15
Click to find out how many five year olds you could whup in a fight.
---o0o---
Friday, July 25, 2008
The Posies 20th Anniversary: performing Definite Door at Neumos, May, 2008
We were unable to make this show, alas, being stuck at an under-attended party we couldn't gracefully exit....it looks like it was a good night. . .
---o00---
Alien Lore No. 134 - Moon-walker claims alien contact cover-up
News.com.au reports today that Dr. Edgar Mitchell, an astronaut who has walked on the moon, claims that aliens exist and their existence has been covered up by the government. [Thanks to Pete, for pointing out this article].
"FORMER NASA astronaut and moon-walker Dr Edgar Mitchell - a veteran of the Apollo 14 mission - has stunningly claimed aliens exist. And he says extra-terrestrials have visited Earth on several occasions - but the alien contact has been repeatedly covered up by governments for six decades. Dr Mitchell, 77, said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had had contact with aliens described the beings as 'little people who look strange to us.' He said supposedly real-life ET's were similar to the traditional image of a small frame, large eyes and head."Chillingly, he claimed our technology is "not nearly as sophisticated" as theirs and "had they been hostile", he warned "we would be been gone by now". Dr Mitchell, along with with Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard, holds the record for the longest ever moon walk, at nine hours and 17 minutes following their 1971 mission.
"I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real," Dr Mitchell said. "It's been well covered up by all our governments for the last 60 years or so, but slowly it's leaked out and some of us have been privileged to have been briefed on some of it. "I've been in military and intelligence circles, who know that beneath the surface of what has been public knowledge, yes - we have been visited. Reading the papers recently, it's been happening quite a bit.""Dr Mitchell, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics claimed Roswell was real and similar alien visits continue to be investigated. He told the astonished Kerrang! radio host Nick Margerrison: "This is really starting to open up. I think we're headed for real disclosure and some serious organisations are moving in that direction." Mr Margerrison said: "I thought I'd stumbled on some sort of astronaut humour but he was absolutely serious that aliens are definitely out there and there's no debating it."
"Officials from NASA, however, were quick to play the comments down. In a statement, a spokesman said: "NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover up about alien life on this planet or anywhere in the universe. 'Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinions on this issue.' "
---o0o---
Thursday, July 24, 2008
John McCain may just want to hang up his rock and roll shoes after Obama's Berlin speech
By Pablo Fanque,
All This Is That National Affairs Editor
Obama speaks to an adoring throng of Berliners
I listened to Obama's speech in Berlin this morning, on the anniversary of the American-British Berlin airlift, in answer to the blockade of West Berlin by the reds. It was a nuanced, well-modulated speech than had the crowd roaring and on its feet as much as any speech he has given to partisan Obamanites in America.
Senator John McCain, already running scared this week, with Obama scoring all the praise and headlines and sound bytes, should probably just stick his head in the oven and crank up the gas.
Maybe McCain can get some mileage out of whatever hacks he selects for Vice-President. Maybe he can continue to hammer away at Obama as an appeaser of terrorists. Maybe he can somehow seem young and vigorous. But I don't think so. This morning, hearing Barack Obama speak in Germany, I knew McCain was in deep, deep trouble.
---o0o---
All This Is That National Affairs Editor
Obama speaks to an adoring throng of Berliners
I listened to Obama's speech in Berlin this morning, on the anniversary of the American-British Berlin airlift, in answer to the blockade of West Berlin by the reds. It was a nuanced, well-modulated speech than had the crowd roaring and on its feet as much as any speech he has given to partisan Obamanites in America.
Senator John McCain, already running scared this week, with Obama scoring all the praise and headlines and sound bytes, should probably just stick his head in the oven and crank up the gas.
Maybe McCain can get some mileage out of whatever hacks he selects for Vice-President. Maybe he can continue to hammer away at Obama as an appeaser of terrorists. Maybe he can somehow seem young and vigorous. But I don't think so. This morning, hearing Barack Obama speak in Germany, I knew McCain was in deep, deep trouble.
---o0o---
The Doors perform The End live, with lyrics
I've always liked the lyrics from select Doors' songs (usually when Jim was able to somewhat restrain the Lizard King/Mr Mojo Risin side). I especially like these chillling lines
The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall
--------------------------
The End
Music and Lyrics by The Doors
This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
Ill never look into your eyes...again
Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need...of some...strangers hand
In a...desperate land
Lost in a roman...wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane
All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah
Theres danger on the edge of town
Ride the kings highway, baby
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby
Ride the snake, ride the snake
To the lake, the ancient lake, baby
The snake is long, seven miles
Ride the snake...hes old, and his skin is cold
The west is the best
The west is the best
Get here, and well do the rest
The blue bus is callin us
The blue bus is callin us
Driver, where you taken us
The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall
He went into the room where his sister lived, and...then he
Paid a visit to his brother, and then he
He walked on down the hall, and
And he came to a door...and he looked inside
Father, yes son, I want to kill you
Mother...i want to...fuck you
Cmon baby, take a chance with us
Cmon baby, take a chance with us
Cmon baby, take a chance with us
And meet me at the back of the blue bus
Doin a blue rock
On a blue bus
Doin a blue rock
Cmon, yeah
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill
This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
It hurts to set you free
But youll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die
---o0o---
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
I Met The Walrus: a film of Jerry Levitan's close encounter with John Lennon
This short animated film was a hit at last year's Brooklyn International Film Festival, and was an Academy Award short film nominee. I Met The Walrus takes a 1969 audio interview with John Lennon animated into a short film. According to the film blurb, 14-year-old Jerry Levitan nabbed this interview by sneaking into Lennon's Toronto hotel room during his "bed-in" phase.
I may be mixing him up with another girl who managed to get into the hotel, but I know many of the visitors actually participated in the taping of "Give Peace A Chance," which John and Yoko Ono recorded in the hotel room.
It's short, it's charming, and it's worth hearing just to hear John Lennon be interviewed by, and very respectfully respond to, a 14 year old fan...
---o0o---
I may be mixing him up with another girl who managed to get into the hotel, but I know many of the visitors actually participated in the taping of "Give Peace A Chance," which John and Yoko Ono recorded in the hotel room.
It's short, it's charming, and it's worth hearing just to hear John Lennon be interviewed by, and very respectfully respond to, a 14 year old fan...
---o0o---
America v The United States, in Greece or Turkey, anyway...
In both Turkey and Greece, when people asked where I was from. I said "The Unites States'" For a while. . .but when ever you said United States, they would almost always say back "ah, America." And so it became America. And I got to like saying it.
People were careful about demarcating America from the United States. The United States was President Bush and his war. America was Coca Cola, rock and roll, hip hop, and blue jeans; America was where relatives immigrated and did OK for themselves. I don't think I ever met a Greek (and a number of Turks as well), in our month there, who didn't have a cousin, uncle, or sister living in America. I've heard it's jingoistic to call ourselves America, when you also have our pals in the frozen north, Mexico, and Central America, who might also lay claim to that name. America.
Not only did I begin using the word America, but I was often reduced to describing where I hailed from as California. Maybe 10 or 20% of the people had heard of Seattle--but surprisingly enough, I met people who had been there, knew where it was, or had a shirt-tail relative there. But most people's faces fogged when you said Seattle, so it became sometimes this place up near Canada, or, more often, "just up the coast from California." And they got that. Images of California are common due to all the movies and television shows. Everyone knew New York City. And people often mentioned Los Angeles, Chicago, and Florida.
---o0o---
People were careful about demarcating America from the United States. The United States was President Bush and his war. America was Coca Cola, rock and roll, hip hop, and blue jeans; America was where relatives immigrated and did OK for themselves. I don't think I ever met a Greek (and a number of Turks as well), in our month there, who didn't have a cousin, uncle, or sister living in America. I've heard it's jingoistic to call ourselves America, when you also have our pals in the frozen north, Mexico, and Central America, who might also lay claim to that name. America.
Not only did I begin using the word America, but I was often reduced to describing where I hailed from as California. Maybe 10 or 20% of the people had heard of Seattle--but surprisingly enough, I met people who had been there, knew where it was, or had a shirt-tail relative there. But most people's faces fogged when you said Seattle, so it became sometimes this place up near Canada, or, more often, "just up the coast from California." And they got that. Images of California are common due to all the movies and television shows. Everyone knew New York City. And people often mentioned Los Angeles, Chicago, and Florida.
---o0o---
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Welcome Home to America: an interesting exchange on Internet Messenger
I'll admit, I am a little rusty on "cybercommunication" after my month in Europe and Asia. So, when someone IM'd me, saying "Hi" and asking "A/S/L?" I didn't quite get it. Naturally, my 20-30 year younger fellow workers down the hall knew it meant Age, Sex, Location? And that I was being porn-phished. So naturally, I responded.
_______________________________
bridgettezuzixi@hotmail.com says:
Hi
Hi
---jack on--- says:
hi
bridgettezuzixi@hotmail.com says:
hey, A/S/L?
hey, A/S/L?
---jack on--- says:
I am a female, nine years old. I am in Saskatoon. Do you have nekkid pictures you can send me?
Bridgette says:
hey whats up babe, U got a webcam? finally someone adds me, I am soo f***in horny today for some reason lol
hey whats up babe, U got a webcam? finally someone adds me, I am soo f***in horny today for some reason lol
---jack on--- says:
I don't have the webcam, but here is a picture of me. Now show me your stuff on the webcam!
Bridgette says:
listen hun, I am just about to start my webcam show with jen, come chat me there in my chat room? We can cyber, I will get naked if u do..lol!
---o0o---
Rock and roll: 101 versions of Stairway To Heaven" (downloadable)
Our good friends at NYC's WFMU Beware of the Blog (one of my favorite blogs, especially for the vast variety of legal downloads of the crazy, sublime, and obscure) have assembled 101 versions of the Led Zeppelin tune "Stairway To Heaven." And they're all downloadable... jump here to listen, read about, and download these 101 versions of STH...Following is some text and the artist's names from BOTB....
Stairways to Heaven, Stairways to Hell (MP3s) - Here are 101 versions of the song you often hear strummed at the Guitar Center, from british music hall versions to a backwards version, Much of this came from former FMU DJ KBC's CD of the same name, which took much of it's content from this 1992 LP. "
The artists from WFMU's web post on the 101 (including, among others, Iron Maiden, The London Symphony Orchestra, The Hard-ons, Dolly Parton, and many more):
Dusty Cowshit Hard-Ons Little Roger & amp; The Goosebumps Rock Lobsters
Neil Pepper SCTV Glass Harp Leonard Teale Beatnix
Ludwig Von 88 Leif Norbergs John Paul Young Pardon Me Boys
Kalocin Fargone Beauties Richard Cheese Robyne Dunn
Rolf Harris GS Incorporated Australian Doors Show
Dixie Power Trio Kate Ceberano & Ministry of Fun Thomas Dimuzio
Sandra Kahn & Michael Turkic Pat Boone Tiny Tim & Brave Combo
Nashville Super Pickers Congo Natty
Foo Fighters Vienna Symphonic Orchestra Dolly Parton
Nileppez Del Dread Zeppelin Leningrad Cowboys & The Red Army Chorus
Frank Zappa Vegimite Reggae
Dutch artist Jeroen Offerman learned how to sing Stairway backwards. Here's a page about it from listener Neil's blog, with the full video. Thanks Mike and Neil!
Here's version number 39, an instrumental from Redd Kross. Thanks Arthur!
Mitsuhiro Nishiwaki (Musicbox) Nick Barker and The Reptiles Splice of Life, Inc
Venetian Snares and Speedranch Norelpref Barry Crocker & The Doug Anthony Allstars
Etcetera Theater Company Helen Jones James Kochalka Superstar
Jodie Gillies Judi Connell London Symphony Orchestra
Far Corporation Stanley Jordan Sydney Philharmonia
Those Darn Accordians Toys Went Berserk
Also, here is the Stairway Suite page, with MP3 samples of the song as if it were composed by six well known composers.
Iron Maiden Me First and The Gimme Gimmes
Milish Rodrigo y Gabriela
National Cynical Network DJ Earworm
Heavy Fuel A Pretty Sunset
Die Zorros Richard Cheese Michael Mills (Spoken Diatribe)
Bellanova Gregorian Masters of Chant Guster
Vogelfrai Not Moby Final Fantasy X
Unknown Jose Padilla
Todd Taylor Camper Van Beethoven Mary Schneider, Yodeling Queen of Australia
Sisters of Mercy White Skull Sons of Ishmael Whipper Snappers
Stereofeed String Quartet Orchestra National De Jazz Havanarama
Reverend Billy C Wirtz Zakk Wylde Johnny Bic
The Raleigh Ringers The Sauerkraut Project Steve Morse
The Lounge-O-Leers Helloween The Dick Twang Band (Dick's page)
The Symphonic Led Zeppelin
Dash Rip Rock (Stairway to Freebird) Short Attention Span Stairway
Jana Iron Horse Ann Wilson
---o0o---
Stairways to Heaven, Stairways to Hell (MP3s) - Here are 101 versions of the song you often hear strummed at the Guitar Center, from british music hall versions to a backwards version, Much of this came from former FMU DJ KBC's CD of the same name, which took much of it's content from this 1992 LP. "
The artists from WFMU's web post on the 101 (including, among others, Iron Maiden, The London Symphony Orchestra, The Hard-ons, Dolly Parton, and many more):
Dusty Cowshit Hard-Ons Little Roger & amp; The Goosebumps Rock Lobsters
Neil Pepper SCTV Glass Harp Leonard Teale Beatnix
Ludwig Von 88 Leif Norbergs John Paul Young Pardon Me Boys
Kalocin Fargone Beauties Richard Cheese Robyne Dunn
Rolf Harris GS Incorporated Australian Doors Show
Dixie Power Trio Kate Ceberano & Ministry of Fun Thomas Dimuzio
Sandra Kahn & Michael Turkic Pat Boone Tiny Tim & Brave Combo
Nashville Super Pickers Congo Natty
Foo Fighters Vienna Symphonic Orchestra Dolly Parton
Nileppez Del Dread Zeppelin Leningrad Cowboys & The Red Army Chorus
Frank Zappa Vegimite Reggae
Dutch artist Jeroen Offerman learned how to sing Stairway backwards. Here's a page about it from listener Neil's blog, with the full video. Thanks Mike and Neil!
Here's version number 39, an instrumental from Redd Kross. Thanks Arthur!
Mitsuhiro Nishiwaki (Musicbox) Nick Barker and The Reptiles Splice of Life, Inc
Venetian Snares and Speedranch Norelpref Barry Crocker & The Doug Anthony Allstars
Etcetera Theater Company Helen Jones James Kochalka Superstar
Jodie Gillies Judi Connell London Symphony Orchestra
Far Corporation Stanley Jordan Sydney Philharmonia
Those Darn Accordians Toys Went Berserk
Also, here is the Stairway Suite page, with MP3 samples of the song as if it were composed by six well known composers.
Iron Maiden Me First and The Gimme Gimmes
Milish Rodrigo y Gabriela
National Cynical Network DJ Earworm
Heavy Fuel A Pretty Sunset
Die Zorros Richard Cheese Michael Mills (Spoken Diatribe)
Bellanova Gregorian Masters of Chant Guster
Vogelfrai Not Moby Final Fantasy X
Unknown Jose Padilla
Todd Taylor Camper Van Beethoven Mary Schneider, Yodeling Queen of Australia
Sisters of Mercy White Skull Sons of Ishmael Whipper Snappers
Stereofeed String Quartet Orchestra National De Jazz Havanarama
Reverend Billy C Wirtz Zakk Wylde Johnny Bic
The Raleigh Ringers The Sauerkraut Project Steve Morse
The Lounge-O-Leers Helloween The Dick Twang Band (Dick's page)
The Symphonic Led Zeppelin
Dash Rip Rock (Stairway to Freebird) Short Attention Span Stairway
Jana Iron Horse Ann Wilson
---o0o---
The Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens
The Temple of Olympian Zeus - click to enlarge
The Temple of Zeus, a/k/a The Olympieion, is a massive ruins in the heart of Athens, a couple of blocks from our hotel in The Plaka. The temple was once dedicated to Zeus, king of the gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC but was not completed until the reign of Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD (650 years later!). It was famous as the largest temple in Greece and its Zeus sculpture was one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.
The temple was pillaged in a barbarian invasion in the 3rd century AD and was probably never restored or repaired. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the temple, like so many acient monuments, was used as a makeshift quarry for marble and stone for other projects. However it still stands, more or less, and is one of the more impressive ruins in Athens, aside from the buildings on The Acropolis.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός) with the fallen 16th column - click to enlarge
The temple is maybe half a mile or less from the Acropolis, and was built on the site of another building or monument. After the death of Pisistratus, his sons, Hippias and Hipparchos began building the temple. They hoped to outdo two famous contemporary temples, the Heraion of Samos and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (which we visited in June, in Turkey/Asia Minor), which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (the second of the seven wonders we have seen on this trip).
Fifteen columns are still standing today. A sixteenth column lies on the ground where it fell during a wind storm in 1852. A wind storm! That column (you can clearly see it in one of my photos) has been on the ground for 156 years now. 156 years ago, the neighborhood I live in was an old growth forest.
---o0o---
Monday, July 21, 2008
Blue Monday
"Blue Monday" is a song by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew from 1955. It was popularized in a recording by Domino in 1956, on Imperial Records. It was one of the earliest R&B tunes to hit the Billboard magazine pop music charts.
This Monday feels like Blue Monday.
Blue Monday
by Fats Domino
Blue Monday how I hate Blue Monday
Got to work like a slave all day
Here come Tuesday, oh hard Tuesday
I'm so tired got no time to play
Here come Wednesday, I'm beat to my socks
My gal calls, got to tell her that I'm out
'Cause Thursday is a hard workin' day
And Friday I get my pay
Saturday mornin', oh Saturday mornin'
All my tiredness has gone away
Got my money and my honey
And I'm out on the stand to play
Sunday mornin' my head is bad
But it's worth it for the time that I had
But I've got to get my rest
'Cause Monday is a mess
---o0o---
This Monday feels like Blue Monday.
Blue Monday
by Fats Domino
Blue Monday how I hate Blue Monday
Got to work like a slave all day
Here come Tuesday, oh hard Tuesday
I'm so tired got no time to play
Here come Wednesday, I'm beat to my socks
My gal calls, got to tell her that I'm out
'Cause Thursday is a hard workin' day
And Friday I get my pay
Saturday mornin', oh Saturday mornin'
All my tiredness has gone away
Got my money and my honey
And I'm out on the stand to play
Sunday mornin' my head is bad
But it's worth it for the time that I had
But I've got to get my rest
'Cause Monday is a mess
---o0o---
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