Shan Man of 98 KUPD

Keeping Occupied

2010-05-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

OK, so I know I said I was going to try and keep blogging to this website, but I haven't done such a good job of it. *Hold me back a grade! All things considered, I have been relatively busy for the past month and a half since I have moved into my new home--mainly working outside in the yard. Who would have known that I have a green thumb? The last time I remember working in a yard was when I was 17 or 18 and I had to mow my neighbor's lawn for 20 bucks.

I have also realized in the time that I haven't written that I have failed to do a few of things that I have always enjoyed doing over the course of my early 30s: read and write. Who does that, right?

I remember a time nearly 4 years ago when I was consumed with reading books and writing journal entries to a MySpace blog site. Sometimes those thoughts revealed a deeper side to who I am while at other times I posted pictures or blogs about the "fun" side of me. It wasn't until yesterday when I was speaking with my dad on the phone and he mentioned how much he had been enjoying a new book that he had been reading on his Nook Reader. Seriously, I had to reexamine some things about myself in the past 24 hours and I know the answer about the things I used to do will have to be put back into practice. Sometimes it takes a riveting essay or book in order to get me back to the point where I once was.

Where do I go from here?

Back to the Basics

2010-03-30T00:27:00.000-07:00

It's no question that absence from this blog site is evidence that I haven't had a moment to sit down and pen my words to screen. I certainly do apologize for this and promise to do my best to continue with this blog. I find it important to have my friends read what is on my mind at the moment minus the filter that I have to transmit through a microphone.

As mentioned in previous posts, the past year has quite the roller coaster for me. I managed to go through a number of challenges that tested my character as a professional and an individual. Professionally, I recently admitted to my Program Director that last year's personal events consumed my professional life and I wasn't proud of not putting forth the 100% of effort in my tasks at work. Could I have been more succinct in on-air breaks? Could I have done more research on bands? Could I have attempted to be more humorous in my bits as opposed to being "cheesy"? The band of questions could go on and on, but as I sit here and think about the last year, I KNOW that my efforts (or lack thereof) fell short of anything but educational.

Prior to 2007, I had found myself very content with myself after a tumultuous relationship of nearly two years. I had been the happiest I had ever been in my life! By the Fall of 2007, I had earned my Masters degree, taught high school, became a full-time disc jockey, and had the freedom in the world to do anything that I wanted. I didn't have someone on my ass trying to pull at my sleeve telling me how to run my life--granted that I am now good friends with that person and we have both agreed that we are much better as friends.

So, here I am nearly two and a half years later in a position again where I feel more comfortable with my life than ever before--back to the basics before I was told how unworthy I was in someone else's eyes. Words and conceptions of how someone else thought I was this TERRIBLE person still resonate in my mind, yet I had known all along that what they thought was only their opinion and nothing else.

I have reached a new set of milestones in my life and feel accomplished for what I have achieved personally and emotionally. New goals in my life have been presented to me and I couldn't be more excited to jump to the task at hand. Perhaps it has been because I have been honest with myself? I wouldn't say I have been completely honest, but I have been honest enough to understand the value of my happiness--it doesn't lie in someone else for emotional support.

Perhaps I'll elaborate more in a future post, but for the time being, think about WHO you are and HOW you want to be treated as a person. Don't let anyone tell you HOW you should act because it will never be fair to you (OR THEM). Whether it's a buddy, a girlfriend, wife, parent, son, cousin--the roots of worthiness lie in the loyalty of yourself.

Good night,

Shan

Give Me A Call and Leave Me a Message!

2010-01-26T22:35:00.001-08:00

Listening to 98 KUPD on your Android Phone

2010-01-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be straight with you guys, this isn't an "OFFICIAL" thing that has come out of the 98 KUPD studios, but I was playing with my iTouch and found the website that streams 98 KUPD for both iPhone/Touch and Android.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN APPLICATION FOR YOUR PHONE!

1. Make this address a favorite in your Android Web Browser:
http://c1.mp3.liquidcompass.net/KUPDFMMP3

2. Once you've made the page a favorite, save the favorite to your desktop (or for those who really want to start listening, you can click on the link and you'll be directed to listen). Once saved to your desktop, you can tap the shortcut to start the music player.

3. Once the music player is open, you'll want to swipe your finger down to bring up the NOTIFICATION page that shows you when you have text messages. You'll see that you are streaming the station--touch the link again and you'll be directed back to the player (I have found that when you do this you are able to have the station streaming in the background while you work with your applications).

4. From this point, you can push the HOME (the little house) BUTTON and you can see your desktop and 98 KUPD will run in the background.

5. To stop listening, you must go back to the player and press the PAUSE button. Once your stream is paused, you can click the HOME BUTTON and you are back to your desktop.

Be aware that the stream does run down your battery, so have it plugged in or a full charge if you want to listen for a while.

If you have any questions, hit me up on Twitter, Facebook or email:

Twitter: @shanman98
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shanman98
Email: shanman@98KUPD.com

I'm easier to get a hold of on Twitter and Facebook!

Enjoy!

Shan Man

Shan Man's Music News Update -- January 4, 2009

2010-01-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

If you were still marinating from all of your holiday meals and failed to catch this little tidbit of foodstuff on the table, Chris Cornell and the rest of the band from Soundgarden are whipping up a tasty reunion tour.

Rock's last RIP for 2009: James “The Rev” Sullivan from Avenged Sevenfold. He was found dead in his Huntington Beach home on December 28th—evidently it was from natural causes, but the coroner's report hasn't come back for the full review.

Shan Man's Updated Ultimate Heavenly Band:
Dimebag Darrell (Pantera) – Guitars
Layne Staley (Alice in Chains) – Lead Vocals
John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) – Drums
Cliff Burton (Metallica) – Bass
James “The Rev” Sullivan (A7X) –Strange High-Pitched Squealing Backing Vocals

Well, since Guns n Roses (Axl) released that pile-of-fuck album he claims is a GnR album, we haven't had a whole lot to make fun of. In fact, the last album was so bad that it wasn't worth making fun of, but I think it's still worthy to make fun of Axl knowing he's still performing 40 song sets in Japan. Proof? People are still YouTubing that shit thinking GnR is still great. Those crazy little fuckers...Trix on you!

I really can't wait for Airbourne's new album to come out (No Guts, No Glory). Sure, the music is cheesy and it's all about getting drunk, puking, fucking, sucking, getting drunk and puking while fucking—it's the ultimate party album to have in your collection on March 8, 2010! With songs like “Blonde, Bad, and Beautiful” and “No Way But the Hard Way”, you're for sure to have an STD within the first listening!

Watch Maynard dip his hand into the wine for a customized Tool taste:

Shan Man's Best of 2009 (Final Installment)

2009-12-30T19:34:00.000-08:00

Shan Man's Best of 2009 (Final Installment)
Girls, Girls, Girls: Girly Songs, Girly Lips, Girly TV Shows, Crazy Girls, and Girls with Mustaches

In this final installment of the Best of 2009, I'm not really going to check for grammatical or spelling errors because I have worked on it far too long. But I hope you get a kick out of a few stories. Remember, each story is to the best of my knowledge and is as accurate as I can remember.

Best Cheap Ride:
Light Rail

Other than using your friends to take you everywhere, the Metro Light Rail proved to be a worthy mode of transportation for me this year. Since its inaugural run in January, I was finally able to get on the train and take it from Mesa all the way to 19th Ave. and Indian School. Why? Why not! In fact, I liked the idea that I didn't have to hunt for parking when I went to a baseball game or find a cab to take me from the ballpark to Camelback and Central. As for price was concerned, I believe a day pass cost about $2.00, but I have heard prices have gone up and I haven't ridden the rail since I read that some homeless man shit inside one of the cars and smeared the walls with himself. So, if the threat of a shit-smearing homeless man scares you, don't take the rail. If you could care less, the Light Rail is now open on the weekends until 2AM (I beleive) and you can drown your troubles away with all the bars along the route from Downtown Phoenix to Downtown Tempe without !

Most Practiced Song on the Guitar:
"She Is Love" - Parachute

After U-Fest 09, I met a new friend that many people saw in the Summer of '09. I know her as Jackie, but you know her as JRC from the Twitpic photos I took of her. Still lost? When that horrible pile of fuck movie--Transformers 2--was released in the summer, a lot of my friends were so infatuated with Jackie because she looked a little like Megan Fox. Was I hanging out with Jackie because she looked like Megan Fox? No, but it was pretty cool to look at Jackie and think that Megan was hanging out with me! Jackie is much cooler.

What does Jackie have to do with the Most Practiced Song on the Guitar of '09? Given that my friendship with Jackie blossomed pretty quickly, I soon came to find out that Jackie and I had a lot of the same tastes in music. The summer allowed us to trade music back and forth via CDs and MySpace pages, but when I saw that she had posted Parachute's "She Is Love" on her profile page, I was drawn to the song instantly because of its simplicity: and acoustic guitar and a vocalist. That's it. Would I listen to the band.

In a year where I had been hashing out acoustic Alice in Chains songs on the guitar, "She Is Love" was a song that was completely out of character for me and I was willing to learn the song on my own. What would people think if I learned a song that wasn't a driving and distorted mess? I really could have cared less when it came to learning a love song. I had always been brought up to try something once before determining its future. I would soon buy the song on iTunes and start figuring out how to play the song on my own. After a few days of practicing, I had given up due to whatever was happening in my life at the time. But, one thing was for certain: that song would not be out of my life for the remainder of the year.

Earlier in the year, my sister announced that she would be getting married on Halloween. She had asked me if I could play a song during the ceremony and I had agreed. Her first suggestion was the Beatles' song "Here Comes the Sun" which is a good song, but I felt that "She Is Love" was a far better fit for a wedding. It wasn't that I didn't want to learn her suggested song, but the overall feel of "She Is Love" would fit a wedding ceremony than the one she suggested.

As a the true procrastinator that I am, I figured I wouldn't practice the song until late Septemeber or Mid-October. Each month leading up to the wedding, my sister continuously asked, "Have you been practicing your song?" My only reply would be "No." Why lie? I think she thought I was joke, but I really hadn't been practicing shit as the summer days had me in a funk (see Best of 2009--Part 2--Album of the Year). Nevertheless, October approached and was finally staring in front of me. For 3 weeks straight, I sat in my home office hashing out "She Is Love" and developed the most awesome calloused fingers since I was 16 years old.

Halloween would approach and I would be more nervous to perform this song in front of a very small group of my sister and brother-in-law's friends. I have stood in front of thousands of fans of Slipknot, Disturbed, Machine Head, Five Finger Death Punch, Alice in Chains, and Ozzy and each one of those experiences don't even come close to the amount of fear I had for performing this song in front of my family and my sister's friends. To say the least, all those times standing on stage to introduce a band paid off because even though I messed up in one part of the song, no one noticed and I found it strange that compliments surrounded what I had played and sang. In all honesty, I thought it was OK and I broke a leg for my good 'ol sis.

When all was said and done, someone asked me if I had one of my CDs for sale. WTF?

Best Rockstars to Meet:
Ivan Moody - Five Finger Death Punch
Corey Taylor - Slipknot/Stone Sour
Spider Zombie - Powerman 5000
Otep Shamaya - Otep
Benji - Skindred

Best Friend to Pick Up Where We Left Off:
Mullet(less) Mike

Mike returned back into my life in the earlier part of 2009--in the middle of my own personal hell. For whatever the reason, Mike entered back into my life to be that ear to bend when things were the toughest for me. I should just call him the Friend of the Year because while I was going through my own bullshit, Mike was dealing with looking for a new job for a good part of the year. How could I be depressed when my poor friend was jobless and listening to this poor sap lay out his laundry every night over the phone or at the George and Dragon? The cool thing about Mike is that no matter how tough the situation is, he makes light of it and doesn't sweat a lot.

After all the non-metal moments with Mike, we were able to reconnect and find a hobby to participate in other than anal fisting--BRET VESELY MOVIES! The initial idea for these Bret Vesely videos came from the genius minds of Dino Demilio and Russ Cundiff of the Divide Social Club, so it was my goal to get Mike on board with the idea. For a good part of the summer, Mike and I worked on different videos about Bret and even shared creative ideas with each other on how we could turn bret into something spectacular.

Well, as life worked out for Mike, he finally found a job and it was the end of movie-making business with him. Even though our rekindled friendship was short-lived, I must give credit to Mike for keeping me occupied and working toward branching out creatively. You'll be happy to know that Mike's new job is paying him millions of dollars a day and he's found a special someone in his life who makes him happy--other than me. The great thing about this is that when I reconnect with him in the future, it will be like we never stopped the conversation.

Best Trend that Never Caught On:
Fake Mustache Friday aka FSF

"I think we should do a thing where people take pictures of themselves wearing fake mustaches and they post the picture to Twitter and Facebook!" exclaimed Dream Palace Jimmy. "In fact, I'm ordering a box full of them right now and you can sell them for a buck!"

"Yeah that's great," thinking that Jimmy's tone was more snarky than serious.

"OK, they're ordered and I'll have them in three days! I'm going to give them to you, OK?"

"You were serious about that?"

After Jimmy was getting the handle of the trends of #musicmonday and #followfriday on Twitter, I would have to say that Jimmy buying a box of 300 fake mustaches and putting them in my hands to sell would be the single funniest moment of 2009 for me. Jimmy sold me on the idea and soon Fake Stache Friday would be born! What became a conversation became a trend for about a month (with the help of our favorite schmoozer, Corbin) spawned some pretty great pictures from people in Oregon, California, and Northern Arizona. It's my goal in 2010 to get a handle on this trend and make it a regular tradition!

Best Landing of the Year:
Outside the Apartment

If you thought The Sullenberger plane landing was pretty sweet into the Hudson, I have one even better...

Right after Homeless for the Holidays, I was unloading my trunk with all the equipment I used when playing at the Tempe Marketplace. My arms were filled with music stands, guitar cases, lyric notebooks, etc. Imagine me walking up to my apartment and taking the first step from the parking lot to the sidewalk--and missing the sidewalk entirely! An array of every piece of equipment fell from my limbs and made for the the most awesome faceplant onto the sidewalk known to man. I'm not lying, I really did fall on my face. This fall hurt like a motherfucker, but the sad part is that there was no one around to witness it. After I brushed myself off, I had only wished I had a camera filming the entire thing because I would have probably laughed at myself for hours.

Best TV Show to Watch on a Saturday Night:
Lone Butte: Lucky Break on Channel 5

Saturday nights were usually the time when I would troll with Corbin to a few bars around town, but it soon ended when I was introduced to Lone Butte: Lucky Break by John Holmberg. I really didn't understand why Holmberg enjoyed watching the show, but after watching a wannabe hybrid of American Idol and really shitty bar singing, I couldn't pass up staying in on Saturday night to watch some of the most horrific singers the Valley has to offer.

The mechanics of this show mirrors a lot of what American Idol gives people except these people are local. Shitty singing, shitty judges, and on occasion you can find Cell Block 3 from Florence Correctional Facility sitting in the audience. But it's not the mechanics of the show that has interested the group of people that watch this show with Holmberg on Saturday nights. You can make fun of just about everything on the show and the goal is to see who (me, Holmberg, Vesely, Dick Toledo, etc) can send a text message zinger faster than the other person. Everyone on that show is fair game to be ripped apart by the 98 KUPD staff via text message from the rotund English bitch to Stifler's Mom Look-alikes! So if you happen to catch the show, please know that there are about 10 people all text messaging each other back and forth some of the best cut-downs you will never hear on the radio.

Best Tonsil Swap:
Laurissa and Brianna

2009 was GOOD TO ME when it came to making out with chicks. I can't quite remember how many chicks I slutted my lips to, but I am certainly not complaining considering I didn't have to answer to anyone other than my work wife, Bret Vesely. However, there were two REALLY GOOD kissers this year that deserve some serious notoriety.

**Please note that the names used in this section have been changed to protect the anonymity of the participants**

1.) Laurissa:
What can I say about Laurissa other than the fact that she was hot, blonde, great body, and willing? I had met her at U-Fest back in April and all day we had been eye-fucking each other HEAVILY. It wouldn't be soon after I was finished broadcasting that I would get plenty of beer in my body to dominantly reel her in backstage just make out with her without saying a word to her about WHAT we were going to do. I'm pretty sure we made out during the entire Drowning Pool set and part of Chevelle. As far as making out goes, things got so incredibly hot and heavy that the guys from Skindred saw what I was doing and they all cheered for both of us to go further! Hah! At some point I had to sober up in case I had to drive somewhere to seal the deal, but you have to figure that I had so many Blue Moons that day I couldn't remember why I was at The Farm and I completely forgot about her at the end of the night. I really didn't consider it a loss for me because I had other fish to fry that night. I think the the best part of all of that making out with Laurissa was that I didn't have to hear from her again! I'm still a homo for not sealing the deal though...

2.) Brianna
I'd have to say that the kiss with Brianna was, by far, the most romantic I had ever had. Brianna was about 5'5", brunette, had a great body that was in shape, cat-like eyes, and very luscious lips. She and I had reconnected--after about two years of losing each other--back in the earlier part of the summer at some bar in Downtown Phoenix. Things between us really started out as friends who could go out and have a few beers and just talk the night away. I really enjoyed her company and she made me want to hang out with her more. The only tough part was that getting her to commit to a schedule with me. That was the most difficult part as she was the busiest person I had learned know.

Just as I enjoyed her company, she seemed to enjoy mine just as much, but there was something strange that was between us. I couldn't explain it, but it was as if she couldn't figure out if she wanted to like me more or if she should just step away. So, I didn't want to push anything harder. I gave her the space she needed, but was still willing to try and make an effort to have a great time with her whenever she would be willing to give me the time. Summertime would pass and the frequency of our visits would dwindle and I'm pretty sure that I was getting blown off by her. Whether she had met someone else or just didn't want to talk with me, I was hoping she would just tell me something instead of leaving me in the dark. But as they say, when you start feeling left in the dark, it should be your first sign indicator that there is no interest.

Not conceding to the fact she was losing interest in me, I sent her a text on a Saturday night in the early part of autumn that read, "What is it going to take to hang out with you again?" Thinking that I wouldn't get a response back, I got an response back nearly 30 seconds later that read, "Nothing! How about now!?" Of course I was going to jump at this opportunity and would make the trip to whichever bar she was hanging out at.

Upon arriving to the bar, I could tell that she was already a little buzzed from the wine she was drinking, but still sober enough to hold a decent conversation with me. Like clockwork, we started laughing, toasting to inane things, and eventually found ourselves a little buzzed. She told me she wanted to go home and relax out on her deck so that she could pass out quickly. I was cool with this, but she extended the invitation off to me and wanted me to drive her car back to her place--which was only 3 minutes from the bar. Why not? We'd make a quick pit stop to the grocery store for some Stella and then head off to her house.

By the time we go to her house, she was ready to just relax and I had no complaints about this. Besides, if I was going to drink anymore than what already had, I would have to slow it down and just enjoy the good company. We made our way to her deck that overlooked the entire city of Phoenix and started listening to music from the iTunes deck on the table--completely content and laughing about whatever came to mind. Soon I would find myself far from buzzed and had enough liquid courage in my system to start interrogating her on why she had been avoiding me amongst other courageous questions. Since we were both pretty drunk, she started giving the dirt about how she thought I was great and how her friends and family think that we would be a great couple. When I asked her why she was holding back, she couldn't give me the answer. Of course, in my drunken state, I couldn't decipher body language or the deliverance of her connotations, but I just let it roll off my back.

The time frame of talking to her about "us" seemed to last an eternity, but was really only a few minutes because I can remember that the same song was playing when the conversation ended. Once that conversation DID end, I had realized that she had her legs kicked up onto my lap, and I was leaned toward her holding her hands and arms. I stared at her for a brief moment and before I knew it, we were kissing. The kiss lasted for quite some time and in true romantic style, Brianna graduated quickly to THE BEST KISS of ALL TIME. Sure, the situation lent itself to the ultimate romantic kiss--city lights, perfect song, perfect evening weather--but the kiss was like nothing I had ever had before. This chick KNEW what she was doing and KNEW how to kiss. Everything from how to tilt her head, to the soft nibbles of the lips, to holding the kiss for the perfect amount of time--Brianna had it down. For the first time in my life I was able to really say, "How the fuck does this happen?" I was in complete and utter awe.

When the kiss finished, we looked at each other, held each other for a minute or two and that's where this part of the story ends.

I haven't heard from Brianna much since that night as I think I scared her and she had found interest in someone else. It was cool because for the 2 hours I spent with her, I will remember the one kiss that shook my world. It was the one kiss that will always be remembered as "The Deck Incident".

Best Text Message Conversation:

About a month after "The Deck Incident", I was sitting at John Holmberg's back patio watching football with the boys. Like any other typical Sunday, text messages were not coming to my phone because everyone I did text with was sitting in front of me. By late afternoon I had received a text from a girl I had been wanting to get with for a few months. When I read the message, she was giving me full-opportunity to see her newly pierced nipples--which I was completely game for checking out.

Before the story progresses, you must get a little bit of background on this chick:

1. She had been trying to hook up with me for nearly 3 years, but would never come out an say it until the latter part of the summer.
2. She had recently gotten a tit job and kept telling me, "I want you to be the first to test drive these out of the lot."
3. She had a knack for always text messaging mundane and immature things to me that didn't require a response.
4. When I DID TEXT message her, I wouldn't get a response for another 4 hours or the next day.
5. The weekend I was at Holmberg's I told her to meet me at my place by 8PM and wanted to make sure it was cool with her.
6. Minutes after I had sent her that text to meet me at my place, more minutes blew by and I found out she was hanging out with another guy because she sent an update out on Twitter.
7. Sunday passed and I didn't hear from her until Wednesday of the next week.

As a lot of you know, I have no tolerance for stupidity and I surely wasn't going to give her the time of my day to foolishly waste on lying to me. What you are about to see is the text message exchange on that Wednesday night after she blew me off.

Mary: Mmmm. Tool.. You're awesome... :-)

Me: Hah.
Mary: Right when I turned my car on, it was the first thing playing... :-)
Me: I'm still not happy with you...
Mary: What? Why?
Me: You don't remember ditching me on Sunday, evidently

Mary:Oh I'm sorry...I didn't know we had for sure plans..I thought you were just throwing out ideas..Don't be mad at me for that...that's a lame reason...You know I want to hang with you again..

Me:I still have the text conversation. I asked you for 8PM and you never responded. It's cool...
Don't pull that with me

Mary: Are you seriously going to be like that??????
Mary: Don't pull what with you???? I'm not pulling shit..

(Nearly 3 minutes pass)

Mary: Fine...be an asshole...you have no right or reason to be pissed for something as stupid as that...but if you really need a reason to not talk to me-even though you're good enough at it already-then go for it...you seem really good at pushing people away anyways, so fuck it..Send me a text when you're done being stupid, until then, fuck off...>:o

Me: Fuck this. When you admit to ignoring me on Sunday then things can go back to normal. Your last text just sealed your fate. In the Meantime, best of luck.

Mary: Sealed my fate?? Who the fuck are you???? Ya I'll admit I didn't liek the idea of Sunday, I'm not just going to be fuckint fit into somebody's schedule whenever it's fucking convenient for them..I like you Shannon, I always have..A lot..You're a good person and I care for you, butI don't deserve you being an asshole to me. i've made it clear that I like you, but you obviously are too blind to realize when someone is being real...I always was, I just don't want to play stupid games...so I'm sorry you're mad, but seriously, don't be a jerk to me...it's not you...or fuck, maybe it is which I guess is better for me to know now rather then later. So no Shannon, fuck your best of luck to me, and I wish best of luck to yourself instead.......

Mary: "Things can go back to normal.." Hah. Fuck you..Ya, I really like things the way they were...Random text messages to each other...sooooo exciting!!!

I'm so happy to have invited you into my life of crazy chicks who do this to me on a consistent basis. You would think I have learned my lesson, but the lesson is: There isn't a chick out there that ISN'T crazy. A lot of my friends know that I can tolerate a lot of things, but when it comes to someone lying to me, I have no toleration and move on.

Oh and if you're wondering, Mary sent me a text two weeks ago that said, "A Perfect Circle...mmm..." I never responded.

So that's my list of Best of 2009. It was tough to whittle down the events that went on in my life, but these were some of the more significant events of my life that mattered to me. I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you in 2010! Just make sure you don't go batshit loco on me via text message. I keep all of that stuff!

Shan

Shan Man's Best of 2009 (Part 2)

2009-12-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

The Darker Side of the Year with Lars Ulrich, Tom Scholz, Snails, Porn Stars and Rock Band

Those who work the night shifts certainly understand what type of life you have outside of that domain. Like directions to maintaining your favorite Sea Monkey for longer-lasting fun, your life is maintained a certain way. Why would my life have any difference other than working on the air? Depending on what events are transpiring in my life at the time, life is pretty average for me. It's not all sex, drugs, and rock and roll--maybe rock n' roll, but I'm certainly not drowning in my own puddle of vomit in some Tempe bar. Life for me is pretty simplified and desolate for me. Let's see...

I wake up around noon just about every day, surf the internet, read the news, read magazines, cook meals, watch TV, and play Playstation games until I have to go to work around 6:15 P.M. Wash, rinse, repeat... I have to say that the video game portion of my day is my favorite and that's where we'll kick off the Best Of 2009 list...

Best Gaming Partner of the Year:
Bret Vesely, 98 KUPD Overnight Sensation

Should anyone really question this selection? After all, Bretsky is about the only one who really understands me and he makes for a hilarious gaming partner in Call of Duty and Rock Band. I don't think I have ever laughed harder when it comes to talking shit to 14 year olds in Call of Duty. Upon finding out that Bret and I have gotten annihilated by some pre-pubescent pricks fromAnn Arbor, MI, somewhere in the conversation Bret has blurted out things like, "At least I'm getting laid tonight..." OK, so not that funny, but you really have to be there in the moment when the shit-talking is taking place. Other than that, comments included cannot be read here in this forum, but when it's just the two of us playing Call of Duty, think of the Clerks 2 Racial Slur scene. While it's not racially charged, it's in the same taste.

Not only does Bret have a sharp tongue, his text messages at 4:30 everyday saying, "Are you ready, Lars?" usually had me excited to rap on the Rock Band drums for a good two hours. Bret and I even made ourselves a band with no name--it was just us two. Of course, I was Lars Ulrich--Bret and I would play "And Justice for All" as one of our openers when starting the game--and Bret was Tom Scholz of Boston. We got so serious with playing Rock Band in March and April that we would text each other in the middle of the day asking if the other person had a "meet and greet" or was "stuck in catering with the radio station promotions director" before hitting the stage on TV.

However, if you're the neighbors downstairs you can only imagine the annoyance I was for the first 4 months of the year for two hours a day. On the other end of the screen Bret would be playing the flying colors of Boston's "Foreplay" with a 95% accuracy and I'd be tapping the yellow drum pad on the Expert level to keep the crowd roaring. Once the song would be finished, each player had about 30 seconds to text the other person some smart-ass comment just before the next song started. "Way to go Flea!" or "Robert Trujillio wouldn't have missed those notes. Metallica should fire me."

All in all, Bretsky never fails to let me down when it comes to playing video games.

Best Game of the Year:
Guitar Hero: Metallica

Up until this point, I think a lot of people would have thought that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 would have been my Game of the Year for 2009, but I really had to take into consideration games that I liked as opposed to what everyone thought I should like. I don't think I can justify CoD:MW2 as being a great game until I have at least hit level 70 and I'm only at level 30. Don't get me wrong, I love to play video games, but I think my love for music will always come first before anything else--especially if that video game allows me to translate those skills over to the real deal. This is why I have chosen Guitar Hero: Metallica.

Ever since I was a teenager, I was always enamored by the complexity of Metallica's guitar riffs, but more fascinated by how Lars Ulrich was able to play the drums. While he's not the best drummer in the world, I have always been drawn to the intricacies of the beats in "...And Justice For All" and "Disposable Heroes". After buying the game, I realize now that playing those songs on Expert is nothing more than having the endurance and speed to keep up with Lars--I managed to do this with the latest installment. In fact, an electric drum kit that I have (not a Rock Band or GH drum kit--a REAL KIT)--the one that was collecting dust for a few years--has gotten quite a bit of use due to my new-found love for playing Guitar Hero drums. In fact, when the game was given to me on the day of the release, I took it home and made sure to unlock all of the songs as soon as possible just so I could learn "Blackened" on Expert--to most, finishing this song would seem impossible. For me, pure enjoyment!

Refined Imperfection from Shan Man on Vimeo.

Word of the Year:
Chortle (noun): a snorting, joyful laugh or chuckle.

This word came up more than a dozen times this year for me and it just sounds funny.

Urban Word of the Year:
Snail: An attractive girl who is interested in having sex at any given time. A hot version of a skank.

Reason: Girls get wet and leave snail trails... ie: they are "snails."

"jonny you need to get to this party asap, it's crawling with snails" (courtesy of urbandictionary.com)

The first time I heard this word it was out of a woman's mouth. It has to be, quite possibly, the funniest urban word I have ever heard.

Upcoming Artist of the Year:
The Veer Union

I think a lot of people thought I was joking when I said I really liked the band The Veer Union. It's true. For reasons I can't explain, I was really drawn to their disc Against the Grain. I think part of this had to do with the fact that I tend to correlate songs that mirror what is going on in my life. A couple of songs really hit home with me based on lyrical content alone. In fact, their first single "Seasons" reminded me that we all go through ups and downs. Each metaphor made light of changes I happened to be going through from April to September. I was really stoked when I got to meet the band at the End of Summer Scorcher '09. They happened to be the nicest guys around and I wish I would have been able to hang out with them more that day!

Album of the Year:
Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue

I anticipated this album since I saw the band play at the inaugural End of Summer Scorcher in '08. I had read the music websites about the return of Alice in Chains with William DuVall fronting the band and I wasn't scared one bit about the band not having the Layne Staley sound. In fact, since first hearing William perform--with Jerry--a few years back at the Cajun House (Venue of Scottsdale), William was doing the backup vocals (Layne's part) for the Alice in Chains songs. It was no question in my mind that an album from Alice in Chains with William singing would be one of my favorites of all time.

Each hand-crafted song on this album has the signature AIC/Jerry Cantrell sound and continues to maintain the heavily cryptic metaphors within the lyrics. I will go so far as to say that this Alice in Chains album is band's way of saying "goodbye" to Layne for the first time since his passing (Jerry attempted this a few years back with his solo album, Degradation Trip, but it failed to translate to Alice in Chains fans). The track "Black Gives Way to Blue" clearly is about the loss of Layne and Jerry has said in recent interviews that it was the song that was the hardest to record because of the heaviness of circumstance.

But this album had a greater magnitude on me as a person. I'd have to say that this album was a strong closure point for me in--what seemed to be--a devastating time in my life; each dark lyric struck a chord within me in a time where I felt I was a complete failure and utterly imperfect; I had lost all belief in who I was as a person all due to one thing: a woman. Given that my relationship with my ex-girlfriend had ended months prior, I had known that I hadn't moved on from where I felt I had failed. I had wondered many days within the year where I was falling short when it came to being appreciated. When you are stretched beyond the limits of wondering why there is loss and loneliness, my friends in Alice in Chains were there to teach me that it's cool to be a little gun shy when it comes to moving on. They also showed me that whatever healing process you are going through doesn't have to have a time limit.

I needn't wallow and stare out the window only to drone to "Private Hell":

"Give away a love
And then remove another too
Painted words adorn the walls
Echoing untrue

I feel cold...uh huh

Lately I'm beside myself
Pretending, unconcerned
Standing on a corner
Where I threw you on a turn

I'll move on...uh huh

I excuse myself,
I'm used to my little cell
I amuse myself,
In my very own private hell"

Or lie in bed for hours on end with "Acid Bubble" attempting to get out of bed, but falling short each time. Imagine the opening guitar riff as the motivation to only get up and use the bathroom if I absolutely needed--feeling closed off from a world that doesn't understand:

"And you never paid attention to all the lines I crossed
Forgive this imperfection it shows and know
I am the child that lives and cries in a corner
Dies in a corner

Alone inside your mind"

Conceding to something that was to be "no more," suddenly became OK. Singing harmonies at the top of my lungs for hours after being told that I was the worst possible individual to ever enter into someone else's life; being told that you made someone else's life miserable because of who you are; being told that I was too rigid and closed-minded to ever bend for anyone else; feeling each word told as a hot dagger to the chest multiple times; fearing the future and what it would hold without the other person; finally accepting defeat and tired of trying. Having "Black Give Way to Blue" for the only ten minutes this year the unexplainable happened--tears of happiness eked from my eyes. Being free from a control that couldn't be controlled :

"I don't wanna feel no more
It's easier to keep falling
Imitations are pale
Emptiness all tomorrows
Haunted by your ghost

Lay down, black gives way to blue
Lay down, I'll remember you

Fading out by design
Consciously avoiding changes
Curtains drawn now it's done
Silencing all tomorrows
Forcing a goodbye"

Where I thought I had lost someone important turned into finding someone who meant more than anything else: me. I had found someone I had lost 2 years ago and more excited than ever to be reintroduced to myself. Every fiber of my being was released and I could face the world again without shame or guilt. "All Secrets Known" reigned triumph on the hardest year of my life. I couldn't hide from myself or anyone else any longer:

"Hope,
A new beginning
Time,
Time to start living
Like just before we died

There's no going back
To the place we started from

Hurt,
Falling through fingers
Trust,
Trust in the feeling
There's something left inside

There's no going back
To the place we started from

All secrets known...

Calm,
All wounds are healing
Strong,
Truth is worth saving
I want to feel alive

There's no going back
To the place we started from

All secrets known..."

Through all the nights of being on the air in 2009, only a select few could hear the anguish in my voice as I was putting myself through flames of confusion. For a night person, the days were far longer for the person writing these words. Does this "Best of" section show vulnerability as a man or even the voice on the other end of your speakers? Of course. I'm human just like every other person. Any man who says he has never been through a traumatic experience with a woman or loss of friend can be labeled a beguiler. This chapter of the year was, by far, the longest and the most difficult for me. The smoke that has cleared from the destructive force of 8 months of personal agony only to know that I WAS THE ONE who turned out better.

I owe Alice in Chains more than anyone could ever imagine and this is why they get Album of the Year.

Best Bar To Break Up In:
O'Kelly's in Mesa, AZ

While we're on the topic, the beginning of the end had happened long before the break-up was to occur with my ex. The morning of Super Bowl Sunday was a huge blowout over where to watch the football game. I'm not going to place blame on either side, but let's just say that we ended up watching the game together at the bar--unhappily. Since the fight was the worst one to date, the company was finding it difficult to be in a good mood when we arrived at the bar. 40 minutes to the Super Bowl and I was asked to tell her a joke because she wasn't in a good mood. For whatever reason, I knew that her question foreshadowed what was to happen a few days later. If I couldn't make her laugh with a joke, then it probably was going to be over. I don't think anything would have made her laugh because of her disdain toward me for the fight earlier.

At that moment, the relationship should have ended right there in the bar. Why make this the Best Bar to Break Up In? I'm not quite sure, but considering the Cardinals lost that day, it seems like a great place to determine your fate because we all know now what happened--in the game.

Best Strip Club to Frequent:
Dream Palace in Scottsdale, AZ

After I had started to use Twitter more often in conjunction with the radio station, an old friend had come back into my life: The Dream Palace and their Twitter page. When I saw that their page started following me, I had wondered who was actually running their page.

Years ago, a talented fellow, named Jimmy, worked the overnight shift at 98 KUPD and had another job at the Dream Palace. Surely Jimmy had moved on from working at the Dream Palace! Surely he isn't the person running the Dream Palace Twitter page! Surely Jimmy has moved out of state and pursued a career in comedy or computers!

With my interest piqued, I sent a Direct Message to the page website asking who was running it. Sure as hog shit, Jimmy was running the page and was excited to hear from me! What do I say? I had looked up to Jimmy YEARS ago when he was working overnights at KUPD. I could only wish to have his cunning humor and wit on the radio! To me, Jimmy was more of a rockstar than any rockstar that came through the station. To me, Jimmy was a legend.

It turned out that Jimmy invited me over to the DP a few times and I found it in myself to take him up on that invitation. Sweet! A hook-up at the Dream Palace! Jimmy could find me a stripper and I could just go to town for weeks on end! Right?

Wrong. Heading to the Dream Palace in the Summer of 09 was about seeing my friend, Jimmy. Did I go in to check out all the wiggling asses and huge tits? Fuck no! I went in to catch up with Jimmy. After 4 or 5 visits, the girls realized that I was just Jimmy's friend and treated me just like any other person. Dream Palace 2009 proved to me that I could go into a strip club and not spend any money because...any money that was spent was for Jack in the Box for Jimmy.

Coolest Porn Star of the Year:
Abby Rode

Why lie? I've seen her pornos and I'm a fan! But I became more of a fan when she responded to one of my Facebook posts during the National League Championship. I told people to pray for the Phillies against the Dodgers and I never expected a porn star to respond back to anything that I ever wrote on my Facebook page. All I can remember was that she responded a few times and made me laugh. She gets my vote for being one cool piece of ass with killer "good luck" tofu fajitas that led the Phillies to the World Series!

Porn Site of the Year:
pornhub.com

Again, why lie? Of course I've watched porn this year. But why pay for it when you can watch THOUSANDS of free videos to your computer or iPhone. I was introduced to this site by one of our promotions assistants who said, "I know a great place where you can watch porn from your phone and all the videos are free." I didn't want to believe him, but it was true when he pulled up the website on my laptop. I mean, if it's not free, it's not for me. So, after being introduced, I said "JACKPOT!!" The great thing about this website is that I've seen some of Abby's other videos on here. I have also found the most tasteless and disgusting videos to torture my co-workers with on a weekly basis. You should try it sometime! :-)

Porn Star to Most Likely Make Me Laugh Multiple Times This Year:
Bree Olson or @breeolson on Twitter

I don't watch any of her pornos, but when Bret Vesely told me that Bree had some of the funniest tweets known to the Twitterverse, I had to subscribe to her page. How can you go wrong with tweets like:

"I allowed several of the crew on my last movie shoot to fuck me 1 of the crew even came inside me right before one of my scenes."
"Just passed a super 8 on the highway. Tempted to turn around, check in, and call some men to come fuck me."
"Got a hot creamy load dumped in my pussy last night. Come see me tonight at the pink pony gentlemens club in Atlanta Georgia!"
"Any men in fort Wayne wanna get me drunk and take advantage of me? That sounds so hot right now."
"I have serious sexual issues. I spent over 4 hours just in masturbating today. Not including the 2 times I had sex."

Who says this shit? Bree does!

So I'm shopping in the grocery store and standing in the checkout line... HEY there are new tweets!
@breeolson: "I am so horny. Time to vibrate. I played beatles rockband most of the day"

Bree is pure comedy gold when you're least expecting it!

The bonus is that Bree Olson was Bret Vesely's first radio interview EVER!

Best Hot Chick Website to Make My Mouth Water:
www.gotgisele.com

I have no words for how hot this chick is. Check it out for yourself.

Best Song to Have Playing in the Background While Having Sex:
"A Looking in View" - Alice in Chains

So we all know that I have an affinity for the latest album from Alice in Chains, but when they released this song for the first time for free on their website, I heard its grittiness and thought, "Wow, that song is just a 'fuck' song!" In my mind, it ranks right up there with every female's favorite NIN song, "Closer". I don't know what it is about that AIC song, but it's still waiting to be broken in, so I think I'll save it for a special occasion in 2010.

From gaming, music, to my perverted mind, I have to say that each experience in Part 2 of the Best of list made for a successful year for me! Stay tuned for tomorrow's final installment of Shan Man's Best Of 2009 as you will get to read "The Best Text Message Conversation", "Best TV Show", "Best Chick to Make Out With", and much more!

Thanks for reading!

Shan

Shan Man's Best of 2009 (Part 1)

2009-12-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

Part 1: Venti Phones, shattered websites, Stella High Life and Dino

Have you ever tried to recount one full year in your mind of all the significant events that took place in your life? It's difficult. I found myself really straining to remember those moments for past 300+ days and this is what I can really remember from the past year.

This list doesn't go in any particular order...

Best Website of the Year:
The Best Article Everyday -- http://www.bspcn.com

I was drawn to this site early in the year while doing a Google search for "best spices to use on a roast." While I didn't get any fantastic results from the search, I found this site to have a plethora of lists that ranged from the the "Top Firefox Extensions" to finding God's Facebook page. Ever since I found God's Facebook page through this website, I have added The Best Article Everyday to my Google aggregator. Sometimes the articles are a little too campy for me, but for the most part there are some great finds on this website and plenty of pictures for those who are too retarded to read.

Phone of the Year:
Google G1 from T-Mobile

This year proved to be a volatile year for any phone that I owned. Let's see...

1. I threw a phone at the floor because the call kept disconnecting during conversations. That phone shattered into a billion pieces.

2. I received the Nokia Music XPress phone that was smaller than a graham cracker. Pretty cool phone other than the fact that the screen started to streak with a palette of colors each time I turned it on to see the picture of my ex-girlfriend's rack. After I got the replacement phone, I was pleased until the skin started to fall apart into a million pieces each time I touched it--no abuse to this phone.

3. After nearly 2 months with the replacement Nokia Music Xpress, I called T-mobile up to get another replacement phone and they gave me an upgrade to the Google G1 phone. Did I need a high-powered phone? No. But I was starting to use Twitter and Facebook a lot more to focus on keeping in contact with a lot of listeners, so I thought it would be a great investment--oh and it was an investment that was well worth the purchase.

I think I can do everything on the Google G1 phone from using the handy Gmail capabilities to regularly using the accurate Google GPS Navigation application. In fact the phone does so much that I can even drop it in a water fountain at the car wash just so I have to buy the same phone again! If we did the official count of how many phones I have gone through this year, I'm up to 6 phones. I have had nearly 6 cell phones THIS DECADE compared to the TOTAL I went through this year.

Coffee Shop of the Year:
Dunkin Donuts

I have always felt that the concept of going to Starbucks and not being able to order a SMALL, MEDIUM or LARGE cup of coffee was asinine. Furthermore, I never caught on to the craze about ordering your coffee in a different language. Not that I'm completely against drinking anything from Starbucks, but I just didn't like the elitist feeling I got when walking into a Starbucks. Furthermore, I didn't like feeling that I shouldn't be in there because I wasn't smart enough. I felt there was a lack of grassroots coffee shops in the United States until...

The earlier part of the summer in 2009, my friend Dino called me up to meet with him for a visit. Let's face it, he suggested Dunkin Donuts and I was game. All I cared about was getting a quick visit in from my buddy and thought to ditch the coffee. After meeting with Dino a Dunkin Donuts in Scottsdale, I had always thought that Dunkin Donuts ONLY SERVED donuts. In fact, in the years prior to this one, all I could remember were Dunkin Donuts shops around town as a desolate breeding ground for white trash. I was completely wrong after going to multiple shops after my initial visit with Dino. In fact, after being able to simply order a Medium coffee with cream and sugar, I was more than pleased to know that a place exists where you can order your coffee without having to look up directions on how to order your coffee.

Since that visit, I have continued to go back to Dunkin at least 2 times a week, but I have now become of a fan of making their coffee at home. In fact, the good people at Dunkin Donuts caught wind that I loved their coffee and sent me my own Dunkin Donuts coffee cup so I can get the 99 cent refills! Dunkin wins this year!

Wisest Man of Year:
Dino DeMilio of the Tom Leykis Show and of Divide Pictures

The beginning of 2009 kicked off very tough for me mainly because I was going through a ton of relationship issues with a girlfriend at the time. When the official break-up came to a head (on Super Bowl Sunday), I had a few weeks to really sit in my apartment, mull around, take plenty of aspirin, eat Twinkies and be a sore loser like Tom (500 Days of Summer). Just when I thought no one person could give me any perspective of why I failed at a relationship, Dino had found his way back into my life after nearly 10 years of not hanging out for any extended period of time. The last time Dino and I had really hung out was at a promotion when he and I worked together at 93.3 KDKB. Nearly nine years past and there were different circumstances in which we were hanging out. In short, for what felt like the most devastating time of life turned out to be some of the most memorable times of 2009 for me. We hung out at The Best Bar of the Year for Crazy Shit to Happen, The Martini Ranch, nearly every Sunday for close to a month and half (Stay tuned for The Best Bar of the Year for Crazy Shit to Happen).

Dino didn't necessarily spend these couple of months with me to console me, but to gave me the tools to gain some perspective of who I really was again after I had lost who I was two years prior. Those few months with Dino led to...

The Best Tour of the Year:
The Bagdad Tour

Dino had always been fascinated by the fact that I grew up in Bagdad, Arizona. About 2.5 hours from Phoenix, Dino and I took the extended route to my hometown:

We first passed through Wickenburg where we stopped at a Woody's convenience store to pick up snacks for the drive up to Bagdad. Just as we were walking out of the store, a girl had recognized Dino as being a part of the Divide Social Club. I had never experienced being around someone with such star power as I had with Dino. This woman would have given her child and the booster seat just to have a picture taken with Dino. As Dino would put it: INCREDIBLE.

Our next stop was in the heart of the Joshua Tree Forest. Dino is the biggest U2 fan that I know and is an even bigger fan of the album The Joshua Tree. This was a must stop for a few photos in front of a Joshua Tree--just for the archives.

45 minutes would pass and we would arrive Bagdad, AZ. Stops included: the "Welcome" sign just before you hit town, the town park; the 1 bar (so we could eat lunch); the 1 grocery store; my old houses in the town; the 1 little league field because a tee ball game was the ONLY THING happening in town at the time; and a trip to the BAX (Bagdad Airport) where it was the only place we got reception on our cell phones and the only place you never saw a plane take off.

The Best Bar of the Year for Crazy Shit to Happen:
The Martini Ranch

In the year that I have made my resurgence to The Martini Ranch, I have to give this bar major thumbs up for the good times. Not only has the staff been very good to me there, I have made quite a few friends at this bar and will make it THE ONLY BAR I will enjoy in Scottsdale. The Ranch has always treated me good ever since I met Anna Faris (Dino can confirm this event) the year prior. 2009 good times include:

1. Posting up at the outside bar with Dino and Corbin
2. Counting douchebags with Affliction and Ed Hardy t-shirts
3. Hugging my hot bartender friend, Lauren, and staring for hours
4. Taking shots with Mullet Mike, Adan, Corbin and Bret Vesely for my birthday (Corbin faked he took a shot of Patron and drank a sugar line glass with water)
5. Thinking that I made out with a married woman who was just as drunk as I was
6. Watching a woman take her shirt off to show her boobs at the outside bar
7. Two Mexican dudes fighting over some fat chick only to get kicked out minutes later
8. Carrying my brother to his hotel after being annihilated off a few shots and beers--oh and puking along the way.
9. Meeting Vinnie Paul again
10. Watching a Scottsdale douchebag hit on a he/she
11. Participate in the Dino/Anthony College Reunion
12. Participating in the Knowing Anthony Through His Remarkably Hot and Large-breasted Friend, Sunny (who didn't believe I worked at KUPD), Reunion
13. Tweeting my every move at the Ranch for the Twitter administrator for the Dream Palace in Scottsdale
14. Being a dick to every woman who walked up to me just to tell me how much they liked my hair

I know this list doesn't seem so out of control and like the party lifestyle, but I can't possibly give you all the details! Experience it for yourself...

Posted up outside at the Martini Ranch with Dino (Summer 09)

Coolest Phone Interview of the Year:
Milo Ventimiglia

Later in the year, I happened to be giving out the last season of Heroes on DVD. Heroes star, Milo Ventimiglia, caught wind of what I was giving away and decided to give me a call from California just so he could help me promote the release of the DVD set that was being given away. It was quite the shock and honor to have him call me up and I hope to meet this guy someday. One nice mofo.

Chill Song of the Year:
"Soft Tempest" - Symbian Project

Not all the time am I listening to Slipknot, Sepultura, 98 KUPD or rock of any type! I have a Pandora account where I have a Massive Attack radio station created and this song came up this year for me to where I liked listening to it to chill out. I'm like an onion.

Beers of the Year:
Miller High Life and Stella Artois

Miller High Life tall boys were the drink of choice for Bret Vesely and myself at the End of Summer Scorcher 2009. This was Vesely's best idea of the year!

Livin' the High Life with Vesely at Scorcher '09

Vesely got to meet the Miller High Life guy, Wendell, this year!

Stella Artois is the beer of choice when Bret Vesely and I hang out at the Famous Sams in Gilbert.

98 KUPD Fan of the Year:
Nic the Mershbag Marsh

I have no idea who Nic is, but he sure as hell bought me and The Vesely plenty of drinks one night. This guy couldn't believe he was partying with us.

Drug of the Year:
Ibuprofren from Costco

Aided in many days when I was nursing a hangover.

Playstation Network Handle Name of the Year:

I'm always amused by the array of names that people think up when they play games online. Because I'm not as original as some of the gamers online, I keep my online handle name pretty simple. But there is ONE DEFINITE NAME that wins my vote for the Handle Name of the Year--but please don't think that I'm a racist or predjudice because I have added the person to my friend list. I have added him because I want to compile as many politically incorrect and derogatory names as possible just for fun. I would be lying if I didn't tell you that each time I log into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, I somehow get matched up with IKillBlackBabies. I don't think I laughed harder any other time that I did that day because I couldn't believe that the Playstation Network let that name pass. That name is the ultimate WIN for 2009 Playstation names. Oh, and the Runner-up is: IKilled2Pac. Why is it so funny to me? Both of the people who own the names are black. WTF?

Stay tuned for tomorrow's continuation of the Shan Man Best Of 2009...

Shan

Music Monday -- November 9, 2009

2009-11-09T19:29:00.000-08:00

Kinda like bein' at Daryl's house, but it's mine instead.

For those on Twitter, you understand. For everyone else, you just watch me self-promote and I don't care if you think it's narcissistic. Wait until next Monday.

98 KUPD Music News--Shan Man Style

2009-10-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here's the music news for this week/next week. I have a feeling that no one is really going to care about the music news into the Halloween weekend just because they are too concerned about the Phillies/Yankees game. That's WHAT I THINK.

If you were expecting a new ROB ZOMBIE album in the next few weeks, you are sorely mistaken at this point. Robbie has decided to sign with a new label (Roadrunner Records) and has (somewhat) thrown his former label (Geffen) under the bus by saying that Geffen wasn't ready to release his album. Thus Roadrunner has the big balls these days and will promote the new Hellbilly Deluxe 2 album how ROB wants it to be promoted. Sounds to me that Rob is taking a page out of Axl Rose's book. Any takers on a release date of the new HBD2 album in 2010?

THE STONE TEMPLE PILOTS will release a NEW album in early 2010 after they stop playing State Fairs. In other news, SLIPKNOTis in talks to play Cliff Castle Casino in early December.

It seems that the FOO FIGHTERS Greatest Hits album is on schedule for a release on November 3, 2009. Grohl said this song ("Word Forward") was inspired by words, metaphors, and similes of his other songs made from those same literary devices. He further noted that one particular word of this song was inspired when he stubbed his toe on the corner of his banister. File this one under: SONGS THAT HAVE THE WORD F*CK.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH have streamed a YouTube video of their song "Dying Breed", coming off their latest effort War is the Answer. I'd show you the video, but YouTube has told me that a Democracy like America isn't privileged enough when it comes to copyright restrictions that other countries don't have to follow. Personally, I love my freedoms so back the f*ck up YouTube. It's ok, I'm Socialist and I'll bit torrent that sh*t.

Remember the scene in DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE when there was a fat bomb squad diffuser who was in a school, sitting in front of a plastic 55-gallon Aunt Jemimah Syrup bomb, all the while rubbing powdered sugar on his hands and face? Remember that? Remember when his captain Skyped him and told him to get out of the school because John McLane hadn't acquired a secret code from Hans Gruber's brother? And do you remember the fat bomb squad diffuser told his captain that he wasn't going to leave the school when he found out there were still kids in the school? THEN do you remember he cuts the Skype call off cappy, pulls out his trusty Snap-On wire cutters and quivers to the countdown timer, "No guts, no glory..."? Well, this is the name of AIRBORNE's new album--No Guts, No Glory to drop in stores on February 23, 2010. No points awarded to the person who stands in line wearing powdered sugar on his upper lip and holding Eggo Waffle syrup the night the album drops. That's just gay.

Everyone has an iPhone app these days: 98 KUPD, ROCK BAND, and now ALICE IN CHAINS. The new AIC app doesn't reincarnate LAYNE STALEY, but it does have some cool features like: full songs from the latest album, Black Gives Way to Blue, music videos, news, photos, social networking, and its level of HIGH INTERACTIVITY. Evidently there are hidden visual gems within the app that are worth a gander.

If it weren't bad enough when BUCKCHERRY came out with "Crazy Bitch", NICKELBACK is coming out with it's 2009 version of the same type of song called "Shakin' Hands". Gentlemen, you can thank me now when you find your future ex-wife dancing on a pole at Applebee's.

SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR'S FRONTMAN COREY TAYLOR confirmed that he DID try out for VELVET REVOLVER when former frontman, SCOTT WEILAND, departed the band. Taylor said, "I had a meeting with those guys , we did some demos together, and it just didn’t work — for whatever reason.” I have a feeling that it was because SLASH and DUFF weren't too keen on the idea of adding 7 other members to the stage and MATT didn't want to have to take on the extra duties to bang on trash cans.

(FAST FORWARD ABOUT :40 SECONDS IN--Shan Man)

When you step back into your alter ego life and say, "What would I do to make the world a better place?", you're probably saying that you would solve world hunger. Right? Well, PAPA ROACH is actually taking it upon themselves to contribute to that EXACT CAUSE by partnering up with WHY(World Hunger Year). It came out earlier this year that lead singer, JACOBY SHADDIX, was homeless as a child and and the rest of the members of the band are trying to raise funds and awareness to poverty, hunger, and homelessness. Remember, he's only doing it THIS YEAR.

As a 147 year old man, OZZY OSBOURNE has finally admitted to not being a perfect human being. However, you may be able to see him give out body parts at his next show as he was quoted, "I want to give the audience my heart and soul every night, but sometimes I pull it off and sometimes I don't," he says. "We're human. I don't use any tricks, I don't lip synch my voice, what you see is what you get. I've done my fair share of bad gigs, and I'm not embarrassed to say that."

And now, METALLICA, ROB ZOMBIE, TOOL and SHAN MAN OF 98 KUPD will share their thoughts on Halloween:

TOOL and PUSCIFER frontman Maynard James Keenan said that he enjoys Halloween because it's more than just costumes and trick or treating. "It's an interesting season to me, having done a little research on it," he said. "It's an interesting holiday. I recommend that people really kind of dive into some more of the origins of, you know, why the jack-o-lantern on the porch and why the trick or treat — why the door to door. What is that all about? It really is an interesting story."

METALLICA's James Hetfield shares an embarrassing childhood memory about a costume he once had to wear: "I wanted to be Batman, but my mom made me a suit. You know, she was good at sewing, and she made me this thing, and I was like a giant tiger with the ears and everything. (laughs) Oh my God! There's a picture of me at school in the, you know, the school picture, and I got this goofy outfit on with the little whiskers and everyone else is like cowboys and stuff, and I'm sittin' there in my tiger outfit, and I don't think it was what I wanted to be. But that's what happened. (laughs)"

Rob Zombie, of course, is an expert on all things Halloween — after all, he's even made two movies named after the holiday — but he also happens to know his Halloween candy as well. He revealed his favorite on a recent conference call with reporters. "Candy corn is my favorite and I usually get very excited when I see it on the shelves, which they usually start laying out the Halloween stuff first week of August," he said. "So pretty much by the second week of August, I never want to see candy corn again, so . . . usually by the time I buy it, I open the bag in the car in the parking lot, on the way home, and by the time I get home I'm disgusted with myself for eating it. The days of gorging on Halloween candy are long gone."

Shan Man of 98 KUPD never gets to go out on Halloween because he's working the airwaves every year, but he shared a unique story that you wouldn't expect to see any night of the year during the season of costumes: "One year I got off work and I went to some bar in Scottsdale. It was crazy because when I walked into that Old Town bar, I found about 33 chicks all dressed as skanky nurses, police officers, and vixens showing off their fake tits. I approached each and every one of them to let them know that I dug their boobs and that they should know that this one-time-a-year event is so special that they should take me home to f*ck the man-candy out of me. Strangely enough, I got denied each time when these classy women found out I only had 3 dollars to my name, I didn't wear an Ed Hardy t-shirt, and drove a Corolla."

Happy Halloween!

Shan

98 KUPD Music News Update 10/22/2009

2009-10-22T01:55:00.001-07:00

Sott Stapp and Co. (CREED) will be releasing their new album next week (October 27th). You can listen to clips of their new album Full Circle RIGHT HERE. Make sure to do the sign of the cross and give thanks.

Let's do some picture math:

TRIVIUM are a bunch of gaming dorks like me, Vesely, McFeelie, and Fitz. They still get to keep their cool "metal" band factor as they have recorded a track for the God of War III video game. No release date has been announced because the band is still trying to avoid lightning bolts from Zeus in GoW II.

SEVENDUST are still in the studio working on their next effort. Watch Lajon track vocals then watch Clint make a funny face.

PUDDLE OF MUDD are set to release a new album entitled Songs in the Key of Love & Hate on December 8th. The first single from the album is called "Spaceship". I wonder if the name "Falcon" is in any part of that song.

ROB ZOMBIE was set to release Hellbilly Deluxe 2 in a few short weeks, but it appears that he will make the anticipated public wait until 2010 for a release.

WOLFMOTHER have decided to let you in on the secret they've been hiding for some time now: they're streaming their entire new album, Cosmic Egg, on their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/wolfmother. It's not really a secret if you're still hanging around on MySpace these days.

SERIOUS NEWS ALERT: METALLICA have issued an APB out for one of their fans who was last seen at their show in Charlottesville, VA on Saturday night. Details on her disappearance can be found RIGHT HERE.

If you've never seen TRENT REZNOR (NINE INCH NAILS) wear white, you'll get to see him wear it under a black blazer. Who cares what he's wearing? I'd wear what's next to him every night!

The next NIN album better be awesome now that he's married! Think of the anger that will be on it after she tells him he spends too much time in the basement working on new samples.

How many of you thought it would only be possible to see FAITH NO MORE's MIKE PATTON swallow a shoestring on stage in Europe? Your dreams may come true here in the U.S. now that bassist BILLY GOULD sent out the following Twitter message:

THIS...IS...IT! WHAT IS IT!? A U.S. TOUR!!!

Until next time...

Shan Man

A Donation For Life Because One Day It Could Be Yours

2009-10-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are following me on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/shanman98), you might have recently seen a re-Tweet (RT) regarding the Beat Cancer campaign. If you are not familiar, for every tweet that you make that has the #beatcancer hash tag, a certain amount of money is donated to the Cancer Fund. Hey, if my tweets with those hash tag are helping, then I am more than willing to do my part to help find a cure.

But, it's just more than making a tweet to raise money and awareness. There are many other ways that you can make a difference when it comes to causes that you would like to help out with and I'm here to advocate such awareness. Last week my friend, Alicia, sent me an email informing me that she is working with the Donate Life Northwest organization that raises awareness for organ donation. Alicia's email couldn't have come at a better and more poignant moment in my life as I had found out a few short days before that one of my close cousins was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer.

Please take a few moments to read Alicia's email and hopefully you can help her achieve her goal. It would mean so much to me, but even more for Alicia as you will see the impact organ donation has been made on her life.

You will see that I have donated an amount to help her out, but anything you can give--whether it be $2 or $5, you know that your hard earned money is not wasted.

Also, please feel free to re-direct people to this blog page if you think some of your other friends would be willing to donate and help Alicia reach her goal.

Much love and respect,

Shan

Dear friends and family,

You are invited to join me for Donate Life Northwest's annual Lifesavers Breakfast on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 7:30 a.m. (see below invitation for more information)

As many of you know I was the recipient of a life saving kidney from my brother Justin back in April 2007. Since that time I have been volunteering with Donate Life Northwest to help raise awareness about organ donation. By joining me at the 2009 Lifesavers Breakfast you can help contribute to this amazing cause.

This year's program features the internationally acclaimed speaker Reg Green, who will share the story of how his son, Nicholas, touched thousands of people throughout the world as an organ donor. When seven-year-old Nicholas was fatally shot while vacationing in Italy in 1994, his parents Reg & Maggie Green made the decision to donate their son's organs to seven Italians in need of transplants. Their generosity received worldwide media attention and brought on a remarkable change in attitudes toward organ donation.

The event is free to attend, but donations are appreciated. My goal this year as table captain is to raise $500. I have at least 8 openings at the table, but can accommodate more if there are enough people interested in attending in person. If you would like to contribute towards our goal, but cannot attend in person, you can donate by going here: http://www.firstgiving.com/aliciasoine

If you would like to attend in person, please RSVP to this e-mail by no later than Wednesday, October 21, 2009. Also, please forward this invitation on to anyone you think would be interested in attending this amazing event or contributing to Donate Life Northwest's mission.

Thank you so much!

Alicia

The WTF Playlist

2009-10-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've lost my iTunes collection due to a shitty Western Digital hard drive. What sucks about this is that I only had 80% of the entire drive backed up before it decided to take a shit on me--and that final 10% was the millions of days of music I had on the 320G hard drive.

Not that anyone would really care what was on my drive other than old graduate school papers, pirated programs, and naked pictures of ex-girlfriends for blackmail--but it really burns me alive that this drive had to take a dump on me. There were songs on this hard drive that I ripped off from public libraries and this means I have to go through the process of stealing from the library again. ;-)

Thus, I have been ridiculously sedentary in the Casa de Shan Man for the past 3 days re-ripping my entire collection back onto a new hard drive. Who ever knew that I had bought The Cranberries back when I was younger. I still haven't sold that CD to Zia? I have to tell ya, I have found some real winners in my collection and you know what? You betcha they're going in the iTunes library! There is something refreshing about hearing a song on the iTunes Genius Mix that makes me always want to say, "Who the fuck is this?"

I guess from 24 until now, I have brainwashed myself METAL (iTunes Genius has made multiple Metal mixes for me and it tells me that I am awesomely closed minded when it comes to listening to music) and have forgotten about my Brody years (this was a former roommate I had in college who tried to conform me to tons of sweet hippie-lovin' musical damage).

Therefore, here are today's WINNERS in the "Why the Fuck Did I Buy This Disc?" playlist:

Jars of Clay
Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles
Garth Brooks - The Hits (WTF?)
Mary Me Jane
The Cranberries - Everybody Else is Doing it, So Why Can't We
Tonic - Lemon Parade
Scatterbrain
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Oasis
Sarah McLachlan
Quicksand
Frank Stallone
Billionaire

A New Outlet

2009-08-30T22:42:00.000-07:00

I have decided to create this new site to share my thoughts for the fans of 98 KUPD. While you may still subscribe to my MySpace blog, I will be choosing to share more thoughts here. Also, get updates on shows, behind the scenes footage of the radio station, and even hints as to what is happening around the station.

Talk with you soon!

Shan Man