Never Forget...

...the lives lost, sacrifices made, hardships fought and struggles overcome to assure our freedom in the face of adversity, and our strength in the wake of terror...


Always remember September 11, 2001.

Can an Apple a Day Keep Politicians at Bay?

In his speech to Congress yesterday, our President charted his course for health care reform, providing all the right soundbites to help convince the country that his initiatives are a vital step towards a greater America.

And in the grand scheme of things, he sounded quite convincing.

The problem is, while broad sweeping strokes sound good in prime time, it's the devil in the details that results in political deadlocks.

On Wednesday, that devil proved to be Representative Joe Wilson (pictured above), the South Carolina Republican who yelled, "You lie!" in the midst of President Obama's comments regarding illegal aliens and health care benefits.

While there is no denying that what Wilson said was unprofessional and out of line, there is also no denying that Democrats are guilty of the same behavior. Difference is, when more than half the chamber does it collectively, it's seen as acceptable. When one person does it on his own, it's an uncalled for voice of dissent.

Every time President Obama paid reference to our former President in a negative light, made any suggestion of partisan chicanery, or gestured any remotely conservative ideal with even a fleeting tone of sarcasm, every Democrat in the room leapt to their feet to voice their approval with a thunderous round of applause.

And every Republican sat in their seat and sulked.

It's like grade school all over again.

The bullies have the power, and it's a mob rules mentality. If you don't like getting picked on, get off the playground.

Problem is, these are grown men we're talking about, not adolescents starving for attention. Instead of pushing, shoving, tripping and punching, we have snide remarks cloaked in speeches, rapturous support of any mockery of the other side, and a generally uncomfortable feeling for those of us trying to educate ourselves while we watch from home.

Does a mention of health care reform really need to reference the war in Iraq? It's apples and oranges, and political bait-and-switch at its best.

How do we sway people to a cause that needs more support in public opinion polls? Remind them that it's not nearly as bad as the war the last President started... "You mean you can spend this much money on a war in Iraq, but you can't spend less money on health care?"

If only it was that simple.

In theory, I believe everything President Obama is saying about our country's need for health care reform. Problem is, I'm so turned off by the grand-standing mentality that is rampant in politics, I find it hard to truly get inspired to do more than be cynical.

A friend of mine who works for a prominent politician likened his allegiance to his party to my being a fan of the New York Yankees or Green Bay Packers. "This is my sports," he's told me on more than one occasion. "And I'm going to cheer for my side just like you cheer for your favorite team."

Not quite.

When I heard that the Packers might have been interested in signing convicted animal abuser and killer Michael Vick this summer, I swore on principal that I'd no longer be a fan of the team if management made the decision to bring the scumbag to Green Bay.

My friend, on the other hand, told me that - and I quote - "any Democratic initiative is better than any Republican initiative, regardless of what it accomplishes."

That's what being tied to a party is all about, he tells me.

And that is why I swear allegiance to no political party.

It's all a joke. It's a bunch of grade school bullies puffing their chests and playing the role of peacock, engaging in alpha-male posturing that makes them feel better about themselves, and leaves the American people to pay the tab.

There is no sound argument against the need for radical changes to our country's health care infrastructure. Yet rather than working together for the best interests of the people that elect them, our sworn leaders are nit-picking and playing Polly Anna as they hide behind Robert's Rules of Order.

The unfortunate reality is, too many of today's politicians are coming across as little more than rhetoric spewing mouthpieces who'd rather cloak their insecurities in partisan policy than work together towards a common goal.

We need a new health care system in this country. What we don't need, is the years of prolonged drama that it will take to get us there.

Unfortunately, it appears that we can't have one without the other.

BRETT'S BACK......To Rape, Pillage and Plunder (the Packers)

To hear the pundits talk about Brett Favre, you'd think he shot himself in the foot with a gun in a nightclub... Or killed a pedestrian while driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol... Or was murdered by a girl young enough to be his daughter, who he was cheating on his wife with as he lead a double life... Or tested his entrepreneurial skills by funding a dog-fighting ring, then demonstrated his hands-on leadership abilities by not only breeding the pitbulls, but also raising them to fight, and torturing and killing the losing pups.

No, Brett Favre is clearly the NFL athlete most deserving of a media outcry, because he not only changed his mind, but he did it more than once.

Why are jails overcrowded? It's all those damn wafflers, I tell ya!

I admit it, I'm a Brett Favre apologist. I have a shelf full of Favre memorabilia in my office. I was one of his first interviews when he renewed his contract with the Green Bay Packers in 1994 and I worked for the Associated Press. And I was standing on a frozen Lambeau Field sideline when he led the Packers to a 16-12 first round playoff victory over the Detroit Lions on Dec. 31 of that same year.

My dad had Joe DiMaggio. I had Brett Favre. My dad will never get to see Joe D play again, so forgive me for reveling in the fact that I can now say that I "have" Brett Favre for at least one more season.

Is it really that bad that he changed his mind about retirement... Again?

Apparently it is, which leaves me a bit perplexed.

Michael Vick funded a dog-fighting operation where he raised, trained, fought and killed helpless dogs. This isn't a tax issue, where he can blame his accountant or business manager. This isn't even a DUI, where he can say he wasn't aware of what he was doing when it happened. This was a calculated and callous act that he did repeatedly, and without remorse.

It was an act that made it pointedly clear that Michael Vick didn't respect the NFL, or his role as one of the game's biggest superstars. If he did, he probably would have thought twice about moonlighting as a thug.

Yet the NFL welcomed him back with open arms and a laughable two-game suspension, saying that he has served his debt to society and deserves a second chance.

I say he lost his right to a second chance in the NFL when he decided that his place as role model and public icon was less important than the sick satisfaction he got by engaging in social activities previously relegated to gang-bangers and miscreants.

That doesn't mean Michael Vick doesn't deserve a second chance in life, it just means that he already made it pretty clear how little the NFL meant to him. To his credit, he did it with the same flair he exhibits on the field, spitting in the face of any morally grounded and warm-blooded football fan in the process.

Michael Vick has already proven that he can't handle life in the limelight, so why can't his second chance come in the real world? Remember that education he got from Virginia Tech? Why can't his second chance come on the shoulders of that, rather than in the game of football that he's already disgraced?

But I digress from the issue at hand... Brett Favre's the bad guy!

Damn Brett Favre, for playing football with the same zest and enthusiasm now, that he did 15 years ago. Damn him for playing the game with a smile on his face, and a vibrancy that shames guys half his age. And most of all, damn him for feeling scorned by the team he spent his entire Hall of Fame career with, and choosing to exact his revenge on the football field, rather than doing something illegal, shameful, and potentially hazardous to the world we all share.

Damn Brett Favre and his simplistic, down-home view of the world. Why can't he learn something from Plaxico Burress, Donte Stallworth, Steve McNair or Michael Vick? These guys are the NFL's real role models. These are the guys that embody the true spirit of professional sports, and the competitive spark we hope to ignite in today's youth.

Is decisiveness too much to ask for? We don't care what you decide to do, just stick to your guns and do it! Own your decision! Know that whatever you do, we'll be there to support you... Even if it might cost someone their life.

As long as you don't change your mind.

And if you do change your mind? You run the risk of being no better than Brett Favre - an embarrassment to the game of football, and a mockery to the NFL, where the NBA and Vince McMahon have apparently become the new moral compass.

GIDGET (the Taco Bell dog)1994-July 21, 2009

Ed's note: Mini (my Editorial Assistant, pictured under "Support Staff" in the column to the right) asked to say a few words in memory of one of her favorite fellow canines, who died last night after suffering a stroke. After all the help she gives me screening albums, editing manuscripts, rolling calls and doing internet research, how could I refuse? --Paul

It's not easy being small. Just ask Russell from Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, Bobby from The Brady Bunch, or Verne Troyer.

It's even harder for us dogs.

"Why don't you just get a cat?" "Your dog looks like a rat..." "Oh my god, you have a pet bat?" "Ooh, what a vicious watchdog..."

Yeah, you humans are really creative with your insults.

Sorry we can't all be as big as Golden Retrievers, Labs or Border Collies, but don't blame your dog envy on us. People say we're the small-minded ones, but we've got room for everyone in our packs.

And I like to think of Gidget as a canine version of Michael Jackson.

The King of Pop opened doors to MTV, and Gidget opened doggy doors to American pop culture. Michael Jackson transcended color lines, and Gidget transcended fast food's burger barrier. MJ penned "We Are The World," and Gidget coined "Yo quiero Taco Bell!"

And just like Michael Jackson, Gidget loved to make little kids smile. (Come on, just because my dad won't go there, doesn't mean I can't!)

Nothing against 101 Dalmations, Spuds Mackenzie, or Petey from Our Gang, but how much butt did Mojo kick in Transformers? Reese Witherspoon didn't have a Great Dane by her side when she graduated at the top of her class in Legally Blonde, and Paris Hilton doesn't walk around Beverly Hills with an armful of St. Bernards.

No, it doesn't count that Perez Hilton looks like a St. Bernard.

It doesn't matter if we're big or small, most dogs are wired the same. We can't get enough of our people, we love having our bellies rubbed, and every once in a while we'll bark for absolutely no reason at all.

Gidget reminded America that dogs come in all shapes and sizes, and it's okay to have ears as big as your head. For that, she'll forever hold a place in the hearts of us small - and sometimes awkward looking - dogs everywhere.

The next time you get your dog a side order of chicken at the Taco Bell drive-thru, take a moment to thank Gidget... And if you don't buy your dog chicken at the Taco Bell drive-thru, get with the program! You think you're the only one who quiero Taco Bell?

WOOF!

WALTER CRONKITENovember 4, 1916 - July 17, 2009

Walter Cronkite was a bit before my time. That's not to say that I don't remember him, but I remember the mythology, not the man.

My parents had yet to meet when he broke the news of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963. The Apollo 11 lunar landing happened two years before my birth, and I was barely walking in the waning days of the Vietnam War.

When Walter Cronkite retired from his post as anchor of the CBS Evening News on March 6, 1981, I was admittedly more interested in baseball scores and being a nine year old kid than the hum-drum last broadcast of a silver-haired guy who talked really slow, let alone about things that I barely gave a second thought.

If only I knew then, what I know now.

I wrote a thesis on the Vietnam War in college, and you couldn't write about the war without reading about Walter Cronkite. When he declared that the war was unwinnable during the Tet Offensive in 1968, President Lyndon Johnson stated that if he lost the support of Cronkite, he'd lose the support of middle America.

When Walter Cronkite died yesterday at the age of 92, it was more than an iconic newscaster that passed away. He brought with him the integrity of the American media, and the trust that President Johnson knew was integral to any straw poll and public opinion.

Walter Cronkite was more than just a news anchor, he was the most trusted man in America. What strikes me most about his passing, is the people talking about how he made them feel. The emotions he stirred. The calm he portrayed. When he spoke, people listened. Trust was inherent in his tone. Nobody questioned a single word he ever said.

Today, we question everything.

In the modern age of infinite television channels and instant internet feeds, ratings are won by breaking news first and fastest, not articulately and accurately. It's not about being calm and composed, it's about creating hype. And it's not about sense and sensibility, it's about sensationalism.

There used to be an air of finality to the news. Now we watch the news expecting it to change if we watch long enough. And if it doesn't change, we can just change the channel, where chances are good someone is reporting something else.

In the quarter-century since Walter Cronkite's retirement, news has evolved from something that is broken with integrity and reported with an air of nobility, to something that is broken in pieces, and sent over the air with little more than a concern for ratings.

Long before America was addicted to Red Bull and Twitters, Walter Cronkite knew that slow was the way to go. While the average American speaks at a rate of approximately 165 words per minute, Cronkite paced his newscasts at 3/4 that speed. He understood that delivery had just as much impact on the news, as the news itself.

Walter Cronkite was distinguished by his finesse. Today's newscasters rely on little more than flair.

Yes, that's symptomatic of the world we live in. And that's exactly why the passing of Walter Cronkite represents so much more than the loss of a television news anchor.

It is the end of an era in American journalism.

Michael Jackson Loves America

America's love affair with Michael Jackson may have suffered a dramatic decline in the decade leading up to his June 25 death, but apparently the King of Pop's love affair with America never waned...

The band America, that is.

A clip from Jackson's previously unreleased track "A Place With No Name" (listen here) surfaced yesterday, leaving many to scratch their heads at its similarity to the song "A Horse With No Name" (listen here) from '70s folk rockers America.

Rest assured, there won't be a legal battle of Coldplay/Joe Satriani/Cat Stevens proportions any time soon - Quite the contrary, America are making love, not war.

While “A Place With No Name” does feature a prominent sample of “A Horse With No Name” and lyrics that don't stray far from the original recording, Jackson had obtained permission to use the track years ago.

In fact, Jim Morey, America's current manager, was Michael Jackson's manager in the late '80s and early '90s.

“We’re honored that Michael Jackson chose to record it and we’re impressed with the quality of the track," said America's Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley in statement issued this afternoon. "We’re also hoping it will be released soon so that music listeners around the world can hear the whole song and once again experience the incomparable brilliance of Michael Jackson.”

Dewey Bunnell wrote "A Horse With No Name," which was originally released on America's self-titled 1971 debut. The album reached No. 1 on March 25, 1972, and remained there for five weeks.

“Michael Jackson really did it justice and we truly hope his fans - and our fans - get to hear it in its entirety. It’s really poignant,” the statement continued.

Michael wasn't the only America fan in the Jackson family. Janet Jackson's 2001 hit “Someone To Call My Lover" sampled America’s “Ventura Highway,” and “Let’s Wait Awhile," from Janet's blockbuster 1987 album Control, reminded many fans of America's ”Daisy Jane.”

America are currently on tour (click here for dates), and will remain on the road throughout 2009.

Offical America Website

Hey California, How's That Budget Coming?

I'll be the first to admit that I don't fully understand the intricacies of government spending. But that's alright, because clearly our own government doesn't, either.

I live in California, where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of fiscal emergency. What does that mean? It means that the state is in dire financial straits, and our elected leaders have demonstrated nothing but an embarrassing inability to approve a budget that even hints at helping California emerge from its current financial doldrums.

How bad are things? California is operating under a deficit of more than $25.0 billion, a figure that is almost a quarter of the state's total operating funds. In simple terms, that means that the state of California has spent $125 for every $100 it has allocated for spending. When you're talking about a budget in the billions, that's a lot of dollars. And according to the BBC, that deficit could increase to over $30.0 billion by September.

What does this mean to you and I?

A friend of mine just got her tax refund in the mail - Instead of a check, she received an IOU.

That's right, that state of California issued her an IOU for the refund she was owed for money she had already paid in withholding.

How does that work? Theoretically, the IOU she received can be deposited in the bank, but the funds won't be paid by the state treasury until the state budget is approved. In other words, that IOU is worth less than that "I'll get you next time" that your friend promised when you picked up the tab at the bar the other night.

At least you can count on your friends.

Political rhetoric aside - because we all know that the other side is always to blame - this issue boils down to a simple fact: The people that we elect to do a job, are not doing their job. Period. End of story.

In the real world - meaning, everywhere but government - operations grind to a halt without an approved budget. And people lose their jobs when those budgets aren't established and adhered to.

When I worked as a department head at one of America's leading internet companies a few short years ago, I was told that my employee reviews couldn't be processed until a new budget was in place. A month after my proposed raises were submitted (and approved), my entire department was laid off - despite the fact that we were one of the most productive teams at the company. It was no doubt a hard choice by the higher-ups, and it had bitter ramifications, but even I can admit that it was a necessary choice given the site's fiscal concerns.

Hard times call for hard decisions, and nowhere is that more evident than in today's trying economic times.

But in the state of California, nobody seems willing to take responsibility for the necessary compromises and hard choices when it comes to our budget. Why? Because the decisions won't be popular, and nobody wants to look like they are rescinding promises that they made to attain their elected positions.

Unfortunately, it's too late to worry about public perception. It's time to get the job done, regardless of how it may be perceived by the media, and regardless of how it might effect one's chance at reelection.

Politicians aren't elected to their offices with the expectation that they'll be reelected, they are elected with the expectation that they will serve their term with the best interests of their constituents in mind... Reelection is their reward for a job well done.

Somebody needs to remind our politicians that their reelection is in the hands of cash-strapped Californians who are receiving IOUs instead of tax returns.

Michael Jackson Memorial: Paying The Bill

There's one simple rule that is the basis of financial responsibility: Don't spend money that you don't have.

Critics are up in arms over the $1.4 million in expenses that were incurred by the city of Los Angeles as a result of Tuesday morning's Michael Jackson memorial held at the Staples Center.

But how are these expenses any different than any other event that is held at the downtown arena? Whether it be the Grammy Awards, a Los Angeles Lakers game, hockey or a concert?

When you're one of the biggest metropolitan centers in the world, you incur operating expenses. And when you are the entertainment capital of the world, it is not unrealistic for those expenses to include police details for a memorial service for the world's most widely-recognized and celebrated entertainer.

To be clear, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, $1.1 million of that $1.4 million figure was overtime pay for the 4,173 police officers that secured the Staples Center, Forest Lawn cemetery, and other areas that attracted fans and media.

Let's break that down, shall we? There were 4,173 law enforcement and public safety officials hired to work overtime by the city of Los Angeles, at a total cost of $1.1 million. That amounts to an average of $263.20 per employee. More specifically, it's $32.95/hour for an eight-hour shift. If overtime is time-and-a-half, that means the law enforcement officials were paid at a base rate of $21.97/hour.

And we're supposed to feel sorry for the city of Los Angeles because they don't have the financial where-with-all to pay them? You couldn't pay me $210.97/hour to do a police officer's job in some parts of this city - I definitely don't begrudge them a day of overtime to maintain security at the most media-saturated event of the internet age.

There's no point in arguing that $1.4 million is a small price to pay for the publicity the city received for a live event that went off without a hitch before one of - if not the - biggest worldwide audiences in history. And it's also pointless to dwell on the estimated $4.0 million in income for local businesses in the form of food sales, parking, shopping, hotels and transportation, as speculated by Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

If you had told the city of Los Angeles beforehand that they could pay $1.1 million to guarantee an incident-free memorial, or roll the dice with crowd control and take their chances, don't you think they would have gladly paid the $1.1 million?

Of course they would have... If they had it.

Need we be reminded that the reason they don't have the money, is because they are incapable of balancing a budget, there are moratoriums on spending, and the city is mired in a fiscal black hole where more than one-in-ten of its citizens are unemployed?

Which brings us back to my initial statement: If you can't afford to spend money you don't have, DON'T SPEND IT!

The memorial wasn't planned overnight, and someone, somewhere, should have talked to organizers about the costs inherent in the event. Had that been done, properly, solutions could have been explored in advance.

For instance: More than 1.6 million fans registered for the opportunity to receive a pair of the 17,500 free tickets to the memorial. Had the organizers charged a $1 processing fee for each request (which would have been easy to do - tickets were issued by Ticketmaster, and they know a thing or two about service charges) that total would have covered all of the city's expenses... With money to spare.

A nominal fee might have also prevented people from registering for tickets if they weren't serious about going... So maybe you charge a $3 registration fee - if that vetted two thirds of the applicants, it still would have netted $1.5 million and covered the city's costs for the event... With money to spare.

I don't know any Michael Jackson fans that wouldn't have paid $3 for an opportunity to attend his memorial service.

You might argue that it's easy to come up with solutions after the fact. That may be true. But that doesn't change the fact that somebody didn't do their job in preventing the problem.

Had I been presented the situation in the days before the memorial, I know that I would have offered that solution in a matter of minutes. How many other solutions were never explored?

It's not rocket science, it's just common sense.

Unfortunately, common sense seems pretty hard to come by when it comes to fiscal planning and spending in the state of California.

PS: If the city of Los Angeles wants to cry that they can't afford to pay the 4,173 law enforcement officers they hired to maintain order, they might want to make sure all 4,173 were necessary. Judging from the urgency of his stance, I'm guessing this guy wasn't texting for back-up...

Michael Jackson Memorial: My Thoughts

"We will never, ever understand what he endured, not being able to walk down the street without a crowd gathering around him, being judged, ridiculed... How much pain can one take? Maybe now, Michael, they will leave you alone..."
-Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson's brother

Watching today's Michael Jackson memorial, it wasn't Michael Jackson that I felt sorry for, it was the people that are so fast to ridicule him, so fast to condemn him, and so fast to play judge, jury and executioner, despite the fact that so much of what they think they know is rooted in speculation.

I feel sorry for those people, because most of them will never know the pleasure that Michael Jackson brought the world. I feel sorry for those people because they are too scared to feel anything but anger and shame. They don't know the joy that springs to life in a catalog of recordings that spans more than five decades. They know only that it is easier to mock what they don't understand.

But isn't that the world that we live in? If we took the time to understand, there wouldn't be war. Even worse, if we took the time to try and understand, we might come to the hard realization that we can't all be right all the time, and that the world we live in isn't black and white.

And if the world isn't black or white, where do we fit in?

Michael Jackson wanted the world to know that you didn't need to fit in, and that it didn't matter whether you were black or white. Michael Jackson created a world that was colorblind. Not because the world really was colorblind, but because he taught us to be colorblind.

He helped us realize that the world could be colorblind, which is half the battle.

"Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana's Black Star Square, in Johannesburg and Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, Alabama, and in Birmingham, England, we are missing Michael Jackson," said Queen Latifah, the first speaker of the morning's memorial. "But we do know we had him. And we are the world."

Michael Jackson touched our world. And by touching the world, he made it a better place.

"When Michael started it was a different world, but because Michael kept going, because he didn't accept limitations, because he refused to let people decide his boundaries, he opened up the whole world," rang the Reverend Al Sharpton with a rhythmic flow following a breathtaking performance of "Will You Be There" by Jennifer Hudson. "It was Michael Jackson that brought blacks and whites and Asians and Latinos together. It was Michael Jackson that made us sing 'We Are The World' and feed the hungry long before Live Aid... He created a comfort level where people who felt they were separate were interconnected with his music...

"Michael made us love each other. Michael taught us to stand with each other. There are those that like to dig around mess. But millions around the world, we're going to uphold his message. It's not about mess, it's about his love message. As you climb up steep mountains, sometimes you scar your knee. Sometimes you break the skin. But don't focus on the scars, focus on the journey. Michael beat 'em. Michael rose to the top. He outsang his cynics. He outdanced his doubters. He outperformed the pessimists. Every time he got knocked down, he got back up. Every time you counted him out, he came back in. Michael never stopped!

"...Some came today to say goodbye to Michael. I came to say thank you. Thank you because you never stopped. Thank you because you never gave up. Thank you because you tore down our divisions. Thank you because you eradicated failure. Thank you because you gave us hope!"

And thank you for creating music that gave so many of us the spirit to keep on going. Music that lifted us up when we were down. Music that brought us solace when we felt alone. Music that brought us together when we were apart. And music that made us realize we weren't alone.

It's easy to make fun of Michael Jackson. He's different. He wasn't like you or me. And he didn't try to be. He was a human being, and while he knew that he wasn't perfect, he embraced his differences because he knew that the could make a change.

Even if that change was only made one person at a time.

As John Mayer laid into the delicate intricacies of "Human Nature," the five strings of his guitar replacing the poetic palate of Michael Jackson's warm vocals, I didn't understand his placement amidst the memorial. But once I reflected on the nuances of his appearance, it made so much more sense...

Appearing on Larry King Live early this evening, he said that he was performing not just for himself, but for all of his fans. Standing on the Staples Center stage, John Mayer wasn't telling a story about who Michael Jackson was to him as person, he was relaying who Michael Jackson was to him as an artist. And Michael Jackson means that same thing to all of us that love his music.

We are enchanted by his ability to capture that brilliant spark that made us all feel so human, and translate it into the most beautiful of music.

Music that was transcendent, and music that made us smile. Just like Brooke Shields smiled as she told stories about her friendship with Michael, and the laughter they shared. "Although our hearts are aching, we need to look up, where he is undoubtedly perched in the crescent moon, and we need to smile," she said.

And then Jermaine Jackson performed Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," his brother's favorite song. It was a song that rang true to Michael Jackson's heart, but did anyone ever ask themselves why?

Because even Michael Jackson needed to smile. Michael was only human, just like the rest of us.

It's easy to forget that he's not a sideshow, he's a man. He's a brother. He's a son. And he's a father. And while a cynical segment of America mocks his loss, all his family can do is mourn.

When Michael's 11-year-old daughter stepped in front of Janet Jackson to make a comment at the close of the ceremony, she not only touched the world, she melted its heart.

"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," said Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, trying to choke back tears that couldn't be contained. "And I just want to say I love him so much!"

Michael Jackson may have touched our hearts with his music, but his spirit, love and passion lived in the hearts of his family and friends.

The world may have lost an icon, but the Jackson 5 have been reduced to four. Katherine and Joseph Jackson have outlived their son. And the three Jackson children have lost their parent.

While there are a lot of people who deserve our sorrow, as his fans, we deserve it the least.

Michael's message and music will endure for as long as we keep it alive. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, let's be thankful for the gift he gave us, and send a special prayer for the people who knew of him as more than just an icon. The people that lost a family member, a parent, and a friend.

And, yes, take a moment to pray for the people who don't know what they've lost. They are the ones that might need it the most.

In my darkest hour, in my deepest despair
Will you still care, will you be there
In my trials and my tribulations
Through our doubts and frustrations
In my violence, in my turbulence
Through my fear and my confessions
In my anguish, in my pains
through my joy, and my sorrow
In the promise of another tomorrow
I'll never let you part
for you're always in my heart
-"Will You Be There" (Michael Jackson)

Michael Jackson Memorial: The Twitters

I was torn this morning, not knowing whether to attend the Michael Jackson memorial in person, or to watch it on television, not a part of the Staples Center congregation in downtown Los Angeles, but a part of a bigger celebration, that of tens of millions of fans worldwide who were touched by the biggest entertainment icon the world will ever know. My indecision forced a decision, and I have no regrets. I watched from my desk, digesting it all and sharing what I experienced with the online community. Here is my experience of the Michael Jackson memorial, as told via my Twitter account...

The motorcade is pulling into the Staples Center now... The hearse didn't use a blinker. I hope it doesn't get pulled over.

The motorcade is an eerie procession of dozens of black limousines wrapped around the Staples Center as they pull in. Surreal image.

CNN analyst Bryan Monroe agrees with me: "Off The Wall" is his favorite Michael Jackson album.

Based on posthumous sales and projections, CNN is reporting that that the Michael Jackson estate could be completely debt free within months

Smokey Robinson is opening the ceremony by reading a statement prepared by Diana Ross, who is not in attendance

It is astonishing how many people worldwide, so many cultures and languages, are celebrating Michael Jackson's life right now, all together

2200 credentialed journalists are covering the Michael Jackson memorial and surrounding events today.

Gospel choir sings "no more crying, we are going to see the King," casket is rolled to center stage shortly after 1030 am PST...

Mariah Carey singing "I'll Be There" - I'm sure this isn't the last time I'll have goosebumps watching from home. Must be magical there.

Queen Latifah "representing all the fans... Michael never felt distant... Michael was the biggest star on Earth... A human being first"

Lionel Richie singing "Jesus Is Love" ...Is he in training to be a Minister?

Berry Gordy on Michael Jackson: "King of Pop isn't big enough for him, I think he is simply the greatest entertainer that has ever lived!"

My dog doesn't care that I'm glued to TV, she wants to go out... I told her to be reverent of the moment - she went and curled in her bed!

Video montage ended with "You Are Not Alone," goosebump moment number three... WOW. Here's comes Stevie Wonder...

Stevie Wonder performing "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer"

Kobe Bryant: Michael Jackson in Guiness Book of World Records for most charities supported by a pop star.

Magic Johnson: "Michael made me a better point guard and basketball player..."

Magic: "Chef brought me out grilled chicken, and brought Michael a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken...That was a greatest moment in my life"

Jennifer Hudson "Will You Be There" - Holy gospel pipes, she is owning it! CNN showing footage of people dancing in churches. Mo goosebumps!

Michael Jackson voiceover at end of "Will You Be There" - I'm shocked the ovation wasn't bigger, unless people too stunned to respond...

Rev Al Sharpton "It was Michael Jackson that brought blacks and whites and Asians together... Michael Jackson made us sing We Are The World"

Rev Al Sharpton: "Michael outsang his cynics, Michael outdanced his doubters..."

Rev Al Sharpton to Jackson children: "There was nothing strange about your daddy, it was strange what he had to deal with!" Standing Ovation

Based on the tribute Reverend Al Sharpton just gave, I'd join his church...

NEWS FLASH: John Mayer owns a tie... And he's wearing it while he plays "Human Nature"

John Mayer has a smile as wide as I've ever seen. He's the first white person to take the stage, and has as much soul as anyone. Goosebumps.

Other than him being @JohnMayer, not sure what his connection to Michael Jackson was, but it worked... Brooke Shields up now, talking, teary

Brooke Shields: "I used to tease him that I started when I was 11 months old and he started when he was five, he was a slacker..."

BS: "We never filmed a video or recorded a song, but we laughed... MJ's laugh was the sweetest and purest laugh of anyone I'd ever known"

Brooke: "I said, 'What up with the glove?' If you're going to hold my hand, it better be with the other hand..." VERY nice tribute...

Brooke: "He was referred to as the King, but I always thought of him as the little prince..." (read excerpt from book "The Little Prince")

Brooke Shields closed with mention of "Smile," now Jermaine Jackson singing with one white sequined glove... Both powerful and tender...

Martin Luther King III and Bernice King... I just ran to get a cup of coffee--I wonder if they're selling concessions in the Staples Center?

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX): "On behalf of representatives, we know law, and we know that people are innocent until proven otherwise..."

Usher performing "Gone Too Soon" at side of casket. Very emotional performance... Smokey Robinson up now, remembering meeting Jackson 5

Okay, I'll bite... Who is Shaheen Jafarghol, and why is he singing "Who's Loving You"? I guess there had to be someone I wouldn't know...

Shaheen Jafarghol sang "Who's Loving You" on Britiain's Got Talent this season, and Michael Jackson personally invited him to London shows

"We Are The World" This is going to be HUGE...

Ok, "We Are The World" wasn't huge, singing was done by his touring band. "Heal The World" now. MJ's kids, more kids, and all guests onstage

Jesse Jackson has ZERO rhythm (just saying)

I wasn't blown away by "We Are The World" or "Heal The World," but Michael has to be beaming down on the Staples Center right now...

Jermaine Jackson: "We thank you. We thank you very much."

Marlon Jackson: "A part of you will live forever in all of us..."

Paris Jackson: "My daddy has been the best father I could imagine, and I love him so much!" (forget goosebumps, now I'm crying)

As they wheel the casket out to instrumental "Man in the Mirror" there is a lone spotlight on an empty microphone at center stage...

Larry King: "It exceeded any expectations I had..." Said Al Sharpton was the standout of event. Looks like I wasn't alone in that thought!

The memorial was such a moving celebration of everything Michael Jackson represented as an artist and entertainer. Phenomenal.

It feels so good to revel in the joy and magic Michael Jackson brought the world, not the tragedy America encouraged and sensationalized.

I love it! There's some guy in a Lamb Of God t-shirt being talked to on CNN as he leaves the Staples Center...

I would love to see a picture of what the sky looks like above the Staples Center... There have to be too many helicopters to count!

Michael Jackson demonstrates America's divide: Half want to defile him, and the other half want to celebrate him. I'll celebrate, thank you.

If this clip doesn't break your heart, you don't have a heart: http://tinyurl.com/mrohqd

Michael Jackson memorial highlights (for me): Rev Al Sharpton, Brooke Shields, Jennifer Hudson and Magic Johnson. And, of course, Paris. RIP


Follow Paul Gargano on Twitter: @PaulGargano

This day in Gargano history...

In case anyone is looking for a reason to celebrate this weekend...

The July 2009 issue of Maximum Ink music magazine features not just one, but TWO Gargano brothers on the cover!

Andrew Gargano is not only my brother, he's also one of the most talented photographers I know - and I'm not just saying that because I feel bad about the time a decade or two ago (maybe three, but who's counting) that I kicked his ass in the front yard of our house. He is credited with this month's Maximum Ink cover photo (as well as the photos for the cover story), just below the lower right-hand cover line for my Michael Jackson tribute.

This is even bigger than the day President Bush read the names Paul Gargano and Anthony Gargano in the Washington Post, when my Dave Matthews Band concert review ran in syndication and a writer with the same name as the third Gargano brother appeared in the sports section...

And here I was, thinking I might make it through the weekend without cracking open a celebratory cold one!

Kidding aside, don't forget to take a moment this weekend to remember what it took to make our country great, and what it takes from each and every one of us to keep it that way!

Here's to a happy, safe and festive fourth of July weekend...

Meet Pablo...

When's the last time you cried - and I mean really cried - for someone you've never met before?

The type of cry that hurts so much it burns your insides. The type of cry that reminds you that you're alive. And the type of cry that makes you appreciate even the smallest blessings that life has to offer.

Meet Pablo.

He's not the King of Pop, and he's not one of Charlie's Angels. He's both, rolled into one. And he's so much more.

Little more than a year ago, on May 17, Pablo was diagnosed with bilateral Wilms' Tumor, a rare form of children's cancer. It is a cancer that, when discovered early, is curable in 90-percent of its cases.

Pablo was not one of those cases.

On Saturday, June 27, he passed on to the next life.

Unfortunately, that does not make Pablo unique. What makes Pablo unique, is that through his family's blog - PABLOg! - thousands of people have traveled the Castelaz family's rocky road alongside them. Some lending vocal support along the way, others - like myself - reading silently, cheering them on with a prayer before they close their eyes at night, or offering a reflection after catching up in a moment of downtime throughout their day.

In a world run amok with tabloid ethos, I beg you all to read about their voyage. I recommend starting at June 21, Pablo's sixth birthday, and continuing from there. You'll be glad you did. This is one case where knowing how the story ends will truly make you appreciate its early chapters even more.

You see, Pablo is a superhero. He is every child stricken by cancer, every child that fights, and every child that endures that struggle with a smile on their face, because they don't know any other way.

Pablo is the embodiment of every child that is braver than you and I. Of every child that is stronger than you and I. And of every child who we hope and pray might not become our own, because we don't know that we'd ever have the strength to cope.

All the while, the child copes because it's all they know how to do.

And their family copes because it's all their love allows them to do.

I learned of Pablo through the social networking grapevine, because I went to college with his father. We weren't friends, but we knew each other, working together in the programming branch of Marquette Universitys' student government. Life brought us both from Milwaukee to Los Angeles, and life led us both to the music industry. We ran into each other once a few years ago and exchanged pleasantries, but little more.

I don't know him as well as some people know the waitstaff at their favorite restaurant. And he may not recall me at all. Yet through the magic of Pablo, I feel like I know him better than I know some of my closest friends.

And I admire him, and his family.

What the Castelaz family shared with Pablo in the past thirteen months is more than most people get to experience in a lifetime. A world of joy and sorrow, driven by tragedy and fueled by love.

Nobody knows why cancer chooses the victims it does, but I do know this - I don't consider Pablo a victim. I consider him a hero.

And though they'll deny it with every essence of their being, Pablo's family are heroes, too. They are heroes for sharing their strength with the world. Sharing their fear. Sharing their hope. And sharing their life.

I could share some of Pablo's stories here, and I expect that you would cry like I am as I type this. But I wouldn't do the stories justice, and they would lose the impact of getting to know Pablo yourself, and taking his journey with him.

To truly appreciate the joy that life has to offer, we must embrace the sorrow that comes with it.

The Castelaz family embraced sorrow, and crushed it with joy.

We should all be so strong.


Read Pablo's story here, at PABLOg!

Please visit The Pablove Foundation online at www.pablove.org

ABOUT THE PABLOVE FOUNDATION:

The Pablove Foundation is named after Pablo Castelaz, the six-year-old son of Dangerbird Records co-founder Jeff Castelaz and his wife Jo Ann Thrailkill. On May 17, 2008, Pablo was diagnosed with bilateral Wilms' Tumor, a rare form of children's cancer. The cancer appeared out of nowhere, with no warning signs in Pablo's general demeanor or health. Thanks to decades of research and treatment at places like Children's Hospital Los Angeles, where Pablo was treated, Wilms' Tumor is over 90% curable.

CHLA is a not-for-profit, independent operation. They treat everyone, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. In 2007, they treated over 93,000 children, and distributed $54 million in charitable care to children whose families were not able to pay for treatment, or who simply do not have insurance. The Pablove Foundation directly supports the pediatric cancer community in and around CHLA.

Specifically, the Pablove Foundation will make an annual contribution to cancer research and treatment at CHLA's Saban Research Institute, one of the top cancer research facilities in the United States. It will also support play activities, music and arts programs and sponsor play rooms in the soft tumor units at CHLA.

MICHAEL JACKSON August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009

When you're down and out, there seems no hope at all
But if you just believe, there's no way we can fall
--"We Are The World" (Michael Jackson/Lionel Richie)


I always wished I could moonwalk.

Not because I listened to hip-hop and wanted to add the move to my breakdancing repertoire, but because Michael Jackson made everyone wish they could moonwalk.

Michael Jackson is the King of Pop because he made awkward and pudgy white kids in suburban America wish they could move like he could. Gawky kids like me were the final frontier, and he was the great unifier. Everyone loved Michael Jackson, because you couldn't not love Michael Jackson.

If you didn't get a rush of awe watching him glide backwards across a stage, his feet rolling with the fluidity of waves across the ocean and his body as lithe as his movements were seamless, you simply didn't know what it meant to be entertained.

And all Michael Jackson ever wanted to do was entertain. To solicit the smiles that he wished he could have experienced more of in his youth, having been forced to become a star before he was allowed to be a child. And while that was the heart of his problems as of late, it was also what makes him so damn irresistible as an artist.


Just try and listen to Off The Wall without a smile on your face. I dare you.

Try and find anyone who doesn't have a memory tied to Thriller, the single greatest-selling record of all time.

And Bad is nothing short of brilliant.

Michael Jackson's appeal was undeniable, and his music was magical. He had an innate ability to connect, and that connection bordered on spiritual for music fans.

That is the power he held as a performer, and that is the power he will continue to hold as an entertainer, even in his death.

As easy as it has been to make jokes about his life in recent years, it is almost impossible to comprehend the words that are now rattling the world: "Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, is dead."

There's a finality to that statement that is frighteningly harsh and tragically real. Yet as tragic as his death is, it is equally tragic that so many people will choose to speculate on his demons, rather than pay homage to an artistic legacy that puts him in the company of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and James Brown.

He changed the way we listened to music, and he changed the way we watched music.

Michael Jackson forever changed the world of entertainment.

If even for just a brief moment, let's ignore his sales and chart records. Let's pay no mind to torrid speculation. Let's forget that he is the King of Pop, and simply remember him for the musical joy that he leaves behind.

Let's remember the child prodigy that fronted the Jackson 5 and the unadulterated glee of "Rockin' Robin," the unparalleled hit machine that barreled through the '80s and well into the '90s, and the visionary behind epic videos that are without rival in the three-decade history of MTV.

His collaborations ranged from Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder, to Paul McCartney, Vincent Price and Eddie Van Halen. He was the mastermind behind "We Are The World," a virtual who's who of pop music's pantheon in 1985, and he turned "Black or White" into an anthem in 1991, before Barack Obama held his first public office.

Michael Jackson was more than an R&B legend, a pop icon, or a rock and roll curiosity, he is the world's songbird, and a genius whose star will shine forever in the hearts and souls of the countless fans he's touched.

Yes, there was more to Michael Jackson. But in the wake of the madness and media circus that is already assembling its three rings, let's take a moment to remember the time when Michael Jackson was just Michael Jackson.

The Michael Jackson that touched us all, and the Michael Jackson that took a piece of each of us with him when he died today.

May you rest in peace, Michael, you deserve it...


Official Michael Jackson Website

Michael Jackson YouTube Video Channel

"We Are The World" Music Video

WE ARE THE FALLEN (Easier to Spell AND Easier to Get Along With)

Well played, former men of Evanescence, well played!

Whether she'd admit it or not, Amy Lee had to be hoping that her former bandmates would just slither off into the sunset, leaving her to rule over the Evanescence empire uncontested... And for a while there, it seemed her hope might spring eternal.

But that spring has run dry.

Monday's media event announcing the formation of We Are The Fallen was executed with the precision of a Navy S.E.A.L.S. operation: Get in, make a few tactical strikes and get out. There was little room for error, and less concern for collateral damage.

Mission accomplished. Amy Lee may have won the first few battles, but now we know that the war is far from over.

What war? The one that started when Ben Moody walked away from Evanescence mid-tour in 2003, despite the fact that they were the biggest band in mainstream rock at the time, and had one of the best-selling albums since cavemen started banging rocks together and calling it music more than 10,000 years ago.

You've got to figure things must have been seriously awry if Moody was willing to walk away from the band he started with Lee, leaving her the name, as well as the ability to continue making a living singing songs that he was instrumental in writing. Even so, there are two sides to every story...

But which side was lent more credence after the remaining original members of Evanescence, guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray, parted ways with Lee a few years later, leaving the frontwoman with her own befuddled version of Guns N' Roses?

Whether she intended to or not, Lee took a band and turned it into a solo project. While her sophomore release went multi-platinum with ease, it probably made her just as happy to see that her former creative partner, Moody, appeared more comfortable in a production role, opting to stay out of the public spotlight.

Until Monday, that is, when Moody, LeCompt and Gray unveiled We Are The Fallen, "a new chapter of an existing band for three of us..."

Featuring American Idol finalist Carly Smithson on vocals and Marty O'Brien [Tommy Lee, Kelly Clarkson, Disturbed, Static-X] on bass, We Are The Fallen isn't so much a new outfit, as it is an updated lineup. Lest you think the new band plans on ignoring their roots, look no further than the name, a reference to the album title of the Evanescence debut (Fallen), which has sold more than 15 million copies to date.

Still not sold? If Moody's "new chapter of an existing band for three of us" comment during Monday's brief Hollywood, CA, press conference wasn't enough, consider the two-song performance that preceded it, where the band performed new track "Bury Me Alive" (listen here) and the opening track of the Evanescence debut, "Going Under."


The live debut couldn't have been more impressive. "Bury Me Alive" is as strong as anything Moody and his bandmates have written in the past, and if Smithson's performance of "Going Under" is any indication, the back catalog is in more than capable hands. Fans of American Idol (which Moody admitted he's not) already know Smithson's rock pedigree, but many don't know that she covered the Evanescence hit "Bring Me To Life" on the 2008 American Idols Live tour. She was always more rocker than solo artist, and in We Are The Fallen she has the vehicle to give Idol standout Chris Daughtry a run for his money as the show's resident rock icon.

Amy Lee knows that, and the Evanescence frontwoman responded to the news of We Are The Fallen with a website post titled, "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?" (It appears that she's got a bigger problem with singing music you didn't write, than she does with hiring musicians to play music they didn't write.)

The barbs didn't end there, and aren't likely to end anytime soon.

When Moody was asked in the press conference why he's waited so long to return to the public eye since departing the lineup he co-created more than 15 years ago, he responded in kind: "We wanted to do it right this time..."

And when the band was asked who'd be handling the songwriting duties, LeCompt said that the entire band contributes equally. To which Moody added, "and for once that's actually true."

While the band has already written several songs together, don't expect to see a full-length album in the immediate future. Instead, We Are The Fallen plan on releasing a few songs at a time via the internet, eschewing the battered record industry model while still assuring a steady flow of new material as they tour.

Look for We Are The Fallen on the road this fall.

We Are The Fallen MySpace

Pedal To The Metal Tour 2009 Announced

This summer just got a whole lot hotter, harder, faster and louder.

THE PEDAL TO THE METAL TOUR 2009, featuring MUDVAYNE (pictured) and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, will kick off July 24 in Portland, ME, and conclude September 9, in Oklahoma City, OK (see complete itinerary below). Joining the two metal juggernauts on the road will be STATIC-X, SUICIDE SILENCE, DOPE, BURY YOUR DEAD, and the twisted HELLZAPOPPIN sideshow review, performing during set changes throughout the evening. Pre-sale tickets are available to all of the bands’ fan club members beginning Wednesday, June 10, at 12pm local time at www.pedaltothemetaltour.com (website will go live June 10), with general public on sale beginning Friday, June 12, at 10am local time.

“The tour started as a summer tour with us and Black Label Society, but as we started fleshing out ideas, it transformed into this really cool concept,” says Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray. The final result is the inaugural run of The Pedal To The Metal Tour, a road ready and battle-proven assemblage of hard rock and heavy metal bands guaranteed to raise temperatures and melt asphalt over the summer months. “We’re really excited, because this package is a merging of great bands, good people and fucking amazing fans. It’ll be great to bring them all together.”

“I was looking forward to a full throttle assault with just Mudvayne this summer, but when Chad said ‘Let’s do more,’ I was all-in.” declares Zakk Wylde, the iconic and self professed General Patton of Black Label Society. Adding, “On behalf of JD, Craig, Nick, the Doom Crew Inc. and myself, we can’t wait to see our Black Label family and the entire Black Label nation once again, rollin’ through hell and destroying everything in our path! Fire up the barbecues, fire up the tunes, and get ready for the rest of your Pedal To The Metal family to fire it up and let the engines roll… Game m-f-’n on!”

Says Static-X frontman Wayne Static of the tour: “I’m very picky about who we tour with. I think Static-X slaughter most bands live, and I pride myself in our show – I refuse to open for a band that I don’t think is worthy, so that says a lot about Mudvayne, Zakk Wylde, and this entire package.”

The Pedal To The Metal Tour is being booked exclusively by TKO [The Kirby Organization], the agents for Mudvayne, and is being promoted nationally by Frank Productions and Knitting Factory Presents. The package will travel more than 12,000 miles of highway across America this summer, stopping in nearly three dozen cities over seven weeks.

PEDAL TO THE METAL TOUR 2009 ITINERARY:

JULY
24-PORTLAND, ME (Cumberland County Civic Center)
25-LOWELL, MA (Tsongas Arena)
28-READING, PA (Sovereign Center
29-YOUNGSTOWN, OH (Chevrolet Center)
31-BIG FLATTS, NY (Tags Summer Stage)

AUGUST
1-ALBANY, NY (Altamont Fairgrounds) *Radio Show*
4-FORT WAYNE, IN (War Memorial Coliseum)
5-BATTLE CREEK, MI (Kellogg Arena)
7-MOLINE, IL (I Wireless Center)
8-ROCKFORD, IL (Rockford Metro Center)
9-MADISON, WI (Willow Island) *Radio Show*
11-TOPEKA, KS (Landon Arena)
12-MANKATO, MN (Alltel Arena)
14-OMAHA, NE (Westfair Amphitheater) *Radio Show*
15-LITTLE ROCK, AR (NS River Water Park) *Radio Show*
16-WICHITA, KS (KS Coliseum Lot) *Radio Show*
18-BOISE, ID (Idaho Center Amphitheater)
19-MISSOULA, MT (Ryan Creek Amphitheater)
21-SPOKANE, WA (Spokane Arena) *Radio Show*
22-SEATTLE, WA White River Amphitheater) *Radio Show*
23-PORTLAND, OR (Washington County Fairgrounds) *Radio Show*
25-EUGENE, OR (Cubhert Amphitheater)
26-RENO, NV (Events Center)
28-SAN JOSE, CA (San Jose Civic Auditorium)
29-BAKERSFIELD, CA (Rabo Bank Arena)

SEPTEMBER
1-SAN DIEGO, CA (San Diego Sports Arena)
2-MESA, AZ (Mesa Amphitheater)
4-CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Concrete Street Amphitheater)
5-SAN ANTONIO, TX (Sunken Gardens)
6-LUBBOCK, TX (Lonestar Amphitheater)
8-DALLAS, TX (TBA)
9-OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (Zoo Amphitheater)

*Radio shows may not include entire Pedal To The Metal lineup*

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

MUDVAYNE
Mudvayne are one of the most creative and distinctive bands in the aggressive music world, and one of the only acts in heavy music to hold the distinction of seeing every one of their five studio albums attain at least gold certification by the RIAA. Not bad for a band that never cared about following trends or playing to the masses. Latest release The New Game was released in November ’08, and is a lesson in controlled chaos that tempers hard rock, heavy metal, prog rock and sadistic splatters of pop into an onslaught of metallic highs and emotional lows. Mudvayne have sold more than five million units worldwide, and performed for more than one million fans on every continent. They were nominated for “Best Metal Performance” at the 2005 Grammys, and also shared headlining status on that year’s Ozzfest, performing immediately before Iron Maiden. The Pedal To The Metal Tour marks the next step in Mudvayne’s live evolution.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
In the two decades since Ozzy Osbourne hired him away from his job at a New Jersey gas station to become his new guitarist, Zakk Wylde has established himself as a guitar icon known and revered the world over. He spawned his now legendary Black Label Society in 1994, and in the fifteen years since has turned the outfit into a heavy metal institution true to his vision of uncompromising, unfiltered and unrestrained rock and roll. Inspired by guitarists including Frank Marino, Robin Trower and Al DiMeola, as well as the vocal stylings of Elton John, Gregg Allman and late Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie VanZant, Wylde has won every guitar award imaginable and is a major influence to the new wave of heavy metal guitarists. Wherever Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society travels, one thing is for certain: brewtality is sure to follow.

STATIC-X
Since the release of their Wisconsin Death Trip debut a decade ago, Static-X have sold more than three million records worldwide. Their latest opus, Cult of Static, was released in March and debuted in the Billboard Top 20, marking their most impressive first-week showing since 2001. Known for their high intensity fusion of metal mayhem and industrial fervor, Static-X have one of the most allegiant fan bases in heavy music. “I jokingly call it a cult, but our fans have that kind of loyalty,” says frontman Wayne Static. “We’re one of the biggest underground bands ever.”

SUICIDE SILENCE
The winners of the Best New Talent award at the Revolver Golden God Awards in April, Suicide Silence have emerged at the forefront of the new wave of American heavy metal, and have sold more than 70,000 copies of their 2008 debut, The Cleansing. Hailed as one of the “100 bands you need to know about” by Alternative Press, their sophomore release No Time To Bleed will hit stores June 29, just in time for Pedal To The Metal 2009.

DOPE
Dope aren’t the heaviest band on this summer’s Pedal To The Metal tour, but they can stake a claim at being the most brutal: Their track “Die Mother Fucker Die” was on a short list of songs used by the United States government to aid in the interrogation of enemy combatants in the war against Iraq. They’ve sold more than one million albums in their decade-plus career, their latest release being last year’s No Regrets.

BURY YOUR DEAD
Written and recorded in the wake of an accident last September that flipped and rolled the Bury Your Dead tour van, there was no shortage of inspiration for the bone-crunching and chest-pounding canons that mark new release It’s Nothing Personal. Armed with grinding music, spitfire lyrics and melodic interludes, the album packs everything fans have come to expect from the New England metal-core veterans – and, as always, a little bit more…

HELLZAPOPPIN
Hellzapoppin bill themselves as “The Greatest Show In Hell,” delivering a burlesque and macabre flavored take on Barnum’s more family-friendly sideshow attractions. Featuring a penguin boy, fire eating, sword swallowing and a self-professed torture king amongst their off-center oddities, the Hellzapoppin sideshow review promises to keep fans eerily entertained and darkly amused between sets on the Pedal To The Metal Tour 2009.