Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Nude People Got.... Some Reason...

Yes, the nudes have rights... but short people?..... fuck those guys.

Wis. court: Nude people still have privacy rights:

"A state appeals court ruled Tuesday that a person who is voluntarily nude in the presence of another still has privacy rights against being secretly videotaped, in a decision that bolsters Wisconsin's video voyeur law."
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I'll bet you a bazillion dollars that the Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt coast will never, ever see a platform raised.

Imagine 100,000 personal watercraft off of these coastlines raising unheard of holy hell. It will make Greenpeace look like a flotilla of intertubes.

NorCal folks know how to stop some shit from going down... and they will most definitely prevent this from ever happening.

Bush is cute when he thinks the state of California will take any of his last minute bullshit.

Fuck that guy.

Drillers eye oil reserves off California coast:

"The federal government is taking steps that may open California's fabled coast to oil drilling in as few as three years, an action that could place dozens of platforms off the Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt coasts, and raises the specter of spills, air pollution and increased ship traffic into San Francisco Bay."
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Speaking of 'Fuck that guy'....

Should of been a Top 2000 list.



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Blogged about this previous. I love this guy and I hope he expands it across the U.S. or people take up similar causes virally.

Ex-cop debuts first 'KopBusters' trailer

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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Naughty BBQ Smiles

Andy, the eating machine, takes on Memphis BBQ.

Inhuman Eating Machine: IEM Session #6- Something Ain't Kosher Here- Special Memphis BBQ Sandwich Edition

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Didn't stick it in deep enough.

Two thousand and strange: offbeat stories of the year:

" Russians have long used drink to take the edge off workplace stress: one man's senses were so dulled he failed to notice a knife stuck in his back by a colleague."
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Amen.

Time to Reboot America - NYTimes.com:

"My fellow Americans, we can’t continue in this mode of “Dumb as we wanna be.” We’ve indulged ourselves for too long with tax cuts that we can’t afford, bailouts of auto companies that have become giant wealth-destruction machines, energy prices that do not encourage investment in 21st-century renewable power systems or efficient cars, public schools with no national standards to prevent illiterates from graduating and immigration policies that have our colleges educating the world’s best scientists and engineers and then, when these foreigners graduate, instead of stapling green cards to their diplomas, we order them to go home and start companies to compete against ours."
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Shocking.

Attempting to stop teenagers from having sex is like trying to stop a dog that is predisposed to eat cat shit.

Impossible.

Many Teens Don't Keep Virginity Pledges:

"MONDAY, Dec. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Teens who take virginity pledges are just as likely to have sex as teens who don't make such promises -- and they're less likely to practice safe sex to prevent disease or pregnancy, a new study finds."
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Sometimes it's just a fart, though.

Smiles Are Innate, Not Learned:

"From sneers to full-blown smiles, our facial expressions are hardwired into our genes, suggests a new study.

The researchers compared the facial expressions from more than 4,800 photographs of sighted and blind judo athletes at the 2004 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games."
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Monday, December 29, 2008

Ass-teroid Whuppin

Check out this animation of an asteroid hitting Earth... all set to the sounds of Pink Floyd.

Beautiful, yet quite destructive:



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In keeping with the science/space theme and highlighting how important it is that Obama is placing a lot of emphasis on science:

Scientists plan to ignite tiny man-made star - Telegraph:

"While it has seemed an impossible goal for nearly 100 years, scientists now believe that they are on brink of cracking one of the biggest problems in physics by harnessing the power of nuclear fusion, the reaction that burns at the heart of the sun.

In the spring, a team will begin attempts to ignite a tiny man-made star inside a laboratory and trigger a thermonuclear reaction."
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YouTube's Best Of 2008: Top Ten (VIDEO)

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I've been enjoying a self imposed political hiatus for AAW during the the holidays.

However, this article drives me nuts.

The corporate media gives us a gander and what the next 4 years will be about for them. Not issues, god forbid, but, rather, stories about getting their wittle feelings hurt.

So, Obama ditches the press pool in Hawaii to take his daughters to a water park. You know, family values and all.

Then, the press gets all pissy and decides to pen articles on how Obama is 'bristling' under the media spot-light.

That people get paid to publish this tripe makes me insane in the membrane.

Wonder where such outrage as been for the past 8 years.

Your worthless corporate media.

Via the Drudgico:

Obama bristles as the bubble closes in - Carol E. Lee - Politico.com:

"HONOLULU – The media glare, the constant security appendage and the sheer production that has become a morning jog or a hankering for an ice cream cone – it’s been closing in on Barack Obama for some time.

Now the president-elect appears increasingly conscious of the confines of his new position, bristling at the routine demands of press coverage and beginning to chafe at boundaries that are only going to get smaller.

Obama even took the unusual step Friday morning of leaving behind the pool of reporters assigned to follow him, taking his daughters to a nearby water park without them. It was a breach of longstanding protocol between presidents (or presidents-elect) and the media, that a gaggle of reporters representing television, print and wire services is with his motorcade at all times."
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Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry What-ever-you-Celebrate



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And you been......



Wham-rolled. Probably the gayest Xmas song ever.

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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Happy Festivus

Phoning it in the next couple of days.

Enjoy your holidaze.



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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Harlem of the West

Heh.

Hawaii Chevrolet dealer crushes auto competition:
"HILO, Hawaii – A Hilo Chevrolet dealer who tried to crush his Asian auto competition found the stunt a little harder to pull off than expected.

Island Chevrolet general sales manager James Severtson arranged for a Chevrolet Suburban SUV outfitted with massive tires costing $5,000 apiece to drive over a Honda Accord.

On the first attempt Friday, the monster truck blew a hydraulic hose and leaked vital fluid while the Honda remained intact and ready for more."
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See, the Da Vinci Code was right!

Three near-invisible drawings discovered on back of Da Vinci masterpiece - Times Online

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'Harlem of the West' jazz photos on Fillmore:

"While other 4-year-olds were off in slumber land, Peter Fitzsimmons was soaking up the music at Jimbo's Bop City, the fabled Fillmore District nightspot where John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald or Charlie Parker might stroll in and join the after-hours jam session."
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PC vs. MAC.... for real!



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Monday, December 22, 2008

Picture Pages

I watched the interview on ABC.com before I saw the article in the Buttholeville Daily.

Note to self: Swim out of an avalanche.

Florence native survives deluge in Colorado | TimesDaily.com| Florence, AL:

"After about a half-hour of skiing, they were ready for another run. They waited for another pair to finish their run, then Jones made his jump onto the slopes.

What would happen immediately after that nearly cost him his life, and ultimately landed him on television Wednesday morning for a live interview on ABC's 'Good Morning, America.'

'I jumped and made one turn to the left, and the slope just started sliding,' Jones said.

Immediately, the 1993 Coffee High School graduate had the terrifying realization that he was in the midst of an avalanche.

'I started screaming like a baby,' he said during an interview Wednesday with the TimesDaily."
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The first picture listed is incredible.

The year 2008 in photographs (part 1 of 3) - The Big Picture - Boston.com

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Heh.

Gifts for the Blessed / 11 skewed ideas to make your holiday a bit more fun, strange, blasphemous:
"3) Gasoline storage tank
Genius! Fill your backyard reservoir with cheap gas right now, then chortle gleefully when 2010 comes and your friends are all paying 10 bucks a gallon to fill up their wimpy Prii, and suddenly there's you, roaring out to the Home Depot parking lot and burning donuts in your '96 Camaro filled with $1.19 unleaded. Dude! Foresight!

Don't forget to loiter around your tank as frequently as possible in your spare time, smoking a lot and flinging lit matches at the nozzle. You're indestructible!"
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Take my mind.

Spirits: Newfangled American whiskeys go beyond rye, bourbon:

"With his plaid shirt, cowboy hat and neatly trimmed mustache, Jess Graber is as quintessentially Western as sagebrush and the Marlboro Man. So when Graber decided to enter the whiskey business several years ago, he realized that making an eastern whiskey such as bourbon or rye just didn't feel right."
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Friday, December 19, 2008

DBT Week in Review - 12/19/08

DBT!

You best get in the game if you want to write DBT's set list in January:

Nuci's Space - Resource Center and Climate Controlled Practice Spaces for Musicians

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Bow-wow-wow yippee yo yippee yay.

Great Uncut article on DBT and THS (PDF file). Awesome pics too.

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Americana Music Association | 2008 Top 100:

"Hayes Carll Trouble In Mind Lost Highway 11,893
James McMurtry Just Us Kids Lightning Rod 11,758
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand Rounder 10,851
Steve Earle Washington Square Serenade New West 9,829
Tift Merritt Another Country Fantasy 9,243
Ryan Bingham Mescalito Lost Highway 9,112
John Hiatt Same Old Man New West 8,883
Band Of Heathens Band of Heathens BOH 8,634
Levon Helm Dirt Farmer Vanguard 8,479
Alejandro Escovedo Real Animal Back Porch 8,111
Paul Thorn A Long Way From Tupelo Perpetual Obscurity 7,956
Reckless Kelly Bulletproof Yep Roc 7,312
Drive-By Truckers Brighter Than Creations's Dark New West 6,843"
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A Whole Lotta Fun: The End is Near - My Bests of 2008:

"Albums
1. Drive-by Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
2. Band of Heathens - The Band of Heathens
3. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
4. Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind
5. Justin Townes Earle - The Good Life

Concerts
1. MMJ/Black Keys - Red Rocks
2. Drive-by Truckers - Mishawaka
3. Ryan Bingham - Walnut Room
4. Widespread Panic - Red Rocks(Friday)
5. The Felice Brothers - Ogden"
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Ramblings on Music, Texas, Etc.: Best Albums of 2008: #6 Drive-By Truckers - 'Brighter Than Creation's Dark':

"Once again, Drive-By Truckers made inclusion in the annual list inevitable. How else to measure a new DBT album than by the number of cuts that are destined to be noted as 'classics' in the future? If so, there's a good half-dozen or more on the sprawling 19-track monster that is Brighter Than Creation's Dark."
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Daytrotter: Hold Steady/Drive By Truckers: Demand And Crave Liquor And A Crowd:

"Will rock and roll be in our history books?

You couldn’t escape the question tonight in Los Angeles, the final stop of the Drive-By Truckers/Hold Steady dual-headline tour entitled, righteously, “Rock and Roll Means Well.”"
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Great cum of Year in List from Ed over on the DBT Yahoo Board. Ed also has one of the best sig lines of the year.

dbts : Message: Lists of Year end Lists:

"I'm sure I'm not the only one that loves lists of the best books, music, movies and what have you at the end of each year. There is a site I have visited every year for the last few years that compiles lists from all over the internets. It's a fun resource.

http://www.fimoculous.com/year-review-2008.cfm

Ed, always here to help

http://zzazazz.blogspot.com

Evel Knievel hurt himself for you."
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Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

2009 Tour To Support New Album Announced - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit MySpace Blog

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Muscle Shoals Sound

Swampers reflect on 'Sweet Home' shout-out | TimesDaily.com | Florence, AL:

"While Shoals music fans may be aware of the Swampers' accomplishments, how they came to be mentioned in one of the most popular rock songs ever might not be."
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Recording studio moving to downtown Sheffield | TimesDaily.com | Florence, AL:

"Jimmy Nutt is bullish on Sheffield.

The recording engineer who has worked with the likes of Jimmy Buffett and The Drive-By Truckers is doing what the city's redevelopment authority would like to see more of: He's investing in downtown Sheffield."
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Music

David Wild: Camp Freddy: The Future of Rock & Roll?

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Photo 1 | Stephen King's Top 10 Albums of 2008 | Photos | EW.com:

"That famous philosopher (and banjo picker) Steve Martin once said, ''Talking about music is like dancing about architecture."
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Was it worth it dude? Really?!?

Whatever sentence they give you, Axl Rose should get triple for birthing that POS to the world.

Let us never speak of Chinese Democracy again.

Blogger pleads guilty to G N' R leak:

"A man accused of leaking nine unreleased tracks from the Guns N' Roses album 'Chinese Democracy' has pleaded guilty to a federal copyright violation."
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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Shot of the Mug

The rarest event in American Pop Culture:



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These are very cool.

Obama: The College Years - Photo Essays - TIME

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If anyone is wondering what to get me for xmas.....

Want a retired space shuttle? They're up for grabs

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Dammit. I missed out again this year.

2008 Mug Shots Of The Year - December 17, 2008

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Shot Caller

As a baller myself, I dig this much.

The Cabinet's got game: Obama's other dream team:

"WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama had just one disclaimer when he announced former pro-basketball player Arne Duncan as his education secretary: 'I did not select Arne because he's one of the best basketball players I know.'

Still, he conceded, 'I will say that I think we are putting together the best basketball-playing Cabinet in American history.'"
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This will be an interesting precedent.

Court allows lawsuits over 'light' cigarettes:

"WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Monday handed a surprising defeat to tobacco companies counting on it to put an end to lawsuits alleging deceptive marketing of 'light' cigarettes.

In a 5-4 split won by the court's liberals, it ruled that smokers may use state consumer protection laws to sue cigarette makers for the way they promote 'light' and 'low tar' brands."
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Still support the death penalty?

The Associated Press: Charges dropped against man imprisoned 27 years:

"VIERA, Fla. (AP) — Charges have been dropped against a man who spent nearly three decades behind bars before DNA evidence cast doubt on his murder conviction, prosecutors in Florida said Wednesday.

William Dillon, 49, has been free on bond since last month, after a judge ordered a new trial because of testing that showed his DNA wasn't on key evidence from his 1981 conviction.

Prosecutors subsequently concluded that a jury wouldn't find Dillon guilty 'beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt,' Brevard County State Attorney Norman Wolfinger said Wednesday."
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In scientific news....

Strange dark energy acts as galactic diet enforcer:

"WASHINGTON – Mysterious dark energy, which likely causes the universe to keep expanding, seems to have another effect: It prevents the biggest clusters of galaxies from getting too fat. Astronomers used X-rays to study the formation of galactic clusters billions of years ago. Their research supports the hard-to-fathom concept of dark energy as a potent force that governs the growth of the universe."
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Scientist says he has found oldest spider web:

"The tiny tangled threads of the world's oldest spider web have been found encased in a prehistoric piece of amber, a British scientist said Monday. Oxford University paleobiologist Martin Brasier said the 140-million-year-old webbing provides evidence that arachnids had been ensnaring their prey in silky nets since the dinosaur age. He also said the strands were linked to each other in the roughly circular pattern familiar to gardeners the world over."
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Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Break-Out

I've been purposely avoiding politics as a little break for myself until the beginning of the new year.

But I read this and I couldn't agree more.

I wouldn't mind one bit if Reid lost his reelection bid in 2010.

FiveThirtyEight.com: Politics Done Right: On Making Mitch McConnell Wet His Pants:

"I don't imagine the culture of the Senate changing in the new Congress so long as it's under Reid's direction, and Reid is highly unlikely to be replaced. There is some chance, however, that Obama rather than Reid will dictate the tone, particularly if Joe Biden is dispatched to Capitol Hill fairly often."
......
The bottom line, however, is that the Republicans are filibustering more and more often because they can get away with it. If Reid can't get them to pay a greater public price, then the Democrats ought to find somebody else who can.
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Good read.

Fear and loving - the last years of Hunter S. Thompson - Times Online:

"“Most people don't associate Hunter with Candle in the Wind,” agrees 36-year-old Anita Thompson today, reflecting on a relationship that ended in February 2005, when her famously eccentric husband sat in the Owl Farm kitchen and shot himself in the head. “But we both worked hard to create this conducive atmosphere, and get him in the mood to write. He was very productive when I knew him. I used to say to him, ‘You should be writing!' And he'd say, ‘You are right!' Then he'd pull out his typewriter and get to work.”"
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Oh, man, was I ever an Atari kid. I was a member of the Atari Club. I had posters and t-shirts and I remember calling everybody I knew the first time I cleared all of the blocks in Break-out for the first time.

Good times.

Atari blasts back from the past with new game plan:

"LONDON (Reuters Life!) – For many gamers Atari is a blast from the past or just a logo on retro T-shirts but the company that dates back 36 years is looking to reclaim a stake of the video game landscape."
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Real Santas.

Secret Santas in 3 states spread cheer, $100 bills :

"ST. LOUIS – At a suburban Goodwill store on Friday, Theresa Settles selected a large, black comforter to warm her family until she can raise the money to turn the gas heat back on. A petite woman approached, her face obscured by dark sunglasses and a wrapped winter scarf, and handed Settles two $100 bills stamped with the words 'secret Santa.' 'The only condition,' she said, 'is that you do something nice for someone. Pass it on.'

'I will,' Settles said, the only words she could get out of her mouth.

The secret Santa was a protege of Kansas City's undercover gift giver, Larry Stewart, who died of cancer nearly two years ago. Stewart roamed city streets each December doling out $100 bills to anyone who looked like they might need a lift."
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Monday, December 15, 2008

Duck, Duck... Duck!

Be sure to update all of your virus software and spyware programs cause a nasty one is making the rounds. I'm so anal about that shit, yet, via a visit to MySpace, I got infected worse than a crack whore.

So, posts this week will be down and dirty this week til I can get old Betsy back up to speed.

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Hilarious. Must see video.

The man does have some quick reflexes because the tosses were right on target.

In final Iraq visit, Bush ducks a pair of shoes

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Gets even better. Incompetent til the end and beyond.

'Illuminati' cybersquatters make killing over Bush library:

"Damn those Internets.

President Bush's presidential library lost their domains to cybersquatters and the company charged with developing the website was forced to pay $35,000 to get it back.

The squatters, a North Carolina company called Illuminati Karate, leveraged the domain that the presidential library let expire into a sweet five-figure sum after an embarrassing report in a Dallas newspaper that they'd lost the domain."
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Michael Ware is a badass. An effed up badass, now, but still.....

Fascinating read.

CNN’s Prisoner of War�|�Men’s Journal:

"He had been hunted, kidnapped, and told he was filming his own execution. But CNN correspondent Michael Ware had no plans to leave Iraq. Now, it won’t leave him."
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I've done many, many stage performances with fake knives and blunted sword fights. Can't figure out why dude didn't check the blade first. It had to feel different from the prop blade.

Actor slits his own throat as knife switch turns fiction into reality | Stage | The Guardian:

"An actor slit his throat on stage when the prop knife for his suicide scene turned out to be a real one."
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Cool.

Meet the world’s only immortal animal | ZME Science

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Friday, December 12, 2008

DBT Week in Review - 12/12/08

DBT! DBT! DBT!
Drive-by Truckers' MySpace

Adam’s House Cat songs & Mrs. Clauses’ Kimono - Drive-By Truckers MySpace Blog:

"Y'ALL:

As a special Holiday treat, we are putting up a couple of old ADAM'S HOUSE CAT songs up for your enjoyment......"
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Vote for DBT!

Log-in required

NPR: The Year's Best CDs

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MySpace.com - The EZB Appreciation Society - 46 - Male - Athens, Georgia - www.myspace.com/ezblove

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DBT. Keeping our economy afloat.

Strong Quarter For Brown-Forman:

"Jack Daniels Maker Doing Awesome In This Economy
It's not just a joke: People are really turning to drink in this economy. Brown Forman (BF) the maker of Jack Daniels and Finlandia Vodka reported an awesome quarter"

Check out the beautiful cover artwork created by 400 Unit member Browan Lollar for Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit's upcoming, self titled release.

I want many a poster of this.

Beautiful cover art for a beautiful record.




Great news!! I will be playing at a fundraiser for the Southern Girls Rock and
Roll Camp next Friday, Dec 12 in Nashville at the 5 Spot!! And even better news,
I will be on the same bill as THose Darlins and Deer Tick!! Two bands that I
love to see and hear!

I will once again be playing with my hard rocking all-star band, Russell Caudill
on drums and Tommy MacDonald on bass. Three pieces ready to rawk!!

Come on out, make a donation to a great cause and hear some awesome music!!

Contagiously,

Audra

www.myspace.com/audrabrown
www.audrabrown.com

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Music

Tough crowds.

Karaoke Killing - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com:

"A 23-year-old Malaysian man was killed on Thursday night after reportedly enraging other customers who felt that he “hogged the microphone” at what Malaysia’s Star Online described as “a coffeeshop-cum-karaoke outlet” in the town of Sandakan, on the island of Borneo.

Karaoke rage is not unheard of in Asia. There have been several reported cases of singers being assaulted, shot or stabbed mid-performance, usually over how songs are sung.

Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” has reportedly generated so many outbursts of hostility that some bars in the Philippines now do not offer it on the karaoke menu anymore. In Thailand this year, a gunman shot eight people dead after tiring of their endless renditions of a John Denver tune."
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Movie review: 'Cadillac Records':

"Cadillac Records' didn't have to be nearly as good as it is. The story of the record label that introduced the world to Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and others could have leaned entirely on its music, and nobody would have minded. Instead, somebody bothered to make a real movie, and the result is a satisfying combination of great songs and strong dramatic performances."


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Grammy nominations a snooze:

"So-called illegal downloads may no longer be the gravest danger faced by the imperiled recording industry: Just plain bad music may be what ultimately does the business in, and if you're looking for evidence, just scan the list of Grammy nominees announced Wednesday night in a prime-time TV special that was anything but.
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And I. Love. U2



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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Stand by Me

This is a great concept.

Playing for Change: Peace Through Music



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Loves me some Morford.

Hello, Poetic Justice / O.J. goes to prison, CEOs beg and mope, Hummers as STDs. Where are we?:

"How easily the world flips over. How stunningly everything can shift and mutate. How do you like your spectacle? How do you like your poetic justice? Full of irony and winking mischief? Or straight up, with a bittersweet chaser? Right now, we've got it all."
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Daily Kos: Traditional marriage, Bible-style

A. Marriage in the United States shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women. (Gen 29:17-28; II Sam 3:2-5)

B. Marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives. (II Sam 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21)

C. A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed. (Deut 22:13-21)

D. Marriage of a believer and a non-believer shall be forbidden. (Gen 24:3; Num 25:1-9; Ezra 9:12; Neh 10:30)

E. Since marriage is for life, neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any State, nor any state or federal law, shall be construed to permit divorce. (Deut 22:19; Mark 10:9)

F. If a married man dies without children, his brother shall marry the widow. If he refuses to marry his brother's widow or deliberately does not give her children, he shall pay a fine of one shoe and be otherwise punished in a manner to be determined by law. (Gen 38:6-10; Deut 25:5-10)

G. In lieu of marriage, if there are no acceptable men in your town, it is required that you get your dad drunk and have sex with him (even if he had previously offered you up as a sex toy to men young and old), tag-teaming with any sisters you may have. Of course, this rule applies only if you are female. (Gen 19:31-36)

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This was a cool find in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Ex-Cal kicker blogs from Alabama:

That is, it's cool. " 'Bama doesn't believe in the L sound, at least not at the end of a word."

Such are the musings of former Cal placekicker Tom Schneider on his wry blog Bama Tom, on which he described his recently concluded football season at the University of North Alabama.

On the team's trip to Carrollton, Ga., he decided that "Florida is maliciously hogging 'Bama's coast line. ... It got me a little fired up, so I ranted to some people on the bus and got them angry too."

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Preferably, deez:

Scientists find nutty risk reducer: Eat more nuts

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Eye Spy a Godfather

I'm looking to partner with Jones, a true American entrepreneur.



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Eye-yeye-yeye.

Eye Spy: Filmmaker Plans to Install Camera in His Eye Socket:

"Rob Spence looks you straight in the eye when he talks. So it's a little unnerving to imagine that soon one of his hazel-green eyes will have a tiny wireless video camera in it that records your every move."
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Great read on Puzo.

How they shot The Godfather

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Many ways to have a perfect San Francisco day.

More versions of a perfect day in San Francisco:

"Nobody who loves San Francisco defines the city the same way. But all are likely to agree on this: Enjoying the moment is more important than seeing the well-known sights.

That's what comes through in readers' responses to last Sunday's article in which The Chronicle retraced the 1961 steps of guidebook writer Jack Shelton and his 'One Perfect Day in San Francisco.'"
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Hurry up and develop these drugs. I'm in need, indeed.

Experts urge wider use of brain-boosting drugs:

"Brain research is accelerating, and a new era of 'cognitive enhancement' - the use of brain-stimulating drugs and devices by healthy people - is approaching, the authors said.

While thorny ethical and medical questions must be addressed, pharmaceutical enhancement of inborn mental gifts is a trend to be welcomed, the seven co-authors from Harvard, Stanford and other prestigious institutions said."
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Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Real Mavericks

I loves me some San Francisco. We thumbed our nose at alcohol prohibition and we're still thumbing it at modern prohibition.

S.F. toasts the repeal of Prohibition again:

"Today is the 75th anniversary of the end of America's 'noble experiment' - the prohibition of intoxicating liquor.

San Francisco celebrated the day 75 years ago by raising a glass or two, and the city will do it again today.

At exactly 2:31 p.m. on this day in 1933, word reached San Francisco that the 21st Amendment abolishing Prohibition had been ratified. The siren on the Ferry Building sounded, and a parade of 14 trucks loaded with legal liquor headed up Market Street to City Hall to present Mayor Angelo Rossi with California wine and a case of gin."
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I've driven by, but never walked out to where you can see the location. Apparently it was perfect this year.

A couple of cool pics with this article.

These people have very large nads.

Maverick's makes magic:

"Some surfers called it the best Maverick's they'd ever seen. Some found their exuberance mixed with near-death experiences. Everyone agreed that whatever fate meets the annual Maverick's contest - an event facing a serious financial crisis - there couldn't be a better show than last weekend's at the famed spot near Half Moon Bay."
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The Tenderloin neighborhood in SF is.... well, colorful, to say the least.

This dude has hung a couple of streaming web cams from his window to catch all of the insanity. Late night/early morning viewing is the best time.

Adam's Block

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Kinky.

Man Says Wife Was Accidentally Shot During Sex :

"SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- A Tri-State woman is in critical condition Wednesday after police say her husband shot her while they were having sex."
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Hilarious... and true.

Want to help the economy? Then let teh gays marry. They should have the opportunity and right to be as miserable as everybody else.



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Monday, December 08, 2008

Rock and Roll Means Well - Fillmore - San Francisco - 11/24/08

Below are pics from Night 2 of the Rock and Roll Means Well Fillmore shows. Click 'em for the larger versions and the full effect.

Here's the review and pics from night one.

The crowd was a bit subdued on night 2. Must of been worn out from the rock the night before. Didn't bother me none because I only had one person in front of me at the front of the stage. This was the closes I've been to the band performing in many a year.

Kicked off with Heathens which was perfect.

Enjoy. I sure did.































I saw Cooley head in front of the montiors to rip some guitar. Somehow, with beer in hand, I put camera to eye and snapped some of the best Cooley pictures I've ever taken and I knew it even before I checked what I'd captured on the card.

Here's two of 'em and one more at the bottom of the page.



















Shonna asking Patterson if he wanted a nip from the bottle.....



Patterson decides to rock out first.....



Shonna rocks with...











I can't decide if the Cooley picture or this pic is the best I've ever captured. I really dig this one.



Hood and Freed.









Cooley.....



.... has...



.... left...



... the Fillmore...





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Friday, December 05, 2008

Rock and Roll Means Well - Fillmore - San Francisco - 11/23/08

Is there greater joy in the world than watching Shonna Tucker play bass?

Viewing Neff's stoic mastery of the pedal steel and shockingly good guitar solos?

Jay Gonzalez's spirit world keys?

The funky precision of EZB?

The showmanship of Patterson who in an earlier age would of made a killing as a ring leader/owner of a traveling circus? Greatest show on earth?!? Ringling ain't got shit on Patterson Hood. (I recently finished a book on circuses in the depression era '30s thus the analogy)

The rock jeebus Mike Cooley whose two performances in SF transcended anything I've witnessed from him previously by a country mile. And all past performances have been GREAT!

"Rock and Roll means well but it can't help telling young boys lies."

If that be the case, then lie to me baby. Lie to me, lie about me, and most importantly lie on top of me.

But that's a lie itself.

Rock and Roll does mean well and I'm here to prove it.

My lot in the DBT family has changed since I first saw the band in 2002 at the Fillmore opening for Gov't Mule (oddly enough, Mule played the two nights before DBT and THS). The 2nd time of 19 DBT has played in San Francisco. (Third song of the set... Sinkhole.. change me forever followed by a song about a highway that I'd driven a million times). Six years ago there was no lot.

Six years later my life has literally changed for the greater. I'm so grateful for that change and eternally grateful to those who allowed and fostered that change.

Witness, the name of the blog and all of the good friends I've made for life through the DBT extended family.

As a lad I discovered the author Richard Bach.

In J.L. Seagull he writes:

“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.”

As a non-religious man I still feel 'blessed' that this statement applies to my feelings towards the Drive-by Truckers.

With that said, I feel much less inclined these days to write as definitively as I have in the past of my experiences at The Rock Show.

It is something I hold dear... and I'm selfish in a way... and some things you just want to keep for yourself.

So not as much weaving, though that does remind me that I got my hair done that Sunday by the hottest hair cuttin' chick in San Francisco, Sofia. Loves me some Sofia Palumbo.

With all that sap said, here's some quick hits of my experience of Night 1 of the Rock Show at the Fillmore on November 23rd, 2008:

A pre-show dinner at Thai Stick 2001 where a table full of fans were also getting their grub on.

Thai Stick On Fillmore - Pacific Heights - San Francisco, CA - Yelp:

I had the pleasure of meeting one of DBT's managers, Christine. Great to meet you, C. and hope to see you at a show in the future.

First time viewing the Opening Act The Hold Steady. A band who paints pictures in my head as vivid as the Truckers do. After incessantly listening to Separation Sunday and Boys and Girls the 2 months before the show, it was wonderful to see this incredible act live on stage. They definitely 'take a deep breath and give it everything they got'.

I had the honor and privilege of watching DBT's set with Randy Tucker, Shonna's brother, who made his first trip to the Fillmore to watch sis tear it up on stage. Twas very cool watching the show at the Fillmore with a fellow North Alabamian. It is still surreal for DBT to sing songs about the people and places I grew up with 2,500 miles from the original locale while 1500 hundred people singing along. I was glad to of shared that with Randy. Had a great time hanging with him.

Show highlights:

I'm Your Puppet with Kelly Hogan. I don't know if Patterson and Kelly have done this one together before but it looked and sounded like they've sang this duet for decades.

Angels and Fuselage. I'm seen this before at The Dirt Underneath shows, but the Rock Show treatment of this song is utterly amazing.

Steve McQueen. A San Francisco must.

Goode's Field Road. As funky as they wanna be. Great version.

Home Field Advantage. Shonna. What else can be said.

The entire encore with the Hold Steady. Damn, did that mass of rock and roll humanity light that joint on fire.

I know I probably written this a thousand times before, but I really, really mean it this time. This was the best I've ever seen the Truckers. How they keep getting better and better is a question I never want answered. Jay Gonzalez runs full speed with the band now. His keys and Neff's pedal together.... simply 'gotdamn'. Shonna and EZB... best rhythm section in existence... though THS's is pretty damn good too. Patterson and Cooley.... any other band in the land would kill to have just one of these guys fronting. DBT has both. And embarrassment of riches.

Not to mention the best crew in the land led by the best sound/road manager, Matador.

I predict 2009 will be the greatest Trucker year yet. By god, there's a little gold paper plated weight waiting for them in aught '10. Not that that would validate DBT by any stretch. Its just inevitable that the faux taste makers will have to eventually bow to this band. And bow deep. Shit, they probably need to bend over too for all the tripe they sling our way. (Warning: I've caught wind that 'Creed' may be reforming. Be prepared.... to Cheney somebody in the face if this occurs.)

Here's the setlist for both nights:

dbts : Message: Dbts setlist / San Francisco - 11/23

NineBullets.org - Message Board • View topic - Fillmore 11/24

And here are pics from Night One. Night 2 coming early next week and an additional post shouting out to all of the fans at the shows.

Oh boy, did we ever have....
...some massive nights
every song was right
all that wine is tight
yea your friends are pretty cool and my friends were acting cool

I worked like hell to get this shot. It was the best of the lot.



Hey, you try taking pictures while holding a beer. AND, the camera is battle tested, baby. There's so much shit from previous shows embedded into the lens that no amount of lick and wipe will cleanse.





Amen.





Kinda proud of this one.



Raftered.



BBQ'd Blue Oyster Cult... with hush puppies.




Next up: A little band I like to call Drive-by Truckers











No, I'm your puppet.





Shonna should always be greated with a bow and a kneel.







Tradin' Spaces.





Awesome.













Encore with The Hold Steady













Bromance Tour 2008*
*ManLove already taken





No, seriously, thank you. All y'all.




Here's a few links of what other wrote about the show:

Drive-By Truckers/Hold Steady | 11.23 | SF on JamBase:

"It's fitting because you can really feel DBT in the marrow of you. They're a rhythm 'n' blues spinal tap that can leave you stirred up."
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... and I feel fine.: One down, One to go

... and I feel fine.: ...trying to hold steady on the righteous path

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Front row YouTube of Let There Be Rock.

YouTube - The Hold Steady and Drive By Truckers encore at Fillmore 11.23.2008

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