She was about to go to med school to become a doctor, and since she knew she'd have to basically give up her music career, she wanted to get her tunes onto a record while she was still playing, which was a great idea. The recording process went smoothly once I came up with a solution to a very serious problem, but it wasn't so at first. In fact I about reached my breaking point and nearly bailed on the project, but necessity is the mother of invention.
Amy had a bad case of what I call "Chick Singer Syndrome," or CSS. It's fairly common. The deal is that most female singers kinda follow the same program. They'll book a gig at a club somewhere. Their friends will come out and they'll have some drinks and they'll get to show off their talent and everybody has a good time. The thing is that most of the time they only play by themselves, and they have no experience playing with a band. It's not a big deal unless they start playing with a band, or in this case recording with one. She decided that she wanted to do her songs with a rhythm section. She was friends with my friend Shea's girlfriend, so she got him to play bass. He's a monster bass player. He asked me to handle the percussion and we got our friend Randy to engineer. She played the songs for us and we arranged them to fit the band format.
The problem was that since she'd never had experience playing with a rhythm section, she didn't know anything about things like keeping the tempo steady, dynamics and just playing with other people- the give-and-take of it all. Of course those things aren't an issue playing by yourself. There's no need to be concerned with locking in with the other musicians, and that's cool. A little ebb and flow in the tempo is perfectly okay anyway, even with a band, but in Amy's case it was rather drastic. She equated tempo with excitement and emotion. It's human nature to get excited and want to speed up, but especially on a recording you need to keep the tempo reasonably steady. We'd already decided not to use a click track (metronome) on most of the songs anyway, and we'd hoped she'd follow us and keep it steady, but it was a nightmare at first.
She didn't see a problem with playing the chorus three times faster than the verses, but that's a real no-no. Again it's okay to speed the chorus up a bit here and there, but when it's that drastic it pretty much becomes a different song if the tempo triples. It wasn't that she was selfish or anything but she wasn't used to the rhythm section setting the tempo, and she wasn't used to having to listen to anyone but herself, and it quickly became an issue. We tried everything. We tried using a click but that freaked her out. It wasn't like she was saying "Fuck you...these are my songs" or anything like that, but she just wasn't used to having to listen to and follow other people.
It went on for hours and hours over the first two sessions. After trying to record for at least ten hours we didn't have a single song in the can. I'd about reached my limit and none of us had a clue what to do. I remember near the end of the second day I was so upset that I actually went outside and threw up. I love the recording studio but I was regretting signing on for the project. I didn't want to disappoint Amy or the other guys, but I finally went up to her and said "Amy, I'm really sorry but I just can't put my name on this project. You'll have to get someone else." "Please don't go" she pleaded. "I don't want anyone but you on my record." I didn't want to leave but I couldn't see it happening. "Okay, I'll sleep on it" I said.
We were all bummed but I couldn't record under those circumstances. For better or worse tempo is the responsibility of the drummer, and no matter who's at fault the drummer is blamed if the tempo changes too noticeably. Bless her heart she was really trying to work with us but she just didn't have the experience of listening to other people and letting them control the tempo, and it's not something you can take a crash course in. The songs would start out fine but gradually she'd speed up, and by the time we got to the chorus it was like a runaway train.
Then I came up with a solution that I thought would work but she didn't like it. I'd say "Amy, since we know the song is eventually going to be this fast by the time it gets to the chorus, let's just start the song at that tempo and it'll be cool." But she wouldn't have it. "That's not how fast the song is" she'd say. "But it's how fast the song is going to end up" I'd reply. "Let's just start there." I tried to explain to her that it was no problem if the song sped up a bit during the chorus, but not triple-time. I told her that it wasn't an issue when she was playing by herself, but if she was going to record these songs for posterity, if they all sped up drastically it'd ruin the songs and make us all look bad, but she wanted to do it her way.
I was literally about to thank everyone and respectfully split, but then, thank God, inspiration struck. I had to stifle a grin because my solution was pretty belligerent. I knew she wasn't going to like it but I also knew that it was the only way we'd get the songs to tape, at least with me on drums. I went a grabbed a towel and handed it to her. "Here" I said. "Stuff this between the fretboard and the strings." "WHAT? No WAY!" she protested. "I know it sounds bad, but trust me" I said. "I think you'll be pleased with the end result, and that's what counts. Otherwise we've wasted two days in the studio. Let's just try it. We'll do a scratch vocal and then you can overdub your vocals and the guitar." To her credit she agreed. She didn't want to lose me as her drummer, and she was able to see the big picture. I think that was a revelation for her. "Okay" she said. "Thanks Ames" I said, and gave her a big hug. "I think you'll dig it."
From that point forward it was smooth as silk. Shea and I ignored the "clicky-click" of her guitar and kept the tempo even. It took a few tries before she got comfortable with it but after that she was fine. We knocked the songs out in two or three more sessions. In the long run it was a great learning experience for her, and if she ever happens to do another record it'll go much more smoothly. A good thing happened for Amy D that day- she learned to listen, and that's huge. And I quit throwing up.
The video (link HERE>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcojU49A1RE) shows a guy allegedly reading the data from a chip in a mask. It was just a garden-variety cheap mask. He takes the cover off of a thumb drive. Here we see him soldering the ends of the wire enclosed in the "nose wire," which allows for a tighter fit around the honker.
When he first cut into the mask I was expecting to see a tiny chip fall out, but the wire itself was the chip. That's spy shit right there. There's some law- possibly Joe's Law of Miniaturization, although that's probably not it, but it basically says that things like chips and such get smaller, maybe by half but I'm not positive, every so often. It means that things get cheaper and smaller...way smaller.
Before transistors it would take a good-sized unit with vacuum tubes to do what a tiny chip can do today. In the early days of computing it would've taken several mainframes as big as a fridge to do what your phone can do. Chips are so tiny now that they put them in playing cards at casinos where events are televised, and you can't tell the difference. Some people think that chips have already gotten to the nano-level, which I don't doubt. They call it "Nanodust" or "Smartdust." Fact or fiction? I say fact, but what Joe's Law tells is that it will happen sooner than later, so if it isn't fact already we know for sure that it will be at some point. The anti-theft devices on clothes were big and bulky at first, and he only reason they still use them is obviously as a visual deterrent. They could put a chip in a button now.
Anyway the guy solders the ends of the wire to the circuit board of the flash drive and pops it into a laptop, and data appears. It's not like "Bob wore his mask for 15 minutes while he was at Target, and then drove 1.787 miles to Burger-in-a-Hurry" or anything like that; it's computer code, which you'd have to know how to read. BTW some people would immediately say it's fake, but even if it is, and it could be, it doesn't matter one bit because this level of miniaturization is already here. It's a done deal.
Most people, including myself, have a hard time believing this one, but the powers that be (TPTB) want to track everything to the extent that they have a unique digital ID for every single coffee bean grown on the planet. I kid you not and this is from a searchable article, probably one of several by now, and it's on a major website like Scientific American, or possibly a Dot Guv site, but it's not "fake news." This is narcissism-cubed. It's manic. This sounds batshit-crazy but it's true.
It hasn't happened yet but that's their stated goal. They can already track elderly patients from the light bulbs in their rooms. They didn't invent that technology just for elderly people. It's in all lightbulbs. If you think it's bad now just wait until the Internet of Things is fully-established. They'll be able to track you, listen and even observe you from your toaster, and everything else in your home. Can you say "1984?"
Most people, including my former self, say "So what? I'm not doing anything wrong. Let 'em track me." It's one thing if they kept an eye on your Facebook posts or occasionally checked in on your phone line or emails or whatever to see what you were up to, but to feel the need to record every single character you type, word you say, images and thoughts you share, and don't forget sexting...every single bit of it is recorded and stored. I'll remind you again that I was talking about this coming down the pike years ago and people who said that were called the dreaded "C-word." You know...those who have a theory. It doesn't mean "Crazy Person."
Would you have a problem knowing someone had hacked all your shit and they were listening, observing and logging everything you did, and where you are to within six feet now (more on that in a future post), knowing what you buy and where you buy it, who you hang out with, your political or religious views, the sick shit we do online...and they knew everydamnthing about you? Sure you would. But it's perfectly okay for the gubmint to do that. They only have our best interest at heart, and not the Almighty Dollar, right? Sure they do.
As we all apparently know, whenever someone is elected to office they must first attend the "Magical Ministry of Truth" and get a degree. That means that they will never be corrupt or do anything to harm the citizens in their charge. They'd never inhale, or have sex with that woman. They must act solely on our behalf, and can never do anything to harm us. The Magical Ministry of Truth insures that. And their outstanding ethics and high morals ensure that they'll never violate that oath, and they give us their word, and that's good enough. We can trust them completely.
A carnie will rig the Wheel of Chance at a fair just to put an extra 75 cents in their pocket. You don't think that that very human urge isn't magnified by about a million or a billion, when huge amounts of money, the kind involved in politics, are at stake? Bless your heart. Oh to be that naïve and asleep again...sometimes I wish I could go back to sleep, but that's impossible. I'm sure glad we have the Magical Ministry of Truth. Otherwise I might occasionally think that TPTB don't have our best interest at heart, but there's nothing to worry about, right? They proudly display their degrees front-and-center. They're so noble.
So supposedly all or most masks we buy are 'chipped. Ho-hum. The girl who sent me the video was a little upset about it because she's just now beginning to look into this stuff, but at this point I say big fucking deal. To me it's creepy that anyone would want that kind of information about ordinary citizens. Ostensibly it's used for targeted-advertising, and I could see that, but it's clearly used for much more.
By now most people know that there's a unique profile on every single person on the Web, and we each get ads, YouTube suggestions and many other things targeted to each one of us individually. That's a little creepy by itself but again I can see that part of it. But people are actually getting arrested for comments or posts they made a few years earlier. That's alarming, and it's far from just a couple of incidents. That's getting into "Thought Police" territory right there.
You can actually Google the info that's been collected on you, at least most of it, any I hear that if you do it totally blows your mind. I'm scared to do it myself but I might one day. Holy Sh*t. I guess if you want to ruin a friendship or a relationship, Google someone. They know more about you than you know, and that's no joke. They can now predict, based on the info they've collected, the time, place and circumstances of your death, with at least 75% accuracy. It's a fact. That's lovely. If you enter yourself and a new romantic partner, it will predict the outcome of your entire relationship with something like 95% accuracy or better. That's fucked-up. I think I'd rather take my chances and do it the analog way.
The reason I don't care is that it's already here and it's been here for years. An article came out saying that they were recording conversations from the early days of the telephone, and that those recordings still exist. That didn't surprise me either really. I'd love to hear a few of them just to have a "time-capsule" experience. They've had methods of tracking our asses for a long time, although it's getting way more up-close and personal. Tracking you from your lamps? Who'da thunk it?
I can't believe it isn't at least a little concerning to most people but still they blow it off and I get it. It's not like they're watching in and listening you physically every minute of the day, as if you're being watched 24/7, but they are logging everything using AI. If they want they can pop in directly to see what up. The technology to do that is built-in. It's called a "backdoor." Google it, Dylan. There's no point at this point in worrying about being tracked, even though the idea of a microchip in masks is a little unsettling.
There's noting we can do now but be made aware of it, and decide if it's the best course to follow, in terms of our future, and our children's future. I think it was Ben Franklin who said that people who trade their freedoms for "security" deserves and will get neither. They also say that the best way to get questionable technology into the hands of the people is to make them want it, whether they think about it or not (and usually not). They make an Alexa-type monitor for children's bedrooms. The kids try on outfits, and whatever or whomever is on the other end watching, tells the kids if their outfits match. Are you fucking kidding me? I don't suppose and pervs have ever hacked that. Nah. Who would willingly bring that into their home? And yet we do.
A guy came up to me and told me a story about when they played at his school. He and some friends went to pick up Elfman and company at the airport. On the way to the hotel they asked Danny if they were going to play "No Spill Blood." It's based on "The Island of Doctor Moreau," and features animal sounds that were originally sung by the drummer and triggered from a keyboard.
Sampling technology was in its infancy then, and Danny told them that the tapes were messed up and they couldn't play the song that night. The guys were really disappointed, until the dude came up with an idea. He told Danny that they knew the song by heart, and jokingly suggested that he let them sit-in that night and do the parts live. He said Danny got a big smile on his face and said "Sure, why not!" They got to sit-in with the band that night and make animal sounds. What a thrill that must've been. I love it.
There's so much I love about Oingo Boingo- Danny's amazing voice and almost-unheard-of vocal range, the incredible drumming of Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez, the sheer musicality of the entire band, the fact that they couldn't be pigeonholed (which actually worked against them), the tight-ass horn section, the brilliant, brilliant guitar playing of Steve Bartek, the songs, the energy, the amazing fans, the artwork and much more...I loved it all and still do. They were classified as "New Wave" I guess, but their music is timeless and the songs could've been written yesterday. I've heard that the name Oingo Boingo is Japanese slang for "bouncing boobs" but I'm not sure that's true. It would certainly fit.
The first time I saw them was here in town. A friend who knew me well insisted that I go to the show and said I'd really love them, and he was right. Believe it or not REM opened for them. Obviously REM was just getting started, and nobody knew who they were. Boingo fans were extremely loyal, and no less that the Chili Peppers were booed off the stage when they played before Boingo. Luckily the fans here were more polite, but they were anxious to see who they'd come to see. I'd heard maybe one Boingo song at that time, probably "Weird Science" from the movie. When I sat down in my seat I wasn't yet a rabid Boingo fan for life (a Boingoloid), but that was only moments away. I was sitting dead-center and maybe six rows back. Any closer and I'd have been turned into Jello.
They took the stage and I mean they took it. Elfman's face was painted green. I knew I was in for a treat. The venue only sat maybe 300 or so, but they played like a million people were in the audience. They were the loudest fucking band I've ever heard before or since. The first song literally blew me back in my seat. It was so loud I had to run into the restroom and grab some paper towels to stuff in my ears. By the second song it was all over and I knew I'd found gold. They're still my favorite band.
I couldn't believe what a powerful drummer Hernandez was, yet he played with great finesse and he had a beautiful touch. He slammed the shit out of his drums but he was incredibly musical. No other drummer could've powered the band like he did. He had two snare drums on his kit, and that was a very good thing. His side snare was basically a big marching snare. Sometimes he'd alternate backbeats between it and his main snare. It was a great effect.
He had a female drum tech and she watched him like a hawk the entire show. She had to. He broke the head on his main snare three times, which is incredible. Normally I'm not a fan of drummers who slam their kit, but again he was so musical. When he'd break a head he'd switch to the side snare for the rest of the tune, while his tech would run up and switch the main snare for another just like it, and then change the head on the first one. She had to hurry because they never took a break and went straight into the next tune for the whole show. They didn't lack for energy. I happened to have the exact model snare- a DW solid brass snare, so that was cool.
At one point he raised both sticks above his head and prepared to knock the fuck out of the drum. I was thinking "Oh, shit" as he prepared to slam it. He came down with both hands on the drum and he hit it so hard that some of the hardware came flying off. I couldn't believe it. I'd accidentally rolled mine down a deep flight of wooden stairs and it didn't put a scratch on it. He knocked the lugs and snare mechanism off of his and they went flying into the air. I was gobsmacked and I immediately looked at his tech. Her eyes got really big and she couldn't believe it either. She sat there with her mouth open for a second and then went to replace it. That was unreal. Vatos just laughed.
I was working at the crazy restaurant when we found out that Boingo was calling it quits after 17 years and were doing three "farewell" shows in LA. Back then not only did I have money but I was dating a travel agent. As soon as I found out she told me she'd get us cheap flights, and I immediately got on the phone to try and order tickets, but they sold out all three shows in 15 minutes. Rats. At least I got it on DVD. VHS actually at first, but later I got it on DVD. It was pro-shot and one of the best concerts you'll ever see on film.
At a show in Atlanta a bunch of us from the restaurant drove over to see them. I forget the venue but I remember our parking space. The parking was underground, and you had to drive several blocks past the venue to enter the lot and then double-back. We were slowly driving along, looking for a spot as I was trying to gauge how far we'd come and how close we were to the venue. All of the sudden a spot caught my eye.
We were about to pass it so I yelled "Park here!" I think Elizabeth was driving the car I was in, but whomever it was wheeled toward the spot. "Why this spot?" she asked. "You'll see" I replied. When we pulled in they saw the graffiti I'd noticed from a distance. It said "FLAMING ASS-BITING SHIT DOGS FROM HELL." We all died laughing. It was the perfect spot. Great show it was, starting with our parking spot. Good times.
Earlier tonight I was in a chat and they were talking about Biden. I commented that his favorite song was "Little Girls" by Oingo Boingo. A couple of people caught it and lol'd, but then a sister named Dana replied to me. She mentioned Elfman, and said she still carried her Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo membership card so I knew she was legit. I said something about "Blah-blah...it's great to meet another Boingo fan!" She agreed and put up a bunch of hearts and stuff, and we chatted for a while.
I told her I'd seen five shows. She told me that she'd hardly missed any shows unless they were playing in Europe. Touche. I told her I still had half a dozen Boingo shirts. She told me that Elfman tossed her his stage-worn Boingo tank top, which she put into a plastic bag. I had to tip my cap to her again but it was fantastic. Boingo fans were faithful to say the least. I told her I had a cat named Boingo, so I was at least able to get some bonus points. We had a great chat and I'm sure we'll talk more.
I'm guessing she lives in LA, since that was their home base and where they played the most, but they played all over the country, so I guess she "did the tours." They were huge in LA, but oddly enough they had a pocket of serious fans right here in the 'Ham, Alabam. As much as I've trashed this town I have to give credit where credit is due. It was the same story with Buckingham Nicks, so much so that on their brief farewell tour, before they joined Fleetwood Mac, they added a show here. Two incredible bands, as different as night and day, and they both had huge fan bases here and in LA. Amazing.
Boingo broke up a quarter-century ago, but it's great to see there's still so many true fans. Elfman went on to become a zillionaire scoring films. He says he'll never do a Boingo reunion, although Vatos and several original members still do shows as "OB Dance Party" (I think) and the shows are well-attended. Danny gave his full blessing, and it's hoped that one day he'll show up and sit-in with them. People would go apeshit.
It's always great to meet a Boingo fan, and it's an instant bond. Whomever it was who knew me well and insisted that I attend that first show, I can't express my gratitude enough. BTW the image above is their mascot- Smokin' Elvis. I love that logo, and if I ever get a tat it'll be that. RIP, but Viva Boingo! Thanks to all for the memories.
The last time I voted was a write-in vote for Frank Zappa. Believe it or not he'd have made an excellent president. Zappa was brilliant (watch some of his interviews) and he was talking about what's going on right now, all the way back in the 80s. It's uncanny. The next four years are going to be a hell of a ride no matter who gets into office. Trick or treat! Buckle-up y'all. God help us. Peace.
Some people have been doing it for years. Once or twice could be just a coincidence, but half a dozen or more times falls into the category of beating the odds, and that simply can't be disregarded. I was talking about some of the things that are happening now, as much as a decade ago. Let's take a look at a few of the things that have happened or that almost certainly are going to happen, and what I, and many others, were saying years ago.
Surveillance. By now most people know that all our information...Facebook posts, texts, emails and even phone calls is being recorded and stored, but just a couple of years ago people were called crazy for saying that. I was talking about it at least it six or seven years ago. I was still using a desktop. I did a post about it where I talked about all the massive storage facilities they were constructing in the desert, just to house all our information, complete with an aerial photo of the buildings being built. Storing memory was much bulkier and expensive than it is now and I said that they were going to a lot of trouble and expense to store every single letter we type and word we say. Who the fuck needs that amount of control?
People were talking about it until fairly recently and being called wackos, yet here we are, and it's real. A year or so ago a buddy called me, in a state of perplexation, and told me that his nephew had called him freaking out because he and a buddy were walking in the woods discussing something, and when he got back it popped up first in a search before he even typed the first word. It blew his mind. He knew that the only way it could have happened was that his phone was recording his conversation with his friend, and primed his computer. He swore he'd never searched on it before so it couldn't have been in his search history. Apparently it scared him a little and I could tell my buddy was a bit bewildered too.
He called me up to ask about it. He'd been reading my blog for years and he knew I'd been talking about stuff like that. Even he knew it was beyond chance. He told me that story and how much it had flipped-out his nephew and his buddy, and asked me if I thought it was true. "Of course it is" I said. "They're just now rolling it out." By now everyone has experienced it. Bingo.
Shortages. I've been saying gently for several years that people might want to stock up on some extra food, water, batteries and such. With all the crazy weather that destroyed massive amounts of crops worldwide over the past few years it's bound to happen. I'm sure you've noticed that food prices have risen sharply, and with the Covid thing it's only going to get worse. I'm NOT trying to scare anyone; I'm just trying to give a heads-up. There's no harm in getting a little extra stuff that you use anyway. It won't go to waste. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. It's just common sense. You don't wait until you wreck your car to get insurance. Being prepared doesn't mean being paranoid, although some think so.
Universal basic income. I did a post maybe three years ago saying that this was coming, and I said that if everyone gets the same pay there would be no incentive to become a brain surgeon over a grocery bagger, at least pay-wise. Why would you go through med school and residency if you'd make the same as a cashier or whatever, which requires zero schooling? As strange as it may sound, universal basic income, or UBI, may actually happen in the not-too-distant future. It's been talked about enough that it has its own initials. Some speculate that the stimulus checks could be the first step.
One thing I haven't heard mentioned in relation to UBI goes back to a video I've watched several times. It was a talk given by Geordie Rose, the guy who produced the first quantum computer, the D-Wave, and has since gone on to start an AI/robotics company. Since way back in the 60s at least we've been hearing that robots may one day take over most jobs, and now it's actually happening. In the video Mr. Rose says that these robots will be able to do anything and everything that humans do, only a million times better. If that happens, and Geordie thinks it will, then it would make sense that there would be no need for humans to train as doctors, or cashiers either for that matter.
BTW he also mentions that these "robots" will be controlled by "entities" that are going to be "summoned" from another dimension. I'm not kidding, and although it sounds like some tinfoil-hat-wearing person, it's actually one of the wealthiest businessmen around, and he's anything but a crackpot. These entities, which sound a lot like the "Old Ones," the Lovecraftian-type entities, will be summoned to inhabit the robots. "Summoned" is an interesting choice of words, since it generally refers to the summoning of demons. It's an utterly fascinating and rather terrifying video. I highly recommend taking twenty minutes to watch it. It will blow your mind, and maybe make some of this stuff sound less crazy since it's an actual businessman talking to an audience. Check it out. The link is here >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqN_2jDVbOU.
Cashless society. I just recently did a post about how badly a cashless society is going to suck, and it truly is, but I also did a post on the subject about three years ago. I said that I was in line paying for some groceries with cash, and I was a bit surprised but very pleased that the young black cashier was aware of it too. Not because he was black, as if it matters, but because he was young, and even aware of it to begin with. I started to hand him the bills but drew back jokingly at the last second and asked if they still accepted cash. He laughed and said that they still did, but probably not for very much longer. We laughed but we exchanged knowing glances, and I could tell he was at least partially "awake."
If you don't believe me when I say that a cashless society is going to suck in the worst possible way, there are tons of articles and videos on the subject, and I urge you to take a moment and peruse a few of them. This is our future. The cover of The Economist magazine featured an eagle holding a Bitcoin or something similar. It basically said that a universal digital currency was coming, and to get ready. An article just came out saying that Covid can remain active on currency for up to a month. I say it's just more bullshit but most people will believe it, and it's a perfect excuse to ban paper money. Let me say again that IT'S GOING TO SUCK.
Fireball meteors. I was saying back in 2016 that fireball meteors and meteors in general were going to increase steadily over the next decade or so, and then exponentially spike, and that's exactly what's happening. Nearly every day lately there are sightings and videos of huge fireballs exploding over cities all over the world. A few have made landfall. A few years back when most people (like my bro-in-law), who heard that meteors were increasing, blew it off. They said that it was just that more people were taking phone videos and getting dashcams, but that just goes to show that people don't always think about what they're saying.
There are more people getting dashcams and taking vids with their phones, but a meteor doesn't care if it's filmed. Plus meteors are automatically tracked by several sites around the world including the US and Canada, Russia and the UK. You can go to sites like Spaceweather.com and see charts that show a steady increase over the past decade or so, along with the recent spike. It's happening as we speak, and I'll make another "prediction" for you: there's going to be an even bigger spike in fireball meteors in the next few years, and there may come a time when there's so many at once that many nights may rival the infamous Leonid meteor shower (meteor storm actually) of 1833 which was immortalized in fantastic woodcuts. There were so many meteors that the sky was literally covered in them, thousands at once. Many people panicked and some thought it was the end of the world.
The Antifa fucks have defense funds with unlimited resources. They can go out and smash windows and burn buildings and shoot at cops and do pretty much anything short of murder, and they'll never spend a minute in jail, and it's all free, yet people who want go go visit their mom will go to jail if they get caught. It's true. A guy was talking about it last night and he said that you have to keep pinching yourself and it's true. And it's coming here.
Know what else you can't do anymore in Montreal? You can't hug a family member at a funeral. Apparently they now have "Grief Monitors" or whatever the fuck they are, and if you try to console a loved-one they'll come over and break it up just like two fighters in the ring who are both tired and just basically hugging each other until they catch their breath. Pretty soon they'll probably arrest you for it, but that's how it works...it gets worse by degrees, even as the death rate is declining. Look it up. This is pure evil man .It's not the virus, it's the "cure." And it's coming here.
It's coming here. Bet your sweet ass it is. Better visit people while you can. How people can go without even questioning this, much less support it is completely beyond me. If you think that this virus can be eliminated by shutting down the world and losing virtually every cool restaurant, business, movie theater...EVERYTHING, then go ahead and roll over and submit to this satanic tyranny. Let 'em shut down the whole damn deal over a virus that granted is bad, but actually kills less people than the regular flu. Keep living in fear and making bad choices. Narc on your neighbors if they're not social-distancing. Shame everyone who still has enough sense not to wear a mask in the great outdoors. If you want to live in a world where there's nothing left, go for it. If we don't stand up for ourselves and for our children, then we deserve it. I hope you only like shopping at Walmart or Sam's Club or eating at Taco Bell or McDonald's, and NOTHING ELSE. Get ready. It's coming here.
Again when you break things down to the lowest level, the atomic level, everything is a frequency. Positive thoughts and actions resonate in the higher frequencies and evil or negative thoughts resonate at lower frequencies. This is true and it can be measured. Positive frequencies can't defeat the lower frequencies per se, but they can cancel them out. It's just like two waves going in opposite directions meeting in the ocean, and it can be demonstrated in a wave tank.
If two waves meet in the middle where one of them is at peak and one is at trough, for a second they cancel each other out and the water becomes perfectly flat and still. It's the same way that noise-cancellation headphones work. The computer in the earphones samples, or records, the incoming sound waves (frequencies) and instantly creates an exact duplicate of the wave pattern, and then creates a mirror image of the waveforms that's equal in every way except that it's reversed, and sends it back into the headphones. The waves cancel each other out and the result is silence. It's pretty amazing when you think about it, but it's really just simple Physics.
As we know, just as there are people who shine there are people who don't. They're evil or negative or whatever you want to call it, and most of them will never change. They've made their choice. Evil avoids the light anyway...it operates in darkness. But the average person who still has a heart will be drawn to the light, as it should be. Whatever you believe or don't believe, positivity cancels out negativity, and it's been proven by science (SCIENCE). Most people know this anyway and maybe think that repeating it is unnecessary, but it's something we should be reminded of occasionally, in this context. Pay attention to those who shine now, and those who will shine. We're going to need them. Have a nice day.
Before we got on the bus I became separated form them because I was talking to some chick that had taken an interest in me. These days that would probably never happen in real life, but again it was one of those dream-things you don't question. That's a good thing because if I'd questioned it I'd probably have woken up.
The sister and I got on the bus but it was a different one that my cousins got on. I knew I'd gotten on the wrong bus when I looked all around and they weren't there. I realized my mistake and we got off at the next stop. I found myself in the city near an expressway in Atlanta. It took place in Atlanta because that's where one of them still lives today, and it's where they all lived when we were kids.
It was starting to get dark and I was in an unfamiliar 'hood but I wasn't worried. For one thing I had a sweet sister by my side. I was going to walk around and find a store or somewhere I could call them from (I guess I didn't have my phone, or maybe in my dream cellphones didn't exist). I found myself in a beautiful old neighborhood, looking up at a huge house with a huge yard. There was a party going on and people were walking toward the house. I decided I'd go up to the house and use the phone. The girl and I were (GASP) holding hands.
There was a guy walking in front of me who looked very familiar. It looked just like my dear friend KennyMac, a bass player and one of my former rhythm-section buds. I love Kenny and I was going to say something but I didn't think it was really him, since I didn't know he was playing in Atlanta that night, and what are the odds, even in a dream. But when I heard him talk I knew it was him. I was delighted. "Is that who I think it is?" I called out. "Who did you think it was going to be?" replied Kenny. That was funny. BTW the photo above is Kenny's actual ass, at a gig, and I used this photo because that's basically the view I was getting in my dream.
I realized that they were playing the party. Next thing I knew my buddy O' came up to me. In my dream I was fully aware of the Covid thing, although no one was wearing a mask. When O' saw me he ran over and gave me a huge hug. "Wow, man...you're not afraid to hug me." "Hell no" he said. "You're not living in fear" I said. "Of course not" he said. "You know me better than that." "Hallelujah" I replied. They invited me to sit-in for the evening and it was on like popcorn. Back in the day, in the waking world, O' and I used to hug each other so hard we almost couldn't breathe. I'd pick him up off the ground, which was no small feat for a skinny dude like me, but I was in good shape then.
The rest of the dream basically revolved around me hugging the shit out of everyone in sight. It was like a cool drink of water to a very thirsty man. I was in hug heaven. The girl I'd met and I were hugging quite a bit too. I was hoping to hug her all night, if you get my drift. This went on for a while but then I woke up, and the no-hug reality of this current world hit me. I was crestfallen but the dream was so nice that it almost made up for it. Maybe we'll get back to that world one day. A guy can dream...
I don't know how long I've had this potato peeler but it's probably around a decade. I love ceramic knives and other objects of sharpness, so I got this one. Alton Brown trashed this particular model on an episode of Good Eats. He said it wasn't very durable but that wasn't my experience at all. This baby was smooth and efficient and quite durable.
In fact I wish I had a dollar for every potato, carrot and whatever else I peeled with it. Sadly it wasn't Beagle-proof. My dog loves potatoes as much as I do. One night I was peeling potatoes and he got hold of it. As soon as he smelled tater he started chewing it, and before I could rescue it it was history.
Of course most people would just unceremoniously toss it in the trash, but I wanted to reflect for a moment on all the good times we've had. We've been through thousands of potatoes together. Oh, the hash browns. Oh, the mashed potatoes. Oh, the gravy! Good times. Maybe I should tell Alton Brown.
Goodbye old friend. Even though I've gotten another just like you you could never truly be replaced. Thanks for faithfully peeling all those potatoes. Thanks for the memories. My dog thanks you too. Rest in peace.
Oh, wait...I'm awake! Oh dear God...this is real. It wasn't a dream after all...it's really happening. It's a living nightmare. People really are about stupid as fuck. Speaking of waking up, y'all really need to.
If you've watched any major movies in the last few years where someone gets their ass kicked, more often than not it's a man being taken down by a woman. Women are mostly being portrayed as the heroes and men are mostly portrayed as bumbling, inept, weak and stupid. But why?
I'll tell you. It's just another part of the feminization of men. Unless you've been living under a rock the last few years you must have noticed. There's an iconic and disgusting image (that I wasn't able to find) that shows a guy with an earring who's crying because he wasn't able to use the women's restroom. He's being comforted by several women (who probably think it's hot) who are just as bad as he is. It's truly pathetic. Is it possibly because he has a dick, whether he wants it or not? I've said before that scientists who study the decline of the great civilizations, and why they declined, say that the last thing to occur in a society before a total collapse is "sexual ambiguity." We're there. Who could disagree? It's not sexist in any way, whether you're triggered into thinking so or not. It's fact.
We've been hearing about so-called "toxic masculinity" lately, as if being a man is somehow "toxic." In the interest of equality, women can be every bit as "toxic," but you'll never see that. People are toxic. The way I look at it is to imagine you're a female (for purposes of this post) and you have a flat tire and you're stranded all alone by the side of the road at night. A car pulls up and stops and a man (again for purposes of this post) gets out and approaches you.
At first you're thrilled because you think he's going to rescue you but you quickly realize he's a bad guy and he means you harm. Quick...who would you rather see pull up in another car behind him...a man who's chock full of "toxic masculinity" and can save you from the bad guy or a "man" who cries because he can't use the ladies' room, and will run the other way as fast as his shaved legs can carry him? Well? I think that question answers itself. At least it should. This kind of thing doesn't say much for the preservation of the species, does it?
There's far too much to go into here, especially if you haven't done any of your own research, which almost assuredly you haven't, but this is just a part of the coming Beast System. Whether you believe in a "Devil" or not doesn't matter, but you should know that the people who are really in charge of this world are almost universally Luciferians, or outright Satanists. It's 100% fact. They tell us. They're proud of it. Maybe the fact that these people worship Satan doesn't bother you at all, but it damn sure should. If it doesn't bother you, look into Satanism, and what these people really do. I dare you. I guarantee it will bother you if you know what they do.
It doesn't matter whether or not you or I believe in the Devil...they do. Even putting all that aside, these people are EVIL. They're globalists. In other words they don't have any allegiance or loyalty with America or any other country. For many people that's hard to imagine, and I get it. Do you actually think they care about us? These people are so evil and cruel and perverted that several psychologists have said that there should be a new classification of insanity to describe them.
This is the world that's coming, folks. Actually it's already here. It may be too late to fight this, even though we outnumber these people millions to one, but if enough people wake up, at least we can be somewhat prepared mentally if nothing else. In case anyone thinks this is about women per se, or that I'm a "hater" or any of that nonsense, I'll say two things: I adore women, and do your own research.
Please...and at this point I'm begging you...please take an hour from checking your Facebook status or whatever and look into all this stuff. Surely by now you've heard enough talk about this to at least make you go "Hmmm..." You might learn something. I did. And I don't mean going to Snopes. BTW that's something else you should look into, especially if you're going to trust them to give you the truth.
If you want to reject all this as crazy talk, and never ever spend five minutes looking into it, that's up to you and I defend your right to do so. I don't want this shit to be true for anything, and it most definitely sucks to learn this kind of information, but not only is knowledge power but it also erases fear and uncertainty, and that's huge. Call me a nutter...I don't care. Just take a minute and look into it for yourself...and our children. They're the ones who are going to have to live in this world. PLEASE. Prove me wrong. Have a nice day.
"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - attributed to Malcolm S. Forbes
Thank you Father for all the incredible adventures I've had, even the craziness. Thank you for my eyesight and hearing. Thank you for the beautiful skies. Thank you for keeping the thread between us intact at all times, no matter how thinly I may have stretched it. Thank you for allowing me not to live my life in fear. Thank you for my curiosity.
I love you Lord.
I decided to indulge my need of nostalgia with an old TV series instead, and what I believe to be the best show ever on TV- Northern Exposure. I got a steal on the entire series on DVD. Not too many people remember the show now so not many people are looking for it. The show ran for almost exactly five years, from 1990 to 1995, which coincidentally coincides with the period of time that I was most happiest in my life, and in fact the last time I was really happy.
The show was set in a fictional town called Cicely, Alaska. It would be hard to describe what made the show so special. I guess you'd just have to see it. Of course it had great writers. I'd literally find myself with my mouth hanging open after some of the episodes. What really made the show stand out was the casting. There were only four "name" stars- Janine Turner (Maggie), John Cullum (Holling), Rob Morrow (Joel) and Barry Corbin (Maurice). It relied mostly on lesser-known characters, and they even hired a few people who weren't actors, which lent it more authenticity as opposed to a typical show where you see the same faces doing different characters.
The show was so good that when they moved it to Monday night I gave up my lucrative Monday shifts at the crazy restaurant. Mondays were typically slow but we'd usually cut a couple of people and I'd end up being just as busy and making just as much money as a weekend night. Back then you couldn't record shows on your cable box. When Melissa started working Monday nights I got a VCR player and taped the shows, but that's another story.
What appealed to me was the sense that people wanted to start a different gig in life, away from "modern" society- the pioneering spirit and all. For the natives who lived there it was the only life they knew, but for the people who moved there it was a conscious decision to have something new, and hopefully better. In a way that made the show a bit like a Western or something. People were looking for something different, and they found it. Whatever combinations of things that made the show so special to me obviously affected me for life, because here I am a quarter-century after it ended, just now ordering it on DVD. I can't wait.
I could go on and on describing the wonderful characters, the amazing plots, all the things that made me say "Holy sh*t" and so forth but it wouldn't mean much if you never saw the show. I wish everyone could see it. It did sort of peter-out in the last season, and the shows didn't have quite the same magic. Joel, who was pretty much the main character, was basically replaced, and the dynamic between him and the rest of the characters was gone. It was still very much worth watching. I know that if people rediscovered this show it'd freak them out. Since the show didn't rely much on the technology of the day it had a timeless quality. I think almost anyone could fall in love with it like I did. If it weren't for copyright strikes and shit I'd start doing watch parties on YouTube and blow some people's minds.
Yes, we're going to be needing escapes, and I've found a damn good one. Not only will it be a great escape that I can totally immerse myself in but it'll take me back to a time in my life when I was happy. It's going to be great medicine. I just remembered that it was my dad who turned me onto the show. He'd recorded some of the shows on VCR. He gave me the tape and he told me he thought I'd really dig it. He was right, and that makes it even more special. Northern Exposure was the last of the great TV shows. If you never got a chance to see the show, come on over and we'll have us a watch party. Coffee and snacks are on me. No mask required.
