Battle Of The Bands: 80's Metal Edition, Sub Catagory,Euro

OK, Devo and The B-52s battled to draw in the last round.
This time, we're takin it to the land of Borscht,Bolsheviks,and Baryshnikov: the Moscow Peace Festival in 1989.

The Scorpions


or... a personal favorite of mine (cause you can hear The Scorpions any time)


Gorky Park

"Standing athwart history, yelling 'Stop' "

Willian F Buckley is dead.

I literally grew up reading his columns, starting at about the sixth grade, and continued to read them 'til present day. Nobody has done more to influence my views and inform my thinking than this great intellectual.
He taught me a lot, and is the primary reason why I grew up as a conservative in a family dominated by blue-collar Democrats as the odd man out, the 'where did we go wrong?', whenever dinner talk turned to politics.
But there was more than just politics on his mind. He was also deeply spiritual, raised in a strict Catholic home where a man was taught to find his strength on his knees. A faith he kept in his heart, and defended with his intellect. A good autobiography he wrote, and my favorite book of his, "Nearer,My God" is something any Catholic man can appreciate.

A lot more can be said about him, but you'll hear and see plenty of it on the news if you care to listen. For myself, this is a dark day.

Battle Of The Bands: 80's Hyper-Pop Edition

The B-52s


OR...


DEVO


Render your judgement.

Farewell, My Friend

Tonite, The Galaxy will close it's doors. Sure, the place has seen better days, and the interior is a little ragged, but it was still the best place around for catching a good show while also getting a taste of the newest flavors.
But what hurts the most is the absolute lack of venues for hardcore punk acts around here, and with the Galaxy going down, this leaves the Orange County hardcore scene fairly non-existent. Its a damned, crying shame.


Orange County was one of the birthplaces of hardcore, giving birth to bands like Agent Orange, The Adolescents, The Vandals. Bands that remained true to their original style while still performing to this day. There is a connective-ness in Orange County towards it's music scene. Our native bands play harder here, and the home crowd fans are more enthusiastic. These bands have been around 25-30years, and have too big of a following to play the small houses. Now, we need to travel outside their backyards to see them. For a while, anyway.

Last night, The Galaxy hosted their last punk event. The place was sold out, and I was caught blindsided by the whole thing. If I knew last week what I knew last night, I would've been there:
This was a benefit show combining an all-star line up, offering a rare opportunity to see so many of my favorites all in the same place at once. Some real groundbreaking, history making bands from the good old days: T.S.O.L., Agent Orange,Shattered Faith. On the same stage. The same night.
And I missed out.
Life sucks.
But Shattered Faith still rocks.

I know,I know...
All this means nothing to you.
But I needed to vent.

With all the hoopla surrounding this 'shoot the satellite' attempt, they better not miss.

When listening to Hillary speak, ever get the impression that she thinks we're all a bunch of eight-year olds?

Just Don't Get The Remotes Mixed Up

In the comments of my last topic, Brian brought up an interesting point: the planned obsolesence of DVD players.

Is this really happening?
I've wondered if maybe the older DVD's don't read as well on the newer models, and newer discs wont always play on older models.
I've had this problem. And some others.

Currently, I have three DVD players, stacked atop each other, all wired/connected together, in what some would call my entertainment center. In this case,"Entertainment Center" being defined as a TV, holding up a cable box, holding up a DVD player/recorder, holding up another DVD player, which itself holds up yet another DVD/VHS combo.
Yeah, I got'em stacked like hotcakes at the IHOP. No fear of earth tremors in this California boy.

Why so many? And why this way?
The reason is that not all discs will play on one machine. Some new discs won't play on the oldest machine. Some newer discs wont even play on the newest (six months ago) machine. The Netflix discs are a crap shoot. Never know just what machine will play them. And the discs that just will not play on any of the higher-priced, newer machines, will always play on the oldest, cheapest machine I have. And this is the same machine that wont play hardly anything I shove into it, unless of course the disc in question has already been rejected by the other two machines.
It's maddening, I tell ya.

And don't give me any guff about my machines being dirty or dusty. They aren't. I've used those 'cleansing discs' several times over. I've tried any number of remedies.
Nothing seems to work short of stacking the machines and playing roulette whenever I want to watch a movie.
On a positive note: no matter what disc I'm using, as a team, the three have never let me down.

And The Winner Is...

Remember these?
For you youngerish readers, this is a video tape in Betamax format, as opposed to the VHS format you still remember.


I remember the old days, going to the rental store, and there was Beta on one side, and VHS on the other. The battle tween two formats was raging, and buying a player was a gamble because you weren't sure who was eventually gonna win. And the players weren't near as affordable in those days as the latest tech is now days.

Lately, the battle has been among HD DVD and Blue-ray. I tend to stay in my cave,avoiding new technology, so never really got myself involved in this latest mano a mano.
So, now we have a winner. Well, at least y'all do. (Remember, I stayed out, and held firm to standard DVD.)Toshiba is pulling out, leaving the field to Blue-ray.

Whatever.
Just so long as machines can still play the latest thing along with my soon to be obsolete DVD discs, I don't care who wins.

Trust Not, And Verify

Last year, The Blonde and I had a situation of... let's just say some serious "communication" issues over a course of hours, and resultingly hadn't spoken for about ten days by the time Feburary 14th had arrived.
Being the great,wonderful catch of a man that I am, I dutifully ordered the required Valentine's Day arrangement of two dozen roses(though I'm personally frugal, I am not cheap) delivered, of course, to the office, so all the other gossipy wenches could eat their jealous, miserable hearts out.

The Day came.
The Day went.
Not a call back from The Blonde with so much as a 'Thank You,Honey'
OK, so she's really pissed. To hell with her. I'm done with it.

Two days later the phone rings and it's the flower people. My order never got delivered . After voicing their heartfelt regrets, they offered to refund my money, and still deliver the flowers as promised. Well, OK, I took the freebie.
The next day, The Blonde called wanting to know who died.
Yeah, she got flowers, but not the flowers I ordered and (kinda) paid for. Instead, she got something like this. And not a rose on it.

This year, I decide to try a different set of flower people. The order:four dozen carnations.
The result: The Blonde calls, gushing about the beautiful flowers and thank you very much, and nobody else in the office got shit.
"Your welcome,Baby. Can you count them for me?"

As it turns out, only twenty-three carnations. Not even half the order!
I'm pissed.

Next time, I'm going to buy the damn things in person and deliver them myself.But right now, I got a phone call to make, and a refund to demand.

Who'da Thunk It?

Certainly not me.
After last night's primaries, it appears Obama Man is poised to smite the Inevitable One.

If he's smart, he'll hire a food tester, stay off airplanes, and steer clear of Fort Marcy Park.

Fifty Questions From Jade

Jade being Jade, has tagged me. Besides, she said "Please", so how can I not play along?

1. If your doctor told you TODAY that you were pregnant, what would you say?
"Well, sign me up for maternity leave then, before they find out the truth"
(Jade? I'm a dude. We're off to a promising start,aren't we?)

2. Do you trust all of your friends?
Each with different types of things,yeah.

3. Would you move to another state or country to be with the one you love?
I've loved too many to know better than that.

4. Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
No. Some things happen for no good reason at all.

5. Can you make a dollar in change right now?
Yes. And a Canadian dollar,too.

6. Which one of your friends do you think would make the best doctor?
Cal. He's a super anal-retent perfectionist, with both sides of his brain fully functioning, who you can trust with your life.

7. Are you afraid of falling in love?
Oh, no... not again. Ain't happening. Done. Finished. No love left. It's all 'business' from here out.

OK what happened to #8?
Where did you put it?

9. Is there someone who pops into your mind at random times?
Yes.

10. What’s your most favorite scar?
I got a bunch of minor ones through the years. No favorite. The one on my wrist I seem to be most aware of,though.

11. When was the last time you flew in a plane?
November,2007

12. What did the last text message you sent say?
Isn't that something people who have cell phones do?

13. What features do you find most attractive in the preferred opposite sex?
Availability.

14. Fill in the blank. I love ________.…
Pho. (Yeah,I just got back from dinner)

15. What is a goal you would like to accomplish in the near future?
Relocating.

16. If you were to wake up from being in a coma for an extended time who would you call?
Nobody. I would just enjoy the serenity for a while.

17. How many kids do you want to have?
I wanted six. I have two. I think that's all there will be. But I'm open to any takers.

18. Would you make a good parent?
Too late now. They're grown. But I think I was. And it's what I been told.

19. Where was your favorite picture taken?
At home, many years ago. I had fallen asleep on the sofa, and Blonde #1 had posed the kids (both babes) one under each arm.

20. What’s your middle name?
Louis

21. Honestly, what’s on your mind right now?
Cursing Jade (affectionatly, of course. :) )for giving me all these questions.

22. If you could go back in time and change something, what would it be?
I would have drifted around to other locales for a few years after high school.

23. Who was or will be the maid of honor/ best man in your wedding?
Agustin for #1, Dave for #2.

24. What are you wearing right now?
PJ bottoms and a v-neck

25. Righty or Lefty?
Right

26. Best place to eat?
Right now I still got Pho Quang Trung on my mind. Best.Pho.Ever.
Either that, or Waffle House.

27. Favorite jeans?
None. Usually, I just wear Wrangler.

28. Favorite Animal?
Cats. All kinds. Hands down. I think it's how well the finely-tuned,natural predator is tempered with so much natural grace.

29. Favorite juice?
Orange juice so thick you can chew it.

30. Have you had the chicken pox?
Yes. When I was seven.

31. Have you had a sore throat?
Oh,yes. Some flamingly brutal ones a couple times.

32. Ever had a bar fight?
I left ran like hell when bottles started flying.

33. Who knows you the best?
Its a toss up 'tween my daughter and her mother (Blonde #1)

34. Shoe size?
11, or 10.5 Wide in work boots.

35. Do you wear contact lenses or glasses?
Glasses

36. Ever been in a fight with your pet?
Yes, I have cats, and had to give them pills.

37. Been to Mexico?
You kiddin? I grew up two hours away, and partied there in my teens (don't tell my folks).

38. Did you buy something today?
yes. Dinner,gas and smokes.

39. Did you get sick today?
No.

40. Do you miss someone today?
No.

41. Did you get in a fight with someone today?
Does yelling and cursing count?

42. When is the last time you had a massage?
From a masseuse type person? Never.

43. Last person to lie in your bed.
Don't all women tell lies in bed?

44. Last person to see you cry?
Real men don't cry.

45. Who made you cry?
See #45.

46. What was the last TV show you watched?
Forensic Files

47. What are your plans for the weekend?
Spend time with the wife.

48. Who do you think will repost this?
Kal, because he has some catching up to do, and I'm tagging his ass.

49. Who was the last person you hung out with?
Thanh, a buddy from work. We checked out that new pho house.

50. If your significant other asked you to marry them TODAY, what would you say?
Why ruin a good thing?

My Take On The Writer's Guild Strike

I'll let this guy speak for me:

Your Opinion Matters

OK, folks.
I'm getting a bit tired of this template.

Tell me what you think.
Does it suck in your eyes?
What would be better?

Never mind.
I kinda like this blue thing for the time being.

Their Own Worse Enemy

Oh, the gnashing of teeth and all around belly-aching coming from the conservative wing of the republican party. Really, I don't get it.
John McCain, known for crossing the aisle and compromising conservative principles, is now poised to become the party's standard bearer. Yeah, the same party that routinely crosses the aisle and compromises conservative principles will now have one of it's own in the lead role.
I think it's fitting, and not at all surprising.
You see, the GOP has a cancer of it own. A cancer of disbelief.
They talk one way, and walk another.
And when their dupes voters complain, they always say we need to elect more Republicans to roll back government. What? A ten-year majority isn't enough? In ten years, not one piddly little agency was eliminated. No programs rolled back.
The very least you could have done was eliminate that stoogery called The Surgeon General. Maybe it could serve as a warm-up to tossing the Department of Education. Remember Ronald Reagan, who you all want to be like, ran on that platform?
Government is bigger, more intrusive than ever.
And the party of limited government and constitutional principles has shredded it's small government platform, and pissed all over the constitution.
And now, they're upset because a true conservative won't lead the party.
Apparently, it never occurred to them to vote for one first.
Or at least become hospitable to them.
Hey Republicans, you had two solid,bold,dedicated, though very different, conservatives in the race: Duncan Hunter, whom you ignored.
And Ron Paul, whom you ridiculed.
Instead, you broke down into your various tribes.
Jesus-wingers for Huckabee.
Jack-Booters for Guiliani.
Wall Streeters for Romney.
Did anybody remember to wake up Fred Thompson?
To be fair, I really don't blame Fred for ditching you guys to stay home with his trophy wife. The way you so eagerly throw each other under the bus at the first whiff of a possible scandal doesn't leave too many true conservatives left to fight for the cause, while your opposition continues to field power barons named Kennedy,Frank, Clinton, Jefferson et al...
Seriously, who would even want to be a Republican standard bearer after seeing all this?

I suspect, what really frosts you, is not so much that a compromising McCain won. It's just that your own compromiser lost.
The Democrats are intellectually dead. Can't expect much from them.
But you Republicans have lost your soul.
You don't believe in your own conservative faith. If you did, you wouldn't be selling out as a matter of course, or re-electing those that do.

Their Camelot Is More Like Calcutta

Much ado is being made of the 'new' JFK people are seeing in the Obama Man. From my perspective, the Democrat's search for a return to the media-created Camelot (that never existed outside of imaginations of the duped) is destined to fail.
Obama Man has nothing to offer but beautiful words, nice platitudes, and warmed-over sixties ideas that have produced only failure in every place they've been tried.
Get real,Democrats.
One year in the senate?
If this were anybody else he would have been laughed off the caucus stage in Iowa.

I realize that the Obama Man fetish, and it is a fetish, is not the real problem with the most intellectually bankrupt political party I will see in my lifetime. The real problem is that this party is woefully short of new ideas (zero).
There is no debate among these folks. It's all lockstep automatons, taking the same positions, kissing the same special-interest asses, and has lost touch with the very foundational ideas that has given rise to it's successes in the past.
Used to be the Democrats were the party of the working man. The blue-collar guy. They provided such programs as Social Security and Medicare, which gave illeducated working folks a shot at a golden years void of starvation, protections for unions and collective bargaining units.
It ain't that way no more.
The Democrats have become the party of the non-working man. They have no solutions to solve anything. Won't touch any attempt to remake Social Security and Medicare, which are both going broke and threaten the very people who were led to believe they could rely on it to be there when the time comes.
They reject all attempts to solve the education problems that keep the inner-city mired in poverty.
They tax the ass off anything that moves,and support the asses that dont move.
They solve nothing.

This is where Obama Man comes in. He talks good. Makes them feel good. Tells them the same failed policies will work this time because, well, they feel good about them.
The problem really isn't Obama Man. He's a sympton of a failed idealogy. This is what happens when everybody in the party is saying the same thing, when debate doesn't exist, when new ideas or solutions are hysterically shouted down, and all that is left is presentation.
The Democrats have been drinking the same Kool-Aid for so long, they can't see that the only difference is the flavor.

WTF?!

LINK



via Stacy

Would Definatley Take The Fun Out Of Squirrel Huntin

I'd sell a kidney to get one of these.

Juno

The title character is a pregnant, do-it-yourself, independant minded girl of (only) sixteen, who heads for the abortion clinic and then quickly opts-out. Despite the subject matter, which is certainly not treated lightly, Juno is short of moralizing and melodramatic handwringing.

Choosing to have the baby and give it to some perfect parents who are childless, she finds an upper-middle class yuppie couple, presented in biting stereotypical fashion. There is a sardonic commentary here, as there is in nearly every situation Juno encounters, as is the title character herself.

The humor is intelligent, the subject matter serious, and the characters are deep. Even the parents, who are seen through Juno's first person perspective, as is everybody else in the story line, are presented as uncool, yet warm and loving, sometimes in the same scene. There's some great writing here.
A great film, richly acted, well written, and expertly directed.
If you havn't seen it yet, I suggest you do. Or add it to your Netflix list when the time comes. Suitable for parents and teens to watch together, or separately. There is nothing offensive here, unless you are a feminist who can't stand the thought of an abortion clinic losing a client. This is totally non-political, non-moralistic fare,where you can read into it what you wish, or read nothing at all.

This may be the success movie of the year. I heard it only costs about $2.5 million to produce, and has been a big seller to date.

Keep an eye out for the lead actress, Ellen Page. She's destined for the A-list.