Unwilted

Unwilted Christmas Podcast -- Download and Enjoy!

2010-12-24T08:56:00.001-07:00

It is that time of year again. Here's the Unwilted Christmas Podcast for 2010. Featuring non-traditional music this year. Chris Rea, Gordon Lightfoot, Happy Snowman, Bryan Adams, Neil Diamond, and Sufjan Stevens.

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Unwilted_Christmas_Podcast_2010_1.m4a (46504 KB)

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Untitled

2010-12-24T08:54:00.001-07:00

Download now or listen on posterous

Unwilted_Christmas_Podcast_2010_1.m4a (46504 KB)

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Untitled

2009-12-23T14:48:00.001-07:00

Download now or listen on posterous

Unwilted Christmas Podcast 2009.m4a (10558 KB)

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Testing Music

2009-08-12T13:41:00.001-06:00

Big Friday by Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Download now or listen on posterous

Big Friday.mp3 (2556 KB)

Testing the mp3 upload capability. Here's a Bonnie Prince Billy song.

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Photo Test

2009-08-12T11:20:00.001-06:00

Testing the photo capability of posterous.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Test

2009-08-12T10:52:00.001-06:00

This is a test post using posterous.

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Test

2009-08-12T10:46:00.001-06:00

This is a test post using posterous.

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Vegetarian?

2009-07-18T13:56:00.004-06:00

I've sometimes joked that I would just start eating meat. It sure would be easier to eat meat, but as a lifelong vegetarian I just never could.

Then I stumbled upon a blog called meatdiary the other day written by some woman who claims to be a lifelong vegetarian. That is, if you consider eating fish all of your life vegetarian. Oh, and she ate chicken as a kid. Then she's been eating chicken for the last 14 years as well (along with fish, and probably all other seafood as well as other poultry such as turkey). So this so-called vegetarian is blogging about her decision to eat meat this year. So what? You ate dead fish and dead chickens almost all of your life. Now you have a burger and think that is something?

I continue to be confused by how people call themselves vegetarian and then eat fish or even chicken. This isn't an attack on those people for their diet. Good for them. Words do have plain meanings, however. A vegetarian does not eat dead, rotting flesh.

An analogy? I go around telling people that I don't drink alcohol. Except I've been drinking beer since high school. Oh, and I just moved to Napa Valley, and it is almost socially necessary to drink wine here. So I usually have a glass of wine with dinner. But this year, I've decided to go crazy and start drinking alcohol. So I this week, I tried a martini. Next week, it will be a rum and coke. Wow! A lifelong teetotaler is now drinking alcohol, and it is great! Would anybody take me seriously if I started a blog about that?

Soldier Gives Iraqi Police Motivational Speech

2009-04-21T05:09:00.003-06:00

Culturally, I'm not really sure this works with the Iraqis. But I bet it felt good, and many of us have wanted to say these things at times.

Webb Sisters New EP

2009-02-17T17:54:00.005-07:00

Certainly, there are bigger new releases this week. Still, I find myself listening a lot to the new Webb Sisters EP, Comes in Twos (available on itunes). They have been performing with Leonard Cohen live, making his upcoming tour dates all the more compelling (most of the North American dates will be announced soon). The EP features a live recording of Cohen with the Webb Sisters performing If it Be Your Will. Brilliant. They are so damn good that Cohen pretty much just introduces them and lets them perform his song.

I'm not sure if the Sisters have been influenced by Cohen or if they were selected to preform with him because of a similar musical outlook. Some tracks could be called alternative country, especially In Your Father's Eyes. Others, such as Words That Mobilise [sic], will be pleasing and familiar to fans of Cohen. I like them all. A solid release, and I'll definitely look forward to seeing the Webb Sisters performing with Leonard Cohen. If I can get tickets.

Worse Song?

2009-02-10T20:16:00.003-07:00

Lionel Richie released a new single, Just Go. I'm not sure I've heard a worse song released as a single in quite some time. What happens to musicians as they grow older that causes them to release pure pap?

Careless Whisper

2009-02-09T16:59:00.004-07:00

I'm not sure it really takes all that much to do a grunge cover of a 1980s song, but Seether's version of Careless Whisper is pretty good for what it is. Actually, this is a double dose of nostalgia for me -- the 1980s trip combined with the 1991 sound. Is grunge making a comeback?

Careless Whisper - Seether

Mac and iPhone Are Not the Same Thing

2009-02-07T17:04:00.002-07:00

Just a quick geek vent lamenting that so many formerly good sources for news and information about Macs have too much iPhone information. Yes, both products are made by Apple. But that does not mean I'm interested in sorting through reviews of every dorky new iPhone app.

The Rake's Song

2009-02-05T19:13:00.005-07:00

The Decemberists came out with a new single, The Rake's Songfrom the upcoming album, The Hazards of Love.

Quite disturbing, but superb nonetheless. Looking forward to the album, which is supposed to continue with the story of the narrator heard in this song.

Starting to Feel the Disappointment

2009-02-03T15:47:00.003-07:00

I knew this day would come, but I didn't think it would come so soon. I'm feeling a creeping sense of disappointment with President Obama, the stimulus package, and most of all with the Democrats in Congress. I guess I'm still holding out some hope that the Senate will clean things up, perhaps with pressure from President Obama. But it is not too damn likely. I'm not against taking out a mortgage in the form of additional debt (although I really hate the idea of debt), but it should be limited to spending that meet two tests. First, the spending must provide a near-term benefit in the form of either jobs or other economic stimulus. Second, the spending must be for something that really is an investment in the future and not merely current spending. Plenty in the bill as currently written meets neither test. Much of it does not qualify as an investment in the future.

I'd also be okay with using this opportunity to take on a big challenge -- particularly real comprehensive health care reform or a progressive tax simplification. Alas, neither -- even though both could be done in a way that stimulates the economy. Just stupid spending on stuff that makes the Democrats and Obama vulnerable to attack -- and rightly so.

New Music Tuesday

2009-02-03T06:12:00.010-07:00

As is typical on Tuesdays, a slew of new music was released. The first single to catch my eye was Black Weddingby Meg & Dia. This will be one of the songs on the upcoming album, Here, Here and Here, which is set to be released on March 3, 2009.

I was only vaguely familiar with them prior to listening to this single, so I approach it with a clean slate. Musically it sounds on par with Avril Lavigne or Taylor Swift. Although that is an accurate observation, I realize it may not be entirely fair. Singles are often uninteresting musically. They are designed to be catchy even to the person listening on the radio while ordering at the Carl's Jr. drive through. This single should work well on pop and so-called alternative radio.

Lyrically, it is somewhat more sophisticated. Dia posted the lyrics and an explaination of the meaning on her myspace blog, if anybody cares to check that out. Personally, I didn't love this song or the lyrics, but it is enough for me to want to check out some of their back catalog and possibly the new album.

Black Wedding (Album Version) ...

[Edit: I found another new single from Meg & Dia, -- What If-- that sounds even more like Avril Lavigne. Oh well.]

What If (Album Version) - Meg ...

Coachella

2009-02-02T16:41:00.005-07:00

The lineup for 2009 Coachella looks pretty damn good, at least for Friday. Paul McCartney seems to have been a bit of a boob since around 1970. The real headliner is Leonard Cohen. If all you did was show up for his performance, the ticket price would be worth it. Add in Franz Ferdinand and Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), and Friday is set to be a great night. Of course, I can't forget about Morrissey. Wow. I'm somehow a bit ashamed to also admit that I'd like to see the Ting Tings. The only problem with Friday night is whether you'd be able to catch all of those shows.

Saturday is a bit of a dud in my view. I've always thought the Killers were overrated. Perhaps knowing the Mormon connection has clouded my judgment. Amy Winehouse might be interesting to see. I saw TV on the Radio in concert before and can't stand them either.

Sunday is also a dud with the huge exception of the Cure. I saw them when they headlined Coachella a few years ago and they gave a great show as always. I also saw them last year and for the first time they seemed to be a bit of a retro, novelty show. All the 30+ crowd forced their increasingly fat bodies into their old goth clothes and made a go of it one more time. The infusion of youth from the Coachella crowd will be a good thing, and some kids might discover a great band.

I'm envious of those of you who can make it to Coachella this year.

Oh Buddha!

2009-02-01T09:07:00.004-07:00

I posted the lyrics to this song as one of my first blog posts. I finally have found an audio version. I still prefer this by the Imperials or other adult -- especially Eric -- because it sounds much more intolerant that way. But even kids can effectively communicate the message that they will go to heaven and everybody else in the world is going to hell.

Oh Buddha - Nashville Singers

Parenting Books

2009-01-31T14:43:00.006-07:00

I picked up Bringing Up Geeks: How to Protect Your Kid's Childhood in a Grow-Up-Too-Fast Worldby Marybeth Hicks up at the library on a whim. As the parent of a four year old, I'm interested in ideas to do a better job as a parent. I suspect that most parents don't want their kids growing up too fast, don't want them chasing the latest fad, don't want them trying oral sex when they are twelve -- at least not their daughters. If the goal of this book is to convince you of these ideas, it is successful. However, the author fails to deal with the challenges of parenting honestly. With four children, surely she has faced some challenges. By and large, she does not share them. Instead, the anecdotes in this book are of how perfect her children are. When it is necessary to tell an unpleasant anecdote, it is usually a friend or a letter from a reader. So if you want to read 304 pages about how perfect Marybeth Hicks and her kids are, have at it. Take that ride in her minivan. If you want an open, honest, solution-based discussion of how to raise your child, look elsewhere.

A somewhat-related book that I though was much better is Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder-- It is less preachy and more based on research in addition to just anecdotes.

New Music Night

2009-01-30T20:01:00.003-07:00

Good new stuff from Franz Ferdinand's new album Tonight. Not terribly groundbreaking, but they have a good formula of catchy, danceable music. I imagine that someday the formula will wear thin. That happened with Barenaked Ladies and Cake for me. But for now, I'm tappin' my toes to Franz one more time.

No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand

Comcast Speak

2009-01-23T20:18:00.002-07:00

I'm going to see if I can spend an entire day speaking to others like a Comcast Customer Service Representative. I've been on the phone or doing an online chat with several of them this evening, and they all have the same sort of non-responsive, passive voiced, overly appeasing way about them. It will take some practice. I may sign up to work for them in the center just to learn how it is done.

In any case, I think what they are saying is that I can't report an outage because they have an incorrect spelling of my last name on the account. That will take them 24-48 hours to fix. I think. It has literally (no exaggeration) taken 6 hours to get that much out of them.

So I'm damn close to just canceling them. We have good free TV reception (can even buy an HDTV antenna and a TIVO machine and life won't be half bad). Then I'll see if the phone company's DSL is any good.

Christmas Podcast

2008-12-23T18:31:00.001-07:00

It is back! By popular demand, the Unwilted Christmas podcast is uploaded for your listening pleasure. It is in M4A format this year -- deal with it.

Facebook and Friends

2008-11-19T15:09:00.004-07:00

I've been interested lately in the impact that Facebook may be having on friendship. Unlike Myspace, it seems that Facebook is a way to connect with people that you actually already know in one capacity or another For me, it provides an easy way to share photos and information. It also allows me to "passively" keep in touch with people with whom I may not otherwise share frequent emails or telephone calls but who I still care about to one degree or another.

The interesting problem, though, is who exactly do I know? Assuming I know a person, do I really want to be friends on Facebook?

Unless you are a salesman, politician, or entertainer, the value of Facebook diminishes as you get too many friends. After all, being friends entails getting (in some cases) multiple updates on the daily details of their life. Do I really need to now that the dude I hung out with for a few weeks back in 1998 is sick today? Or even worse, that he is doing great on some trivia quiz?

So this all creates some difficult decisions when I get a friend request. One of the hardest decisions concerns people that I know now or sort of know now. This category of person is somebody that I actually see on a regular basis for whatever reason. By adding him as a friend today, it almost seems that I'm committing to following his daily updates for the rest of my life. Perhaps the standard procedure will be to quietly drop the friendship after not being in regular contact for a few years. On the other hand, it may still be good to have some sort of link to that kind of person going forward, especially if we are in the same profession or have a lot of mutual friends.

Another dilemma is what to do with the person you sort of knew years ago. Yes, we went to school together years ago. But we were not even really friends then. Is there a sufficient basis to be "friends" now for the first time just based on the common experience and perhaps mutual friends? In this situation, it at least helps if the friend request has a message to go with it. Otherwise, it is this almost creepy agreement to open myself up to your voyeurism (photos, updates, contact information) in exchange for the same -- looking at each other through a double blind window (if such a thing exists).

I should disclaim that although some of the friend requests have been close calls both ways (both accept and reject), and I've been fairly limited with respect to the people that I'll allow into my Facebook life. I'm happy with the friends that I have (and there are still many real life friends who I hope will join Facebook). It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out in the years and decades to come, and what my reaction will be to finding out that the dude I met at a conference in 2002 reached a new level in the Nickelback trivia game.

Nothing to Do

2008-11-16T11:14:00.002-07:00

With the election over, I'm not sure what to do with myself. Even right now, I'm watching football. That ought to be enough, but I've become accustomed to multitasking with the TV going and the laptop on the coffee table. So right now, the commercials are playing and I've nothing to look at on the internet.

Rush and Sean and the Rest

2008-11-07T14:10:00.004-07:00

I spend a lot of time listening to talk radio. Most of what is available is the Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity sort of stuff. During this last election season, much of the Republican message was generated by talk radio. Whether it was Ayers, ACORN, socialism, or Barack Obama wanting to bankrupt the coal industry, I always heard about it first on talk radio. Talk radio is the most influential conservative think tank and the primary Repub election strategist.

On the one hand, I suppose, that is a compliment to talk radio. On the other hand, I wonder if the Repub's reliance on talk radio as a source of new ideas is really hurting them. Certainly, there are intelligent, thoughtful conservatives such as David Brooks or George Will. Ronald Reagan and the conservatives ruled the 1980s on the strength of their ideas. They won in 1994 based on ideas -- the old Contract with America. But talk radio deals in broad generalizations concerning their own ideas, and mostly caricature or outright distortions of their opponents. Mostly, they attack liberals or any Repub. who is not like them (i.e., Rush today said "good riddance" at the loss of Repub. Chris Shays). They work themselves into a frenzy, and they begin to remind most Americans of their crazy old uncle who used to think that the government controlled the weather and who kept gold coins in his basement. Don't you think that is exactly how John McCain looked when he tried to compare Barack Obama to a socialist?

Republicans who are now searching their souls should search for leadership who will return them to ideas. And Sarah Palin probably does not fit that bill.

Must See -- Daily Show Exposes the BS

2008-09-04T18:53:00.001-06:00

Back

2008-05-08T13:49:00.002-06:00

Ready to kick this blog back up. Keep checking.

Hiatus

2007-05-17T08:17:00.000-06:00

Hiatus for at least the next year. Maybe in that time, I'll figure out what I really want to blog about anyway.

More Mac and Youtube Disabled

2007-04-21T13:56:00.000-06:00

The Mac switch is going fine. It does not always "just work" as they say. I was just learning to use garageband to make a podcast, went to the help file and it froze up. Then the "force quit" feature wouldn't force the application to quit. I had to restart.

That was a minor annoyance compared to my primary Youtube account being disabled. One too many copyright violations, I guess. No notice, even after the fact. And now all the videos are gone. So just as with Napster (years ago), it is off to find an alternative. Leading contender is dailymotion, although I'd love to hear other suggestions.

Mac Switch

2007-04-14T11:49:00.000-06:00

Well, the old PC went kaput one more time. So becasue I won't be able to fix it myself during the next several months, I decided we should become a Mac family. Got a low end Mac Mini really just for web surfing, email, music, etc. That's all everybody needs (other than me), and this should appease them and hopefully "just work" for the next several months.

Having some probably normal adjustment issues, but everything is working very well. One highlight was plugging in my printer and then printing 20 seconds later without having done anything to set it up. On the old system, I kept getting printer driver errors every time I restarted (even though I had the driver disks and had reinstalled everything). Another highlight was uninstalling a program that I had downloaded but decided not to use. All I had to do was delete it. No restarting, no registry changes. And I didn't feel like I had gunked up my system (on the old system, I was very reluctant to install anything because it would just mean that I'd have to reformat sooner).

I was not able to function without a right clck on the mouse, but was able to configure the mac mighty mouse to have a right click anyway. The process for installing programs was a little bit different as well, but is not a big deal once you know what you are doing. Just a different way.

Liquor and Guns

2007-04-11T09:53:00.001-06:00

I really can't stand Conan O'Brien, but this segment with Hunter S. Thompson is cool despite him.

Lifestyle Choices

2007-04-01T19:23:00.000-06:00

Seeing a family with about five children today, I finally understood how Christian conservatives feel when they witness the homosexual lifestyle choice. I disapproved and was offended.

Cultural Adventist

2007-03-22T22:53:00.000-06:00

I've been meaning to write about being a "cultural adventist" and thought the concept was pretty unique. Turns out there is a damn blog with the same name. And a timeline of the term. I want to say that I was using the term before 2001, when the timeline starts. But I can't be sure, and couldn't prove it either way. Unless Eric remembers me saying something along those lines. I remember first thinking about cultural adventism (although I don't know for sure if I used that term at the time) in Boston in 1998 when we met this gay uncle who still had vegetarian food in his pantry. He had learned a new use for Big Franks, perhaps, but the food item still united us.

Unlike some of the so-called cultural adventists I've found online, I don't consider church attendance a part of cultural adventism (although it can be). There have been times in my life when I returned to the bosom of the church not because I believe it to be true, but because it felt comfortable during uncomfortable times. When living in Washington DC, I recall going to an adventist church to get a good vegetarian meal at the potluck dinner afterwards. Living in Ireland, I went to the church to meet people and managed to get a job from one of them. Even now, if I became ill, I'd want to go to an Adventist hospital. Not just because of the food, but because it would feel like home.

Cultural adventism goes beyond food and comfort, of course. It is an essential part of the nurture side of your personality. The inability to dance or play card games. A love for nature and the outdoors that comes from going to places like Jump Creek every Sabbath afternoon. These things linger -- even if you slowly become a lesbian neo-feminist poet living in a commune. Even that person, deep down inside, will pause and take notice if a news story makes it sound like a Sunday Law could be coming. And yes, even she knows where the local ABC is and goes there -- piercings and all -- every few months to stock up on Fri Chick.

Change?

2007-03-12T18:50:00.000-06:00

Should I convert this to a porn blog in order to boost traffic and/or interest?

Reformat

2007-03-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

A geek post . . .

I have been intending to reformat my desktop for about a year. It just gets harder and harder, though, because I bought the system in 2004. So the system restore brings me back to 2004 and I spend a weekend updating it. But it became necessary.

I had restarted the computer and was informed that some system file was missing or corrupt. It was quite a dark feeling for about two hours because I had not backed up my pictures, music, and such for a few months. With my (scratched) system restore DVD, though, I managed to get in and get a prompt. The fixboot command looked good and that must have worked, because I was able to get in upon restart to backup all my crap.

Did I mention that my DVD was not only scratched, but the DVD drive is about to die? It makes really loud noises and seems to go slower than it should (can't watch movies on it anymore). Despite this obvious difficulty, I popped in the system restore DVD and reformatted the muther. Slow and noisy, it managed to reinstall everything. Literally about 100 Windows Updates later, I'm up and running better than ever. Or at least as good as in 2004.

While doing all this, I kept thinking about a long term solution. There has to be something better than my 2004 PC, right? After all, I'm on video card 2.5 (replaced the fan on the first one, then the first one went out . . .and now this one's fan is about to need replacement). The only CD/DVD drive is shot. The hard drive is hanging in there, but does a lot of work and could go out any day (I use the computer as a DVR to record tv shows and watch them later). Time for a new computer! Except I couldn't find anything better. But that will be the subject of a future post.

Avawatz Climb

2007-03-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

I've decided that desert peaks are more interesting than your standard mountain peak with trees. The views are just better and they tend to be less crowded (or downright abandoned). Of course, you have to get these during the winter months when the temperatures are down -- although winter mornings can be downright cold. Another downside of climbing in the winter is that the days get short -- you need an early start unless you want to be on the mountain when it is dark (which I would actually like to do someday -- the view at night must be even more spectacular).

Most recently, I climbed the high point in the Avawatz Mountains in Southern California's high desert. The range is just to the south and east of Death Valley and to the north and west of the Fort Irwin military base. I followed the climb as outlined here. It took about four hours up. I parked sooner than I should have. But the advice about parking before you get to the communications tower is good. You'll end up in the canyon below because the road is washed out if you go too far. Or you'll have to go back down the hill along the ridge in reverse -- a tough task in itself.

I did almost burn down the whole damn range when I started a little fire that morning before the hike up. A spark or something got some dry grass and it was out of control. Burned about a 10-foot area when it was all done, and I sacrificed nearly all of my water.

I also found a cool abandoned mine site on the way back down. It was better preserved than most, and had a pit mine into the ground that was covered by a few boards. I had this fantasy of coming back with a five gallon can of gasoline, dropping it down there, and then throwing a Molotov cocktail down there. Whoosh! Then throwing a bunch of other crap down there to burn. But after having already nearly burned the whole range down, that is probably not a good idea.

The first picture is from the summit looking toward Fort Irwin. The second picture is looking toward Death Valley. Neither do the view justice, particularly because I had a crappy camera and not my good one. But the day was clear with very little wind or haze and a high temperature of about 60 degrees. Perfect.

The third picture is of the mine site (see the little pan still there and the boards covering the pit). The fourth picture is down the pit.

Barker Ranch

2007-02-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday up at Barker Ranch in the very southwest of Death Valley. Barker Ranch is where old Charles Manson and his "family" hid out and were eventually found. It is pretty damn remote in that you have to drive forever to get there. However, due to the sheer mass of humanity in southern California, there were still plenty of people around. We shared our visit with some ATV riders who went inside the cabin to smoke some pot in homage to Mr. Manson. The first photo is of a side building ("the guest house") and the view down Goler Wash (I suppose the family used to sit up here to see if anybody was coming), the second photo is of the main cabin itself.

The remainder of the pictures are not of Barker Ranch but of other interesting finds up Goler Wash. It is normally a pretty tough 4x4 road from what I understand, but it has recently been graded. So we had an easy time. The water was running up the wash, though, and I bet by this summer it will be a pretty tough go again. Anyhow, plenty of mines, abandoned cabins, and assorted debris.

I managed to make an adventure out of the day by insisting on taking a detour to the north border of the east section of China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station. The map insisted there was a road, but it was just a river bed that got worse and worse. Then it started to get dark. Then one of my passengers threw up (the second time that day). Gave up and turned around just shy of the border. Just as well -- I didn't really need to be the accidental target of a sidewinder missile after all.

Earlier in the day, I stopped by a local brewery and picked up a case of my current favorite beer and a case of another selection for the spring.

More Big Empty

2007-01-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

Desert Finds

2007-01-05T00:51:00.000-07:00

Now that it is winter in the desert, it is finally time to be outdoors and explore. The snakes are in hibernation, and the air is cool. Only bad thing is that the days are short and there seems to be more wind during the winter and spring months.

In our wanderings recently, we've found some strange things in the middle of nowhere. First, you see the flag on the top of a hill. You can see the flag from a road nearby, but there is not a building within 10 miles of this hill and I cannot figure out what it is doing there. Second, is a nice little man. He was truly in the middle of nowhere. Not even a paved road within 20 miles, and we had hiked about a mile from a fairly tough 4x4 road to get there (the woman had to get out and push once when we were on the road). You may not be able to tell in the attached picture, but there was a dried up snake skin wrapped around his neck. That was a little gross.

Things seem to be well preserved out in the desert. You'll often see old cars, appliances, mattresses and tires -- stuff that people can't just give to the trash guy. So they dump it out in the desert. Although I generally prefer my spaces empty, with as little sign of humanity as possible, it is nice to have the occasional surprise such as the flag and man.

Christmas Podcast

2006-12-20T23:37:00.000-07:00

Perhaps as highly anticipated as Oprah's Favorite Things, it is with great pleasure that I present the second annual Unwilted Christmas Podcast.

Google Docs

2006-12-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

For the next week, I plan on exclusively using Google Docs for all my word processing needs -- even those at work. My initial impression was that it has a lot of potential. I like the ability to add tags to my documents. But maybe I'm still old school -- I also wanted to be able to put them in different directories (there may be a way -- I didn't see it). Another initial impression is that I wish the work screen were bigger. Finally, I love the fact that I can directly save as a pdf file. I could always do that with Open Office -- but now I can do that on the fly anywhere there is a net connection.

On a different note, I toyed with getting a Sony Mylo but decided to wait. A little short on cash right now, and I'd like to see what people think after having used it for more time. I sounds fun, though.

Bright Eyes

2006-12-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

Time for another podcast. This one featuring Bright Eyes. The last song features the main characters from one of the best novels ever written.

Humvee

2006-11-20T00:22:00.000-07:00

About to get run over by a Humvee.

And So It Goes

2006-11-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Days Are Here Again. Sort of. Really, I just feel like Binky in this Matt Groening cartoon from 14 years ago. All I can offer after this election is a pathetic wave of the flag and a "yay."

Nixon Now

2006-10-14T20:20:00.002-06:00

I love the authentic 1970s feel of this ad. The fact that it is for Nixon makes it even better.

Hot New Look and Nostalgia

2006-10-07T17:23:00.000-06:00

Yet another hot new look for unwilted. I wanted to upgrade to the blogger beta, which required the change and more traditional look.

While playing with the blog, I've been streaming today's A Prairie Home Companion and it is in Pullman, Washington back in the Palouse. Nostalgia. Two things come to mind. First we need a Western Garrison Keillor. Garrison's talk about the wheat and rolling hills and sunsets make me want to hop in the damn car and drive 1500 miles to be there again. Second, the Palouse is probably the ideal place in this country. Although this won't happen, just for a minute I did think about throwing everything away and taking the family up to some town like Dayton (Washington -- NOT Ohio). Buy a cheap house and make do.

Barenaked Autumn

2006-10-07T16:00:00.000-06:00

I guess Barenaked Ladies have a new album. Saw them on Conan O'Brien last night (not a show I normally watch, but I noticed they were on so I recorded it). I think the song is just okay. They rely on being catchy and quirky, and I guess not every song can be that way. What is left is just blah pop. I'm sure they still put on a hell of a fun show, though, and I'm going to try to catch them on this tour if they play a smaller venue near me.

My Life is Back

2006-10-02T23:38:00.000-06:00

The computer is up and running again, and I feel like my life is back. It is like being broke for a month and then all of a sudden getting some money. A great feeling. It is about time for a reformat, however, so I may do that over the long weekend. And I've already decided on an early Christmas present -- one of the new, cheap MacBooks and a home wireless network to go with it. It took me a while to get on the whole laptop / wifi thing, but I'm all about it now.

Freakin

2006-09-29T23:51:00.000-06:00

Well, my desktop computer (which is also our TV, radio, phone, etc.) has officially freaked out completely. Hardware issue, and let's hope the answer is in the mail. Meanwhile, I'm on a borrowed laptop stealing wifi from a neighbor across the street. I'm in a corner of the house that we never use because I can only get signal quality from there -- and just barely at that.

So to all the loyal readers of unwilted (and there are about four of you), the updates will remain a bit infrequent.

Meanwhile, if you've not registered to vote against the pricks, please do. I'm sending in my Idaho absentee ballot tomorrow -- not that it will matter much there.

Best Song Lyrics

2006-09-23T12:45:00.000-06:00

From Kris Kristofferson's The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me:

I can read my fortune in the bottom of a glass
And I can see its time for me to make my last request
Will you fill my grave with whiskey when I'm laid away to rest
So the boys can say I drank my way to hell.

Update

2006-09-02T22:54:00.000-06:00

Not many updates lately -- I'm traveling a lot right now. However, I did put up an Amazon book store (with a Western American Literature theme) and also updated the unwilted homepage. I've never made money as an Amazon affliliate -- and I don't expect to. It is just interesting to see how it works. If somebody wants to buy a book that way, fine. Also, I don't love the look of the new homepage, but I used Photoshop to create it and I was interested in that process.

Hackett and Taylor on Hardball

2006-08-31T19:38:00.000-06:00

This is a bit old already (from about a week ago), but it was too good not to repost. Hardball ususally does not live up to the name, but here Chris Matthews goes after Van Taylor, an Iraq vet who is running for Congress in Texas as a Republican. Contrast his BS with Paul Hackett, who should have run for the Senate from Ohio but somehow didn't get support from national Democrats.

Why I Dislike Myspace

2006-08-14T23:13:00.000-06:00

This is a bit of a spur of the moment post. At the risk of sounding old, I just have to say that I don't like myspace. And I don't really get why it is so popular. My critique is mostly technical/visual. I think I get the social networking concept and how that could be cool -- if it were done right. Myspace just does not do it well. It is not a visually appealing site -- it almost has a retro 1998 look to it (as if 1998 could be retro). Plus, perhaps due to its overwhelming popularity, it seems to still be full of bugs and glitches. Again, this is a spur of the moment post. I've not really thought this through, although I've known for a good while that myspace is overrated.

Edward Abbey's Bean Recipe

2006-08-12T13:11:00.000-06:00

I'm making beans today, and am inspired by the below recipie (at least in part -- I'm doing my cooking in an old iron pot rather than an aluminium one). This is from the Orion article that is publishing several Abbey letters in anticipation of a bookthat will do the same.

**********

Victoria McCabe
19 May 1973

Dear Victoria,
Herewith my bit for your cookbook. This recipe is not original but a variation on an old (perhaps ancient) Southwestern dish. It has also been a favorite of mine and was for many years the staple, the sole staple, of my personal nutritional program. (I am six feet three and weigh 190 pounds, sober.)

I call it Hardcase Survival Pinto Bean Sludge.

1. Take one fifty-pound sack Colorado pinto beans. Remove stones, cockleburs, horseshit, ants, lizards, etc. Wash in clear cold crick water. Soak for twenty-four hours in iron kettle or earthenware cooking pot. (DO NOT USE TEFLON, ALUMINUM OR PYREX CONTAINER. THIS WARNING CANNOT BE OVERSTRESSED.)

2. Place kettle or pot with entire fifty lbs. of pinto beans on low fire and simmer for twenty-four hours. (DO NOT POUR OFF WATER IN WHICH BEANS HAVE BEEN IMMERSED. THIS IS IMPORTANT.) Fire must be of juniper, pinyon pine, mesquite or ironwood; other fuels tend to modify the subtle flavor and delicate aroma of Pinto Bean Sludge.

3. DO NOT BOIL.

4. STIR VIGOROUSLY FROM TIME TO TIME WITH WOODEN SPOON OR IRON LADLE. (Do not disregard these instructions.)

5. After simmering on low fire for twenty-four hours, add one gallon green chile peppers. Stir vigorously. Add one quart natural (non-iodized) pure sea salt. Add black pepper. Stir some more and throw in additional flavoring materials, as desired, such as old bacon rinds, corncobs, salt pork, hog jowls, kidney stones, ham hocks, sowbelly, saddle blankets, jungle boots, worn-out tennis shoes, cinch straps, whatnot, use your own judgment. Simmer an additional twenty-four hours.

6. Now ladle as many servings as desired from pot but do not remove pot from fire. Allow to simmer continuously for hours, days or weeks if necessary, until all contents have been thoroughly consumed. Continue to stir vigorously, whenever in vicinity or whenever you think of it.

7. Serve Pinto Bean Sludge on large flat stones or on any convenient fairly level surface. Garnish liberally with parsley flakes. Slather generously with raw ketchup. Sprinkle with endive, anchovy crumbs and boiled cruets and eat hearty.

8. One potful Pinto Bean Sludge, as above specified, will feed one poet for two full weeks at a cost of about $11.45 at current prices. Annual costs less than $300.

9. The philosopher Pythagoras found flatulence incompatible with meditation and therefore urged his followers not to eat beans. I have found, however, that custom and thorough cooking will alleviate this problem.

Yrs, Edward Abbey—Tucson

Cyborg

2006-08-11T19:59:00.000-06:00

The most unpleasant development lately is the bluetooth headset for cell phones. I see these cyborgs walking around the city. The headsets look like they've been implanted into their heads. Peraonally, I've trashed my cell phone. I was in the heart of Los Angeles where coverage should have been perfect. I was calling another person who was also in the heart of the city. And it kept cutting in and out. Typical. So I let the contract expire and canceled the damn thing. There have been a few occasions when it would have been "nice" to have a cell phone. But I'm sure there were probably more occasions when it was nice to NOT have a cell phone. I don't WANT to always be available. And I certainly don't want to become a cyborg. I'm not up on the technology enough, but in Europe I never seemed to have problems with reception. And the rates were much cheeper and favorable to the consumer. I had a pre-paid plan there, and the minutes never expired. Here, the pre-paid plans include minutes that expire after 30 or 60 days or whatever. So you are essentially on a contract. In Euorpe, I could have the convenience of a cell phone for several months, make a few calls, and only pay a few cents. Plus, the reception was consistently good -- even when I was not in the town or when I went to other countries. Maybe I could become a cyborg if the reception were at least good.

How to Treat My Woman

2006-08-09T01:08:00.000-06:00

I have the pleasure of listening to an "urban" radio station for much of the time I'm in the car. It is either that or light hits. The songs in this podcast inspire me, and teach me how to treat my woman.

Nick Cave Podcast

2006-08-04T21:15:00.000-06:00

CAF had asked what I liked about Nick Cave, so I decided to do a podcast featuring him. As is typical, I don't include the most famous songs. Some of these are pretty obscure. I also added some spoken word from Nick Cave. For anybody interested in an album, I'd start with The Boatman's Call. Note: this podcast is a bit larger than normal, but not unreasonable for those with broadband connections (which should be everybody by now).

Kris Kristofferson Podcast

2006-07-31T22:55:00.000-06:00

I had the luck of getting to see Kris Kristofferson in concert recently. Of course, he's a country artist. But the crowd was of the wine and cheese variety. Goes to the split within country music these days between the braindead mainstream and the leftist-artsy roots country. Of course, the mainstream will honor the patron saints, such as Kristofferson. But they don't go to his concerts.

In any case, it was brilliant. Just an old songwriter and his guitar. So here's a Kristofferson podcast with a few favorites songs from him.

The Empty

2006-07-29T19:23:00.000-06:00

Fix

2006-07-29T19:14:00.000-06:00

I reuploaded the unheard cure podcast becuase I realized the version previously uploaded was corrupt (not playing right).

Mechanical Turk

2006-07-25T23:33:00.000-06:00

So I've spent the last half hour on Amazon's Mechanical Turk and I probably earned about 20 cents. That is, if my work gets approved. I found out about this site from this article, which gives a good background.

First, I wish I could think of some job to make some poor chump do for a penny. Second, I'm shocked that Amazon is able to use the word "Turk" for this service. Here's an easy prediction -- the name will change. Here's another prediction -- this will eventually make Amazon a lot of money. As soon as it is easier to post little jobs, and easier for poor chumps in Mozambique to get paid a few cents.

My Personal Prophet

2006-07-18T21:30:00.002-06:00

I'd like to introduce the unwilted audience to my personal prophet, Kerney Thomas. I stumbled upon him late at night a few weeks ago, and have been obsessed ever since. I love the yelling, and the speaking in tongues. I also like how he says "Glory to God" when the caller in the below video tells him about having had a stroke a year ago. Honestly, I was drifting away from Christianity. Now, I'm right back there.

I did send Evangelist Thomas my address. So far, no letter. I'll be sure to keep you all up to date as he works supernatural miracles in my life.

[2009 Edit: No response from Evangelist Thomas. And Youtube took down the video I originally uploaded. But I've put up another similar one that somebody else uploaded].

Salon goes Right Wing

2006-07-17T23:08:00.000-06:00

I was disappointed to discover that Salon.com, normally a favorite source of online news, headlined this article about an individual who was investigated for the production of child pornography.

Essentially, the author and another father took the kids camping. They took pictures of the kids skinny dipping, then got them developed. The store clerk reported the pictures. Instead of reacting with sincerity and cooperation, the author was defensive and uncooperative. His friend demanded to see the officer in charge of the investigation. He hired a lawyer. By his reaction, he made the process last longer than it normally does.

The author also obstructed justice. On the drive to the forensic interview with the authorities, he told the kids that the state wants to take them away from home. He admits this in the article.

All that said, the process worked. It worked more slowly than normal -- thanks to the author. But it still worked. There were no charges filed, and the state never even attempted to take the kids (when the children could be in danger, they take the kids right away -- so the state used appropriate restraint here). And now, the poor author (who has moved to France) complains about depression and tears. This guy has problems.

To make matters even worse, the author then cites an "expert witness" who makes a living testifying for child molesters and pornographers (I won't even repeat his name or website here). I would expect to see this individual cited in an article in the Weekly Standard, not Salon.com.

Overall, weak.

More Joe Feeney

2006-07-10T23:11:00.001-06:00

I currently can't upload podcasts. So here's more Joe Feeney! [Video is down, but I'm keeping the post up for sake of completeness.]

Unheard Cure

2006-06-18T21:34:00.000-06:00

It has been a long time since the last update. Here is a podcast with some lesser-known Cure songs. Enjoy. It will probably be a few more weeks before the next update.

Rush Limbaugh is Wasted

2006-05-10T22:30:00.000-06:00

On today's Rush Limbaugh broadcast, El Rushbo admitted that he was wasted. The audio is here -- not edited at all (although perhaps only slightly out of context).

Tee Vee

2006-05-06T21:31:00.003-06:00

Joe Feeney with a nice rendition of "Love, Here is my Heart" originally from 1964 on the Lawrence Welk show. Notice how Geritol sponsored the show even then? [Video is down but I'm keeping the post up for the sake of completeness.]

Hot New Music

2006-05-06T10:49:00.000-06:00

Some hot new music for you -- all stuff released this year.

From a Child's Book

2006-04-09T20:50:00.000-06:00

I have a fuzzy brown spot, can you touch it with your toes?

Last Post of Christian Nostalgia

2006-04-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

At last, the last Christian podcast is here. The last song is also the last song I ever played over the airwaves during my radio days.

Cobra Kai

2006-03-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

Cobra Kai. Strike First, Strike Hard, Show NO MERCY.

Canibus Concert

2006-03-17T23:44:00.000-07:00

I attended a Canibus concert recently. I was pretty close to the front, as you can see. This is for real.

I LOVE Trader Joe's!

2006-03-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

Here's another Unwilted completly unpaid advertisment. Trader Joe's. At first glance, a crappy little pseudo-grocery store. Upon more inspection, the best damn source for food and alcohol in the country. I've had four of their beers tonight, and I must say that they are top-knotch. Best hefeweitzen outside of Deutchland. I had some of their frozen pasta for dinner. I had some of their trail mix for a snack this afternoon. And I had some of their cereal for breakfast. Everything is top-quality and low-cost. In addition to the beer, wine, and frozen foods, there are many other favorites. The hummus, the vodka ("Vodka of the Gods"), the whole fruit jelly, the salads, the juices, the pita chips, the bread. On and on. If you live near a Trader Joe's and you don't know it, you are missing out.

Silence!

2006-02-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

After about five months of listening to my computer sound like a blender or weed eater, I finally mustered up the balls to replace the video card fan -- the source of the problem. Damn near had to break the video card to get the crappy old fan off. But I was going to either replace the fan or break the card and buy a new one. The noise became that extreme.

The new fan is from Arctic Cooling. It is so huge that I had to take out the modem next to the video card, but I wasn't using that anyway (I have not used a modem in 6 years, and doing so would probably drive me to alcoholism).

As you might guess (because I'm able to write this), it all worked out. The difference is huge. Now I notice all sorts of noises that never even existed before.

Anyway, this is a huge quality of life increase. We use the computer for all our music and TV, in addition to the standard internet stuff, such as porn. Let the good times roll!

More Christian Music

2006-02-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

As the below post indicates, I'm not exactly in a Christian music nostalgia trip sort of mood. But I pretty much had these particular songs lined up and ready to go. With the exception of one song (the second), these are more obscure than the previous Christian podcast. So here it is. A special prize to whomever can identify each of the artists.

Maybe I'm just not in a Christian mood because my icon for this blog (a picture of Jesus with guns and blood) has disappeared from the web. It was from some "Jesus Freaking" website. I kept meaning to save a copy for myself, but never did. Jesus left me.

I previously pointed out the irony that most of my Christian music was stolen. Also ironic are all the many unholy--even unnatural--acts perfomed with this holy music as a soundtrack. A lot of the Christian music sounds like pop music (most of it bad pop music). We just sort of ignored the lyrics. Or pretended that the "precious love" that they were singing about was of a more terrestrial sort. Some of the songs and artists -- Amy Grant, Margaret Becker, for example -- even sounded sexual when they sang to the Lord.

A suggestion to the local Christian radio station: take a black light through the studio. The carpet may need to be replaced before the next Shareathon.

Hot New Look

2006-02-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

Unwilted has a hot new look. But what will I do when I'm not feeling goth?

Christian Nostalgia

2006-02-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

Those of you old timers may enjoy this post, but the rest of you will be scratching your heads. In any case, I was driving home yesterday with the ipod on shuffle and a Keith Green song came up. Which set me down a road of nostalgia which continued when I got home. I dusted off some old Christian CDs (all of which were stolen -- an irony that brought me some pleasure at the time and even now). This is the first of what will probably be three Christian podcasts. Enjoy! And if there are requests for specific songs, I can try to do a fourth (assuming I have the songs).

The Big Lie

2006-01-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

The below article was simply too good, so I'm copying all of it. It is from salon.com and the orignal link is here.

Who tells the truth to a man -- or perhaps a nation -- driving into the setting sun, convinced he's heading due east?

By Garrison Keillor

Jan. 18, 2006 | It's good to know how to lie, and lie effectively, so you can go backstage after the high school production of "The Crucible" in which your friend's daughter mumbled her lines and stood like a fencepost, trying to look horrified and looking drugged instead, and now here she is, fluttery, ashen-faced, perspiring, and you say, "It was fascinating to watch. You were so in the moment, Lindsey. So believable. It really resonated with that audience, there was so much intensity." The truth is that she has no more talent than the average cocker spaniel -- but so what? There's no need to face the truth all at once.

People ask you how you are, you say fine, even if you have a grinding headache. People congratulate you on having done a fine job raising your children, you say thank you, even though you know the truth.

On the other hand, one should not lie to oneself. If the book you've been working on for two years is a leaking boat that needs to be scuttled, this is not to be denied. You look in the mirror and it's clear: The zero-dessert policy must now go into effect. Your wife says your drinking is a problem. That means it's a problem.

On the third hand, self-deception is useful. Some things are better endured by ignoring them. Old age, for one. The whining sound under your seat on the 727 flying over Lake Michigan, for another. And when you're feeling overwhelmed by your obligations, it's better just to put on your blinders and haul the beer wagon forward.

But everyone needs a few friends with whom one can be honest. I quit smoking 20-some years ago because my friend Butch Thompson and I promised each other that we'd try to quit, and that before smoking another cigarette, we would call up the other one and tell him. This worked like a charm. I dreaded having to make that call, so did he, and we each trusted the other to be honest. This is what friends are for. If you go and do a shameful thing, such as shoot your parents so you can inherit their estate, you should have at least one friend to whom you could confide the cheesy details. You'd say, "I couldn't believe that was me, aiming the pistol at the back of Mom's head as she stood at the Mixmaster. I am feeling, like, totally remorseful right now. And I'm wondering if, like, it might've been a sugar rush from, like, the Twinkies." And the friend would say, "Well, you were having some big mood swings. And the job market is tight, so naturally you were anxious about money. But those bright orange coveralls look rather striking on you. And this Plexiglas partition between us doesn't bother me as much as I had thought it would. And I don't think you would've been a good parent anyway, so it's lucky that you won't have to face that question."

I have not been that sort of close confidant to my friends, alas. They don't reveal the seamy underside of their lives to me, perhaps because I am a writer who might exploit their shameful story, or perhaps because they have no shameful secrets to share. Or because they believe you're supposed to say "Fine" when someone asks how you are.

But who tells the truth to the man who is driving straight into the setting sun and thinks he's heading due east? His wife murmurs that, uh, maybe we should look at a map, and he accuses her of being a defeatist who tries to tear him down any way she can in order to conceal her own lack of ideas. The man is heading the wrong way and speeding and the idiot light is flashing -- low oil pressure -- and the idiot is trying to be manly and authoritative but everyone can see he's faking it, hoping for God to rearrange the landscape for his convenience. Someone ought to speak up, and yet he is fascinating. As the administration is these days, so resonant and believable. The Arctic icecap melts and the Chinese finance our tax cuts and someday we will have spent six years and trillions of dollars to bring democracy to Iraq, whatever that may mean, and the SUV of state turns toward the setting sun, driven by cocker spaniels. And there is so much intensity there, and they are so much in the moment.

Butt Rock

2006-01-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

Just enjoying the MLK day in my own special way. Listening to some butt rock and having a Hurricane High Gravity or two or three. The swill is piss but it will get you there, if you know what I mean. So for those of you with a similar disposition, here are some kick ass jams to get you through the night. The rest of you can fuck off.

Tunes

2006-01-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

Tunes here.

Christmas Podcast

2005-12-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here is the much anticipated Unwilted Christmas Podcast. My regret is that the last song is not the original John Denver version. I used to have that version, but somehow I no longer do. Almost without exception, I hate modern versions of Christmas songs. So this is heavy on the traditional (and edited to have a traditional sound).

I actually have a political post in me -- I just watched the Power of Nightmares series from BBC 2 by Adam Curtis. But nobody wants politics right now. But if you do, or if you read this after Christmas, then I'd recommend the download (legal even) at the internet archive.

Pump You Up!

2005-12-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Some patriotic country music along with inspirational quotes from our President on today's podcast.

Guilty Pleasures from the 1980s

2005-12-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

This podcast started with a theme of the worst songs from the 1980s. The truth is that these songs are not the worst. They are hits, and they are catchy. But they are embarassing. They are guilty pleasures. Featured in this podcast are the likes of Lionel Ritchie and Michael Bolton. Listen on your headphones, and if anybody asks, tell them you are listening to Young Jeezy. But wait, that is also an embarassment (unless you are really from the hood).

VOIP

2005-11-30T22:06:00.001-07:00

[2009 Edit: Company went belly up and left a bunch of people in a bad situation with very little notice. Have since moved on to Vonage and am happy enough with them.]

I've been using Sunrocket now for about a month, and have been almost completely happy. Sound quality is consistently good. One or two occasions where there was a lost packet or something and the voice was garbled. Another occasion where I sounded fine but the other party sounded a bit like he was in a large auditorium (he was not). But overall fine. Worth the minor problems with the low price and abundant features.

There are no setup charges, and they even send you a cordless phone system (if you click on the phone under the bird on the homepage). They promise to refund any of the unused yearly fee ($199) if you cancel, and they even sent a pre-paid return label if I wanted to return the equipment after first trying it out. Overall, a good, clean, no BS service.

I had one experience with customer service, which was good. I had not signed up for the free additional phone number at first. Then I couldn't see how to do it on the website. Instead of calling, I opted to chat with a customer service representative. Other than the fact that he seemed to be an amazingly slow typer, he was helpful and it all worked out fine with no problems.

One other strange thing that I discovered. When I call a number (I was calling our current home phone) and hang up, the ringing continues for a long time. This could be annoying if I ever call somebody, and they see it is me and decide not to pick it up. It would keep ringingn and ringingn for them.

So, I'm going to cancel our normal land line. Will save around $40 a month by doing that (including long distance charges, fees, taxes, etc.). We are lucky enough to have broadband without DSL, so we don't need the phone line (or need to pay extra for naked DSL).

I make no money by writing this -- just a good product, and I hope the company does well. If you are a reader who knows my email address, let me know if you want to sign up and I can get some sort of credit for doing a referral.

Corruption

2005-11-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

A break from the podcasts for a moment. I'm shocked that almost nobody has heard about the Republican Congressman (Randy "Duke" Cunningham) who just resigned and admitted to taking $2.4 million in bribes. Shouldn't this be a big deal? The Washington Post seems to be reporting it on the front page, and also gave a good analysis of corruption generally also on the front page. However, I've been listening to Fox for the last hour, and no mention of it. CNN has not been much better. Bottom line is that most Americans who pay only a little attention to the news will have no idea that an important Congressman took millions in bribes and just resigned. What do they hear about instead? The Fox website is currently headlining a new panda bear at the National Zoo, and does not even mention the bribery resignation in its current headlines. Media Matters has a more detailed analysis of the lack of coverage.

Podcast for Satan

2005-11-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

This podcast is dedicated to Satan. You're doing a heck of a job. For those of you listening, don't bother unless you plan on turning up the volume.

Country Podcast

2005-11-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

A continuing subject of interest to me are the changes in country music through the years. Essentially, it is transforming into family-friendly fare for Republicans. Not always, but little by little. The theme of this podcast is religion in country music. Religion was an important part of country music for a long time. Then there came the cultural revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Kris Kristofferson, one of my favorite artists of all genres, is included with his "Sunday Morning Coming Down." Then on to the modern, retro religious cool with Allison Krauss, whose voice almost makes me wish I were still religious.

Podcast by Popular Demand

2005-11-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

The demand for another podcast has been overwhelming. If you consider one request overwhelming. Maybe not overwhelming, but sufficient. So here you go!

Veterans Day

2005-11-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

A special podcast for Veterans Day. A forgotten holiday for most, but less so these days.

Podcast

2005-11-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

The premiere of the new Unwilted podcast. Episode 1. Enjoy.

In My Ears

2005-10-28T18:45:00.005-06:00

For today, in my ear are the sweet sounds of Russian pseudo-lesbo pop from t.A.T.u. The new album is Dangerous and Moving. That's right, I'm hardcore.

In My Ears

2005-10-27T21:07:00.004-06:00

Not particularly brilliant, but I'm currently listening to HIM's latest album Dark Light. Because I just can't get enough Love-Goth Metal from Finland. I actually saw them in concert back in 2003, but I really don't remember it.

Upcoming Concerts

2005-10-08T23:49:00.000-06:00

I'm seeing Franz Ferdinand in a few days, and Bright Eyes in a few weeks. As a sample, I'd suggest you listen to Franz Ferdinand's "You Could Have It So Much Better" from the new album with the same name. And Bright Eyes with "Road to Joy" from I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning.

Best Album -- Pretty Hate Machine

2005-10-08T00:54:00.000-06:00

Although there have been many favorite albums through the years, I keep coming back to Pretty Hate Machine from Nine Inch Nails. I have not loved subsequent NIN albums -- they are okay but often just too much noise. Pretty Hate Machine is a bit more quiet, a bit more electronic, and much more tense. And the emotion is intense. It is hard to pick a single song because they all work well together.

Nothing To Say -- So Here's Some Music

2005-10-06T00:09:00.000-06:00

Nothing for me to say right now. So I'm going to post some of the best songs that I know. First off, Nick Cave and The Bad Seed's "Into My Arms" from The Boatman's Call. This song capures the feel of the album -- quiet, thoughtful, sincere. Among my top ten albums.

Desert Mountain Climb

2005-09-12T22:59:00.000-06:00

View from a mountain I climed. Kicked my ass. If you can figure out where it is, good for you. If you can't, then you don't have a need to know.

Kermit and Piggy

2005-09-11T19:06:00.000-06:00

Kermit and Piggy for your enjoyment.

Technorati Tags

2005-08-28T15:43:00.000-06:00

Testing the technorati tags ads for the greasemonkey firefox extension.

Kicsi the dog. She is a poodle.

Nature and Children

2005-07-21T00:20:00.000-06:00

Looks like the latest fad is bringing children back to nature. I happened to catch Brat Camp on tee vee tonight. Not sure if that program is the solution for those kids, but it probably can't hurt for them to get dirty and breathe some cold air. I'm also reading Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.

Although I've not read all of it, the essential and common sense idea is that kids need to get outside and get away from the tee vee and video games. The book laments the fact that we may have been the last generation to have a significant first hand experience with nature. We used to be able to play in the woods or even a vacant lot without supervision. Kids today require constant supervision. If they are not watching tee vee, we organize them into soccer leagues. The spontaneity is gone. And that's a shame.

I wouldn't think that you'd need a whole book to make such a common sense point, but most parents today seem not to have that common sense. Therfore, stuff like brat camp.

Drinkin' and Cheating?

2005-07-20T00:15:00.000-06:00

Salon.com had a story about how Faith Hill and country music in general seem to be moving back to all things redneck. Crossover to pop music is out, and embracing your inner redneck is in. There's something there. But more important is a trend away from the drinkin' and cheatin' and heartache that country music used to be about. Today's country is family friendly.

More and more, country is becoming the soundtrack for the pickup-driving office worker who has a fat wife at home, three (or more) kids, and who attends evangelical protestant church services weekly. He lives on a half acre spread outside of town and calls it "the ranch."

Musicians such as pot-smoking Willie Nelson are tolerated -- honored to a degree -- but are no longer the mainstream of country music. The last time I saw Willie Nelson, he was singing with Jessica Simpson.

The first time I took note of the new family friendly country music trend was Lonestar's "My Front Porch Looking In." Hearing about a "carrot top" (his redhead kid) with a "sippy cup" made me stop in my tracks. Maybe the sippy cup at least has beer in it.

Even songs that may seem to be about drinking have been tamed down. Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett's "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" comes to mind as an example. Would Johnny Cash have even felt the need to justify drinking before five o'clock? I think of Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down," which was also performed by Johnny Cash: "The beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad / so I had one more for dessert." In the new country world, drinking is something you do on vaction (i.e. "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" and Toby Keith's "Stays in Mexico"). These days, you are at church Sunday morning, not coming down.

At first, I thought that Toby Keith and Willie Nelson's "Beer for My Horses" was a sign of hope. But even that song reflects Toby Kieth's typical braindead nuke them all worldview. And it is a song about how things used to be. Toby probably does not even own horses, much less give them beer.

I could go on and on. The only source of hope (and this is digging deep) is how Brett Michaels (formerly the girly lead singer of the hair metal band Poison) was one of the judges on the latest season of Nashville Star. Country music needs somebody who has slept with Pamela Anderson.