Five Dollar Buzz

It's been three entire decades since the celebrated year of 1991 in regards to rock and roll music has passed.  Here in the U.S., it was a hangover of sorts from a ten year stretch of excess and irreverence - symbolized by the financially successful spate of inane and bloated hair metal bands - fondly known as the 1980s.

Back in ’91 the world was witnessing the wind down of the Persian Gulf War, enjoying OJ Simpson’s reprisal of the beloved law man Nordberg in the cinematic sequel to THE NAKED GUN alongside Leslie Nielsen, and crawling into the capabilities of Al Gore’s genius invention of the internet.

Furthermore, 1991 also saw the release of an exceptionally large quantity of popular music recordings. A few of these very well received recordings include "Use Your Illusion I and II" by Guns N’ Roses, "Out of Time" by R.E.M., "Diamonds and Pearls" by Prince & The New Power Generation, "Death Certificate" by Ice Cube, "Loveless" by My Bloody Valentine, "Achtung Baby" by U2, "Badmotorfinger" by Soundgarden, "Emotions" by Mariah Carey, "Trompe le Monde" by Pixies and Metallica’s self-titled black album, just to name a few.  The impressive list goes on and on. There are many observers and musical academics who consider 1991 just as meaningful as another absurdly historical year - 1967 - with its seminal recordings by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doors, Pink Floyd and The Velvet Underground.

It is truly remarkable that three of 1991’s most enduring recordings were released on the exact same day; Tuesday September 24, 1991.  On this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ, each Buzzard examines them in great detail: Roger pays no "Nevermind" by Nirvana, George educates us on "The Low End Theory" by A Tribe Called Quest, and Pete conjures up some "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Featured Buzzard-at-Large Kevin Colgan colors up the commentary by waxing poetic on his nostalgic take of each album.

So please, lock the door behind you, adjust the towel, take your seat and politely hit the fan’s setting to "on."  You’re walking in on a purely Gen X session of FDB.

It’s been said a woman becomes a mother the moment she learns she’s pregnant. Rivaled by no system known to MALE, the female reproductive system (complete with a vast array of  inherent natural selective nurture traits triggered upon conception), is an amazing and infinitely fascinating vessel of life creating and life sustaining machinery.  Long the subject of fine art, prose, anthropologic study and scientific inquiry; the process of becoming a mother, or “matrescence,” is a neurobiological experience so profoundly divine, sitting here — attempting description with a pair of male thumbs seems almost akin to taking an Etch a Sketch stab at Picasso’s Guernica.

But if you think defining motherhood is hard…  what of fatherhood?  In contrast to a newborn’s immediate, bodily intimacy with the mother — what can we say about dear old Dad?  I mean what can we really say about a relationship that begins with inevitable distance?  Whereas mothers begin from a position of intimacy and must consciously choose to reject it, fathers begin from a position of distance and must consciously choose to claim their role as father — a non essential one in the Wild Kingdom.  We’re the only male animals arrogant enough to try that.

Eight years ago last week, both George and Nate Buzzard became fathers for the very first time.  In less than a week, Pete Buzzard will do the same.    With a mere combined 16 years to the day in the field of fatherhood, these early inning dads try and break it down for the rookie call up.  Hilarity ensues.  Five Dollar Buzz presents: Episode 208 - What to Expect When You’re Expecting - Non Regents Deluxe Dad Edition - Or, Mansplaining Fatherhood.

The provenance of video games was always the domain of the misunderstood misfits.  Old school coin-operated stand up terminals were located in smokey dive-bar back rooms or seedy shopping malls.  The early in-home entertainment consoles were first adopted by the propeller head and pocket protector set.  As those gaming systems became more advanced and realistic, the introverted and ostracized members of youth became the standard bearers of the online gaming communities.

The Boomer establishment has a rich history of being at odds with the video game industry.   Early 1980s fears of Japanese manufacturing supremacy, placing societal violence's blame on gaming's cartoonish pistol play, inaccurately correlating health issues to screen time, as well as dismissing a dynamic and innovative sector as a passing fad.  You name it, Boomer's did everything but self-reflect.