My bizarre and inexplicable sleeping habits continue. This is going to be an odd trip, but perhaps I'll be forced to get things in order over the course of the next week. I am excited about the trip, and will be bringing my computer with me so expect a blog post here and there and some pictures coming forth with and so forth.
I've spent the majority of this week in bed attempting to fight off my cold, and it seems to have worked, but that hardly leaves me with anything interesting to say. Well hopefully the next week will be filled with enough interest to make up for my week spent in bed. If anything this week has reminded me how much I hate television. You think the least they could do is have a greater variety of commercials so that I don't have to see the same ones three or four times an hour.
For any one interested Hulu has the entire series of the British comedy Black Books on. This is one that my buddy the Reckless Canadian turned me onto and it's a very funny show. So check it out while it's still up.
Till the next post ladies and gentlemen. For now I sit in the dark in the dead of night, and try to figure out if that noise is some one running a chainsaw in their apartment. What could it mean? Remember the double homicide that happened earlier this year across the street from my apartment? God bless you Floirida, and God bless Georgia, Florida's retarded cousin.
One drunken night I left a nasty comment about this video on Youtube, and I've been getting flack for it ever since. Am I wrong or is this one of the most unfunny things ever created?
"Even birds fly south for the winter... It's normal for a Player to wanna stay nice and warm!" Ice T
A couple of things first off. Found a huge data base of all the legal free movies to watch online. There's a lot of stuff here so check it out.
http://speedcine.com/?l=a&t=free
Also in case you're wondering yes Al Gore writes poetry. Unless some one can point me to something of interest then I'm the last person on earth to judge this since I hate poetry. I haven't exactly actively sought out the classics, but what I have read has never appealed to me.
I got my friend's cold so I've been doing a lot of sleeping and drinking orange juice so as to be better for the trip this weekend. I believe I'll be taking my computer with me as long as he brings his router I should be able to shoots some updates on you when I'm in Georgia.
I did hear an ice cream man pass the house earlier. There's something strange and ironic about being an ice cream man in the winter. Other than that everything is solid. No worries at the moment. I just need to rest and gather my strength. God bless you all fools.
Got three pages of the new first act of the play done. That comes out to be roughly around four minutes of added dialogue, but it took me nearly three hours to write it. Any one who has read the original script knows how off the wall my dialogue can be, and how tricky it can be to deliver it. This is no exception.
The odd thing is that I'm not sure exactly how to end this. Probably abruptly and without any real sense. The thing is turning out to be a whole new play unto itself. It sort of vaguely ties into the main act mostly by thematic means (bizarre expositional metephors and left field references to Greek mythology), but there will be a very ill defined and hard to catch reference that will reveal a huge twist that ties into the original script. See if you can guess what it is.
I'm at the halfway of Kon-Tiki. You are a terrible human being if you haven't read this book. That's all I have to say. Looking forward to sipping grandpa's cough medicine and showing of the new pages. God help you if you resist either. Atari is awesome I like spaghetti!
I am exhausted to the point of passing out. Family is a barren word that clawed its way up from the gaping maw of hell. Last night we had two very pleasant and attractive missionaries over for dinner. They were lovely, but the one who claimed to be a harpist caught my attention most. Unfortunately I was barely able to keep my eyes open during the entire experience.
Like last year - only this time the missionaries were chicks - we played that stupid game where the sexes battle in a competition to see who can build the best ginger bread structure, and just like last year Christine cheated. Her and her fellow cheaters used boxes and paper tubes to build a candy castle with chocolate drop turrets.
The male to female ratio was way uneven so me and my father ended up with Michelle. Of course teaming up the three laziest and least prone to care Magulas didn't result in a spectacular effort or really much of any effort at all. Bam! Graham cracker Kon-Tiki!
That's right. A snack food replica of the famous raft that explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his crew sailed from the coast of Peru to Polynesia. The mini M&Ms are fish! Speaking of Kon-Tiki I've read all the extra material included in the book and the first two chapters. It's a fascinating and exciting book.
Heyerdahl theorized that the isolated tribes of the Polynesian islands where descended from a mythic white skinned race who once coexisted with the Incans. In fact Incan mythology mentions these people, and claims that they taught the Incans architecture and mathematics. The people of the Polynesian Islands claim to be descended from a similar white skinned tribe that migrated from a mountainous region to the West which also may explain the similarities in South American and Polynesian stone work.
What is also interesting is the fact that the inhabitants of Easter Island also claim to share the same ancestry, and when European explorers first landed there they recorded seeing white skinned tribes men on the beach amongst the other people. This would explain how the essentially stone aged tribes of Easter Island had the knowledge and technology to build the large stone figures prominent on the island. Is there anything white people can't do?
It's still a largely contested theory, but at the time no one would even consider it given that it seemed impossible for these people to cross such a vast expanse of ocean due to the fact that they did not have the ability or knowledge to build boats, but instead navigated the water on rafts. Heyerdahl proved them wrong by constructed just such a raft using the exact same materials of the time and sailing it from Peru to Polynesia successfully. Proof that history is far more interesting and exciting than any work of fiction.
Anyways I ended up conking out at 9:30, but my parents misplaced their car keys, and when anything goes missing in the house - despite the fact that I have complained for years that my parents never put anything in the same place twice - I end up being blamed and both of them went marching in and out of my room three times demanding I produce the keys.
They eventually found them in my dad's pants pocket, but by that time I was wide awake and couldn't get back to sleep till nearly 8 in the morning. I only got to sleep a few hours though because my sister decided today we absolutely must take a butt load family photos. So we ended up droving around trying to find an open park so that we could proceed with the miserable task.
Trust me if you're dead tired the last group of people you want to be around is my family. How would you like to be crammed into a car with two squealing twenty year olds? The entire trip Christine was pawing and biting Michelle who responded by constantly screeching at the top of her lungs. When they weren't fighting like two fatuous bear cubs they would sing out loud. Of course if I tried saying anything both my parents would immediately turn around and scream at me.
Once we got to the park we had to wait a half hour for Christine to get done talking on her cell phone. Of course Christine has little regard for comfort or sense and demanded we take all kinds of pictures hanging from playground equipment and standing near nests of mosquitoes. At one point we had to climb up into this weird dome thing that had interconnected systems of ropes in the middle. Christine set the timer on the camera and came bounding down the hill where it was placed, did some kind of weird flying scissor kick in order to make it up the ropes in time, and ended up falling backwards and getting tangled in them. So at least that happened and we all got to laugh at her.
Then we went to a golf course to meet my grandfather and uncle and ended up driving balls well after the sun went down. I am so tired I could drop down on the floor, but if I go to bed early I'll be awake in a few hours and won't be able to get to sleep until the morning. I hate this. I don't even have the energy to watch a movie. This is why we only do this once a year because it takes a whole year to forget how much these gatherings suck. Does this sound inarticulate and poorly written? I don't care. You go to hell.
Did you know that Scatman John was big in Japan? Does that even surprise you?
Another superfluous update in the low key saga that is my existence. What did I get for faux Christmas?
1 hardcover Sherlock Holmes book featuring the novels The Scarlet Letter and Hound of the Baskervilles
An Atari Flashback II
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (this being this years most misguided gift. Apparently my father thought I would read it.)
Peace Kills by P.J. O'Rourke
Mercenaries for the Playstation 2
Jumping Flash II ala Playstation Uno
DVD The Ballad of Cable Hogue (Who can't use some Sam Peckinpah for Christmas?)
Kon-Tiki (book which I have been looking for for months. F-you state of Florida)
Torchlight
I also got some chocolate and some wine which I immediately dispatched to my stomach. Got that darn Korean pop song stuck in my head and it's killing me. Ham? Well I am staying home today and taking it easy. Watch some Holmes and get some reading done. My sisters are together which means they'll be spending the day squealing and pawing at each other and I don't want to be a part of that.
Today my family is celebrating Christmas. My sister came in last night, and the other relatives will be here later. I'm excited and looking forward to gathering together, getting some stuff, but not having to watch the friggen Christmas Carol again. I suggested The Road Warrior, but no one listens to me.
I went to Sea View earlier today. They had some people in from the church doing a chorus. The residents seemed to enjoy it a lot. I've never seen some of them so happy and involved. It was nice to see them like that. Well I wish you all a merry Christmas. It's a shame we all can't be together, but you're all here with me spirit and stuff. You too Laura Beth.
This video is how you know you're gay. Though I would totally get with CL.
I'll be home cleaning and doing some small projects in anticipation of my sister's arrival. She should be in some time tomorrow around 10 pm or as my mother put it "Around 10 or something." Not much to say beyond that. It's been a slow news day. I've been listening to a lot of opera lately. I suppose that makes me superior to you regular old humans, but I also know nothing about opera, but despite that I am still superior. Picked up a copy of Don Pasquale for a buck-fity.
On the other hand if you're looking for a little entertainment you should subscribe to Ice-T's twitter. He knocks it out of the park with his hysterical commentary and thoughts. Just now he's twitted about how he wants to commit a drive by on Bill O'Rielly, and that O'Rielly is the reason we have gangs. All because he commented on an episode of Law and Order where the show suggested that the reason we have murders and racism in this country is because of Republicans and corporations. It's a conspiracy.
Beyond that I slept well. Slept clean till a quarter to 6 and then watched a Sherlock Holmes. All those British people doing in the past like British stuff. Well the new episode of Community is on Hulu so I'm gonna rustle up some food and watch it. I hope all your weekends are pleasant and stuff.
Not much to say. Had a lazy afternoon. Went out to some thrift stores. Then I went down to Miami and ate lunch near the beach. I was sitting on a bench - this is around 5 pm- listening to the latest Bombcast when I hear this guy calling something out. I take out my headphones and the guy says "Hey dude don't freak out, but that raccoon just touched your butt."
I look to my right and sure enough there is a raccoon right under me, and he's touched my butt not once but twice. Yep that happened. A raccoon totally touched my butt and there's a witness. How was your day?
I will say that once in a while I stumble across something that completely baffles me. Why does this thing exist? Who thought it would be a good idea? Why is there even a market for it? I have no answers. I just stare blankly trying not to lose my mind. There's only one word that can explain this: Europe. NSFW!
I've been falling asleep around midnight and then waking up every night about 3 or 4 in the morning where I remain awake till around 9 am or so. I don't know what causes such peculiar sleeping patterns. Maybe it's a boyish excitement for Christmas or a feeling of impending doom. Maybe my body simply craves more Sherlock Holmes (I've been devouring the Jeremy Brett BBC productions over the last few days). I don't know what it is, but I do know I ain't sleeping.
I've decided to get out as often as possible, and spent the day in the Miami Design District hitting thrift stores to look for more presents for my friend, and also took pictures of graffiti. I decided to roll the better stuff into this handy Youtube video. The Youtube hasn't quite rendered it the way I wanted, but maybe someday I'll figure that out. Till then any one who hasn't subscribed to my channel better. I know there's at least one or two of you.
*Edit* Apparently you can click the "HD" button on the underside of the video if you pull it up from Youtube. Go to my channel and then right click and open the video in a separate window or go here.
It runs a bit more choppy in High Definition mode depending on your connection, but you get to see the pictures in their full quality. If it runs too slow then just watch then in normal mode. Either way subscribe to my channel here.
Here's the description:
Some photos that I took of different graffiti murals in the Miami Design District. The music is a little over the top, but I'm hardly a subtle person. Some of the art might be considered NSFW though there is nothing graphic. Please enjoy.
A person or two has asked me what I want for Christmas, and after some careful thought I still have barely any idea so here's a top ten list that I'm pretty much just cooking up on the spot. It'll run from the stuff I want the most on down to the stuff I want the least. I know I was supposed to Myspace this but then I would have to log onto Myspace.
A compendium of Sherlock Holmes stories. The Arthur Conan Doyle stuff obviously. I don't really care what version or volume or publishing company. Anything works for me as long as it's a bunch of Sherlock Holmes all at once.
Shen Megami Tensei: Persona 4 or Mercenaries (The first one) or Just Cause on Playstion 2!!!!
Ok so this is not exactly in any order. Consider the top two the actual top two, but the games and books are what I like the most. Anything containing alcohol is good too.
I went to bed much earlier than usual, about 9, and here I am wide awake at 11:30. For some reason I'm feeling particularly hostile towards commas so I'm going to stop using them for the rest of this post. If that makes this hard to read then forgive my late night irrational prejudices.
A lot of things are running through my head at the moment. Christmas is coming (early for me since I'm celebrating it on the 12th) and I'm very excited to visit Georgia. I can't think of anything more that I need right now than to get out of town for a little bit. There is something revitalizing about taking a trip away from your family and life. You feel disconnected wholly from the things that bind you to the world you inhabit daily and that's something I need so I hope it all comes together. I look forward to eating till I vomit, drinking, and being merry. There is a slim chance that I may have to take a job... well not so slim but still a bit of a long shot. We'll see.
It's been a rough year for millions and for me and my friends it has been no exception. Lately distance has begun to slowly put my mind at ease about a certain person but I'm not particularly happy about that. I don't pretend to understand that persons motives or even know what it is they're thinking but regardless I hope she is doing well and hits the jack pot for Christmas whether I speak to her again or not. I don't feel it right to fully voice my affections or sentiments here but what else can I say? Je t aime.
The next order of business is this because it is awesome. It's an actual book!
Well I wish every one a merry Christmas. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas I wish you a merry Christmas, and you can take that to hell with you pagan sons of B's. That does it for my extra long belated 100th post. I wanted to put a more sentimental video so here's a song I produced for my father. That's him playing and signing and the video is directed by him.
Delaying my post about laughs and laughing I am announcing that me and the venerable Mr. Carroll are taking a trip to Georgia on Christmas and staying for a week. So here's a list of the top things I want accomplish while we're there.
1) Eat meat. Lots of meat. All kinds of meat. Meat!
2) To get into a brawl with a bunch of rednecks and black people at the same time so that as they work together to defeat me they realize they're not so different after all, and thus I defeat racism forever!
3) Invent some new kind of racism to replace old racism. Possibly something involving lanterns, and public nudity.
4) To get a signed copy of "Unsweetened" by Jodie Sweetin. She played Stephanie Tanner in Full House. Apparently at age 14 she passed out drunk in the bathroom at Candice Cameron's wedding. Why do I want to read this? Hell, I doubt she even lives in Georgia, but why set realistic goals?
5) Take tons of pictures
6) Audition for a television show.
7) Finally get a "I Love Goergia" t-shirt. Last time I was there I could only find "I Love Florida" t-shirts which says something about the place.
8) Find out what all this Lady Gaga stuff is about. As far as I can tell she makes boring pop music (I mean boring even by the standard of regular pop music), and just dresses weird. Is that all it takes these days?
Well it's around a quarter to eight in the A.M. and I haven't been to bed yet. I've really gotten myself turned around lately, and I need to make some adjustments. If you're interested (which you should be) Ed's demo (produced by me) can be downloaded at this link:
I think you need a file factory account in order to download it. I'm not sure, but until I figure out what combination of words I need to type into a search engine in order to find what it is I actually want to accomplish then we are stuck with this imperfect solution. It's also in a zip file with the cover art so let me know if the quality of the music degrades any because I zipped it.
Also Ed's blog appears to be back up so lets give it up for that. It's been a long time, and I'm sure we're all looking forward to having something else to read on the internet. I know I am since my internet activity outside of looking up information seems to never really expand beyond four or 5 sites, and some of those only update once a week.
I just realized I have 108 posts total. I wanted to do something special for my 100th, but I guess I wasn't paying attention so I missed it. I do want to get back to writing things of more personal or intellectual depth so I guess for my belated 100th anniversary celebration my next post will be a darkly humorous recounting of the two hardest laughs of my entire life. At least that sounds like a reasonable idea after not sleeping for an entire night.
Till then I'm just gonna rock the Bombcast, avoid loud noises, and hope I fall asleep at some point. In other words leave me the mother lover alone until tomorrow unless you have some awesome news to shoot in my direction ,but not by phone. Maybe I should have listened to Barack Obama's state of the union address. Ohhhhhh political humor!
Gay man touched my butt yesterday in a thrift store. Weird. Had a dream I was in the Hannah Montana show. Double weird. Got a cool idea for Christmas present for a friend. Not so weird. Might be taking a trip to Georgia. Weird but good. Still confused about... well weird also.
Why do I find this so annoying? Maybe because it's the French.
I finished reading the script last night. My favorite bit by far was:
Balhog
I remember his wrath was most keen on the new moon.
Sherlock
Right you are. Ecliptic longitudes inspired a deadly hatred within that man.
I've decided to rewrite a portion of the last half. The three separate parts where the Elder god appears to each of the sons just feels too lazy. Of course given that I had to write the whole thing by hand in three days, while at work, and then type up copies as well as fix what I could it's pretty darn good. Some seriously funny lines in here.
So that's it. I'm doing a Resident Evil 4 marathon, but besides that things are dull. Seems not every one is talking to me. Also it looks like a possible trip to Georgia might be in order in the next month or two. We'll see.
Yeah right buddy.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
More posts below? Yes, he's wearing sneakers. Why? Why not?
Time for this demo to drop! I've just finished mixing the new Ed Gonzalez EP Crying on the Outside: The Ed Gonzalez Story. It is hot.
The album is produced by Mr. 97 (Me) with all songs performed by Edward Gonzalez out and around my apartment. We didn't have a lot of time to do as many takes as I would have liked so with head phones on the nature sounds can be a bit distracting. But it's all about the silky smooth instrumentals by Mr. E Gonzalez, and they're sure to impress. Some fine performances guaranteed to delight.
The Cover and the back
Currently they can only be listened to here with one of the songs on the widget below.
I haven't found a way to make them available for download just yet, but I should have that fixed by tomorrow. The songs are in order, and the cover art is also up on that link. Please enjoy, and let's not forget to support our friend Ed. Peace!
I've sat down to work on the new prelude, but I need a character name. The thing will take place around 1922 (roughly 14 years before the events of the first play) aboard the Manganese Indifference which is a steamer ship about to depart to Tahiti.
It will be darker and more serious that the first one only in that it will have some very slight hint of seriousness with more toned down dialogue. I've got a lot of ideas, but unfortunately I've hit a dead end coming up with one of the three main character's name. It may sound strange, but the name really dictates how I write the character. I have a general idea of what I want from them, but I need that in place to put myself into their head.
I also reread some of the script, and I laughed a lot. I had forgotten how over the top a lot of the dialogue was, and there's some real gems in there. I'll be cleaning it up a little. I saw a line or two that I want to remove. Just some small things where I felt I over stated something or a place where the lines could be punchier with a sentence removed. No major revisions.
So when I do get around to rerecording it it'll be under the title:
The Though of Reasoning: Deus Ex Machina Redeux
Now that is a mouth full. For any one reading this who is not familiar with this project or the original radio play that spawned it (I believe that one was recorded back in early 2000) it actually is called The Though of Reasoning and not The Thought of Reasoning. That's not a typo just an inside joke. Any ways unless some people come down at some point it's going to require getting a new voice cast. Well mostly new anyways.
Besides that I hope every one has had a pleasant Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure every one did since I've saw most of the regular readers this weekend., but for any one else I hope you have a good holiday and had plenty of lovely things to eat. God bless you all.
*Update* I also did some recording with Ed or EarthVsJazz as some might know him. I'll have a three some EP either done today or tomorrow. More when I'm finished.
*Update Update* And if you're wondering how the new prelude will tie into the original script then you know nothing about me. I will hint that it will be reveal something mind blowing about on of the original characters, but you'll have to pay close attention or you'll miss it.
I didn't realize tomorrow was Thanksgiving. I've had a hard time sleeping lately, and have been staying up till 6 a.m. or so. This of course means I sleep later and later into the day so it's not a wonder I forgot something like that.
First off lets be thankful. If you go here you can send a free greeting card to a random soldier in Iraq. It's sponsored by Xerox, and only takes a minute or two.
Second the new Uwe Boll movie is free to watch on Netflix. I will be watching that, and I will enjoy the crap out of it.
And of course those lovely eyes.
I have nothing profound to say about life, religion or anything else at the moment. I'm am feeling a lot more cheery today, and tomorrow I will stuff my cram hole to the max with foods. It's been quite a year for every one I know. Deaths, births, Ed and his never ending roller coaster of self inflicted catastrophes. Maybe next year will be better. Who cares? All I know is that absolutely everything I come in contact with tomorrow I will smother in gravy. I might even use gravy to do naughty things to myself. Depends on the kind of mood I'm in.
I would also like to announce possible future plans to rerecord "the play." I need to get a copy, and retype it since mine was taken from me by the mold people. I'm also working on a one act prequel that will take place 40 years before the events at the farm house. It will involve three fishermen on a boat docked out side of New England. How will this relate to the original play? Even I don't know!
Here's a word of advice. If you're ever having feelings of self doubt then don't watch American Movie. Don't! Feels like I'm in an episode of Lost. No communication. Always on the hook. And the holidays are just around the corner.
Speaking of which I will be celebrating Christmas early this year. My sister is coming down from Utah (or should I say up and to the West? Consider it colloquial)on the 12th. Plane tickets get more and more expensive the closer you get to Christmas so this is the best she could do. Consequently Christmas will be on the 13th in the P to the M. I think.
Other than that I want to get out and take some photos, but I've mostly sat in for the last couple of weeks. I've been a foul mood for a lot of reasons. Well not foul... just not sociable. Not like there is much to do. We are as broke as it can possible get, and if we don't get more Obama monies by next month we are up the river. Financial troubles never help to ease an uneasy mind. Thusly I am reuneased.
On a lighter note I got a gift from my friend P. Massa. I don't know if I mentioned that before, but it was very kind of him to send some things to me. Very cool. I'll be sending an email to England if I don't hear anything by tomorrow. Long live the Queen.
Say got a problem with premature ejaculation? Hypnosis!
Been spending too much time in doors and getting too much sleep. Got my thang out of whack, and I got to get it back. Seems certain people don't want to talk to me at the moment, but I'm patient and thanks to my home dawg Mr. Pizzle Mass-o-tron I have plenty of mindless entertainment to indulge in. Shout out to my boy!
I need to get some writing done. Been to exhausted lately to do much, but I'm feeling pretty good. Got some optimism. I also listened to some performances that Mr. Edward G sent me, but then I realized they weren't from his own band. Are you gonna record some stuff live? You need an H2 son. You got way too many ultra expensive keyboards that do nothing but make 70's space noises. What's the point if you can't field record? There isn't one.
Shout out to the English! Diplomatic relations are in tatters for some reason I am unaware of, but that's cool. I got time on my hands, and a heart of gold. Ain't I sweet?
Got a new review up for an awesome movie that you should be required to see. Check out the evil side of Andy Griffith. Well gotta run. Dolla dolla bill ya'll!
Hammer don't play so you better step back boy!
What's more hardcore than a highschool letter jacket and short shorts? Nothing dawg!
Remember the Tom Waits album "Small Change?" Well the topless dancer in the background is actually the actress who played Elvira Mistress of the Darkness.
1) Every time I'm with people and I tell them that I don't believe in ghosts some one always tells me a story about how some relative of theirs used to see ghosts, and they always end the story by saying "... and why would they lie?" I've always wanted to say "Because they're a liar," but I never have.
2) I have never dated a girl that wasn't bisexual.
3) In the last twenty years I have never traveled further than Georgia.
4) My film heros are Jack Webb, John Wayne , and Jackie Chan.
5) I've read "I am Jackie Chan" three times. So far this is the only book I've read more than once.
6) When people snap their fingers it drives me into a momentary frenzy and my eyes roll back like a shark attacking its prey.
7) Nearly every girl I've ever dated has said a variation on this sentence: "I wish America was a more spiritual nation like India."
8) My heart races a little every time I hear a British accent
9) I have walked out on exactly three movies in my life
10) I have a weird fascination with holistic medicine. I believe that most of it is crap, but I love hearing about it.
As far back as I can remember I've always associated the change in weather with good feelings and hope. People in general always seem to be so much more kind and sociable. But this year the change in temperature seems to have brought a down beet vibe with it. It's a desperate situation for most people, and even if you're not struggling too much it feels like every one I know has some private circumstance that's dragging them down. It's like every one is carrying some kind of burden, and it shows in their eyes.
I know I wish I could be on even ground with some situations in my life. It seems that some one might have the wrong impression about my intentions. Hell, I don't know what it is they think, and they don't seem to want to convey that information to me. Still there is plenty to thankful for. For instance I went out and had a nice steak dinner with a friend.
(Warning this steak is just a reenactment. It is not an actual picture of the steak I just ate)
We should work to make things easier on each other instead of of more difficult or at the least ambiguous. I don't mean in a cosmic "one earth" kind of sense, but at least just on the people we care about. I think I'll get back into taking photographs and posting them here. I care about my friends, and there are some people I care very deeply about despite whether or not they think I should feel a certain way. That's a compliment and a meaningful one. It's a world of dishonesty and I think we are all good enough to be honest with each other. Cheer up America.
Speaking of which read this. What a crock! The government giveth, and the government taketh away.
Here's a rap song about space aliens. Check out their You Tube channel. They also have a spoken word techno song about how we never landed on the moon.
I've had a poisonous feeling in my blood for the last couple of days and I'm not sure why. Not for the reasons you might think, but I just feel like there's something lurking in the background. I'm not worried. It's not like I've never had this feeling before. Despite that there's nothing particularly wrong with things. I suppose it will pass.
Things to be thankful for:
1) God
2) Friends and family
3) One first rate pile of finds at the Salvation Army the other day
4) Baked ham
5) Having loved and lost means that at least you loved, and had been loved back at some point
I think I'm going to take a hiatus from recording music. I need to listen to more music, and practice more. I've hit a brick wall, and as an avant-garde musician that is a deadly thing. I haven't enjoyed music in a very long time, and like every area in life you need to experience new things if you're going to grow. I know what I want to accomplish sonically I just have no idea how I can make it happen. But there is a thing or two I need to say before I take a break.
I suppose I would like to pour out a lot of sentiments and what not, but I know how some of you hate talking about your feelings. That isn't what I want. I don't need answers. Though I would like to know some more about what I don't know. I used to collect vinyls. I just figured we all would never have much in common, but people surprise you now and again.
Oh, and some one stole our bicycles from the garage. What the hell is up with that?
Well I might be around at some point if you wanna talk or just pall around.
Oh and there should be me more than one new movie review up!
Oh joy! Oh vistas of inner pleasure! An ever mounting flame of love and purity. It has finally happened. I was patient. I waited so so long. I searched, casually of course, but searched. Watching, waiting for the right time. Then yesterday it finally happened. I was thrift shopping. Seeing what could be seen. Finding the good deals. I bought a cheap cassette player/ radio. Has one of those built in mics. That was my first recording device back in the day. I wonder if you can over dub on it like my old one could.
Any how, I've been collecting books on tape. Remember when it was books on tape? Catchy little phrase. I got Ivanhoe has read by veteran stage actor Steven Pickup. Got Star Trek: Vengence, written and read by William Shatner. I got a productions of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth starring Leonard Nimoy and John de Lancie. Even snagged myself a performance of Mozart's Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) as performed by the Berlin Philharmonic circa 1968. It has a nice case, and even comes with a booklet the translates the German lyrics to English and Italian. All these things and more for less than 4 dollars. We aren't talking serious fidelity, but what the who?
Oh, but that is not the real news. I was standing there waiting to pay for my goods when I saw. My heart jumped into my throat. My eyes fell wide open. Could it be? Could it fit? I ran over and grabbed it. I nervously put it on my head. Oh we are all familiar with my love of off beat head gear, but for this I have waited so long. Passing up lesser opportunities in hopes that one day I might find the perfect match, and here it is...
A George Straight Two Step!
This ain't no cock and bull cowboy hat, ladies and gentlemen. This is the kind you wear when you go to the kind of place where lusty country girls hang out, and you want to pick them up. This is the kind of hat you wear when you're opening for Kenny Chesney (quick note: I'm not actually sure who Kenny Chesney is beyond him being a country musician). This is the kind of hat you wear when you're the open plains, rustling cattle, and shooting at dudes named Flying Eagle.
Me and this hat are made for each other, and I look dang good! JOY!
Ok, yeah, he's playing two guitars at once, but all he's doing is series of hammer-ons and string bends. Still you should subscribe to Joel Samuals channel. He has all kinds of interesting stuff he's shot over the years.
Well there I was up bright and early only after two hours of sleep. I never sleep well before a job interview so I took 3 Tylenol PMs and even though I could barely move I still could not sleep. Somewhere around sunrise I drifted off for a couple of hours, and then prepared.
I was looking snazzy. In my Sunday best. My most clever looks all mapped out, and was even ready to break into a musical number should the need arise. Then about 10 minutes before arriving at what I was sure was going to be my new job I got a call. My friend who recommended me heard from his manager. Apparently the hotel is not doing so well in a financial type way. Not only will they not be hiring any one knew they're also cutting back on every ones hours. My dreams were shattered.
I saw all that free reading time going straight out of the window, and somewhere in the distance a telephone rang. Will it be telemarketing for the rest of my life? The idea sounds like suicide. Maybe I can use my will to work over night shifts, and apply that to another industry. I don't think a lot of people like over night shifts. I guess it just isn't in the cards for me. Hotel work that is. Beaten by the recession.
Here's a 14 year old girl yodeling. Do you like yodeling? I have a bit of an affinity for it. I could have yodeled in the hotel. What else could have been?
Well life ekes as it does. It just ekes. Tomorrow I may have a new job. Working the front desk at a hotel during the over night shift about 3 or 4 days a week. I suppose I'll get a lot of reading done. Who knows?
As for newer new news I have none. But there is a new film review on my film review blog! Management! You all need to book mark that thing and check it like every 5 minutes so that I don't have to be my own personal cheer leader. If any of you want to request a film for me to review then so I shall. It'll give me practice! Practice!!!! PRACCCTTTICCCEEEE!!!
Now watch this when you're having a bad day, and will be well.
My new blog project is complete. Chick womens and gentlemen I am pleased to announce the Belated Film Review Blog! Ya'lls better add yourselves as fans or elves! Yes, elves!
It's been a downer of a couple of days, and it's just sinking in more and more. On a quick note tomorrow I will begin uploading some stuff for download provided I get the chance, and find a convenient location for hosting music files. On the plus side I am now the dungeon lord, and I can finally put that chapter in my gaming history to bed.
I'll be looking for a job stating tomorrow. I have a few weeks of unemployment left so now is the time. Not to mention it would be nice to have some money to buy gift with this Christmas.
I will say that after watching 9 episodes of the 5th season of Lost that I wish they had spun the a separate series off when Sawyer and the rest of them ended up in 1974, before the the rest of the cast made it back to the island. We could have followed the quirky adventures of what was pretty much the most interesting members, both old and new, of the cast anyways. Think of all the nicknames that Sawyer could have come up with with such a large crew of people around.
What can be said about a generation whose de rigueure seems to have been dressing like post-fallout Cossacks, and passing out in public places? Certainly nothing particularly nice in my point of view, but I find it hard to think of any other group of people so often heralded, and in such mystical terms. Sure you can rattle on about civil right, but I think the economic and political advancements made by blacks had more to do with their march towards equality than a bunch of long haired goons sporting powwow roaches and vacuous expressions.
There are countless films, documentaries, and writings on the subject that create the impression that this generation wasn't simply human, but instead transcendent beings sent by a higher power to occupy administrative buildings, and lay face down on the ground drooling while listening to songs about ethereal electric blue papayas.
Paul Wilkinson (the fore mentioned author of Black Sabbath: The Classic Years) certainly has a few things to say on the subject. Plenty of pretty prose are penned (there's a lot of “P” in this article. Zing!) about the times and the people, but the author raises an eyebrow when he writes:
“The truth is, unlike today, music in the late sixties and early seventies emanated from a creative movement independent of its parent , corporate ownership. In those days records where made to shift consciousness and opinions, not units” and “Music has become so populated by sex, hatred, and violence … that their later-day purveyors are termed retro should they choose to avoid them.”
First and foremost rock and roll from its inception was a purely commercial venture. It was an attempt by record companies to market rhythm and blues based music played by pretty young white boys to a white audience. I suppose there is something admirable, perhaps even romantic, about its early pioneers who became musicians because it was a better alternative than working in the cotton fields, but it was always about profit in the end.
What is more sex and violence have always been at the heart of rock and roll; a thematic hold over from its fore fathers: blues and country. Songs of getting some good loving, getting wasted, and knifing some one in the face were only second to losing that good loving thusly resulting in getting wasted and knifing some one in the face. The sickeningly sweet stuff came after rock had been cemented as a market force.
All good things must come to end as they say, and eventually the British came along and made it about holding hands and dressing like a gay pirate, evolving to gay space wizards, and finally just dressing like a girl. It is true that peace and love did seem to trump violence for a while, but like a blind man whose other senses become stronger, the themes of sex and drugs became that much more prevalent.
As you can tell I have no love for such a feculent generation. Their Godless nature, and their ask first; answer questions never, approach pioneered the the selfish, valueless, commercial waste that is the current generation. The “I'll believe it when I see it, and until then you can find me in front of the TV watching woman with fake tits vomit on each other in a reality dating show” generation. And don't get me started on generation Jones. Any vessel that bore forth Barack Obama, whether intellectual or physical, is one worth much contempt.
I will end this on the subject of the book that spawned this whole tirade. The best criticism I can level against it is to say that there is a reason why just three years after being published it received a hefty twenty dollar discount. After all the set up, the tidbits (i.e. the actual interesting parts) at page forty-four the entire books devolves into nothing but nauseatingly over wrought descriptions of every song spanning their first six albums. Descriptions nearly defying description; as narcissistic as they are sycophantic. Still you could do worse for five bucks.
Hell! I don't even need to make fun of these people. They do a great job of making themselves look bad.
Part two is coming soon. Already have it written, but there is always that period where you have to step away for a few hours, and then come back to check it. Until then I uploaded some videos to You Tube. These were initially intended as installations, but as I have not had steady employment in a while I have yet to realize them. Put on headphones, and put the pictures to full screen (You Tube muted the quality, but what can you do?).
All of these songs will be released on the forth coming (already finished just needs a cover) "The Black Mass Called Love" under the "Mr. 97 Presents" moniker. Enjoy, and if you're my friends I better get 4 star ratings on these things.
Yes part two is coming. I am doing stuff and things. Be patient. I will also be posting links to all the unfinished projects for download. Be patient, be kind, love thy walrus.
Oh, fish and chips. How I think of you all time. How my heart races in breathless anticipation of your coming. I think of you more than anything else these days, fish and chips. I can't explain why, but I'm always on edge. In a good way. Kind of like waiting all night to open your Christmas presents.
That concludes this interlude. I hope you enjoyed. Hang loose baby dolls!
I was taking a walk around the shopping outlets near my apartment when I decided to stop into Barnes and Noble in the hopes of securing a reasonably priced copy of “Kon-Tiki”. Unfortunately my efforts were thwarted by the malevolent machinations of those that don't keep any but the most obvious of obvious classic literature in stock. I then walked over to the discount section, mumbling to myself over my rotten luck (I mean this is like the 13th place I've looked), in hopes that by God's grace a neglected copy might be mixed in with such other searing literary power houses as “How to Hunt Dragons” and “The Big Book of Sh*t That's Big”.
No suck luck. But what I did find was a very much on sale copy of “Rat Salad: Black Sabbath the Classic Years” by Paul Wilkinson. Before you ask, yes I am going to use Black Sabbath to make fun of my parents generation, but please allow me to explain something first. Black Sabbath played an important role in the development of my musical life. In fact you might call them my first great musical awakening.
It wasn't until about 4th or 5th grade that I began to develop musical interests beyond what my parents would play in the car. Unfortunately this was more out pear pressure than any sort of affection for the popular music of the time. You see, I went to a teeny tiny Messianic Jewish private school, and pressures to fit in where great and many. 1) Yes the school was as crazy as it sounds. 2) No I am not Jewish. Almost no one that went there was including Rabbi Joe who was from Wisconsin, and wore a giant foam cheese hat to school every time the Packers played. I've lead a charmed life.
Later I would go on to a public high school where I found I could swear out loud, and wander the halls unsolicited. I grew a long stringy half-Afro, and spent the first fifty percent of my years there wearing hula girl adorned Hawaiian t-shirts, and bright green plaid shorts like I was reincarnated from an interdenominational psychedelic golfer. You may think that that might have been a recipe for social isolation, but I had so many friends and followers that I could afford the luxury of having a seething but low-key hatred for a good chunk of them.
I point this out only to emphasis that when there are so many faces in the crowd you might have to work quite a bit to be singled out, but when you go to a school of less than 150 kids spread of over two buildings a microscopic level of scrutiny is applied to your daily being. You had to not only have heard all the latest singles, but have seen all the top music videos if you (amongst a thousand other things) didn't want to be every ones verbal punching bag for weeks to come.
So I listed to things like Snoop Dog, Cypress Hill, and that band that later went on to pen a song about being pretty fly for a white guy; whatever was necessary to keep me in the social loop. But then something happened. A story that is both magical and epic. One brimming with anecdotal wonderment, and so much pith it could fill whole banks, if banks happen to store pith instead of money. I don't feel like recounting it though so maybe some other time. The end result is that I heard Iron Man on the radio, and my first great musical awakening had begun.
At first my parents exercised goodly Christian caution, and were reluctant to let me listen Black Sabbath. But in no time I had needled away at them, and they even bought me a copy of Masters of Reality on cassette. Oh, it was a glorious day when I first popped in that bit of analogue delight, and my ears where serenaded with the a-tonal lick riffs of Sweet Leaf ( a song whose less than subtle metaphor escaped me until a couple of years later).
From that day forward, and for many years, I would live and breath Black Sabbath. I cast aside the populist trappings of mid to late 90's era music, and thrust on the cloak of individualism, swearing to listen to no music recorded after 1979. My little love affair also afforded me the duel pleasure of feeling just a little bit edgy as the school I went to taught that listening to certain types of music was considered intrinsically more evil than any single act a man could commit. Demon possession was a certainty, and perhaps I would even get magic powers.
Later in life I would move on to Primus (the reason I would switch from guitar to bass, and ultimately the reason why I would later switch back to guitar), Tom Waits, and Captain Beefheart whom would not only change my perspective on music forever, but in some small way my perspective on life. I realize this is the possibly the longest lead in as to why some one would buy a discount book, but stay with me.
I am not a particularly nostalgic person. I believe Robert Fripp once said something about nostalgia being the enemy of creativity, but I hate Robert Fripp enough not to look up the exact quote. Let's just say I prefer to deal with the shame and stupidity of the here and now, and not look back upon the shame and stupidity of the past. Especially not the 60's and 70's. I don't listen to Black Sabbath any more, nor Primus, or Tom Waits. But every now and then nostalgia does get the better of me, and I always end worse off for it.
So, when I am reading through the forward of a book, and it hits me with such masturbatory prose as: “Rock was then at its apogee; big, proud, full of itself on one hand; quiet. introspective, and foamingly eloquent on the other”, I tend to shake my head and sigh. I wouldn't go as far as to call a generation of music mostly about mother's little helper (i.e. drugs), and purple flying electric ice cream machines (i.e. what happens when you do drugs, and you're from the 60's) as eloquent or really anything other than modestly clever bits of social rebellion, but I will say that most of it was crap.
Despite promises that such seismically registering vomit would not be penned; the author goes on to devote several paragraphs to the artistic purity, and the transcendental characteristics of 60's era rock. I'm not denying that some of what was done was art. Sure it was mostly about self indulgent and shallow rebellion, but some small portion did achieve not only a high level of technical virtuosity, but also contained a certain dumb poetry. After all if Picasso can paint anomalous shapes with tits then why can't Voodoo Child be art too?
But is Black Sabbath so obviously art as the author contests? Hell no! Black Sabbath is and always was comic book music. It was about keeping it loud, stupid, and laden with dorky occult mysticism. Sure you could throw low rent curios like “Embryo” at me or push a cheesy pseudo soul ballad like “Changes” in my face, but it wont work.
To paraphrase something I once said while debating the merits of the Gamera films: “If the most well know song in your catalog is about a time traveling hunk of metal that gets bummed out when people don't wanna hang with him, and goes on a killing spree then you lose artistic credibility.”
No soul, no real feeling, no rhythm; just heavy riffs. Not that there's anything really wrong with that if that's what you're looking for. After all Toni Iomi was a wicked guitar player, and you couldn't ask for a better rhythm section as far as rock is concerned. The truth, in my opinion, is that when rock's fans and critics began demanding snob factor levels of artistic credibility they slit rock and roll's throat and left it to bleed, but more on that in part two.
If you're over 25, and you still think this is cool then you need to take a good long look at the course of your life.
Only getting about two hours sleep doesn't make having early morning obligations easy. I went to the nursing home as I have been doing, and sometimes it can be hard to take in certain things. You can really tell when the doctors are screwing around with some of the peoples medications. One week their excited, feel good, and have some real clarity, one woman even began getting strong enough to stand on her own, and then you come in the next week and their virtually zombies. You can tell how unhappy they are, but without family members standing by to really keep tabs on some of the residents the doctors will drug them into oblivion because it's the easiest thing to do. You forget that at times things like that are little more than shot in the dark.
After church I conned a few bucks, and bought a starter kit for the card game Redemption. It's essentially the Christian version of Magic the Gathering, and at 5 smackers for two starter decks I was curious. I haven't really read the rules yet, but the art work on the cards seems to be mostly some what low rent traditional religious art, the kind of stuff you would see if booklets at Sunday school, mixed in some Wild Storm like art that could have been ripped from Wild Cats. It's kind of jarring and humorous.
Other than these revelations my Lost obsession is beginning to boil over. I'm honestly getting annoyed with not ever getting to know what's going on. It's like every episode you get a piece of the puzzle only to realize that the puzzle is three times larger than you thought it was in the first place.
Not to mention that none of the main characters ever communicate anything of importance to any of the other characters. My friend Sean summoned it up perfectly when he said that it's like some guy is walking around the island with a bowl of dry cereal when he comes across a guy with some milk. When the guy with the milk asks if the guy with the cereal needs anything the cereal guy just looks at him for 10 seconds, says "forget it", and then walks off. It drives me nuts. So much could be accomplished if every one would just communicate facts to each other. Oh, the cereal is forever dry!
Say did you doubt that the world is going to end on 2012? Me too. That is until I saw that Miley Cyrus deleted her Twitter account. What's the connection? I have no idea, but read some of the comments and the video responses. It's like people don't understand that Hannah Montana ain't deadly serious about the rap game. Can't any one just have fun any more?
Lets stop dropping bombs in my lap, and then walking off. It's not fair, and it's not like I don't spend every waking moment thinking about it. I care a whole lot, and you know it.
Looks like I don't start work till Monday if even that. No start time or info which leads me to believe they don't have whatever it is they are planning on doing set up. Figures, but I'm glad to have the rest of the week off.
Other than that no new revelations. Maybe tomorrow I will go to some thrift stores. Maybe I will go take some pictures. This whole silence thing makes it hard to sleep, English. I did stop by the old Faith Farm, and got myself a good haul. They had Diablo and Soul Reaver 2, and Deer Hunter 5 at the Dollar Tree. Now I need a portable tape player. I got some old Dragnet radio shows from way back when on cassette for 30 cents as well as an unabridged reading of the Hobbit for another 30. Where to find one though? Do they even still make those things?
Fact is I find books on cassette all the time, but unfortunately they're mostly Star Wars, but what the heck? A dollar spent isn't a dollar wasted if it's only a dollar. The one thing is I feel I need to do something physical. Not just exercise, but something productive. Some kind of labor project, but what o' what can be done when you live in an apartment?
Whoever said they were the fairer sex wasn't referring to opportunity.
By the way. Some of you might want to look this song up and pay attention to the lyrics, but the rest of you can WTH (har har). I certainly don't have any explanations for you.
Yesterday was officially day 10 of no drinking. They say it takes 10 days to detox, but who knows if that's true. I don't. My cheek muscles were doing odd things last night though. They kept popping up and flexing, but no big. I can now fully fall asleep on my own without any aid. The odd thing is that if I don't sleep like 12 hours I feel like total crap. It's like I just woke up from an eon of cryostasis. It's worse than being hung over if you ask me.
On a more positive note... I think, I was called back in to World Avenue so I'll be starting tomorrow. They actually wanted me to come in today, but that's just ridiculous. In fact I should call that lady back since she's neglected to call back with my start time and info.
Annnnnd I just called I have no start time. Will I start tomorrow? Who knows? But tomorrow or Friday, it doesn't matter to me. It was mentioned something about AT&T. What could it be? A mystery! Could it be the selling phone service? I don't see how since that would require actual product training, but since when does anything involving this company make sense? It's like working at Hogwarts. No one knows what any one else does, and everything is some big secret. Only Paul Lynde is Dumbledore.
Want another mystery? What is this all about? I don't know! How did I find? I don't even know that!
Yesterday I did something I haven't been able to do in years; take a nap. I was up later than I should have been, and was dead tired the next day when I went to the nursing home. It's been ages since I've lived a Sunday without a hang over, and between being tired and a hang over I think I like the hang over better. At least a hang over is accompanied by plenty of energy. At around 3 I had depart from those haunting eyes and crash. I woke up and hour and a half later with drool trailing down my cheek. It was refreshing.
Today I went to Bird State National Park, and walked around taking pictures. My parents used to go there when they were kids, and marveled at how much things had changed. There used to be cabins there, a garden, and a large play area with train tracks running over the water where they would jump off, down into the lake when the train would come.
Now it's mostly over grown bush with trails that run in circles around the park, and down to the ocean. It's supposed to simulate old Indian trails, but it all looks more like laziness or a lack of budget. The trails are thin and steeped with trees and thickets that narrow the paths to arms length.
A few yards down each trail, and the canopy becomes completely covered in networks of webs with large and menacing looking spiders perched in them. In fact the entire park is practically over run with these things. It defiantly made me nervous to pass under them. Some of them were half hanging off the web as if waiting to strike or maybe they were dead I don't know.
You know this one is all about the work out program.
These are my words. The photos are mine too. Please read and enjoy and don't forget to check out my Myspace music page which is linked below as well as twitter me. I do love recognition.
If you wish to contact me do so at angry_rant@yahoo.com
Just Say No To Invisible Space Lizards
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So this guy spends his days redefining reality *because* *of* invisible
space lizards that want to conquer our dimension, and we're the ones
existing in a ...
The Proposal
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Directed by Anne Fletcher. Written by Pete Chiarelle. Starring Sandra
Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, and Betty White.
Touchstone Pictures - 2009
Two Stars of ...
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