Ah the critics....

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Message to President/CEO from REDACTED
Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 09:31:00 -0500 (CDT)
From: REDACTED FOR USER SAFETY
To: jeffb@

     I'm a regular user of your website and I'm very disappointed to see a big SLAYER concert link on your homepage. What the heck does some acid rock band have to do with reptiles??? All this does is continue to draw a direct parallel between reptiles and acid rock,drug using,tattoed head to toe scumbags.
     Are you going to start having a separate category for crack pipes,drug scales and porn links next?
     This is a reptiles website,please help keep it that way.
     Thanks,
          

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You know I expected people to ding me on my web site for my musical tastes and I have no problem with that. I am a music critic after all. I also don't have a problem with people that think our music site is the wrong direction for our business to go. I think they are wrong, they think I am wrong, but we have far more users and advertisers that think I am right so we're gonna keep on going. Its a difference of opinion. I don't have a problem with that. If they are right my experiment will fail and the web site will implode in a public fireball. If I am right thenthe web site will see an increase in traffic, the hobby will increase it's  presence in the mainstream and all the businesses and hobbyists in the industry will benefit. It's a risk, but it's my risk to take.

When you start calling my friends "drug using, tattoed head to toe scumbags" that's where I am going to have to draw the line.

I know Kerry King, spent several hours with him yesterday, and he allowed me the privilege of photographing his show, going so far as to give me special photo pass, something coveted by music journalists and wannabe journalists worldwide. He may have tattoos, but he is no scumbag and I have never heard any mention of him using drugs, the hardest thing I have ever seen him ingest was a bag of almonds. Of all the musicians we have covered so far he is by far the most directly connected to the reptile industry. Being a commercial reptile breeder and having purchased animals from a good number of reptile dealers that advertise on our site, he has stated to me he is about to join those ranks himself as soon as his reptile site is ready. Kerry was one of the first people of note that I met when I started this site 9 years ago when we bumped into each other at an IRBA show in San Diego. Mr. King is probably one of the more upstanding members of the reptile community and one of the nicest guys you could ask to meet and I was appalled that this ill informed person would send me such a disparaging email.

This persons narrow minded attitude is unfortunate. Not all people that play rock & roll, listen to rock & roll, and have tattoos use drugs or are scumbags. And LOTS and LOTS of them own reptiles.

Rock & roll & reptiles were linked long before I got here and will be so long after I am gone and the reptile industry has never excluded people based on their color, religion, sexual orientation, proclivity for body art or musical taste. If you don't like the music references on our site, fine just don't click on them. If you don't want tattooed rock & roll lovers in the hobby, perhaps you should choose something a little more whitebread to do with your time like collecting tea cozies and going to Captain & Tenille concerts.

Me, I am going to kick back, put on a little Slayer, and get my first tattoo. At 43 this will be a little easier to break to the parents. I am thinking a shirtsleeve design with a couple of kingsnakes intertwined around the bicep. Anyone know  a good artist?

Comments

[Melanie]

It's sad to see that some people still live in the (can't even say caveman anymore) caveperson mentality. Wonder what people think of a tatooed preschool teacher?

[DUSTIN MILLER]

I too know Kerry personnally and I am just @ all with the comment posted by that person.You said it best DONT click on the link. I must say bias ppl like that really get under my skin in a way I cant even say. I am going to see SLAYER in HOUSTON tonight I have the same VIP photo status as you and will take some very good pix and if @ all possible I will speak to Kerry b4 and after the show and pull out the laptop and show him this site and let him comment back on those who made the uttlery IMO dumb comments. I know very good tatt artists in just about all 48 st8's Jeff. I will also say this Kerry's son also is on kingsnake.com daily and buys from some very known ppl and ppl who have just begun in the herp hobby. PS I have seen Kerry injest a little more than almonds!!!!! Herp on.

[Randal Berry]

I gotta agree with Jeff on this one.
Kerry King made an appearence at my and my wifes Reptile Expo in San Antonio last week, and he was a more than a gracious fellow. He's very interested in reptiles and signed lot's of autographs for his fans attending the expo. Nice guy indeed.
Randal Berry

[Nokturnel Tom Stevens]

Let them Cry about it Jeff. After all the years a monumental band like Slayer has been influencing heavy music we both know they could care less about comments people make about them. I am glad you voiced your opinion and stuck up for Kerry though. The music section of this site caters to all types of music, and metal fans are not crying about things they are not interested in or emailing you to bash them. We simply read what interests us and pay no mind to the rest. That idiot who posted that nonsense is in need of some drugs if he thinks people with tatoos or musicians are the only users, and scumbag? Apparently he thinks he is something special? HA!Now after he has enjoyed the site created for reptile lovers he is gonna tell you how you should run it since he is not OK with your appreciation for heavy music? Sign his ass up for some scientology cleansing and send him packing! Your friend Tom Stevens

[Bob]

I am not a slayer fan or anything, but I just have to say they are pretty cool guys. I was trying to promote my band at a local radio show not long ago, and it happened to be the same day Slayer was coming on and doing a show in the area (which is apparently pretty rare they do interviews anymore)... the funny thing is, i just kind of bumped into them in passing when they were waiting to go in, and to be honest, I had no idea who they were until afterwards. They were really cool and friendly guys and I think anyone that has a negative opinion about them clearly has NOT ever met them. Just IMHO.

[Michael]

HAHA! Am I the only one that saw Slayer be categorized as acid rock?!? Hahaha. Metal bitches! It is sad that people still think that music makes people kill each other. Closed minded morons. Some people will just never learn.

[Matt Bruner]

Jeff Gogue is a great artist if you are still looking to get a tattoo done. He has tattoed a speckled rattlesnake on my arm, and a mexican beaded lizard on my side. It is unreal how realistic they look. Check out his portfolio on his site. His shop is located in Grants Pass, OR. He has won every tattoo award I believe is possible, not to mention he is a very humble and just a great person.

[Matt Bruner]

Here is a link to his Jeff's site http://www.gogueart.com/thumbn1.html

[Travis]

heavy metal rocks, so do reptiles. shut up.

p.s. UP THE IRONS!

[chase]

SNAKES AND METAL!!

thats my motto. What kinda grandma would say acid rock?

[Kim]

Why would anyone care? Unless they need a life. Music taste vary as much as pet taste. If you don't like it don't look at it. All the reptile stuff is still there just read that part. I think it's great. Keep up the varied interest, Jeff. By the way...if your in FL. after the Daytona Expo (that Wednesday, there is a new band you may like. I will take you as my guest.) But I'll send a private message with details. Kingsnake.com is the best reptile site on the web! and if the creator wants to vary interest that's his prerogative.

[Kim]

Oh yeah, and about that Tatoo..if you stay in town Armadillo Red @ Kissimee Tatoo does great workl. He has worked on music artists such as Cher and many more and one of his associates did mine! We can set you up there too.

[Scott]

the genres totally overlap! I want to wear a Burm around my neck to a NIN show...

[clayton]

I happened to stumble onto this site on accident.I was initially looking to get closer shots of kerry kings tattoos.I personally am a huge fan of slayer.whether or not this gets posted Im wondering where the guy got his info from in his moronic comment made about slayer and promotion of drug use and calling kerry a head to toe tattooed scumbag.Its pretty obvious this fool has no clue about the band.where does having a bands picture on your webpage have a direct parallel with the promotion of drug use.These guys dont promote drug use, they promote the uselessness of religion and how it has caused the world nothing but hatred for another human being and the senseless killing over a god that doesnt exist .