Ok, with all this nonsense about the Rapture happening tomorrow bringing about the end of the world….I’m gonna review a movie!  And it just so happens that I am reviewing Priest!

Tessa and I went to go see Priest after work on Tuesday night and it was pretty much what I had expected.  I wasn’t bent on going to see it but Tessa really wanted to see it so I took her.  If you’re fan of the Matrix and Underworld films, you should enjoy this one.

Priest  \m/  \m/  \m

Now back to this Doomsday nonsense, let me be clear: the Bible (Jesus Himself) says that no man will know the day or the hour regarding the Second Coming of Christ (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32).  So, rest assured, if someone claims an exact date, they are full of crap.  Period.

Well it seems that Osama bin Laden’s reign of terror is at an end!  Granted al-Qaeda is still fully operational but nevertheless this is a huge milestone in our nation’s war on terror.

I also hope that this isn’t some sort of government conspiracy since there is no body because bin Laden was allegedly buried at sea.  I’m not big on conspiracy theories but it does raise the question and rightfully so.  I’m also not one of the many haters of President Barack Obama.  Personally I kinda like the guy and I am relieved we don’t have just another rich white dude in office.  Do I think he’s a great president?  Certainly not, but when is the last time we had a truly great president?  I’d say twenty years at the very least….

Anyways, I know that Obama is NOT a popular president by any stretch of the imagination and I just pray that Osama is indeed eradicated and no longer a resident of the planet Earth and NOT something cooked up by the Obama Administration.  By no means is this any sort of accusation as such because, as I said, I like our president and it would certainly abolish any and all admiration I have for our president.

I am, admittedly, a Doubting Thomas as I, too, am a skeptic wanting to see the evidence for myself just as Thomas the Apostle did.  Not saying that I don’t have faith because the Lord has blessed me with my belief in spite of my disbelief.  Although I will say as many have said before, you can’t believe everything you see or hear so skepticism does indeed have its place.

One thing that is certain, the news of Osama bin Laden’s demise is the greatest news this country (or this world, for that matter) has heard in years.  So I will silence my voice of doubt and have faith that an evil man has been conquered by the forces of righteousness and revel in the joys of a well deserved victory in the ongoing war on terror.

As of yesterday, I have been ‘laying low’ as it were socially.  No facebook statuses, foursquare check-ins, nada.  No, I am not protesting social networking, I am simply trying to stay as far out of the public eye as my public profession will allow (and I am only writing this blog because it is mandated by my job and this is my best attempt to minimally fulfill that requirement).

The reasons for my social reservations are quite personal and will remain so until a later time.  I am a very open person who normally doesn’t mind revealing my personal life because it is actually quite therapeutic for a guy with as many mental and emotional afflictions as I have.  Not saying I am a ‘nut job’ but they don’t call me ‘Twisted’ for nothing.  However, I just feel that the matters I am dealing with at this current point in time should be kept to myself until the matters have reached a point in which I feel they should be openly discussed.

Unfortunately, Halloween weekend came and went too quickly!  However I did enjoy going to some haunted houses with Tessa and our friends Kelly and John.  The highlight of the night was Gallows Hall on Main St in downtown Greenville!  This haunted attraction was run by theater folks and not just good ol’ boys with masks and chainsaws so that alone gave this one a unique spin and the theme was that of the story of George Burroughs, the minister who was condemned during the Salem witch trials of the late 17th century.

When we got there, we had to sign a piece of paper which I think was intended to be a waiver of some sort.  When we got in, Tessa was called by name to lead the group and choose the door of our fates.  Along the way we encountered a demented cheerleader in a room of mirrors that terrified poor Tessa….as I shoved her out front as she approached!  Bwahahaha!

Before heading home we also hit Nightmare Dungeon which had some good thrills too including a runaway train at the end.

Saturday we slept in then hit Best Buy to grab some movies including John Carpenter’s The Thing on Blu-ray which Tessa had never seen.

We then went to PetSmart and Tessa found an albino looking cat that she fell in love with and adopted.  His name is Bones but you can call him Bonesy….

We just watched movies and spent time with our newly adopted feline for the rest of the day and lit our jack-o-lanterns at night.

Incidentally, we actually went to church on Halloween then went to go see the new Saw film.  I am glad to see the franchise finally come to an end because they were running out of tricks to keep the series afloat.  Plus I thought it ended well bringing the films full circle in its conclusion.

Saw 3D  \m/  \m/  \m/  \n

After the movie, we hit the mall then WalMart where we ended up buying more horror movies!

Now that Halloween is over, it’s time to look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas but with one little speed bump in the road this year: Election Day!  Man, I am sick as crap of all the political ads chock full of muckraking and smear campaigns!

I, myself, have always leaned Republican because of my rather conservative views.  However, since the election of Obama and the rise of these dangerous extremists known as the ‘Tea Party’ (not to mention my dissatisfaction of Mr. W Bush), I have questioned my own political standing….if I ever truly had one that is!

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in being unflinching in your morals and codes of ethics, but the lack of cooperation and bipartisanship in our government is quite alarming.  Instead there is only bickering and no one is willing to back down or meet halfway.  Like I said, I believe in standing for what you believe in, but no one group can run the entire country.  Even if it did, people would still disagree.  It’s in our nature, it is what we do.  No one is going to see eye to eye but common ground must be found somewhere somehow.  We are all human and, most importantly, we are all Americans.

Man, I had a great weekend with my girlfriend Tessa but, instead of writing a boring narrative about my weekend, I’ve got something more important to tackle.

Last week, I had it out with a certain coworker here at the station.  The situation got so bad that we met with Mark concerning the matter.  After the smoke cleared all seems well but only on the surface.  Let’s face it, I don’t see eye to eye with this individual nor many other people who work in radio because I do not work in radio for the love of radio as an entity.  I work in radio for the love of various genres of rock music and radio, at the time, is my only outlet to work in music.

I am not saying I hate radio although there is a love/hate relationship there simply because radio is corporate and I am rather anti-corporate and rebellious by nature.  Now, keep in mind, rebellion is not necessarily a bad thing.  Jesus Christ Himself was a rebel against religious legalism and hypocrisy.  I love working in radio but I don’t agree with everything concerning the ‘rules’ of radio.  I get the whole FCC thing but radio is mostly a numbers game to which I play along to a degree by don’t necessarily live by.

Plus I don’t live, eat and breathe radio.  I live, eat and breathe music.  For example, the person referred to earlier once asked me if DETHRO TULL took off would I leave the station.  Without blinking I emphatically said yes.  This individual looked shocked!  Hell who wouldn’t?!  I guess not the person who asked the question!

The bottom line is that I am someone who wants to work in rock music one way or another!  Radio honestly was a back-up plan because I knew I had it within me to make a career for myself in radio in the very likely case being a ‘rockstar’ doesn’t work out.  And it’s not a bad gig by any means!  I consider myself very fortunate to be where I am yet I also know that I fought very hard to get here so it was a perfect combination of determination and blessing from the Lord that got me here.  But, at the same time, it is a job whereas playing music for a living would be a real dream come true.  I couldn’t imagine viewing that as a job although I am fully aware I would most likely have to play corporate ball once again to get our music out to the masses and to make playing music my full time meal ticket.

This weekend I made my way up to NC to catch some SWA (Southern Wrestling Association) action with our very own Jeff Lewis Neal opening the show with his match against Chris Hamrick.

Before and after the show I hung out with Miles from The Wicked Needle in Rutherfordton, NC, his wife Melissa and some of their friends and family before heading back to Greenville.

On Sunday, I had an old friend from York, SC named Heather come down and see me since we hadn’t seen each other in at least four years.  Outside of that, that was about it!

Right now I am wrestling with something of a different sort….the lusts of the flesh!  I’m 33 and I’ve never been married so, technically, I can do whatever I want with whomever I want.  However, after 11 years in radio and hitting on almost every female caller I’ve ever had, it’s just really sad.  It’s not professional and, no, it’s not moral!  No wonder I’ve never met the right woman!  How can I find Ms. Right when I’m constantly chasing Ms. Right NOW!

Over the years, my frustration has been steadily mounting and I have vowed numerous times to stop but to no avail.  This is why I am writing about this rather personal matter because it helps me to share my problems with others without forcing them upon people.  So, if you’re reading this, feel free to comment with some encouraging words and, by all means, pray if you are one to do so!

Well Valentine’s Day sucked being single and all, but overall I had a pretty good weekend!  Especially considering both my state tax return and my paycheck posted to my bank account on Friday!  So I immediately ordered the Traben Phoenix lefty bass I’ve been wanting for like two years now!

On Saturday I met up with Daniele and her friend Brittany again only this time at the Barnes & Noble up in Spartanburg and then we hit the IHOP close by.  I took a wrong turn on my way home and ended up passing Raisin’ Cains where Matt and Nine were hosting the finale of Big “O” Contest.  So I stopped by and got in just in time to catch all the ladies show off their moves and then some!

Afterwards, I followed Matt, Nine and One-Legged Batman back to Nine’s house which was…..interesting!  LOL!

Sunday morning I actually got up early and went to visit Mauldin First Baptist since I met their worship pastor Pruette Plemens at the Mauldin High Battle of the Bands the week before as he was another one of the judges along with myself and the LIONZ OF ZION.

The people there were really nice and I even had a few people recognize me so I didn’t feel so out of place.

Afterwards, I went to go visit my aunt and that was pretty much it since I had a few different date plans fall through.  I’m not gonna lie, I flirt with numerous women at once simply beacause most women I encounter are extremely flaky!  And, despite having several plans and back-up plans, I ended up alone on Valentine’s Day.  Screw it, I enjoyed the free time!

Yesterday I had part of the day off as the office was closed so I went down to see Eddie “The Monster” Lamb at Monster Ink to get a new tat.  Being I had just ordered a new Traben Phoenix to go along with my Traben Chaos Obsession, I figured I’d get the Traben Bass Company logo on my left forearm.  Since it’s just a big ‘T’, it doubles for Todd and triples for Twisted!

When I got off the air I ran down to Blockbuster to see ‘Reverend’ Jim who always updates me on all good games and movies to check out.  He was playing the demo for the new game God of War III which looked amazing!  Since I don’t like to spend $60 on a brand new game, he recommended getting the God of War Collection which has both God of War and God of War II re-issued and remastered for PS3 and is only $30.  So I went down to Best Buy to pick up a copy and I am hooked!

This morning while I was getting ready for work there was a knock at my door.  I was rather alarmed – and naked since I’d just got out of the shower!  I waited a moment and when they knocked again I yelled for them to wait a minute as I grabbed up the closest pair of fig leaves I had lying aroud and went to the door.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was the FedEx guy with my new bass and case!  It was like Christmas morning – which made up for this past Christmas sucking!  Now I can’t wait to get home and play with my new toy!

With 2009 and the rest of the first decade of the new millenium behind me, I sail into the new year and new decade with fresh ideas and a new outlook on life.  The past ten years of my life weren’t exactly wasted but I spent most of them reaching my career goals and taking any quick fix I could get along the way.  Even after finally acheiving full time status in radio, I have found that I still sought after numerous cheap thrills and instant gratifications which have left me rather empty.  Plus this past year put me through a great number of things I never ever wanted to experience like being arrested, totaling a car, scraping a brand new car and then having it keyed and having my apartment broken into.

Even though most of these experiences were not my fault, I’ve come to realize that I could use a change in my life.  Granted I am still going to be me and, for the most part, I like who I am.  I may not be the nicest person you will ever meet, but chances are you know where you stand with me because I tell it like it is and I take no crap from anyone.  However, I am open to smoothing out the edges of my personality and learning not to let things get to me as much as they do.  And don’t get me started on all the botched relationships, romances and affairs of the past decade!  I have been wanting to put my love life to rest for some time now and I think now is the best time to make that official and learn to be happy just being myself by myself.

Much of this decision, of course, stems from my beliefs as a Christian, my faith and values which I have all but abandoned.  Don’t worry, I don’t intend on going all holy roller or anything but I would love to devote myself much more to Jesus Christ and His teachings and remain pure in a lot of my ‘extracurricular activities’.  I know it seems like a contradiction in this line of work, but I see it perfectly acceptable to be a gritty rocker and still have a strong sense of values.  And I’m not alone as there are others I work with on the rock floor of the building that are not only believers as well but even attend the same church as I do.

And I still intend on furthering my conquest for world domination as I continue to push my star higher and make it shine brighter so more can experience that which is Twisted Todd.  Exactly what all that entails, I am not entirely sure of yet but, rest assured, it will rock and it will kicketh much ass!  And I would really love for it to involve performing music once again!

Ok, I didn’t realize it was the anniversary of the Day That Will Live in Infamy until a few minutes ago, but I am honoring the tragedy of Pearl Harbor in my own way….by playing video games!

Alright, just hear me out!  Friday when I got off work I decided to go get a new video game for my PS3 since it’s been a few weeks since I beat Lego Batman.  So I went to my favorite toy store, Best Buy and went through all their PS3 games priced under $30 since I can’t justify spending 60 bucks on a damn video game.  I had been longing to play a good flying fighter game and, lo and behold, I found Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII for just $19.99!  Perfect!

So, needless to say, I spent my entire weekend at home watching TV and playing Blazing Angels.  One of the levels I got to play yesterday was called “Day of Infamy” where you are defending the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor from Japanese dive bombers and fighter planes.  The mission is difficult but exhilarating!  I guess I missed the exact date mentioned when the mission started, but was glad to see I had conquered it the day before the anniversary!  Can you say rematch tonight?!

Ok, well we haven’t been sucked into a black hole, so at least science hasn’t killed us all as of yet in the search for answers to the origins of life.  But is this not the biggest bunch of boocrap billing for billions of bucks?  I mean ten billion dollars just to prove and better understand the “Big Bang” Theory?  And, to top it off, at the risk of possibly annihilating life on Earth in the process?  Granted it was only an extremely slim chance and life is about taking risks, but how great of a price is that chance?  Destroying life on Earth in an attempt to understand how it began?

There’s a book in my car right now that I am taking with me to Atlanta for the rest of the week that clearly tells how the world began and it’s called the Bible.  Now I’m not going to start preaching or Bible-thumping here, but, even if you don’t believe in God, this whole overpriced, glorified science project is downright ludicrous!  Isn’t there something better we could do with ten billion dollars than try to play God at the potential expense of the entire human race?  If this were a comic book, wouldn’t these European scientists be the diabolical villains?  For some odd reason I’m thinking of Doc Ock’s little pet project in Spider-Man 2 – just on a much grander scale!  I don’t even think Oscorp could cough up ten billion big ones for the science fair!