Friday, December 28, 2007

Most Enjoyable Reading

'Tis the time of year for lists. Everyone has their people of the year, people who died, top stories of the year, pictures of the year, etc., etc., etc. Cracked.com even has lists of the Top 10 Douchebags of the year, and seven things we should pretend never happened. Time Magazine went a little overboard with 50 Top 10 lists covering every subject imaginable, except maybe douchebags and events to purge from history.

One of the most enjoyable lists is the New York Time's list of the Notable Op-Eds of the Year. Some very good reading here, including...
Check it out!

Why Most New Music Sounds Like Crap

Rolling Stone has a great article that explains how sound compression and audio manipulation software destroy the details of modern music...
David Bendeth, a producer who works with rock bands like Hawthorne Heights and Paramore, knows that the albums he makes are often played through tiny computer speakers by fans who are busy surfing the Internet. So he's not surprised when record labels ask the mastering engineers who work on his CDs to crank up the sound levels so high that even the soft parts sound loud.

Over the past decade and a half, a revolution in recording technology has changed the way albums are produced, mixed and mastered — almost always for the worse. "They make it loud to get [listeners'] attention," Bendeth says. Engineers do that by applying dynamic range compression, which reduces the difference between the loudest and softest sounds in a song. Like many of his peers, Bendeth believes that relying too much on this effect can obscure sonic detail, rob music of its emotional power and leave listeners with what engineers call ear fatigue. "I think most everything is mastered a little too loud," Bendeth says. "The industry decided that it's a volume contest."

Producers and engineers call this "the loudness war," and it has changed the way almost every new pop and rock album sounds. But volume isn't the only issue. Computer programs like Pro Tools, which let audio engineers manipulate sound the way a word processor edits text, make musicians sound unnaturally perfect. And today's listeners consume an increasing amount of music on MP3, which eliminates much of the data from the original CD file and can leave music sounding tinny or hollow. "With all the technical innovation, music sounds worse," says Steely Dan's Donald Fagen, who has made what are considered some of the best-sounding records of all time. "God is in the details. But there are no details anymore."

The idea that engineers make albums louder might seem strange: Isn't volume controlled by that knob on the stereo? Yes, but every setting on that dial delivers a range of loudness, from a hushed vocal to a kick drum — and pushing sounds toward the top of that range makes music seem louder. It's the same technique used to make television commercials stand out from shows. And it does grab listeners' attention — but at a price. Last year, Bob Dylan told Rolling Stone that modern albums "have sound all over them. There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like — static."

...To an average listener, a wide dynamic range creates a sense of spaciousness and makes it easier to pick out individual instruments — as you can hear on recent albums such as Dylan's Modern Times and Norah Jones' Not Too Late. "When people have the courage and the vision to do a record that way, it sets them apart," says Joe Boyd, who produced albums by Richard Thompson and R.E.M.'s Fables of the Reconstruction. "It sounds warm, it sounds three-dimensional, it sounds different. Analog sound to me is more emotionally affecting."
There are also many quotes from some top producers and artists, waveform diagrams that show what they're talking about, and links to more information.

I do most of my music listening through computer speakers or mp3 player headphones, and have a lot of old stuff mixed in with newer songs (as you might have noticed from my music quizzes.) I have to do quite a bit of volume adjusting between songs. The newer stuff is almost always a lot louder, but more muddled than the older songs.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Repubs Declare War on Christmas

Here's the "Christmas" card from the National Republican Congressional Committee...

Posted by Picasa

I haven't heard Bill O'Really's diatribe on Faux News about how the NRCC is anti-Christmas, but I'm sure it's coming soon. He'll probably do a whole show about those godless Repubs...just as soon as pigs learn how to fly.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Quizzes and Insults

I was checking out the site for the book How to Win a Fight with a Conservative by Daniel Kurtzman, and found a nifty political quiz -- "What Breed of Liberal Are You?" Based on just seven questions, they've determined that I am...

How to Win a Fight With a Conservative is the ultimate survival guide for political arguments

My Liberal Identity:

You are a Working Class Warrior, also known as a blue-collar Democrat. You believe that the little guy is getting screwed by conservative greed-mongers and corporate criminals, and you’re not going to take it anymore.



The site also has the Conservative Insult Generator, a "handy tool to generate 27,000 possible random insults to hurl at all those fanatical, unmedicated, warmongering, FOX News-humping, Constitution-trampling, right-wing morons in your midst."

There's also a counterpart book and site: How to Win a Fight with a Liberal.

Answers to Last Week's Music Quiz

1. 1973
Every time that I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone
It went by like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay

Yeah, I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybody's sin
You got to lose to know how to win

Aerosmith - "Dream On"
2. 1981 -- These lyrics are also a riddle. Bonus points if you can answer it.
Meanwhile lurking by a stone in the mud
Two eyes looked to see
What I was
And then something spoke
And this is what it said to me:

"Clothes of brass and hair of brown
Seldom need to breathe -- Don't need no wings to fly
And a heart of stone
And a fear of fire and water -- Who am I?"

Genesis - "Dodo/Lurker" (The lyrics are from the "Lurker" part of the song.)
3. 1971
I was dreaming of the past.
And my heart was beating fast,
I began to lose control,
I began to lose control

John Lennon (or Roxy Music) - "Jealous Guy"
4. 2003
Will the eagle fly
If the sky's untrue
Do the faithful sigh
Because they are so few

Remember when I cried
Remember when you knew
Remember the look in your eyes
I know I do

And count the stars to measure time
The earth is hard, the treasure fine
To the sea, I crawl on my knees

Feel it coming in
Feel it going out
Water covers sin
Blood covers doubt
So I begin again
Again the kneeling bow
There was a time that I might have surrendered
But not now

Jars of Clay - "Dig"
5. 2003
Twenty-six years and seems like I've just begun
To understand my, my intimate is no one
When the director sold the show, who bought its last rites?
They cut the cast, the music, and the lights

This is my life, this is eternal
How did I ever wake up here?
Discarnate, preternatural
My prayers to disappear
Absent of grace, marked as infernal
Ungranted in dead time left me disowned
To this nature, so unnatural
I remain alone

AFI - "...but home is nowhere"
6. 1995
You took your coat off
And stood in the rain,
You're always crazy like that.
And I watched from my window,
Always felt I was outside looking in on you.
You're always the mysterious one with
Dark eyes and careless hair,
You were fashionably sensitive
But too cool to care.
You stood in my doorway with nothing to say
Besides some comment on the weather.

Well in case you failed to notice,
In case you failed to see,
This is my heart bleeding before you,
This is me down on my knees

Jewel - "Foolish Games"
7. 1998
I'll pull your crooked teeth
You'll be perfect just like me
You'll be a lover in my bed
And a gun to my head
We must never be apart
We must never be apart

Lovely girl, you're the murder in my world
Dressing coffins for the souls I've left to die
Drinking mercury
to the mystery of all that you should ever leave behind
In time

In you I see dirty
In you I count the stars
In you I feel so pretty
In you I taste god
In you I feel so hungry
In you I crash cars
We must never be apart

Smashing Pumpkins - "Ava Adore"
8. 1997
It doesn’t mean much
It doesn’t mean anything at all
The life I’ve left behind me is a cold room
I’ve crossed the last line
From where I can’t return
Where every step I took in faith betrayed me
And led me from my home

Sarah McLachlan - "Sweet Surrender"
9. 1994
Another head hangs lowly,
Child is slowly taken.
And the violence caused such silence,
Who are we mistaken?

But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying

The Cranberries - "Zombie"
10. 1983
Hey, little sister, what have you done?
Hey, little sister, who's the only one?
Hey, little sister, who's the superman?
Hey, little sister, who's the one you want?
Hey, little sister, shot gun!
It's a nice day to start again.

Billy Idol - "White Wedding"

A Victim of Circumstances -- A Christmas Tale

Picture this, if you will. A woman walks out of a convenience store, leaving behind her wallet containing $600, a couple of credit cards, her driver's license and Social Security card. She had just cashed her paycheck and was on her way to buy Christmas presents. A man enters the store, sees the wallet lying on the counter, sticks it under his coat and leaves.

Now, picture the front page of the local newspaper. About halfway down, there's a surveillance photo taken of the man stealing the woman's wallet in the convenience store. Directly above that photo is another photo. This photo shows the same man wearing the same clothes putting Christmas decorations on the window of the business he works for. Needless to say, it didn't take local police long to find their man.

The man, Michael Millhouse, was arrested after numerous tips from alert readers and charged with second-degree theft. "I always liked the Grinch. I guess I am one," he said in the interview with the Tribune. "I am sorry for embarrassing the community and being the Grinch this year."

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

New Lost Season 4 Trailer!

Is this a theatrical trailer? Whatever it is great and I can't wait for January 31.



If you're not watching this show, you're missing out. Lost is the ultimate television miniseries. (Or maybe Battlestar Galactica is. I can't decide.) Lost is telling the story of the survivors of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. It's playing out over five television seasons with a beginning, middle and end. That's the plan anyway. And we're nearing the end, but, according to the trailer above, there are a still a few twists and turns to go before next year's finale season.

You can get caught up or get into the game at ABC's website. You can watch full episodes of Season Three. If you want to go back further, you'll probably have to spring for the DVDs.


read more | digg story

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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Photo of the Day: Death Star Galaxy

In case you haven't noticed, the Photo of the Day hasn't been very daily lately. I did practically promise that in the beginning though. My original plan was to post a lot of new pics with some old ones mixed in, but now, I'm down to mostly old ones. My old digital camera, the trusty Olympus, is about on her last legs. I don't know how old it is, but I bought it before almost anyone had heard of digital cameras and knew of their fabulous features. I paid about $450 for it, and now, you can get better features in a $100 camera. It's so old that Olympus no long sees a need to post the manual for it on their website. It's also bulky and heavy. But it's been with me through a lot. I wish I had back some of the many hundreds of photos I've lost on computers that I failed to back up. (Note to self: Time to do a backup soon.)

I'm hoping to remedy the camera situation shortly after the first of the year. I've got my eye on a Canon Powershot A570 IS. It's just a little point-and-shooter, but it's inexpensive and will fit my momentary needs. I just want a little camera that I can fit into a coat or jacket pocket or a small case so that I can have it with me at all times. I want to be able to just whip it out whenever or wherever. Then again, I might go with another Olympus. I've been with them a while; my last SLR was also an Olympus. Familiarity always cuts down on the learning curve. Well, there's still time to do more research between now and then. Maybe you have some recommendations???

In the meantime, I'm going to post more old photos, try to get in a few more shots with the trusty Olympus before retiring her, and throw in a shot every now and then from other sources that are not me.

On to the picture -- from one of those "other sources." Since the blog is called "Life, the Universe and Everything," it's probably overdue that I'm bringing up the actual universe. This is from NASA and shows a ray from a black hole destroying a galaxy. A galaxy! From the NASA website...
This composite image shows the jet from a black hole at the center of a galaxy striking the edge of another galaxy, the first time such an interaction has been found. In the image, data from several wavelengths have been combined. X-rays from Chandra (colored purple), optical and ultraviolet (UV) data from Hubble (red and orange), and radio emission from the Very Large Array (VLA) and MERLIN (blue) show how the jet from the main galaxy on the lower left is striking its companion galaxy to the upper right. The jet impacts the companion galaxy at its edge and is then disrupted and deflected, much like how a stream of water from a hose will splay out after hitting a wall at an angle.



Posted by Picasa (Photo from NASA. Click photo for larger.)

Here's a link to an artist's illustration of what's going on here.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Dan Fogelberg -- 1951 - 2007

I was saddened to learn of the death Sunday of Dan Fogelberg. He had been battling prostate cancer since being diagnosed with the disease in 2004.

Fogelberg made some beautiful music. He fit neatly into that soft-rock niche that the Eagles and James Taylor made popular at the time. The peak of his career came with 1981's "The Innocent Age." Three songs from that album, "Hard to Say," "Same Auld Lang Syne," and "Leader of the Band," made the Top 10. Other hits include "Longer," "Heart Hotels" and "Run for the Roses." His better songs could always be found a little deeper into the albums.

Allmusic has a huge biography, discography, and other info on his musical career.

In "Same Auld Lang Syne," which is obviously autobiographical, he talks about meeting an old lover by chance...
Met my old lover in the grocery store,
The snow was falling Christmas Eve.
I stole behind her in the frozen foods,
And I touched her on the sleeve.

She didn't recognize the face at first,
But then her eyes flew open wide.
She went to hug me and she spilled her purse,
And we laughed until we cried.

We took her groceries to the checkout stand,
The food was totaled up and bagged.
We stood there lost in our embarrassment,
As the conversation dragged.

We went to have ourselves a drink or two,
But couldn't find an open bar.
We bought a six-pack at the liquor store,
And we drank it in her car.

We drank a toast to innocence,
We drank a toast to now.
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,
But neither one knew how.

She said she'd married her an architect,
Who kept her warm and safe and dry,
She would have liked to say she loved the man,
But she didn't like to lie.

I said the years had been a friend to her,
And that her eyes were still as blue.
But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw,
Doubt or gratitude.

She said she saw me in the record stores,
And that I must be doing well.
I said the audience was heavenly,
But the traveling was hell.

We drank a toast to innocence,
We drank a toast to now.
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,
But neither one knew how.
We drank a toast to innocence,
We drank a toast to time.
Reliving in our eloquence,
Another auld lang syne.

The beer was empty and our tongues were tired,
And running out of things to say.
She gave a kiss to me as I got out,
And I watched her drive away.
Just for a moment I was back at school,
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home,
The snow turned into rain

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Changes

I've been mulling over some changes to this blog. One I've just made is to rethink the whole concept of the labels. I've been using them as a sort of a blog index. Now they encompass more broad topics. Not that big of a deal, but if you use an RSS reader for this site you might have noticed that I just reposted most of the entries.

This Week's Music Quiz

This is probably the last music quiz for a while. I'm mulling over some content changes for the old blog space. That said, here are the instructions one final time: The following lyrics come from songs that came up randomly on my music player. Name the artist and/or song. There are no prizes except for a sense of satisfaction.

1. 1973
Every time that I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone
It went by like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay

Yeah, I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybody's sin
You got to lose to know how to win
2. 1981 -- These lyrics are also a riddle. Bonus points if you can answer it.
Meanwhile lurking by a stone in the mud
Two eyes looked to see
What I was
And then something spoke
And this is what it said to me:

"Clothes of brass and hair of brown
Seldom need to breathe -- Don't need no wings to fly
And a heart of stone
And a fear of fire and water -- Who am I?"
3. 1971
I was dreaming of the past.
And my heart was beating fast,
I began to lose control,
I began to lose control
4. 2003
Will the eagle fly
If the sky's untrue
Do the faithful sigh
Because they are so few

Remember when I cried
Remember when you knew
Remember the look in your eyes
I know I do

And count the stars to measure time
The earth is hard, the treasure fine
To the sea, I crawl on my knees

Feel it coming in
Feel it going out
Water covers sin
Blood covers doubt
So I begin again
Again the kneeling bow
There was a time that I might have surrendered
But not now
5. 2003
Twenty-six years and seems like I've just begun
To understand my, my intimate is no one
When the director sold the show, who bought its last rites?
They cut the cast, the music, and the lights

This is my life, this is eternal
How did I ever wake up here?
Discarnate, preternatural
My prayers to disappear
Absent of grace, marked as infernal
Ungranted in dead time left me disowned
To this nature, so unnatural
I remain alone
6. 1995
You took your coat off
And stood in the rain,
You're always crazy like that.
And I watched from my window,
Always felt I was outside looking in on you.
You're always the mysterious one with
Dark eyes and careless hair,
You were fashionably sensitive
But too cool to care.
You stood in my doorway with nothing to say
Besides some comment on the weather.

Well in case you failed to notice,
In case you failed to see,
This is my heart bleeding before you,
This is me down on my knees
7. 1998
I'll pull your crooked teeth
You'll be perfect just like me
You'll be a lover in my bed
And a gun to my head
We must never be apart
We must never be apart

Lovely girl, you're the murder in my world
Dressing coffins for the souls I've left to die
Drinking mercury
to the mystery of all that you should ever leave behind
In time

In you I see dirty
In you I count the stars
In you I feel so pretty
In you I taste god
In you I feel so hungry
In you I crash cars
We must never be apart
8. 1997
It doesn’t mean much
It doesn’t mean anything at all
The life I’ve left behind me is a cold room
I’ve crossed the last line
From where I can’t return
Where every step I took in faith betrayed me
And led me from my home
9. 1994
Another head hangs lowly,
Child is slowly taken.
And the violence caused such silence,
Who are we mistaken?

But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying
10. 1983
Hey, little sister, what have you done?
Hey, little sister, who's the only one?
Hey, little sister, who's the superman?
Hey, little sister, who's the one you want?
Hey, little sister, shot gun!
It's a nice day to start again.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Answers to Last Week's Music Quiz

1. 1992 - One of my favorite bands, this group has a strong cult following and a unique image that overshadows some excellent music. Last verse and chorus...
I think I've reached that point
Where every word that you write
Of every blood dark sea
And every soul black night
And every dream you dream me in
And every perfect free from sin
And burning eyes and hearts on fire
Are just the same old song

Please stop loving me
Please stop loving me
I am none of these things

Please stop loving me
Please stop loving me
I am none of these things
I am none of these things...

The Cure - "End"
2. 1970 - The story is that this band was short of material for their first album so their singer/bassist started playing a ballad he wrote when he was twelve years old. It became a signature song for this supergroup. Third and fourth verses minus the chorus...
He went to fight wars
For his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory
The people would sing

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

A bullet had found him
His blood ran as he cried
No money could save him
So he laid down and he died

Emerson, Lake and Palmer - "Lucky Man"
3. 1976 - If you think of '70s album rock, this band should come immediately to mind. This song doesn't really have verses and chorus as such. This is the first part...
It was an April morning when they told us we should go
And as I turned to you, you smiled at me. How could we say no?
Oh, all the fun to have, to live the dreams we always had
Oh, the songs to sing when we at last return again

Sending off a glancing kiss to those who claim they know
Below the streets that steam and hiss. The devil's in his hole
Oh, to sail away to sandy lands and other days
Oh, to touch the dream, hides inside and never seen.

Led Zeppelin - "Achilles Last Stand"
4. 1986 - Some songs (like #1 and #3) never mention the title. Other songs, like this one, have the title all through it. This was a big song for this group of "art-school punks." A short part at the beginning before they start repeating the title throughout...
I'm wearing fur pajamas
I ride a hot potato
It's tickling my fancy
Speak up, I can't hear you

Here on this mountaintop
Woahoho
I got some wild, wild life
I got some news to tell ya
Woahoho
About some wild, wild life
Here come the doctor in charge
Woahoho
She's got some wild, wild life
Ain't that the way you like it?
Ho, ha!
Living wild, wild life.

Talking Heads - "Wild Wild Life"
5. 2004 - Music from this century -- the band just released their first album in 2002. This is from the second and got a bit of rock radio airplay. First verse and chorus...
I never said I'd lie and wait forever
If I died, we'd be together
I can't always just forget her
But she could try

At the end of the world
Or the last thing I see
You are
Never coming home
Never coming home
Could I? Should I?
And all the things that you never, ever told me
And all the smiles that are ever ever...
Ever...

My Chemical Romance - "The Ghost of You"
6. 1969 - A signature song for a big band. First verse...
I've been run down,
I've been lied to,
And I don't know why
I let that mean woman make me a fool.
She took all my money,
Wrecked my new car.
Now she's with one of my goodtime buddies,
They're drinking in some crosstown bar.

Sometimes I feel,
Sometimes I feel
Like I been tied to the whipping post,
Tied to the whipping post,
Tied to the whipping post,
Good lord, I feel like I'm dying.

The Allman Brothers Band - "Whipping Post"
7. 2004 - A newer band. A track from their second album. The clean version of the first verse and chorus...
I live a chemical life
I'm on a mission to try
You went insane for a day
I'll have to shove it away
My only option is gone
Smile as they break and they fall
You want a simpler life
You can't erase what was right

You must be out of your mind
This was a simple design
You mess it up every time
How could you leave me behind

It's alright, it's alright
'cause I know what you want
but you'll just have to wait
If I had it to give
I would give it away
I'm living it up
while I'm falling from grace
There's no way
There's no way that I'm running away

Breaking Benjamin - "Simple Design"
8. 2005 - Another new band. An actor (Jarod Leto) is the frontman for the band. A track from their second and latest album. From the beginning...
A revolution has begun today for me inside
The ultimate defense is to pretend
Revolve around yourself just like an ordinary man
The only other option is to forget

Does it feel like we've never been alive?
Does it seem like it's only just begun?

Defy yourself just to look inside the wreckage of your past
To lose it all you have to do is lie
The policy is set and we are never turning back
It's time for execution; time to execute
Time for execution; time to execute

30 Seconds to Mars - "R-Evolve"
9. 1999 - A pretty popular band. This is a track from their third album. First verse...
Well, I woke up in mid-afternoon cause that's when it all hurts the most
I dream I never know anyone at the party and I'm always the host
If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts
You can never escape, you can only move south down the coast
Well, I am an idiot walking a tightrope of fortune and fame
I am an acrobat swinging trapezes through circles of flame
If you've never stared off into the distance, then your life is a shame
And though I'll never forget your face, sometimes I can't remember my name

Hey, Mrs. Potter, don't cry
Hey, Mrs. Potter, I know why but,
Hey, Mrs. Potter, won't you talk to me

Counting Crows - "Mrs. Potter's Lullabye"
10. 1981 - This band was around for quite a while, but this was their biggest hit. There was even a movie with the same title with this song on the soundtrack album. First verse...
Caroline laughs and it's raining all day
She loves to be one of the girls
She lives in the place in the side of our lives
Where nothing is ever put straight
She turns herself round and she smiles and she says
"This is it. That's the end of the joke"
And loses herself in her dreaming and sleep
And her lovers walk through in their coats
She's... Pretty in pink
Isn't she?

Pretty in pink

Isn't she?

Psychedelic Furs - "Pretty in Pink"

Thursday, December 13, 2007

It Sucks to Be a Falcons Fan

I used to be a big NFL fan. Now? Not so much. I'm not sure what changed. I think the game got a little too sanitized. Too many games in climate-controlled domes, not enough in the rain, sleet and snow. Then again, it may have just been one too many Peter Gent books.

I used to watch anything and everything that involved a football. Now I stick to the college game (mainly the SEC) and the local pro teams. Here, in the Chattanooga metro area, we're halfway between two teams -- the Atlanta Falcons and the Tennessee Titans. I follow the Titans and try to keep up with what's going on there, but they've never really been my team. That's Houston's team. The owner, Bud Adams, tried to extort all he could get from the people of Houston. Then, when they weren't ready to give him anything and everything, bolted for the greener pastures in Tennessee. Not exactly a rousing tradition to get behind. I've always been a Falcons fan and it's mostly been just like following the Braves. Both teams have long histories of losing and under-achievement with momentary flashes of greatness. The Falcons made it to the one Super Bowl (XXXIII - where they lost to the Denver Broncos 34-19.) Other than that, it's been pretty bad. After several mediocre and sometimes miserable decades, the Braves finally got their act together and put together a record-breaking string of division championships, but they only have the one championship (in 1995) to show for it all. I guess that's the mark of a true fan -- one that will follow a team throughout an excruciating history in the hope that better days will one day come.

That's where things stand with the Falcons now. Monday and Tuesday were the darkness. I can only hope that the future is so bright I've gotta wear shades. It certainly can't get any worse. Can it? Early Monday we learned the fate of Michael Vick, who looked for a brief moment like the shining star that was finally going to lead the Falcons to the promised land. 23 months in jail. Incarcerated until at least the summer of 2009. And he certainly deserves it too. The very next day, Bobby Petrino, the Falcons coach who was brought in from the University of Louisville to fine tune Vick's quarterbacking skills, bolted the sinking ship thirteen games into a sixteen-game season. He's headed to the University of Arkansas, leaving the 3-10 Vick-less Falcons in the lurch.

I can only hope Vick uses the time in prison to reflect on the promise lost and begins the long effort to turn his life around. He can be a success story on and off the field, but he's got a long row to hoe. It's certainly going to take a lot to convince the general public that he's a changed man. Some people won't be convinced no matter what. He'll be 30 years old in 2009. That's approaching old age in the NFL. He'll be down to his last shot. It probably won't happen with the Falcons and might not happen at the quarterback position.

Bobby Petrino, like a lot of other great college coaches (think Spurrier), was out of his element in the pro game. He never got control of the team and the sniping from the bench has been going on all season. His loudest critic has been cornerback DeAngelo Hall, a teammate of Vick's at Virginia Tech. Their feud got off to a good start in the third game of the season. The Falcons were leading Carolina 17-10, when Hall drew a pass interference penalty, then an unnecessary roughness penalty to keep a Carolina drive alive. The Falcons finally got a sack to end the drive, but Hall and Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith were mouthing off as the teams were heading off the field. Hall drew the penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and the drive continued anew. Carolina, thanks to the three penalties, scored a touchdown to tie the game. It was the turning point; Carolina won 27-20 and the Falcons were 0-3 at that point. That was bad enough, but the TV audience and the fans at the stadium also got to see a shouting match on the sideline between Hall and Petrino and another coach. Hall had to be restrained by three other players and was fined $100,000 later that week. Later in the season, it got so bad that the Falcons couldn't sell out their home games and avoid the TV blackouts. And that was counting all the season tickets that were sold before the s--t hit the fan. Tuesday was the final nail in the coffin.

So where do we go from here? Assistant coach Emmitt Thomas, who's been in the league for 41 years as a player and a coach, has been named the interim head coach. He'll bail like crazy and try to keep the ship afloat over the final three games. Then owner Arthur Blank needs to do what Ted Turner once did for the Braves -- find the best coach available (Bill Cowher?) and give him a dump truck full of money or whatever it takes to get him to Atlanta, then get out of the way and let the football people run the team.

They say that it's darkest before the dawn. It's pretty damned dark in Atlanta these days.

Onion News Network: Holiday Wishes from the Troops


Our Troops Send Holiday Wishes For Peace, Goodwill, And Body Armor

Monday, December 3, 2007

Wishful Thinking

In a more perfect world, this might be reality and not just an exhibit in a New York public library. The New York Daily News has a photo gallery of President Bush and the other co-conspirators.

Posted by Picasa

Sunday, December 2, 2007

More About Pandora

There must be some synchronicity in the air or something. I was talking about Pandora a few days ago. Today, I was web surfing and checked in at Doonesbury.com to catch up on all the comics I'd missed the last couple of weeks. There in the Doonesburys for November 27 and November 28 was a soldier talking about making battle mix tapes from Pandora playlists. To get the gist of what's going on, you have to go back to the beginning of the series of comics.

Toggle touches on an important point about Pandora. Sometimes it goes all random on you and spits out something completely off the wall, but if you use it often and give it a lot of feedback, the randomness goes way down.

One more thing about Pandora before moving on to other topics: I was checking it out after I blogged about it and found a page of Christmas music stations. If you're into that sort of thing, you're the sort of person that's into that sort of thing.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

This Week's Music Quiz

This is a random playlist in lyrical form from my music player. See if you can name the song and/or artist.

1. 1992 - One of my favorite bands, this group has a strong cult following and a unique image that overshadows some excellent music. Last verse and chorus...
I think I've reached that point
Where every word that you write
Of every blood dark sea
And every soul black night
And every dream you dream me in
And every perfect free from sin
And burning eyes and hearts on fire
Are just the same old song

Please stop loving me
Please stop loving me
I am none of these things

Please stop loving me
Please stop loving me
I am none of these things
I am none of these things...
2. 1970 - The story is that this band was short of material for their first album so their singer/bassist started playing a ballad he wrote when he was twelve years old. It became a signature song for this supergroup. Third and fourth verses minus the chorus...
He went to fight wars
For his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory
The people would sing

A bullet had found him
His blood ran as he cried
No money could save him
So he laid down and he died
3. 1976 - If you think of '70s album rock, this band should come immediately to mind. This song doesn't really have verses and chorus as such. This is the first part...
It was an April morning when they told us we should go
And as I turned to you, you smiled at me. How could we say no?
Oh, all the fun to have, to live the dreams we always had
Oh, the songs to sing when we at last return again

Sending off a glancing kiss to those who claim they know
Below the streets that steam and hiss. The devil's in his hole
Oh, to sail away to sandy lands and other days
Oh, to touch the dream, hides inside and never seen.
4. 1986 - Some songs (like #1 and #3) never mention the title. Other songs, like this one, have the title all through it. This was a big song for this group of "art-school punks." A short part at the beginning before they start repeating the title throughout...
I'm wearing fur pajamas
I ride a hot potato
It's tickling my fancy
Speak up, I can't hear you
5. 2004 - Music from this century -- the band just released their first album in 2002. This is from the second and got a bit of rock radio airplay. First verse and chorus...
I never said I'd lie and wait forever
If I died, we'd be together
I can't always just forget her
But she could try

At the end of the world
Or the last thing I see
You are
Never coming home
Never coming home
Could I? Should I?
And all the things that you never, ever told me
And all the smiles that are ever ever...
Ever...
6. 1969 - A signature song for a big band. First verse...
I've been run down,
I've been lied to,
And I don't know why
I let that mean woman make me a fool.
She took all my money,
Wrecked my new car.
Now she's with one of my goodtime buddies,
They're drinking in some crosstown bar.
7. 2004 - A newer band. A track from their second album. The clean version of the first verse and chorus...
I live a chemical life
I'm on a mission to try
You went insane for a day
I'll have to shove it away
My only option is gone
Smile as they break and they fall
You want a simpler life
You can't erase what was right

You must be out of your mind
This was a simple design
You mess it up every time
How could you leave me behind

It's alright, it's alright
'cause I know what you want
but you'll just have to wait
If I had it to give
I would give it away
I'm living it up
while I'm falling from grace
There's no way
There's no way that I'm running away
8. 2005 - Another new band. An actor is the frontman for the band. A track from their second and latest album. From the beginning...
A revolution has begun today for me inside
The ultimate defense is to pretend
Revolve around yourself just like an ordinary man
The only other option is to forget

Does it feel like we've never been alive?
Does it seem like it's only just begun?

Defy yourself just to look inside the wreckage of your past
To lose it all you have to do is lie
The policy is set and we are never turning back
It's time for execution; time to execute
Time for execution; time to execute
9. 1999 - A pretty popular band. This is a track from their third album. First verse...
Well, I woke up in mid-afternoon cause that's when it all hurts the most
I dream I never know anyone at the party and I'm always the host
If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts
You can never escape, you can only move south down the coast
Well, I am an idiot walking a tightrope of fortune and fame
I am an acrobat swinging trapezes through circles of flame
If you've never stared off into the distance, then your life is a shame
And though I'll never forget your face, sometimes I can't remember my name
10. 1981 - This band was around for quite a while, but this was their biggest hit. There was even a movie with the same title with this song on the soundtrack album. First verse...
Caroline laughs and it's raining all day
She loves to be one of the girls
She lives in the place in the side of our lives
Where nothing is ever put straight
She turns herself round and she smiles and she says
"This is it. That's the end of the joke"
And loses herself in her dreaming and sleep
And her lovers walk through in their coats

Answers to Last Week's Music Quiz

1. 2006 - A newer band. First verse...
If I had to
I would put myself right beside you
So let me ask
Would you like that?
Would you like that?

And I don't mind
If you say this love is the last time
So now I'll ask
Do you like that?
Do you like that?

No!

Something's getting in the way.

Something's just about to break.

I will try to find my place in the diary of Jane.

So tell me how it should be.


Breaking Benjamin - "The Diary of Jane"
2. 2006 - Another new band. Third verse and chorus...
This is the fall,
This is the long way down.
And our lives look smaller now,
And our lives look so small.
Willingly crying.

This is the fall,
This is the long way down.
And our lives look smaller now,
And our lives look so small.

Under the summer rain, I burnt away.
Under the summer rain (Burn!)
We find a way.

A.F.I. - "Summer Shudder"
3. 1985 - This woman has been recording since the late '70. A song on her greatest hits album. This is basically the chorus as the song is winding down...
I found a fox
Caught by dogs.
He let me take him in my hands.
His little heart,
It beats so fast,
And I'm ashamed of running away
From nothing real--
I just can't deal with this,
I'm still afraid to be there,
Among your hounds of love,
And feel your arms surround me.
I've always been a coward,
And never know what's good for me.

Oh, here I go
Don't let me go
Hold me down
It's coming for me through the trees.
Oh, help me, darling,
Help me, please!

And take my shoes off
And throw them in the lake,
And I'll be
Two steps on the water.

I don't know whats good for me.
I don't know whats good for me.
I need love love love love love, yeah!
Your love!

Kate Bush - "Hounds of Love"
4. 2004 - A band that's been around since the early '90s. This is from their latest album. First verse minus the last line that gives away the song's title...
Thought I ran into you down on the street
Then it turned out to only be a dream
I made a point to burn all of the photographs
She went away and then I took a different path
I remember the face
But I can't recall the name
Now I wonder how whatsername has been

Green Day - "Whatsername"
5. 1974 - This band recorded their first album in 1969. This is from a very ambitious concept album. First verse...
All the pumping's nearly over for my sweet heart,
This is the one for me,
Time to meet the chef,
O boy! The running man is out of death.
Feel cold and old, it's getting hard to catch my breath.
It's back to ash,
Now you've had your flash, boy
The rocks, in time, compress your blood to oil,
your flesh to coal,
enrich the soil,
not everybody's goal.

Anyway,
They say she comes on a pale horse,
But I'm sure I hear a train.
O boy! I don't even feel no pain
I guess I must be driving myself insane.
Damn it all!
Does earth plug a hole in heaven,
Or heaven plug a hole in Earth
How wonderful to be so profound,
When everything you are is dying underground.

Genesis - "Anyway"
6. 1984 - This band's been around since the early '80s. This is some early stuff. The lyrics are practically unintelligible, but this song got quite a bit of airplay back in the day. First verse and chorus.l..
Did you never call?
I waited for your call
These rivers of suggestion are driving me away
The trees will bend,
The cities wash away
The city on the river
There's a girl without a dream

I'm sorry
I'm sorry
I'm sorry
I'm sorry

R.E.M. - "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"
7. 1976 - This gent was popular in the U.S. for about fifteen minutes. He had about three hits, then faded back into obscurity. This is one of them. Third verse and what passes for a chorus...
Late last night, the rain was knocking on my window
I moved across the darkened room and in the lamp glow
I thought I saw down in the street
The spirit of the century
Telling us that we're all standing on the border

In the islands where I grew up
Nothing seems the same
It's just the patterns that remain
An empty shell
But there's a strangeness in the air you feel too well

Al Stewart - "On the Border"
8. 2002 - Music from this century. This is an album track from this band's first album. First and second verses minus the chorus...
I wanna be there when you call
I wanna catch you when you fall
I wanna be the one you need
I wanna be the one you breathe

Today’s the day we’ll fade away, oh
Today’s the day we’ll fade away, oh
Today’s the day we’ll find our way grown
Today’s the day we’ll fade away

I wanna be there when you cry
And when you’re down, I’ll help you fly
I wanna be the one you need
I wanna be the one you breathe

Seether - "Fade Away"
9. 1981 - Another guy who was popular for just a short time. This is his first hit and only one other was bigger. And the title is not what you might think. First verse and chorus...
We had broken up for good just an hour before
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aaah
And now I'm staring at the bodies as they're dancing 'cross the floor
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aaah
And then the band slowed the tempo and the music takes me down
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aaah
It was the same old song with a melancholy sound
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aaah

They don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't write 'em like that anymore

The Greg Kihn Band - "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)"
10. 1973 - A big hit from a guy who's had a bunch of 'em. First verse...
It's getting late, have you seen my mates
Ma, tell me when the boys get here
It's seven o'clock and I want to rock
Want to get a belly full of beer
My old man's drunker than a barrel full of monkeys
And my old lady she don't care
My sister looks cute in her braces and boots
A handful of grease in her hair

Don't give us none of your aggravation
We had it with your discipline
Saturday night's alright for fighting
Get a little action in

Elton John - "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"