Dangerous Xmas Gifts

Tara Reid demonstrates how not to use the Bedazzler

Acceptable Uses For The Bedazzler

Not This!

Xenu is Coming

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something freakish about Katie's recent hair-do...

Merry .... uh ... Holiday?

I received this e-mail today at the politically correct institution where i am employed.

As Chair and member of the Multicultural Diversity Committee, my view is to keep the Holiday practice/celebration broad, rather than defined to one culture/religion (Christian practices, such as: Christmas Tree). It has come to my attention over the years that some individuals have been offended when only one religious practice (Christianity) is honored, and not others (Jewish, Goddess-based, Kwanza, Muslim, Wicca, Earth-based spirituality, etc). In past years, there have been times where various religious/spiritual practices were honored and noticed in the Administration building, reflecting greater sensitivity to various world-views – I would love to support this as an on-going practice!

I realize my complaints about this attitude aren't exactly new but I simply must express my disgust/amusement/bewilderment at such a statement.
Yes, I believe it is important to be considerate of all cultures and religious perspectives, but this kind of thinking doesn't really even do that - instead it respects none. There is no recognition of 'diversity' here, but rather an attempt to homogenize all cultures and religions into one 'universal' practice. If the goal was truly to be sensitive to all cultures, the solution would be to allow each culture to celebrate it's own holiday. Instead, the proposed practice is to strip each holiday of it's cultural origin. If you wish to celebrate Hannukah rather than Christmas during this time of year, can i insist that instead of calling it a Jewish Mennorah, you must call it a Holiday Mennorah? After all, we must be consistent - If the Christians are not allowed to claim their own icons, either should any other culture. So I ask, is this truly respecting cultural diversity?
If you want to convince me that these efforts are truly genuine and not simply a thinly veiled attack on Christianity, pursue a rational policy. The biggest irony in this, is that it is our "Institutions of Higher Education" that ooze out the majority of this political correctness nonsense.

Birthdays for November 30

Billy Idol (1955)
Leo Lyons (1944) - Ten Years After
Roger Glover (1945) - Deep Purple

More Birthdays

John Mayall (1933)
Ronnie Montrose (1947)
Barry Goudreau of Boston (1954)
I've actually included 14 Ronnie Montrose albums in the playlist for today even though i only show one album in the post.

Happy Birthday Jimi

Johnny Allen Hendrix (later re-named James Marshall Hendrix) was born on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington, U.S..

Wait, Are We Talking About 'Murder'?!

Ex-professor pleads guilty to killing wife
Rafael Robb, once a tenured economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, faces a likely prison sentence of 4 1/2 to seven years for bludgeoning his wife, Ellen, on Dec. 22.
4½ years for Murder?! Good thing it wasn't a hate crime.

the Britney Driving Experience

Why is Britney driving like this?
a.) driving safely isn't enough of a challenge (hardly)
b.) she's trying to avoid being noticed by photographers (like that wouldn't get your attention)
c.) bad hair day
d.) She wants her 3 hours of jail time for driving while impaired (ala Paris, Lindsey, Nicole) but has so far alluded police while driving drunk.

This woman simply should not be allowed to operate moving equipment.

Tony MacAlpine

Guitar Addict!

I need a 3rd guitar like I need a 3rd eye, but it was a fund-raising auction and I couldn't bear to see this beauty go for less than retail price. :-\ Walden D560CE - accoustic/electric. sounds nice, good action, and the cutaway is actually useful since it still sounds good above the 12th fret.

More Tangerine Dream

Janis Lyn Joplin (1/19/43 – 10/4/70)

Happy 53rd B-Day, Stevie Ray (RIP)

Tangerine Dream - Alpha Centauri

Tom Cruise is Bonkers 4 Bunkers

As if you needed any further proof that this man is absolutely bonkers, Tom Cruise is building an underground bunker to protect his family from alien invasion.
story here

and who could possibly tell him it won't work?

John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham (May 31, 1948 – September 25, 1980)

Listening to WCAV

WCAV radio update:
the ban list is growing by leaps and bounds. IPs that I find hammering my server get banned. If you have been banned or are unable to access, leave me a note.

NSPlayer (Whatever that is) does not appear to be capable of listening to my music stream.

37th Anniversary of the death of the master

We Still Miss You!

Featured Artist This Week - Gov't Mule

It might be hard to imagine the Allman Brothers band as a power trio, but if you could, this is what it would sound like. Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody (replaced with Andy Hess from the Black Crowes on Woody's passing away) from the Allman Brothers teamed with Dicky Betts' drummer Matt Abts to create the original Gov't Mule in 1994.

This year they re-released Live at the Rosewood Ballroom. Admittedly, these guys haven't put out a lot of original material, they do however, breathe new life into a myriad of classic covers.

Check them out!

Gilmour Concert being streamed internationally

Pink Floyd fans take note:

GILMOUR BEAMED ACROSS THE WORLD

Good News

The RIAA has been defeated again by a court decision MegaCorporations - 0; Average Joe - 1

Happy (Be-lated) Birthday Neil

Man do i feel stupid. I make Rush my featured artist of the week and then miss Neil Peart's birthday yesterday.

Happy 55th, Neil.
Rush Blog

Led Zeppelin 'reform for concert'

story here

I've seen some recent solo shows of Robert Plant on TV and sadly, i have to say, the man simply doesn't have it any more. I was a diehard Zep fan in the 70's. My garage band would cover everything off their first 5 albums. I'm afraid this reunion will kill my fantastic memories of them.
But it certainly is interesting music news considering the one-time animosity between Plant and Page that prevented earlier attempts at reuniting whereas other great bands were able to work through their personal tragedies.

Green Grass & High Tides Forever

Southern rock icon dies at his Brooksville home

Farewell to Hughie Thomasson of the Outlaws

Rush

This week's featured artist is Rush.
I have to admit that back in the 70's and 80's when i was young rocker, I didn't have much appreciation for this group. My tastes have broadened a bit sense then and I have developed an appreciation for the complex rhythms and melodies that Geddy Lee and Co have produced. Their longevity is certainly a testimony to their talent.

fusion marathon tonight

I will be running my music server round the clock tonight. Check out all the talent from the greatest axemen.
Just picked up the latest album from Oz Noy last night!

Photo of the week

This guy is so dangerous, hepatitis is afraid of him.

I first ran across Aynsley Lister when his cover of Jimi Hendrix's Crosstown Traffic made me sit up and take notice. In fact, Lister does several Hendrix covers, not just parroting them, but putting his own flair into them. Naturally this only works if you have a lot of talent to begin with. If you check out Angel O' Mine from his debut album, you get a sense of what kind of talent we're talking about. His new (2007) album, Upside Down, doesn't have the stand-out songs like Angel O' Mine or Everything I Need, but if you're hooked on Aynsley Lister like I am, it's definitely one to add to the collection.

Internet Music Station

I've been running this shoutcast internet radio server for 3 or 4 months now but it has not been consistent. As of September 4th the format will be the following:
Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm (pacific time) Classic Rock plus featured artist of the week
Evenings and Weekends will be hit or miss and the format will lean much heavier to jazz/fusion.

more on Global Warming

2 New albums added to my playlist.

playlist is now at 29,506 songs!

More You Need To Know This

Woman Burns Penis Of Dozing Ex-Spouse
--Lorena Bobbit got nothing on this woman

School suspends boy for sketching gun
--Personally, I blame the crayons

Thai man dies wearing wife's bras
--If I were to make a list of ways not to be found dead, this would be right near the top

Monk dies in freak mower accident
--...and this would be somewhere lower on the that same list

Backlash against owner of bikini lawn care company
--Maybe he should open a car wash?

Taliban terrorises RAF families
--Taking 'crank calling' to an all-time low

Get Your Shit Together, People!

How difficult can it be, really?

You Need to Know This

British dwarf's penis gets stuck to hoover
EDINBURGH (AFP) - A dwarf performer at the Edinburgh fringe festival had to be rushed to hospital after his penis got stuck to a vacuum cleaner during an act that went horribly awry.
--i think we're all just thankful he doesn't juggle chainsaws as part of his act

Van was rocking, police were knocking
VAN BUREN, Ark. - Amorous behavior in a Taco Bell parking lot led to an arrest on Sunday night. Van Buren police received a number of calls about the activities of a couple inside a van in the restaurant's parking lot.
--There are just so many things wrong with this, I'm not even sure where to begin...

Gambler complains of urine-soaked seat
ELIZABETH, Ind. - A Kentucky man who was playing slot machines at the Caesars Indiana casino claims he sat in a chair soaked with urine left by a gambler who had just exited the seat.
"My whole concern is that they fix this," [Floyd] told The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky. "It's not apparent that they have anything in place to deal with this kind of situation."
--Well Floyd, I can tell you how I would deal with that situation, but you're not going to like my suggestion

warming?

Hundreds of naked people pose in front of the Aletsch glacier during a massive naked photo session with U.S. photographer Spencer Tunick, near Bettmeralp, Switzerland, Saturday Aug. 18, 2007. The environmental group Greenpeace commissioned Tunick to take pictures of nude volunteers on a Swiss glacier to call attention to the issue of global warming and its impact on glaciers. (AP Photo/Keystone, Laurent Gillieron)
--and what better way to call attention to global warming than to show us a bunch of assholes.

Went Ocean Kayaking Today

Looking back at the coast from the 1/4 mile buoy.







Two of my boys, Jesse - 16, Josiah - 14








Me on the left.








Josiah

























Jesse