New Broadcast(s) added sporadically when I get a free minute!
The heater I finally ended up buying blows flames out the sides like a hobos wet dream, it blows HOT, but it's just too much for what I want; and of course the second I got it together and ready to fire up the power comes back on and now I don't need this propane monstrosity.
You don't hear much chiming in from the Mayan front thee days do you?
The Mighty Thor -- "Enter Hercules" My favorite line: "Even the heavens do quiver and shake in celestial indignation!
Intermission
and now on to Thor's exciting conclusion!
Since I was a wee lad, I've always felt I had what might be called liberal views; legalization of drugs, less taxes for the middle class, basically I felt (and still feel) the government's role should be to protect me from murderers, put out fires, do what it can to stop fraud and bad business practices, and maybe break up a monopoly or two so that there is room for healthy competition amongst people trying to make a life for themselves.
Examining this further and it looks like I am interested in limited (conservative) government.
But...
and this is the big but... (why does everyone always have a big butt?)
I have to disagree with a LOT of the so called conservatives (neo cons) out there who are in the business of getting in other people's business.
Don't get too educated on issues -- but just be smart enough to perform a trade or menial labor task on an assembly line without rocking the boat and you will be 'their kinda guy'.
Unfortunately, I like to think. I don't think anyone should tell me ANYTHING about how to live, what I SHOULD be doing or more importantly: what I am NOT ALLOWED to do.
I 'll wait till another day to expound my views on abortion and medicare and the federal income tax, I just wanted to get the ball rolling since the primaries are coming up and we ALL should educate ourselves on these issues and not just follow the herd like we are watching Monday Night Football and betting on OUR team to win.
Yes, I know the title for this post stinks but I'm tired.
Anyway, I have a lot of friends who still love this game or the other equivalent -- Rock Band... These games are interesting to me in that people COULD be actually learning how to make music themselves by ACTUALLY PLAYING the songs they are emulating. The truth is, a LOT of songs that are in these games are not all that difficult to perform in REAL LIFE.
In fact you can make stuff up as you go (improvise) which is something your simply CAN'T do in any games (other than that crappy Wii game that seems about as hokey as can be).
So the bottom line is -- you spend hours learning how to use a controller which never gets you any closer to making music other than clicking buttons in time with music being played FOR you.
If I wanted to do that I can always just bang a book against my head in rhythm with the radio.All that said, people are usually just looking for something to do when they have a few friends hanging out... In the OLD days they would form a REAL band and start out pretty terrible and hopefully progress to a point they could be proud of... Maybe even make something completely unique to them. Ahh the good ol' days. --------------------------------------------------- Of course I MIGHT be wrong ...
If I thought for a second that THIS was the average 'Guitar HERO' I would totally give up playing and be first in line to be a button clicker too.
Not just producers -- although they also have moments when the following chain of questions and logic might pertain to them as well...
Those who play instruments or use machines to 'perform' with -- not just a 'programmed' type performance, but one which relies on moment by moment creation of sound.
A question that comes up for every one who improvises with their instrument is this... Where should the emphasis be, on execution ? or the intention behind what you are trying to say.
There are arguments for both.
I am definitely on the side of intention a lot more than execution. TRYING to go for something and not necessarily making it as glossy shiny and perfect as it COULD be is more honest to me than getting every note correct and having things sound sterile meaningless and inhuman.
Let me be perfectly clear here though -- that doesnt't mean that playing something technically correct is a negative -- but I prefer to hear Hendrix or Jimmy Page go for something that was beyond their technical ability yet they still ripped into it and took things where their ability allowed them to go. Zappa was another example -- he kept going with solos much farther than even I would have in my guitar hey day (which is saying a lot.)
I like Steve Vai. I like Joe Satriani, and there are LOTS of others who mesh intention AND execution into a beautiful thing... These guys are a pleasure to listen to and I like when they push THEMSELVES -- not just technically -- but in going for something that is veritably different sounding and challenging to play. It really is the freakin' cats' pajamas.
I live for that stuff.
The question is: where do YOU stand on intention and execution and that comes down to WHO you ARE as a music maker.
Others include but are not limited to:
--You cornballs know who you are.
The sad thing is they probably WILL get signed because that's about as deep/interesting as most labels allow their bands to be...but ... I digress.
Why not?
How could that possibly be a BAD thing?
As it turns out, today I found that answer.
Being stuck next to most people in close quarters can be a miniature eternity for me. Now try and imagine 5 solid hours of hearing phone call after phone call about 'relationship' after 'relationship,' and after being 'saved' after each call ends: before the sigh of relief can come...another phone ring and it all begins again.
I did learn a lot about this girl, and what I DON'T want MY little girls to be like.
If they never ask about someone's 'BOO,' if they never have more then 5 calls in a row from different people to 'counsel'-- all relating to the SAME break-up, & if they stay off the pole then I think I can go to my grave knowing I've done my job.
That's who this album is dedicated to.
SORRY FOR ALL CAPS I JUST BUSTED MY CAPSLOCK...
Hulk Episode 7
Commercial Break
Prince Namor The Submariner Intro -- I have to state for the record that I thought the music for this was a little fruity even back when I was a alittle guy -- although I didnt know what 'fruity' meant at the time.
Prince Namor
I have to chime in on my thoughts about Moammar Gadhafi. I grew up knowing this guy's name, so it's not news to me that he was a class A nutjob. I saw an interview with him and Larry King and while Larry King does as good a job interviewing him as he did -- the guy was obviously 'off' on many levels.
He was also butt ugly.
In fact the closest celebrity that comes close to approximating his 'look' (If you can call it that) might be leatherface from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies.
It goes back to my theory that humanity hasn't really advanced much socially since ancient Rome. We have a collective bloodlust/ curiosity that we have been unable to ween ourselves from despite our best intentions.
But I digress...
I 'get' the fact that he was a 'bad guy' and I agree that its a good thing that he was taken out of power, even though I am pretty sure that we are probably going to get another megalomaniac in charge of the mess over there, which 'might or might not' be theocratic in nature which (as history shows) won't be exactly what we (as Americans) would dream up as the "ideal national system."
Another aspect of this new media buzz that rubs me wrong is the way we are almost taking credit for it;
Now it's never directly SAID that way, but it IS implied in a lot of ways
All this is followed by President Obama making his declaration that the war in Iraq is over-- almost the same day that this 'news' hits the fan.
All a little convenient.
Anyway, I truly hope that this news does portend the USA bringing a lot more guys home and closing lots of military bases overseas and getting on with letting people sort out their own problems.
And now the finle movement of ..... "The Planets."
Not quite Wagner but strong stuff.
"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the FREEDOM to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us." ~Mother Theresa♥
Another one that I liked a lot: A little more direct though...
For when we need a boot in the a$$.
(And we ALL need a boot in the a$$ sometimes.)
A 'quick' update on what's happening these days...
Let's put it this way...
Imagine you are in one of those old Humphrey Bogart movies sitting in the old smokey gin joint, there's a piano playing and that morphs over to something with orchestra and some interesting mellotron type sounds with a nice and hefty drum groove.
That's one track, (in progress)
Another one is a rock song based around a typical 3 piece (Guitar Bass Drums) and might be reminiscent of old school ACDC (without the screaming vocals -- I AM Dr. Schizoid after all) for a bit then the 'progressive' comes out; I don't think of progressive in the 70s incredibly super long song sense of the word -- a rock song to me should pretty much get to the point early on and there SHOULD be guitar solos that DO something... To ME progressive rock means anything that sounds 'interesting', a bit left of center, and probably has odd timings and melody lines that are more intricate and tight than your standard rock songs, but I digress.
Another tune will be electronically generated sounds which I like because of their timbres and un-natural nature. I tend to like a deep bass that you can FEEL in your gut and a resonating bass drum. Not your standard faire here though, very unusual & scary stuff.
You can hear a few short cuts off a couple of the tunes on the album here.
All of the songs on this effort are generally designed to be played at mid-high to high volumes on a decent home theater or at LEAST a home stereo with decent separation to appreciate panning effects and overdrive the speakers a bit-- hopefully we'll push the air around with a sub-woofer (if you have one) stuff like that...headphones work well too, and in my car stereo the preliminary mixes sound great.
Of course you *might* hate one or two songs, after all, I don't expect everyone to like ALL of the tunes but there really is something for everyone here and I think that if you listen with an open mind those tunes you swore you 'hated' might eventually grow on you.
One final note about 'This World Of Idiots,' all of the songs CAN be played separately and understood as 'songs' but it really is a concept album in that they all FIT in the order they will be on the album -- there might be a few variations that work, but you won't be getting the whole picture as it was intended...
Just a heads up.
Ultimately everyone is going to do whatever the hell they want to do anyway, aren't you? And that is just how nature intended.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. -- Aleister CrowleyAs for what's for dinner...
P.S. If any of you want to help fund this 'sonic exploration' feel free to Preorder the download and or CD and help an artist out -- you can be PART of the process and you'll feel glad about yourself,and why SHOULDN'T you feel good about yourself? :)
Acoustic version of Beautiful The first context I saw Mike playing in was off the Zappa'a Universe DVD/CD this solo struck me as having some serious soul for a 'technical' player... Still love it.
To see a 1988 full song version with Frank's band check THIS link out.
And we'll wrap up this little post with a more recent release... Did someone say massage with release? No? well anyway this is a funky groovy number to round things out for the weekend.
It's close to Halloween so it's relevant (My Blog = My 'Rules')
Dexter Trailer Season 6
* Anyone who isn't familiar with Frank's work -- there is bit of adult language and 'blue' humor so if that isn't your cup of tea, you should probably just move on.
Enjoy!
Here's a long interview Frank gave that has some great insight mixed with lots of funny bits. Some strong language is in this, so if that bothers you -- don't listen.
Frank talks about his upcoming release, his opinion on the synclavier and how he uses it to compose music . He talks with Charles Amirkhanian about his music and there is a small read done by Calvin the editor of the Pink Section of the San Francisco Chronicle about a small puppet show play written by Frank called "Fransesco" from 39.03 mins.This event took place in 1984.
That moose was freaking huge!
I'm pretty sure that if you hit one of those monsters in your car he'll just shrug and walk it off.
Underrated animals, the moose. But I digress...
It's the best place in the world to visit, but you always have in the back of your mind that you are only minutes away from Maine -- where Stephen King set almost all his stories, and it FEELS that way... very small town U.S.A. ... isolated... Like you are cut off from the world somehow, don't get me wrong, it's liberating, yet you always have that 'Hills Have Eyes' feeling when you're driving at night with almost NO street lights through the entire state.
What better way to spend a few days in October?
Have a great weekend everyone!
Let me be truthful for a moment here...
I love you guys.
enjoy.
Bilbo Baggins
This one is really pretty good, it fits his voice well. If I was him I'd be proud of it -- ahh .. if I was Nimoy ... a guy can dream right?
If I was a Carpenter.
Cotton Candy. and finally, the cheesiness rivals Bilbo-- I don't know which is better. So here you have -- Highly Illogical.
Everything I f'ing can.
Life is too short to let it slip away, that being said I try not to waste my time on lots of the minutiae that clogs up lives like cholesterol clogs arteries. My most recent attempt at 'something' was to make this blog a success by pumping out post after post of things that probably only I find interesting, it is difficult to narrow my focus down so you can count on a certain type of content ie - music or geek stuff or inspirational or politics or tutorials or whatever... it makes for a pretty wide view of things: the only constant being, me; the good Doctor Schizoid.
Now here we are after a month of broadcasts and I don't see as much movement in the readership as I would like, the regulars (you know who you are) are lurking out there but other than that I have no really solid idea what works best and what isn't playing so well,
If I get enough interest in this next month I will get things going with some giveaways and 'fan' (read as friend) appreciation gifts so lets get the ball rolling already!
I sincerely appreciate all you guys and girls who take the time out of your day to peruse my little stream of consciousness everyday. It makes it all worthwhile to know that somebody is getting a little entertainment out of it.
I'm like a cross between a court jester, a wandering minstrel and that strange neighbor who is always tinkering in his garage-- all rolled up in one happy Broadcast for your enjoyment!
Anyway, Thanks again..
You Rock!
The fact is this kiddies, I have no intention of ever changing, or even appearing to change anything about me or the way I do things. Its one of my most endearing qualities, and if you have a problem with the way I do things I gladly and most pleasantly say to you -- there's the door.
I sincerely hope you all feel the same, as I can respect people's differences and we are all as perfect as we believe we are.
A F'ing Men.
End of rant.
Thanks for letting me vent with you all for a minute.
