Tough Love

On VH1 there is a reality show called "Tough Love" which in my opinion is one of the best reality shows out there. And I LOVE reality shows... AKA.. trash TV!!

The show is based on a group of women all with different problems when its comes to dating. Steve Ward, the host of the show, helps the women to over come whatever issue they are faced with whether that be a gold digger, judgemental, whatever it may be. Steve sets them up on numerous dates and gives them goals and things to work on during every date with intensions of helping them form a relationship with one of the men they are matched with.

I think this is a really cool show. Aside from the drama your going to get with every reality show its pretty educational along with entertaining.

Car Accident

We pulled up to the intersection at Lila and Harvell, my sister and I that is. I looked both ways at the leaving and oncoming traffic waiting for the perfect time to cut across.
As I looked to the right I noticed my sisters foot tapping on the floor of my truck and her arm gripped tightly on the “oh shit” handle that hangs above the door.
My focus was lost when I saw her in this silent state of panic. I was taken back, by guilt, to three years ago when this exact intersection would forever haunt me.

BEEP BEEP BEEP! The sound of my alarm clock woke me up at 7:15am only second before the sound of my shower running from my sister who had been in there for fifteen minutes prior to my alarm.
I rolled over hitting the top of my alarm clock in hopes that snoozing it would just turn it off for good, but seven minutes later I was rudely awakened, again.
Five days a week my sister Caitlin and I were comparable to programmed robots doing the same thing every morning before I drove her to school.
The day started with a shower, her first and then I. I would rush to get ready because I of course would rather sleep an extra thirty minutes then spend that time looking in the mirror.

Caitlin and I were three years apart but that never made a difference in our relationship she was highly mature for her age, and I sat at about normal on the maturity level so that made us just about the same. Although we weren’t the type that did everything together the things we did do together meant a lot to
us and we were always inseparable around the house.

Caitlin was always persistent on making sure we left the house in just enough time to get to school at 8:00am.
Driving to school was my favorite part of the day, aside from the fact that it was a three and a half minute drive.
First we would get into my 1994 blue Chevy truck, then we would both put on our seatbelts and if by chance I forgot Caitlin was quick to remind me, the last step of preparation before we took off was Caitlin would roll down the windows and turn on the song we listened to every morning, “If I had one wish” by Ray J. This was the song my sister and I used to loosen up our vocal cords before school; there was something about the music being up so loud where we could hardly hear our own voices that made us think we actually had voices that were worth being heard.
Bellevue East High School awaited me and Caitlin every day at 8:00am she was a freshman and I was a senior so seeing each other throughout the day rarely every happened.

February 13, 2006

This day was different. It all went wrong when I got up at 7:00 instead of 7:22, it was downhill from there not to mention I got dressed up on this particular day. I had just gotten a new outfit, jeans and polo with some jewelry to match and if you knew me in high school this was abnormal in itself.
As my sister and I made our way down to my 1994 blue Chevy we hopped in and that was it, the routine was totally and completely thrown off.
We didn’t buckle up
We didn’t turn on our song
We didn’t roll down the windows to let everyone know we had voices worth hearing
Nothing
There was no explaining why this day was different. Everything from the first things we did to the last, it was different.

I came to the intersection that was nothing more than routine by this point but again, today was different. There was traffic like I had never seen before.
As my sister and I sat in silence we both looked back and forth at the standing traffic that was going east and the “standing/non-existent” traffic going west. In the mean time I was trying to shoot across both lanes of traffic to make it to the other side.
I squinted through the remaining frost that was on my windshield and my windshield wipers that were helping me see. It was my time; my time to make my way across the intersection.
The second my foot hit that gas pedal I knew that as much as I thought it was my time, it wasn’t.

“JACKI!!!!” Caitlin screamed only seconds before the loudest most terrifying sound crept into my truck.

I had no response. I knew what was happening, I could see out of my peripheral vision that there was a car coming our way at approximately thirty-five miles an hour with no intention of slowing down.
Because the traffic going west (closest to me) was stopped because of a red light I assumed the traffic going east was stopped too. It wasn’t.

One thought ran through my head.

How can I get my truck across the intersection without the oncoming car hitting my sister’s door which in any case would kill her.
In the split second I had to think up a game plan, I had it! I was going to swerve out and around the oncoming car leaving not a scratch on my truck, just a couple “PHEW’S” from everyone who saw this near accident.

Well, my plan was half way successful. Only there ended up being a BIG scratch on my truck and my opponent’s car, well; it was practically non-existent after I was done with it. My opponent smashed into the bed of my truck which sent my truck sailing into a pole where my truck came to a halting stop along with my head which hit my window.
I noticed that Caitlin was no longer on her side of the truck anymore, she was sitting right next to me, practically on my lap.
“Are you okay?” I asked Caitlin as I checked her body to make sure she was still intact.

As I was comforting my sister my opponent was outside my passenger seat window furious. As she approached my passenger seat window her face got tighter and her teeth clenched as she demanded I get out of the car.

It was then my adrenaline started pumping and I felt the need to tell this lady just what I thought about her accusation of me doing cookies in the middle of the road only to total her car.
Just as I was ready to jump out of my truck to defend myself my concussion had different plans for me.
“JACKI”!
I turned around with tears in my eyes and vomit half way out of my mouth to see my uncle Toad (I have never known his real name, everyone calls him Toad) to the rescue.
“Its okay, it’s okay. I’ll call your Mom,” he said.

The only thing I could have asked for at a time like this was to see a familiar face. After all I had nearly killed both me and my sister, my truck was about dead, I had a lady accusing me of doing this on purpose and I was crying and throwing up uncontrollably.

My sister and I held each other until my mom got to the scene. The guilt I felt for putting my sister though all of this started to sink in.
Will she ever be the same?
Will she be ok?
Will she be ok to drive when she gets her license?

My mother, the cops and the ambulance all showed up at once. At this point I was scared to get in trouble. What was my mom going to say about the truck I wrecked that had gotten passed down to me by my father? Was I going to get a ticket?

Things started to smooth out after we got the story out in the open for those who didn’t see it. My opponent started to calm down and my parents were just happy to see my sister and me alive. As for the cops they weren’t impressed and I walked away with a wreck less driving ticket.

But that all took a back seat to the guilt that was haunting me for putting my sister through all this. The one thing my sister and I had stronger than most people I know is trust. We trusted each other with everything; we leaned on that to hold our relationship up.

“Relax” I said to Caitlin
I could see her grip loosen from the “oh shit” handle, her hand fell into her lap and her foot slowly came to a stop.
I am the product of my sister not trusting my judgment but for that matter, anyone’s.
I am the reason my sister had nearly a hard attack every time we came to the intersection at Lila and Havell.
I cause her to get tense any time someone stops a little too fast for her liking or tries to make it through a yellow light.

Should I feel guilty three years later because of a few scars and a cramped neck that she gets every now and then? Should my mind jump to February 13th 2006 every time I see her hand slowly meet the handle above her?

Like all scars once they happen they are there to stay. More often than not you forget about the scares that have physically and mentally impacted you. They tend to fade away but sooner or later they will be noticeable.

shamWOW

"MARCH 30--In last month's violent confrontation between the ShamWow Guy and a South Beach prostitute, there is no doubt which combatant took the worst of the battle. As seen in the mug shot, Sasha Harris, 26, was left with a pair of black eyes and other injuries after tangling with Vince Shlomi, 44, in a room at the swanky Setai hotel. As TSG previously reported, Shlomi told cops that he met Harris in a Miami Beach nightclub and later paid her about $1000 for "straight sex." But when the TV pitchman tried to kiss Harris, she allegedly bit his tongue and would not let go. Shlomi told cops that he punched Harris several times until she released his bleeding tongue. Shlomi and Harris were both treated at the Mount Sinai Medical Center before being booked for felony aggravated battery (hence the matching hospital smocks). Prosecutors this month declined to pursue formal charges against either brawler."

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0330091newsham1.html

column

Would it be unfair to say that most people relate emotions to something physical? Let me explain. For example, the pink ribbon symbolizes breast cancer awareness or the yellow live strong band symbolizes “live strong” from Lance Armstrong the bicyclist who battled cancer.
What is it about something we can hold, or look at, something the symbolizes something we stand for that makes it easier to overcome something over bearing in our lives?
Seven years ago my best friends Dad died of a heart attack with absolutely no warning. Jon and I had been friends for several years prior to this and were more or less working toward investing feelings into each other. I always used to wear a pink ribbon in my hair that Jon would flirtingly always pull out of my hair and try and keep. I, flirting back would always yank it out of his hands and tell him that when I didn’t want it anymore he could have it.
Death is by far one of the hardest things for people to deal with but coming from the outside looking in it’s so hard to come up with the words to comfort someone.
Let’s face it, you don’t just see people walking around yelling, “I support breast cancer awareness”, or “live strong” for Lance Armstrong. Those things are symbolized in their own little ways and as was the pink ribbon I cut in half for Jon and I to have.
It has been seven years since Jon’s Dad died and seven years since I cut the ribbon in hopes to give Jon something to hold onto when things got tough. Jon still carries the pink ribbon in his pocket every day and my end of the ribbon is still in my wallet.
Something so simple to someone from the outside looking in, but something so meaning full to the two of us. But what makes the fact of having something physical to hang on to so enduring to those going through something life changing?
Jon, a couple years later told me that it was so comforting when he reached into his pocket and felt the ribbon there. The ribbon was something that would never leave him, unless he chose to of course. Jon explained that he was reminded every time he felt the ribbon that I was there for him and I would never leave his side.
The fact of the matter is that sometimes you don’t always have to have the right words to say, sometimes you just need to give someone something to hold onto, something physical so they can be reminded day in and day out that there is something to live for, stand for, or believe in.
Although me and Jon’s friendship is far from how it used to be, every time I reach into my wallet I’m reminded of a friend that will never leave my side, I’m reminded that there was once a time in Jon’s life when that ribbon was what helped him get up in the morning and what helped him fall asleep at night. Jon will always have a place in my heart just as the ribbon will always have a place in my wallet.

Weakly Ranting

Okay, I have worked many jobs, everything from fast food to working at StratCom at Offut Air Force Base in Bellevue.
When you get hired at a job there is usually a packet full of training which entails everything you are supposed to do at your job. It is possible that especially at fast food restaurants management doesn't stress how important it is to have a positive attitude to the customers. I work in the food industry now (applebees) and granted it is a sit down restaurant that pays a little closer attention to how we treat out guest but talking to someone through speaker in a drive through doesn't mean you can act like your world is falling in.
Usually, not matter where I go if someone is acting pissy or just stand off-ish I say something like "bad day?" "you love your job don't cha" and a lot of the people are so caught of guard that I could actually tell they looked like they wanted to kill themselves... hypothetically of course.
Anyhow I irritates me to no end when people can't put their drama behind them (given the circumstance) and do their job correctly!

column idea...

I'm not sure if this really even counts as a column so help me out.
Anyhow, years and years ago I had a guy friend who lost his Dad to a heartattack. Aside from that I used to always wear this pink ribbon in my hair and he used to always steel it from me so when his Dad died I cut it in half and he carried his half around with him everywhere and as did I. He later told me that everytime he saw the ribbon or felt it in his pocket he knew that I was there for him and it helped him get through the pain.
NOW, for my column I was thinking of brining up the argument of why people make meaning and feeling and object. For example: the pink ribbon which symbolizes breast cancer awareness. What is it in an object that gives people comfort.
I don't know how well this would work for a column soooooo help me!

Concert Review

Emphatic, Papa Roach, Avenged Sevenfold & Buck Cherry all performed at the Heartland Event Center In Grand Island on April 3rd.
Emphatic, a band from Omaha opened up the show with none-the-less than a BANG. When a band on the rise like Emphatic is opening for bands such as Papa Roach who this year have been together for 10 years, its important they put their “A game on.” Emphatic did just that.
Following Emphatic was Papa Roach who as usual hypnotized the crowd with not only their songs but their crowd interaction. It is very obvious when a band is comfortable with the Crowd and Cody Dick, the lead singer makes it very apparent in every concert the connection he wants to make with the fans of Papa Roach.
Avenged Sevenfold followed Papa Roach with what I would call a “looksie” performance. As far as stage presence Avenged Sevenfold takes first pace but when it comes to performance they take the back seat. The stage presence during Avenged Sevenfold was absolutely amazing but I for one don’t go to a concert to look at bright lights and drop down, flat screen TV’s. The sound during their portion of concert was terrible and being the darker, screaming band they are with bad sound it made it even harder to understand.
Last and defiantly least the headliner for the entire show was Buck Cherry. There is a fine line between putting on a show and performing and Buck Cherry lacks performance. People go to concerts because A. they like the music and B. they like to feel and interact with singers and band members. Buck Cherry lacks the ability to connect with the audience.
If I wanted to listen to merely just music I would turn on my iPod and listen. When I go to a concert I want to feel so hypnotized into what the artist is singing and the conversation they are having with “me.” Now don’t get me wrong, moshing, crowd surfing, and jumping up and down without a care in the world doesn’t feel better then when you’re at a concert but that doesn’t take away from the fact that a concert is something we attend to feel something different than just a sound out of a speaker.
Overall I would give this concert a solid C. If I had it my way I would have taken the first two bands, Emphatic and Papa Roach and put them last so there would have been a good lasting impression. There is nothing worse than walking out of a concert you have been looking forward to and being somewhat disappointed. Lesson Learned.

column/review

Emphatic, Papa Roach, Avenged Sevenfold & Buckcherry where the four bands that performed at the Heartland Event Center In Grand Island on April 3rd.

Emphatic - Emphatic is an active rock band from Omaha, Ne. After recording with producer Matt Noveskey bassist for Blue October they released their latest EP. Emphatic has sold over 10,000 cd's independantly and had a 17 week run on Billboards West North Central Heetseakers Chart, they were 1 for 7 weeks. Emphatic has airplay on several stations across the Midwest and they are a top request on all of them. Emphatic has tour experience and has played with bands such as Breaking Benjamin, Papa Roach, Five Finger Death Punch, 311, Puddle of Mud, Hollywood Undead and many others. http://www.myspace.com/emphaticonline
Papa Roach - Coby Dick - VocalsJerry - Guitar Tobin - BassDave - Drums
"In the small Northern California town of Vacaville, four high school friends, Jacoby Shaddix, Jerry Horton, Dave Buckner, and Will James, decided to start a band. In 1993, they became Papa Roach, a band whose influences included prominent Bay Area acts such as Faith No More and Primus. Papa Roach quickly rose to the top of the Vacaville music scene with their blending of hip-hop, groove-funk, and hardcore. After a couple of years of playing coffeehouses, pizza joints, and keg-parties, they were headlining such places as the Cactus Club in San Jose, the Cattle Club in Sacramento, and the Berkeley Square in Berkeley"http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Papa-Roach-Biography/F49200557167D3D248256915001FED85
Avenged Sevenfold-The members of metalcore outfit Avenged Sevenfold (or A7X) were still attending high school in Huntington Beach, CA, when they formed their band in 1999. Nevertheless, it didn't take long for M. Shadows (vocals), Zacky Vengeance (guitar), Synyster Gates (guitar), the Reverend (drums), and Johnny Christ (bass) to make an impression with their aggressive hybrid of metal and punk-pop. The band made its official debut in July 2001, releasing Sounding the Seventh Trumpet on the Good Life label before moving to the Hopeless roster for 2003's Waking the Fallen. Warner Bros. took interest in the band's aggressive sound and issued its breakthrough release, City of Evil, in June 2005. The album reached number 30 on Billboard's Top 200, propelled in part by the Top Ten success of the single "Bat Country." The accompany music video was heavily rotated on MTV and Fuse, where live appearances also helped boost Avenged's growing profile, and the band ultimately won the Best New Artist Award (though they were hardly newcomers) at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Avenged_Sevenfold/Biography/
BuckCherry- Josh Todd - Vocals Xavier Muriel - Drums Jimmy Ashhurst - Bass Keith Nelson - Guitar Stevie D. - Guitar Los Angeles hard rockers Buckcherry formed in mid-1995 after singer Joshua Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson were introduced through their tattoo artist; after cutting their earliest demos, the duo recruited bassist Jonathan "J.B." Brightman and drummer Devon Glenn and began performing live, quickly earning a major following on the L.A. club scene. Following the subsequent addition of second guitarist Yogi, Buckcherry signed to DreamWorks Records, issuing their self-titled debut LP in 1999. Singles such as "Check Your Head" and "For the Movies" were modern rock hits for Buckcherry, allowing them to raise their profile by summer 2000. http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Buckcherry/Biography/

Although all this isn't going to go into my review I believe its good to have knowlege of the bands your talking about so I did some research to find out more info on the bands to help me get started.

A review of a review

Alrighty, I decided to do a review over a review on the movie "The Last House on the Left" that just recently came out. I got my review from the web site Rottentomatos.com.
First and foremost I will let you know BRIEFLY what I thought about the film, then I will highlight some of the things movie critic, Eric D. Snider said and then I will give you my opinion based on the two!
I thought the film was pretty good. I didn't care for the very beginning because I thought it gave a lot away but aside from that there were no major parts that I didn't care for. I think the reason why I liked the film as much as I did is because although there were predictable parts it wasn't your average, blond girl, half naked, broken leg, killer walks and always beats you there kind of movie. This movie, for the most part, was realistic and pushed the envelope in many scenes. I thought this movie did a good job of making people feel uncomfortable, like scary or thrill movies should do. Overall I would probably rate this movie about a B+
Now, Eric D. Snider, I believe, had somewhat of the same opinion. Snider says, " 'The Last House on the Left" is well made for its genre, and certainly better than the toothless thrillers and soulless torture flicks that have been the norm lately. Maybe it's as good as it could be, given its inherent nastiness and structural simplicity. All I know is, for a doctor, Mari's dad sure doesn't adhere to that 'first, do no harm' rule."
Snider also goes on to explain that although there was some predictability there is something comforting for viewers to know how things are going to wind up at the end yet we still want surprises every now and then. Snider goes on to raise the question that is it reasonable to want both? To want familiarity and originality?
Overall Snider rated this movie a B-
I felt like after reading his review he rated the film kind of low but I'm not film critic therefore I don't know the consistency or the level at which they rate films.
I thought snider did a good job of giving good back round information about the actors and actresses and then a brief summary about the film, not giving away to much detail. I would have liked to see more of his opinion though. 3/4 of the entire review is telling us about the film and then only a short paragraph telling us what he thought. Although his thoughts were legitimate it would have been nice to know more.