Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

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Apropos 2.

Saturday, January 28th, 2012

“If I’m the G-dd–n Batman, why am I on top of a cake with this amazonian bimbo?”

I commend to the attention of future brides everywhere the strategy that this one used to encourage participation by both genders in the bouquet toss: attach a Fry’s gift card to the bouquet. (However, brides should consider carefully the value of the card they’re going to attach. For $10, yeah, I’ll participate. For $250, I’ll kill a snitch. I’m not saying I have, I’m not saying I haven’t…)

People you normally don’t see this dressed up, part 1.

And two. Finally, here’s what seems like a fitting song for the happy couple.

Posted in Music, Uncategorized | Comments Closed

I hope they get tongue prints.

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

LAT headline: “Gene Simmons look-alike robs stores in Sacramento“.

(First comment: “That’s Paul Stanley you morons.” How can you tell from that photo?)

Posted in California Über Alles, Clippings, Law, Music | Comments Closed

Cahiers du cinéma: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Monday, January 9th, 2012

Here are my total lack of qualifications for reviewing this movie:

  • I have not read this, or any of the Stieg Larsson books. I have heard people I trust say they’re great. I have heard people I trust say they are awful and overrated. I have heard people I trust say they may have been better in the original Swedish, but Larsson was poorly served by his English translators. My mother wanted to see this because she tried to read the book and couldn’t get more than 20 pages into it.
  • I have not seen any of the Swedish movie adaptations of the books.
  • I’m way behind in my David Fincher. I liked “Se7en“, but haven’t seen anything since. I missed “Zodiac” when it was in the theater (I really should get the DVD), and I have “Fight Club” on (the extra-special) DVD, but haven’t watched it yet. I had no interest in “The Social Network“, and I heard strongly negative things about “Benjamin Button“.

All that aside, I thought “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” was a solid 3 – 3 1/2 star movie. I didn’t feel like I spent my $7 in vain, and the actual movie going experience was pleasant enough. (Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to have the Alamo Drafthouse.)

I did have a few quibbles and problems with the movie. I’m going to put those after a jump, even though I’m going to try to avoid major spoilers (there may be some minor ones).

(more…)

Posted in Books, Geek, Movies, Music | 1 Comment »

Someone is about to start a new chapter in their life.

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Chapter 7, that is.

There’s a rapper who calls himself “Young Buck” (real name David Darnell Brown). He owes money to people. People like the IRS. People like his baby mama. And people like 50 Cent and the G-Unit record label; according to the LAT, he owes them “more than $10 million”.

“Young Buck” originally filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11, which, as you know Bob, allows one to reorganize their debts. But now the Chapter 11 has been turned into a Chapter 7, aka “total liquidation”.

The fun part? The name “Young Buck” (which is also trademarked) is an asset that will be sold off in the liquidation.

A couple of notes:

  1. How did he get that far in debt to G-Unit Records? According to the LAT, there’s some sort of contract dispute involved, but I’d really like to know more about what’s going on here. In a way, it is kind of reminiscent of Steve Wyrick: how do you get that far in the hole before someone pulls the trigger?
  2. Can we all agree that the phrase “peep the mad flow” does not belong anywhere in an article on a major daily newspaper’s website (except maybe as a direct quotation, in quotation marks)?

Posted in Clippings, Music, Schadenfreude | Comments Closed

On the first day of Christmas, the TSA gave to me…

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

But Tuesday, the TSA Chorus made hearts light at Terminal 4’s American Airlines gates as they performed for passengers caught up in the extra madness of holiday travel at Los Angeles International Airport.

So. Many. Jokes. So. Little. Time.

Edited to add: You know, I think I’m going to crowdsource this. Can you, my faithful and cheerful readers, come up with appropriate lyrics for TSA Christmas Carols? Leave them in comments. Just to make this fun, best lyrics submitted before December 31st (as determined by a committee consisting of myself, Lawrence, and Mike the Musicologist, pending the agreement of the latter two) wins a crappy prize, probably something I have duplicates of.

Edited to add 2: It doesn’t have to be set to “The 12 Days Of Christmas”, by the way. You can use any Christmas tune, up to and including “Fairytale of New York“. But unless you think we’ll immediately recognize the tune from your lyrics, please do make a note of it in the comments.

Posted in Clippings, Music, Politics | 3 Comments »

TMQ watch: December 20, 2011.

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Oh, look! TMQ got us a Christmas present. To quote John Gruber (who is actually quoting Norm MacDonald): “Happy birthday, Jesus. Hope you like crap.”

After the jump, what we’ve been dreading all year…

(more…)

Posted in Clippings, Music, Neuroscience, NFL, Sports, TMQ watch | 2 Comments »

Academic update: Fall 2011, part 2.

Monday, December 12th, 2011

This is a little early, since the final grade hasn’t been put into the main university system yet. (Edited to add 12/13: it is there now.) But I’ve been in touch with my “20th Century: Triumph and Tragedy” professor by email, and she’s confirmed the grades posted in the university’s BlackBoard system.

And…?

(more…)

Posted in Music, School, Sumo | Comments Closed

Quote of the day.

Saturday, October 8th, 2011

I am happy right now.

Indeed, I am happier than I have been at any point in the past five years.

No, I am not willing to discuss the reasons why (at least, not in public).

I will, however, leave you with the quote of the day:

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

And with this music video, which seems appropriate.

Posted in Music, Schadenfreude | Comments Closed

Random notes: September 8, 2011.

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

Na na na na na na na na BAT van!

Okay, context: the Houston Police Department has six special vans for roadside alcohol testing of drunk drivers, called “BAT vans”. But these vans have issues…

During the hearing, defense attorneys subpoenaed [Amanda] Culbertson, who testified about overheating issues with the vans. She also testified about an electrical glitch in each of the six vans that caused the sophisticated $6,000 machines to reset every time the van’s air conditioner came on, which also cast doubts on accuracy.

Ms. Culbertson used to be an HPD crime lab supervisior…

…she quit because she could not trust the accuracy and integrity of breath alcohol tests from the department’s breath testing vehicles.

At least one DWI case involving the BAT vans has been dismissed, and defense attorneys are looking to have more cases thrown out.

In other news, the LAT has an article on the Grateful Dead’s attempt to step up their licensing and merchandising efforts.

No to caskets, sanitary napkins and rolling papers.

Yes to snowboards, skateboards and wine.

The Dead are also releasing a 73 CD boxed set, “Europe ’72: The Complete Recordings“, which sells for $450 according to the LAT. Copies on Amazon are going for more than double that.

“We needed to sell a minimum of 3,000 units to move forward so we didn’t get killed on it,” Pinkus says. “The great thing is not only did we blow past the 3,000, we got pre-orders for the [total run of] 7,200 in four days.”

Obligatory.

Posted in Clippings, Music | 2 Comments »

The way my mind works.

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

Part 1:

I was getting dressed yesterday, and looked at my “Professional Russian” shirt in the closet. I decided to save that for this week’s SDC, but I found myself struggling to make some sort of “In Soviet Russia, egg rolls you!” joke.

Which got me to thinking: is Yakov Smirnoff still around? And the Japanese fiddle player? Last I heard, Smirnoff had his own place in Branson, but that was years ago.

Answer: Yes, he’s still doing the Branson thing. And so is Shoji Tabuchi.

Not that I’m planning a trip to Branson any time in the near future, but you’ve got to love these guys for being able to keep the roof over their heads.

Part 2:

I’ve had a song intermittently stuck in my head for many, many years now: probably since middle school, though I don’t remember watching the movie there. Something (actually, a whole bunch of things) prompted me to do a Google search yesterday, and, well…I give you one of the great insurrectionist songs of our time.

This, in turn, prompted me to check the Project Appleseed schedule. And it turns out they’re doing shoots in Smithville (only about an hour’s drive from my home) every month through December. I think I can make this work; worst case, school should be wrapped by December.

Posted in Guns, Music | Comments Closed

The single dumbest song ever written.

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Bruce Cockburn’s “If I Had a Rocket Launcher”, which can best be summarized as “I want peace and justice, and I’m willing to blow people up with a rocket launcher to get it.”

So what brings this to mind?

Liberty County investigators have uncovered a treasure trove of stolen items concealed on a wooded lot off U.S. 59 that also contained a marijuana growing operation, a methamphetamine stash and a rocket launcher.

Here’s a (warning! Slideshow!) “gallery” (warning! Slideshow!) of the seized weapons, which include “numerous firearms, including shotguns, semi-automatic shotguns, rifles, handguns and even a rocket launcher.” Oh, my, shotguns and semi-automatic shotguns!

It looks to me like the cops seized a slightly beat up Browning A-5, and I can’t tell for sure what all else. It looks like there’s at least one older double gun in there as well, and maybe one or two revolvers on that pistol rug. (These are, frankly, really crappy photos. Thanks, Chron.)

The photo of the “rocket launcher'” isn’t half-bad, though. Several of the Chron commenters speculate that the “rocket launcher” in question is actually a spent or demilled LAWS launcher, of the sort you can easily find on the surplus market. I don’t have enough experience to be sure about that; if any of my readers know for sure, please leave me a comment or drop me a line.

(Feel free to comment or drop me a line as well if you dispute my “dumbest song ever” statement, but please be prepared to discuss your own personal choice for “dumbest song ever”.)

Posted in Clippings, Guns, Music, Stupid | 4 Comments »

All apologies.

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

I feel bad about this, especially since some folks like South Texas Pistolero apparently think I’m worth reading. (Thank you, sir.) But there’s just not a lot going on right now that’s worth blogging about. I blame the heat. And the vertical integration of the broiler industry.

I guess I could point to yet another reason to carry your damn guns, people!

Or yet another example of the police being indistinguishable from armed thugs.

Or I could put up a nifty photo of myself in one of Sean Sorrentino’s “Project Gunwalker” shirts, which he’s reopened orders for (and which you can now get with a pocket, even) but I haven’t picked up mine from the PO Box yet.

I could also ask what kind of fascist country we’re living in, when a judge expresses doubts about the credibility of an accused murderer.

I suppose I could also ask if it’s actually legal for mariachi bands to collude over the fees they charge; doesn’t that strike folks as being a violation of anti-trust law?

I’ve got a post I’m working on about the egg roll problem, but I’m still doing research on that.

The good news is, we’re only a week away from DEFCON 19, which I do plan on blogging. In that vein, if anyone has recommendations for places to eat in Las Vegas, please drop me an email or leave them in the comments. A trip to Lotus of Siam is required, of course, but I’m looking for something to eat on the other four nights I’ll be there.

Edited to add: Hey, while I’m thinking of it, I do want to point folks to this discussion at Battleswarm. I haven’t had a lot to say about Breivik, mostly because other smarter bloggers are saying it all. But for some reason I’m awfully darn curious about his weaponry; I think maybe because the gun in that photo is so blinged up I wouldn’t be shocked to find out that it’s identical to the ones carried by Food Court Team Six.

Posted in Admin, California Über Alles, Clothing, DEFCON 19, Food, Guns, IANAL, Law, Music, Shirts, Travel | Comments Closed

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