Ounceofwentz's Journal

June 28, 2008

Juggling

Where do I begin to talk about what I'm thinking...

It's sometimes best not to share the burden of our minds with others. 50 years ago, it was unheard of to voice your opinions, your choices, your issues, to anyone at all. No matter who you are, your problems are yours and yours alone. No need to share, no need overdramatize.

To put it cryptically, I'm juggling everything and everyone at this point. In a few months, I'm not sure that any action that I do right now will have an affect on the future at hand. I know who my roommate will be, I know where I'll be living, I know how much it will cost, but I feel like I don't know a damn thing at all. I've got two strangers that decided to talk to me again that I used to adore. I still do, but in a more juggling sense. I don't want one, I don't want both. I don't want. Or maybe I do want. Or maybe I don't. There is no easy decision.

I feel like the world's biggest joke. I'm going to move, fall into a sham and be too naive to fix myself. Everyone knows it's going to happen again, and there will be nothing but laughter for me to hear. I do not like being laughed at, especially for failure. I'm not embarrassed, nor will I ever be. I'm done with risks.

Or maybe I'm not. I'd love to attempt, but it's so hard to stay secure, you know?

Oh, boy. I'm confused. XD

I'm tired of taking from others. I'm sure that you are wanting to comment this right now, but I'm delighted that I'm not taking your words right now. They are yours: use them for a better cause. Go and cheer up someone else's day.

They need it. Go! Now!

Much love. Sorry that I am confusing; if you can make sense of this, please read it back to me and make sense of this to me.

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Posted on 06/28/2008 1:06 PM Comments (5)

June 24, 2008

Cynical Selfishness: The Future's True Enemy

In the habit of feeling megazen on occasion, I'd like to bring up the topic of the future. Warning: I'm not megazen right now. Matter of fact, I'm in a pretty "kick someone's ass" kind of mood right now. I'm rolling with it.

What's in store for us in the future? Who will be our leaders? Will this be the final generation?

First off, has any goddamn generation known what was going to happen to them 10 years down the line? That's right: no, they have not. Sure, they have always hoped for certain things and had theories on what is to come, but that is much different than predictions happening exactly as planned. We've lived on this Earth for some 2008 years, and 25,000 years or so before Christ was born, and we're fine. There have been tons of issues we've had to face before, but when the time came to buckle down and solve our issues, humans have pulled through for the greater good.

The end of the world will not be caused by unintelligence, it will be caused by inactivity. People these days are too lazy to do any good for humanity.

Recycling? "That will take maybe a half an hour out of my week that I use to watch television!"

Volunteering? "Doing a selfless act where I don't get paid is SO not worth it!"

Tutoring? "No way! I'm so much better than all of those idiots that need tutors to be kind and help someone out!"

Just try to think how great things would be if you could find maybe just one hour to help the world each week? The world would change within the first month, no doubt. Those problems that everyone keeps freaking out about would probably dissipate altogether. People are too selfish to give up an hour though. It's your precious time, who the hell cares about anyone else?

When I think about leaders, I think of the President of the U.S. Now, contrary to what you may believe, the way Bush handled our country wasn't completely horrible, was it? At least we are still a nation. At least we still live under a set of laws and regulations. I side with Democrats, but I don't think that Al Gore could have done a better job than George. How would you have liked to face a tremendously tough term involving a few destructive natural disasters, terrorist attacks, overseas conflict, gas prices and a nation that blames YOU for every single one of their problems? I couldn't have handled it. I'd have shot myself by the end of September of 2002. Under all of that pressure, he didn't do too bad.

I think that things are going to start looking up for us, as a world, in the future. When the U.S. elects a new leader, people are always trying to make deals and treaties with one another to open up a new period of happiness. This happens every election, and every election, people have smiles on their faces for the first few months. Now, that has always been a great start; it just needs to be sustained. The more positivity we have about our political figures, the better off everything will be. That does mean that we have to live with our problems for now, offer possible solutions and, eventually, resolve our conflicts. Kids, this can be done; don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

With all of our problems (gas prices, economy depletions, war), who is to really say that we can't get out of them somehow? If you think about it, we're not the only generation who have ever had problems, and many of the problems that we do face have been dealt with and resolved time and time again. Seriously, there have been tons of stuff in the past that people had to face, but they got through it. We're going to get through life, so stop acting like we're not, stop feeling sorry for our generation.

People keep talking about how bleak the future is going to be. I'm taking an old saying that my mother used to say to me for this:

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

I guess what this all is leading up to is if you feel sorry for this generation, get your ass off of your computer and do something for humanity, and I'd like to mention that we all need to start being positive about the future again, damn it! The only thing that scares about the future is the fact that the cynics out there won't have anything better do to with their lives than bitch about how pathetic and horrible the times are going to be without doing anything to try to make things better.

If you truly think about it, nothing is worse and more pathetic than that.

(Yes, I'm completely sick of every sleazy cynic in the world.)

My reason for posting: Because I have a voice, I have an opinion and I have the right to promote optimism. Whether you accept it or not is your doing, but eventually, it will be the undoing of us all if people don't start realizing it.

Tags: but you disabled com…, hyperballad13 loves …, ikkyg says: i loved …, ikkyg- i loved this, stewieismyhomeboy sa…

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Posted on 06/24/2008 1:01 AM Comments (2)

June 14, 2008

The Gaieties of the 1980s: The History of Boy George and the Culture Club

From left: Jon Moss, Mikey Craig, Boy George and Roy Hay.

There is little to be said about the 1980s that hasn't already been said before. "It was the best of times" seems to suffice what I believe the period was all about. There was so much musical change: the transition from punk to pop, glam rock to new wave, from guitar to synthesizer. The people living back then knew that they were making a change in the world with their upbeat fads and amazing musicians. One of the more notable and most fervent trendsetting artists that was to be remembered best during the time period was none other than Boy George.

Going back to his roots, George Alan O'Dowd was born exactly 46 years ago today (which is why I've waited to post this), in a small, but loud, environment. His father, being a distant, wife-beating ingrate, never paid much attention to George, so he grew up with his music, looking everywhere and anywhere for a role model.

As he grew into his teen years, he began to wear make-up, as it was the popular thing to do during the glam-rock era in Britain. He'd relish ideas from idols like David Bowie, but always made it a point to have his glitz and glamor look more unique than he had ever seen on anyone else. This is where his creative fuel began to blossom. When he was 17, he started hanging out with a group of people that shared his musical and glamorous interests, and continued to live the party life with no worries for nearly two years. After attracting the attention of a music executive by the name of Malcolm McLaren (yes, he previously managed the Sex Pistols), his new friend decided to force him upon a band called Bow Wow Wow. The band consisted of 4 outlandish members, including a 14-year-old Annabella Lwin, who was a brilliant mind behind such songs as "I Want Candy" and "Go Wild In The Country." George accepted the position as a secondary lead singer under the stage name "Lieutenant Lush," but soon left because of personal disputes between band members.

George had his first tast of fame, and he wanted more. To shut up and start getting into Culture Club's history, George continued to party on, depressed about leaving the band, until meeting with bassist Mikey Craig. They decided that they could make a band work if they put all their effort into it. Their new band, In Praise of Lemmings, died as soon as it had begun. Despite their efforts failing, they didn't give up. Then, a drumming man came into George's life that would change him forever: Jon Moss. Right after Jon jumped aboard the band wagon, guitarist/keyboardist Roy Hay decided that he needed to get in on the action. And there they were: Sex Gang Children. They kept that name for months before they abandoned it for their more mainstream-acceptable name Culture Club; this was also the time where George adapted 'Boy George' as his on-stage persona. The unique sound for Culture Club was a mixture of new romanticism, new wave, pop, reggae and slight rock stylings. This was certainly something taken straight out of a book on originality, but the best part of it all was that Culture Club delivered with success!

"Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" by Culture Club

(*random fact* - That song was written by George about his relationship with Jon. Listen to it again, and you'll understand his state of mind at that time.)

In 1981, the band was complete and worked up enough music to put it together as their first album entitled Kissing To Be Clever. Their album did very well; their first single and second single barely missing the U.K. Top 100, but their third single, the infamous "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me," was such a great single that it peaked at number 1 on over 16 different Top 100 lists around the globe. People really took a shining to Culture Club, considering that they consisted of four radically different types of people. They appealed to everyone, and were ready to hit the top of their game with their next album.

Unknown to the guitarist and bassist, Jon Moss and Boy George began seeing each other romantically, but it was a relationship that was doomed for failure. There was constant bickering between the two about this or that, and the major fact that they had to keep their relationship a secret from the press was eating away at George. He wanted to open up, but Jon said that he wouldn't be with him if that was the case. This inner conflict between the two band members began to eat away and rip the band apart ever so slightly.

George and Jon

A legendary album to any 1980s fan is going to have to be Culture Club's sophomore album Colour By Numbers. With songs like "Church of the Poison Mind" and "Karma Chameleon," this is one of those records that will always remain one that you can listen to all the way through, all the time. This was when Culture Club reached their commercial peak, and all around fame. EVERYONE knew who Boy George was, I assure you. His vocals (and the back-up vocals of Helen Terry) were something that was limboed in the realm of music, and people couldn't get enough of it. It'll remain timeless and regal for as long as music continues to be made, without a doubt.

This was about the time that Boy George began to turn to drugs. He had just developed a new found A-list celebrity status and was hitting the underground party scene pretty hard, getting heavily involved with sex and heroin. The band had always been against drug use, and George's hypocrisy angered the band. They pretty much wrote him off, and he was alone.

"Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club

In 1984, they recorded another full length album. Waking Up With The House On Fire, From Luxury To Heartache had so much less passion and so much less energy than the previous two albums had. The sales were poor, the band morale was poorer. They all knew that an end was close, and decided to bow out in the summer of 1986 when Boy George was arrested for possession of illegal substances.

They all live substancially awkward lives now, definitely not as fun as their lives would have been. Though, to let you all in on what's current, Boy George is on tour late this summer, and I'm gonna try my hardest to catch him in concert! =D

Boy George (at his prime)

As much as I hate to say it, Boy George buried the band, but I can understand what he was going through that made him turn to drugs in the first place. The man is a rarity among men, an original among originals. There has been none like him before, and I certainly doubt that anyone can carry on his charm and unbelievably amazing taste in everything ever again. To sell more than 45 million records is no easy feat, but George did it with style, make-up and a finely tuned voice that is recognizable world-wide. I'll be doing a biography on him solely in the near future, so I'll end this with one of my favorite Boy George quotes:

"I prefer a nice cup of tea to sex."

Much love.

P.S. - Also, be sure to join the Buzznet Music History group that we've finally got going on here. FINALLY. : )

Related Groups: Buzznet Music History

Tags: boy george, buzznet music histor…, culture club

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Posted on 06/14/2008 4:25 AM Comments (14)

June 11, 2008

These Are A Few Of My Insecure Things...

You will not like what you see. These are my physical imperfections that I'm laying out on the line. Look or look away; you do so at your own will. I completely understand if you do not look at me the same after this. Just thought you should see what I look like sometime, and why not do it through a project? : )

STALLING BEFORE YOU READ THIS JOURNAL!

My Face

I have redness. I have pimples. I have blackheads. I have scars. I have odd cheekbones. I have big lips. I have one eyelid that hangs lower than the other. I have big ears. I have oily skin. I have bumps. I have an extra chin.

(My nose, of course. Crazy close-up, eh?)

Above all, I have personality. I have shapes. I have character.

My Teeth

These have always been one of my main weak points. I don't care what I think of my teeth, and that's bad for me. I do care about what others see of my teeth, something that I should've let go a long time ago. I've been working on letting go of this insecurity for a while, but it won't ever happen until I can get them straightened, which will be in the following weeks when I get my braces. That is probably the only time I'll ever feel comfortable about them, in all reality. =/

My Arms

I have really chubby arms. There is a ton of atrophy around my bicep region, as I have been inactive in so long. I used to have pretty nice arms, if I may say so myself and not sound so vain, and I'll be able to bring them back up to the way they were. It's just a matter of time. : )

My Midsection

I have never said that I was thin. Just because I am a Buzzmaker doesn't mean that I am good-looking. I am horrificly disgusting. The way that I like to describe it is think of a pregnant woman that is pregnant with 5 children at once. Now, imagine that she gave birth to all of her children, lost about 25 percent of the body fat and you've got me. I do not exaggerate.

This last year, as many of you know, I have had a complete year off from school. I graduated early just so I could have some time to relax, but this year really took it's toll on my body. I gained 80 pounds since I graduated high school, and have become excessively lazy.

I am working on fixing this problem; I've been to the gym everyday this week and I am starting to get some tone back into my midsection, even if all that I can do is feel it rather than see it right now. I love to run, so I'm getting back into the habit of doing so, and since I've been running again, I've lost 6 pounds. I'll get back to where I feel pretty on the outside. It's just not going to go away on it's own; I must take action. I've got to maintain that mentality.

My Weight

I used to weigh 140 pounds, and that was when I was at my happiness. I was a lean, mean, green teen. The way I look at my weight is two different ways. The first: I am 17 years old, and this is not a healthy weight for a 17 year old. It's just not. The second: diabetes and heart disease run in my family. I'm such a hypochondriac that I almost can't stand myself sometimes.

At my highest in my life, I used to weigh 250 pounds in the 7th grade. I've slimmed out before, and I just know that I can do it again. I can admit that I've had weight fluxuations, and that is all that I'm treating this as. Hey, Gerard Way and Tyson Ritter were chubby kids, and they grew up and out of it, didn't they? I have hope for the future. I'll be in college track running by the time I start at DePaul. I've just gotta work at it and work at it and work at it. : )

You don't have to look beautiful/handsome to feel it.

If you look at me differently, so be it. I always said I wasn't perfect; here's just a taste of how bad I really am. This project is going to be a great eye-opener, to myself and I hope, to others.

I'll be doing much more of these in the future.

Related Groups: Project: Beautiful Warts and All

Tags: beautiful warts and …

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Posted on 06/11/2008 6:33 PM Comments (36)

June 6, 2008

I MISS YOU, BUZZNET!

I'll be back for good soon, I promise!

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Posted on 06/06/2008 6:52 PM Comments (15)

June 5, 2008

“Ryan Ross is the cheese to my macaroni” – A Review of the 2008 Honda Civic Tour Show in Denver

The Trip

First off, I didn't even go the frick to bed until it was about 4. I was busy watching re-runs of The Nanny that my DVR had recorded from days before. Gotta love DVR! =D

I awoke to the sounds of my sister screaming, “WE'RE LEAVING IN 10 MINUTES?!” I jumped up like I had a date in 10 minutes and it would be with my soul mate. Sadly enough, it was just to go see the Honda Civic Tour. *sigh* We left at about 10 in the morning, and I got to drive for about 2 hours. I actually enjoyed driving up, mainly because I had The Wombats blaring in the car keeping me focused, and I finally learned the ultimate control of my car's cruise control setting! My driving career is starting to look up for me.

So lame, but all that happened was I drove halfway and my mom traveled the other half. We showed up later than expected, but all was well when Audrey came running to me with a huge smile on her face.

The Line

I LOOKED FOR BAYLIE EVERYWHERE! IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU KNOW THAT I COULDN'T FIND YOU TO SAVE MY LIFE! Side note to Baylie: we should have planned our meeting up better. =P

Anywho, my sister and I showed up and met with Audrey a little after 3:30 P.M., only a few moments after The Hush Sound decided to leave the venue for a brief coffee run before the show. They left, and I arrive; what luck, eh? To make matters worse, the only eye candy that could be seen in the crowd were either taken or guys that pretend to like other guys. There were some pretty girls there too, but they were way too 'scene' to give me the light of day. It's all good, in reality. I like my scene with a bit more sunshine and a hell of a lot more smiles. ; )

While in line, I met some folks who I've never met before, but they seemed like really awesome gals. They were these girls that Audrey's little sister knew from a previous concert, and it's always nice to meet up with your friends like that. Especially when they are neat to hang out with. Minute after minute passed, and after two trips to the end of the line to look for Baylie, we finally started moving forward at a steady pace through the doors of the Fillmore Auditorium. My sister sneaked the camera in like a professional, and we were in. I headed to the merchandise table with Audrey, while my sister and Audrey's younger sister (and her friend) ran to the front of the pit. No way was I going in the pit without my main woman, Maddy, not being there! It just wouldn't be right.

Audrey, her mom and I circled the place for a bit, made camp and the show began with the last text message going across the screen saying, “I love John Ortega!!!” It was a highlight of the night for me, mainly because I've been feeling like a moody lunatic lately. (Thanks, Audrey. I owe you a lifetime of happiness!)

Phantom Planet

Guitar strums and creaky vocals never sounded so amazing. They were the first thing to be heard, as “Geronimo” was the first song to be played, and it set the tone for the rest of the concert. There was such an expected reaction from the crowd as they came on: the group “d'uh” look. Nobody moved while they played, and it's probably because no one knew any of their songs; good thing I did my research before coming up! Alex was a hot shot and had such a sweet attitude about being the opening act. They ended up pulling in cameos from both The Hush Sound (minus one drummer) and a Mr. Ryan Ross to play “Big Brat” and “Do The Panic,” respectively. Let me tell you, they could perform!

The finale was obviously going to be “California,” the theme from the TV show, “The O.C.” They were a bit of a one-hit wonder after that, but their new album, Raise the Dead, is full of hits! I recommend the album to anyone who wants to listen to something a little exciting, a little dark and just a little bit eccentric. They rocked out like veteran zombie rockers!

The Hush Sound

Can you believe that The Hush Sound was definitely the best band of the night!? In my sincerest of opinions, they were rocking it from wall to wall! They started off with “Medicine Man”; Greta looking more gorgeous than any other woman who has ever played on that stage. She bopped from side-to-side, pulling out a steady flow of dead-on vocals. Things moved so smoothly that I almost didn't catch the beginning of “We Intertwined.” Being my favorite song from Like Vines, you can bet that I was freaking out! All I can recall over the next few songs of theirs were just a blurb of screaming at the top of my lungs.

Then, I predicted the future again! “Don't Wake Me Up” was being masterfully played by all the characters, and when it reached the point where Patrick Stump traditionally sings the bridge, I turned to Audrey and said, “I bet that Brendon will come out and sing in Patrick's place!” As soon as I could look back to the stage, Brendon Urie was standing in front of the main microphone squealing, “THE MORNING RIPPED YOU AWAY (OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH)!” He hit every note to my standards, and even threw in a nice vibrating hip movement for the crowd. Bob Morris, of course, decided to show off his guitar skills and completely made Brendon invisible at the end of the song. He stole the light, and the people loved him for it. Strangely enough, they only played about 4 songs from Goodbye Blues. I wish that I could have heard more, or even heard some stuff from So Sudden, but their set was enough to make me exceedingly happy.

Their last song, “Wine Red,” made me cry. Not because it was too perfect, but because it was over. We said goodbye to The Hush Sound on stage, but totally said hello to the band off-stage at the corner table, where I was so lucky to have met the one and only Greta Salpeter and Bob Morris. I just love them to death. I will forever get chills from the time I told Bob that I loved their performance and how great their music is. He looked in my eyes and said, “That means so much to us! Thank you for coming to support us!” Best moment of the night...or at least one of them.

Motion City Soundtrack

So, I know that every tour has to have that veteran band that everyone uses to get pumped up for the last performance, but I'm pretty sure that people were just pumped to be solely seeing these guys. Justin has such an amazing sense of humor; his blurbs in between songs were definite good-timey random words, making them so much more attractive in my eyes. If you want to attract someone, use your sense of humor and flatter them. He did both, and even did it with an orange bra on his head! That is no simple feat.

Onto the music: “LG FUAD,” “Broken Heart,” “Make Out Kids,” “Attractive Today,” and “My Favorite Accident,” among many others. They had a rather long set list, which was such a positive. Their performance was chock full of charismatic dynamics.

Final song: “The Future Freaks Me Out.” It couldn't have been more enjoyable; the couple in front of me were singing each line of the song to each other and they looked so damn happy to be alive. They ended, reminding us that their keyboardist, Jesse Johnson, was celebrating his birthday on the day of the event, so the crowd gave him a hefty round of applause. : )

At least a hundred or so people stayed solely for Motion City Soundtrack, and as soon as they finished, people just started going. It was good because it gave us more room, but they did miss out on the main event...

Panic at the Disco

Boys and girls, I have re-affirmed my faith in Panic at the Disco. I still stick to my convictions when I say that Pretty. Odd. is definitely my least favorite album from all time, but the way that they played everything together, I knew that I was having a great time and that's all that mattered to me.

“We're So Starving” was the first song to explode from their amplifiers, then literally warping into “Nine in the Afternoon.” It was such a rush to see Brendon Urie moving his head from left to right to left in front of the microphone. I'm taking that memory to the grave, for sure.

I'm not going into all that they played, but I can assure you that all the singles were played, from both albums. “Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off” was dedicated to all the singles out there, and as soon as the song was done, the stage was full of the bras of preteen scenesters. We also got a strong “I'M A DIIIIIIVVVVVVVAAAAAA!” scream from Brendon during a certain song. ;)

THERE WAS SO MUCH THAT WAS PLAYED FROM A FEVER YOU CAN'T SWEAT OUT!!! That is what really hooked me. I loved that despite the fact that they are “evolving,” they are still playing what made them famous in the first place. That made me smile. Songs from Pretty. Odd. include: “Folkin' Around,” “Behind The Sea,” and “She's A Handsome Woman.”

I have videos for these, but you'll have to wait. It'll take some time to upload them, so just be patient please. : )

The After Party

When my sister and I got into the car, we were greeted by sodas and burgers from Good Times, one of the best places to get a good all-American meal. They were delicious, to say the least, and the Pepsi was the best way for me to catch up on my great lack of fluid. As I type this, hours after the show, I'm still drinking tons of water. Thank goodness for water in this world, or I'd explode.

Due to the neurotic needs of my crazy mother, I sat for about 30 minutes after the concert in our hotel room internally screaming as my mother plucked hairs from my chin. Talk about the perfect balance of awesome and stupidity. Though, to make the positive outweigh the negative, my mom is forcing me to change the day that I have to go to Chicago for orientation, so that we can catch the George Michael concert there! HOW AMAZING IS THAT?! I'm excited.

All in all, the night was delightfully neat. I REALLY wish that I could've gotten a “I Have Friends In Holy Spaces” from Panic and at least one song from So Sudden from The Hush Sound, but I took such a splendid time from the Fillmore. I had a blast, hung out with some friends and got a good couple stories out of it. Talk about one hell of a night! : )

Wishing you have nights like these during the remainder of your summer...

- John

P. S. - I wrote this last night, but the hotel wouldn't allow me to connect to the web. Here is my review of the concert that I attended a last night, and I am quite pleased to have had such a great time, and even had such a great time writing this review. I hope that you enjoyed reading, despite how lame I am. (I hope that I got all the songs right; if I didn't and you were at the show, let me know! I want this to be as accurate as possible.)

♥

: )

Related Groups: BUZZMOB

Tags: buzzmob

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Posted on 06/05/2008 1:43 AM Comments (23)

I'm baaaaaaaack!

June 28, 2008

Juggling

June 24, 2008

Cynical Selfishness: The Future's True Enemy

June 14, 2008

The Gaieties of the 1980s: The History of Boy George and the Culture Club

June 11, 2008

These Are A Few Of My Insecure Things...

June 6, 2008

I MISS YOU, BUZZNET!

June 5, 2008

“Ryan Ross is the cheese to my macaroni” – A Review of the 2008 Honda Civic Tour Show in Denver

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