Scoop’s Views

It seems Chinese Democracy is finally here — the album from Guns N’ Roses, not actually democracy in China — and if the band’s 17-year-in-the-making album hits store shelves on Sunday, “It’s going to be so easy, easy for every American to get a free Dr Pepper as promised,” said Tony Jacobs, Dr Pepper’s vice president of marketing.

The soda company says it is ready to offer coupons for free Dr Pepper to every American if the on-again/off-again album is released on Sunday.

Tags: albums, beverages, CDs, Chinese Democracy, collector's item, coupons, Dr Pepper, free coupons, free Dr Pepper, giveaways, GnR, Guns N’ Roses, music, music CDs, promotions, soda, songs, Tony Jacobs

They are the people songs are sometimes written about. They are often the most important people in the world when we want to tell someone about a success; they listen to us when we just got shot down and suffer a defeat and just need to talk with someone; and they are the people we call first when life seemingly crumbles around us.

These people, known by a simple seven-letter word, are often our best allies in the world; at other times, you wonder about their loyalty, especially when they tell you something about yourself that you don’t want to hear; but through it all, they are often closer than a brother or sister. They are the people who help us make it through some of life’s gloomiest days, and they are often our only cheerleaders.

Tags: always make up, butt cheeks, cheerleaders, closer than a brother, crap, Friends, important people, Life, life's problems, people who know our faults, people who know us best, people who support us, songs

This is the first time I’ve ever heard a song that dealt with the issue — head-on — of what the troops go through when they come home. No matter how well adjusted they may seem when they get home, I really hate to burst your bubble, but after you’re in combat, kill more people, some with your hands, you’re never the same person you were before you went. No, the innocence is lost. Much like a person’s first sexual experience: you’re no longer naive about many things, but in this case, it is something that’s not pleasureful. It’s about hatred, death, and survival.

Tags: combat, combat veterans, combat vets, country music, honor the troops, honor veterans, just back from combat, music, songs