August 31, 2011
August 28, 2011
August 26, 2011
The War on Wood
Federal agents raided Gibson Guitars in Memphis and Nashville earlier this week, looking for illicit wood.
I suppose the resources expended on the guitar crackdown means less that can be devoted to shooting pets, harassing cancer patients, and setting little girls on fire and such, but in this age of tight budgets and diminishing resources, can we really afford to field a standing army of Guitar Police?
Also, this concern seems far-fetched even to me, but since I'm a bit paranoid and I do have a few old guitars, I am choosing to be terrified by it:
Musicians who play vintage guitars and other instruments made of environmentally protected materials are worried the authorities may be coming for them next.If you are the lucky owner of a 1920s Martin guitar, it may well be made, in part, of Brazilian rosewood. Cross an international border with an instrument made of that now-restricted wood, and you better have correct and complete documentation proving the age of the instrument. Otherwise, you could lose it to a zealous customs agent—not to mention face fines and prosecution.
John Thomas, a law professor at Quinnipiac University and a blues and ragtime guitarist, says "there's a lot of anxiety, and it's well justified." Once upon a time, he would have taken one of his vintage guitars on his travels. Now, "I don't go out of the country with a wooden guitar."
Careful with that axe, Eugene.
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August 22, 2011
Thank You Uncle Dr. Frank
My friend's seven-year-old daughter recently stumbled on AC/DC ("Back in Black," the song, I believe) and reportedly said: "why wasn't I informed of this?" Her parents aren't super knowledgeable about "hard rock" so I volunteered my services as an ambassador and educator. So that's how I found myself making a hard rock mix for a seven year old. The title of this post was her response.
Since I revealed that I was doing this, I've received quite a few requests for the playlist, so, for what it's worth, here it is:
1. Hello There -- Cheap Trick (Albini version)
2. If You Want Blood (You Got It) -- AC/DC
3. Hair of the Dog -- Nazareth
4. Rebels Rule -- Iron Virgin
5. Set Me Free -- Sweet
6. Black Betty -- Ram Jam
7. Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo -- Rick Derringer
8. Rock Candy -- Montrose
9. The Rover -- Led Zeppelin
10. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll -- Blue Oyster Cult
11. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath -- Black Sabbath
12. The Number of the Beast -- Iron Maiden
13. Magic -- King Diamond
14. Breaking the Law -- Judas Priest
15. Yeah Right -- Girlschool
16. Can the Can - Suzi Quatro
17. Let Your Hair Hang Down -- The Catapult
18. Cat Scratch Fever -- Ted Nugent
19. Calling Dr. Love -- KISS
20. Magnum Maid -- Rose Tattoo
21. Fireball -- Deep Purple
22. Jailbreak -- Thin Lizzy
23. Cum on Feel the Noize -- Slade
24. Deaf Forever -- Motorhead
25. Let them Eat Rock -- The Upper Crust
Rock and roll, as the saying goes.
August 21, 2011
Don't get caught locking up your own liquor store
And don't tell the officers who just beat you up for locking up your own store that you have it on video tape, or they'll beat you up all over again, only moreso.
Watch:
(via the Agitator.)
August 20, 2011
Yay, Oakland
This is me just minutes after narrowly escaping a developing street assault by ducking into a convenient bar. Planning to wait till they give up waiting for me to come out and turn their attention to other prey, like any good antelope or rabbit:
August 19, 2011
Ecotopia
Wind power kills endangered birds, hydro kills fish, solar kills the desert, and oil, coal, and nuclear evidently kill everything. (Also, if we don't shape up right now, we're on course to be destroyed by environmentalist extra-terrestrials.) It's tough being a hippie.
August 18, 2011
City to cancer patient: I'm sorry, but rules are rules. Have a nice, long, slow, painful death.
Don't get cancer and try to help pay your medical bills with yard sales.
August 17, 2011
August 15, 2011
August 10, 2011
August 05, 2011
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High School
The guy in the hat is John Portnoy, who was always right next to me in alphabetical order. I'm the guy with the guitar. (I still have that guitar, a Confirmation present, and I played it on a lot of MTX recordings.)
Time Capsule
I was at my mom's house going through some old stuff, and I found this duct-taped school folder containing French homework, lyrics, and love letters:
August 04, 2011
I Exist Again
In a recent discussion of Milk Milk Lemonade on facebook (mostly here, but also here, and here, if you're interested) it came out that the album wasn't on iTunes for some reason.
Not sure why it got kicked out of the iTunes store, but it's back now.
Also Show Business is My Life is back on there too.
Thanks, Chris.
Everything is Coming Together and We Have the Japanese to Thank
Anyone who has spent any time with me will, no doubt, have heard me cry out for an air conditioned suit from time to time.
Japan to the rescue.
I'm totally getting one.
August 03, 2011
Youse Guys is So Paternalistic
If you've ever even glanced at Reason.com, and noted the arguably obsessive, nearly wall-to-wall, criticism of police and the criminal injustice system, this spiel by Lawrence O'Donnell will probably make you snort and roll your eyes a bit. The through-the-looking-glass part begins just before the six minute mark. He's talking about "right wing Republican" websites, but his prime example is Reason (which isn't any of those things, by the way.)
Nick Gillespie responds here.
Not that I'm against teachers in any way, shape, or form. Teachers are our most important natural resource and a real triumph of the human spirit and God bless America, etc. etc. That said, school makes you dumb.