I can't believe this actually exists...I'm beyond speechless...and I get paid to talk!

(props to our friends at The Chive for this one)

If you've heard me on the air at DC101 or have read this blog or ever met me, you know that I scream the praises for the school I got my bachelor's degree at. West Virgnia University is a super awesome place and going there might have been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I had some great times there....Dairy Mart strombolis, burning couches, learning something, the college radio station, Sigma Kappa formals, new student orientation, burning couches and 32 oz. sodas which were only 39 cents.

The other bit of awesomeness I experienced were the various Mountaineer teams and all the sporting events I attended while in school there. This past January 4th in South Beach, the Mountaineer football team took on Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl and man did they tear up the Tigers 70-33. At one point, my carpal tunnel was acting up cause I typed "touchdown" so many times. If you didn't get a chance to watch the game, some dude on the Interweb made it easy for you to watch it in the 10 minute clip below.

Enjoy and of course, Let's Go Mountaineers!!!

I don't think it is an anyway a surprise to anyone that DC101's own Mike Jones and I are the two biggest dorks at the radio station. Granted we're pretty awesome but we do have a certain dorky appeal to us that is endearing and you keep listening to us anyway.

With all that said, a tradition started after Mr. Jones and I attended the "Hottest Show on Earth" in August 2010. It my first Kiss concert and Mr. Jones's second. The tradition which spurred from this momentous occasion was "Kissmas" - a take on Christmas and our love for the band Kiss. The band has made themselves so marketable and their merchandise is some of the most innovative in rock n' roll.

This year's Kissmas took place on December 18th and topped the 2010 version tenfold...mainly cause we had a whole year to plan for it. The photo below will make you jealous and wish that you celebrated Kissmas!

Now this also brings up the question, why isn't Kiss in the Rock and Roll Hall Fame...

I don't in anyway mask how much of a fan I am of Jimmy Eat World. They are my favorite band. I think Clarity and Bleed American might be the best albums ever made in my opinion.

During Taylor Swift's most recent tour, she would bring out someone from that town and have them come out and sing with them. Usher in Atlanta, Jon Foreman from Switchfoot in San Diego. Well...during her visit to Phoenix, she brought out Jim Adkins from Jimmy Eat World to perform "The Middle." And I thought it was awesome and super cool of her to do that. The other thing I like about her is that she's a good kid. She won't go the route of Lindsay or Britney or the harlots who are out there doing dumb stuff.

Check out Jim and Taylor performing, "The Middle" in Phoenix, Ariz. below...

It's really cool when a band can call up a radio station and be like, "We want to do our album release party. Can you hook us with a venue and invite a bunch of our fans to rock out with us."

Well...that's exactly what happened on November 30th when Chevelle rolled into town and played an intimate show for about 250ish fans at the Rock and Roll Hotel. The boys from Chicago were in town for the release of their newest album "Hats Off to the Bull." They played 20 plus songs, rocked out and then went and played mini golf down the street. I got to hang with them for a few minutes and they were very appreciative of not only DC101 but the listeners as well too for giving them the energy to rock out.

Below are a couple photos from the evening and the setlist from the show if you want to make your own mix.

Me and my buddy Stan with the boys in Chevelle...

My autographed laminate

And the setlist from the show...

This is almost getting old...but it's still fun! I've been meeting up with some friends every Tuesday evening at Samuel Beckett's in Shirlington to play trivia and there have been three wins...edit that...now it's four wins. I'm glad that all those years of obtaining useless knowledge came to use. Though the categories were kinda skewed in my squad's directions. Some of those categories include, wrestlers finishing moves (and we didn't even have to use the answer bank), grunge rock and the music round was songs with the word "again" in it. Yeah...I was the only one in the bar that pulled The Smiths "Bigmouth Strikes Again." Go me!!!

But one thing I've learned...win a trophy, the girls come a runnin! Proof below!

Wait...what?!? I messed up on the title of this blog. I is a graduate. Wait...that ain't right either.

Seriously...in addition to my working at DC101 since the summer of 2007, I have been enrolled in grad school at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. I recently just completed my requirements in a program in higher education, my degree was conferred by the Registrar's Office and in the mail a couple weeks ago I received my actual diploma which is now framed and looking for the perfect place to be hung up. I just gotta figure out where that perfect place is.

The support that I received from everyone here at DC101 was more than amazing as they were accommodating in shifting my schedule around so that I could get some free time to write papers or get some research done. And if you ever hear me during college football or college basketball season, you always hear me get super stoked for the school I got my bachelor's from (WVU!!!) but now I've got another school (Mason!!!) to have a whole bunch of spirit for.

Below is a photo of me from graduation and me looking all super fly in my master's regalia.

Today is Veteran's Day. We give a special thanks to anyone who has donned the uniform and help protect this country and allow us to have the freedoms that we enjoy.

The video below is a special one because the love that is shown is amazing. Troops are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and they aren't only missed by their husbands, wives, children and other human family members but also their four legged family as well too.

The soldier in this video is a buddy of mine from WVU, Andrew Schmidt. We partied at FIJI house a good bit and he's an overall great guy. "Gracie" missed him so much and shows it in this video.

Thanks again to everyone who has served and are currently serving! You are not only thought about only on this but everyday.

A few weeks ago I posted on this blog that I was a trivia champ. Well guess what friends...it happened again! Now I won't say that I was the only reason that it happened but I was part of a team that took on errybody and beat them down in the weekly trivia night held at Samuel Beckett's pub in Shirlington on Tuesday evenings. The squad that I'm on is full of awesome and for the the third time during the fall season, we won the evening and are in the running to take it all. 

And...it's a proven fact that when you win something and a trophy is given out, hot girls come a runnin'! It happened yet again (proof is below). So fellas...if you have a trophy layin' around somewhere, grab it and carry it around with you. The girls are sure to follow.

The hardware that was won by the squad last week. And hoping it'll happen again this week!