LISTEN TO MY FIRST WORDS OF 2024
Jan. 1st, 2024 09:35 am
There’s this music meme floating around.
I answered it in the form of a Spotify.
PRODUCTION NOTE: If the playlist is showing Jerry Reed's "The Preacher and the Bear", ignore it. It was my original choice for Track 1 but then Spotify deleted it from their library while I was working on this. No idea why they did that. or why it's showing up in the embedded playlist.
Time is short,
This is dF
I answered it in the form of a Spotify.
PRODUCTION NOTE: If the playlist is showing Jerry Reed's "The Preacher and the Bear", ignore it. It was my original choice for Track 1 but then Spotify deleted it from their library while I was working on this. No idea why they did that. or why it's showing up in the embedded playlist.
Time is short,
This is dF
The 30-Day Song Challenge is making the rounds. I’ve seen similar challenges. The current one looks like this.
And I like a song challenge as much as anyone, but my past experience indicates that I’m not likely to keep it going one day at a time with any consistency, and people will lose track or lose interest by, say, Day 12.
So I thought, “Why not just make a mixtape and be done with it?”
So here you go.
NOTE 1: If you have a free account and only listen to the mobile app, the shuffle play will screw up the running order so it doesn’t match the graphic. In which case, have fun trying to guess which song goes with which day.
NOTE 2: No matter what order the songs play in, the running time clocks in at exactly two hours (not including ads). I want you to know that because it took some effort to get it that way.
NOTE 3: While I elected not to do a daily version here, I did do one on Facebook, which is just more conducive to this kind of thing. And if you followed it on FB, I should explain that the Spotify version has one slight modification for Day 14.
The correct answer to “A Song You’d Love To be Played At Your Wedding” is the theme song to “Pinky and the Brain” –because (1) I’m already married and (2) that is literally the song we marched down the aisle to. Sadly, it’s not on Spotify (not the original version, anyway – there are a few covers), so for the Spotify list, I substituted it with Spike Jones’ “William Tell Overture” – and technically I would have loved for that to be played at our wedding if I’d still had a copy at the time.
Anyway.
30 days in the hole,
This is dF
And I like a song challenge as much as anyone, but my past experience indicates that I’m not likely to keep it going one day at a time with any consistency, and people will lose track or lose interest by, say, Day 12.
So I thought, “Why not just make a mixtape and be done with it?”
So here you go.
NOTE 1: If you have a free account and only listen to the mobile app, the shuffle play will screw up the running order so it doesn’t match the graphic. In which case, have fun trying to guess which song goes with which day.
NOTE 2: No matter what order the songs play in, the running time clocks in at exactly two hours (not including ads). I want you to know that because it took some effort to get it that way.
NOTE 3: While I elected not to do a daily version here, I did do one on Facebook, which is just more conducive to this kind of thing. And if you followed it on FB, I should explain that the Spotify version has one slight modification for Day 14.
The correct answer to “A Song You’d Love To be Played At Your Wedding” is the theme song to “Pinky and the Brain” –because (1) I’m already married and (2) that is literally the song we marched down the aisle to. Sadly, it’s not on Spotify (not the original version, anyway – there are a few covers), so for the Spotify list, I substituted it with Spike Jones’ “William Tell Overture” – and technically I would have loved for that to be played at our wedding if I’d still had a copy at the time.
Anyway.
30 days in the hole,
This is dF
Instructions: Answer each category with a song title.
There are rules on how to do this, but I broke most of them so there’s no point passing them on.
1. Something to Wear
2. Something to Drink
3. A Place
4. A Food
5. An Animal
6. A Number
7. A Color
8. A Girl’s Name
9. A Boy’s Name
10. A Profession
11. Home
12. Flower
13. An Emotion
14. Something in Sight
For my answers, please enjoy this splendid Spotify playlist especially engineered to fit a one-hour commercial free radio block.
Sing your memes,
This is dF
There are rules on how to do this, but I broke most of them so there’s no point passing them on.
1. Something to Wear
2. Something to Drink
3. A Place
4. A Food
5. An Animal
6. A Number
7. A Color
8. A Girl’s Name
9. A Boy’s Name
10. A Profession
11. Home
12. Flower
13. An Emotion
14. Something in Sight
For my answers, please enjoy this splendid Spotify playlist especially engineered to fit a one-hour commercial free radio block.
Sing your memes,
This is dF
Haven’t done one of these for awhile, and it features questions I haven’t answered before, so why not?
Senior year of high school
The year: 1983
1. Did you know your spouse?
No.
2. Did you carpool to school?
If the school bus counts as carpooling, then yes.
3. What kind of car did you have?
I had no car. I occasionally borrowed my mom’s AMC Rambler station wagon with unreliable brakes and required a screwdriver to open the doors.
4. It's FRIDAY night football, were you there?
No. And why is Friday in all caps?
5. What kind of job did you have?
I didn’t. I was generally unemployable. I mostly mowed lawns for pocket money.
6. Were you a party animal?
No. I was never invited to parties, and probably wouldn’t have gone if I had been.
7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
None of the above. I was in the Drama Club.
8. Were you a nerd?
Let’s just say I got beat up behind the portables a lot.
9. Did you get suspended or expelled?
No.
10. Can you sing the fight/school song?
I don’t remember what it was. I’m not 100% sure we even had one.
11. Where did you eat lunch?
The cafeteria.
12. What was your school mascot?
A commando.
13. If you could go back and do it again, would you?
Never.
14. Planning on going to your next high school reunion?
I haven't been to any of them, so why start now?
15. Are you still in contact with people from high school?
I’m in contact with a couple of people who I knew while I was in high school, but they didn't go to the same school as me.
16. Do you know where your high school sweetheart is today?
No idea.
17. What was your favorite subject?
Art.
18. Do you still have your High School Ring?
I never got one. That was for kids with money. Also, I’ve never been one for jewelry.
19. Do you still have your yearbook?
I don’t know. If I do, it’s in storage in my mom’s house somewhere, gathering dust, cobwebs and mold. I’m not in any hurry to dig for it.
School’s out completely,
This is dF
Senior year of high school
The year: 1983
1. Did you know your spouse?
No.
2. Did you carpool to school?
If the school bus counts as carpooling, then yes.
3. What kind of car did you have?
I had no car. I occasionally borrowed my mom’s AMC Rambler station wagon with unreliable brakes and required a screwdriver to open the doors.
4. It's FRIDAY night football, were you there?
No. And why is Friday in all caps?
5. What kind of job did you have?
I didn’t. I was generally unemployable. I mostly mowed lawns for pocket money.
6. Were you a party animal?
No. I was never invited to parties, and probably wouldn’t have gone if I had been.
7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
None of the above. I was in the Drama Club.
8. Were you a nerd?
Let’s just say I got beat up behind the portables a lot.
9. Did you get suspended or expelled?
No.
10. Can you sing the fight/school song?
I don’t remember what it was. I’m not 100% sure we even had one.
11. Where did you eat lunch?
The cafeteria.
12. What was your school mascot?
A commando.
13. If you could go back and do it again, would you?
Never.
14. Planning on going to your next high school reunion?
I haven't been to any of them, so why start now?
15. Are you still in contact with people from high school?
I’m in contact with a couple of people who I knew while I was in high school, but they didn't go to the same school as me.
16. Do you know where your high school sweetheart is today?
No idea.
17. What was your favorite subject?
Art.
18. Do you still have your High School Ring?
I never got one. That was for kids with money. Also, I’ve never been one for jewelry.
19. Do you still have your yearbook?
I don’t know. If I do, it’s in storage in my mom’s house somewhere, gathering dust, cobwebs and mold. I’m not in any hurry to dig for it.
School’s out completely,
This is dF
More later – I’m going to let the details settle into place before I post anything else.
DISCLAIMER: I'd planned to post this regardless of who won. It's not about who wins so much as how we react to it. And right now we're living in a state of constant polarized rage.
A house divided,
This is dF
I don’t usually respond to political memes, because it’s the equivalent of arguing with a mentally ill brick wall.
But I’ve come across a couple that are currently making the rounds that I feel are worthy of a response, because they try to make intelligent points – or what they imagine are intelligent points. So okay.
1. Conservatives are grown-ups (unlike “takers”)
This is a variation on an old favorite in conservative circles: personal responsibility. Paying yr own way is a virtue. Relying on govt programs is not, because people who use govt programs are “takers”: lazy irresponsible children who demand everything be handed to them by the nanny state.
Which is really just another way of saying: “I resent the fact that other people can take my tax money and buy stuff I have to pay for myself.”
As you might imagine, I don’t agree with this, partly because I personally don’t mind if my tax money is used to fund public services, but mainly because I think it’s based on a false premise: namely, that all people who use govt programs are freeloaders who aren’t willing to work and the equivalent of irresponsible children. Yes, some of them are. Many of them are not. So I think it’s unfair, unrealistic and mean to yank their safety net out from under them just because some people in the same net are loafers. Characterizing them as irresponsible children is oversimplistic and, well, lazy.
I also don't really buy into the libertarian fantasy that participation in society should be based solely on your ability to pay for basic necessities, and that if you can’t afford birth control, food, a mortgage, college education or a cell phone, yr not entitled to have them. We can argue over whether things like college and cell phones count as necessities, perhaps. But that’s a different argument from whether people who can’t afford to pay for them on their own are lazy irresponsible children. That’s just an excuse to pretend that people who can’t make ends meet or keep up with the rest of society only have themselves to blame, and therefore are not yr problem.
2. If you don’t vote, Trump happens
This is usually forwarded by left-leaning people worried that voter apathy leads to people like Trump winning the the White House – or worse, Bernie Sanders losing the Demo nomination to Hillary Clinton.
I’m all for voter participation, but I have a problem with the argument that if everyone votes, then good candidates will win (and by “good” they usually mean “the specific candidate I’ve been supporting with every other meme that I post here”). Actually there’s no guarantee that a higher turnout will swing a particular result, except in retrospect, when you can point to examples where, say, your party had only 25% voter turnout while the opposition party had 45% voter turnout. But the party base usually only accounts for about 30% of the electorate. The remaining unaffiliated 40% could go either way depending on all kinds of factors. So if you have 100% voter turnout, the opposition candidate could still win.
Put another way, if you have 100% turnout and yr candidate still loses, is that better than if they lost with only (say) 40% turnout? And would you be more accepting of the result?
Also, people who forward memes like this tend to believe there is a stark difference between the two parties. Well, sure, if you believe every fool meme that pops up on yr Facebook feed catering to yr specific political bias. But many people don’t see all that much difference. To some people (including me to a point), the GOP and the Democratic Party suck in different ways, perhaps, but they still basically suck. I don’t belong to either party, and I haven’t been that happy with the POTUS choices offered to me since at least 1996. This year is a little different in the sense that both parties’ candidates are being pulled closer to the ideological fringe. But political polarization has made change even less likely, so I can’t blame people for thinking it doesn’t really matter who wins, we’re screwed anyway, so why bother?
BONUS TRACK: On a side note, I’ll add a comment about a related meme complaining about the Democratic use of superdelegates, which at the moment is favoring Hillary. Sanders supporters are complaining this subverts the will of the people and that it's a plot by the DNC to steal the election for Hillary.
I’ve heard this one before back when people were complaining about the electoral college in 2000, where Al Gore won the pop vote but lost the electoral vote (Florida’s hanging chads notwithstanding.) I think that’s a valid discussion, but regarding the way the current superdelegate argument is being framed, I just have a few things to say about it:
1. Many of the people complaining about superdelegates don’t seem to understand how the process works (or how political parties work, for that matter).
2. Even of they do, I will bet good money that if the superdelegates were backing Sanders instead of Clinton, the Sanders supporters would not have a single bad thing to say about the superdelegate system.
3. If the GOP had a superdelegate system, it’s possible that the current frontrunners in the delegate count would not be Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
Of course I realize that Sanders fans are delighted at having Trump or Cruz as the GOP nominee, because they’re pretty sure America as a whole won’t vote for the crazy guy. But think of it this way: one of the purposes of the electoral college is to give political parties the ability to prevent The American Voters from electing any dangerous demagogue yahoo who knows how to work the rubes. (The superdelegate system serves a similar purpose.) So if you want the pop vote to determine all election outcomes, that’s fine – just remember that sometimes the population doesn’t always make the smartest decisions about who would make a good POTUS.
Trump and Cruz are getting closer and closer to proving that.
It can’t happen here,
This is dF
But I’ve come across a couple that are currently making the rounds that I feel are worthy of a response, because they try to make intelligent points – or what they imagine are intelligent points. So okay.
1. Conservatives are grown-ups (unlike “takers”)
This is a variation on an old favorite in conservative circles: personal responsibility. Paying yr own way is a virtue. Relying on govt programs is not, because people who use govt programs are “takers”: lazy irresponsible children who demand everything be handed to them by the nanny state.
Which is really just another way of saying: “I resent the fact that other people can take my tax money and buy stuff I have to pay for myself.”
As you might imagine, I don’t agree with this, partly because I personally don’t mind if my tax money is used to fund public services, but mainly because I think it’s based on a false premise: namely, that all people who use govt programs are freeloaders who aren’t willing to work and the equivalent of irresponsible children. Yes, some of them are. Many of them are not. So I think it’s unfair, unrealistic and mean to yank their safety net out from under them just because some people in the same net are loafers. Characterizing them as irresponsible children is oversimplistic and, well, lazy.
I also don't really buy into the libertarian fantasy that participation in society should be based solely on your ability to pay for basic necessities, and that if you can’t afford birth control, food, a mortgage, college education or a cell phone, yr not entitled to have them. We can argue over whether things like college and cell phones count as necessities, perhaps. But that’s a different argument from whether people who can’t afford to pay for them on their own are lazy irresponsible children. That’s just an excuse to pretend that people who can’t make ends meet or keep up with the rest of society only have themselves to blame, and therefore are not yr problem.
2. If you don’t vote, Trump happens
This is usually forwarded by left-leaning people worried that voter apathy leads to people like Trump winning the the White House – or worse, Bernie Sanders losing the Demo nomination to Hillary Clinton.
I’m all for voter participation, but I have a problem with the argument that if everyone votes, then good candidates will win (and by “good” they usually mean “the specific candidate I’ve been supporting with every other meme that I post here”). Actually there’s no guarantee that a higher turnout will swing a particular result, except in retrospect, when you can point to examples where, say, your party had only 25% voter turnout while the opposition party had 45% voter turnout. But the party base usually only accounts for about 30% of the electorate. The remaining unaffiliated 40% could go either way depending on all kinds of factors. So if you have 100% voter turnout, the opposition candidate could still win.
Put another way, if you have 100% turnout and yr candidate still loses, is that better than if they lost with only (say) 40% turnout? And would you be more accepting of the result?
Also, people who forward memes like this tend to believe there is a stark difference between the two parties. Well, sure, if you believe every fool meme that pops up on yr Facebook feed catering to yr specific political bias. But many people don’t see all that much difference. To some people (including me to a point), the GOP and the Democratic Party suck in different ways, perhaps, but they still basically suck. I don’t belong to either party, and I haven’t been that happy with the POTUS choices offered to me since at least 1996. This year is a little different in the sense that both parties’ candidates are being pulled closer to the ideological fringe. But political polarization has made change even less likely, so I can’t blame people for thinking it doesn’t really matter who wins, we’re screwed anyway, so why bother?
BONUS TRACK: On a side note, I’ll add a comment about a related meme complaining about the Democratic use of superdelegates, which at the moment is favoring Hillary. Sanders supporters are complaining this subverts the will of the people and that it's a plot by the DNC to steal the election for Hillary.
I’ve heard this one before back when people were complaining about the electoral college in 2000, where Al Gore won the pop vote but lost the electoral vote (Florida’s hanging chads notwithstanding.) I think that’s a valid discussion, but regarding the way the current superdelegate argument is being framed, I just have a few things to say about it:
1. Many of the people complaining about superdelegates don’t seem to understand how the process works (or how political parties work, for that matter).
2. Even of they do, I will bet good money that if the superdelegates were backing Sanders instead of Clinton, the Sanders supporters would not have a single bad thing to say about the superdelegate system.
3. If the GOP had a superdelegate system, it’s possible that the current frontrunners in the delegate count would not be Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
Of course I realize that Sanders fans are delighted at having Trump or Cruz as the GOP nominee, because they’re pretty sure America as a whole won’t vote for the crazy guy. But think of it this way: one of the purposes of the electoral college is to give political parties the ability to prevent The American Voters from electing any dangerous demagogue yahoo who knows how to work the rubes. (The superdelegate system serves a similar purpose.) So if you want the pop vote to determine all election outcomes, that’s fine – just remember that sometimes the population doesn’t always make the smartest decisions about who would make a good POTUS.
Trump and Cruz are getting closer and closer to proving that.
It can’t happen here,
This is dF
YR NEW FAVORITE BAND (MEME EDITION)
Jan. 28th, 2016 12:06 pm
[Via Welcome To Little Bosnia]
Here’s what I got:
Not too bad.
Original image here.
And here’s the story of the actual Moby Prince Disaster.
Make some noise,
This is dF
2015 POLITICAL MEME POINTS™ SCORECARD
Jan. 4th, 2016 08:45 amFor the year ending December 31, 2015
NOTE: “Political Meme Points” = points scored by any political meme that supports your political ideology and – by doing so – completely decimates the opposing political ideology.
Political Meme Points scored by liberals: 7,882
Political Meme Points scored by conservatives: 7,881
Number of sociopolitical problems solved: 0
Number of opponents destroyed by a meme's irrefutable logic: 0
Number of arguments mutually resolved: 0
Keeping score,
This is dF
NOTE: “Political Meme Points” = points scored by any political meme that supports your political ideology and – by doing so – completely decimates the opposing political ideology.
Political Meme Points scored by liberals: 7,882
Political Meme Points scored by conservatives: 7,881
Number of sociopolitical problems solved: 0
Number of opponents destroyed by a meme's irrefutable logic: 0
Number of arguments mutually resolved: 0
Keeping score,
This is dF
FIVE (5) FACTS
Aug. 14th, 2014 10:59 am1. I have been trained by the US Govt to shoot down airplanes with a Gatling gun.
2. I interviewed Nile Rodgers while he was eating fish.
3. I did a Stripping Cop routine and a Stripping Pizza Delivery Boy routine for charity. The first one was planned. The second was improvised.
4. I own a guitar pick thrown at me by Johnny Ramone after the Ramones finished playing a gig in Nashville, TN.
5. I had the blues, but I shook them loose.
Nothing but the truth,
This is dF
2. I interviewed Nile Rodgers while he was eating fish.
3. I did a Stripping Cop routine and a Stripping Pizza Delivery Boy routine for charity. The first one was planned. The second was improvised.
4. I own a guitar pick thrown at me by Johnny Ramone after the Ramones finished playing a gig in Nashville, TN.
5. I had the blues, but I shook them loose.
Nothing but the truth,
This is dF
Here’s a sort of book meme:
io9 has posted a list of 21 of “the most influential science fiction and fantasy books”. It’s not meant to be definitive or complete. But a list is a list.
And this is what they came up with:
1) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
2) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
3) Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delaney
4) Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
5) War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
6) Foundation by Isaac Asimov
7) Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
8) Dangerous Visions, Edited by Harlan Ellison
8) Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
9) Ringworld by Larry Niven
10) The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
11) Neuromancer by William Gibson
12) Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
13) A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin
14) Kindred by Octavia Butler
15) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
16) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
17) The Wind-Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
18) The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
19) Slaughter-House Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
20) The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
21) Dune - Frank Herbert
You can read the justifications here.
The ones in bold font are ones that I’ve read.
The ones in italics are ones I have considered reading.
As for the rest … either I have no real interest or (in the case of Tolkien and Herbert) I’ve attempted to read them and gave up.
The same goes for Ursula Le Guin, though not for that specific book. I tried The Dispossessed and couldn’t get into it, but I could be tempted to try another one of her books. Certainly enough people whose opinion I respect have suggested I try the Earthsea books. So I can see myself giving her another try.
Octavia Butler I’m less sure about. I read one of her Patternmaster books (Mind Of My Mind) and while I actually finished it, it didn’t really do much for me. Maybe some of you can advise me if Kindred is worth trying.
I’m sure some may question the presence of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. I’m not entirely convinced about the latter. I’ve never read the books, but the justification provided by io9 isn't very strong – I don’t know if simply spawning a crop of cash-in imitators counts as “changing SF/F forever”. And anyway, it’s not like overthrowing authoritarian regimes hasn’t been a SF/F staple since at least the 1930s.
However, I think an argument can be made for Harry Potter, in the sense that I can’t name another book series in the history of book publishing where acquiring and reading the latest episode became a global group activity. Maybe it happens with the latest Game Of Thrones novels, but not nearly on the same level.
Speaking of which, I’m still not interested in A Game Of Thrones. At least not right now. I’m not ruling it out, but it’s not a big priority for me right now. I’m also indifferent to Samuel R. Delaney. I’ve never read him, but the books of his I’ve seen on shelves didn’t really interest me. Maybe one day they will.
As for the ones I have read … the only one I’m not that excited about is 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. It’s good, and I won’t deny Verne’s influence in SF, but I found it tedious at times. Apart from that, I’d highly recommend any of the others.
I’m gonna change yr life,
This is dF
io9 has posted a list of 21 of “the most influential science fiction and fantasy books”. It’s not meant to be definitive or complete. But a list is a list.
And this is what they came up with:
1) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
2) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
3) Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delaney
4) Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
5) War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
6) Foundation by Isaac Asimov
7) Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
8) Dangerous Visions, Edited by Harlan Ellison
8) Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
9) Ringworld by Larry Niven
10) The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
11) Neuromancer by William Gibson
12) Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
13) A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin
14) Kindred by Octavia Butler
15) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
16) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
17) The Wind-Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
18) The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
19) Slaughter-House Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
20) The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
21) Dune - Frank Herbert
You can read the justifications here.
The ones in bold font are ones that I’ve read.
The ones in italics are ones I have considered reading.
As for the rest … either I have no real interest or (in the case of Tolkien and Herbert) I’ve attempted to read them and gave up.
The same goes for Ursula Le Guin, though not for that specific book. I tried The Dispossessed and couldn’t get into it, but I could be tempted to try another one of her books. Certainly enough people whose opinion I respect have suggested I try the Earthsea books. So I can see myself giving her another try.
Octavia Butler I’m less sure about. I read one of her Patternmaster books (Mind Of My Mind) and while I actually finished it, it didn’t really do much for me. Maybe some of you can advise me if Kindred is worth trying.
I’m sure some may question the presence of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. I’m not entirely convinced about the latter. I’ve never read the books, but the justification provided by io9 isn't very strong – I don’t know if simply spawning a crop of cash-in imitators counts as “changing SF/F forever”. And anyway, it’s not like overthrowing authoritarian regimes hasn’t been a SF/F staple since at least the 1930s.
However, I think an argument can be made for Harry Potter, in the sense that I can’t name another book series in the history of book publishing where acquiring and reading the latest episode became a global group activity. Maybe it happens with the latest Game Of Thrones novels, but not nearly on the same level.
Speaking of which, I’m still not interested in A Game Of Thrones. At least not right now. I’m not ruling it out, but it’s not a big priority for me right now. I’m also indifferent to Samuel R. Delaney. I’ve never read him, but the books of his I’ve seen on shelves didn’t really interest me. Maybe one day they will.
As for the ones I have read … the only one I’m not that excited about is 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. It’s good, and I won’t deny Verne’s influence in SF, but I found it tedious at times. Apart from that, I’d highly recommend any of the others.
I’m gonna change yr life,
This is dF
Speaking of Classic Rock™ ...
I posted this on Facebook recently, but there’s no reason not to post it here.
By no means comprehensive or definitive, but these are ten that definitely stick out.
=================================================
TEN DEF ALBUMS THAT HAVE STUCK WITH ME OVER THE YEARS
1. David Bowie, Diamond Dogs
Bowie’s homage to 1984, and arguably my favorite Bowie album ever. There’s an otherworldly vibe to it that you just don’t get from his other classic albums, as though he had to tap into an alien universe to get it done.
2. Husker Du, Flip Your Wig
Definitely the most solid Husker Du album, and a major influence on my own attempts to play the guitar.
3. Devo, Freedom Of Choice
My first Devo album, which means that every song is ingrained into my skull, as is Devo’s satirical art-pop theories on devolution.
4. Butthole Surfers, Independent Worm Saloon
Butthole Surfers’ Hairway To Steven showed me just how terrifying and demented a rock band could sound. Their major label debut – produced by John Paul Jones, no less – somehow managed to make them sound scarier.
5. Black Sabbath, The Mob Rules
Black Sabbath showed me how dark a guitar sound could get – especially when you have Ronnie James Dio singing over it.
6. Rush, Moving Pictures
My first Rush album. Seven songs, not a dud on it. Changed my life forever. I can’t really add to that.
7. Electric Light Orchestra, Out Of The Blue
The more I listen to this, the more I realize how layered and diverse an album it is – and how Jeff Lynne’s lyrics actually don’t make as much sense as I originally thought.
8. Ramones, Rocket To Russia
I could also choose their first two albums, but Rocket To Russia is the one I always come back to. It’s the album where everything they were about just gelled. And production-wise it sounds better than their debut, so points for that.
9. Blue Oyster Cult, Secret Treaties
Probably BOC’s most consistently good album, with all the elements you’d want – horror, conspiracies, aliens – wrapped up in really strong songs. Also, it ends with “Astronomy”, the best BOC song ever.
10. Queen, Sheer Heart Attack
I should go with A Night At The Opera, probably, but I had a cassette of this when I was in US Army bootcamp, and I listened to it obsessively. So listening to it now taps into some serious memories for me.
Now I’m here,
This is dF
I posted this on Facebook recently, but there’s no reason not to post it here.
INSTRUCTIONS
Name ten albums that have stuck with you over the years
Name ten albums that have stuck with you over the years
By no means comprehensive or definitive, but these are ten that definitely stick out.
=================================================
TEN DEF ALBUMS THAT HAVE STUCK WITH ME OVER THE YEARS
1. David Bowie, Diamond Dogs
Bowie’s homage to 1984, and arguably my favorite Bowie album ever. There’s an otherworldly vibe to it that you just don’t get from his other classic albums, as though he had to tap into an alien universe to get it done.
2. Husker Du, Flip Your Wig
Definitely the most solid Husker Du album, and a major influence on my own attempts to play the guitar.
3. Devo, Freedom Of Choice
My first Devo album, which means that every song is ingrained into my skull, as is Devo’s satirical art-pop theories on devolution.
4. Butthole Surfers, Independent Worm Saloon
Butthole Surfers’ Hairway To Steven showed me just how terrifying and demented a rock band could sound. Their major label debut – produced by John Paul Jones, no less – somehow managed to make them sound scarier.
5. Black Sabbath, The Mob Rules
Black Sabbath showed me how dark a guitar sound could get – especially when you have Ronnie James Dio singing over it.
6. Rush, Moving Pictures
My first Rush album. Seven songs, not a dud on it. Changed my life forever. I can’t really add to that.
7. Electric Light Orchestra, Out Of The Blue
The more I listen to this, the more I realize how layered and diverse an album it is – and how Jeff Lynne’s lyrics actually don’t make as much sense as I originally thought.
8. Ramones, Rocket To Russia
I could also choose their first two albums, but Rocket To Russia is the one I always come back to. It’s the album where everything they were about just gelled. And production-wise it sounds better than their debut, so points for that.
9. Blue Oyster Cult, Secret Treaties
Probably BOC’s most consistently good album, with all the elements you’d want – horror, conspiracies, aliens – wrapped up in really strong songs. Also, it ends with “Astronomy”, the best BOC song ever.
10. Queen, Sheer Heart Attack
I should go with A Night At The Opera, probably, but I had a cassette of this when I was in US Army bootcamp, and I listened to it obsessively. So listening to it now taps into some serious memories for me.
Now I’m here,
This is dF
I tried this meme awhile back.
I remember at the time there was some debate about the accuracy of the analysis engine, and with my own results being all over the place, I was curious to see what my results would be this time.
The good news: my unpublished novel Bras From Mars no longer reads like a Dan Brown novel.
It’s more like Great Expectations, apparently.
Only with lingerie and Martians.
Also, my next novel project will make me the new Cory Doctorow.
Apart from that, my writing style does seem to be gelling. Apparently, my bloggery (both professional and personal), political rants, dream diaries and erotica, can be filed under the same result:
Ironically, I’ve never read Wallace. I’m told I should.
Anyway.
Infinite jest,
This is dF
I remember at the time there was some debate about the accuracy of the analysis engine, and with my own results being all over the place, I was curious to see what my results would be this time.
The good news: my unpublished novel Bras From Mars no longer reads like a Dan Brown novel.
It’s more like Great Expectations, apparently.
Only with lingerie and Martians.
Also, my next novel project will make me the new Cory Doctorow.
Apart from that, my writing style does seem to be gelling. Apparently, my bloggery (both professional and personal), political rants, dream diaries and erotica, can be filed under the same result:
Ironically, I’ve never read Wallace. I’m told I should.
Anyway.
Infinite jest,
This is dF
I don’t usually spend a lot of time criticizing Facebook memes.
But there’s one floating around from something called Knowledge Of Today that is sticking in my craw.
The text accompanying the above photo essentially says that a busker violinist (circled) in a metro station played six Bach pieces during rush hour, and made a little over $30. Hardly anyone stopped to listen to him play, apart from a few children. As it turns out, the busker was Joshua Bell (a famous violinist), the violin he played on was worth $3.5 million, and the whole thing was staged by the Washington Post as “part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people.”
And I can’t help thinking: “What a crock.”
Assuming the text is true (and this being a Facebook meme, there is no guarantee of that), I have a few issues with the message it's trying to get across:
1. Joshua Bell is not a household name.
Obviously it depends on the household, but generally speaking, classical music isn't all that popular, and classical musicians aren’t rock stars. Yes, they have fans, but how many people who passed by Joshua Bell that day even knew who he is? I’d never heard of him until I read this meme.
2. Buskers are commonplace in metro stations.
Buskers are already an accepted part of the scenery of most subway stations (except where they’re banned, which is presumably not the case in DC), and people walk past them every single day without stopping to listen, no matter how good they play. And some buskers do play amazingly well. There’s no reason for anyone who walked past Bell to assume he’s anything more than the usual part of the scenery.
3. It’s called Rush Hour for a reason.
People are RUSHING. They have someplace to be. Even if they wanted to stop and listen, they probably don’t have the time to listen for more than a minute.
4. Music is portable.
Lots of people listen to music on trains, via iPods or smartphones or whatever. Some of them may even listen to Joshua Bell recordings. The fact that they didn’t stop to listen to a busker doesn't mean they’re not taking the time to listen to beauty – they just have a more time-efficient way of doing it.
5. Who says Bach is the best music ever written?
Some people hate classical music. And many of the ones that do like it don’t necessarily like Bach. So the meme’s reasoning is not only flawed, it’s pretentious.
(While we’re at it, some people have no appreciation for art, either, even if they have all the time in the world to stop and check it out.)
So all up, the stated conclusion (“If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”) is highly flawed.
For one thing, it’s not even a conclusion. It’s a question. Moreover, it’s a leading question that assumes everyone who passed by Bell would either know who he is, know exceptional (vs good but not Carnegie-Hall good) violin playing when they hear it, like Bach (or at least classical music), and actually had the time to stop and listen to him play for 45 minutes.
I give this meme an “F”.
Or am I being snotty here?
Well, maybe a little. I guess I have a problem with memes that try to make some half-assed point about how the Modern Age makes us all workaholic robots and wouldn't the world be a nicer place if we all stopped to listen to classical music played by people as talented as Joshua Bell.
Or something.
Unplugged,
This is dF
But there’s one floating around from something called Knowledge Of Today that is sticking in my craw.
The text accompanying the above photo essentially says that a busker violinist (circled) in a metro station played six Bach pieces during rush hour, and made a little over $30. Hardly anyone stopped to listen to him play, apart from a few children. As it turns out, the busker was Joshua Bell (a famous violinist), the violin he played on was worth $3.5 million, and the whole thing was staged by the Washington Post as “part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people.”
The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”
And I can’t help thinking: “What a crock.”
Assuming the text is true (and this being a Facebook meme, there is no guarantee of that), I have a few issues with the message it's trying to get across:
1. Joshua Bell is not a household name.
Obviously it depends on the household, but generally speaking, classical music isn't all that popular, and classical musicians aren’t rock stars. Yes, they have fans, but how many people who passed by Joshua Bell that day even knew who he is? I’d never heard of him until I read this meme.
2. Buskers are commonplace in metro stations.
Buskers are already an accepted part of the scenery of most subway stations (except where they’re banned, which is presumably not the case in DC), and people walk past them every single day without stopping to listen, no matter how good they play. And some buskers do play amazingly well. There’s no reason for anyone who walked past Bell to assume he’s anything more than the usual part of the scenery.
3. It’s called Rush Hour for a reason.
People are RUSHING. They have someplace to be. Even if they wanted to stop and listen, they probably don’t have the time to listen for more than a minute.
4. Music is portable.
Lots of people listen to music on trains, via iPods or smartphones or whatever. Some of them may even listen to Joshua Bell recordings. The fact that they didn’t stop to listen to a busker doesn't mean they’re not taking the time to listen to beauty – they just have a more time-efficient way of doing it.
5. Who says Bach is the best music ever written?
Some people hate classical music. And many of the ones that do like it don’t necessarily like Bach. So the meme’s reasoning is not only flawed, it’s pretentious.
(While we’re at it, some people have no appreciation for art, either, even if they have all the time in the world to stop and check it out.)
So all up, the stated conclusion (“If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”) is highly flawed.
For one thing, it’s not even a conclusion. It’s a question. Moreover, it’s a leading question that assumes everyone who passed by Bell would either know who he is, know exceptional (vs good but not Carnegie-Hall good) violin playing when they hear it, like Bach (or at least classical music), and actually had the time to stop and listen to him play for 45 minutes.
I give this meme an “F”.
Or am I being snotty here?
Well, maybe a little. I guess I have a problem with memes that try to make some half-assed point about how the Modern Age makes us all workaholic robots and wouldn't the world be a nicer place if we all stopped to listen to classical music played by people as talented as Joshua Bell.
Or something.
Unplugged,
This is dF
As you know, I’m a sucker for book lists, if only because they make fun memes. That said, the Locus list should be read with the caveat that it’s an online poll, and the votes were all write-ins. So this list should be taken with a few grains of salt.
And I do have a few grains of my own:
1. There is no Norman Spinrad on it. I know Spinrad’s an acquired taste, but personally I don’t see how you could have a Best SF list this long without at least one of his books.
2. re: Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? – I’m a big fan of PKD, but honestly I suspect this particular book makes lists like this mostly because of the film version, which is markedly different from the book. It’s a good book, to be sure, but PKD has written far better books than this. Okay, two of them also made the list. Still.
3. I was not aware that Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude was a fantasy book.
4. I noticed that China Mieville’s The City & the City is listed in both SF and Fantasy for 21st Century books. I haven't read it, so maybe it’s a hybrid of both. Even so, surely there should be a rule against that.
Anyway, here’s my own stats:
20th Century:
I have read 25 of the Top 50 SF novels. Of the ones I have read, 14 are in the Top 20.
I have read 19 of top 50 fantasy novels – which is surprising to me as I don’t read much fantasy. Then again, some of them aren’t your typical “fantasy” genre novel (with swords and dragons and wizards and hobbitses and whatnot).
21st Century:
I have read 7 of top 15 SF novels.
And I have read 6 of top 15 fantasy novels.
The full list follows, with the usual meme rules:
Bold – read it
Italics – I want to read it or it’s already in my to-read pile
Italics/strikethrough – tried to read it but gave up
( How many have YOU read, kids? )
Off to the bookstore,
This is dF
PSY IS THE NEW FALCO
Sep. 26th, 2012 11:13 amDiscuss.
Yes, I know everyone’s seen this, and the horse dance is the hot new meme.
But watching this, I can’t help thinking of Falco.
Maybe it’s the sunglasses. Or the fact that he doesn’t take himself too seriously yet is all about the ladies, bling, bowtie and an insane amount of self-confidence. Then again, the point is to satirize that kind of gangnam lifestyle, so maybe it’s a superficial comparison.
Still, I have to say, in terms of pure aesthetics alone, this is a great video. Even if it is the most watched YouTube video ever.
Giddy-up,
This is dF
Yes, I know everyone’s seen this, and the horse dance is the hot new meme.
But watching this, I can’t help thinking of Falco.
Maybe it’s the sunglasses. Or the fact that he doesn’t take himself too seriously yet is all about the ladies, bling, bowtie and an insane amount of self-confidence. Then again, the point is to satirize that kind of gangnam lifestyle, so maybe it’s a superficial comparison.
Still, I have to say, in terms of pure aesthetics alone, this is a great video. Even if it is the most watched YouTube video ever.
Giddy-up,
This is dF
TEAM DEF DOES NOT DO THE GANGNAM STYLE
Sep. 26th, 2012 11:05 amBut we do like the Caramelldansen.
Wave yr hands in the air,
This is dF
Wave yr hands in the air,
This is dF
I SIDE WITH EVERYONE BUT MITT ROMNEY
Sep. 15th, 2012 11:54 amApparently.
[By order of phoenixisrisen, with additional motivation from![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bedsitter23 ]
Granted, all online political tests should be taken with as many grains of salt as required. And I will say it’s an incomplete test. If they’d asked what I thought about things like Gitmo, detention laws, and executive orders to assassinate US citizens, for example, Obama would be somewhat lower on that list – depending, I guess, on how Jill Stein and Gary Johnson feel about them.
Still, at least I found out who the heck Jill Stein is. I saw her name pop up on some Facebook memes. I had no idea who they were talking about. (As you might imagine, indie candidates don't get a lot of media attention in Hong Kong.)
FULL DISCLOSURE: The shareable image of my results doesn’t show this, but I agreed with Virgil Goode of the Constitution even less than I did with Mitt (20%). But both of them were below Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party (61%).
Also, I am in agreement with 62% of America. At least when it comes to politics.
When it comes to music, not so much.
DISCLAIMER: Not an endorsement of any particular candidate. For entertainment purposes only.
I am the decider,
This is dF
[By order of phoenixisrisen, with additional motivation from
bedsitter23 ]Granted, all online political tests should be taken with as many grains of salt as required. And I will say it’s an incomplete test. If they’d asked what I thought about things like Gitmo, detention laws, and executive orders to assassinate US citizens, for example, Obama would be somewhat lower on that list – depending, I guess, on how Jill Stein and Gary Johnson feel about them.
Still, at least I found out who the heck Jill Stein is. I saw her name pop up on some Facebook memes. I had no idea who they were talking about. (As you might imagine, indie candidates don't get a lot of media attention in Hong Kong.)
FULL DISCLOSURE: The shareable image of my results doesn’t show this, but I agreed with Virgil Goode of the Constitution even less than I did with Mitt (20%). But both of them were below Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party (61%).
Also, I am in agreement with 62% of America. At least when it comes to politics.
When it comes to music, not so much.
DISCLAIMER: Not an endorsement of any particular candidate. For entertainment purposes only.
I am the decider,
This is dF
ITEM: NPR has unveiled its list of the Top 100 Science-Fiction/Fantasy novels.
The list is reader-nominated and voted (with vetting by a panel of experts), so undoubtedly there will be debate over what should be there and what shouldn’t. Personally I wouldn’t have included graphic novels like Watchmen and the Sandman series. Also, while some people have complained about I Am Legend being on it (“it’s a vampire novel!”), I think it belongs partly because of the speculative/dystopian element, but also because it does treat vampirism as something that can be scientifically explained.
Also, no Spinrad? Srsly? And of all the PK Dick novels they could have gone with, they picked the book that’s better known for the film version which only barely resembles the book?
Anyway, it turns out I’ve read 45 of them. And it’ll hopefully be 46 in the next month or so, as The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein is literally in the reading queue – I have a copy in my “to read” pile.
Here’s the meme version (courtesy of pussreboots):
( Get yr meme on ... )
PRODUCTION NOTE: While I appreciate the readers/panelists deciding to include an entire series as a single entry, occasionally it doesn’t work. For example, I’ve only read some of the Xanth series, but I counted it anyway. And I’m curious as to why the Discworld series didn’t get its own entry. Maybe because it’s technically ongoing?
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION: For the ones with strikethroughs, if you’ve read those books and want to make a case for them.
Nerdtastic,
This is dF
The list is reader-nominated and voted (with vetting by a panel of experts), so undoubtedly there will be debate over what should be there and what shouldn’t. Personally I wouldn’t have included graphic novels like Watchmen and the Sandman series. Also, while some people have complained about I Am Legend being on it (“it’s a vampire novel!”), I think it belongs partly because of the speculative/dystopian element, but also because it does treat vampirism as something that can be scientifically explained.
Also, no Spinrad? Srsly? And of all the PK Dick novels they could have gone with, they picked the book that’s better known for the film version which only barely resembles the book?
Anyway, it turns out I’ve read 45 of them. And it’ll hopefully be 46 in the next month or so, as The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein is literally in the reading queue – I have a copy in my “to read” pile.
Here’s the meme version (courtesy of pussreboots):
( Get yr meme on ... )
PRODUCTION NOTE: While I appreciate the readers/panelists deciding to include an entire series as a single entry, occasionally it doesn’t work. For example, I’ve only read some of the Xanth series, but I counted it anyway. And I’m curious as to why the Discworld series didn’t get its own entry. Maybe because it’s technically ongoing?
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION: For the ones with strikethroughs, if you’ve read those books and want to make a case for them.
Nerdtastic,
This is dF
