Who Are We Talking About Here?

While his musical aspirations may come as a bit of a surprise to some, ______ has been playing music with some of his Modern West band mates for nearly 20 years, he tells People.
"I remember looking into the crowd, thinking, 'This just feels right,'" he previously said about performing with his band.The 53-year-old has co-written six songs from the 12-track album, some of which will be available to country music radio this week, People reports.

Streaming Bob

Tell Tale Signs [npr]

An American's Dream

"One day I'm gon' grow up to be somebody..." thought the young boy.

These were the words of young boy with a dream. Despite being raised in the slums of Harlem, NY, little Duane knew that one day he wanted to help people. Even if it wasn't his ailing grandmother or delusional, overbearing father, it would be someone.

"That boy ain't neve' gon' 'mount ta nothin'" his uncle would say. And everyone laughed, except Duane.

"One day I'm gon' help people. If they'z sick, I'll help 'em, give 'em the medicine they'z need" little Duane would cry amongst the chuckles of his relatives.

"Boy can't even read, thinks he's gon' help people," and the laughing.

Well, little Duane grew up fast, studied his way to Medical school, taking a keen interest in pharmaceuticals and eventually providing an empire where everyone could get the things they need. He took his name, the name of his relatives and made it something - Duane Reade.

The Armpit Collection VII

Train Whistle Blues - The Legendary Jimmie Rodgers


Blues, country, and jazz, all in their prehistoric stages, coming together through one man. The music is personal, rhythmic, deeply melodic and cuts to a place that seems rightly familiar if you're an American. They say he's the father of country music, and he is. And as a matter of opinion, you could go one step further, grab Hank Williams and simply stop there and forget about the rest of country music all together. They are it! Alright, so there's some interesting points here and there through the years. But Rodgers had the fortunate circumstance and ability to combine interesting musical elements - like being at the fork in the road when it forked. He popularized a particular style of playing guitar and singing; convenient, natural, and legendary, yet managed to augment himself with interesting bands and use popular song structure. "Any Old Time" is probably the best example of his greatness. A lonely few measures of a guitar tune about a woman who's left and wants to come back, then the horn section and band kick in and holy shit, "...drop ME a line and saaaay no more you'll roam." It makes you smile, like an inside joke that everyone gets and musicians strive toward, still.

Girl Don't Tell Me

Deezer: (my Beach Boys mix)

Geezer Pleaser (jukebox)
Sneezer (be)
Teaser (Ed)
Freezer (Social Security checks)

Bill O'Reilly's Talk Radio Show Last Night

Bill O'Reilly expresses his feelings on the Wall Street rescue package. And, I kinda agree with him.

"Most talk radio is conservative dominated ideologues, or kool-aid drinking idiots. Idiots. Screaming at you "This is socialism, this is this this is that""It's Clintons fault, it's Clinton's fault." It's Clinton's fault? Clinton hasn't been in office in 8 years.

It's Bush's fault, it happened on Bush's watch. He could've prevented this. He could've gone easily and said Merrill Lynch is dealing in bad paper he could've said that.Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac they're dealing in bad paper, so you the investor, don't invest in those companies. You think they would've continued to deal in bad paper? No they would not!

But let's get back to this talk radio stuff. These idiots are misleading you they're lying to you They're rich, these guys, Big cigars, all of that! Private jets, "Oh yeah, my private jet!"And they're saying "No bailout, no no uh uh no way"Hey! You're going to get it, not them. That foreign investment pulls out, we are toast. And they'll pull out if that bailout doesn't happen. Are you getting the message here? Walk away from these liars, these right wing liars. Walk away from them, they're not looking out for you!

I don't even want to talk about the far left Barney Frank? Disgusting! Pointing fingers? It's you you big fat toad, YOU!Frank!You!Dodd, sittin' there [incomprehensible impression of Dodd] It's you Dodd, you! You knew! I swear to god, if they were in this room right now, I would hit them. Dodd and FrankThe house finance and senate finance. They knew!

Don't point a finger at anybody, I'll break that finger off! So you got corruption on the right, and corruption on the left. And who gets it? You get it, you, the hardworking person
The next politician that gets up their and points a finger, I'm go after them myself Shut up! Fix it! These are people's livesI got enough money in the bank. Unless a bank fails, I'm fine. But you're probably not fine. I'm lucky.

I'm tired of these charlatans on both sides. Lying to you, because they're ideological kool-aid drinkers or corrupt toadsAnd I'm talkin to you Barney FrankWho's the guy who was saying, "If you don't lend money to poor people you're a bigot"Who was saying that barney, WHO?![pause] I gotta take a break."

[source]

The Year of the Tasers

Rep. Barney Frank is funny

"McCain is Andy Kaufman in his Mighty Mouse costume - 'Here I Come to Save the Day,'" Frank said as he left a Thursday morning caucus meeting with House Democrats, saying the Republican presidential candidate's decision to enter the mix "is not helpful."

"He hasn't been involved," Frank said. "He doesn't know anything about it."

[source]

No Show My Ass!

Great Moments in TV History

Free Levi!

This is crazy because Levi does actually represent a demographic of political prisoners who are torn between sticking with their ideology and moving forward with the times. If they weren't so hung up on a few great tactics, strategies and talking points, this demographic of intuitive and resourceful Americans could help seal the deal and fate of America's attempt at turning the corner. Great episode.

The Interwebs

The Great Auto-Tune Debate of '08

So I must admit, I've long been skeptical of Auto-Tune. The thought of bad singers using a synthetic voice processor to make palatable sounding recordings is disheartening. And also there's just something about me that is still an analog purist so I've always hesitated. But as of late I've heard a string of songs, primarily in the hip-hop and R&B field, that is making me change my tune, figuratively. Guy's like Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Chris Brown are making this thing work, and they're kind of doing for the Auto-Tune what Roger Troutman did for the Vocoder. They've taken it from being a tool used to correct bad singing and made it into an instrument that can be tweaked and processed for full emotional and audial impact. And best of all they're feeding in good vocals to the mix now which I think is that final missing ingrident. Why have Cher's decaying howl singing "Believe" when you can have Lil Wayne's grimy growl or Chris Brown's young Mike Jackson pitch perfect style.

Smokin' smokin'

So I saw probably my favorite act of civil disobedience tonight... No, not a pocket knife slipped into the side of some yuppie (insert self-hatred here) with his Polo collar popped, smug son of a bitch... that didn't happen.

At about 3:25am at the 1st Ave. and 14th St. L Train subway stop, I walk down the stairs to get on the train. Just like a normal person, wearing a hoody, listening to the Misfits on my iPod. You know me, normal person...

I walk next to people waiting on the platform. We're all here for the same fuckin' reason. We don't have cars and need to get to Brooklyn, goddammit! "I'm going east, young man." Anyways... People are standing around in crowds and solo, but I see this "hipsteresque" (I don't want to go full fleged "hipster" ....... nevermind, she was totes v v hip; she was a "getting-on-the-subway-with-a-bike hipster") girl SMOKING A FUCKING CIGARETTE ON THE SUBWAY PLATFORM!

WOW! Couldn't wait to smoke. Had to smoke it right there, huh? Clever.

I make eye-contact with her. I see the barely-there cigarette butt waving in her right hand above her head. I have a split second to give her a smile of approval. JESUS, YOU'VE GOTTA LOT OF NERVE. For some reason, smoking on the subway platform, UNDERGROUND, seems like a capital crime. Not because I want it to be, but just because it is... To put things in perspective...

(I've seen people peeing on the platform, I've heard stories of homeless dudes whipping their dicks out in front of chicks. I image exposing oneself doesn't come without a dash of "I don't give a fuck!" And oddly enough, I think that's an understatement. Who doesn't "not give a fuck" these days? Whipping out your privates in front of stangers takes a different breed indeed.... back to the smoking girl...)

(it is...) doing something blatantly wrong. There's no smoking on the platform, just like there's no smoking in church, you know? Never seen it done. AND SHE WAS DOING IT... She looked so cool. I wanted to be her, just not giving a fuck, confident as all hell... Telling any of the 8 million strangers in the City, "I'm smoking a cigarette somewhere I'm not supposed to. Bloomberg be damned!" So I walk on by, to the middle of the block-long walkway.

I light up.

Delicious. I've been smoking Parliment Lights lately (never while waiting for the subway though, it felt good). Camel switched up the flavor on their cigs a couple months back. No idea why... My own conspiracy theory thinks the government was cracking down on cigs with extraordinary amounts of nicotine, and Camel self-regulated to cut down. I always thought Camels had more nicotine than Marlboros, and that's why I liked them more. However, when I smoked a "new" Camel Light, I didn't feel the joy the old ones brought me. It was much more empty and weak flavored.... Anyways, I TOO WAS SMOKING WHILE WAITING FOR THE SUBWAY! Cool, huh? What's the worst that could happen?

(and my girlfriend smokes Parliment Lights)

I admit I looked left and right more than twice in the four minute timespan that it took me to finish (pound the cig). If a Cop was walking my way, I'd probably shit myself (BUSTED!), and then I guess wait to get shot... I heard NYPD never hesitates. Or maybe they'd consider me a terrorist and send me to Cuba for torture, leave me outside in an orange jumper, sweating while blindfolded, dogs barking in my face while I promise to never smoke underground, in public spaces no less, ever again.

Actually I got away with it. Most didn't notice. Someone walked by and said something to me, but I had my headphones up pretty loud; after the Misfits I listened to Bob Dylan's "Self Portrait."

You'll just lay there by the juniper while the moon is bright
Watch them jugs a-filling in the pale moonlight.

I start thinking how I need to talk to this girl. I walk up to her... she's listening to headphones, but peals them off her ears when I stop walking, directly in front of her.

"Were you smoking earlier?" Maybe I have the wrong girl.

"Why?"

"Because I think I saw you smoking earlier, and that's so badass! I've never seem someone smoke underground, on the platform before." She's smiling and I'm convinced she's friendly for someone talking to a stranger.

"Well, the sign said the train wasn't coming for 19 minutes! What was I supposed to do?" Sounding proud of her disobedience. I hear the train coming. She stands.

"You inspired me to smoke a cigarette too," I say hurriedly. She looks bewildered, maybe she misheard me. "I just smoked a cigarette over there," I clarified, pointing right.

"Yeah. It's just a fucking cigarette." The trains approaching, screeching, stopping... and she's about to get on. I tell her to have a nice night and get on a seperate subway car.

2 more stops.

Everybody's Doing the Goth (Still)!

From the NYT (I thought this was funny):

"“Lord Damien Stark’s Makeup Tips for the Bleak” (originally printed in Ghastly Magazine):
“Whiteface should create the illusion that you really are that pale, and not that you have a bunch of makeup from Walgreens caked all over your face. Done badly, Gothic makeup can look painfully stupid. After spending money on a decent base, take the trouble to apply it evenly. It’s appalling how many Goths overlook something so basic and vital to their entire aesthetic. Equally bad and unfortunately just as frequent is the tendency to overpowder and the tendency to end one’s pallor at the jawbone. I can understand someone having difficulty with liquid eyeliner, but some mistakes are just inexcusably stupid. Don’t make them.”"

Who's That Girl?

No that is not vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin. This girl has a box set of 34 CDs, has sang in 15 different languages, and once served in the European Parliament. Have you heard of her?

Old Joke, Very Applicable

"The only difference between Wall Street and the Titanic is that the Titanic had a band."

The Armpit Collection VI

Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley

The first great rock n roll record (and last?), for real. This is the type of album that sounds magical on vinyl, and yet it also sounds very appropriately old digitally. The vocals are incredible. Kicks in with the notorious Blue Suede Shoes, has the infamous Tutti Frutti, and is completely glorified by Blue Moon - Frank Sinatra can roll in his grave (but I'm sure we'll dig him up later). These are only the classics. It's also got One-Sided Love Affair & Tryin' to Get to You, actually, there isn't a bad song on the album. 28:03 of the original.

Why We Drink

Sex on Fire

Sex On Fire