Thursday, July 18, 2013

RIVALS II - Who Are These Newbies?

By DC Cueva

After two fantastic opening episodes of The Challenge: Rivals II, and after the strong viewership that tuned to the drama-filled premiere on July 10, as well as the great social media interaction of cast & fans - 83,000+ social interactions related to the show & resulting in my busiest day on twitter since Super Bowl Sunday earlier this year, we are already experiencing a fast start to this exciting season.

For those avid Challenge fans who didn't catch BOTS because, for most, was simply their favorite veteran wasn't on (it's a bit corny if you ask me), or for those only watch The Challenge & don't watch The Real World the same way I do, Rivals II represents your first opportunity to see this new generation in action. These are the same people who I became familiar with in Turkey and on their original RW season (I didn't watch Challenges much before last fall). Of course, these fans will be in the blue of what these rookies have in store for them. And for fans, it'll be easy for them to go for the veterans, but there are some rookies who might hang with the vets in competition in Thailand, enough for them perhaps to win over these fans too.
   The basis of this post is to help you, the avid Challenge fan who knows more about the vets than these rookies, get some insight into these new people: background from their RW bios, what happened with them on their RW season, and with the exception of a handful making their debut in this Challenge, provide a recap of how they did last year when they competed for the first time in Turkey. This will help you understand these people the same way you know the big name veterans and the same way that I do having followed them first in that other show that I love even more.

Lets get it started, beginning with the group that finally made their Challenge debut last year, and now on their second go at it:

Friday, July 12, 2013

DC SocialPulse - RIVALS II Premiere

*** Reader Advisory: The Following Post Contains
Adult Language. Viewer Discretion is Advised. ***
By DC Cueva

Well, the busy guy who loves sports, entertainment & social media has become even busier: welcome to the first edition of The DC SocialPulse. Being that I've become such an avid tweeter & social media junkie over the last year, I have been addicted to all this all over again, reliving those days of being on MySpace much of the time (I'm still on there btw). And social media has also played a big role in being able to even greatly follow the things I'm most interested in, including my favorite shows.
   The frenzied premiere of MTV's The Challenge: Rivals II on Wednesday night accounted, for me, the busiest day of tweeting (and retweeting) that I've had on twitter since the Super Bowl back in February - over 250 total tweets. I was so busy in doing all of that & flooding the timelines (and sorry once again to my followers), that two times I was sent to twitter jail for over-tweeting during an hours period. But then again, there are few things that get me going in the twitter world: the biggest sports events, music, entertainment events, and of course, The Real World & The Challenge.
   What I've decided to do, in addition to doing a recap of every episode As DC Sees It, is to do my best to highlight the tweets from the RW & Challenge family from these episodes. The MTV Remote Control blog does highlight tweets from certain cast members of both shows, but is usually spread out among other shows. What I will do is to focus in on just Real World & Challenges.
   First, some background & thoughts: last year when I joined twitter, I immediately became part of an online community that's now an essential part of our media landscape. Television has been a communal experience for as long as it has been around. From loyal viewers watching a favorite primetime show, to a country coming to a standstill for the Super Bowl or big cultural event, to even families watching a personal home movie, this medium has always created an enjoyable experience that brings families, friends & fans together. And the advent of technologies over the past decade have further enhanced the viewing experience: DVR, HDTV, VOD, and most recently social media. 
   For me, there was that agonizingly long hiatus from late March to early May when 30 twitter accounts were frozen for the entire time while they were in Thailand, plus for a brief time, two ladies from the Real World Portland cast just as their very own season was starting to air back home (they would eventually have their social media freeze lifted later just for them, similar to what the St. Thomas cast had with the last Challenge taking place near to their season premiering). For those 8-9 weeks while I was engaged greatly in RWPDX & other things along the way, I was also longing for the very day when they would all return, and it was a welcome relief when that embargo was lifted on the rest of the group on that RW Wednesday, it almost felt a bit like homecoming. Well, it was because of Rivals II that they were gone, and it has been a month or so since they ended taping. And I knew during RWPDX that while we wouldn't have the kind of strong social interaction during that season when everyone is overseas (including a couple other PDX cast members too), this would eventually be worth it because when this Challenge season premieres later on, everyone will be on social media, getting the great spontaneous interaction that makes it so much more enjoyable for them & viewers alike.
   Obviously, the cast of Rivals II knows what to expect & what has happened since they got to film this earlier this spring, but there's nothing like being able to interact with each other and to be able to share & experience this with the rest of America. Last season's Challenge was not only the first one I've watched in a long time (and the first I've ever watched with a great deal of interest in), but it also the first time that I became enthralled by the power of television, its unique communal viewing experience and the interactivity & spontaneity of social media all coming together to create an experience that those TV pioneers could never have imagined. And it has allowed me to engage myself even more around the franchise I have followed for over a decade & a half, adding another dimension to this great, long relationship between me & the RW/Challenge world.
   So, after that prelude, it's now gonna be a requirement for fans to not only have their sets tuned to MTV on Wednesday nights at 10PM, but also have an Internet device handy to follow the other big show on at the same time: the spontaneous interaction among cast, fans and all of us. And the following are the actual tweets of the cast & fellow alumni as they, fans and America got to see the premiere of The Challenge: Rivals II.  Just before we begin, please note there is also explicit language in some of the tweets below, but I am keeping it uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So, please read with discretion if you are mature enough. :-)
   So without further ado, lets get it started... 

Monday, July 8, 2013

Real World Portland: As They Saw It - Reunion Revealed

Views expressed in Fan's View are only those of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of DC Cueva or DCBLOG.

By DC Cueva, with Kevin Gonzalez & Kaitlyn Macisco

> @dc408dxtr, @KevinGonzalez_, @Kmacisco

With a couple days left until The Challenge: Rivals II premieres, yesterday's posting of a picture with the entire cast on a layover at an airport in Tokyo & en route to Thailand by cast members signals the anticipation towards this crazy season; in fact I just changed the iPad home screen to that pic as well. But with about 48 hours until the new season of the so-called 5th major sport kicks off, lets go back a month to another crazy affair - the latest season for my favorite show - The Real World Portland.

For me, The Real World and The Challenge have played a big role on my twitter over the last year - not surprising for the franchise that I follow most, going back a long way over a decade. And a tradition at the end of every season of these two shows - and certain other MTV shows as well - has been the reunion: an hour to discuss and look back on everything that went on throughout the entire season. And at these reunions, it's almost certain that there's gonna be some or more so the same drama that we saw during the episodes that preceded it. But the process of taping the reunion is longer than the 43 minutes sans commercials that you see on TV - it's way longer than that. And of course, there are some things that you didn't see or hear unless you were one of the lucky people who get to sit in that MTV Times Square studio & have a front row seat to all the fireworks.

That's why for this edition of As DC Sees It...or shall we say, "As Kevin & Kaitlyn Saw It," we'll uncover the wraps to give you a firsthand perspective of what it's like to be in the audience, to watch the drama unfold among the casts, and even get some valuable scoop on everything you want to know about all this, most especially unseen gossip. And in this edition: a look at the reunion for Real World Portland, starring its dynamic cast of Anastasia, Averey, Jessica, Jordan, Joi, Johnny, Marlon, Nia & house dog Daisy...and hosted by RW legend/Queen B (& fellow Bay Arean) Coral. From a fight unprecedented in Real World history to the behavior & life backgrounds of most of the cast, romances in & outside the Pearl District to yes, a Hurricane, it was one of those RW seasons that really stood out to me. Plus, there was the added incentive that I became very good social media friends with all of them throughout the season, having followed them well before we got to see them on TV; I gave a few castmates a follow just after filming ended last November. (Seems that's been so long, doesn't it?)

Because of these shows, I've become good twitter friends with total strangers who I've never met in person but share a passion for this franchise, and one of them is Kevin Gonzalez (@KevinGonzalez_). This guy from New York, who was the lucky 25,000th follower to Bunim-Murray's twitter account @BunimMurray, has been to the last three reunions: Real World St. Thomas, Challenge BOTSeasons and this Real World Portland one. Joining him to give us the scoop is Kaitlyn Macisco (@Kmacisco), who was also in the audience braving the six hours of taping in that studio. This will add additional perspective to a post from a blogger who I followed during the season who was also in the audience, more on that at the end of this post. For now, here's what you've been waiting for, let's dive into the scoop, starting with the general atmosphere before the storm began...



Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Rivals II Countdown: Real World NOLA Inspires

By DC Cueva

With The Challenge: Rivals II premiering next week - 5 days from now to be exact, the anticipation is only building for the wildest season yet for the so-called 5th major sport, which, along with a trip I'll be taking to Las Vegas two weeks from tomorrow, highlights this summer for me, the 2nd in twitter world. As the trailer & all the promos have shown us these last few weeks, it sure promises to be an exciting Challenge, starring an all-star cast and T.J. Lavin, who's billing this as "the best season ever." But while we continue to count the hours down to the season premiere July 10th at 10 PM on MTV, let's take a moment to think about something other than the upcoming action & drama in Thailand and learn more about a feel-good story involving a trio on this cast and the impact they & their fellow castmates had on one of my followers on Twitter.

For me being a huge Real World fan, I have a lot of memories with virtually all of the Rivals II cast from watching them take their first MTV steps on the show I love most. And one of my favorite parts of every season is when the show takes the opportunity to depart from the usual hook-ups, conflict & fun of today's Real World for a touch of yesteryear and showcase social issues that were prevalent early on & are those the MTV audience can relate to & are passionate about. From equality and war, to casting unique people outside of the usual stereotype of good looking young adults and those single & ready to mingle, the show hasn't let go of this one aspect that was groundbreaking when it started & remains the single thing that separates it from the other reality shows it helped spawn in the last two decades.

Just as their predecessors did back in 2000, The Back to New Orleans cast of three years ago had the opportunity to ride a float, throw beads & have lots of fun during the madness known as Mardi Gras. Plus, they sampled crawfish, Cajun cuisine & jazz, rode the buggy on the Bayou and got to celebrate right down on Bourbon Street when the Saints won the Super Bowl. And there was a romance that blossomed between a hockey player & a southern girl, an encounter with the cops over a toothbrush, and a basketball player who eventually became a radio host (and current girlfriend of a Rivals II competitor). But the memory that sticks out to me of that season was one whose impact was felt on one of my twitter followers
 last year, just before the NOLA cast made their long-overdue debut on The Challenge, when Jemmye, Knight, Preston & McKenzie competed on Battle of the Seasons in Turkey.

And that would be of the cast taking a break from having fun in this 24/7 party city to help in the rebirth of New Orleans, just five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Among the things they did included taking a first-hand tour of the devastation in where the damage was the greatest - in the Lower 9th Ward, teaming with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild a house for a family affected by the tragedy, and volunteering time to help out at a soup kitchen in the New Orleans Mission where homeless people displaced by Katrina went - and some still go - to this day. Even the house's resident hairstylist & drama starter Ryan got to learn more firsthand 
from one of those people about the harsh reality of post-Katrina life that many still face in the greater NOLA area. And towards the end of their experience, the cast even slept for one night in the cold homeless to put themselves in the shoes of those less fortunate.

One person who was watching that season was a young teenage lady & basketball fan from Canada's Maritimes provinces named Alison Cassidy. Here's her letter to the cast from last July, just after filming of that Challenge wrapped up:


TWEET from @AlisonCassidy from Canada:
@AlisonCassidy: @JustJem24 @OfficialSahar @Knight_MTV @PrestoMagic24 @MckenzieCoburn @TheEricPatrick @AshleeFeldman I hope you guys can read this note from me. 

"Hi I'm Alison. I'm 17.

I know you guys don't know me but I wanted to say thank you. A lot of people might talk crap about the Real World (and any other reality show for that matter) But what I didn't know when I started watching your season, is that it would actually change my life.

What I really loved about your season, was the work you did at the soup kitchen and with the house building. Your time in New Orleans made me inspired to go there myself some day. Well that day is coming a whole lot sooner than I thought. Saturday I'm leaving my small town in Eastern Canada, headed to New Orleans. I'll be volunteering for a week at various places. Even though it's only a week, this is a huge deal for me. I've had extremely bad anxiety since I was 8 years old and have recently dealt with depression after my grandmother died last year. I spent an entire 3 weeks barely leaving my room. Although New Orleans will be the scariest thing I've ever done, I can hope that it will be a life changing experience. It will push me to start overcoming a lot of things I've been scared of for a very long time. 

I really don't know who else to thank besides those of you from RW:NOLA. I wanted you all to know that I am so thankful for each of you, though we've never even met. Although many other people have been involved with putting this trip together, you guys are the ultimate reason behind it. 

I can't thank you enough.

-Alison"


Upon reading that letter, Preston & fellow roommate Ashlee replied to Alison:
- @PrestoMagic24: "@AlisonCassidy you're the sweetest person ever I'm so very happy we could help you on your journey, we appreciate your kind words! <3 RWNOLA"
- @AshleeFeldman: "@AlisonCassidy that is beautiful and I am so happy the show could do that for you. Enjoy new Orleans (smiley face w/ tears)"
- @AlisonCassidy: "@PrestoMagic24  Thank u again for being on RW. My week volunteering in NOLA was the BEST. RWNOLA changed my entire life, oddly enough :)"


After writing that heartfelt note, just a few days later Alison flew down to New Orleans to follow in their footsteps and do her part in the city's rebirth. While there, she volunteered for a week in various places in the Crescent City, and even saw the same Mission where the RW NOLA cast worked at. To say the least, it was indeed a life-changing experience for her, and she grew to have the same type of enormous love for the city as the cast had back in 2010, one that lingers just a year after that trip to the Gulf Coast.

So, when Knight, Jemmye & Preston represent Team New Orleans once again, part of an all-star cast coming together for The Challenge: Rivals II starting Wednesday on MTV, then also think about Alison and the impact that they & the rest of the RW Back to NOLA cast had on her & others who were touched by them. And for every voyeuristic or crazy moment we see on every RW season, there is always the feel-good story of those who were moved and/or inspired by the show & the cast, and Alison's is one of them.


With a week left until that Challenge, I will be all over it here on DC Blog & @dc408dxtr on Twitter. From tweeting with the cast & fellow fans to doing recaps & more on here, I'll be following the drama & action on the playing field, in the house and throughout Thailand, As DC Sees It. Can't wait for Wednesday, it will be crazy. Until then, thanks for reading, enjoy Rivals II and have a fun & safe rest of this holiday weekend.

- DC
@DC408dxtr


For more on the New Orleans Mission, visit http://www.neworleansmission.org.

DC Blog - 11:11

By DC Cueva

With the season opener of MTV's The Challenge: Rivals II now just 7 days from tonight, so goes into overdrive the anticipation for the wildest season yet for what many call the 5th major sport, a highlight for me in this non-Olympic/World Cup summer along with the trip I'll be taking shortly to Las Vegas. As the trailer & the promos have shown us these last few weeks, it sure promises to live up to TJ Lavin's word of being "the best season ever" with a packed cast of fan favorites familiar to both me & challenge fans alike. But as the countdown to 10PM on July 10th continues, I'd like to take a moment to look at something that both one competitor on this cast and yours truly have in common.

If you've been a follower to my Twitter @dc408dxtr over the last year or are one in my inner circle for family & friends who's a friend of mine on Facebook (I keep it closed to the public btw to keep it classy), you all might be wondering, "Why does DC tweet or post 11:11 every night?"

A great fella from Baltimore named Trey Weatherholtz, who starred on Real World St. Thomas and competitor on both the recent & upcoming Challenges (Battle of the Seasons and Rivals II), tweets it just about every day at 11:11 a.m. & p.m., his time Eastern. I took his idea and now it's become the norm for me to post 11:11 every night, Pacific time, both on Twitter and Facebook. And that is the legacy I have of the first RW cast that I ever got to interact directly with, starting the same day I joined Twitter as premiere night - June 27, 2012, 53 weeks ago this week. And coincidentally, Trey was the 2nd person to tweet back to me...the first being Laura.

Besides a Facebook friend telling me of the 11th hour "being the magic number due to prime numbers being involved," those who study numbers believe 11:11 is linked to events that happen often than those that happen coincidentally or by the luck of the draw. Some claim it's an auspicious draw, while others feel it's a spirit presence. But the feeling behind 11:11 is that it has adopted mysterical powers from those w/ a New Age outlook. And we can't forget a couple years ago that many people marked the once-a-century occurrence of 11/11/11, from numerous weddings were held on that Friday in Vegas & Asia to babies born on that day receiving media coverage, plus reminders of Veterans Day & the 11th hour deal on November 11, 1918 that ended World War I.

Why does Trey tweet 11:11? Well, let his answer from an interview with Honest Reviews Corner during RWSTT explain that to you: 
"A long time ago when I had a twitter pre the Real World, I followed defensive lineman Warren Sapp. He used to always tweet 11:11, I just thought was so cool, so I adopted it from him and copied him. A lot of people have caught on and seem to do it now. I get a lot of people asking me to tweet them or follow them and it's really hard to so that for hundreds of people who tweet me every day. I don't want people to take offense to me not responding to everyone. I do appreciate their tweets and the 11:11 is just something fun I do."

So, when you happen to watch Trey and the rest of the all-star cast who will compete in Thailand on Rivals II starting next Wednesday on MTV - something he & his fans like to call "Trey Day", then (except if you're in Maryland) don't think about his Ravens beating my Niners in Super Bowl XLVII (and this YouTube vid of him & his Weatherholtz fam celebrating that win - http://youtu.be/NBPQo2jeT3I), or the fact that he will be paired up with his rival Thor - aka Zach and having good buddy from St. Thomas & Mr. Gentle Giant Ginger Robb along for the ride too...just think about those four lucky numbers.


With a week to go until that Challenge, DC Blog & @dc408dxtr on Twitter will be all over it as I interact with the cast & fellow fans on twitter and provide my As DC Sees It commentary & recaps on here of the drama & competition unfolds from Thailand. And I can guarantee you, it will be a madhouse, both in the Challenge house in Thailand and on Twitter where Trey, the cast & fans like me will interact & experience Rivals II together. Can't wait for next Wednesday. And an early Happy 4th of July, too.

- DC
@DC408dxtr


- For more of Trey's HRC interview:
http://honestreviewscorner.com/2012/07/18/interview-with-the-real-worlds-trey-weatherholtz/
- And to learn about 11:11 where I sourced & re-edited a portion of my info on this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11:11_(númerology).

ADDED:
I forgot to mention that pre-Real World, Trey got to film a music video for local Baltimore band Cold Harbour, here he is in the band's clip for "A Light Inside Your Flaws."

Monday, July 1, 2013

Ultimate Fandom Moment: Meeting Linkin Park

Until I joined Twitter last June, I've not had that many opportunities to interact with some of the most well-known people out there in the world. I did have opportunities back then as a kid: for two instances during the height of the 49ers dynasty years of the 80s-90s, I got to meet Roger Craig at a Fry's Electronics store in 1993 when he signed a fitness video. And on Halloween three years earlier, I went trick or treating and got not only candy but also a football signed by Michael Carter, back when he was residing in my hometown of Milpitas, CA. In middle school, I got to take a picture with the Stanley Cup at a Sharks charity event. And just a few years ago, during a vacation my sis, bro & cousins took to Las Vegas to celebrate a cousins birthday, we got to meet Joey Fatone from Dancing with the Stars and boy band fame when he hosted a show over there. But of all of those celebrity sightings - and those interactions I've had with many an MTV personality over the past 12 months, nothing matches what the celebrity sighting I experienced for myself on December 9, 2004. That was the night I had the tremendous opportunity to meet Linkin Park. Even though I've become a much bigger fan of the entire music scene since then in addition to being a Linkin Park fan, it's still a day I'm so very proud to have been a part of, and still think of it every time I listen to an LP song.

For fans of music and entertainment like me, at one time or another we've imagined that we could meet our favorite celebrities face-to-face. Sure, seeing them from a distance in the bleachers of a red carpet at a premiere or awards show is one thing; but meeting them in a festive yet intimate atmosphere of a meet-and-greet signing is another. It's a unique one-on-one experience that, to me, is only matched by having NBA courtside seats. But even as many stars continue to emerge in this big universe we like to call popular culture, so increases the odds of crossing paths with that one particular star (or stars) that you worship every day. In this instance, only a handful can turn that simple dream into a full-fledged reality. And I was fortunate enough to be part of that handful back on that December day nine years ago.

Those who've been to my social media sites might know that I'm a true music fan and the band I follow most is Linkin Park. I've been a fan of them since I bought Hybrid Theory in 2001, now owning all their albums, DVD's and other things LP. So, once I found out on LinkinPark.com that the Best Buy store in Dublin, CA would be part of a national three-city tour the guys would be going on to sign the book From The Inside: Linkin Park's Meteora just a week beforehand, I knew I wanted to take advantage of being there, especially since I didn't have a class scheduled during that Thursday afternoon timeframe. And because the book signing was open to the entire general public and not just to the LP Underground, this represented the one and only opportunity I can meet the guys without being a fan club member. After a week of persuading my parents and doing some careful planning with them and my sis in providing transportation and having someone to babysit my young brother (since all three of them were working at the time of the signing at 5pm), I was ready to seize the opportunity and take advantage of that one shot to meet them face-to-face.

On December 9th, I arrived in Dublin at 1:15pm after my dad drove a half-hour from my house. I went inside the store and, using money I got from my parents combined with some leftover birthday bucks (I turned 21 three weeks earlier; sorry kids, no drinks), bought From The Inside and Collision Course, which had debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart a day earlier. I also bought some other CD's as well as a battery and film for my camera. After I went to a booth to get a wristband ensuring my book would get autographed, I joined some of you LP fans outside to wait in the afternoon sun in a line that stretched to the Pier 1 imports store next door. We eventually moved inside at 3pm to wait in aisles in the appliance section, adjacent to the signing booth located in the the satellite radio section in the back of the store (the blue circle area for those who regularly visit your nearest Best Buy). I spent the three hours of downtime listening to my CD player and taking pix of the atmosphere inside, not to mention hearing LP songs blare out of the windows of many fans' cars as if I was in the parking lot of Shoreline or HP Pavilion awaiting one of their concerts. I was also the one who answered any strangers' questions of "What's the line for?" and "What's going on here?," since i'm also very knowledgeable about Linkin Park, the music and the artists. I guess listening in my CD player Eminem's "Lose Yourself" seemed to emphasize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of meeting someone famous a few feet away, especially the band I follow on a day-by-day basis.

At 5:10pm, the LP boys came out of the back door where Best Buy installs the car stereos, and you can sense "Bedlem at Best Buy" (as I like to call it), with the fans screamin' and flashbulbs poppin' in the relative "madhouse" atmosphere (as one Best Buy employee described it, hearing it through my own ears). I did remain calm unlike most of that crowd. After all of that, I then moved through the line, even taking a picture of a fan's T-shirt that spelled Joe Hahn's last name wrong, reading "HANH" instead of "HAHN." When I saw the band at the table, I felt the standard chills and goosebumps inside me, saying to myself, "This is not TV or a magazine, DC. This is real, this is live, and this is happening in front of your own two eyes." I also had the same first impression of the band as the 1,000 people that were there: they're nice and friendly to their fans, reflecting their down-to-earth attitude offstage, even if they're one of the most aggressive bands out there onstage. When my turn to walk to the signing table finally arrived, I handed my copy of From The Inside to one of their two bodyguards for him to lay it down at the table. The big moment was when after I took Chester's picture of him showing off that mugshot killer smile for my camera (warning: the following may sound corny to you, so bear with me hardcore fans), this was what happened next:

- Me: "Hey, Chester? My name, Dexter, rhymes with your name." 
- Chesteras if he was part of my one of my high school cliques, then looks at me and says, "Dexter." 
- Phoenix - a.k.a. "bass player man" (circa Meteora World Premiere on radio) - does likewise and goes, "Dexter!" 

Never in my life had I felt starstruck then that moment when Chester and Phoenix uttered out my two-sylabled, six-lettered name, which is probably the only two-sylabled name that rhymes with the tattooed man LOL. Further on down the table - as D12's "My Band" was blaring out on the speakers, the guys signed the foreword pages of my copy of From The Inside (a spur-of-the-moment thing in page selection since I didn't get bookmark the page I wanted to them to sign - the page with their photos from the Meteora liner notes), while I was taking pix of them. Lastly, after Mike signed my page at the end of the table, I asked him which copy of the book was mine since there was plenty of them on the table. Mike told me which one it was and he & the other bodyguard pointed a couple of times to it, and then I gave them thanks. After I walked out of the signing area, I paniced a little bit in double-checked my book, but I found the Foreword page where the guys autographed the book and things were alright, except that I was a little overwhelmed in having met the band face-to-face and getting recognized by them, too. 

After all of that - and even rejecting a fan's request to have my wristband, I found my sister in the parking lot waiting for me after she got off from work nearby at the Ford place in Pleasanton. What's funny is that she asked me afterwards if the people we screaming "We love you Chester!" or "We love you, Justin!". I was quick to explain that it was "Chester" that the fans were chanting, given that there's a strong appeal of Linkin Park among the teen audience, even if I would estimate the ratio of the Dublin crowd to be just about a 50-50 male/female.

In the nine years since that December 2004 night, my passion for Linkin Park became even stronger afterwards. And although it's cooled off as of late as I've become interested in the broader musical scene (I'm a true music fan after all), that still remains. Besides buying their next three albums Minutes to Midnight, A Thousand Suns and Living Things, I kept for my records photos I took and a journal with the flyer, other pix of the meet-and-greet I got from fansites, the yellow wristband that I wore, even the sales reciepts from what I bought there. I've burned onto CD some of their concerts and radio interviews. I also have an LP wristband, t-shirt and the LIVE-8 DVD with their performance with Jay-Z in front of a million people in Philly*. And, I enjoyed the Fort Minor CD - it was really cool. And of course, the next time Linkin Park (or the side projects Chester and/or Mike have aside from LP) comes to the Bay Area for a concert, I will make an attempt to be in that audience.

Summing this up, it was an awesome pleasure to meet Linkin Park in 2004. I still look back at it as if was yesterday, most especially when I pass by the Best Buy on the way to my sister's house or whenever I watch LP perform or hear their songs. It was one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had and it's hard to believe it's been exactly a year since I experienced those five hours. In the long line of biggest moments in my life, it's only second to graduating Milpitas High in 2001 but definitely my biggest moment since that day in June 2001. For those few hours in the twilight of December 9, 2004, I was living in a dream that fans of music and entertainment like myself have always imagined in our minds but only a handful can have that dream realized: that would be meeting your favorite artist in the most-intimate of atmospheres - a meet and greet signing booth at a high-profile signing event. Having the band's tattooed frontman and bassist call out your name? That for me, in itself, is definitely something to behold.

- DC