Friday, June 29, 2007

Daydream Nation



I guess it was inevitable; as with the launch of any new technology, there will be some naysayers. I agree whole-heartedly that the iPhone is machine blessed by Cellulias, the God of cellular phones and pagers, but I don't know about AT&T's unforgivable acts of evil in this case. For all we know, all major cell phone carriers assisted the government in it's desire to illegally wiretap the phones of U.S. citizens, and AT&T may have been the only one dumb enough to get caught. It is impossible to release a brand new product without experiencing a single bug associated with the device, but I think the phone will catch on eventually with more than just the Mac addicts and technophiles. Just give it some time; soon you too will be drawn to its undeniable allure.



Well what do you know, the GOP controlled Supreme Court has actually thought about doing something right; taking another look at whether Guantanamo Bay detainees can use the civil courts to challenge their blatant theft of the right to habeas corpus. Now don't get excited yet; they have not decided to do anything about it, they have just agreed to review the case. It's still not much, but it's better than I expected.



This is an interesting article; Hans Reiser, a computer programmer who was pivotal in the free software community for his contributions to the development of the Linux kernel, has been arrested for the murder of his wife. Hans claims he is innocent and the story has sent shockwaves through the software community. This is a very interesting article, give it a read and try to ignore the computer codes if you don't understand them, they are merely a narrative technique and are not pivotal to the story.



Last but not least, Sonic Youth's swan song record Daydream Nation has finally gotten the deluxe edition treatment. This is the record that sparked the alternative fire and started the musical revolution. How good is this record, you ask? In 2006, it was chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. Yeah, it's that fucking good.



-B
We're off the streets now and back on the road, on the riot trail





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Thursday, June 28, 2007

More Bitterness!



Jesus Christ, you stop reading the news for 2 days and all of the sudden the Vice President is not part of the Executive Branch and the rules do not apply to him, Paris Hilton gets more media coverage than the war in Iraq, the White House refuses to release subpoenaed documents, the conservatives come up with this shit, you find out the six-fingered man is banging your secretary, and the Whit Stripes release another shitty album. Oh yeah, and this asshole came out with a new movie (ok, an old movie they have remade 3 times). Oh well, at least Dick Cheney didn't show somebody in the face this month, that's always nice. Speaking of politics, check out what Henry Rollins, the badass of hardcore has to say about the candidates for the upcoming election. Anyway, now that I got all of that off my chest, go check out 1408, buy the latest Straylight Run record, pray Led Zeppelin does not reunite, roll a fat one and chill out; only 18 months left.



-B
We always hurt the ones we never really loved





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Monday, June 25, 2007

The Yellow Dart



You would think that taking most of the money earned by the two biggest boy bands in the last 20 years would be enough for someone even as greedy as Lou Pearlman. You would think that with the tens of millions of dollars he "earned" would be enough to light cigars with hundred dollar bills and buy Ferrari's just to hang them on his wall. You would think, but you would be wrong. It seems that Pearlman had gotten himself in trouble with the feds. I would feel sorry for him, but I don't. Anybody who takes advantage of people like Pearlman did for their own financial gain deserves whatever he gets.



Rolling Stone has an interesting piece on the decline of the record industry, and you can check it out here. The record industry has been in decline for years, but it isn't all iTunes' fault. It's basic math people; spend $14 on the digital downloads of an entire album, or spend $10 on the CD and have a permanent backup copy. But, seeing as how we live in an accelerated culture where convenience supersedes logic, you can expect the convenience of online downloading to win almost every time. People want songs in an instant, and they are willing to buy or steal the same song over and over, should they lose their original digital copy. Such is the way of the new counter culture.



-B
I've been fallin' so long it's like gravity's gone and I'm just floatin'





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Friday, June 22, 2007

Those Crazy Lil' Cars



For those who live in a city filed with highway congestion but fear the hassle of carpooling, Zipcar founder Robin Chase has a solution for you. GoLoco, a new networking-meets-carpooling sight has been slowly gaining momentum, hindered not by this article in Wired magazine. GoLoco is a social networking sight that helps people find others in their area to share carpools, much like MySpace helps members find other members who share the same musical interests (and find sexual prey, unfortunately). I can see GoLoco having a big impact in high traffic cities, but is also has its uses for those in smaller cities and towns who just don't feel like driving to work everyday. You can also post trips for things like camping, sports outings, concerts, and just about any other social gathering you can think of (try not to use it to find chicks). Anyway, check it out and see if it is right for you.



-B
Why give up, why give in





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Weapon Of Mass Seduction



A million dollars can buy a lot of stuff, especially if you shop at Wal Mart and whatnot. I could buy a pretty nice new car, a boat, a house, and still have money left over for lunch the next morning with that kind of money. But why waste a million smackers on trivial shit like that when I can blow it all on an interview with Paris Hilton after she is released from jail. Hey NBC, allow me to give you an example of how this interview is going to go, just so that you can prepare yourself for what very well may become the worst piece of journalistic interviewing in history:



Interviewer: So Paris, what was prison like?



Paris: Well, there were like, bars and stuff, and not the fun kind of bars, but like the kind of bars that my dad like tried to put on my window when I was a kid living in our pathetic excuse for a mansion.



Interviewer: Did you learn anything in jail?



Paris: Yeah, of course I learned something. Did you know that they don't serve roasted duck in jail? That's like, cruel and unusual punishment or something. I had no idea it was that bad.



Interviewer: Are you sorry for what you did?



Paris: I got thrown in jail for being famous. I shouldn't be sorry for being famous and important. I'm like totally hot.



Interviewer: What are you plans now?



Paris: Book deal! So what if I like, can't read or whatever. People want to know about my struggles (big word!) and what I had to endure in the big house. That's prison slang for prison.



At this point, the interviewer will probably sigh in frustration, maybe retire from journalism all together, and possibly contemplate suicide. Does anybody really give a shit about what jail was like for some dumb socialite who hasn't done a damn thing to contribute to society? I mean honestly, what's her one crowning achievement? Her sex tape! And you know what, it isn't that great. All she accomplished with that tape is convincing the world she is a horrible fuck. I didn't need a videotape to tell me that, I'm sure I could have asked half of Hollywood and they would have given me the same answer. Paris, you're not "hot" and you're not important, get used to it. All you will be remembered for is as an example of what we don't want our kids to turn out like.



-B
Is that what you call tact?





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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Tasty Cakes!



This is an interesting article about another interesting article. I imagine it must be fun to rip apart the great records that paved the way for most of these imbeciles, but after a while it starts to sound like a hipster bitching about a record just because other people actually like it. As the first article points out, there really isn't much solid ground for these "artists" to stand on as they bitch and moan about Pet Sounds and Nevermind. I can get behind the arguments against Neon Bible; I still don't understand what is so fucking great about the Arcade Fire. But for the most part the arguments just don't hold water. Anyway, read both articles, watch American Hardcore, read Our Band Could Be Your Life, and go eat a piece of fruit.



-B
Jesus Christ I'm alone again





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Monday, June 18, 2007

Redshirts Are Stealing My Tribbles



The first wave of American hardcore punk started in '81 and died by '85. It was a small window of opportunity, much like the days of grunge to listen to some great music and see the bands that changed the whole way of thinking and listening to music. But above all that, it was about the live show. Anyone who has ever been to an all ages punk rock show knows that the record is nothing without the live experience. The days of the early hardcore scene have been documented in an amazing documentary appropriately titled American Hardcore. What makes American Hardcore so much more than a simple documentary is the presentation. There is no narrator to place a bias on the subject matter. The story is told only by those who lived it, like Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, Mike Watt, Brett Gurewitz, Greg Hetson, H.R., Greg Ginn, and many others who helped pave the way for punk bands of today. If you have any interest in musical history, you can't get much better than American Hardcore.



-B
Then they tore us open and bled us dry of our dignity and money





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Friday, June 15, 2007

Your Favorite Weapon



As if to justify my fascination of her female attributes with witty commentary and banter, Jon Stewart has not only solidified my position, but reinforced my belief that nothing, not even a burka can contain Angelina Jolie's hotness. She very well may be our best weapon against terrorism. What needs to be done is now clearer than ever. We must clone her, wrap her clones in black satin, parachute them behind enemy lines with the 101st Airborne, and release their weapon once they have safely landed; by removing their satin armor of seduction and revealing the true beauty of Angelina Jolie. The radiant light would be so powerful that no mere mortal could withstand it (except maybe Brad Pitt). They would simply cease to be. We have a weapon now, and by God we should use it. Just think about it; Angelina Jolie's body could save this world from destroying itself. All it takes is the right T&A.



-B
Don't go on me





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Thursday, June 14, 2007

My Balls



To quote a terrible Staind song, it's been a while. No, I am not going to pierce my eyebrow and strum my guitar while my house burns down as I cry and look at photos of old flames while being consumed by the new real flames. Besides, I did that last week and my roommates were pissed. Anyway, if you have not heard, Rob Zombie is directing a remake of Halloween, and here is the first trailer for it. It looks yummy. Also, go see Surf's Up if you haven't yet, even if only because Kelly Slater and Rob Machado are in it. That Shia LaBeouf kid is in it too, but he annoys me. I don't understand what is so amazing about him, but I think my roommate (the female one, but maybe the male too) has a thing for him that can only be described as sexual. I make no judgments; I just calls 'em as I sees 'em. Also, if you haven't yet, do the following:

1 - Buy Strung Out's new record Blackhawks Over Los Angeles.
2 -
In fact, buy two.
3 - Remove cellophane wrapping that could only have been designed by the Devil.
4 - Put one CD in your car stereo and one CD in your home stereo.
5 - Never remove said CD's.
6 - Do NOT talk about fight club.



-B
A dream may last just seconds, changing you for all time





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Friday, June 08, 2007

Stupid Spoiled Whore



This is so fucking wonderful, so orgasm-inspiringly tasteful that I want to take a picture of this moment and cherish it forever. Paris Hilton is going back to prison! Check out the article for all the juicy details, but be warned; the details in the first paragraph that outline her crying face as she screams for her mommy to make the bad judge change his mind are so fucking delicious that I almost ate my laptop screen. Seriously, I have salt in one hand and a fork in the other. Justice is yummy indeed.

In other news, my birfday is on Monday, the 11th, and not in fact on Tuesday the 12th as Myspace has erroneously reported. I checked my settings and I have the right date on there, so I don't know what happened, but you can blame this guy. Anyway, those of you that know me may feel free to shower me with gifts, love, affection, money, fame, hookers, blow, and/or tasty treats. I dunno, maybe some crumpets or something, nothing to fancy, just surprise me, I'm easy.



-B
I'm about to have a nervous breakdown





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Monday, June 04, 2007

Sorry Somehow


It's been a while, nothing exciting to talk about really. Got a few shows I am going to that might be worth mentioning:


June 10th - Necromantix @ The Boardwalk
July 1st - The Warped Tour @ Shoreline
July 10th - Social Distortion @ Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium
July 28th - Rise Against @ The Warfield
July 29th - Rise Against @ Empire
Aug. 3rd - Rush @ Sleep Train Pavilion
Aug. 23rd - The Warped Tour @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre


Anyway, that's all for now, will write more this week.


-B
Life too can cut you and I've cut you out of mine




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