Changes.. Changes.. Changes...

Is this the end of the world as we know it? Is the world coming to an end? Is Iran about to scare the crap out of us with a bomb? Did Danny Wood stop going to the gym? Is Donnie Wahlberg wearing his jeans ON his waist line?

Ok, so as much as I hope the answer to all questions above is "FREAKIN' NO", I do know that some things have changed lately in the happy world of Blockheads.. So here are my 40/80 dollars...hmmmm I mean- 2 cents- about all the new happenings.

As we all know the tour with BSB was announced and just when we were actually starting to get used to that.. BOOM.. the nkotb site, the place we all love to bitch about but can't live without now is not free anymore. We had some time to adjust to the NKOTBSB thingy since the rumor has been out there for like a month, some of us love the idea, some don't care and some hate it.. But we all accepted it, but the membership for the fan club was a complete surprise to all. 

You know us, we are crazy old women (or groupies or whatever Ryan Seacrest likes to call us) we like our routines, we don't adjust too well to changes. At our age, when the weather changes drastically - we feel it in our joints. When Nkotb.com changes drastically- we bitch. Yup.Just like that.. We bitch.. and only after that we think.

For the record: I love NKOTB, always have, always will. I don't care who they go on stage with, what they sell or if Joe's skinny jeans are too skinny. I love the guys and I consider myself one hell of a dedicated fan but they don't force me to buy anything, from a cruise ticket (2nd time flying in from Israel- BUSTED) to a fan-club membership.

I would be lying if I said I'm happy about the joint concerts or the membership thing. I'm not.. but it's MY decision to make as a grownup on what to spend my money. Last time I checked Ddub wasn't standing behind me (*sigh*) with his gun (*big sigh*) & making me buy a show ticket or a membership to the fantastic world of the dedicated fans. Nope, I'm the one that decided not to spend my money on any of those- therefore.. if I have to be mad at someone.. It'll be at myself coz I made the call.

Sometimes, between all the LOVE tweets (which btw, I believe are true) and the attention we get and the fantasies we have in our minds, we forget that for NKOTB this whole thing is a business. I don't mean it in a bad way... just in a LET'S FUCKING GROW UP way. 

The way I see it: I love each and every one of my students very much, I care for them, I want them to succeed, to be happy and I try my best to give them what they deserve.. but would I be doing it if I didn't get paid at the end of the month? the answer is HELL NO! Do I think NKOTB love us, care for us and want us to be happy? YES. Would they be doing it for free? HELL NO!!

This thing is also a business and they have to make business decisions. They are not FORCING us to agree with them but they don't owe us anything so we can be mad. frustrated and even a bit disappointed about things that are going on lately but we can't start bitching like freakin 12 year olds. WE decide what to spend our money on, not NKOTB. They offer a product, we can choose to buy it or not.

I, for example, won't be buying a ticket to see NKOTB and BSB. MY decision is not to pay a flying ticket + hotel+concert tickets +shopping money (coz you are out of your mind if you think I'll fly to the US of A & won't buy clothes I don't need) to see anything less than a FULL ONLY NKOTB concert (preferably with shirtless BIBIY & some DDub pant dropping)... So NKOTB offered me a product I don't like & I won't buy it... just like I don't like everything my mom cooks.. but I love her.

I won't be buying a membership either. I don't need it to feel like a "dedicated" or "loyal" fan. Sure I enjoyed using the site and  the forums (although sometimes those can be a scawwwwy place) but I don't NEED them. I guess if I needed them then I would be paying whatever they ask. Once again.. just a product I won't be buying.

I choose to save all that money and use it when NKOTB have a SOLO tour (yes I say WHEN & not IF) or to buy all sorts of NKOTB merch I don't really need but I WANT.

So dear BH sistahs: each of us if responsible for her own acts, we decide what to buy and what not to get, we decide how to spend our money and not NKOTB. So when we bitch about the changes made lately, we should remember the changes are just an offer.. not a mitzvah (the Jewish term for a divine command) ..

Now if you don't mind..I gotta go do something about my knees.. with these weather changes- they are killing me!!!

La-la-la-la-la-la JonKnight- The Boat edition

Remember when we said, no,I won't go,
and how we won't even be home for booking fever ,
we thought last year was fun enough, & the money will go to other  stuff,
didn't we, girls, ooh, didn't we, girls, aah?

Well, we realized it's a brand new boat after all
so we almost gave Rose Tours a call,
coz we can't stay home when the NK sail,
no matter how much it costs, we will pay the fares.
 With JonKnight, JonKnight.

Remember when we sold stuff on ebay all over the world,
we almost sold our organs, and pets,
coz we are going on that boat - so get ready for next May,
didn't it, girls, ooh, didn't we, girls, aah?

Well, I guess...

(Spoken:) Sounds good, hey BH's, let's sail it, here we go.
La-la-la-la-la-la JonKnight, la-la-la-la-la-la JonKnigh)

Close to cruise baby

La,la,la,la... La,la,la,la... Oh... yeah...

You know that it's hard (you know that it's hard)
To decide to book (To decide to bookl)
To not be standing, next May on the boat

I know it's hard when I'm far away
But I promise you when I get paid,
I'll sail (I'll sail)...

[Chorus:]
Sail with your fans, sail with my friends
  Sail in that cabin that barely fits for one bed
Sail with those chicks, sail with my peeps
Sail coz staying home, no I can't  resist
Sail with the crowd, with 2000 of us
Having the great time that I deserve
Sail with you, baby, from the other side of the  world, sail with you

La,la,la,la... La,la,la,la... Hey... Mmm

Baby, hope the site won't crash (site won't crash)
and that I'll make the presale (make the presale)
You know I'm weak to it (So weak)
And you're making me sail

I just made up my mind, i can't stay here ( decision making is over!)
I'm gonna sail this like I did before,
Gonna do it again, it's  clear, when I'm...

[Chorus]

Now I'm counting down the days,

There's a huge amount transfered from my bank account

Before you know it, May will be there
Coming all the way, to sail  and together leave land
Close to cruise baby

I'll always be..

CLOSE TO CRUISE......

Yup.... just like that

Things that can only happen in NK-land

This is a list of things that have happened to me or to people around me during my trip to NK-land.. If you have any to add, please feel free to add them as comments :-)

1- You attend a show & then out of no-where the girl standing before you recognizes your face from Twitter& you realize you two have been following each other

2- The language we all communicate in is English but it has so many different accents that it sounds more like Esperanto

3- If you see a huge scary man walking in front of you at night  but you hear he has a Boston accent, you stare at him with a "I'm inlove"look instead of running for your life

4- Marhsmallows, Twixes, Bananas and Tractors are never ever just fruits or objects. They have a Life of their own

5- You start the night walking in Dorchester just to see where the guys used to hang out and you end up talking with guys from the Funky Bunch

6- An Indonesian gets a ticket for a concert in USA for someone from Israel

7- Every time you see someone waving their hands you go "ohhh ohhh ohhh hanging tough"

8- You think baseball is probably the most boring sport of them all but you are a huge "Red-sox"fan

9-You tell the guy at the counter at the airport (the one that is trying to charge you 150$ overweight) that if he didn't  have such a cute Bostonian accent.. you would really tell him what you think about his flying company policy

10-You are willing to burn your skin and get Skin cancer but DAMMMNN you are gonna take that picture with Donnie!

11- You walk by the Fillmore at 2 am the night before the concert & are really disappointed that no one is standing in-line

12- You can't walk more than 10 meters in Boston without having a NK reminder

13- A male friend of yours who has no clue who the New Kids are , calls you just to let you know that they mentioned Donnie and Mark Wahlberg during a Celtics game

14- Riding one car: two Denish girls, One Indonesian, One Israel and One American.. & all have the same passions

15- You see a girl eating ketchup on her eggs and you think that is completely reasonable

16- You truly believe that if you had to choose between death in awful pain and the batteries of your camera dying during a concert- you rather die for sure

17- You ride an elevator with a girl you recognize from twitter but since you have no clue what her REAL name is, you don't even say hi

18- You are seriously thinking about taking a second job and calling it "NK's fund"

19- Every time you see a Starbucks you have a reflex to go in and get coffee.. (even if you are already holding one)

20- Meeting people you have never met before and feeling like they are good old friends

21- Asking people you never met to please keep your turn in line while you go do some stuff and knowing that they will actually do it for you

22- Actually considering staying two hours at the airport with all your bags coz you know Jon and Jordan are landing in two hours

23- Not doing it and feeling guilty

24- Paying 395$ for standing in a long line, saying hi to the guys for 2 minutes and getting crappy seats and still feel like you've done the best deal of your life

25- Start the night alone and end it with 10 girls from all over the world ( not in a kinky way you dirty minded people!!)

26- Sit with a friend in your room at the hotel and tweet each other coz that's the way you two are used to communicate with each other

27- otah, tractah, Bawwston, tah

28- You gave up ages ago on trying to make people that don't get it to get it...you know they will forever be lost in the valley of ignorance

29- You can't remember who sang "we will rock you"or "sweet dreams"but you sure think that the NK's versions of them are way better than the original

30- When you hear Maxwells "This womans work"you have a suspicious grin on your face

31- You might be going crazy but you are starting to think that Cholo socks are kindda cool

32- No matter where you are in the world, you ALWAYS knwo what's the time in Boston and L.A.

33- You are 31 and you just bought jelly bracelets. And yes.. you think that is completely normal 

34- You spent 5K$ on a two weeks trip and you are completely sure that that was the best way to spend that money

35- You will do it all over again, as soon as you get the chance ( or the money)

L.O.V.E

** This blog is being published 3 days after I wrote it because I wanted Ddub to be the 1st one to be able to read it, so I printed it and gave it to him (well, gave is not the exact term that describes stucking it into his jacket at a m&g while security were not looking). I hope he had or will have a chance to read it.

**I'd also like to dedicate this blog to all those who shared these amazing two weeks with me. Here it hoes to my BH sistahs!!

Now to the actual blog

For months I have been trying to really understand what it is that makes us BH so special and what is it that makes our bond with the guys so significant. A few nights ago, at a boat in the middle of the ocean I got the answer from Mr Donnie Freakin Wahlberg. The answer is L.O.V.E. The answer is Family.

Before getting on the cruise lots of questions went through my mind: Will I see enough of the guys? Is it smart to spend all this money just like that? Will I get enough face-time? Will I be able to actually talk to the guys? To take pictures?.... Funny, but the more I think about it - the more I realize that those where not the real questions that I had in mind.

This journey has never been about facetime ( don’t get me wrong, I still want my Knight sandwich with marshmallow on top)  or about taking pictures with the guys. This journey has always been about making dreams come true, about love and about friendship. I don’t know how many people get to experience the amazing feeling of being a part of such a big and special family as Blockheads. Sure, every group has it’s groupies but I don’t think every group has a family and I don’t think every group of fans has people as amazing as the New Kids to bring them all together.

For me , being on the cruise, going to the concerts and spending this 2 weeks in the USA has always been about the friendship. I finally met so many faces and so many people that I was sharing my life and  passions with via a computer. I got to meet friends from all over the world that felt the same way as I did and could understand me without even trying hard.  Just imagine, an after party where an Israeli, an Indonesian and two Danish girls dance together to the sound of “full service” Yes, for me the most exciting part (well, maybe shirtless Ddub was a bit more exciting) about all this was the very moment when we were all dancing on the Lido deck and you could just feel the love.  You could really feel that the 2000 people that were rocking that boat had enough Love to make a 20 years old and long distance relationship work.

Since the very first moment I realized the kids where back together all I felt from Bh’s was pure love and real friendship. Is like the comeback didn’t just bring the guys back to us but also gave us back that feeling that only a 13 year old girl can feel towards her friends. I’ve heard so many stories about Bh’s helping each other to make their dreams come true. Bh’s willing to give a spot on the boat to others that have never met the guys before. Girls buying concert tickets for others,  girls supporting each other while trying to lose weight. Bh’s taking a step back so other Bh’s could step in for a photo. Pure sisterhood. And that is what makes this journey so special, the little and big moments we share with our fellow blockheads and the little and big moments we share with the New Kids.

I’m not talking about the screaming and the facetime and the pictures. Those are not the significant moments, sure, they are fun moments and I wouldn’t change them for anything in this world but those are not the moments that define us as family. The significant moments are an encounter with Jon by the pool when he comes to talk to his Jongirls, a smile from Donnie when he passes by you and he knows you are waiting for it, a speech on the Lido deck, a spontaneous hug on a m&g. The little things that remind us that the New kids are not more but not less than Human & the Bh moments are the ones that make all this journey worthy.

So, tomorrow is my last concert (well, until I get rich enough to travel again from Israel) and it feels bitter-sweet. It’s bitter because it feels  like being separated from people I love , because I have been having a great time and because  this journey is not supposed to end. But it’s also sweet because I got to meet so many people I call friends, because I got to experience so many different feelings and so much love around me that I feel like it doesn’t matter if I am here or back in Israel- this is never going to end.

So tomorrow night, when the lights turn off, and the last note of Hanging tough is being played, I will probably have tears in my eyes, tears of joy – the joy of knowing that I am a part of something that is bigger than me- I’m not just Yael. I’m Yael the Blockhead and that will never change. It’s part of me just like my name, just like the things I do and the things I love. Being a blockhead is more than just loving 5 great (and freakin’ hot) guys. Being a blockhead is knowing that I always have five brothers and a million sisters spread all over the world .

Was this trip worthy? Was it smart to spend all that money? The answer is YES. Because  money can’t buy memories, money can’t buy family and money can’t buy that great feeling that I have in my heart right now. So to all of those asking  me if I went crazy the answer is NO! The answer is that I know I did the right thing because in 90 years, when I  take my last breath, the things that I will take with me to god-knows-where  are all those faces I’ve met this week, the smile I had during Donnies speech on the deck, the fun we had tonight at the after party. What I will be taking with me is not the money I’ve earned but the friends I”ve made and the experiences we shared.

So Donnie, Jon,Jordan,Joe , Danny and my Bh sistahs: Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for making this journey one I will nevah forget. See you soon!!!

I was on tah mottah fuckah boat - part I

I still can't believe that after all the preparations and all the waiting and the countdowns and all- well it's all over now. But boy- what a journey this has been!! 

So let's go back to the beginning- the embarkation day- a huge room packed with BH recognizing each other from twitter and waiting inline. Now srsrly, dear Carnival people: we are embarking a freakin boat with NKOTB, what about playing some NKOTB music while we wait , instead of that horrible so called latino elevator music you were playing!?! Anyways, we got the orange wrist band (the one that marks you as the poor girls on the block that could hardly pay for the trip) and we were good to go.

Once we got into the boat it took us quite a long time to find our cabin since the boat is HUGE. The good thing: our cabin was bigger than I expected.... the bad thing: it was really far from everything.

And then there was the sail away party!!!! The Lido deck was packed with all of us dancing and singing and drinking, lots of fun!!! The guys decided to go up to the stage passing some of the girls, which was a great thing. Seriously, I think they tried their best to give as many people as much facetime as possible, I can't remember anyone telling me that they wanted facetime and where refused. Well once the party begun - we knew this was going to be a weekend to remember. the guys looked so happy and so comfortable on stage, and all of us did too. Well.. kind of comfortable cos Kathy and me were caring a huge cupcake that needed to be handed to JK as a b-day present from all his girls worldwide. So we made a sign and took the damn thing with us to the party. Jon saw it and he actually asked us to give it to him, so we did .. he left it somewhere and came back to say it's  ok. Thats the part where Kathy &me where at the top of the world. Not only we got on the boat, not only we got to deliver our present but also Jon, the love of my 13 year old self, saw it and helped us.

Once the party was over we realized the cupcake was left on stage, from this time on.. it will become "our thing" After all we had a responsibility to all our worldwide friends to deliver it . Ok... back to the story.. Donnie (btw, I'm a 100% Donverted woman) walked around people and took pics, shook hands, gave kisses. I know thats probably the businessman in him but he really wanted to get to as many people as possible and he took the time to at least say a few words to each. When it was my turn he took my cam to take a picture of us but the freakin thing went out of  batteries. So I told him we will have to do it later and the cutest guy ever said " no, let me work it out" and he actually made it work and took a picture. Yes, thats how I knew he is god- he has powers to fix things...  

For me that was it.. I felt like a really lucky lady, less than 2 hrs. on tah boat and already got what I wanted!!!!

Since we were in group B- our game show went first. .Donnie baptized the game as " kind of like jeopardy" coz he was complaining that we didn't get the rules right.. so funny!!!The show wasn't half as interesting and the stupid things the guys did during it to make us laugh.. they were all over the place being funny and cynical and giving us a great time. 

The ga,e included some crowd hunt- which means the guys ere going in the crowd to find items (yup, they looked at ppls bras to find a pink leopard bra), some video trivia (Dear Jared: if you put Never Let You Go on screen, please don't expect anyone to be able to concentrate on your questions).

Game was over, then it was time for dinner, we decided to have it in the formal- too fancy for a BH dinning room..

At night it was Casino Royale night and the guys were all wearing TUX. Phewww as if it wasn't haawt enough on that boat they had to go wearing that!!! They seemed very cool, relaxed and having fun. they even tried to walk around the crowd for a bit but most time they spend doing a sort of show and spending time at the VIP area. We had the cupcake with us and a sign saying "we have your cupcake- again" Jon saw it and said that he took it and we told him that it was left on the stage so he did a cute face and so did we. I even think he tried to get his kid bro to see it/ Later that night he actually saw i6t and made a sign with his hands that can mean 2 things "later" or "tomorrow" although I think it can say "fuck you" as well... lol

Of course we danced to all the songs while the guys where goofing around having fun and trying they're best to give us a great time..

We had a great time during the whole experience, if you ask me- meeting all my twitter friends from all over the globe was as exciting as meeting the guys. Really, so many faces that became familiar to me but I've never met before. So many accents, so many people... It was just an amazing experience.. and yes.. there's still 2 more days to go so stay tuned for updates numbah 2 and 3

Miami, May 13th 2010- MOTTAH FUCKAH SQUEEEEEE

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Ok, now that we got that out of the way- let's get this... i mean, let's start.

Let me start by saying that I really believe every woman should have a lining up experience. It's like a broken heart.. you suffer but it's something you HAVE to go through to grow up.

With that said, I feel now less pathetic to let you know that i lined up at freakin 2:30 when doors opened only at 7.

While I was lining up I got to see my Danish girls and they told me they saw the guys arriving and they even got some autographs..hmmm... thats when it all started. You know me, I'm a mature, self controled , very rational woman (YEAH RIGHT) so as soon as I felt some stalking oportunities- I had to go for it.

I told my friend that they are probably at the back so we went to stand there, behind the bars.. you know all those pics that I've seen before of BH's standing at the back of the venue waiting for some love? well this time I got to be in those pictures and it was FUN!! My really burnt skin might defer and say that it was irresponsible, uncomfortable,stupid and all those bad things but we all know that for NKOTB i will get my skin sunburn  and be OK with it).

Anyway, when we were standing there little Joe came out. The reason i say little is coz the man is all bones.. SOMEONE PLEASE THROW A SANDWICH AT HIM!!! The guy is way smaller than I remembered him and he was extremely patient and nice and he took the time to smile, take pictures and sign things.. he even got his own sharpie!! So I took a picture with him and he signed my Israeli flag who's now on a mission to get 4 more signatures.  That was the FIRST autograph i have ever got from anyone!!! yeah.. I finally have something autographed... not to mention that it's cool that it's a flag coz my friend had nothing with her so she had to get her shirt signed :-)

Autograph tip: Joe doesn't autograph boobs so don't even ask.( I didn't but 2 girls there did).

Anyways after we had our moment with Joe we figured we should stay there to get to see mr Wahlberg.. so we waited... and got sunburnt.. and waited.... and got sunburnt.. and waited... and met some cool blockheads.. and waited.. well you get the idea, right? 

Then we decided to use the "I came from far away" card so every once in a while my friend would scream HONG KONG and i would scream ISRAEL... it kindda became a reflex... lol .. didn't help us much but it was fun.

Well.. hours went by and just when my skin started actually thinking about moving somewhere else and leaving me skinless (YUCK) we decided to go get some coffee (starbucks, like duh!!) and then we stood back in line.

7:00 sharp the doors opened and we run for our lives.... completely worth it coz we got to stand in really good spots.

I have to say that this concert experience was so much greater than the amazing concert i attended in Amsterdam. 

First of all the venue was smaller and way more intimate, it was actually a theater and  you could REALLY see what was going on. I also felt more comfortable, just moving around and talking to people i have never met before. Of course I got to meet some girls i knew from Twitter but never met before and I must say that was one of the coolest parts of the whole deal.

Another great thing that I felt this time is that people were actually nicer. If you wanted to leave your spot to go say hi to friends or go to the bathroom or get drinks or whatever- people standing BEHIND you actually saved it for you, people were trying all the time to not block each others views, there was no pushing.. it was just fun and simple.. I LOVED THIS CONCERT

Now to the concert itself: It felt way more simple than the big shows they held in arenas and i liked it, the dance steps were simple, the band was smaller, less fireworks and more singing. the bad thing is that there was also waaayy less talking top the crowd  and it was shorter and faster. 

The song choices were GREAT and even the new arrangements they did to the old songs were great. the acoustic part is to die for. Really it's a great part of the show and of course the solos are .. well... you know.... they are great. I like the slut look joe got for his solo and I can't even talk about " never let you go" without smiling for a few hours aftah. And "I got it" did i mention I got it was great!?!?!? phhewwwww what a concert.

Once the concert was done we headed back to the parking lot to see some action. On the way we realized the guys where at a window throwing things and talking to fans  but we didn't stop- we were  on a Ddub mission after all!!!!.

Then we saw the van arrive and Jon and Jordan got inside without even saying hi, which is more than OK. The guys were exhausted, they have a full weekend of non-sleep ahead so I think it's really Ok that they just left.And they did it pretty quietly.. it's not like they came, saw us and ignored us.. nothing like that at all, the van picked them up from the back door and they left.

Then a whole bunch of teenagers ( I think they are one of Dannys girls friends) got inside and a few stupid girls tried to get inside with them.. well HELLO!! YOU DON'T LOOK 15 WITH THAT SLUTY DRESS SO DON'T TRY!!!

Then Danny came out waving  with his daughters. they waved said good night and got into his car and drove home.

We knew Ddub was still inside so there was no way in hell we were leaving. and indeed.. after like 15 minutes Ddub came to say hi. girls stood by the fence and he took the time to shake hands and take pictures. 

This is when I knew it was MY moment.. the only problem is that I didn't have anything smart to say.. and I never talk anything but smart stuff... so then out of nowhere I told him  "I'm the Israeli girl" so he looked at me and then did a face like if he recognized me ( I'm pretty sure he doesn't but it was nice that he tried to make me feel good) and then he said "wooahh" and high-fived me. HE high-fived ME!!!!Then he said " I love you" and I said " me too" and he asked me if I;m going on the boat, I told him that I am and he said " ok then see you  tomorrow"  and I said yup and he winked. At this point I think I died for a few seconds and went to heaven. The bad  news is that I don't have any pictures of that moment but I have the great memory of it. By the way.. something must be happening in the NK'S world coz he looked really skinny . Thank god we will always have the Knight brothers well fed.:-)

So I actually think that if I don't get anymore facetime I can still call myself a lucky woman. I got to go to a great concert, to meet really nice people and to talk to Ddub... I can die a happy woman now.

Now it's time to pack for the mottah fuckah boat!!!!!!

I will keep you guys posted

Blockheads have taken over Miami

Local resindents are required to not leave their homes unless they want 20000000 screaming women in their restaurants or if they want to spend 70 hrs. taking pictures of hyper happy women.

Now let's get serious for a while:

I finally went to the beach today and of course  now instead of the ugly shirt tan marks I had....now I have really ugly mixture of tank top and bathing suite marks... life in Miami is good.

 Then at the evening as planed I attended the BH meeting.

The place was packed with us (and a Joe doll) it was around 60 women in a local restaurant, screaming and tweeting and calling each other by nicknames coz no one know whats each others real name. To be honest, it looked weird at fist.. so many familiar faces that I have no idea who they are.. but in a matter of minutes the weirdness was gone and I actually had a great time. It was fun to meet girls that I became good friends with but never met before. It was fun to meet more blockheads and you know... to get the party going and ready for tomorrow... So to all my BH sisters that attended the dinner party- THANX FOR A GREAT NIGHT. 

And a special thank you to the poor couple that took  like 300000 pictures of us.. I think they missed dinner, a movie and probably more things but they had a great time taking pictures of un-medicated crazy women :-)

I also went to see the Fillmore , which by the way, is 5 minutes from my hotel.. i was happy to see that no one was lining up tonight but sad to see that. what's wrong with us? doesn't a GA show deserve women sleeping in the streets of Miami? are we getting old!?!? 

Well. it seems that my 1st casi-NO tour is getting closer and closer... 

Tomorrow I will be posting news and pictures as soon as I take them

Miami baby!!! Miami

Ok.. Let's start the updates with the most important things I've discovered in this trip so far:

 1- It's hard to find a sturbucks in Miami.. but if you must know... there's one very close to the Intercontinental Hotel.... hmmm.... very interesting

2- I hate humid weather

3- British MALE flying attendants are def. the hottest flying attendants I have ever seen.. Good bless the Queen!!!

4- The weather hates me ( it has been cloudy all day)

5- There's a bus that takes you from the airport to the Dolphin mall (10 mins. ride) but it takes over an hour

Now to NKOTB related stuff

Woke up really early due to mottah fuckah Jetlag, had crappy coffee (well 2 crappy coffees) and headed to Lincoln av.- thats supposed to be the place were all the cool kids hang around... I got into a store and BOOM- see what I found? (Well Jenny found it but this is MY blog so I'm gonna say I found it)

While walking  in  downtown Miami I spotted at least 10 potential blockheads.. you know how it is.. we are like dogs- we smell each ottah. It could have been nice to know if they were actually BH's or not

After taking the longest bus in the history of human kind- I finally got to the mall... and whats the 1st store I get to see? yup you are right- EPIC... now If thats not destiny.... I dunno what that is....

So two nkotb related thing sin 1day?- I call this day a total success!!! and what's even bettah- I just found out that the Filmore is about 10 mins walking from my hotel

Miami- get ready... blockheads are gonna  have some serious fun!!!

I'm leaving on a Jetplane......and then ona boat and then another plane

Don't you know that the time has arrived?!?!?!?

OHHH yesss!!! i know!!!

So after months of waiting, packing, unpacking, shopping fests, saving money,spending money, spending more money and then a bit more.... IT'S TIME!!!

I'm leaving tonight for Miami, so this blog turns into a "read my daily stalking adventures".

What can you expect from today till I'm back? 

I will be updating here as much as I can from the Miami show, the Cruise and both Foxwoods shows..

I know, It's not as good as being there but it's bettah than nothing, right?

I'm on a mission to get my Knight Sandwich with marshmallow on top!!!

Am I really THAT crazy?

OK OK FINE!! Now you can stop screaming "YES"to your screen!!!
Do you know those moments in life when you sit down and think if things you are doing are really what you need to be doing, if things you want are really what you NEED?
Well, I have been having some of those moments lately, and you got it right.. it's NKOTB related.
A few months ago I was happily jumping up and down because I manged to get myself on the cruise (and only god knows how). I had it all figured out, some savings I had, some money I will save during the year and I won't get into any kind of debt. I thought I HAVE to be on the cruise, the thought of sitting home while another cruise sails off terrified me, so despite of the things people around me told me, despite the fact that my friends think i have finally lost it and instead of brain now I have a picture of Ddub in my head- I DID IT.. I got a spot on the boat. I know that was the right decision to make, and I don't regret it at all. I wanted to do it- I had the money to do it- I'm gonna do it.
But then the mini tour thingy arrived....
Hmmm..... will I actually fly all the way to the USA for only one week knowing that a few days later there are going to be concerts!? Do I really NEED to go see more concerts? Can I afford that?
My number #1 rule was (still is) "if you have to get yourself in debt for it- don't do it!". That's when I started looking for old lost accounts, money some old jobs owed me, another saving I had and I found the money ( at least I hope I did coz now I'm all booked)
So it all looks great but then I started asking myself if thats the right way to spend THAT money.. Sure I'm dyeing to see an NKOTB concert (again) and I don't know what the future holds for me... I know today I can go, I have no responsibilities, no kids to take care of, my boss is fine with me taking those days off, I know I'm going to have the time of my life, not just because of the NK'S but also because I'm going to finally meet so many people I call friends and still... something bothers me.
Call it early midlife (hey hey!! I'm only 31) crisis, call it a reality call, call it what you want baby- I still call it love, but today I found myself thinking about all the things I could do with that money. I could finally study and take my driving license exam (in Israel it's mandatory to take around 30 lessons.. all together is 1000 usd) and buy an used car ( probably less than 3000 usd) I could buy a mac (not THE mac) I could study design, could save the money, hell!! I could travel for over 4 months in South America or India with that kind of money.. I could do so many things, things that will be useful for me and for people I know..
So yes, i find myself wondering and thinking this whole thing, have I lost my mind? Am I that childish? Don't I have any sense of responsibility? maybe I should wake up from this NKOTB world and start doing other things with my money..
What really makes me worry is the fact that I always come to the same answer: SHUT THE FUCK UP AND SPEND THE MONEY ON WHAT YOU WANT!. I find myself feeling that the cruise+concerts are the right thing to do, maybe not the most responsible, maybe not the most mature- but the most ME. I keep on remembering that none of us has any guarantees on what tomorrow will bring, I keep telling myself that I have food on my plate (and fridge), that I pay my rent on time, that I work and pay my bills and I never get into debt so why not?
But still.. why is it that i feel that guilt thing for doing something fun for myself? Why is it that I find myself thinking what I could do with that money if... why is it that I can't just tell myself to SHUT UP AND ENJOY?
I always lived by the simple rule that says: I rather live than die rich. So why is it that I find myself thinking so much about this money?
Am I going completely nuts!? Is spending around 5000 usd on a two week trip normal? Should I be locked and put away? And if I should.... could I please be interrogated by Detective Joel Stevens?

An answer to the Spinach

Dear Spinach ( If you did any sort of research you should know why I'm calling you that.. hint: it has nothing to do with your nutritional value)
I just read that thing you like to call article about NKOTB fans and well... I'm well known for not being able to keep my mouth shut so here it comes.
First of all let me explain to you what research is: Research in journalism is what the so called journalist actually tries his best to find. It's REAL information based on FACTS and not on his personal opinion...See? my journalism teacher in high-school always told us that what differences a real journalist from an asshole that feels like everyone should read his stupidity is having the INTELLIGENCE to get the facts right and having the COURAGE to tell them even when he doesn't agree with them.
OK, so now let's move to so called "facts"you collected for your piece of work:
The band that "hardly exists anymore"(sorry I'm actually laughing right now) has 3 (not 2 but hey... let's not focus on small insignificant details) Concerts scheduled ALREADY for mid 2010. That doesn't include DVD screenings and more concerts to come. You also forgot to mention the 2008-2009 WORLDWIDE SOLD OUT TOURS. But well.. I guess for some people it's very hard to google and find information.. not everyone has such skills...
If you really read some Blockheads tweets you probably saw that most of them are in a language you don't understand.. and sometimes they are in English but you still don't GET IT .. I know.. It's hard for some people to be able to recognize HUMOR, SARCASM and all sorts of things that require at least an average IQ level. So yeah some BH (I'll help you with this.. its BLOCKHEADS) write teasing and naughty stuff to the guys but it's all in good HUMOR. Do we think that Jordan Knight reads them and actually considers having sex with any of us!? NO .. Do we really think that D-dub (yayyy you got that one right when u called him DW) wants to move with us to Utah and marry all of us? NO...but we have a good time and a good laugh connecting with the guys and seems like they have a good time too.
It's all about the love (it's a feeling.. you can google it and find out what that is) and the good spirit and you know what ? we are damn good at love and good spirit.. and it doesn't hurt anyone. If anything it helps us all... Some of us ( me included) are not English speakers... do you have any idea how our English has improved since we started tweeting!? Some of us are from countries that have no diplomatic relations.. and being a part of the amazing Blockhead family has brought us together. I know... it sounds strange for some people but that isn't OUR problem... thats the Spinach problem...
One more thing.. those fans that you think you know, the fans that you try to describe in such a poor way are grown up women, most of them with families, great jobs, responsibilities and probably a higher level of education than you. So in our ADULT and MATURE state of mind we decide to be a part of what twitter and the BH family offers to us.. not because we NEED IT or we HAVE TO but because we WANT TO and because we have earned the right to decide what we want to do with our time.
I would go on answering to your false facts but hey! look at the time... it's time to go back to twitter and offer Donnie, Jon and Jordan some group sex... See?! I always know how to spend my time
So dear spinach.... let me share with you some of my grandma (Z"l- thats an abbreviation in Hebrew for may her memory be blessed) wisdom. She always used to tell us: When you don't have anything smart to say SHUT THE FUCK UP (OK fine! you got me... the FUCK is my own wisdom)
Sorry if you find this hard to read since English is only my 3rd language.. most people can read and understand my English but if you find it too hard.. let me know and I'll draw you something)

Here is the so called article... or piece of shit....


The Odd World of Digital Groupies

by Doree Shafrir
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Doree Shafrir has contributed to The New York Observer, The New Yorker, Slate, and The Awl, and is the co-author of Love, Mom. She is a former editor at Gawker. Her website is www.doreeshafrir.com.

For a band that hardly exists anymore, The New Kids on the Block have a shocking number of groupies.

Their last album, aside from a recent reunion effort, dropped in 1994. And their website lists only two planned shows, one this month and one in May 2010. Yet tens of thousands of fans spend hours each day actively following, discussing, and most importantly, reaching out to the bandmembers. "I think that if you're a true fan, you'll never put them down or think anything they do is impossible," says a fan who goes by Nala. "I'm a little afraid to admit I spend almost 24/7 on those guys."

"You have to draw the line—nobody else will," says hip-hop sensation Asher Roth. "Technology isn't going to draw the line. They would put these people right in your house."

Nala isn’t a stalker, per se. She’s a digital groupie, a modern-day Penny Lane who uses the internet as a tool to get as close as electronically possible to the stars she worships.

The New Kids have some of the most devoted digital groupies on the internet. In a typical day online, 40-year-old New Kids singer Donnie Wahlberg is very active on Twitter, where he has nearly 100,000 followers. He responds (or in Twitterese, "at-replies") to fans who call themselves soldiers in the DDubs Army, “DDubs” being slang for D.W., Wahlberg's initials. He Tweets about his performances and about charity events he's doing. New Kids enthusiasts—who call themselves Blockheads—gather in private chat rooms like welovenewkids to talk about the band. There's a downloadable NKOTB Tweetdeck background and a robust community on Ning. The band's Facebook page has over 120,000 fans.

Crazed followers are nothing new for rock stars, of course. But historically, the groupie-idol relationship was a one-way street. Anyone could obsess, but except for the truly “professional” groupies (the ones who’d end up on the bus) the most your average fan could expect was a signed publicity photo.

That’s all changed. As more celebrities maintain an open and accessible online presence, their fans have gained unprecedented access to the stars they worship—and to each other. The result is obsession of internet-sized proportions.

The 24-year-old hip-hop sensation Asher Roth, who got his start on MySpace in college, says he has to toe a careful line between maintaining a robust online presence and keeping fans at a respectful distance. "They want the contact," he says. "They want to feel like they can hang out with you." Roth has a Twitter feed that he maintains ("I do it right from my Blackberry," he says), a Facebook fan page maintained by his manager, a MySpace page, a Ning community, and a YouTube channel maintained by a friend, where Roth posts what he calls a "behind-the-scenes look at what's going on." It's all in the service of making fans feel like they "know" him—but without getting too close. "You have to draw the line—nobody else will," he says. "Technology isn't going to draw the line either. They would put these people right in your house."

Case in point: Nala, who goes by the handle “Nala Wahlberg,” posts around 50 Tweets a day, some directed at other New Kids groupies, others at the bandmembers themselves. The most hardcore fans spend hours a day playing digital groupie. A few samples from various fans' Twitters sound like this (they're at-replying to the New Kids themselves):

@jordanknight u really need to learn when to bubbletweet lol how do u tell us ur getting dressed and don't even send a pic a bt nothing lol

@DonnieWahlberg So Donnie when are you doing the party in Cali? I can't come unless you take me as your date! *hint hint* Twugs and Iloveyou

@donniewahlberg soo, tonight you talked to me on the phone.. member that?! u told me that u would talk to me on twitter! ;) ILY! ur my hero!
Bandmembers will sometimes send an at-reply to a particular post—getting a reply from Donnie is particularly prized. "There's something special about bands who really care about their fans,” says Nala. A few days ago, Donnie posted: "I was wondering if anyone was in the mood for a TWUG?" (a hug, in Twitterspeak.) Ten minutes later, Donnie had at-replied 31 times to different fans, including giving one fan a "backrubTWUG" and another a "feelbettertwug."

These fan communities have their own vocabulary, their own histories and dramas. Social currency is measured by how much time you spend cultivating your online fan presence. “If you're real,” says Nala, “then your whole world should revolve around [the band].”

By that standard, there are plenty of “real” digital groupies. They congregate on forums like RockGroupie.com, swapping stories and soliciting gossip—some of it outlandish--about their favorite stars. Wild speculation is epidemic, and rumors run rampant. In response to a claim that Japanese rock outfit Dir En Grey’s drummer, Shinya, might be gay, another groupie chides, “None of them are gay, and Shinya is screwing most of his fanbase from what I’m told.” Often, entire bands are treated as singular individuals. Buckcherry? “They like older chicks better,” a groupie states definitively.

Allie Lemaire, a 28-year-old New Kids digital groupie from Long Island, says she always looks for evidence that her efforts at reaching out are affecting the bandmembers. "I went to a meet-and-greet,” she says. “Donnie took the time and hugged every single person. It went to Twitter and his thing was to get a million Twitter hugs. It made you think they actually care about you."

That makes sense, says Scott Fox, who launched Bill O'Reilly's website and fan community in 2002 and is the author of eRiches 2.0: Next Generation Online Marketing Strategies. "The top thing that fans want is a sense of personal connection with the celebrity," he says. "They like the feeling that they're getting closer to that person, whether true or imagined."

True or imagined? It’s a notion many online groupies don’t allow themselves to consider. But the internet can create a warped sense of intimacy. Sure, the bandmembers appear to be engaged with their online communities, but their involvement is partially a means to an end. "I remember one time they kept posting, go to TRL and vote for 'Hangin’ Tough'," says Lemaire, referring to the New Kids’ hit song from 1989. "So TRL had to play ‘Hangin' Tough’ one day."

And no matter how many Tweets Donnie Wahlberg sends to the New Kids army, the very nature of groupie-ism makes the relationship mostly one-way. Ddubs Army, who began Tweeting the New Kids when Donnie got on Twitter, laments that "he's never Tweeted me,” even though she’s often “tried to get his attention.”

Which is where the whole endeavor gets a little sad. Groupies have always shared an ultimate goal: sex with the band. Following them from gig to gig is just the pilgrimage—it’s the back of the bus that groupies strive to reach. And the truly committed get there more often than you’d think. Hell, Cynthia Plaster Caster parlayed her groupie status into a career making plaster molds of rock stars’ penises.

But today’s digital groupies spend most of their time peering longingly into a computer monitor, and bandmembers use the internet’s remoteness to keep them both close—and at arm’s length. Asher Roth, for his part, has no interest in meeting these people in real life, much less having sex with them. "Once you enter into that world, people are going to have those expectations," he says. "I'm very, very selective. You have to be really careful who you at-reply." He never, ever Tweets about his location. "My dad will always be like, why don't you say you're at this restaurant right now," he says. "I'm like, people will show up."
In fact, often the digital groupies are just talking to each other, and sometimes the chatter can turn toxic, as Laura Hale, who runs a Fan History wiki, points out. "Back during the early height of Harry Potter movie craziness, I knew of thirtysomething female fans talking about their rape fantasies, with them as the rapist, involving Tom Felton and Daniel Radcliffe," says Hale. "Lord of the Rings fans believed that the actors were sending them secret messages about being secretly involved." Hale also recalled the tale of a Lord of the Rings fan fiction writer who handed Ian McKellon stories about having sex with other members of the cast—while McKellon was out to lunch with his partner.

Or take what happened last month, when 15-year-old pop star Justin Bieber's appearance at a Long Island mall was canceled after 10,000 fans showed up. An executive at Bieber's record label, Island Def Jam, was arrested for sending out a Tweet to more fans telling them to come even after the police had tried to disperse the crowd. Bieber himself is an active Twitterer and sent out several apologetic Tweets after the mall fiasco.

"People want more all the time," says Roth, who will relaunch his website in January with much more frequently updated content, particularly photos and videos. "You have to constantly update your content. You don't want to go stale but don't want to give these people your lives and turn into The Truman Show."

Doree Shafrir has contributed to The New York Observer, The New Yorker, Slate, and The Awl, and is the co-author of Love, Mom. She is a former editor at Gawker. Her website is www.doreeshafrir.com.

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