On a relatively last-minute whim, I flew home to Massachusetts to spend some time with my family. Between my two young nieces growing up at a furious pace and my dad and uncle continuing to solve the world's problems well into their 90s, I was massively looking forward to the ...

Remember when the Dixie Chicks got all feisty and said that they were ashamed that then-President George Bush was from their state of Texas? If so, then you surely remember the military-grade ass-plowing they took from Red Staters. I now invite each and every person who excoriated those artists for ...

  NOTICE: The following blog was written off-the-cuff and it has not been proofread. Blog may contain material considered boring, tangential or repetitive. The opinions herein are of no practical or inspirational use to anyone. By proceeding to the blog proper, the reader assumes responsibility all emotional consequences for subjecting themselves ...

To follow up on my announcement on Twitter today, I have enthusiastically accepted the position of music editor of Tiger Beat magazine. I'm thrilled to be able to report on the vital, culturally-potent music that is shaping not just the hearts of today's youth, but that is the cornerstone of ...

Weekend was crazy. Crazy, man. Interviewed Slayer's drummer Dave Lombardo on Friday afternoon while sitting by a hotel pool just off of Hollywood Boulevard. Surreal. The two of us rocked black jackets, black t-shirts and shades, conspicuously separating us from the shirtless, pasty-hued Big Ten guys doing cannonballs into the pool. Yesterday I ...

  I've got to know--why in the hell do you insist on splattering your political bullshit all over Facebook? Here's the thing that you need to chew and digest: you aren't changing a thing. Certainly not anyone's mind, anyway. See, if we already agree with you, then you're just preaching to the ...

I'm officially sick and tired of writing about dead musicians. Of course, we're at a time in history when these things are picking up momentum like a snowball rolling down Big Bear. Although the first real pop stars emerged in the 50s, the 60s saw the explosion of adoration of rock ...

Some of the regulars here have heard the stories of my dad, who, at 95 years old, is still going strong, walking a couple miles a day when weather permits and calling the occasional radio talk show to share his theories on shrubbery and the price of fish. Yesterday while I ...

I've alternately heard that both good and bad things happen in threes. I remember my buddy Joe Mac once saying to me, "Jesus, I'm glad I don't have a dog," after losing both a girlfriend and a job in one week. Looking back, I think that tragedy did ultimately knock ...

I came home late on Friday night and Cabo, my furry golden retriever was waiting for me. I had to push the door lightly because as I was entering, she was pushing her nose through from the other side, trying to meet me halfway. As I gently nudged Cabo back ...