The Biggest Sell Out

Anyone who remotely knows me personally knows that Buckcherry is my all time favorite band. In 1999, my brother sent me an mp3 from an unknown rock band. He said, "Check these guys out - they remind me of Guns N Roses from their Appetite days." So, I played the mp3 and I was hooked. The mp3 was Buckcherry's "Lit Up." Within a week I had purchsed their self=titled debut album. The following spring (May 2001), my brother called me with the most exciting news - Buckcherry was playing The Preakness kick celebration in Baltimore. I was s-t-o-k-e-d to say the least. We went and they freaking rocked. They were a gritty, pure rock and roll band. There was no glitz and glamor. It was just a bunch of guys with guitars and hard hitting rock music. I fell in love with them all over again. I went back to see them in July 2001 at a bar in Towson, Maryland. My friend and I arrived 2 hours before the show so we could be right up against the stage. We were 2 rows off the stage. It rocked. Again - no glitz, no glamor. At the end of the set, Yogi threw me his pick. It was a great bar show. I acrued every album ever released by the guys. When the band dissolved in 2002, I think I actually cried. I even purchased Josh Todd's solo album - because it still sounded like Buckcherry. Fast forward to Christmas 2005...My brother gave me a Japanese import of the NEW Buckcherry album "15." I had the album 6 months before the US had even heard "Crazy Bitch." Last May, I drove 5 hours to see them in concert in Ohio. It had been 6 years since I had seen them live and I was so excited. Not only did I get to hear them play, but I also met the band and got their autographs. It was awesome!

Then they sold out to the man. I saw them live again in August of last year...and they sucked. Josh Todd acted entirely pissed off to even be on the stage. There was no energy. It was flat. It was a huge disappointment. I am hearing words like "crossover singles" and "appearances on Jay Leno." Holy shit...what happened to the bar show, no glitz, no glamor, pure rock and roll that I loved? Somewhere between "Crazy Bitch" and "Sorry" Buckcherry lost their edge. My God, they're getting play time on Pop radio stations and MTV! My favorite band sold out to the man. *sigh* So - I've decided that it's unhealthy to hold onto them. They can't be what I want them to be anymore. So - I delted their ring tone from my cell phone, downloaded a Papa Roach song, and decided to move on with my life. So - here's to Buckcherry - it was a great 7 years of devotion. I wish you'd get your edge back - maybe one day you will. Goodbye.

Roe v Wade at 35

Today marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade. I doubt there are many Americans who do not know the results of this infamous court case. Unfortunately, most do not know the principle of the case - or that a similar case was being decided at the same time which had similar results, Doe v Bolton. Doe v Bolton has slipped into obscurity. Both cases challenged abortion laws, both in Texas. Roe was an unmarried pregnant woman, while Doe was actually a married couple who had been advised to not conceive a child due to a "neuro-chemical" imbalance. Doe was not actually pregnant, but was challenging the laws in case of failure of contraceptive. The Supreme Court decided that most laws against abortion in the United States violated a constitutional right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The decision overturned all state and federal laws outlawing or restricting abortion that were inconsistent with its holdings.

Being a liberal feminist, I am pro-choice. My feelings on my personal choices have changed significantly in the past 5 years. I am a proud supporter of Planned Parenthood. I whole-heartedly support their "Fill My Pills Now" campaign. This does not mean I am pro-abortion. I worry about the ethics and morality of anyone who thinks that abortion is a "solution" to pregnancy. There are a myriad of options - but I do think abortion should be available as an option.

I have come to the realization that I would never be able to have an abortion as a means of birth control. It would be ethically wrong for a 26yo female with my financial stability and family support to terminate a pregnancy because it was inconvenient. Of course, also being a very educated 26yo female, I also take precautions against being placed in that predicament. If only we all took more precautions... My significant other has two very young nieces who are with child. One is 19. Having a child at 17 caused her to forgo her childhood and grow up rather quickly. However, I am convinced that having the child enriched her life. She is quite possibly the most mature, level headed 19yo I have met. And her child is immersed in so much love - not only from herself, but also from aunts, uncles, grandparents, great grandparents, and great-great grandparents. It's amazing to watch the family dynamic there. The other niece...she just turned 16 and has a lot of growing up to do - and a new baby to support. I worry about her. That being said, I don't think I could plausibly say that either should have had an abortion. It is not my place.

As Roe v Wade turns 35, I do worry about its longevity. Will the constitutional right to a legal abortion survive? I don't know. I know I do fear the consequences of outlawing abortion. Anyone who thinks that abortion will "disappear" if it is made illegal is naive. For those who do, I think you should look at the war on drugs, prostitution, and drunk driving - all illegal, yet still thriving in our society.

To Honor Dr. King

Today is quite possibly one of my favorite holidays of the year. There are no presents exchanged, no decorations placed around the house, and certainly no fancy meals prepared. However, today is quite possibly one of the most important holidays of the year. Today we celebrate the birthday of a Civil Rights Leader - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - a man who stood in the face of adversity and racism and never faultered. In the face of violence, such as that experienced in Selma, he stood behind words and faith. He did not fight violence with violence. He is an inspiration to us all - no matter our skin color.

Dr. King's work lives on today - especially in the South. We see inequality in Jenna, where young African American boys were indicted on trumped up charges by a white sheriff, and in New Orleans, where many, many people are still displaced and homeless as the result of Katrina. Sadly, we also see inequality in a Presidential race. Comments such as, "American's not ready for a black President," are being spoken today. Fear not Dr. King, your legacy lives on. We are still fighting for equality of ALL peoples - white, black, Middle Eastern, Asian, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, etc, etc. You have brought us a long way Dr. King - however the journey is not over yet. Thank you Dr. King for your inspiration, your courage, and your faith.

A Portion of Dr. King's I Have A Dream Speech:

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

Thoughts for the New Year

So a friend from college dropped me a line to let me know that my absence from the blogsphere has been noticed. Point well taken. I figure it's the new year, so this post should be a reflection of the year past and a prophetic look to the coming year. 2007 was pretty good. Here's a list of things I accomplished in 2007:

1) Met the members of Buckcherry in person - have the autographs to prove it
2) Drug my 16yo niece to a real rock concert, and let her experience "the floor"
3) Proved my ability to run the hospital pharmacy on an evening shift
4) Demanded a life saving medication for one of my patients - and got it
5) Witnessed a code...sadly unsuccessful
6) Hit a deer - my first auto accident
7) Learned to knit
8) Began my career as a hospital pharmacist
9) Met a great guy who is not intimidated by my career or my intelligence
10) Decided that being a staff pharmacist is MY CAREER CHOICE - not a stumbling block

Here's a list of things I hope to accomplish in 2008:

1) Help elect the first ever African American President of the United States
2) Fight fairly - stop rehashing the past
3) Meet the members of Papa Roach
4) Drag my niece to no less than 3 great rock concerts
5) Decide whether I want to work the evening shift permenantly
6) Stand up to the Chief of Pharmacy and tell him that I find it extremely offensive that he thinks my being a staff pharmacist is a stumbling block and a disappointment
7) Knit a sweater
8) Start an IRA
9) Love myself wholely and unconditionally
10) Watch WVU win the BCS National Championship

There ya go Butts. Stay tuned for more posts. :)