Thank God all MY money's in CDs!

Sorry about the delay in posts around here. Busy times all around. The Missus and I went to Cancun for a week (more on THAT later!) so of course the work-week BEFORE was hell, and the work-week AFTER was double hell. It's really not even worth going away to "relax" if you just have to double or triple up your workload in order to do it. But of course while we were away (and returned) the whole world seemed to catch fire and spiral out of control. I'm no economic genius by any means... as a matter fact, I went to art school. So I have no advice or solutions or ideas as to what to do or what's right. All I know is that I just bought a 2 terabyte drive, and have been working on getting ALL my music onto it, so that I'd be able to comb through the collections better and more easily for this blog. I have no stocks (other than some retirement accounts) so it looks like the all-CD (and cassette, and album, and MP3) investment strategy is really paying off in these trying economic times.

A quick Sidenote/Question:
With all of the bank failures going on around here, why on freaking EARTH can't one of them be North Fork Bank (and or Capital One), my sworn and mortal enemy? (see previous posts for details). I swear to GOD the day that bank fails is the night that drinks for the entire bar are on ME!

I DID get a great email suggesting an alternative to use the billions and billions of dollars proposed for bailing out the financial institutions. I'll post it here, if for nothing else than a good laugh. Thanks to Phil Roc for sending it my way!

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I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.

Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a 'We Deserve It Dividend'.

To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+.

Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child.. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billion that equals $425,000.00. My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a 'We Deserve It Dividend'..

Of course, it would NOT be tax free.

So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.

Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.

That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.

But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.

A husband and wife has $595,000.00. What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?

Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.

Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads

Put away money for college - it'll be there

Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.

Buy a new car - create jobs

Invest in the market - capital drives growth

Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves

Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( 'vote buy' ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!

As for AIG - liquidate it.

Sell off its parts.

Let American General go back to being American General.

Sell off the real estate.

Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.

Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.

Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work."

But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!

How do you spell Economic Boom?

I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion

'We Deserve It Dividend' more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC

And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.

Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

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And, just for fun, here are some tunes to get you though the meltdown. It's pretty Pearl Jam heavy, but filled with some fantastic covers and ultra-rare collaborations (Bono, Robert Plant!?!??! Need I say more?) But besides Pearl Jam, there are some other great ones in there, not to mention my new obessive-favorite-listen-to-it-over-and-over song by Easyworld! Drink Up. Drink another. Kick back and watch it all burn.

Download: Easyworld: U Make Me Want to Drink Bleach

Download: Bloc Party: Like Eating Glass

Download: Pearl Jam w/ Robert Plant: Money (That's What I Want)

Download: Pearl Jam w/Bono: Rocking In The Free World (N. Young) (+ Improv)

Download: Nine Inch Nails: All The Pigs, All Lined Up

Download: Pearl Jam w/ John Doe: The New World w/ Revolution (Beatles)

Download: Pearl Jam: The American In Me (Avengers)

Download: Pearl Jam: Grievance

Download: Nirvana: Pay To Play (early demo of "Stay Away")

Download: R.E.M: The End Of The World As We Know It (Live)


As always, Enjoy! (And F#CK Banks. Seriously)

* * * * * * * * * *

I tried to write this yesterday, but it was a crazy day (with work and class) and time got away from me.

Funny how I just described yesterday as "crazy." How quickly my brain forgets just what a crazy day IS. A truly crazy day finds you running late for work, hearing a "boom" outside as you scramble to get dressed and get out the door for work. You think to yourself "Sounds like rain... better bring the umbrella."

Crazy thing is, when you get outside, it's a beautiful sunny day. Your neighbors are all in front of your building, staring straight up at a smoking tower. You ask what happened? Malfunction? Pilot had a heart attack? Small plane? Big one? Nobody knows. You can smell the jet fuel burning. You look up at it. Away towards your neighbors. Back up. Back to them. Out of the corner of your eye, another "boom."

A crazy thought crosses your mind. "How could there be TWO malfunctions, only minutes apart?"

You go back upstairs, call the office, and tell everyone to go home.

You turn on the TV. You expect to see the towers burning on the screen. INSTEAD you see a burning Pentagon.

The day had only just BEGUN to get crazy.

I've been back to the site (or passed it) every year since on September 11th, but for some reason this year I just couldn't make time. Because, you know, it's been 7 whole years and all. And besides, I'm a very busy guy. Nothing stops. But today I regret it. I'm embarrassed that I didn't get to, but I figured If I posted here at least I could make up for it. I pulled a few songs and I really should leave it at that. Those stupid bumper stickers that say "Never Forget"? Well, they're not wrong for reminding us.

I'll be back to cheerier stuff tomorrow. Enjoy the music for today!

Download: Pearl Jam: The Long Road

Download: Pearl Jam: Untitled

Download: Pearl Jam: I Am Mine

Download: Eddie Vedder: Goodbye

Download: Eddie Vedder: Satellite

P.S... A day later, talking with a friend, we came to the conclusion that it takes a lot more than international terrorism to take ME out. God knows, bigger men have tried. Good Luck with that, North Fork Bank.

P.P.S... Happy 33rd birthday to Marty. Could anyone POSSIBLY have a worse birthdate?!?!?! Here's to at least 1 more!

The Black Angels' Second Coming

I have waited patiently to post The Black Angels here on this blog, and for you readers, my patience has paid off in dividends! Oh sure, i could have just rushed a post of one of my favorite bands, and probably put up a few standout tracks from their first, unbelievable album "Passover." (Don't worry, i'm still going to post a few!) But now, with their release of album number 2, "Directions to See a Ghost" I am so much more in awe of them, I have a new track or two to post as well. But love them so much that I do, not only do I have these tracks for you, but I had been holding out to see if I could get you guys anything more cool or rare... And the other day I hit a jackpot! A full live show bootleg of them from Sheffield, May 20th, 2008!

These guys sound like if The Velvet Underground and The Jesus and Mary Chain had a 60s love-child who grew up and protested the religious right and the war machine. Like penut butter and chocolate, it's pretty much my ultimate combination of flavors!

Here we go, off their first album, Passover:

Download: The Black Angels: Young Men Dead

Download: The Black Angels: The First Vietnamese War

Download: The Black Angels: Bloodhounds On My Trail

And off their brand new, second album, Directions to See A Ghost:

Download: The Black Angels: You On The Run


And the prize of the day, an entire live show (in WAV format, so the file size is kind of big)

Download: The Black Angels: Live In Sheffield - May 20th, 2008

Enjoy!

Guest DJ #001

Feedback has started to trickle in regarding some of the music postings on this here blog!! We created a few more obsessed fans for The National, a few others are going to check out Everclear and Cracker playing a free show in New Jersey this weekend, and the other day I just got my first submission of tracks I had not heard, suggesting that they might be blog-fodder!

Well, without further delay, let's start a new (hopefully recurring) episode of "User Submitted" tracks, this first one being from Bob L. in Baltimore.

First up, we have Neko Case, with her FINE cover of "Train From Kansas City" first done by the 60's girl group The Shangrala's. This song was just right up my alley... very hard to not sing along with. She combines punk's do it yourself ethic, a strong business sense, and frequently infuses humorous narratives into her live sets. She's touring this summer (mostly across the Southwest and West Coast) but if you have the chance, check her out!

Download: Neko Case: Train From Kansas City

Next up was a real surprise for me, with an artist I had not heard, which just blew me away, Sam Roberts. The track suggested (and posted) is the second track from his latest CD "We Were Born In A Flame" called "Where Have All The Good People Gone?"... once I listened to it (and really liked it) I poked around some more and found another track which I loved as well, called 'Hard Road." Check them out, I'm sure you'll enjoy them!

Download: Sam Roberts: Where Have All The Good People Gone?

Download: Sam Roberts: Hard Road

Just for fun, I am adding to this playlist, my favorite Jack Johnson song (look for many future posts with HIM featured) called "Where'd All The Good People Go?" since the titles are so similar, I thought it would be a fun counterpoint to Sam. Working in broadcast television, this song could simply not be any truer. If you hate the evil, corporate, base, crass divisive and obscene direction the media has taken over the last decade, then you will LOVE this song!

Download: Jack Johnson: Good People

And to finish it up in a fun way, our guest blogger (enjoying my last x-files related posting with Bree Sharp) suggested I post another great one by her, a fantastic cover of "The Boys of Summer." Really really fun.

Download: Bree Sharp: The Boys of Summer

There you have it, our first guest DJ! (With a bit of editorial on my end! Ha!) Thanks again for the submission, please send me more! If there's something YOU'VE been listening to and loving, and think the rest of us should hear it, shoot me an email or leave me a comment in the blog, and I would be thrilled to post it! After all, community interaction is really the entire point of these blogs, no?

As Always, Enjoy!

I Still Believe

After reading so many horrible reviews about the new X Files movie "I Want to Believe" Alicia and I resigned ourself to the unpleasant fact that it must be terrible and that we would wait until cable or Netflix to watch it, if at all. Like an old relationship, we both thought it might be better to remember it fondly for the good times, rather than try to rekindle it only to have it burn and disappoint worse than ever before.

It's no secret that we were both horribly sad to see our beloved series die the way it did, way back in 2002. So when the reviews started piling up, and when B'More John said he was disappointed, we figured we'd let the dead rest in peace.

But after such a huge party weekend, we were so dead tired on Sunday that after brunch we bit the bullet and prepared for the worst, and ponied up for 2 tickets to see it.

Boy were we pleased! Maybe it's because our expectations were so low, or maybe because we were so tired.. but it really WAS just like a great longer version of an X-Files episode. Don't get me wrong, the critic's points are true... this episode was stand-alone, not following or furthering the mythology in any way, and doesn't even TRY to answer any of the 8 million loose ends the series left... but for a few fans who enjoy the characters and aren't expecting the second coming of film, this is MORE than a great way to spend a lazy Sunday evening. It was great to see the characters again, the cinematography was great, acting above what I expected, no "cringe" moments, a suitably creepy crime to investigate, and some deeper themes that made a summer popcorn film watchers brain feel well creeped-out.

Is it a great film? No. Is it the key to the X-Files universe? No. Does it do the franchise proud and make you want to see lots more? Without question!

In honor of the film, and David D's hit show "Californication" on Showtime, and also I guess in honor of his checking himself into Sex Addiction Therapy, I'll post for you a great one-hit wonder song by Bree Sharp, played (at Aliciia's insistence) every time we are in the car headed for Baltimore (without fail)...

Download: Bree Sharp: David Duchovny (Why Don't You Love Me?)