themisse's Journals on Buzznet http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/ en-us <![CDATA[Moving back home to myspace.com/themisse]]> http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/1480821/ myspace.

I have been thinking about leaving Buzznet for a long, long time now for a number of reasons. But I stayed to continue to support my friend Steve and his vision for his company. Steve is truly a great, fun, intellegent guy and I stayed mostly for him and also for the friends I've made amongst the Buzznet users.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and my time here at Buzznet has ended. I will no longer be posting photos, videos, or blogs here. No, I'm not going to another company or anything like that. This never was about money or exposure. (In fact, I'm leaving because I feel I've been over exposed and portrayed in an ill-light.) I'm just going back to doing what I've always done - talking to people on my myspace. And, even though its more coding work for me, I'm going back to updating my old website - devilmuse.com

Please remember what I've always said: no one - not me, not the "buzzalicious", not anyone of fame or even meager noteriety is better than you. Look up to someone for the right reasons - not who the know but who they are and what they've done with themselves. And never, ever, ever stop looking for yourself and celebrating who you are. I sincerely hope each and every one of you gets to your dream and far beyond it. Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

See you on the 'space!

- Miss E
]]> miss e wmh Buzznet themisse 2007-12-15T02:50:00Z <![CDATA[Hey Olivia, this is for you.]]> http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/1082481/
So, I got a message from a young lady named Olivia on myspace with some questions about work and school but myspace won't let me message her back since she's not on my friends list. So, I'm writing this, hoping she'll see it and hoping that it'll help out some of you guys as well.

Her first question was "did you have any experience in the music industry before you went to college?" The answer is yes, but not in the field I wanted to go into. I was a DJ and then the Music/Broadcast director of my high school radio station and the Promotions Director of my friend's record label. This gave me some basic experience dealing with bands and other professionals in the industry but the flat reality of the situation was that I was the Promotions Director because I babysat for the head of our local rock radio station and never reached out to any other radio stations besides that one. My "job", such as it was, was mostly putting together press kits and putting up flyers for shows. My high school radio station had a broadcast area of about 3 feet and my show was listened to solely by my friends, if they could pick it up. As Music/Broadcast director, I was mostly sending press kits to record labels to get free CDs and cataloging what CDs we had. Because it was a high school club, we were more focused on meetings and fund raisers and not really imitating what a commercial radio station does. So I had a little experience but nothing that accurately reflected what real life at either a record label or radio station is like.

But that is the point of college. You don't have to have any experience in the field you've chosen before entering. It sure helps, I won't lie, but if you go to a good school and work hard then they should teach you all you need to know. The key is going to a good school - make sure you find the best program you can possibly attend. Try looking up the school you want to go to on MySpace and messaging kids who are juniors and seniors there. (Or close to completion if it isn't a 4 year school.) Ask them how they found the school. Did they learn a lot? Do they feel prepared for work in this field after graduation? Who are good professors? The worst that can happen is they don't help you out but hopefully someone will be nice and give you helpful feedback.

I do strongly encourage people to do whatever they can, as early as they can. Just street teaming for a label or helping local bands in your area haul amps and hawk tshirts really does translate in the long run. I really, really encourage you all to get involved in your local music scene - no matter how much it sucks. Getting to see what bands starting out go through, what goes on behind the scenes at a venue, etc can help give you some basic knowledge of what you're getting into. Plus, you never know if that crappy band playing your backyard will end up super successful by the time you graduate college.

Olivia also asked me about Tour Managing and if you want to TM, you pretty much HAVE to get involved with your local music scene now. Almost everyone I've talked to in the touring world started out selling tshirts for their sister's boyfriends cousin's friend's terrible band and moved on from there. Olivia is 18, which is pretty young. But then again, Jack Marin TMed for Panic!At the Disco at 17 because he was their friend and they trusted him. So, its possible. Its still a long shot, I'll tell you honestly, that you'll be TMing a band that big but its certainly possible to work for a smaller band you a friends with. The real restriction on age is your maturity and capability. If you can batten down the hatches and work without starting drama or crumbling under pressure then you should be fine. People may mistrust you and doubt your abilities but you just have to work that much harder. People will doubt you because you're a girl or because you're this race or that height or whatever. People will always find reasons to doubt you and try to detract from your talent. Don't listen to them. Just work to the best of your abilities and let what you can do speak for itself. Some people will come around. Some won't. Don't worry about them. Worry about doing your job.

However, Olivia, like some of you, lives on "a rock in the middle of the ocean with no source of music but the internet." If this is true and there reeeeeeeally isn't a local music scene or one close enough that you can get to it, just wait it out. You don't have to do anything before college. It really helps but, like I said above, if you're planning on going to school, they should train you in everything you need to know. When you go away to school, try to get involved in the scene then. But your best bet for securing a job and some connections that can help you is interning. Intern, intern, intern, intern. And don't just take whatever your school throws at you. If your school doesn't have connections to the studios/labels/etc that you want to work for, try sending a letter to these places yourself. Again, the worst they can say is no.

And the last question she asked was how to convince her father to let her pursue this career, which he thinks is nothing but drugs and groupies. Please! That is so 1980s! The best thing you all can do to convince your parents of anything is be mature. Get good grades in school, don't get into trouble, don't scream at them when you disagree... treat your parents like adults and maybe they'll start treating you like one. Once they see you are an educated, mature, responsible person than maybe they'll give a little.

Also, do your homework - not just in school. Get to know the industry you're going into as much as you can now. Read Everything You Need To Know About The Music Business by Donald S Passman. I recommend this every time because its the best book, written in simple language, about the industry there is. From there, go to your local bookstore and pick up other books about the field that interests you. Subscribe to Billboards email list. (A magazine subscription is $300 but the email will give you some daily topics that are happening in the industry.) Don't just read AP. If you're interested in studio engineering, pick up Mix magazine too. If you want to TM, Live Sound. Go to your local Barnes N Nobles (or whatever) and look through the music section for the industry-targeted magazines. After all this, you may find out you hate the industry and don't want to do it after all.

Then, armed with your new knowledge, ask your parents for a serious conversation. Explain to them what you've learned and why you want to work in the industry. Tell them how the industry works, from labels to publishing to recording to touring to radio, etc. Let them see how serious and studious you are about this business. And explain to them that if this industry was just drugs and whores, we wouldn't be able to hold down a multibillion dollar machine that employs hundreds of thousands of people and is the driving force for culture. As much as this is the "entertainment industry", there is nothing entertaining about putting millions of dollars into a project that may or may not succeed based on the whim of a fickle public. Jim Morrision may have been able to drink and do drugs until he was, literally, blue in the face but I'm sure his management and label owners had a liiiiiiiiiiittle more on their plates than cocaine. (This isn't to say the music industry is clean and sober - far from it. But your local high school probably has the same amount of drug use or higher than the industry. And if you leave musicians out of this equation, we probably only have grade school level drug use. However, you probably don't need to mention to your parents that Miss E said drugs are rampant in schools today. They'll just yank you out of school all together.)

At the end of the day, your parents have to trust and respect you. But you have to earn this. Like I said above, you gotta prove to them you're not just their baby who needs  them to change their diapers. You have to prove you're grown up, you're smart, you're motivated, and you know what the hell you're talking about. This *should* work on 90% of parents.

So, Olivia, I really hope you read this and it answers your questions and concerns. Remember, there are people that quit their graphic design job and got into the music industry at 35 with NO experience or connections or anything who just up and went to school, got and internship, and pushed on. (Jonathon Rinella) There are people who never went to school, who just started working with their band at 16 in their parents basement and eventually became a multi-grammy winning mixer. (Ben Grosse and Jay Baumgardner.) There are people who started out as mail room workers at a big record label and are now the president. (Points to whomever knows who this is.) People come from all walks of life. Its all luck, timing, talent. Luck and timing will get you a gig. Talent will let you keep it.

Best of luck to you all.

- Miss E


]]> miss e wmh Buzznet themisse 2007-10-01T14:34:00Z <![CDATA[All my best friends are Death Eaters]]> http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/661461/
"You look like you've been up all night, freebasing Harry Potter." - Eric.

It's true. I look like shit. I've been bawling my eyes out for hours. I haven't slept yet. I'm distraught and delirious and I've taken to clutching my wand or my book and bursting into tears every 20 minutes or so. I snivled to a stop before we went to go see Suspiria in the Hollywood Forever Cemetary but I think its because I'm so bone tired from not having slept in 48 hours and running my emotions ragged reading that I just can't cry anymore. I'm sure I'll freak out again tomorrow.

But let me go back, to 6pm yesterday and a lifetime ago. I stood in the bright, warm sunlight a top the parking structure beside Barnes and Noble, happily waiting to get my wristband in the balmy air. Steve, from tha B-net, caved to my relentless pestering and consented to accompany me on my nerdly journey of giggling anticipation. We nipped a quick bite to eat before ducking in to Barnes and Noble to do all the activities.

I made a choice to come do the big events with the crowd because I'd had so much fun the last book release. I was literally chosen out of all the people who were "sorted" to be the "champion" for Gryffindork (in all my Slytherin stuff, mind you) and won the trivia tournament and a broom and tons of other nonsense. Steve will back me up when I say that, as we were waiting in line, the woman who organized the whole event caught sight of me and said "hey! You're the Slytherin that won last time!"

I am, in fact, Queen Nerd of Nerd Town.

I played in a few trivia challenges but it wasn't as good of a shindig as last time. We went to line up at 10 and I spent the intervening time regailing Steve with stories about high school Ninja attacks and the life and times of Harry Potter. He was a trooper and stayed with me until 1am when, clutching my book in joy, I raced home to begin it.

However, the lovely gentlemen from 2*Sweet were spending the night and my desire to hole up in my room and read was thwarted by their desires to be all around rad dudes and just hang out. We chatted until about 2:30 at which point some of us retired to watch the Harry Potter movies while everyone else slept. While it was awesome to be so revered for my utter nerddom and to have company in Harry Potter love, it slowed my reading immensely. The last book, I finished in 5 hours. This one took about 7. I drifted off to sleep for about 15 minutes but I dragged myself upright and kept on reading. Matt had passed out on my floor but woke up and relocated to the living room, offering me full ability to totally flip out alone and undisturbed.

And I did. I punched the book so hard and so frequently that I have a giant bruise across my knuckles and it hurts to close my fist (or type so feel loved). I thwaped it soundly with my wand like it might rearrange the words. I screamed. I cried. I yelled "NO NO NO NO NO!" into my pillows so as not to wake my slumbering household. And when I got to the end, I put it down and bawled my fucking eyes out. When everyone came in to check on me at 10am, I was pretty much a mess.

But even with an additional 2 hours on my normal reading time, plus a late start, plus the time difference to the east coast and Europe, none of my friends had finished it. So I was left to agonize on my own.

Jeffree, in his eternal awesomeness, treated me to Pinkberry with the 2*Sweet guys before they left for SF. He returned me to the apartment and bade me to sleep but I was too overwrought to just pass out. And with my best friend's birthday weekend upon me, I had no time to sleep. Instead, I wiped off all the traces of my tears and headed over to my two biffles. I tried not to bawl too hard and instead curled up on the couch to watch mobster movies before heading to the cemetary.

I am so exhausted that I haven't even processed this is the last book. It haven't even processed the deaths of the characters yet, not really. But the last book? There will be no more book releases, with Marauders Maps of Barnes and Noble and little kids adorably dressed like Harry, Harry, and Harry. No new tales to await, no feverish debates over what will happpen next, no arguing for my dearly beloved Prince, who I will always stand by. I honestly feel like I've lost a friend. These books have been a huge part of my life for years. Its awful. Its truly, truly awful.

The book was grand and I loved it. I'm happy to have it and have everything be complete. But I can honestly say that it is so depressing just to know that the series is finally done. As totally nerdy and lame as it is, they are books that mean a lot to me and that I love. When I wake up tomorrow and truly process that its over, I'm going to be bawling all over again. I'm sure some of you feel the same so lets have a moment of silence for the end of a truly beautiful thing. Today was the end of an era.

In Memoriam,
   Miss E (Death Eater, Slytherin, and Proud Nerd-to-the-Hilt)
]]> harry potter miss e wmhc Buzznet themisse 2007-07-21T23:30:00Z <![CDATA[Pack your bags, we're moving to GitMo]]> http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/642171/
Just.

Wow.

So, I've done a lot of cool things this past week. I got to see Kat Von D's new shop, High Voltage, which is stunning. I got to attend a lovely little soiree at Tarina Tarintino's shop on Melrose. I've done some fun things this week, like seeing A Skylit Drive at the Whiskey and the Spazmatics at the Dragonfly (where Jeffree and I giggled in some glee at seeing Chance from 'I love New York' waiting at valet). I did some lazy things this week. I redesigned my myspace and several other people's. I cheered for my friend Lacey on the premier of the Rock of Love. I even got to see the new Die Hard, which OOOOOOWNED. I got some work done, be it conference calls to labels or to consumer affairs (don't ask). And I even got to do one thing that was important to me, which was go to the premier of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with Steve from Buzznizzle. (It rocked, btw. Much better than the last two.)

Now that I've gotten the interesting stuff that I'm supposed to tell you about so I seem cool and connected and therefore able to soapbox with impunity out of the way, let me tell you about the one thing that I did this week that you ALL should do - go see Sicko by Michael Moore. Like all of his movies, it is compelling in the simplicity of its question - why doesn't America care for its populace like the rest of the Western World? We are the ONLY nation that doesn't provide universal health care to its citizens. EL SALVADOR has better health care than us. I'm not kidding. Guantanamo Bay has free health care. Let's all go there. I'm sure I can get us all arrested. Mooning the White House is indecent exposure + treason, right? Hey, if it'll get me that surgery on my jaw I need, I'm down. I'll pull a full moon in the Rose Garden.

But please, please, please, PLEASE don't JUST see the movie - do something about the issues it raises! Bitching that Americans have atrocious health care and we should all move to France is all well and good but that isn't going to solve our national health care crisis. I'm going to provide a few links to really, really simple stuff you can do like signing petitions and writing your congressmen. But it is ultimately up to you to fight for change. If you are of age, EDUCATE YOURSELF AND VOTE! I cannot stress enough that voting is our most crucial right and our primary way of changing the system. If you are not of age, educate yourself anyway and go work for a campaign. You don't have to be 18 to try and help the candidate you feel would do the best job get into office. Or, if you are passionate about an issue, research charities, voter's groups, lobbies, etc that campaign for that issue and find out how you can contribute. I can't tell you all the resources but they are LEGION and a little Googling goes a long way. If you are not an American citizen, I encourage you to research candidates and issues in your country and do your best to help out. Taking ten minutes a week to sign some petitions and do some action alerts sent by the charities of your choice is a very, very simple way to begin to make a difference. I cannot stress enough that it is our own inaction and laziness that allows corruption to spread unchecked. No matter what your age, your country of origin, your economic status, your gender, your race, your sexuality, no matter what - we are all human and every single one of us can make a difference. No one person can change the world, not Hitler nor Ghandi. It is people working together - for good or evil - that change the world. Please, please, please educate yourselves and take time to begin to make a difference.

Here are just a few links that I found through some quick Googling of health care issues. This literally took me five minutes, that's how easy it is to find resources for change. Again, Google is your friend. If you have a cause you believe in, type it into Google and hit search. The resources you will find will amaze you. But don't just take my word on this or any other issue. GET EDUCATED AND MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS! If you disagree with me on this or any other issue, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Don't just write blogs on Buzznet calling me a bitch. That doesn't do anything. Make something of yourself, show real support for the things you believe in, build a career, and show me up. Then, with the government on your side and that high paying job you can really send those hit men after me you keep threatening me with. I don't know how many ways I can say this - DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT. Don't do it for me. Do it for you, for the people you love, and for the country you live in. I don't care if you love me, if you hate me, or if you're indifferent. There are important issues in the world and we all need to do our part. Hopefully, we can all agree on that.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/petitions/pnum649.php  Urge the government to extend Medicare coverage.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/petitions/pnum651.php Help me (and the rest of California) get decent Healthcare

http://www.amsa.org/uhc/uhcaction.cfm Ideas on how to spread the word and show support for American Universal Health Care

http://www.capwiz.com/ams/home/ A website that provides health care-related action initiatives by zip code.

http://www.uhcan.org/joomla/ Information and action alerts on US Health Care

http://www.aflcio.org/issues/healthcare/ Health Care information from American Union Workers

http://www.familiesusa.org/ FamiliesUSA's info on Health Care across the nation

]]> michael moore miss e sicko universal health care wmhc Buzznet themisse 2007-07-19T00:34:00Z <![CDATA[I just watched Michael's most compelling documentary ever!]]> http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/566531/
Transformers, a new documentary film by director Michael Bay, offers a compelling and hard hitting look into the robot menace our government is trying to keep from us. Michael is best known for his earlier documentary works; The Rock (about prison jailbreaks) and Bad Boys 1 and 2 (about police brutality and ineptitude). His new piece of work eclipses even those bold pictures.

Several thousand years ago, several pieces of alien technology from the planet Cybertron crash-landed in the Artic circle. These items were uncovered by an exploratory team during the Hoover administration and then covered up by our very government. The Hoover dam was built to keep these items a secret – from other governments and especially from the very aliens that created this technology. However, the aliens have discovered the whereabouts of their items and Michael Bay has discovered the existence of this whole conspiracy! In his film (in theaters now), he offers a direct look at these creatures and the shadowy government group, Sector Seven, that is charged with hiding them from the public.

According to the film, these robots can copy the forms of human machines and thus may be hiding in plain sight. The film’s motto – More Than Meets The Eye – is a chilling reminder that the very laptop I am writing this on may be plotting to overthrow, enslave, or even decimate the human race. Examine your machines carefully. If they begin acting strange – playing apropos songs during pivotal moments, relocating around your house with no apparent help, destroying other robots in their vicinity, or terminating your pooch for peeing on them – react accordingly. Identifying early signs of the robot uprising could save you and your loved ones.

Transformers follows several key characters through the film. Through the eyes of Captain Lennox, we see the deadly military ability that these creatures wield. The US government allowed Michael Bay’s cameras inside US Airforce bases in Qatar and, a first in cinema history, deep inside the strategy center of the Pentagon. There, audiences encounter Maggie Madsen, an Australian and recent graduate who has been drafted by the US government to help with a series of hackings into our government’s top secret computer network. This is where the film truly gets scary. The firepower these machines wield is nothing compared to their abilities when it comes to manipulating other computer systems. Like its sister documentary, Independence Day, this movie clearly shows that aliens have all installed Windows AND Macintosh operating systems on their spaceships and are clearly working out how to install those pesky shell scripts and configure their systems for Linux as well. (Good to know that even robot aliens can’t easily configure Linux!) In a chilling sequence, all of Earth’s communications were taken offline by the alien menace. I, myself, experienced this phenomenon going to Buzznet one afternoon. I saw the black screen with the white text – Buzznet will be back shortly – and knew the alien invasion had begun!

But nothing was more disturbing then the horrible tale of Sam Witwicky. He was deceived by these robots and tricked into buying his first “car”. Instead of owning what he hoped would be a rolling lair to de-virginize local school girls, he instead found himself in the clutches of the robot menace! But when Sam, an upstanding American citizen of strong moral character alerted authorities to his (and our) crisis, was there a swift response to defend our nation? No! Instead, authorities bungled and mishandled the information, causing them to make a series of misguided arrests including Sam himself, as well as his family and even their dog. The government raided the Witwicky home, causing thousands of dollars in damages, then proceeded to break every rule of proper conduct by taking the Witwickys to a secret base without trial or attorney counsel! Is the right to habeas corpus nonexistent?

The government operatives in question, the mysterious ‘Sector Seven’, operate above the law and independent of the Justice Department. There are no checks on their power and the very existence of this branch of government is an affront to the very values this country was founded upon! We function on a system of checks and balances. No governmental body is above the law – yet Sector Seven has the authority to kidnap and torture innocent civilians in the name of our great country!

But even the humanitarian outrages of our government that are brought to light in this documentary do not touch the sheer horror audiences feel upon seeing the alien technology in use. Michael Bay’s cameras have the fortune to capture several battles between the US military and the alien forces. Though we seem to have found ways to destroy the robots, their defenses are strong and a true show of force by these robots may well overwhelm our military. We are already stretched thin with our engagement in the Middle East. Are we truly prepared to face the mounting Cybertronian threat?

I encouraged everyone to see this chilling documentary. We must all educate ourselves and insist that our government take this information seriously. Programs must be created to educate the public about how to cope with invasion by alien forces. Critical procedures like hotwiring your computer monitor to a short wave radio and using the contraption to broadcast morse code through the 4 foot thick walls of the Hoover Dam on a secure government channel to authorize airstrikes as necessary MUST be taught in American schools! Also, every American should be equipped with EMPs (electromagnetic pulse weapons which neutralize all electronics within its area of effect) which, for some illogical reason, the US military didn’t think of using and instead emptied countless rounds of bullets to little effect into each robot. Though the website affiliated with the film offers little in ways of dealing with the robot menace, I would urge each of you to see the film then write to your Congressmen as well as the President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, and any media persons you think may broadcast about the contents of this film. Truly, Transformers may prove to be the most important documentary of our time and director Michael Bay should be applauded for his brave, brave picture!

Hopefully, in this upcoming week, I will have the opportunity to see the new comedy by Michael Moore entitled Sicko about a fictional country in which no one had proper health care and large corporations were allowed by the government to profit of the suffering of its populace. Its sure to be a laugh riot!
]]> miss e transformers wmhc Buzznet themisse 2007-07-08T02:17:00Z <![CDATA[WARPED TOUR - Why do we do this to ourselves every summer?]]> http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/532761/
I found myself asking this question to Angie GoGo and Sarah Dope (and everyone in a three car radius who could hear me yelling) as we pulled into the parking lot for the Pomona Warped Tour date. Angie and I had been out the night before at the pre-party so I had already seen Bad Religion play a longer set in a more intimate setting than I would at the behemoth outdoor festival. Why the HELL was I willing to brave the crowds, the heat, the dust, the inevitable hassle with the list, the fights, the sun… I can go on and believe me I did… to see them again?

I have my days where I can be a downer and Pomona was fast panning out to be one of them. Of course there was a hassle with the list but after a phone call, Angie and I had jolly purple passes that meant we could go just about anywhere. Where we went was straight for the shade of Bleed the Dream’s merch tent and the company of our friends. I fell into a beach chair and refused to be budged. Why am I doing this? I thought, stoically refusing to have any sort of fun at all. I refused to crack a smile at Keith’s silly antics. I scowled greatly at the hugs from Dave. I furrowed my brow at Angela’s suggestion that we walk around and see who else was there. I pouted mightily at the plethora of good friends we ran into and scorned all the loving hugs I received.

I was hot. I was thirsty. I was cranky. I was too old for this shit. I was NOT going to have any fun.

I moped my way through the morning sets, trailing after Sarah Dope, who was taking photos for Alternative Press. I had to put on an extra burst of moping around 2 because I’d actually gotten giddy and skipped around tent city, excitedly gathering stickers (oh weird) and chatting with all the people on the tour – new friends and old. Warped Tour is like a giant family and I’d be DAMNED if I wasn’t going to be the surly teenager of that family.

I will not have fun today, I told myself. It’s hot and I’m cranky and the lemonade slushies are super tasty… DAMNIT! I need to be more negative. THIS SLUSHIE IS NOT SLUSHIE ENOUGH! (Yes, I did actually say that.)

I had a giggle fit that I had to deny when I found out that Street Drum Corps would be playing at 4:20 at the Skullcandy tent, every single day, all tour. I always make a point to go see the SDC guys as frequently as possible but this time, damnit, I was not going to enjoy the spectacle of Adam slamming a beer keg with a lead pipe, Frankie beating the cymbals and screaming like a Maori tribesman gone berserk, or Bobby playing the Theremin in the midst of all the chaos. I certainly did not enjoy shaking my booty to the tunes with all my friends and if anyone said any different, I’d say they were a liar.

The hottest part of the day was over so I switched my whining from “its too damn hot” to “I’m so damn hungry.” To my dismay, we got food quickly and it tasted good. There was even an abundance of napkins and condiments and the food was less that $10. Man, was I pissed. Sarah Dope bought me another lemonade slushie for us to share before she disappeared off to shoot Killswitch Engage. I had a glorious bit of storming around and complaining that we couldn’t find her before my phone beeped and there was a text telling us where to meet her. I tried a new tactic of complaining that my feet hurt but I was once again foiled as we went to go sit in the Takeover Records tent. With shade, water, a chair, a full belly, and friends, I was out of things to whine about so I got up to go wander and see other friends… and whine to them. Everyone was having such a damn good time that I couldn’t get anyone to commiserate with me. Angie and Sarah caught me singing loudly to Bad Religion (because I couldn’t hear them over the crowd, I shouted over Greg’s amplified vocals) and dancing around with Jamie and JP. I hurriedly suggested that we go backstage, lamenting that my phone was going to die.

We hopped up on the Takeover RV, where I was given an outlet to charge my phone and a bottle of water for my thirst. I spent the next several hours running around the bus lot, riding Mark’s bike, chatting with my friends, eating, playing video games, meeting new friends, and generally NOT HAVING ANY FUN AT ALL!

It took us until midnight to finally say goodbye to everyone and leave. I took my friend Emily, who is working at Music Saves Lives this year, home with me for hangs. We were up early to go to the Ventura date, which had me complaining. Since it was so early, I got to park backstage and not pay for parking, skip all the traffic that made everyone else four hours late, hang out with everyone I’d met the night before while they were setting up, help out with the various booths, get a filling breakfast, watch my friends in Phathom play, get coated in sunscreen by my new husband, and relax in the shade of Bleed the Dream’s tent – all before noon! My miserable position – it baffles you, no?

As I mentioned, all three contingents of my friends were stuck in traffic. Elena had my passes, Sarah and Angie were my company, and Jeffree was just good fun in general. All of them, not here. I was here, out in the sun (which wasn’t as scorching as the day before) and the heat (which was muted by the pleasant ocean breeze) and the dust (which was totally nonexistent) and the throngs of screaming kids (who weren’t screaming but instead chillaxing and holding up some good conversation to keep me entertained while introducing me to their friends so I met more people and on and on.)

I didn’t want to have fun. I didn’t want to make new friends. I wanted my friends and a cool, air conditioned area to relax in. But Warped Tour was able, once again, to disappoint my ability to be disappointed in the day. Right as I was getting really antsy, everyone arrived, took me to see Street Drum Corps and Bleed the Dream, then we headed backstage to the Bleed the Dream RV. Everyone was there and Whizzle had a barbecue alight. Even I could not find anything to complain about as plates and plates of hot dogs and turkey burgers and barbecue chicken and corn grilled to perfection were brought inside the RV. Keith (aka Keither Sutherland aka Keith Ledger) and I sat up front and talked before we were overrun by friends. Street Drum Corps (who had played a smoking set with the help of Shannon Leto of 30 Seconds to Mars) showed up with Tomo and Vickie. Emily ambled along to get her bag from my car then returned to hang out. Whizzle kept the food coming as more and more people showed up.

The best was Sarah Dope’s friend Zilch who was working for the freak show. We sat around talking about sideshows for quite some time before heading off to break down the freak show that is on the tour this year. I got to help out and in my zone of carrying gear and slitting zip cords and sweating so hard I thought I was going to pass out I realized that I had fun. Despite myself, despite bitching and moaning and screaming and being a pain in the ass the whole time, I had fun. I couldn’t help it. That’s why we do this every year. Because the sun and the heat and the dust all sucks but you can’t help but enjoy yourself on Warped Tour – even when you’re trying your best to be miserable. It’s a family. It’s just a good time. I realized it just in time to enjoy the last few hours of Warped Tour without trying to stop myself from having a good time and admitting it. I got to kiss all of my friends goodbye and leave far too soon.

So go to the tour. Yes, its hot and there are a lot of people. But you will have fun. Its not about the bands that are playing – it about the environment and how unique and welcoming it is. Bands don’t go sit out in their merch booths on other tours, The people who work other tours aren’t friendly and silly. Warped is a special tour with a special place in my heart – even when I try to harden my heart against it. That’s why I do it every summer – because at the end of the day, you’re dirty and sunburned but you’ve had the best time of your life.

It also must be noted that I got to see Steve and Karen and stopped being a pretentious sulky prat long enough to give hugs to my two favorite buzznet staffers. Go tell them hi and thank them for the tireless work they do for all of us here on Buzznet. Thanks, you guys!

]]> bleed the dream miss e sarah dope street drum corps warped tour wmhc Buzznet themisse 2007-07-03T00:36:00Z <![CDATA[HOLY CRAP MY FAVORITE AUTHOR JUST WROTE TO ME!!!!]]> http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/495671/
It changed my life. My actual, entire life. If you look on the networking website I won't mention, under my heroes, he is the first one mentioned. I stayed up all night and read this book then I read it again then I wrote down one of his poems in my math notebook (which I still ahve to this day and is my prized possession) then I went INSANE. Honest to god insane. I started writing poem after poem after poem after poem after poem after poem after poem after poem... I didn't stop. For years. YEARS. The word vomit... the notebooks and notebooks I filled with twisted words and the emotions that ruled me as a child.

I cannot even explain it. But this man changed my life. Changed it. Poems for the Dead and Still Dead ruled my life and my pen for over a decade. When Poems for the Dead went out of print and I lost my copy, my ex boyfriend crawled every bookstore and website he could find until he finally turned up a battered copy in a used bookstore in Holland. He gave me the best present I have ever recieved - that copy of Poems for the Dead, Still Dead (which I didn't know existed), and a signed copy of Jeffrey Dahmer vs Jesus Christ printed with Hart's blood. It was the most thoughtful present I have ever recieved. It showed how well he knew me. (I gave him signed Pantera CDs and a comic book on the career of Pantera.)

Opening up my inbox, I was like "oh god, another random email..." Emails from random guys are usually "ur so hot i want ur butthole" or "check out my crappy band." When I got to the end and saw "Hart D. Fisher", I started screaming. I got out my notebook and reread that poem I copied down. It's called 'Candyland' and its in Poems for the Dead.

I'm just... I dunno. Shocked. Stoked. Speechless. He's my actual, actual hero and changed the entire course of my life. That feels pretty fucking cool.

www.boneyarpress.net
www.crimepaysinc.com
www.cpihomevideo.com

Now I need to shower because I'm way late.
]]> miss e wmhc Buzznet themisse 2007-06-27T20:10:00Z <![CDATA[This scene is so goth, its dead]]> http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/462321/ Buzznet themisse 2007-06-23T00:54:08Z <![CDATA[Those who can, do. Those who can't, blog.]]> http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/388441/ Julien K.

Friday, Jeffree and I went to see Julien K . For some reason, I got it into my crazy head that they were John Lennon's son's crappy indie project and refused to listen to them. But I found out last week at the Lover's Revolt show that not only were they a reeeeeally good electroindustrial band but my good friend Bones is the drummer! I've been listening to the songs on their page all week so I was amped for the show.

I've been traveling so much so I haven't really had time to get out on the strip much. So it was good to run into old friends like Tara Ivy (who is in the new Manson video!) and Ron from Opiate For The Masses. Jeffree got to run into old friends too but I missed the name of their band and thus can't provide a link so poopie to that. But anyway, we all stood around and chatted until Julien K took the stage. Now, I knew that Ryan and Amir from Orgy were in the band but what I didn't know was the keyboardist was none other than my friend Brando. So, with 4 out of 4 of the dudes in the band being a friend on some level, I was majorly amped to watch them. They were REEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY good. Like, new favorite band, good.

After they were done, we all hung out together (and I got a disgustingly sweaty hug from Bones) to watch Horse the Band. This is one of Jeffree's favorite bands and, while that style of hardcore is not my jam, they put on a damn good show. They had giant trees as their back drop and a small forest of stuffed animals on stage with them. (My favorite was the fox on the keyboard.) And their in-between song banter was hilarious. "We're going to play another song now. There is an 80 percent chance it will be 'Jani's got a gun' by Aerosmith." (It wasn't.) there was even a dude in a bear costume.

However, during the madness, my friend Taylor from Triggerpoint called and pleaded with us to come hang out with him at the Viper Room. Now, the Viper Room ruled when it was co-owned by Johnny Depp but when it got taken away and the staff quit, it kind of floundered for a bit and everyone stopped going. I have been to the Viper maybe 3 times in the past 2 years and that was always to support friends. So we went and got shakes at Hustler (note: a Ron Jeremy with added coconut milk is the bomb shit) and met up with Taywal and his friends. We found out that Jeffree knows the door guy, who now does shows at the Viper, and the bar guy, who used to be in My Ruin. So we actually have a reason to go more now.

We were escorted inside and went to hang out in the tiny downstairs bar. And it was really fun! I happily shoved ice down Taylor's jeans, ruining his ability to mack girls for .02 seconds, then chatted nerd stuff with El when the rest of Triggerpoint arrived. Jeffree called Kat Von D, who has a new show that will air soon and a new tattoo shop in LA, to come hang out. I was a little nervous because I was once told what a raging bitch she was. But I learned that the people that think she is a bitch because they either a) don't understand a game face or b) are intimidated by her. She was soooooooo friendly and fun. We stayed at the Viper for a bit then walked into the Kat Club long enough for her to say hi to her friend who was bartending then we went and hung out at the Rainbow until it closed. I haven't been to the Bow in ages and I was swiftly engrossed in conversations with all my friends who hang out there. It was almost a relief to see everyone. I'd forgotten how long it had been.

We said our goodbyes and headed home for the night. I had to be up at the crack of noon to get down to the OC to help Eliza cut hair. And by "help", I mean stand there and hold the flat iron. But it was a lot of fun. She is REALLY good at what she does! She's fast and damn, she made some ladies look fiiiiiiiiiine as hell, boy! She is trying to talk me into dreading my hair. Meh. Maybe. The girls that came down were all fun but the best part was the Moms. There were two moms that came and they were both like hip and cool parents, you know? I love parents in general, especially the cool ones. So it was fun chatting with them.

Afterwards, we headed to the Secret Spot then walked on down to the beach to eat there. And if you haven't looked yet, go over to Eliza's buzznet and watch me attempting to drown myself. The water didn't look that deep but I was soaked up to my waist. I had to borrow PJs from Eliza to get home. I looked reeeeeeeally funny at the gas station, let me tell you.

Sunday, I spent the afternoon sort of cleaning and sort of doing laundry. I have to get the house presentable for when my parentals get here this weekend. (YAY!) Jeffree and I went out that night to meet up with Kat so she could do more ink on his arm. This weekend was my weekend to be impressed by the skills of all my friends. First Julien K, then E Cuts, now Kat. That girl is fucking GOOD, man! I mean, wow. Not only does her art look stunning, but she's FAST! She doesn't take breaks to smoke or chat on the phone or pee like some other tattoo artists. She works and she loves to do it. And I kinda shyly mentioned that I wanted her to do my sleeve and she was into it! Which stokes me out because she is one of the best artists working and I really love her vibe. The three of us talked like old friends, instead of awkward small talk, which is always what you want in a tattoo artist. And she's so rock and roll and in love with LA. Whatever misconceptions you may have got of her if you watched Miami Ink, remember that shit is edited to make it "interesting" at the expense of the people on it. Kat rules and you should watch her new show, for sure.

After we were done, we locked up the shop and ran into my other tattoo artist, Colin. He is the person who did my arm piece and the piece on the back of my neck. He works at The Shamrock Social Club so if you are ever looking for a really amazing tattoo artist, ask for Colin. Taylor met us outside and we all had a nice hang sesh at the Velvet Margarita. I'd never been in but now I'm going to go hang out more. Its huge and lovely on the inside. We stayed for drinks (sprite with cherries is my new beverage of choice) then Kat drove us back to my car.

So all in all, it was a rad weekend, filled with people doing stuff I can't do. I can't play guitar, I can't cut hair, and I can't tattoo. But I can write about it!

And everyone pleeeeeeease look at my last blog and consider buying a Kill Cancer shirt! Its for a good cause.

]]> jeffree star julien k kat von d miss e opiate for the masses triggerpoint wmhc Buzznet themisse 2007-06-12T12:15:00Z <![CDATA[Kill Cancer limited edition ts are now available!!!]]> http://themisse.buzznet.com/user/journal/384111/

NOW AVAILABLE Limited Edition KILL CANCER tees from the world famous Ordinary Clothing!!!! The proceeds go to Curesearch!!
Bamboozle Day 2










]]> miss e wmhc Buzznet themisse 2007-06-11T18:46:00Z