Dude, I never thought I would live to see the day when KoRn would do an MTV Unplugged session, but sure enough...

It was this past Sunday when I first heard the Freak On A Leash track with Amy Lee from Evanescence on WMMR. When I heard it I kind of freaked out a bit. I was like "WTF?" I listened and thought it was cool as shit. In retrospect, I now realize that the DJ actually did say that it was from KoRn Unplugged. I just assumed that it was some kind of WMMR exclusive that I would never hear again.

I was scouring WMMR's site looking for songs I hadn't downloaded and I just happened to come across the video for Freak On A Leash. Kewl. I downloaded it on the spot. It was very grainy, but whatever.

I was now motivated to find software to convert video to iPod format so I could put this (and other videos) on my iPod. I had been procrastinating for a while. Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? I came across Videora, which sucked ass, but then I came across Jodix Free iPod Video Converter, which worked really well for me. The video converted very nicely, but when I brought it into iTunes, the preview looked like shit, so I wanted to see if I could find an image on the web for this session.

I searched Google and soon it became very apparent to me that this performance was actually a legitimate MTV Unplugged session. Dude! Evidently they had just released it. Well I HAD to have it. I cracked open Napster and searched. There it was! Download Now! Awesome! I'm actually listening to it right now as I write this. The album is great. If you're a KoRn fan, I highly recommend this album!

Labels: Music

I was parousing my music library a couple of days ago and noticed there was something woefully missing. I don't really have any of the Beatles' music. I mean, sure, I have like 4 or 5 songs from when the orchestra performed a medley, but that's it.

That's A LOT of really good music and there's no reason I shouldn't have some. Oh wait, now I remember. The Beatles are one of those groups that is holding on tightly to their masters and not releasing any of their tracks to any of the download services. Damn. The on;y way to get some is to purcahse some, or hope someone's sharing. Crap.

Fortunately, I found a torrent with a Beatles discography. It only took 2 days to download. :S
Oh well. I now have 17 Beatles albums and I'm not even sure that's their entire body of work. I'd call that a good start. ;)

Labels: Music

It took me almost a week to write this, because every time I think about it, it enrages me.

I'm taking my mom to breakfast at the local O'Grady's which is now becoming our weekend ritual. We have our food and we're chatting away. We see this family of four (husband, wife, and two small children - boy & girl) pull up in the parking lot. From our window seat we watch them pile out of the car, a happy little nuclear family unit.

The mood quickly changed when we both saw Daddy lift up his foot and KICK the little girl as she was getting out of the car.

Let me say that again.



The first time he kicked her, we just looked at each other in disbelief. We said to each other, "Did he just kick that little girl?" We looked back over at their car to see if what we had suspected was true, only to see him lift up his foot and try to punt her her again.

What a fucking scumbag!

All we could see was that little girl just standing in the middle of the parking lot crying her poor little eyes out. I was twitching in my seat resisting the urge to run out there and kick the living shit out of this guy.

They came into the restaurant. I couldn't believe it. I had to swallow a lot of anger. I got up as he walked by. My intention was to shoulder-check him as he walked by and talk some shit. "Real tough guy. Kick a little fucking girl." I was going to let that be the end of it because I knew if I did anything to this guy, I'd be the one they'd be taking out in handcuffs. This guy was tall and skinny so I missed him as I tried to bump him. But there was no escaping the shit I spat.

I got up in his face. He actually had the nerve to try and defend what he did. "I don't need you to discipline me!" he said. Aw, I lost it. I jumped right in his shit. He looked at me like, "Yeah, what!" I looked back at him like, "Really? Do you really want to do this? Are you sure? You'd better be." There was a point where I could see in his eyes the look of, "Oh, God. I've made a terrible mistake trying to stand up to this large man. That was probably the only thing that saved his life at that point. I eased down and walked away mere milliseconds before I did what I really wanted to, which was snatch this guy by his throat and punt him across the parking lot. Maybe shitting blood for a week would make him think twice before hitting a little girl again.

A gentleman in the adjacent window booth had seen the kicking incident and had offered his assistance in beating this guy's ass, had the shit went down. It was good to know that I would have had some support; that there were people out there decent enough to stand up for a stranger.

We paid for our food and left immediately. I was so tense driving back through Phoenixville that I was twitching. My knuckles where white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. I had to pull over and smoke a butt just to calm my nerves down.

What kind of a man are you that you would even conceive to kick a little girl? Fucking coward. She couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old. What could a defenseless 5-year old do to you that would warrant you lifting your foot off the ground and trying to David Akers your own daughter? Something tells me that this type of abuse was not the first time, either. His wife, complicit enabler that she is, just stood there and comforted HIM! "It's going to be all right. It's OK." What kind of mother are you? He probably beats you, too.

I tell you what. Don't let that be a black woman watching her child get kicked. Your ass would be in the hospital THE FIRST time you tried that shit. I was surprised at my own mother's restraint watching this. I think this guy should really be thanking me. If I hadn't jumped up in his face, she would have and she would not have backed down.

To the fine people at O'Grady's Restaurant, both patrons and staff, I apologize for causing a scene. It is truly uncharacteristic of me to do so, but some things, you just can't let go.

Please comment on this topic if you have an opinion. Child abuse is a serious topic and if people don't stand up to abusers, it will never stop.

Labels: Rants