You know what's funny? I've been thinking about the same concept regarding Newspeak that Maybe I'll Catch Fire mentioned in his last post. I will receive emails written in Textspeak. I refuse to answer them. If you cannot write an email properly than I see no reason why I should struggle to understand your Textspeak. Is it really that difficult to write an email with proper sentences. I've received texts written in Textspeak. In some cases I'll send one back asking them to clarify what the hell they are saying. If i'm going to learn another language it will be Chinese or Spanish, not Textspeak. . I can only imagine the frustration I'll Catch Fire must have to see textspeak on student essays. I think it is time for his students to read 1984. Then have a nice class discussion on Newspeak and their thoughts. Then point out the similiarities between Newspeak and Textspeak.
The Patriot Act may not be the downfall of the American Empire. But I feel that September 11 started the downfall of our Empire. Rome was only safe because no one dared attack it. The city had an aura of invicibility. To attack the city would be suicide. You would not succeed. One day barbarians knocked at the gate. They sacked the once invincible city of Rome. It lost all it's aura and mystique. The Roman Empire became more militaristic and less democractic. If one group of barbarians could do it so could another.
We all know what eventually happened. I see parallels between September 11 and the first barbarians at the gate for Rome. For a long time we saw ourselves as invincible. No one would attack American soil. We are have an ocean separating us from any major powers. During World War I and II we were safe from major battles. After that we felt safe and secure knowing that ocean was huge. We could stop any attack before it hit us. We'd see any enemy approaching our gates before they could arrive.
Then came September 11. A group of guerilla fighters, our version of barbarians, attacked us. And not just anywhere but on our own soil. On two symbols of American power, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Not long afterwards The Patriot Act was passed. We lost many little freedoms and no one cared. If it would protect us from other barbarians, please take away our rights. The best example of losing freedom is to look at airtravel. The restrictions are unbelievable. You can't just arrive 45 minutes before a flight. You need a minimum of two hours!
We developed a mentality of you're either with us or you are against us. If you don't support us then you support terrorism. Does anyone remember Freedom Fries? I was in Europe during that period. Let me tell you the Europeans had a good laugh over stupid concepts like that.
Were is this post going? I'm not sure. But then again most of my posts end like that. All I can say is this: beware. We are entering a historically significant era in world history. Where does the greatest Empire in history go from here? Do they continue their slow slide into mediocrity? Or do they bounce back with a militaristic vengeance?
Monday, May 11, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
1984 in 2009
I've been thinking about this concept a lot lately and after about a year of contemplation, I am finally going to discuss it.
One of my favorite books is 1984. I read it during High School when I was a young angry punk rocker and it spoke to me. As the years progressed I always referred to it as my favorite book. Following the tragic events in 2001, I thought the U.S. would slowly push it's way towards a more strictly controlled government as that seen in the novel. The Patriot Act would be the downfall of the republic!
While my fears have proved to based more on paranoia, I continue to see society moving closer to the beast that was referred to as Ingsoc.
What is driving us there? Text and IM speak.
As a teacher I have been able to see first hand the trouble with both spelling and grammar that text is creating. Often I see people use the 8 as is sk8 (although that has been the norm for some time). Use of C and U to represent see and you has also been common, among the "Lisa Frank" girls. However the line has always been drawn when it came time to write a formal piece for class. This is not always the case anymore. I've begun seeing students attemp to use terms like "lol" as part of everyday vocabulary, both in class and in writing assignments.
One of the foundations of Ingsoc (or English Socialism) was Newspeak. The goal of newspeak in the novel and in the society of 1984 was to create a new language. This language based on English has a greatly reduced and simplified vocabulary and grammar.
Newspeak commonly eliminated words and combined words to make the most efficient terms possible. For example in 1984 words like better and best and even bad were eliminated, and prefixes and suffix took control. Instead there was good, gooder, goodest and ungood. Words that could be combined were such as Dayorder taking place of a phrase like order of the day.
In the long run the goal was to destry freedom and independent thought. Works liek Shakespeare and Chaucer would be impossible to read for someone versed in newspeak.
Similar word combinations can be cited in texting and IM. BRB, WTF, LOL, THX, l8r, and many others have become common. In some langauges, numbers and words are even connected to create a shorter form of communication. For example 520 in Chinese ("wu er ling") sound like the words for "I love you" ("wo ai ni"). The sequence 748 ("qi si ba") sounds like the curse for "drop dead".
This Orwellian trend seems disturbing, but I am curious to see how the rapid increase in the number to phones with qwerty keypads will play into this trend. Seeing as Instant Messengers have been using these terms and phrases for over ten years, I doubt it will help.
Newspeak is creeping its way into communication and if it continues to creep its way into the education system, how far can AmSoc be? IDK!
One of my favorite books is 1984. I read it during High School when I was a young angry punk rocker and it spoke to me. As the years progressed I always referred to it as my favorite book. Following the tragic events in 2001, I thought the U.S. would slowly push it's way towards a more strictly controlled government as that seen in the novel. The Patriot Act would be the downfall of the republic!
While my fears have proved to based more on paranoia, I continue to see society moving closer to the beast that was referred to as Ingsoc.
What is driving us there? Text and IM speak.
As a teacher I have been able to see first hand the trouble with both spelling and grammar that text is creating. Often I see people use the 8 as is sk8 (although that has been the norm for some time). Use of C and U to represent see and you has also been common, among the "Lisa Frank" girls. However the line has always been drawn when it came time to write a formal piece for class. This is not always the case anymore. I've begun seeing students attemp to use terms like "lol" as part of everyday vocabulary, both in class and in writing assignments.
One of the foundations of Ingsoc (or English Socialism) was Newspeak. The goal of newspeak in the novel and in the society of 1984 was to create a new language. This language based on English has a greatly reduced and simplified vocabulary and grammar.
Newspeak commonly eliminated words and combined words to make the most efficient terms possible. For example in 1984 words like better and best and even bad were eliminated, and prefixes and suffix took control. Instead there was good, gooder, goodest and ungood. Words that could be combined were such as Dayorder taking place of a phrase like order of the day.
In the long run the goal was to destry freedom and independent thought. Works liek Shakespeare and Chaucer would be impossible to read for someone versed in newspeak.
Similar word combinations can be cited in texting and IM. BRB, WTF, LOL, THX, l8r, and many others have become common. In some langauges, numbers and words are even connected to create a shorter form of communication. For example 520 in Chinese ("wu er ling") sound like the words for "I love you" ("wo ai ni"). The sequence 748 ("qi si ba") sounds like the curse for "drop dead".
This Orwellian trend seems disturbing, but I am curious to see how the rapid increase in the number to phones with qwerty keypads will play into this trend. Seeing as Instant Messengers have been using these terms and phrases for over ten years, I doubt it will help.
Newspeak is creeping its way into communication and if it continues to creep its way into the education system, how far can AmSoc be? IDK!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Star Trek
After a five month release delay the new Star Trek movie makes its much anticipated debut. I for one am very much looking forward to it. In fact I will be seeing it tomorrow night. No not at midnight either. Most theaters seem to be playing it starting at around 7pm. I'll be at one of those showings. Midnight showings have never been my thing. I'd rather just wait for the next day to see it. Now 7 or 8pm showings, that is different. And no I can guarantee I will not be dressed in costume. I have never done that and I never will. I don't feel the need to play out some fantasy and dress up as a Starfleet Officer.
Star Trek was originally supposed to debut back in December of 2008. Apparently the suits saw dailies of the filming. They immediately realized this movie had the potential to be a big summer hit. One that could appeal to Trek and non Trek fans alike. I could not agree more. I have friends who never watched Star Trek growing up. Yet they want to see the movie. I even have friends who prefer Star Wars. They too want to see the franchise reboot. With this in mind, the suits decided to push the release date of Star Trek back to the summer months. They figured the movie would make a lot more money with a summer release.
In this situation I have to disagree with the suits. If a movie is good, the release date does not matter. It will still make tons of money. The first four Harry Potter movies were released in November. They have made a fortune for Warner Bros. The same can be said about The Lord of the Rings trilogy. They were released during the winter. We all know how much money they made. In fact I believe releasing Star Trek in the summer will eat into the profits.
The summer months bring out all the big blockbusters. That leaves too much competition among films. In today's climate no one wants to spend money to see three big blockbusters in one month, let alone all summer. People have to pick and choose the films they go to see. Some of the audience that would normally see Star Trek won't spend the money to see it. They may have spent the money to see X-Men: Wolverine. Or they may wait a week to see Angels & Demons. That is money taken from the profits of one movie and deposited into another.
The suits should have kept the original release date in December. Star Trek would have had no big blockbuster competition. If the movie does have that wide appeal the suits think it has, people would have flocked to see it. Filmgoers would have been less likely to spend money on the typical holiday schlock. They would have spent it to see a potentially great movie called Star Trek.
This new movie will be successful. This new movie will make a profit. This new movie sacrificed it's profit margin with a later release date. Let us hope the next Star Trek movie will have a better release date. Come on, don't act surprised. After all, the main actors have been signed on for two more films.
I'll end with this. Reboots seem to be the in thing these days. In about thirty years George Lucas may not be with us anymore. Will we see a Star Wars reboot at that time?
Star Trek was originally supposed to debut back in December of 2008. Apparently the suits saw dailies of the filming. They immediately realized this movie had the potential to be a big summer hit. One that could appeal to Trek and non Trek fans alike. I could not agree more. I have friends who never watched Star Trek growing up. Yet they want to see the movie. I even have friends who prefer Star Wars. They too want to see the franchise reboot. With this in mind, the suits decided to push the release date of Star Trek back to the summer months. They figured the movie would make a lot more money with a summer release.
In this situation I have to disagree with the suits. If a movie is good, the release date does not matter. It will still make tons of money. The first four Harry Potter movies were released in November. They have made a fortune for Warner Bros. The same can be said about The Lord of the Rings trilogy. They were released during the winter. We all know how much money they made. In fact I believe releasing Star Trek in the summer will eat into the profits.
The summer months bring out all the big blockbusters. That leaves too much competition among films. In today's climate no one wants to spend money to see three big blockbusters in one month, let alone all summer. People have to pick and choose the films they go to see. Some of the audience that would normally see Star Trek won't spend the money to see it. They may have spent the money to see X-Men: Wolverine. Or they may wait a week to see Angels & Demons. That is money taken from the profits of one movie and deposited into another.
The suits should have kept the original release date in December. Star Trek would have had no big blockbuster competition. If the movie does have that wide appeal the suits think it has, people would have flocked to see it. Filmgoers would have been less likely to spend money on the typical holiday schlock. They would have spent it to see a potentially great movie called Star Trek.
This new movie will be successful. This new movie will make a profit. This new movie sacrificed it's profit margin with a later release date. Let us hope the next Star Trek movie will have a better release date. Come on, don't act surprised. After all, the main actors have been signed on for two more films.
I'll end with this. Reboots seem to be the in thing these days. In about thirty years George Lucas may not be with us anymore. Will we see a Star Wars reboot at that time?
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Road of Regret part 2
“A girl would giggle and it’d make me red
A boy would laugh and I’d punch his head
I tell you life ain’t easy for a boy named Sue.”- Johnny Cash
I arrive at work and the first thing I am treated to is a barrage of assholes making fun of my name. Sure my name is usually a feminine name, but it isn’t like I haven’t kicked their asses enough times to make them forget about trying to make fun of it. Some people just never learn.
You get that a lot with a name like mine though, it’s sort of like that song Boy Named Sue. You really do end up fighting your whole life, which means you spend most of your life as a loner. Those who cross you just want to prove they are tougher than you and those who don’t are just plain afraid of you.
Either way you end up being labeled a troublemaker. School was hell because of it. It’s too easy for the kids to blame you since you have no real alibi. Therefore, the principal’s office becomes your home away from home. It gets to the point where you can mouth along with the lecture “when are you going to straighten up and fly right?” or “would you be acting up this much if your parents were still alive? Is this a cry for help?” The list goes on and on.
But you never do anything wrong, you just try to live your life and you get stepped on, treated like shit because that is what people think you are. The sad coincidence about it is that eventually you really start to think that way. You start to see yourself as the loner, the outcast. You are the Troublemaker, the rebel, the one everyone wants to see either in jail or in the grave. So you learn to accept what people think of you and just take on the role you’ve been assigned.
Eventually we all fall into the trap of being what everyone expects us to be. After high school I never really could get my act together. I spent so much time in the principal’s office no one expected me to go far, so I didn’t. That summer job at the working with your buddy at the mechanic’s shop has turned out to be a career. Not necessarily my career of choice, but its hard to become a doctor or a lawyer when the only thing you understand is cars.
So instead of a career where I can plan for my future, I live from paycheck to paycheck. It doesn’t help any when there are no benefits involved in your job. If you get a bad cold, you are short on your rent and I hate to say it but I feel a sore throat coming on.
I spend the rest of the day contemplating the cost involved in medication and how short I will be for the next week. So much so that I don’t realize how far past closing it is. I grab my coat and head for the door, when I see a car pulling up. A lovely young lady rolls down her window. I see a flash of black hair with Betty Paige bangs. I’ve always had a thing for good hair and that was definitely good hair. After looking around a little bit, she spots me and speaks.
“Excuse me, but are you guys closed?”
I replied “About a half hour ago.”
“Damn, I just wanted someone to look under the hood, I’ve been hearing a strange noise.”
“Well, I really have to close up the garage, but if you want to just park in that space over there and pop the hood I can check it out, see if it is serious or anything.”
“If you guys are closed I don’t want to keep you, I mean it’s Friday night, I’m sure you have plans, I think I can borrow my dad’s car until Monday.”
“Believe me, I don’t have any plans, just another night in front of the TV, watching god only knows what. Besides I enjoy helping beautiful girls.”
She blushed a little and gave me a quick smile before she pulled her car into the parking space.
A boy would laugh and I’d punch his head
I tell you life ain’t easy for a boy named Sue.”- Johnny Cash
I arrive at work and the first thing I am treated to is a barrage of assholes making fun of my name. Sure my name is usually a feminine name, but it isn’t like I haven’t kicked their asses enough times to make them forget about trying to make fun of it. Some people just never learn.
You get that a lot with a name like mine though, it’s sort of like that song Boy Named Sue. You really do end up fighting your whole life, which means you spend most of your life as a loner. Those who cross you just want to prove they are tougher than you and those who don’t are just plain afraid of you.
Either way you end up being labeled a troublemaker. School was hell because of it. It’s too easy for the kids to blame you since you have no real alibi. Therefore, the principal’s office becomes your home away from home. It gets to the point where you can mouth along with the lecture “when are you going to straighten up and fly right?” or “would you be acting up this much if your parents were still alive? Is this a cry for help?” The list goes on and on.
But you never do anything wrong, you just try to live your life and you get stepped on, treated like shit because that is what people think you are. The sad coincidence about it is that eventually you really start to think that way. You start to see yourself as the loner, the outcast. You are the Troublemaker, the rebel, the one everyone wants to see either in jail or in the grave. So you learn to accept what people think of you and just take on the role you’ve been assigned.
Eventually we all fall into the trap of being what everyone expects us to be. After high school I never really could get my act together. I spent so much time in the principal’s office no one expected me to go far, so I didn’t. That summer job at the working with your buddy at the mechanic’s shop has turned out to be a career. Not necessarily my career of choice, but its hard to become a doctor or a lawyer when the only thing you understand is cars.
So instead of a career where I can plan for my future, I live from paycheck to paycheck. It doesn’t help any when there are no benefits involved in your job. If you get a bad cold, you are short on your rent and I hate to say it but I feel a sore throat coming on.
I spend the rest of the day contemplating the cost involved in medication and how short I will be for the next week. So much so that I don’t realize how far past closing it is. I grab my coat and head for the door, when I see a car pulling up. A lovely young lady rolls down her window. I see a flash of black hair with Betty Paige bangs. I’ve always had a thing for good hair and that was definitely good hair. After looking around a little bit, she spots me and speaks.
“Excuse me, but are you guys closed?”
I replied “About a half hour ago.”
“Damn, I just wanted someone to look under the hood, I’ve been hearing a strange noise.”
“Well, I really have to close up the garage, but if you want to just park in that space over there and pop the hood I can check it out, see if it is serious or anything.”
“If you guys are closed I don’t want to keep you, I mean it’s Friday night, I’m sure you have plans, I think I can borrow my dad’s car until Monday.”
“Believe me, I don’t have any plans, just another night in front of the TV, watching god only knows what. Besides I enjoy helping beautiful girls.”
She blushed a little and gave me a quick smile before she pulled her car into the parking space.
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Weekend, It's Here!
This, I must say has been one of those weeks. Not one of those, is it still only Monday weeks, mind you. More one of those, everyday feels like Friday weeks. Since Wednesday I've felt like the weekend starts the next day. You'd think that would make for the world's slowest week. Let me tell you it did not. Of course it helps when you work half days Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Half days are fun. Especially this time of year, especially on a Friday. It gives you a nice, long weekend. The weather is great, the sun is shining. All that's needed is a trip to our not so nice beaches with a beer in hand. Or you could go the hippy route. Bring some weed, get high and go for a walk on a hiking trail. Enjoy the refreshing sounds of nature. I'd much prefer the part hippy route. Go for a hike to enjoy the refreshing sounds of nature. Just leave the weed out.
I love half days. Until you start the next week. Then you find yourself back to those full work days. It usually takes a day or two to re-adjust. Hey, as long as you have a window to the outside world it's not so bad.
Wait, I think I got myself off track. Oh wandering stream of conscious mind, good job. Time to focus. As I was trying to say. The last half of the week has felt like Friday. I get home, relax and think, "sweet the weekend is here." Then I realize, nope it's not. It's only Thursday. Only one day left. Today is officially Friday. It means the weekend is finally here. It means I will be seeing Kowalski and Maybe I'll Catch Fire tomorrow. It means the band is playing a show. Lastly, it means beer pong.
Half days are fun. Especially this time of year, especially on a Friday. It gives you a nice, long weekend. The weather is great, the sun is shining. All that's needed is a trip to our not so nice beaches with a beer in hand. Or you could go the hippy route. Bring some weed, get high and go for a walk on a hiking trail. Enjoy the refreshing sounds of nature. I'd much prefer the part hippy route. Go for a hike to enjoy the refreshing sounds of nature. Just leave the weed out.
I love half days. Until you start the next week. Then you find yourself back to those full work days. It usually takes a day or two to re-adjust. Hey, as long as you have a window to the outside world it's not so bad.
Wait, I think I got myself off track. Oh wandering stream of conscious mind, good job. Time to focus. As I was trying to say. The last half of the week has felt like Friday. I get home, relax and think, "sweet the weekend is here." Then I realize, nope it's not. It's only Thursday. Only one day left. Today is officially Friday. It means the weekend is finally here. It means I will be seeing Kowalski and Maybe I'll Catch Fire tomorrow. It means the band is playing a show. Lastly, it means beer pong.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Grass Is Green, Finally
I've been meaning to write a blog for about a week now. I've just been too busy to get the chance to do this. I wanted to get one put together as baseball season has finally started. Finally. I've always considered the time from the end of the Super Bowl until the start of baseball season to be sports purgatory. I've never followed hockey nor basketball. Neither of those sports have ever thrilled me. March Madness comes and goes and I don't care who wins. That is how little I follow basketball. Sure I'll do a bracket. But only if it's for baseball or football playoffs.
I was very excited for the new season to start. The most excited I've been for a long time. I'm not even sure why. Perhaps it was because I knew summer would arrive shortly there after. Either that or I was just more than ready to see my local team again. I think I'll go with the latter option.
I'm not one big on making preseason predictions. It is a bit difficult to accurately determine results over a 162 game season. Some people are spot on, others are way off. All I will say is this, watch out for the Florida Marlins. They, not the Phillies or the Cubs, will be the team to beat in the National League. I would not be surprised if they made it to the World Series. They are a young team with power and pitching.
This past off season saw the free agent market drop. Many good players have not signed on with a team yet. Many good players took steep cuts in pay. It happens. The salaries cannot keep rising, especially with the economy falling. Yet if you listen to the whispers out there from agents and players, they'd have you think otherwise. That nasty little word called collusion played a role in the falling salaries.
Many agents and players, they won't publicly say it, believe the owners colluded to keep salaries down. They used the falling economy as an excuse to do this. Really? What planet are the agents/players on? Did they not read about sponsors pulling out of deals? Did they not see ticket prices have gone down in some cities? Did they not read that season ticket orders are down for most teams?
Why would an owner pay $12 million a year for a player when revenue will be down? People everywhere are taking pay cuts and pay freezes due to lower revenues. Why can't the same happen in baseball? Why is it collusion when salaries drop? The owners are just following what other businesses are doing, slashing payroll and costs. It happens when the economy falters. People keep close tabs on their money.
It's a good thing the agents/players have kept mum about the nasty word collusion. Really what American is going to feel sorry because some pitcher made $6 million this year instead of the $12 million last year? Chances are the pitcher was worth barely $6 million in salary. The pitcher, like the housing market, was overpriced due to demand. With the economy down, the prices and market are correcting themselves.
So no I do not believe collusion is something the player's union should pursue. But that union is too powerful and egotistical. Give it a few years, once the economy is better, they'll look into it.
I was very excited for the new season to start. The most excited I've been for a long time. I'm not even sure why. Perhaps it was because I knew summer would arrive shortly there after. Either that or I was just more than ready to see my local team again. I think I'll go with the latter option.
I'm not one big on making preseason predictions. It is a bit difficult to accurately determine results over a 162 game season. Some people are spot on, others are way off. All I will say is this, watch out for the Florida Marlins. They, not the Phillies or the Cubs, will be the team to beat in the National League. I would not be surprised if they made it to the World Series. They are a young team with power and pitching.
This past off season saw the free agent market drop. Many good players have not signed on with a team yet. Many good players took steep cuts in pay. It happens. The salaries cannot keep rising, especially with the economy falling. Yet if you listen to the whispers out there from agents and players, they'd have you think otherwise. That nasty little word called collusion played a role in the falling salaries.
Many agents and players, they won't publicly say it, believe the owners colluded to keep salaries down. They used the falling economy as an excuse to do this. Really? What planet are the agents/players on? Did they not read about sponsors pulling out of deals? Did they not see ticket prices have gone down in some cities? Did they not read that season ticket orders are down for most teams?
Why would an owner pay $12 million a year for a player when revenue will be down? People everywhere are taking pay cuts and pay freezes due to lower revenues. Why can't the same happen in baseball? Why is it collusion when salaries drop? The owners are just following what other businesses are doing, slashing payroll and costs. It happens when the economy falters. People keep close tabs on their money.
It's a good thing the agents/players have kept mum about the nasty word collusion. Really what American is going to feel sorry because some pitcher made $6 million this year instead of the $12 million last year? Chances are the pitcher was worth barely $6 million in salary. The pitcher, like the housing market, was overpriced due to demand. With the economy down, the prices and market are correcting themselves.
So no I do not believe collusion is something the player's union should pursue. But that union is too powerful and egotistical. Give it a few years, once the economy is better, they'll look into it.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Sounds of Silence
Last night I was going through my music collection to put together a new mix. I wanted to listen to a certain song before I started. I was browsing through my collection to get to that song. I came across The Sounds of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel. I had the sudden urge to stop and listen to the song. I sat back, lowered the lights in the room, and turned on the visualizer. I found myself so wrapped up in the song that before I knew it I had listened to two more Simon & Garfunkel songs.
That got me to thinking. Where would they be if the internet were around back in the 1960’s? Where would they be if a pretentious site such as Pitchfork Media were in existence. I bet they would not be around. I bet they would have never made it past their first full length album. Pitchfork’s pretentious failed rock critics would have ripped Simon & Garfunkel a new one. They’d probably call their lyrics the equivalent of third grade poetry. The critic would have told us how his 9 year cousin writes better poetry.
That also got me to thinking. What bands were stopped in their tracks thanks to the pretentiousness of Pitchfork Media? These so called critics are great at influencing the large masses of indie kids. The same kids in the 60’s that would have loved Simon & Garfunkel. Did we lose this generation’s Simon & Garfunkel thanks to some moronic critic at Pitchfork Media? That’s a tough question to answer. We may never know.
We are talking about a site that loved The Decembrists. Then the lead singer came out with an solo album. They gave it a 0 rating. The indie kids avoided it like the plague. One can only imagine what they would have said about a classic like The Sounds of Silence.
The other day they posted a short paragraph about the release of Clarity Live. The writer wondered why people would get the live album. Was it for the kids who didn’t yet own Clarity? I bet this critic’s attitude would have been different were Broken Social Scene to release a live album. This critic would have written a long, glowing article about its release. But oh no a borderline mainstream album is being released live. Why would someone want that? Forget the fact that it turned out to be a highly influential album.
Personally I think the music critics at Pitchfork Media have lost touch with music reality. They have to find obscure bands and write glowing reviews about their albums. If a band has any mainstream sound to it they have to give it a low review. These Pitchfork critics are nothing more than failed mainstream music critics. They couldn’t get a job at Rolling Stone or Spin. You give them a guitar and they wouldn’t know which end is up. Yet they have no problem ripping apart a real musician with talent.
I wonder what Lester Bangs, considered one of the greatest rock critics ever, would say to the Pitchfork Media jackasses. He’d probably look at these Pitchfork idiots and tell them to pull their heads out of their asses. Get over their pretentiousness. Music is meant to be enjoyed. It doesn’t matter whether it panders to the masses or not. How hard is it actually sit back, relax, throw aside any preconceived notions, and enjoy?
That got me to thinking. Where would they be if the internet were around back in the 1960’s? Where would they be if a pretentious site such as Pitchfork Media were in existence. I bet they would not be around. I bet they would have never made it past their first full length album. Pitchfork’s pretentious failed rock critics would have ripped Simon & Garfunkel a new one. They’d probably call their lyrics the equivalent of third grade poetry. The critic would have told us how his 9 year cousin writes better poetry.
That also got me to thinking. What bands were stopped in their tracks thanks to the pretentiousness of Pitchfork Media? These so called critics are great at influencing the large masses of indie kids. The same kids in the 60’s that would have loved Simon & Garfunkel. Did we lose this generation’s Simon & Garfunkel thanks to some moronic critic at Pitchfork Media? That’s a tough question to answer. We may never know.
We are talking about a site that loved The Decembrists. Then the lead singer came out with an solo album. They gave it a 0 rating. The indie kids avoided it like the plague. One can only imagine what they would have said about a classic like The Sounds of Silence.
The other day they posted a short paragraph about the release of Clarity Live. The writer wondered why people would get the live album. Was it for the kids who didn’t yet own Clarity? I bet this critic’s attitude would have been different were Broken Social Scene to release a live album. This critic would have written a long, glowing article about its release. But oh no a borderline mainstream album is being released live. Why would someone want that? Forget the fact that it turned out to be a highly influential album.
Personally I think the music critics at Pitchfork Media have lost touch with music reality. They have to find obscure bands and write glowing reviews about their albums. If a band has any mainstream sound to it they have to give it a low review. These Pitchfork critics are nothing more than failed mainstream music critics. They couldn’t get a job at Rolling Stone or Spin. You give them a guitar and they wouldn’t know which end is up. Yet they have no problem ripping apart a real musician with talent.
I wonder what Lester Bangs, considered one of the greatest rock critics ever, would say to the Pitchfork Media jackasses. He’d probably look at these Pitchfork idiots and tell them to pull their heads out of their asses. Get over their pretentiousness. Music is meant to be enjoyed. It doesn’t matter whether it panders to the masses or not. How hard is it actually sit back, relax, throw aside any preconceived notions, and enjoy?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Deastro - Keepers
Taking elements of new wave, synth pop and electronic music, then mashing it all together into the music from a movie that John Hughes wishes he had made if he hadn't gone and sold his soul to the Culkins, Deastro's "Keepers" is an enthusiastic reclamation of all things joyous and wonderful. To call the songs that 22 year-old Randolph Chabot has crafted catchy would be an understatement. Songs like "The Shaded Forest" and "Micheal, The Lone Archer Of The North Shore" run with their exuberance like teenagers dashing through the hall on the last day school, pulling you along with them until you share in their feeling. But then there are the exhale moments, like the beginning of "Open Up Ye Dark Gates!", that are the summer sun and cool breeze car ride of abandonement. Where the elements of your life that form that knot in your belly untie and release you with a gleam in it's eye and a smile on it's face, as if to say, "You needed me, so you could feel like this".Info / Listen / Buy
The Importance Of Research
I had a conversation the other day about Bill O'Reilly. I knew someone who watched his show almost daily. I kept my mouth shut as it was neither the time nor place to espouse my views on Mr. O'Reilly. Of course afterwards I went into my anti-Bill O'Reilly mode. I thought about all the things wrong with this man. He is ignorant and arrogant. He helps to further patriotic propaganda. Or how about his listeners appearing to share brain cells. And of course my favorite, his claims of a leftist slant in the "liberal" media.
The "liberal" media one is my favorite. The evidence he uses to prove this can easily be turned around. It can be used to show how the media is far from "liberal." Really Mr. O'Reilly, the media is "liberal?" If it were we would never have invaded Iraq. Cheney and Rumsfeld would be tried as war criminals. Bush would have been impeached for lying to the public. But the "liberal" media neglects to bring this to our attention. Perhaps it is because Fox News Corp, a noted conservative organization, controls a vast majority of our media.
That last paragraph was a bit of rant. My apologies. Yesterday I was thinking about Mr. O'Reilly again. I never liked how his listeners just go out and repeat everything he says. They never do the research to learn more. If Bill hates something, they must hate it also. If Bill says something, it must be true. No further research is required.
Yesterday I realized something. I am nothing more than the liberal version of Mr. O'Reilly's listeners. I only dislike him because of what i've read from liberal outlets. I repeat reasons why I hate him thanks to what i've read. How does that make me any better than the conservatives who listen to his show?
So I decided to learn more about him. I decided to do my own research on Mr. O'Reilly. What he actually says. What he actually thinks. What he actually believes. After my research I came to this conclusion. I still do not like the man. Nor do I like his opinions.
I was surprised to find myself in agreement with him on one topic. That topic is his view on violence in movies. He does not have a fondness for movies like Saw. Neither do I. They are a complete waste of cinematic space. He also calls out Kill Bill, Vol. 1 for its extreme violence. I have been doing that for years. Anytime I hear this movie mentioned, it's about how violent it is. Never a word about the plot. Style over substance does not always work. *cough, cough* The Phantom Menace.
That was about all I could agree with Mr. O'Reilly on. Everything else? He's just a bit too conservative for my tastes. I do feel better. I formed my own thoughts and opinions on him. No more merely repeating the liberal stance.
I end with this: I will watch, with my own eyes, an episode of The O'Reilly Factor. I need to see it for myself. Reading is quite a bit different than viewing.
The "liberal" media one is my favorite. The evidence he uses to prove this can easily be turned around. It can be used to show how the media is far from "liberal." Really Mr. O'Reilly, the media is "liberal?" If it were we would never have invaded Iraq. Cheney and Rumsfeld would be tried as war criminals. Bush would have been impeached for lying to the public. But the "liberal" media neglects to bring this to our attention. Perhaps it is because Fox News Corp, a noted conservative organization, controls a vast majority of our media.
That last paragraph was a bit of rant. My apologies. Yesterday I was thinking about Mr. O'Reilly again. I never liked how his listeners just go out and repeat everything he says. They never do the research to learn more. If Bill hates something, they must hate it also. If Bill says something, it must be true. No further research is required.
Yesterday I realized something. I am nothing more than the liberal version of Mr. O'Reilly's listeners. I only dislike him because of what i've read from liberal outlets. I repeat reasons why I hate him thanks to what i've read. How does that make me any better than the conservatives who listen to his show?
So I decided to learn more about him. I decided to do my own research on Mr. O'Reilly. What he actually says. What he actually thinks. What he actually believes. After my research I came to this conclusion. I still do not like the man. Nor do I like his opinions.
I was surprised to find myself in agreement with him on one topic. That topic is his view on violence in movies. He does not have a fondness for movies like Saw. Neither do I. They are a complete waste of cinematic space. He also calls out Kill Bill, Vol. 1 for its extreme violence. I have been doing that for years. Anytime I hear this movie mentioned, it's about how violent it is. Never a word about the plot. Style over substance does not always work. *cough, cough* The Phantom Menace.
That was about all I could agree with Mr. O'Reilly on. Everything else? He's just a bit too conservative for my tastes. I do feel better. I formed my own thoughts and opinions on him. No more merely repeating the liberal stance.
I end with this: I will watch, with my own eyes, an episode of The O'Reilly Factor. I need to see it for myself. Reading is quite a bit different than viewing.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Rare Earth
I have to admit. I'm a dork. I'm a nerd. There is just no way around that. No way whatsoever. It's something that over time I have come to embrace. Something that I've finally come to love. Being a nerd I've always been interested in science fiction. Either reading the novels or watching the movies and tv shows. Yes I did grow up a Star Trek Fan. Yes I am looking forward to the new movie.
Seeing all that alien life has led me to the greatest question of all time, are we alone? I will unequivocably say NO. I do not think we are alone. I've come across that so called Rare Earth hypothesis when reading about life on other planets. That has to be the lamest idea I've ever heard. Ok not lame but the most ignorant idea I've ever heard. The Rare Earth people basically say this, our planet is a rarity in this galaxy. There is no way other planets have the necessary conditions to allow life to develop. We are the fortunate planet in this galaxy.
Really? Do they know more about the galaxy than the rest of us? If so, please share this insider information with us. I'm sure NASA would love to see what the Rare Earth people know. Honestly, how much does humanity know about the galaxy? Maybe about 5-10% in our little corner of the Milky Way. We have not sent any human explorers outside of our solar system, let alone outside of our corner. Who are the Rare Earth people to say we are alone? I know just as much about the galaxy as they do.
How much do we know about other planets in our galaxy? So far only 344 exo planets have been discovered. 344. That is it. Let us look at what we know about our galaxy. Let us use the law of averages to do this. There are millions of stars in the Milky Way. Around those millions of stars circle hundreds of thousands of planets. Of those hundreds of thousands of planets perhaps tens of thousands could support some form of life.
I understand I said thousands of planets could support some form of life. But we really do not know anything about this galaxy and the formation of life. We have only our one planet as a template. That is hardly enough to make an educated guess on.
We know something about 344 out of hundreds of thousands of planets. How can someone say we are unique? How can they say we are alone? The conditions on this planet that led to life could be unique to our planet. Other life could arise under different conditions not found on Earth.
As for the God argument. We don't fully understand or comprehend how God works. How are we to make the assumption that He made Earth unique? Perhaps He made life on other planets too. Perhaps He wanted us to grow and learn at our own pace. We know what outside influence can do to a civilization. The Native Americans and Aborigines are but two examples. This could be but one reason why we have not discovered other intelligent civilizations. Our Creator wanted us to develop on our own. He did not want us to meet other civilizations until we are at the right stage in our development. That, I think is an argument for another day. What is the right stage in development? Or maybe another question is, when is the right stage in development? Perhaps we are already there. Perhaps we almost there.
I end with this: until we have explored our galaxy in full, and by explore I mean sending out humans, no one can say that the Rare Earth hypothesis is true. The Rare Earth hypothesis only serves to further our need as humans to feel superior. Heaven help the first non-technologically advanced civilization we encounter.
Seeing all that alien life has led me to the greatest question of all time, are we alone? I will unequivocably say NO. I do not think we are alone. I've come across that so called Rare Earth hypothesis when reading about life on other planets. That has to be the lamest idea I've ever heard. Ok not lame but the most ignorant idea I've ever heard. The Rare Earth people basically say this, our planet is a rarity in this galaxy. There is no way other planets have the necessary conditions to allow life to develop. We are the fortunate planet in this galaxy.
Really? Do they know more about the galaxy than the rest of us? If so, please share this insider information with us. I'm sure NASA would love to see what the Rare Earth people know. Honestly, how much does humanity know about the galaxy? Maybe about 5-10% in our little corner of the Milky Way. We have not sent any human explorers outside of our solar system, let alone outside of our corner. Who are the Rare Earth people to say we are alone? I know just as much about the galaxy as they do.
How much do we know about other planets in our galaxy? So far only 344 exo planets have been discovered. 344. That is it. Let us look at what we know about our galaxy. Let us use the law of averages to do this. There are millions of stars in the Milky Way. Around those millions of stars circle hundreds of thousands of planets. Of those hundreds of thousands of planets perhaps tens of thousands could support some form of life.
I understand I said thousands of planets could support some form of life. But we really do not know anything about this galaxy and the formation of life. We have only our one planet as a template. That is hardly enough to make an educated guess on.
We know something about 344 out of hundreds of thousands of planets. How can someone say we are unique? How can they say we are alone? The conditions on this planet that led to life could be unique to our planet. Other life could arise under different conditions not found on Earth.
As for the God argument. We don't fully understand or comprehend how God works. How are we to make the assumption that He made Earth unique? Perhaps He made life on other planets too. Perhaps He wanted us to grow and learn at our own pace. We know what outside influence can do to a civilization. The Native Americans and Aborigines are but two examples. This could be but one reason why we have not discovered other intelligent civilizations. Our Creator wanted us to develop on our own. He did not want us to meet other civilizations until we are at the right stage in our development. That, I think is an argument for another day. What is the right stage in development? Or maybe another question is, when is the right stage in development? Perhaps we are already there. Perhaps we almost there.
I end with this: until we have explored our galaxy in full, and by explore I mean sending out humans, no one can say that the Rare Earth hypothesis is true. The Rare Earth hypothesis only serves to further our need as humans to feel superior. Heaven help the first non-technologically advanced civilization we encounter.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Road of Regret part 1
“I’ve been down 20 years, and I’ll be down 20 more
Wait 20 years to see what’s in store
Well I’ve loved and I’ve lost and I’ve fell behind
And I take a drink to clear my mind” – The Grays CT
The alarm won’t stop buzzing. I try to ignore it, but of course I had already planned for this last night and set the volume as high as it can go. This alarm could wake the dead if I kept it on for long enough. I am able to ignore for a short time, but once the neighbors start pounding on the walls I know it’s time to get up and shut the damn thing off.
I walk into the bathroom and take a long look at myself. The five o’clock shadow and bags under my eyes make me look much older than my age. The vomit taste in my mouth reminds me of a long night of trying to drown my sorrows in whiskey and beer. Tell tale signs of attempted suicide are all over the apartment. The bottles of pills littering the counter by the sink, half empty, spilled over the floor trying to convince myself to take a handful and chase it down with enough alcohol to make me forget I even took those pills.
Johnny Cash songs are still on repeat in the CD player. Another night walking the line between life and death, another night one step away from suicide, another night I survived, but at what price? I still have to face another day in my own personal hell.
After a quick shower and a shave I look somewhat presentable. But in my line of work, it’s not that important if I don’t look like a million dollars, just as long as I don’t look like I’m going to steal the customer’s car and sell it for my next high.
Walking into the kitchen I hear my stomach grumbling. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or that is what the mom’s on TV always used to say, so I walk over to my refrigerator and open it up. I see exactly what I expected to see. On the left there are still a few beers left over from the night before. On the right hand side there is a loaded revolver.
These are the great decisions in our lives, the choices we face everyday. One road leads to intoxication, the other to some sort of salvation. Do I waste my life or do I waste myself? I stand there staring inside the fridge for a few moments, just thinking about my two options.
The worst part about suicide is that you have to kill yourself. You can talk about it all you like, but there is something in human nature, a self-preservation mode that kicks in, and a fear of death even when you want to die more than anything in the world. I think it is a fear of the unknown. So you end up having to decide between the fear and pain you are accustomed to and the fear and pain you don’t know.
These same thoughts passed through my mind last night, when I tried to take that handful of pills, when I tried to drink myself into a coma, when I tried to blow my fucking head off. So of course, just like last night I opt for the pain I have grown accustomed to. I grab another Pabst to clear my mind and to help relieve the hangover. I chase it down with a few sticks of gum and head out the door for another exciting day at work.
Like the Angel
I've often thought about writing a short novel or screenplay based on themes in music. After seeing Across the Universe last year I contemplated creating a similar story based on Weezer songs entitled "Only In Dreams." While many of the basics have never been fully developed, I've never closed the door on such a venture.
A friend of mine had a band in which several of his songs made up a story arc. I had originally planned to connect them via a short story and have a draft saved of the first "chapters" of what I refer to as Road of Regret This story combined my passion for bands like my friends, Johnny Cash and for the writing of Chuck Palahnuik and a few personal tidbits. I still think it is one of my finest works to date.
The next few posts will be a series of portions of this. I hope to get a bit of feedback and maybe some inspiration to help me see this project to a close.
A friend of mine had a band in which several of his songs made up a story arc. I had originally planned to connect them via a short story and have a draft saved of the first "chapters" of what I refer to as Road of Regret This story combined my passion for bands like my friends, Johnny Cash and for the writing of Chuck Palahnuik and a few personal tidbits. I still think it is one of my finest works to date.
The next few posts will be a series of portions of this. I hope to get a bit of feedback and maybe some inspiration to help me see this project to a close.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Flight404 ( or Things Found On Sleepless Evenings)
Found on some restless evening, wandering through Vimeo, looking for interesting things to watch while sleep remained elusive, Flight404's homemade video for the song "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" off of Radiohead's "In Rainbows" dazzled with it's pulsing, water submerged orb, seemingly on the brink of supernova, while a school of eel-like fish swim around, enraptured, as if their long lost god had returned to them. Created with Processing, an open-sourced programming language and environment that seeks to place powerful, non-proprietary and graphically capable development tools into the hands of the not so graphically capable, it's a visceral interpretation of Thom Yorke's lyrical plea for escape.
Weird Fishes: Arpeggi from flight404 on Vimeo.
Also of note, Flight404's take on "Sons of Light and Darkness" by Helios, an artist I'll get into at a later time.
Nova (audio by Helios) from flight404 on Vimeo.
Weird Fishes: Arpeggi from flight404 on Vimeo.
Also of note, Flight404's take on "Sons of Light and Darkness" by Helios, an artist I'll get into at a later time.
Nova (audio by Helios) from flight404 on Vimeo.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sleepercar
I really don't want to make a habit of doing music reviews. I'd rather save that for Kowalski. He'll do a much better job than I ever will. I love music. I just prefer to stay away from the review writing. I'd probably do a pretty shitty job of getting the point across on how great a band or album is. But i'm sure from time to time, some album or band will strike my fancy. Or more than likely that band or album will just be stuck in my head. Don't you love how easy it is for a new album to get stuck in your head? Next thing you know it takes days upon days for it to finally leave your head. Just like a cheesy pop song.
I think i'm getting just a bit off topic. Wait that reminds of Harry Doyle from Major League, "just a bit outside." That's for another day. I am no country fan. I have never liked it and don't think that I ever will. All that twanging and hick crap doesn't interest me. It's like fingernails to a chalkboard. However I will put country higher than a shit band like Limp Bizkit or an overrated band like Coldplay. Thanks to a wonderful music blog, http://canyouseethesunset.com/, I discovered the band Sleepercar and their debut album West Texas.
I listened to the two tracks put up and I was hooked. I imagine making long desert drives with this as my soundtrack. It's perfect for those wide open spaces in the Southwest. Taking Highway 40 across to Ash Fork or Williams, Arizona? The sky clear blue with a smattering of clouds? Put this album on. You won't regret it. It is absolutely perfect.
Ok not absolutely. I take that back. West Texas would have made a good debut EP. I can't get enough of the first 5 tracks. I've been listening to those on and off, mostly on, since I found the album. Once track 6, Heavy Weights, starts the album just goes dowhill. It sounds like mostly filler.
Who is Sleepercar? They are the side project of Jim Ward, the lead singer from Sparta. You want to know more, go to Wikipedia. Like I said, West Texas would make a great debut EP. Start with, A Broken Promise. As Frank Catton once reminded us, "Nuff Said."
I think i'm getting just a bit off topic. Wait that reminds of Harry Doyle from Major League, "just a bit outside." That's for another day. I am no country fan. I have never liked it and don't think that I ever will. All that twanging and hick crap doesn't interest me. It's like fingernails to a chalkboard. However I will put country higher than a shit band like Limp Bizkit or an overrated band like Coldplay. Thanks to a wonderful music blog, http://canyouseethesunset.com/, I discovered the band Sleepercar and their debut album West Texas.
I listened to the two tracks put up and I was hooked. I imagine making long desert drives with this as my soundtrack. It's perfect for those wide open spaces in the Southwest. Taking Highway 40 across to Ash Fork or Williams, Arizona? The sky clear blue with a smattering of clouds? Put this album on. You won't regret it. It is absolutely perfect.
Ok not absolutely. I take that back. West Texas would have made a good debut EP. I can't get enough of the first 5 tracks. I've been listening to those on and off, mostly on, since I found the album. Once track 6, Heavy Weights, starts the album just goes dowhill. It sounds like mostly filler.
Who is Sleepercar? They are the side project of Jim Ward, the lead singer from Sparta. You want to know more, go to Wikipedia. Like I said, West Texas would make a great debut EP. Start with, A Broken Promise. As Frank Catton once reminded us, "Nuff Said."
Welcome
Hm, looks like I get the honor of making the first post, on this, our new blog. I just have to start by saying that no, none of us our Canadian. We are all gol' darn Americans, as those die hard American rednecks would say. But in this politically correct world we live in I must say that we have nothing against our neighbors to the north. They don't seem as fucked up as we are. And hey I do believe they have free health care. You can't go wrong with that.
Now you may be asking, what is this blog about. Well even if you aren't I'm going to tell you. There is not a theme to this blog. It is not about anything. All of us contributors will have write about different things. From diverse subjects ranging from a review to Sleepercar's debut album to an opinon on the Theory of Relativity. We like the randomness of it. It makes each post interesting. After all you'll never know what to expect. Never.
Okay you might guess what to expect after we make our numerous posts. Each of us has our own writing styles and at times differing ideas. I only say at times since all of us contributors are friends in the real world.
Well I think that's about all I have to add for this intro post. Maybe I'll get resourceful and put up my real first post today. We'll see. Until then I look forward to reading what my fellow contributors will be putting up. That means you Kowalski!
Now you may be asking, what is this blog about. Well even if you aren't I'm going to tell you. There is not a theme to this blog. It is not about anything. All of us contributors will have write about different things. From diverse subjects ranging from a review to Sleepercar's debut album to an opinon on the Theory of Relativity. We like the randomness of it. It makes each post interesting. After all you'll never know what to expect. Never.
Okay you might guess what to expect after we make our numerous posts. Each of us has our own writing styles and at times differing ideas. I only say at times since all of us contributors are friends in the real world.
Well I think that's about all I have to add for this intro post. Maybe I'll get resourceful and put up my real first post today. We'll see. Until then I look forward to reading what my fellow contributors will be putting up. That means you Kowalski!
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