The past year or so of my life has found me in some interesting financial pickles. Although these have not been very fun, I’ve taken the opportunities to become more creative with what little I have, and how to stretch it even further than I was before. After many harsh realizations of how little money I really do have, I was shocked into a budget. This was hard, but now I’m realizing that it’s for the best, and I’m way ahead of most people my age financially, even though I’m making way less than them.

I was quite accustomed to splitting the bills with my ex-boyfriend…however, when things went sour, and we broke up, I was the one who ended up keeping the apartment while he left. This doubled my financial burden every month, and this was a major shock to me. I was still spending as though I only had to pay half of what I actually was. Stupid, stupid, stupid me. This was a hard lesson learned in itself – not only about relationships, but with my own personal finances. I am thankful, though, as it’s forced me to be more creative and to take new financial routes and risks.

SAVING

Regardless of how much money you make, start saving now! Whether you make minimum wage or $30/hr, saving is the smartest thing you can do with your money. Try to find a high yield savings account or a money market account with a high APY (annual percentage yield). If you put $5 or $50 in it a month, it’s something. This will accrue interest, and grow over time. Your money is making money for you. I started out with a few hundred dollars less than a year ago, and I have $20 taken out of my account automatically every single month. I don’t even notice. It does it underneath my nose. Now, I’ve gained nearly $200 since then from the bits of $20 and interest. How cool is that? I can raise the amount taken out or make individual deposits. If I ever get money for an occasion, I deposit it in my bank account, and then transfer it to my money market account. This is excess money that I know I’ll do something stupid with, so I’m putting it to good use instead of buying a records or dinner out. I’ll be very glad I have this money set aside in case of an emergency, or possibly later on when I’m looking to retire or something. I don’t plan on touching it. Take my advice on this – you’ll be happy you did. Starting a nest egg as soon as possible is the best thing you can do for yourself later on. I know many of our parents do not have much savings, and it’s sad that people are retiring later and later in life. Do you want to work until you’re 80? I don’t think so.

WHAT ARE YOU SPENDING?

When I realized I was living outside of my means, I started a strict budget. I started this by saving my receipts and realizing what I was spending my money on. My grocery bills were equal to what I was spending on clothes. My ebay bills were even higher. I was spending more on records than food. Yikes! So, to keep myself in check, I started using expensr, an online money management tool that makes keeping track of your spending painless. At the end of each week, I take all my saved receipts and plug them into this to see how much I’m spending each month compared to my paychecks. This has worked quite well to make sure I’m living within my means.

It’s so easy to swipe a card and not think about it. If you want a more extreme budget, stop using your debit card. Set an amount for how much you want to spend for a week or month. Take that out of the ATM in cash, and only spend cash. Forking over cash and seeing how much you have left is a physical reminder to stay within your means.

LIVING SITUATION

When you split utilities, it’s not a huge deal. However, when you live alone, you have to be a bit more conscious, as a $150 electric bill SUCKS. So, I started looking into how I could save on utilities and my living situation.

Be more environmentally friendly. It’s simple, good for the environment, and cheaper for you.

Places like Ikea and some hardware stores have options to lower your utilities. Although they may be a tad more expensive, they’ll save you more than you’re spending. I’m a big fan of Ikea’s light bulbs. Although they’re not as bright as conventional light bulbs, they last years, and really do make a difference on your bill.

• Try going for energy star appliances if you’re in the market.
• Lower the temperature on your fridge & freezer.
• Adjust the temperature on your thermostat, especially when you’re not home (or turn it off completely when you’re not home). In the summer, I keep mine at 79*f at almost all times. If I get warm, I turn on the fan. The A/C sucks up a TON of energy, and I want cool air in the room I’m in, not all over the house.
• Run energy-sucking appliances outside of peak hours. Write down peak hours per season on a sticky note and stick them to these appliances as a reminder. Do your laundry during non-peak hours. Do it back to back. Dryers are more efficient when ran back to back, as they don’t have to heat up to a certain temperature over and over.
• Maintain your electronics and appliances. Clean them out, fix them, get them checked up on. This will save you money down the line, and will keep them more energy efficient.
• Unplug things!! Everything that's plugged into an active outlet is taking up a little bit of electricity. Electronics are huge culprits. Do you really need 50 LED clocks going in your house at once? Think about it - you're paying for that little clock to glow all day. It's not necessary. Even things that aren’t physically showing they’re sucking energy are. Put things in power strips, and have them attached to on/off switches to a room. This will save you tons, and it’s easier to turn everything off when you leave the room.
• Put your computer on sleep mode. This is very easy, and can save you about $30 on your electric bill – and save your computer! All you have to do (if you’re running windows) is go into control panel, click “Display”, and go on the “Screen Saver” tab. There should be a monitor area, click the “power” button. On the “power schemes” tab, there’s a field to put your system on standby. I have mine to go to standby after 15 minutes. You can also manually put your system on standby by clicking “turn off computer” on your start menu and clicking “standby”. This doesn’t affect your computer at all, but it saves a TON of energy and wear on your computer.
• Use fans and space heaters instead of kicking on the A/C or heater. You really don’t need the whole house to be one temperature. Also, if you’re putting them on when you’re sleeping, or you’re on a tight budget, get one with a timer on it.

Also, if you’re in the market of moving, try to find a place that includes extras, such as utilities, internet, cable, whatever. This can cut off a tremendous amount of your utilities. Say you spend $100 on your electric. Get a place that includes utilities, that’s like saving $1200 a year, if not more. If your rent is about $700 a month, that’s nearly two months free rent. See where I’m going? These places are out there, you just have to look hard. It’s really worth it in the long run. Try looking for guest houses in peoples’ back yards (which can be rather nice!) or duplexes on craigslist. Let everyone you know that you’re looking for someplace new. You may come up in conversation and they’ll find a place for you!

BEING SMART

Nothing is more empowering than learning something new each day. I don’t care how long you’ve been in school – learn something new each day. Being smart about living your life and how to get things done is priceless. If you do things correctly the first time, that technically saves you money, as “time is money”.

Lately, I’ve been really getting into blogs that have tidbits of very useful information. A few of my favorites are Lifehacker, The Consumerist, Design*Sponge, Ikea Hacker, Not Martha, and occasionally, Jezebel. There are blogs about EVERYTHING out there if you just look. I’m discovering new ones all the time. I must tell you – I’ve learned a lot about saving money, achieving goals, managing my day job, and just general things to make life easier for me. Give ‘em a try. I have them assigned on days on my firefox’s morning coffee plugin (another great little thing that I learned about from a blog!)

Another piece of advice I have is GO TO SCHOOL. Going to school will earn you more money in the long run, and with the way the job market in the United States is going, you’ll pretty much have to have a degree to get a decent job by the time you’re middle aged. Going to school will open new experiences, new people, and new opportunities (ahem, dream job through your internship?) to you. I was only meaning to take off a year between high school and college, but here it is three years later and I’m in the middle of getting my FAFSA processed. Look for loans, grants, and financial aid. There IS a way out there you can manage it – just look into it and DO IT. It’ll be worth it in the long run. High school graduates – DON’T WAIT!! It’s harder to get back than you think.

Do your research – on everything. With the blessing of sweet lady internet, you can know everything about anything you want. I always do my research on things before jumping into them…Anything I’ll be buying, anywhere I’ll be going, I scour the internet for the best deals on flights, recommendations on jobs, places to go, restaurants to go to, coupons for everything….it’s so easy, it just takes you a little time. Going into any sort of situation with some prior knowledge doesn’t hurt. Going into a store with a ton of coupons certainly never hurt your wallet.

LEISURE

If you’re one to travel, sign up for your favorite airline’s frequent flyer program. It may take a while to get something, but it’s worth it. There’s also all sorts of places online where you can earn free rewards by taking surveys (e-rewards and e-miles). It’s that easy. Also, there actually ARE decent credit cards out there that earn you miles. American Express has a great one. Check it out.

Also, if you're under the age of 25 or a student, check out STA travel. STA travel is awesome - I went in and booked, chatted with the agent, was generally friendly and he gave me a HARDCORE hookup and saved me over $120!!!!

If you patronize any mom & pop shop or any sort of artisan (like a tattoo artist), spread the word about them. Take their business cards. Let them know you support them and love what they do, and you’ll be a faithful patron of theirs. I let record shops, little clothing stores, and tattoo artists know that I fully support them. I do take their business cards and hand them out to people all the time. They notice this – trust me. I get discounts like mad from some places. My tattoo artist appreciated me recommending people, so he gave me great prices on my work. Record stores appreciate me sending people their way. I get a little discount here and there (and some stuff set aside). Little clothing stores let me know they’re putting in an order, and ask if I’d like anything in particular (at wholesale price). Be nice. Be supportive. Be their own personal sales rep. You’ll reap the benefits, and be promoting small business owners, which is great, especially if you like to “stick it to the man”.

If you have a pet – I only suggest taking them to the vet for their annual and if health issues arise. For shots and everything, there are clinics at petco and petsmart where you can get shots for less than half the price than at the vet. I wish I had known this when I got Bella – I was paying nearly $100 a month when she was a puppy taking her for her shots at the vet every month!

Also, with your pets – do preventative maintenance. Get heartguard and frontline. These will protect your pet and keep from unneeded heartache and vet bills. Also, I suggest taking a look at your pet food. What are the main ingredients? Most foods have lots of carbohydrates as their main ingredient. Most animals cannot be healthy off of that. I HIGHLY recommend trying out Nutro and Dick Patten’s pet foods. They may be more expensive, but you’ll definitely see a happier, healthier pet who loves mealtime. Take care of your animals!

SHOPPING

This is going to sound crazy…but this is my new favorite thing:

CVS takes returns on EVERYTHING. I love it. I no longer shop in fear that foundation won’t match, that face wash will sting, that deodorant will smell funky and I’ll lose my hard earned dollar. Their policy is that if you’re not happy, you can return it. Have your receipt, (you’re saving your receipts, no?) and it’ll go faster. There are a few other stores out there that do this as well – such as Ulta. Shop at these stores, and don’t add to your massively growing collection of shampoos under your sink.

Speaking of shampoos…and lotions and other girly stuff. How much do you really have? Probably way more than you need. Use all of what you have before you buy more. Wasting is like throwing away money. Would you throw away a $5 bill? Of course not! Use what you have, and then buy some. I’m still chipping away at my Bath & Body works collection that I accumulated from their last giant sale when lotions were $1. I regret buying all that. It’ll take me ages to use that much lotion.

Don’t get more than you need. It may be a better deal to buy a gallon of Listerine…but seriously…be honest with yourself! Yeah, you’ll use it…but it’ll take you three years. Giant bottles may be a great deal, but buy within your means.

Staying within your means applies to many things with shopping. Some things may seem like a better deal, but please, ask yourself – “Do I really need this much/many?”. Get singles on photos. Buy singular or 3 packs of undies. Buy only a 10 pack of pens. Buy a 500 sheet pack of paper (instead of the giant boxes). You may use all of it, but how long will it take? If it’s food or beauty supplies (as in, buy one get one free), it may go bad. Keep that in mind.

BEAUTY

I think the secret to living on the cheap with beauty (aside from the returning tip above) is keeping low maintenance. Try Veet (at your own risk, only get sensitive formulas) so you only have to shave once every ten days. Get long lasting lipstick. If you use tanner, get the gradual lotion (basically streak free and moisturizes!). Just keep it simple. I’m sure you don’t want to be wasting time getting ready or shaving or anything when you could be doing better things. Plus, I guess guys find chicks who spend three hours getting ready to be high maintenance kinda annoying and unattractive.

So, with all that said, these have been some of the lessons I’ve learned on trying to live a low maintenance, cheaper life. I hope these tips have helped you!

With subcultures mainly being a boy's game, I've always looked closely to the few females involved as a support group. You would think that with females being about one to every three men (if not less) in subcultures, they would be tight and appreciative to their sisters involved in the game.

Sadly, this is not a reality.

It seems that in the years I've been involved in this subculture, I've seen women become more or so "frienemies" rather than a stable support system to eachother. This deeply saddens me, as I too have seen this first hand. I guess I am perpetually naive to this, or just hopelessly optimistic to find nice women who are looking for sisterhood through music. I am not saying all females are like this, but there are quite a few out there who are.

What causes this? Why does it happen? Who are these females? I'm going to go forward and explain my views and opinions on this subject. These are strictly my opinions based on my own personal experiences so you are more than welcome to disagree.

Although a lot of teens come into a subculture looking to rebel and be non-conformist, they are just joining another form of conformity and rules. These "tribes" have their own sets of rules and dress within themselves. There are usually unspoken rules of how to act, and who holds what seniority. This does vary from subculture to subculture, but they all have the basic skeleton from subculture to subculture.

Those whom have been "in" for the longest usually have the utmost respect, and typically, they feel they have the right to put those younger and less senior "members" in their place. Women have a similar yet very different set of rules. Women cut each other down almost endlessly.

Womens rules in these youth cults are those in the same to men, however, I feel that they are much more harsh. Typically, it all starts out with how you got in. Usually, it's one of the two - you got in on your own will or from your boyfriend. If you got in from your boyfriend, the rest of the local scene usually knows, as you showed up on the arm of Johnny Subculture at a random gig. If this is the case, respect for you is typically next to nothing - even if you truly do become part of the subculture in the long run - guy or not. You'll almost always be known as so-n-so's girlfriend or ex-girlfriend. Men do not have this problem. They do not have to deal with derogatory names such as"oi toy", "scene whore", or something similar to that. This sexism runs rampant from both males and females. This in itself starts vicious cycle of women's roles in youth cults.

Youth cult or not, women tend to run in cliques and groups of friends in which they trust those few friends and hardly anyone else. I often hear young women from every cultural, social, and ethnic background say, "women are such bitches, I can't stand them!"

Although they've made a few friends, what prevents their clique from being "bitches" to each other? Again, youth cult or not - women tear each other down and can be harshly judgmental to each other to their faces or behind their backs. The sport of tearing down other females isn't a pretty one, but it is often played. In my personal opinion, I honestly think women who tear others down for no apparent reason is just a verbal venting of their own short comings and insecurities. To me, those who bash on other people who have not done anything to them are just insecure cowards trying to build themselves up by tearing others down. In the subcultural view, I often think that this happens because some women are not 100% comfortable with themselves and the role they play within a subculture. They often come off as they have the world to prove to others. The "pros" of the bashing game for one whom plays is typically to brag about how many girls they've driven away. This, I think, is a result of the need to be an alpha female.

Socially speaking, a woman with lots of male attention is considered highly desirable - appearances aside. If a female in a niche culture is surrounded mainly by men, logically, she should have plenty of potential mates and attention - boosting her ego, esteem, and popularity amongst males. This makes her an alpha female. Competition gets ripped down without a second thought. Typically, she will do just about anything to keep this status.

This is highly detrimental to the female side of a subculture. Hazing and driving new kids out leaves the scene stagnant and does not allow it to grow or evolve. With the same girls constantly around, this leaves slim options for the males who want to date within the scene. If these girls are single, they will be surrounded mostly by men, and probably have their internal feelings of alpha females pumped up, and will not want new females coming around. Another reason why this can be extremely harmful is that if people within a local scene date amongst each other. With only a few females around dating the men in the subculture, this will typically cause drama. Say, if there were only 6 males and 2 females in a local scene, this would definitely cause trouble. Also, if a female dates amongst the local scene quite often, this can lead her back to being accused of being an "oi toy" or a "scene whore". Even if she didn't get in because of a boyfriend, she can be accused of these things, and her intentions within a subculture can be questioned just because of her dating habits. Most women outside of subcultures don't get called such names when dating around. The dating world for females within subcultural boundries can be dangerous, dramatic, and disheartening. The need to prove that she is genuine and an individual while dating a man in a subculture can cause many issues within herself and her relationship.

I have honestly never understood the "hazing" into a subculture. When I think "hazing", I think of some dumb frat guys putting a new house member through humiliation. What's the point? Isn't that the sort of mentality we wanted to get away from when we chose to stray from the norms of mainstream society? Why do you want to scare away potential new members of a bands, future dj's, or life-long friends? Shame on anyone who participates in these pointless and degrading tactics - male or female.

Having a healthy, thriving subculture relies on having new blood coming in, and often. Driving new people away, believe it or not, has a domino effect within your local town.

First off, driving people away by not accepting them in the local scene or stating that they need to be hazed in makes you come off like a total jerk. Where ever they're from, they'll tell their friend back home (or non subculture friends that are local), "Yeah, I came here and they expected me to do this, that, and the other to hang out with them. Yeah, I know, ridiculous." Honestly, these games make participants look like total childish buffoons and make said person ashamed to be involved in a subculture. Also, this makes you look like an awful example of a subculture. If you're playing these sorts of childish games, you should honestly do some questioning of your personality and how you treat others in general. As harsh as it may sound, I believe it's true. This could also spread around to other places and give your town a poor representation.

Second, the less people you have in your town, the less often bands will come around. Say a fantastic band comes through your town once, but no one shows up. The impression your town will lay on them is that your town is not a money maker. Most bands don't even get guarantees on the road and solely rely on merch sales to keep their tour afloat and stomachs filled with food. If your town has no one going to shows, they'll skip over your town in future tours. Make sense? So, driving fresh blood out of your scene may also eventually drive out touring bands you want to see.

Another thing I've never understood is why older members within a subculture are so demeaning to younger kids. They, too, were once that age. I'm sure they didn't pop outta mama's womb in full subcultural attire with a stellar record collection. They, too had to go through the ins and outs of growing up and discovering who they are, and Im sure they had some embarrassing records in their collection at one point. Being condescending to these kids is downright hypocritical. If they were treated like that when they were younger, they should be empathetic. Treating new kids like they were treated is wrong, and those two wrongs definitely do not make a right. If you truly love a subculture and music, you want it to grow, evolve, and last against the tests of time. Sharing your love of all these things with younger kids who really don't know where to look helps the subculture grow and forms the brotherly and sisterly bond that is so highly idealized. What is the point of hoarding information?

Rarely do you see younger kids coming around these days who are taken in by older members of a subculture with open arms. If just that were to happen, if people could just get off their mighty high horses...they'd see that most slowly dying subcultures would gain new life. Sure, you may think that these kids are dumb and hopeless, but SO WERE YOU! Don't haze them, don't demean them - just be a positive influence. Being an older "brother" or "sister" can be very rewarding!

Younger girls especially need this positive influence to help prevent them falling into all the sexism and gender roles that subcultures dole out. They need to know that it IS okay to be in a subculture and not be sleeping with someone, or constantly causing drama. They need to know that you can be yourself with outside interests from a subculture. Girls in their teens especially need guidance to help their self esteem, identity, and peer pressure issues. I would assume that most of these girls' parents don't quite understand why they are expressing their femininity in a boy's game. My mother thought I was mental. If I had a female to look up to at that age, those years would've been a lot easier.

I hope things change in the future. I would love to see more women reaching out and cultivating a sense of sisterhood amongst themselves instead of breeding jealousy, cattiness, competition, and two-faced behavior. Negative behavior such as the types I've discussed (from males or females) is detrimental to any subculture. Period. It prevents the cultures and scenes from evolving. Why act in such a manner? No one will benefit from it. Acting with class, dignity and grace will never go out of style and will never be looked down upon. Be secure with your place in the sun and don't concern yourself with anyone else's. Honesty, no one has the authority or right to drive someone out of a subculture - seniority or not.

To those whom have a sense of entitlement - think twice first. Your actions will speak louder than your words.

I love red. I'm sure you can tell. I post a lot of red items on this site. I've been known for my signature red lipstick and red nails since I was about 15 years old. However, I get A LOT of people asking me, "How do you pull it off??" Easy. You have to find a good red for you. Easier said than done, right? Well, not so much. Hopefully I can give you ladies out there a good starting point to get some touches of red. First rule of thumb for red lipstick - go for a "blue based" red. Usually, if you talk with a sales associate, they can direct you to a blue-based red. Blue-based reds look good on almost every complexion as they seem a little more adult than orange-reds or pinky-reds. Blue-reds are neutral and don't overwhelm your features. You'll want to find a matte consistancy. Why? Mattes stay put. Reds that have a gloss to them can look great at first, but they may have a potential to fade and feather, which isn't pretty. A little shine is no big deal, but these lipsticks may need a little more maitenence than a pure matte (I'll list one for an example). Finally - lipliner! Lipliner is necessary! Lipliner should be an invisible boundry for you lipstick, keeping it in place and subtely defining your lips. With red lipstick, you need a lipliner that matches or is very slightly darker. The ones I'm listing match the lipstick I use well, but you may decide you need a different shade. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Properly applying lipstick: 1) Take care of your lips! Go to bed every night with lip moisturizer on. 2) "Brush your lips". Take your toothbrush and brush off all excess skin on your lips, so you don't have any weird flakey things going on. 3) Line your lips. This may take some practice! This fences your lipstick in. 4) Apply. I personally apply my lipstick straight from the tube. This'll take practice, too! 5) Blot. Blot off all the excess. You don't want this on your fella or your glass, fork, dog, cat...whatever. Some people puff powder on through a one-ply piece of tissue, as well. 6) Line again. Even out those lips! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This'll take some time to get used to, but once you do, you'll be glad you practiced!

Clinique's "Vintage Red" At Clinique This has been a long stand by for me since I was about 16 years old. When I found out that it had been discontinued, I was devastated! I've bought up a bunch of tubes, but I've also looked into other reds, for when these run out. That's how I fould all these other great reds! This red is a blue red with a slight gloss to it. It does need to be blotted quite a bit, as it can run. Color: Blue Red Kiss-off Factor: Pretty bad - comes off pink Feathering Factor: If not blotted and lined properly, mediocre Gloss: Medium Overall?: The color and consistency makes this one a winner!

Benefit's "Bachelor Pad" At Benefit This one isn't as brown as the picture makes it look, but it is great for the office! A little less of a statement than most real reds. Definitely one to have for more casual events. Color: Blue Red Kiss-off Factor: Pretty bad - comes off pink Feathering Factor: If not blotted and lined properly, mediocre Gloss: Medium Overall?: The color and consistency makes this one a winner!

Maybelline's 16-hour "Flame" At Drugstore.com I was hesitant when I first tried this, since I had used Max Factor's permanent lipstick when it first came out. That was extremely drying, thick, and felt like paint on my lips. When I first tried this, I loved it! Just make sure you put it on EVENLY or you may get some streaks. The gloss is a bit sticky, but once you get rid of the excess, it's great. Perfect for events where there'll be a lot of kissing, or you won't have time to touch up your lipstick! I do recommend using a light liner to help guide you so you're even (look below), and make sure you get the removal gloss. Try "Wine" if "Flame" is too light for you, or if you have a darker complexion. Color: Blue Red Kiss-off Factor: NONE!! Feathering Factor: NONE! Gloss: The gloss to this is really shiny - wipe off excess Overall?: Fantastic - occasionally. kind of a pain for every day wear. Could get expensive since not much is in the tube.

M.A.C's "Russian Red" At MAC A cult classic. I can see why, now! I just got my first tube of this, and this is the perfect blue red. What's even better is that you can return it if it's not for you. How great is that? Also, it's not as pink as the picture makes it seem - check the store for the real thing! Color: Blue Red Kiss-off Factor: light. Feathering Factor: medium - beware of drinking out of glasses to prevent "joker mouth". Gloss: Matte. Overall?: Wonderful - a perfect red.

M.A.C's "Viva Glam" At MAC I got this MAC lipstick originally, but it was much too dark for me. If Russian Red is too light for you, try Viva Glam. It's a tad darker than Russian Red, and better for you girls who aren't as pale as I am. Color: Blue Red Kiss-off Factor: light. Feathering Factor: medium - beware of drinking out of glasses to prevent "joker mouth". Gloss: Matte. Overall?: Wonderful - a perfect red, I recommend it for darker skintones.

Lola's "Sweet Love" At Lola Slightly expensive, but the color is great and the packaging with the little flip mirror in the top of the cap is genius. I don't think it's quite worth the money, but this may be your perfect red lipstick! Color: Blue-ish Wine Red Kiss-off Factor: medium Feathering Factor: low Gloss: light gloss Overall?: Great! Except for the price...

Rimmel's Exaggerate Lipliner "Red Diva" At Walgreen's Color: Very versatile blue-red Kiss-off Factor: low Feathering Factor: it's a lipliner. Gloss: light gloss Overall?: My favorite lipliner. I've used it successfully with all the lipsticks listed above. Cheap and long lasting!

CoverGirl Lipslicks "Daring" At Walgreen's Color: sheer red pink Kiss-off Factor: low Feathering Factor: low Gloss: light gloss Overall?: great for a little color, especially if getting ready quickly.

Maybelline Wet Shine Fusion"Very Cherry" At Walgreen's Color: sheer red pink Kiss-off Factor: medium Feathering Factor: low Gloss: medium gloss Overall?: great for a touch of color, and very low maintenence!! Great buy

Having a manicure always makes you seem a little bit more professional, a little bit more put together, and a little bit more feminine. It shows that you care about the details. It shows that you take care of yourself. You don't have to go to the salon and waste $40 on something you can do at home at your own leisure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1) Take off all old polish. 2) Cut, file, and even out nails. Frito nails are disgusting. (think Tracy Morgan in the "Corn Chip Nail Tips" SNL skit) 3) Get a four sided buffing block or file (Ms. Manicure sells them for 99c each!!) and at least even them out and buff them. The last two steps are optional. 4) Swipe some nail polish remover across nails to get rid of excess oil. 5) Do one coat, let thoroughly dry (this is why manicures can look gross, when the first layer doesn't dry all the way it goes to crap). Do another coat. 6) Top coat. let that dry. 7) Put on some cuticle cream like Lush's Lemony Flutter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Now that that's all taken care of, here's some great polishes that are affordable!

Rimmel 60 Seconds Vinyl Shine "Rapid Ruby" (not pictured) At Walgreen's Color: Deep Scarlet Chip Factor: medium Drying Speed: fast Days before chipping: 3 days or so Overall?: Great for a cheap fix or a fast manicure. I do think you should wait more than 60 seconds between coats, though. Decent value.

Rimmel Lycra Wear "Fever" At Walgreen's Color: Blue Red Chip Factor: low Drying Speed: slow Days before chipping: 5 days or so Overall?: Decent for the price - keeps for a couple days before chipping starts creeping up on you..

Sally Hansen No Chip 10-Day Nail Color"Resilient Red" At Walgreen's Color: Red, Red, Red. Chip Factor: very low Drying Speed: slow Days before chipping: 7 days or so Overall?: absolutely fantastic - nearly makes the promise as advertised. I'm very hard on my hands though, so it may make it for you!

I recently did an interview with Jake, the Percussionist/Manager of this month's featured and purely Skinhead Reggae band, THE SOULSTEPPERS. Jake was GUE's first official interview, and discusses matters having to do with his band, and the scene his band caters to. Read on....

So how did you get into Reggae, and more specifically, skinhead reggae?

I got into skinhead reggae through the usual progression of being a skinhead - listening to Oi!, two tone ska, then traditional ska, after getting into ska, people usually discover skinhead reggae because people think Desmond Dekker and Toots are ska, but really they are reggae...Buying Trojan comps and going from there.

What made you want to play skinhead-style reggae?

Well, I have been a reggae DJ for a long time, and most of the guys in the band were reggae DJ's and collectors. We were doing a pirate radio station - all scene style you name it: ska, Oi, reggae, northern soul, etc...The guys started the band and they begged me to manage for a long time. After I saw a few shows and I saw most of the band beat the shit out of some dirtheads from taft, I thought I would give these dudes my time. A week after I started I talk to Luis in L.A. and he booked us at the Whiskey! We thought this would be style of reggae to play, since nobody was doing it. The Rhythm Doctors were playing reggae, but not skinhead reggae. Theirs was post-skinhead reggae. Plus we had all skinheads in the band they didn’t.

Who are your personal major influences?

Clancy Eccles, King Stitt, The Gaylads, Pama-Style reggae, The Rudies, Dandy...Lots of American soul.

So, what is currently going on with the band?

Are you officially broken up? It 's weird right now...The people need to stay tuned, there is some life In The SoulSteppers.

Do you think the scene that your band caters to has significantly changed since you started getting into it?

Here in town (Bakersfield) it has. The scene just died, and the scene has flourished worldwide.

Who is your favorite producer?

Harry Palmer tied with Clancy Eccles.

Who do you think is the most under rated artist and why?

John Holt by far! I sell a lot of reggae in my record store and turn people on the John Holt. A lot of under rated artists...Everybody just knows Marley.

Who is your current favorite modern day band?

Madness, their new CD is dope.

Who is your all time favorite artist/band?

Cocksparrer.

What do you think of modern day traditional styled bands?

I think they are great, the more the better.

What do you think of today's skinhead and reggae scene?

It's kind of lagging needs a boost of something.

What is your favorite aspect?

I like how the skinhead reggae still sounds fresh and danceable.

What is your least favorite aspect?

That nobody knows about it.

If you could change anything, absolutely anything about it, what would you change?

The rare records on Ebay would be cheaper.

(Don't we all!!)

What record would you recommend to the readers?

Herbsman Shuffle LP by Clancy Eccles and the Dynamites featuring King Stitt...And Lloydie and the Lowbites Uncensored Vol.1 and 2. Funny stuff.

And finally, do you have any words of wisdom to our readers?

Keep supporting The SoulSteppers and beg us to come back in full force and we will get real big and rich and become talk show hosts like Suggs from Madness.

You can find more on The SoulSteppers at Their Website and Their MySpace Profile!

Coffee & Cigarettes
By Theresa Meire

Dave the Spazz…

As I sit here listening to his excellent radio show on WFMU (online at www.wfmu.org, Thursday nights at 8pm EST) I reflect on my life and my long journey.

Hair

As any skinhead girl or anyone with some hair knows, finding a good Hair stylist is murder. And finding one to do a good skingirl feathercut or Chelsea or whatever the fuck they call it in your corner of the globe is hard as hell. First, I had a great haircut guy who, after a few explanations and some pictures gave me practically the perfect haircut. Just to be clear, I'm not of the Friar Tuck type, all shaved with a mullet in the back and fringe in the front. I can't pull that off and the fringe in the back looks dumb as hell with my two wacky cow licks in the back. So I go for that more restrained short pixie length with feathers and bangs.

Any who, so this guy Steve cut my hair really great but he was like $30 a pop! I seriously couldn't afford it after he wasn't a two minute walk from my house (we moved to the New Jersey sea shore, Hello Bruce Springsteen!) There was no way I could afford him anymore, regardless how cool he was (an old biker guy who would tell me tales of hair cutting contests with Paul Mitchell!)

So I've been to a couple of those $10 haircut places, but I've never gotten it exactly right. Then, like an idiot, I thought I'd listen to John.

"I can shave my own head, I'm sure I can cut your hair with the clippers!" Okay so I'm sure you could see how that went. Tried to save a buck and ended up going back to a $10 hair cut place to

get it "fixed." I almost got divorced as well but that had to do with a certain man ripping my hair out with a pair of hair cutting scissors and the cheapest comb imaginable.

Well, I'm beginning to look like one of those Hell's Angels again so it's time for a haircut. A Spanish speaking friend told me she'd take me to her Brazilian hair stylist and translate what I wanted. They're cheap and she said she'd get me some Brazilian food so I figure, hey, it can't be any worse than the corny ass haircut I got from John and maybe I'll end up looking like the skinhead Carmen Miranda. Only taller. And fatter. And white. Hmmm…that's a stretch actually but no matter.

Scene

I live near Asbury Park, NJ and there's a little bit of a scene around a bowling alley/bar called Asbury Lanes. I've been to some shows there but I've only ever talked to the bartenders and one random drunk guy. They have cool shows, cheap drinks, great sushi, and Kustom Kar shows. I've never made friends easily and my skinhead husband is also a bit of an introvert. (I guess that's putting it mildly, he's just convinced most other people are jerks and not worth knowing…) We've only been here for two years and most of the people I know and I'm friendly with are my coworkers. Young, hip, black women who are very stylish and to whom the term Reggae doesn't mean roots, but dancehall. Other than that they are great though! I have some buddies in college but I'm 28 and they're all 20 so it's not like we hang out a lot or have too much common ground and most of the honkey toast at that small private school think punk is NOFX. They'd probably go mad if I waved Judge Dread or Rose Tattoo at them.

The Question

It's kind of weird. I'm a lifetime skinhead, I started out as a Metalhead in high school then went to punk in the last years of high school. I've always believed in and known about the American East Coast skinhead life but had hair. Lots of hair. A holdover from my metal days I guess, but when I shaved it off in my mid-twenties, I became sort of identifiable to people in the know.

What to say to the question 'Are you a skinhead?' It depends on who's asking. I do always answer yes, but not before a long pause trying to size up the asker of the question. I answer yes but sometimes I don't feel like the whole 'school you in the ways of the non-racist skin' explanation. Most of the times it's other skinheads or just people who "used to be" or think they are. I haven't had too much bad luck with hammers or headz. Mostly yahoos who say "I'm traditional, I like

reggae" and then blather on about how this group or that group is ruining America. Hey fucknuts, my grandparents were the immigrants once. They had weird clothes, weird food, and weird smells. They were poor, worked shit jobs and honkey toast like looked down on them and called them greasy Italians, or dirty Belgians, stinking gypsies, and lousy Krauts so why don't you can it? Instead of wasting my time I usually just walk away and get another beer. Who has time for that shit?

Clothes

Okay, I am fucking poor. Not living in a motel room with ramen noodles bought on my almost maxed out credit card poor (shut up, you've been there or known people who have!) but after I pay rent, I have to wait until the next payday to do laundry, buy toilet paper or other things most rich people take for granted. I am not, AM NOT going to spend 50 bucks on a fucking shirt because it's some fucking approved skinhead brand. Fuck that! I have to eat and I have to drink. I'm lucky to have a Doc Shop near me with great 75% off sales to get my boots. I'm lucky to have attended a Fred Perry sample sale in NYC once. I'm lucky to have gotten a couple Ben Shermans for cheap off e-bay. Is that my whole closet? Fuck no. I'm not a style queen and if the belief that clothes don't make you a skinhead makes more of a punk so be it. Buying something just because it's Ben Sherman or Levi's is just as bad as buying something because it's Nike or Puma or Tommy Hilfiger. It's fucking white person nonsense that is used against you to make you not think about important shit like 'where's my freedom of thought?' and 'why do so few people have money?' and 'what would the government do if the masses of people revolted?' How can you think about that if you're busy making sure you don't spill ketchup on your new Lonsdale sweatshirt?

Working Class

Everybody knows skinhead is basically a working class movement (oh duh! Did you read that in Spirit of '69 genius?) but not everyone who is a skinhead is working class. I'm not sure what I am. My parents were bureaucrats and I've been a DJ, a music writer, a retail wage slave, a temp slave and I currently work in an office that pays for my college. I pretty much scrape by check to check and have to ride my bike to work (I would probably ride it anyway since work is close by but I don't have a choice right now) but I don't make my living with my back. To tell the truth, a lot of women don't. Women are usually given jobs like sewing, cleaning, waitressing, or a 'pink collar' office job and that's pretty much been my life. I am not going to front with a fake English accent, pretend like I have Irish heritage when I don't, and say shit like "I'm working class." I grew up in rural New Jersey and that's the face of white American poverty. Out in the country, but don't think like I had it bad. It was nice, ya know. A big yard, never wondering where the next meal was coming from and most of the time having a car. Most kids got a $5 allowance and I got 50 cents, but hell, that builds character or something, right? I don't know what class I am except low class.

Drinking

Okay like most honkey Americans I'm a mutt. I'm part German and part Belgian. Both are countries known for their excellent beer and excellent drinking. I'm also Italian and Hungarian, two countries known for their wine and excellent eating and drinking. I am a beer snob and being part Belgian gives me the right to be a snob. I don't drink Bud or Miller. My domestic of choice is Yuengling. If I'm drinking cheap I may as well not pay for advertising and drink Schlitz or Rhinegold or even Pabst if I'm hanging with Psychobilly fans. Favorite Micros: Anything from Brewery Ommegang in NY, anything from Stoudt's in PA, Brooklyn in NY, and Maudite from Canada. Favorite imports? Duvel, Chimay, Delirium Tremens, Vuuve, Gulden Drak, anything Belgian really, Red Stripe (reprazent!), Negro Modelo, Bohemia. I'm willing to try any micro or import once although domestic micros are better than imports because they always import the shittiest stuff and keep the best brews in the country. So ends my beer philosophy.

In Conclusion

Being a skinhead woman (or girl if you must, but hey, I AM an American so “byrd” only cuts it if you're actually FROM the UK) hasn't made my life easier, it didn't make a woman (rock and roll did that… HA!), but it did give me a great haircut and a better personal style. It gave me a pretty good asshole detector and more reasons to buy reggae music (not that I didn't before, I've been a vinyl junkie longer than I've been anything) and dream of the store Jammyland in NYC, and it didn't

make me less of a feminist. I mean think about it, Combat 84 singing "Rapist" says a lot, but an angry skinhead woman singing it? Says a whole lot more I think. You don't have to be prissy, queeny, and girly to prove that you're still a female under your short hair. You can still be yourself and be a skinhead. You have to own it, you have make it part of who you are, not just something you do. You also have to decide: am I the Skinhead Theresa or Theresa, the skinhead or something different? It's not for everyone, but it is more than a book from England, a brand of clothing and a type of haircut. It's what you make it. Just because I make it boots, drinking and roots Reggae

doesn't mean you have to.

Leaving a Legacy
by Joanna Wallace

The world of Ska and reggae music came to a halt this past month, when Laurel Aitken's life came to an end. Although he had not been in good health for quite some time, Mr. Aitken still pushed forward to do what he loved to do the most- Performing.

Born as Oliver Stephens in Cuba in 1927, he was surrounded by live music from the start of his long, very successful life. Laurel always expressed interest in music and performing even as a young child, and absorbed the sound of the Cuban street music from a young age. When he was 11 years old in 1938, his family picked up and moved to Kingston, Jamaica, where Laurel had even more of a chance to immerse himself in music and performing. Often, Laurel would ham it up and perform for tourists, becoming one of the regular street performers. As he got older, Laurel often participated in Vere John’s ‘Opportunity Hour’, which was often held at Kingston’s Ambassador Theatre. Laurel developed a style, which was becoming popular on the island- a mix of American R&B, Doo-Wop, and Jazz, infused with his own style and flair. His mixture of different styles and knack for performing got him quickly noticed by Stanley Motta. In 1957, Laurel recorded his first single, "Roll, Jordan Roll" at JBC’s recording studio.

Laurel's first major hit was produced by Chris Blackwell at a then up-and-coming label, Island Records. Little did Aitken know that his single he cut with Blackwell "Little Sheila/Boogie in my Bones" would spend a reported 11 weeks at #1 on the Jamaican charts in 1959. Aitken was the first Jamaican to record a number one single on the island's then American dominated charts.

One year later, Aitken emigrated to London, where many Jamaicans were going for work and better living conditions. Aitken saw with as many Jamaicans as there were in the city, there already was a market for music from the Island. He quickly got signed to Emil Shallit's Melodisc label, which already had a Jamaican subsidiary, Blue Beat. Blue Beat, then still experimental, decided to use Aitken as the artist to use on their first single, "Boogie Rock". Laurel still recorded for whom he pleased, including mainstream labels like Columbia. Also during this time, Laurel took his hand at producing, mainly with pama and their many subsidiaries, mainly NuBeat/NewBeat

Toward the late 60's and early 70's, interest in Ska had dwindled and was replaced by Reggae. However, with the growing Skinhead population in the UK, Laurel was very much in high demand and during this period, recorded many skinhead classic singles on labels from Pama to Trojan. Aitken saw that he was a Skinhead cult figure, and started catering to this crowd and writing songs that would appeal to them and their interests.

Enter the roots era of the mid to late 70's. Laurel's popularity seemed to come to a halt, but only temporarily. The 2Tone movement in the UK revived the interest in Ska as well as the Rudeboy and Skinhead Culture. Laurel's popularity soared once again as he performed for the new generation of rudies and skins. During the 80's, Mr. Aitken teamed up with London's Potato 5, once again reaching another young generation's interest in both Ska and Reggae.

Laurel continued to perform throughout the 90's, as well as through the beginning of the new century. Although the past couple years, Aitken's health has not been up to par, he continued to perform quite often in England, most often at Club SKA, even releasing a new live album and DVD. Laurel was hospitalized off an on quite often the past year, having double pneumonia as well as other respitory problems. During his 6 week stay in late 2003 at Leicester Royal Infirmary, he married his partner of 35 years, Sandra.

On July 17th, 2005, Laurel passed away from a heart attack at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, England. This marks the end of a long legacy of music, as well as the death of a legend in our community. Laurel contributed all he had to music his entire life. His career spanned well over four decades and has affected many of us in our every day lives. He will stay alive in the form of scratchy 45's, photos from performances, and in the memories of those who have seen him and met him.

His family posted the following announcements in the Leicestershire:

AITKEN,Laurel- A very special father who was always there for me. Your kindness was no weakness you cared so much for me, full of understanding for everyone to see. In life you sang your songs for everyone to hear, you sang so sweetly daddy. I wish you was still here. _ From your loving Daughter Karlene. Your singing with the Angels now, so sing on Laurel, sing on (Billy). Gentle Jesus up above, Please give grandad all my love. God bless. _ Karlene, Amber and Billy.

AITKEN,Laurel- Passed away July 17th, 2005. I've tried so hard to write these words, To say how much I love you, The more I try, the more I cry, Laurie I really miss you, I laugh, I talk, I play the part, But behind my smile, Lies a broken heart. - Your devoted Wife Sandra. Funeral arrangements to follow at later date.

AITKEN,Laurel- I watched you suffer everyday, knowing that you were slipping away. I prayed so hard for you to stay. My dad I loved you more than words could say. - Heart broken Daughter Desley, Son-in-law Kara and Grandchildren Chanel, Jade, Laura and Kibbi.

Rest In Peace, Godfather.

This article was featured in Skatastrophe #8, back in Fall of 1998. Too bad Skatastrophe didn't last too long, but this article is a great example of their professionalism and most choice articles. I just decided to scan these in after Laurel's passing. I hope I don't get in trouble! ENJOY!!!

(photos by Anthony Torres)

I Don't Know Much About History
by Joanna Wallace

I have been in this culture a very long time. Longer than some, not as long as others. One thing I have noticed in the past 6 years or so is the fall of the Rude Boy/Rude Girl culture. This past week, I realized this while going through old zines and whatnot, looking for information while writing the Laurel Aitken article I just put up. What happend to this culture? Was it overtaken by checkers and oversized ties? Did the people just get sick of it? Or did it not even exist as some claim?

When you type in "rude boy" or "rude girl" on Google, or almost any search engine for that matter, what pops up? A lot of awful photos of pre-pubescent teens in large black ties and checkers and sneakers and just all over black-and-white badness. Just awful. This is a far cry from the original pompus Jamaican rude bwoys that ran the streets of kingston in the late 60's and early 70's. So how did this happen? I believe that there are many generations of how this has come to be.

I'm sure most people reading this right now are hardcore Jamaican music fans, like myself. So when people like us think "Rude Boy", we think of the Rocksteady era in which Jamaican Superstars sang songs to either condone or tried to bring their behavior to a hault. These gun and switchblade toting men were angry with how the government did not bring in the goods in which they promised after Jamaica gained its independence in 1962. Most of Jamaica was very poverty stricken, very unsafe, and it was difficult to find food, all in which they thought would be eliminated after their independence was achieved. These Rude Boys became quite a problem in Jamaica, as they'd loot and shoot to get their way, also participating in trafficking drugs and supporting prostitution all the while. They were NOT a good thing for the police or the common people during this time, causing lots of panic and instability in every day life. Where do the "Rude Girls" come into play in this era? Usually the Rude Girls were the girlfriends of said Rude Boys, or prostitutes that helped participate in their unlawful activities. That's something to be proud of.
So how did "Rude Boys" and "Rude Girls" become associated with ska, when they originated in the rocksteady era?
Most of you know that at the dawning of the 2Tone era, founder Jerry Dammers created Walt Jabsco, the symbol synnonymous with 2Tone records and Rude Boys worldwide. Walt Jabsco was based off of an image of Peter Tosh, from The Wailers. Almost overnight, this symbol became a cult icon in which boys and girls based their fashion off of. This started a whole new definition of "Rude Boys" and "Rude Girls", which is just as legitimate as the outlaws of Jamaica post-independence. This new subculture was mainly young adults in the United Kingdom, as well as througout Europe who followed the beliefs and music style of 2Tone and Ska from Jamaica. These people were also known to get rowdy, fight, drink too much, and cause trouble, but over a different reason than just unkept promises. During this whole period, England in particular was going through a lot of political changes, most notably the extreme right wing associations like The National Front and The British Movement. Madness had a very large Skinhead following, and both associations used their shows as recruitment conventions for support. Skinhead violence during this time was looked down upon in the media, but The Young National Front's paper, The Bulldog, was glorifying it as "their" skinheads were fighting for "their" cause, even though most of the time, both skinheads and rudies that were featured weren't associated with either organization. With all these politics going on, the scene was split, and fights were just started over political association...whether about being associated with the NF or the BM, or just stepping on one's loafer, fights were to be had. The 2Tone label, which was known for its multi-racial friendliness was accused of being a racist label, despite the fact that every band signed on at the time was multi-racial. Needless to say, this second generation of rude boys and rude girls also had a reason and cause in their time, and helped bring awareness to their cause by starting a rucous, just like the original rude boys in Jamaica.
During the floating period, between the second definition of the Rude Boy/Girl culture and the third (which we'll get to), let me get to the half way point, which most people don't even think about. The uprising of the US's Rude boy and Rude girl scene. During the mid 80's, right at about the time when the 2Tone movement died the second that The Fun Boy 3 put on their eyeliner, bands started popping up here on American soil in Southern California and New York City. This was the start of the Third Definition, which ended up getting quite ugly. I was very young when this came around, but I was lucky enough to see small glimpses. My neighbor who was also my babysitter was into this music. He dressed full out, and so did his friends. Some of my earliest memories are of him and two of his friends putting records on a portable record player and dancing while I sat and watched. These boys wore small brimmed pork pie hats, very fitted oxford shirts, and pegged pants. They all had sort of cropped hair (about an inch) and wore big sunglases (oh jeeze). When I was young, I wasn't sure what it was all about, but when I was about 12, I found myself dressing in a similar (but feminine) way and hanging out with people that did, too. In my opinion, this was the golden age of the modern Rude boy/Rude girl culture. During this period, it had proven to stick along the same lines of music, the same simplistic but modern fashion, and the same principles. The people had old Jamaican music, and more modern 2Tone, as well as America's answer to 2Tone (acts like The Toasters, Boitovision, The Donkeyshow...). It was still underground, and people were content.
Then came "Definition Three".
The third definition is the one that is still prevelent today. It is the bastardization of a culture that was consistant through time. The ska-boom of the mid 90's. Although many acts worldwide were doing their version of Jamaican styled music or 2Tone, certain bands were mixing horns and pop punk and labeled it ska, despite the fact that compositionally, had very little in common with the true ska. For some reason, these bands were doing the right thing at the right time, and got lots of media attention. Bands like Reel Big Fish, No Doubt, Goldfinger, and Buck-o-Nine all managed to cash in on this "ska craze". Smart on their behalf, as I'm sure they're still getting cash, but they also helped mislabel a whole genre and subculture. Then came "Skaturday" on MTV, hosted by Carson Daly, clad in a wretched black and white suit, a-la Walt Jabsco/Peter Tosh. Sure, this may have helped point some kids that were interested in true ska in the right direction, but I'm sure that Carson Daly stating that rude boys wear black and white suits just helped futher blasphemize this music. During this time, I saw more than my share of wide black ties and ill-fitting suits. I saw more than my share of people in completely checkered outfits. I saw more than my share of people leave because they didn't want to be associated with such people. During this time, "Rude Boy", "Rude Girl", and "Ska" became dirty words. It became opposite of what it was before. Intelligent, sharp-dressed 20-somethings were replaced by goofy, bad tie-wearing young teens.
I remember when people would proudly refer to themselves as Rude Boys and Rude Girls. I don't think I've heard someone call themselves that in well over five years, besides those "checkered weirdos" (as asnis purins referred to them as.) It seems that all the ones I knew became skinheads even though they said they never would, and there is nothing wrong with that....Except the fact that they are helping lay to rest the culture that they were in for years for less hair and a stronger subculture identity.
So here, at the begining of the 21st century, will there be another revival? Will it be for the better or worse? On my recent trip to California, I saw some people that were dressed the part, but since I did not talk to them, I cannot be one to judge. Will there be another culture born of people who appreciate Jamaican music and dress nicely besides modern traditional skinheads? There is a fine line between modern day traditional skinheads and mods, and those are the rude boys and rude girls, the fanatics for Jamaican music. Is that fine line gone for good?

****Photo above is from an old rude boy/rude girl fashion spread in "Rude International"****

Beer and Roving in Las Vegas
By Anonymous


Thursday, March 27

Patrick picked me up around 7:15 p.m. and we drove over to Todd's place. When we left, we all promised our wives that we wouldn't get in any trouble, or get too rowdy. I don't think any of them bought it.

On the trip down, most of the time was spent talking about the War in Iraq, and trying not to listen to Toddy sing along to The Clash, Joe Jackson, and Hepcat. We stopped in the first one-horse town for a pit-stop and considered buying some cheese curd, but finally decided against it. Trying to find an open restaurant in East-Jesus, Omaha after 10:00 p.m. is impossible, let me tell you.

We pulled into my Mom & Stepdad's place around 11:30 to spend the night. After spending an hour or two laughing at my "awkward years" pictures that my Mom has hanging around her house, we finally hit the sack.

Friday, March 28

Vegas

We found the Lady Luck around 11:00 a.m. local time, but couldn't check into the Hotel until 1:00, so we carted our luggage back to the car, and hoofed-it to Freemont Street, about a block away. Freemont is kinda like Main Street at Disneyland . It's got a huge lighted canopy over it that they project stuff on, they've got 3 stages or more for live bands. There's Gift Shops, Casinos, Vending Kiosks, Strip Joints, Arcades, everything. The first thing I noticed about Vegas is that every visitor over the age of 50 must be issued a Gimp Scooter by the city. Everywhere you look, there's another Rascal.

The first time he saw one of these miniature Harleys, Pat asked the rider, "What you got there, a 4 volt?" quoting the Seinfeld episode when George pretended he was handicapped.

This became one of the many phrases that we used innumerably, but never stopped being funny. Another was, "How's it going, Eisenhower?" (John Candy from Stripes) whenever we saw an older gentleman, and "What you got under there?" whenever we saw a redneck with a mesh-backed baseball cap. How do they get those things to balance on top of their heads like that? And "tappin' in." My Stepfather had been a Bass in a big-time Barbershop Quartet, back in his day. He told us about how, back then, they'd do a "tap-in" round. If someone wanted to take a solo, they'd "tap-in." "Heck, you could go all the way from Bass to Tenor, if you wanted to!"

From that moment on, if you sat down at a Black Jack table, you were "tappin'-in." If you wanted to beat some smart-ass down, you were "tappin'-in." If you saw a whore or stripper, you were expected to "tap-in." You get the picture.

Our first stop was Fitzgerald's on Freemont. We sat down at the upstairs bar to play Video Poker and relax for a while. After half an hour or so, we stepped out onto the balcony to do some star gazing. We saw Willie Nelson, George Burns, Queen Latifa, Saddam Hussain, the homos from Depeche Mode, Billy Ray Cyrus, Nell Carter, and several others. At one point, Todd was looking through his wallet complaining that he had lost $5.00. Patrick pulled a fiver from his wallet, threw it towards Todd, saying, "here's your damned five Dollars!" But, at that moment, the wind picked up and carried the cash over the railing and down onto the street. Some loser picked it up, and probably would have waited for us to come down to retrieve it, but we told him it was his luck.

"This is the most I've won all day!" the loser shouted.

It must have been good Karma, or something, because for the rest of the night, Patrick couldn't lose. If he stuck a quarter in a slot machine, he got 10 bucks back. It only lasted the night, but it was a sight to see.

After checking-in, we headed back to Freemont to waste time until our friends showed-up. Walking past the Glitter Gulch (a popular strip-joint) the girl barking outside tried to get us to come in. She was wearing a white faux-fur jacket, white miniskirt, white knee-high boots and a white wig. As we walked by, a man in his 50's approached us with a clear plastic football in his hand, as if he'd known us all our lives. "I've neva been one to frequent dem kindsa places," he said, "But, if I was a younga man, I might consider it..." All we could do was laugh.

"I've been drinkin' since eight o'clock this monin!" he added.

"Very proud of ya," came our response, and we moved on.

Jimmy & the Whale

We took lunch at a buffet in one of the anonymous casinos along Freemont St. When we sat down to eat, we couldn't help over-hearing the conversation going on at the table behind us. Apparently, "Jimmy" was the house concierge, there having lunch with a high-roller from the east coast. The high-roller (or 'Whale' in Vegas lingo) was talking about one of his trips to Vegas several years before. While gambling at the Aladdin, he had lost over $80,000.

"They asked me if I wanted a marker for another 50 G's. 'Yeah, gimme another 50,' I said."

Jimmy didn't look so good, and I don't think it was the Salmon Mousse.

"So I lost that 50 in nothin' flat. And you know what? I stiffed 'em!" the Whale laughed, spraying Jimmy with bits of salad and prime rib as he did so.

Jimmy was turning green. "Did they come after you?" he asked.

"Yeah, they called me a couple of times. You know what I said?" At this point, the Whale was pantomiming a phone with his thumb at his ear, and his pinky at his mouth. "F''' YOU!" he screamed, and pretended to slam the phone down on the table.

Jimmy was obviously not well. To avoid hearing the inevitable discussion about House collections policy, we decided that we were full and hit the street. The Whale coughed up tiny bits of shrimp on Jimmy's Itallian suit as he guffawed.

We got back to the Lady Luck, and after checking in, we ran into Owen & his girlfriend, Maggie, on the street. I was under the impression that everyone was informed that this was to be a 'He-Man-Broad-Hater's-Club' weekend, but apparently Owen didn't get the memo... Not that Maggie was a pain in the ass, or anything, but it was an adjustment. Todd went inside to help sort-out the rooms for them, and while we waited in the Suburban outside, a couple of hookers crossed the street in front of us.

"Now we're talking!" Pat yelled out the window. The ho's didn't even flinch.

About eight o'clock that night, we all found our way to another anonymous casino for dinner, and while we all sat at the table, Patrick's cell phone rang. It was his wife.

"Hi, Honey... Yeah, we got in ok... We're eating dinner... Umm, I don't know, I'm not sure where we are..." Pat started looking around to find out where we were.

"The Glitter Gulch!" I offered, a little too loudly.

Pat's got a pretty mean backhand. Before I knew it, I had a red knot on my forehead and Patrick got up from the table to finish his conversation in private.

Pre-Summit Party

It was difficult to talk Pat into going to the Ska Party at Julian's. When it came right down to it, none of us were really there for the Summit. We were there to see old friends and hang-out for a weekend and give each other shit. We used the Summit as an excuse to leave our daily lives behind, and act like idiots again. But, that's not to say that we were completely uninterested in the concert. Of course, I was gonna go to the Pre-Summit Party, and the Summit itself. I knew that there would be old friends that I would want to see, and new friends that I had promised to meet there.

Pat stayed for about 10 minutes, then left to recover his losses. I guess that as soon as estrogen was introduced into our controlled environment, Patrick's winning streak evaporated. We made plans to call each another around 10:30 that night. Pablo's plane was coming in at 11:00, and we both knew that we had to be there to meet him.

Pablo is more than a friend. He's someone that we didn't have to explain our stupid, obscure movie references to. The three of us could have an entire conversation using nothing but quotes from movies. If someone unfamiliar with our code happened to be listening, they would have no idea what we were really talking about. Pablo may be a few years younger than us, but he has an extensive movie-quote vocabulary. Not only that, but I really owe Pablo everything I have. He was the one that introduced me to my wife, and set up a date between us. If it weren't for this man, I would still be living in a cubbyhole behind a Tapa Cloth with Jughead and his family.

With Patrick gone, it was just me, Todd, Owen and Maggie. We sat around for a while exchanging rounds, and making fun everyone else. We even got little stickers from The Suicide Girls. You know, the sexually-ambiguous, dyed, inked and steeled tough chicks you've seen on Cable TV. It's funny, but when you get old, you see the idiocy in yourself reflected in the younger people around you. It's not that the others were laughable, it's just easier to laugh at yourself with age.

The night was actually fairly enjoyable. At one point, a group of kids from our home town approached us. Some of them we knew, some we didn't. But, it was pretty cool to see that your past life wasn't a total waste, and that if younger kids were still into Ska, then maybe you weren't a complete schmuck.

One of the kids that I had known for a while pulled me aside and asked if he could beg a favor of me. "Shoot!" I answered.

"Well, I'm not sure how to ask you this," he stammered.

Then, it clicked. "Sorry, brother," I shot at him. "I'm not buying booze for you."

"Alright, that's cool," he said. "I had to ask."

I felt bad for shooting-down a friend in cold blood, but I had made up my mind on this sort of thing long ago. "I'm sorry, man, I just can't do it."

He took it well. "Nah, that's OK, I knew what your answer would be. I can respect that."

In all honesty, I was surprised that one so young could be so reasonable. "Thanks, man, I appreciate your understanding," I told him. I gave him my cell phone number to hook-up later that weekend. He never called, and I'm not sure if I'm upset about that or not. Apparently, the party they had attracted some of Vegas' finest.

Pat called me around 10:45, I met him at the Hotel, and we took off for the Airport to meet Pablo's plane. Damn, it was good to see him again. It had been over a year since I had seen Pablo. He had come back to visit us from Stockton a couple of summers ago with his girlfriend, and we all had dinner together, but since then our correspondence had been through email only. I'm sure Patrick felt the same way. It was a lot like seeing a family member again. He looked like he'd lost a few pounds. He was pretty sturdy the last time I had seen him, but I guess he'd been hitting the treadmill since then. All Pablo could say for the first hour was, "Holy Shit! Paddy! Holy Shit! Toddy!", etc., etc. There was a lot of head-locks and reminiscing and hetero-male bonding going on.

We met up with everyone else and headed back to the Horseshoe. While we were there a few of things of note happened.

First, I stayed away from the tables. I was too broke to do much. You'd think that since I had known about this weekend for months, that I would have saved-up a few bucks. But, alas, I am not that smart. Consequently, I did little but watch during most of the gaming. While watching the rest of them at a Blackjack table at the Horseshoe, we witnessed a guy being dragged out of the place in cuffs. He had at least 3 Security Guards and 2 City cops on him. He was yelling something about "all I was doing was just... (something or other)." It didn't matter. It was funny to watch.

Second, during a particularly difficult hand, (the dealer was showing a Queen) a waitress standing behind Maggie dropped a bottle of beer and it landed square on its bottom. The beer fountain that erupted landed perfectly on our table and soaked it completely. Not only was Maggie wet, but the table itself and the whole deck of cards had to be dried-off, as well. Since a hand was in play, they couldn't take away anyone's cards, and had to dry both sides of every card. We saw that the Dealer had a 6 in the hole, giving her a 16, so everyone stayed, the Dealer broke, and everyone won. Later, at the same table, Owen split 2 Aces. He got Aces in return, split them again, and ended up with 4 hands. His final score was; 21, 19, 18, and 20. The dealer busted again, and Owen won all four hands. That was pretty cool to witness.

I left around 2:00 am to get some sleep. Whatever ever else happened that night, I'll never know. I've been told some details, but I cannot independently verify anything, so, anything you may have heard is just heresay.

Saturday, March 29

We found Pat already down in the Casino when we woke up. He was doing his best to make up for the night before. We had breakfast, and we all dicked-around for quite a while.

Finally, late in the afternoon, we headed for the Summit. We had to stop at a Saver's thrift store to ask directions, but we made it by 4:00 p.m. Most of the bands we had wanted to see had already played. It was pretty disappointing. The crowd was mostly children who were all trying very hard to prove their hardcoredness. There were kids buying vinyl LP's at the vendor tents from bands like "The Dead Boys." How many 13-year-olds, do you think, know who the Dead Boys were? 0.00038%, if I'm not mistaken. I felt old. Very, very old. Most of the audience, to us at least, looked like the little brother from The River's Edge. "You nailed it!" was heard more than once that night.

We saw some of our friends again. Sam and I also found our way to a tent to find Tazy Phillips, one of my old Ska DJ compadres. It was good to see him again. We also found Chris Murray, someone we'd known for a long time. It's always good to talk to Chris. I also saw Brian "Boom Boom" Dixon surrounded by quite a large gaggle of groupies, so I decided not to bother him.

The first act we caught was that sturdy girl from Save Ferris, I think. I can't remember her name, and it doesn't really matter. Yeah, she's got a great voice, but so does Barbara Streisand, and I can't stand that slag, either. Next, please!

When Mustard Plug came on, I couldn't believe it. We had missed Fishbone already, and these guys were playing after Fishbone? Twelve years earlier, they were in my area without a show and I gave them the opportunity to play in some dude's living room. Yeah, some dude's front room. They played a helluva show, I'll give 'em that, but how the hell did they go from that to playing after Fishbone? Not only that, but I thought we were at a concert. Apparently, we were at a Socialist Worker's Party rally. Not really my bag.

It took a while, but my boredom was finally evident to everyone. We drove back to Freemont St. and our little group split-up. Most of the rest of that night is a blur. If I remember correctly, three of us wandered up & down the concourse, some drinking 52 oz. football-shaped beers (not me, of course), laughing at everything we saw, and harassing both tourist and vendor, alike. There was one guy from the Middle East (not that there's anything wrong with that...) who had a little kiosk selling Pipes and Bongs. If you've been to Freemont, you've seen him. One bong was black as obsidian and shaped like an enormous phallus. Another was crafted in the image of a nude woman on her knees and elbows, holding a bowl in her hands. You can probably guess from where you were supposed to toke. I think we tied that poor guy up for an hour, trying to get him to explain which one was better and why.

My biggest vice was the Escort Ad magazines that you can find on any corner in the city. You look at the little newspaper machine, and think you're picking-up a copy of the Thrifty Nickel, but not in Vegas, baby!. What you're getting is free ultra-soft porn! I collected these by the dozens, and accosted everyone I saw, waving them in the victims' faces and screaming, "I USE THESE!" (Reference: National Lampoon's Vacation)

A few other interesting things happened that night, but I can't really talk about it. What I can say is that Pablo ended-up with a goose egg on the back of his head after some unwanted sexual advances, Todd gained a pound or two, Pat covered his losses, I, well... I came back. 'Nuff Said.

All in all, not a bad weekend.

HOW TO FIND A GOOD TATTOO ARTIST
By Joanna Wallace

For those of you who are looking to get your first tattoo, or those wanting to change their artist, you know how daunting of a task this can be. Someone that will permanently imbed ink into your skin should be someone you can trust, that you like, and most of all, are comfortable handing over your flesh to. The main reason I'm writing this is because I know how intimidating it is trying to walk into a tattoo parlor and have the artists and their buddies that are hanging there give you the look down. I don't want you to go through that! With a little confidence and research, you'll be able to find a nice and talented tattoo artist that won't freak you out the moment they lay that needle into your skin.

TIP ONE: "LOOKIT THAT GUYS TATTOO!"

When you're out in public, you're bound to see tons of people with tattoos. If you're as picky as I am, you think most of them suck. Yeah, most of them do suck...BUT! Occasionally you will see that piece that is so amazingly done, you'll be burning a hole through the person who calls it his or her own. Don't be a creep and admire from a distance, approach them and ask them, "Do you mind me asking you where you got your tattoo done at?" Usually, they'll be pretty open minded and willing to talk about it. Ask them what shop they went to, where it’s at, who did it, how much it cost, and if they (personally) like their artist and if they'd recommend going to that particular artist. If you decide to pursue that artist, tell them that you got the recommendation from the person you talked to (make sure to get their name, too!) This could result in some sort of discount for you or them. (Maybe!)


TIP TWO: DO NOT SKIP THE PORTFOLIO!

This is very, very, very important! If you have gone into a parlor, and it seems like a kind of atmosphere you like (clean, friendly, informative) flip through all the portfolios (some shops even have their portfolios online, which makes it easier on you). See something you like? ASK! If the artist is there, sit and chat for a while (unless if they're busy with another client). Even if their portfolio doesn't include something that you would get done on yourself, but it shows that the artist has good skill, they are worth talking to. Good things to look for is that they have clean lines, their shading that flows well, and their colors are mature. When I say mature, I mean that they stray from basic colors. This shows that they're good at mixing inks. Another thing that helps is bringing an idea of what you would want. (Your artist is not psychic to what you want) Don't just pick some flash off the walls! When you find an artist you are interested in, ask the them how up to date their portfolio is, what they would charge for your design, what days they are available, and especially if they want to do your tattoo. I know that sounds like a weird thing to ask someone that you would be paying, but if they are willing and like the piece, it will come out better. My artist talks about how sick he gets of doing the same old stuff on people. Also, if they don't answer all your questions about their work or what you want, don't go back. You don't want some prick tattooing you. Another thing I would suggest is don't get tattooed at the first place you visit. Do not rush something like this. It may be exciting and tempting to just go for it, but shop around. You wouldn't make a big purchase without shopping around first, right?



Member of the Yakuza getting tattooed.


TIP THREE: WHERE'S SHOP?

I went on a crusade and called most of the shops in my immediate area from the time I turned 16 until I got my first tattoo. On my "research" I found that most of the shops close to local Universities and downtown hipster areas are a total rip off. Artists at these spots are usually dicks, too. See, I think the thing is that since tourists and students are near these areas, the artists know that they're probably one-timers. And believe it or not, if they think you are a "one-timer", they'll charge you an arm and a leg. My artist told me that himself. Also, these artists in more "hip" areas are used to doing the trendy tattoos.Butterflies, nautical stars, the same sailor jerry-type pin up girls, tribal, simple celtic stuff...So usually, these places aren't really the place you'd want to go for say, an elaborate backpiece. If you want, you can go in with your idea on paper and ask them for an appraisal. Then go to some place NOT near campus or downtown and ask them. I'm sure you'll get totally different prices and attitudes.


Getting my first tattoo as soon as I turned 18.

TIP FOUR: BE COURTEOUS!

Make sure that when you do find your tattoo artist, you have an entire day to yourself (and probably the next day to get over the sting). You do not want to rush these people! I mean, you don't want it to look like Helen Keller did your tattoo. (When I got my second tattoo, I had to leave in the middle of my sitting to go to work. That SUCKED. Then I graduated the next day and I smelled like A&D. Not very smart on my behalf.) When you go in, definitely be clean, fed (low blood sugar is bad while being tattooed!), not sun burnt, and for women, not menstruating. (Some artists say that women who are menstruating while getting tattooed feel more pain due to sensitivity and whatnot. Don't put my word on that! Its only what I've heard!) . Finally, when your artist is done, make sure to thank them a lot and tip them pretty well. (Tip is usually $10-$20 or about 10% of the cost) Usually, the better you tip, the more they like you. A majority of tattoo artists live on commission, so they really need the cash. Also, if you decide to go back and get more (which you probably will) they'll probably remember you better than the dude who stiffed them and ran. Take some cards from the shop before you leave if the artist doesn't give you some. If someone asks you, "where'd you get that done at?" your artist will really appreciate you giving them business. It also helps if you write your name and the artists name on there (so the artist knows that its you that sent them. brownie points, ya know?)
I hope this helped someone out there be a little less intimidated by the world of tattooing. Once you get into it, you'll probably keep going back. Better than spending your cash on utilities, right?