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Mad, Rammstein Skin is

shanoah — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 11:01:48 +0000

I agree as well, which posed me a bit of a problem for this post. I wanted to play happy songs, or at least songs that weren't depressing.

My brain wanted to post a few songs from CSN's "Live It Up", a much ignored album of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, which happens to be my favorite album of theirs.

There are a few problems with this.

First, while there are a number of good songs on this album, they are also very depressing.

Examples:

Haven't We Lost Enough?

Time heals all - so they say - I don't know
Sometimes nothing is clear
Maybe someday I'll understand
But I know for a start there's a place in my heart
That is yours and it won't disappear

Yours and Mine

I can see a boy of fourteen
He's got a rifle in his hand
He's dying to defend his desert land

He's got an arm around his father
Another arm around his gun
Must the child in the father die so young?

House of Broken Dreams

Separate houses - separate hearts
It's hard to face the feelings tearing us apart
And in this house of broken dreams, love lies

See what I mean? Beautiful, heartfelt lyrics. And all uniformly depressing.

There's another problem with that theme, though. Not a song on this album can be found on Youtube being sung by CSN. A cover or two, but not enough to work with. Ticks me off, really.

I thought about playing some songs from Justin Hayward & John Lodge's "Blue Jays" album, but, you know, I've done enough Moody Blues posts for now.

And I really didn't have it in me to do a robot theme today.

So, I'll go with the songs that have mostly snapped me out of the depressed mood the other music I was listening to put me in. (Yes, picking out out music for this blog can be depressing occasionally. If you have as much good depressing music as I do...)

I'm Going Slightly Mad - Queen

Isn't Freddie Mercury great? I love the showmanship in this video. And I was inevitably reminded of a line from Douglas Adams "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" while watching this.

"Ford, you're turning into a penguin. Stop it."

You know, somehow I'm reminded of Voltaire. And, yay, bananas!

I Am Rammstein - Voltaire

All right, you all know Rammstein. Now, here's Voltaire's take on what they actually are saying...

Reminds me a bit of David Bowie, in Cheech and Chongs "Earache My Eye", actually.

Skin Is, My - Andrew Bird

And here we have Andrew Bird singing about his skin. I'm not sure why, but it just seems to fit. Being Andrew Bird, it fits the category of "slightly mad", anyways. That's probably why I like his music...

Leatherwing Bat

shanoah — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:12:32 +0000

Well, once again I have ideas for posts that would be fairly nontraditional that I'm not doing today. First, I wanted to do more music by Klaus Nomi, as I'm finding him fairly cool in a freaky David Bowie way.

Then I wanted to play Jewish rock music. And I'm sure both will appear here eventually. But for today, I decided to play a traditional song about courting between various flying creatures made popular by Peter, Paul & Mary.

You may appreciate this, Sean. It's called "Leatherwing Bat":

Leatherwing Bat - Judy Collins & The Muppets

While it has various muppets, Judy Collins rendition is fairly traditional, other then minor adaptations. Wish she'd sung more then 3 verses, though.

This is one of these songs that has a number of verses. I know my favorite rendition, by Cormorant's Fancy, has 6 plus a redux of the original verse.

The Cuckoo/Leatherwing Bat - David Serotkin / Whitney Moore

This version opens with the song "The Cuckoo". It was fairly nicely done. Seems a bit rushed, though, perhaps due to them trying to do two songs in the space of one.

Leatherwing Bat - Duhks

This is a much less traditional rendition by the Duhks, though the verses stick pretty close to the traditional versions. It includes more of the verses then the other two, and is an interesting take on the song.

Batty

bentcrude — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:22:42 +0000

Name or Nick Name : Batty
Country or City you are from: : South Africa
Your Age : 31
Your Gender : Female
What did you come out as? : Lesbian
What other words would you use to describe yourself? : Good hearted, friendly, outgoing and fun!
How old were you when you first realised your identity? : 20
How old were you when you first told someone? : 22
Did you plan it? If so, how? : Nope, I didn't plan to tell anyone.
What made you choose that person to tell? : She just made me feel so comfortable with myself and with her, that I found it very easy to come out of the 'liquor cabinet'...
Can you remember exactly what you said? : Can't really remember my exact words.
How did you feel? : I felt fantastic! A weight was off my shoulders, so to speak.
What was the person’s reaction? : Well...mmm...she kissed me
What did they say? : She just smiled
What was your relationship with the person like afterwards? : We had a great, she ended up being my first 'real' girlfriend.
What’s it like now? : We're still friends
If you’ve been outed unwillingly, who did it? : n/a
What happened? : n/a
What were peoples’ reactions? : n/a
If you’ve experienced homophobia etc, please give an example. : Not really.
Since coming out how out are you at school? : not_out
Since coming out, how “out” are you at work? : all_out
Since coming out, how “out” are you with family? : all_out
Since coming out, how “out” are you with your friends? : all_out
What does being out mean to you? : I feel more myself now. I can live my life, my family and friends accepted my choice in life and they still love me for who I am.
What differences, if any, did your cultural background make to your experience of coming out? : nothing
What does the concept of the closet mean to you? : thats where I hang my clothes
What advice would you give someone wanting to come out? : Shyte, I'm not good at advice. Just, maybe be yourself and love yourself first.
If you could do it all again, would you do it any differently? If so, how? : Nope

Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest

tintin08 — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:18:03 +0000

wow. after more than a decade of wondering about that movie from a notebook cover of my cousin's, i've finally watched it, via youtube. and man, it was very very attractive. i meant the whole fairies and forest idea. i wish i could own a copy of it.. i gotta hunt it down soon. =) crysta, zack, and even batty.. the characters are all so cool. the singing parts are awesome too.. and then the romantic [even though it was short and sweet] scene.. awww. gosh i am in the clouds right now.

[caption id="attachment_152" align="alignnone" width="202" caption="fern gully: the last rainforest"][/caption]

here is the sweet moment between zak and crysta. Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! >_<

Kas's Castle and visit to Murray

Janey Bracken — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:41:54 +0000

Kasabian has only been in sl for a short time, but he had told me that he has a castle and is doing it up inside. I had met Roach and Treasure in Murray earlier and Kas called us to see if we wanted to take a look at his place, so we went on over. Kas has done really well, he has a big parcel of land the the castle looks really impressive against the skyline.

We all went in for a look round, and the place is totally Gothic to suit Kas's own style. He played the organ which added to the slightly sinister atmosphere to the stony halls.

Kas even has a dungeon in the basement and we all went down there, don't know how he did it, but Roach (dressed as a girl av) got locked in the cell, he looked quite sorry for himself but managed to escape shortly after. The seating area upstairs is very lush with a large open fire to take the chill away. Kas also has a new pet, he's got a sweet little bat who, not only follows Kas around, but also speaks to them, although he is a bit cheeky with his answers, typical bat!! little bit fruity!

Quite a bit later that evening I met up with Drax and we thought we would have a ride round Murray with the horses. It was strangely deserted and as it was a beautiful evening we couldn't make out why. We were soon joined by some of our friends though and stood chatting. Someone rezzed a rubber dinghy and Maya sat on board as they discussed scripting and stuff.

It had been a good day for me travelling around and I'd even managed to do a bit of writing for Virtually London (Lite), so that was quite good. As we stood talking at the end though, I realised why the sim had been empty when we arrived, it seems like people have started griefing again, still suppose it adds a bit of colour, gave me a good chance to get a picture of thier pretty little particle cloud. Wonder if the pictures on the objects is the real life picture of the av who sent it over, could be, bet he does look all goggle eyed and daft.

To Cave Is To Die

Doug — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:18:51 +0000

Because I emerge
from caves
leave wall paintings behind,
death stalks me

You may
go be entertained
with the excitement
the thrills
the bombast of convention

My gentle lust
has degenerated
into a napkin of anxiety

My erected hope
has splashed white
to ejaculated discharge
to dissipated hope
unfertilized embryonic thought
gone mad with grief

Don't look
I can cry in
underground cave rivers
unseen

I know bats
better than heaven
that will not
bat an eye for me
for I am
of empty
gone

I would forgive your
every silly, but
you demand my
conventional stability
a comfort no jester
could laugh away

What now my love

To cave is to die

Flight remains batty
---- Douglas Gilbert
(Henry Le Châtelier)

Poetry Books By Douglas Gilbert

Rudebwoy no promote no nasty man dem haffi dead.

Farhaad — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:04:49 +0000

Hmm. I thought watching a girl getting cum in her asshole, farting the cum out onto a spoon and then eating it would be the sexiest thing ever, but I was way wrong, and a little upset at what I had just watched. She didn't enjoy it like I had hoped. She actually said, in her cute British accent, "I think I'm gonna be sick!" while she gagged, and covered her mouth. I think it's safe to say I'm not a fan of creampies if it's going to end like that. I'm all for the broad farting it out onto the floor, glass table, into another girls mouth etc. The spoon thing is..not cool. I might even delete the scene. I can't enjoy that shit if I know what's coming. Pun definitely intended.

Okay, my social life disappeared the the last few days. I got a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV the day it came out, and I've been shooting innocent video game people in the face for several hours a day. I think this game may have brought back my love for sitting in one spot for many hours at a time doing dumb shit. I actually sat and played for like 3 hours straight, something that I haven't done in years. Umm, probably already one of my favorite games of all time. Everything is sooooo good. The story, gameplay, visuals, sounds etc. are all top notch. If I was sexually aroused by all that stuff, I'd jerk off to it. No question.

So these queers at this job I wanted told me that they chose someone else for the position. It's all good. I've made a decision to go back to school and do the backup plan thing. I still would like to do the music industry, but I figured I could just intern while I'm school and grind my way back into a paid position. We'll see how everything turns out. I've had some thoughts and ideas about something that could really change my life as far as a career goes, though. I'm totally serious about it. So serious, that Tuesday night I am discussing my plans with people who I would like to be involved with said idea. Not only cause they'd be good at doing what they do, but because they're also the people closest to me.

I interviewed J-Zone for Godsgirls.com. The interview will go up this week.

A Speech That Fell Short

johnibii — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:25:23 +0000

By Michael Gerson
The Washingon Post
Wednesday, March 19, 2008; Page A15
.
Barack Obama has run a campaign based on a simple premise: that words of unity and hope matter to America. Now he has been forced by his charismatic, angry pastor to argue that words of hatred and division don't really matter as much as we thought.
.
Obama's speech in Philadelphia yesterday made this argument as well as it could be made. He condemned the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's views in strong language -- and embraced Wright as a wayward member of the family. He made Wright and his congregation a symbol of both the nobility and "shocking ignorance" of the African American experience -- and presented himself as a leader who transcends that conflicted legacy. The speech recognized the historical reasons for black anger -- and argued that the best response to those grievances is the adoption of Obama's own social and economic agenda.
.
It was one of the finest political performances under pressure since John F. Kennedy at the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in 1960. It also fell short in significant ways.
.
The problem with Obama's argument is that Wright is not a symbol of the strengths and weaknesses of African Americans. He is a political extremist, holding views that are shocking to many Americans who wonder how any presidential candidate could be so closely associated with an adviser who refers to the "U.S. of KKK-A" and urges God to "damn" our country. .
.
Obama's excellent and important speech on race in America did little to address his strange tolerance for the anti-Americanism of his spiritual mentor.
.
Take an issue that Obama did not specifically confront yesterday. In a 2003 sermon, Wright claimed, "The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color."
.
This accusation does not make Wright, as Obama would have it, an "occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy." It makes Wright a dangerous man. He has casually accused America of one of the most monstrous crimes in history, perpetrated by a conspiracy of medical Mengeles. .
.
If Wright believes what he said, he should urge the overthrow of the U.S. government, which he views as guilty of unspeakable evil.
.
If I believed Wright were correct, I would join him in that cause.
.
But Wright's accusation is batty, reflecting a sputtering, incoherent hatred for America. And his pastoral teaching may put lives at risk because the virus that causes AIDS spreads more readily in an atmosphere of denial, quack science and conspiracy theories.
.
Obama's speech implied that these toxic views are somehow parallel to the stereotyping of black men by Obama's grandmother, which Obama said made him "cringe" -- both are the foibles of family. But while Grandma may have had some issues to work through, Wright is accusing the American government of trying to kill every member of a race. There is a difference.
.
Yet didn't George Bush and other Republican politicians accept the support of Jerry Falwell, who spouted hate of his own? Yes, but they didn't financially support his ministry and sit directly under his teaching for decades.
.
The better analogy is this: What if a Republican presidential candidate spent years in the pew of a theonomist church -- a fanatical fragment of Protestantism that teaches the modern political validity of ancient Hebrew law? What if the church's pastor attacked the U.S. government as illegitimate and accepted the stoning of homosexuals and recalcitrant children as appropriate legal penalties (which some theonomists see as biblical requirements)? Surely we would conclude, at the very least, that the candidate attending this church lacked judgment and that his donations were subsidizing hatred. And we would be right.
.
In Philadelphia, Obama attempted to explain Wright's anger as typical of the civil rights generation, with its "memories of humiliation and doubt and fear." But Wright has the opposite problem: He ignored the message of Martin Luther King Jr. and introduced a new generation to the politics of hatred.
.
King drew a different lesson from the oppression he experienced: "I've seen too much hate to want to hate myself; hate is too great a burden to bear. I've seen it on the faces of too many sheriffs of the South. . . . Hate distorts the personality. . . . The man who hates can't think straight; the man who hates can't reason right; the man who hates can't see right; the man who hates can't walk right."
.
Barack Obama is not a man who hates -- but he chose to walk with a man who does.

michaelgerson@cfr.org

Blade Runner, The final cut ¿la versión definitiva?

dicky — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:01:10 +0000

Hace poco hablaba de la nueva versión de Blade Runner que ha pasado fugazmente por los cines y que ahora se edita en DVD, Blu-ray y HD-DV. Para mi esta peli es cómo el I Ching, cada vez que la veo el mensaje es nuevo. En cada ocasión doy otra lectura a alguna escena. Ahora, si además cuenta con nuevos contenidos rodados con la tecnología actual y ha sido remasterizada, la novedad es doble. En la página de Amazon su director Ridley Scott habla de esta edición que se cree, por fin, definitiva.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut, ha sido remasterizada y contiene escenas nuevas añadidas y extendidas. También hay nuevos diálogos y efectos especiales. La banda sonora incluye una pista remasterizada en audio 5.1 Dolby® Digital. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos, Joanna Cassidy, Sean Young, y Daryl Hannah, además de otras 80 personas que intervinieron en el proceso de creación de la película, intervienen en los materiales adicionales. Pero lo que más me sorprende y lo que me hace ver esta versión como radicalmente diferente son los colores. Parece que ese Los Angeles del 2019 ha sido pasado por un tamiz que hace que su luz sórdida contenga un atisbo de esperanza. Lo que era una película en azules ahora está virada al verde, y eso es una decisión personal del propio Scott. Es, sin duda, otra película. El pack de cinco discos a la venta contiene Dangerous Days, un documental de tres horas y media creado por Charles de Lauzirika, con una visión en profundidad a cada aspecto del film: su génesis literaria, su tormentosa producción y la herencia que ha dejado a la cultura popular del siglo XX.

The Ultimate Collector's Edition se vende en una maleta similar a la que llevaba Rick Deckard en la película. Además esta maleta tiene figura de origami del unicornio (la clave que indica que el blade runner es también un replicante) y una maqueta de los spinner voladores que diseñara Syd Mead.

En el disco 1 se encuenta el RIDLEY SCOTT'S ALL-NEW "FINAL CUT" VERSION Audiocomentario de Ridley Scott
Comentada por el productor ejecutivo Hampton Fancher y el co-guinista David Peoples; del productor Michael Deely y la productora ejecutiva Katherine Haber
Comentada por Syd Mead; Lawrence G. Paull, el director de arte David L. Snyder y los supervisores de efectos especiales Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich y David Dryer

En el disco dos se puede ver el documental DANGEROUS DAYS: MAKING BLADE RUNNER

En el disco tres está la "1982 THEATRICAL VERSION". la primera versión que se vio en los cines y que incluye la voz en off de Deckard/Harrison Ford y el final feliz de Deckard y Rachel (Sean Young). También la "1982 INTERNATIONAL VERSION" Con algunas escenas de acción añadidas sobre la anterior versión. Esta versión se usó en la distribución por cable hasta 1992. Y el "1992 DIRECTOR'S CUT" Sin la narración de Deckard, sin el final feliz y con la controvertida escena del unicornio.

El disco cuatro se llama BONUS DISC - "Enhancement Archive": 90 minutos de escenas borradas, trailers, anuncios promocionales y más.

* "The Electric Dreamer: Recordando a Philip K. Dick"
* "Sacrificial Sheep: La Novela contra el Film"
* Philip K. Dick: Las entrevistas sobre Blade Runner (audio)
* Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Cover Gallery (imagenes)
* The Art of Blade Runner (imagenes galleries)
* "Signs of the Times: Diseño gráfico"
* "Fashion Forward: Vestuario
* Test de pantalla Rachel & Pris
* "The Light That Burns: Recordando a Jordan Cronenweth"
* Escenas borradas y alteradas
* Trailers y anuncios para la TV
* "Promoting Dystopia: Rendering the Poster Art"
* "Deck-A-Rep: la verdadera naturaleza de Rick Deckard"
* "--Nexus Generation: Fans & cineastas"

El disco cinco contiene la llamada "WORKPRINT VERSION" una rara versión de la película que es la más diferente de todas las editadas. Tiene la escena inicial diferente, no hay narración de Deckard hasta los momentos finales, no hay final feliz ni escena del unicornio. También los diálogos entre Batty (Rutger Hauer) y su creador Tyrell (Joe Turkell) son diferentes, así como fragmentos de la banda sonora.

post relacionado: Yo he visto cosas…

It's a test, designed to provoke an emotional response...

Richard — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:34:15 +0000

I am excited. I am near beside myself with excitement. It is almost palpable.

Why?

Because they are about to release to the general populace the definitive version of what most people in the know consider to be the greatest sci-fi film ever made. They are bringing out the boxed version of Bladerunner! Cry hosanna! Let joy be unconfined and bring on the dancing girls! Actually, you can pretty much bring on the dancing girls anytime you like! I don’t mind. Really.

Having just ordered this fine example of the genre, via our friends Amazon, I now have the unenviable task of sitting and waiting in eager anticipation. I could argue that it isn’t fair but there again it has taken 25 (count ‘em) years for Ridley Scott to be in a position to release the edition that he is finally happy to call the one that he wanted to make in the first place, so it would be a touch churlish to moan too much…

They do say that the best things in life are worth waiting for, huh? To those of you who are true believers I need not say another thing. You will already understand quite why I am so excited. To those of you who are still yet new to this phenomenon, I would have to say that there are many, many reasons why you should consider rectifying this situation in your lives. One good place to start would be here. So there you have it.

Time to start dreaming of electric sheep again…

Buy Our Car! (HOW TO SELL A CAR FAST--HUMOR!!!)

lijluvr356 — Tue, 29 May 2007 00:57:18 +0000

The winds of change are upon us! Perhaps you are selling your car? YOU ARE?!?

Having a hard time???

YOU ARE?!?!

Well, here I have compiled the definitive answer to your problems!!!

Simply follow the instructions below (for a minimal cost):

How to sell a car fast!!!! (HUMOR)

Set-up:
-1 car (good condition)
-1 cell-phone (junky is O.K.
-lots of poster paint
-a red carpet leading to the door of the house of the people you're trying to sell it to
-several crappy actors

Now, put the car in front of a rich person (here-after referred to as your quarry)'s house

Write the following all over it and in a pamphlet with a sticker on the front saying, "warning: contains nudity" as an attention grabber >.<

For Sale! $6,000! CHEAP!!!
Use cell-phone glued to window to call us! (Speed dial 1!)
FREE car wash every month by your choice of either 6 Norwegian girls wearing tight-fitting white garments OR 6 topless island honeys with grass skirts!
FREE chauffeur (uniform with your color choice included)
complimentary TOOTHPICKS with purchase!!!
chocolates or mints (your choice) on your car seat pillows every morning!
INSURANCE COVERAGE INCLUDED!!!
FREE maid in FRENCH UNIFORM to clean out your ASH TRAY (promptly at 5-7 pm.)!!!
KNIGHT wearing AUTHENTIC PLATE and CHAIN-MAIL ARMOR to guard your car when you leave it!!! (Als0: burglar alarm that says, "HEY!!! <insert name here>'S CAR IS BEING STOLEN! IT IS AT <location--provided by ON-STAR> WITH THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER <licence plate number>. THE CRIMINAL IS A <brief description of criminal, including height, weight, hair/skin/eye color, favorite food, whether or not they like long walks on the beach, and ANY EMBARRASSING DETAILS IN THEIR ENTRIES ON MYSPACE OR FACEBOOK!!!>" (who wants to have that blared across a parking lot by the mall?!)
spacious interior!! DOOR UNLOCKED for easier viewing!!!
GREAT HANDLING!! KEY IN IGNITION to test for yourself!!!
DOCUMENTS PREPARED FOR SIGNING, LEGALESE, ETC!!! IN A BEAUTIFUL GAZEBO!!! WITH A LOVELY VIEW!!!
- a bouncer standing outside gazebo with a clip board
- bouncer asks for name and credit card number of the people, checks "LIST" and says, "YOU'RE COOL." before unlocking the chain barrier
several crappy actors to stand outside saying, "WOW! ONLY $6,000!" "I KNOW!!! JUST THINK OF THAT!!" "I SURE WISH THE WIFE WOULD LET ME GET ANOTHER CAR!!" "HECK, I'D LEAVE MY WIFE TO GET THIS CAR!!"
FREE RADAR to FOOL TRAFFIC LIGHTS!!!
ALL POLICE STATIONS within 200 miles BRIBED to ignore you if you get caught
NO SPEEDING TICKETS GUARANTEED!!

And now the brilliant money-making part: TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN!!!!!!
PLEASE SEND ME ANY IDEAS ANYONE GETS!!! ACCEPTING ADDITIONS!!! (I WILL CITE YOU!)

reviews about this post so far:
"[Two] thumbs [way] up[!!!!!!!!]"--My own mother...
"What the he***[a GOOD job!!!]"--My dad
"[I'm] *screaming* [with delight]"--My brother

"thanks for the support, you guys!" --me...

Arabic tattoos

moderntattoo — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:27:57 +0000

A book on the subject or Arabic tattoos is available from Mark Batty Publishers. It discusses the use of arabic language in tattoos and whether it can be considered blasphemous to use the language of the Quran within body art.

It begs the question, to whom does a language belong? With editorials and a load of case studies on people who have chosen this language for their tattoos and why, it makes an interesting read. I'm pleased to say I managed to get into this book with my arabic foot tattoos, which were one of my first.

It is has a nice modern voice and layout, it is an interesting take on something that is currently becoming more and more popular within the tattoo world. It is available from Amazon and would make a great addition to any collection, purely for the interest as well as the fact that it has some pages of designs in there too, for those who are looking for inspiration!