What is happenin' people? There's been a lot goin on this month (as usual)...

First off... Thankfully they have that damn pipe fixed! I will keep the BP Oil Spill Live Video Feed up on the website until we know for sure this thing is over, though. Hopefully this cap works...

Secondly, although I previously stated I would be running for the U.S. Senate, I have decided to no longer pursue this venture. I would like to thanks all of my supporters for all of their a... supporting, but after watching C-SPAN one day and seeing all of those awesome personalities in one room, I realized that giving myself paper cuts underneath my finger nails would be more entertaining. BTW, Fire Them ALL!

For those wondering, no I did not attend Hullabalou in Louisville, KY. There was some issues with "timing".

Last week and this week have been finals week(s) for my summer courses and has been keeping me pretty busy. BTW, did you know that (and I quote...), "Serial Conflicts may also lead to meta-conflicts, which are conflicts about the way you conduct conflict!?" Because I now do!

I went out on a earlier this month with the P.A.S.T. of KY Crew. As an affiliate of A & E's Ghost Adventurers, P.A.S.T. of KY was asked to check on a situation in Lexington, KY. I don't think anything was really found, but I think the resident feels a little better about her situation now. Man, this P.A.S.T. of KY crew is an eclectic group of people that get along real well.

BTW...Thanks to Robert Vilanueva for the ride and for the proofreading help!

I'll be back this week. I got something I want to speak on now though and then I'm out...

For those wondering about the posting on the main page. A friend of the Tribe, John Phelps V decided last week that he did not want to continue the fight in this world. I want to start by saying, I am not a judge, nor I am a jury. I don't pretend to know everything and I won't pretend to have all the answers. Now that that is out of the way, here's what I want to say. If you have read the SplatterTribe News any over this past year, I have spoke several times about John. He recorded a demo for his song, "I Do It Again" earlier in the year and I have done my best to help promote it here on the Tribe site. See, me and John go way back. Although we never really 'hung out' one on one or on an everyday basis, we have always had A LOT of common friends and our paths have crossed millions of times. Years ago we actually jammed together in band for a few short weeks (I quit because I thought the band name was stupid or something). I remember those few practices we had that we where coming up with cover songs for the band to play and I kept trying to get the guys to play Black Sabbath's 'Sweet Leaf'. Like, I really wanted us to play 'Sweet Leaf'. Then, for years later John would laugh about how I was always saying, "Sweet Leaf!" "Let's Play Sweet Leaf!" back then. You probably had to be there to appreciate it...

Anyway, as I said, we where never real close. Would I say we where friends? You know, I don't know. I guess maybe we where. We where not close friends though. We where just running in the same circles and crossing paths every so often. We never really had any issues, that I am aware of though, and we got along when we talked, but for some reason we just never really hung out. I don't really know why. Earlier this year though, John hit me up on Facebook and started telling me about his new music. The idea that he was still writing and fighting to get his music out was awesome to me, so I told him I would do whatever I could to help promote his stuff. Since then, we briefly communicated online maybe once a week. Let me say this. I do spend a lot of time and energy on this whole SplatterTribe thing and although we do get a lot of hits. I rarely get a lot of feedback. I mean I get it, but on a day to day basis, there isn't a lot of people that just take the time to cheer the Tribe on. I'm not complaining, I'm just telling it like it is... John though, was one of those that actually took the time to write and say "Keep up the good work!" (or something to that effect). I don't do this to get people to tell me stuff like that, so don't confuse my point here. You just got to be appreciative to those who do and for the past year, anytime me and John Phelps crossed paths, he said that or something like that to me.

We actually just ran into each other a couple of weeks ago at a local store and he and his huge personality acted genuinely exited that we did run into each other ( I had both hands full and he was still trying to shake my hands! ) We stopped and chatted for a bit and he kept telling me he would be going into the studio soon and recording another song and that he would send it my way when it was done. He seemed legitimately exited at the prospect of getting another song done and I told him when I got it, I would post it. We also spoke about his "I Do It Again" song and he really wanted my opinion on it. I told him, for what it was (quality wise), I thought it was awesome. When I said that his face lit up. He said something to the effect of  "Hell Yeah!" We hit hands and then walked our separate ways.

Little did I know that about a week and a half later, John would not be around anymore. That new song would not be recorded.

When I signed on to Facebook last Monday and found out what had happened, I am not going to lie, I was legitimately shocked, disappointed, upset and sad that John was no longer with us. I also felt bad for his family and for all of his friends and for all of those that got reminded of other friends and family that was lost in this same manner. It's always a tough situation. I don't know what John's fight was. I just wish he had fought longer. I don't know what went on in his head, though. I am not one of these people who think they know everything. I know I don't. I don't know what he was dealing with. All I know is every time I spoke to him this passed year, he took the time to cheer me and the SplatterTribe on and he did it at times when it was needed and for that I say Thank You...

John, brother, I wish you had stuck things out man. As I said, I don't know what your battle was, but I do want to say thanks for the support that you sent my way this year. It's a shame we won't be getting that new song, though. I would have liked to have heard it.  Rest In Peace, dude...