Monthly Archives: October 2008

Sprague Lake, CO

Nikon N80, 28-80mm, Fuji Superia 400 (grayscaled in PS)
(repost)

You can actually see this tree in Google's satellite shot of the lake. This is the one starting on the western shore, in the north-west corner of the lake. The other downed tree, sneaking in on the left side of my picture, is visible in the satellite shot, too.

So, through the magic of Google, you can see exactly where I stood to take this picture, five years ago.

Past Times

The last time the Phillies won the World Series I was 10. Mike Schmidt, Larry Bowa, Greg Luzinski, Steve Carlton, Pete Rose, Del Unser... I used to know them all.

So now it's nice to learn the franchise has won another one, finally. I didn't watch any of this series; 1980 was the last time I paid any attention to baseball.

Who Rocks?

Saturday afternoons, there's a show on my local NPR station called Sound Opinions. On it, the two hosts spend an hour talking about rock music: lists, reviews, general chat, etc..

Last weekend, they did a segment on a guy who had called up to ask for some new music recommendations. He was in his mid-30's, had grown up listening to stuff like Van Halen, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin (classic rock, essentially), then moved to stuff like Nirvana, STP, and Weezer, in the early 90's. But after that, he lost touch with new music: the bands he liked moved in directions he didn't like, and he couldn't find anything else to replace them. So, he asked the hosts to recommend something new that "rocks" but still has a melody. He said he listens to commercial radio (and hates it), so we can assume he knows about Nickelback et al and that they just don't do it for him. So, that's a pretty good question: what new music rocks, with melodies, but isn't 4th a generation Nirvana rip-off?

The hosts gave him two recommendations: an album from Secret Machines and another from Wolf Parade. Check out those links and tell me if you think either of those bands have anything to do with classic hard rock or 90's grunge-alt-rock. Nope, not even close. They do sound like the kind of bands rock critics would like, though. The caller was politely underwhelmed.

But, who's a better fit?

My top pick has to be Queens Of The Stone Age. They certainly rock, they've got a touch of that 90's alt-rock vibe, but they're definitely not a Nirvana clone.

But after them, who? I assume he would know the White Stripes, if he listens to commercial radio.

Maybe ...Trail Of Dead, or Pinback ?

Anyone else?

Those Cherries Aren't Going To Pick Themselves!

Trying to wish away imminent political doom, GOP Knob Polisher Central, RedState, has come up with a list: The Seven Reasons McCain-Palin Are a Lock to Win. Awesome! Let's read it!

Reason 1:

The first and foremost reason McCain-Palin will win is the absolute arrogance, elitism, condescending, patronizing and in-your-face voter suppression campaign – don’t vote for McCain, he can not win -- being conducted by the national media on Senator Obama’s behalf.

Mm k. Seems like the polling says people disagree with that assessment; and the reason the media says McCain can't win is that the polling says he doesn't have enough support in the right places to win. But, whatevah. You're the expert here, not me.

Reason 2:

The Gallup poll after Labor Day has historically been a predictor of the winner of the Presidential election. The person leading in that poll wins the Presidency.

Now that sounds like solid science to me! Only a fool would ask questions like "What about the fact that Gore was ahead in the post-Labor Day Gallup poll in 2000?" or "What about the fact that Carter was up by 4 in that same poll, back in 1980?" And I ain't no fool! So, let's see what Gallup said this year:

Day Obama McCain
9/1 49 43 (Labor Day)
9/2 52 42
9/3 49 43
9/4 49 42
9/5 48 44

Etc..

So, Um... Would you care to revise your theory? Yes? Go ahead, then.

The Republican convention, pushed onto Labor Day by the Summer Olympics muddied the waters on this historic fact, but the Gallup poll a week later showed McCain ahead of Obama, predicting the McCain victory.


Presto! Historic fact! Data doesn't fit? Use different data! Voila! QED! Solid Proof!

Proof that they're a bunch of fucking retards, that is.

As for their other "reasons"... those prove that RedStaters are unable to use Google to back up their statistical claims (polls prove Women and Jews hate Obama! Oh really?), and that they think Real Americans will all change their minds and vote for McCain, even though they're been telling pollsters for two months now, that they're going to vote for Obama. Why? Because Real Americans think like Red Staters, that's why. Science!