the day the music died, "gen X" style

Sixteen years ago today...8 April 1994.

The day we learned that the life of one of the most influential and iconic rockers ever came to an end. Kurt Cobain, best known as the lead singer & songwriter of Nirvana, was found dead at his home in Seattle.

Officially, Cobain's death was ruled a suicide by a self-inflicted shotgun wound on 5 April 1994 per the coroner's report. However, the cause of death remains a topic of fascination and debate. Conspiracy theorists claim Cobain was murdered (presumably by Courtney Love) but results are inconclusive.

Cobain changed the face of rock forever by introducing the world to his now famous sound (labeled "grunge" by the populous) to the music scene, inspiring bands like Alice In Chains and Soundgarden in the 1990s and Puddle of Mudd in the 2000s, to name a few. As a result, alternative rock catapulted to the mainstream and became a dominant genre on radio and MTV in the early 1990s - and effectively ending the reign of the new wave/electronica sound of the 1980s. Rolling Stone ordained Nirvana the "flagship band of Generation X" and anointed Cobain "spokesman." As a private person - almost the stereotypical, misunderstood artist if you will - Cobain was uncomfortable with the anointment and the attention that followed. Focus turned to Nirvana's music and artistic message, resulting in In Utero (1993). This ended up being the band's last "new" work.

I remember first hearing about Cobain's death and sincerely thought it was a joke (a sick joke, but a joke nonetheless). Then I did what anyone would do to verify music news in the 1990s - I turned on MTV. Kurt Loder then confirmed the news of this tragedy. I'm convinced he was on 24/7 covering this story. Fans and admirers alike flocked to memorial services (especially in his hometown of Aberdeen, WA) - much the same as they did with John Lennon's death in 1980. While the similarities between the two aren't readily apparent, both were major rock artists with the balls to openly and freely speak their mind on a variety of topics. That's something that only comes along once a generation.

The untimely death of Cobain had lasting effect on the world of music. The grunge movement embraced acceptance and individuality - artists were encouraged speak their mind and put their own original spin on it - dare I say "come as you are"? The year 1994 not only marks the loss of an artist barely at the brink of his potential, but a regression in the music industry (read: grunge is dead). The door was opened for "pop sensations" such as N*Sync, Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. It is debatable if there is indeed talent there, or if this "talent" was generated through the miracle of drum machines, etc. Think of it as the 1980s new wave, part two. The days of individuality - gone.

Thankfully, the 2000s have brought about artists with a "real band" sound such as Billy Talent and Rise Against; not to mention the reunion of Soundgarden at Lollapalooza 2010. However, one does have to wonder how the alternative music scene would have evolved had Cobain lived.

Oh...nevermind....

information taken from Rolling Stone, MTV and Greg Prato

this is the year....

...but not judging from yesterday's game.

Granted, there are still 161 games left to be played and one game does not a season make. However, if yesterday's outing versus the Atlanta Braves is any indication, Cubs nation is in for a bumpy 2010 season.

Carlos "Big Z" Zambrano made his sixth straight Opening Day start Monday, a Cubs record. He also managed to have the worst Opening Day start leading to the worst Opening Day loss since 1884. In 1-1/3 innings, Big Z allowed eight runs on six hits, hit a batter, and mixed in a throwing error for good measure. In case you're wondering, that calculates to an ERA of 54.00. Unacceptable, yet not the worst outing of the day - Jeff Samardzija gave up six runs in 1/3 inning for a "stellar" ERA of 108.00. If this is how the Cubs opens the season, I shudder to think of what the rest of the pitching staff will serve up. Hopefully, the arrival Greg Maddux as assistant to the GM (among other roles) can assist the Cubs in their pitching predicament. Hmmm....maybe he'll come out of retirement...

However, there is a light at the end of the pitching tunnel. Sean Marshall pitched two scoreless innings in middle relief. Thank goodness someone could effectively throw the ball over the plate. Also, there is a semblance of an offense. Scoring five runs is promising and pretty damn good - provided Cubs pitching is effective on the flip side. Aramis Ramirez (read: Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra) knocked in a two-run homer while Marlon Byrd (read: replacement for the douchbag of an outfielder who sadly symblized the 2009 campaign) added a three-run homer.

Thus, despite a train wreck of an opener there is hope in Cubs nation. C'mon, we've been hoping for what is going on 102 years...and we won't be stopping now...

chew on this chuckie...

I don't normally listen to Charlie Sykes on AM620-WTMJ. He's way to Republican-happy, Democrat-bashing for my tastes...and I can handle a bit 'o bashing.

However, today I just so happened to get into my car to hear Sykes state "All politicians lie." This had to be the most intelligent thing I'd heard from him. Wait for it... Then he decided to continue blabbering and ONLY name Democrats (read: President Obama) who lie and using low-ball tactics to get elected, thus leading to unfulfilled campaign promises.

Excuse me? Only Democrats lie to get elected? And what about Karl "Low-Ball Tactics" Rove? Didn't we have eight years of unfulfillment?

It should be obvious by now that I'm a Democrat and a relatively liberal one at that. And it really grinds my gears (thank you Peter Griffith) that people - especially conservatives - haven't even given Obama a chance to succeed, let alone fulfill any campaign promise. Obama still has three years to fulfill his campaign promises while "W" somehow managed not to fulfill promises over eight years.

Here are just a few examples of broken promises by the GOP:

• Promise: Make health insurance affordable for hard-working, low-income families. In 2000, 43 million Americans were without health insurance. Reality: Ten years later, 46 millions are without health insurance. Premiums have increased by 12.5%. Do the math. More people are currently uninsured and it's less affordable.
• Promise: Fully-fund the Pell grant program for first-year students with a maximum amount of $5100. Reality: The Pell grant amount was frozen at $4050 for three consecutive years. That's about $1050 short of $5100.
• Promise: Income tax cuts will benefit all Americans, especially moderate and low income families. Reality: The top 20% of earners received 70% of the tax cuts. This must be some new math I'm unaware of.
• Promise: The debt will be paid down to a historically low level. Reality: At the end of his term, the national debt was a record high of $7.3 trillion. This really needs no explanation.

And W couldn't even fulfill his promises with a Republican Congress.

Chew on that Chuckie.

information taken from Bush-Cheney website, CBS, Center for Policy & Budget Priorities, Census Bureau and USA Today

revelation: i'm an ass!

Due to the current political climate (especially this past week), each of our political persuasions are likely to be uncovered at some point. I don't really care what you align with; if it opens topics up for intelligent debate, even better. If we disagree on some issues, that's fine. Just don't try to ram your version of politics down my throat.

I will say I've had intelligent and insightful conversions with those on the other side of the fence (thank you Rob and Craig), but those are few and far between. While I don't openly divulge my political views (sans this week on the fb), I consider myself a liberal. Sorry Mom, I know you prefer me using just "Democrat", so for you I will be a Democrat liberal. (Note: Mom does not actually read this blog)

For some reason, that revelation seems to surprise people. And for the life of me, I'm not sure why. So, let's explore why their assumption is unfounded.

I went to Marquette University.
Marquette's defining statement states "Marquette is a Catholic, Jesuit university dedicated to serving God by serving our students and contributing to the advancement of knowledge." The mission reads, "Our Mission is the search for truth, the discovery and sharing of knowledge, the fostering of personal and professional excellence, the promotion of a life of faith, and the development of leadership expressed in service to others. All this we pursue for the greater glory of God and the common benefit of the human community."

Yeah, I can see that - if you look at it at face value. My guess is that I overlooked any preposition or phrase that explicitly mentioned God or religion. I'm also certain that my parents thought me going to a Jesuit university would strengthen my religious faith. Epic fail.

However, if you look deeper into Marquette's mission there are four core values: excellence, leadership, service and faith - all of which we (per Marquette) should strive for in our lives. I would think that any educational entity would strive to instill the values of excellence and leadership in its students, at least on some level. As for service, I believe that everyone should dedicate time to service. While this value was instilled through my dad's own volunteer efforts, my involvement with service organizations at Marquette fostered it. Faith is likely only prominent in religious institutions. While usually referenced as a religious term, faith can also elude to trust in yourself and/or others or to belief in something. To quote Dogma, "It doesn't matter what you have faith in, just that you have faith."

I think I just partially de-religioned part of Marquette's core values. Thank you for teaching me to think critcially!

I was raised Catholic.
So was JFK...and he remains the only Roman Catholic president this country has elected. He was also a Democrat, and likely could have been one of the greatest presidents ever had his life not been cut short. But I digress.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted a poll on religion in America. Overall, their study confirmed that the more often people attend services, the more likely they are to be conservative. Of course this varies based upon specific religion and its general doctrine and theology. (ie. Mormons are conservatives, atheists are liberal). I used every excuse I could to get out of church, as I don't believe you need to go to services to "prove" your worthiness. I am liberal. My mom goes to church religiously (pun intended). She is a Democrat as of 2002.

In fact, 38% of Catholics consider themselves as leaning to the left. I believe this is due in part to the strong dedication to service to others in the hopes of leading to a more just society. This "service to others" DOES NOT include the allegations against current and former Catholic priests.

It is true that historically, a vast majority of Catholics have a strong opposition to abortion. According to the findings, this isn't necessarily the case. Catholics are split on the issue: 48% believe abortion should be legal in most cases, with 45% illegal. The Catholic church itself, with all its doctrine and high-and-mightiness, may be opposed; but apparently its followers live in the 21st century.

I am not a follower and refer to myself as a "recovering Catholic", but I indeed live in the 21st century.

Strong military history

Numerous members of my family (grandddad, uncle, cousins) have served in the armed forces and my parents were civilian employees. The Navy, to be exact. Traditionally, the armed forces and the GOP go hand in hand. In a non-scientific poll of my friends and family currently serving or having served in the armed forces, this would be proven correctly.

However, this "tradition" can also foster ignorance (and perhaps stupidity). Case in point: during the 2008 election, a co-worker saw that I voted prior to coming into work. The conversation that ensued:

Ignoramus: Oh did you vote for your man McCain?

Me: How is McCain my man?

Ignoramus: Your dad was in Navy so you voted for McCain because he's a Navy veteran.

Me: Umm, no I didn't.

It's true. I proudly voted for Obama. And you know what? So did my dad.

Overall, I believe it's the experiences (not circumstantial facts) that leads one to their beliefs - religious, political and otherwise - that make each one of us the person we are today. My parents gave me the blueprint; I built the model known as Bec. Politically, Bec is a liberal Democrat.

But in the grand scheme of things, it's a model that really doesn't fit into any mold.

cayenne(s)

Driving home from work yesterday, I saw a Porsche Cayenne on the road - a sight that is rare is these parts (or any parts for that matter). This is Porsche's foray into the SUV market. Critics say that while this SUV indeed handles like a Porsche, the acceleration is weak and there's limited cargo space. It is also not as capable for off-roading.

When I got home, I was greeted Cayenne the AmStaff terrier - a sight that always puts a smile on my face. This is my first foray into dog ownership. Friends agree that Cayenne indeed has the exuberance of a terrier, his acceleration is full-force and he takes up a lot of couch space. However, he is game for off-roading (read: hiking) and is one of the sweetest dogs ever.

I think I have the better Cayenne model.

♣ Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh! ♣

Or for those of you not versed in Gaelic - Happy St. Patrick's Day!

For many, this holiday is much like another New Year's Eve: the revelry, the camaraderie and oh, yes, the drinking. Many partake in these festivities whether or not they are Irish (hey, only some of us can be perfect the rest of the year) and everyone has a grand old time.

However, have you ever wondered about the history behind St. Patrick's Day celebrations and customs?

St. Patrick's Day began as a Catholic holiday and is actually an official feast day. Over the years, the holiday has evolved into one of secular nature and serves as a celebration of Irish heritage and culture.

St. Patrick's Day is in honor of St. Patrick (duh!), a native Brit who was kidnapped by the Irish and taken to Ireland as a slave. At some point, he fled from captivity and returned to Britain. Upon his return, he studied to be a priest and was "called" to Ireland to convert them. Thus, St. Patrick was responsible for introducing Catholicism to the Irish or as they say "chasing the snakes out of Ireland" (and you wondered how Lakefront Brewery came up with the name Snake Chaser for their tasty Irish Stout). According to folklore, he used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit). As a result, the shamrock continues to be a prominent of St. Patrick's Day celebrations today.

As the Irish immigrated to the USA, St. Patrick's Day observances moved from a religious to a political nature. The first known observance (known as a parade) was in Boston in 1737. Irish immigrant workers marched to make a political statement about how they were not happy with their low social status and their inability to obtain jobs in America. New York City began its observance of the holiday in 1766 with a parade (which started at a tavern) in protest of the unfair treatment of the Irish immigrants. NYC continues to have the largest parade and celebration of St. Patrick's Day outside of Ireland, and it is likely not political in nature. Almost 300 years later, most major cities with historical Irish ancestry also stage parades in celebration; Chicago even dyes the Chicago River green for the festivities.

Today, Saint Patrick's Day is widely celebrated in the US by bloody everyone (Irish or not) by the wearing green-colored clothing and accessories (i.e. boas, funky ass hats). Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green are pinched affectionately. If you are pinched for not wearing green, you have my permission to kick them in the "lucky charms". If you are wearing a traditional kilt, you can pinch or kick anyone you want...and look authentic doing it (regardless of ancestry).

Another modern-day tradition includes hitting local pubs, taverns and bars (again, Irish or not...in reference to the watering hole and the revelers) at 6 am on St. Patrick's day for free swag and libations (which should include a shot of Jameson). And in the States you'll hear a lot of U2 played. At least in Toronto they'll also play the Cranberries, the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. "Drunken Lullabies" seems appropriate at about midnight on a day like this.

And why the green? The color originally associated with St. Patrick was blue. However, green is one of the colors on the Irish flag. And that little shamrock has something to do with it as well.

But please, don't drink the green beer. It's an abomination of the holiday. Really. Try a Guinness or Harp.

♣ Sláinte! ♣

We Are The World, take 2

Where were you on 5 April 1985 at 10:25 am EST? That's the date more than 8000 radio stations in the USA played "We Are The World" by USA for Africa simultaneously. Twenty-five years later, "We Are The World" has been re-recorded and released. But before I get to that, let's explore how the music forged to the forefront of social causes.

How did USA for Africa come about? Well, It was the USA's response to the UK's effort to fight hunger relief. This effort, led by Bob Geldoff of Boomtown Rats fame, is better known as Band Aid. The song, "Do They Know It's Christmas", recorded and released in 1984. Geldoff's song raised millions of dollars, and had already made a significant difference to those suffering from famine and disease in Africa, specifically to famine relief in Ethiopia.

(Note: if you are not familiar with "Do They Know It's Christmas", you can hear it every year, multiple times, on any radio station that decides to begin their Christmas programming on 1 November.)

Not to be excluded, Canadian artists released "Tears Are Not Enough" under the name Northern Lights to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. Practically overshadowed by its USA and UK counterparts, this continues to be my favorite of the three.

While the individual artists in the music industry frequently have stood for social causes, this marks the first first time the music industry assembled on a grand scale with supergroup quality to tackle a worldwide cause. Farm Aid, Amnesty International (among other musical/social cause marriages) concerts/fundraisers likely would not have flourished had it not been for Bob Geldoff's vision.

It's hard to believe that "We Are The World" is now 25 years old. It is also hard to believe that 25 years later, there are places on our planet that are still suffering from hunger, sub-par living conditions; basically a natural disaster away from total devastation.

Enter the marriage of "We Are The World (2010)" and Haitian earthquake relief. In reality, a 25th anniversary re-recording was planned for 28 January 2010 - exactly 25 years from the date of the original. However, the earthquake on 12 January altered plans slightly, one of which was re-designating the proceeds of the re-recording to benefit Haitian earthquake relief.

I can't fault the proceeds going to Haitian earthquake relief. In fact, I think it's fabulous that those deemed celebrities by our standards are using this status for a greater good - even if only for eight minutes and 33 seconds.

However, I do have to ask: who the hell are these people in the video? I could name 12, and that includes the image/voice of Michael Jackson. I recognized four less people in the "Tears Are Not Enough" video. I realize the face of pop music has changed over the years (which is why I don't listen to it anymore), but a slightly more diverse sampling of American music (read: alternative) would have been appreciated.

But in all seriousness, it once again shows that we, as human beings, can unify in our humanitarian efforts to help those who have been affected by devastation. And if it encourages or influences at least one person to take action, then it was well worth it.