Apple Wires and Orange Dexters or Wire Apples and Dexter Oranges

I will talk soon about how television is food, The Wire and Dexter are apples and oranges, and even though I know they're two completely different fruits, I'm going to compare them, and I'm going to go in depth about how the fruit of Dexter is rotten and sour while the apple of The Wire stayz fresh, sucka.
    

            McNulty/Stringer:  

I OWN YOU DEB

I COME OUT ON TOP

WHILE YOU LAY LOW 

IN THE DIRT

MOSTLY THE WORST DEXTER CHARACTER

Leviathan speaks to me

David Bowie alien from Mars; Lou Reed one of his Touched

Lou Reed rules. David Bowie rules more, though. I mean, on a scale from 1 to 10, Reed scores an 8, where Bowie scores an 11, as he is off the astrological charts, that is to say, he's an alien. He's come to earth to show us how beautiful love and life can be. I mean, who else could have done all the cool shit he's ever done before?

Of course, I could delve into bowie's early hits, such as the Big Three: Hunky Dory, Aladdin Sane, and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. I could go into later albums that rock, like Low, Diamond Dogs, and STATIONTOSTATION (wherein he's credited as WARRENPEACE). But I'm going to even skip Tin Machine and go straight to a live 1997 live recording of:

BATTLE FOR BRITAIN (The Letter)

This is from the album Earthling, which spawned the single I'm Afraid of Americans, which spawned a sweet remix version by Trent Reznor, which spawned an awesome video. Oh.. am I going to post it? Oh yes I believe I am.....

I'M AFRAID OF AMERICANS (feat. NIN)


This is all sort of a heavier side of Bowie. He did play with NIN live, with Trent's band doing a cover of Hallo Spaceboy that he sang on. Also Trent shared vocal duties with Bowie on Reptile and Hurt, which were both pretty fucking awesome. To even think of Bowie singing Hurt makes me tear up. Goddam, that was a good pairing for the time: BowieReznor.

It will never happen again, but that's okay, because something else will. Soon, I feel. It will happen. The greatness of an album like NIN's The Downward Spiral will mesh with the greatness of an alien like Bowie. Oh, and did I mention? Reznor is also one of his Touched. However, Gary Numan has also touched Reznor. Listen to Reznor wax nostalgic, and then Behold:

METAL


Numan scores an 8, too. Iggy Pop, however, scores a big 9.

Peace, Boldness, and John Lennon

John Lennon.



Such a bold move, with that simple line, repeated over and over. Peace and love being a bold move. That could only happen in a world where strength is valued over compassion, isn't that right?

I feel that the music is incredibly secondary in importance over the lyrics. It's one of those songs that activists cling to and rally behind, and the impact is incredible, because it's an incredible song, with an incredible message.

Why should that message be incredible?

I feel you're forced to focus on this message in accordance with Lennon's penmanship in authoring, that is to say, with the way he wrote it. Maybe 'forced' is the wrong word. You're Encouraged to to pay attention to the message. I mean, the whole thing is only like three chords and it sounds like only the four bass strings are used on the guitars. So it's hidden below the mix. It's a great method to use to give a strong message. I commend Lennon for the usage of this particular lyrical composition style in order to empower social change.

I started thinking about this song today, out of the blue. How it got in there I dunno, but I do know that it struck me that the only lyrics in the song were, "All we are saying is give peace a chance." It's genius! It's a timeless message. I can't say enough about it, so I'll stop here.

Children Collide; Please God Tell Me This Is Not What the Kids are Now Into

My Eagle

Children Collide | MySpace Music Videos

Is the singer going for a glam rock? Ironic garage rock? A certain sort of Disney Channel vibe? Is the drummer wearing a pompadour? Is the bassist some kid with an afro?

Please, God, tell me this is not what the kids are into these days. Because, apparently, it is.

This is what is featured most heavily on the MySpace music page right now as of this posting on Aug. 19. It's got a big splash photo across the front, and the guitar player's holding an eagle, and looking at it with a .... weird...  smile, and the song's called -- you guessed it, "My Eagle."

I figured, What the hell, click on it and see what's going on with this obviously popular new band of young kids. Perhaps it will rock me. RONG.

Joe Jackson steps out

do some work grumble grumble

Alright, dad, let's go. Tie your hair back twice, and do some dishes for your family. Do it to thank your girlfriend for cooking the bacon after she worked all day yesterday. And for taking care of the baby in the afternoons. And for making approx. 90% of our moolah.

Get in the kitchen and do some work. It's only your job, grumble grumble....

Come on, dad. And after that, you've got to go shopping, and then make dinner grumble grumble......

at least the little Baby Einstein slave is behaving herself by herself

why is he talking about Queensryche?

Queensryche's new material, featured on their MySpace page, shows both the evolution of a band, and the stagnancy. The vocals are stuck in 1980s cock rock fashion--mixed way too far in front, full of vibrato, devoid of growl.

"Man Down!" begins with some pretty cool, dark guitar work, but then the singer comes in and I just don't care anymore. (Borderline) cool music; annoying vocals.

"If I Were King" is all bad. Slow, ballad-y rock that sounds like pussy G 'n' R. Douchy guitar solos, more of the same annoying vocals. I mean, if I could hear the rest of the music better, I MIGHT be a little more satisfied. It's all really well-produced, and though that might seem like a good thing, to me it sounds like lots and lots and loooooots of other stupid fake metal. The singer is too stuck in the past to be interesting. Matter of fact--the whole band is.

I came upon their page a few minutes ago and was totally taken by the page design (no-nonsense black all around), and the new album (American Soldier) cover looks really cool--dirty tough boots out in no man's land. The only problem is the music!

In both songs they posted from AS, vocal samples of what sound like soldiers appear amid the music, a la Lamb of God's one song... where they ... um, did that too. They want to let the soldier tell the story--a good idea, but executed poorly.

...I should make a goddam awesome brutal metal song supporting the troops and put soldier's quotes in it. I could do it better than Queensryche.

But still--you're in a band, and you want to do a rockin album supporting the troops--cool! So predictable, though, that the music would be closer to republican country music than good metal. They're going to reach way more fans in the Midwest and in southern states than in progressive cities. Why does this band have to be from Seattle? Gosh.

One COULD take cock rock, reshape it, and make it accessible to kids (read: males, ages 13-47) these days. It would take some major tweaking, but it could be done. You'd somehow have to accentuate the doucheyness so that it's both funny, ironic, and badass. I mean, cock rock is supposed to be badass, right? That's the underlying intention?

QUEENSRYCHE : FAILURE
                                        to be badass

New cock rock could be done for the 'oughts, but somehow I don't think a band from the ashes, trying to reinvent itself with the same dated styles in this modern world, is going to be the band to do it.

The Wire season 4, ep 4 sweet quotes

Dennis: "I'm gonna show you as gently as I can how much you don't know."

Greggs: "I'd like to speak to Mr. Lyon about the protocols."

Bubbs: "Ain't no bout adout it"

CAMPAIGN GUY: "...and even if they don't like it they still get to see a beggin ass white man on his knees. Always a good moment for the folks."

Fallout 3 for PS3

This dad ams addicted. It's pretty metal.

Fear is the Little Toilet

So my little girl is ready for potty training.

Yep. It's that time.

I'm glad for the existence of What To Expect When You're Expecting's website, which you can use as a resource for parenting tips for all those precious first months of infancy, babyhood and into toddlerhood. And if you don't have a handle on parenting by then, my heart goes out to you only a little.

Reading this toilet training page, I realized that the baby toilet seat we got for Lucy totally has the urine deflector that can scrape her when getting down. How uncomfortable would that be? Imagine that every time you get off the pot.


We got the thing at Target. Go figure Target doesn't have a proper baby toilet seat. Our very purpose that day was to get a toddler toilet for the little Beans to use, and get this--the only one they had was one adorned with lights and speakers that play music and talk to you! Gross!


They did have ONE other option--the small seat you put on top of your regular one. However, the Beans is too small to climb up there on her own, so we're all facing an uphill toilet training battle.


Target. Ffeh. Anyone heard they're endorsing some politician who hates gays? Ugh. Megan said, "If we can't shop at Target, where are we gonna shop?" The next best bet is Fred Meyer, I suppose. Fuck Target, I'm done with them. I don't hate the employees, mind you. Everyone needs a flippin job.


Gosh, we'll probably have to order a training toilet one online. This is Seattle for cryin out loud! There's got to be a good one for sale somewhere!

Playing with YouTube

1st result for 'metal'


1st result for 'black metal'


1st result for 'heavy metal'


Cephalic Carnage???

1st result for 'speed metal'


1st result for 'death metal'

Trouble Hole, Tunnel

When you're headed for bad times, whether it be trouble or economic hardship or moral, you fall. When you're finding your way out of said unfavorable times, which, for myself, might be a rush of customers (only when the prep's not done) at my restaurant, you see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Why is it that there's a hole you fall into, and why does that hole lead to a tunnel?

recording

Recording has been going well--slow, but considering I'm jumping into it after a long lag, slow's not so bad. Also add to that I'm discovering how to use this new piece of equipment. And recording direct. And trying to be up to snuff on just the guitarplaying power I need to play this song I've been trying to record a SIMPLE SCRATCH TRACK ON has been taking me LIKE THREE OR FOUR DAYS LONGER THAN okay I'm calm, than I wanted to. But I knew it would happen like this. 

Also yesterday I took the time to do some crazy sound experimentation. It would be awesome if I could just put a music player right below my text here with the mp3 of my song ready to play.... youtube video of the song? Hm. Doable. With some douchy fan-made picture slideshow of me behind it the whole time? Sounds great.

So I almost posted the following video on Facebook. Then I realized my more scholarly friends (and really anyone) would be so dorked out by it and laugh it off and wonder what was wrong with me. I myself really like the guy's sweet vocals. That's true doom style right there--death growls from the pits of hell, and downtuned, heavily distorted fizzy guitars and bass and tom-heavy drums with mandatory double kick. Doom on.

NOVEMBERS DOOM, "The Pale Haunt Departure"

I think I was more moved (and less inclined to laugh) at the video for "Rain." I do love those guys though, all ribbing aside. Somebody's got to do that kind of corny doom really well. My favorite will always be Grey, out of Seattle.