Is Myspace, like, dead or something?

...or am I tripping on something? Unfortunately I have noticed that this socialnet site is becoming more of a cyber ghost town. There's two different views on that. 1) People who have simply deleted their profile and crossed over to facebook and/or 2) People who have a Myspace page and have left it idle for a while.

I'll give you an example. There's a guy who was on here all the time two years ago, but I just visited his Myspace page and he hasn't logged in since last October. I know he's still alive, because he updates his FB and his twitter daily. I don't know what this means, but apparently FB is becoming the king. I also have noticed that its the same old people sending out bulletins (remember those? lol). I'm not saying its bad, but I just never imagined the day where bulletins 5 days old would still show up on the 10-panel bulletin board. I don't really care how big my 'friends' list is anymore, since so many people have either a) deleted me or b) removed their profile.

If you look on my page, at the very top (after my blog links) I wrote a note back in April stating that I don't check Myspace very often as much as I used to. But I do like to see what's going on with my fellow peers and I like to see if anyone has commented and if anyone has sent me any requests. And anyone is still welcome too. I still write blogs on here as long as I still have my readers. I thank everyone of you who takes the time to read and/or comment on these. This is pretty much my way of telling you my updated thoughts and happenings and such. And yes, I read every comment! I don't update my profile page or settings and html that much, unless something major has happened.

While I'm at it, I guess I'll go ahead and share my social networking history. Back in March '05, I first joined Facebook. If anyone remembers, that was back when it was only a year old and it was exclusive to college students. Needless to say, I felt special. People thought FB was going to hell when high school students were allowed on there, and eventually the entire public. A few months after I joined FB, I was introduced to Myspace from my fellow radio students who couldn't get on FB. I fell more into the Myspace craze for the longest time (about 3 years?) but its now strange to say that Facebook has become my social networking home as I spend more time on there than on here. I think its because just about everyone I know from all ages is on there. One of my best friends, Josh, just signed on to Myspace about a month ago after years of refusing to go on these socialnet sites (although at one point he was on Hi5.com). To me, he's a late bloomer. This leads to my next and last topic of this blog:

I'll go ahead and share my two cents about why Myspace is becoming, well, a ghost town (at least in my view). Several of us know that Myspace has been very slow to respond to spam, phishing and of course, those friend requests we get from women who wear lingerie and spread for us. I've only had that happen on Facebook once, but it hasn't happened in a long time. I know that has turned a lot of people away. To me, I usually ignore these kind of things, and I can definitely understand why people get tired of seeing spam and too much weird advertising.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, I've always liked to see the race between Myspace and Facebook on how many features they put on here. It seems today that Facebook is way ahead of the game as Myspace desparately imitates such features as the annoying 'People You May Know' and 'Mafia' and 'Music'. And speaking of music, one of my friends recently cut his ties with Myspace, because according to him, his favorite bands quit updating their material. I can see where that can be a big turnoff, too.

I remember reading a couple months ago when Tom Anderson stepped down as CEO of Myspace, giving it to someone else after Facebook finally took the lead as the #1 socialnet site. We all should have seen this one coming. Overall, please don't get the wrong idea. I'm not knocking Myspace. I think its still a great useful site to keep up with your pals and acquaintances. I just felt like speaking my mind on here, that's all. I've found a different home. Let me know your thoughts.

so long, All Star Game

(NOTE: This was originally posted to my Myspace blog on 7/16/09)

...or at least this year, and in St. Louis! In case you probably haven't read or heard, I attended some of the festivities in downtown St. L in honor of the All Star Game coming to Baseball City. I didn't actually go to the game, but I did take advantage of going to some of the stuff that was worth it. I went to the Elvis Costello/Sheryl Crow free concert under the Arch Saturday (it was a charity event for Stand Up To Cancer!), went to Fanfest Sunday and went to the Red Carpet Parade on Tuesday (it was right before the game). It was overall awesome. I am a baseball fan, especially a Cardinals fan. Not to downsize myself, but there are better Cards fans than me out there. I don't follow every game. It's only good to know who we have that's good and bad, and when we are doing good and bad. Watching the games in my spare time is cool too. But I wanted to be a part of history by attending these things. In fact, my grandma recalled going to the All Star Game in '66 (the last time St. L was host) and she still has her old ticket stub.

Below is a link to some of the pics I took at those events. These are to give people a sense of what it was like to be there. I don't have a particular favorite event, because they were all awesome in its own way. If you look at the parade pictures you'll find several NL stars as well as Cardinal Hall of Famers and Tony LaRussa and as a bonus, Capt. Chesley Sullenberger (who successfully landed the plane on Hudson River).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonvoigt/sets/72157621419446631/

what's next for concerts

Well, it's sad to say that summer is about a month over but there is still time to have fun and utilize it. The only things I haven't done yet to complete it is go to a Cards game and go to Six Flags. The game will wait next year, unless we do good in the playoffs and so forth :). Congrats to our newest team member Matt Holliday, by the way! I think its safe to say we are the most dangerous team in baseball now. But let's not get cocky; anything could happen.

For this year, I'm very disappointed that a lot of 80s acts (especially ones that I play) have not come to St. Louis. I'm aware its a down economy, but still. I have been going to several shows lately, or just a few. And before the year is over, I've got a few in mind.

-In case you haven't heard me advertise this yet, They Might Be Giants will be at the Pageant on October 9, which will be on a Friday (apologies if I said anything different before). Yes I do plan on being there, and hopefully I can sweet talk Mr. Lemons into anything beyond that. The reason I say this is because our station (WLCA 89.9) along with KDHX are the sponsors for this event. I believe this is the first show we've ever done or brought to the community, and with our growing ties to Joe Edwards (Blueberry HIll and Pageant owner) hopefully more shows will be in store down the road.

Oh yes, TMBG kick great posterior in concert, as I got to see them 3 or 4 years back. They did the whole 'Fingertips' song :)

-Crue Fest. I'm going with Anthony and his group this year. I've seen the Crue I guess 4 years ago. I seriously thought it would be the last time they would ever get together (given they all don't get along). But it's now looking like this will be an annual thing. Godsmack (love their early stuff) and my boys Theory of a Deadman will also be there. I had a chance to meet Tyler (vocals) last winter and he's a really cool guy.

-Farm Aid. It was announced last week that Neil Young, John Cougar Mellencamp and ol' Willie will bring their project to St. L in October. I think it will be a cool thing to experience. After all, I was partly raised in the rural life, since my grandparents owned a huge farm. I think Farm Aid is one of the greatest charities out there, especially if Willie Nelson has been fighting against factory farms. But I also gotta think ahead in the time frame. It will be October and without a doubt the weather will get cooler.

I actually thought about going to Warped Tour this year. It will be on the first of August, so I'm def. unsure. It's usually an easy decision, since I only care about a few bands. I actually really dig 3OH3! as they will be there. But I also believe that their song 'Don't Trust Me' will make them one-hit wonders as that song will be uneasy to top off. Shooter Jennings (?) will also make an appearance. I have no idea why (lol)

I wanted to go to the Reel Big Fish/English Beat show on August 13. I normally don't like to ask off work that much (limit twice a month) so I may have to skip out on this one. I really don't care for ska music but I love most of Reel Big Fish's music especially their signature song 'Sell Out' as it attacks the music industry. As mentioned before, I've been a longtime fan of The English Beat as I got to see them the last two years at casinos and they finally have a decent touring partner this year.

If U2 does decide to add a St. Louis date, I'm definitely there. 2 shows in Chicago (or, Blagoland/Obamaland), seriously? Shyeah

If any more I'm interested in or if you want to invite me to a show, holler at me

if you believe they put a man on the moon....

The 1960s would have been a time I would have loved to experience, judging from a lot I've learned and seen. So much has happened. When my parents were graduating high school, Beatlemania occurred. My parents were at the right age range to go to Woodstock, but my dad was on the other side of the political spectrum. With the just-recent passing of Walter Cronkite, I mentioned in my statuses that I was too young to remember his newscasts that he retired the year I was born ('81). Even though he was very liberal, it probably was a good time for media as it was pretty much treated like fair and balanced news, well compared to what we see today in the mainstream media.

Tomorrow will mark the 40th anniversary of the 'man on the moon' landing. Most of those who were alive at the time remember it as something so incredible a human has ever done. It was considered one of TV Guide's greatest television moments ever, and has inspired several pop culturisms (hello, REM?). Only two other countries have done this since 1969. I remember reading in one of my presidential books about John F. Kennedy's vision of having a man on the moon. He was having a private conversation with staffers and media people in the White House. "I need answers...we need to have a man on the moon by the time this decade is over" NASA workers and scientists were also present, and most of them considered it impossible to do. Kennedy continued with saying, "I can ask the janitor over there if I have to. Any suggestions are welcome..." We all know JFK was silenced too soon, but it indeed happened before the 1970s.

Three years ago, I took a philosophy-themed Media Ethics course (that was required for Mass Comm students) and I remember during one discussion the professor asked something like 'What do you think is the best thing a person could ever do that would outweigh anything?' or 'What would be considered a single great accomplishment?'. I don't remember exactly what the question was, but I responded 'Putting a man on the moon'. Several people in class agreed with me, but the professor asked why. It sounded like he disagreed, but he wanted me to explain myself. I mentioned that it was something that was never done or tried before, by any human being. The professor wanted me to go deeper in depth. "Well...", I continued. "It was not just an accomplishment, but it helped us win the space race between the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union put the first satellite, first dog and first man in space, but it was nothing compared to setting foot on the moon. This installed plenty of confidence in us as a nation...and it was one of our first wins in the Cold War. It was set up in teamwork fashion. It also opened a new beginning in air travel as well as the possibility of more space travel". It pretty much ended there.

There are also several theories saying the whole moon landing was all a hoax. But in my mind, there were too many people and organizations involved in this, and for NASA to fake this would sound ridiculous. I would like to know how they got it all on video, however. Possibly from a satellite, I guess that got everybody watching.

I'm not sure what's in store in celebrating the occasion, but I'll keep my eyes and ears open. It's too bad space travel has had its share of goods and mostly bads since then, starting with Apollo 13. With this down economy, it will probably be a while until we see any new space achievements and accomplishments.

texting

I will admit that I'm not the biggest fan of texting. Yes, I do it, mostly during times when I'm not feeling conversational and if I know the person's hard to get ahold of I will pay a dime or two to my bill and text. At first I didn't see a point in texting, but I can now get a great perspective on why I would do it if I had to. I really don't like watching people especially people ten years younger (or older) than me text. It's not that I'm jealous, it's just that people are so in their own world all the time and I'm afraid to say this but people are just getting, well, dumb. And dumber. Okay, maybe too harsh (lol), but antisocial in person. It's unfortunate that technology is turning people into narcissism and antisocial-ness. It's also very unfortunate that people text and drive at the same time. Near my house is one of the Glen Carbon fire stations, and on the letter-sign there's always an inspiring message about safety. Last month's was 'Don't text and drive. Be safe. Death is forever..'.

And speaking of lol and dumbing things down, it's pretty much our vocabulary has been slimming down. ttyl and g2g are unfortunately becoming our language. Will our next bible or any piece of literature be translated to that? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the changing times, but jeez, people, learn how to spell words out! Sorry, it's all about decency for me. I just don't want to have a President later on who will build his campaign around those abbreviations and win.

Whoops! I forgot to link this article here on my blog, which is the reason I wrote this post in the first place: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,531684,00.html?test=latestnews It's about a teen who's walking down NY street while texting and falls into a manhole. It's tragic, but I actually laughed at first. But, for future reference, a safety tip: don't text and move at the same time.


Well, time to stop writing and go to Fan Fest today. I know it'll be a great time with my nephs and sis. Sheryl Crow and Elvis Costello were awesome last night. It was a cool night underneath the arch. The fireworks were great too.

Happy texting!

a growing concert trend

And that's bands (mostly classic) playing an entire album live. This summer sees Judas Priest and Motley Crue performing their classic albums live in concert. Just recently, when I saw Aerosmith perform almost a month ago I mentioned they played their classic album 'Toys In The Attic' from start to finish (minus 'You See Me Crying'). I honestly doubt it was a thrill for half the people who were there, but for me it was quite a thrill seeing all songs being played live in person. After all, I grew up listening to Toys in the Attic. And on top of all that, all original members (as it was back in 1975, although Whitford was not shown) having been there to perform them all was a good sight. If I do go to Crue Fest this year, I'll probably see Vince Neil and crew perform their '83 LP Girls, Girls, Girls. I can honestly say I don't really like much of the music off it, except for the title track and 'Wildside'. But its also been said they might play the Dr. Feelgood album in honor of its success and its 20th anniversary. There are plenty of other acts who are following in on this 'albums in their entirety live' trend. It was believed to have been started by Roger Waters and one of the other guys from Pink Floyd when they played the entire album of 'Dark Side of the Moon' in the right order from first to last at the Hard Rock Cafe, years ago.

So is this a good or a bad thing? I'll leave the debates open. It's too bad we'll never see Sgt. Pepper or Abbey Road done live (and obviously not Thriller!) since all four Beatles have played a part on both albums. I would love to see Supertramp perform the entirety of their 1979 'Breakfast In America' lp. But the chances of that happening are......

word and phrase origins

Just got this in my email. Sometimes its interesting to note where our daily English language comes from, or how it develops. Unfortunately, with our fading school systems and the rise of Internet terms (lol), our vocab is taking a turn for the worse. I know, I'm partly guilty of it. I thought I'd share these. I don't know if they're true; Snopes hasn't clarified any of these.


Just a little morning trivia. If not 100% accurate at least they make an interesting read.

--In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was
either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed
him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others
showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not
based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs
were to be painted. Arms and legs are 'limbs,' therefore painting them
would cost the buyer more. Hence the _expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost
you an arm and a leg.' (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult
to paint)

--As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year
(May and October) Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved
their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men
could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so
to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the
shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and
fluffy, hence the term 'big wig.' Today we often use the term 'here
comes the Big Wig' because someone appears to be or is powerful and
wealthy.

--In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a large room with only
one chair.. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and
was used for dining. The 'head of the household' always sat in the
chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a
guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair
during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in
charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the 'chair man.'
Today in business, we use the _expression or title 'Chairman' or
'Chairman of the Board.'

--Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many
women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would
spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their
complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began
to stare at another woman's face she was told, 'mind your own bee's
wax.' Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term
'crack a smile'. In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the
wax would melt . . Therefore, the _expression 'losing face.'

--Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and
dignified woman, as in 'straight laced'. . Wore a tightly tied lace.

--Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax
levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the 'Ace
of Spades.' To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards
instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were
thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't 'playing with a full
deck.'

--Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what
the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's
or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns,
pubs, and bars. They were told to 'go sip some ale' and listen to
people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were
dispatched at different times.. 'You go sip here' and 'You go sip
there.' The two words 'go sip' were eventually combined when referring
to the local opinion and, thus we have the term 'gossip.'

--At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and
quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the
customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention
and remember who was drinking in 'pints' and who was drinking in
'quarts,' hence the term 'minding your
'P's and Q's '

--One more: bet you didn't know this!
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters
carried iron cannons.. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It
was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to
prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method
devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on
four, resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30
cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the
cannon. There was only one problem....how to prevent the bottom layer
from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a
metal plate called a 'Monkey' with 16 round indentations. However, if
this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to
it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make 'Brass Monkeys..'
Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster
than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too
far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron
cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite
literally, 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' (All
this time, you thought that was an improper _expression, didn't you.)