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Friday, October 23, 2015

Cone Passing

I was talking to Dad last night and, in the midst of our conversation, he mentioned that he had run into Mark Cone's parents. I've known the Cone family for most of my life. Dating back to when we lived on Red Bud Road in Cedar Rapids, Mark Cone lived up at the top of the hill - I could point out the house if I were driving by. Down the street from the Cones were Jim & Sue - Sue stayed at home and was our in-her-home babysitter from birth to about 4th grade - and then there was our house, 3625 Red Bud Road. Mark Cone and I went to the same babysitter.

Mark was a year behind me in school and, to be brutally honest, I was never his friend. He was always kind of a peripheral type of person in that I knew him, I didn't especially like him, but we didn't interact in the way that I can sit here, writing this, and cite any specific incidents.

Mark Cone had cancer. He died on September 30, 2015. This is his obituary. While there are several aspects of his obituary I could comment upon, it's somewhat odd that this text resonates within me:
"... special visits in his Mississippi home from high school best friends, Derek Stepanek, Tal Knochenmus, Jeff Spencer..." After reading those names, I remembered that Mark was a part of that clique / group of guys that were a year younger than me. Derek & Tal played saxophone in band; Jeff played trumpet in band. It made me think about how precious friendships really are in life. It also made me think about how few authentic & genuine friends I have in my life. I can rattle off a list of names, many that I have wrote about and mentioned on this blog over the years, but of that list, I'm having a hard time being able to believe that any of them would travel from Iowa to Mississippi (where Mark lived) to visit me, even if I were dying from a hideous & terrible disease like cancer.

I've not had a drop of booze for 1757 days - 4 years, 9 months, 3 weeks, 2 days - but to realize where I really am in this world & to contemplate who, if any, of my "friends" would drive from Iowa to Mississippi to see me... that's the most sober thought I've ever had in my life. At the same time, I have to also believe that I should give my friends credit. If I were really facing my own mortality, I am hopeful that some of my friends that I don't think, today, would make that journey, would actually be the first ones in their vehicle to come see me.

The truth of the matter is that if I were to ask the friends I would put on my 'best friends' list today if they would make that journey for me, I'm sure all of them would say "yes, I would do that for you." As my life is an ever evolving journey, I am ending this blog post with the optimism that these friends would not lie to my face.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Blacked Out

https://youtu.be/M-gTY8s95hM

The Hunt for a Witch

Hillary Clinton testifies in front of the Benghazi panel today.

http://www.redstate.com/2015/10/22/five-reasons-benghazi-still-matters
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/10/21/what-to-watch-at-clintons-appearance-at-benghazi-hearing/

The one I really like is this: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/10/22/benghazi-my-questions-for-hillary-clinton.html 

Brief Pause

We use Google for a lot of software at work - gmail, hangouts, drive - so when it went down earlier today, there was some chit-chat about it (names hidden to protect those that need protection)

Worst Song EVER

Please, Macklemore MUST be added to the "20 Worst Pop Acts in History" list. I thought this was a commercial when I heard as I was getting a haircut last night.


Assuming you can actually stomach this song - I had to because, as I just said, it was on the radio station that was playing during my haircut, I am stunned by this perceptive comment about the video. Someone who watched or knows this song actually wrote the following:

Song Structure:
  • Macklemore rapping
  • Group rapping
  • Macklemore rapping
  • Eric Nally build
  • Eric Nally Chorus
  • Group rapping
  • Macklemore rapping
  • "If I had one helmet" bit that differs from the rest of macklemore's rap
  • Eric Nally build
  • Eric Nally chorus
Kinda weird how many different elements there are in this.

At least the user that posted this comment didn't try to draw comparisons to Rush's "2112" as there is zero comparison. Rush Rocks, Macklemore does not.



Wednesday, October 21, 2015

On my To Do list

https://youtu.be/as2_BS48SCM

No VP to P Promotion

Vice President Joe Biden decides not to run for the Democratic nomination for president.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/10/21/biden-to-speak-in-rose-garden/?intcmp=hpbt1

FALSE ADVERTISING!!!

Karen told me that Ratt is coming to the Riverside Casino in January, so I looked up how the concert is being marketed. Here's what I found:

RATT’s 2016 Re-Invasion Tour with special guest FireHouse
Performance Date: 01/23/2016, 8:00 pm
Saturday, January 23, 2016 - 8pm show
As the story goes, RATT helped pioneer Hollywood’s legendary Sunset Strip sound and scene in the 1980's.
Signed to Atlantic Records in 1984, the band’s debut album Out of the Cellar went Multi-Platinum behind the hit single "Round & Round".  Additional hit singles on the album included "Back for More" and "Wanted Man".
Since 1983 to present, RATT has sold in excess of 15 million records in the US alone.  Their first four records went Platinum, and they sold out arenas around the country.
In 2014, RATT celebrated 30 years of keeping Ratt N’ Roll alive.

My jaw is on the floor.

Where does it say, in the above description, that only Bobby Blotzer remains of the five original members?!? I am a drummer, but he's the drummer! The drummer is the only one carrying on the name of Ratt because of all the legal crap going on with members suing each other and touring under a mashup of names that all try to get a piece of the Ratt trap - bassist Juan Crouier and Stephen Pearcy are both out playing songs that were made popular by the members of the band during the "Out of the Cellar" / "Invasion of Your Privacy" / "Dancing Undercover" / "Reach for the Sky" era.

I've yet to do any research as to who is in the current lineup in Firehouse, who are the opening act.

FireHouse has been rockin’ for over a decade. Their music has taken them all over the world and has produced Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum records in the United States and countries abroad.
In 1990, their first album, entitled FireHouse, was released.  The band released “Don’t Treat Me Bad”, which became their first Top Ten hit. This was followed by “Love of a Lifetime”, which also entered the Top Ten, reaching the #3 spot on the United States charts. This string of hits vaulted their first album to double platinum status in the United States.  At the 1991 American Music Awards, FireHouse found themselves standing before the nation accepting the award for Best New Hard Rock/Metal Band, chosen over Nirvana and Alice in Chains.

The band’s second album, Hold Your Fire, was released in 1992. It produced the hits “Reach for the Sky” and “Sleeping with You”. Another Top Ten hit, “When I Look into Your Eyes”, peaked on the United States charts at #5.

And the prices they are charging!?!?

Tickets are $45, $35 & $25 plus tax and an online/phone ticketing fee (this fee is waived when tickets are purchased in the Gift Shop).  Tickets in the ADA section are for patrons with mobility disabilities and up to three companions.  If companion seating is not available because the ADA section is sold out, RCGR will offer other seats as close as possible to the accessible seat, if available, at the purchase price of the other section.   Tickets will go on sale at 8am on Friday, October 23rd in the Gift Shop and online.
Hotel packages will be available by calling 877-677-3456.  Packages are $260 and include a one night stay in a deluxe king or double queen room, two tickets to the show and two dinners at Robert's Buffet.  There are a limited number of hotel packages available.
Doors open at 7pm for the 8pm show.

New Trailer

Every person that has ever proclaimed their love for the Star Wars franchise received an early Christmas present on Monday with the release of the third and final trailer for episode VII. It is now only 1 month, 3 weeks, 6 days or 58 total days, until the movie's release. The Internet is figuratively on fire as the trailer is analyzed for Easter eggs and clues as to what the plot of the movie is, who's going to die, and who's going to live through the remaining films in the franchise.

Unfortunately, this also means that those whose opinion is not based in reality are drawing comparisons between the Star Wars galaxy & our galaxy, as discussed in this column. People that think there is racism in the Star Wars galaxy are clueless.

As for me, without blowing it all out of proportion, I am excited about the new movie. There is a book sale here at work and in the cafeteria, there is a hugely thick "Star Wars" book that can be mine for the price of $29.20 (27% off of the $40 list price). Of course, next to it is a hugely thick "Marvel Comics" book that can be mine for $28 (30% off of the $40 list price). It's been so tempting to figure out a way to purchase both books so that I may wallow in the depths of the knowledge that is contained in each! And both for under $60!

I should purchase both and give them to myself as an early birthday present as my birthday is only 1 month, 1 week, 6 days, or 44 days away.




http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/we-break-down-the-new-star-wars-trailer-547618371570?cid=eml_mlw_20151020





Only Pricks from IL can Fly

The date that was specified in the movie "Back to the Future Part II" has arrived. Two articles
discuss the movie's vision of 2015. In the movie, there were flying cars on 10/21/2015, but on the real 10/21/2015, the only cars flying is the asshole with the IL license plate that tried to go around me yesterday. I'm in the left lane, he's in the right. There's a sign that says "Right Lane Closed Ahead." Instead of slowing down to get behind me, the asshole accelerates and tries to zip in front of me. Despite being in our brand new 2016 Chevy Equinox (the "E" from now on), I didn't let him in. When he was parallel with me, I looked that son of a bitch in the eyes and gave him a one finger salute. As I fumed, alone in the E, I found myself in a fit of road rage. I said aloud, "You asshole. You may drive like a prick in IL, but in downtown Iowa City, your style of driving is not going to fly. Go f**k yourself."

Anyways, there you go. Only pricks from IL can fly.

Ironically, I just read about road rage in NM that resulted in the death of a 4 year-old little girl. Here is the story but you have to click this link.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Fact Check

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/10/13/ap-fact-check-clinton-sanders-revise-history-in-dem-debate/

Everyone Else Is Getting Older

I'm the type of person that remembers trivial information and cannot remember important, non-trivial information. For example, trivial information would be that I was in James Goodrich's basement the first time I ever heard Anthrax's "Spreading the Disease" album, which is being re-released for its 30th anniversary.



An example of non-trivial information? Sure, "Where is Alex's winter coat?"

It's Not about That

http://www.redstate.com/2015/10/19/lies-flopsweat-three-democrat-attacks-benghazi-committee

The Big 1022

Thursday is my son's 17th birthday. Conveniently, he has forgotten that his birthday present was for me to take him & his friend Austin to the 5FDP / Papa Roach / In This Moment / From Ashes to New concert on 10/2, because now his Grand Plan is to go out to eat on Thursday to Old Chicago (no issue thus far) with us (good) and also his current girlfriend Annika.

Last night, it was humorous to hear Alex talk about kissing Annika during the day. Alex proclaimed that couples do that after walking to class and then, as a part of saying "good-bye", they kiss. Karen was in shock and in awe upon hearing this. "Couples do that?!?"

I found myself nodding. In high school, especially sophomore year, I remember walking to class with my girlfriend and kissing her before we diverged to go to our separate classes. I remember walking to practice - me to swim practice, her to basketball practice - and kissing her before we diverged. That was the culture. We held hands and spent precious moments together.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Awful Booking!

Europe - you know, "The Final Countdown" band - has just announced a tour set to begin in January 2016. Here are the announced tour dates with my annotations:
1/19/2016 - San Jose, CA @ Rockbar Theater
1/20/2016 - Anaheim, CA @ The Grove
1/22/2016 - Los Angeles, CA @ Saban Theater
1/23/2016 - Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Live
1/24/2016 - San Diego, CA @ Music Box Theater
1/25/2016 - Chandler, AZ @ Wild Horse Pass Casino
Up to here, no issues. Geographically, these concerts are reasonably near each other. The travel from LA to Vegas and then back to San Diego is a little questionable, but, eh, it's not as awful as what's about to come.
1/27/2016 - Lawrence, KS @ The Granada Theater
1/28/2016 - Sioux Falls, SD @ Badlands Pawn
1/29/2016 - Shawnee, OK @ The Grand Events Ctr
These three dates in this sequence make absolutely NO sense. You're starting in the middle (KS), going north (SD), then past the first concert of the three and going even further south. They should start with SD, then go to KS, then go to OK. However, the reason they didn't do that (probably) is that they are coming to this trio of dates with only a single day of travel allowed (1/26). I know that Chandler to Sioux Falls is a longer trip than Chandler to Lawrence. It doesn't make it any more dumb, though, to go middle, north, backtrack, then south.
1/30/2016 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
1/31/2016 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
The two TX dates are fine.

What is Going On

This is not about leaning towards the Republican party. This is about introducing bias within a classroom.

http://www.erickontheradio.com/2015/10/common-core-goes-gun-control

Mature

From the Quad Cities Craigslist Musicians page:

Searching For Mature Drummer

We are looking for a drummer for a 60's, 70's rock band. Would like someone in their 40's or 50's. We practice once a week and are not looking to play every weekend. Great bunch of guys, no drama or egos, pro gear, nice practice space with an in house drum kit.

Mac v. PC

The headline screams so all can hear that "only 5% of Mac users at IBM need help desk support, compared to 40% of PC users". At face value, yeah, that’s great that their tech support calls are so low.

An aspect neither article - links below - doesn’t address is if these percentages include both “OS issues” and “Business Application issues”. What about help desk support for software that is available on both? For example, Franklin calls with a question about using a MS Word template. If Franklin is a PC user, would his phone call be attributed to the cited Windows percentage? If Lucy is using a Mac and had the same question, would her phone call be attributed to the cited Mac percentage? Or would both Franklin’s & Lucy’s phone calls go into a 3rd bucket that is not mentioned in the article?


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/apple-users-lot-less-help-182200542.html

http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/10/15/only-5-of-mac-users-at-ibm-need-help-desk-support-compared-to-40-of-pc-users

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Rumblings of New Met Album

Metal is all about raising a big middle finger towards "the man" who, as Jack Black ranted about in "School of Rock" is anyone or any thing that gets in your way. Metallica has always been about doing things that they want and yeah, I'll admit I wish it hadn't taken them this long to be in the studio recording their 10th album. That said, to quote the Anti-Nowhere League tune that Metallica used to play a lot in concert "So F*cking What?!?" After reading these articles about how Metallica doesn't need to release new music - Slayer's Kerry King weighed in with the leading churn up controversy metal news site Blabbermouth.net & this Metal Hammer article - it serves those pricks right to now learn that Metallica is recording their new album now.

Rock on Metallica! Get your new album recorded and prepped so that you can debut a new song at the Super Bowl in San Francisco in 2016. To get the proper buzz going, it'd be awesome to have a single released by December 4th (my 46th birthday!). Then again, Metallica has my permission - and I'm [sarcasm] so sure that they were waiting for my permission [/sarcasm] - to do whatever the hell they want.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Awesomeness

http://www.psu.edu/dept/inart10_110/inart10/whos.html

Worst Sentence of the Day

"He wanted me to reassure you that we will not miss your business due to any money on a vehicle that you will be proud to own."

The Future

Found this 2 TB external hard drive on the Waterloo Craigslist page for $60. Sweetness!

500 > 42

From the Craigslist > milwaukee > for sale > cds / dvds / vhs - by owner page...




Collection of 500+ CDs for sale. Tons of punk, metal, indie, 80's/ goth, industrial plus lots of other stuff. All play and rip to computers perfectly and have their original artwork but conditions vary. The vast majority are in great shape. Priced individually $1-$5 (except box sets). I would entertain offers for the whole collection.

Here's the list:

Box Sets

The Velvet Underground - Peel Slowly And See 5 discs $20
Elvis Presley - The Complete 50's Masters 5 discs $15
The Cure - Join The Dots: B-Sides And Rarities 4 discs $20
Wax Trax! Records Black Box 3 discs $10

$1 each (EPs, singles, stuff in rougher condition)

1. Acid Horse -- No Name, No Slogan
2. Antischism -- Still Life
3. Angelo Badalamenti -- The Straight Story
4. Angelo Badalamenti -- Mulholland Drive
5. Angelo Badalamenti -- Lost Highway
6. Bjork -- Debut
7. Bjork -- Post
8. James Blackshaw -- All Is Falling
9. Brass Knuckles For Tough Guys -- Noise Man Kills Him
10. The Broadways -- Broken Star
11. The Broadways -- Broken Van
12. The Clash -- London Calling (Wrong Case)
13. The Cure -- Disintegration
14. The Cure -- Staring At The Sea: The Singles
15. Ornette Coleman -- The Empty Foxhole
16. Dead Kennedys -- In God We Trust Inc/ Plastic Surgery Disasters
17. Dead Milkmen -- Instant Club Hit
18. Dead Milkmen -- Big Lizard In My Backyard
19. Devo -- Duty Now For The Future/ New Traditionalists
20. Interpol -- Evil
21. The Lawrence Arms -- Guided Tour Of Chicago
22. The Lawrence Arms -- Ghost Stories
23. Mr. Bungle -- Excrement
24. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult -- Cuz Its Hot
25. Yoko Ono -- Blueprint For A Sunrise
26. Yoko Ono -- Rising
27. Yoko Ono -- Rising Mixes
28. Yoko Ono -- Feeling The Space
29. Yoko Ono -- Walking On Thin Ice
30. Mike Patton -- Pranzo Oltranzista
31. Primus -- Sailing The Seas Of Cheese
32. PTP -- Rubber Glove Seduction
33. Skinny Puppy -- Tormentor
34. The Smiths -- Peel Sessions
35. The Smiths -- Hatful Of Hollow
36. Tarot Bolero -- Vaudeville Rising
37. Various Artists -- Paradigm Shift

$2 each

1. The Amps -- Pacer
2. The Arcade Fire -- The Arcade Fire EP
3. Bjork -- Homogenic
4. Boards Of Canada -- A Beautiful Place Out In The Country EP
5. The Breeders -- Pod
6. The Breeders -- Last Splash
7. The Breeders -- Title TK
8. Julee Cruise -- Floating Into Emptiness
9. Daisy Chainsaw -- Eleventeen
10. Dead Milkmen -- Smokin Banana Peels
11. DRI -- Live
12. Einsturzende Neubauten -- Tabula Rasa
13. Einsturzende Neubauten -- Interim
14. Jad Fair & Daniel Johnston -- It's Spooky
15. Faust -- 71 Minutes
16. Flying Saucer Attack -- Sally Free & Easy EP
17. Go Motion -- Kill The Love
18. Goblin -- 1975-1989
19. Goblin -- 1975-1980 II
20. Ghost To Falco -- Torn Or Broken
21. The Honor System -- Single File
22. Interpol -- Black EP
23. Lard -- Power Of Lard EP
24. Lard -- 70's Rock Must Die
25. Modest Mouse -- This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About
26. Modest Mouse -- Lonesome Crowded West
27. Morrissey -- Viva Hate
28. Morrissey -- Bona Drag
29. Morrissey -- First Of The Gang To Die
30. Morrissey -- You Have Killed Me
31. My Bloody Valentine -- Glider
32. New Order -- Republic
33. Nomeansno -- Would We Be Alive
34. 1000 Homo DJ's -- Supernaut
35. Yoko Ono -- A Story
36. Pigface -- Washingmachine Mouth
37. Primus -- Misc. Debris
38. The Residents -- Double Shot
39. Sun Ra -- Jazz In Silhouette
40. Sun Ra -- Space is The Place
41. Tristeza -- Dream Signals

$3 each


1. Add N To (X) -- Avant Hard
2. Adult -- Anxiety Always
3. Akarso/ Faraquet -- Split CD
4. . . .And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - . . . And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
5. Angels Of Light -- New Mother
6. Angels Of Light -- How I Loved You
7. Angels Of Light -- Everything Is Good Here/ Please Come Home
8. Aphex Twin -- I Care Because You Do
9. Aphex Twin -- Richard D. James Album
10. The Arcade Fire -- Neon Bible
11. Daniel Ash -- Coming Down
12. Bad Religion -- 80-85
13. Bauhaus -- Mask
14. Bauhaus -- The Sky's Gone Out
15. Bauhaus -- Burning From The Inside
16. Bauhaus -- 1979-1983 Volume 1
17. Bauhaus -- 1979-1983 Volume 2
18. Bauhaus -- Swing The Heartache: The BBC Sessions
19. Bjork -- Vespertine
20. Bjork -- Medulla
21. Black Eyes -- Black Eyes
22. Black Flag -- Who's Got The 10 ½?
23. Boards Of Canada -- Music Has The Right To Children
24. Boards Of Canada -- Geogaddi
25. Boards Of Canada -- The Campfire Headphase
26. The Boo Radleys -- Giant Steps
27. Bowery Electric -- Bowery Electric
28. David Bowie -- The Buddha Of Suburbia
29. David Bowie -- Outside
30. Jeff Buckley -- Grace
31. Butthole Surfers -- Independent Worm Saloon
32. David Byrne -- Uh Oh
33. David Byrne -- David Byrne
34. David Byrne -- Feelings
35. David Byrne -- Look Into The Eyeball
36. David Byrne -- Lead Us Not Into Temptation
37. David Byrne -- Grown Backwards
38. Cabaret Voltaire -- Mix Up
39. Can -- Monster Movie
40. Can -- Soundtracks
41. Can -- Future Days
42. Cannibal Corpse -- Vile
43. Captain Beefheart -- Shiny Beast
44. Casino Vs. Japan -- Casino Vs. Japan
45. Casino Vs. Japan -- Go Hawaii
46. Casino Vs. Japan -- Hitori + Kaiso 1998-2001
47. Catherine Wheel -- Chrome
48. The Causey Way -- With Loving And Open Arms
49. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds -- From Her To Eternity
50. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds -- Henry's Dream
51. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds -- Murder Ballads
52. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds -- Nocturama
53. Chapterhouse -- Whirlpool
54. Chapterhouse -- Blood Music
55. Chemlab -- Burn Out At The Hydrogen Bar
56. Chemlab -- East Side Militia
57. Chemlab -- Suture
58. The Church -- Starfish
59. Circle Jerks -- Group Sex
60. Clan Of Xymox -- Subsequent Pleasures
61. Clan Of Xymox -- Twist Of Shadows
62. The Clash -- Give Em Enough Rope
63. Cluster -- Zuckerzeit
64. Cocteau Twins -- Garlands
65. Cocteau Twins -- Head Over Heels
66. Cocteau Twins -- The Pink Opaque
67. Cocteau Twins -- Blue Bell Knoll
68. Cocteau Twins -- Heaven Or Las Vegas
69. Cocteau Twins -- Four Calendar Café
70. Cocteau Twins -- Milk And Kisses
71. Leonard Cohen -- New Skin For The Old Ceremony
72. Leonard Cohen -- Various Positions
73. Leonard Cohen -- I'm Your Man
74. Leonard Cohen -- Old Ideas
75. Comets On Fire -- Field Recordings From The Sun
76. Comets On Fire -- Blue Cathedral
77. Concrete -- Equation Of The Blue Horse
78. Chris Connelly -- Shipwreck
79. Country Teasers -- Satan Is Real Again
80. Country Teasers -- Greatest Hits
81. The Crainium -- New Music For A New Kitchen
82. Crass -- Stations Of The Crass
83. Crass -- Penis Envy
84. Crass -- Christ: The Bootleg
85. The Cure -- Three Imaginary Boys
86. The Cure -- Boys Don't Cry
87. The Cure -- Seventeen Seconds
88. The Cure -- Pornography
89. The Cure -- The Top
90. The Cure -- Concert: The Cure Live
91. The Cure -- The Head On The Door
92. The Cure -- Mixed Up
93. The Cure -- MTV Unplugged
94. The Cure -- Wish
95. The Cure -- Show
96. The Cure -- Paris
97. The Cure -- Wild Mood Swings
98. The Cure -- The Cure
99. Curve -- Doppelganger
100. Curve -- Cuckoo
101. Cyberaktif -- Tenebrae Vision
102. Dead Can Dance -- Spleen And Ideal
103. Dead Can Dance -- Into The Labyrinth
104. Dead Can Dance -- Toward The Within
105. Dead Can Dance -- Spiritchaser
106. Dead Kennedys -- Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
107. The Dead Milkmen -- Eat Your Paisley
108. The Dead Milkmen -- Beelzebubba
109. The Dead Milkmen -- Metaphysical Graffiti
110. The Dead Milkmen -- Soul Rotation
111. The Dead Milkmen -- Not Richard, But Dick
112. The Dead Milkmen -- Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig)
113. Deicide -- Deicide
114. Deicide -- Insineratehymn
115. Depeche Mode -- Black Celebration
116. Descendents -- I Don't Want To Grow Up
117. Devo -- Total Devo
118. Devo -- Now It Can Be Told
119. Dinosaur Jr. -- Fossils
120. Don Caballero -- World Class Listening Problem
121. Doves -- Lost Souls
122. Download -- Microscopic
123. Dr. Octagon -- Dr. Octagonecologyst
124. Eagles Of Death Metal -- Peace, Love, Death Metal
125. Einsturzende Neubauten -- Strategies Against Architecture
126. Einsturzende Neubauten -- 2x4
127. Electronic -- Electronic
128. Brian Eno -- Dali's Car
129. Brian Eno & Robert Fripp -- The Essential Fripp & Eno
130. Brian Eno -- More Music For Films
131. Brian Eno -- Thursday Afternoon
132. Brian Eno -- The Shutov Assembly
133. Brian Eno & John Cale -- Wrong Way Up
134. Brian Eno -- Eno, Bowie, Cale
135. Brian Eno -- My Squelchy Life
136. Brian Eno -- The Ambivalent Collection
137. Brian Eno & Jah Wobble -- Spinner
138. Brian Eno -- The Drop
139. Brian Eno & Peter Schwalm -- Drawn From Life
140. Brian Eno -- Curiosities Volume 1
141. Brian Eno & Robert Fripp -- The Equatorial Stars
142. Brian Eno -- Neroli
143. Brian Eno -- Another Day On Earth
144. Brian Eno & David Byrne -- Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
145. Eric B & Rakim -- Follow The Leader
146. Ex-Girl -- Back To The Mono Kero
147. Excessive Force -- Conquer Your World
148. Explosions In The Sky -- How Strange, Innocence
149. The Faint -- Danse Macabre
150. Jad Fair & Yo La Tengo -- Strange But True
151. Faith No More -- Angel Dust
152. Fantomas -- Fantomas
153. Fantomas -- The Director's Cut
154. Faust -- IV
155. Fred Frith & John Zorn -- 50/5
156. Front Line Assembly -- Tactical Neural Implant
157. Front Line Assembly -- Implode
158. Front Line Assembly -- Epitaph
159. Front 242 -- Backcatalogue
160. Front 242 -- Official Version
161. Front 242 -- Tyranny (For You)
162. Front 242 -- Up Evil
163. Front 242 -- Off
164. The Futureheads -- The Futureheads
165. Gals Panic -- I Think We Need Helicopters
166. Germs -- (MIA): The Complete Anthology
167. Goodnight Loving -- Crooked Lake
168. Gorilla Biscuits -- Start Today
169. Harmonia 76 -- Harmonia 76
170. Edmond Harth -- The Broccoli Sessions
171. PJ Harvey -- Rid Of Me
172. PJ Harvey -- To Bring You My Love
173. PJ Harvey -- Is This Desire?
174. PJ Harvey -- Uh Huh Her
175. Hella -- The Devil Isn't Red
176. William Hooker -- Shamballa
177. William Hooker -- Hard Time
178. The Honor System -- 100% Synthetic
179. Husker Du -- Zen Arcade
180. Interpol -- Turn On The Bright Lights
181. The Jam -- Setting Sons
182. Jawbreaker -- Unfun
183. Jawbreaker -- Bivouac
184. The Jesus And Mary Chain -- Automatic
185. The Jesus And Mary Chain -- Stoned & Dethroned
186. The Jesus Lizard -- Shot
187. Jets To Brazil -- Orange Rhyming Dictionary
188. Joy Division -- Substance
189. Joy Division -- Still
190. cEvin Key -- Music For Cats
191. cEvin Key -- The Ghost Of Each Room
192. KMFDM -- What Do You Know, Deutschland?
193. KMFDM -- Don't Blow Your Top
194. Kool Keith -- The Lost Masters Volume 2
195. Krop-Erom -- Aoff
196. Lard -- The Last Temptation Of Reid
197. Lard -- Pure Chewing Satisfaction
198. The Lawrence Arms -- The Greatest Story Ever Told
199. Legendary Pink Dots -- The Tower
200. Legendary Pink Dots -- Chemical Playschool 10
201. Lush -- Split
202. Magazine -- Secondhand Daylight
203. Malevolent Creation -- Best Of
204. Man Or Astro-Man? -- Destroy All Astro-Men!
205. Man Or Astro-Man? -- Made From Technetium
206. Man Or Astro-Man? -- A Spectrum Of Finite Scale
207. Managra -- Modern Day Remembrance
208. The Mars Volta -- De Loused In The Comatorium
209. The Mars Volta -- Frances The Mute
210. Massive Attack -- Blue Lines
211. Massive Attack -- Mezzanine
212. MDC -- Now More Than Ever
213. Meat Puppets -- II
214. Mekons -- Where Were You?
215. Mekons -- Punk Rock
216. Melt Banana -- Cactuses Come In Flocks
217. Melvins -- Ozma/ Gluey Porch Treatments
218. Ministry -- Twelve Inch Singles
219. Minutemen -- Post Mersh Volume 3
220. Minutemen -- Acoustic Blowout
221. Minutemen -- Three Way Tie (For Last)
222. Minutemen -- Ballot Result
223. Misfits -- Walk Among Us
224. The Mob -- Let The Tribe Increase
225. Modest Mouse -- The Fruit That Ate Itself
226. Modest Mouse -- Building Nothing Out Of Something
227. Modest Mouse -- The Moon And Antarctica
228. Modest Mouse -- Everywhere And His Nasty Parlour Tricks
229. Mogwai -- Happy Songs For Happy People
230. Mogwai -- Mr. Beast
231. Thurston Moore -- Psychic Hearts
232. Morrissey -- Kill Uncle
233. Morrissey -- Vauxhall And I
234. Morrissey -- Maladjusted
235. Morrissey -- You Are The Quarry
236. Morrissey -- Ringleader Of The Tormentors
237. Mr. Bungle -- Mr. Bungle
238. Mr. Bungle -- California
239. Peter Murphy -- Should The World Fail To Fall Apart
240. Peter Murphy -- Love Hysteria
241. Peter Murphy -- Deep
242. Peter Murphy -- Holy Smoke
243. Peter Murphy -- Cascade
244. Peter Murphy -- Alive Just For Love
245. My Bloody Valentine -- Loveless
246. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult -- Kooler Than Jesus
247. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult -- Sexplosion!
248. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult -- 13 Above The Night
249. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult -- Hit And Run Holiday
250. New Order -- Substance
251. New Order -- Technique
252. Nitzer Ebb -- That Total Age
253. Nitzer Ebb -- Showtime
254. Nitzer Ebb -- Ebbhead
255. Nitzer Ebb -- Big Hit
256. The No WTO Combo -- Live At The Battle In Seattle
257. NOMEANSNO -- Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy?
258. NOMEANSNO -- Dance Of The Headless Bourgeoisie
259. NOMEANSNO -- One
260. Non -- Receive The Flame
261. Nuclear Assault -- Game Over/ The Plague
262. Nudge -- Trick Doubt
263. ohGr -- Welt
264. ohGr -- Sunnypsyop
265. Andrea Parker -- Kiss My Arp
266. Pavement -- Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
267. Pig -- Sinsation
268. Pigface -- Gub
269. Pines Of Nowhere -- Pines Of Nowhere
270. Pixies -- Trompe Le Monde
271. Placebo -- Placebo
272. Placebo -- Without You I'm Nothing
273. Placebo -- Black Market Music
274. Placebo -- Sleeping With Ghosts
275. Placebo -- Meds
276. Portishead -- Dummy
277. Psychic TV -- Those Who Do Not
278. Psychic TV -- Thee Berlin Wall Part One
279. Psychic TV -- Electric Newspaper Volume 1
280. Public Enemy -- Fear Of A Black Planet
281. Public Enemy -- Apocalypse 91: The Enemy Strikes Black
282. Public Image Ltd. -- 9
283. Radiohead -- Kid A
284. Radiohead -- Amnesiac
285. Radiohead -- Hail To The Thief
286. Ramones -- All The Stuff And More Volume 1
287. Ramones -- All The Stuff And More Volume 2
288. Ramones -- End Of The Century
289. Ramones -- Subterranean Jungle
290. Ramones -- Too Tough To Die
291. The Residents -- Holy Kiss Of Flesh
292. The Residents -- Gingerbread Man
293. The Residents -- Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses
294. The Residents -- WB: Rmx
295. Revolting Cocks -- Big Sexyland
296. Revolting Cocks -- Beers, Steers & Queers
297. Revolting Cocks -- Linger Ficken' Good
298. Reykjavik -- Glacial Landscapes, Religion, Oppression & Alcohol
299. Rollins Band -- Life Time
300. Rx -- Bedside Toxicology
301. Sepultura -- Beneath The Remains
302. Sister Machine Gun -- Sins Of The Flesh
303. Sister Machine Gun -- The Torture Technique
304. The Sisters Of Mercy -- First And Last And Always
305. The Sisters Of Mercy -- Floodland
306. The Sisters Of Mercy -- Vision Thing
307. Skinny Puppy -- Back And Forth Series Two
308. Skinny Puppy -- Remission
309. Skinny Puppy -- Bites
310. Skinny Puppy -- Cleanse Fold And Manipulate
311. Skinny Puppy -- Ain't It Dead Yet?
312. Skinny Puppy -- VIVISectVI
313. Skinny Puppy -- Twelve Inch Anthology
314. Skinny Puppy -- Last Rights
315. Skinny Puppy -- Intolerance
316. Skinny Puppy -- The Process
317. Skinny Puppy -- Live In Dresden: Back And Forth 5
318. Slayer -- Show No Mercy
319. Slayer -- Seasons In The Abyss
320. The Smiths -- The Smiths
321. The Smiths -- Meat Is Murder
322. The Smiths -- Rank
323. The Smiths -- The String Quartet Tribute To The Smiths
324. Sonic Youth -- Sonic Youth
325. Sonic Youth -- Bad Moon Rising
326. Sonic Youth -- Made In USA
327. Sonic Youth -- Daydream Nation
328. Sonic Youth -- Goo
329. Sonic Youth -- Dirty
330. Sonic Youth -- Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No Star
331. Sonic Youth -- Washing Machine
332. Sonic Youth -- The Destroyed Room
333. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion -- Orange
334. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion -- Now I Got Worry
335. The Stooges -- Raw Power
336. Stereolab -- Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements
337. Stereolab -- Mars Audiac Quartet
338. Stereolab -- Dots And Loops
339. Stereolab -- Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night
340. Subhumans -- EP-LP
341. Sunn O))) -- Flight Of The Behemoth
342. Sunn O))) & Boris -- Altar
343. Sunny Day Real Estate -- Diary
344. Sunny Day Real Estate -- The Pink Album
345. Sunny Day Real Estate -- How It Feels To Be Something On
346. Sunny Day Real Estate -- The Rising Tide
347. Sweep The Leg Johnny -- 4 9 21 30
348. Sweep The Leg Johnny -- Tomorrow We Will Run Faster
349. Sweep The Leg Johnny -- Sto Cazzo!
350. Swervedriver -- Mezcal Head
351. Swirlies -- What To Do About Them
352. The Tear Garden -- Tired Eyes Slowly Burning
353. The Tear Garden -- The Last Man To Fly
354. The Tear Garden -- Sheila Liked To Rodeo
355. The Tear Garden -- To Be An Angel Blind, The Crippled Soul Divide
356. The Telepathetics -- Ambulance
357. Television -- Marquee Moon
358. Temper Temper -- Temper Temper
359. Testament -- The Very Best Of
360. This Mortal Coil -- Blood
361. Throbbing Gristle -- Second Annual Report
362. Throbbing Gristle -- DOA: The Third And Final Report
363. Throbbing Gristle -- Heathen Earth
364. Throbbing Gristle -- Dimensia In Excelsis
365. Throbbing Gristle -- Mission Of Dead Souls
366. Throbbing Gristle -- The Taste Of TG
367. TSOL -- TSOL/ Weathered Statues
368. Tumor Circus -- Tumor Circus
369. Underworld -- Second Toughest In The Infants
370. Various Artists -- Cracks In The Sidewalk (SST Records)
371. Various Artists -- Dischord 1981: The Year In 7" (Dischord Records)
372. Various Artists -- Not So Quiet On The Western Front (Alternative Tentacles Records)
373. Various Artists -- Underworld Soundtrack
374. Tom Waits -- Frank's Wild Years
375. Tom Waits -- Big Time
376. Tom Waits -- Mule Variations
377. Tom Waits -- Real Gone
378. Hank Williams -- I Saw The Light
379. Hank Williams - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
380. Wesley Willis -- Rock N' Roll Will Never Die
381. Wesley Willis -- Feel The Power
382. Wolf Eyes -- Dread
383. Wolf Eyes -- Slicer
384. Yo La Tengo -- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
385. Youth Brigade -- Sink With Kalifornija

$4 each

1. Aphex Twin -- Selected Ambient Works 2 (2xCD)
2. Pink Floyd -- Ummagumma (2xCD)
3. Skinny Puppy -- Brap (2xCD)
4. Swans -- The Great Annihilator (signed, almost brand new)

$5 each (all double CDs and all almost brand new)

1. Swans -- Various Failures
2. Swans -- Children Of God/ World Of Skin
3. Swans -- Swans Are Dead
4. Swans -- Soundtracks For The Blind
5. Swans -- We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head
6. The Body Lovers/ The Body Haters (Swans)

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Why

Before I actually quit drinking booze, I had to analyze the idea by writing several long dissertations in my private journals. I wrote these over the years as the idea of not drinking was one that slowly fermented in my brain. I fell into a pattern where, the next morning, I would write about the way I felt after a night of being drunk. I would write about repeating this awful routine of waking up the next morning, having an awful headache and dealing with the aftermath of answering what should have been very simple questions:
  • Why did I act the way I had? 
  • Why did I say what I said? 
  • Why did I think what I thought?
As the years went by, answering those questions became more and more difficult. And, after all those years of trying to justify why those answers were always the same answers and why I had to keep repeating my earlier words within those justifications, I finally reached the point of no longer even wanting to ask or answer those questions. As a result, I'm proud to write that I haven't had any booze for 4 years, 9 months, 1 week, 4 days. I've come to realize that I cannot erase the things I did when I drank booze. I've tried. I've tried so damn hard to put myself in reverse and slam down the gas pedal to go back in time and permanently recycle all of those miles and experiences. I liken it to when Cameron and Ferris put Cameron's father's car on blocks, put the vehicle in Reverse and a brick on the gas pedal so that the miles come off. While that scene is fiction in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", I think the point is clear: I can't go back in time. All I can do is learn from what I did and shove it to the forefront of my mind so that I don't do it again.

Maybe I'm not Supposed to Know

Just who the hell is Dashboard Confessional?!? I love this tune! Am I not supposed to like this band in the same way I'm not supposed to like Nickelback, Creed, Shinedown, and 5FDP if I want to consider myself a "true metalhead" (whatever that means).


Saturday, October 10, 2015

Many Reasons to Love

It's not like I need another reason to love listening to Lars Ulrich play drum. Here it is, though. I love the way his face contorts at this point in the video. Warning: this song is "St. Anger" and it has some f-bombs. And, if you continue watching, I enjoy the way Hetfield jokes, "Give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire" right before launching into "Creeping Death." Those lyrics are the way the song "Fuel" begins.