If you want to see the article go to….

www.gnu.com

www.lib-tech.com

My thoughts are simple. A lot of people like corn beef and cabbage, but only eat it on St. Patrick’s Day. They could eat it every day of the year if they want, but they don’t. This is what I don’t like about Valentine’s Day. I think you should always tell/remind those who are important in your life how much they mean to you. Here is a hint for the people that are angry or dwell on the fact they are single on that day; we don’t want to hear it and if you are angry or sad about it that might be contributing to why you are single. Nobody likes a wet blanket.

With that out of the way, has there ever been a person that has been happy to get a Vermont Teddy Bear? Nothing against the company, teddy bears, or the great state of Vermont, but I am being serious. Every year you see or hear the commercials for Vermont Teddy Bears and they show a woman acting like she just received the best gift in her entire life. Unless you are into furries, I just can’t see anyone truly being this happy.

The only thing worse than the types of bears are the prices. I can’t justify spending 50-75 dollars on a stuffed animal that is dressed up like an idiot. I would like to repeat that I have nothing against Vermont Teddy Bear or the people that make them. I just don’t understand why someone would pay a lot of money for one on Valentine’s Day. If you want to see what I am talking about go to www.vermontteddybear.com

Hailing from the Granite State, Buckhunter is a group of dudes who like to drink beer and play heavy music.    They have been in other groups that I liked, but since they don’t promote it on their website, I won’t either.  Just know that the other bands they are in are also favorites of mine.  Here is what they have to say about themselves straight from their myspace page…

“Who cares what other bands we’re in or have been in. These riffs speak for themselves, and we generally don’t give a shit about anything other than melting faces, drinking beer, living life and having one Hell of a good time in the process. We play when we want to fucking play.”

I dare you to listen to these tunes and not want to drink a beer, turn up the volume, and have a good time.  Hopefully they will release a record sometime because I want to put them on my ipod and see them live.  You can listen to them here…

www.myspace.com/buckhunter

If you are like me and want to get anything and everything Buckhunter you can watch their videos on Youtube…Buckhunter.

If you want to hear a riff of their newly recorded song check this out…Buckhunter Sneak Peek.

LONG LIVE BUCKHUNTER!!!

Official press release:

It’s clobberin’ time as the legendary NYC hardcore pioneers, Sick Of It All, have returned with an absolutely crushing new full-length album that is going to once again redefine the genre they helped create. The group will be releasing their vicious new offering, Based On A True Story, worldwide through Century Media Records and on April 20th in North America.

Sick Of It All kick off the year with a bang as they embark on a lengthy European run with the Dropkick Murphys late this month and follow it up with an AFI run throughout the UK. The group look to announce North American dates soon. Stay tuned to www.myspace.com/sickofitallny for all news and tour updates.

Armand (drums) further states: “We’re starting a new chapter in Sick Of It All history by signing a worldwide deal with Century Media for the release of our next album Based On a True Story. We had a great European experience with them on our last record, so we’re psyched to continue that relationship, as well as expand the scope of the deal by including the USA and Canada. The head of the label has been very supportive since we first met him back in the early days, and it’s great to know that we have someone at the helm who really understands what we’re about. We had an inspired recording session and the album sounds great, so we hope it brings hardcore pride back in a big way! See you all real soon.”

After two decades of excellence, Sick Of It All continues firing on all cylinders. The band’s real life dogma and hunger for excellence as a hardcore band have truly been ideals that fans from all corners of the globe passionately admire and identify with. Sick Of It All have made their mark as one of the cornerstones of NYHC, proving that heart, hard work and dedication to hardcore is about more than just the music and an image, it’s a way of life.

Snowboarding has been an Olympic sport since 1998 when it was introduced in Nagano Japan. Most people couldn’t tell you that Gian Simmen won gold or even that American Ross Powers took home the bronze, but they could probably remember that a snowboarder, Ross Rebagliati, had his medal stripped and later returned after testing positive for Marijuana.

Snowboarders were seen as a bunch of drug using, jobless, outcasts that were a menace to society. I will admit that most reputations are built upon a foundation of truth, but the fact is skiers (who felt threatened) more than anyone else perpetuated these images. To have the first snowboarder to win a gold medal test positive for marijuana only helped confirm what people already fairly or unfairly thought. Personally I think snowboarding as a sport, industry, and activity was a lot more fun when people hated us.

The biggest story in the snowboarding world at the Nagano Olympics wasn’t Rebagliati’s marijuana test, but rather that the best snowboarder in the world, Terje Haakonsen, was boycotting the Olympics due to the IOC giving a skiing organization control over the snowboarding events. You might think that is crazy, but imagine the far and away best sprinter in the world was not participating in the Olympics because the IOC was having cycling’s governing body oversee everything related to sprinting. It made no sense then and it makes no sense now.

Fast-forward to 2002 and the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. The Americans weren’t fairing as well as hoped and had a low medal count. Suddenly everything changed. Ross Powers, Danny Kass, and JJ Thomas swept the Men’s Snowboard Half Pipe Event earning the United States their first Winter Olympic medal sweep in 46 years. The sport that was a social outcast had made history and was being embraced by everyone for the first time ever. Ross Powers was doing the biggest backside airs since Ingemar Backman’s display of insanity at Riksgransen. This vaulted snowboarding into the mainstream spotlight it had been hiding from forever.

Eight years later and another Winter Olympics is before us. Riders like Shaun White and Gretchen Bleiler have become household names and the face of major corporate sponsors like American Express, Target, and Hewlett Packard. The more things change, the more things stay the same. Travis Rice, the best snowboarder in the world, won’t be riding in these Olympics. I am about to take a big educated guess here, but it isn’t far fetched. He isn’t boycotting them, but instead doing what he loves, snowboarding. I am sure he is learning new tricks, filming, and pushing the sport to levels it hasn’t been or even dreamed of going.

Next month the world’s gaze will focus on Vancouver and snowboarding will be the center of attention. You will hear people talk about the sport and act like the Olympics are really important to snowboarders. Remember they aren’t. Representing your country is a huge honor and it surely makes moms and dads proud, but that isn’t why people do it. We ride because it is fun and no amount of medals will ever make me smile like a powder day.

Needless to say I am very intrigued about the direction and can’t wait to hear the rest of the record.