Spend The Holidays With Sweaty, Half Naked Dudes

I went to see "The Wrestler" on Xmas day. After seeing it, it's definitely high up in my top films of 2008. Go see it. It's more than worth it and the performances by Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei are nothing short of spectactular.

Since I Have Nothing Better To Do On Company Time...

You know you are from Chicago when:

You - correctly - don't pronounce the "s" at the end of Illinois.
You become irate at people who do.
You measure distance in minutes.
You have no problem spelling or pronouncing "Des Plaines".
Your school classes were canceled because of excessive cold.
Your school classes were canceled because of excessive heat.
You've even had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
Stores don't have sacks, they have bags.
You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it no matter what time of the year.
You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?" or "If you go to the mall I wanna go with."
You can locate Illinois on the United States map.
Your idea of a really great tenderloin is when the meat is at least twice as big as the bun and accompanied only by ketchup and a dill pickle slice.
You install security lights on your house and garage and then leave both unlocked.
When asked how your trip was to any foreign, exotic place, you say, "It was different."
You carry jumper cables in your car.
You know what the numbers I-80, 55, and 90 mean.
You realize that I-290, I-90, I-94, and I-294 are all different roads.
You refer to any interstate highway as "the Tollway" or else "the expressway."
You know the given names of the interstates, i.e.: Stevenson, Kennedy, Eisenhower, Dan Ryan.
You refer to anything south of I-80 as "Southern Illinois".
You refer to Lake Michigan as "The Lake".
You refer to Chicago as "The City".
No matter where you are, when you hear the term "Downtown" you immediately assume they are talking about Downtown Chicago.
You find yourself referring to the central business district of any city you happen to be in as "The Loop."
You have two favorite football teams: The Bears and anyone who beats the Green Bay Packers.
A brawl over which Chicago baseball team is better breaks out every year at your neighborhood block party
Even though you live 3 hours south, you still buy "The Trib."
You know what goes on a Chicago Style Hot Dog.
You know what Chicago Style Pizza is -- and feel pity for those that don't, and with good reason!
You know why they call Chicago "the Windy City".
You understand what "lake-effect" means.
You know the difference between Amtrack and Metra, and know which station they end up at.
You have ridden an "L" (elevated train).

Best Metal Videos Of 2008

I hardly watch music videos these days, but thanks to Youtube and people's reccomendations, here are my top 5 most Metal videos of 2008:

By the way, videos are not a substitute to seeing these awesome bands live.

Get it?

Lair of the Minotaur-War Metal Battlemaster
What makes it so Metal: warriors, weapons, naked zombie girls



Amon Amarth-Twilight of the Thundergod
What makes it so Metal: vikings, epic sea voyages, lots of fire



Enslaved-The Watcher
What makes it so Metal: epic Viking themes, tall cliffs, evil mist



Toxic Holocaust-Wild Dogs
What makes it so Metal: toxic waste, abandoned nuclear warehouse, post apocalyptic feel



Municipal Waste-Sadistic Magician
What makes it Metal: explosions, corrossive chemicals, camp 80's movie references

Kuma's Doom Fest

Everyone's favorite Chicago Metal burger place, Kuma's Corner, is having the 1st ever Kuma's Doom Fest in 2 weeks! This will benefit a number of charities so it's more than a good reason to go bang your head to the heaviest Chicago Metal show of the year.

Metal Shows To Go: December 2008

Every month, I will be posting shows that I plan to attend during the course of that particular month. I hope to see you Chicago metalbangers out there!!!

12/05/08 Gates of Slumber, Demiricous The Horde, The Muzzler @ Metal Shaker
12/06/08 Bible of the Devil, Imperial Battlesnake, Bloodcow, Midnight @ Cobra Lounge FREE
12/13/08 Hewhocorrupts Inc. Holiday Party feat. Sweet Cobra, Hewhocorrupts, Brokedowns, Canadian Rifle @ Mutiny FREE
12/20/08 Kuma's Fest feat. Kongh, Samothrace, Indian, Ol' Scratch, Minsk, Beneath Oblivion, Rue, Ganon, Rabid Rabbit, Drug Honkey @ Double Door
12/27/08 Holidays of Horror 2008 feat. Macabre, Cianide, Elfvis, Spare Change @ Empty Bottle

Previous Melvins Poster

Here is an official poster I did for the Melvins/Big Business show at Reggie's last Nov. 20th. After years of getting screwed over of not getting to see the Melvins live, I was offered a chance to design a poster and that was my ticket to finally seeing these legends live, and they didn't dissapoint. In celebration of this milestone, I'm having a free download of the poster available. It's a hi-res 11x17 JPEG so if you want to download it and print it for your wall, go right ahead, just right click and save. Hope everyone had a great Turkey weekend!

Monday Monster Mania

Tonight, I shall be go attend a screening of a Swedish vampire film called "Let The Right One In". I've read a lot of good reviews for this film and I am going on a limb to say that this is definitely be way more worthwile to watch than that other vampire movie that came out, Twilight. Besides, Swedes by default can make any horror film grimmer and more frostbitten.



On another note, Indian versions of American music videos are a fucked up mix of uber cheesiness and WTFology. Their version of Michael Jackson's thriller looks like a vision of some dude who was watching that on Indian MTV while on shrooms.