The New Black Friday Rule

Have I got a Black Friday Deal for you! You don't have to wait in line all night to save a few dollars. Want to hear this deal? STAY HOME! Enjoy the time off. Sleep late and cuddle with you spouse. Get down on the floor and play with your kids. Take the whole family for a morning walk and then cook breakfast together. Talk to your grandparents, you will miss them when they are gone, or even scarier talk to your parents. Don't waste your time and money fighting to save a few dollars on things you don't really need. If you needed them you probably would already have them. RELAX and ENJOY the holiday

Save the Internet!

Hopefully this will be the last political thing I write for awhile, but if you don't stand up and protect your rights, "They" will try to take them from you.



I want creative people to be paid for their work. I do. Just not at the expense of my freedom of speech. I think the Internet has become a huge tool in the area of human expression. To give the government the ability to shut down or edit websites for "fear" that some one, some where, might see a movie or hear a song for free is insane. This bill is so vague in its wording that it will give 1984ish powers to the government to control the flow of information on the Internet. And that is what these seems like to me, an attempt to legalize the control of information on the World Wide Web. If you don't want the government to have control over what you do with your body, why would to trust them to have control over what you know with your mind.
Contact your Congress Person & your Senator and tell them no to S.O.P.A and the Protect IP act.

Dragon Age: Redemption

I'm not a gamer. But I respect the creativity that goes into video games. Now video games are inspiring people to create shows. Street Fighter has a short fan film called Legacy, that is better than either movie based on the game. Mortal Kombat has a short series, also called Legacy, that is pretty freak'n cool. Then there is mind bending awesomeness of the Portal short that came out a few months ago. Now Dragons Age has a prequel to their new game. This series was written, produced, and stars the uber geek goddess, Felicia Day!

The End of an Era...Or the beginning of a Revolution...

So early this morning, NYPD evicted the Occupy Wall Street protesters from Zuccotti Park. They said it was health and safety reason. This effectively ends the two month protest that started there and then spread across the country, then the world.The fact that cities are now working together to oppose the Occupy Movement, seems to legitimise the movement. Like the old saying goes, "judge a man by the quality of his enemies." By no means do I think that this eviction will last, but it is good moment to reflect on the Occupy/99% movement so far.

I got mixed feeling about the whole Occupy movement.

I applaud the sheer number of people who stood up and said The System is broken. Because it is. The Rich are getting Richer and the Poor are getting Poorer. And for the first time in 400 years the middle class is shrinking.

Why are giant companies and institutions getting bailed out with our money? Why do these mega-corps that make Billions in profit not have to pay taxes? Have these huge companies just bought off our government? How does a company like BP still make billions in profit after destroying the ecology of an entire region? I know these are complex issues that don't have a simple answer. But they are questions that need to be asked. More importantly, they are question that need to be addressed by our political official. Because, at least in theory, they represent us the people. And the people are angry. That should scary the shit of the 1%, including most of our politicians. Because when the number of the poor and hungry become to great, the poor and hungry will start to eat the rich.

Still the 99% movement has problems. The movement doesn't have a goal or any type of organization. It is just people, alot of people, scream that the system is broken. They don't seem to have anything better to replace it. Criticism is easy, getting out there and creating a replacement is going to be the real work. Do they want to convert to Communism? Socialism? Darwinism? To have total debt forgiveness or set the credit ratings back to 0? Currently, they are like a man watching his house burn down. Instead of picking up a shovel or hose to fight it, they are just talking about the fire. It is all very passive for a political movement, which is probably why politicians in Washington DC treat it like a joke.

Still we live in the information age. If all these people across the world could be pulled together, including the revolutions that are taking place in the Middle East, I think alot of change could get made. We all want a better world, so let try to make it! That leave the question of, How and into What???

Bit of a Nerd Moment or two.......

Sorry, thought this was pretty cool. All of this was fan made, and it will help if you know some DW history.

Dalek Tales: Eps 1


Dalek Tales: Eps 2


Dalek Tales will be continued....or so they say

Dr. Who Anima


Again everything here is fan made and not by me. But is fun to watch!

No. 26

I don't like to write about Politic to much, but this legitimately scares me.

If you don't know what Amendment/Constitutional Initiative #26, it state:

Initiative #26 would amend the Mississippi Constitution to define the word “person” or “persons”, as those terms are used in Article III of the state constitution, to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof.

Now, just for the record, I must state that I am against abortion as a form of birth control. But, one of the most important things to me, are my rights and freedoms. I can't stand by while any social, religious, or governmental body dictates to me what I can or can't do with my body. That probably sounds strange coming from a guy, but to limit my choices and/or my doctors choices is just stupid. That is why it is call "pro-choice" and not "pro-abortion".

While this law might be meant as an anti-abortion law, it isn't. As I read it, anything that would hurt a fetus would be criminal. That is one of the BIG problems with this law. It is vague and open for interpretation. Birth control pills, life saving surgeries, fertilization practices could become a crime or at least open to criminal investigation. A miscarriage might be seen as murder and the law also make no provision for the welfare of the mother.

There is also a serious flaw in the logic of the conservative right that is backing this law. This will not end abortion. Abortion did not magicial appear because of Roe vs Wade. Records of abortion go back at least as far as ancient Greece. All the end of medical abortions will do is drive it underground. The rise of unsafe and unsanitary abortion practices will take their place. Everything from wire hangs into the uterus, to needles full of salt water directly to the fetus have been used in the past. They will be used again. This will not only endanger the fetus but the mother as well.

Another factor, and this one just pisses my off, is Personhood USA isn't from Mississippi. They are from Colorado. Where this law was defeated twice. So they moved the fight here. Why? We are last in education & health care, but lead the nation in poverty, teen pregnancy & infant mortality. We are also a highly conservative state with a large religious base. They came here because they think we are uneducated religious fanatics. Except many religious (Catholics, Episcopalians) and conservative group (Like the State Republican Governor) have come out against this law, as has every major medical group. But there is a very real chance this could pass.

That lead to my next problem, Who will care for all these new children? Conservatives in general are for smaller government. Yet, the passage of this law will see the need to double or triple the size of social services in Mississippi. Who will pay for all of this? You and Me. The tax payers of this state. I wish that everyone who votes Yes on this, became legally responsible for taking in and raising all the new children. I think they might be less inclined to vote for it, if they had to be held directly accountable for it.

So, if the newly fertilized eggs are now people, do they count on the census? Can we included them on our taxes? Would we grant citizenship to a fetus, if born from illegal immigrant parents? Will it effect the tax base? Will people want to move to or stay in a state that limits their health options?

There are to many, "ifs", "maybes" and "could bes" in this law. It is any attempt to legislate morality, based on small, narrow minded, but vocal group. Historical speaking that has always turned out well *cough* Nazi Germany.

All this law will do is limit the rights of women in Mississippi. If you are going to take rights away from women, how long is it till they legalize lynch of African Americans again? Or the public beating of Homosexuals? When you start removing rights of one group, how long will it be before they remove the rights of all groups.

The Lost Writing #2

Same as before, I got an interview and the JFP & a few others turned it down. I did the interview about mid-September for an October 1st show here in Jackson.

Scott H Biram Interview

Scott H Biram, as his website puts it is, “no candy-ass singer/songwriter …, sweetly strumming songs about girls with big eyes and dusty highways. HELL NO!!! His singing, yodeling, growling, leering and brash preachin’ and hollerin’ is accompanied by sloppy riffs and licks from his 1959 Gibson guitar and pounding backbeat brought forth by his amplified left foot.” He is also the second feature artist in Ardenland Productions Duling Hall concert series here in Jackson.

Biram’s music has been described as everything from depression era death metal to the missing link between Hank Williams Sr. and Slayer. This has earned him a wide audience around the world. He has played all over the United States and Europe for over a decade. His music has been feature in TV shows like Dog the Bounty Hunter and Sons of Anarchy, plus movies like The Darwin Awards, Seven Signs: Music, Myth and the American South and The Folk Singer: A Tale of Men, Music and America. Artists like Hank Williams III, Nashville Pussy, and Shooter Jennings have covered or featured Biram’s music on their albums.

As he prepares for his south eastern United States tour, I got to speak with him about his past, what he is working on now and about his first time playing Jackson.

Musically speaking what were your influences growing up and how have they helped form your sound?

Influences are all over the place. I’m a pretty big music connoisseur. My dad got me listening to a lot of great music when I was a kid. I grew up listening to Leadbelly, Doc Watson, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and you name it. Then thru high school and stuff like that, I liked And Still the Day and all the punk rock standards. Black Flag was a big influence on me. I learn to play guitar listening to old Metallica records. I got a lot of family members that played instruments too when I was a kid.
As far as becoming a one man band or getting into the kind of music that I play, I was in punk rock band all in high school. And then blue grass bands in college, then it all kinda melted together and turned into whatever the hell it has turned into. People ask me what my music sound like, its hard to say, but I tell I’m a good cross between Jerry Reed, Bill Monroe, Muddy Waters and Black Flag.


You touched on being a one man band, what are the advantages and disadvantages of being a one man band? Do you miss playing with other musician as a band?

All the time. Its one thing when you are on stage when you are in a band and something really cool happens. You can look over at your buddy and get a grin on everybody, knowing that you pulled something off. But there is nobody up there to look at but the crowd, and they are usually drunk. But the advantage is definitely, freedom to do whatever I want. I don’t have to find a practice space; I can sing to myself in the car or play my guitar in the living room or whatever. I don’t have to split the money; I can switch songs in the middle of a song if I want to and play something else. The disadvantages are I have to carry all this shit myself. I got my friend Skinny Mini that helps load in and out, that helps. I got more stuff than most three piece bands and it’s just me. Sometimes I wish I was just a folk singer, but I would be playing at coffee shops and I don’t care for that to much.

Do you ever think about forming or playing with a band?

I have people play on a lot of my records. The Black Diamond Heavies, they’re friends of mine, played on my last record, and we did a full band set up. Then we toured together, they would leave their stuff on stage, then I would play my show, then at the end they would come up and we would play three or four songs together. I get asked this question a lot, I would put together a band, it just has to be the right thing and the right circumstance. Right now this one man band thing is working out pretty good, I’m holding my own.

In 2003, you were in a head on collision with an 18 wheeler, how did that effect you and your music?

It’s something that happened, it hurt and it messed up my body pretty bad. I got rods and pins in all my limbs except my left arm but I can still walk. I’m grateful for that, thankful for being here most of the time. I got a people coming up to me and saying ‘I don’t know how you did it, that’s crazy. How you get through that?’ Anybody would get through it. You just got to do what you got to do.

You are known to be a fan of the “Truck Driver lifestyle”. How did that come about?

It’s a few things, I have always worn these trucker hats sense I was a little kid. My grandfather always wore them. I use to play on the CB all the time when I was a kid. I really like the way that sound is, the way it sounds coming out of the CB radio mic. Being on the road all the time, staring straight down the highway, pretty much constantly, year round. I have found that being a musician on the road is very similar to being a trucker on the road. You are driving somewhere everyday for long period of time. You got to get there and unload. The only difference is I got to play a show at the end too.
I like truck drivers. Sometimes I wish they would get the hell out of my way or stop trying to run me over. For the most part I like truck drivers.

You have a new album coming out on October 11th, is there anything you want to say about it? Anything new and different on it?

It’s similar to my other records. I think ever record I have put out so far, it kinda steps up to other level each time, another notch. I’m learning more about production and honing my song writing skills. I’ve been writing songs since I was seven or eight year’s old and playing guitar for 25 years or something like that. It gets better and better ever time I think. I worked really hard on this one. I think the collection of songs I came up with are pretty good. We are doing a lot more promotional stuff this time.
We just shot the second video the other day in Kentucky. The first one we film “Want My Mojo Back”, I just saw that one today, it looks pretty good. We put out a seven inch vinyl single, with a B side that is not going to be on the record. It comes with a downloadable track that is not on the record. The LP when it comes out will have some extra download stuff, extra songs. I went in thinking I was going to record 12 songs and I ended up with 23. So I had to cut it down to 13. Now we are just using the extras as bonus tracks.

Is there anything you look forward to about playing in Jackson?

I’m on the road 150 tour dates a year, I have only played in Mississippi like four times and it has always been in Hattiesburg, I’m glad to be hitting Jackson, and getting out there. I’ve never been there, I’ve driven through it, I’m excited to play some blues in real blues country. I look forward to play some new song, preview them for ya’ll.

You can come out and see the show at 662 Duling Street on October 1st, at 9pm.
Get tickets for $10 at the coliseum box office or at ticketmaster.com. For more information call 601-292-7121 or visit www.ardenland.net
You can get a free song from the new album Bad Ingredients at http://www.scottbiram.com to get a preview of what the show will be like.

The Lost Writings #1

So I am trying my hand at being a freelance music writer.
I went out and got one interview on my own and was assigned one bye the JFP editors.
Strangely, neither one was published. There are/will be alot of reason for this. Some are my fault, some are editorial decision that are beyond me, some will probably be a fucked up situation outside of anyones control. But Whatever!
This first one is for a show that is happening here in Jackson on Friday. Enjoy!

If there is a phrase to describe Graham Colton, that phrase is, “Down to Earth”. Talking to the man is less like talking to a musician and more like talking to a buddy after work while catching a beer. Still, Graham has led a very story book life. He was once a high school football star; now is a successful touring musician and environmental activist.

Graham was born in late 1981 in Oklahoma City, where he went to high school at the Heritage Hall School. He was the football teams quarter back and led the school to an undefeated state championship with his friend and teammate Wes Welker, who is currently a wide receiver for the New England Patriots. After high school, Graham went to Southern Methodist University, where he played local bars, pubs and coffee house. With this local fan base, he recorded his first demo that eventually came into the hands of the Counting Crow’s Adam Duritz who asked him to open for them on tour. After that, Graham and his band opened for Better than Ezra, Train, John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, and Kelly Clarkson. He has played on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and the Today Show. His music has been featured on TV channels like HBO, ABC Family, and Oprah’s TV network.

Graham is currently on tour to support his album, Pacific Coat Eyes vol. 2,with his Go Natural tour. He is currently crossing the south eastern U.S. doing stripped down, intimate shows. He is doing all this while promoting Compressed Natural Gas as a fuel source for his tour. You can follow his tour diary and blog at CNGnow.com. We caught up to him the night before his tour started.

Growing up what were your musical influences?

The biggest influences I had were the bands that I had when I got my drivers license. I remember when I was 16 and I left the DMV and I sort of had that moment of freedom. I put the Counting Crows record in there and bands like the Wallflowers, any thing that was post-grunge. I just felt like these are groups that resembled the classic, greats. People like Tom Petty and The Beatles. It was definitely ironic that bout five, six years later I was touring with most of these people. So it was just one of those things that, early on I got to live out my dreams.

Who are you listening to now?

It definitely changes. One of my favorite artists is a Mississippi guy, Charlie Mars.. I’ve know Charlie forever. We have been doing it awhile, but consider ourselves new artists. I definitely always have Tom Petty in the ipod. A band called Dawes and an artist called Kathleen Edwards, who in my opinion is, as close the next Tom Petty as you are going to get. And she is a girl.

How did you transition from high school quarter back to musician and how does that influence your music?

Growing up in Oklahoma, its kinda like a religion down here, same as the south, playing football is what you do. But for me I loved Friday nights more than I loved practice. My passion was always music, I was always thinking about where I was going to play after the game and on Saturday night. Wes would help me round up my friends when I would play at a Mexican restaurant every Saturday night after the game.

I get interviewed a lot about Wes and my story, we had a very “Friday Night Lights” kind of experience. We won the state title and went undefeated. It was a really magical time because it is like being in a band; you are right next to your friends. You are competing. It wasn’t just the stuff on the field that finds its way into songs. There is nothing like being in high school and playing sports with your buddies, the comrade is second to none. In a way being on tour feels like that. Going into these towns and being on stage, it is just a great experience.

You have toured with a lot of big name and diverse acts, both solo and with your band. Has time on the road affected your outlook and songwriting?

I think as I was just starting out, getting to go out on tour with the Counting Crows for off and on two years. Fortunately, when you spend that much time with any band you are going to absorb the best of what they do. And fortunately Counting Crows, in my opinion, is one of the best bands of all times. Bands like them and Better than Ezra are huge, big brother to me. Between them and Counting Crows, I would say I wear their influence on my sleeve. I think you will hear a lot of those bands in my music and you know what I don’t really apologies for it. I learned so much from those guys and still kinda ride their coat tails. It’s a big part of the songs that I’m writing now.

Have you always been environmental conscience or is that a more recent cause?


It has always been part of my life, but I have never taking a stand like this before. To be honest it really started kinda backward for me. When you are an artist like me, and there are many artists and bands out there at my level. As CD sales don’t do what they use to anymore, the business itself is at such a time of change, you got to do what you can to get your music to people. The way that I have found is you got to keep touring. With the price of gas it is really hard for guys like me to gas up the van, with the guys, and go from town to town for a long period of time when you are paying fours bucks a gallon. I got to thinking, what can I do to be a voice for other musicians, as you know, there are not many other business where guys tour around in planes, trains and automobiles. I approached the CNGnow.com people here in Oklahoma and told them what I want to do. I felt like it was a good marriage of educating people bout the environmental positive of natural gas and also to be honest, it is easier on the pocket book.


Are you meeting with fans before or after shows to promote it?

The coolest thing is, all this is meant to be, obviously I am not playing arenas yet. It is going to be intimate venues, small clubs, and theaters. So much of what I do is about just getting to talk to people. I definitely feel like, every show I do I talk to people after the show. If I can throw out some information and some statistics on how much money I am saving and how much better it is for the environment, maybe people will be a voice and we can make some changes.

Come catch Graham Colton with Matthew Mayfield play at Hal n Mal’s Red Room on November 4th. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Yeah, I know. Hunter S Thompson, I'm not!

So What Happened to ROCKtober???

The simple answer is Life happened.
When I started doing ROCKtober a few years ago, I had less going on in my life.
Now, I have a completely different type of job, a full time girlfriend, I'm raising a puppy, I am trying to run everyday to prepare for the Warrior Dash in April, I have a "second job" as a freelance music writer, and a few other project that I am not ready to talk about yet.
I just ran out of time and energy.