Wednesday, February 26, 2014

There's a disorder for that

It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) it's considered a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer.

So for everyone who's breaking their relationships or getting in fights and just feel like killing someone for no reason we're here to help. Actually I'm really lazy the Huffington Post is here to help with 6 ways to defeat SAD.

Here's how to defeat Seasonal Affective Disorder:
  • Get exposure to outdoor light. Yes, even though its cold, get outside and walk for at least 10 minutes a day. Light enters the brain through the eyes and impacts serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters that play a role in mood.
  • Get moving. Head to the gym and exercise. Aerobic exercise in particular stimulates endorphins and can help you to feel better. It's also a good way to burn stress and if you're exercising in a gym or part of a group it provides social interaction which also helps with depression.
  • Get out of town. A weekend trip to warmer climates can work wonders. I advise all my patients who are prone to SAD to plan, if affordable, a weekend getaway to Florida or the Caribbean. It gives the person something to look forward to when they might otherwise dwell on the long cold winter and it provides a healthy dose of sunshine and warmth.
  • Get closer to the window. If possible arrange your office so that your desk is closer to the outside and to sunshine. This will provide natural light which will also help to enhance your mood. If this isn't possible consider a light therapy box. This is a device that creates an artificial light mimicking natural light.
  • Get social. As with other mood disorders surrounding yourself with understanding, supportive, and encouraging people can help lift your spirits. Find people whom you trust and lean on them for support and plan such activities as movies and dinners.
  • Change your attitude about winter. Rather than dreading it and seeing it as a long endless season, see it as an opportunity to get involved with new activities. Perhaps skiing, sledding, or ice skating are fun activities worth trying with your friends. Embrace those things that are only available for a limited time every year.

Monday, February 24, 2014

CLASSIC ALBUM SPOTLIGHT: MASTER OF PUPPETS

I'm going to get real personal on this one. In 1987 my older brother sat me down and told me I needed to listen to Master of Puppets by Metallica. I was young but I really wanted to start playing guitar and after listening to Master of Puppets just once there wasn't a doubt in my mind that playing guitar is what I wanted to do. I wasn't even a teenager yet and I just started digesting everything heavy metal after that. This is the record and Metallica is the band that made me who I am today. As for Metallica, at the start of the touring process they opened for Ozzy, it was the last time Metallica ever went on tour as a support act. Unfortunately it was while on tour in Europe later that year in support of this album that Metallica were involved in a bus accident that killed then bassist Cliff Burton. That makes this record even more important as we hear the peak of one of metal's greatest players.

Artist: Metallica

Album: Master of Puppets

Release Date: February 24, 1986

Recommended Listening: Battery, Master of Puppets, The Thing That Should Not Be, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Disposable Heroes, Leper Messiah, Orion, Damage Inc. (Yes I know that's the entire track listing)

(Album artwork from Elektra Records)

"Even though Master of Puppets didn't take as gigantic a leap forward as Ride the Lightning, it was the band's greatest achievement, hailed as a masterpiece by critics far outside heavy metal's core audience. It was also a substantial hit, reaching the Top 30 and selling three million copies despite absolutely nonexistent airplay."

Thursday, February 13, 2014

The Loudwire Music Awards

Since I've been talking about this on the air here are the winners of the 3rd annual Loudwire Music Awards. The full polls and even a thanks from Skillet can be found here


Best Rock Album of 2013: Skillet, ‘Rise’
Best Metal Album of 2013: Bring Me the Horizon, ‘Sempiternal’
Best Rock Song of 2013: Avenged Sevenfold, ‘Hail to the King’
Best Metal Song of 2013: Black Sabbath, ‘God Is Dead?’
Best Rock Video of 2013: Thirty Seconds to Mars, ‘City of Angels’
Best Metal Video of 2013: Black Sabbath, ‘God Is Dead?’
Best Live Act of 2013: Steel Panther
Rock Titan of 2013: Corey Taylor (Stone Sour / Slipknot)
Rock Goddess of 2013: Maria Brink (In This Moment)
Best Vocalist of 2013: Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge / Slash)
Best Guitarist of 2013: Synyster Gates (Avenged Sevenfold)
Best Bassist of 2013: Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead)
Best Drummer of 2013: Jeremy Spencer (Five Finger Death Punch)
Best Rock Band of 2013: Avenged Sevenfold
Best Metal Band of 2013: Black Sabbath
Best New Artist of 2013: Device
Most Devoted Fans of 2013: Black Veil Brides

Read More: 3rd Annual Loudwire Music Awards: Complete Winners List | http://loudwire.com/3rd-annual-loudwire-music-awards-winners-list/?trackback=tsmclip
Fan-Voted 3rd Annual Loudwire Music Awards – Winners List:
Best Rock Album of 2013: Skillet, ‘Rise’
Best Metal Album of 2013: Bring Me the Horizon, ‘Sempiternal’
Best Rock Song of 2013: Avenged Sevenfold, ‘Hail to the King’
Best Metal Song of 2013: Black Sabbath, ‘God Is Dead?’
Best Rock Video of 2013: Thirty Seconds to Mars, ‘City of Angels’
Best Metal Video of 2013: Black Sabbath, ‘God Is Dead?’
Best Live Act of 2013: Steel Panther
Rock Titan of 2013: Corey Taylor (Stone Sour / Slipknot)
Rock Goddess of 2013: Maria Brink (In This Moment)
Best Vocalist of 2013: Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge / Slash)
Best Guitarist of 2013: Synyster Gates (Avenged Sevenfold)
Best Bassist of 2013: Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead)
Best Drummer of 2013: Jeremy Spencer (Five Finger Death Punch)
Best Rock Band of 2013: Avenged Sevenfold
Best Metal Band of 2013: Black Sabbath
Best New Artist of 2013: Device
Most Devoted Fans of 2013: Black Veil Brides
Poll Results:


Read More: 3rd Annual Loudwire Music Awards: Complete Winners List | http://loudwire.com/3rd-annual-loudwire-music-awards-winners-list/?trackback=tsmclip

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Basement Sessions

At night a few times a week I tend to hang out in my basement with a drink in my hand and listen to music or play a video game or something to just unwind from the day. Every so often a friend happens to pop over, and before my wife can start yelling at me we end up doing something stupid.

Travis Lee is the lead singer of the rock band Red Light Saints and when they are not touring the country he lives down the street from me. Last night he came over with some beer and a bottle of wine and here is the result.


Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Why not make it a Metallica day

Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich must of needed some strings and some drumheads because they both stopped by the Guitar Center in San Francisco. Good thing there was a camera crew on hand.




Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Who's stupider?

It's a very important question when it comes to a situation like this. Here's the story from WBAY TV2

Stolen SUV Crashes Into Appleton Home, Suspect Wanted

Appleton -
Appleton police are looking for whoever stole an SUV and crashed it into a house in the northwest part of the city.
Police say they received a call at 1 a.m. Sunday, February 2, about a vehicle crashing into a home in the 2500 block of N. Elinor St.
Officers say they arrived at the address to find a 2010 Nissan Murano had struck the home, but no driver or passengers were on scene.
Police made contact with the registered owner of the vehicle who was not aware that the SUV was missing.
Officers say the vehicle was left unlocked with keys inside the night before the crash.
So let me get this straight. A person leaves the keys in their car outside, then some mischief causing individual takes said car and crashes it into a house. This person than runs away.

So who's stupider the person who leaves the keys in the vehicle and doesn't even notice that it's missing, or the person who takes the vehicle and can't even make a clean getaway before crashing it into a house?

You decide, I'll be over here with my hand on forehead.