June Old News

6/28/03

So when I moved the previous update to the old news section I became aware that we have not updated in nearly a month and a half. I appologize for that to all of you who have been checking and been consistently disappointed. The reason that I haven't updated is there's nothing to update about. I mean absolutely nothing. We have accomplished shit. So this is gonna be really long and philisophical because I gotta a lot of shit to say so.

The only thing that has happened is we have found that we have access to FREE recording equiptment. Personally I hope we take advantage of this and they take my advise and we make a completely fuckin around CD with funny videos of us doin stupid shit. But that's just what I want to do, so ya never know if they will listen to me or not. Either way I leave for Arizona in a month and a half so. Hopefully that comes through cause that'd be really cool and if it works out I'll be sure to let ya know.

Another reason we haven't accomplished anything is there's so much shit goin on. I mean in the last 48 hours I have spent 12 in car/van and 12 in a show of some kind. Warped Tour in St. Louis on Wednesday was awsome. Rancid was fucking amazing, the Mad Caddies, whom I had never heard of before, Holy Jebus they rocked ass. The Suicide Machines. Well, they started early which was bullshit cause we missed most of them but what I saw was really fuckin good. I really like them. The Unseen were good as well. Less Than Jake was good but should take this advice from me and other fans that I know. Stop playin your new shit and go back to the old school songs. That's all i have to say about that. Ska is really starting to grow on me. So Wednesday ended and Thursday came, and along with it came Anti-Flag. You can blame them for me feeling political. We went all the way to The Metro in Chicago to see them. Turns out they don't have a single good band opening for them that we saw. And I'm sorry to the guy from Static Lulaby but cutting your head by slamming the mike into it doesn't make you punk it just makes you a fuckin baby who can't take it when people don't like your band. That's why you shouldn't play metal at a punk show. But Anti-Flag was worth the $15 so it's all good.

I would also like to say to my bandmates who are also in Friday Nite, the whole Charlie situation is bullshit. Charlie is a very good freind of mine and the way all that shit unfolded wasn't cool at all. He helped make you guys what you are and you just threw him out to dry. You may be able to say that he quit but all that lead to that was basically you guys kicked him out without officially doing it. For those of you who don't know the situation. Charlie was told by Vuji that they were no longer going to play any of the songs that he sang and that they were only going to play originals. All of which, that I have heard, in my opinion suck. You may take it or leave it thats just what I think. The only songs I really liked that you did were the ones where Charlie sang because Vuji can't sing and ruins songs. And it's OK if you guys only want to do originals, but why can't Charlie sing them? Lyle and Jordan if you had nothing to do with this I'm sorry about this but if you did I just wanted you to know that it was bullshit. Vuji I'm sure this is mostly your doing but if it's not I still want to let you know how I feel about it.

Now is where I'm gonna get all political but it's what I do and what I'm good at so. I think that my only purpose in this band is for meto address things and be confrontational about the world and our country.

Now I'm sorry to everyone who doesn't like it when I get political about shit but I'm going to and that's the way that it is. I'm gonna start off by passing on a message given by Anti-Flag: "Everyone needs to fucking vote so we can get Bush out of office and start to make a change." It's so true too. One of Carl's friends said that it was pointless for Anti-Flag to address political issues because most of their listeners were to young to vote and make a difference. Well personally I think that's bullshit. The only way to make a change is to get the youth behind the cause. Changes don't happen quickly they take time and the youth is the future of this country whether people wan't to believe it or not. The only way to change something is to convince the future. That's all I have to say about that.

Next topic. Once again quoting Anti-Flag, "Why is it not called terrorism when carries out by the Untited States?" This continues on to list casualties inflicted by the Untited States on the populations of other countries.

NICARAGUA: 70,000 ; IRAQ: 1,400,000 ; EL SALVADOR: 75,000 ; VIETNAM: 3,500,000 ; AFGHANISTAN: 4,000

I'll save ya all the time and do the math for ya and in just those countries we have killed 5,049,000. That's a lot of fucking people if you ask me. Seriously. I feel bad for everyone who lost their lives or knew someone who lost their lives due to "terrorist acts." My heart goes out to them but just because a few thousand Americans are killed doesn't mean that we can kill an unlimited, exponential number of others until we feel that we have served justice. These people are no different than us. All they are doing is trying to get by day by day. I'm not saying that the terrorists have the right to kill anyone don't get me worng. I condem anyone for killing anyone. I'm just saying that the majority of the people who are killed in war aren't even soldiers but innocent civillians. People no different than those killed in the 9/11 attacks. But our government seem to think that it's OK to kill these people. Our government is constantly preaching equality while breeding hate for whomever our enemy may be at any given time.

As all of you know the Iraq situation was bullshit. As was the Afghanistan situation as far as recent history goes. The fact remains that we can't do shit about what has happened in the past. Only what will happen in the future.

The future is the only hope we have. If we don't put faith in the future's ability to make a change and do our best now to begin building the foundation for that change then it won't be long before we hear the stomping of goose-stepping boots in our own cities. We must teach the younger generations to question everything and not just swallow what they are told. I leave you with this: Never Forget the past or it will inevitably repeat its self, but our only true hope lies in the youth, the future.

If ya wanna discuss anything with me on any topic from religion to politics to music to why I am the sexiest person alive feel free to post on our message board or e-mail the band. If you want to e-mail me personally and not allow other members of the band to have access you can e-mail me at Blankenhorn_chris@hotmail.com.

CHRIS

P.S. On my e-mail address that is an underscore between blankenhorn and chris.