New Years Project

52 Albums in 52 Weeks

Week	Album	Artist
47	Love Angel Music Baby	Gwen Stefani
46	Has Been	William Shatner
45	Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)	The Wu-Tang Clan
44	72 and Sunny	Uncle Cracker
43	Ocean Avenue	Yellowcard
42	Sublime	Sublime
41	Around the Sun	REM
40	Music by Cavelight	Blockhead
39	Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine	Cee-Lo
38	No Roots	Faithless
37	American Idiot	Green Day
36	Joyful Rebellion	K-Os
35	White People	Handsome Boy Modeling School
34	Rules of Enragement	Lewis Black
33	If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears	The Mamas & the Papas
32	Good News For People Who Love Bad News	Modest Mouse
31	Americana	The Offspring
30	It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back	Public Enemy
29	Blink 182	Blink 182
28	Sing the Sorrow	AFI
27	The Low End Theory	A Tribe Called Quest
26	Greatest Hits 93-03	311
25	To The 5 Boroughs	The Beastie Boys
24	Hot Fuss	The Killers
23	Diva Series	Nina Simone
22	American IV: The Man Comes Around	Johnny Cash
21	Pisces Iscariot	Smashing Pumpkins
20	Confessions	Usher
19	Kill Bill: Vol 1	Various
18	Love Songs	Barry White
17	Billy Breathes	Phish
16	Songs About Jane	Maroon 5
15	Atlas	Kinky
14	Life for Rent	Dido
13	Musicology	Prince
12	Boy In Da Corner	Dizzee Rascal
11	Lost in Translation OST	Various
10	Steal This Double Album	The Coup
9	Personal Journals	Sage Francis
8	Sonador	Adan Sanchez
7	Cartel de Santa	Cartel de Santa
6	The Grey Album	Danger Mouse
5	Lo que te conte mientras te hacias la dormida	La oreja de Van Gogh
4	God Loves Ugly	Atmosphere
3	Sumday	Grandaddy
2	Chutes To Narrow	The Shins
1	The Preacher's Son	Wyclef Jean

Phish Heads Unite

I went to the Phish concert Friday night. Actually I went to the parking lot outside a Phish concert. Corpus invited me. I'd never listened to Phish but I thought I knew what to expect. A bunch of hippies getting high. It was actually a lot cooler than that. Sure there were a lot of hippies getting high, but there was a pattern to the chaos. There were street vendors selling food, clothes, jewelry, crystals, and art. It was a little city. It really made me wonder, how good can this band really be to cause this? To have people travel from city to city following them, not even getting into the actual concert but hanging out in parking lots. I've downloaded some Phish music since then, and I like it, it's something I'll give a listen to every now and then, but I'm not packing my bags and dreading my hair any time soon.

Two scenarios popped into my head:

#1: Dude puts on a CD belonging to some new band he's heard about, Phish. Halfway through the CD he's in love. He decides he has to follow them around the country. They are the greatest thing on Earth. All praise be....

#2: Group of dudes sitting around smoking weed. Someone puts on a Phish CD. As they get high and the music plays in the background, someone mentions that they heard that you can get bomb ass weed at a Phish concert. Really? Well fuck it. Let's go. Ok. Today. Ya, no. Well let's finish this bag first. Ya man. Huhahah. We're going to get good shit. Dude....

I don't mean to totally slam the culture. I found it very interesting from a scientific angle. My point was just that I didn't believe the music was really what all these people were here for. Maybe at the beginning the music was first. But at some point the drugs had to take over. Every person we walked by offered us nuggets, Molly, chocolates, etc. Nobody offered me a rare Phish CD with unreleased material and a cool sticker. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Favortie Phish song to date: (not being facetious, I do like it)
Their cover of Snoop Doggy Dogg's Gin and Juice. They sing it like it was a country song. Their voice is all twangy and tamborines and banjo strumming along. It's fucking cool. One of the best covers I've ever heard. Listen to it here. I'll only keep it up a few days.

Kill Bill 2

Just finished watching this movie. I've only seen one Sergio Leone movie - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - but I can tell Tarantino is a huge fan. I mainly noticed it in the music. A lot of voices and strings with a western feel. It really helps to build up the tension. Tarantino also used the extreme close-ups of the actors eyes like Leone did. He also borrowed a lot from Asian film but nothing that I would recognize. I need to watch a lot more.

Overall I enjoyed the movie. A lot less violent but more of a back story.

Before the movie I noticed a trailer for Hero with Jet Li. That was an excellent movie which I own. The trailer looks great but ruins the movie in my eyes. It gives away too much information. If I had seen that trailer before watching the movie I would not have been surprised. This happens way to much these days. Trailers give you the entire movie instead of just a tease. For example I knew, from watching the Sixth Sense trailer, the Willis was dead. I knew who the bad guy in Taking Lives was, from the trailer. Trailers take all the fun out of movies for me. Oh ya, if you haven't seen The Sixth Sense, too bad, you shouldn't have waited so long.

Album Reviews

I haven't posted any downloaded album reviews in a long time, but I have been downloading this whole time. The following are some of the most recent ones that I first heard about on my trip to Mexico.

Album #7: Cartel de Santa - Cartel de Santa
Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Todas Mueren Por Mi
3. Asesino de Acesinos
4. Cannabis
6. Rima 1
7. Barreros
8. Perros
9. Quinto Elemento
10. Rima 2
11. NTN
12. Pelotona
13. Rima 3
14. Super MC's
15. Mi Ciudad
16. Para Aqui O Para Llevar
17. Ehinya a los Racistas
18. Rima 4
19. Intenta Rimar

The Cartel doesn't bring anything new to Hip Hop, they do nothing that can be considered new. But what they do do they does extremely well. Every song has the potential to be a hit single. Babo has a strong voice, great delivery,great rhymes, and a large vocabulary, DJ Agustin has tight production, and good beats. They have songs covering the spectrum, from Mi Ciudad where he talks about boys growing up in the streets and becoming criminals, Todas Mueren Por Mi which is about his skills with the opposite sex and Pelotona where he talks to the love he lost:

Cuando estoy contigo cada dia es alegria
Pero lejos de ti me sumerjo en la agonia
Del recuerdo de tus besos y el sabor de tu saliva
Despierto en las madrugadas y abrazo una pinche almohada
Deseando fueras tu la que comparte mi cama

When I'm with you every day is full of joy
But when you're away I'm submerged in agony
The memories of your kisses and the taste of your saliva
Wake me up in the morning and I hug a fucking pillow
Wishing it was you that shared my bed
(translated by Freon)


Album #8: Sonador - Adan Sanchez
Track Listing:
1. Deja Que Salga la Luna
2. Estrella en Tus Ojos
3. Me Canse de Morir Por Tu Amor
4. Arriba Chalino Sanchez
5. Sonador
6. Que Platicaremos los Dos
7. Pero No Se
8. Paloma Negra
9. Y Dicen
10. Corrido de Lucio Vazquez
11. Desde Que Te Perdi
12. Te Necesito Junto a Mi

Adan just passed away recently at the age of 19. He rolled his car in the same Mexican state where his father was executed approximately 12 years ago. I probably wouldn't have listened to him if this hadn't happened. But a cousin of mine was into this kind of music so I gave it a go.
I'm not a fan of banda music but I do love Adan's lyrics. His love ballads are great. Simple but still very effective. Drinking music in my mind. You sit there with a bottle of Tequila and sing and cry. He does a great job of making your heart feel the pain.
The Corrido de Lucio Vazquez is a very old song that's been covered by almost everyone. Adan's version is ok. I preffer the ranchera version or maybe norteno.

Desde Que Te Perdi
Preguntale a la noche si soy de ti
Pues ella me ha visto llorar sin ti
Gritar tu nombre a cielo habierto
Y morir poco a poco
Desde que te perdi

Ask the night if I'm yours
Because she's seen me cry with out you
Yell out your name to the heavens above
And die little by little
Since I lost you.
(translated by Freon)

...

It hurt to say goodbye. It always does. Being alone. In a city like this. Where who you know is so important. I sit in a cafe, with a cup of coffee, a pen, and a napkin. I stare out into the casino and all the lights blur together. I look down at the napkin and stare. The pen poised and ready but I can't make sense of my thoughts. The coffee sits there, cold, with no taste. I look up again. The girl two booths over looks up too. She smiles. I attempt to smile back but she' looked away already. She's writing somthing. She giggles. Thoughts of her and me in bed flash through my mind. Clear. Entire fantasies are made up inside my head, pushing out all the shit that sits there. The waitress walks by. I add her into the mix. Then then I add the cocktail waitress. And the old lady sitting at the penny slots chain smoking. Oh shit. I went to far. Ruined that train of thought. I'm still alone.

The Kiss

The taste of alcohol was strong as I sucked at her lips looking for moisture. My mouth was parched and dry. I remembered the bottle of beer between my legs but the thought of leaving her lips was too much. I pulled her head closer. My tongue reached out. Her lips parted. Her saliva quickly cured my thirst. I grew drunk from the mixture of spit and beer. My tongue ring clicked against her teeth. She grabbed onto my shoulder and opened wider. She moaned. Her tongue wrapped around my ring. My tongue tracing the roof of her mouth......

Couple More

Elisha Cuthbert



Something about seeing a breast from the bottom that is just so damn sexy.

Dude...I Know

I just got back from watching The Girl Next Door and god damn it was fun. I haven't enjoyed a movie like this in awhile. I had a huge (dumbass) grin for most of it. Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic (or a horny bastard) but why don't I have a hot next door neighbor. You can add Elisha Cuthbert to the list of girls I'm in love with. When she comes over to his house after she catches him spying on her through the window and he comes down stairs I was dying. I probably would have jumped out the window at that age in that situation. "I'm all wet, can I come in." That's fucking awesome. Great movie deserves a great pic. Here you go.

Corpus Goes Blog

So Corpus finally got a blog. A window into his head. Kind of a scary thought but a journey worth taking nonetheless. When I first met him I would have said his life had to be a lot like Fear and Loathing...and from the sounds of it, I probably wasn't that far off.

The realization that life as I knew it; smoky rooms, random acts of sex, the risks all of it was contrary to the life that I saw ahead of me. Who I was then was turning into someone I did not want to be. Last summer was preview of that life time. Lots of pot. Lots of speed. Lots of sex. Lots of landscaping. Work hard. Play hard. Fuck That.

Hopefully he'll keep it updated.

freon

Big Brother

I listen to Howard Stern whenever I'm up at that time and driving, which is hardly ever, but I try. I enjoy the show, usually. I laugh out loud, I'm disgusted, I'm informed, I'm insulted, but I listen voluntarily. If I don't want to listen I change the station. Nobody forces me to listen.

I don't understand why people are allowing this administration and the FCC to dictate what we can listen to. What we can enjoy. Who gets hurt by Howard Stern's show? The children? Fuck the children. If you need the government to dictate what your children are allowed to see or listen to, you shouldn't be allowed to have children.

Now Clear Channel has completely pulled Stern from their lineup after the FCC proposed a large fine against them and even the possibility of revoking their license. All because Stern and friends were talking about sexual acts. The same way that a recent Oprah show talked about sexual acts. Yet Oprah faces no fines. Either one for all or none at all.

Feel free to write a letter to the FCC:

Federal Communications Building
445 12th St, SW
Washington, DC 20554

Or file a complaint online.

Check out the Stern and Oprah transcripts here.

Spread this Meme!

I heard about this through Kottke. I love this type of project. I love seeing graphs and charts and things about how information spreads and how it is connected. I can't wait to see the results of this specific project.

Pigeon Roosts

While driving around Chihuahua City I noticed that it has so many statues and Las Vegas does not? Almost every major intersection in Chihuahua has a statue. Not only statues but monuments and sculptures. You can see dozens while traversing the city. In Vegas, I can't even think of one.

Now this isn't just exclusive to Chihuahua, most Mexican cities have plenty of displays of art. Why is it Vegas does not? Some possible reasons:

Age of city - Chihuahua had already been around for 200 years by the time Las Vegas was permanently settled. Give Vegas 200 more years and they'll be about the same.

The people - Could the Mexican people be bigger lovers of art than Las Vegas residents? More reverence for their heroes? Nothing better to do than honor dead people?

The government - One idea posed by my cousin is that the Mexican government does it to brainwash the people into thinking that they are doing something. "What do you mean we didn't do anything, look at all the statues we commissioned!"

Money - Vegas definitely has more money than Chihuahua, but less public art. Maybe people just don't want to supply pigeons with more places to splatter. Maybe statues are a waste of money.

I enjoyed the Mexican statues. They gave the city an aura of permanence that Las Vegas does not have. Our greatest statue, the lion at the MGM, could be taken down in a few years and replaced with something bigger and better. And what's it say when our best art piece is a gimmick for a casino?


Real Pigeon

Pops Back Into Reality

Well I´m still alive incase anyone was wondering. My little trip didn´t go as planned. What was supposed to be a cultural event turned into a spring break alcoholic binge. Well maybe not that bad, but I have consumed frat-party-like amounts of beer. Well my cousin, who was to be my traveling companion, ended up not having the money. I planned on going by myself, but waited around a few days to see if his clients would pay up, but they didn´t, and decided there was a lot about Chihuahua I could learn and see.

We went to some caverns that are right outside the city. It´s about an hours walk and kind of small compared to others but I found the extremely cool. It was my first time seeing anything like this. Here´s a great page with pics of a lot of the things I visited. I´ll post some of my own pics once I get back home, hopefully in a couple days.

I remember the visit to the Cathedral. I´m not a very religous person, I like religion more for it´s stories than it´s beliefs. But walking inside that Cathedral was definitaly and experience. Something about the place put me in awe. People who wouldn´t mix on the outside were praying side by side. Hypocritical in a way but still a sight to see. Almost made me feel like there might be something to those stories. Angels and demons, an angry yet merciful God, resurrections, floods and pillars of salt. Might not be elves and orcs but it´s pretty damn close.

I don´t go out a lot in Vegas, but I like the feeling that if I need to do something at 3am chances are I can. Here everything closes down at 2am. A few eateries are open past that maybe till 4 if your lucky but that´s it. The sale of alcohol in stores is over at 9pm. So in other words you buy your beer early, which means you start drinking early. Well maybe that´s not so bad.

Well that´s it for now, I ´ll think of more to write later.

First Couple Days

I took a bus from Las Vegas to El Paso and then from there to Chihuahua. Both buses where packed full of people, and the person in front of me had to put their seat back. I have long legs, and they´re just not built to be packed into a bus. I´ve never had a good bus ride since around High School. I tried to play Gameboy on the rides but couldn´t concentrate. Same with reading, and sleeping was out of the question. I left at 7pm Vegas time and arrived in Chihuahua at 3 local time. That´s about 19 hrs of hell.

hell & boredom: 2 cultural: 0 fun : 0

Once here, my cousin Ali picked me up and we were of to make all the obligatory hello´s to family members.

hell & boredom: 3 cultural: 0 fun : 0

We then went to his workplace so he could finish some things up for the day. He works on computers and had some repairs or installations he had to do. This is also boring shit for me. I´m on vacation, the last thing I want to see is someone installing Windows XP in Spanish, not that English is any more exciting. After this we had some great tortas from a street vendor and a Coke which I made sure was in a glass bottle. It´s getting harder and harder to fing glass bottles in Mexico as plastic is quickly becoming the number one choice. I enjoy drinking from the glass bottle for some reason. Always have. At dinner, as a child, everyone would pour their Coke into a glass, but not me. I could barely hold the bottle but I still would use it. Bottle, can, plastic is the order I prefer for Coke.

hell & boredom: 5 cultural: 1 fun : 1

By this time I was so tired from the bus ride I decided I would take a nap before going out. I laid down for about 10 minutes and Ali came in and said he´d just talked to some girls and we had to meet them in an hour. Great. So I showered and got dressed and drank a couple Red Bulls. I felt better but had a small headache. We picked up the girls and went to my cousins´old house which is empty while they remodel. We drank beer and sat around and chatted. I got in an argument with one girl about what the capital of Guanajuato is. She says it´s the City of Guanajuato and I said it was Leon. I swear I´d read somewhere that Leon was but I was wrong. Still had fun though. It was also raining so hard. Just running from the house to the car we were soaked. In Vegas it would have been a definate flood.

hell & boredom: 5 cultural: 2 fun : 5

Today Ali had some more work to finish up. This should be the last of it so we can get down to the business of slacking and vacationing. We drove the the city of Camargo about 2 hours from here. The countryside was nice but it really isn´t that great of a drive. I saw a huge sculpture calle La Puerta de Chihuahua, at the outskirts of Chihuahua. It was cool looking but I wasn´t overly impressed.

hell & boredom: 6 cultural: 3 fun : 6

I've been reading through James D Macdonald's posts over at Absolute Write Water Cooler. He has a lot of great tips and information on how to get your ass into the chair and write. In the following post he talks about how grammar and that reminded me of how weak I am in that department. I read a lot, so any good grammar I come up with is probably my brain just putting things where they seem familiar. More out of habit than actual grammar skills. I really do think I skipped these classes. I remember the teacher writing sentences on the board and students going up and fixing them. I remember verbs, and nouns. That's about it. I think I was 'left behind' in this department.

I took Spanish in High School. I originally tried French since I already spoke Spanish, but I didn't like it, plus Spanish was supposed to be an easy A for me. The teacher started talking about conjugating verbs and blah blah blah. I had no idea what the hell she was talking about. The only reason I did good on the worksheets was because I knew what it was supposed to sound like. I knew the rules of the language but I didn't know the mechanics.

When I got to college, I had a high enough SAT score to skip English 101, so maybe that was a mistake. But then again, I got an A in English 102 and 239 (world lit 1600 - present, i think), so I can't be that bad off. Either way I should invest in a good book, it couldn't hurt.

English is a frightfully difficult language. The grammar consists of exceptions papered over with idioms, the pronunciation makes you wish we'd just stuck to ideograms instead of pretending that we're in a phonetic system (The tough coughed as he ploughed the dough ... I ask you!), and depending on how you look at it English either has just two tenses, or thirty-three. The line between nouns and verbs is porous. English is graced with a vocabulary larger than that of the next two languages combined: As James Nichols put it, "We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and riffle their pockets for new vocabulary."

Speaking English badly is easy. Speaking it well ... brother, you have a lifetime's work cut out for you.

If you slept through high school English, now's the time to make up those classes. Get a study book, work through the exercises. At the same time, read lots of novels by acknowledged master stylists. Some of it will rub off.

Oh, yes, and Fowler's Modern English Usage Dictionary (get the 2nd edition -- do not get any of the abominable recent editions) is a wonder and a delight. Read it, learn it, love it, live it.

All Packed Up

I originaly planned to leave for Mexico a week ago, but I ended up staying to hang out during Neon's Spring Break. But now I have a bus ticket and I'm all packed and ready to leave tomorrow evening. I'm hoping this trip clears my mind and lets me get back on track. I don't know what track that is but hopefully it's a track. Being trackless makes you feel like the last kid picked for kickball. You can't know where you are going if you forget where you are from. Well where the fuck am I from? Maybe this trip will give me the answer. It's all just in my head, I know where I grew up, but it doesn't feel right. Something is missing. Like I said, I'm looking for my track. Or I'm just looking to get drunk. Either way it better be fun.

Happy Birthday To Me

Well my 23rd birthday is just over. I had a great day. Took it nice and slow. I slept in, hung out with my best friend, she took me out to lunch and then cooked me dinner (excellent). We also smoked a couple cigars after dinner. She also baked an excellent cocunut cake for me. Thank you. All the important people who were supposed to remember did and called me. It's good to be remembered by the people you love.

This year I asked for donations to my 'Send My Ass To Mexico' fund instead of presents. It worked and I leave later this week. Neon did by me a linen shirt to wear while I lay on the beach with a pina colada in one hand and a Cuban cigar in the other. I'll talk more about my trip before I leave and my plan is to blog from the road as well.

Wow 23! Damn.

Estas en mi corazon

CGI Titties

Last night while surfing the channels on my television, I landed on the SciFi Channel and caught the last five minutes of their new show, Tripping the Rift. I quickly ran to the computer and (once again) surfed over to Suprnova to download the episode. I also checked around and found out it's based on a computer short done by Chuck Austen and Chris Moeller. The original six minute clip can be found at PocketMovies. It's a lot more sexual than the SciFi incarnation, but just as funny if not more. The captain's name is Chode, there's a sex bot named Six (voiced by the lovely Gina Gershon) who wants to have sex with God so when she moans 'oh God, oh God' she can really mean it, and Gus the robot buys a penis attachment to have 'hot metal on metal action'. This is my new favorite show at the moment.

Tonight I'm going to check out Game Over, another CGI show but this time on network television. They already caved, and cut out an ass shot of the main character. I guess cartoon ass will hurt the children. It looks very well done and sounds like a cool premise. It's about what video game characters do when they aren't working in the game. I'll let you know what I think.

And don't forget Stripperella.



Update: Just finished watching Game Over and it's cool. It's no Simpsons but enjoyable.

What Country Are You

I came across this and said why the hell not. It's mostly yes or no questions which suck because my favorite answer is sometimes, or maybe, or kind of. I was surprised by the result. I guess it's kind of accurate.

You're Afghanistan!

In the words of Bob Dylan, you "haven't known peace and quiet
in so long [you] don't remember what it's like!"  Sad but true.  Boss
after boss has led you around, using you for their nefarious purposes, and dumping you
when the time was right.  You've hurt and been hurt and now you're just sick and tired.
 When will people leave you alone and let you do your own thing?  But you
don't really even know what you want anymore.
Take the Country Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid

Lost in Racism

from Steve at fm4

The problem is that Japanese characters in the movie are moulded into that old false stereotype. The attitude that all Japanese people are eccentric or overly-polite and the only way for anyone from the west to interact with them is to talk over their heads at their expense. And here it just seems like almost every time a Japanese person appears on screen, he (or she) is there as padding for a sarcastic observation by Bill Murray's "Bob".

Come on? Are you serious? That's the whole point of the movie. It's two people lost in a culture they don't understand. Everything seems over the top to them, strange and mysterious. Everyone and everything is a stereotype the first time you encounter it. Bob and Charlotte don't understand the language. All they have to go on is sight. They can't see if someone is smart and witty when they can't understand the words that are coming out they're mouth. I think any smart person watching this movie can tell that your're not seeing a movie about Japan. Showing the people of Japan is not the goal of the film. It just so happens that the story takes place with Japan as a backdrop.

In the interview below, Kai Yu says that you never get to know the Japanese characters in the movie beyond face value. I think he makes my point by saying that there's a rift between the main characters and the Japenese characters, and that they don't interact in any deep manner. Like I said that's the point of the movie. They can't interact because of the language barrien. I guess in a way the deep and meaningful conversations are lost in translation.

I don't mean to be so sarcastic about this, but people need to understand that not everything has to be politically correct. The next thing I'll here is that a kung fu movie is bad because it shows an Asian actor doing martial arts. Do Asians, and minorities in general, need more roles in Hollywood? Yes. But only where the story calls for it. Don't take away from a story to please people.

title: Lost in Racism - Reality Check Interview with Kai Yu
length: 3:53
MP3 (3.732MB)

The Passion

My grandma took my sister and me to watch Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. It's such a harsh movie, so violent it made me turn away several times. The most terrible scene is when the Romans whip Jesus, and the whips tear pieces of his skin away, and the entire time they laugh as they torture him. It's such a moving movie. People cried, gasped, and even whimpered in the audience. Whether you believe or not, this movie is great.

I don't understand all the so called controversy surrounding this movie. They make it sound that after viewing it mobs will rush out of the theater and start hunting Jews. While I agree that by turning Jesus over to the Romans and asking for his death, that small group of Jews are to blame, this happened two thousand years ago. Get over it. And besides, this was supposed to happen. It's the reason Jesus was born. It was God's will. If anyone is to be hated after watching the movie I would say it's those damn Roman bastards. The laughing and extreme beating are so bad, you have to hate them. But we're not going to blame Italy, are we? Actually, don't let Bush see this movie or we may. The whole point of the movie is to love thy enemy and turn the other cheek.

Nation Update

The Rogue Nation of Teq is a very large, socially progressive nation, notable for its burgeoning spider monkey population. Its intelligent population of 56 million enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

The enormous government juggles the competing demands of Education, Law & Order, and the Environment. The average income tax rate is 34%, but much higher for the wealthy. A substantial private sector is led by the Furniture Restoration industry, followed by Uranium Mining and Information Technology.

Anti-government web sites are springing up, sex offenders find themselves 'cut off' from any ability to repeat their crimes, the people elect the Supreme Court justices directly, and torture is illegal. Crime is relatively low, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Teq's national animal is the spider monkey, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the teq.

Teq is ranked 44th in the region and 98,578th in the world for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector.

What's a Nintendo?

Dowingba did a really cool feature on his blog: If bloggers were classic Nintendo games. Here's what Dowingba wrote about me:

Freon of Plan B: Freon = Airwolf. One of the lesser known of the genre, but unjustly so. This one is greatly entertaining, and includes some stunning visuals, to boot.

Thanks for including me D.

And speaking of the stunning visuals, I just watched Lost in Translation again and wow. My grandma said it was boring and while I agree that it has no plot, it's still beautiful. I drift from scene to scene like in a dream. It's such a soothing movie. I love it.

GREY TUESDAY

The day of protest has arrived. Here's a few links to download The Grey Album:

chez lubacov
mancuso media
textz
many more.

Enjoy

Fantasy Baseball

If you like baseball and want to try you hand at running your own team, come over to Yahoo Fantasy Sports and join my fantasy league. It's going to be me and some guys from work but we have room for more. All I ask is that you put an effort into being active throughout the season. Baseball takes more time than football. Since there are more than one game a week you have to manage your roster more often than football. So join up.
League ID# is 79415
Leauge name is Suncoast
Password is casino
Our live online draft is on Sun Mar 7 8:00pm PST

Album #6:The Grey Album - Danger Mouse

Track Listing:
01 Public Service Announcement
02 What More Can I Say
03 Encore
04 December 4th
05 99 Problems
06 Dirt Off Your Shoulder
07 Moment of Clarity
08 Change Clothes
09 Allure
10 Justify My Thug
11 Interlude
12 My 1st Song

I've never been a big fan of Jay Z, every now and then one of his songs is enjoyable, but for the most part he's boring. His production is just very predictable and hasn't changed since Big Pimpin. So when I heard about Danger Mouse and his remix using Beatles tracks I wasn't expecting much. But it definitaly made Jay Z twice as good. Don't get me wrong, his voice and lyrics are still boring, but with the cool music production behind him it makes him tolerable. Definitaly a must download. Even if you don't like rap, you should download this because you can. You can download it at illegal-art.org, which up till yesterday was the number 1 result for a Google search on The Grey Album. Seems Google removed them. That's just fucked up. Seems to me 'tha man' is putting him down. Do do your part to fuck the man.

Album #5: Lo que te conte mientras te haci­as la dormida - La oreja de Van Gogh

Track Listing:
1. Puedes Contar Conmigo
2. 20 De Enero
3. Rosas
4. Deseos De Cosas Imposibles
5. Geografía
6. Un Mundo Mejor
7. Tú Y Yo
8. La Esperanza Debida
9. Vestido Azul
10. Adios
11. Perdóname
12. La Paz De Tus Ojos
13. Nadie Como Tú
14. Historia De Un Sueño

I downloaded this for my sister. I've heard the single on the radio, Rosas, and I like it so I gave the entire CD a listen. Ungh. It's ok. That one song is the only one that really sticks out to me. I grew up on Spanish pop music and there's nothing new on this CD. Really the only great thing is her very sexy Spanish lisp. But other than that it's very run of the mill kind of stuff.

Grey Tuesday

Wanna stick it to tha man? Then you might want to join in on this protest. I kind of want to host the album myself but getting sued doesn't sound like fun. But then again, they can't get us all, right? I'll definitely turn the site grey for the day. Gray?

Tuesday, February 24 will be a day of coordinated civil disobedience: websites will post Danger Mouse's Grey Album on their site for 24 hours in protest of EMI's attempts to censor this work.

DJ Danger Mouse created a remix of Jay-Z's the Black Album and the Beatles White Album, and called it the Grey Album. Jay-Z's record label, Roc-A-Fella, released an a capella version of his Black Album specifically to encourage remixes like this one. But despite praise from music fans and major media outlets like Rolling Stone ("an ingenious hip-hop record that sounds oddly ahead of its time") and the Boston Globe (which called it the "most creatively captivating" album of the year), EMI has sent cease and desist letters demanding that stores destroy their copies of the album and websites remove them from their site. EMI claims copyright control of the Beatles 1968 White Album.

Beauty Incarnate

I'm just playing around a little with the formatting on the site. It's late so I'll do more tomorrow. For now I'll leave you with a Scarlett Johansson scan from Blackbook:

Ashtray's Are Illegal

I'm a nonsmoker, but even I agree the laws are going way too far. To make ashtray's illegal is ridiculous.

The ashtray was there, he said, because a customer came in the store with a cigarette. Rather than make her go back outside, Arno let her snuff it out in the ashtray.

Ashtrays are outlawed, according to Health Department spokesman Andrew Tucker, so that "there is not an invitation to smoke in the establishment."

If people want to smoke let them. It should be up to the establishments whether to allow smoking or not. If you don't smoke don't go. It's that simple.

Shock & Awe

Here's another way of getting around the RIAA. It's from the guys at The Big Hack by way of downhillbattle.org:

A music file, after all, is just a very large number. So if a Metallica song is the number 5, for example, you could break it up into 3 and 2 (3+2=5). But a Madonna song could also be broken up, into 3 and 8, let's say. Since 3 can be a part of both songs, no one can claim a copyright on it, and the same goes for 2, 8, and every other number. Combine uncopyrighted numbers in the right way, and you end up with a copyrighted song.

They are releasing two demo CDs to demonstrate this. The first CD, titled Shock, is already out. Almost makes you think why nobody's thought of this before now.

Anti-Valentine

Books

Jennifer Government - I was first attracted to this book by the cover. The eye with barcode is very cyberpunk in my mind, though this book isn't. I read the back and wanted to get it, but was short on cash that day. A few day's later I ran across NationStates, an online nation simulator based on Jennifer Government. I really liked the game so I had to read the book. I went Amazon and use their search engine to read the first 30 or so pages of the book. I definitely liked what I read so I went and bought it. That Amazon feature is cool but not for reading an entire book.

It's a very quick read, but very well written. I'm going to buy Max Berry's other book Syrup because I like his style. Hopefully he'll explore the world of Jennifer Government again because it's very unique.

The Da Vinci Code - I've been reading a comic book series called Rex Mundi and I was surprised to see that they're both based on the same thing. A book called Holy Blood, Holy Grail. So I totally ate this book up. I love the subject matter of Catholic Church coverups, Jesus Christ's bloodline, and secret societies. This book moves along at a quick pace with no boring parts, yet it gives you a lot of information.

Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, Book 5) - I just started this series about a year and a half ago, and it's probably my favorite fantasy series. It used to be the Wheel of Time, but Jordan just takes too long to do anything. I got scared while reading this book. Not because it's scary per se, but just because it gives me an uneasy feeling deep inside. It's just a creepy world King is showing us. I was kind of annoyed in parts where the characters would discover a secret but it wouldn't be revealed to us until later. For example "and then I removed the mask and I saw a..." What the fuck, just tell us.

Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 1) - I really love all the Neal Stephenson books I've read. He just has a unique way of writing that sucks you in. The problem with this book though, is it's so dense. It's long but that's not the problem. There's just to much information at times and you end up getting confused. Parts would fly by and then other's it felt like walking through mud. But it all comes together at the end. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Browser Goes Down

So I thought I'd start using a newreader to keep up on blogs and websites. I opted to use newsmonster, and that turned out to be hell. Supposedly it intergrates itself with Firefox which I happen to use instead of IE. I thought cool and installed it. It said to restart the browser so I did. A little java cup icon opened up in my system's tray and that was it. I clicked the Firefox icon again and nothing happened. I restarted my computer and tried opening it again and nothing happened except for that little java cup opening up. So I re-installed Firefox and it opened this time, but it had half the space taken up by newsmonster, which I couldn't close, I couldn't uninstall it. So I ended up just removing Firefox from my computer and installing it fresh. Thank god I had backups of my bookmarks, UI settings, etc. Everything works normal again.

On a lighter note, I really liked my experience with Firefox. Usually when they released a new version, I had problems with the install, nothing big but it wasn't smooth. This time around it was a click click operation. And all my setting migrated over unlike previous times. Two thumbs up for Firefox.

Connecting the Virtual World with the Real World

I remember back when I played Everquest all day long instead of going to class, that it was annoying having to log out of the game to check email, or send an IM to a friend. I mentioned several times how Everquest should have a built in program to allow you access to other programs while still logged in. For example, you're running around killing rats and snakes, and then you decide to check you email, so you run over to the nearest pub, drink some Bog Juice and jump on a computer in the back room. You access the computer, a little window opens, Voila, you're on the WWW. This is exactly what Ludicorp is talking about at ETCON. It's about time.

What happens when you expose the mechanisms for interaction with a massive multiplayer online game as a set of web services APIs and simple out-of-application interfaces for end users? The state of the game world, maintained by a set of server-side processes, becomes a model shared across multiple platforms from which the game world can be accessed. This proliferation of accessibility allows for interactions, which are not confined to a single client, platform or even network, and allows subtler, more pervasive modes of mixing game action and awareness with web, instant messaging and mobile experiences.

RSS feeds include files and remote scripting and can pull data from the game world onto a player's blog or into their own custom-designed game start page. And the same logic can be applied to other applications, allowing interactions between users to transcend the application where their relationship was established. IM bridging -- through 'proxybots' -- allows users to chat with their in-application buddies over more mainstream messaging architectures or perform simple commands and queries without loading the client software.

Finally, using a RESTian interface, developer-users in the community can come up with their own applications and make those available to everyone, creating the possibility of ubiquitous availability over the net's heterogeneous patchwork of platforms.

Movies

Blade Runner - I enjoyed this movie a lot. I love the cyberpunk genre and this really does it justice. I watched the director's cut which, from what I understand, doesn't have the voice-over by Harrison Ford. I understand how voice-overs can hurt a movie by giving up to much information and lowering the intelligence factor of the movie. But there were a few parts were I would have liked a little extra information, whether through a voice-over, or just more character interaction and dialogue.
I liked the way the future was shown, for some reason I'm attracted to the dystopic environment. It's the kind of place a hero could rise to save the people. Though that's not what this story is about. I also saw a lot of religious icons. Doves, and nails though hands being the one's I can recall. I think Edward James Olmos character could have been developed more. At the end I was left wondering about him and what his story is. I only saw it once and definitely need to see it again.

Holes - When this movie first came out I thought it would be stupid and said I would not watch it. I finally did last night and really liked it. Light, funny, fast paced, good use of flashbacks, and an overall cool story. A movie for kids but also entertaining for the older crowd.

Paycheck - Sucked ass. A really cool concept ruined by this movie. Bad acting (I can't believe I ever liked Affleck), bad lines, just overall shit.


Girl with a Pearl Earring - I loved this movie. The main reason I went to watch this was Scarlett Johansson, whom I love from previous movies, but she didn't quite hit me the same way as before. She does a great job with her part, but the thing I really liked about her other characters is missing from this character. But she is still great and so is the movie. I really liked the idea of trying to guess why and how that painting came around. And because this particular painting is so enigmatic, more so in my mind than The Mona Lisa, you have to wonder about it. I have Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring as my desktop image and I find myself staring at it for periods of time. Just thinking about who she is. The movie does a good job of giving the painting a life.

Eight Legged Freaks - I really only got this movie because of Scarlett Johansson (again), and because the Blockbuster guy said he liked it and likened it to Mars Attacks which I liked. She didn't have a large part, so she really didn't make or break the movie, so when I say I liked this movie it's not because of her. I liked the special effects, it was funny and entertaining. I wish they'd had the DVD version to watch the special features but the VHS did have deleted scenes after the credits, which was the first time I'd seen that on a VHS. Cool movie.

Barbershop 2: Back in Business - I laughed a lot during this movie, I think more than the first. Good movie with a good message.

The Perfect Score - The final Scarlett Johansson movie for today. This is the kind of character I love her for. Sassy, smart, sarcastic, all things I love in a woman. Funny movie, while not to deep it's still very enjoyable. I like the fact she can do a great movie like Lost in Translation and a total teen movie like The Perfect Score. She did Perfect Score first and it's been shelved for a few years and only released because she's popular in Hollywood right now, but still I liked it.

That's it for today, I think I'll do comics and books tomorrow.

The Rogue Nation of Teq

Here's another game I play online. In this one you make up your own country, with it's own motto, currency, and animal. Then you fill out a form with different questions, this gives your countries original stand on issues. Then you get a different issue every day, and depending on what you do, your countries law's change. So you could make a country that is a dictatorship or a hippie haven. It's not the greatest action game ever, but it's fun. It's all based on the book Jennifer Government by Max Berry about a future where corporations are the nations. I haven't read it yet but it's on my list.

My country.

UPDATE:I've now moved to Urbanites. I probably won't take leadership of this region but it's funner with more people. You can move there by clicking on your current region, probably in the Pacific, and then clicking the move to a new region link.

Join My Lair

Let me set you straight on something. What you've "seen" so far is nothing. The world you live in's just the sugar-coated topping. There's another world beneath it, the real world -- and it's a fucking bloodbath. If you want to survive in it, you'd better pull your head out of your ass. Follow me into the shadows. I hold they key to your survival. To eternal life. Come.




/ooc it's a game, click the link above to play.

Art Student

I was cleaning up my hard drive today and found some pics I have of my friend Kelly's artwork from high school. Here are some of my favorite pieces.

Album #4: God Loves Ugly - Atmosphere

Track Listing:
1. Onemosphere
2. The Bass And The Movement
3. Give Me
4. Fuck You Lucy
5. Hair
6. God Loves Ugly
7. A Song About A Friend
8. Flesh
9. Saves The Day
10. Lovelife
11. Breathing
12. Vampires
13. A Girl Named Hope
14. Godlovesugly Reprise
15. Modern Man's Hustle
16. One of a Kind
17. Blamegame
18. Shrapnel

I know these reviews are starting to get behind a little bit, but I am downloading an album a week. Actually a couple a week, but I pick one and give it extra listening time. It just takes me awhile to put a review up. This week I decided to go for something a lot harder than the last couple. Atmosphere is the kind of rap I love. The fact that they're white has nothing to do with it. I love what they rap about. The themes and subjects of the songs are interesting, I can relate to some of them, I like the flow of the rhymes. But I guess it all comes down to the bass beat. Hip Hop is built around it. It's the beat of the heart. Good Hip Hop has that beat that just makes your body move. I can listen to The Shins or Sigur Ros or similar artists and I just listen, it's antiseptic, it's not an complete experience because my body doesn't get into it. I'm not saying I start dancing like a drunk fool, but I feel it inside, each cell vibrating like a balloon that's to close to a speaker. Not all Hip Hop does this to me, actually lately only a small minority does, but for the most part it my preferred genre.

Now concerning this album. Atmosphere consists of a DJ: Ant and MC: Slug. The beats are great. Ant varies them so they don't get old, he uses different styles and speeds to make them unique. For example Saves The Day has running water and a guitar and A Girl Name Hope sounds like a RZA track with a woman's voice looped in the back and used in the chorus.

Now the lyrics are beautiful. Slug has a very distinct voice and his lyrics are very deep. It sounds cheesy but you can feel his pain. He talks about some of the same things Eminem does, but Slug is more real. He doesn't do it to shock people, just inform them.

#12 Vampires
she lurks in the alleys, with a wrong reality
allegiance, and honor, keep it all in the family
consumes the young, the blind, deaf, and the dumb
drains the vein, and puts them under the thumb
she's on the television, celebrate the status quo
energy to push mute on the remote control
break the beat, shatter the measures into pieces
all i've left is the breath, and the world i've put to pieces
it's difficult, to figure out who to fear, gettin older by the minute, younger by the year
will the hunger disappear, metabolism slow, world domination is the goal
now let's gather the kids, and take em out to the styx, teach em all how to live
come, take my hand and walk with me, before the vampires lock down the twin cities

this world is a vampire, she eats her kids, let's hide the bodies under the bridge
this world is a vampire, she eats her kids, let's hide the bodies under the bridge
this country's is a vampire, she eats her kids, let's hide the bodies under the bridge
this city's is a vampire, she eats her kids, let's hide the bodies under the bridge

#6 God Love Ugly
i wear my scars like the rings on a pimp
i live life like the captain of a sinking ship
the one thing that i can guarantee
i'm like a stepping razor, i suggest you stay fair with me
been payin dues for a decade plus,
before that i was just another face on the bus
tappin my foot, to the beat on the radio
dreamin 'bout the mic and the money and the ladies
oh mom, i promise im gonna be large
someday im gonna stop tryin to borrow your car
gonna go far, with charisma and skill
until they put my face on a million dollar bill

My favorite track, because of the subject is #4 Fuck You Lucy

she said that she still wants a friendship
she cant live her life without me as a friend
i cant figure out why i'd give a damn to what she wants
i dont understand the now before the then
...

Fuck the what happend
i got stuck
they can peel pieces of me off the grill of her truck
used to walk with luck
used to hold her hand
fell behind and played the role of a slower man
i wanna stand on top of this mountain and yell
i wanna wake up and break up this lake of hell
I feel like a bitch for letting the sheet twist me up
the last star fighter is wounded time to give it up
on a pick it up mission
kept it bitter
getting in a million memories just to forget her
the difficulty in keeping emotions controlled
cookies for the road
took me by the soul
hunger for the drama
hunger for the nurture
gonna take it further
the hurt feels like murder
interperate
the eyes
read the lines on her face
the sunshine is fake
how much time did i waste?
Fuck you lucy for leaving me
Fuck you lucy for not needin me
I wanna say fuck you
because i still love you
no, im not ok
and i dont know what to do

Best burn so far. And coincidently, this album is not RIAA affiliated. Just a happy accident. Actually our of the four albums I've reviewed, two are safe and two are not. The Shins being the other safe one. Well that's it for this post.

UPDATE: I took the download off so as not to go over on my limit. You can find it on any P2P network and that goes for the entire album. I myself used Soulseek.

Zoom

This is actually a really cool piece of jewelry. Nice breast too. Whether it was intentional or not, who cares? I've seen nipples on the CBS show CSI, they were on a dead girl laying on a table in the morgue. Is the difference because one is dead and one isn't? Show more tits, who cares!


from drudge report

Naked By the End of the Song

I knew something was going to happen when Timberlake got to the part in the song about getting naked. Is that a piercing or a pasty? Either way it's the coolest part of a boring Super Bowl.


Janet Jackson with a breast exposed during Super Bowl half time.

UPDATE
Quoting drudgereport.com

Top CBS executives approved a musical skit where Janet Jackson would expose her breast during the MTV-produced Super Bowl half-time concert, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

"The decision to go forward went to the very top of the network," a well-placed source explained from New York.

The groundbreaking scene came during the most-watched television broadcast of the year -- and during the dinner hour for the nation's west coast viewers.

In a press release before Sunday's game, CBS's sister outlet. [VIACOM's] MTV promised "Janet's Shocking Moments."

"I'll get you naked by the end of this song," sang performer Justin Timberlake, moments before he ripped off Jackson's top, exposing a bare breast -- the nipple covered by a tassel.

CBS's main New York switchboard was immediately bombarded with complaints about the stunt, network sources said late Sunday.

WTF Is Wrong With Dennis Miller

I'm watching his new show as I type this, and he's lost it. He really has. He's having a conversation with a chimp right now. He just got done with an interview talking about Iraq, WMD and the lack thereof. The entire interview was him trying to justify the fact that Bush lied. His final word on the subject was 'whenever the Skipper took advice from Gilligan, he got smacked'. ??? What? That's such a stupid thing to say.

Ok let's say Bush decided to go to Iraq based on erroneous information given to him by the CIA. Let's forget Paul O'Neill, ex-treasury secretary, said Bush was looking for a reason to go to Iraq, from the first day in office, and finish what daddy started. Let's forget that President Clinton had the exact same information and didn't invade. We'll forget all that and focus on the fact that the CIA gave Bush the info. Ok, so what? Does that take the blame off of Bush. No. Is the CIA to blame for all the soldiers that get killed everyday in Iraq. No. Bush is to blame. He went to Iraq because he thought it was his manifest destiny, and September 11 just gave him the scared country he could convince and lie to. He lied, it's that simple. Why is it so hard for people to understand that. He lied. Dennis Miller needs to take his head out Bush's ass and realize this.

And before anyone mentions Clinton. Clinton never got anyone killed because of lying. If lying about getting laid led Clinton to an impeachment what will lying about war do for Bush?

Bush must be held accountable for his actions. If his information was wrong, so what. He acted on it and people died and are still dying. The time to go to Iraq was a decade ago. Like Howard Dean said 'The time to stop genocide was while the genocide was going on, not 12 years after' or something to that respect. Most of the mass graves found in Iraq are from a decade ago. He gassed the Kurds a decade ago. He smothered a Shiite rebellion a decade ago. He used chemical weapons a decade ago. Where was daddy Bush then. Probably taking another vacation on his ranch.

Album #3: Sumday - Grandaddy

Track Listing:
1. Now it's on
2. I'm On Standby
3. The Go In The Go-For-It
4. The Group Who Couldn't Say
5. Lost On Yer Merry Way
6. El Caminos In The West
7. "Yeah" Is What We Had
8. Saddest Vacant Lot In All The World
9. Stray Dog And The Chocolate Shake
10. The Warming Sun
11. O.K. With My Decay
12. The Final Push To The Sum


It's been a busy week, but I finally got around to doing this review. Frankie Dintino recommended this album, and thought I might not like it since it's mellow like The Shins album. But I actually thought this was a lot more upbeat than The Shins. The Shins were more acoustic while Grandaddy has more electronic instruments. The vocals are better and the lyrics aren't as abstract. This is a cd I would actually pack for a road trip. I'd probably play it at a low level when everyone is asleep and I'm the driver. It wouldn't wake them up but it would keep me focused.

My favorite song was #11 The Warming Sun.

The Warming Sun
But in real life
You're in another world
You're with another guy
Who doesn't have to cheat
And never has to lie
And all that stuff I didn't get
Comes so easy to him
He doesn't even have to try

But do you ever ask yourself
How it could have maybe been

I haven't been that bad
But I haven't been that good
Overmisunderstood
Oh I wish I really could
Enjoy the warming sun
Enjoy a warm someone
And end the need to hide
Away alone inside

I've had those feelings before, so I can relate to the song. It's also nice and slow, kind of a dream like quality wich is appropriate to the lyrics.

All in all a good burn.

Movie Night

We walked into Blockbuster and browsed the new release shelves but didn't see anything that looked good. So we checked out the old movies. As I walked by the horror section I remembered a trailer I'd just seen to the new Dawn of the Dead remake. The George Romero original had been recommended to me so I thought I might as well get it. They did have it, unfortunately on VHS but that's good enough. I then go the idea we should stay up all night watching movies all zombie flicks. That changed into movies from different genres. Classics from each genre.

Horror - Dawn of the Dead
Western - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
SciFi - Blade Runner

All classics but for some odd reason I'd never gotten around to watching any of them. So we rented them. Got home and decided to start with the western.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

This was not what I expected from a western. Sure it had the shot of an empty street with a skinny dog walking across but it was much more artistic than the stereotype. It reminded me a lot of the 'art' films I've been watching lately.
The camera work was excellent. Big, wide, lingering panoramic views of the desert made me think of Lawrence of Arabia. I liked the way the director would have extreme close-ups of characters and he would switch back and forth over and over to add tension to the scene. One scene I liked a lot was when Tuco was running in the graveyard. The camera followed him as he went from grave to grave, getting closer until the background was blurry and the music got faster and faster, it was so cool. In no way did it fit my pre-conceived image of a western.
The graphics during the opening credits were also out of place. They reminded me of Tarantino for some reason. I'm sure he was influenced by Leone.
The music throughout the film definitely set the mood. I was really moved by the scene where the confederate soldiers play while Tuco gets beat down. The music coupled with the crying fiddle player was very touching.
I really liked the acting in the film, particularly Eli Wallach as Tuco. Tuco had the most depth in the movie. The scene with his brother, where they talk about the death of his parents, shows you a different side of Tuco. He is usually loud, obnoxious, he's a liar, a thief, and greedy but during that scene he shows a sadness, guilt, something not seen before. He quickly covers it up, but it was there, and it makes Tuco more human. He's the Ugly from the title, but he's not ugly all the way down.
Eastwood is classic in this movie. A cigar always in his mouth, and damn that cigar is useful, a Mexican poncho, and that squint of his. I wish you got deeper into his character, all you know is that he's not as bad as the others, but he's no 'good' guy.
This was a great movie, and I recommend it to all.

We never did get to the other movies that night. We will though, in the nights to come.

Fremont Street "Unplugged"

This seems like a very cool project. I hope it turns out great. If anyone decides to make a proposal I would like to hear about it. Either in the comments or in email. I'm really hoping it doesn't turn out to be something to abstract or 'pop'. And I hope the artist who's chosen decides to light it up. That's a must I think.

Deadline for Proposal Submissions
5 p.m, March 31, 2004.

The City of Las Vegas Arts Commission in collaboration with the Fremont Street Experience, is requesting artists/artist teams to submit proposals for an outdoor art in public places project utilizing the light bulbs from the Fremont Street Experience light canopy.

The proposed artwork may be either two- or three-dimensional in nature. However, the lights must remain the major emphasis of the piece and up to 40,000 bulbs may be included in each proposed design. Although not a requirement of the proposed artwork, many of the light bulbs are capable of being energized, providing artists the option of illuminating their designs. Artists choosing this option must provide their own wiring and power source. The incandescent bulbs come in four colors: red, green, blue and clear.

Bulb Dimensions: 3/8" wide and 1" high. Actual bulb colors, red, green, blue & clear Light bulb Components & Specifications:

* 12-volt wedge base incandescent light bulbs; each have a life of 5,000 hours. Light bulbs available for this project will have varying longevity. Wedge sockets available upon request.

* Four different colors: red, green, blue and clear. Each bulb, except the clear, has a coordinating color boot.

* Dimensions: 3/8” wide and 1” high
* Please submit two sets of paper documents: one set with contact information and one set without the artist name/address.
* All documents must be one-sided. Please do not staple.

1. One page letter of introduction, describing artistic experience, design philosophy and ability to execute the project.
2. Illustrations of proposed artwork. One to three designs may be submitted with each design mounted separately on an 8 1/2" x 11” matte board.
3. One-page written description in paragraph format for each proposal submitted, also addressing installation and display requirements.
4. One page abbreviated artist resume.
5. Five labeled slides or 5 image CD slide show or 3 minute VHS/CD demo reel of past relevant work.
6. Accompanying slide/VHS/CD list.
7. Three contact references.
8. SASE (Self-addressed stamped envelope)

Proposal Requirements: Please send Proposal Packets to:

FSE “Unplugged”
City of Las Vegas Arts Commission
749 Veterans Memorial Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89101

Inquiries may be addressed to Lisa Stamanis @

lstamanis@lasvegasnevada.gov or 702.229-4631

Project Page Here.

Bush In 41.2 Seconds

via blame it on eve

This is hilarious, childish, but fucking funny. Correct too. Watch it and please take the advice: vote Democrat. It really doesn't matter which one gets the nomination. And in fact it may be the lesser of two evils dilemma. But any Dem. would be better than Bush.

...Rises From The Ashes

It took a couple days but finally I have comments again. The story of how I became a member of HaloScan is a long and troubled one. Actually BlogSpeak croaked and HaloScan took over. Very easy transition. The only problem I notice is that the comments made on BlogSpeak are in the wrong order now that they are displayed on HaloScan. Oh well, not a big deal anyways. So come one people, how about some comments on my reviews. Make it worthwhile for me to do them.

BlogSpeak Dead?

Thsi sucks, I just recommended BlogSpeak to a few people and it goes and dies on me. It sounds like it will be back in some form, but it's just another strike against Blogger for not having a comment system built into it. And that big Blogspot ad they put back on my site at the top after I'd moved it to the bottom. For some reason the code for it doesn't appear in my template so I can't even move it again. Oh well. If I just wasn't so lazy (and broke) I would have moved everything over to MovableType by now. Soon, I will.

Album #2: Chutes To Narrow - The Shins

This album really didn't leave an impression on me. I blame the lyrics as not being forceful. I really didn't feel grabbed by any of them. A song would start and about 30 seconds into it had already lost my attention. I would say the lyrics are to poetic for my taste. I like to be swept up by the words but this album just made me think to hard to understand what he's saying. And when I did understand, I just didn't care.

So I googled the lyrics and read them instead of listened to them, and I actually liked them.

Kissing the Lipless
But you've got too much to wear on your sleeves
it has too much to do with me
and secretly I want to bury in the yard
the grey remains of a friendship scarred

That actually strikes a note within me. I can relate to that. But when he was singing it didn't do the same.

A Call To Apathy
Untie me, I've set my bow
The train is getting way too loud
I gotta leave here my girl
Get on with my lonely life
Just leave the ring on the rail
For the wheels to nullify

These are really good lyrics, and the music in this song was really good. So why didn't it make a splash for me. His voice. Something about it, just isn't believable to me. This song has a country feel to it but the voice is wrong for it.

I like the music, I like the lyrics on paper, I don't like his voice, or his delivery. In other words, neither good nor bad in my book.

Chutes and Ladders

I've gotten a lot of suggestions on what albums to download. The one that seemed to pop up in a few people's lists and on other sites is The Shins - Chutes too Narrow. So I decided to go with that one for my next review. From what I've heard so far, it's a little to mellow. I'll listen to it but lose track of what he's talking about. We'll see how it turns out after more listening. It's not an RIAA album either, so that's a good thing I guess.

I watched Paycheck with Ben Affleck a few days. It doesn't even deserve a link to it. It was really bad. The dialogue was so damn cheesy. The characters were one dimensional if that's possible. They were bodies with names running around. I did like the subject matter, but it wasn't explained well, and they didn't do enough with it. There was no point to it. My hopes for Kevin Smith's Jersey Girl have been shattered because Affleck is useless.

On another note, I completely, totally recommend 21 Grams by Alejandro González Iñárritu. It's three different stories that eventually become one. The actual story isn't what's important though, the individual scenes are. This is the reason that Iñárritu filmed it the way he did. Instead of showing the movie in sequential order, he jumps around in time. So you end having to piece the story together in your head. In a normal story you build up to the climax and then come down. In this one you experience all three at the same time. The result of this is that you focus more on the characters emotions in each scene instead of the overall result. For some people this is just to hard. In a way you can't just sit down and enjoy this film. You shouldn't feel enjoyment when it's over. You should feel drained.

Album #1: The Preacher's Son - Wyclef Jean

Track Listing:
Intro
Industry
Party To Damascus (feat. Missy Elliott)
Celebrate (feat. Patti LaBelle and Cassidy)
Baby Daddy (feat. Redman)
Three Nights In Rio (feat. Carlos Santana)
Class Reunion (feat. Monica)
Baby
I Am Your Doctor (feat. Wayne Wonder and Elephant Man)
Linda (feat. Carl Restivo)
Take Me As I Am (feat. Sharissa)
Grateful
Next Generation (feat. Scarface and Rah Digga)
Rebel Music (feat. Prodigy of Mobb Deep)
Who Gave The Order (feat. Buju Banton)
Party By The Sea (feat. Buju Banton and T-Vice)
Party To Damascus Remix (feat. Missy Elliott)

I've always like Wyclef, so that made this a safe choice. I wanted to start with something I would enjoy, so as not to be turned off to the entire idea. Some people have mentioned that I could download 52 albums in a few hours if I wanted to. While this is true, it's not the point. My reason for doing this is to download one album a week, listen to it at least once a day, and then write about it. Hopefully most of them will be completly new music, opening up new styles and genres for me to enjoy. And I really don't want a RIAA lawsuit. That was just a joke.

Back to The Preacher's Son. This album has what I've been missing from mainstream hip hop recently, a message. I'm so tired of rappers talking about how much money they have, what cars they drive, and all that bullshit. Who cares? I love tracks like Where is the Love by Black Eyed Peas. Tracks that have a social message. Wyclef brings this with this release.

Industry:
Shots go off mothers cry
Busters ride homicide
Black on Black crime needs to stop
yall cant blame it on hip hop
Cause what we say is what we see
and what we see is reality
a ghettos a ghettos we got to live in the sorrow
so we will live to see tomorrow

This is a hip hop album but the only rap you'll hear is from guest stars. Instead 'Clef sings the verses and the chorus in his distinct reggae voice. You would think that so many guests on an album would detract from the main star but not so in this case. They fit right in and never step out of place. The most notable are Missy Elliot on Party to Damascus with a distinct middle eastern sound, Carlos Santana on Three Nights in Rio with a smooth Latin beat. All go great with the overall reggae feel. Scarface and Rah Digga on Next Generation :

Feel the tears of the angels looking down on me crying
For a lying ass but yo forgive us in a while
And I'm sorry, never let me forget that I'm your child
While I'm locked up in this basement staring eye to eye with Satan
In this cold dark world with no patience
We get plotted on by agents with talks of replacing
The Africans, Jamaicans and the Haitians in this next generation

Nobody cares about the feelings of the poor
Man they suffer while we spending eighty billion on a war, uh
Cutting school budgets, US stockmarket plummets
Condition's only worse and I wonder what become it
Metal detectors replace music classes
Angry little kids wanna beat their teacher's asses
The red and blue's, somebody gotta lose
Reality TV be reality for who

Who Gave the Order:
Well what you gonna do, what you gonna do, what are you gonna do
Incarcerate a million and only free few
What was done to others, it shall be done to you
Open up your eyes and you will see the full view
Work all day, and you can't get raise in pay
Civilly bodies being taken away
I wonder what the voice of the people have to say
Stand up and defend your rights today

That's heavy shit. That makes you think. That's what music is for. That's what this album does.

52 Burns or RIAA Lawsuit

I too have decided to start a new year's project based on, actually a complete rip off of, kottke's 52 magazines or bust and vegard's 52 albums or burn. But I'm cheap(poor, lazy) and can't afford 52 CD's. Even if I could, I don't think a CD is worth the price. I could do magazines but I enjoy music more. So my project will involve me meticulously searching the web for albums. One a week, for the entire year and probably beyond. I'll be using the greatly superior BitTorrent client and Suprnova. When this site is down, I'll find another. If it comes down to it, I'll use Kazaa Lite.

So please give me suggestions on what I should check out. Any style, genre, etc will be considered. So help me out.

WTF?

Now this came out of thin air. Who would of thought she'd go out like this. I would of at least expected a 'wedding of the year' from Britney, not jeans and a baseball cap in a Las Vegas chapel. Oh well, props to him.

Marriage License

And You Can Call People Too!

You can do almost anything with a phone these days. Surf the web, download porn, call people, schedule events, figure out how much of a tip to leave (for cheap bastards), take pictures, chat, walkie talkie, listen to music, watch TV, change the channel, etc. They're great. Now if the screen was bigger, the sound was better, a full keyboard, maybe a mouse, and longer battery life and it would be perfect.

Check out this article about TV coming to Sprint PCS phones.

While consumers are still trying to get used to the idea of cell phones with cameras, Idetic has launched a service that enables Sprint cellular subscribers to watch live TV, including three music video channels, through their mobile phones.

Anonymous Instant Photophone Moblogging

By way of Boing Boing I came across this site to post your phone cam pics. It can be anonymous but as you can see I've forgone that bit of it. There's some boring pics there and some cool ones. Don't expect anything too spectacular, after all it's just a phone cam. All my pics are HERE. Any cool one's I'll actually post them my blog, but most of them will be on Mobog.

The New Mutant Race Has Begun

Found this through Tribes:

Don't be fooled by the corporations that advertise evolution. "The new breed" is not related to cars, nor is it related to cell phones. Evolution has nothing to do with consuming the latest technological gadgets. Fuck "futuristic movies" like The Matrix. The cyber fringe came up with that shit decades ago- Hollywood has commodified our ideas and sold them to the masses. Fuck the 60's. Fuck the hipsters and occultists who exclusify information. Fuck your obscure record collections. Fuck your goth clubs and your art groups. Activate total information warfare.

Interesting. They need some actual information though, not just propaganda. I'll keep a watch on it.

well that's stupid. i'm using wap blogger to post this and they have a limit on #of characters you can post. oh well. anyone know a better method of doing this?

this is my first post from my new cam phone. i got a sanyo 8100. THIS ISN'T AS EASY AS I THOUGHT. FOR EXAMPLE WHY IS THIS SUDDENLY IN CAPS? IT WOULD BE COOL TO BE ABLE TO POST A PIC RIGHT NOW AS WELL AS TEXT. I USE SPRINT PCS VISION AND DON'T THINK YOU CAN

ICP Fucks George Bush

A few people asked if I would put this mp3 up. So here it is: download
The original entry is: here

UPDATE: Download removed so as not to go over limit on server. You should be able to find it on P2P networks.

La Cucaracha

©2003 Lalo Alcaraz

Life would be so much easier if they just gave you a list of what to buy them. Maybe if they put it on a website that let you order it directly. Oh my god, what a novel idea. Maybe they could call it a wishlist as well. Wow. If only...

Closet Rivethead

I think I'm a closet Rivethead. At least when it comes to the bedroom I am. For a very long time I've wanted to decorate my room like a vampire lair. Dark, metal, concrete, black light, etc. Electric Metal describes it perfectly in step 1 of How To Be Industrial: A Rivethead's Guide:

[Industrialise your bedroom]

* Permissible colours: black. A hint of dark grey is also acceptable. Rust brown may also be acceptable in some circumstances (i.e. in rust).

* Basic materials: metal, concrete.

* Furniture: minimalist, metal, uncomfortable, preferably built from girders or scrap metal. Your shelves could also be held up with breezeblocks.

* Ornaments/decoration: spiky things, rusty chains, tools/powertools, chainsaws, metal cables, barbed wire, computer cables, electrical tape, gas masks, skulls/skeletons, also (obviously) huge posters of industrial bands or films.

* Vital items: technology is the key word here. Therefore you must have: stereo (with huge speakers - let the world share your love of industrial and noise, and make sure they can not just hear it but feel it as well); TV; DVD player; VCR; computer; anything else you can lay your hands on with buttons, dials, levers, flashing lights, etc on it. It doesn't have to do anything, just be stacked up looking scary and technological and overwhelming to any non-rivethead who dares enter into your domain. Also required is a large stack of industrial CDs (vinyl is so outdated darling), DVDs, videos, dystopian fiction, etc.

* Floor coverings: carpet is a big no-no. Only metal flooring is acceptable.

Step 2: Pets for Rivetheads seems to fit as well. Interesting...

Scarlett

Check out the trailer for Girl with a Pearl Earring. It looks like it will be a another great movie with Scarlett Johansson. That photo is from the Esquire UK magazine which I found here.

From Esquire UK Interview:

You only make sense of it when you understand that every major feature is gorgeously out of proportion. The eyes are pools, clear, blue and alert. The nose is an unsculpted lump of clay that is not in the least pretty. The lips are just pure and simple indecent. They are so full and succulent that they could drip. In a shameless exploitation of her finest asset, Scarlett smokes Capris, the worlds slimmest cigarette. As she inhales, the stick looks like a lollipop in a giants mouth.

Dark Side of the Moon

I just got through watching a really great movie. Love The Hard Way with Adrien Brody, is a movie that never got the recognition it deserved, even after Brody won his Oscar. I enjoyed everything about it. It's one of those movies that has the tendency to pull my strings. The emotions expressed on screen resonate with the emotions within me. They're not the exact same, but they are parallel to each other.

It reminded me of feelings I had awhile ago. Feelings of blaming myself for someone else's problems. Of being scared of what the outcome would be if I wasn't there. Anger for wanting to leave. Anger for not leaving. There were happy times. But were they worth it? My life was heading in one direction but got side swiped by a fucking Winnebago. All semblance of control was lost, and now that it's finally back on track, I don't know if it's the right track anymore. Best laid schemes....

It's weird, the things a movie will make you think. That's their job though, isn't it? It's also awkward writing them down. I told myself that this was my space, to say what I want to say. But when you know the people that will read your thoughts personally, it almost feels like I shouldn't speak freely. But fuck it. Like I said, this is my place. The truth hurts, and I haven't said anything that's not true.

Jesus, this post got out of hand quickly.

Things On My Mind

1. I've been thinking about getting my own domain address, but I'm having a hard time deciding what it should be. Should I keep using the Freon persona, begin using my real name, or fashion a totally new handle? That's the hardest question. Where should I host it? sustainablehost.com sounds like a cheap place and they look like they can run MovableType which I want to start using. But there's also some local hosts that I've had recommended to me. As soon as I get a day off where I have some time to do it, I'll decide what to do and do it.

2. I also want to start a blog to deal with the trip to Mexico I'm planning. It will probably take place March 2003 around my birthday. My two cousins will accompany me as I tour the motherland. I want a place to put up photo's of the trip and post thoughts and comments as well. I might make it a group blog, and have my cousins post as well. Since they don't know English, it would be a multicultural site. Every post will be in both English and Spanish, with me doing the translating. So hopefully I'll have time soon to get all this going.

3. I've been wanting to get a dog for a very long time. The problem has been deciding what kind. I guess the price is really the biggest obstacle. So I visited the Dewey Animal Shelter but didn't see anything I wanted. Mostly Pitbull's, which are pretty but I don't have the attitude(balls) for one of those.

Top 5 Dogs(random order)
Beagle
Boxer
Siberian Husky
Red Bone Coonhound
Old English Sheepdog

Since I won't be able to shell out $400 or more for a dog anytime soon I'll just keep visiting the dog shelters and see what I can find.

4. I've been reading Quicksilver and it is really good. So far there isn't much action, but I love the history and the politics. Neal Stephenson is great.

5. I also just read the latest issue of Sleeper by Ed Brubaker. He is such a good writer and the comic is excellent. The only comic that I can rate a 10 on every issue. After 11 issues I'm still impatient for the next one, that rarely happens with comics. Usually I read a title for a few months then realize that I just don't really care for the story. Sleeper, Rex Mundi, and Y the Last Man are the exceptions to the rule.

6. Damnit I'm getting tired and can't think of what else to say. Nobody really cares anyways.