God, Please Save These Troubled States

"It's not like I believe in everlasting love." These words, sung by Laura Marling, provided the inspiration for the most recent photo assignment. How did your fellow Buzznet friends interpret the idea of everlasting love? Check out the full post for the results!

Results from this week's photo assignment inside...

I loved pulling last week's assignment from a song lyric, so I'm doing it again this week. In light of that fact that in just three hours, I'll be interviewing Laura Marling (!!!11!!!1!!1!), I'm pulling a lyric from "Ghosts" for this week's photo assignment: It's Not Like I Believe In Everlasting Love.

Full instructions for this week's photo assignment inside....

37 people responded to this week's gallery assignment, a normal twist on each week's photo assignment. The topic was, "I'm Not So Attached To This Face" and you were asked to compile a gallery that reflects this theme. Interested in how everyone interpreted this lyric from The Faint? Check them out!

Results from this week's photo assignment inside...

New details have arisen in the developing story of the plane wreck that injured Travis Barker and DJ AM while leaving four others dead. The duo escaped their plane by sliding down the wing; additionally, Barker's undergone a few surgeries for his injuries, but he's trying to stay positive.

More details about the tragic plane crash that Travis Barker and DJ AM survived...

Friday night's Street Scene Festival, the first of a two day fest, saw bands like Beck, Justice, and Vampire Weekend return to the actual street; the past few years, the festival has bounced around town in less-than-desired locations. This return to roots move only added to the frantic and energetic performances from that day's bands.

How were the bands at Street Scene?

Travis Barker, ex-Blink 182 drummer, and Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein were both critically injured with extensive burns when their jet crashed in flames at the end of the runway in Columbia, South Carolina, killing four other people. The duo had just played at a free outdoor concert in the Five Points District on Friday night and were headed back to Van Nuys, California.

Learn more about Travis Barker's and DJ AM's condition

I took a jog around Balboa Park; I'm in San Diego to cover Street Scene. My iPod Shuffle changed over to The Faint's "Mirror Error," off their new record, and I suddenly knew what this week's GALLERY assignment would be: I'm Not So Attached To This Face. Ready for the new assignment? Dive in!

Instructions for this week's gallery photo assignment inside...

After a long delay, the Buzznet Music Player has finally returned! *rejoices!*

As with any new release, I'm here to help you through your new Music Player:


Oh my lord.…

I love watching each week's tag page in the final hours before I post this journal, as people scramble to get their photos in before 3PM. 15 more in the last 5 hours! I love it! So how did your peers respond to the theme, "I've Seen Better"? Only one way to find out!

Results of this week's Photo Assignment inside...

We experienced a rather absurd bit of commentary on the results of last week's assignment. "I've seen better," a detractor told us. Nevermind that the assignment isn't a competition or a vainglorious attempt at photo perfection. So let's take some existential negativity and turn into something proactive!

Instructions for this week's photo assignment inside...

Buzzlulz posted it, and she took it from IDontHaveFleas, then DecayedApple participated, and now I'm totally down to do this. Can you guess what song the first line of lyrics is from? I've put my iPod on Shuffle for 20 songs. I expect this to be super hard.

I'll cross out the ones people guess. If you guess one....um....I'll say thanks? I don't really have anything to give out.

1) "We are here, we are there, they are nearing people everywhere we go."
2) "Did you ever wonder, "Will I make it through this night?" Death By Stereo - Forever and a Day
3) "You said I could find love in the folds of your flesh."
4) "Ramblin' out of the Wild West, leavin' the towns I loved the best..." Bob Dylan - Talkin' New York
5) "What she said: How come someone hasn't noticed that I'm dead and decided to bury me?" The Smiths - What She Said
6) "Something to say, when you're so far away."
7) "Guess again everyone: Who just left us for dead?"
8) "I can swallow secrets and spit up blackmail." Pig Destroyer - The Gentleman
9) "If you had the time to lose, an open mind and to choose, would you care to take a look or can you read me like a book?" Iron Maiden - Caught Somewhere In Time
10) "I have no feelings for you; you can't smother this anymore."
11) "I was so wasted." The Circle Jerks - Wasted
12) "Take a look at today's headlines; usual signs but in different designs." Raised Fist - That's Why
13) "You can't be what you were, so you better start being just what you are." Fugazi - Bad Mouth
14) "Is now a good time to say that I'm sick of playing all your games with your head in a corner?" Kid Dynamite - Wristrocket
15) "I will wade out till my thighs are seeped in burning flowers." Bjork - Sun in My Mouth.
16) "The mad man Malik makes MCs run for Milk of Magnesia." A Tribe Called Quest - Baby Phife's Return
17) "Whether you wake up late or at 5 AM, secret missions with one intent: my only passion, the one reason to live." Bones Brigade - I Hate Myself When I'm Not Skateboarding
18) "I got so much trouble on my mind, I refuse to lose." Public Enemy - Welcome to the Terrordome
19) "Slaves: Hebrews born to serve to the Pharoah." Metallica - Creeping Death
20 "Tune out the noise of swan songs that savior the passing scarlets." HIMSA - Rain To The Sound of Panic

DON'T GOOGLE THESE. That is cheating. Seriously. :( I know mine is ridiculous hard because....well, no one on Buzznet really listens to what I do. But try!

Go ahead and post your own and let everyone know! I want to play the game too.

Seriously. I do.

For those of you who have come 'round to these parts of Buzznet in the past year or so, my posting habits dramatically changed. I was asked to write our first incarnation of the Buzznet Movie Blog almost a year ago. I was pretty stoked, considering that I'm a fairly active cinemaphile. Neat. I'll accept that.

That died. I've since transitioned to writing about the community, which I'm not making any complaints about. I can't imagine a better way to continue to understand and respond to the Buzznet community as a whole than by being directly involved in it. (That's always been my philosophy here at Buzznet, but I just feel like I'm getting really good at.)

But I started off on Buzznet writing about whatever I felt like. Politics. Social issues. Angry rants. Musical freakouts. And I miss it. It's not that Buzznet has ever told me to stop; they've always supported my writing. I've just not found the time to devote to it. (I'm not a fan of half-ass attempts at being witty or intelligent. All or nothing!)

How many of you consider yourselves bloggers? Why do you do it? How do you ignite the spark again? (Paxy, I'm looking directly at you.)

HALP.

Do you know what it feels like? Buzznet wanted the world to understand what it meant to empathize with one another: not to feel sorry for each other, but simply to understand. How did your peers respond to this week's Photo Assignment?

Results of this week's photo assignment inside...

It's that time of the week again and we've made it to our tenth photo assignment. This week's topic was conceived by our fellow admin Richard and is a reference to the Madonna song, "What It Feels Like For A Girl." How will you respond to this week's assignment?

Full instructions for the photo assignment inside...

It's not often that I make posts about outside organizations or people making an appearance on Buzznet. I'm sure you can say I'm biased in posting about this, but I'd like to introduce the Issue Oriented podcast to Buzznet. Run by the always-articulate Ronen Kauffman, it's a smart and fascinating interview series that addresses important issues as voiced by YOUR favorite bands.

Why should I listen to the Issue Oriented podcast?

This week's theme was "Before and After" and the community responded with their own ideas about transformation. It was our most successful project yet (60 submissions!!!) and continues to gain momentum. How did your fellow Buzznet members respond this week?

Results of this week's Photo Assignment inside...