I want to talk about something that’s plagued mankind for centuries, (well, decades at least). “Selling out”. One can “sell out” in many aspects but I’d like to focus mainly on music. To many music fans this is probably something you don’t think or even care much about. If most of the music you listen to is just whatever you happen to hear on the radio… one, I feel sorry for you, and two, you may not understand why this is such a big deal. What i will try to explain here is how heartbreaking and excruciating it can be when a band or artist “Sells out”.
Blog
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Rock On Dustin Helvig!
It brings me great pleasure to introduce the latest member of the Our Thursday team. He has been an honorary member from the beginning with his constant appearance in our stories such a the first and third hair cut bets, my sprint to become the Supreme Leader of the world, or the audacious moments at Vincenzo’s. However, now it is time for Dustin to grace us with his own perspective on life and the stories that come from it.
Dustin was raised in the Knolls (as was I) and was brought up by viking parents who both stand 7 feet tall and not an inch less. He was invaluable as we were growing up since he worked at Play-it-again-Sports which supplied us with an arsenal of toys and activities. He drove around a lowered black ranger with airbags and no door handles and head lights that could blind Stevie Wonder from a thousand paces. He helped me transport a ratty old couch 250 miles on a single cylinder (out of four) because the tin foil was not sufficient to keep the other three in tact and was there to laugh as the cab filled with smoke when the final one blew and he didn’t mind when the cop yelled at us for sitting on the couch in the bed of the truck on the side of the freeway and because I did not realize that I had used the call box for mute people and had unintentionally offended the mute cop on the other end. Dustin let me duct-tape knives to the inside of my ankles so I could climb up his palm tree like a lumber jack and he was very reasonable when his Viking parents burned down the local village screaming for the neck of the one who damaged their palm tree.
Dustin has taken the very unofficial position, and the first position for that matter here at Our Thursday, as our music correspondent due to his absurd passion for collecting CDs, supporting music in all of its manifestations, and working at a Metal music label. But I will be disappointed if he does not tickle our pickles with some of the memories that have no relevance to music and can simply be described as ludicrous.
Welcome to the team Dustin!
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The Time I Made Out With my Friend’s Ex-Girlfriend
He wasn’t taking the break up well and we were all suffering the consequences. “No Black!” He shouted over everyone’s conversation at the table, referring to the beans in the burrito he had just ordered, obviously. My face turned bright red. If it wasn’t already colorful from the day of sun and drinking I had just had, the waiter might have noticed how embarrassed I was. I quickly realized I wasn’t alone when I caught eyes with everyone sitting near me. Everyone but Scott, of course, who continued to casually look through the drink menu, oblivious to what had just happened. He flipped through the pages and muttered inaudible thoughts to himself. “You might want to be a little more careful with your choice of words, especially around the only black waiter in the restaurant,” Chris whispered as soon as the man was out of sight. Scott turned another page in the drink menu and ignored his friend’s advice by using a defense only drunk people and children practice known as “selective hearing”. I made a mental note to tip our server extra.
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My 4th Grade Valentine
It has to be sweet and sincere. Something that says “I like you” but not in a creepy, looked-up-your-address-on-the-teacher’s-class-roll-list-and-stalk-you-on-the-weekends, kind of way. Trying to sum up your feelings over the past 3 years on a tiny candy heart is not an easy task. I grabbed another handful and laid them out on the table, attempting to find the best ones to put in K.H.’s card.
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Valentines Day in the Southern Hemisphere
Here at Our Thursday we have decided to do monthly themes in addition to our usual writing. This months theme of course is Valentine’s Day. Here is my submission…
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Are We Having Fun Yet?
In the year 2000 I had discovered my identity. It had eluded me for many years with some pretty impressive guerilla tactics but a new era had to begin.
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No Man Left Behind
“Do you want anything to eat?” my dad asked as I walked into the kitchen at 7:30 a.m., still half asleep. “No thanks,” I answered as I took off my Dodgers hat. I decided not to wear it since it might be a conversation starter. “No Man Left Behind” was the name of the mens Christian conference I had agreed to go to with my dad. He had shown me the flyer a few weeks before and asked me if I wanted to go with him. “I would really appreciate it if you could come,” he said in a way that sounded like it had been rehearsed a few times. I thought about it for a week and then said yes.
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Vote Luke for Supreme Leader
It was that time of year again at Simi Valley High School to prove who was the most popular and well liked. Student body elections. I do not think there is a need to go into great detail of how this process works as it has been done by almost every teenage TV show and it has definitely been done by “Saved by the Bell” at least five times, including the “college years” period of that influential TV show. In brief, these elections allow the student body to elect fellow students to facilitate as puppets and spies for the faculty so the proletariat (students) do not start thinking they have no control over their schooling. To be president does not give you any power other than saying you are president and you can put it on your university applications. This time of year irritated me and something had to be done to illustrate the ridiculousness of it all. So I concocted a plan.
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Going Dutch
The Dutch (people from Holland/Netherlands) I have always found to be interesting. Initially it was for the superficial reasons of their very open drug policies. But if you can avoid the temptations, and maintain a keen eye towards the very specific way in which they live their lives, there is something to behold that is worth absorbing. Granted, I have only visited three times, and in no way can I offer an accurate commentary. But I cannot do that even for places that I am extremely familiar with.