The Straight Scoop by Charlie Daniels

2Slick's mom referred him to The Straight Scoop by Charlie Daniels. Charlie Daniels did three shows for the troops at Guntanamo Bay, Cuba Naval Air Station back in 2002. While there, he saw Camp X-Ray, where the Taliban detainees are being held. The Straight Scoop is his take on the situation over there. You should go read it now.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
N.I.V.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast.

It is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking.

It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil,
But rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trust,
Always hopes, always perserveres.

Support Our Troops - Donate to the U.S.O.

Last night I was watching The O'Reily Factor and they had a segment about the U.S.O. (United Service Orginization). This organization provides entertainment and other services for our troops around the world. This year they sent 50 Cent & G-Unit to perform for our soldiers at Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq. They also sent James Gandolfini and Tony Sirico of The Sopranos to our soldiers in Kuwait & Iraq. These visits by entertainers help cheer up our troops! You can help the U.S.O. by donating today.

The True Meaning of Christmas

The True Meaning of Christmas
by Brian K. Walters

In todays day and time,
it's easy to lose sight,
of the true meaning of Christmas
and one special night.

When we go shopping,
We say "How much will it cost?"
Then the true meaning of Christmas,
Somehow becomes lost.

Amidst the tinsel, glitter
And ribbons of gold,
We forget about the child,
born on a night so cold.

The children look for Santa
In his big, red sleigh
Never thinking of the baby
Whose bed was made of hay.

In reality when we look into the night sky,
We don't see a sleigh
But a star, burning bright and high.

A faithful reminder,
Of that night so long ago,
And of the child we call Jesus,
Whose love, the world would know

.

Campus Crusade for Christ's Rapid Deployment Kits

Campus Crusade for Christ's Military Ministry is sending Rapid Deployment Kits to our soldiers in Iraq. Each Kit contains a camouflage New Testament, a How to Know God Personally booklet, and a 90-day daily devotional, all packaged in a waterproof bag small enough to be put into a soldier's pocket.Each Kit costs just $2.50. They are needed both for soldiers waiting for deployment orders and for troops stationed overseas, especially in the war zone. Because of Campus Crusade for Christ's long-standing relationship with military chaplains, shipping and distributing them to the troops, even in sensitive areas, is possible. Please prayerfully consider what you could do to get the message of Christ into the hands of our men and women in uniform as they face the most difficult of circumstances, and give as the Lord leads. Give to this great cause today by clicking here!

Fate & Dissaster with the Alkaholiks @ Shaggy's Velvet Room

Fate & Dissaster will be performing with the Alkaholiks @ Shaggy's Velvet Room tonight. Doors open at 8 P.M. The show starts at 9 P.M. Fate & Dissaster will be going on stage at 10 P.M. Tickets are $20 at the door. Don't miss one of the last Hip Hop shows of the year!

"Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" by David Michaels

Last night I finished reading Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell by David Michaels. I like the video game (I beat it on the X-Box). I give the book a rating of 3.5 Stars (out of 5 Stars). It doesn't compare to the Rogue Warrior series, but it's good for a book based on a video game. I have three other books that I need to finish reading. I'll let you know what I think of them when I finish them.

My Favorite Posts 1

750,000 Volts for My Birthday
Las Vegas
Free A Child
The Truth About Iraq
Saddam Hussein was a Weapon of Mass Destruction
The Sheep Dogs
War Means Fighting, and Fighting Means Killing
Letter from Fallujah
The Heart of an American
"Iraqi Children - Why It's Worth It"

"Iraqi Children - Why It's Worth It"

2Slick referred me to Michael's blog where I found his war journal entry titled "Iraqi Children - Why It's Worth It". It was very touching. You should go read it now. I really appreciate Michael and all of the other soldiers fighting terrorism and oppresion in Iraq and other places all around the world. I'll be writing (typing) my first letter to my adopted soldier today and sending it out tomorrow. All of you should go to the Soldiers' Angels website and adopt a soldier today!

I Am a Soldier's Angel

Last week I went to the Soldiers' Angels website and adopted a soldier. Within 24 hours I recieved an email from them with the name and address of the soldier that I adopted. The next day I recieved an email from my mentor. My mentor is someone who will answer any questions I have about supporting my soldier. I will be sending my soldier a letter every week and a care package twice each month. My mentor told me that the United States Postal Service is offering free shipping supplies to friends and families of military members who are deployed overseas. To get the shipping supplies I just call 1-800-610-8734, press 1 for English, and then press 0 to talk to an operator. Once the operator is on the line, just ask for the "Military Pack". The Military Pack includes:

• 5 12"x12"x8" boxes
• 5 7"x7"x6" boxes
• 1 roll of Priority Mail tape
• 10 labels
• 15 Customs forms
• 15 envelopes for Customs forms
• 15 Tyvek envelopes

Doc Farmer wrote a great article about what to put in Care Packages and how to pack them for long-distance travel (thanx to A Sailor in the Desert and GOC for referring me to this article). You should all got to the Soldiers' Angels website and adopt a soldier today. Regardless of your opinion on the war in Iraq, you should still Support Our Troops!

The Heart of an American

2Slick suggested that I go read BlackFive's post about the heart of an American in a little girl in Iraq. This story almost made me cry. You really need to go read this post NOW!!!

Fate & Dissaster @ Red Cross's "Reach Out Utah" Blood Drive

Fate & Dissaster will be performing at the Red Cross's "Reach Out Utah" Blood Drive sponsored by KSTU/Fox 13. This free, all-ages performance will be at the Red Cross Blood Services Building (6616 S 900 E in Murray, UT) from 9-11 A.M. on Wednesday, December 15th. People 17 and up can donate blood from 6A.M.-6 P.M. Come give the gift of life for Christmas!

Spirit of America

Spirit of America helps Americans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan assist people in need. They fulfill requests from American personnel for goods that improve the lives of local people and thus help advance freedom and peace.

Spirit of America has provided school and medical supplies, sewing machines, hand tools, water barrels, clothing, soccer gear, and toys in response to needs identified by American personnel. They contributed equipment to Iraqi-owned television stations to establish a better alternative to Al Jazeera. Spirit of America has also helped Iraqi men whose arms were amputated by Saddam Hussein get a new start on life.

Through Spirit of America you can make a difference in the world’s most troubled regions. You can make a donation today to improve the lives of people in Iraq and Afghanistan.

USAID Assists Iraqis in Reconstructing Their Country

In addition to removing Saddam Hussein from power and protecting the Iraquis from the insurgents, the U.S. has also helped the Iraquis in reconstructing their country. USAID assists Iraqis in reconstructing their country by working with Iraq's interim government. USAID programs are implemented in coordination with the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Coalition country partners, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector partners. The USAID Mission in Iraq carries out programs in education, health care, food security, infrastructure reconstruction, airport and seaport management, economic growth, community development, local governance, and transition initiatives.

Fate & Dissaster Performing at Toys for Tots Fundraiser

This Friday, Dec. 3rd, Fate & Dissaster will be performing at Murray Theater (4961 S. State St., Murray, UT) for the Toys for Tots fundraiser there. The show starts at 8:30. Come help make Christmas better for kids!

Secure Our Borders

I have just signed a national petition urging our elected officials to do everything in their power to Secure Our Borders and stop the flow of illegal aliens entering into our nation. This is an issue of national security that demands your immediate attention. Please click here for more information.

Letter from Fallujah

This is an excerpt from an email that 2Slick recieved from an American Army officer serving in Task Force 2-7 CAV in Iraq. He got this email through the West Point distribution list. You should go to his site and read the full letter:

Now that it's over, there is a lot of things that people back home should know. First of all, every citizen of Fallujah (non-insurgent) is getting $2,500 USD (that's a lot over here) to fix up their house or buy new things that may have been destroyed in the fighting. Insurgents took up positions in resident's houses so we were forced to destroy a lot of buildings.

There is over $100 million dollars ready to be spent to re-build the city. This may seem like a lot of money, but I can assure you that it is a small price to pay for the amount of evil people no longer alive, contemplating how to kill more Americans. The intelligence value alone is already paying huge dividends. Some of the 900 detainees are telling everything they know about other insurgents. And the enemy never expected such a large or powerful attack and they were so overwhelmed that they left behind all kinds of things, including books with names of other foreign fighters, where their money and weapons come from, etc.

I went into the city 3 times, but after a lot of the fighting had been done. It was amazing to see how the American military had brought the world's most evil city to its knees. I have an awful lot of pictures that I am going to upload to my webshots site...it will blow your mind to see what the insurgents forced us to do to win this fight. And seeing the pictures of what I saw first hand will make you very happy to be an American and know that our country has this might if evildoers force us to use it.

Our mission in Iraq is to help the Iraqi Security Forces become stable enough to keep this country safe...and once in a while fight with our full might to give these security forces a fair chance. When we need to go after the enemy with all we've got, the results have been amazing.

In the fight for Fallujah, our military lost over 50 soldiers and Marines including a sergeant major, company commander, and 8 platoon leaders- along with 40 young enlisted guys, typically between 19 and 23 years old.

I can't even tell you how proud I was to be part of this fight and know these soldiers who were going from building to building to take the fight to the enemy. My Task Force lost 2 more soldiers after the rocket attack at Camp Fallujah, 1 of them that I knew pretty well. It was hard on the unit to deal with these losses, to go along with the 16 soldiers from 2-7 who were wounded. But this was a fight we knew would be dangerous....but worth the risk based on the good that would come out of it.

Anyone back home who thinks the world is a safe place needs to come here for a day and learn real fast that there are an awful lot of people out there who hate Americans so much that they risk their lives to try to kill us. We cannot live peacefully back at home right now unless we continue to stay on the offensive against our enemies and fight them in their backyards. Remember, radical Arabs started this war...and they continue to fight it, proving to America over and over that they need to be fought.

I am hopeful that most Americans understand that you have to accept death to defeat evil; all of us soldiers accepted that the day we signed up.There are some things worth fighting and dying for, and making the world and especially America, a safer place, is one of them. For every Mom out there that you read about who turns into a peace protestor when her son is killed in action, there are 99 Moms you don't hear about who are proud and believe in this mission even more.

War Means Fighting, and Fighting Means Killing

The following is from an email newsletter sent to me by Tim Larkin, creator of Target-Focus Training:

"War means fighting, and fighting means killing"

-Lt. General Nathan Beford Forrest
(1821-1877)

War!

I thought after 9/11 our country was finally back on
track when it came to fighting a war. But now I've
realized I was sadly mistaken.

Recently, the 24-hour news networks were very busy
broadcasting (repeatedly) video footage of some
Marines clearing a room in a house in Fallujah, Iraq.

Apparently one Marine (who had been shot in the face
the day before and still stayed on the job!) felt that
2 of the seemingly dead bodies in that room may have
moved or the bodies were booby-trapped. Rather than
have the other Marines risk their lives to investigate
he shot both of the bodies to insure they were dead.

Feigning death and human booby traps were tactics he
had seen the enemy use just the day before to kill
marines as they cleared rooms in the very viscous
house-to-house combat the Fallujah operation proved to
be.

This marine's combat action caused uproar in the US as
TV 'talking heads' wondered out loud if the Marine
should be brought up on war crime charges. Currently
this Marine is in limbo as the powers that be decide
how to handle this situation. He may actually have to
face a military trial on the incident!

Whether you back the war or not, our soldiers face a
committed enemy who is willing to do whatever it takes
to further their cause. Beheadings of men and women
civilians/journalists is standard as is assassinations
of politicians and military personnel.

Their commitment to their cause is total and even the
wounded will booby-trap themselves just to kill a
couple more soldiers 'for the cause'. Against such an
enemy you cannot afford to respond with a litigious,
law enforcement mentality.

We cannot win by trying to 'arrest' the enemy. The
cold, hard fact is that we must KILL the enemy in
large enough numbers to break the back of the
insurgents. It is politically incorrect to point such
facts out but that, quite frankly, is the nature of
war.

But this mentality is not just dangerous to soldiers
on the battlefields of the Middle East. The same
applies to you.

You cannot afford such a litigious mentality when
faced with asocial violence. You must respond by
injuring the other guy... and doing it now. You cannot
block your way to safety just as the military can't
use law enforcement guidelines to defeat a 'kill or be
killed' enemy.

I don't advocate responding to anti-social behavior
with violence nor do I believe violence will solve our
social or political problems. But whether it is a
soldier facing a committed, fanatical enemy or you
facing an asocial recidivist criminal, the only
response that will get the job done is to use the tool
of violence.

That's why you must ask yourself... right now, 'Do I
really know how to use the tool of violence?' You
simply can't wait to ask it when asocial violence is
imminent. By then the stakes are far too high.

Until next time, from all of us here at the TFT Group
and Target-Focus Training, I'd like to wish you and
your family the safest of holiday seasons.

Tim Larkin
Creator,
Target-Focus(TM) Training

PS: A great way to learn how to always be ready for
the unthinkable is with my 'Nuclear' Weapons Package.
Critical principles you need to survive an asocial
criminal violent attack are in this product including
how to use and fight against knives, clubs and guns.
It's a must have. Click here to take a look.

Working the U92 Turkey Jam @ Club Utopia

Last night Gil Medina had me do Security for the U92 Turkey Jam at Club Utopia. NB Ridaz and TQ performed at the Turkey Jam. I was working the 21 and up door. There were no major incidents at the door or inside of the club. However there was a sexual assault (attempted rape) outside of the club. I heard about it from the Bouncers at the club. The cops caught the guy. He was the father of the victim's baby (he was her "baby's daddy"). This low-life ripped her pants off of her. She was able to get away and get to the Security that was doing searches outside of the club before he could rape her. The cops were called and they spent about an hour talking to the victim (I'll call her "Sue").

After I got off work (Gil let us off around 12:30 A.M.) Mikey, one of the bouncers there, walked outside with Sue. She was trying to call her friend (I'll call her "Mary") so she could take Mary and her boyfriend home. Mary didn't answer her phone. Mikey asked me if I would keep an eye on her. I said "Sure". I asked Sue if she wanted to go inside and look for Mary. She said "Yes". I took her inside but we couldn't find her. When we went back to the door Sue called Mary again. This time Mary answered the phone. Sue couldn't hear her very well but she thought she said that she was outside. When we went outside, the Security that had been doing the searches outside was between Mary and her boyfriend. I found out later that Mary's boyfriend (I'll call him "Asshole") had been beating her up and Security broke it up. When I got out there I thought they were just arguing. I walked up to Asshole and discreetly told him, "Her friend just got raped, so you need to relax." He didn't realx. He kept being an asshole. I told Sue "You're driving so who do you want to come with you?" She told me that she wanted Mary to come with her, but not Asshole. I said "O.K., let's go". One of the Security guys, Josh (I used to work with him when I worked for C.S.C.) and I started walking Sue and Mary to Sue's car. Asshole kept yelling at Mary. I was walking with Sue and Mary to my right and Asshole to my left. Asshole started moving towards them as we were walking to Sue's car. I put my hand on his side to keep him from getting too close to Sue and Mary. He said "Don't touch me." I said, "Then stay away from them". He tried to grab Mary's wrist and I pushed him back. He moved towards me and Josh grabbed him and pushed him away. We told him to walk away. Instead of walking away, he started walking towards Sue's car. Josh and I grabbed him. He didn't want to go down easy, so I lifted him off the ground and put him down on the ground. I put my knee on his back and told him not to move. He tried to get up but I didn't let him. Josh called some nearby cops over. When they got close, we explained what happened. Sue and Mary had got in Sue's car by now. One cop talked to them while the other talked to Asshole. They ended up letting him go. After talking to Sue and Mary, I found out that Asshole had beat on Mary and the cops had been called a few times before. I gave them both my business card and told them to call me if they needed to. The sad part is that Mary will probably go right back to Asshole. I hope she doesn't but she probably will find a way to justify his abusive nature and keep getting abused. This pisses me off!

There are a lot of these assholes that keep getting away with beating on women. These women either justify their boyfriend/husband's actions or they think that they somehow deserve it so they keep getting abused. I always offer to help, but they rarely ask for my help. It's so frustrating!

.::AI alt & .::AI DarkAngel's Birthday Party @ GoodGame

Last Friday two of the members of Clan .::AI, the Counter-Strike team I play with online that GoodGame sponsors, had their monthly meeting/practice at GoodGame. Last Monday was Alan's (".::AI alt") and Shelly's (".::AI DarkAngel) birthdays so Friday was also their birthday party. 6 members of .::AI, Chicky, LagMacCrash, theClap, theDrip, Dyrwolfe, Running in Circles, and shadowstalker, and a few others came down. Chicky (alt's wife; they are the co-founders of .::AI) brought a cake and some cookies and DarkAngel's man brought a cake too. It was fun. I've never met these guys in person (except alt and DarkAngel). I play Counter-Strike online with them 6 -7 days every week, but it was good to finally meet them face-to-face. I didn't get to come to the first meeting they had, last month, because I was in Las Vegas. I'm looking forward to next month's meeting.

The Sheep Dogs

The following poem is by a Vietnam veteran named Russ Vaughn. GOC in Winston Salem, author of the Obnxious Dropping's Blog, suggested reading this poem on Inidgo's Insights Blog.

The Sheep Dogs

Most humans truly are like sheep,
Wanting nothing more than peace to keep.
To graze, grow fat and raise their young,
Sweet taste of clover on the tongue.
Their lives serene upon Life’s farm,
They sense no threat nor fear no harm.
On verdant meadows, they forage free
With naught to fear, with naught to flee.
They pay their sheepdogs little heed
For there is no threat; there is no need.

To the flock, sheepdogs are mysteries,
Roaming watchful round the peripheries.
These fang-toothed creatures bark, they roar
With the fetid reek of the carnivore,
Too like the wolf of legends told,
To be amongst our docile fold.
Who needs sheepdogs? What good are they?
They have no use, not in this day.
Lock them away, out of our sight;
We have no need of their fierce might.

But sudden in their midst a beast
Has come to kill, has come to feast.
The wolves attack; they give no warning
Upon that calm September morning.
They slash and kill with frenzied glee
Their passive helpless enemy
Who had no clue the wolves were there
Far roaming from their Eastern lair.
Then from the carnage, from the rout,
Comes the cry, “Turn the sheepdogs out!”

Thus is our nature but too our plight
To keep our dogs on leashes tight
And live a life of illusive bliss,
Hearing not the beast, his growl, his hiss.
Until he has us by the throat,
We pay no heed; we take no note.
Not until he strikes us at our core
Will we unleash the Dogs of War
Only having felt the wolf pack’s wrath
Do we loose the sheepdogs on its path.
And the wolves will learn what we’ve shown before;
We love our sheep, we Dogs of War.

Reading this poem made me think of all of our soldiers over in Iraq. It especially made me think of the U.S. Marine who shot and killed a wounded Iraqui terrorist inside of a mosque in Fallujah. The media has been all over this. They have shown an edited version of the video. Although I do agree that there should be an investigation into this matter, I don't like the ASSumptions and comments that have been made regarding this incident. Here are some facts about the incident:

• Amnesty International has reported that the Iraqi terrorists have illegally used white flags to lure coalition forces into ambushes.
• The Marine seen shooting on the videotape had been wounded in the face the day before.
• Within hours of the videotaped incident in the mosque, another Marine was killed and five others wounded by a booby-trapped body they found in a house after a gunfight.

Everyone should read Oliver North's article about this incident to get the full story. I support our troops and I believe that after the investigation, this Marine will be found innocent.

Fate & Dissaster w/ Psyche Origami @ Sugarbeats (All-Ages Show)

This Thursday, November 18th, Fate & Dissaster will be performing with Psyche Origami of ArcTheFinger Records at Sugarbeats (2106 S 1100 E in S.L.C., UT). Sugarbeats is between Sugarhouse Coffee and Orion's Music on 1100 E. Doors open at 8:00 P.M. Show starts at 9:00 P.M. Tickets are only $6. This is an All-Ages Show. Don't miss it!

Saddam Hussein was a Weapon of Mass Destruction

They've found another mass grave in Iraq. People say "We didn't find any Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. Bush lied to us. We shouldn't be over there" I'm tired of hearing it. It's obvious that part of the reason we are over there is because of the Saudis and oil. Does that mean we shouldn't have removed Saddam Hussein? No. Could Saddam have easily sold or moved his WMDs out of the country before we invaded? Yes. Saddam Hussein was a Weapon of Mass Destruction. Human rights organizations estimate that more than 300,000 people were killed during Saddam's 24-year rule! That's more than 10,000 people/year. Many of them were women and children! I am glad our troops are over there.

The Truth About Iraq

I support all of our troops, especially the troops in Iraq. Contrary to what the media tells you a majority of Iraquis want us over there. Today I found a website called TheTruthAboutIraq.org. This website has identified some of the major myths manufactured by the media, and has tried to counter them with statistically valid public opinion research. Some of these myths are:

• We are Forcing Democracy on the Iraqis.
• Iraqis want an Islamic theocracy.
• Iraqis want the Coalition Forces to leave immediately.
• The situation in Iraq would be going better if the United States had gotten United Nations support.
• Since we did not find weapons of mass destruction, going into Iraq was a waste.
• The insurgency in Iraq is a popular uprising.
• There is no hope of "winning the peace".

The creator of TheTruthAboutIraq.org, Steven Moore, has a blog you should check out. If you want to know more about how the people in Iraq feel you should watch "Voices of Iraq". Go to their website to find out more about this documentary.

Karaoke at Cisero's

Tonight Fate, Diss, Jen ("Little Jen"), and I will be going to Cisero's in Park City for karaoke. We do this almost every Thursday. I don't sing (I sang two songs one night, but won't be doing it again), but Fate and Dissaster do. We meet our friend Jen ("Jenny Jen Jen") at Cisero's and stay at her condo afterwards. It's nice to get out of S.L.C. for a day. The moutains are beautiful.

Tomorrow night Fate and Dissaster will be performing with Self Expression Music and the Yin Yang Twins at Teazers {366 36th St, (801) 395-1517} in Ogden. The Yin Yang Twins aren't my favorite rap group but I'm sure it will be fun.

The Royal Court

About two years ago I bought Matt Furey's Combat Conditioning Book. This book has a bunch of bodyweight exercises in it. The three exercises that Matt recommends you start with, Hindu Squats, Hindu Pushups, and the Back Bridge, are referred to as The Royal Court. I have done these exercises off and on over the past couple of years, but I haven't done them consistently. Today I am going to make a commitment to myself to do these exercises three times per week starting tomorrow. I need to get in good shape and this is how I am going to start doing it.

Free A Child

Yesterday I read an article in City Weekly titled Suffer the Children. This article is about David Race Bannon and FreeAChild.org. David Race Bannon (author of Race Against Evil: The Secret Missions of the Interpol Agent Who Tracked the World's Most Sinister Criminals) was a member of Archangel, a covert team within Interpol (the largest intelligence and law-enforcement organization in the world), where he worked as a "cleaner" (assassin). His job was to hunt down and punish those who raped, tortured and killed children for profit. FreeAChild.org is a nonprofit organization located in Boulder, CO whose mission is to rescue and protect children from child trafficking and child prostitution.

The child sex trade is an issue that most people don't want to think about, but it is real. Read some statistics here. In his Address to the UN General Assembly, on Sept. 23rd, 2003, President George W. Bush said:

"Each year, an estimated 800-900,000 human beings are bought, sold, or forced across the world's borders. Among them are hundreds of thousands of teenage girls,and others as young as five, who fall victim to the sex trade. There is a special in the evil in the abuse and exploitation of the most innocent and vulnerable. The trade in human beings for any purpose must not be allowed to thrive in our time."

If you want to help stop this tragedy, here's how:

• Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for tips on how you can keep your children safe from molesters and traffickers. Call 1-800-THE-LOST, or go to www.missingkids.org.
• Contact Free a Child at 720-890-1457 to volunteer or for more information about The Butterfly Project. Learn more about their programs and child trafficking at www.freeachild.org.
• Send tax-deductible donations to Free a Child at P.O. Box 4203, Boulder, CO 80306-4203.
• Write to your representatives and ask them to support legislation that holds traffickers accountable and that places sanctions on nations that do not have or do not enforce laws against sex slavery and the trafficking of human beings.
• Report collectors and sellers of child pornography to your local police. This is not a victimless crime.
• Urge your state lawmakers to make trafficking and child pornography a priority for state and local law-enforcement agencies.
• Become informed, and then work to inform others.

Working the U92 Halloween Player's Ball with Tech N9ne @ Club Vortex

Last night Gil Medina (the promoter for the U92 Halloween Player's Ball with Tech N9ne @ Club Vortex) called me at 5:30 to ask if I wanted to work the door (Security) at his show at 6:30. I said "Sure". He wanted me to call my boy Rashad to get him to work too. I called someone to close for me at GoodGame (my day job) and called Rashad. He picked me up from GoodGame and we went to Club Vortex. Gil put Rashad on the 21 and up door and me on the 18-20 door. I was basically there to make sure everyone behaved. Only one guy got attitude and that ended after I gave him a verbal attitude adjustment ("You can relax or you can leave."). Gil's sister sold tickets and another guy took the tickets (some people had bought tickets through Smith's Tix).

We closed the doors at 12:00 A.M. After we closed the doors I went inside and kept an eye on Katrina. (Katrina is Shnicka's little sister. Shnicka is in the group Expression with my roommate, Lam.) Some anorexic crackhead tried to start a fight with her. I told her to go away and she did. After the show was over I walked Katrina to her car. Then I found Tiffany (she owns Redlight Music; she brought 2 Live Crew, E-40, and Bubba Sparxxx to Utah this year) and went to hang out with Kutt Calhoun (he performed at the show too). He's a cool guy. After hanging out with Kutt we went over to Los's house (he's a popular D.J. here in Utah). I got home around 5:00 A.M.

The "Moron of the Night" Award went to some dumbass who ripped Guerilla Black's chain from his neck (Guerilla Black also performed at the show).
Three reasons why this was a BAD idea:

1. Guerilla Black is not small (he has been compared to The Notorious B.I.G.). Pissing off BIG guys is bad for your health.
2. Guerilla Black has bodyguards. Pissing off bodyguards is bad for your health.
3. There were a half dozen bored bouncers waiting for someone to pounce on. Pissing off bouncers is also bad for your health.

This guy was removed from the building and I can guarantee that he did not enjoy the trip.

Las Vegas

We got back from Las Vegas Monday at 3:00 P.M. Our friend Denis treated us great while we were there. He gave us a place to stay, fed us some good food, and took us out to some clubs. What I like the most about Vegas is that, unlike Utah, the sidewalks don't roll up at 1:00 A.M. Friday night we went to the Ra night club at 12:00 A.M. and didn't leave until 4:00 A.M. Then we went to The Crazy Horse Too until 6:00 A.M. When we went to Drai's (Saturday night/Sunday morning), we didn't even go there until 4:00 A.M. and we didn't leave until 8:00 A.M.(the sun was up when we left a club. Here in Utah, you can't buy alcohol after 1:00 A.M. and everyone has to be out of the club before 2:00 A.M. When I worked at an After Hours resturaunt here in Utah [Spice {123 S. W. Temple, (801)322-4796}], we got a ticket because people were dancing after 2:00 A.M. (I'm not kidding). I don't plan on being in Utah too much longer. I'm not saying Vegas is where I'll be moving to, but it sure is a nice place to visit!

Drai's After Hours

Last night, at 4:00 A.M., we went to Drai's After Hours Night Club in the Barbary Coast Casino. We picked up our friend, Nikki (she's a hottie) and two of her friends on the way there. There was a huge line (Drai's is the most popular after hours night club in Las Vegas), but we walked right in because our boy, Brian, works there. He is one of the best security guys I know. He also does Personal Protection. If you are going to Las Vegas and you need a bodyguard, you should e-mail him at briandale@comcast.net. We appreciate him taking care of us. There were a lot of people there. It was a nice place. They played Techno all night. Fate, Dissaster, Jen and I dislike Techno, but Nikki and her friends seemed to like it. We left there at 7:00 A.M. (I love Las Vegas).

Dissaster (left), Jen, Fate, and I at Ra night club in the Luxor Casino.

Flat Tire in a Snow Storm

We left for Vegas at 3:00 A.M. on Friday. I had to drive slower than I normally do (I like to drive fast) because it was storming bad (rain at first, then snow). At 4:00 A.M., in the middle of a snow storm, we got a flat tire. I had to keep driving until there was an exit so we could safely change the tire. When we got to an exit I pulled over. It wasn't storming as bad but it was still snowing. We all got out and dug the spare tire out of the trunk. Then I changed the flat tire. It took me an hour to change the tire. One reason it took so long was that I assumed that the "cosmetic" lug nuts that held the hub cap on had to come out of the hub cap before it would come off. The fact that it was snowing (everything was wet and my fingers were numb) didn't help any either. We had to drive 55 mph for the next 115 miles until we got to Cedar City where we bought a new tire (the old one was tore up). We didn't get to Las Vegas until 1:00 P.M., Utah time (it was 12:00 noon, Vegas time). So a 5-6 hour trip took us 10 hours. We went to our friend Denis's house where I got some sleep (I drove all the way except for 2 hours when Dissaster drove). When I got up we all got ready to go and Denis took us to the Ra nightclub in the Luxor Casino. It was O.K.. It was expensive to get in ($20/ person-Denis paid for us) and the D.J. sucked. We were all together so we had a good time. We were there until 4:00 A.M. (2 hours after clubs in Utah are closed). Then Denis and his friend L.T. took us to a gentleman's club called The Crazy Horse Too. I'm not really into strip clubs (I don't like seeing women treated like sex objects), but there was a lot of beautiful women there. We got home and went to sleep around 6:30. I'm not sure what we are doing tonight but I'm sure it will be fun!

Going to Las Vegas for the first time!

Fate, Dissaster, our friend Jen ("Little Jen"), and I are going to Las Vegas tonight! We will be staying there until Sunday. They have a few friends that live down there. Hopefully we'll get to see our friend Brian (he just moved there from here last month) while we're there. It's my first time going to Vegas! I'm not much of a gambler but it will still be fun. We are going to book some shows for Fate & Dissaster while we are down there. Sin City, here we come!

Karaoke with 2 Live Crew

Last night Fate, Dissaster, Jamie ("Ms April" from the Hip Hop Hotties Calendar Search), and I hung out with 2 Live Crew at Gatorz in Midvale. They had karaoke there. Our friend Tiffany (of Redlight Music) had brought them to S.L.C. for a show this past Saturday. She invited us to hang out with them last night. I don't like their music because it is very degrading to women, but Fate & Dissaster got invited, so we went. The Chinaman (a.k.a Fresh Kid Ice) of 2 Live Crew "karaoked" "We Want Some P*ssy". We are hanging out with them again tonight at Shaggy's Living Room in downtown S.L.C.

Riot at Club Manhattan

So, last night Fate, Dissaster, and I went to the Hip Hop Hotties Calendar Search at Club Manhattan. Fate and Dissaster were supposed to perform a couple of songs, but they ended up only being judges because the promoter wanted them to focus on judging. The show was tight. There were some hot hotties in the contest :). Towards the end of the night a riot ("a wild or turbulent disturbance created by a large number of people") broke out. I don't know how it started, but at one point a 6'8" 300+ pound Polynesian picked up a table (I saw the table, broken and on it's side) and started beating people with it. Him and about 10 other Polynesians started tearing the club up and beating up whoever got in their way. When the fight broke out I moved Fate and Dissaster to the back of the club and told them where the back exit was (in case they needed to exit before I got back) and went to try to help. I took a chair away from a Polynesian lady (she wasn't being very lady-like) who outweighed me by at least 100 pounds (I weigh 180 pounds). I told some of the ladies who weren't fighting to get out of the way and moved some of the chairs ("weapons") out of the way. I saw that it was out of control so I went to the back and took Fate, Dissaster, their sister, one of the waitresses, "Mrs. April" (winner of the Hip Hop Hotties Calendar Search that night), and her friend out the back exit. I called 911 when we got outside. All of the Polynesians that were fighting ran away, so none of them got arrested. One brother (black guy) got arrested. So 11 or so Polynesians tore up a club and none of them went to jail. Three of the waitresses got hurt (that's f*cked up). The owner finally (this type of thing happens too often at Club Manhattan) realized he needs more Security.They had 5 security (2 on the door and 3 inside) for 300+ people. We won't be going back there for a while.

Fate and Dissaster

My boys, Fate and Dissaster, will be performing tonight during the Hip Hop Hotties Calendar Search at Club Manhattan (5 E 400 S) in downtown Salt Lake City, UT. They will also be judges for the Hip Hop Hotties Calendar Search. Tomorrow night they have a show with Expression at the Crazy Goat (119 S W Temple-behind Club DV8) in downtown Salt Lake City. Crazy Goat is a strip club, but they have a seperate entrance to the upstairs where they will be performing (so if you want to you can "skip the strip"). On Tuesday, October 19th they will be performing at Shaggy's Living Room (155 W 200 S) in (you guessed it) downtown Salt Lake City. If you like Hip Hop/R&B/Rap you should definitely check them out.

My new roommate

Last Thursday I moved in with my boy, Lam (his name is his initials, L.A.M.) in his house in S.L.C.. He's a good guy. Like Fate, Dissaster, and I, he is a Christian. He is in a group called Expression with Shnicka (she's beautiful and she can sing!) and his boys Jef (pronounced "Hef"), E.J., and Fleet. They usually perform with my boys, Fate and Dissaster, who I do Personal Protection for. I protect all of them when they perform together. They opened up for Jedi Mind Tricks this past Saturday at the Lo*Fi Cafe, an all ages concert venue in downtown S.L.C. He runs a recording studio out of the house. It's pretty tight. He charges $25/hour (2 hours minimum). A lot of local artists record there. If you want to book some recording time his phone # is (801) 604-1276. He also hosts an Underground Hip Hop show on KRCL Radio (90.9 FM) with DJ Knuckles called Friday Night Fallout. It airs on Friday nights (obviously) from 10:30 PM to 1:00 AM. I'm glad I've moved in with him.

750,000 Volts for My Birthday

Yesterday was my 29th birthday. I got my first present at 2:30 in the morning. I had been asking Dissaster to taser me with my 750,000 volt stun gun. Why would I want someone to taser me?:

1. Pain is good; extreme pain is extremely good.
2. I've always wanted to know what it felt like.

He has declined several times. On Friday, I asked him to taser me for my birthday. He still declined.

Saturday, after going to The Rhino Bar where our friend Shane (a.k.a. "Big Sexy"), owner of Rockstar Productions, was doing karaoke, we went to his house to hang out for a while. Dissaster suggested that I ask Shane for my first birthday present. I asked Shane for my birthday present and he didn't know what I meant. Dissaster explained that I wanted to get tasered for my birthday. Shane, understanding my demented mind, agreed to do it. I pulled out my 750,000 volt stun gun and handed it to him. I was excited! He put the stun gun up against my left shoulder and asked me if I was ready. I smiled and said "Yes". He pulled the trigger and held it down for a couple of seconds. I felt a little charge, but it didn't hurt. When I didn't respond to it, he did it again. It still didn't hurt. Fate said "You didn't even flinch." I said "It didn't hurt." Then Shane tasered me in the butt. I felt that one. I said "Ouch" and jumped. I told him I wanted him to taser me until I went down, but he wouldn't do it. So then I sat down and tasered myself in the thigh a couple of times. Dissaster expressed concern, so I quit.

750,000 volts wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The shot in the butt hurt a little and I had marks on my shoulder on Sunday morning from where my skin got fried, but it was no big deal. The next time (yes, there will be a next time) I'll have to find someone who is willing to taser me until I go down and stay down.

Shaggy's

I started working (Security/"Bouncing") at Shaggy's yesterday. I'm an "alternate" which is cool because my first priority is doing Personal Protection (providing close protection from bodily harm) for Fate & Dissaster. So if I need a Saturday (the day that they are the busiest and need me to work) off (like this Saturday when Fate & Dissaster will be at Club DV8 @ 115 S. W. Temple in S.L.C., UT) it won't be a big deal. I've worked Security at Club Shakers (no longer in business), The Zephyr Club (also no longer in business), Sky Bar, Natalie's (also no longer in business; I was Security Lead there), Manhattan, Banana Joe's (now Club Palms), and Club Utopia. Out of the past 8 years, I've spent 4 years working in Private Clubs ("bars") in Utah. I also did Security for concerts, collegiate and professional sports, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics for 4 years from 1998-2002 while working for C.S.C.

I got posted on the door on Saturday. I've worked the door a lot so it was no big deal. When I tell guys that I work Security at clubs they think it's fun. They think: he's a Bouncer so he gets paid to 1. Beat up guys and 2. Pick up "chicks". They're wrong. That might be the way some "Bouncers" work, but not me. This is what I mean:

1. Beat up guys-It's not my job to "beat up" guys. My job is to protect the staff and patrons at the club. So, it's my job to prevent and break up fights, not start or escelate fights. Yes, I do have to get "physical" sometimes but I still only use the neccesary force to get the job done. I very rarely have had to throw blows while doing Security. Why? Because A:"An ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of Cure". In other words, if you are aware of a potential problem before it escalates and you deescalate the situation and seperate the parties involved you won't have to deal with a full-blown brawl. B: Your mind and your mouth are your best tools in a confrontation. If you talk to people in a respectful, confident manner they are more likely to cooperate. C: When it comes to removing troublemakers from a club, if you get in trapping range (where most people aren't experienced or skilled) and keep them off-balance (by keeping them moving towards the exit) you probably won't have to exchange blows.
2. Pick up "chicks"-I'm not at the club to "get laid". P.R. (Public Relations) is part of my job so I don't mind a little bit of converstion/firting. However, girls can become a distraction if you allow them to be. If I get distracted someone could get hurt. I like ladies as much as the next guy, but I really don't think I'm going to find "Mrs. Right" in a club. Why? Because A: Clubs are more or less meat markets (places where people go to "get laid"). So, most people there a looking to get drunk and find a warm body for a one-night stand. Am I saying that all the ladies that go to clubs are sluts? No. I'm just saying that the chances that a girl that I might be interested in getting to know is looking for a relationship (that lasts more than one night) are slim. B: A lot of the attention that a bouncer gets from ladies in a club isn't genuine because: I am a bouncer (this means that ladies think if they flirt with you, show some cleavage, or pretend to be "interested", you will let them skip the line, get in free, or let their under-age friends into the club; they also like the attention) and they are usually intoxicated/drunk (this means that they don't fully comprehend what is going on around them and they might not be as interested in you if they were sober). Call me a pesimist if you want to but I'm just being realistic.

Working in clubs can be fun, don't get me wrong. It doesn't pay what it should but I do it because I like to protect people and I'm good at it. Some of the guys I've worked with have been cool (others have been complete slackers/a**holes). I've met a lot of people over the years. One thing I am tired of is people acting like their my best friends when I see them at the club (because they want to skip the line or get in free). Right now my two best friends are Fate & Dissaster. Best friends are people that you care about, spend a lot of your free time with, can talk about anything with, and are a priority in your life. I don't spend any of my free time with any of the people that I see at clubs so they are either acquaintances (a relationship less intimate than friendship) or strangers (people who are neither a friend nor an acquaintance). So if you don't know me outside of the club (you should at least know my name) and don't talk to me outside of the club, then don't act like we are best friends when you see me at the club. If you do know me, then understand that a lot of people know me and I can't let everyone skip the line or get in free. At Shaggy's I only get 3 guests (people who I invite) each night that I work. So, if you haven't talked to me all week, don't call/show up at 10:30 and expect to get in free.

This post might sound a bit pesimistic but I just wanted to explain how I feel about the club scene and people's perception of me and my job. I do enjoy my job (protecting people) and I am a friendly guy (believe it or not) or I wouldn't be doing it. If I seem unfriendly or short, please be patient, understand that I'm having a long night or I'm very focused, and try to give me a reason to smile. Thanks.