retrospect I should have given him a friend's number), told me how he had been arrested for assualt and battery against his 70 year old disabled Nun sister, and held every handshake uncomfortably long. I sat next to a complete toolbag on the train back to UNH, who was slangin game to this really hot bitch. What he didnt know tho is she had a boyfriend. "Rick, how the hell would you know she had a boyfriend?" Good question, when the toolbag dude got up to go to the bathroom her boyfriend called. So own3d. I made it back to Durham at 1 a.m., still early enough to spend $20 dollars and then watch TV. Life.

Rick's Hot Bitch of the Day:

Emily Wells

Emily Wells is kinda hot. She is also a wonderful musician. Her music is really cool. Look at how she loops everything, how she plays the violin, and the thing she does with the mic thing we all had as kids at 2:08. So beautiful. Go to her myspace to check out her cover of Juicy, which in my very humble opinion is one of the greatest covers I've every heard. Buy her Dirty Ep 5/26. Emily Wells, you are todays incredibly talented hot bitch.

Conor's Hot Bitch of the Day:

Farrah Fawcett

As reports surface that Farrah Fawcett is in the final stages of her battle with cancer, we want to pay our tribute to the beauty that she was. One of the original Charlie's Angels, Farrah is a noted pop culture figure whose hairstyle was emulated by millions of young women, and a sex symbol for millions of young men in the 1970s and 1980s. She truly was as beautiful as they come. Here's to Farrah Fawcett!

So Ordinary

Chanel turned 21 today

Happy Birthday to the world's oldest dog, Chanel! Chanel, a dachshund, turned 21 years old today and celebrated in style. That's 147 years old in dog years for those of you wondering. She can legally drink now! She's taking a rare trip from her Port Jefferson Station home in New York to celebrate in Manhattan with some of her dog friends. Chanel's red hair faded to white a long time according to the article. How does a dog live such a long, healthy life? "She used to run three miles with me every day," said owner Denice Shaughnessy, a high-school principal's secretary who adopted Chanel from a Virginia shelter as a 6-week-old pup. "She still enjoys a walk, but now she's carried for a lot of it." Here's to a great dog, Happy Birthday Chanel!

From Best to Worst
by Conor Levis

Coming off one of the greatest playoff series we've ever seen, the Celtics played an absolute stinker at home Monday night for Game 1. It was one of the worst basketball games I've ever seen. It was the first time a team went down by 28 point in the 3rd quarter and then ended up blowing that same game in overtime. The funny thing is that when the Celtics did go down by 28 in that 3rd quarter, I wasn't worried at all. I knew we would get back in the game. We have a Magic team here that regularly blows big leads. In the first round the Magic blew two 18 point leads to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers. Earlier this season, the Magic blew leads of 21 and 16 points to the KG-less Celtics. They just don't know how to hold big leads and it's because of their style of play. When you're a team that lives and dies by the three point shot, that's the price you pay. When the Magic get hot, boy, do they get hot. The problem is that when they got hot early, eventually they have to cool off. That's what happened to them in the 2nd half on Monday in what could have been the single worst half of basketball I've seen a team play.

On the other side, even though the Celtics came all the way to cut the lead to 4, they should have won that game. There was a point in the 4th quarter when the score was tied at 6 for a good five straight possessions. Had the Celtics capitalized on even two of those possessions, they would have won the game. As well as Rajon Rondo has played this postseason, he ruined the Celtics chance to win that game with turnovers on crticial possessions during that five possession stretch. You know it's a bad game when you find yourself saying things like "Get the ball to Brian Scalabrine!" or "Doc really needs to put Stephon Marbury back in this game." Hopefully this was just a case of two teams feeling each other out but I know one thing...as a Celtics fan, I am not in the least bit worried about dropping Game 1. The same thing happened against Chicago last round and Orlando's inability to keep leads against a team that never gives up is going to kill them. Let's just hope for a better performance in Game 2.

There was nothing classic about Game 1

Unhot Bitch of the Day:

Kirstie Alley

Remember when Kirstie was hot in her Cheers days and used to look like this...

Unfortunately those days are long gone now and Kirstie has reportedly gained another 83 lbs., pushing her weight to 228 lbs! Oh well, atleast we still have those Cheers reruns on UPN 38 every night. Kirstie, you used to be hot and now your not... but your former self can still be our Hot Bitch of the Day!
So sad....

Remember Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio

By Conor Levis

This is something I had planned to write about for a couple of weeks now. Those that know me best know that I'm kind of dorky at heart. I love history and reading about weird and obscure things that rarely hold any relevance today. This is not one of them. So when I happened to stumble across the date of the 1970 shootings at Kent State University a few weeks back, I knew I had to blog when the anniversary came.

On May 4, 1970...thirty-nine years ago today, the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of student protesters at Kent State University, killing four students and injuring nine other mostly bystanders (paralyzing one). It was an event that rocked our nation, garnering a significant national response that included a strike of eight million students and had a profound impact on the political-social division happening in the U.S. during the Vietnam War. In reaction to the massacre, the Report of the President's Commission on Campus Unrest concluded that the shootings were "unnecessary", "unwarranted", and "inexcusable".

I'm sure most of you have heard or are somewhat familiar with the events that transpired on this day. It's an often overlooked event in our history but holds such importance in the shaping of our society. What really happened at Kent State nearly forty years ago?

The iconic photograph by John Filo shows Mary Ann Vecchio, a fourteen-year-old runaway, kneeling over the dead body of Jeffrey Miller after he was shot by the National Guard.


I. The Quick History

The protests that occured at Kent State University began on Friday, May 1, 1970. This came a day after President Richard Nixon announced the launch of a U.S. invasion of Cambodia, remember historically as the Cambodian Campaign. It started as a 500 person demonstration on the Commons of campus until the students disbanded for 1 p.m. classes. Another rally had been planned for May 4th but angry about the new invasion and the Vietnam War itself, the students couldn't wait that long. Many students on campus demonstarted by burning their draft cards while another buried a copy of the U.S. Constitution. Things got out of hand in Kent that night around midnight when people leaving the bars began vandalising and looting. A group of about a 100 young people gathered in the street, lighting a bonfire and yelling obscenities at police until order was restored and the group finally dispersed.

By Saturday, May 2, Kent, OH Mayor Leroy Satrom declared a state of emergency. The National Guard arrived that night to a large protest on campus that led to the burning of the ROTC building. Firemen and police officers were hit with rocks and the fire hose being used to put out the fire was slashed by protestors. Tear gas was used and many arrests were made that night.

On Sunday, May 3, another rally was held on the campus Commons around 8 p.m. The National Guard used tear gas to quickly break up the crowd, and the students reassembled at a busy intersection in town, holding a sit-in with the hopes to gain the attention of and speak to the Mayor. A newly installed curfew went into effect at 11 p.m. and the Guard forced students back into their dorms.

Monday, May 4, 1970

On the fateful day, the rally that had been planned 3 days earlier was scheduled on campus for 12 p.m. The school attempted to ban the rally by handing out fake fliers that the event was canceled...but roughly 2,000 students still gathered. Just before noon, the National Guard returned to break up the rally. When students refused to leave, the Guards used tear gas. Students responded by throwing the tear gas canisters back at guardsmen, threw rocks, and yelled obscenities.

It became clear that this crowd was not going anywhere, so 77 National Guard troops began advancing on the protesters with bayonets attached to their weapons. This caused Students to retreat to Blanket Hill, up over the Commons area. The guardsmen pursued the students up the hill and most protesters scattered to the left and center of the guards in front of Taylor Hall. Others scattered between Taylor Hall and Prentice Hall, while others scattered to the nearby parking lot. After reaching the hill, the National Guard looked confused as to what to do next. They began to retrace their steps and students began to move in on them as the Guards headed back down to the Commons.Guards aim their rifles at a student waving a flag in protest

At approximately 12:22 p.m., a number of guardsmen on top of the hill began firing their M1 Garand rifles at the students. Their fire wasn't directed at the closest students but rather the ones on the grass and walkway below and at the ones in the parking lot. This resulted in the death and injury of innocent people. In all, 29 of the 77 guardsman claimed to have fired their weapons with a total of 67 bullets being sprayed. The shooting was determined to have lasted only 13 seconds.

Students running for their lives as shots are fired by guards

A map showing exactly where everything happened

II. The Aftermath

The question of why the shots were fired remains widely debated. The shooting killed four students and injured nine others, paralyzing one for the rest of his life. Two of the students killed, Allison Krause 343 ft (105 m) fatal left chest wound and Jeffrey Glen Miller 265 ft (81 m) shot through the mouth - killed instantly, participated in the protest and the other two killed, Sandra Lee Scheuer 390 ft (120 m) fatal neck wound and William Knox Schroeder 382 ft (116 m) fatal chest wound, were innocent people just trying to get to their next class. Most of the guardsmen who fired later claimed that they feared for their lives. I tend to disagree because of who was shot and where the people were when they were shot.The shootings led to protests on college campuses throughout the United States, and a student strike—causing more than 450 campuses across the country to close with both violent and non-violent demonstrations. A common sentiment was expressed by students at New York University with a banner hung out of a window which read "They Can't Kill Us All." Just five days after the shootings, 100,000 people demonstrated in Washington, D.C. against the war and the killing of unarmed student protesters. President Nixon was brought to Camp David for his own safety during this time.

The song "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (playing at the top of the page) was a protest song written by Neil Young in reaction to the Kent State Massacre.

Protests were held on campuses across the country

Some videos of interest:

• An interesting short documentary type video on the Kent State Massacre

• An audio recording of the command to fire at the students followed by gunshots

• A video tribute with images

My Final Word

This event holds more significance than people realize. It was a time in our history when our government went against everything it stands for. It went against the supreme law of the United States, the morals that this country was founded upon. We are all given certain rights the minute we are born a United States citizen. The First Amendment to the United States Consitution gives us the right to assemble, the right to protest, and the freedom of speech. Thirty-nine years ago today, a Monday, four people were killed and many others injured for exercising these very liberties. They died for no reason and at the hands of the people who are supposed to protect them. And this is your government. 1970 was a crazy time in this country. As a student, whether you agree with them or not, you have to appreciate what that generation did for us. They gave us our voice and showed us how to be heard, how to be proud, and how to stand up for our beliefs. I find it funny how many people in this day in age can be so willing to criticize but are so unwilling to act upon it. We currently live in a country where people claim to be outraged that American kids are being killed over in the Middle East but nobody will organize a legitimate protest unless we incorporate a draft lottery. I happen to support the current war effort and I would defend my country in a heartbeat if called upon...but I can't imagine living in a time where I didn't have a say and being forced to fight for a cause I don't believe in (like the Vietnam War). If you strongly oppose a cause, do something about it. We were given those rights for a reason. If you have any shred of pride or patriotism, you will remember the people affected by today's anniversary. You will take a moment at 12:22 p.m. to relfect. You might not agree with them, but you can't deny the power of standing up for what you believe in. Remember Kent State.

Flava Flav

A Sunday Conversation
By Stan and Rick

So we were sitting talking about hunting deer with handguns and the legitimacy behind that, when stan asked me who was that cracked out dude who wears viking helmets? I laughed and responded Flava Flav, to which the greatest conversation was born. We talked about how it would be funny if there was a forest of Flava Flavs and packs of Flava Flavs hunting and surviving in the wild. We talked about instead of indians there were Flava Flavs (I invisioned regular sized Flava Flavs, Stan invisioned pygmie Flava Flavs) and the settlers befriended the Flava Flavs and the Flava Flavs showed them how to cook crack and chicken at the first Thanksgiving. We then started thinking about how any movie would be funny if Flava Flav was in it. here are some examples

Gremlins : The boy recieves a little Flava Flav and is instructed not to feed him crack after midnight or elseeeee...... we all know what happens next lol
Alien: When the alien jumps out of the bitches stomach... ya, its Flava Flav

as a side note imagine Flava Flav eating a yam... so absurd

Return of the Jedi: Ok there are two ways to go here, either Flava Flav as Jabba the Hut and he has Leah on a leash and is smoking crack or Flava Flav as the Ewoks and hes in the forrest smoking crack attacking Impereal Ships and like landspeaders and shit.... so intense

Lord of the Rings: Flava Flav as Gollum... my precioussssssss (crack rock)
(in the line above Stan told me to put alot of S's, and after I did said "to many S's! Less S's" and hit delete on like seven of them)

Predator: Instead of Predator its, guess who, Flava Flav!!! Yeahhhhhhh Boiiiiiiiii! So Arnold and Apollo Creed are trying to kill him. Arnold would be like "you ugly motherfucker" but to Flava Flav not Predator. also Flava Flav going invisible would be kinda indirectly funny cause i would be like what else do you use this power for? thats a mind teaser for ya.
The End

Hot Bitch of the Day
Emma Watson

Hermione is pretty cute. They released some more posters for the new Harry Potter movie. This is hers. Here are the other three. Congrats, you are the Hot Bitch of the Day Emma Watson!