Iron Maiden themes for your iGoogle page

FINALLY!! Google was kind enough to finally add my themes to their index - so go check out my Iron Maiden themes here. I know this will sound pretty narcisstic, but I really do think my IM themes are better than the others posted. Only because I used much higher resolution images and created much better compositions - but hey, you decide for yourself.

New banner

Well if you hadn't noticed, but I'm sure you did - I mean come on its at the top of the page - right? :)P I snagged the Iron Maiden banner from their website lol - sometimes it's so cool being a web designer/geek (daughter suggestion) because then you can do stuff like hack your favorite bands website and steal their banner. If you refresh the page you will see a different Eddie artwork, 32 in all.

The most expensive t-shirt i own - now

I've paid for a lot of mistakes in the past, the most recent one, was not purchasing the limited edition Texas Tour Shirt for the Iron Maiden show. So I paid double what I would have paid at the show. The crappy thing is, I had that shirt - in my hand - and was going to get it, but talked myself out of it and got different ones! Why, because I'm stupid! That's why! Never, ever, ever, EVER go against your first choice or instinct! You will regret it every time!

Iron Maiden Concert! First show of U.S. Tour, Dallas, Texas

Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter!

The Iron Maiden concert was AWESOME! I never thought that I would be so close to them, we could have gotten closer, but since it was my daughter's first Heavy Metal show, I figured I would save her from getting crushed by the horde of fat, drunk, wannabe headbangers. Being in the pit was the best choice for "seats", even though it was standing room only, for two hours, I would have been sorely disappointed if I had gotten us actual seats. My only complaint - well, the biggest complaint were the fat, drunk assholes that kept standing in front of us. Hello! Can you not see us standing here? Can you not see this little girl is only 5 feet tall and you are 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide!? But aside from those jerks, we had a really great view - how can you not have a great view when you are only 30-40 feet from the stage!? Unfortunately, the eye-candy was slim to none, there must have been the largest collection of the fattest, ugliest headbanging heifers ever assembled. There was only about 5 girls I saw that got my blood flowing. It was definitely not the best example of a headbangers heaven for females.

I do wish I had brought an actual camera instead of relying just on my phone, the pictures would have come out so much better.


They started out the show with some songs from their latest albums, Factor X, Brave New World and of course Final Frontier and closed the show with Iron Maiden - the staple show ender with Eddie coming out in full force. I must say though, Eddie out on a few pounds - for he was alot heftier than usual. I liked how they changed the backdrop for each song - every one of them an awesome piece of artwork - I wish I could have taken them home. They had some tapestries there for only $20. I used to have one for Somewhere In Time, sure do wish I still had that - man, so many things I lost that I wish I still had. I had pins, patches, shirts, all kinds of shit you just can't get anymore, hell, you could barely get it then! But we had an a really kickass store in town called Bill's and he specialized in rare and hard to get items and he had a buttload of Iron Maiden stuff. I still have most of my posters though, even though they are ripped or drawn on, I still have them. :) Some asshole on eBay is selling old Maiden concert shirts for $100-$900! That is just all kinds of wrong, if you ask me.


I was surprised though that I only saw two people with Iron Maiden Vans, some guy had the Piece Of Mind slip-ons - they were pretty beat up and as we were leaving my daughter pointed out this guy in front of us wearing the Powerslave Hi-8's like mine - but mine were cleaner - of course! LOL It was just weird that out of 12,000 people only 3 of us had Maiden shoes?! I know they don't make them anymore, but they aren't extinct! But at the same time it was cool, because how many people can say they have Maiden Vans? :) I expected alot of compliments or "dude, where did you get those?!", but no body said a word - to my dismay.


It wasn't until the encore that they played some classics, starting out with The Number Of The Beast then Hallowed Be Thy Name and finishing the set off with Running Free, as always. You could tell they were expecting to do an encore - as usual - because when they began to play Beast, the demon goat came rising up from behind the stage. That's the cool thing about Maiden, is that they give an awesome performance for being so fucking old and always give an encore.


Bruce Dickinson was running around the stage, for being nearly 50 years old this guy could run circles around me! Dave, Steve, Adrian, Nikko all kicked ass too. I always forget the third guitarists name, especially since he isn't part of the original lineup, but he been around for 10 years or so, so I should know his name - shame on me, I know.


I got four shirts and damn have prices gone up. When I went to the Somewhere On Tour show in '86 at Reunion Arena, a concert shirt was $20. I sure as shit wish I still had that damn shirt - it ended up with all my other Iron Maiden shirts at an ex-girlfriend's house - oh the dumbass things we do for tail. My daughter got a shirt that had a comic-style version of the Final Frontier graphics, I tried to talk her into getting the "Sexy Beast" shirt, but she wasn't having it. I got a sweatshirt and a t-shirt and another t-shirt for a friend of mine who got me a couple of shirts at the Rush concert a few years back.


So, on a scale of 1-10 -this show was a 100! A must see and not to be missed event!

Iron Maiden TONIGHT!

Yes, tonight is the big concert! I've been waiting for this night for years! Not only to see Iron Maiden, but to share the experience with my daughter. Though she is not into the heavy metal scene, she can appreciate their music. It reminds me of when I bought my mom tickets for the Pink Floyd concert, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason for Mother's Day. It was an extraordinary event, being held at Texas Stadium, the place looked to be sold out and I can't remember if it was or not, but for a band that old to still pack and entire stadium is incredible. Iron Maiden is pretty much the same and without even had any radio air play in the U.S. Unfortunately, tonights show will not be held in a huge arena like it was the last time I saw them in 1986 for the Somewhere On Tour concert, which was held at Reunion Arena. I didn't have all that great of a seat back then, stuck somewhere in the middle of the floor, it was hard to see, especially since security made you stay in your seat. I tried to get closer, but was ousted by the actual ticket holders of the seat I snagged next to my friend.

This time I got pit tickets, so we will be right up on the stage, which is just going to be so freaking awesome! I can't wait!! I will be posting pics tomorrow of the show, maybe even tonight! :) Since they will taken with my phone, dont expect awesome quality, but since I will be right there - they should be some pretty good shots.

Rush To See This!

It's about time the mainstream got hit with the knowledge of the greatest band in the world! From the director's of Iron Maiden Flight 666, comes Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage.

"Rush has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and garnered untold legions of devoted and admiring fans. According to the RIAA, Rush’s sales statistics place RUSH fourth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band."

For a band that little to no radio airplay, that is an extremely impressive track record. If you don't know about Rush or have never heard their music - which would be hard, with all the cameo appearances on movie soundtracks and current radio airplay they get now - then I strongly suggest you check them out! I've seen them in concert twice and for three guys, they really know how to put on a show. And Neil Peart's drum solos are a not to be missed incredible flurry of drum pounding that can only be described as an unparalleled plethora of percussive phenom.

Next to Iron Maiden, Rush is truly one of the great rock-n-roll fantasies that came true for a group of nerdy and unpopular guys that refused to adhere to the mainstream and chose to do it their own way, proving to the world that it doesn't take gimmicks, radio airplay or green, foot-tall Mohawks to make it in rock-n-roll.

SO do yourself a favor and go see the movie, coming to a town near you!

Monday, Monday

Well, I begin my new job tomorrow! I'm excited and also scared. Even though they thought I was the best interviewee and wanted to make me an offer immediately after my interview, it's not a permanent position - only contract until December - so I don't have the security of a permanent job and they could decide at any moment to cancel the contract. While I will do everything in my power to not let that happen, sometimes there are forces beyond our control at work.

On the flip-side, I am glad it's not a permanent position, as I plan to go back to school next year to get my Bachelor's Degree in 3D animation and pursue the dream job I set out to get when I went to college the first time - creating special effects for movies and hopefully the creme de la creme of all jobs, working for ILM (Industrial Light and Magic). I know I have the imagination to work for such a place, now I just need to see if I have the skills.

I know all it will take is a killer demo filled with lots of imagination and unique effects, so I'm going to research every school in the nation and even Canada and choose the best one. Until then, I'll be saving as much as I can from this job - after I purchase all my transportation needs, of course. First will come the motorcycle, a 2010 Ninja 250R and then will come the Lexus IS300 - notice a (colour) pattern? Both of these vehicles I've wanted ever since I laid eyes upon them and now is the perfect time to get them, since I have no major bills to pay - thanks to living at home with mom. Yeah, I know it sounds pathetic, especially at my age, but considering human beings have been living with their parents, often for all their lives and usually in the same house or hut (made of sticks and dung), I don't really feel so bad. Just because we've decided in our "modern age" that living with your parents after a certain age is pitiful, doesn't mean that it is.

Shit, why not take advantage of the situation as long as possible? If you have a good relationship with your parents - mine is 50/50 - then milk the possibility for as long as you can! Seriously, why pay a huge mortgage or rent payment and all the utilities, car payment, property taxes and so on, when you can give your folks a little bit of your money each month to hold onto most of your paycheck each week or in my case, each month. I still can't get over that I'm getting paid once a month - it's a very new concept for me, as I've never been paid that way and have not heard of getting paid that way other than the military.

Back to the parents; because I'll be getting paid once a month, my checks will be pretty big, much larger than I'm used too, even when I was getting paid $40/hour. I sure do miss those paychecks. But even at $26/hour, my checks will be enough each month that I can pay the rent and personal loan money out and still look like I just cashed my check. So within 2 months time I'll be able to pay cash for my motorcycle and still have a considerable amount left to live on for the rest of the month. The only thing that blows is that after one month, I'll have 90% of the cost of the bike, and have to wait a whole 30 days more just for the remaining 10%, so that's a little annoying. SO during that time, I'll just take the motorcycle training course and splurge a little bit for the Iron Maiden show.

That is going to be a great show - especially with the VIP box seats. That's going to be the most money I've ever spent on a night out, but it will be so worth it. Sharing one of my favorite bands since I was a teenager with my teenage daughter - it's cool that Iron Maiden is still touring so that could happen. I really wish there was a way that I could let them know that and be recognized at the show.

Well, I'm off to get some work done.

Peace

Alex @ Prom 2010

Well Alex had her junior prom tonight, little bugger didn't tell me until after the fact and her senior prom is next year but I still wish she would have told me ahead of time. With her living in California, it's hard to get involved as much as I would like too, but next year I will try to go out there for the senior prom and get her a limo and all the cool things I didn't get to do. Even better, rent her a Ferrari and let her drive it to prom - that would definitely get the other bitches climbing up the envy tree for a peak!

Here is a pic of her in her dress:

Isn't she gorgeous? I really wish I had been able to go to prom, as stupid as it is sometimes, high school is supposed to be the best years of a young person's life and well mine just plain sucked!
So I want to make her years in "hell school" way better.

She told me today that she's met a new guy - well not exactly, new - but they just started dating and while they didn't hookup prior to prom she thinks he is a winner and will hopefully be around for senior prom. I hope so for her sake.

We are in the final preparations for Alex to come out to Texas for a summer visit. Unfortunately Cole decided he wanted to stay home with his mom - why he only knows. but anyway, I'm glad Alex is coming out - I haven't seen her in so long - if we didn't have cell phones, computers and internet, we would be such strangers to each other by now. But we text everyday, all day, so I feel as close to her as when she lived here.

She will be staying a whole 2 months, splitting the time up with her mom's mom and me. Of course, I don't care for my ex-mother-in-law, but hey - who does?! Alex told me that her grandmother is going to drive Alex back to California, so she can visit her daughter - my ex-wife - so i kinda feel sorry for Alex to have to deal with her all that way. Eesh! I couldn't do it - even when she was my mother-in-law, I couldn't do it.

Alex and I are already planning to go to the Iron Maiden show June 9. It will be our first concert together and to be able to share one of my all time favorite bands with her and her actually wanting to go - is just an awesome feeling. Unfortunately tickets are hella-expensive, like $250 for center stage and $300 and up for VIP!! I figure what the hell and I'm going to get the VIP tickets, though we won't be as close to the stage as I would like, we won't have to deal with the moshpit or drunk idiots. They always ruin a show.

The only crappy part about Alex coming out is that I will be working. Though I'm thrilled I got a job, it will suck that she will be at home alone most of the day with only the animals and PS3 to keep her company. But she says she will be okay, so I will trust her on that.

The Iron Maiden Ninja

After 20 some odd years of waiting and waiting and hoping and wishing and praying and trying - I finally, finally get to buy a motorcycle!! I've wanted one ever since I could remember, but something always got in the way. Not anymore, brothers and sisters, the time has finally come! But as they say, good things come to those who wait - right? Riiiight. Now since I've never really ridden a motorcycle before, I'm going to be starting out small with a 2010 Ninja 250R. It will be blue and will have the raddest graphics ever on it! Thankfully, I have a good friend who has a print shop that does vinyl vehicle wraps - so I've been up all night designing those graphics for the wrap. Now I didn't exactly "design" the images, since they are of Eddie from the Iron Maiden album covers, I simply just chose from the numerous images I have of Eddie that I got from this awesome website: Iron Maiden Wallpapers. They have the most extensive and exclusive collection of Iron Maiden imagery I've ever seen! And being an a devout Maiden fan for over 20 years, I've seen my fair share.

So anyway, this is what I came up with:
Isn't it beautiful?! This bike is going to be the sickest thing around town! I can't freaking wait!! I can't stop staring at it, it's so gorgeous! It's going to be really cool to wear my Iron Maiden Vans while riding this gorgeous machine.

Now the rear will be modded with the hidden fender aftermarket parts, and the mirrors will be blue LEDs. I will have the wheels painted to match the body color as well. It's hard to believe that this bike brand new is only $4,000! It looks a lot more expensive - Kawasaki really knows how to deliver the goods for very little coin.

I should have the bike in a month or two - hopefully not two :) but I will be sure to post the pics of the final wrap when it's done.