spwc:
Sick Puppies Tweak Shoes Give Away!!
With the help of their fans, Sick Puppies recently teamed up with Tweak Footwear to create their very own pair of shoes. As a gift to their fans, Sick Puppies have decided to give a pair of these sweet kicks to a fan on Tumblr!
If you’d like a chance at winning, here are the rules:
1) You need to be following Sick Puppies and Sick Puppies World Crew on Tumblr
http://sickpuppies.tumblr.com/
2) You must reblog this post at least once
3) Liking this post will not enter you in the contest, only reblogs count
4) Reblogging this post multiple times will not increase your chances but it will help promote this awesome band!
5) The winner will be randomly selected on August 10, 2011 and the winner will be announced on August 11, 2011. Please make sure your ask boxes are open so we can contact you if you win
Good Luck!
Via SICK PUPPIES
ELEPHANTGUN WINS AMPEG COMP!!
ELEPHANTGUN wins AMPEG’S Straight Up Tone Competition: Next comes the NAMM Conference in Nashville, a VIP gig…..and hopefully some fame & fortune!
LOVE YOU GUYS!!! YOU DESERVE IT!!!
CKS
ATTITUDES TOWARD MENTAL HEALTH ARE, SLOWLY BUT SURELY, IMPROVING.
JUNE 23, 2011
Attitudes regarding mental illness are improving according to the “Attitudes to Mental Illness survey.” The survey, first conducted 17 years ago, shows that people are now becoming more comfortable discussing their mental health. However, about one in six people still believe a lack of willpower is the major cause of mental health problems. There is still work to do in correcting the stigma surrounding mental illness.
It really IS ridiculous that there’s still so many people that believe that mental health problems are “simply” a sign of personal weakness.
Considering the extensive amount of research that’s been completed, with definitive findings, as well that continues to go on - the amount of reliable information available to ANYone who takes the time to look for it - regarding mental “issues” and factors such as neurotransmitters and so many other elements that can heavily effect the mental functioning of an individual…..it would seem that these ‘non-believers’ are the ones that have a problem with willpower, among other things!!
As someone who lives in the daily hell of complex-PTSD, I’ve had countless conversations about mental functions (plus Psychology is one of my majors). It NEVER fails to stun me when someone finds out about the PTSD and within seconds that person’s whole image of you has done an about-face: you can see it in their eyes, their body language, and the way they suddenly begin to interact in a completely different way.
Someday, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder WILL be reclassified as a MEDICAL illness, of that I have no doubt - far too many researchers are finding extensive physio-biological changes in the brains of PTSD patients. Changes in the actual structure of the amygdala & hypocampus (the memory “CPU” of the brain), as well as their functioning. Such changes have also been observed in other structures of the brain.
In the meantime, as TWLOHA reported: There are HUGE steps that need to be taken to kick the stigma attached to mental illness - resulting in countless more people seeking the professional help that they may desperately need.
(Source: twloha.com)
COOL that everyone is liking the shot I’ve posted of the Sick Puppies. The best part: I printed that shot out (I took about 150ish during that set alone) & took it with me, the following night, to their show at the House of Blues (Orlando).
SOMEHOW I had the luck to be in the first group “rounded up” for meeting the band. Mark was the first to see it - and he showed it to Emma & Shim right then. All three said it was a killer shot.
When I had time, at the end of that looooooonnnngg weekend, to go back and really look at my pics: turns out that I got some really amazing shots that day, especially one of Emma with her foot on a monitor. They had posted a pic that looks like it was taken at the same exact moment, except from onstage (behind her).
I’ve done photos for my friends’ bands during their gigs. I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten such great shots - even when I was actually ON the stage with the band!
This wasn’t the first time I’ve seen Sick Puppies play - and if I can help it, won’t be the last…..I’m still amped about getting such incredible pics of them while in a hot, sweaty, bouncing mob of people. Gotta wonder if I’ll ever get this lucky again…even though I KNOW that skill is involved as well!
Oh - and got to talk to Mark for a while outside, later on, while the crew was loading. He’s a really nice, down-to-earth, laid-back guy, easy to talk to. He was really gracious to every fan that came up to him, posing for photos & signing ticket stubs, etc., without any sign of bother. He was especially great with the kids, in fact, when one of them asked him to take his ticket stub on the bus for Emma & Shim to sign - not only did he seem more than happy to do so: he took mine in for sigs, too!
Sick Puppies are great to listen to, without doubt. But they’re in the elite category of being even better LIVE. REALLY HOPING (hint, hint) to see ‘em come back through Florida this fall…after all, they have to come to the state for the ShipRocked cruise!!
Sick Puppies Live from the House of Blues Cleveland. Available NOW, only on iTunes.
TWLOHA - sounds awesome, & Switchfoot is great!
Last Saturday was the 7th Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am in Encinatas, CA. This event raises money for StandUp for Kids, an organization that helps homeless youth. It was my first time attending, and I was excited not only to be at a great event right on the beach, but also to be in Anchorman territory. Jason and I arrived at 5am setting up TWLOHA’s new tent under a cloudy sky. But by the time 10 a.m. rolled around the sun was out in full force.
The surf jousting was fantastic, and I loved seeing Jon Foreman surf in a gorilla suit. Local bands the Silent Comedy, Romany Rye, and The Howls all put on a good show as the crowd warmed up for Switchfoot. The last time I was able to see Switchfoot I was in a crowded venue in Sydney, Australia, so it was great to see them perform on their home turf.
While I really enjoyed seeing the Switchfoot guys in the surf and then up on the stage, the day was made truly special by the conversations with people at our booth. This Bro-Am definitely brought it home for me: TWLOHA is not exclusively online. I started the event enjoying the sun, the music and the surfing, but what made it real was meeting the supporters, real people with stories, real people who have been touched by a message of hope and who have inspired us in return. We had a great time meeting Noah whose desire to lend a helping hand helped us keep all the shirts in order. The day was made special by the locals who hadn’t heard of us before that day, but then stayed to hang around and shared their stories with us. It was also made special by the young people and the parents who stopped by, whose hearts were honest and inspirational.
They reminded me why we were there.
- Josh
TWLOHA Intern, Summer 2011
