Breaking up is hard to do

So the band is breaking up. Ben decided he wants to go to graduate school at Florida State and he needs to focus on school and his "real" trumpet playing to do that. He also feels like he has done all he could do with PO. And that's fine more power to you for grad school but apparently "real" trumpet playing translates to...."I've decided to give up playing my own music because I don't want to anymore. I'd rather play in a cover band and make money capitolizing off of other peoples music, art, and expression, than play in a band that my friends and I pour ourselves into."

I'm pretty angry about the situation. Yeah, it's time to move on, everyone's kinda working on something else now and thats great. Really just Doug Griffey who is playing with some good friends and then the douche bag cover band. Gordo is playing in his church's praise band so that counts, I guess. As for me I'm not doing anything right now and it sucks a lot.

I think the reason that I'm pissed off is because I've watched certain people throw old ideas out the window in order to make money. Fuck it, I'm not going to sugar coat it, BEN. Yeah I said it, yeah you might at some point read this and if you do, I'm not sorry. Bro, you're one of my best friends in the universe and I'd give you a kidney if you asked, we've been through a lot together but this is one thing I can't back you up on at all, I understand you need money and shit like that, but we used to hate cover bands together, you hated them more than I did, but now that's all changed I suppose. Whatever, it's your call and I shouldn't judge so I'll stop that now.

I'm ready to start something or join up with some people but I don't want to play with idiots. I want to play with people I'm friends with and I want to play some really fun stuff. I'd liken the stuff I want to play to The Movielife, Cartel, Latterman, Jimmy Eat World, Spitalfield, and The Stryder, stuff that just makes you go damn that's fun. I want it to mean something. I want it to come from inside all of us. I want it to be Agressive and Fun, Poppy yet Punishing. Aggresive Pop? Something like that I guess. I don't know.

But lately I've been focusing on school, which is working out well I got an A on my paper in History. I've been slacking a little in my 201 class cause I've yet to buy the book, need to get on that. 250 is going well I beefed a few questions on our first test but I think I pulled a C, at least I hope and it only counts 10 percent the speeches and symopsium groups are huge. Photojournalism is going well we have our first major assignment due monday I need to get on that this weekend.

Anyway to recap the band's breaking up, I really don't like cover bands (sorry to all of you if any of you read this), and I'm ready to do something new, fun, and aggressive.

Much Love,
Zac

This post brought to you by the letter Z

So those of you who know me are well aware that I do quite a few different activities on Campus (at the University of Tennessee Knoxville). Some of these activites include but are not limited to working at the Student Aquatic Center (I'm a lifeguard), Student Government Association, Dance Marathon, I also work at the campus radio station as a DJ, and I've done a few other things here and there in my tenure here at the university.

So can anyone guess what comes along with all such activites? Anyone? Bueller? No? Ah, well of course with all activies and such comes everyone's favorite activity.....ICEBREAKERS. Now I've been playing icebreakers for 10 years literally. I'm well versed in them and generally don't mind them at all; in fact I'm probably one of the few people in exsistance who enjoys them. EXCEPT for one icebreaks/name bame in particular.

This Icebreaker would be the "Animal Name Game", yes I know its a crowd favorite, but for me its just a cruel game and has been for quite awhile. My name being Zac my options are quiet limited when playing this game. I mean I could obviously go with "Zac the Zebu" or "Zac the Zebra-Fish" but its all just going to come back to "Zac the Zebra". Same goes for when, if ever the game is played with food. "Zac the Zucchini" is again my one and only option that comes to mind.

Often regarded as just "that letter at the end of the ABCs," the Z is often shunned and pushed aside for cooler letters like R, E, and C (who by the way is an arrogant prick not like R and E who are real class acts). The Z is a proud letter being home to some real bad ass words which just wouldn't be the same without the leading letter of Z. Zone what would zone be without the z? How much would it suck to not have the phrase "I'm in the zone"? And what about Zues, the mythological God of Gods also shares the Z as the leading letter in his name. And of course the Zebra and Zucchini while my only options for name games concerning animals and food are both equally hardass. And there's also the Zepplin ever heard of Led Epplin? Hell Nah, the Z made that band (not really it just fits with the rant I don't want any Led Zepplin are the gods of rock replys). And how could anyone forget Zigs and Zags and Zeniths and Zacchius the wee little man Zippers and Zoos? Who doesn't like the Zoo? And who would want to deal with Button Fly's ALL the time? Answer: not me. And what if you wanted to say you were going to have a quick nap or go to bed, but you wanted to do it with style, well my friends your options would be quite limited without the Z and the phrase "I'm going to catch some Z's" And seriously lets get down to it it takes some balls to be the last letter in the alphabet, anyone can lead it off (although our brother the A does a great job) and (anyone can be in the middle much love b-y) but it takes a special character, namely the Z to be able to hold down the end so well and with such grace and dignity.

So I guess the whole point of this was to show you how important the Z is and ask that you show it some love and respect and say "Hey Z just because you got the short end of the stick with animal and food names, doesn't mean we don't love you just the same. Thanks for all you do Z, we love and appreciate you." I'm thinking about lobbying for a holiday to specifically show appreciation for the letter Z. Anyway I just wanted to bring some light to a very seroius topic that needs some attention the appreciate and respect of the letter Z.
And with that I will leave you as I have successfully wasted enough time to now go shower and eat.
Zac

Work Work Work, New Van, Practice, Pack, Pray

That's pretty much my to do list. I haven't written in this in a while cause I've been sick busy with work. Granted for me work consists of sitting by the pool doing stupid shit and playing "high fidelity" (which is the name for the game where you make Top 5 lists of anything). Also let this be known while lifeguarding is not a strenuous job (unless your secondary duties require you to move shit which happens often) it is a draining job, seriously try sitting up right in the sun for hours at a time and not fall asleep. But really work is good I like the pool. So I hung out with my friend the other day we went to Wal-Mart and then we watched Anchorman, it was a good time. It could have been better, but whatever. I don't think she wants to be anymore than friends at the time but that's ok with me cause she's cool. Anyway tour starts on monday. I've got to get all my shit together post haste. By that I mean pack, pack, clean the new as yet to be named van, and then buy some shit. Ok that's enough, I'm going to go watch TV.

Zac

Well, just got home from a show, it was good. It was the best crappy set we've played in a while. By that I mean we didn't play terribly, we didn't play amazingly, we entertained the crowd and all is well. I have to work at 8:30 tommorrow until 6, so that sucks. We hopefully leave for tour a week from this monday. I'm excited. I hope I have someone to call back home that's not mom and dad, well I know I could call any number of people but I'd like for someone to miss me. I know it sounds really emo, but when you're gone from home and with different people everyday, the road can get lonely. I got real lonely in Jersey last summer, I think the fact that my conversations with mom and dad consisted of "yeah tour is great ok yeah I've still got money, yeah I'm eating and showering, yeah its amazing I'm having a blast, tell Josh I said hey, love you bye" It kinda started to get to me. But I wouldn't trade tour for anything, except maybe the ability to fly. But even then it would be a toss up. So that's tour, I'm going to write letters and postcards and emails as much as possible. So no new developments on the forefront that I spoke of last time. AND that's all I'm going to say about that, I don't want to talk about it to much. Anyway I'm going to go to bed.
Zac

Warning EMO post ahead

I went to Roane County today....don't ask why. Don't ask why I had a good time either. I want finals to be over. The new Fall Out Boy album is really good, I don't know if I like it as much as the first one. I think it could have been over hyped, I need to not listen to it for a few days then come back to it, like I did brand new's "Deja Entendu". Did I mention I had a good time today, even though I got absolutely nothing accomplished? Cause I did.

Shit is WEUHD!

Man, shit is weird. Plain and simple we played an unusual set tonight. Well not really, I just hate playing for an audience that is literally almost mocking us. Namely sorority girls on their senior pub crawl. It was dumb, I had a great time playing other wise. Espo you get double bonus cool points for skanking next to the dumb whores. So the other night I stayed up til 7 in the morning writing a paper for Freedom of Speech, I've actually learned a lot in that class, which is always a great thing. So technically I should be graduating college right now. I'm in my fourth year and that's what normally goes down, but I never planned on graduating in 4 years. What's after college, for most people its the real world and the real world doesn't suit me just yet. Hopefully even after I graduate I'll get into grad school and delay that crap a little longer. So on that subject I've been seeing people that I knew my freshman year like crazy the past couple of days, tonight alone I saw this girl named Katie, arguably one of the first people I ever met at UT. She is also arguably one of the coolest even though I don't really know her. I wish I would have gotten to, she was always super cool. I saw her tonight and we had that akward eye contact like I know you do you know me and then she finally said "do you remember me?" and then I said, "hell yeah I remember Katie from NC." She was floored, it was cool. I like moments like that. She's a genuine person, from what I can tell. I wish more people were like that. It's a shame I didn't get to know her better while she was in school. Well maybe somehow we'll keep in touch. Oh well, next story, Went to OCI after our show tonight to hang out with Doug, Ben, and some other people. When I walked in I was standing at the front looking for them and this douche bag frat-tastic mother fucker goes "This aint you're type of place." Now part of me wanted to go "you're right I don't pay for my friends, or use alcohol to get women to talk to me" but I didn't I simple said "yeah you're probably right and kept on walking." The more I think about that statement the more I wish I would have said something to provoke him and get into a fight. Oh well. In roughly 48 hours or so, ska weekend will be under way. I can't wait to see all my friends in bands this weekend, I Voted For Kodos, Suburban Legends, High School Football Heroes, Too Short Notice, the list goes on. I'm wicked stoked. In roughly a week, I'll be done with class for another semester. In roughly two weeks, I'll be on tour, broke as a joke, playing the music I love to genuine people who will hopefully give a damn. And that brings us full circle in the post and thus sends me to bed feeling satisfied.

This is the final countdown

I still don't understand this thing. But I keep posting in it anyway. Right so improtant information. I'm watching the patriot, Mel Gibson is about to destroy some redcoats. This movie is amazing. Anyway more information and thoughts that aren't stupid. I've only got one more paper to write for the rest of the year. I'm excited about that. It's going to be a tough paper cause its for Freedom of Speech 469 and ol' Norma Cook doesn't fuck around. By the way I need someone to educate me on the finer points of using a semicolon, because I've never understood when to use it. So the title of this post was the final countdown, countdown to what? Ska weekend, its this saturday, Ben's nervous and that makes me nervous. I just hope 2000 people come out so we can buy a van. I can't wait to finish that paper tommorrow and then destroy my three take home tests and then put the hammer down on the two finals I have. And be done with school. Although I really do like school because it gives me something other than work to do everyday. So I've been working on some new songs, they are shaping up nicely, the guys seem to like them. And that's what its all about making music that makes us happy. So a lot of people I know are graduating, I'll probably never see them again. It's weird to think that. I'll see the ones who matter. Ok so good post. That's all.

how it goes

So I've kinda gotten in the habit of posting on this thing. I don't know if thats good or bad, well anyway, the only person to ever read this is Espo, but I dont really care its a good way for me to get my thoughts out there and out of my head so thats good, so I guess I'll keep doing it.

I went to the mall today with this girl, who seems really cool. We are currently just friends seeing as how she's kinda seeing this other guy, with whom I am aquantices with...yeah weird, but I'm not doing anything other than just hanging out with her, we didnt even hug, I'm not about to step into that kind of drama. BUT She doesnt seem too optimistic about their future though and she asks me to do things with her occasionally which is fun. But I'm not going to press the issue, I'm going to just do what feels right and go with that, I'm done over analyzing things about relationships. It's to much damn trouble, (see: the commonwealth). PLUS I'm going on tour in may and I'll be gone for a month the last thing I need to do is to get into a relationship right now. As the wise philospher Rick B. from I Voted For Kodos once told me, "Yeah I've got a not girlfriend right now." When I inquired further on the matter Rick informed me that the not girlfriend is the ideal situation for a touring music. The not girlfriend can be likened to the friend with benefits. The NG is a girl you can hang out with, do things with, etc. but is NOT your GIRLFRIEND. You can call her and talk to her when you get lonely in podunk colorado but she is NOT your GIRLFRIEND. Rick went into further detail and since he is a wise man I've always taken his advice to heart.

So that's that, I'm just going to roll with it. I've got a group project tommorrow I def. have started doing much of my part. I'm supposed to talk about the Music Scene in Knoxville for no more than 5 min. Yeah so if I can't do that right now for at least 30 then something is wrong.

I'm currently listening to Aqualung, british piano rock stuff. I like it. It's chillax. I'm aslo listening to Huey Lewis and the News, Phil Collins, and Eddie Money. I like 80s pop-rock, not because its trendy to like 80spop-rock, but because 80s pop-rock albeit over the top at times is really catchy and relaxing. It's also carefree and a bit of a palet cleanser after listening to rock and roll so much.

Oh yeah, Ryan and Samantha got engaged. Crazy, I also saw this girl who I used to write songs about the other night. It was a little akward. Anyway I've written enough for now, I'm going to play my new sweet guitar.

Zac

Rock Fest

You know what I hate? Sloppy drunks, I just hate them. I can't stand it, and it's like they don't even care. It's low class. Just to clarify I'm talking about the people who get really loud and obnouxious when they are drunk. I won't name any of their names. On the other hand I have no problem at all with cool drunks, for instance my friends Jeff, Cameron, and Brad. All cool drunks, when they get drunk all they do is talk your ear off and laugh a lot. They don't scream or act like fucking idiots because they've got some alcohol in them.
I also hate pseudo-todds with acoustic guitars who think that they are cool. Along with that I hate stacys who worship said pseudo todds.
We played a show the other night at Java with My Lost Cause. I straight up fell down, like had a total wipe out. It was terrible, but I recovered well, my amp is permanatly scarred though. MLC rocked it and we played well minus a bunch of little crap that kept making me mad, like getting shocked from the mic, not being able to hear anything, my guitar feeding back, the fall etc.
I'm def. listening to Huey Lewis and the News. It's bed time I've got to bull shit some crap for a group project in the morning.

Money, Money, RAIN

So I bought a guitar yesterday, which translates to I spent to much damn money. Oh well, I'm to young and life's to short to worry about that crap. It's raining like crazy, CRAZY.

Why the fuck did I just make one of these damn things that I'll never use?

Why, the fuck did I just make one of these damn blogs that I know I'm never going to use. Oh wait I know, because I really dont want to do my fucking school work. I think I'm just going to post here when I get really pissed off and need to use the word fuck a whole bunch.