Fellow headbangers, beware!

The article below came from the Scientific American website. I heard a couple of weeks ago on CNN about this and I thought it might be good material for this blog. Of course, this is old news to me. It's funny that they mentioned Terry Balsamo's stroke, seeing as how that's the whole reason it's old news to me because I'm a long-time Evanescence fan. It is something to think about though - could my penchant for dropping whatever I am doing when a song comes on to start headbanging cost me my health?

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Because it's the first thing you consider when you go to a heavy-metal concert, we just thought you should know: Head-banging can be hazardous to your health. That's right — depending on the tempo of the music and the range of motion of your noggin, you could be looking at a head or neck injury, Australian researchers report in today's British Medical Journal. Andrew McIntosh, an associate professor of biomechanics at the School of Risk and Safety Sciences as the University of New South Wales, and his research assistant, Declan Patton, attended several hard rock and heavy-metal concerts, taking careful note of the most popular head-banging techniques in the audience. While head-banging generally refers to violent, rhythmic movement of the head, it takes various forms. At the concerts McIntosh and Patton attended, the "up-down" style — which looks like you're bobbing for apples, long hair covering your face at all times — trumped the others. The "circular swing" (long locks swung around your head like a mini tornado) the "full body" (hair whipped up and down in exaggerated fashion) and the "side-to-side" (looks like you're shaking your head in disagreement) didn't get as much representation. (Thanks to our resident head-banging expert, tech editor Larry Greenemeier, for those colorful descriptions.) After rockin' out with Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row and Whitesnake, among others, McIntosh and Patton got down to business. Based on the popularity of the up-down style of head-banging at the concerts, and the average tempo of 11 songs deemed the best for head-banging by a minion of local musicians, the scientists developed a mathematical model of how violently you'd have to shake your noodle to hurt yourself. Their conclusion? Head-banging to a song with a tempo of 146 beats per minute can make you dazed and confused (read: give you a headache and make you dizzy) if you're rotating your head by more than 75 degrees. For the record, popular heavy metal often has a tempo of 180 beats per minute, according to the study. So head-banging to faster tunes with even more range of motion (say, 120 degrees) could cause a neck injury — mainly pain, McIntosh and Patton conclude. "If the tempo is increased, you have to accelerate more to keep in time," McIntosh tells us. "You've got a limit to that range of motion. The more you're going through it, the higher the risk of mild brain injury or some sort of neck injury." The tongue-and-cheekiness of the research aside, musicians have actually hurt themselves head-banging. A 15-year-old drummer in his neighborhood band suffered an aneurysm in his cervical vertebral artery, according to a 1991 case report in the journal Pediatric Neurosurgery, and Evanescence guitarist Terry Balsamo had a stroke three years ago that his docs blamed on his head-banging tendencies. Worried? Try to rotate your neck at no more than 45 degrees. Alternatively, consider slower tempo, easy-listening music instead — or a neck brace, McIntosh and Patton suggest. "You could have a stylish neck brace built into a leather jacket," McIntosh quips. "We didn’t take into account whether if someone had a poodle-style hairdo, that that might dampen some of the acceleration, or if dreadlocks make it worse. The next step would be to look at the effects of some of these hairstyles." Rock on!

(Link To Original Article / Photo ⓒ Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, "Metalocalypse")

Random Observations

Random Observations (Thanks to Jessica Minear for giving me this idea, haha.) Some of them are funny, some of them are serious.

-If you're reading a book about a disease, people will think you have said disease.

-You will always have a rough patch of skin somewhere on your body, no matter how small, that you can't get smooth no matter what.

-No one will ever understand your addiction to CNN, unless they happen to not suffer from, but enjoy, it too.

-It doesn't matter how many times you listen to "Save Me," the word "fuck" will always seem out of place. (No disrespect.)

-Every song will give you a photography or art idea.

-Even though you respect her majorly as a songwriter and an artist, you will come to the conclusion that Amy Lee seems like she can be a bitch. (The woman can't keep bandmates for shit.)

-You wouldn't believe how much great rock and metal resides in West Virginia. (Karma To Burn or Liecus, anyone?)

-Mariah Carey can take ANY song and cover it, and RUIN it. ("Bringin' On The Heartbreak" and "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" just to name a couple.)

-"The Open Door," the Evanescence album, was basically (save for just a few songs) one big complaint about Shaun Morgan. (It was still pretty good, though.)

-"The Dark Knight" really did live up to the hype. Heath Ledger's Joker made Jack Nicholson's look like a grumpy Ronald McDonald.

-FYI: I pirated that movie. I'z stealthy like that.

-If you get past the weirdness of "Handlebars," Flobots is actually a REALLY good band.

-It's just a law of nature that you will not look good in your driver's license/ID picture. What? It just is.

-Mystikal's rapping style is just a rip-off of DMX's style. Therefore, it's almost intolerable.

-It is completely OK to shave a few pounds off of your weight for your license/ID. Especially if you're a chick.

-You have to be a certain type of person to appreciate Tori Amos' music.

-Any Pink Floyd fan will HATE you for liking Staind's version of "Comfortably Numb" more than you like the orignal. Also, any fan of The Who will hate you for liking Limp Bizkit's version of "Behind Blue Eyes" more than you like the original. (Me: I like Limp Bizkit's version better though. Dave: I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that.)

-Country singers were not made to cover R&B songs.

-Sheryl Crow's songs are the most fun to sing along to. Unless they're the ones that make you break down into tears, LMAO.

-You will never understand how both you and your sisters got good singing voices since your mother, honestly, can't sing for shit.

-O.J. Simpson is the dumbest motherfucker who ever walked the face of the planet.

-A song really can save your life.

-Being tolerant and respectful of other people's beliefs is a must if you wish to survive in this world.

-Ani DiFranco is NOT a "whiney lesbian"!

-Mr. Everson wasn't like most teachers....if you fell asleep in class, he didn't let you get away with it.

-Civics is the best class you will ever take, simply because Wagner doesn't give a flying fuck if you sleep for the whole hour and a half.

-Being a "Rollin'" girl for Halloween is the easiest costume in the world to do. All you need is a pair of jeans, a wifebeater, and a red baseball cap - ta-da, you're a female Fred Durst.

-Eventually you actually get bored of dying your hair and want to see the color that's SUPPOSED to come out of the roots.

-"Thriller" by Michael Jackson (God help you if you don't know who that song is by) is the PERFECT Halloween song.

-Three years without a Big Mac results in one HELL of a Mac Attack!

-As much as one supports animal rights, well, to tell the truth, PETA is mostly a bunch of hypocritical dumbfucks. There are many other animal rights organitzations and foundations that are more worthy of my money and time.

-It's just a general rule of life that sucky songs get stuck in your head.

-Metal can only be so hard before it starts to sound like just a bunch of noise.

-Making blogs like these is a perfect way to pass time.

Posts from the bat....

My dog chewed up my glasses the other day, so my vision is very fucked up until my new ones come in sometime this week. I can see well enough to type this stuff, but trying to read that itty-bitty shit that some people use on their sites and blogs is torture. I have to go get a root canal tomorrow (remember the toothache post?) and maybe if I'm lucky my new glasses will be in tomorrow and I can just swing by there and pick them up while I'm at the dentist. (Two trips to Elkins in one week would be sort of stupid, but it will be necessary if my new glasses aren't in tomorrow.) At the very least, I think I look horrible without glasses on.

I'm currently cleaning my room and in the process, trying to find an old pair of glasses from a couple of years ago. My prescription hasn't changed much so they would do until the new ones come in. So far, no luck though. :(

I thought about doing another list, but I'd rather wait until I have my specs on to do it - that way, I'll be able to see the screen more clearly. Right now, I'm squinting and I have to hold my head at a certain angle so I can see the screen - not fun, people!

Ouch.

I have one Hell of a toothache. I'm sitting here doped up on painkillers, and I can't wait till later today when I can run to the drugstore and see if they have anything stronger than Orajel. (That shit does NOT work, at least not on this toothache.) After closely inspecting the culprit tooth, I think there may be a crack in it - therefore, I'm also going to see if the drugstore has any of that stuff you can use to temporarily cover a tooth until you can go to the dentist. (I have an appointment on the 26th of this month, so I'm going to try to tough it out until then.) The only thing that seems to help the toothache are painkillers.

It doesn't hurt at all right now, but when I'm not on any pills, it hurts so bad it makes me cry. (It takes a lot to make me cry.)

OK, so that's it....I figured I'd write about my toothache. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Let's put it this way - if I had any military secrets, I'd talk!

I always said I was gonna change the world....

Yesterday, I DID.

Voting doesn't seem to be a very big thing to some people, but to me, finally getting to make my voice heard after eighteen long years of being exposed to the news and politics 24/7 and wanting so badly to be able to vote, and FINALLY being able to - it's huge to me. Along with millions of other people, me, my tiny little self, with my tiny little voice - millions of tiny little voices, together - WE HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD.

I was speaking with my best friend in IM, Ritz (damn I love that girl!), and I heard a huge burst of cheers, looked up at the TV, and on CNN, saw, "Barack Obama Elected President,"....I could never have been prouder of the fact that the first name I ever checked on a voting machine was his, than I was at that moment.

And I have no hate for McCain, I respect him, I really do, and I have no hate for his supporters. (Except for the ones that booed during his speech in Phoenix....but that's another story, LOL.) The man ran a long, tough campaign and he's taken his loss like a man. I was glad to hear him say that he would work with our soon to be president to help reform this country and get us back on track.

And so now I end this message with these words:

"A government OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people has not perished from the Earth."
-President-Elect Barack Obama

The "Shadow" Complex (And Why I Feel Sorry For Ashlee Simpson When I Hear This Song)

This may be a self-serving rant, but I promise it does serve some sort of (musical) purpose. Besides, it's my blog and I'll bitch if I want to.

Ah, middle child syndrome. Any middle kid can understand this. One thing I hate to hear is "I understand" from someone who is NOT a middle child. If you're the oldest, don't tell us you understand. You most likely don't. If you're the baby, DEFINITELY don't tell us that you understand. You don't. I've suffered from a classic case of it for the past twelve years.

May 24, 1996, my little sister is born. I'm six years old. I say adios to my status as the baby of the house and say hello to constantly being ignored in favor of the older child's achievements and the baby's cuteness.

I hate to admit that I like the song "Shadow" by Ashlee Simpson, because to tell you the truth, I really don't think the girl can sing that well. All in all though, the song does sum up what middle child syndrome tends to feel like, even though the song wasn't written about middle child syndrome, but it basically describes it pretty well.

My older sister was the one that everyone knew would succeed one way or another. Four years older than me, she was an over-achiever, made great grades, multi-talented in both sports and music, and she was well-liked by most everyone.

My little sister has always been cute, and even at twelve, she will exploit her cuteness to get anything and everything she wants.

Then there's me. There was only one thing that made me special, and it was only because it made my family feel too shitty to ignore me too much. (Another story.) But for the most part, I was the "artsy" one, the "unique" one in a family full of people all too eager to conform. I didn't make great grades. In fact, my grades from 3rd grade to about 7th grade were downright shitty and I honestly do not know how I managed to scrape by. I'd rather sit in my room and write or sing or listen to music than do my homework, as slackerish as that may have been. I'd rather be creative than logical about things. And after about age eight, I didn't have much of a cute factor - nothing to write home about anyway.

And I spent so many years of my life living in the shadow of an over-achieving saxophonist and basketball player, in the shadow of a cute little blond who has everyone wrapped around her finger. I tried so hard to compete with them. I tried to be cute. I even went to the length of playing the saxophone in the school band so I could try to be just as good as my older sister, in at least one aspect.

Now, when I hear "Shadow" I feel sorry for Ashlee Simpson, and not only because this song depicts that maybe she suffered because of the attention given to her sister. I feel sorry for her because this song is too powerful for her voice, and you can hear her struggle to sing it. Maybe the vocal imperfections, though, add character to the song that otherwise might not be there....

When I first heard "Shadow," I was drawn to it because of the lyrics. It seemed to fit me so well. I definitely wouldn't say "everything's cool now" or that "my life is good, I've got more than anyone should," but I have finally, after so many years, become a little comfortable in my own skin. My mental one at least. I am a unique person. I am a liberal in a family full of conservatives. I have a creative mind, not a logical one. I am Sara. I am not Ashley, my older sister. I am not Elizabeth, my younger sister. I am Sara, the middle kid. The writer/singer/photographer/graphic designer. Maybe I can live with that.

(PS: It's kinda ironic....Ashlee Simpson ended up marrying Pete Wentz. I'm not an Ashlee Simpson fan, because of her vocal shortcomings, but I do like this song. But I say something is ironic because, I don't really like Ashlee Simpson, save for this song, and she married someone with whom I share a last name.)

You know you're from West Virginia when....

1) You've never met any celebrities.

2) Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.

3) “Vacation" means driving through Wyatt on the way to Morgantown.

4) You've seen all the biggest bands ten years after they were popular.

5) You measure distance in minutes.

6) Down south to you means Kentucky.

7) You know several people who have hit a deer.

8) Your school classes were canceled because of cold.

9) You've ridden the school bus for an hour each way.

10) You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July.

11) Stores don't have bags; they have pokes.

12) They don't have shoppingcarts; they have buggies.

13) You've seen people wear bib overalls at funerals.

14) You've seen a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it no matter what time of the year.

15) You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?" or "Where are you going to?"

16) All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit,vegetable,or grain.
17) You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.

18) You know what "cow! tipping" or "Possum Kicking" is.

19) You only own 3 spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup.

20) Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with ice & snow.

21) You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.

22) You cook green beans for hours.

23) You think sexy lingerie is tube socks and a flannel nightie.

24) You don't ever park your car without setting the emergency brake.

25) The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page, but requires 6 pages for sports.

26) You think that deer season is a national holiday. (You mean it isn't?!?!)

27) You know which leaves make good toilet paper -- and which ones don't -- poison ivy, anyone??

28) You find 5 degrees F "a little chilly".

29) You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Road Construction.

30) You know what a real tomato is, and have a recipe for candy ones.

31) You know if another Hillbilly is from southern, central, or northern WVas soon as they open their mouth.

32) Your parents have threatened to have you sent to Pruntytown.

33) You can watch someone order a hotdog and know in what part of the state they live. - Chili AND slaw, anyone?

34) You can spell words like Allegheny, Monongalia, Monongahela, Kanawha and Hawks Nest.

35) You know how to pronounce Canaan and Gilmer.

36) You know that Serpent Mound was not made by snakes.

37) You know at least one couple who went to Virginia or Maryland to get married.