poem

Ok. i don't want to make cleek into a political blog, but i really like how this turned out. So, take this poem in the spirit of fun, not in the spirit of partisanship.

To all ye merry BushLeaguers, all fattened in your heads,
let it be known that to the networks the following was said:

"broadcast this speech, if you please, or show it not. your choice.
we will not command nor request that you transmit his earnest voice.

not the platitudes nor hollow phrases which our boy, george, recites
shall be incumbent on you to deliver. carry on, as any monday night.

but be forewarned, ye quislings librul, we know your heart-held plans
that he should fail so you might deliver us into bin Laden's hands.

so we provide to you six chances all, to show your loyalty's lie:
each week anew a new speech for you to accept or to decline.

and if you fail to meet our demands, not explicit, but implied,
our loyalest men will stand and shout and raise a furious cry.

and all shall know your traitor mind, and see your wicked ways.
and you will run and hide and cower and whimper in your shame.

thus the crooked librul media, base tool of liars and of fools,
will crumble into merest dust and conservatives shall rule."

and the first speech was spoken and sent out to the public's ear.
and some recoiled and some rejoiced but one thing was quite clear:

though some saw it, and some did not, and some saw only clips,
all knew nothing important will be said until speech number six.

Update... series cancelled after first show.

FU H2

Fuck You And Your H2.

Simple enough.

Mac

The wife and I saw Fleetwood Mac Saturday night. She's been a big fan forever, so not even the $75 ticket price (for uncovered reserved seats; covered seats were $100 and lawn seats were $35) could keep us away. Still, we did grumble a little about it - and the $8 beers.

The song selection was as good as you could hope for - a few newish ones; a lot from Rumors and their self-titled record; a couple from Tusk, including a tremendous Sara (where my sister got her name); and a surprisingly great version of a mid 80's song that I previously hated: Big Love, done solo-acoustic by Lindsey. They mostly kept away from Christine McVie songs, since she isn't with them on this tour (or on their last album).

Lindsey Buckingham is a madman. Besides being a great guitar player, he loves to do extended, loud, sloppy, primal Rawk! solos - getting so into them so much that he occasionally abandons the song entirely and just beats on his guitar with both hands. Since doesn't play with a pick, this is somewhat easier. Entertaining, but definitely not what I was expecting. His voice isn't as good as it was thirty years ago, but it can still pull off the songs.

Mick Fleetwood is also a madman. He did a too-long drum duet with a percussionist during which he walked around wearing a vest covered with pressure-sensitive triggers that played various drum samples when he slapped them - all the while shouting into a headset mic things that were nearly incomprehensible because of his accent and because they just didn't make much sense when you could understand the words. Looking like a blend of Marty Feldman and Hulk Hogan certainly helps the madman image.

Stevie Nicks. She can't get to those high notes these days, and she flubbed the words on Don't Stop (which isn't a song she sang originally anyway so I forgive her), but she's still entertaining.

There were 8 other people on stage, too. But they were content to let those three take the spotlight (and the jumbotron close-ups).

Worth the money? Yup.

Gukanjima

Gukanjima is a tiny reef island off of Japan. In 1810, thet discovered coal on the island, and subsequent mining operations caused a small city to spring up to house the miners and their families. But, after the coal ran out in the mid-1970's, the people left, and now the island hosts a tiny ghost city.

Via BoingBoing

The TX-1

Behold The TX-1 Vacuum Tube AGONIZER

There's just no explaining it. It's not a damn fuzzbox, it's not a tube-amp simulator, and it's not the slightest bit like anything else you've ever seen / heard. Think of the TX-1 Agonizer as a magical 1965-era industrial-music sonic reducer. It screws everything down to a nice, crunchy sonic pureè with aluminum shavings and broken glass mixed in. Yum. Please understand, it's not a nice, sweet, well-behaved pussy-pussy “vintage tone” effect. You simply can't get a simulation of a Fender Super Reverb out of this horrible yellow box. Trust us. If you're another one of those little obedient, cowardly, sniveling "tone lovers", the TX-1 is not for you to snivel over, so don't buy one. And if you worship METALLICA, perhaps you should buy some nice pink fairy wings instead of a TX-1.

After hearing the samples they've provided, I can honestly say the above description is accurate. Unfortunately, the $499 retail price is a bit steep for my wallet.