Why All The Hate?

I seriously want to know why the media and many people bash The Final Countdown by Europe and We Built This City by Starship.  I really, really want to know. What's with all the hatred for these two songs?   

For some time there seems to be many haters of the two singles, but yet back in their day they were both huge hits in the 80s.  I can name many, many more songs that I'd rather disappear from the annals of time: Achy Breaky Heart being one of them.  But when the so-called experts made a list not too long ago of the worst songs ever, the top of the list was We Built This City.

I can understand if people that didn't grow up in the 80s would dislike either song.  They are pretty typical for the era, but that doesn't make them bad songs.

Our media-driven and social media-driven society seems to have only room for one opinion and if its not the popular one, then you obviously must be wrong.

Our society screams for diversity, but when diversity rears its head, people call for conformity.  Make up your mind society!

Is it just like the Guns N Roses album Chinese Democracy that looked like it would never be released, so it became a byword and running joke?  So is it just a running joke that these two songs are terrible, and people don't even know what they sound like enough to make their own opinion?  I have to wonder.

For me, I like both songs and would never say they are hated by me.  For you, you are free to hate both songs, that's your opinion.  But is your opinion based solely on popular opinion, or your own opinion?  Something to think about.

North Carolina - Why I'm Leaving For Good

Forty something years ago I came into being on this planet and was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and I've lived there all my life.  But soon that will be a thing of the past.


For several reasons I'm leaving: one being the terrible traffic on my thirty mile commute each day, another being taxes and another being the awful way our governor and government in Raleigh treats its citizens.


North Carolina has the highest gas tax in the whole southeast.  Currently gas in North Carolina runs around $2.00 while South Carolina is around $1.75-$1.80 per gallon.  Yet the roads in Charlotte continue to fall apart or only get repaired when they have to be.  There are exceptions, but the condition of some of the roads in this state is appalling.


Mecklenburg County's property tax rate runs around .85% now and South Carolina's averages $.57% and they have cheaper taxes on their gas too!


My biggest reason for leaving is that I'm able to sell and move much closer to work and avoid even getting on I-485 each day.


Raleigh is ignoring Charlotte's traffic problems as always and I'm doing the only thing I can do, leaving.


Not that I expect my vacating this state to make a bit of difference to the politicians, but it will certainly make a difference in my wallet and my peace of mind.


While Pat and his officers continue to stick their noses in the sand and up their rear ends, many people are leaving this state, many businesses are leaving too.


Good luck North Carolina, it's been real.

The Struggle Is Real

If you've followed my journey you know there have been ups and downs with my quest to lose weight and 2015 will go down as one of the most challenging years yet.


In April I fell and thus started a year of frustration with back pain.  I tried all sorts of options to fix the problem and none have really worked.


So I'm to the point where I've had to just stop all working out and focus on strengthening my lower back and hopefully get it stronger and stop the pain soon.


As a result of all the problems, I've gained back a lot of the weight I lost the previous year.  It's very depressing and frustrating to say the least.


Many of my F3 brothers and friends though keep me going.  I got a nice message from a F3 brother I've never even met in person, but we know each other well through Facebook and he said what I needed to hear: do what you can, don't worry about the rest.


On a positive note, I have quite the motivation to stay with the diet as I'm getting very close to being able to ride my 300th coaster.


If I'm able to ride two "new" coasters at Myrtle Beach this month, then I pick up a few new ones in Tennessee later in the year, then I'll be able to make Dollywood's new coaster Lightning Rod my 300th coaster. 


I've managed to be able to keep all my big milestones in the south:  Cannon Ball (Lake Winnie) was my hundredth, Verbolten (Busch Gardens Virginia),my two hundredth and now hopefully Lightning Rod my three hundredth different coaster ridden.


Pressing on and doing my best.  Until next time...