Just Add Water

two new rules for 2009

2009-02-22T13:25:00.004-05:00

this wasn't so much a resolution. but about a month ago i decided to make some big changes in my life.

two new rules:
1. no more call screening.
i had a really bad habit that every time my phone rang, i would see who is calling and most of the time not answer. like i was scared of the phone. no more. if you call thomas you get thomas. if you call me and i am able to answer the phone, i will.

2. no more roll calls.
roll calls happen when a friend will call you to come hang out somewhere and you ask who is there. now i wasn't as guilty with this one, but have caught myself doing it. now though if someone calls to invites me somewhere that's good enough for me. the only exception to this would be i would ask if i had already decided that i am hanging out and want to get more hyped on the friendship.

when i told people about the new rules i was a little surprised at their reactions. people were impressed. call screening and roll calling are universally bigger problems than i had realized. i now hope this turns into a full blown movement. these rules have touched people and changed lives...i have seen it.

Teardrop by José Gonzalez

2008-12-30T00:20:00.001-05:00

don't talk to cops (parts 1 &2)

2008-12-09T22:06:00.004-05:00

a two part lecture on why you should never talk to cops.
first part is a defense attorney. second is a former police officer who is now studying law.
they are both about 20 minutes each. kind of long i know, but really interesting stuff.

part 1

part 2

hat tip tre.

a. armada

2008-12-08T22:31:00.004-05:00

jawk just turned me on to this band.
i am a couple of songs into this record and it is pretty damn good.
kind red sparrows and mogwai-y. sleepy time music.
here is a link to their myspace. do yourself a favor.

new york's alright...

2008-12-04T17:33:00.003-05:00

if you like anti-semitic russian snacks?
what the hell?

Brooklyn, NY - Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) and New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson today denounced the Shnayder family, owners of the value import store, Net Cost Market, for stocking and selling dozens of packages of roasted sunflower seeds featuring a caricature of a greedy-and-sinister-looking Jew, complete with skullcap, on the label. The Cyrillic letters on the left of the label read, “Shalom, from Israel,” while the right side employs a slang phrase meaning “spit them out everywhere,” alluding to “dirty Jews.” The seeds are available in both 5.5 and 10.5 ounce bags. A survey conducted by Hikind’s office revealed that the seed bags are being sold in all four of Net Cost Market’s Brooklyn locations for a mere $0.99 to $1.99 per bag depending on size.

“I was absolutely appalled when I saw this label,” said an outraged Hikind. “Net Cost Market has become a complicit partner in the dissemination of hatred against Jews. With each bag sold, the Shnayders are literally sowing seeds of hate.” At three of the four locations, consumers who spent $50 or more were given the package of seeds as a promotional gift right at the checkout counter.

Net Cost Market bills itself as the “Costco of the ethnic Eastern European market,” and offers a wide assortment of imports from all over Eastern Europe. The roasted sunflower seeds are produced in the Former Soviet Union by Kremlin Kitchen. “I was not surprised to learn that this anti-Semitic product is being made in Russia,” said Hikind. “Recent reports indicate that attacks on Russia’s Jewish population and their property have increased in both number and severity. Kremlin Kitchen is trying to capitalize on this existing wave of anti-Semitic sentiment with the Russian-American community.”

new personal record

2008-12-03T16:28:00.006-05:00

today at the gym i deadlifted 200 lbs x 5 x 1. for those of you who lift i realize that this is not that impressive of a number. but it is a big number to me. so suck it.

i like to think i looked like the picture above.

but i am sure it looked more like this.

either way i dedicate today's lift to bad darren brown. my new inspiration for love, life and lifting.

don't call it a comeback...

2008-12-03T00:55:00.005-05:00

i have never really enjoyed mickey rourke in anything ever. except 'sin city'. but i find myself rooting for him in life. this movie looks really good. and the boss is on the soundtrack.

this came out november 7th, but not anywhere around here. i am gonna have to down load this

"wanna see me tempt fate?"

2008-12-03T00:33:00.005-05:00

it's been a rough bottom half of the year here in rva for a lot of people, but i have stayed pretty upbeat. lately though, i have been getting this feeling of impending doom. as if at any moment the floor could just drop out.

let the right one in

2008-11-30T22:15:00.008-05:00

in the mood for a vampire movie?
can't bring yourself to see 'twilight' because it sucks?
check this out.
know going in that this is a foreign film. it is subtitled and can move a little slow. if that's a problem then you can wait till next year, when the guy who did 'under siege 2' remakes it for the US.
i really enjoyed this. it was dark and kind of creepy.
the title is also based on a morrissey song.
go see this.

rediscovering some old friends

2008-11-21T22:41:00.006-05:00

the last few days i ran across some old friends

on the way to dinner the other night fahs was playing them in his car. the first time i heard neglect was on their split 7" with hatebreed in '97ish. i love this band. when i listen to them it makes me want to do pull ups. anyway, that night i was online and buskedna needed a keane record. so as i sent him that and he helped fill a gaping hole in my itunes by sending me these records. now if i can just get those maximum penalty records.

the other record is placebo's 'sleeping with ghosts'. it definately has some slow songs on it. but you good songs are really good; bulletproof cupid, english summer rain, plasticine, the bitter end are rippers. it's a good late night record, when you aren't quite ready to go to bed.

robot chicken star wars 2

2008-11-21T22:23:00.006-05:00

i was very much excited for this and it totally delivered.
here is the opening sketch.

you can watch all the sketches here.

now all i have to do is wait for...
i think at this point i would rather watch these than the original star wars. george lucas raped my childhood.

my little black angel

2008-11-14T23:16:00.003-05:00

here is an interview with douglas pearce of death in june. the interview starts at about 55 seconds. for some reason i keep thinking about this interview over and over again the last few weeks.

vinnie stigma is rolling in his grave...

2008-11-12T12:38:00.003-05:00

hat tip - tretilldeath

the more i listen to this. the more i like it. walter is like my generations paul simon.

play it faster...

2008-09-05T00:01:00.002-05:00

Okay... so here are more details about the ADULT CRASH photobook that is coming out next month... details which have been kept a secret for the most part until now...

This is an 88 page photobook, over 400 photos taken during the last 20 years by me...

AND it comes with a 7" of 'newer' bands that are in the book doing cover songs of 'old' bands that are also in the book...
DOWN TO NOTHING covering 'Price Of Silence' by Four Walls Falling with guest vocals by TAYLOR from 4 Walls...
KILL YOUR IDOLS covering 'The Edge' by Token Entry...
THE SLUMLORDS covering 'Right Wing Hype' by Gut Instinct with guest vocals from Sab from Gut Instinct...
CLOAK/DAGGER covering 'Escape from Your Society' by WarZone...

All 4 songs are EXCLUSIVE to this release... and are the final recordings from KYI & The Slumlords, recorded just prior to them breaking up.

AND also included in the book are anecdotes written just for my book by John Joseph(The Cro-Mags), Chaka Malik(Burn), Paul Bearer(Sheer Terror), Shawn Brown(Swiz), Taylor Steele(4 Walls Falling), Malcolm Tent(Trash American Style), Rob Fish(Release/108), Walter Schreifels(Gorilla Biscuits/Quicksand), Jon Field(Up Front), Jeff Perlin(Breakdown/Slumlords), and many others! Each person talks about surviving the adult crash of grown up life while still loving this music they grew up as fans of, and every one is great!

This book is a split release with my label, Vicous Circle Records, and my friend Dave at Six Feet Under Records.

This has been a multi-year project for me, and I am VERY excited it is finally coming out!

We will be announcing pre-orders later this month, and there will be a special version for pre-order folks, as well as a mailorder version too. You'll be able to get it from the regular distros as well as some stores... but to get colored vinyl you'll have to get it from either me or Dave/SFU.

Keep an eye out here:
http://vcrecs. blogspot. com
and here:
www. sixfeetunderrecords. com

Thanks for reading, and spread the word...
Dave Brown

PS I would be thrilled if you reposted this! Just click 'reply' to cut-n-paste all the picture coding too... thanks!

catch a late pass

2008-09-04T21:52:00.002-05:00

i do my best to avoid ever listening to rap, but alan turned me on to mickey avalon. it's not often you here a gay prostitute junkie rapping.

what a shitty looking human. yes, his bottom rocker says "thank you". love it.

this song was in the harold in kumar sequel. least that's what wikipedia said. i didn't go see that turd film.

here is mickey in a boost mobile commercial. i used to barely notice when it came on. now i am glued to the set. how the hell did they hire them.

good bye rio heroes

2008-08-27T22:23:00.003-05:00

it was finally shut down awhile back. aside from the fact that the fights were unsanctioned and completely illegal. i think there were running a sports book as well.
but here was the last bastion of real no holds barred fighting. no gloves no time limits. only a gentleman's agreement not to groin strike, eye gouge, or and throat strike. hell, for the first few events they didn't allow tapping to a submission. it was up the to ref to stop the fight.
it was beautiful and pure and now it is gone. you can find downloads of some of there events online.
here is a highlight to see what you missed.

rolling, rolling, rolling...

2008-08-13T23:05:00.008-05:00

i competed in this jiu jitsu tournament the other weekend. our school had really pushed us to compete and try to come in first in the team standings. we did a lot of hard training and had about 30 people hit the mats that day.

about a week before the tournament i was at about 135lbs so i decided to get down to 129lbs. that friday i didn't really have anything to eat or drink, other than some coffee. after work i walked into the saunas at 134lbs, two hours later i walked out 129.5lbs. i went to weigh in and then rehydrated.
saturday at the competition while i was getting ready i found out there was no one at my weight and i would be going up to fight. my first match was against a guy from MMA Institute. he kind of looked like a mini chuck liddell. the match started and i immediately pulled guard. i started playing rubber guard. trapped his hand on the mat and moved right into "chill dog". i heard his coach saying, "GET YOUR HAND OFF THE MAT!!!". and i thought..sorry dude. he aint getting his fucking hand back. i tried a few submissions but none really came close. a lot of his weight was forward and i should have been able to sweep him, but kind of froze. we basically stayed that way. when time was running out he managed to shake himself free and almost pass my guard, i recovered and went for a gogo-plata that he had to defend. we both had advantages but since mine was from an attack and his was from almost passing guard i got the decision.
after i was dead. all my muscles had cramped up and i was exhausted. i figured i would some time to rest. scott's match was next. he triangled his dude in 30 seconds. shit. then the next match was about a minute. shit. then i was up again.
i got out there, tried to pull guard but choked the guy stuffed one leg. passed my guard, took my back and rear naked choked me. wow. he told me "good fight" after. i laughed and said, "yeah for you." he then caught scott in a brabo choke. since scott and i were on the same team we decided not to fight it out for 2nd and 3rd. and whe would've beaten me anyway.
i had felt bad for losing until i saw the guy who beat me tooling on dudes in the absolute division that were 70lbs heavy than him. he won all of his matches that day.

so for my gi match i had a choice. both son and i could fight each other at 129 or move up to 139. we decided to stay down since we would get more team points that way. we agreed that neither one of us really cared about winning and were just going to mess around. he told i could start off with a flying armbar. when our match came up almost our whole team came over to watch. we started, i got my grips and threw up a flying triangle. when i was in mid air i could hear people around us go "WOW". it was going to be a race between us to see who could get DQ'd first. son with heelhook or me with a twister. at one point son had me in an armbar and i tapped because i had started sweating.

we ended up crushing in team points. everyone did really well. we had some white belts who it was their first time competing in a real tourney who really impressed me. next time i think they can win their divisions for sure.

i work at Initech

2008-08-01T11:38:00.002-05:00

"Oh, and remember: next Friday... is Hawaiian shirt day. So, you know, if you want to, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans."

is this identity theft?

2008-07-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

KOBAN!!!

2008-07-30T20:30:00.003-05:00

just picked up the new KAWS JPP figures.

peaks and valleys

2008-07-23T21:28:00.005-05:00

i spent all last weekend in an attempt to get my motorcycle license. the schedule was friday night in the class room 6:30pm-9:30pm. it mostly consisted of the instructor showing movies and having you underline portions of the book you were going to be tested on. then saturday you go on the range from 7am-12pm then the classroom again from 2pm-5pm. they get you on these little 250cc "motorcycles". pretty basic stuff, but i was glad to be doing it. i have barely ever been on a bike. it kind of sucked having to get up so early, but i seeing as it was going to get up to the high 90's i didn't mind. during our break i went home and showered and changed. when i got back to the class we did more underlining and videos until it was time to take the test. breezed through it, 96 out of 100.
sunday morning back out on the range. they took us through some drills that were going to be on the final range test. i was shakey on a the drills for them and kind of nervous, but fairly sure i could pass. the test consisted of 5 parts. each test you had to pass by a certain number of points. the most points you could accumulate before failing was 21. i did alright on the first two, but when we got to the "quick stop", which is where you have to get up to about 20 mph then down shift and break suddenly. after i had stopped my hand slipped off the clutch and the bike shot forward a few more feet. fuck. what can you do? i pulled away and circled around for the next test.
while we were waiting i watched this big redneck guy who was the last in our line go. he takes off gets to the line, brakes, and then just sits there and slumps forward over the handlebars. almost like he is crying. it appears as if the instructors are consoling him. he rights himself on the bike and pulls around and does it again. when he finished the test and pulls around to the end of the line. he tells us that the first run the stopwatch didn't work. when they told him that he said he told them, "dude just fail me."
the rest of the test went ok. could have been better could have been worse. after it was over we all went to sit down while they graded us and then called us over one by one to tell us how we did. first dude they called over walked back failed. he was bummed. made the rest of us real nervous. after that it got better. everyone else seemed to be getting their little cards.
then it was my turn. i walked over and one of the instructors just shook his head. said, "sorry, you didn't pass. you needed a 20 and got a 21." my stomach turned over. it was the goddamn quick stop. those extra few feet put me over the top. he said to not give up and that he hoped to one day see me out there. i shook their hands and walked off.
in my mind i was pissed. i had taken the whole weekend, half of which in the burning hot sun, trying to get this fucking thing only to let one little slip fuck it up.
when i met up with fahs he tried to calm me down. but i was in no mood. i swore off ever getting a motorcycle. i was goddamned if i was going to spend another 150 bucks and a whole weekend doin that shit again. i was still pissed monday morning at work. but i thought what the hell, i emailed the people to see if i can take the test again or what my options were from here. like a hour later the guy emailed me back asking me to call him on his cell phone. when i did he told me he was very sorry, but they had scored the test wrong and that i did pass. i i wanted i could come by today and pick up my card. i told him i would see him there. when i picked it up he said once again how sorry he was.
it was a good feeling.after about 7 months as a blue belt burdo promoted me, fahs, scott, snake. i was not expecting that when i walked into class that night.

when you pry it from my cold dead hand

2008-07-13T19:26:00.006-05:00

went to the gun show today with fahs. bought my first gun. picked up a glock 19 9mm. i had to run back home to get a second form of id to get it. filled out a bunch of paper work, then when i was waiting for the back round check to clear i went to buy some ammo. all the had were the little bags or the big 500 round boxes. you can see which one i got. after awhile i walked back over and paid for it.

i think i got cruised

2008-07-12T01:57:00.007-05:00

or bear seeking cub?

so the i went to the gym in the middle of the day on wednesday. after i was done working out i hit up the sauna. there is another guy in there when i enter. i sit down and for the next five minutes we do not say one word to each other and he gets up and leaves.
the next guy comes in and is naked. he has a towel, but isn't bothered to wrap it around his waist. gross, but whatever. some dudes just dig being naked in the locker room for longer than required. he sits down next to me and starts chatting me up.
"hey it's not that hot in here", "have you ever been to the other gym across town?". he was nice enough and wasn't coming on to me. there was just this weird vibe he was putting out there. i am polite and after another five minutes i head out and wish him a nice day.
so i run this by the gay guy at my work, "was i getting cruised?". he responds, "oh yeah totally."
he then spends the rest of the morning searching craigslist for my missed connection.
i think it would've looked like this...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steam room at gym - m4m

Me: large, black, nude
You: small, tattooed, uncomfortable.
would love to meet up again for more awkardness
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i am flattered and all, but i just wanted a schvitz.

"let me explain...

2008-07-02T20:11:00.011-05:00

No, there is too much. Let me sum up."

it has been almost a year to the day since i updated this thing. here is a quick one to get us back in the swing of things.

won some medals.

i got promoted to blue belt.

gave up manual labor for entry level office work.

good lord. doesn't seem i do too much. there is other stuff too. but i think its better if we pace ourselves, don't you?

instead of thinking we play donkey kong...

2007-07-12T13:53:00.000-05:00

here is a preview of the new ufc video game.

i hope the finished product looks this good.

i know you and you cannot sing...

2007-07-11T13:49:00.001-05:00

i saw morrissey monday night at the norva in norfolk. it was great to finally see him perform in person. he opened with 'the queen is dead' and i have to admit that my heart did jump a little.

hometown boy makes good. if any one is going to get on stage at a concert it's vab's own timmy. here he is towards the end of 'how soon is now?".

courtesy of www.myaimistrue.com

overall it was a very good show. we did kind of get new'd to shit, but he played 'national front disco' and a night with morrissey can only be but so bad.

look out fabes...

2007-07-02T12:47:00.001-05:00

...cuz my boy is fierce.

the other week my friend ryan parker won his first pro mma fight. disproving conventional wisdom that you should always bet against the guy with more tattoos. there was no need to go to the score cards on this one. ryan took him down, got side control, mounted and got the armbar inside of the 2 minute mark.

if you have myspace you can watch the fight here .

here is his fighter profile on sherdog.

congratulations ryan.

will you do me a kindness?

2007-04-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

i hadn't thought about winnebago man in forever. then twofour sent me a link to an extended version of this classic.

his name apparently is jack rebney and he has his own entry in wikipedia.

forgiveness...is more than saying sorry

2007-04-23T19:40:00.000-05:00

i wasn't going to comment on the VT story at all. but this just blows my mind...

-------------

Virginia Tech pays respects to victims, and gunman.

BLACKSBURG, Virginia (Reuters) - Mourners gathered on Saturday for the funerals of many of the 32 victims killed at Virginia Tech as some students extended a note of forgiveness to the gunman responsible for the massacre.

A small tribute to Seung-Hui Cho, who shot his victims then himself on Monday, has been added to a growing memorial of stones in the center of the sprawling university in southwest Virginia where knots of weeping students continue to gather.

"I just wanted you to know that I am not mad at you. I don't hate you," read a note among flowers at a stone marker labeled for Cho. "I am so sorry that you could find no help or comfort."

-------------

later on in the article it says...

-------------

REMEMBERED EQUALLY

At Virginia Tech, graduate student Chris Chabalko, 29, said adding a stone memorial for Cho was fair.

"He was a student. Thirty-three people died," said Chabalko. "There's nothing anyone can do about it now. We've got to remember them equally."

-------------

wow, so this is where our society is at? we can no longer look at evil in the face and identify it? can't wait to see the charles manson shrine they are putting in at sharon tate's house.

HOLY SHIT!!!

2007-04-22T11:16:00.000-05:00

dana white is having to be talked off of the ledge of the stratosphere.

blast from the past

2007-04-21T12:34:00.000-05:00

so the other night my girlfriend and i are on the couch. she turns to me and say, "hey, do you remember the old 'raisin bran' commercial. i told her i didn't really remember it.

so she looked it up on youtube and jogged my memory. now it has been stuck in my head on and off for the last week.

another birthday present

2007-04-12T13:06:00.000-05:00

i had to keep my final birthday present secret because it's fahs' birthday present too and his wife wanted to wait to tell him. our respective lady friends our sending us to new jersey for the world's largest submission grappling tournament.

ABU DHABI

here are some of the big names competing this year:

marcelo garcia / renzo gracie / drew fickett / jeff munson / pe de pano / ricco rodriguez / elvis sinosic / leo vieira

the girls gave us tickets and a hotel room for the weekend. gotta love them.

goodbye and thank you

2007-04-12T12:18:00.000-05:00

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
1922 — 2007

i've got mail

2007-04-10T14:07:00.001-05:00

a belated birthday gift/care package from my friends and former employers at deathwish. the complete blacklisted "peace on earth, war on stage" starter kit.

29...the day after.

2007-04-07T17:44:00.000-05:00

i turned 29 yesterday. my girlfriend organized a wonderful dinner at mekong's, thanks to everyone who came out (except for tre who couldn't make it). she also got me tickets to see morrissey this summer.

this morning i went to jiu jitsu. even though it was the day after my instructor lined the class for judo throws, with me as the dummy. one for each year. it kind of looked like this...

"smell like cabbage...small hands."

2007-04-04T20:44:00.000-05:00

i finished both seasons of carnivale. it is one of the best shows that has ever been on tv. it was supposed to be six seasons, but was canceled after the second. if you haven't seen it, see it. if you've seen it sign some petitions.

petition 1
petition 2
petition 3

remember, the only cause that's really worth fighting for is our favorite television shows.

you want some art...come and get it

2007-04-04T18:21:00.000-05:00

"untitled" by jessehate

a gift from the artist. it's a little collaboration we did awhile back.

concentratedhate.com is dead.

2007-03-29T18:59:00.000-05:00

the old blog is gone.
this is my new blog now man.
update your bookmarks.