Cooderize

Well, Joe Pesci has finally heard my prayers.
It looks like i may actually, finally, be able to see Mr. Ry Cooder live in concert. Along with Jim Keltner!
They're acting as band for the fabulous Mavis Staples, and will be playing at the Apollo Theater.
AHHHH!
Joy.

The Badonkadonk

Only $20,000 on Amazon. They're calling it a tank.
I call it a Sandcrawler.
Probably a complete piece, but it looks cool and
makes me want to make Jawa noises.

Ah, what the hell:

Beat this

yes, they are made of cheese.

Cannibalism

This video is really interesting. And intense. Obviously there is a lot more to the story, but regardless of what the situation was, these events stand. How could this ever be justified? How can Americans look back at the war as a "victory"? Where was this in my history books?

time capsule

I've gotten the Tape-O-Matic playing, and it seems that the tape on it is original. The machine was made in 1956. The recording on it is probably from about 1960. In listening to it, I've found a bunch of poorly recorded music sections, as well as some classic radio dramas. Highly enjoyable, weird stuff, indicative of the times. The voices and music sound like OLD. Especially since they were probably recorded off some old radio, or maybe even with a mic, to tape, through a tube preamp, and then aged about 50 years. Very cool. You can bet I'll be sampling some gem lines.

PSA

New research presented to the British Nutrition Foundation shows that regular consumption of coffee does not affect a person’s alertness. The research shows that those who drink a caffeinated beverage are no more alert than those who never consume one.
Professor Peter Rogers, a biological psychologist who led the research, told the BBC: "That alertness you feel is you getting back to normal, rather than to an above normal level."
Caffeine is the No. 1 most abused psychoactive drug in modern civilization. Long-term coffee consumption depleted the adrenal glands and leads to chronic depletion of energy. It has also been correlated with a loss of bone mineral density as well as hypoglycemia. Caffeine does have some benefits, such as preventing cognitive decline in the elderly.

That said, I love coffee. But now I usually drink decaf with a little splash of regular, and no more than one a day. Tea is a great alternative, especially for kicking the habit. Green tea tends to have about a quarter of the caffeine present in a cup of coffee. And of course, most drugs are alright in moderation. One cup a day is probably fine. It's just interesting to find out that a drug's socially accepted excuse is generally, scientifically bunk, for those that use or abuse it. Also, coffee is certainly not the only culprit here. The real modern abuse comes more from energy drinks and sodas. Just keep in mind that if you're not drinking it for the taste (as i assume is the case with redbull type drinks), that you're also not getting the benefit you thought you were. You're just returning back to zero, after the depletion of energy that your dependence has caused.

Tape-O-Matic!!!

Look what I found on the curb today!



Voice of Music Tape-O-Matic. Tube mono dual speed reel to reel tape recorder.
A-W-E-S-O-M-E.
And it works!

First recording: a cappella "mahnahmahnah" duet.



question is: use for normal recording, or modify for tape delay, or modify into guitar amp?
It's a hard life I lead.

"this house is clean"

W. Bush visited the consecrated archaeological 'Iximche' on the high Western plateau in a region of the Central American country populated mostly by Mayans. The ancient Kakchiquel Mayan holy site is the center of continued ritual practice today.

The spirit guides of the Maya community decided it would be necessary to cleanse the sacred site of bad spirits after Bush's visit so that their ancestors could rest in peace.

"It's very important for the people of South America and Central America to know that the United States cares deeply about the human condition, and that much of our aid is aimed at helping people realize their God-given potential," Bush said in Bogota, Colombia.
God apparently can't help Bush rid himself of bad spirits.

Bush did not define "potential." His record would suggest that, to him, this has different meanings for different peoples.

The people of Bogota did not welcome him with open arms exactly.



These people really wanted to toss his ass out of their country.

Bush wanted to help the people in part because he saw a deficiency in health care. Take care of us first buddy.

Bush's Latin American tour is seen to be a desperate attempt at challenging rising support for the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who is steadily gaining strong influence in the region. Chavez has publicly called Bush “history's greatest killer” and “the devil”.

The Mayans don't even want him walking around. Americans elected him. Go figure.
I hope our next president invites the Mayan holy people to the white house when he leaves.

Satisfaction

I suggest you watch this at least ten times.
a day.



It always cheers me up.

Music is a weapon.

i'm sorry, you're sick.

This, below, is from the Zoloft website. For anyone who may not know, which is unlikely because of the sick amount of drugpushing adverts, Zoloft is a drug used to... treat... obsessive compulsive disorder. I don't mean to suggest that it doesn't work. However, it's becoming increasingly clear to me that "disorders" and "conditions" etc, of the mind, are not truly diagnosable. There is no standard practice. Just ask any psychiatrist. Or doctor. Doctors have standard practices, ways of looking at symptoms and predicting that a patient may have a condition. They then run tests, blood tests, biopsy, etc, to determine if they are correct. Most often, if a doctor says you have such and such disease, and you've been tested, you've actually got it. In mental medical practices however, there are no such standard tests. Yeah, really. It's obvious. What's also obvious, and what I'm getting at, is that these conditions have been basically invented, popularized, and pushed by the very drug companies that profit from them. It's similar to our problems with oil right now. We are made to believe that we have a dependence on something, and before long, we do. We don't ask questions and we just buy into it.
Anyway, rant over. Below, you'll find a questionnaire, created by Zoloft. I'll bet you've got OCD!!! They can help!!!


Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder Checklist

If you think you might be suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms, this checklist can help you talk about your concerns with your doctor.
Just print this page, answer the questions and take the finished checklist to an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare professional. Your answers can help your doctor determine if you have OCD.

1. Do thoughts come into your mind that you have trouble getting rid of and that don’t make sense? YES, OF COURSE
2. Do you believe these thoughts are coming from your own mind, rather than from some outside source? YES, UM YEAH SOMETIMES
3. Do you wash your hands more than other people? YES, SOME OTHER PEOPLE
4. Do you have to check things over and over? YES, I WAS CONDITIONED TO DO THIS IN SCHOOL FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS. IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
5. Is there any other behavior you find you cannot resist and/or are doing more often than you think you should? YES, I'M A HUMAN ANIMAL. WE ALL ARE.
6. Do you have to have things done just so or in a certain order? YES, SOMETIMES. I USUALLY EAT BEFORE I SHIT, OR WAKE UP BEFORE I DRESS, ETC.
7. Does thinking these thoughts or performing these repetitious behaviors bother you a lot? YES, SOMETIMES. SOME OF THESE THINGS EVEN CAUSE ME TO LEARN. SOME OF THESE THINGS DEFINE WHO I AM AND HOW I AM DIFFERENT.
8. Do the thoughts and/or the behaviors interfere with your day-to-day functioning? YES, PROBABLY SINCE THAT IS A BUNCH OF LOOSELY DEFINED TERMS AND SUGGESTIONS PUT TOGETHER TO IMPLY SOME KIND OF MEDICALLY VALID SENTENCE.


I guess I'll have to get on Zoloft immediately.
One thing that really makes me sick is that on the actual questionnaire, there are only two options, "YES" and "NO".
This is rubbish.
I can't wait for the future.

Brinsley Fucking Shwartz

So unfortunately, Brinsley does not play much on this song, but there's plenty of Nick Lowe action, along with lots of happy organ love. I experienced much joy.

You Weirdos are All Alike...

-I don't have any quarrel with you, mister.
-I'm gonna kill you, you little fag.

Now that's writing!

Country Joe and the Fish star as the band, The Crackers, in this disgusting clip from 1971's Zachariah.
Now, the crackers was already taken at this point as a potential name for THE BAND, and perhaps that's where it came from. They're singing their namesake song.
I'm not sure there are any highlights because the whole damn thing just makes me feel swell.
Not sure whether i wanna pick up my gun or my guitar. Just another day.

Zombies!

This is fantastic. Here we have, in reality, a fungus that could potentially take over the minds, physically, the brains, of any animal.

With already thousands of types, each specialized for one species, there truly is potential for it to evolve to take on any species. It has the technology.

"The more numerous a species becomes, the more likely it will be attacked."

Of course, yes, I'm thinking humans here, but consider the possibilities.
Eagles? Rhinos? Llamas?!?

OK, maybe not. they need something that has a very large population in a relatively small space. So back to humans. Get some of this stuff set up in any city (human hive), and presto.

"BRAINS!"

Moving out

I've lived at home now for most of my life. I'll be moving out soon. I'm looking at a few places. Here's one:


I'm open to any other suggestions.
First in a series.

.

"Calo d'ascolto "
Edoardo Belinci

Life, Success, Death, RIP (wailing guitar solo)

Brad Delp, BOSTON singer

- June 12, 1951 to March 9, 2007

'bama smear

Well, nothing new here really. It's depressing to see it all, but enjoyable to laugh at their foolishness. Especially since they have now been dropped by the Nevada Dem party. I'm aware that this will not remove the bullshit factor from the debates, but at least it won't be centered on Obama or Fox.

four SCORE

Here's what i did to myself for the civil war cocktail party i attended last night.

IT! - The Terror From Beyond Space

"It pukes upon the face of the universe. It destroys the godhead. It is MOCKING you. Scrotum."

IT is the new Scrotum Smasher from Metasonix. It is a terrible thing.
Here's how it works:

(actually printed on pedal)

You can hear how it molests a guitar HERE.

I want one.

12,000 strikes

AND from the same site



(pictures are links)

but how will we survive?

I know, I'm getting carried away, but who can argue with this?:


(pineapple for scale (and eating))

Yes, that's a GIANT PAPAYA.
Yes, It will be juiced.

He CAIN'T be Beat

Unfortunately, this was not embeddable.
But open THIS BEAUTIFUL THANG and prepare to be overjoyed with a lot of what really makes it all worth it.
As a fan of Mr. Cooder, I enjoy that they were certainly contemporaries, and they managed to break it down in the same way. Which is to say that I feel real nice.
Lowell is the real thing.

Heart and Mind.



*forgot to mention, that performance is at 9:30 in the morning(!)

Speaking of Ry, I'll be receiving his new album, My Name Is Buddy, in the mail any day now. Thanks to my aunt for the gift. I must remember to post a reaction/review.
I Understand that it has something, everything, to do with this:

Ry has become quite an amazing songwriter. Here's a sneak preview from the new album:

Ol' J. Edgar Hoover liked to hear the Darkies sing
But one man changed that all around
Paul Robeson was a man that you couldn't ignore
That's what drove J. Edgar down
He called up his New York Klan-boy friends
Saying: "I got something good for you
Get right down there to Peekskill New York town
And kill three chords and the truth"

squeek squeek

The Fates have given mankind a patient soul.
- Homer

As a painter, I am now intimately familiar with the difference between white and slightly-off-white.

Try using eight hours out of your day to make this:



into this:



If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention, than to any other talent.
- Isaac Newton

I'm tired of this shit.
- Me

Actually, I don't really mind it. If my mind had a to do list of thoughts, they would all be crossed off. That is to say, all the sheep have jumped the fence. If there was something to be considered, it has now been mentally beaten to death, gathered, burned, and reincarnated. Green pastures, my friend.
Clean as a whistle.

Pants on fire

Now, really more!

Step up to the next level!

Foma from the Snuffbox

Mr. K. Vonnegut's
Eight rules for writing fiction:

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.

5. Start as close to the end as possible.

6. Be a sadist. Now matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

Wow, just wow.

It's come to this.
I really can't comment.

From the bottom of my paint by number heart.

We can talk

One Voice for all, Echoing along the hall.

Here goes.
Testing testing, 41(3).

Purpose. Hmm.

• To make my interwanking hours more productive.
• To make some sort of linear recorded sense and order out of randomness and transient thoughts.
• To spread the love.
• To smell the glove.
• To have a way of exchanging somethings and giving somethings with/to my people, whomever they may be, as I am probably notorious for my lack of contact skills. I love you when I'm with you, so this way, we can be Etogether, and once again, spread it.
• To practice my skills as a human being.
• To check out the latest form of self/group masturbation. Boot up the vanity board.

Wish me luck.

Everybody, Everywhere
Do you really care?

We can talk about it now.