Like PS Audio’s Paul McGowan, I’ve been accused of deleting unflattering comments. I think Paul nailed it here.
If you’re incapable of commenting without saying someone is “deaf”, a “Nazi”, or an opinion is “complete BS”, then I’m not wasting my time having a “conversation” with you. Neither is Paul. Go elsewhere to spew it. Paul sums it up pretty well here. “Boink! I don’t talk like that, and neither should you on my channel.”
For the record I’ve deleted:
Insults (some not all)
Comments about Erica Ehm – just deleted one today.
Cleaning out old messages, I found some gems dating back to the 4 O’Clock 4-Play days and even before.
April 19 2007: From Dave Elgie whom I don’t know.
“Hey man, I may have the wrong guy, but are you a wrestler?”
That is the first and only time I have been mistaken for a wrestler. He definitely had the wrong guy.
Nov 13 2013: Mike Forbes, whom I encountered in the comments section, didn’t comprehend that the word “retarded” isn’t an acceptable name to call someone.
“Retarded is retarded…remember the meaning of it? Stupid…dumb…ya know…retarded. 2013 and all its political correctness can kiss my fuckin’ asshole!”
And most baffling came this one, from the inbox for this very website. I wish I could say I was in a band, but I’m not. I’m not in Sugar Ray, I’m not Mark McGrath, or anyone who ever played with Mark McGrath. Gin Blossoms opened. I’m not in Gin Blossoms. I’m flattered though!
September 5 2023: From Luca.
Hey Mike, My name is Luca, I’m 12 years old and I’m gonna be at the show at Foxwoods Friday!! I cannot wait to see you guys and Sugar Ray. I was wondering if you guys could get a picture with me before or after the show? Thanks, Luca
All of us music-heads do it: we like to celebrate the anniversaries of our favourite (and occasionally not-so-favourite) albums! But how do you like to say it? That’s up to you. Is there a right and wrong way to do it?
I’ll tell you one thing you’ll never hear me say: “This album dropped on this day…”
I do not use the word “dropped” to refer to an album release. I know that’s what the kids say today. That’s precisely why I won’t say it.
A lot people say “Celebrate the anniversary of this album’s release today…” which is perfectly fine. No issue. Lots of big words that my fat thumbs have trouble typing on my phone though.
So I choose something simple and easy for my fingers to mash out on my phone while I’m eating my Cheerios. I choose to say “Happy birthday to this album!”
I don’t write long album birthday posts. Instead I simply paste the link to my review (when applicable) and post “Happy birthday!” I figure the review has most of the info if anybody cares enough to click it.
Two people have questioned my use of the word “birthday” in this context: rock journalist Mitch Lafon, and one loyal LeBrain Train viewer who you might be able to guess. I get it, I really do. Wishing “happy birthday” to an album? Is an album “born”?
According to Merriam Webster dictionary, the word “birth” can also mean “to give rise to”. Even so, I like to have fun with words and use them in ways not always intended. I’m also not the only person to wish a “happy birthday” to an inanimate object.
Look, it’s real simple. I won’t say “dropped”, and I don’t like the word “anniversary” (or typing it with my thumbs). I’ve chosen “happy birthday” for my album anniversary celebrations, and I think most people understand “Oh, he means it must have been released on this day.” I find a lot of arguments in the music community comes down to what I consider semantics. You’ll see all kinds of debates on what “metal” really is, or what qualifies members of a band as “original”. We care about these things because we’re music fans.
Admittedly, for me to type “Happy birthday!” on social media for an album, instead of a proper sentence about its release, is an act of laziness. But social media itself is an embodiment of laziness so I won’t apologize for that.
How do you post about an album’s anniversary? Are albums “born”? Does anyone actually care about English anymore? Let us know in the comments.
This did not age well. The comment about hoarding toilet paper is funny. I remember my dad didn’t like this video. He found it too “angry”. It did start the whole “VoiVod!” thing with Rob Daniels though! This is just after lockdown began, but before the LeBrain Train launched. Interesting from a certain point of view. Where’s that Queen shirt now? Can’t find it anywhere!
While I’m sure that “Facebook Memories” are Zucking up my brain in some way, in this brave new Metaverse…I kinda like them.
For those of you who prefer to stay out of the Metaverse or social media in general, “Facebook Memories” are a daily feature that shows you what you posted in the years prior. While not every day is solid gold, I find that most days have at least one cool memory that I would want to post again. Something funny, something cool…occasionally something sad.
The early years of Facebook memories seem to be nothing but me posting what I’m currently “rockin’ to”. Dear God there were a lot of those “rockin’ to” posts. Interesting nonetheless especially when I happen to be rockin’ to the same artist on the same day years later. There were also a lot of early video blogs that were not very good (but were very young). In that tradition, as I write this now I’m rockin’ to Slash Puppet’s Studs & Gems.
I didn’t start using Facebook on a regular basis until 2012 when I launched this site. I found that most of my hits were coming from that platform, but not Twitter, so I made a choice and stuck with it. Memories start picking up in 2012.
In the winter months, I see a lot of complaints about driving conditions.
In 2016-2017, nearly daily postings about the shenanigans of one Donald J. Trump.
In January, with memories from different years, it seemed like I was constantly sick. The flu, the man-cold, whatever. And it also appears that each time it was the “worst one ever”. This does not bode well for the next time I get sick.
But I still want to remember them. Not necessarily first thing in the morning with my first Nespresso, but I do want to see them. I don’t want the minutia lost. Maybe I won’t always feel that way, but I won’t deny that we are still grieving. And it helps the grieving process to see some of these old electronic thoughts.
Of course, this means Zuck knows my entire life story for the last decade-plus, but so do you. I made a choice a long time ago to write personal shit in public. At the end of the day I don’t think I’m interesting enough to attract unwanted attention, and what’s done is done. While the Metaverse expands I may have regrets, but at present I’ve made some friends doing what I do. I’ll take it as a win.
NOTE: The LeBrain Train will be on Saturday night rather than Friday!
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