Teri Yakimoto

Just another awesome song by a punk rock band that I've listened to a lot. This music just puts me in a good mood and gives me the inspiration I need. It's all about the sound...

Back in 2000 or something, I used to listen to Teri Yakimoto on a badly recorded tape I had borrowed from a friend. Those were the days... didn't care about anything, we just had this music stuck in a shitty stereo and played it on repeat with my friends. It was a moment in time, all about friendship, bad nutrition, staying up late, feeling lost and waiting for something better to come along. But now I miss those times... they were punk rock days!

Now I can listen to this song in a new light, as I rise my middle finger to a life at the office, and so glad of the choices I made.

MT Release Party

So this is it... we've been preparing a long time for this. Now it's time to get up there and feel the hardcore energy, the fun times! It's going to be awesome... Spending time with your friends, keeping it chilled and listening to good music! I'm psyched.

I want to crank the amp to 10 and just let it rip..!

Realist Pop Punk

I am not one to like titles and labels stuck on me... but  hey, "realist punk" would be something I would be ok to identify with. I like this pic a lot... it's a pop punk thing!

Mean Season

The State Lottery - Coming Alive

Just another great song I found on the net, of a band I had never heard of before. It's just awesome to get into new music all the time, just widening my perception and knowledge of what music is, and the feelings it evokes. Music takes you places, it creates landscapes in your mind. The progression of researching sound and rhythm will never stop for me.

Oh, and this record has a cool cover.

Wisdom

Wisdom is a peculiar thing. No matter how much we wish to obtain it, we find ourselves far away from it. Wisdom is not about acting serious all the time, it is about balancing the serious, the light-headed and the crazy. But it is essential for piece of mind and success in this life. To find that perfect balance we need to find our source of inspiration, each according to our own wish and inclination.

Obeisance to my guru and protector, Manjushri, 

Who holds to his heart a scriptural text symbolic of his seeing all things as they are, 

Whose intelligence shines forth like the sun, unclouded by the two obscurations, 

Who teaches in sixty ways, with the loving compassion of a parent for his only child, all creatures caught in the prison of samsara, confused in the darkness of their ignorance, overwhelmed by their suffering. 

You, whose dragon-thunder-like proclamation of Dharma arouses us from the stupor of our afflictions and frees us from the iron chains of our karma; 

Who wields the sword of wisdom hewing down suffering wherever its sprouts appear, clearing away the darkness of ignorance; 

You, whose princely body is adorned with the one hundred and twelve marks of a Buddha, 

Who has completed the stages achieving the highest perfection of a bodhisattva, 

Who has been pure from the beginning,

I bow down to you, O Manjushri; 

With the brilliance of your wisdom, O compassionate one, 

Illuminate the darkness enclosing my mind, 

Enlighten my intelligence and wisdom 

So that I may gain insight into the Buddha's words and the texts that explain them. 

Questions You Rarely Get Asked

I can't believe I answered this stupid questionnaire at 2 am... Do these things even help us know ourselves at all? Well, here goes:

• 1: Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? always closed
• 2: Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? only if they smell awesome
• 3: Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? out
• 4: Have you ever stolen a street sign before? yep
• 5: Do you like to use post-it notes? incessantly
• 6: Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? no!
• 7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? big bear, instant death
• 8: Do you have freckles? no
• 9: Do you always smile for pictures? not really
• 10: What is your biggest pet peeve? too many too name. i'll go with being ignored/interrupted 
• 11: Do you ever count your steps when you walk? only when running or rope jumping
• 14: Do you ever dance even if there's no music playing? hell yes
• 15: Do you chew your pens and pencils? never
• 16: How many people have you slept with this week? ha ha. one
• 17: What size is your bed? i got two beds, two sizes
• 18: What is your Song of the week? something by DMND
• 19: Is it okay for guys to wear pink? why not
• 20: Do you still watch cartoons? of course
• 21: Whats your least favorite movie? there are too many to name
• 22: Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? so i could get to it years later
• 23: What do you drink with dinner? water, sometimes coke
• 24: What do you dip a chicken nugget in? i don't eat friggin birds doe!
• 25: What is your favorite food? vegan pizza
• 26: What movies could you watch over and over and still love? comedies which i memorize quotes from
• 28: Were you ever a boy/girl scout? ha ha,no
• 29: Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? no, unless my face wasn't shown and got paid for it
• 30: When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? 3-4 years ago
• 31: Can you change the oil on a car? yes
• 32: Ever gotten a speeding ticket? yes
• 33: Ever ran out of gas? yes
• 34: Favorite kind of sandwich? all kinds
• 35: Best thing to eat for breakfast? peanut butter with something
• 36: What is your usual bedtime? 3-4 am
• 37: Are you lazy? yes and no
• 38: When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? don't have Halloween in greece
• 39: What is your Chinese astrological sign? rooster
• 40: How many languages can you speak? 2
• 41: Do you have any magazine subscriptions? no
• 42: Which are better legos or lincoln logs? fuck knows
• 43: Are you stubborn? ohyeah
• 44: Who is better...Leno or Letterman? Latterman the band
• 45: Ever watch soap operas? no
• 46: Are you afraid of heights? yes, a little
• 47: Do you sing in the car? yeah
• 48: Do you sing in the shower? not frequently but yes
• 49: Do you dance in the car? more bounce than dance
• 50: Ever used a gun? in the army and once when i was a kid hunting with dad
• 51: Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? when i was a kid probably?
• 52: Do you think musicals are cheesy? not necessarily
• 53: Is Christmas stressful? no!
• 54: Ever eat a pierogi? dont know what that is, cant be bothered to look it up
• 55: Favorite type of fruit pie? cherry
• 56: Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? musician, wildlife photographer
• 57: Do you believe in ghosts? no but yes
• 58: Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? many many times
• 59: Take a vitamin daily? not daily but try to
• 60: Wear slippers? not really, sometimes :/
• 61: Wear a bath robe? no
• 62: What do you wear to bed? boxers during summer, boxes & t shirt during winter
• 63: First concert? something shitty
• 64: Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? have none of those in greece
• 65: Nike or Adidas? nike!
• 66: Cheetos Or Fritos? both sound like they suck
• 67: Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? peanuts doe
• 68: Ever hear of the group Tres Bien? nooooooo
• 69: Ever take dance lessons? ha ha, no!
• 70: Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? yes, we now work together at our shop
• 71: Can you curl your tongue? no
• 72: Ever won a spelling bee? what's that
• 73: Have you ever cried because you were so happy? no
• 74: Own any record albums? many many
• 75: Own a record player? yes, i got a new one, old one broke and missed it dearly
• 76: Regularly burn incense? not anymore doe
• 77: Ever been in love? i am now
• 78: Who would you like to see in concert? some cool hardcore band i haven't seen
• 79: What was the last concert you saw? local hc/punk show i guess?
• 80: Hot tea or cold tea? hot most of the year
• 81: Tea or coffee? coffee, baby!
• 82: Sugar or snickerdoodles? sugar cos i dont know what the other thing is
• 83: Can you swim well? sink or swim
• 84: Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? now i really regret doing this
• 85: Are you patient? no! working on it tho
• 86: DJ or band, at a wedding? couldnt care less
• 87: Ever won a contest? don't think so, i avoid em
• 88: Ever have plastic surgery? no
• 89: Which are better black or green olives? both rule, and there are many kinds of both
• 90: Can you knit or crochet? fuck no
• 91: Best room for a fireplace? bedroom
• 92: Do you want to get married? yeah, why not
• 93: If married, how long have you been married? -
• 95: Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? ha ha no
• 96: Do you have kids? not yet
• 97: Do you want kids? yes but not right now
• 98: Whats your favorite color? black, yellow, red, green
• 99: Do you miss anyone right now yes

Life Choices

At some point in life you got to make that pact, that promise to follow our own path with all the heart you got. I'm just glad to know that at least I've rolled my dice, no matter what happens in the end. One life one chance!

I Want The One I Can't Have

Many a hardcore kids have been lured into a love for the Smiths, and I have to admit I am definitely one of them. I don't even know what the connection between the two is, I just know that if you are straight edge and into hardcore, Morrissey & the Smiths somehow make sense. I guess Morrissey promotes that same vegan straight edge message in a mellow way... Or maybe we are all just HC kids influenced by Porcell (Smiths fanatic & YoT/Shelter/Judge guitarist).

Moreoever:

Support

Personal experience ensures we all know just how bad it is to not have support in this life. Yet it is so easy to perpetuate the cycle and just not give a damn. It's easy to care; but somehow, we just don't. I am making it my top priority to give my people all the time and support they need. Period.

I will not hand down to my loved ones what society, TV and governments fed me.

They leave you with no choice but the last resort. There's always something they try to distort. Always passing judgement in their heads holding court. There's nowhere left to turn when you need some support.

P.S. This record was released by Victory Records in the late 90s and is a VERY good example of heavy hardcore "like it used to be". An overlooked record indeed. Check it out.

Vajradhara: Bearer of the Thunderbolt

Self Worth

No matter where we are in this world, the most important thing to have is self worth. Simple as it is, most of us are not kings of ourselves. We do not really believe in ourselves or take the chances to realize our full potential. The way I perceived hardcore music since day one, is that the first things it promotes are integrity and self-empowererment. It's all about mustering the strength you need to achieve your goals and be the person you want. After many years of looking to find a way, I know that self worth just has to come first and everything else comes second.

Pop punk nights

Delta Beta Rush Week

No harm in a shamelessly pop punk song!

The lyrics below are so true about people today; and they still have a bit of a straight edge message. Also... notice the Foundation shirt in the photo still of the video? Exactly!

Cheap beer and cigarettes, make friends at social events... are these the only things you need? Let's talk about the days that you've been gone...

Diamond (DMND) -The Feeling

This band features Trapped Under Ice members (!) and it plays insanely catchy pop rock/pop punk. It's so awesome when you listen to something and every note played or sung is just right! When I played this for the first time, I was like.. "yeah, that's it, please continue doing this right". Indeed, it seems that every Diamond song is a ball of punky, mellow fuzziness. I have a soft spot for this kind of music since a looong time, and I've realized that every few years another crucial band will pop up to drop a majorly important record. I'm psyched to have discovered Diamond at an early stage in their career!

I get lost in that evening skyline

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

Whoever abandons his home still travels with his pain. / Our greatness forbids us to flee from adversity. / The secret of life lies in the errors we commit; / Those who fail are those who can rise by their courage.

Don't Worry

I'm tired of losing my cool and getting angry with stuff & people. But it's so hard when you know you're right...

Our Turn - XXX

A lot can happen in one short minute. Youth crew hardcore mentality, positive and straight to the point!

No one has the power to bring me down. Keep your fucking hood up and your fists down.

Like You To Me

Today is a summer Sunday but I still had lots of stuff to do and to wake up early. It was hot, and no one was on the streets apart from me and the workers that were waiting for me to work at my shop.

The only thing that could soothe this early, lonely morning rise, was music like this. Hell... I think I am the living proof that melodic punk rock is not just for teenagers with broken hearts, but also for grown up hardcore kids who want something happy to kickstart their positivity!

I wanna learn from mistakes, I want it to be OK if I hold on tighter.

I know this music will become handy one of those days... it's not like the super market relaxation/meditation music that is so common. Usually when I want to think or meditate I opt for some crazy-slow sludge metal or doom metal, but this is also nice for different situations!

Someone wrote in the comment section of this video in youtube: A rose does not tell a tulip how to live... both are beautiful as is. This comment will be pushed out of the page in no time, but what a wonderful observation!

Best Wishes

Well if you want to get into Krishnacore, this is probably one of the first destinations.

This is really a thrash metal album (like most of the Cro-Mags stuff actually is), but what the heck, it rules!!! Nothing like a bunch of NYC tough kids getting all spiritual and dogmatic!

Get It

Beginnings

OK... so yet another blog. I'm starting to think I have a multiple personality disorder :)

And the eternal question. Should I go with the flow and follow what others do? Start a blog on Tumblr since everyone is on there these days?

I just think that re-blogging kind of kills originality (not that there aren't many cool Tumblr blogs) and since I know how to use Blogger better, here I will stay.

Right... so let's begin!