Climbing for a Cure

Last night, for the second year in a row, I participated in the Climb for a Cure event to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The event consists of climbing 47 floors - 94 flights - 1034 steps up the U.S. Bank building in downtown Milwaukee, WI. When I did this event last year, I had no idea what I was getting into and it turned out to be one of the most excruciating events I have participated in since Marine Corps Boot Camp. There is really no way you can train for this. Even weeks on a stair stepper or elliptical machine didn't help much. My one major mistake last year was starting off way to fast.  This year's motto was "Slow and Steady".  Well I have to say that I beat last year's time by almost one minute, finishing in 12 minutes and 11 seconds. Once again we had a small team of us (four this time) from my workplace and each one of us made it to top successfully. Next year we hope to grow our team to continue to support this great cause.

The main reason I, and my other friends, support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and participate in events such as this one, is because of our close friend and coworker, Nicki, who has CF. Here is a woman who was diagnosed at the age of 6 months and has battled this disease her entire life. For the seven or so years that I have known her, she has never asked for preferential treatment, never asked for help, and always thinks of others before herself, even while not being able to breath normally. She is truly an inspiration.

Last year, in August 2009, Nicki received a double lung transplant. Last night, Nicki climbed 47 floors - 94 flights - 1034 steps. Truly amazing! Something she would not have been able to do before surgery. She even passed a firefighter coming up the stairs.  Sure he was wearing his full fire fighter gear, but that doesn't matter.

Here is our mighty little team. From left to right - Nicki, Me, Crystal, and Carey.

Happy 235th Birthday Marines!

I'm registered as an American

I believe in my country. I believe in the Constitution and everything that it give us, the People, the power to do. I believe in change. Throughout our nation's history, change has been constant. We have changed. We have grown. We have developed into one of the finest, strongest nation's in the world. Yet the change we need most, no one seems to want. We need to stop the infighting. We need to stop beating ourselves up.

Over the last couple of years, I have seen changes withing our two major political parties. There was a time when one was all the way to the left and the other was all the way to the right. That's not the case anymore. The lines in the political parties have become more and more blurred, yet things seem to get worse. It seems more and more people are finding themselves closer to the middle than ever before, yet we still fight.  While I am registered with one of the two major political parties, I too find myself down the middle on a lot of issues. In conversations I have had with colleagues and strangers, I have found that I agree with many things on each side. So where does that leave me?

There is so much negativity and public bashing that it is often disgusting to think that these elected officials represent us in government. If one party has complete control over Congress and the Presidency and chooses not to work with the other party, is this truly a Democracy? Or is this some sort of authoritarian dictatorship run by a group. There was a time when having a multi party political system worked. Maybe that needs to change.

Do we really need two major political parties?  Are we not all playing for the same team? Don't you think we could get a lot more accomplished if we all just registered as American?

I don't understand why it gets so ugly around campaign and election time. The finger pointing, the name calling, the bashing...it's all very juvenile. I've seen 5th graders act more appropriately. I'd like to see more politicians and/or political parties as a whole take responsibility for their mistakes. Man/Woman up people! Admit you screwed up. Have some integrity. No matter who makes the mistake, the finger is always pointed at the person who last filled the seat. I would have a lot more faith and respect for someone who took responsibility for their own actions and misdeeds and those of their party. That is leadership.

One thing I do know is that being a politician is a thankless job. It's a dirty job. It's a job I do not want. Hats off to anyone who runs for office. A great thing about the Constitution is that it gives us the right to make changes. We'll see if the changes made on Tuesday have a positive effect. If not, then we'll make more changes in two years and keep making changes until we get it right.

Before I ever decided to register with any party, I registered as an American!

The Big 4...well 3 out of 4 isn't bad

You are probably wondering what I'm referring to when I write 'The Big 4'. For music lovers and thrash metal fans all over, The Big 4 refers to the four bands that are credited with starting the whole thrash metal genre. Those four bands are: Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer. You see, it all started in the early 1980's and I can remember when I first heard these bands...

I believe the year was 1984. A friend handed me a cassette tape and told me that I needed to listen to this band. I looked at the cassette and on it was the band's name, 'Metallica'. Pretty cool name, I remember thinking. I get home and immediately put the tape in my cassette player and pressed play. From the speakers I heard sounds that I had not heard the likes of before. It was fast. It was loud. It was different. It was metal! I LOVED IT!! Now up until that point, probably the heaviest, hardest music I had listened to was most likely Black Sabbath or AC/DC. This music was on another level. Not long after hearing Metallica for the first time, I was introduced to the other three bands, each with their own unique sound. These bands would play a pivotal role in the expansion and shaping of the music that I yearned to listen to. That was 1984.

Fast forward to 2010 and the very reason why I write this. Over 25 years have passed since The Big 4 hit the music scene. These four thrash metal pioneers decided to tour together for the first time in history. The first leg of the tour included all four bands - Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax - and toured primarily in Europe. The second leg of the tour saw only three of the bands continuing. The Jagermeister Music Tour, featuring Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer, came to The Rave in Milwaukee, WI last night (October 16, 2010) and it was sold out. I knew going into it that this was going to be one awesome show and I was not disappointed.

One question a lot of people wondered was, 'With all these great bands, who opens? who headlines?" Great question, but does it really matter? I was about to get my butt kicked by three of the greatest thrash metal bands of all time!

The night's emcee was Jim Florentine. He's a comedian who also stars on VH1's That Metal Show. I got to meet him after the show.

Opening act was Anthrax. Anthrax really hit it big starting in 1985 under lead singer Joey Belladonna. He had left the band in 1992, but now he was back with Anthrax. Anthrax was one of the first metal bands to crossover when the collaborated with rap artists Public Enemy in 1991 on a joint version of "Bring the Noise".  Last time I had seen Anthrax was at the University of Connecticut when they were on tour with Public Enemy.  Yeah...long time ago. No collaboration tonight. Just a short seven song set featuring some of their best songs:

Anthrax Setlist

Next up was Megadeth. Little fact for those who aren't familiar with these bands. Dave Mustaine, lead singer and founder of Megadeth, was once the lead guitarist for Metallica. He had gotten himself kicked out of Metallica and started his own band, Megadeth. Everything happens for a reason, right? Had that not happened, the world might not have been introduced to Megadeth. This was the first time I had seen Megadeth live, having missed out on other opportunities through the years.  Definitely did not disappoint. Megadeth is a bigger, more successful band than Anthrax and thus played a longer set:

Megadeth Setlist

Headlining for the night was none other than Slayer. Again, each band has its own sound, Slayer being no different. My first time seeing Slayer live also. No disappointment either. Slayer killed it!

Slayer Setlist

I mentioned that each band has it own distinct sound that you either love and respect it or you just plain hate it. I've met metal music fans who are really picky about what bands they will listen to and which they will not. For example, many Megadeth fans really hate Metallica, most likely because of Dave Mustaine being kicked out of Metallica. Anthrax has gone through so many lineup changes over the years that they seemed to have lost momentum. With Joey Belladonna back on vocals and a new record in the works, perhaps they will regain prominence once again. Megadeth has had nearly 20 different members of its band, but the one constant has been Dave Mustaine. With Dave at the helm, Megadeth has put out 12 albums and have maintained their place in thrash metal dominance. Other than a few changes on drums, Slayer's lineup has been unchanged over their career with eleven albums to their credit. 

As I write about the band member changes, it has made me think just how important the lead singer is to a band's sound. I can't think of one band that, after a change of its lead singer, has been the same band with the same success. Anthrax and Skid Row come to mind and there are others. Would Megadeth be the same without Dave Mustaine?  Would Metallica be the same without James Hetfield? What about Iron Maiden without Bruce Dickenson?  In my opinion, the lead singer can make or break a band.

I had already seen Metallica live more than 15 times, but it would have been awesome to see The Big 4. Maybe they'll make a US tour.  Metal Rulz!!

Brew Madness

I like to think of myself as a beer connoisseur. I enjoy trying all different kinds of beer and ale, especially the local brews and micros. When I travel, I always try out the local beer. There are a lot of good ones out there. Last night, I attended a fund raising event for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It was called Brew Madness Prost to a Cure! Now, for a beer lover and someone who enjoys giving back and helping out with great causes, this was a perfect event.

There were many booths with beer and ale from all over. Many brewed right here in Wisconsin. Milwaukee isn't nicknamed "Brew City" for nothing you know.  Along side the beer booths were food stations; cheese and meats and many other fine Wisconsin-made food products. A live cover band for entertainment. There was also raffle tickets and a silent auction. I put my name down on one or two things, but didn't have the winning bid. All proceeds from this event go toward the mission of the CF Foundation: to cure and control cystic fibrosis (CF), a life-threatening, genetic disease. Great beer, great food, and a great cause!

At the start of the evening, I set out to sample at least one beer from every booth, and succeeded. Not only were most of these beers really good, but some of the name's of them are pretty clever. At the end of the evening, I was going to pick out my Top 3 favorites. Here's a list of some of the one's I tried:

• Louie's Demise, Milwaukee Brewing Company (Milwaukee, WI)
• Sofie, Goose Island Beer Company (Chicago, IL)
• Hefeweiss, Sprecher Brewery (Milwaukee, WI)
• Ranger IPA, New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, CO)
• Wisconsin Amber, Capital Brewery (Middleton, WI)
• Belgian White, Point Brewery (Stevens Point, WI)
• Painted Ladies Pumpkin Spice Ale, Tyranena Brewery (Lake Mills, WI)
• Best Brown Ale, Bell's Brewery (Kalamazoo, MI)
• Hopdinger, O'so Brewery (Plover, WI)
• The Big O, O'so Brewery (Plover, WI)
• Snake Hollow IPA, Potosi Brewing (Potosi, WI)
• Cave Ale, Potosi Brewing (Potosi, WI)
• Dragonfly IPA, Upland Brewing Company (Bloomington, IN)
• St. Patrick's Best, Strangford Lough Brewing Company (Northern Ireland)
• Legbiter, Strangford Lough Brewing Company (Northern Ireland)
• Tail Waggin' Double White Ale, Grand Teton Brewing Company (Victor, ID)
• Victoria IPA, Sonoran Brewing Company (Scottsdale, AZ)
• Abita SOS, Abita Brewing Company (Abita Springs, LA)
• Kruiken, Brouwerij de Molen (The Netherlands)
• Hop Nest Monster Extra Pale IPA, Pangaea Brewing Company (Neshkoro, WI)
• Pulling Boat Pale Ale, Pangaea Brewing Company (Neshkoro, WI)
• Black Douglas Ale, Broughton Ales Ltd. (United Kingdom)

And at the end of the night, I had to choose my favorites. In no particular order, my Top 3 are:

• Tail Waggin' Double White Ale, Grand Teton Brewing Company (Victor, ID). Brewed in the Belgian style, using malted barley, wheat malt, candy sugar and unmalted rye. An excellent addition to any wheat beer lover's beer catalog.
• Black Douglas Ale, Broughton Ales Ltd. (United Kingdom). A dark brown bodied ale with a hint of caramel and burnt toffee.
• Sofie, Goose Island Beer Company (Chicago, IL). A pleasant surprise. A tart, dry, sparkling ale with a hint of citrus almost like a cider, but not. An interesting, champagne-like ale. Very good.

Other favorites not quite making the Top 3: Milwaukee Brewing Company's Louie's Demise, Point's Belgian White, Tyranena's Painted Ladies Pumpkin Spice Ale, and Bell's Best Brown Ale.

All in all a great evening for a great cause!   Cheers!!

School is in session

The Fall semester officially started for me yesterday. I'm taking two classes this semester towards my Bachelors degree. I'm happy to say that I am just 3 classes away from completion. Two classes this semester than I'll take one more in the Spring. I'm excited that it's so close to being finished.

I've been taking college classes since 2003. First attended Waukesha County Technical College where I took classes at night. Now I am attending the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and I've been doing the entire curriculum online. Let me tell you that taking online classes takes a different kind of discipline. No time and place to be at each week, just due dates for assignments and posting comments and material online. 

Like I mentioned, I only take two classes each semester. I think that is about all I can handle with a full-time job. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself. I over analyze and over-think the assignments and end up putting way more into the classes than I really need to. It will all pay off in the end. It will definitely feel great to finally be done.

On a different note, but related...I had a crazy thought the other day. If I had any inclination on trying to go back on active duty in the Marines, I could be a Marine Corps Officer.  Just saying

One time at Band Camp...

Yesterday I went to JJO Band Camp for the first time. No, this isn't the silly band camp for high school marching bands. This is a one-day rock concert held annually in Madison, WI. But it's more than a rock concert...it's a metal concert and it was awesome! A friend offered me free tickets to attend and I went. So glad I did. For the last several years, I've checked out the lineup but never went. Now I know what I was missing.

The bands alternated between two stages and there was never more than 5 minutes without live, loud music. Not a bad band among them, though my least favorite is Buckcherry...just not a fan.  I arrived about 1pm. Shaman's Harvest was playing. The next band was 2 Cents. Funny little story...the lead singer stopped right in the middle of a song and yelled to some kid in the front, "Are you f*&king texting?! Are you kidding me?! Why don't you stick that up your vagina!"  Hilarious!

Seasons After, Dope, Janus all rocked...Dope was way cool! Sevendust came on about 4pm. They always put on a great show. Then Soil played. I can't believe they have another new singer. I think I've seen them 4 or 5 times in the last several years and this is the third new singer for them. How can they expect to make it big if they keep changing singers? Buckcherry was next. Like I said, I'm not a fan of them.

Anew Revolution rocked it. I saw them at Summerfest in 2008. They were even better this time around. Great show! Final act of the evening was Godsmack. I've never seen them live before. What a show! Played all of the favorites and some new ones from their new album, The Oracle. Sully and the drummer, Tommy Stewart did a double drum kit jam that was out of this world. For those who didn't know, Sully played drums for 20+ years before starting Godsmack. They both wailed!

Band Camp was definitely a great experience. Two rows of vendors that you would expect to see at a rock show like this...tattoo artists, t-shirts, custom motorcycles. They were doing air brush tattoos. Let me just say there were lots of ladies who were just sporting the artwork. They also had a booth for Miss Pole, a gym dedicated to exotic aerobic exercise classes.

I didn't take a lot of pictures, but you can check out some of the one's I did take here.

I'm looking forward to next year.