Xbox Live Member. A Glutton for Punishment.

Would you like to be the next to kick my ass at Modern Warfare 3? Madden 11?

Gamer Tag: MattPodZeppelin

There is Warmth in My Heart Today

I've always been thankful that my parents introduced me to Rock 'n' Roll music. Not that I didn't have my own mind and I wasn't able to make choices for myself. It was just good to have been guided towards the Rock rather than the Country. 

I HATE Country music.

I grew up with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Joe Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Van Halen, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, Dio, Dokken, Rush, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions, W.A.S.P., Whitesnake, Fastway, Rainbow, and on and on and on. I prefer a loud, distorted guitar to a wussy fiddle.

As a parent, it's always a lot more fun if your children share similar interests and musical styles. The majority of the artists I mentioned above, I attended their concerts with one or both of my parents. This past weekend, the 11-year-old girl in the house alerted us to the fact that Taylor Swift is her favorite artist. It was the saddest moment of the weekend. BUT! I'm not giving up on her and the Rock, but she clearly is a pop music/country music fan. 

Thankfully, there are also two boys in the house, 5 and 9, whom I still hold out hope for. Which brings me to the warmth in my heart today. As I was moving about the house, I heard 5-year-old Sabas singing "My mind is untreatable. I'm gonna be number one!" The lines were not complete and not exactly totally accurate, but it doesn't matter. The fact is he was singing the new Megadeth song "Public Enemy No. 1."

THAT warms my heart. (Of course, last week he was singing Taio Cruz so... I still have work to do.)

Corey Taylor Covers Alice in Chains @ HOB

I was very lucky to see Corey Taylor at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA (Downtown Disney) November 14, 2011. Great show. Not so great questions asked by fans during the Q & A, but the music was brilliant.
"Down in a Hole" by Alice in Chains. 

I Shop at Target. So Does Corey Taylor.

What am I thankful for this week? Yes, all the important things. Health, job, love, family, friends, new car, the Chargers will probably fire Norv Turner, etc. I'm also thankful I had the chance to meet Corey MotherFucking Taylor of Slipknot/Stone Sour and the author of Seven Deadly Sings: Settling the Argument Between Born Bad and Damaged Good. The dude's a rockstar. And, apparently, this rockstar shops at Target like I do. This rockstar is more regular guy than one might think. The photo evidence:

Me, 'Tonio, Corey Taylor, Juliana$12.99 at Target

Who's Tagging You on Facebook?

So, have you examined your privacy settings on Facebook lately? Who's tagging you in photos? In reading the Facebook tagging policy, I, Matt Cooper, was a little confused. I admit it. It doesn't appear that you have much control over what photos your friends tag you in. This is what one of my unfortunate friends woke up to this morning. I laughed. Quite loudly. Outward.

Click on the Thumbnail for Bigger Boobies.

Metal Fans, New Megadeth is Here!

Being a metal fan, I've had November 1, 2011 circled on the imaginary calendar in my mind for a long time. That was the day Megadeth was going to release their new album, Th1rt3en. Dave Ellefson had returned to the band and they were recording new music. Ellefson came out in the media and suggested this was going to be an album with great songs along the lines of Countdown to Extinction. 

This morning, during my 90 minute journey covering a mere 6 miles of the 405 South freeway in Los Angeles, I listened to Th1rt3en in order, from start to finish. I was not disappointed. In fact, I got so lost in the metal goodness, I had total disregard for all the other drivers around me whom were surely mocking my headbanging and steering wheel guitar playing. If only they could see my legs working the double bass drums.

Speaking of double bass drums; The beats were so furious and forceful that my denim pants were actually being blown around my lower legs. Kicked ass.

I'm not going to go into dissecting every song or trying to describe what Mustaine was feeling when he wrote 'New World Order' or any other song. Fuck it! It just fucking rocks. I will say my immediate favorites are 'Public Enemy No. 1,' 'Guns, Drugs, & Money,' and the great 'Deadly Nightshade.'

Now, sample the tunes below and buy it! Don't be a cocksucking loser and steal it.

Leo Laporte. I am not worthy.

Me and Leo.As a podcaster, I recognize that there is no one bigger or more important to the medium than Leo Laporte. I'm such a Leo geek, I actually took a week vacation just to travel North to Petaluma to visit the TWiT Cottage and see Leo work in person (it also led to my current Wine drinking problem, but that's no biggy). Always learn from the BEST!

Well, this weekend I'm running Leo's weekly syndicated talk show (I'm pressing the buttons and screwing up the first caller of the day - Saturday) from Premiere Radio Networks in Sherman Oaks, CA.  I'm such a Leo geek, I've actually got my TWiT lanyard around my neck for the show. 

It's an honor and a privilege to work for this man.

Leo Laporte. The Tech GuyThe Studio in Sherman Oaks, CA.Me and my TWiT Lanyard.

Goodbye Amazon.com, Hello Buy.com, others.

Last week California Governor Jerry Brown signed a new law requiring online retailers like Amazon.com to start collecting sales tax on purchases made by Californians. Prior to the signing of this law, if you walked into a Sears and bought a drill you would have to pay California sales tax at the register. But, if you went to Amazon.com and bought that same drill, you paid absolutely no sales tax. A consumer sales tax loop hole.

I understand it. Go to the local flat screen tv dealer and buy a new Vizio for $1,500.00 and you can add (in my city) 7.25% sales tax of $108.75. Or, you could go to Amazon.com, buy the same new Vizio, and save yourself $108.75. Who wouldn't? But if you do, can you still bitch about the financial situation your state is in if you're taking precious tax revenue out of its coffers?

I originally blasted Governor Brown on my facebook page for signing this bill into law because it affected me and the Pod Zeppelin podcast directly. Because of this law, Amazon.com terminated our contract for the simple fact that we're a California base affiliate. It's taking money, albeit a small amount, out of our pockets. Valuable money that helps to pay for this web site, hosting, bandwidth, equipment, software, promotional items, the gas we need to drive to a professional studio, and so on. I was wrong.

Amazon.com is the bad guy. Shame on them for putting an estimated 10,000 California affiliates at risk and, basically, out of work. Being an Amazon.com affiliate is not my main source of income, but for many it is. More importantly, you cannot give a huge online retailer an advantage, a huge price advantage, over the small businesses and big chain stores who actually have a presence in California.

Our Amazon.com Termination LetterClick on the thumbnail to read the Amazon.com termination letter we received.

We have removed all Amazon links from our web site and will be persuing relationships with new online retailers who will provide you with great products and services as well as help support this podcast. Our first new relationship is with Buy.com where you can buy anything your heart desires, earn "Super Points" for future Buy.com purchases, and help support our podcast.

As an example, I went to Buy.com and searched through hundreds of guitars and accessories (because that's what I'm into) and found my guitar, the Schecter Hellraiser. I own this guitar and it is, hands down, the best metal guitar I'ver EVER owned. Now, you can buy it at Buy.com and have it shipped right to your door.

Schecter Guitar Research Hellraiser C-1 FR Electric Guitar Black