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Come On In, 
The Staff: 
 You Linked Me!
Chris Barrus
These sites are the best that you will find on the internet. You should visit them frequently. Early Influences/Frequent Visits
Big Dark Cloud Dot Com
These folks could have sued me at one time or another during this site's development. Reward them for not prosecuting me for "sampling" their source codes while I was trying to learn how to write my own. Actual google.com searches that resulted in visits to this site:
Xannex
The Worst Of James
May 2001
Miss an update? Can't get enough of my insightful commentary? Have no fear. I save everything I put up. Even the stupid stuff I wish I'd have deleted long ago. |
August 30 - Is this really a problem? But on the good side, Iron Maiden is in town tonight... And since the drive is about an hour, I've got several cds in the car already... Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 29 - If I were any less caring... Oh well. My condolences if any of you folks happened to visit during the same time frame, because like Floridian votes, you were not counted. Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 28 - We Don't Need To Be Held. Then I got to brainstorming. Always a dangerous thing... But why hasn't anyone ever tried to put out a series of romance novel-style books for MEN? Here are my suggestions for the first pressing of James Books:    Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 27 - Guess What? But this is a band I need to plug here, because anyone who's ever visited my In Concert gallery has seen the work of one of the members. The guitarist (the guy with the long curly hair in the pics) is actually the guy who runs the club at which 90% of my pictures are taken... The guy busts his ass to run a top-notch establishment, and I've been a regular there for years. And I'm not just saying that to try to weasel my way onto the guest list and duck the cover charges... although I wouldn't complain if it ever worked out that way... Anyhow, it just goes to show that establishments like that are best run by folks who understand all the aspects of the business, and who do it because they love it. And when you can find a guy who can run the sound, do the promotions, and then get up on stage and play, you've got a winning combination. Anyhow, sorry it took so long to get all of these pics up - my camera store of choice was having some technical problems, and I didn't get the pics back as quickly as I normally do. In the past, I've had pics up within 18 hours of the show. If I ever actually find a super cool digital James Bond-esque spy cam, maybe one day I'll post 'em right after I get home. Yeah right... But while I've been a total slackass on this whole website thing lately, it seems that someone else has been quite busy. Remember when our spiritual leader, the always-cool Staci Anderson from KXOA, had a page dedicated to her show hosted on the station page, and I used to plug it every 15 minutes? Well, the trend can once again continue. Make sure you go visit www.chickswhorock.net. TONS of fun stuff to do over there. Artist interviews, pictures, cool links (wink, wink), concert calendar, etc... There's even a mailing list you can join. It just rules. Go check it out. Now. Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 25 - Happy Birthday Gene!  A KISS Wallet So now everytime I pay for something, I'll think about Gene Simmons and Kiss. I don't think anything could be more appropriate, and I'm sure Gene would wish it no other way. In other news, Black N Blue pics will be delayed a bit more... Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 24 - "In Heat" - More than an album title. But, because I am a TOTAL nerd when it comes to 80s metal, I should share a quick story... I've actually been a fan of Black N Blue since I was about 15. I have everything they've ever recorded, and brought the record sleeves and cd jackets in the hopes of getting them signed. I was lucky enough to get a spot right at the front of the stage, so every time they played a song, I could hold up the record cover of the album that it came from. (And yes, I know - I need help. A LOT of it...) Anyhow, right before they played "Live It Up", lead singer Jaime St James said he couldn't remember which album it came from. I refreshed his memory. Then later, he said they were gonna play a song that had never appeared on Black N Blue album. They started playing "Violent Kid". Since I am a total asshole, I had to show him the cover to "One Night Only", their 1998 club reunion show live cd, which does have that song on it. He could do nothing but laugh at me. But after the show, he said hello, signed my stuff, and we talked for a few minutes. I told him that next time, I could bring the lyric sheets if he ever forgot the words... "I'm The King....." Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 23 - Update Delayed  Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 22 - Checking in But on the good side, I now own a new cell phone. So you can add me to the list of obnoxious pricks who have to have customized ring tones and stupid little headsets. I signed up for an unlimited text-messaging plan, but have no friends. In order for me to get my money's worth, I'll set up an account for all of you to say a quick text-only hello to me. (You know you want to.) If you're lucky, I'll even reply (on nights or weekends). How long before porn spammers figure out a way to screw with text messaging too, and use that as their primary tool to peddle their shocking wares? Y'know,I'd actually be curious to see how they'd get so much obscenity into those little windows... Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 17 - "Breaking" News - Adventures in Exercise 2 Anyhow, yes, it's true. I tore my knee again. I knew it wasn't 100%, but was sure that it could stand up to soccer provided the game didn't get too rough. But I actually injured it with minimal impact. We were shorthanded, which meant that instead of passing the ball to open space, you have to hold it and look for a person instead. When you do this, you pretty much have to count on some pressure from the opposing team. So less than 2 minutes into the game, the ball was passed to me. I passed it off successfully. The person I passed it to got pressured, so he passed it back to me. I looked for someone to pass it to, but didn't see anyone. So I held the ball. An opposing player pressured me, and I tried to zig a little. Right as I did, he put his foot out and took the ball. My cleat stuck into the ground, and my knee buckled again. Got carried off the field, and now I'm looking at having to give up playing for a very long time, possibly forever. I'm not very happy about this at all. Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 16 - Adventures in Exercise Tried my first supplement yesterday - creatine. Honestly, I've always been skeptical about that sort of thing. I mean, it always seems more about marketing than results. Even SlimFast - that powdered drink that's supposed to take off the weight, is little more than a fortified instant breakfast. But since I can usually get that stuff cheaper than the instant breakfasts or the fancy gym drink "meal replacement" shake, I've used them as the "extra" meals required when you change your diet around to accomodate working out more heavily. Check the ingredients, it's all pretty much the same stuff. Hell, even the first one there listed is "sugar". But you don't see them bragging about that. Well, until some moron promoting the "Ice Cream Diet" manages to sell some books. Anyhow, I did a lot of research, and came to the conclusion that creatine would be the safest. NO longterm negative side effects, it's legal, available over the counter, and every fitness supplement seller markets it in one form or another. So I read the directions, and decided to give it a try. Hey, any opportunity to get more productive workouts and take a "shortcut" to building lean muscle is fine by me... So I took the doses recommended (there's a "loading dose" stage, which is 4 times heavier than the "training dose" stage - which means you have to take assloads of the stuff for the first few days), and headed to the gym. Hopped on the cycle (which is always how I start a workout - 20 minutes of cycling), and watched my heartrate increase. Normally, it's between 60 and 75. So I figure getting it into the 120s to 140s is where I need to be to train. It usually takes me about 5 minutes to get there, and then I start the actual training. So I'm riding, and hit 130 inside of 2 minutes. I remember thinking, "Wow, this shit really works" and kept riding. After the 5 minute mark, I started the training. Watched my heartrate climb. Up to 140. Then 150. Then 160. It hit 198, and I started feeling a little dizzy. I cut the training short, and started a cooldown routine. Last thing I need is to hit the floor and pull a River Phoenix in front of the water fountain. Once I slowed myself down, caught my breath, and got my bearings, I started my lifting routine. Started off really strong - much stronger than usual. My "normal" weight felt light. So I upped it. After the 4th set, I set a new lift record. Again, "this shit really works!" Then a trip over to the ab bench... On my second set, I felt the most intense wave of dizziness and nausea I've felt in a long time. Afraid I'd pull a Chris Farley in addition to my River Phoenix, I decided to call it an early day. I actually had to sit in my car, with all of the windows down and the fan blowing for a while before I felt able to drive home. (The drive is less than 10 minutes) So I'm thinking that I might just go back to SlimFast, yogurt, and cottage cheese for supplemental nutrition. What good are nice abs if the only folks that see them are at my wake? Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 15 - Judge Judy could fix it in 12 minutes... I've briefly mentioned that I've been forced into a legal dispute with the company I work for. Some disgruntled, opportunistic, knuckleheaded ex-employees have gone and filed a class-action lawsuit against them for back unpaid overtime, interest, penalty, and punitive damages. Since I held the same position as they did, I've been declared part of the class. I've been asked to fill out questionaire after questionaire, but just haven't done it. I kinda think the whole case is stupid and more retaliatory than noble. And even though I really could use (and would gleefully cash) a big fat check, I just don't care to actively participate. But since the lawyers representing the knuckleheads have heard that I've been around for so long, they're absolutely itching to hear dirt on the company from me. Anything I say could be interpreted either way. And I know that even though I'd be completely honest, anything I say can and will be totally misconstrued by both sides. On the one hand, I'm not gonna give up any rights I have. But on the other, I really have no interest at all in lashing out and testifying against the company that pays my bills, however meagerly... Doing so, no matter how much the attorneys claim otherwise, is career suicide. Call me crazy, but I really don't see it as likely that someone would ever get promoted over someone else who didn't try to extort money from the company. Unless you're running for public office. Then it's ok. Besides, I don't hate my job or company. I hate the entire industry, and most of the human race - big difference. Why do I bring all of this up here? Well, subpoenas are going around. And many of them require testimony during a time frame that would be VERY inconvenient to me. MY FRIGGIN' VACATION. I state again - send me a check and I'll cash it, but I'm much more interested in going home, surfing for a few weeks, and knowing that my return to work would be welcome, however meagerly... Y'know, the attorneys have specifically requested that I don't talk about this here. Damn the luck - guess my testimony won't be valid, and my presence in court not favorable to either side. Plus, I haven't signed any paperwork for anyone releasing me from either side, nor do I have any plans to do so. Cool. A loophole. Hey lawyers - if you lose, oh well. Told you that it was a stupid idea. If you win, send my check to Florida - I'll be at the beach, and might fancy a bigger margarita mug. Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 14 - Bushed. Thank Heaven for caffeine... Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 13 - YUCK. Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 12 - Arnold vs Arnold...   I swear I'm gonna make t-shirts out of these... Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 11 - I love when this happens... So without any further delay, I present to you the first ever column written by my Lil Bro! We'll see if it inspires one of the Chefs to get off of their asses and write a new column... Or for that matter... If I ever actually update any of the ones I'm currently "maintaining"... Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 10 - Back In Action! But as luck would have it, we were shorthanded. That meant I had to play the entire game. That wouldn't have been too bad, but the air temperature was about 95. We play outdoors, on a turf field. The turf field has a black rubber mat underneath it, black plastic "soil", and even the blades of "grass" are heat absorbent. You can usually add between 8 and 15 degrees to the temperature on the field on a sunny day. Needless to say, I had a hard time with it. As a matter of fact, it was so hot on the field that the glue holding the cleats onto my shoes melted. Don't believe me?  I actually lost almost 7 lbs of water weight over the course of the afternoon! So I figured that I earned the chance to gorge myself on Giant Cheeseburgers from Jaspers, and a banana split from the Cold Stone Creamery before I go back to my routine tomorrow. I've been really good about the whole "eating better" thing lately, so a 90 minute run in the heat means I GET TO EAT. More useless crap tomorrow... Maybe I'll even finish that article I was working on last week. But don't hold your breath. Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 9 - Kiss Army Attacked! http://www.robarnieanddawn.com/RADKiss.htm. Excuse me? Did I read all of that correctly? Let me go back one more time and make sure: http://www.robarnieanddawn.com/RADKiss.htm. Now, I'll wait just a minute for the truly stupid Kiss fans out there to fire off angry emails (full of grammatical errors) telling them "KisS RUlZ, anD YoU SucK!". Then I'll count to 10, think for just a minute, and ponder to myself "What Should I Do?" Take a breath... and...  Fuck you Rob, Arnie, and Dawn. If you don't like the band, fine. I could care less. They inflate their sales figures, they're a bunch of talentless hacks that should have hung it up a long time ago, they're old and greedy, blah blah blah. I've heard it all, and from people much more educated on the subject than you. It doesn't bother me in the least if you really believe any of that, or even that you would say it on the air. But instead of attacking anything in regards to the band or it's music, you chose to include these little gems:
So, let's go through some of their finer points, shall we?
And a side note... Do you guys even realize what you've said? Sure, there are some
drooling, idiotic Kiss fans. But there are just as many for any other group. And there are an awful lot of
local Kiss fans who are responsible, productive, affluent members of society. I'm one of them. What it comes down to is this - KISS fans
are rock fans. You work for a rock station. Rock fans listen to rock stations. Therefore (I'll go slowly so you can keep up) It's not just about Kiss fans. It's about respect. It's always been tough to be a Kiss fan. For as long as I can remember, there have been closed-minded assholes at radio who feel the need to make themselves more important by spreading their own personal agendas. If you don't like the band, don't listen to them, don't play them, and just ignore them. But don't even think about slamming me simply because I do. I've often enjoyed your show, but if that's really how you think about me, well, at least I've got plenty of other choices for morning listening material. I'm your worst nightmare - a Kiss fan with a brain. Y'know, I'm probably also Gene's worst nightmare, too... Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 6 - Kisstianity  They got me again. Yup. Like the mindless Kiss zombie I've been for decades, I faithfully waited in line to plunk down another $12 for a cd full of material I've already got. Several times. But hey, there's a picture I've never seen. And of course, I rationalized it by saying that at least it's a different set of songs from full length albums that I've already got, so it's almost like a mix tape I could bring in the car, saving myself the hassle of bringing 8 full length cds from which to draw the song selection... But anyone who knows me knows I can't go to the post office to buy stamps without bringing 4 cds anyways... And the weirdest thing of all... I'll sit here and rip the band, their management, the record labels, and everyone in the Kiss Kamp a new asshole for pulling stuff like this. But when ONE person challenges me for being a Kiss fan, I suddenly defend the group like an angry mother bear protecting an endangered cub. And I know that in all likelihood I'll be totally awestruck when I finally meet the entire band, in full regalia, this fall. What do you say to people who've been there through your entire life in some capacity? Well, besides, "Hey Gene, isn't it weird to think that I was a fan of yours when I was in diapers, and you'll be in diapers not too long from now?" I probably shouldn't joke like that... Off to update My CD Collection and say a few Hail Stanleys... Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 5 - James Rules!
Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop August 4 - (sigh...) So I'll post this stupid pic of myself, fresh home from the gym. I'm thinking of becoming a professional wrestler. Aside from having to roll around on the floor with bunch of sweaty guys, how tough could it be? Ummm... then again, nevermind... But for the meantime, have a laugh at my would-be "buff" wrestling promo shot...  Snap into a Slim Jim! Also did a little screwing around with my webcam. If you *really* want a laugh, I recorded a 45-second guitar solo. Eddie Van Halen, eat your heart out. If you've got a high speed connection, you can download it in about a minute. If not, go get a pizza and come back. Or just be smart like everyone else and ignore it. Updated the table with bizarre search engine requests that resulted in visits here. I don't know if I should be proud or ashamed to rank so highly as a destination for Barbra Streisand porn pics... Then again, it's not like *I* was the one out looking for 'em. And trust me, even if I did have some, I'd NEVER share 'em with you people. I'd keep 'em all to myself... Ooh baby. Email : : Post a Comment: : Gift Shop |
Caution - No Lifeguard On Duty Summer Vacation
Surf Info
Required Listening
KXOA.com - Sacramento's Hard Rock
Go see the above bands in concert often. Buy multiple copies of their cds. Join the mailing lists. Patronize the above clubs and tip your bartender generously. Especially at the Roadhouse. And listen to Chicks Who Rock on Saturdays from 8 to midnight on 93.7 KXOA right here in SACRAMENTO! |