2nd Quote of the Day

"The chief duty of government is to keep the peace and stand out of the sunshine of the people."

- - James A. Garfield

Quote of the Day

".....Retirement plans should not exist. The very idea of holding an elected position long enough to retire is patently absurd. Elected office was intended to be a sacrifice of your time in service to your fellow citizens, not an aspiration for your future."

- - Clint Didier, candidate for U.S. Senate from Washington State

Saturday Morning Shuffle

1. Doughnut Riot - Otisburg (from the album Born Yesterday)
2. Until I Fall Away - Gin Blossoms (from the album New Miserable Experience)
3. Let This Go - Paramore (from the album All We Know is Falling)
4. Molotov - Project 86 (from the album Rival Factions)
5. Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival (from the album Green River)
6. Billy Brown - Third Day (from the album Wire)
7. Wordsmith Legacy - Project 86 (from the album And the Rest Will Follow)
8. Blaphemous Rumours - Depeche Mode (from the album Some Great Reward)
9. Let's Hear It For Love - Smoking Popes (from the album Get Fired)
10. Under Your Influence - Dag Nasty (from the album Can I Say)
11. Armatage Shanks - Green Day (from the album Insomniac)
12. In My Darkest Hour - Megadeth (from the album So Far So Good So What)

Thursday Shuffle

1. Rising Force - Yngwie J. Malmsteen (from the album Odyssey)
2. My Dog's Cat - Dag Nasty (from the album Can I Say)
3. Foreclosure of a Dream - Megadeath (from the album Countdown to Extinction)
4. Holiday - Weezer (from the album Weezer)
5. All I Want - The Offspring (from the album Ixnay on the Hombre)
6. Button It - All (from the album Pummel)
7. Everything Sucks - Descendents (from the album Everything Sucks)
8. Hitchin a Ride - Green Day (from the album Nimrod)
9. Murder the Government - NOFX (from the album So Long & Thanks for the Shoes)
10. The Gold Medal - The Donnas (from the album Gold Medal)
11. The Chemicals Between Us - Bush (from the album The Science of Things)
12. Pure Imagination - Smoking Popes (from the album Destination Failure)

The Essential Soundgarden

I told Dave on my recent Soundgarden post that I would do this so here is a list of what I would put on a greatest hits album of theirs if I were putting it out:

1. Nothing to Say (from 1987's Screaming LIfe)
2. Flower (from 1988s Ultramega OK)
3. Hands All Over (from 1989's Louder Than Love)
4. Loud Love (from 1989s Louder Than Love)
5. Rusty Cage (from 1991's Badmotorfinger)
6. Outshined (from 1991's Badmotorfinger)
7. Jesus Christ Pose (from 1991's Badmotorfinger)
8. Searching With My Good Eye Closed (from 1991's Badmotorfinger)
9. Let Me Drown (from 1994's Superunknown)
10. My Wave (from 1994's Superunknown)
11. Fell On Black Days (from 1994's Superunknown)
12. Superunknown (from 1994's Superunknown)
13. Head Down (from 1994's Superunknown)
14. Black Hole Sun (from 1994's Superunknown)
15. Spoonman (from 1994's Superunknown)
16. Limo Wreck (from 1994's Superunknown)
17. The Day I Tried to Live (from 1994's Superunknown)
18. Kickstand (from 1994's Superunknown)
19. Like Suicide (from 1994's Superunknown)
20. Pretty Noose (from 1996's Down on the Upside)
21. Ty Cob (from 1996's Down on the Upside)
22. Burden in My Hand (from 1996's Down on the Upside)
23. Birth Ritual (from 1992's Singles Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
24. Show Me (from the 1993 No Alternative Compilation)
25. Blind Dogs (from the 1995 Basketball Diaries Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Rossi For U.S. Senate?

It is possible that former gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi could be running for U.S. Senate in 2010 to take Patty Murray's seat?

I saw this on Facebook.

If this is true, I have a feeling that all bets are off with the others that are running against her this year because if he is in fact running for U.S. Senate he has more of a chance of winning that race then any of the others in the face in my opinion.

Just for some background information, here is a list of those that have OFFICIALLY announced that that they are running for U.S. Senate against Patty Murray (and I have listed them in my own order of personal preference):

Art Coday

Clint Didier

Chris Widener

Sean Salazar

Craig Williams (website no longer valid. not sure what happened to it. it was just up a couple of days ago)

In any case, if Dino jumps into this race, I hate to say it (especially in the case of Mr. Coday) but come primary time, these guys are toast!

Top 3 Seattle Bands

I did a Top 5 Seattle Bands post back in 2005 so I thought I would update it and list the bands in order of preference this time.

1. Soundgarden

This band formed in 1984 by Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil and Hiro Yamamoto.
They started out their recording career on the local Seattle Sub Pop label and was the 1st "grunge" band to sign to a major label.
You can read more about them here:
Soundgarden Wiki article
Official Soundgarden page

Here are a couple of videos:





2. Acceptance

Acceptance formed in 1998 and unfortunately broke up in 2006.
In fact, they only released one full-length album, Phantoms in 2005. They released 2 EPs prior; Lost for Words in 2000, and Black Lines to Battlefields in 2003.

A couple videos:





3. Pearl Jam

Formed in 1990 from the ashes of another Seattle-based band Mother Love Bone.
Pearl Jam has released 9 studio albums and countless live albums.

Videos:





Honorable Mention:

Queensryche
Formed in 1991 but technically not from Seattle. They formed in Bellevue, WA which geographically is a couple of miles East of Seattle.
They have released 10 studio albums and have sold over 20 million albums worldwide.


Just in case you did not notice, yes, Nirvana did NOT make this list.
First off, they are not a band from Seattle. In fact, they formed in a small logging town called Aberdeen which is over 2 hours away from Seatlle.
Second of all, they did put out some good music but overall, they were not near as influential as people make them out to be. They were influencED more so than they were an influence to any other bands. In my opinion, any band that lists Nirvana as an influence, is better off saying that they were influenced by a band like The Melvins (which is another band from Aberdeen).

Soundgarden: DOTM

According to a recent announcement on their website and their Facebook page, the band Soundgarden is getting back together.

Personally, I think this is a good thing for the music world. This band was one of these best, if not THE best, band to come out of Seattle.

In celebration of this announcement, here is this newest installment of DOTM.

Enjoy!

Screaming Life
Released in October 1987 by Sub Pop.
Recorded in 1987 at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, WA.
Produced by Jack Endino and Soundgarden.
Band lineup:
Chris Cornell - vocals; Matt Cameron - drums; Kim Thayil - guitar; Hiro Yamamoto - bass guitar.
Tracks: 6
Singles:
"Hunted Down"

Fopp
Released in August 1988 by Sub Pop.
Recorded in 1988 at Moore Theater in Seattle.
Produced by Steve Fisk.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 4

Ultramega OK
Released in October 1988 by SST.
Recorded in Spring 1988 in Seattle, WA and Newberg, Oregon.
Produced by Drew Canulette and Soundgarden.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 13
Singles:
"Flower"

Louder Than Love
Released in September 1989 by A&M.
Recorded in December 1988-January 1989 at London Bridge Studio in Seattle.
Produced by Terry Date and Soundgarden.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Loud Love" and "Hands All Over"

Loudest Love
Released in October 1990 by A&M.
Recorded in December 1988 and April 1990 in Seattle.
Produced by Terry Date, Jack Endino and Soundgarden.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 7

Badmotorfinger
Released in October 1991 by A&M.
Recorded from March-April 1991 at Studio D in Sausalito, CA, Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, WA and A&M Studios in Los Angeles.
Produced by Terry Date and Soundgarden.
Lineup changes:
Ben Shepherd replaced Hiro Yamamoto on bass guitar.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Jesus Christ Pose" "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage"
This album reached 39 on the Billboard 200.

Superunknown
Released in March 1994 by A&M.
Recorded in July-September 1993 at Bad Animals Studio in Seattle.
Produced by Michael Beinhorn and Soundgarden.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 15
Singles:
"Spoonman" "The Day I Tried to Live" "Black Hole Sun" "My Wave" and "Fell On Black Days"
This album reached #1 on the Billboard 200.
The song "Black Hole Sun" won a Grammy in 1995 for Best Hard Rock Performance and the song "Spoonman" won a Grammy in 1995 for Best Metal Performance.

Songs From the Superunknown
Released in November 1995 by A&M.
Produced by Michael Beinhorn, Brendan O'Brien and Soundgarden.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 5

Down on the Upside
Released in May 1996 by A&M.
Recorded in November 1995 - February 1996 at Studio Litho and Bad Animals Studio in Seattle.
Produced by Adam Kasper and Soundgarden.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 16
Singles:
"Pretty Noose" "Burden in My Hand" "Blow Up the Outside World" and "Ty Cobb"
This album reached #2 on the Billboard 200.

A-Sides
Compilation album released in November 1997 by A&M.
Various producers.
Tracks: 17
Singles:
"Bleed Together"
This album reached #63 on the Billboard 200.

SINGLES

Hunted Down b/w Nothing to Say
Released in June 1987

Flower b/w Head Injury/Toy Box
Released in May 1989

Loud Love b/w Big Dumb Sex; Get on the Snake; and Fresh Deadly Roses.
Released in August 1989.

Hands All Over b/w Come Together; Heretic; and Big Dumb Sex.
Released in 1990.

Room a Thousand Years Wide b/w HIV Baby
Released in 1990

Jesus Christ Pose b/w Stray Cat Blues; Into the Void; and Somewhere
Released in 1991

Outshined b/w I Don't Care About You; and Can You See Me
Released in 1991

Rusty Cage b/w Big Bottom; and Earache My Eye
Released in1992

Spoonman b/w Cold Bitch
Released in February 1994

The Day I Tried to Live b/w Like Suicide; and Kickstand
Released in 1994

Black Hole Sun b/w Like Suicide; and Kickstand
Released in 1994

My Wave b/w Spoonman (remix); Birth Ritual; and My Wave (live)
Released in 1994

Fell on Black Days b/w Kyle Petty, Son of Richard; Fell on Black Days (video version)
Released in 1994

Pretty Noose b/w Jerry Garcia's Finger
Released in March 1996

Burden in my Hand b/w Karaoke
Released in September 1998

Blow Up the Outside World b/w Dusty
Released in November 1996

Ty Cobb b/w Rhinosaur
Released in April 1997

Bleed Together
Released in November 1997

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As a bonus, here is a discography for the band Audioslave:

Civilian
Demo album released indpendently in 2001.
Recorded in 2001.
Produced by Rick Rubin.
Band lineup:
Chris Cornell - vocals; Brad Wilk - drums; Tom Morello - guitar; Tim Commerford - bass.
Tracks: 13

Audioslave
Released in November 2002 by Epic/Interscope
Recorded in 2002 at Cello Studios in Hollywood; Royaltone Studios in Burbank; Studio Litho in Seattle; Studio K in Seattle; and Sound Research in Los Angeles.
Produced by Rick Rubin and Audioslave.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 14
Singles:
"Cochise" "Like a Stone" "Show Me How to Live" "I Am the Highway" and "What You Are"
Album reached #7 on Billboard 200.

Out of Exile
Released in May 2005 by Epic/Interscope.
Recorded in July 2004-Janary 2005 at Cello Studios in Hollywood and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles.
Produced by Rick Rubin and Audioslave.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Out of Exile" "Be Yourself" "Your Time Has Come" and "Doesn't Remind Me"
Reached #1 on Billboard 200.

Revelations
Released in September 2006 by Epic/Interscope.
Recorded in October 2005 in Atlanta and January 2006 at Henson Studios in Los Angeles.
Produced by Brendan O'Brien.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Original Fire" and "Revelations"
Reached #2 on the Billboard 200.

McMorons!

This is from a post by Dave over at Oklahoma Lefty recently about a lawsuit that McDonalds is filing against a person using their OWN NAME (which happens to have "Mc" in it) for a festival they put together:

According to this story, McDonalds has sued a 19 year-old Karen McClusky over the name that she has used for a series of charity concerts.

From the story –

For McClusky, 19, finds herself at the center of a thorny dispute that involves a series of charity concerts she's put on over the past three years. She dubbed the event "McFest" (more on that in a moment) -- but McDonald's sees that as an infringement on its trademarks, something the McDonaldland lawyers refer to as "the McFamily of brands."

These include (deep breath): McPen, McBurger, McBuddy, McWatch, McDouble, McJobs, McShirt, McPool, McProduct, McShades, McFree, McRuler, McLight -- and even the prefix "Mc" itself.

"But not McFest," pointed out McClusky, who declined to change her last name for this story. "The whole reason I called it McFest in the first place is my name."

Her original co-chair for the first McFest also shared the "Mc" prefix in her surname, so it seemed a natural. And indeed, not a single McDonald's attorney seemed to object in 2007 and 2008, when McClusky's McFests raised $30,000 for the Chicago chapter of Special Olympics.

But when McClusky applied to have the McFest name protected, McDonald's filed an opposition. So instead of donating funds from her 2009 concert to Special Olympics, McClusky's had to hire lawyers to answer a series of administrative proceedings McDonald's filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. To date, it's cost her roughly $5,000 -- money she wishes had gone to Special Olympics kids instead of attorneys.

The daughter of independent radio promoter Jeff McClusky, Lauren McClusky could of course just change the event name. But that would involve starting from square one in terms of the awareness and name recognition she's already created for her concert series. "It's hard to change the name of something that's already established and locally known," she said.

As for McDonald's actions, McClusky says she's frustrated by the company's desire to clamp down on and in effect penalize a charity event -- especially when McDonald's supports Special Olympics as well. "It has nothing to do with food, arches or their colors," she said. "And our M's are pointy, not curved."

McClusky hopes for a truce that will allow her to keep the McFest name. Still, she's unwilling to make a corporate sponsorship tradeoff along the lines of "McDonald's Presents McFest." For their part, McDonald's representatives maintained that they have no desire to squash McClusky's charitable efforts, and desire an "amicable resolution."

Moral of the story? Don’t use anything that has “Mc” as a prefix of anything…even if it is your name.

Seriously? I wonder if the McDonald's corporation realizes that the Scottish "Mc" names were around centuries before their McShitty food came out?

Monday Morning Shuffle

1. Long Distance - All (from the album Pummel)
2. Dream Warriors - Dokken (from the album Back for the Attack)
3. I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles (from the album Meet the Beatles)
4. Where Moth and Rust Destroy - Tourniquet (from the album Where Moth & Rust Destroy)
5. Somewhere in the Middle - Casting Crowns (from the album The Altar and the Door)
6. Ghost Man on Third - Taking Back Sunday (from the album Tell All Your Friends)
7. Annihilate the Corrupt - Demon Hunter (from the album Summer of Darkness)
8. Walk Away - Dropkick Murphys (from the album Blackout)
9. Exit - U2 (from the album The Joshua Tree)
10. Here's To You - Dag Nasty (from the album Field Day)
11. Jeremy - Pearl Jam (from the album Ten)
12. Automatic Rejector - Screeching Weasel (from the album Wiggle)

What America Needs

I know this might sound like a pipe dream but this is what I think we need in politics, Congress specifically.

Granted, there are a few Congressmen and women out there that are decent people in general but this country needs people that are more than just decent people.,

We need real leadership.

We need people that the American people can look up to and admire like they once did.

We need people with common sense solutions to the problems facing our country.

We need people that are not career-minded politicians who think only of their next election.

We need citizen legislators that are not corruptible by the system.

We need people that will work for the people and not cater to the special interest groups.

We need people that can make the American people trust their government again.

How Can Congress Help Our Education Mess?

This is an article that was written by Elizabeth Scott, candidate for the Washington State Legislature regarding education (emphasis mine):

Education is mentioned nowhere in the Constitution. Therefore it falls to the States and to the People. (Cf. Article 1, Section 8; and 10th Amendment) That is why the Dept of Ed has done nothing but burden our education system. It doesn't matter what they call the program: Head Start, Goals 2000, No Child Left Behind, whatever. Each successive program has worse results.

Education is the only duty in the WA State Constitution that is 'of paramount importance.' And over half the state budget is education-related. But the state has usurped more and more control from parents and school districts, with the same result that the feds have had: lower test scores, higher dropouts, and students less prepared for the workforce. The State Leg needs to realize that 'access' to a good education for all WA kids does not mean that a one-size-fits-all approach is needed. Instead, the focus should be (as with business /economy/jobs) CREATING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE TO SUCCEED. Gov. should trust the energy and creativity of the American people, and get out of the way.

The solution is clear:

1. Stop accepting federal funding for education, as it always comes with thick strings and poorer results. Cite 10th Amendment.

2. Attach the money to the student as tightly as possible, and allow parents to choose how to spend their education dollars. Currently we in WA spend over 10K per year, per student, (I'm counting state-level spending only; this doesn't include levies or fed taxes) for a crummy result. Catholic schools do it for half the cost...and much better results. Homeschoolers spend an average of $400/year and score an average of 36 points higher on standardized tests like the Iowa. (cf. new study released August 2009; read it at http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/200908100.asp Yes, that's 36 percentage points, as in "The public schooled kids taking the Iowa Test average in the 50th percentile, obviously...and the homeschooled kids average in the 86th percentile." This is regardless of income level, and regardless of education level of the parents, even! How is it that high school graduate parents are doing a massively better job than our MA-holding certified teachers? Do the math. It's about flexibility and meeting the students' needs. ----Hey! We can fix that!

Competition will provide the solution. Look, the other day I passed a store that sells only Sea Salts. Will it survive? Only the invisible hand of the free market knows. Put that power to work with our schools. Or are you happy with that 70.9% graduation rate? For you recently public-schooled citizens, think about it this way: You have 100 kids in your class. Twenty-nine of them will quit school. Only four of those dropouts will finish later. The other 25 dropouts will be depending on YOU to pay for their rent, food, medical care, their share of taxes, or (worst-case scenario) Big Hotel.

3. Go back to the Iowa, and stop spending endless sums of money on reinventing the testing wheel. The Iowa offers state-specific addenda if we really want them; many states are taking that approach. Our WA approach? Toss the Iowa because it shows how badly our students fail; spend millions on committees to redefine education; spend a few more years coming up with science and math guidelines; blah blah blah....Meanwhile our children are growing up unprepared to make a living. So they'll end up frustrated, depressed, and dependent. If we fixed education, I bet the prison costs would come down too.

4. Go back to teaching real math. You don't need to dictate the curriculum at the state level; if the money follows the student, and the principal and teachers can choose the curriculum that best meets the needs of their students, they WILL find the best curriculum, fast...because that's what competition does. It's pathetic when a kid can't make change at the drive-through. Embarrassing. And frightening. The multiplication table has become an historical relic. Bring it back.

5. Go back to teaching real reading. See comments for number 4. Real books, not Captain Underpants. Try Treasure Island. Robinson Crusoe. The Hobbit. Charlotte's Web. The Wind in the Willows. Dr. Seuss. And no, do not 'reward' the students by showing the movie after they've read the book. Let the book stand on its own merit, for crying out loud, and stop treating the kids like idiots. Children rise to the level of expectations set for them by the adults who love them.

6. Shut up about class size. My grandmother's 5th grade class photo is about 45 students and 1 teacher. Sno. Cty. has a high school grad rate of 70.9%. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. Just go back to what worked! Obviously I am not saying we should ignore the progress made in civil rights (this is usually the first red herring tossed out by opponents to true education reform). Attach the money to the child, and principals and teachers will use common sense. Good solid curricula exist...but (HINT) it's not the top 3 publishers currently being used by public schools. If the principal can control his curriculum and personnel decisions, trust me...he'll find the good curriculum. I reviewed 5 nationally-used K-12 curricula myself a few summers ago while working as a research analyst for Evergreen Freedom Foundation, and contrasted them with the WA State learning guidelines. The results are still published on EFF's website. http://www.effwa.org/main/page.php?number=413 Defining Literacy; pages 9-13; I researched all this info and created these charts. Paul can attest to the fact that I would sometimes lie awake at night crying for the students of WA state during this project, it was so horrifying. It's what prompted me to seriously consider running for State Legislature.

There's a bookstore in Kirkland, Potpourri, that has shelves and shelves of curricula for every subject. The Science aisle. The Math aisle. The History aisle. The books exist. The principals will find them when they have the freedom and incentive to do so.

My 90-year-old Granddad, a retired Accounting Professor, says, "Read the problem."

Elizabeth Scott

Sunday Evening Shuffle

1. Don't You Forget About Me - Ruffio (from the album Punk Goes 80s)
2. Stranger in a Strange Land - U2 (from the album October - Deluxe Edition)
3. Always There For You - Stryper (from the album In God We Trust)
4. El Scorcho - Weezer (from the album Pinkerton)
5. Praise You With The Dance - Casting Crowns (from the album Casting Crowns)
6. When the Rain Comes - Third Day (from the album Come Together)
7. I'm the One - All (from the album Sucks Demos)
8. The Science of Lies - Demon Hunter (from the album The Triptych)
9. Even Flow - Pearl Jam (from the album Ten)
10. Welcome to Paradise - Green Day (from the album Kerplunk!)
11. Better Than That - All (from the album Problematic)
12. Acknowledge - Screeching Weasel (from the album EMO)

Currently Reading: Breach of Trust

TITLE: Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders.

AUTHOR: Tom A. Coburn, M.D.

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2003

PUBLISHER: WND Books

Excerpt from the blurb on the back of the book:

"Breach of Trust takes you directly into Coburn's closed-door conversations with policymakers and sheds new light on the rampant misuse of government funds, pork barrel shenanigans, shameless attempts to "buy" votes, and the unbelievable ways the system often turns politicians against their own constituents..."

Quote of the Day

This one I found in the book Breach of Trust written by Tom Coburn:

"...the greatest threat to the continuity of our form of government is our government itself."

Coburn on the Issues

I have not done one of these in a really long time so what better time to start then as the 2010 mid-term election system starts to ramp up.

These are the positions of Tom Coburn who is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate from Oklahoma.

Abortion

Opposed to it. Very pro-life.

Gun Rights

Supports gun rights. Believes in the right of the individuals to own and keep firearms and opposes any efforts to control that right.

Tax Reform

Favors (and even co-sponsors) the Fair Tax Act.

Education Reform

Does not believe the federal government should be involved in education. Has not said point blank (that I know of) but seems pretty keen on dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. Believes that any federal funds for education should be limited to supporting the students rather than government bureaucrats.

Immigration

Believes in securing our borders and enforcing existing immigration laws.
Opposes amnesty for any illegal immigrants.

Term Limits

Supports term limits. As a Congressman, he pledged to serve no more than 3 terms and kept that promise.
Has pledged to serve no more than 2 terms as a Senator.
Believes that elected officials should be citizen legislators and not career politicians.

Judicial Appointments

Believes that judges have overstepped their role in legislating from the bench because they are, in essence, accountable to no one.
He will not support any nominee who has a tendency to legislate from the bench.

Saturday Shuffle

1. Disconnected - Face to Face (from the album Don't Turn Away)
2. Gone Away - The Offspring (from the album Ixnay on the Hombre)
3. Rescue - Eve 6 (from the album Horrorscope)
4. Your Love is Extravagant - Casting Crowns (from the album Casting Crowns)
5. Ghost Man on Third - Taking Back Sunday (from the album Tell All Your Friends)
6. Wrecking Hotel Rooms - MxPx (from the album Panic)
7. Jolene - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (from the album Love Their Country)
8. Lodi - Creedence Clearwater Revival (from the album Green River)
9. Dig Up Her Bones - Misfits (from the album American Psycho)
10. Stanley Climbfall - Lifehosue (from the album Stanley Climbfall)
11. She's a Knockout - Social Distortion (from the album Social Distortion)
12. 40 - U2 (from the album War)
13. Nice Guys Finish Last - Green Day (from the album Nimrod)

Friday Morning Shuffle

1. Cheer - Descendents (from Enjoy!)
2. Pure - Helmet (Aftertaste)
3. Lightning Crashes - Live (Throwing Copper)
4. Do You Want to Know a Secret? - The Beatles (The Early Beatles)
5. Tomorrow - U2 (October - Deluxe Edition)
6. Angel of Harlem - U2 (Rattle and Hum)
7. Mercy Over Blame - Stryper (Murder By Pride)
8. American Idiot - Green Day (American Idiot)
9. White Dove Fly High - Casting Crowns (The Altar and the Door)
10. Texarkana - REM (Out of Time)
11. Relentless Intolerance - Demon Hunter (The Triptych)
12. Saints - Destroy the Runner (Saints)

Thursday Night Shuffle

1. Symbiotic - Living Sacrifice (from Conceived in Fire)
2. Holding Out for a Hero - Emery (Punk Goes 80s)
3. Dreams - Descendents (Cool To Be You)
4. Drunk Sincerity - Bad Religion (The Grey Race)
5. East to West - Casting Crowns (The Altar and the Door)
6. Faith - Dogwood (Seismic)
7. Knock Down Drag Out - Weezer (Weezer)
8. Let It Be Me - Social Distortion (Social Distortion)
9. You're So Last Summer - Taking Back Sunday (Tell All Your Friends)
10. Pull Me Closer, Violent Dancer - Project 86 (Rival Factions)
11. Diet Aftertaste - Helmet (Aftertaste)

Pact With the Devil?

So Dr. Pat Robertson has said that the country of Haiti deserved the earthquake due to their "pact with the devil?"

So.....God is punishing them because they practice voodoo and what not?

First off, I would like to state for a fact that, as a Christian, Dr. Robertson does NOT speak for me and I think his comments were asinine.

Also, he is obviously ignorant of the Haitian's religious practices. 80% of the people in Haiti are practicing Roman Catholics. Another 16% belong to some sort of Christian Protestant denomination.

Good call Pat!!

Thursday Night Shuffle

1. Warriors Code - Dropkick Murphys (from The Warriors Code)
2. Coffee Mug - Descendents (Everything Sucks)
3. Somebody - Depeche Mode (Some Great Reward)
4. In A Little While - U2 (All That You Can't Leave Behind)
5. Yellow Ledbetter - Pearl Jam (Rearviewmirror)
6. She - The Misifts (Legacy of Brutality)
7. Not Afraid - Acceptance (Not Afraid demo)
8. Whoa! Man - Emery (I'm Only A Man)
9. Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters (The Colour and the Shape)
10. Between the Lines - Duvall (Volume and Density)
11. Don't Drag Me Down - Social Distortion (White Light White Heat White Trash)
12. Gone Away - The Offspring (Ixnay on the Hombre)

Quote of the Day

"Where is the politician who has not promised to fight to the death for lower taxes -- and who has not proceeded to vote for the very spending projects that make tax cuts impossible?"

- - Barry Goldwater

Watching (Jan 13)

TITLE: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

DIRECTOR: Peter Sollett

YEAR RELEASED: 2008

STARRING: Michael Cera and Kat Dennings.

Just finished watching this one.

I had heard some things about it but after having watched Cera in June I did not really care to watch it. I was not a big fan of Juno like everyone else was. Decent movie, nothing special about it. Just wasn't impressed. So I didn't bother watching this one because I just figured it was some Michael Cera vehicle.

Man I was wrong. I don't know what prompted me to finally watch it. I was browsing through the movie on the Netflix instant viewing list and found it. Don't know why I picked it out but I really liked this movie! Like, really liked! Like this is one of the best movies I have seen this year. LOL! Did you catch that one?

Anyway, this movie is based on a novel of the same name. I think I am going to go pick that one up at my local library and see how the movie compares to it.

Anyway, really good movie in my opinion. If you have not seen, I highly suggest that you watch this movie.

Return of the Shuffle

Talking to Dave the other day, he reminded me that I have not done an iPod Shuffle post in a while so without further adieu.....here it is....

1. Pressure the Hinges - Haste the Day (from Pressure the Hinges)
2. www.sara - All (from Problematic)
3. Welcome to the Machine - Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here)
4. Get You Alone - The Donnas (Get Skintight)
5. First Kiss - Same Day Service (Waiting for Tomorrow)
6. Continental - Alkaline Trio (Good Mourning)
7. My Hero - Foo Fighters (The Colour and the Shape)
8. Vasoline - Stone Temple Pilots (Purple)
9. Hope - Descendents (Milo Goes to College)
10. Particle Man - They Might Be Giants (Flood)
11. Dear John - Idol Factory (Dear John)
12. Linoleum - NOFX (Punk in Drublic)
13. 20/20 Surgery - Taking Back Sunday (Louder Now)
14. Debaser - Pixies (Doolittle)
15. Kill by Kill - The Staggers (One Heartbeat Away from Hell)

Minutemen: DOTM

30 years ago this year the band The Minutemen was formed in San Pedro, California.

Unfortunately, they were only together for 5 years, having disbanding after the death of guitarist D. Boon but their music has influenced many even gaining D. Boon the honor of being in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

Today's DOTM is in honor of the anniversary of their formation.

Paranoid Time
Released in 1980 by SST.
Produced by Greg Ginn.
Personnel:
D. Boon - guitar, vocals
Mike Watt - bass, vocals
George Hurley - drums, backing vocals
Tracks: 7

Joy
Released in August 1981 by New Alliance.
Produced by Mike Patton (not the Faith No More Mike Patton)
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 3

The Punch Line
Released in 1981 by SST.
Produced by Spot.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 18

Bean-Spill
Released in 1982 by Thermidor.
Produced by Spot and The Minutemen.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 5

What Makes a Man Start Fires?
Released in January 1983 by SST.
Produced by Spot.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 18

Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat
Released in 1983 by SST.
Produced by Ethan James and Spot.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 8

The Politics of Time
Released in 1984 by New Alliance.
Various producers.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 27

Double Nickels on the Dime
Released in July 1984 by SST.
Produced by Ethan James.
No personnel changes.
Tracks: 22

Tour-Spiel
Released in 1984 by Reflext Records.
Tracks: 4

Project Mersh
Released in 1985 by SST.
Produced by Joe Carducci.
No personnel changes.
Tracks: 6

3-Way Tie For Last
Released in December 1985 by SST.
Produced by Mike Watt, D. Boon and Ethan James.
No personnel changes.
Tracks: 10

My First Bells
Compilation released in 1985 by SST.

Minuteflag
Released in 1986 by SST (recorded in March 1985).
Produced by Greg Ginn.
This album was a recorded jam session between the members of The Minutemen and Black Flag.
Tracks: 4

Ballot Result
Live album released in 1987 by SST.
Produced by Mike Watt.
Tracks: 26

Post Mersh Vol 1
Compilation album released in 1987 by SST.
Produced by Spot.
Tracks: 36

Post Mersh Vol 2
Compilation album released in 1987 by SST.
Produced by Ethan James, Spot, and Joe Carducci.
Tracks: 14

Post Mersh Vol 3
Compilation album released in 1989 by SST.
Tracks: 46
This compilation includes the albums Paranoid Time, Bean-Spill, Tour-Spiel, Joy and The Politics of Time.

Georgeless
Live EP released in 1993 by Forced Exposure.
Tracks: 5

Watching: 500 Days of Summer

500 Days of Summer.

I got this one in the mail from Netflix today. I got interested in watching it from this article over at the Oklahoma Lefty blog.

It was a good movie. I wouldn't say it was one of the greatest movies I have ever seen but it was a good movie. Like Dave mentioned in his post, I felt I could relate to the male protagonist in the movie.

I could not help thinking throughout the movie how much it seemed like John Cusack should have been playing the main character in this movie because it seemed like the "type" of movie he does.

I believe that the soundtrack was going for hip and some of the songs in it were good ones but for the most part I was not impressed with the soundtrack.

But anyway, good movie. I recommend watching it at least once.

The Essential Iron Maiden

The Essential Iron Maiden

In honor of their 30th anniversary this year I decided to do a list of the songs that I would put on a Best Of compilation for Iron Maiden if I were putting it together.

1. Running Free (from 1980's Iron Maiden)
2. Wrathchild (from 1981's Killers)
3. Murders in the Rue Morgue (from 1981's Killers)
4. The Number of the Beast (from 1982's The Number of the Beast)
5. Run to the Hills (from 1982's The Number of the Beast)
6. The Trooper (from 1983's Peice of Mind)
7. Aces High (from 1984's Powerslave)
8. 2 Minutes to Midnight (from 1984's Powerslave)
9. Powerslave (from 1984s Powerslave)
10. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (from 1984s Powerslave)
11. Caught Somewhere in Time (from 1986s Somewhere in Time)
12. Wasted Years (from 1986s Somewhere in Time)
13. Stranger in a Strange Land (from 1986s Somewhere in Time)
14. Alexander the Great (from 1986s Somewhere in Time)
15. Moonchild (from 1988's 7th Son of a 7th Son)
16. Can I Play With Madness (from 1988's 7th Son of a 7th Son)
17. 7th Son of a 7th Son (from 1988's 7th Son of a 7th Son)
18. Only the Good Die Young (from 1988's 7th Son of a 7th Son)
19. Mother Russia (from 1990's No Prayer for the Dying)
20. Brave New World (from 2000s Brave New World)
21. The Wicker Man (from 2000s Brave New World)

NHL Update (Jan 9)

Here is the first NHL update on Otter Limits of the Season. Can't believe it has taken me this long.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic
New Jersey
Pittsburgh
NY Rangers
Philadelphia
NY Islanders

Northeast
Buffalo
Boston
Ottawa
Montreal
Toronto

Southeast
Washington
Atlanta
Florida
Tampa Bay
Carolina

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central
Chicago
Nashville
Detroit
Columbus
St Louis

Northwest
Vancouver
Calgary
Colorado
Minnesota
Edmonton

Pacific
San Jose
Phoenix
Los Angeles
Dallas
Anaheim

Points Leaders
Sedin (Canucks) - 61
Thornton (Sharks) - 58
Ovechkin (Capitals) - 53

Goals Leaders
Marleau (Sharks) - 28
Gaborik (Rangers) - 28
Ovechkin (Capitals) - 27

Assists Leaders
Thornton (Sharks) - 47
Sedin (Canucks) - 41
Richards (Stars) - 39

Wins Leaders
Brodeur (Devils) - 27
Miller (Sabres) - 25
Nabokov (Sharks) - 24

Save % Leaders
Miller (Sabres) - .935
Rask (Bruins) - .933
Kiprusoff (Flames) - .928

Kelly Videos

Here is a sort of sequel to the DOTM I did last night. These are some videos of some songs by pop singer Kelly Clarkson.







Had to throw in a live video of her too:



Here is one of Kelly singing an old Cheap Trick favorite:

Watching: Very Bad Things

Very Bad Things

I watched this one via Netflix's Watch Instantly option tonight.

I am pretty sure that I have watched this one before at some point in time but it must have been about the time it first came out because I did not remember most of the details of the movie.

So this one is directed by a guy named Peter Berg who I remember mostly as being the white boxer in the movie the Great White Hype. This movie was his directorial debut.

It came out in 1998 and stars Christian Slater, Cameron Diaz, Jeremy Piven and a younger (obviously) and much thinner Jon Favreau (who was the director of the great movie Iron Man).

Not a bad movie. Very dark comedy. The character I found most interesting in the film was the one played by Christian Slater. He always seems to play the dark comedic characters pretty well (as he did so well in the movie Heathers).

All in all, good movie. Go check it out if you haven't already.

Here Is a DOTM I Bet You Never Thought You'd See!

This is a Discography Of The Moment for the pop singer Kelly Clarkson! LOL!

Thankful
Released in April 2003 by RCA.
Various producers.
Tracks: 13
Singles:
"A Moment Like This/Before Your Life" "Miss Independent" "Low" "The Trouble With Love Is"
This album reached #1 on the Billboard 200 in 2003.
This album has sold over 2 millions copies in the U.S. alone.

Breakaway
Released in November 2004 by RCA.
Various producers.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Breakaway" "Since U Been Gone" "Behind These Hazel Eyes" "Because of You" "Walk Away"
This album reached #3 on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 6 million copies in the U.S.

My December
Released in June 2007 by RCA.
Produced by David Kahne, Kelly Clarkson, Jason Halbert and Jimmy Messer.
Tracks: 13
Singles:
"Never Again" "Sober" "One Minute" "Don't Waste Your Time"
This album debuted at #2 in the U.S. charts.

All I Ever Wanted
Released in March 2009 by RCA.
Various producers.
Tracks: 14
Singles:
"My Life Would Suck Without You" "I Do Not Hook Up" "Already Gone"
This album reached #1 on the Billboard 200.