TenMillionPixels

Bought this last night at 12 AM when it released. Dedicated?...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:27:00 -0800

Bought this last night at 12 AM when it released. Dedicated? Nah… happened to be awake talking to Crazy Jim on Skype.

It’s good. I’m happy.

Rob sent me a link to this video. Pretty incredible story, and...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:38:05 -0800

Rob sent me a link to this video. Pretty incredible story, and beautiful images.

serpentineandblack: No One Loves Me And Neither Do I | Them...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:25:00 -0800

serpentineandblack:

No One Loves Me And Neither Do I | Them Crooked Vultures

I’ve been listening to Queens of the Stone Age since Songs for the Deaf came out. I had graduated high school around that time, and soon after was moving to Tahoe. Lulabies to Paralize had come out around the time I made it to Tahoe, and I remember that was the time I really became a Josh Homme fan. I soon after got into the Eagles of Death Metal, and picked up old Kyuss and Desert Sessions albums as well. The guy is a really talented guitarist, and he sure knows how to make some groove heavy rock and roll with always clever lyrics.
However, recently I’ve been kind of out of the QOTSA music. I’m not sure why, but I haven’t really listened to their albums in a while. I certainly haven’t been keeping up with Homme’s work, as I had no idea about Them Crooked Vultures until my brother Seth shot me an email last week. Seth is a big fan of Homme’s music as well, and apparently he’s been keeping up with his side projects more than I have.

So it’s Homme doing his thing on guitar and doing the vocal heavy lifting, John Paul Jones from Led Zepplin doing bass and keyboards, and… Dave Grohl. I know Grohl has been on a lot of Homme’s work in the past, and I can’t say it’s ever bothered me. But I can’t stand Dave Grohl. Everything he’s done that is any good was being held together by someone far more talented. Grohl was fine in Nirvana, but Kurt Cobain was the obvious talent there. He’s done okay on other Josh Homme written and produced stuff, but, again, Homme is the one with the brains and drive there. (I know this statement is going to evoke disagreement from a few people) The Foo Fighters are a terrible, shitty band that haven’t made anything resembling a good record in over 10 years, and I wish Grohl would have just kept his mouth shut on this album and played the drums and let Homme do his thing. The bottom line is that I like what I’ve heard of this album so far, but only when it comes to the guitar work and very clever lyrics that abound. As for now, though, I’m on the fence as to weather or not I’ll buy the album, just because Dave Grohls really irritating voice pops up now and then. I just can’t see myself replaying the album a lot, and for that reason I can’t justify paying for it.

C’mon, Homme- you work with a lot of talented artists. Next time partner up with someone else.

"We do not have two political parties in this country, America. We have one party; called the Big..."

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:50:28 -0800

“We do not have two political parties in this country, America. We have one party; called the Big Government Party. The Republican wing likes deficits, war, and assaults on civil liberties. The Democratic wing likes wealth transfer, taxes, and assaults on commercial liberties. Both parties like power; and neither is interested in your freedoms.”

- Kiss Your Freedoms Goodbye If Health Care Passes - Reason Magazine (via bellatoris) (via hilker)

The essence of the reason I can’t belong or vote for one of the two major parties. I just want some other options. What did George Wallace say? Oh yeah- “not a dimes worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats.”

Queso helado- an Arequipeña dessert that usually can be found in...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:41:00 -0800

Queso helado- an Arequipeña dessert that usually can be found in small shops and being sold by street vendors with little umbrella covered carts. Queso is, of course, cheese, and helado is ice cream. This really doesn’t make much sense, however, because there is no cheese in it. I mean, I guess it has a creamy and sort of cheese-y consistency, but it’s definitely not cheese flavored. The ingredients are actually just milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Whatever it is, it’s my favorite. Any time I find myself walking somewhere in the city (pretty often, actually), I change my route around so that I’ll end up passing a queso helado vendor. Yesterday, I had the extremely good fortune of finding it sold by the liter in a local market that I visit to buy stuff for breakfast and dinner cooking at Damara’s house. I’ll probably be buying a few liters of it a week until I leave.

"Filing a patent application, of course, doesn’t necessarily mean that the company plans to use the..."

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:44:06 -0800

“

Filing a patent application, of course, doesn’t necessarily mean that the company plans to use the technology. But the application shows, at the least, that Apple has invested in research to develop what it calls an “enforcement routine” that makes people watch ads they may not want to watch.

Its distinctive feature is a design that doesn’t simply invite a user to pay attention to an ad — it also compels attention. The technology can freeze the device until the user clicks a button or answers a test question to demonstrate that he or she has dutifully noticed the commercial message. Because this technology would be embedded in the innermost core of the device, the ads could appear on the screen at any time, no matter what one is doing.

The system also has a version for music players, inserting commercials that come with an audible prompt to press a particular button to verify the listener’s attentiveness.

”

- Please no.

via inquisitr

Lots of music to talk about tonight. When I have a laptop again,...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:07:00 -0800

Lots of music to talk about tonight.

When I have a laptop again, I’ll be back on top of these new tracks and album previews, but I’m really behind on this shit these days.

The news from the Cold War Kids camp is a new 4 track EP called Behave Yourself, which will come out the 19th of January. After Loyalty to Loyalty, which was largely unimpressive to me- especially when compared to their first 3 EPs and the wonderful LP Robbers and Cowards- I’m really happy to see these guys take a step back and produce what looks to be an album focused on quality and not quantity.
One of the tracks previewed in this video is definitely “Sermons vs. the Gospel” from the With Our Wallets Full EP, a song that is really great in its low-fi rendition on said EP and as a hidden track on the end of Robbers and Cowards. We’ll see if a studio version of it steps it up or ends up not quite as good (I’m leaning towards the latter).

indierawk: Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky You’re...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:29:55 -0800

indierawk:

Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky

You’re not the only

one that treats new Animal Collective like a surprise present.

Here’s a track that you may be familiar with if you’ve seen AC live, but it will be present on their upcoming EP Fall Be Kind.

Good stuff. Listen up, soak it in.

Two albums I-m really excited about- Fall Be Kind (Animal Collective is working hard this year for the best album of the year title, I think), and BlakRoc. Both dropping next week!

24freedinners: capriquarius:browneyes:Dropped by sebastian.

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:26:23 -0800

24freedinners:

capriquarius:browneyes:Dropped by sebastian.

milkofamnesia: Vampire Weekend - Cousins Man, I want to hate...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:20:36 -0800

milkofamnesia:

Vampire Weekend - Cousins

Man, I want to hate this band.

Yeah, I’m one of the anti Vapire Weekend crowd. I avoided their first album for so long, and eventually bought it and really liked it, despite all of the things I dislike about the band. Then, the free single from Contra “Horchata” came out- I downloaded it and was completely unimpressed. Now this new single. How can I not like this? Damn it.

C3P0 gets a light. via Rare Star Wars photosfound via Dave Reed

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:27:54 -0800

C3P0 gets a light.

via Rare Star Wars photos
found via Dave Reed

Pabst Brewing Company is ailing, doomed, and for sale.

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:30:12 -0800

Pabst Brewing Company is ailing, doomed, and for sale.:

duplo:

Pabst is in a terrible position, and if the brand survives, it will be as a minor subsidiary of one of those massive beer companies that are now desperately eating their own. Aside from a history, a “brand identity,” and a recognizable label, there’s not a thing about Pabst that distinguishes it from the 97 other tin-can beer brands out there. With no brewery, no local audience, and no commitment from an owner, the writing’s on the wall. Pabst is a sucker’s bet.

Man! It’s probably just due to the familiarity of the flavor, but I genuinely prefer Pabst to the other shitty beers out there. What will we do without Portland’s Best Refreshment?!

Does anyone else find it pretty terrible that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is set to go on trial (also:...

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:50:03 -0800

Does anyone else find it pretty terrible that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is set to go on trial (also: has been detained with no rights for a quite a long time in Guantanamo) over a confession that was extracted from 187 water boardings? Also, it’s a bit ridiculous that no news pieces seem to mention this (though I have to give credit to the CNN international channel that I get here for bringing this fact up).

Here we are- one year into the “progressive,” “transparent,” and “change filled” Obama presidency, and this silly bullshit is still going on. New chief, same as the old chief- except no one faults him for anything.

In honor of Roland Emmerich’s CGI bloat end of the world...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:35:25 -0800

In honor of Roland Emmerich’s CGI bloat end of the world movie, Cracked has their own rejected disaster movies.

While I’ve spent time on more than one occasion venting my hate for Facebook and and...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:04:54 -0800

While I’ve spent time on more than one occasion venting my hate for Facebook and and discoursing about why I won’t get on board with it, I still made an account a while back so I could watch a few videos on Gab’s Facebook page. I never ended up cancelling the page, though I never ended up doing anything with it, either. I got a mountain of friend requests, some from people I never talk or communicate with, and I was contemplating going the other way on it and setting the page up with info and the whole works. While this meant I’d have to go back on my principles, I was almost willing to go ahead with it. I mean, why not?

Then mom sent me a friend request. Oh yeah, that’s why not.

(Sorry, ma- you know I love you)

copycats: White Winter Hymnal by The Calorifer Is Very...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:56:06 -0800

copycats:

White Winter Hymnal by The Calorifer Is Very Hot!
originally by Fleet Foxes
(posted by mialegria)

While there isn’t very much variation on this cover when compared to the original, the original is excellent and these guys pull this off well. Like this one a lot.

Death's steely glare

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:49:01 -0800

These days, I’m working like like a machine to get Paz Peru’s third hospital/dental clinic open in a part of town called El Avelino. It’s been quite an interesting experience, busting my ass all over town while searching out the best deals on cabinet, water/sewage system, glass, ventilation system, and window covering installation. I also did the drywall work and painted last week, but it really seems easy in retrospect. Dealing with forever late Peruvian contractors and using public transportation to get from point A to point B is becoming quite a stressful experience. Either way, it’s finally nearing its wrap up point, with the inauguration happening next Tuesday. I just have to work both days this weekend to make sure installations of everything get done in a timely and correct fashion, with no contractors walking off with medical supplies.

But that’s not where I was originally going with this post. This is about playing Russian roulette with an automatic weapon.
Well, more or less.

Yesterday, I went to a part of town called Mariscal Castilla, where all of the lumber yards and hardware stores are. I was going to a lumber yard to meet a contractor that’s building all of the cabinets and storage for the labs, where the two of us were to pick out melamine and formica for the design. Mariscal is known for being really dangerous and rather crazy, due to the amount of people there, the amount of industrial type trucks, and the fact that the extremely busy and gnarly Ave. Jesus runs right through the middle of the district. Every time I go there to price supplies for any project, I have to keep my head on a swivel and stay alert, so as to not be run over by a psycho bus driver in a hurry or get mugged by someone wanting my iPod and Von Zipper sunglasses. It just feels so sketchy.
I was waiting for the contractor near a high school, where I said I would meet him to go to the hardware store (one I don’t know and have never been to). He showed up on his Chinese made Honda copy motorcycle, a 250 4-stroke single cylinder bike that looks like it’s been laid down about 473 times. He said “Hop on the back, and we’ll go to the place. It’s close.” I hesitated, before realizing that it was really the only way we were going to get this done in a timely manner (shit happening on time: always an issue here). When I hopped on an asked for foot pegs, he said “Put your feet on the exhaust pipes.” Ggrrrrr. I did, and we took off, the suspension bottomed out and the un-muffled single cylinder struggling as it tried to lug our asses down the busy street (I think it normally struggles under his 220 lb slightly chubby frame). I kept my head turned backwards, watching traffic, before realizing that it only meant I’d get to see the bus that was going to kill us as it came at us hells bells and balls to the wall. With no helmet on, I felt pretty naked, and (for the second time since I arrived in Latin America) I accepted that my fate was no longer in my hands. I put my life in the good Lord’s hands, and we headed down a few blocks to the lumber yard, buses blowing by us and spewing diesel exhaust as they kissed my shirt sleeves. I breathed a sigh of relief when we pulled into the parking lot and vowed to saddle up on a motorcycle never again in Latin America.

Ever. Again.

fireland: Not entirely sure what’s going on in this photo,...

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:34:01 -0800

fireland:

Not entirely sure what’s going on in this photo, but Josh Homme is pretty much the shit.

This is yet another reason that Rogue is the best brewery in the...

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:08:48 -0800

This is yet another reason that Rogue is the best brewery in the world. Just read the end of this Rogue Wire Service dipatch- “Email me or call my cell with any questions- Brett Joyce, Player/Coach”

Makes my Oregonian pride swell up.

Need kitten mittons

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:10:00 -0800

Need kitten mittons