Samiam: DoTM

Got this idea from Dave's review of their latest release.

Samiam is a punk band from Berkeley, California. They formed in 1988 from the ashes of the band Isocracy.

LINKS

Samiam Website
Samiam MySpace Site
Samiam Wiki article

DISCOGRAPHY

I Am
Released in 1989 by Lookout! Records.
Produced by Samiam.
Band Lineup:
Jason Beebout - vocals; Martin Brohm - bass; James Brogan - guitar; Sergie Loobkoff - guitar; Mark Mortinsen - drums.
Tracks: 4

Underground
Released in 1990 by New Red Archives.
Produced by Peter Miller and Samiam.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 5

Samiam
Released in 1990 by New Red Archives.
Produced by Peter Miller and Samiam.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 16

Soar
Released in 1991 by New Red Archives.
Produced by Brett Gurewitz.
Lineup changes:
Mark Mortinsen was replaced on drums by David Ayer.
Tracks: 17

Stump
Released in 1992 by Blackbox Records in Germany only.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 3
This was a collection of acoustic versions of previously recorded material.

Billy
Released in 1992 by New Red Archives.
Produced by Armand John Petri and Samiam.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 13

Clumsy
Released in August 1994 by Atlantic Records.
Produced by Lou Giordano.
Lineup changes:
David Ayer was replaced on drums by Victor Indrizzo and Martin Brohm was replaced on bass by Aaron Rubin.
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Capsized"

Your Choice
Live album released in 1995 by Your Choice Records in Germany only.
Tracks: 4

You Are Freaking Me Out
Released in 1997 by Ignition Records.
Produced by Steven Haigler.
Lineup changes:
Victor Indrizzo was replaced on drums by Michael Petrak.
Tracks: 13
Singles:
"She Found You"

The New Red Years
Compilation album released in 1997 by Golf Records.
Tracks: 17

Search and Destroy
Released in August 1999 by Burning Heart Records.
Produced by Samiam.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 6

Ashtray
Released in August 2000 by Hopeless Records.
Produced by Tim O'Heir.
Lineup changes:
Michael Petrak was replaced on drums by Johnny Cruz and Aaron Rubin was replaced on bass by Sean Kennerly.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Mud Hill"

Whatever's Got You Down
Released in September 2006 by Hopeless Records.
Produced by Chris Moore.
Lineup changes:
Sean Kennerly switched from bass to guitar because James Brogan left the band. Jeremy Bergo took over on bass.
Tracks: 13

Orphan Works
Compilation album released in 2010 by No Idea Records.
Tracks: 18

Trips
Released in September 2011 by Hopeless Records.
Produced by Chris Dugan.
Lineup changes:
Jeremy Bergo was replaced on bass by Billy Bouchard. Johnny Cruz was replaced on drums by Charlie Walker.
Tracks: 13

Oklahoma Top Blogs

Otter Limits is now a "member" of Oklahoma Top Blogs!

Go check it out sometime. There are some pretty decent blogs listed on there.

Otter Limits GOP Presidential Straw Poll

Here's a straw poll you won't be seeing on any major media outlets.

I am conducting a straw poll for the 2012 Republican Presidential Primary.

The poll itself is on the right.

The question on the poll is, pretty simply, Who do you want to be the Republican Party's nominee for President in 2012?

The options are:

Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Michele Bachmann
Rick Perry
Herman Cain
Jon Huntsman
Newt Gingrich
Rick Santorum
Gary Johnson
Other

If you choose "Other" please leave a comment on this post with who your nominee is.

Let the voting begin!!!

Essential Fat Wreck Chords

For this list I got this idea from Dave a long time ago. Instead of doing essential songs for a particular record label, I am doing specific albums that this label has released.

First some history...

This independent label was founded in 1990 in Frisco by Fat Mike (of NOFX) and his wife. An interesting fact about this label is that they only ever sign one-record deals with their artists. That way, if they don't want to release another album by the artist, they don't have to. Also, it frees up the artist themselves to pursue other labels as well if they are not happy with Fat.

Here is the list:

1. Bark Like a Dog - Screeching Weasel
2. Cool to be You - Descendents
3. E is for Everything - Bracket
4. Have a Ball - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
5. Leche Con Carne - No Use For a Name
6. Love Their Country - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
7. Making Friends - No Use For a Name
8. Merican - Descendents
9. Take a Break - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
10. Til It Kills - Tilt

NFL Roundup 2011 (Week 3)

WEEK 3 SCORES

San Francisco 13 Cincinnati 8
Carolina 16 Jacksonville 10
Detroit 26 Minnesota 23
Tennessee 17 Denver 14 :)
Cleveland 17 Miami 16
NY Giants 29 Philadelphia 16
New Orleans 40 Houston 33
Buffalo 34 New England 31 :(
Baltimore 37 St Louis 7 :)
Oakland 34 NY Jets 24
San Diego 20 Kansas City 17 :(
Green Bay 27 Chicago 17
Seattle 13 Arizona 10 :)
Tampa BAy 16 Atlanta 13
Pittsburg 23 Indianapolis 20
Dallas 18 Washington 16

AFC STANDINGS

East
Bills
Patriots
Jets
Dolphina

North
Ravens
Browns
Steelers
Bengals

South
Texans
Titans
Jaguars
Colts

West
Raiders
Chargers
Broncos
Chiefs

NFC STANDINGS

East
Cowboys
Redskins
Giants
Eagles

North
Packers
Lions
Bears
Vikings

South
Buccaneers
Saints
Panthers
Falcons

West
49ers
Seahawks
Cardinals
Rams

STATS

Passing Yards
Tom Brady (Patriots) - 1327
Drew Brees (Saints) - 1059
Cam Newton (Panthers) - 1012

Passing TDs
Brady (Patriots) - 11
Brees (Saints) - 9
Matthew Stafford (Lions) - 9

Rushing Yards
Darren McFadden (Raiders) - 393
LeSean McCoy (Eagles) - 345
Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguards) - 307

Rushing TDs
McCoy (Eagles) - 4
Adrian Peterson (Vikins) - 3
McFadden (Raiders) - 3

Receiving Yards
Wes Welker (Patriots) - 458
Mike Wallace (Steelers) - 377
Steve Smith (Panthers) - 349

Receiving TDs
Calvin Johnson (Lions) - 6
Rob Gronkowski (Patriots) - 5
Welker (Patriots) - 5

ESPN POWER RANKINGS (Top 10)
Green Bay Packers
New England Patriots
New York Jets
New Orleans Saints
Houston Texans
Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Atlanta Falcons
Pittsburgh Steelers
Chicago Bears

Seahawks are still dead last in the power rankings.

Pac 12 Roundup 2011 (9.27.11

SCORES

Colorado 17 Ohio State 37
Washington 31 California 23
Arizona State 43 USC 22
UCLA 27 Oregon State 19
Oregon 56 Arizona 31

STANDINGS

North
Stanford
Oregon
Washington
Washington State
California
Oregon State

South
Arizona State
UCLA
USC
Colorado
Utah
Arizona

AP TOP 25 (Top 10)
LSU
Oklahoma
Alabama
Boise State
Oklahoma State
Stanford
Wisconsin
Nebraska
Oregon
South Carolina

Big 12 Roundup (9.27.11)

SCORES

Kanas State 28 Miami 24
Oklahoma State 30 Texas A&M 29
Texas Tech 35 Nevada 34
Baylor 56 Rice 31
Oklahoma 38 Missouri 28

STANDINGS

Oklahoma State
Oklahoma
Baylor
Texas Tech
Texas
Iowa State
Kansas State
Kansas
Texas A&m
Missouri

STATS

Passing Yards

Brandon Weesen (OSU) - 1592 (1st in NCAA)
Landry Jones (OU) - 1022
James Franklin (Missouri) - 985

Passing TDs

Robert Griffin (Baylor) - 13 (3rd in NCAA)
Seth Doege (Texas Tech) - 11
Weeden (OSU) - 10

Rushing Yards

Henry Josey (Missouri) - 529 (5th in NCAA)
Joseph Randle (OSU) - 447
Eric Stephens (Texas Tech) - 331

Rushing TDs

Randle (OSU) - 7
Dominique Whaley (Oklahoma) - 5
Stephens (Texas Tech) - 5

Receiving Yards

Justin Blackmon (OSU) - 450 (7th in NCAA)
Kendall Wright (Baylor) - 420
Ryan Broyles (OU) - 367

Receiving TDs

Eric Ward (Texas Tech) - 5 (5th in NCAA)
Justin Blackmon (OSU - 4
Darius Reynolds (Iowa State) - 4

Quote of the Day (9/24/11)

"[a liberal is]......someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who
welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare
of the people - their health, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and
their civil liberties - someone who believes we can break through the stalemate
and suspicions that grip up in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by
a 'liberal', then I'm proud to say I'm a 'liberal'."

- - John F Kennedy

Otters Picks: The Best of REM

This is another one of those posts where I list the songs that I would include on a Greatest Hits Album if I were putting it together. This one just so happens to be for the band REM.

You might notice the exclusion of any songs that were released after the New Adventures in Hi-Fi album. The reason is that I really did not listen to much of their post Hi-Fi stuff.

1. Radio Free Europe (from the album Murmur)


2. Dont Go Back to Rockville (Reckoning)


3. Finest Worksong (Document)


4. Welcome to the Occupation (Document)


5. Its the End of the World As We Know It (Document)


6. The One I Love (Document)


7. Orange Crush (Green)


8. Radio Song (Out of Time)


9. Losing My Religion (Out of Time)


10. Texarkana (Out of Time)


11. Drive (Automatic for the People)


12. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (Automatic for the People)


13. Everybody Hurts (Automatic for the People)


14. Man on the Moon (Automatic for the People)


15. Whats the Frequency Kenneth? (Monster)


16. Crush with Eyeliner (Monster)


17. Bang and Blame (Monster)


18. Electrolite (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)

The songs that are bold-faced represent the songs that I consider my own personal favorite R.E.M. songs.

R.E.M.: New and Improved DoTM!

I did a DoTM for this band back in February 2007 but I was looking at it earlier today and it really does not justice to the band.

So...........in "memory" of the band, here is the updated and newly improved REM Discography of the Moment!

Chronic Town
Released in August 1982 by IRS Records.
Produced by Mitch Easter and REM.
Band lineup:
Michael Stipe - vocals; Peter Buck - guitar; Mike Mills - bass; Bill Berry - drums.
Tracks: 5

Murmur
Released in April 1983 by IRS Records.
Produced by Don Dixon and Mitch Easter.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Radio Free Europe" and "Talk About the Passion"
Charts:
#36 on the US Billboard 200; #100 on the UK Albums Chart.
Other Accolades:
#58 on Rolling Stones Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years (1987); #197 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003).

Reckoning
Released in April 1984 by IRS.
Produced by Don Dixon and Mitch Easter.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 10
Singles:
"Southern Central Rain" and "Don't Go Back to Rockville"
Charts:
#27 on the US Billboard 200; #91 on the UK Albums Chart.

Fables of the Reconstruction
Released in June 1985 by IRS.
Produced by Joe Boyd.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Can't Get There From Here" "Driver 8" and "Wendell Gee"
Charts:
#28 on the US Billboard 200; #35 on the UK Albums Chart.

Lifes Rich Pageant
Released in July 1986 by IRS
Produced by Don Gehman
No lineup changes
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Fall On Me" and "Superman"
Charts:
#21 on the US Billboard 200; #43 on the UK Albums Chart

Dead Letter Office
Compilation album released in April 1987 by IRS
Various producers
Tracks: 15
Consists of B-sides and rarities
Charts:
#53 on the Billboard 200; #60 on the UK Chart

Document
Released in September 1987 by IRS
Produced by Scott Litt and REM
No lineup changes
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"The One I Love" "Its the End of the World as We Know It" and "Finest Worksong"
Charts:
#10 on the Billboard 200; #28 on the UK Chart

Eponymous
Compilation album released in October 1988 by IRS
Various producers
Tracks: 12
Charts:
#44 on the Billboard 200; #69 on the UK Chart

Green
Released in November 1988 by Warner Brothers
Produced by Scott Litt and REM
No lineup changes
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Orange Crush" "Stand" "Pop Song 89" and "Get Up"
Charts:
#12 on the Billboard 200; #27 on the UK Chart

Out of Time
Released in March 1991 by Warner Bros
Produced by Scott Litt and REM
No lineup changes
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Losing My Religion" "Shiny Happy People" "Near Wild Heaven" and "Radio Song"
Charts:
#1 on the Billboard 200; #1 on the UK Chart
Awards:
Grammy for Best Pop Performance "Losing My Religion"; Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance "Out of Time";

The Best of REM
Compilation album released in September 1991 by IRS
Various Producers
Tracks: 16

Automatic for the People
Released in October 1992 by Warner Bros
Prodcued by Scott Litt and REM
No lineup changes
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Drive" "Man on the Moon" "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" "Everybody Hurts" "Nightswimming" and "Find the River"
Charts:
#2 on the Billboard 200; #1 on the UK Chart

The Automatic Box
Box set released in December 1993 by Warner Bros
Produced by Scott Litt and REM
Tracks: 18

Monster
Released in September 1994 by Warner Bros
Produced by Scott Litt and REM
No lineup changes
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Whats the Frequency Kenneth?" "Bang and Blame" "Strange Currencies" "Crush with Eyeliner" and "Tongue"
Charts:
#1 on Billboard 200 and #1 on UK Albums

REM Singles Collection
Compilation released in 1994 by IRS
Various producers
Tracks: 20

New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Released in September 1996 by Warner Bros
Produced by Scott Litt and REM
No lineup changes
Tracks: 14
Singles:
"E-Bow the Letter" "Bittersweet Me" "Electrolite" "How the West was Won and Where It Got Us" "The Wake Up Bomb" and "New Test Leper"
Charts:
#2 on the Billboard 200; #1 on the UK Charts;
Other Accolades:
#4 on the Rolling Stone's Best Albums of 1996; #11 on Spin's Best Albums of 1996;

In the Attic
Compilation album released in October 1997 by IRS
Various producers
Tracks: 14

Up
Released in October 1998 by Warner Bros
Produced by Pat McCarthy and REM
Lineup changes:
Bill Berry left the group in 1997. On this album drums were performed by Joey Waronker.
Tracks: 14
Singles:
"Daysleeper" "Lotus" "At My Most Beautiful" and "Suspicion"
Charts:
#3 on the Billboard 200; #2 on UK Chart

Man on the Moon
Soundtrack album released in November 1999 by Warner Bros
Produced by Pat McCarthy and REM
Tracks: 15

Reveal
Released in May 2001 by Warner Bros
Produced by Patrick McCarthy and REM
No lineup changes
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Imitation of Life" "All the Way to Reno" and "Ill Take the Rain"
Charts:
#6 on the Billboard 200; #1 on the UK Chart

Not Bad for No Tour
Promotional EP released in 2001 by Warner Bros
Produced by REM
Tracks: 6

In Time
Compilation album released in October 2003 by Warner Bros
Various producers
Tracks: 18
Singles:
"Bad Day" and "Animal"
Charts:
#8 on Billboard 200; #1 on UK Chart

Vancouver Rehearsal Tapes
Promotional EP released in October 2003 by iTunes
Tracks: 5

Around the Sun
Released in October 2004 by Warner Bros
Produced by Pat McCarthy and REM
No lineup changes; Drums on the album were performed by Bill Rieflin
Tracks: 13
Singles:
"Leaving New York" "Aftermath" "Electron Blue" and "Wanderlust"
Charts:
#13 on the Billboard 200; #1 on the UK Chart

And I Feel Fine
Compilation album released in September 2006 by IRS
Various producers
Tracks: 42
Charts:
#148 on the Billboard 200; #70 on the UK Chart

REM Live
Live album released in October 2007 by Warner Bros
Produced by Emer Patten
Tracks: 22

Accelerate
Released in March 2008 by Warner Bros
Produced by Jacknife Lee and REM
No lineup changes
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Supernatural Superserious" "Hollow Man" "Man-Sized Wreath" and "Until the Day is Done"
Charts:
#2 on the Billboard 200; #1 on the UK Chart

Live from London
Live album released in July 2008 by iTunes
Tracks: 9
No lineup changes; Drums were performed by Bill Rieflin

Live at the Olympia
Live album released in October 2009 by Warner Bros
Produced by Jacknife Lee
No lineup changes; Drums were performed by Bill Rieflin
Tracks: 19

REM Live from Austin
Live album released in October 2010 by New West Records
Prodcued by REM
No lineup changes; Drums were performed by Bill Rieflin
Tracks: 17

Collapse Into Now
Released in March 2011 by Warner Bros
Produced by Jacknife Lee and REM
No lineup changes; Drums were performed by Bill Rieflin
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Mine Smell Like Honey" "Uberlin" and "Oh My Heart"
Charts:
#5 on the Billboard 200; #5 on the UK Chart

R.E.M. Breaking Up!!!

R.E.M. Break Up: We Have Decided to Call It A Day As a Band

Who would have thought this band would have broken up? Crazy.

Look for more R.E.M. related posts in the near future on this site.

Here are some that I did in the past:

10 for 2010
Discography of the Moment

MLB Roundup 2011 (Sept 20)

AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS

East
New York Yankees
Boston 5 games behind
Tampa Bay
Toronto
Baltimore

Central
Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago White Sox
Kansas City
Minnesota

West
Texas
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland
Seattle

NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS

East
Philadelphia
Atlanta
Washington
New York Mets
Florida

Central
Milwaukee
St Louis
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Chicago
Houston

West
Arizona
San Francisco
Los Angeles Dodgers
Colorado
San Diego

STATS

Batting Average
Adrian Gonzalez (Red Sox) - .340
Ryan Braun (Brewers) - .332
Michael Young (Rangers) - .332

Hits
Gonzalez (Red Sox) - 206
Jacoby Ellsbury (Red Sox) - 200
Young (Rangers) - 198

Home Runs
Jose Bautista (Blue Jays) - 42
Curtis Granderson (Yankees) - 41
Mark Teixeira (Yankees) - 37

ERA
Justin Verlander (Tigers) - 2.29
Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) - 2.30
Johnny Cueto (Reds) - 2.31

Wins
Verlander (Tigers) - 24
Ian Kennedy (Diamondbacks) - 20
Kershaw (Dodgers) - 19

Saves
Jose Valverde (Tigers) - 46
Craig Kimbrel (Braves) - 45
John Axford (Brewers) - 43

ESPN Power Rankings (Top 10)

Philadelphia Phillies
New York Yankees
Detroit Tigers
Milwaukee Brewers
Boston Red Sox
Texas Rangers
Tampa Bay Rays
Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves
Los Angeles Angels

OTTERS PICKS

So it is getting closer to the close of the season so it's time for me to start throwing some picks out on who I think will win it all. So............

In the AL East, I think the Red Sox will figure out a way to triumph over their dreaded rivals, the Yankees.
In the AL Central, I am picking the Tigers.
In the AL West, Texas will come out on top.

Overall, in the National League, I think the Detroit Tigers are going to come out on top.

I think the Phillies will take the NL East.
It will be close but I think that St Louis will pull out an NL Central victory over Milwaukee.
I think the Diamondbacks will come out on top of the NL West.

Overall in the National League, I think the Philadelphia Phillies are going to the World Series.

So if the World Series comes down between the Phillies and the Tigers, I'm going to have to go with the Tigers.

NFL Roundup 2011 (Week 2)

WEEK 2 SCORES

Buffalo 38 Oakland 35
New Orleans 30 Chicago 13
Tampa Bay 24 Minnesota 24
Detroit 48 Kansas City 3
Cleveland 27 Indianapolis 19
Green Bay 30 Carolina 23
Pittsburgh 24 Seattle 0 :(
Washington 22 Arizona 21
Dallas 27 San Francisco 24
New England 35 San Diego 21
Atlanta 35 Philadelphia 31
Tennessee 26 Baltimore 13
NY Jets 32 Jacksonville 3
Denver 24 Cincinnati 22
Houston 23 Miami 13
NY Giants 28 St Louis 16

AFC STANDINGS

East
Patriots
Bills
Jets
Dolphins

North
Ravens
Bengals
Browns
Steelers

South
Texans
Jaguars
Titans
Colts

West
Raiders
Chargers
Broncos
Chiefs

NFC STANDINGS

East
Redskins
Cowboys
Eagles
Giants

North
Packers
Lions
Bears
Vikings

South
Saints
Falcons
Buccaneers
Panthers

West
49ers
Cardinals
Rams
Seahawks

STATS

Passing Yards
Tom Brady (Patriots) - 940
Cam Newton (Panthers) - 854
Philip Rivers (Chargers) - 713

Passing TDs
Brady (Patriots) - 7
Matthew Stafford (Lions) - 7
Ryan Fitzpatrick (Bills) - 7

Rushing Yards
Fred Jackson (Bills) - 229
Darren McFadden (Raiders) - 222
Ben Tate (Texans) - 219

Rushing TDs
LeSean McCoy (Eagles) - 3
John Kuhn (Packers) - 2
BenJarvus Green-Ellis (Patriots) - 2

Receiving Yards
Steve Smith (Panthers) - 334
Kenny Britt (Titans) - 271
Wes Welker (Patriots) - 241

Receiving TDs
Miles Austin (Cowboys) - 4
Calvin Johnson (Lions) - 4
Kenny Britt (Titans) - 3

ESPN Power Rankings (Top 10)

Green Bay Packers
New England Patriots
New York Jets
New Orleans Saints
Houston Texans
Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Atlanta Falcons
Pittsburgh Steelers
Chicago Bears

The Seahawks are dead last in the Power Rankings :(

PAC 12 Roundup 2011 (9.19.11)

SCORES

Colorado beat Colorado State 28-14.
UCLA was beat by Texas 49-20.
California beat Presbyterian 63-12.
Washington was beat by Nebraska 51-38.
Oregon beat Missouri State 56-7.
Washington State was beat by San Diego State 42-34.
Arizona State was beat by Illinois 17-14.
Utah beat BYU 54-10.
USC beat Syracuse 38-17.
Stanford beat Arizona 37-10.

STANDINGS

North
Stanford
California
Oregon
Washington State
Washington
Oregon State

South
USC
Arizona State
UCLA
Colorado
Utah
Arizona

Big 12 Roundup 2011 (9.19.11)

SCORES

Iowa State beat Connecticut 24-20.
Kansas was beaten by Georgia Tech 66-24.
Texas beat UCLA 49-20.
Texas Tech beat New Mexico 59-13.
Kansas State trampled Kent State 37-0.
Baylors shut out Stephen F Austin 48-0.
Missouri shut out Western Illinois 69-0.
Texas A&M beat Idaho 37-7.
Oklahoma State beat Tulsa 59-33.
Oklahoma beat Florida State 23-13.

STANDINGS

Oklahoma State
Texas
Iowa State
Texas Tech
Baylor
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
Kansas State
Missouri
Kansas

STATS

Passing Yards
Brandon Weeden (OSU) - 1154 (1st in NCAA)
Seth Doege (Texas Tech) - 727
James Franklin (Missouri) - 694

Passing TDs
Doege (Texas Tech) - 8
Weeden (OSU) - 8
Roberts Griffin (Baylor) - 8

Rushing Yards
Henry Josey (Missouri) - 400 (4th in NCAA)
Joseph Randle (OSU) - 368 (6th in NCAA)
Malcolm Brown (Texas) - 260

Rushing TDs
Randle (OSU) - 7 (7th in NCAA)
Dominique Whaley (Oklahoma) - 4
Crys Gray (Texas A&M) - 4

Receiving Yards
Darrin Moore (Texas Tech) - 339
Justin Blackmon (OSU) - 329
Kendall Wright (Baylor) - 312

Receiving TDs
Moore (Texas Tech) - 4
Darius Reynolds (Iowa State) - 4
Wright (Baylor) - 3
Blackmon (OSU) - 3

NFL Roundup 2011 (Week 1)

I forgot to do this last week so here it is:

Week 1 Scores

Packers 42 Saints 23.
Bears 30 Falcons 12.
Bengals 27 Browns 717.
Chiefs 7 Bills 41.
Eagles 31 Rams 13.
Lions 27 Buccaneers 20
Jaguars 16 Titans 14
Ravens 35 Steelers 7
Texans 34 Colts 7
Cardinals 28 Panthers 21
Chargers 24 Vikings 17
49ers 33 Seahawks 17 :(
Redskins 28 Giants 14
Jets 27 Cowboys 24
Patriots 38 Dolphins 24
Raiders 23 Broncos 20

I will probably post Week 2 results tomorrow....if I remember.

Too Little Government?

The following is an excerpt from Newsweek magazine written by Paul Begala that I thought I'd share:

"Conservatives talk about government as if it were something foreign, alien, or extrinsic....Government is us. It's capable of true greatness, real nobility, and majestic triumphs.....the U.S. federal government is the greatest force for good in human history......

...The federal government freed the slaves and defeated Hitler. It built the interstate highway system...integrated the South...put men on the moon....created the Internet....

....And yet the demonization of government persists.......[perhaps]...many of our problems were caused by too little government...."

Hmmmm................interesting.....

Thanks to Hawaiian Joe for the find.

Democratic Party Blog

This is a link to my blog on the Democratic Party's website:

Otter Limits At Democrats.Org

Almost An Ass

Lately, I have begun to ponder the idea on whether or not my fight against the two-party system has harvested any positive results?

At this point in time, I would have to say no.

The question I have been asking myself is whether or not it is a pointless effort to fight against the two-party system or is it possible that I might be better off to focus my efforts in working within the system to try and enact some sort of meaningful change in this country?

After long and careful consideration, I have been leaning more toward working within the system because I have started to feel like it is ultimately better for the country for me to work within the system in order to make an effort to enact some significant change in this country.

But which system would I associate myself with? Which party that is?

For much of my political “lifetime” I have considered myself at heart an Independent. Although, I identify myself as a left-leaning moderate but because of my disappointment with the two-party system and my ultimate lack of faith in either party to get anything meaningful done, I have not joined any party. I did, however, briefly, join the Republican Party. However, I soon realized that I do not identify myself with that party and could not, in clear conscience, remain a part of that group. Within the last year, I joined the Libertarian Party but also began to feel that I could not identify myself with them either.

After even more extensive prolonged and particularly challenging contemplation about this, I have decided to take a crack at working with the Democratic Party because I feel like I might identify myself with their views more than the alternative.

Why?

It started when I was reading the Mission Statement of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. A few things stood out to me. Things like

“[we] reflect the solid values of the state it represents – honest, hard work, and compassion for those who are less fortunate.”

Let me emphasize that last point in that quote….”compassion for those who are less fortunate.”

In August of 2009, I posted What is General Welfare?. In that post I described why I think the term "general welfare" in the U.S. Constitution was not meant to create a "welfare state" in our country.

Also in August of 2009, I posted The Welfare State. In that post I was responding to another blogger's post on whether or not I thought that many of our country's social entitlement programs needed to go away or not.

Again, in August of 2009 I posted Rights of Man in which I described how the country's entitlement programs were not the intention of the government to ensure the "pursuit of happiness."

However, I can no longer, with a clear conscience, continue to fight against programs (such as TANF, Food Stamps, Medicaid, etc..) that are intended to help out poor people. It just seems, to me, to be morally wrong to do so.

Although it is true that, the U.S. government does not have a legal responsibility to provide for those that are less fortunate, we, as American citizens, have a moral responsibility to help provide for those that are less fortunate. It is by our choice of elected officials that we act on that moral responsibility and ultimately, we entrust that responsibility to our elected officials as our representatives to the U.S. government.

The Democratic Party is the party that created such meaningful and beneficial programs such as Social Security (although that program does need reform), Medicare, and the Food Stamp program so their compassion for the poor is exercised through their legislative actions.

Another point of their mission statement that stood out to me was their statement that:

“…we know that less government is sometimes a better government, and that government cannot solve every difficulty faced by our society. But…….we understand there is a role for government to play in finding solutions to our country’s problems.”

In other words, bigger government is not better government but in the end, you need to rely on your government to help make the country a better place to live in.

For those that are interested, here is a link to the Oklahoma Democratic Party’s Mission Statement:

Oklahoma Democrats Mission Statement.

Also, here is the Preamble to the Constitution of the Oklahoma Democratic Party:

”We, the Democrats of the State of Oklahoma, united under the banner of the oldest political party in the world, hereby rededicate ourselves to the principles which have historically sustained our Party. While recognizing the limits of government, we regard democratic government as a force for good and a source of hope. We seek individual freedom in the framework of a just society. We pledge ourselves to uphold the United States Constitution and to work openly and honestly in our efforts to conduct public affairs in a manner worthy of a society of free and responsible citizens.”

Interestingly enough, I was a registered Democrat between mid-1992 and early 2001. I voted for Bill Clinton twice and even campaigned for him in his first Presidential campaign. I was even the Vice President of my college’s chapter of the Young Democrats. I did not vote Democratic in the 2000 Presidential election although I was still, at the time, a registered Democrat. I voted for an Independent candidate. To be completely honest, I can’t remember for the life of me why I left the party. If I had to guess, it would be, more than likely, because that was the beginning of my disgust and distrust of the two-party system.

I have not made a final decision on this, due to the fact that (1) I am not a big supporter of the current Democratic President, (2) I am not supportive of their pro-choice efforts (however, there apparently are some pro-life Democrats in Congress), and (3) I support the right of U.S. citizens to bear arms (although I am a supporter of certain controls on gun ownership), but it is very conceivable that I could end up working within the Democratic Party due to their commitment to improving the lives of ALL U.S. citizens. Hence, as the title suggests, I am almost an ass.

Currently Reading: A Peoples History

Title:  A Peoples History of the United States
Author:  Howard Zinn
Year Published:  originally in 1980, revised in 2003
Publisher:  HarperCollins Publishers

I heard about this book a long time ago. Don't remember where. Never bothered to consider reading it until recently. I looked it up on the library catalog and lo and behold it was on there so I reserved it.

Just picked it up tonight and scanned the table of contents. It tells the story of the history of the U.S. from Columbus to the 2000 Presidential Election.

From what I understand this is not your typical history book in that it is told from a working class perspective. From the point of view of factory workers, immigrants and poor people. Should be an interesting read if I can make it through. Who knows knowing my short attention span. We'll see.

PAC 12 Roundup (9.12.11)

SCORES

Arizona lost to Oklahoma State 37-14.
Arizona State beat Missouri 37-30.
Oregon State lost to Wisconsin 35-0.
California beat Colorado 36-33.
Stanford beat Duke 44-14.
Oregon beat Nevada 69-20.
Washington beat Hawaii 40-32.
Washington State beat UNLV 59-7.
USC beat Utah 23-14.
UCLA beat San Jose State 27-17.

PAC 12 STANDINGS

North Division
Washington State
Stanford
California
Washington
Oregon
Oregon State

South Division
USC
Arizona State
UCLA
Arizona
Colorado
Utah

PAC 12 STATS

Passing Yards
Nick Foles (Arizona) - 810
Tyler Hansen (Colorado) - 697
Brock Osweiler (Arizona State) - 615

Passing TDs
Marshall Lobbestael (Washington State) - 7
Keith Price (Washington) - 7
Darron Thomas (Oregon) - 7

Rushing Yards
Chris Polk (Washington) - 227
Malcolm Agnew (Oregon State) - 223
Jonathan Franklin (UCLA) - 206

Rushing TDs
Rickey Galvin (Washington State) - 3
Malcolm Agnew (Oregon State) - 3
Jonathan Franklin (UCLA) - 2

Receiving Yards
Paul Richardson (Colorado) - 333
Robert Woods (USC) - 279
Aaron Pflugrad (Arizona State) - 230

Receiving TDs
Aaron Pflugrad (Arizona State) - 4
Paul Richardson (Colorado) - 4
Robert Woods (USC) - 3

Big 12 Roundup (9.12.11)

SCORES

Oklahoma State beat Arizona 37-14.
Missouri lost to Arizona State 37-30.
Iowa State beat Iowa 44-41.
Texas beat BYU 17-16.
Kansas beat Northern Illinois 45-42.

BIG 12 STANDINGS

Iowa State
Kansas
Oklahoma State
Texas
Baylor
Kansas State
Oklahoma
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Missouri

AP TOP 10
Oklahoma
Alabama
LSU
Boise State
Florida State
Stanford
Wisconsin
Oklahoma State
Texas A&M
South Carolina


BIG 12 STATS

Passing Yards
Brandon Weeden (OSU) - 785 (2nd in NCAA)
Steele Jantz (Iowa State) - 466
James Franklin (Missouri) - 448

Passing TDs
Jordan Webb (Kansas) - 6 (7th in NCAA)
Robert Griffin (Baylor) - 5
Steele Jantz (Iowa State) - 5

Rushing Yards
Joseph Randle (OSU) - 242
James Sims (Kansas) - 207
Malcolm Brown (Texas) - 150

Rushing TDs
Joseph Randle (OSU) - 4
Dominique Whaley (Oklahoma) - 4
Cody Johnson (Texas) - 3

Receiving Yards
Justin Blackmon (OSU) - 272 (9th in NCAA)
Darrin Moore (Texas Tech) - 221
Kendall Wright (Baylor) - 189

Receiving TDs
DJ Beshears (Kansas) - 2
Kendrall Wright (Baylor) - 2
Justin Blackmon (OSU) - 2

Currently Watching: The Kennedys

My run of watching Smallville is over. I just finished watching Season 9 and Season 10 doesn't get released until October. So what to watch....hmmmmm....

I was skimming through Netflix at the various TV shows that were available to watch on their instant queue and found this show. Actually, it's a mini-series but close enough.

The Kennedys originally aired this past April on ReelzChannel.

It starred Greg Kinnear as John F Kennedy, Katie Holmes as Jacqueline, and Tom Wilkinson as the family patriarch, Joseph Kennedy, among many others.

It was nominated for several Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Miniseries and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries (Greg Kinnear).

Defiance, Ohio - DoTM

Share What Ya Got
Released independently in 2003.
Produced by Defiance, Ohio.
Band lineup:
Geoff Hing - guitar, vocals; Ryan Woods - bass, vocals; Will Staler - drums, vocals; BZ - violin, piano; Sherri Miller - cello, banjo, vocals; Theo Hilton - drums, guitar, piano, vocals.
Tracks: 14

The Great Depression
Released in April 2006 by No Idea Records.
Produced by Jacob Belser.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 13

The Fear, The Fear, The Fear
Released in December 2007 by No Idea.
Produced by Mike Bridavsky.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 10

Midwestern Minutes
Released in July 2010 by No Idea.
Produced by Mike Bridavsky.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 11

Folk Punk: Genre of the Moment

Folk punk is, quite simply, a musical genre (or according to others, a musical movement) that combines the essential elements of folk and punk and is usually (but not always), political in nature. It is also known as acoustic punk, cowpunk, and alt country (although the later could and is considered by some to be a completely separate movement).

The bands The Pogues and Violent Femmes and considered the founders of the genre.

The record label, Plan It X Records, a label based out of Bloomington, Indiana, is primarily responsible for making the sound popular in America. Other prominent folk punk labels include Fistolo Records out of Philadelphia and Riot-Folk! Records, which is very loosely based out of Maine (you'll have to check the website to understand what I mean, in fact, I might end up doing a post just on this place.

Bands in this genre tend to use "traditional" instruments such as violins, banjos, mandolins, and acoustic guitars rather than its electric counterpart.

From what I have been able to tell from my reading about the genre is that the bands in this genre are, in general, strict adherents to the DIY ethic of doing business.

Some bands/artists that are considered to be part of this genre/movement are:

Andrew Jackson Jihad
Started in 2004 in Phoenix, AZ. They have released 4 LPs, 5 EPs, and have been on several splits and compilations. They have been on the Plan-It-X and Asian Man record labels. It is comprised of Sean Bonnette and Ben Gallaty.

Defiance, Ohio
This band began in Columbus Ohio (not Defiance) in 2002. It has been affiliated with Plan-It-X Records, No Idea Records, Anti-Creative Records, and Friends and Relatives Records. They have released 4 LPs, 3 EPs, and have been featured on 3 splits.

The Can Kickers
Based out of Connecticut, The Can Kickers were formed in 2002 and are comprised of Doug Schaefer, Daniel Spurr, and Daniel Thompson. This band's instruments of choice include, banjos, washboards, fiddle and the mouth organ.
They have released 5 albums, including a live album. They considers themselves to be "what would happen if Minor Threat and The Ramones picked up banjos and fiddles..." and are a cross between punk, folk and zydeco music.

Billy Bragg
Political activist Billy Bragg was born in 1957 in England and originally began performing in 1977 with the punk rock band Riff Raff. As a solo artist he has released numerous albums and has been the labels Charisma, Go Discs, Elektra, Liberation Records, Strange Fruit, Cooking Vinyl, and ANTI-Shock, among others. I'm not really sure if his affiliation with Elektra Records classifies him as folk-punk in my book considering signing with a major label kind of goes against the DIY idea that I have of the genre/movement but considering the guy has been doing it for several decades, I'll give him props here.

Frank Turner
I did a Discography of the Moment here on Otter Limits of this guy yesterday. I also put some videos of his work on here as well yesterday. Most of his work has been independently released. About as close as he has gotten to signing with a major label is his affiliation with Epitaph Records.

Other References
An Introduction to Folk Punk on Razorcake, a non-profit website devoted to supporting indenpendent music.
List of Folk Punk Bands at Ranker.com, a website devoted to lists. (I found this website randomly while looking up material for this post and can't help but think, hey, this is my kind of website!)
Folk Punk Facebook page.
Folk Punk Wiki article.

Big 12 Roundup (9.6.11)

So here are the 1st week's results for the Big 12 College Football games.

Speaking of the Big 12, am I the only one that find it silly that the Big 12 only has 10 teams in its conference?

SCORES

Baylor barely beat TCU 50-48.
Iowa State barely beat Northern Iowa 20-19.
Kansas beat McNeese State 42-24.
Kansas State won over Eastern Kentucky 10-7.
Missouri beat Miami (OH) 17-6.
Oklahoma beat Tulsa 47-14.
Oklahoma State tore up Louisiansa - Lafayette 61-34.
Texas took out Rice 34-9.
Texas A&M beat Southern Methodist 46-14.
Texas Tech destroyed Texas State 50-10.

BIG 12 STANDINGS

Will not be posting this portion this week.

AP TOP 10
Oklahoma
Alabama
Oregon
LSU
Boise State
Florida State
Stanford
Texas A&M
Oklahoma State
Nebraska


BIG 12 STATS

Passing Yards
Brandon Weeden (OSU) - 388 (2nd in the NCAA overall)
Landry Jones (OU) - 375 (4th in the NCAA overall)
Robert Griffin (Baylor) - 359 (7th in the NCAA overall)

Passing TDs
Robert Griffin (Baylor) - 5 (3rd in the NCAA overall)
Brandon Weeden (OSU) - 3
Seth Doege (Texas Tech) - 3

Rushing Yards
Cyrus Gray (Texas A&M) - 131
Dominique Whaley (Oklahoma) - 130
Joseph Randle (OSU) - 124

Rushing TDs
Dominique Whaley (Oklahoma) - 4 (2nd in the NCAA overall)
Joseph Randle (OSU) - 2
Steele Jantz (Iowa State) - 2

Receiving Yards
Darrin Moore (Texas Tech) - 221 (1st in the NCAA overall)
Kendall Wright (Baylor) - 189 (2nd in the NCAA overall)
Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma) - 158 (6th in the NCAA overall)

Receiving TDs
Terrance Williams (Baylor) - 2
JaCorey Shepherd (Kansas) - 2
Kendall Wright (Baylor) - 2

Frank Turner: The Videos

I decided to do a videos post to accompany my discography post of this guy:

Frank Turner: DoTM

Frank Turner is a singer/songwriter that was born in December 1981 in Bahrain, although he is British.

He was the vocalist for the London-based hardcore punk rock band Million Dead before they disbanded in 2005.

Strangely enough, his solo stuff is nothing near his previous endeavor. His newer stuff is closer to a mix between folk and indie and from what I little I have heard of his solo stuff is reminiscent (in my opinion) of a British Violent Femmes.

Campfire Punkrock
Released in May 2006 by Xtra Mile Recordings/Good Faith Records.
Produced by Tarrant Anderson and Frank Turner.
Tracks: 5

Sleep is for the Week
Released in January 2007 by Xtra Mile.
Produced by Frank Turner.
Singles:
"Vital Signs"

The Real Damage
Released in May 2008 by Xtra Mile.
Produced by Frank Turner.
Tracks: 5

Love Ire and Song
Released in March 2008 by Xtra Mile/Epitaph Records.
Produced by Ben Lloyd and Frank Turner.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Photosynthesis" "Reasons Not to be an Idiot" and "Long Live the Queen"

The First Three Years
Compilation album released in December 2008 by Xtra Mile.
Produced by Martin Price and George Elliott.
Tracks: 24

Poetry of the Dead
Released in Septebmer 2009 by Xtra Mile/Epitaph.
Produced by Alex Newport.
Tracks: 13
Singles:
"The Road" "Poetry of the Dead" "Isabel" and "Try This at Home"

The Road
Released in September 2009 by Xtra Mile/Epitaph.
Produced by Frank Turner.
Tracks: 4

Frank Turner / Tim Barry Split
Release din October 2009 by Suburban Home Records.
Tracks: 2

Buddies
Split with Jon Snodgrass released in September 2010 by Xtra Mile.
Tracks: 10

Rock and Roll
Released in December 2010 by Xtra Mile.
Produced by Frank Turner and Tristan Ivemy.
Tracks: 5

England Keep My Bones
Released in June 2011 by Xtra Mile/Epitaph.
Produced by Tristan Ivemy.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"I Still Believe" "Peggy Sang the Blues" and "If Ever I Stray"
Charts:
#12 on the UK Albums Chart.

BONUS DISCOGRAPHY

This is the discography of Turner's hardcore punk band Million Dead.

A Song to Ruin
Released in September 2003 by Xtra Mile Recordings/Integrity Records. A deluxe version of the album was released in 2009.
Produced by Joe Gibb and Million Dead.
Band lineup:
Frank Turner - vocals; Ben Dawson - drums; Cameron Deam - guitar; Julia Ruzicka - bass.
Tracks: 10 (15 on the deluxe edition).
Singles:
"Smiling at Strangers on Trains" "Breaking the Back" and "I am the Party"

Harmony No Harmony
Released in May 2005 by Xtra Mile Recordings.
Produced by Mark Williams.
Lineup changes:
Cameron Dean was replaced on guitar by Tom Fowler.
Tracks: 14
Singles:
"Living the Dream" "After the Rush Hour" and "To Whom It May Concern"

Sunday Morning Shuffle (9.4.11)

1. Making You Cry - Screeching Weasel (from the album My Brain Hurts)
2. The Irish Rover - Dropkick Murphys (from Going Out in Style)
3. Ride the Lightning - Metallica (from Ride the Lightning)
4. Lighthouse - Live (from Birds of Pray)
5. Something We Can't Be - Project 86 (from And the Rest Will Follow)
6. Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones (from Ramones)
7. Silly Me - All (Mass Nerder)
8. Smoke You Out - The Donnas (from Bitchin)
9. Silver and Gold - U2 (from Rattle and Hum)
10. Nocturnal - Eve 6 (from Horrorscope)
11. Storm the Gates of Hell - Demon Hunter (from Storm the Gates of Hell)

The Eyeliners: DoTM

Got the idea from doing this Discography of the Moment from Dave's recent Blast From the Past article on the band.

As he stated in his article, The Eyeliners are a 3-piece all girl band that formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1995. Although they are a 3-piece at some point during the band's lifespan, singer/drummer Laura Baca stepped out from behind the drums to focus on vocals and at that point they had a rotating drummer position.

Here are some websites where you can find out info on them:
Eyeliners Official Site
Eyeliners Wiki article
Eyeliners Facebook page
Eyeliners All Music site
The Eyeliners on Discogs

DISCOGRAPHY

Confidential
Released in May 1997 by Sumpathy for the Record Industry.
Produced by The Eyeliners.
Band lineup:
Lisa Baca - bass, vocals; Laura Baca - drums, vocals; Gel Baca - guitar, vocals.
Tracks: 12

Broke My Heart
Released in 1997 by Sympathy for the Record Industry.
Produced by Sally Browder.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 2

Rock N Roll Baby
Released in 1998 by Sympathy for the Record Industry.
Produced by Earle Mankey.
Tracks: 2

Do the Zombie
Released in 1999 by Sympathy for the Record Industry.
Produced by The Eyeliners.
Tracks: 2

Here Comes Trouble
Released in November 1999 by Lookout Records/Panic Button Records.
Produced by The Eyeliners and Mass Giorgini.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 14

Sealed With a Kiss
Released in September 2001 by Lookout/Panic Button.
Produced by Ryan Greene.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12

No Apologies
Released in April 2005 by Blackheart Records.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 14

Pac 12 Roundup (9.4.11)

It's that time of year again. That's right! It's College Football time!!!

So the Pac 10 is now called the Pac 12 due to the addition of Colorado and Utah.

I'm not going to bother listing the standings of the Pac 12 this week since it's only the first week but here are the scores from this week:

1. California beat Fresno State 36-21.
2. Oregon was beaten by LSU 40-27.
3. Oregon State barely lost to Sacramento State 29-28.
4. Stanford spanked San Jose State 57-3.
5. Washington won against Eastern Washington 30-27.
6. Washington State beat Idaho State 64-21.
7. Utah beat Montana State 27-10.
8. Arizona State beat UC Davis 48 - 14.
9. Arizona beat Northern Arizona 41-10.
10. Colorado lost to Hawaii 34-17.
11. UCLA lost to Houston 38-34.
12. USC pulled out a win against Minnesota 19-17.

PAC 12 LEADERS

Passing Yards
Brock Osweiller (Arizona State) - 262
Jordan Wynn (Utah) - 101

Touchdowns
Jordan Wynn (Utah) - 2
Brock Osweiller (Arizona State) - 2

Rushing Yards
John White (Utah) - 150
Kyle Middlebrooks (Arizona State) - 61

Receiving Yards
Cameron Marshall (Arizona State) - 86
Aaron Pflugrad (Arizona State) - 50