Wake me when it's springtime in heaven...

That's my little babe, Kaitlin Espinoza. She was always independent, outgoing, but still very warm and sweet. She made me smile when I didn't think I had one in me. She showed me how attached a pet owner could get to the pet. :)

I will always remember the times she would wake me up in the middle of the night and crawl right between my legs. I will always remember finding her sprawled out on my living room couch late at night. I will always remember how cute she looked playing with string. I will always remember holding her in my arms, rocking her to sleep. I will remember the first time she came to my house on my father's birthday. I will always remember loving her just as I love my sister. I will always remember Kaitlin, no matter what.

If there's a heaven I believe in, it's kitty heaven. I know you're there, babe, and you're going to live in happiness, where pain isn't in the dictionary.

I love you Kaitlin, and I'm going to miss you.

RIP

Just take deep breaths...

Recently, a girl I knew in high school had to deal with losing her current partner.  Obviously she wasn't the only one effected by the unexpected death of her loved one; I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to bury your own child.  Life is beautiful, and it can harshly be snatched away in an instant. 

So, I got to thinking.  I thought about a lot of the trivial things I've argued with my girlfriend about, and really, how pointless some of it was.  Even today, I've said things that make me seem like a real jerkoff.  Why do I say these things?  Sometimes, I really don't even know.

But, what if it was Mary that was taken away?  A woman that I've been in love with for almost 3 years, just suddenly taken from me?  How does one, especially a person as young as I am or the girl who lost her boyfriend, learn to deal with such great pain?  Is it possible?

It's sad that it takes the death of another to make me thankful for some of the things and people I have in my life.  Some people, unfortunately, never get to experience falling in love.  They can never fathom the feeling of just staring into their partners' eyes and doing absolutely nothing else, but yet not wanting to do anything else.  Why would you want to?

Almost 3 years, and I love this woman more than I ever have before.  

And to the girl who has been so devastated, so broken-hearted, I am sorry.  Life is unpredictable, and even though we can never truly change it, we have others to support us in our time of need.

I never knew you, but wherever you may roam, I hope you are at peace.

RIP Adam Howard.

Not my words...

...But words to live by.

"Marcos is gay in San Francisco, black in South Africa, an Asian in Europe, a Chicano in San Ysidro, an anarchist in Spain, a Palestinian in Israel, a Mayan Indian in the streets of San Cristobal, a gang member in Neza, a rocker in the National University, a Jew in Nazi Germany, an ombudsman in the Defense Ministry, a communist in the post-Cold War era, an artist without gallery or portfolio.... A pacifist in Bosnia, a housewife alone on Saturday night in any neighborhood in any city in Mexico, a striker in the CTM, a reporter writing filler stories for the back pages, a single woman on the subway at 10 pm, a peasant without land, an unemployed worker... an unhappy student, a dissident amid free market economics, a writer without books or readers, and, of course, a Zapatista in the mountains of southeast Mexico. So Marcos is a human being, any human being, in this world. Marcos is all the exploited, marginalized and oppressed minorities, resisting and saying, 'Enough'!"

I apologize to my friend David in advance...

Forgive me David, but I have to get something off of my chest.

The man posted above is a rapper that goes by the stage name "Lil' Wayne".  He, along with Soulja Boy, have ruined hip-hop for me.  At least recently, anyway.  Before a couple of days ago, I never really paid attention to the so called "music" he put out, and I sort of wish I would have kept it that way.

This man lacks talent, lacks heart, lacks respect; fuck it, he just sucks overall.  There is nothing that can or will come out of this guy that will be good.  A truckload of failure.  Holy shit.

/rant

2008 Recommendations

This year has shown some great releases, and although I won't be providing download links this time, maybe I will at a later time. Be sure to support these artists when they roll through your area!

Cursed - III: Architects Of Troubled Sleep
Disfear - Live The Storm
Rotten Sound - Cycles
Thrice - The Alchemy Index: Vol. 3 & 4
Clouds - We Are Above You
Meshuggah - obZen
Trash Talk - s/t
Indian - Slights And Abuse/The Sychophant
Torche - Meanderthal
Advent - Remove The Earth
Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1
Blacklisted - Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God
Boris - Smile
Cult Of Luna - Eternal Kingdom
United Nations - s/t
Immortal Technique - The Third World
Opeth - Watershed

Those are just some of my personal favorites so far from this year, and there still many amazing albums to be released. Keep your eyes peeled for the new Toxic Holocaust, Giant, Mastodon, Jacob Bannon, and Thursday records.

-Mario

The Earth Will Shake.