I'm going to try to do this on a weekly basis. I'm going to give the history to various pastimes that Americans love... only, I'm going to give the real history behind. Almost everything that we as Americans love to do started out with a simple request: "Here, hold my beer."

For the first one, I'll be telling you the history of Skeleton.

For those of you that don't watch/care about winter sports, Skeleton is basically a one man bobsled, except the rider goes headfirst down the hill somewhere around 80mph. How did this insane sport come to be? Who was crazy enough to do this first? Well, the guy may have been crazy, but historians and sports enthusiasts alike know that either way, he was drunk. Here's how it happened:

Around the turn of the 20th Century, the Nobel prize was quickly picking up steam as one of the most prestigious awards man can achieve. After winning the nobel prize in science, the receipient and a few of his friends decided to hit a local bar for a few pints. Believe it or not, scientists love thier beer. Needless to say, they got drunk. Real drunk. So drunk, in fact, that they decided to test their own theories on physics. One man claimed that it is impossible for a man to sled faster than 25mph. Everyone else believed that he was wrong, and were willing to prove him so. So they ordered another round and headed up the tallest hill they could find.

Now, being that they were in Norway, tall ice-covered hills are not to rare. They took with them three boxes, one for each run they were going to do. When they got up to the top of the hill, the first man turned to the others and said "I think I'll go first, since I am the only one here with a watch." So he did, and, despite rolling down half of the way, he managed to do fine. The second guy turned to the third and said "here, hold my beer." Not much is known about his run except that he died a gruesome death. The guy at the bottom, when questioned, said he was too busy vomitting to take note. The guy at the top was too busy drinking two beers at once.

So why the name "Skeleton?" Well, when the body of the second man was found, most of his flesh had been peeled off. Authorities noted that he was still holding on to part of the box, and could only assume that he really was intent on breaking that 25mph speed limit. No one knows how fast he was going for certain, but the people of Norway really didn't care. They thought it was so incredible that someone was able to go fast enough to peel their own flesh down to the bone. Needless to same, the stunt build up much popularity.

Considering how dangerous of a sport this is, it's no wonder that the Olympic committee rejected to included for so long. Now that it is an official Olympic sport, however, it is quickly gaining worldwide attention. Tens of thousands of athletes have gone pro in this sport, with several thousands more training each year. Unfortunately, they've taken all the beer out of it.

We're all guilty of trying something stupid or dangerous at least once in our lives, but please, leave Skeleton to the professionals and don't try this at home.

"Stand and Deliver"

(Let’s break down these barricades

As we steadily make our way

We’ll fight till we know

The world will change

So tomorrow can be a better day)

No matter what I do or say,

It doesn’t matter anyway.

You may control me,

But you can’t hold me

From doing this my way

Can’t you see them reeling?

They can’t take the feeling.

They can’t take the fact that

We found something appealing.

Can’t you feel it building,

The volume’s unyielding?

Crank up the amps

Till we shake off the ceiling!

Throw up your fist

If you’re feeling this madness

We’re gonna rock this right!

Throw up your sparks

If you’re feeling the rock;

We’ll light up the darkness tonight!

No matter what our eyes may see

It’s not the way it’s supposed to be

It just goes to show

They don’t even know

The feeling of being free

Can’t you feel the tension?

They don’t want to mention

The fact that they hurt from

The pain that they’re dispensing.

Escape this dimension;

Let the apprehension

Take you on a high

That’s this music’s dementia!

Throw up your fist

If you’re feeling this madness

We’re gonna rock this right!

Throw up your sparks

If you’re feeling the rock;

We’ll light up the darkness tonight!

They look at me, but

Don’t know what they see.

The truth may surround me,

But they won’t believe.

The lies are unwinding.

I’m sharing my findings.

I shake off my shackles

And break all that binds me.

They tried to hide me.

They all despise me

‘Cause they know the truth

That I carry is blinding.

Can’t you feel the tension?

They don’t want to mention

The fact that they hurt from

The pain that they’re dispensing.

Escape this dimension;

Let the apprehension

Take you on a high

That’s this music’s dementia!

Can’t you see them reeling?

They can’t take the feeling.

They can’t take the fact that

We found something appealing.

Can’t you feel it building,

The volume’s unyielding?

Crank up the amps

Till we shake off the ceiling!

Throw up your fist

If you’re feeling this madness

We’re gonna rock this right!

Throw up your sparks

If you’re feeling the rock;

i feel it only fitting that with a new school year beginning, i unleash something a little special.  here is the beginning of chapter 1 from "Abia, the Innocent":

The demon spawn

That carry on

Have lingered here

For far too long.

So now, 'tis time

To recognize

They are the cause

Of their own demise.

Bring forth thy blade

And do away

With these hell spawn;

Lord, light my way!

Show me where

The demon’s lair

Lay hidden in

The foggy air

Empower me,

For I believe

To end all evil

Is my destiny

I fell from grace

Down to this place

Fallen from Heaven

To mortal space

Give me the power

To make demons cower

To fight all evil

In the darkest of hours

I pray to thee

I turn to thee

Though thou hast

Already forsaken me
Bring back my wings

And haloed ring

Return me to where

The angels sing

For I shall forever

Continue this endeavor

To cleanse the evil

From my blood-tainted feathers

I kill for that which is holy

If only

To return above

To that which is owed me

So please, dear Lord

Send me thy sword

So I may destroy all evil

And leave this world.

So sings our hero, once fallen from a grace he never knew, and may never know...

"Lost at Sea"

Echoing silence, soft, unbroken

Pain continues, still unspoken

In hand, there lies a cherished token

That carries with it the memory

Of a love that was lost to the sea

She once whispered softly to me

A sweetest of gentle melodies

That even now, makes me believe

That part of her still carries on

Open my eyes to see she’s gone

I thought love like this had no wrong

The open sea’s where we’d belong

From darkness past to eternal dawn

Alas, stronger forces would not that be

As the sea took the love away from me

Echoing silence, soft, unbroken

Pain continues, still unspoken

In hand, there lies a cherished token

That carries with it the memory

Of a love that was lost to the sea

"Who I am"

You’re confusing me

With everything you say

You torture me

Every single day

You’re breaking me

I slowly waste away

Feel the sin

It burns within

But you won’t see me change

Say what you will

And say what you might

I don’t give a damn

‘cause you can’t change

Who I am

You can take away

Everything

They gave me

Make me sacrifice

Everything

That keeps me down

Take my fate

Rape the faith

That made me

You can’t take away

Anything

That makes me

Me

You’ve mistaken me

For someone else

But then again

I don’t know myself

Stop accusing me

‘cause you’re the one to blame

There’s nothing left to say

‘cause I won’t play

In your fucked up game

Say what you will

And say what you might

I don’t give a damn

‘cause you can’t change

Who I am

You can take away

Everything

They gave me

Make me sacrifice

Everything

That keeps me down

Take my fate

Rape the faith

That made me

You can’t take away

Anything

That makes me

Me

It’s what we all wanted

But never could have

We want something different

But it’s never been had

You wanted to change me

So please don’t feel bad

I just don’t give a damn

‘cause you can’t

Change who I am

Say what you will

And say what you might

I don’t give a damn

‘cause you can’t change

Who I am

You can take away

Everything

They gave me

Make me sacrifice

Everything

That keeps me down

Take my fate

Rape the faith

That made me

You can’t take away

Anything

That makes me

Me