Well troopers, it is the last day that we can possibly recruit anyone to the cause for my aforementioned Decade Crusade. Unless any of us live another 90 years we will never get the chance to write a date without the unnecessary “0” before the year. If you have participated in the Decade Crusade leave a comment below and tell anyone else who has signed on to the cause to come to this site and leave a comment.
Continue reading “The End of the Decade Crusade”
20 Best Albums of the Decade
This decade has been much more fruitful than I thought when it comes to good music. Not all of it was too incredibly popular, but does that matter? It may take you a while to get through the list but I guarantee it will be worth it.
Continue reading “20 Best Albums of the Decade”
Midland Texas Christmas
I really miss quite a few things about Christmas in Midland Texas:
When Supergeniuses Attack
By now you may have seen the video of the police officer holding his gun while people throw snowballs at him. If not here it is (language warning):
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Enjoy Some Christmas Tunage
Taking inspiration from an elderly couple singing songs and selling tapes at a Furr’s Cafeteria in Las Vegas I decided the old ball and chain and I would record some songs. The result is a mashed together version of all kinds of different experiments with mixing, jokes, original songs and other such things mostly comprised of first takes. Personally I am proud of this piece of work given the low number of takes and the fact that we were recording in a closet in our old barrio.
Good King Wenceslas
I have always thought it was a weird song. Who is Wenceslas and what is the feast of Stephen? It has a nice sound though and I hear my aunt really likes it.
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/01 Good King Wenceslas.mp3″]Good King Wenceslas[/gplayer]
Still Still Still
We just wanted to try this one out.
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/02 Still Still Still.mp3″]Still Still Still[/gplayer]
Winter Wonderland
Comedy Gold in my opinion. Done with a lounge style and some creative mixing to really ham it up.
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/03 Winter Wonderland.mp3″]Winter Wonderland[/gplayer]
One Day and a Night and a Day
This is an original that was semi-inspired by the style of Charles Ives.
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/04 One Day and a Night and a Day.mp3″]One Day and a Night and a Day[/gplayer]
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
We tried some crazy stuff at the end that I think is pretty cool with ebow type sounds at the end.
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/05 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.mp3″]It Came Upon a Midnight Clear[/gplayer]
O Little Town of Bethlehem
I can’t help but think of the elderly couple singing songs at Furr’s cafeteria in Las Vegas, every time I was ever there, when I hear this one, which then leads me to think about really thick macaroni and cheese.
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/06 O Little Town of Bethlehem.mp3″]O Little Town of Bethlehem[/gplayer]
The First Noel
Just wanted to try our hand at this one too.
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/07 The First Noel.mp3″]The First Noel[/gplayer]
Pine Mountain
This original instrumental is named for a brand of fireplace logs but also now has reference to a mountain near Baker Nevada that is not named “Pine” but has a lot of pine cones on it.
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/08 Pine Mountain.mp3″]Pine Mountain[/gplayer]
Holly Jolly Christmas
Another goofy shout out to the Furr’s band from my memories.
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/09 Holly Jolly Christmas.mp3″]Holly Jolly Christmas[/gplayer]
Silent Night
We didn’t think we could get away without doing this one.
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/10 Silent Night.mp3″]Silent Night[/gplayer]
What Child is This?
What the heck? Why not this one too?
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/11 What Child is This_.mp3″]What Child is This?[/gplayer]
There you have them. On to our next huge embarrassing failure.
Need of Masters
The great Ben Franklin once said, “As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” During the founding of the United States of America there was a great debate as to whether the people could maintain their liberty or whether they would become corrupt and ruin the whole thing. Many references to “Public Virtue” were made when discussing the topic. After the Constitution was written George Washington said that it would remain intact only “…so long as there shall remain any virtue in the body of the people.”
I have mentioned before that trying to spread freedom to different parts of the world can only be done when the people want it enough and when they have the “Public Virtue” to maintain it. Seeing many stories on the progress of Afghan and Iraqi troops I do not believe they possess the will or the virtue necessary to keep themselves free of dictators and tyrants. Have I also mentioned that each generation of Americans seems to creep closer to the “non-virtue” or rather “vice” that is apparent from the Afghan soldiers in this video?: (language warning)
I feel for any Afghan people who are doing the right things and living responsibly, because it appears they will not be able to be free because of the lack of “Public Virtue”. I also appreciate even more the Armed forces of the United States who have higher education levels than the general population of the US and have much better discipline than armies around the world. It is always like banging your head against a wall to try to get people to do what is right for themselves and their communities and countries.
Mormons, Mormons, Mormons
I got a kick out of Max Weinberg’s kind gesture, returned for Senator Hatch’s song about Hanukkah, complete with the Mormon Tappernacle Choir and it is a pretty catchy tune (Dreidel Song):
Ultimate Superpower
When asked what superpower you want, you may instantly have a favorite response ready. I will tell you right now that your answer is wimpy and wrong if you didn’t say telekinesis. That’s right the ability to move things with thought is obviously the best power anyone could ever have. You may disagree or have several questions so read on and let me convince you.
You may ask,” But what about ______ ability or super_________?” Sorry anything you put in the blanks is inferior to telekinesis. If a person can truly move anything with their mind then just about every other power is included with telekinesis. If you want to fly, you can move yourself to the sky with your mind. If you have bullets flying at you they can be moved by your mind or you can move some thick metals in front of you to block them. If you want to be invisible you can bend the light to make it so people cannot see you. If you want to dismantle a bad guy down to his basic elements, just think it and it is done. Planning a trip to outer space, make a pressurized bubble filled with oxygen. If you are feeling a little old just pump some more youthful hormones into your body and iron out your wrinkles. If some one else is sick and needs some healing just think the germs out of them or bring the broken bone particles back together. No matter the situation it can be solved by moving things with your mind.
Unfortunately most portrayal of telekinesis shows things like moving cups across tables or lifting spaceships out of a swamp. If someone could really move things with their mind they would be unstoppable.
Top 5 Albums of 2009
As the year is pretty much done and I do not foresee any good albums coming out between now and January it is time for my list of the top albums of 2009.
5. Black Gives Way to Blue – Alice in Chains – 7.2
In 2002 A few weeks after Layne Staley, the singer for Alice In Chains died, I attended a Jerry Cantrell concert which was incredible. Jerry played some of his solo material which is pretty good, but he also played some Alice in Chains tunes. To stand in and do Layne’s parts Jerry had the singer of the opening band William Duvall. I thought he did a great job. Fast forward to this year and Alice in Chains has put out another album with William Duvall now comfortably in the band. Black gives way to blue is not as engaging as the older albums but it is still good material. It is along the lines of some of Cantrell’s solo stuff.
4. Tiny Pictures – Thornley – 7.4
The former leader of Big Wreck finally came out with a new album this year. It was disappointing in some ways and has too much influence from the owner of his record label Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger. But despite it’s shortcomings it is good enough to make this years top 5. It does have many high points which help to smooth out some of the rough spots and bring the album to an overall good score.
3. There is No Enemy – Built to Spill – 7.8
At this point Built to Spill are in full stride as they just can’t help but put out good quality material, which, come to think of it, may have always been the case. Once again they do not disappoint.
2. Before the Frost/Until the Freeze – The Black Crowes – 7.9
Recorded live in a barn, this album gives you a taste of where country music should have gone rather than the garbage that it is now. It is a two disc album or rather a one disc and download the other half album. Almost everything in this album just seems to feel right.
1. The Resistance – Muse – 9.6
Of course I love this album. With it’s theme taken from the Orwell classic “1984” and the book “The Grand Chessboard” by the globalist, former Jimmy Carter adviser and current Obama adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, this album might help more people to realize that yes they are plotting on us. The music ain’t bad either, in fact it is really, really good.
Dishonorable Mention – Scream by Chris Cornell
One of the worst albums I have ever had the displeasure of hearing. The line from Weezer’s “Pork and Beans” applies directly to the once great Cornell, “Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts. Maybe if I work with him I can perfect the art.” This album has nasty Timbaland fingerprints all over it and any thing that might have actually sounded ok has been violated along with memories of Cornell’s former greatness. Listen to one of the worst and weep with me.
B-Roll
I was thinking the other day about how relaxing it might be to be a b-roll camera man. To just go shoot footage of people doing generic things or shooting scenery would be pretty easy. Imagine my surprise when I find this video this morning: