Fastest cars of 2017 that you can afford

There are dream cars and then there are cars that you can afford.  In compiling the list of the fastest cars of 2017 I did some rankings and a funny result happened.  I found five cars under $100,000 that in my mind are affordable toys you could drive everyday.

5. Chevrolet Camaro 2SS
Basically the best Camaro you can buy for 2017.  I went to the website and it is so specialized that three clicks in you are prompted to chat with a representative.  Event though this car came in last based on ranking, it is the most affordable and gives you the best bang for your buck.  Coming in around $42,900 the Camaro 2SS boasts a 6.2 liter V8 that pumps out 455 horsepower and a top speed of 165 mph.  This coupled with the retro styling and the availability for aftermarket parts make this one of the best buys of 2017.

4. Chevrolet Corvette 3LT/Z51
That’s a lot of letters for a Corvette but if you want the best Chevrolet is offering up that’s the one to get.  Corvette is the big brother to number 5 so they share some of the same heritage in the mechanical department.  The Corvette sports the same 6.2 liter that puts out the 455 horsepower.  But being a lighter car the Corvette tops out at 195 mph, 30 mph faster than it’s younger sibling.  But with horsepower comes a price, the Corvette comes in at $71,204.  The funny thing is Chevrolet allowed me to make mine on the site unlike the top end Camaro.

3. Ford Mustang Shelby GT-350R

I can hear the bow tie lovers groaning now, “Why is this better than a Corvette? It’s not even a stock Mustang.”  Well true, but it is the top end that you can order from the dealership like the Camaro 2SS and the Corvette 3LT/Z51.  So your argument is invalid.  But you have to give props to the folks at Shelby for putting their best foot forward.  The Shelby is using the 6.2 liter platform and pushing 526 horsepower with a top speed of 186.  So it’s not faster than a Corvette.  It edged out the Corvette based on price.  The Shelby comes in about $7000 cheaper at $64,270.  If you want to spend the extra $7000 get the Corvette; but among the bottom three the Camaro is still the best buy even though you will be adding performance options later on.  So out of the box with no modification by you the Mustang beats out the Corvette and Camaro.

2. Toyota Supra (FT-1)

This was a surprise to me.  Toyota started to enter the super car market to compete with the Nissan GT-R and the Acura NSX.  Reviving the Supra name plate to the prototype FT-1 and putting it into production.  The surprise was the price.  Coming in around $70,000 (est) the Supra is right at the same price point as the Corvette.  But don’t think this is your average Toyota.  Running a 2.6 liter twin turbo this little monster pumps out 450 horsepower (est).  Top speed is an estimated 270 mph.  Everything about this car is estimated since Toyota being tight lipped about it.  But everything I am reading is that this car is being built and priced to be a Corvette killer capable of taking out it’s higher priced relatives in the Japanese market also.  Sort of the same tactic they used when Toyota created the Lexus brand for luxury cars.

1.Challenger Hellcat (SCAT)

I like the Challenger, really, but I think it’s sort of a boat compared to everything else on this list.  Dodge has, in my mind, some of the most innovative designers (prowler, viper).  Dodge, being number three, can take more chances too.  With that they came up with the Hellcat package or SCAT if you are looking at the website.  This is the top of the line Challenger you can buy from the dealer.  She pumps out 707 horsepower and an estimated top speed of over 200 mph.  Coming in at $62,495 she undercuts the Corvette and Mustang.  I can say this, the Dodge boys had a target and they met it with force.  Also if 2 doors aren’t your thing, you know kids and stuff, you can get the SCAT package on the 4 door Dodge Charger.

 

Casual Conversation

Part of business networking is the sharing of ideas and thoughts to stimulate business.  By sharing some insight from your experiences you are building a relationship with another business partner or client.

I often attend meetings outside my normal work. These meetings are usually work related. I use them to keep in contact with people I used to work with and to meet new people I may work with in the future. Being an expert in my field I tend to brag a bit about the work I have done in the past. It is more because I enjoy what I do and when in the company of people with the same or similar interests it can be a great conversation starter.

Part of business networking is the sharing of ideas and thoughts to stimulate business. Perhaps you meet someone who had a similar problem and they share with their solution with you. Or maybe you share some insight from your experiences. Either way you are building a relationship with another business partner or client.

I try not to be critical of people. We all have ways and mannerisms that define us. We often have priorities and obligations that another may not share.

So there I was talking up what I am currently working on when another person enters the conversation. I welcome new people, perhaps he overheard something of interest in what I was working on that might prove useful to his environment.

All of the sudden the person started asking questions. I am not afraid to respond to a question; I answered. Then his questions became more and more like an interrogation. I have run into people like this before. They are out to prove something. To me, in that setting, it was a complete waste of mine and their time.

I answered a few more and was becoming more irritated. Then the poking question came from him. A question directed to show his superiority to me. Not one to dodge a challenge I struck back and responded how incorrect his assumption was. He immediately backtracked the conversation admitting that my point was correct and then redirected to another area of similar interest. Shortly he faded from the conversation drifting to another group of people.

My point was to not up-stage him. But challenged, my natural reaction is stand my ground. Maybe that is an incorrect approach but standing up for your self is a basic human right. I did my best not to sink to his level; present the best case; and prove my point.

Long ago early in my career a supervisor/mentor told me, “Stand up for what you believe is right until you are proven wrong; then accept the right answer.” Often you will find people that bombard you with their point, even if it is proven wrong, to control the conversation. This is why you must stand your ground as long as you know you are in the right. But be willing to accept the other person is right when you are proven wrong.

Given that the events had already happened, how could have this been a more productive conversation? Well the first thing we have to do is pick out the purpose of each individual.

My stance was to communicate my experience and current projects.
His was to dominate and control the conversation. Without being submissive, how could I have promoted the conversation better?

He obviously had a message and he did get that message across. But he failed to back up any of his information with experience. Why did he choose the path? How did he arrive at this particular solution?

As I think about it now I realize he was not as adept at the art of conversation as me. That sounds conceited but we all have abilities that we excel at. I did not always handle meeting new people so well. I am a shy sort of person. You would never know it now. It’s because I saw a deficiency in myself and move to improve myself. And everyone should strive to improve themselves everyday.

I should have directed the conversation towards the questions I asked earlier. This would have performed two things. It would have removed the interrogation style of questioning which was becoming uncomfortable for the others involved as well as myself. It would have given him an outlet to describe how he had come to that solution and showcase his unique answer.

You see his method of conversation was abrasive. It didn’t lend itself to a counterpoint as much to diminish the conversation. By directing it towards the means to the end it can give understanding to how the decision process came about. And by understanding the situation one could comprehend why the solution was chosen in favor of others.

This is when good networking comes into play. Once the problem/solution/process was understood then alternate solutions could be presented. This could lead to making a life-long acquaintance that bolsters mutual respect or new business opportunities.

But not all conversations can be turned positive. Sometimes it’s just better to walk away. If someone is determined to jump off a cliff you can only help them so much before they throw caution to the wind and jump. The most you can be is constructive. Most people will welcome a new, different outlook.

I failed to direct this conversation properly. That became obvious to me after looking back. But we are all fallible, as the saying goes “nobody’s perfect.” But I can learn from this and make myself a better person from it. Next time I meet this man I will take the opportunity to enlighten both of us.

Women Don’t Cheat

Hold on you must be kidding right? No, I’m not. Women do not cheat on men. There are exceptions but for the most part women do not cheat. 

 

The Reasoning.

Women do not normally approach males looking for sex. Especially if the woman is currently in a relationship no matter how bad it is. Women are typically submissive to men. Men are the pursuing party. Now if a woman is approached she now has a choice. And then she is coerced into an adulterous relationship due to the competing male. Notice the word competing; men compete for women because we are designed to. Women choose the best male based on fitness.

Scenario 1.

A woman in a not so great maybe boring relationship is approached by a handsome man that provides adventure and by all appearances is better than her current choice. Man scores even if he does not surpass her current provider only because he seems a better catch.

Scenario 2.

A woman is in a relationship that has gone stale. A man approaches her and gives her attention that she craves. Again the woman surmises the man is a better catch because of his caring nature. With both men being equal in wealth and standing; the caring guy gets the in.

Both scenarios do not have the woman openly pursuing the man. She is not stopping the advances. Why should she; she loves the attention.

In all my years I have only seen two women actively pursue a man. Both were married in loveless relationships, one abusive. Both relationships were at an end and the only thing left was to let the lawyers duke it out. And in both there was a mutual pursuit on the male’s part. He just didn’t have to work as hard as most do.

I have seen women succumb to men on more than one occasion when the man is doing the advancing. The world is full of men like this. Women know this, and you know it too if you are a man. Hell, you might be one of them. I am not condemning the behavior. If the woman is open to the advances then her prior relationship is suspect anyway. The trick is to not get caught up in the drama in her life. Like all things an assessment should be taken of the potential gain versus the potential problems.

Warning signs to look out for.

Jealousy – this by far is the worst thing in the world where relationships are concerned. A jealous man could easily be offended by you taking his woman. This man could be your best bud had this not happened. On the other hand, a jealous woman who is cheating may suspect the same of you and fly off the handle. Either way people need to understand that relationships are just that, a relationship. Sure if you feel betrayed you will want retribution but is it worth it; is she worth it?

Also, keep in mind a fling is just that. It may become a recurring thing but realize your situation. If you become attached to your affair and she is just using you for meaningless sex (oh, the horror!); smothering her will turn you from stud to stalking freak. This will end any contact with this woman and with good reason.

Disease – A flirtatious woman may be skilled at the game. This means she may have been seduced before. The benefit to this is that she may be more receptive if she has been successful before. The problem is she may be spreading the love too. Wrap that rascal; no woman is worth the pain of an incurable disease. This is basic advice for any non-committal relationship.

Cling ons – This is the worst thing to happen to a single man. I am certain all men have experienced this. A woman wants all your attention all the time. No more time to catch a beer after work with the buds. The worst version of this is the stalker. This woman not only wants your attention, she shows up at your haunts to see if you are there. She is making sure she is the only filly in the stable. Beware of this, no matter how hot she is or how good she is in bed, run away. This is trouble brewing that will end badly for you.

Tragedy girls – The tragedy girl is someone you scored with who is now in dire straits due to something of her own doing. What she wants from you is saving. This woman may or may not offer up herself for you saving her. Tragedy girls love drama and create it every change they can. Be forewarned, if you save her once you will be requested to save her again. This can not only interrupt your plans but may even serve to sabotage any future plans. This woman should be avoided. The only possible outcomes are constantly saving her or becoming committed to her.

Commitment – Okay, you have decided to commit and she agrees. I have seen my share of hook-ups turn into committed relationships. This is not a bad thing sometimes. Realize what you are getting into. If there is an ex involved it can and will get messy. You are also sacrificing your freedom for this woman. Now the hidden issues begin to surface. As mentioned before, jealousy may rear its ugly head. If she has transgressed with you the possibility of her transgressing again are higher than most. Also, she will be wary of any habits that may cause you to stray. Communication and reassurance are keys to success, but that is a different article.

Benefits

1. Not your problem. If you hook up with an attached woman, unless she is psycho, when the deed is done it is no longer your problem. She will go back to her man and all the drama follows her. BEWARE

2. Freaky freakin’ sex. The woman may be more receptive to adventurous sexual behavior. This is a fling to her. She wants to be ravaged, taken and left dripping. Take your vitamins and sharpen your imagination. If you leave her disappointed, it will get around, especially if you are the office stud. The down side is if you leave her panting for more and you are the office stud; forget any other conquests in the office. Unless she has a secret fantasy of being with a woman. In a closed environment, end one relationship before starting another. It is much better to seek conquest outside of your work environment, albeit harder due to a lack of comfort and common interests.

3. Advertising. In the rare occasion, the woman may provide a little healthy advertisement for you and may even assist you by turning her trusted friends your way. Now all you have to do is figure out how to charge for your stud service.

Be aware that in all things your judgment is paramount in how successful you are. Taking on a cheating woman or convincing a woman to cheat should not be taken lightly. Remember that nice set of tits and cute ass come with a woman attached that may well turn into Mister Hyde when the tires hit the road. Always have an out. I cannot stress this enough. Unless your goal is a long term relationship with this woman, have an exit strategy. By no means give her a key to your place or allow her move some of her stuff in. You know what; don’t bring her to your place at all. You are inviting to be her exit strategy if her other half finds out. Let her drama stay in her world.

Surviving Jealousy

Suddenly you are under interrogation.  The only thing missing is a dark room with one bright light in your face.

 

The Scenario

You are at a convention with your significant other. You are walking around networking with past and new associates. A stunning blonde comes up and starts talking to you as an old friend. Being polite you introduce the woman to your significant other who before this time was completely bored with the convention. All the sudden she is very interested in this new woman who seems to know you so well. After exchanging banter and maybe some contact information, the blonde leaves. Then it hits, ‘How do you know Karen?’ she asks. Suddenly you are under interrogation. The only thing missing is a dark room with one bright light in your face while you are handcuffed to a chair. The rest of the day is slightly more than bearable. You avoid contact with anyone else who might spur another episode of twenty questions. You even decline going out with associates that evening for fear of reprisal. What happened? How did you end up in this mess?

And then all hell breaks loose

First thing, you did nothing wrong! If you are honestly talking to another woman in front of the woman you are dating/with/married, unless you are intentionally trying to piss her off, you did nothing wrong. It did show a measure of trust that your girlfriend/wife would not make a big deal, maybe even enjoy the company of your casual acquaintance.

However, this is not how the female brain works. Any woman, doesn’t matter if she is a 300 pound Russian ex-weightlifter, is competition for her. This is as much a self-confidence issue as it is a survival of the fittest issue. It is pre-engineered in a woman’s head to compete for the best mate. If the woman is with you she has determined that you make the grade. Realize you may not be at the top of the list but you rated enough to bear further investigation.

Couple this ‘natural drive’ with low self-esteem and you will have a toxic combination brewing. This can be as mild as nagging and as violent as retribution.

Typically it begins with a line of questioning that the CIA would be proud of. Each question carefully crafted and designed to reveal more or imply information. This is a trap. There is no sugar-coating on this. It is designed to either make you admit to a transgression or imply a desire to transgress. The more you answer the worse off you will be. Even if nothing was ever going to happen, if she had it in her head that something might, the questions will lead to her desired path. In extreme cases you may be constantly harassed or held on a short leash.

Now this sounds self-defeating. If she already has her mind made up, why go to all the trouble to question him. Obviously he is guilty, what’s in it for the woman?  The first is vindication. If the man has screwed up then she was the perfect woman to the philandering man.  The second is punishment. Now the line of questioning serves a two-fold purpose, get information and let the man know he is on notice.

At this point, after the questioning, the woman will expect groveling and gifts to appease her goddess status.

What to do

First rule, don’t cave in. If you did nothing wrong in your eyes then don’t apologize and don’t send flowers. This is a sign of submission. Even though this is what the woman will say she wants, it will show a weakness in you that she will hold against you. This can be a weakness that she will exploit when she wants something or it may become a reason to move onto a more suitable man.

Why is weakness bad? I have said before and it is so true today, women demand strong men. Any sign of weakness knocks you down a peg in her eyes. Any sign of strength props you up a peg. Case: women love firefighters and policemen; they represent heroes in real life. They will tell you it is the uniform but that is a lie. They are, by nature, designed to look for the strongest best mate. Heroes fit that bill to a tee. On the opposite side of the spectrum, geeks tend to get a low grade from women. They are often depicted as fat lazy slobs still living with their moms.

Now I am not condoning one or the other stereotype, this is just how it is. If you fit into a bad stereotype then you are the only one that can change that.
The point is, stand your ground. The woman you just introduced to your significant other may be a colleague that you work with or even your boss. Yes guys it is the 21st century.

How do you handle the situation? 

First, do not subject yourself to questioning. Give a simple and concise answer to who the person is and end it there. Do not answer anymore questions that are leading questions.

Second, she will get frustrated and pissed off. Depending on woman the severity may be great or small. Give her room, she will come around. If she doesn’t then don’t worry about it. But seriously rethink your relationship with her if she doesn’t. Jealousy is a natural human emotion. For her it is a defense mechanism to protect her mate selection.

Be aware, the incident may be used against you in the future. Women tend to remember and store vital jabs for use later. Arguing is pointless, made even more so when an obscure past event is brought up.

Realize your options, if her jealousy gets out of hand now it will in the future. The only thing in life that is finite is the time you have in your life. If you can suffer the jealousy and that piece of ass is so damn good, stay with her. If it becomes a problem, there are always more women out there. Think that’s cold, she is thinking the same thing about you when you fuck up in her eyes.

Rolling Stoned

And the music industry says file sharing is killing their sales. Says who?

 

And the music industry says file sharing is killing their sales.  I recently received by unsolicited copy of Rolling Stone in the mail. And much to my surprise and delight there was actually an article on the music industry and not the usual political drivel that now dominates this once beacon of music news.
Note that the article is running down how the music industry is losing money to file sharing.

A lot of the music industry’s case is speculation. I can tell you what’s wrong with speculation in two words; Gasoline Futures. Now everyone knows that gas is going up in price. Not a whole lot of people know why. It turns out that there is a group of people of Wall Street that basically gamble of the price of gasoline. They buy low and guess that the price will be high later when they sell it. So in reality, the gas is out there, just people are hoarding it. And of course, who are the oil industries to say Wall Street is wrong?

Now that we see how speculation can color the cost of items, let’s look at what the music industry is saying. They are saying in the past year(2008) their sales of CD’s have dropped due largely in part to file sharing, this year being one of the bleakest. I will contend that file sharing does and will continue to take a portion of profit from CD sales. I will also go on to say that file purchasing services like iTunes and now Amazon will drive the CD sales down. However, those should not be counted for they are part of the overall sales picture. Sales are bleak, hardly. The music industry continues to outsell itself every year. So where does the speculation fail?

One thing about statistics is that with the right data you can represent anything the way you want. Politics is a good one. If I poll registered voters and ask if they like a certain candidate, say Hillary Clinton. And I have an equal number of republicans and democrats. The results should be a non-surprising 50/50. If I poll registered voters and lean the pool of voters one way or the other the result will be skewed based on my voter pool. It is still a pool of registered voters. It is a valid poll by all sense of the word. But certain information was selectively left out.

This is what the music industry does when they want to make a point about file sharing. They leave out small but important pieces of information. One of the pieces they left out was the lack of original music from the past three years. In the article it listed the top grossing concerts of the last two years. Who was number one? The Police followed by a who’s who of established acts like Van Halen and Bruce Springsteen.

When you really analyze the data you start to see a pattern. No one has stepped up and laid down anything original in the last three plus years. Its not that people won’t buy a CD or music online, there just hasn’t been anything that really stands out as original.

With all things there are exceptions. The Foo Fighters have put together an impressive CD with an excellent fan following that attend their concerts. And there is original music out there along with some really good shows. But, they are not major acts or have the support of the music establishment.

The bottom line is that the music industry is not losing money. Through music downloads and technology they have realized they can streamline their operation and make even more money. When you hear about Capitol records laying off employees it isn’t really because sales are down. You still need a workforce to produce a product. It’s just that a lot of it can be done with a few mouse clicks now as apposed to a manufacturing facility. A professional CD duplicator can be purchased for under $10,000. That is a drop in the bucket for a small to medium sized business. Businesses will spend more than that on network infrastructure and phone systems.

Radiohead recently released their latest CD for download at a price of, well, you decide. Was it a stupid move? Hardly, Radiohead fans fed the band their hard earned cash and the publicity earned new groups of devoted fans. And guess what, if you really need to have that CD in your hand you can still buy it. Score one for the artist. The music industry and their propaganda machine need to grow up.

This comes as no surprise

Linsey Lohan has a lesbian lover? Lance Bass is gay? Why is this a surprise to anyone?

 

Recently is was reported that Lindey Lohan has been transcribing love letters to a lesbian DJ. Everyone is shocked and amazed! Why? When we look around at the well do to’s in the world, especially Hollywood, why should it surprise us that a couple of nuts land on the ground.

The american infatuation with controversy has fueled an unending stream of gay celebrities and jail bound heirs. The simple fact is that some of these people don’t live and never will live a normal life. Most never had to suffer through a job. And no, working 6 weeks on the grueling set of a film where they pay you 20 million to be there is not a job. It almost begs you for the return of the days when a washed up actor would show up in some obscure court in southern Ohio.

Now, with agents and lawyers getting smart with the millions these geeks make these kook balls spend most of their life partying away their existence. Expect and don’t be surprised when Brittany Spears doesn’t make it to 40. Or when some congressman’s kid OD’s on crystal meth. Look at wealthy and turn it off they aren’t worth your time or mine.

On the other side it seems that some of the new rich have thought smart about their lives. I hate to admit it but Justin Timberlake has parlayed most of fame into a lucrative empire and Pink is well on becoming a music legend. Staying clean is in for some of the high profile crowd. This isn’t a bad thing. With Nicole Ritchie on the way to jail and Paris Hilton just getting out, there may be a positive trend weaving its way into Hollywood.

Notables and what to note

  • Brittany Spears in rehab, day passes
  • Lindsey Lohan with lesbian lover, who is that old man? (This gives hope to ugly guys that you too can have a hot chick)
  • Ted Kenedy’s son busted for drugs, 100mph Prius damn!

Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll

Alcohol is a depressant.  Cocaine is a stimulant. Is the anything in between that isn’t illegal or damaging to your body? The answer won’t surprise you.

Upon watching the David Hasselhoff video. And then trying to understand why the whole world finds him fascinating. It became evident that Mr. Hasselhoff is just another notch is a continuing line of successful people that turn to drugs or alcohol to fulfill their lives.

I have never and never will understand the need to self-destruct when you are successful. If you are depressed about your life the last thing you want to put into your body is a depressant, yet most people turn to alcohol when the chips are down. Not only is alcohol a depressant it serves to poison the body and destroy the liver. Don’t get me wrong I love going out and having drinks. That isn’t the point. The point is turning to alcohol to advert depression is like pouring gasoline on a fire.

Cocaine and other stimulants serve to make you have more energy and self-confidence. The first problem is its very illegal. The second problem is its highly addictive.

For those who are blowing this article off right now go back and snort your line, I’ll buy your business for pennies on the dollar after you run it into the ground trying to pay for your habit.

The other things stimulants do for you is spike your energy up and drop you down hard. Life is all about balance and your body has to recover from whatever abuse you put it through. You end up paying one way or another.

So what’s the answer? Believe it or not your body is very efficient at creating natural stimulants that don’t destroy your body or mind. How do you get your body to create these stimulants? The answer is simple, activity. I refrain from using the word exercise because it is a very boring and over used word.

I am saying go out and live life. Bike, run, hike, do whatever you like doing more. Yes, sex counts as activity so jump on the old lady and take her for a ride around the house a couple of times a day.

Don’t have a little woman at home, go out and participate in group activities. Many cities have groups that do many outdoor and indoor activities.  Who knows while you are making yourself healthier and enjoying the rush of natural stimulants you might meet up with a sweet young thing that likes the same stuff you do.

Blue October – They get no respect

A history of the band Blue October. Reviews of their past work and why it should be your collection.

 

Blue October

This hard rocking band from Houston, Texas is a staple in the Austin music scene. Their concerts in Texas sellout within a day. And their fan base, fiercely loyal. This isn’t your head-banging mosh pit punk band. And it isn’t a sappy Dave Matthews college band wanna be. Blue October stands on it’s own with its own style and music.

Blue October is
Justin Furstenfeld – Vocals, Guitar
Ryan Delahoussaye – Violin
C.B. Hudson – Guitar
Matt Noveskey – Bass
Jeremy Furstenfeld – Drums
http://www.blueoctober.com

The Answers

Their first album hints of greatness. Though rough around the edges the collection of material is broad and eclectic. A lot of hardcore Blue October fans feel this is the group’s best work. Not to be missed are the songs ‘Italian radio’ and ‘Breakfast after ten’. Overall, the work from this album is best heard live where the heart of the music can be felt.

Consent to treatment

Arguably their best album. The arrangement is excellent and the music crisp and vibrant. A revamped version of Breakfast after ten leaves behind the twangy country version from the first album and brings the song into its own. From the jamming HRSA, to the hard rocking of James, and back to the hit single the melodic Balance Beam, this album carries itself well. It’s a shame it wasn’t recognized for the masterpiece it is.

History for sale

Polished and but not so poppy. Referred to by Justin as his angry album, it shines by showcasing the talents honed from the first two albums. ‘Calling you’ is the group’s first music video. It gains air-time on MTV and VH1. The biggest regret from this album was its lack of advertising. History takes off from where Consent left off. The music is crisp and the album is well rounded with catchy tunes, hard rock and softer introspective songs. Air time for the album was dominated by poppy ‘Calling you’ with snippets of the rocking ‘Razorblade’ showing up now and again. Denied was ‘Inner Glow’, a crowd favorite, and possibly could have catapulted the group into favor with critics if it had been released as a single. Missing is the bassist Matt Noveskey. On tour he was replaced with a tall blonde named Piper Dagnino .

Argue with a tree

This is the classic tour dvd/cd. This dvd/cd gives you a well rounded view of Blue October. Filmed in Dallas and Houston, the show highlights the ‘History for sale’ album. The dvd offers views into the band and the lead man Justin It also allows the fans to confess their transgressions. If you have never seen or heard Blue October before this is the one for you. It does well to present the current material as well as bring forth the songs from their two previous albums. If you look close you can see the splint on Justin’s fingers that he broke the night before during the concert in Houston.

Foiled

This album stands strong showing that the band is here to stay. Jay Leno showcased them on the Tonight show on Valentines Day. They sang the song ‘Hate me’, their first single from the album which is often misinterpreted. They were also featured on the TV show ‘Ghost whisperer’ with the song ‘Congratulations’. This album is more introspective than the past three. It also brings the return of Matt Noveskey to the band. The songs on this album have influences from all the members as well as Piper Dagnino from the ‘History for sale’ tour. This is truly a fan’s album. Though it has been criticized, the album is a master work of song writing and instrumentation.

What the fuck?!
Rolling stone/Hard rock cafe just now discovers Blue October. WTF?! Stated in a Hard Rock Cafe insert in Rolling Stone magazine, after discovering this band ‘the best gift is the eight years of music in their library’. Hollywood says, “Wow, who is this new band?” How out of touch are they? This is an indication of why the band doesn’t get the respect they deserve. The establishment is truly blind to their work and refuse to advertise it. Yet, they sell out concerts in multiple cities and are fan favorites among the college communities.

UPDATE!

After many ‘Foiled’ cd’s (Foiled Again, Foiled for the last time) and a re-release of ‘Calling You’ with a new video; the band has completed production on a new CD ‘Approaching Normal’ to be released on March 24 of 2009. The first single ‘Dirt Room’ has been released on i-Tunes and Amazon. The video has been released on Yahoo Music.

‘Dirt Room’ beckons back to an angrier side of Justin’s music simular to ‘James’ from ‘Consent to Treatment’. It bears the experience and elements from all their previous work, most notably ‘Foiled’.

Update

Approaching Normal is a natural progression from Blue October’s previous release Foiled. Approaching Normal contains elements of style that showcase why Blue October has such a large following. The first single ‘Dirt Room’ brings back to the grittier hard rock from their earlier albums like ‘The Answers’ or ‘Consent to Treatment’. Other songs contain elements from ‘History for Sale’ and ‘Foiled’. The first song on the CD ‘Weight of the World’ first appeared on their live CD/DVD ‘Argue with a Tree’ and brings the song into the context for which it was meant to be. Along with the flavors from the previous work there are many new sounds and arrangements that make ‘Approaching Normal’ a unique CD in it’s own right. It remains in my rotation and I can listen to the whole CD without disliking or getting bored with any of the music. I rate this CD better than ‘Foiled’ from the Blue October library. It is a must for a fan or a new listener alike.

Blue October Website

Investing in a piece of ass.

How much is that piece of ass worth to you? Take some time out of your day and figure out just how much money you spend on that tail. You might not like the results.

 

Investing in a piece of ass.
First off let’s piss off the women’s organizations. Women depend on men to survive. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule but on the whole women take a back seat to men. Men bring home the money and provide for their families. Which brings the question up, what are you paying for? When you break it down to the basic needs, the relationship benefits the woman more than the man. Look at your relationship as another business deal. You are paying for a service. If you receive bad service you will either not patronize that business or expect restitution in the form of a refund or discount. This sounds very crass but in the end, you have to determine if you have purchased a good quality product.

The problem women have.
If you are providing all the resources to the relationship, then the woman has no idea what the liquidity of your finances are. I will stress this, if she doesn’t do the books she has no need to know.  I can hear the women screaming now. She has no concept of your bills and your income. This above all else determines your status and by proxy hers. If she constantly wants to go out to eat at expensive restaurants and blow money on clothes every time she feels fat, then she needs her own means of income. Your income is not disposable by her.

The price of ass.
What are the basic things you spend on your woman? Her birthday presents? Her anniversary presents? Her Christmas presents? Her valentine’s chocolate? Total it all up and divide by 12 to figure out how much of your monthly expenses are used to keep her happy so she can keep you happy. When you do this don’t forget to include going out to clubs and restaurants. A social drinker can spend up to $100.00 a night. Add the cost of providing her drinks. If she isn’t driving then more than likely she will out-spend you. She isn’t drinking the domestic beer. I have observed women in bars and most of the time its a mixed drink, wine or one of those fruity things with barely any mind numbing substance in it.

Friends you don’t need.
Watch out for this. A party buddy who will get you to buy the drinks while he hits all the ladies up is no friend. This leech may be your best bud but he figured out a long time ago the best way to afford that big titted blonde is when you pay for her to get drunk. Use the same rules as you do on the ladies, claim a light wallet. You shouldn’t have to buy everyone’s drinks unless its dirt cheap and you won the lottery. Even then I would caution against it.

Standing your ground.
Investing in a woman is a lot like taking care of your money. With your money you set rules and follow those rules. You make a budget, pay your bills and balance your pleasure with saving. Women are no different. You set the rules you are willing to live with. If she doesn’t like it she can hit the road or ride the road with you. Remember, you are the driver of any relationship you are in.

Britney Spears – The fall of a teenage minx.

Who didn’t see this one coming? At sixteen she was having middle-aged men salivating over here, currently she is a screwed up, whacked out, used up twenty something.

 

As much as you hate it, pop culture has invaded our lives. A crowning achievement of this is the goings on of the pop princess Britney Spears. Britney started early and in a few years has gone from pop princess to trailer trash in record time. A lot of this in due in part from her relations with some seedier wannabes.

The Disney Years.

Britney got her start on the wholesome and lovable Mickey Mouse Club. Along with Justin Timberlake, Keri Russel and Christina Aguilera. These teeny boppers danced and sang their way into the hearts little kids. Little did the world know the foreboding pop devastation to come.

Hit me baby causes spanking.

Britney won a contract with Jive records. She immediately went into teenage vamp mode. Britney chose to tie her school girl shirt in the video exposing her belly button to a new world of perverts. Her movements in the video suggested girl older then she was and the media shoved it down our throats.

Timber!

On tour to promote her record of bubble gum pop Britney opens for NSync and rekindles the puppy love from Mickey Mouse Club days with Justin Timberlake. They are an item for some time before they break up. Shortly thereafter Justin grabs some Jackson at the super bowl in Houston.

Wacky Wedding.

Britney, distraught as a 18 to 21 year old can be, marries a home town friend in Las Vegas in a drunken night on the town. It was annulled 24 hours later.
Lesbian Wedding.

Ya gotta love Madonna. A little lesbian action on the stage at the MTV music awards with Britney and Christina Aguilera. The Mickey Mouse Club was reunited in a most peculiar way. Lets all be thankful Justin wasn’t invited.

K-whodafuck?

This is definitely when everything went to shit. Britney went on to wed one of her stage dancers, Kevin Federline or K-Fed. Federline was a notorious titty bar patron and often left Britney at home. We saw it coming…later Federline was now K-Fedex but not until he spawned a creature from his seed. Expect the offspring of this union to be messed up in the head worse than Ozzy Osborne. Now with out Britney every time we see K-Fedex it makes us K-Fedupchuck.

Mental Breakdown

The marriage to K-fuckedinthehead took it’s toll on Britney. She was no longer the cute pop princess that gave tongue to Madonna. She blew it all out and went off the deep end. The princess of pop shaved her head. It’s now official, she whacked! At least she’s holding up better than Whitney Houston. Crack is Whack.

Damaged Goods

Now that the dust is settling Britney is in rehab, albeit a very lax rehab. K-fed gets more press than he deserves and its dwindling, thank god. Maybe he will off himself when he realizes he never had any talent. Christina came out from being dirty to hot dam that girl is a classic looking beauty. Justin Timberlake has gone on and on and on doing the same rehashed act with a little street thrown in. Really, does anyone think Justin Timberlake would last 8 hours in Harlem at night without an army of bodyguards? Britney needs to do a lot of recovery and not just in rehab. We wish Britney all the luck and pray she doesn’t end up like Whitney Houston.