Before moving on to discuss lighter topics, I have to address something our beloved state government of Tennessee did this past week.  Using their infinite wisdom, they decided to ban smoking in most public establishments.  The only exceptions are private clubs and bars that don't allow minors.  This means that, starting in October, I'll no longer be able to sit in one of my favorite places (Logan's Roadhouse) and enjoy a cigarette while munching down on free bread and peanuts and sipping on a rum and diet coke.  Let me see if I understand this, the government feels that they have the right to tell a PRIVATELY OWNED business that a legal activity can't take place there.  Meanwhile you can still get drunk out of your mind at Logan's and drive killing a family of four on the way.  This just makes perfect sense to me.  People act like if they catch a wisp of smoke that they'll start dropping like flies.  I'm not a jerk about smoking at all...I don't smoke around people who it truly bothers, and I don't like to smoke around kids.  But when something like this ban takes place it makes me want to make sure that when I go somewhere to eat I take one huge draw off the cigarette before walking inside, and then exhale as I enter.  One person said to me that it's not fair that non-smokers have to pay higher insurance rates to cover the costs to take care of people who have smoke-related illnesses.  So I wanted to know if this person exercises three or four times a week, eats a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, never hits a drive-thru or orders a pizza, and never touches beer.  Let's not start getting all haughty about insurance rates because you don't smoke.  I just love how the same ones that seem to say this look like they have no problem giving a box of Twinkies a new home in their belly.  Now, why not just make smoking illegal?  Oh we can't do that because then the government would lose a HUGE chunk of their tax revenue.  Speaking of which, cigarette taxes here are set to go up forty two cents a pack last I heard.  Why not tax alcohol the same way?  Well, it's because a vast number of people buy alcohol, yet smokers can be vilified because it's such a "dirty habit".  Ever hear that term used about having a drink?  I doubt it.  Basically our state government, who had a 1.3 billion dollar tax surplus last year wants MORE money and figured that attacking smokers would be the route to go because of the lack of pity.  Do you see how ridiculous this is?  They ban most public smoking because they say it's the right thing to do, yet have ZERO problem stealing more money from people who do smoke because they know people will continue to do it and gosh darnit they need that money!  On one hand they act like they care about the public's welfare, and on the other they hope people continue to smoke so they can rake in the cash.  Now this extra tax money is supposed to go to education.  What a load of crap.  If they are banking on this extra tax money to fund education then they wouldn't have banned most public smoking because people might quit or cut back due to the ban...therefore the extra tax money couldn't be counted on, right?  It isn't for education...it's for the greedy jerks to fund all the typical bs they usually do.  What happened to that 1.3 billion dollar surplus???  Ahh...enough...my brain might explode.

Well this past Friday the movie I have waited two years to see finally came out:  "Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer".  Yes, the continuing saga of my all-time favorite superhero group.  Now I knew my weekend was going to be pretty busy, and there was no way I would endure a Friday night crowd at a theater, so I had to figure out when to see it.  It's Friday and I'm frantically trying to figure out the optimum time to see the movie as to not ruin it with my usual theater experiences.  And then it hit me...I pulled a Rocky Balboa.  When "Rocky Balboa" came out, I cut out of work a little early on opening day and saw the five o'clock show figuring the matinee crowd was through for the day, and at five people were either still at work or just leaving and the crowd wouldn't be bad.  I was right with "Rocky Balboa", and I'm pleased to say that I was right this past Friday as well.  I'm in a meeting Friday afternoon just staring at the time...4:10, 4:11, 4:12...would I be out by 4:30 to make the five o'clock show?  Oh yes, my meeting ended at about 4:20 and I raced to my car.  Now I have to say, God was smiling on me.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but to get from where I work to the theater that's on my way home usually takes about 20 minutes.  I got to the exit in about 10 minutes because there was no traffic.  I was walking to the ticket window and looked at the time...it was 4:30.  I got my ticket and went inside to see something I could NOT believe...there was no one in one of the lines at the concession stand.  I briskly walked to it, got my bladder-buster sized Diet Coke and a bag of M&M's, and realized that I could see the 4:30 show because the previews would still be running.  Here's what I was thinking - worst case scenario I go in and it's packed so I play an arcade game or two and wait for 5:00.  Again, God smiled on me.  I walk in and the crowd is quite sparse and the front row is wide open.  Oh yeah!  I love the front row...it's louder which can drown out the yucksters and there won't be anyone sitting in front of me that could possibly distract me with annoying mannerisms.  Yes, I'm just a wee bit neurotic.  I sit down and little did I know it was the last preview...so basically there were no "please just start the friggin movie!!!" thoughts in my head like there usually is.  When someone looks as forward to a movie as I was with this one, there is a HUGE chance of a let-down.  BUT I LOVED IT!!!  Oh man what a movie!  Oh I'm sure some people hated it and whatever, but I don't care, it rocked!  In my book the Fantastic Four movies are two for two...which should really say a lot considering what a superhero dork I am.  Yes, it deviated from the comic somewhat, but they all do.  And the biggest thing was I was not pissed at the depiction of Galactus...which I'm sure just really says so much to people who have no clue what I'm talking about...hahaha.  I think what I really loved about it, like the first one, is that I felt like a little kid again.  I completely forgot about life while watching it because I was too concerned with such important matters as what is Victor Von Doom really up to and how will they get the board away from the Silver Surfer.  And the greatest thing?  Without giving anything away, I truly hope they make a third one because the way this one wraps up really loves room for a possible masterpiece in my opinion.  However, one thing troubled me...and it's something I thought about for a little while but have been able to mentally settle it.  What is it?

I watched "Ghost Rider" the other night, and while it's not anything that will change your life, I found it enjoyable.  Nicolas Cage is always kind of deadpan, and I think it would have been better if someone else had starred as Johnny Blaze, but it was still pretty good.  Plus, Sam Elliot was in it and that guy is cool as heck.  So here was my conundrum - Who is hotter...Jessica Alba or Eva Mendes?  Here you've got Jessica Alba playing Susan Storm wearing this tight outfit and kicking ass, and then you've got Eva Mendes as Roxanne Simpson who is smart, charming, and caring.  I find both women extremely hot...what guy wouldn't...but I was thinking about which one is the hottest?  Now one of my criteria for hotness in a celebrity babe is that they have to act like they don't think they're hot.  Yes, both women have appeared in various magazines like Maxim and so forth, but that doesn't mean they're full of themselves...so that didn't help me eliminate either one.  Jessica Alba has this smile that makes her seem so sweet and innocent, and Eva Mendes just has this personality in all her roles I've seen where she comes across like a real sweetheart.  Well, I made up my mind.  I have to say the hottest woman in a superhero movie would have to be Eva Mendes.  Why?  Well just look at her!  Plus, she carries herself with a quiet confidence yet doesn't seem like she thinks she's all that like Eva Longoria does.  That scene in "Ghost Rider" where she's going to meet Johnny for dinner...he doesn't show...she's getting drunk and asks the waiter "Do you think I'm pretty?"  Yeah, Eva Mendes in a low-cut black dress looking incredible asking a guy if he thinks she's pretty.  I know I know, it was a line from a movie...but until I hear she's full of herself I'll continue to think the opposite...hahaha.  Now I love Jennifer Connelly, who played Betty Ross in the last Hulk movie, but she looked a little anorexic.  She looked much better in "Blood Diamond" after she had a burger or two...haha.  Now I'm not putting down Jessica Alba at all...but I have seen her at times where she looked sub-par as far as celebrity superbabes are concerned.  Plus, Eva is a little more voluptuous.  Speaking of movies and babes, I did see the new trailer for the latest "Resident Evil" movie starring my favorite zombie killing babe - Milla Jovovich.  It looks pretty incredible...almost like "Dawn of the Dead" meets "The Road Warrior".  I know Milla has to be cool because of her work in the "Resident Evil" series.  Granted, she doesn't have the curves of Eva Mendes, but something about her drives me nuts.  Ok, my thoughts are starting to get away from me so let me go on to something else.

Just a couple of weeks until the new Danzig CD.  Yes, a double CD of previously unreleased Danzig tracks will soon be in my hands and then blaring out of my speakers.  Oh man I can't wait!  You know why it will kick some serious ass?  I was reminded of how awesome the rock fury known as Danzig is this past week.  I can't believe it took me this long, but I recently discovered that the website youtube.com contains TONS of videos of bands I love...many of which I've never seen.  The other night I typed in "Danzig" and found a video for the song "Left Hand Black" which rocks about as hard as rock can be.  It was a live video shot back in 1993 and it wasn't a bootleg...it was actually pro shot!  I have no idea what it's from...my only guess is that it's some unreleased video that will hopefully see the light of day.  The video reminded me of how great the music of Danzig is.  One thing that makes me a big fan of Jack Black is his tongue-in-cheek obsession with rock (again, see "Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny").  I swear I find myself acting the same way...taking it very serious in a ridiculous way.  I was watching this video, and it's four guys all wearing black rocking out on a stage with smoke, lights, and a giant skull on the drum riser.  Glenn Danzig has got to be one of the best, if not THE greatest frontman in rock history...no joke.  He's an incredible singer who knows how to work the crowd into a frenzy.  Plus, the guy truly appreciates the fans.  Look at his career...he starts The Misfits which basically invented horror/goth rock (but weren't some stupid lame emo bs)...he refines the sound to more of a rock band in Samhain, then unleashes the band Danzig.  Many bands, including Metallica, cite Glenn Danzig as a major influence.  Not only has he done all this, but he also wrote a song Roy Orbison recorded and even wrote a song that Johnny Cash recorded on one of his last CD's.  Sure, his image is kinda goofy with the big skull belt-buckle and everything, but it fits, and he never seems to take it all that seriously.  He should honestly be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Last week I was going through my CD's for something to jam to, and I pulled out "Danzig IV" which I haven't heard in a while.  That CD is incredible.  Granted it's not as ballsy as the first three the band Danzig did, but it has such variety of rock styles on it, it's great.  In fact, since I first heard "I Don't Mind the Pain" back when it came out in 1995-ish, I have been trying so hard to write a song with that vibe.  The combo of clean and distorted guitars with the melody just gives me goosebumps.  I don't think there has ever been a band that has four consecutive albums I can listen to without skipping songs.  Even the first four Metallica albums has a flaw with "And Justice For All".  Now I do think the songs on that album are great, but man it sounds like crap.  And then just when I think Danzig is done, he comes out with "Circle of Snakes" a couple of years ago which blew me away.  Also, he did an instrumental CD back in the early 90's called "Black Aria" which has been used as the soundtrack for many of my stupid low-budget horror movies I've made over the years.  I seriously think that original Danzig line-up from the first four CD's was one of the greatest bands ever, and seeing them on the front row right against the stage back in 1993 was a night I'll never forget.  Not only did I get to sing the chorus to "Long Way Back From Hell" with Glenn, but he also pointed at me and Don and said "Ok...this goes out to these guys right here...it's called When Death Had No Name" because we met him before the show and asked him to play it.  Yep...there I was back in the days when I had this long mohawk trying to be all hardcore screaming like a girl at a Beatles' concert when he said that.  So yeah, I can't wait to get this new CD.

Hey, my band NoiseCult has a big show coming up on July 7th.  It's a Saturday night at The End here in Nashville.  Mark your calendars now because we'll be playing some brand new stuff.  That way you can tell your friends "I was there that night when...."   HAHAHA!  The DVD and the new CD should be out in July, and this new CD is going to blow people away...no lie.  The first two CD's we did were good...but there were songs that I thought were weaker than others...and I think that's kind of natural.  This one though...I absolutely love every song...and of course the ones I wrote the majority of are my favorites...haha.  There's one tune I wrote all the music and lyrics for called "Wasting My Time" which I honestly think is one of the ballsy-er rock tunes you're going to hear.  It's about me being with a girl who looks at me like I'm the same as her evil ex's, because I've never had that happen before...hahaha...and basically tell her I'm sick of wasting my time with her and I'm through.  Another is called "Pretty When You Bleed".  Now originally I wrote a tune that was called "Coward", but the music and lyrics didn't quite fit.  So we kept the music I came up with and put some lyrics to it Don Wrote a while back which is basically like a vampire love story.  It's got this blues-type rock groove to it, and I hope that Fairuza Balk will be in town one night when we're playing it.  She'll decide to hit a local club, hear the song, and think to herself "That singer is so hot...I HAVE to have him".  Yep, that's exactly what will happen....uh huh.  I do leave certain names on the guest list in case they show up for some odd reason.  One gig I put Jessica Alba on the guest list, another I put Kate Beckinsale on it...just hoping by some weird coincidence they would be in town.  That way they'd be at the front door and the guy would go "oh, you're on the guest list...the singer of NoiseCult added you" which of course would mean that they would want to meet me and seeing how cool I am would fall madly in love with me.  Yeah...right.  Hey, a guy can dream right?  hahahaha.  Speaking of which, I had one of the most detailed nightmares the other night that kept me up for hours.  I truly think it's the basis of a great story...and maybe next time I'll share some of it.  Later sportsfans!