I just realized....the new background here is a truly beautiful shade of black.........

Dear lord......my mother's yelling at the top of her lungs in the other room. HELP!

Linus — 1993 - 2008

Rest in peace, big boy.........

Who thinks....

....I should get rid of the background on this blog?

(edit: You know what....I'm just going to go ahead and do it.)

Adams' Theory, No. 49

Far out. Been up for some twenty-eight hours now. I have a theory that the more tired I am, the trippier my writing is. Just a theory.

You ever sit at the front of an otherwise empty bus (except the driver....) and just gaze around the rest of the bus.....? After a short while, does it look like a toy model or something....? All those seats and support bars? Does it seem like something you could easily pick up with two fingers and a thumb and run back and forth on a track making RUUMMM—RUUUMMMM noises?

Finished the semester today. Yay! Nine down, TBD to go.......

Just a theory.

Someone suggested to me today that Vitamin D may be helpful in regulating circadian rhythms. Hmm....eh....it's worth a shot, I suppose. I doubt I'll be able to afford a two-hundred dollar light box. I wonder if that prescription has an expiration date......

Zappa for the holidays.....Zappa for the holidays......

All this buzz about the Obamas' new puppy......Why a puppy? Why not a kitten? Is someone allergic? It seems you only ever see cats in the media nowadays being made fun of in stupid Internet "viral" videos......

WHEN YOUR ECONOMY HAS COMPLETED ITS COLLAPSE, YOU'LL BE WASTING AWAY IN THE REMAINS OF THE STREETS, AND THE CATS WILL RULE THE WORLD! YOU WILL SUBMIT TO THEIR EVERY WHIM OR SUFFER AT THE PAWS OF THEIR NEW TECHNO-CLAWS, WHICH THEY GOT TO REPLACE THE CLAWS THAT WERE SO BRUTALLY TAKEN FROM THEM SO LONG AGO..........

Just a theory.

Speaking of Claus, can anyone tell it's December? Christmas has been advertising since at least early August. ("Putting up that real Christmas tree can send you straight to the dugout." —some artificial tree company advertising during a Cubs game) I wonder how the future's historians will interpret our culture...... "They worshipped* a god called 'Santa Claus,' and they believed that they would achieve eternal salvation if they regularly sacrificed small bits of paper to the high priests, which were also called 'corporations'........"

Yeah. Jesus would totally approve of this.

I think if I ever wrote a holiday-flavored song, I would call it "Visions of Sugar Plums." Or maybe replace "sugar plums" with some slang term for a drug that resembles "sugar plums." Yeah. It would be a meandering pseudo-prog-rock-type-thing with some psychedelic tendencies. And it would have anti-romantic lyrics that border on jarring. Just the thing. I get sick of traditional holiday music pretty darn quickly.

Just a theory.

The United States of America. Yes. Just the thing. As soon as I can dig out my turntable from underneath all these papers and who-knows-whats....what is this, a measuring tape?....good grief...., I'm going to play this record. It's been far too long since I've heard it.

I've been taking a class on modernist poetry. Now I'm having nightmares where my words are all utterly obscure references. Thank Zarquon they're only nightmares........

Just a theory.

Far out. Been up for some twenty-nine hours now. I have a theory that the more tired I am, the more random and meandering any blog posts I make are likely to be.

Hope I did well on that final. It was a take-home......

Back on the other side of dinner and/or a good nocturnal anomaly's sleep........

Zappa for the holidays.....Zappa for the holidays......



Just a theory.


*I prefer to spell it that way. So there.

I'm Still Here

Any tech folks reading this?

In spite of the lack of comments on this thing for the most part, I'll try asking this anyway. Hope someone can help me out here.

I used to be able to play the music on my home computer at work via Remote Desktop. For the last couple weeks, though, it's just been giving me "cannot open the audio device" errors. What happened? How do I get the music to play at work again? I haven't found any solutions that work online.

Cheers!

Cheshire Adams - Cat on a WIndowsill

Note: A few people have accused me of ripping off the M*A*S*H theme song with this one. I swear on the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide that I had never heard the M*A*S*H theme song before I first posted this thing.

Anyway, this is slightly acidic folk. (In other words, one voice and one guitar.) The recording equipment I have is somewhat primitive, but, as at least one person on iP has commented, it's just like listening to a transistor radio in the old days!




Download


Born into darkness
Raised in the darkness too
Exposed to nothing
The darkness was all I knew
I know there's light out there
If I could just break through

There's more to life than this
I know

There must be more to life than this
I know

They say if I find that light
It'll burn me to the core
Well I know I'll freeze to death
If I stick around here much more
It's a chance I'll have to take
This I know for sure

There's more to life than this
I know

There must be more to life than this
I know...............

Suggestions For Improvement Are Welcome

At the dawn,
I knew not in my stupor who or where I was.
I know not in my stupor who or where I am.
Could this be dusk?

Or perhaps a new dawn?

Baby Bears Endangered

I'll try not to bore you with too much sports talk, and try to restrict myself to just this one entry for now.

The Cubs are down one game to none and down by seven in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 2 with one out as I type this. I have to admit: I never really saw the Cubs going far in the postseason. Granted, they still have a chance to win three straight, but, frankly, it doesn't look good. In the last bit of the regular season, I saw a club with a weak bullpen and a greatly slowed-down offense. If you're not scoring runs and doing a poor job of limiting the opposition's scoring, you're not going to win many ballgames. I certainly don't enjoy seeing this happening (or hearing it; I prefer to listen to Pat & Ron on the radio), and I can't help but wonder what's going to happen to the team that so exceeded expectations during the season when they're done for the year.

I may spend a bit of time at the High-Flying Bird later. (This is an inside reference to people who might know who they are.)

Okay, I'm done talking Cubs for now. I think.

(original date posted unknown) A Disclaimer That I Thought Was a Good Idea

I would like to point something out to some of the "outsiders" (you know who you are) that I've directed to this blog. It's this:

While much of this blog is based in a typical "Okay, like, this is my life" manner, much of this blog is also based in a cyber-music-revolution, wherein cool, thinking people realize what's going on with the record industries and stand up to them like the proper, upright citizens they are. Any music that you may find on or through this blog is posted with the intent of (a) expressing myself when I'm too lazy or pressed for time to make an original recording, and (b) turning people on to obscure but far-out artists. In particular reference to the latter, it is quite recommended that if you dig things you hear here, you should seek out the real thing and support the artists. Please. Hopefully there is a good way to do this.

Oh, and one other disclaimer: Lucy (the cat), to my knowledge, does not have chronic or recurring headaches. She's perfectly fine, although she does require the occasional combing...otherwise she sort of mutates into the mythical Greek beast Hiddeus who's half cat and half your great-aunt's living room rug. According to Greek legend, Hiddeus spent most of her life in a secret (or "hidden," hence the origin of that word) cave in Mount Olympus and only surfaced when the scent of Greek tuna salad reached her. It is speculated that Odysseus found this cave one day, long after the Trojan war. He had gotten bored one day and decided to spend some time on Mount Olympus. He was never heard from again. Centuries later, archaeologists came across a cave in Mount Olympus with a mysterious skeleton inside, at almost the exact same time as which a British woman named Geraldine Rumsbury reported that her brown "Welcome" mat with the flower design had somehow been replaced with a rather unsightly grey shag and would whoever did this please give her her brown mat back (no one has yet responded to this request).

Anyway, enjoy the blog.

Peace.............

Don't dogs get sore throats from all that #^@!#$ barking?

On (American) Football

I know most of my fellow Americans would probably lynch me over this one, but here goes anyway: I am not a football fan. (That's American football, for you folks outside the U.S.) Football to me is a most depressing symbol of the long, cold aftermath of summer, and of Apathetic, Corporate America settled into an iron (gridiron?) groove. I suppose if I enjoyed the sport more, I may not see it this way, but, as it is, symbolism aside, I find it rather less than pleasant to watch. Perhaps it's something to do with the sport's eerie parallel to a war's battle scene, as memorably pointed out by the late George Carlin. Or maybe there's just nobody in football who's "lovable" enough for me to care, the way the Cubs are lovable in the baseball world. I just....don't dig football.

I do hope the Cubs make it as far as possible in the postseason. Maybe it'll elate me enough to get through the chills of autumn and winter.

Was anybody else scared witless when they set off the fireworks after Obama's speech?

First day of classes for the semester. As soon as I stepped out the door, I could feel it—autumn. Though the equinox is still just under a month away, the musty aura of another semester already permeates the air and repels the hapless student.

Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I was out early in the (cooler) morning, at which time I'm never awake in the summer. Yeah, that might be it.

More Olympics Notes

Diving seems a combination of boring and wince-inducingly dangerous. How do they avoid hitting their heads on the platform? Scary.

I heard somewhere that, in the opening ceremony, they had a fairly pretty little girl "singing"....actually lip-synching to a recording of a different little girl....one that, well, isn't quite so pretty. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, I'd be a little worried about "experts'" predictions of the coming "era of the Chinese" as the next supreme world power after the States. Mind you, it's not like the world's in great shape under the States' highness......

Eh...I'm tired. I know because I'm getting confused by my own writings.

I might append more to this entry if more occurs to me.

I enjoy this annual list for some reason.

On the Olympics

I never really gave the Olympics much thought until this year. Traditionally, the Cubs aside, sports and me have been like Baghdad and a clown on a pogo stick....no relation whatsoever between the two (at least none of which I can think). I've been in a bit of a funk recently. I mentioned this to a relative (Hi there!), and he recommended that I watch some of the Olympics. I initially didn't think very much about this suggestion, but I came to think it worth a shot. Just in time for the opening ceremony.

Wow. The opening ceremony. I wish the beings of this universe luck at producing anything that comes at all close to the majesty of this.

So I watched some events. Of course, I suppose there's a certain gravitational pull about one guy setting a record for gold medals in a single Olympiad....but Michael Phelps aside, I came to realize that the Olympics are, in fact, rather enjoyable at times, and a nice change of pace from the usual, everyday crud, even if the announcers seem a bit dim at what I think are far too many times. A great performance is truly worth seeing.

I find it easier to stay tuned in if I feel I can "connect" with the competitors. Often this is not the case. This time around, though, there seemed to be some fairly likable characters, such as Usain "Lightning" Bolt and the delightfully smiley Shawn Johnson. (I saw that, in an interview with whatshisname Bob Costas, Johnson wore these peace symbol earrings. I don't wear earrings, but if I did, they just might look like those.) There may have been more than I can recall, but you know the U.S. media.....just shine the spotlight on a select few people. Of course, I suppose it's a bit difficult to look closely at every single athlete at Beijing. We'd hardly have time to see an actual event.

Oh, and there's also Bela Karolyi. Another likable character.

Anyway, I'll miss the Olympics along that long, rough road of the same ol' same ol'. Maybe the next Olympics will be worth something as well.....?

Cheers for the tip, my dear great-uncle. Now, what to do when the Cubs are done playing......hopefully that won't be for quite a while.....

I hope some of this is coherent. I was kind of doing a bunch of things when I typed this up, and I have no idea how it has turned out.

Something is dreadfully wrong with Bob Costas.

I prefer to just eat when I'm hungry, rather than eating any time it's "time to eat." Is that really such a crime?

Heard the first ad of the year to feature Christmas music today.

The tenth of August.

A Sign That the Country's Gone Downhill

"Cool" people used to be called cats. "Hey, man, that is one cool cat." Now cool people are called "Dawg." Another sign that the country's gone downhill since the old days.

Anyone else live in a non-French speaking place who feels that the French language is cropping up in our lives with increasing frequency?

"When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade."

The trouble with this piece of advice is that Life seems to be rather fond of lemonade, and so the more lemonade you make, the more Life will keep giving you lemons, secure in the knowledge that it will have its sweet ambrosia. You don't want more lemons. So, when Life gives me lemons, instead of making lemonade, what I like to do is this: I like to go downtown...and jump up and down in a chicken costume shouting "There's cheese in my ear!" This should very nicely discourage Life from handing me lemons, since I will have proven myself mentally incapable of being its slave and making its lemonade repeatedly. (Unless Life somehow manages to read this.) Just gotta know how to work the system.......

When Edward becomes excessively angry, he becomes incoherent. He's a not-clear over-reactor.

More on quiz questions

Sometimes questions will ask you "If you were to blah blah blah, you would _____." Is it really possible to get a question like this wrong? How would the graders know what you would do? There's something fishy here......

Happiness is a warm puppy.

Complete and utter euphoria, however, is a sweet kitten.

Open message to colleges

At the college level, the purpose of any quiz or exam is to test your knowledge of the course material. It is NOT to trick and confuse us with deceptively worded questions. Keep it clear and straightforward, and we will be on a much faster expressway to utopia. Testing our reading and comprehension skills is what grammar school and high school are for.

Real Headline, No. 1

12-year-old chef makes a great burger

(from the MSN front page)

I wonder if, just maybe....

...the story of Noah's Ark refers to an event that's yet to come.....

You know....with the threat of global warming melting the polar ice caps and inducing mass flooding around the world.....

After all, let's face it...the world's a mess right now. The cleaning thereof might very well require something cataclysmic as the "Great Flood." And, of course, we'll all be trying our hardest to survive the thing....

Yeah....the scenario depicted in the story of Noah's Ark may very well happen, I think.

Any thoughts?

GROAN

You'd think a person my father's age would know better than to keep hazardous material within reach of certain household quadrupeds......

A week without the kids?? Why...it's Parentdise!

Revelation

I just realized something....psychologists, psychiatrists and the like aren't interested in making you feel mentally healthy. They're merely interested in making you think you feel okay while they set you up so that you keep coming back....keep coming back....keep coming back....and keep giving them your fruits. I'm fairly certain of it. It's like the media; nevermind telling the people the truth; just keep them tuned in! I'm going to say this now, and I may very well say it again: M***Y MUST DIE. Utterly primitive society is gone, and a civilized society is here. We can work together to share, people. We will still have services that are currently paid if we are sufficiently motivated to them.

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic here near the end...in fact, I probably am...but, again, if we work together.....it isn't hard.......Open your eyes.....open your heart.....teach your children to share......A utopia is possible...........

Things that just BUG me

Cracking body joints

Dogs

Advertisements that use the phrase "Ooh-la-la"

Humidity

People who finally stop talking in September

Very paltry amounts of dust and dirt on records, not worth the bother of getting the cleaning kit out

People who take personally comments that had nothing to do with them

Well....bugs, I suppose

Most aspects of the media

People who take pride in burping

People who don't have a sense of humor

Writer's block

Anyone else notice how there seem to be a number of streets called "Division Street" and hardly any streets called "Unification Street"?

I think it would be cool if....

...there were some sort of device that could record music that plays in my head, usually when I'm asleep or something very close to it. I hear some of the most amazing music in my (half to three-fourths) sleep, and then I can never remember it when I awaken. Anyone else have this experience?

On the outside, longingly peering in.......

AARGH

I compose what I happen to think is a lovely acoustic tune that perfectly expresses an emotion felt by human beings all over the globe, and people tell me it's a bloody TV theme song.

And my family and old acquaintances wonder why their nice little boy is bitter and frustrated.........

The holiday season......the anniversary of one's birth.....the anniversary of one's marriage....Valentine's Day....Mother's Day...."Teacher Appreciation Week"...."Nurse Appreciation Week"........"Secretaries' Day".......

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

It's not easy playing with a full deck. It could collapse under me at any moment.

Q: Why did the student throw the mainstream news magazine out the window?

A: He wanted to see time come to a sickening THUD on the ground so he could sit back and indulge himself in cool music.


Why, yes, I did choose the last name "Adams" in honor of Douglas. How did you know?

Pussy - Pussy Plays (a quick review by ~C.A.~)

This is, in a nutshell, half of a classic psych/rock album. Four of the eight songs shine, and the other four (three of these are instrumentals) are just kind of there. So, strong start with good, organ-driven psych/rock: "Come Back June" is a good, mainstream-ish rock number that could have been a hit...maybe; "All of My Life" is another good one, with a softly spoken refrain; and "We Built the Sun" is a slower song with a wonderfully eerie bit of organ, piano and gentle electric guitar. At this point, two unengaging instrumentals appear; I would have liked a bit more along the lines of the spoken bit at the end of "Comets"...oh, well.... Then, perhaps the coolest song on the album, "The Open Ground".......a mostly spoken depiction of the world after the utter obliteration of life thereupon, over a wah-wah guitar....great song. The two remaining pieces after this don't really do it for me, though I can sort of understand the ability to dig "Everybody's Song."

Many thanks to Lost~in~Tyme for introducing me to this album. I wish you the best in permanently establishing and maintaining your online library of obscure and wonderful records.

Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky (a quick review by ~C.A.~)

It seems to me that the Alan Parsons Project gets kind of a bad rap. I don't know why; they have some mighty fine music in their catalog. Perhaps my own musical sensibilities are just more pop-oriented than those of most of you that I see on the forums and blogs, and so the sort of borderline pop/prog that the APP plays just appeals to me more than others. This music is different; it's accessible without being too poppy; it features orchestration without being, well, boring; it's original and progressive without being too self-indulgent; and, while I say it isn't too poppy, it nonetheless features nice hooks that I, for one, can easily dig. And the sounds they make are just........cool.
On this album, of course, you got the Chicago Bulls opening music in "Sirius," followed by the pleasant radio hit and title track. "Children of the Moon" has that wee bit of synthesizer that gives it ...um...a different feel, a bit of a trip in time, nothing bad at all, in my opinion. Interesting choral bits and chord changes in that one. "Gemini" is nice and dreamy, just like me.... *ahem* The relatively extended (7:20) "Silence and I" is a couple of hushed ends bookending a classical/orchestral bridge, which is cool and makes itself known. "You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned" is a good, strong bit of pop/rock; some might think that the APP couldn't pull off a "straight" pop/rock sound, but I think it works here.
I think "Psychobabble" might be somewhat well-known among some; I remember it was once incorporated into my old high school's marching band's repertoire. Good, kind of weird vibe to that song. Nice. The instrumental bit that follows, "Mammagamma," I can probably do without; it's rather ground in the pseudo-disco sounds of that era (1982), not to mention unexciting. "Step by Step" is another more poppy song; I played this one a couple times before saying "Yeah, it's okay." And the capper, "Old and Wise"...well, the title sums it up, I think, as the album ends on a quiet note.
Look for this on the fora sometime soon. There are some bonus tracks as well, if anyone's into that sort of thing.