Albums listened to today

Just thought you should know

We're bombing the Moon (no, really)

I keep finding weird things that mirror Mr. Show episodes. Like this



and this




Hey, Mr. Monkey, don't be askin why...

It's time to start the music

Video games remember when music wasn't just in video games

I like video games, but it seems like there was a time, even in my life, when more people played sports that didn't involve the TV. I love Wii bowling, but I can't help but notice, it isn't really bowling. I hate to be the old curmudgeon, but is this what's happening to music? Will kids ever pick up guitars or keyboards now? Why should parents want to spend all that money on an instrument and lessons when they can just get their kid a video game? Why should they even go to a concert or search out old footage of great bands when they've got this bullshit?





I don't know, maybe I'm wrong and kids will still want to learn guitar, but something about seeing John Lennon and Kurt Cobain reduced to blocky video game characters makes me gag a little. Why did people react so fiercely after Nike stuck Revolution in a sneaker ad, but no one is raging against this machine? Why don't they put Iggy Pop or The Replacements up there? Shit, they might as well add The MC5, Velvet Underground, Black Flag and Dead Kennedy's while they're at it. Would Jello Biafra suck this corporate wang-dang-doodle? Put his face on an ad to sell plastic guitar shaped controllers? Oh wait...

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced 16 tracks from Weezer, Nine Inch Nails, Dead Kennedys and more coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content for the Wii system.

ugh.

Flowchart of a total eclipse (of the heart)

Click it for bigger.

Curious Poses

Chappelle's Show
True Hollywood Stories - Prince
www.comedycentral.com
Buy Chappelle's Show DVDs Black Comedy True Hollywood Story

So, I caught this classic Chapelle's Show sketch and started wondering Charlie Murphy's Prince story could possibly be true. I poked around the web and found nothing saying it wasn't true, which of course means nothing, but I did find this picture. Seems that Prince was on his high school's varsity team.




Coincidently, today I also listened to the Sound Opinions rock n roll talk show podcast in which they take a look back at the Purple Rain album.

Kind of gave me a whole new appreciation for the man. At the very least, I know not to challenge him in basketball.

P.S. That's right bitches, it's bold purple text, learn to deal.

20,000 underneath the sea

The Blow puts on one of the best shows. I caught this the other night on Current TV, a station I'm liking more and more. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the tragic goings-on at Current. Two reporters were kidnapped by the evil fucks that run North Korea. Let's hope Secretary Clinton comes through on her attempts to get them out.

Oh, by the way, for those of your with iphones or ipod touches, Current has some excellent video podcasts available, including this piece about The Blow.

Picture Perfect

Goddess of the factory, Betty, continues to make headlines (or the spot right near the headlines) with her lovely Brooklyn photos, which are getting e-published left and right. Please join me in congratulating Betty on her success and her e-publishers for recognizing what we all know is a great talent.

In addition, I'd like to take this opportunity to plug my slowly, but surely growing atheism blog good reason news. In case you don't get to hear me rant and rail enough in real life, you can read me almost daily there.

Finally, if any of you have interesting summer plans, let us know. Post a comment if you're taking any trips or seeing any shows. I'm fully open to posting your photos here too.

I believe I can (kill a) fly

I'm officially done apologizing for and claiming to support PETA. And this is why.

A waxwork model of President Obama is equipped with a fly swat, at Madame Tussauds waxworks museum in central London Thursday June 18, 2009, following his lethal encounter on Tuesday. The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the flyswatter in chief to try taking a more humane attitude the next time he's bedeviled by a fly in the White House. PETA is sending President Barack Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a device that allows users to trap a house fly and then release it outside.

Hey, does anyone else think Obama looks slightly more British in this wax model?

I've started a new blog about Jesus (etc)

Oh, goodness. When things like this I'm usually unsure about whether it's heart-breakingly awful or stealthily awsome. On the one hands, all the teenie boppers and starbucks patrons who listen to Norah Jones have now been exposed to something slightly hipper. On the other hand, A beautiful Wilco song has been cheapened and pushed further into the soft rock category we always wanted to keep it out of.

I guess this is the time to mention two things. First off, former wilco member Jay Bennett has died unexpectedly at age 45. He was a great musician and contributed lots to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the last album on which he worked. Well miss him.

Secondly, I'm now the proud proprietor of the blog Good Reason News. Please check it out if you're reading this.

I'm hoping to keep more of my fun thoughts and discussions on this blog and keep my political and religious writings over there. Please check it out, it'd mean so much to me.

Greed

Finally, we're torturing the right people

I've been fighting about this waterboarding subject for the last couple weeks, mostly with guys like this mancow character — So it's nice to see after all their inflammatory huffing and puffing it only took SIX SECONDS of waterboarding for this conservative big mouth to say it's torture.

Look, We as Americans have determined that no one on this planet deserves to be tortured no matter what. That's what America is about — unalienable rights. Rights that are self-evident. So when jerks say things like 'these guys deserved it' or 'they were terrorists they didn't have any rights' You are being not just UNamerican, but explicitly ANTI-AMERICAN, by denying the moral philosophy that this country is founded on, that all of us, not just all Americans , ALL are created equal.

Life imitates Guided By Voices

Just spoiled little children — out on a lucky streak

Eerie similarities between the above posted Guided By Voices lyrics ("They Are Not Witches") and the story I've linked it to.

Also, yet another tragic horrible tale of abuse that has, at it's core, people who believe in the paranormal/religious.

bwahahahahaha

This is great.

Question of the (bi?) month

(do it or this man's mustache will eat your face too)

So, here's another fun rock and roll based quiz for y'alls to kill 10 minutes with. I've renamed 10 album titles. Their new names are all synonyms or over detailed explanations of their names. For examples 'Horses' may be 'Equines' or 'sgt. peppers lonely hearts club band' could be 'Ranking officer pepper's musical collective of people who's romantic past is fraught with difficulties.'

So, you should be familiar with all of these albums, they're all well known. Good Luck.

1. ASSIST!
2. allow the wound to remain open
3. Obtain wealth lest you perish in the process
4. The purpose for my being is to travel rapidly on foot
5. pay no regard
6. An entire country of people lost in their own imaginations
7. I approve, international business machine product
8. Nietzche's replacement for god on a cloudless day
9. With a manner that is quiet
10. Having a high body temperature late in the week

Email me your answers here — whoever gets the most the fastest wins, uh, nothing, sorry, you don't get your time back...

Spend! Spend! Spend!

There's an article in the New York Times today about "saver's remorse." Consumer psychologists have coined "hyperopia" to describe the result of over planning for the future and the regret felt for the lack of pleasure in the present. Buyer's remorse on the other hand is a fleeting guilt that in hindsight, shoppers often feel good about the joy of pampering themselves or having an expensive meal out. Next time, you feel like getting a pair of expensive Italian leather shoes or saving up for the apocalypse, just think about how much your money be worth when the world is burning down. $0. Go shop, already.

Sour Grapes Much?

So, the whining, sniveling, third tier of the right wing pundit machine has taken on Jon Stewart's recent knock out punch to CNBC host Jim Cramer. Cramer, for those who don't know is like the Emeril of finances, lots of bells and whistles and yelling, but not much journalism. (Apologies to Emeril.)
Anyway, in an attempt to fill up an hour of bullshitting, CNN has invited wannabe Tucker Carlson to play the whining, sniveling conservative in attack mode. It's kind of adorable to see him in attack mode, like watching a kitten try to viciously murder a rubber toy. But there's more to this than meets the eye. Stewart's last confrontation with this little bow-tied punching bag came in October 2004, on Carlson's CNN show Crossfire. Stewart, in a legendary move tore the show a new one and three months later the long-running series was canceled. Crossfire had been running, although not the whole time with Carlson, since 1982, and had always been an embarrassment to real journalists. It was the kind of silly faux-debate program that attracted people who think USA Today articles are too complicated. You know, networks think you, the viewers, are a stupid lot. That's why we get 'news' programs like Crossfire and Cramer's Mad Money and, to a more transparent degree, Nancy Grace and Geraldo Rivera. But what was historically significant about Stewart's appearance on Crossfire was that he exposed the system for what it is. It's not news, it's a ratings grab. And it's important, because Crossfire, FOXnews, CNBC and a great deal of these 24-hour news channels are lowering the standards for journalism by reducing highly coveted ideals to ratings and advertising. Why do you think Dick Cheney got off so easy in that pitiful John King interview? Was King so afraid that if he asked Cheney tough questions that he'd be stonewalled by future big names, effectively putting his ratings in Jeopardy?
Stewart exposing this this kind of thinking with his Crossfire appearance and someone who lost a job over it is pissed that a fellow infotainment clown is being exposed.

I'll give Tucker Carlson a classic piece of advice Factory co-founder so frequently gives. Cry, kill yourself.



P.S.: Here's an excellent Piece from the Huffington Post discussing King's failure to interview Dick Cheney.

BETTY'S PICTURE ON GOTHAMIST

Congratulations to one of our many staff members here at the factory. Looks like one of betty's photos was used on gothamist.com, a blog even more popular than this one, if you can believe that.

Well, for those interested, here's the link:

http://gothamist.com/2009/02/25/another_spring_teaser.php

COLDPLAY NAILED COLD

hahaha, isn't it great to see these soft-rock, adult-contempo hit-making hacks in legal trouble? Looks like these brit pretty boys found a little too much inspiration in Joe Satriani. At least That's What Satriani thinks. Personally I think there's no chance these talentless wannabes have ever even listened to Satriani, but nonetheless, he's suing them over what was almost inarguably the biggest rock hit of 2008.

There's plenty of mash-ups out there, but I thought I'd let you hear both versions, see the youtube clips below and tell me if you think The Silver Surfer has a case or not.

The Monthly Essay.

I've decided a monthly contest may help boost participation, so I've resolved to write one fun essay question a month. Answer in the comments, best answer as decided by me, will get bragging rights.

Q: It's Only Rock n' Roll

Aliens from another planet have landed and, what luck, they've landed in your driveway. Being a hospitable intergalactic neighbor, you invite them in. You're all sitting around talking having a great time when one alien says: Hey Earthling, what is this rock n' roll music we hear so much about? We really gotta know. Oh, and by the way, we gotta split in like 10 minutes.

Oh no, you think, I'll only have time to play them a couple tracks. What do you play them?

(no copping out by giving them a book or something, just pick some songs)

Jim Henson Documentary

I have some peculiar hobbies. For instance, I sometimes enjoy trying to figure out muppet songs on guitar and then re-arranging them a bit jazzier or folkier or what have you. And it gets me thinking; what is it about Jim Henson that tugs at the heart strings of our generation? Is there anyone who can keep his heart from beating a little harder while ‘Rainbow Connection’ plays? Those of us born since 1969 were practically raised on Sesame Street. The sets of values Henson provided us are the foundation for our legacy.

I’ve heard that by 4-years-old your entire personality has been formed. As I re-watch old Sesame Streets, Fraggle Rocks and Muppet Shows I see the subtle things Henson impressed upon us. The Muppets often display a lot of suspicion when faced with consumerism. Sesame Street is basically a half hour of commercial parodies, recasting products as letters and obedience as creativity. Giving us the brain tools we need to make our own decisions stands in direct conflict with the ‘buy this, do this, want this’ lifestyle advertisers want us to lead; and this from a man who was trained in advertising. Growing up in the 80’s, where every other television show or beloved childhood icon was marketed and commercialized to dizzying heights, perhaps Henson’s influence is all that kept us from becoming little Reaganites. (Although, the tragedy of two George W. Bush terms may show that many of us did get suckered by the wretched sale of childhood that peaked in the mid-eighties). Perhaps Kermit’s calm, rational voice is what reminds us to be considerate to other. “Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?" Like a yearbook collage, the Muppets takes the best aspects of 60’s counterculture and serves them back as an easily swallowed childhood lesson. And it was the 60’s too. In a way, along with the sexual revolution and the civil rights movement, it was a time of educational revolution. “Teach your children well, their father’s hell did slowly go by. Teach your children what you believe in, make a world that we can live in.”

Speaking of that succession (Sesame, Fraggles, Muppets) it occurs to me that Jim Henson’s covered us for life too. Like a parent’s advice that will always be there, Henson’s influence rears it’s heads at every stage of our lives. Early Childhood: Sesame Street, Under 8 years: Fraggles and The Muppets Show can be enjoyable well into your teens. I remember going to the theaters with a bunch of friends to see ‘Muppets From Space’ at like 16. An age you especially seek to not be associated with children. By our later teens and early adulthood we can appreciated the grace of skill of the art: the puppetry, the songwriting, the tasteful incorporation of jokes for adults, i.e. musical parodies of 60’s hits and Saturday Night Live alum guest stars. And should we have children or nieces or nephews or some child in your life, you see the cycle begin again. Even if your kids don’t watch the show, you default to those lessons as the lessons of childhood and try to instill them.

Anyway, here’s a great documentary on Henson on youtube. It helps to show that when it came to raising a generation or two, this was one of the right men for the job. I’ll just add the first one here and let you follow the labrynth to the other parts.

-billy.