... or am I?

and wtf is 'Social Media'?

...'Web 2.0'?...'Semantic Web?'''

Being a child of the 90's I think its safe to claim membership to perhaps the earliest generation of kids to experience the world as amplified through this portal of connectivity we commonly call, the 'world wide web'... at least on any large scale.

My friend's parents had to decide between service providers based on their monthly charges,  # of free minutes, overage rates and of course... how well they served their purpose as the gateway to the uncharted waters of cyberspace.

Being the know-it-all preteens we were, we did whatever we could to persuade them to make the decision based on what mattered to us, which, as time itself would surely tell, turned out to be one thing and one thing only... UNLIMITED MINUTES.

Even before my official addiction to the opposite sex, my addiction to the internet had officially made its mark on my future existence... and it shouldn't take a rocket scientist (or internet marketer) to figure out how, as the aforementioned affinity began to take center stage, the two 'addictions' began to intermingle.

Lucky for me, the real thing took precedent over the virtual before too many years had passed and, with my social life still intact, I embarked on what (admittedly) might be turning into a lifelong exploration of the more mature uses of cyberspace... minus, of course,  a few 'phases' here and there where my clandestinely harbored disavowal of emerging technologies and their role in society have taken over... but that's another story for another... oh shit... 'Blog.'

I said it.

The technologically adept have been maximizing their use of this ever evolving tool since its conception and niche groups like the Dead Heads, with their surprisingly (to some) sophisticated methodology for archiving and trading the taped recordings of the live shows, give us evidence of humanity's willingness (or perhaps eagerness) to embrace the possibilities for the internet's role in our lives since the 1970s...

...but how many middle class American households do you think had a firm grasp on the situation before the 90's?  Better yet, how many had access to the internet (and actually utilized it) before the release of the aptly titled product, AMERICA ONLINE.

As the song goes, 'Those days are gone,' but more and more of us continue to find ourselves feeling as far as we've ever felt from 'All by myself.'

A very wise man once said, "A new guest has arrived to the dinner party" and this time it's name is 'Social Media.'

I can't even begin to claim that I'm 'hip' enough to the movement to dub it a 'trend', a 'boom', or a 'revolution', but no one can deny that IT IS A MOVEMENT and it is rapidly gaining ground and traction in both it's presence in our lives and it's impact on them.

In my defense, I was dirt poor and worked 4 jobs my senior year.  And I drank, all the time.

I went dancing at Sensations.  My best friend was a Kappa Kappa Gamma.  I was every cliche you could think of.  I lost my financial aid and struggled to take a class here and there.  And then I managed to get a fantastic job working in a bar called Trippers.  (Largest Sports Bar in Michigan @ the time, sat over 4,200 people - game days you made like $250-$300 easy!)  I loved the nightlife.  But I loved the bands the most.  Our house band was first Foster and Pops, which evolved to The Foster Kids.  Thursday nights with this band was so enjoyable.  I was lucky enough to wait on the band and get myself scheduled in their area every week.  They were the nicest guys, very interesting and normal.  I hearted them very much.  They even dedicated their first cd to The Tripper Girls.  And, yeah, of course I had a school girl crush on one of them .... but I never did anything about it, other than manage to attend a bachelor party with him, go to Deja Vu, see nude girls, chew tabacco, puke on the streets of downtown Lansing, and pass out in his bed before he played guitar and sang and gave me a backrub.  Ha ha ha ... I was such a nerd, and mourning the loss of boyfriend from back home that ended cause I wasn't going to marry him, on top of then mourning the loss of a friend who I dated in error, ending the friendship, after which I then self imposed a "Year off men."

A few months ago my college BFF and I were talking about her old boyfriends, and The Foster Kids came up.  I think she dated or liked one of them, too.  So I decided to search for them and found a few semi good videos on youtube.  Enjoy!  You have to watch both the videos to the end if you can, always the best part of the performances.

Foster Kids - Corduroy Boy 1999

Foster Kids - 12 in 1 @ MSU auditorium 1995

Global Village was probably THE best band in E. Lansing at the time.  Somehow, The Verve got a hit, but these guys deserved it more.  I also used to go see the band Fat Amy, but since Bob Guinney (Yes, from the Bachelor) is an ass and I personally knew him - I'm not giving him or his band mention out of spite.

Global Village Sampler

Global Village, Live - Hold On, I'm Coming

Chris Delgado was my Wednesday night band long before these bands got their start.  I'd skip 1/2 of my Abnormal Psychology class with Professor Barclay and head to The Landshark to get in before cover @ 8:00pm.  Being poor, I'd buy a Shark Bowl and slam the fucker myself in 20 minutes.  Needless to say, I was always the hammered girl at the front table.  This guy is still in business and he actually placed at my friends fundraiser last fall.  (She has Transverse Myelitis, which sucks, but she is trying hard to overcome!)

Chris Delgado Live

So,lets just revisit the golden era once again and see....

How did one survive growing up in the 70's, 80's and 90's?

We had no seatbelts, no airbags and sitting in the back of a truck was a treat…
Our baby prams had the most gorgeous lead based colours…
No such thing as tamper proof bottle tops…
Opening kitchen cupboards was a breeze… as safety locks were unheard off…
Cycling was like a breath of fresh air…
No safety helmets, knee pads or elbow pads, with plenty of cardboard's between spokes to make it sound like a motorbike…
When thirsty we only drank tap water, bottled water was still a mystery…
We kept busy collecting bits & pieces so we could build all sort of things … and we were fearless on our bikes even when the brakes failed going downhill…
We were showing off how tough we are, by how high we could climb trees & then jumping down….It was great fun….
We could stay out to play for hours, as long as we got back before dark, in time for dinner…
We walked to school, or sometimes we even rode our bike.

We had no mobile phones, but we always managed to find each other…!!
How??  No one knows…
We lost teeth, broke arms & legs, we got cuts and bruises and bloody noses…. nobody complained as we had so much fun, it wasn't anybody's fault, only ours
We ate everything in sight, cakes, bread, chocolate, ice-cream, sweet sugary drinks, yet, we stayed skinny by fooling around.
And if one of us was lucky to find a 1 litre coca cola bottle we all had a swag from it & guess what? Nobody picked up any germs...
We did not have Play Stations, MP3, Nintendo's, I-Pods, Video games, 99 Cable TV channels, DVD's, Home Cinema, Mobile phones, Home Computers, Laptops, Chat-rooms, Internet, etc ... BUT, we had REAL FRIENDS!!!!
We called on friends to come out to play, never rang the doorbell, just went around the back…
We loved being let loose in the big bad world…without bodyguards…
We played with sticks and stones, played cowboys and Indians, doctors and nurses, hide and seek, soccer games, over and over again…
When we failed our exams we were given a second chance by simply repeating the same grade…without visiting psychiatrists, psychologists or counsellors…
Such were the days…
We had freedom, success, disappointments and responsibilities. ..
Most of all, we learned to respect others…

Now lets,have a look what we had on TV those days that always kept us busy even when their was only 1 channel:

Doordarshan Logo

Doordarshan's Screensaver

                        Humlog(India's First Family Soap)

Malgudi Days

Dekh Bhai Dekh

Ramayan

Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

Turning Point

Bharath Ek Khoj

Alif Laila

Byomkesh Bakshi

Tehkikaat

He Man

Salma Sultana DD News Reader

Vicco turmeric,
Nahin cosmetic
Vicco turmeric ayurvedic cream

Twaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinggggggg
Washin powder Nirma, Washing powder Nirma
Doodh si safedi, Nirma se aayi
Rangeen kapde bhi khil khil jaaye

Complan Boy(Shahid Kapoor) and Girl (Ayesha Takia)

Surabhi:  Renuka Sahane and Siddharth
Then were 'Mungerilal ke hasin sapane' and 'karamchand'...'Vikram Betal', etc.

Quote of the Day:
Commonsense and good nature will do a lot to make the pilgrimage of life not too difficult.
--William Somerset Maugham

This is another book that had a cover which jumped out at me and immediately made me want to read the book:

Blurb from back cover:

Christine Weiser's debut novel follows the all-girl rock group, Broad Street, through the highs and lows of struggling for success in the male-dominated, mid-'90s Philadelphia rock scene. When Kit Greene and Margo Bevilacqua make a drunken pact to form a band with the sole purpose of outshining the musical men in their lives, they have no idea what awaits them: gigs in seedy bars, obsessed fans, threats from a stalker, parties with biker gangs, and a seemingly endless quest to secure a steady drummer. Meanwhile, both women must learn to juggle their personal, proffessional, and musical lives, deal with ex-boyfriends, mind-numbing day jobs, and hard-to-please parents as they claw their way to the top of the Philly rock scene.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in two sittings. I was completely engrossed in this book and felt like I was right there alongside them in this struggle.

I loved the girls and how they followed their dreams, even non-music related ones. I was cheering them on during the book, however they did some things I wasn't too impressed with. I really wanted to see them succeed in the industry and find decent men!!

I think my favourite part involved the bikers in DC. The guys seemed lovely - big, scary looking bikers, who actually were just softies. They made me laugh so much, what an excellent thing to have in the book.

I do wonder if this is a bit auto-biographical as we are told on the back cover that Christine Weiser was a bass player for the Philly band Mae Pang - and Kit plays bass and there the name Mae Pang is subtly entered into the text.

I didn't like all the drinking, sex and drug taking, and there was a bit of bad language, but I guess Weiser is trying to re-create the '90s rock scene.

Broad Street was a really enjoyable book.

8/10

1. If your doctor told you TODAY that you were pregnant, what would you say?
Well, if I did get pregnant, it would be fatal (Like a Tubal pregnancy can be) since I have no endometrium, so I'd have to get an abortion to save my life ... that would be scary!  So I guess I'd say "Oh Fuck!"

2. Do you trust all of your friends?
Since I grew up the way I did, its hard for me to trust anyone 100%.  Sad, huh?

3. Would you move to another state or country to be with the one you love?
In a heartbeat.  I'm always looking for adventure.

4. Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
Yes and no.  I'm torn about that.  but I do beleive in Karma.

5. Can you make a dollar in change right now?
I hate change.

6. Which one of your friends do you think would make the best doctor?
Well, myself, and as Ange said it - "The Girl from the Ghetto since she diagnosis herself all the time...lmao...but for real"

7. Are you afraid of falling in love?
No

8. Have you ever been in love?
Yes, of course.

9. Is there someone who pops into your mind at random times?
Mostly just myself and my health issues, guess I'm a little narcissistic.

10. Whats your most favorite scar?
I hate scars, and by next week I'll have a bunch of weird surgical ones, yikes!!

11. When was the last time you flew in a plane?
When I went to Boston in April.

12. What did the last text message you sent say?
"I love me up some yeast rolls" or something like that!

13. What features do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?
Smile, eyes, build.

14. Fill in the blank.
I Love ___:
"I love to eat, and it shows" ....  ha ah ha ah ha ha ........

15. What is a goal you would like to accomplish in the near future?
Finish grad school.  Its so damn expensive.

17. How many kids do you want to have?
I have 2 step kids, that's all I need.

18. Would you make a good parent?
I hope so, but I'll never know.

19. Where was your default picture taken?
Universal Mall, circa 1975-76.

20. Whats your middle name?
Nope, my identity is still a secret....

21. Honestly, whats on your mind right now?
Health stuff, I'm feeling horrible today.

22. If you could go back in time and change something, what would it be?
My college experience @ MSU.  Wish I could have graduated from the.  Damn it!

23. Who was or will be the maid of honor/ best man in your wedding?
I didn't have anyone stand up - I eloped - got married in the desert @ sunset @ The Valley of Fire in Nevada.

24. What are you wearing right now?
Jeans, t-shirt, burgandy v-neck sweater.

25. Righty or Lefty?
Both, but in school they forced me to be a righty.

26. Best place to eat?
Hmmm.... so many places, but i'm voting Florence, Italy.  I can still taste that 7 course meal I had with the Munks in Tuscany ... to die for people, to die for!!!

27. Favorite jeans?
My size 1 Jordashe jeans, circa 1985, that Ange used to have to pull up with the pliers.  They were pinstriped, and oh so sexy, lol!!!!

29. Favorite juice?
Orange juice.

30. Have you had the chicken pox?
Yep

31. Have you had a sore throat?
Like a 1,000 times, grew up with a mom who smoked, yuck!

32. Ever had a bar fight?
Yes, many courtesy of my ghetto girl friends and also when I was a bouncher back @ Trippers in the mid 90's.  I used to be a bad-ass, ha ha!

33. Who knows you the best?
My hubby for sure, Ange a close second.

35. Do you wear contact lenses or glasses?
Both, but mostly contacts

36. Ever been in a fight with your pet?
Sometimes Beatrice gives me or the hubby a dirty look and I tell her too bad, you're not getting more food.  But we make up like 2 minutes later.  She loves me, I love her. 

37. Been to Mexico?
3 times in the 90s. 

38. Did you buy something today?
No, not yet, its lunch time,

39. Did you get sick today?
Yep, been feeling shitty for a few days.

40. Do you miss someone today?
Sure, I hate that all my friends live far and we don't see each other enough.

41. Did you get in a fight with someone today?
Not yet, lol!

42. When is the last time you had a massage?
Ooh, last week, in my house, and it was wonderful!

43. Last person to lay in your bed?
Me, this morning.  I'm weird and lie down to brush my teeth.  I'm that tired in the morning!!!

44. Last person to see you cry?
Hubby I'm sure.

45. Who made you cry?
Society or pain.

46. What was the last TV show you watched?
Jon & Kate + Eight, the Valentine's Day episode.  Poor Jon only got a Starbucks Card.  So romantic!

47. What are your plans for the weekend?
Partylite bullshit.  And watch tv.

 
48. Who do you think will repost this?
No one, as I'm not tagging people for it.  But feel free to repost yourself.

49. Who was the last person you hung out with?
My cat, my faithful companion when I lay down in pain.  I call her nurse Bea 'cause she always lays next to me when I'm feeling like shit.  She's very helpful. 

50. If your significant other asked you to marry them TODAY what would you say?
Well, I'd insist on England next time.  Too bad if you have to be a resident for 3 weeks first!!!

I'm going to try and post a classic vid each Thursday here at Causticity's Place.  Hopefully, I can remember. So if you stop by here on a Thursday, looking for your classic vid fix and it's not posted, tell me to wake the fuck up.  Here's one from the vaults that never goes out of style!!

I read on a blog once that a remake to every 80s film, from Top Gun (1986) to Dirty Dancing (1987), is in pre-production.  While this was a joke, I'm sure it's not entirely untrue.

Hollywood seems to be desperately nostalgic for the 80s classics that are somehow so awesome/cheesy that everyone loves them forever.

Apparently Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) made a lot of money.  All I know is I went to see it with a friend who loves Indiana Jones, and she had a panic attack and had to leave the theater.

So apparently, Lucas, Harrison, and Spielberg (pictured below) are in cahoots for a #5.  Let's just hope the entire film is a jungle chase/fight scene in jeeps - 'cause that wasn't painful at all.

But - to show his artistic integrity - Harrison has not agreed to do an Indiana Jones animated film (shucks!).  I couldn't bring myself to watch the animated Star Wars film, you all think I should watch it?

I mean, that whole pre-trilogy thing damn near ruined Star Wars for me anyhow... if it wasn't for the fact that this here indiebag has the standard indie dream of wedding Natalie Portman (but Alice Glass, Jenny Lewis, or the animated Mary Jane Watson [from FOX 90s Spider-Man TV Series] will still do : )

Do you all remember that Indiana Jones television show? The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992-1996).

This is Indy as a kid, and teen, apparently.  As a teen he looks strikingly similar to one of my amigos. I layered their photos over top of one another on the right, looks just like one person right? Weird.

Also - and this is even bigger news - it has been rumored (verified by blog standards) that Bill Murray has agreed to do Ghostbusters #3.  I do love Bill Murray, and the Ghostbusters, but what I'm wondering is: will old Bill Murray play the ghost, and Seth Rogen the Ghostbuster (with a sexy co-Buster girl)?

With all this talk of remakes I really hope Hollywood remakes Romancing the Stone (1984).

Worst trailer ever?

Gosh that was a heart wrenching action packed classic - and Michael Douglas has hardly aged a day.

And while we're on the topic of Michael D - and I know this is early 90s - wouldn't anyone else love to see a remake of Basic Instinct (1992)!?  And we could totally get another vag shot from Sharon Stone 'cause she's a lot less worse for wear than Michael D.

The oh so so so controversial vag shot; because no one had seen a real life vagina before '92:

Oh, wait, the remake already happened in 2006.  And Sharon did get naked too, but where's Michael D!?

Will remaking 80s classics just result in sexually scandalizing 50+ actors!?  Is Sharon as good at 48 as she was at 32!?  Do you think those mainstream titties are airbrushed?? Why the hell won't Tom Cruise just remake Cocktail (1988)!?  Who would star in a new Back to the Future (1985)!?  When is my financing coming in to make Bill & Jerry's Excellent Adventure!?

Listening to Now: Brian Eno & David Byrne My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981). David Byrne and Brian Eno Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (2008).  I really like this album, Byrne & Eno still got it.

Brian Eno & David Byrne "America is Waiting" (1981):

[audio http://lacinta.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/01-america-is-waiting.mp3]

David Byrne and Brian Eno "I Feel My Stuff" (2008);

[audio http://lacinta.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/03-i-feel-my-stuff.mp3]

(LaMescla wants to add that by all evidence Sharon Stone's old tit's are still looking mighty fine... mighty fine.)

read more | digg story

Some eBay vintage stores just know how to pick the right pieces. Laced With Romance has an eclectic mix of 60's, 70's, and 80's fashion and has mastered some sort of rustic-hippie aura in their store. They especially have a knack for getting well-cut dresses and standout jackets. The details on some of their items are really something special! I'm keeping them on my watch list!

• Evenings on STN/NTM were the highlight of your day.

• The Jetsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Captain Planet were dubbed in Urdu.

• If you were lucky, you had a dish, and you’d watch Disney Hour dubbed in Hindi on Zee TV and write to the host Vishaal. And you never missed "Hum Paanch" (Pa-Pa-Pa-PAANCH!) or Tu Tu Mein Mein either.

• You played “Kings” in school (the game where the first person to yell “Kings” would try to step on someone’s foot. Then that person would try to step on someone else’s foot and so forth).

• Playground feminism took form in the shape of “Queens” (essentially the same thing as “Kings”) and “Kish,” that weird jumping game that involved two teams and a loop of elastic (usually made out of a few shalwars’ worth of elastic tied together, snuck secretly because the mums would get sick of their daughters wasting a perfectly good roll of elastic.)

• Guys only ever played cricket and football, depending on what world cup was going on at the time.

• The only co-ed sport that was ever played was dodgeball (called Dodge the Ball) and girls were actually pretty good at it.

• You played Dark Room, Tilo-Express, Oonch Neech, Chor-Sipahi and Chupan Chupai.

• You decided conflicts not by rock-paper-scissors, but by Pugan-Pugaai, In Pin Safety Pin, or Akar-Bakar-Bambay-Bo.

• 5 words: Assoo-Panjoo-Haar-Kabootar-Doli.

• Anyone owning a real Barbie or Hot Wheels was a source of envy and admiration.

• “Bil Patori naasa chori aadhi mithi aadhi kori I’m sorry I’m sorry” means something to you. As do “ZAAAAAYYYMEEENAAAA!!!” and “Mein kon hoon, mein kya karoon, mein kiss ko khaaon” and “Ulloo ulloo hello, ulloo ulloo hello.”

• You wished you were Imran or Moattar from Ainak Waala Jin.

• You had nightmares about Bil Patori and Haamoon Jadoogar.

• You drank Frost juice with Super Crisp chips. And then when you were done, you’d chuck the juice box on the floor and jump on it to burst it.

• "Idiot," "Shut Up" or "Badtameez" was your first cuss word.

• There was never a line at the canteen. Instead everyone drove the canteen wala mad by screaming at the top of their lungs.

• You were cool if you could finish a whole pack of Crunchies or Slanties without showing any signs of weakness, including drinking water afterwards.

• You picked out only the chips from your mum’s Nimco.

• You remember RC Cola and how no one liked it.

• It was taboo for guys to drink Mirinda/Fanta because it was a GIRL’s drink.

• You idolized Imran Khan even though he was retired when you were 2 or 3, and wiped your face with your Pepsi bottle or Frost juice because he did it in that ad.

• Wasim Akram's "mein cigarette nahi peeta" ad made half ur generation vow to never smoke (the other half just missed out on good stuff).

• You had to ask “Ma’am/Miss may I come in” before entering a class, and you had to stand up to answer questions during a lesson.

• Cordless phones were the coolest things.

• You went crazy when your dad bought his first ever mobile, and you wouldn’t shut up about it to your friends.

• You carried around a cordless phone in your bag/pocket pretending it was a mobile phone, because heck, they both looked the same back then didn’t they?

• You begged your parents for a walkman and then bought tapes of Junaid Jamshed, or if you were really cool, Junoon.

• You went to a Junaid Jamshed concert in a PAF building or a Junoon concert in PC.

• You remember Fakhr-e-Alam hosting the Top Ten on NTM and his “Bhangra Rap” was always #1.

• #2 was “Jaadoo Ka Charagh” by Awaz and #3 was “Dohlna” by Shehzad Roy.. #4 was “Mann de Moaj” by Hadiqa Kayani, the only cool female-singer in Pakistani (and that was her only song for a long time, till she sang Dupatta Mera Malmal Ka.”)

• You were really sad when Awaz split up. And later you took sides between Haroon and Fakhir, and if you liked one you had to hate the other.

• You remember waking up early in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays (back when they weren’t weekends) before school to watch English cartoons on Star Plus (before it got taken over by the Indians).

• You still hold a grudge against the Indianization of Star Plus after all those years.

• You remember celebrating when they changed the weekends to Saturday and Sunday because it meant Friday was a half-day.

• You remember crying because of it if you were older, since the schools would make you come on Saturday for a full day anyway.

• You played Sega-Mega Drive, Atari and Super Nintendo.

• You played Mario Brothers like there was no tomorrow.

• You remember the Nintendo game where you had to shoot ducks with an actual gun-shaped joystick and thought it was the most amazing thing ever.

• Your life was never the same again when your first Windows 95 was set up in your house.

• You played Dave 1 and thought level three was the hardest thing in the world. Then you upgraded to Lion King (probably from a Power Games CD bought out in the street).

• You shafted Polka Ice Cream when Walls became popular. And yes, admit it, you used to wait for the Ice Cream wala in the afternoon and bought Paddle Pops from him.

• Walls wasn't as good as the Challi Walla (end there were rumors that people loved them so much because there was chars in the masala).

• The boys watched Captain Majid (some daring girls did too) and the girls watched Jem
(so did some guys, for that matter, and hid their interest under the pretext of making fun of their sisters).

• Cartoon Network showed good stuff like Johnny Bravo and Johnny Quest before crap like Cow and Chicken ruined everything.

• You had "kutti" (pinkie finger) with your enemies and "sulli" (index+middle finger) with your friends.

• Our idols were either the guys from Alpha Bravo Charlie or the guys from Teen Bata Teen.

• It's "copy," "rubber," and "dustbin." Or rather, "duss-bin." And "desk" was once "dex."

• Your childhood was over when they made you stop using pencils and start using fountain pens. And you always made a mess filling the ink.

• You watched Small Wonder, even after it was dubbed in Hindi by Star Plus.

• You wanted to be on the Crystal Maze, The Legends of the Hidden Temple and such game shows.

• The coolest clapping games were "Cham Cham Cham," "O Pillar," "Zig Zag Zoo."

• You were on the top of the food chain if you were made monitor (and you very easily abused the power too, by chucking chalk and dusters at people).

• Sit/Stand, Murghi, and sitting in the bad-kid section was the usual punishment. And the good girls would sit with the bad boys in a vain attempt to civilize them.

Here are a couple of links to the opening (on youtube):
Transformers
Sailor Moon
Dragon Ball (Z and GT)
Pokemon
Digimon
Monster Ranchers
Cardcaptors
Medabots

I watch YTV now and cringe in disgust as to what they are showing the kids now a days. But times change, and I have moved on from Saturday Cartoons, to avid otaku.

Also, I have found a site where you can download the entire Pokemon Background Music Soundtrack. Might I say, the music is epic with the nostalgic 90's feel to it. It made me smile just listening to the pokemon theme in full orchestra. So I want to share that feeling with everyone else.

But around Rock Steady I got skeptical. I said, "Umm, Gwen, what are you doing? Hey, uh, rest of the band - why are you letting this happen?" "Hollaback Girl" threw a permanent rift in there, and we've been in a fight ever since. Or at least until I continued my higher education and developed an ironic appreciation for dance music, that maybe turned into a sincere appreciation. I don't know. The jury's still out. Whatever.

We can blame this inner turmoil on Girl Talk.
Mash-ups were originally fun because they kind of poked fun at the fact that pop songs were generic enough to be played over each other and fit together perfectly. Then Gregg Gillis had to come along, rocking his laptop, and mashing up songs on such a skillful level that indie kids and pop fans alike had to embrace him with sincerity. Now nobody knows what's going on.

For better or for worse...
As angry as I am at Gwen for ruining one of my favorite high school bands... As fucked up as it is that Britney butchered a Joan Jett song...

This is fucking bangin'. Enjoy it with whichever level of appreciation you can.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=540742174802646910&ei=i0LpSK_LIIqK_QHJ1YX4Dw&q=birdhouse+ravers&hl=en]

Enjoy.

Black humor beats black metal any day (David Sprague, Art Black)

Controversially named Cop Shoot Cop formed in New York in 1987 as a trio of Tod A. David Ouimet and Phil Puleo who, beyond playing drums, also played "metal", i.e. he used found objects on his drum set. Their music was influenced by jazz and swing, as much by traditional rock music.

One of their first records was 1989 "Headkick Facsimile" EP which originally came out on Japanese label Supernatural Organization and was reissued by band's own label Subvert Entertainment in 1994 with two bonus tracks. Wharton Tiers engineered the record.

Eventually they added Jack Natz (electric bass) to the line-up and Tod A. started playing bass, as well, in addition to being a vocalist. Novelty of dual-bass/no-guitar setup helped them to gather attention, much like band posters that were seen around New York.

Jim Coleman was recruited to replace Ouimet who quit the band a couple of times and joined again, but both of them were featured on CPC debut 1989 "Piece Man" 7". Their first full-length called "Consumer Revolt" was recorded by a well-known producer Martin Bisi as earned the distinction of being the only dual-sampler/dual-bass/no guitar album in music history.

Ouimet left for good after the first tour and album in order to form short-lived Motherhead Bug, and later he was featured as a guest on some of CPC albums.

Guitarist Steve McMillen was added to the line-up in 1994 for an album called "Release" which came out on Interscope Records, which, as some journalists argued, turned CPC into a mainstream rock band. "Release" also became their last record, as Tod A. claimed that they were treated unfairly by Interscope, while other band members disagreed and tried to finish the album, although Interscope declined to release it. Some of it eventually resurfaced in one form or the other on an album by Red Expendables, one-off group which featured Natz, Coleman, Puleo and a newcomer named Michael Kaminski.

After the band demise, Tod A formed Firewater, Coleman recorded as Phylr and started a band with Maurio Teho Teardo called Here and Jack Natz was playing bass in reformed Lubricated Goat. Puleo recorded solo material under the name The Wog and he was also in Audio Dyslexia and The Children, along with Coleman.

Tour guitarist Michael Kaminski was featured in the news due to a robbery of a video store that he tried to commit while using a bottle of cologne shaped to look like a gun.

Discography:

Headkick Facsimile LP (Supernatural Organization, 1989)

Pieceman EP 7" (Vertical Records, 1989)

Consumer Revolt LP / CD (Big Cat UK, 1990 /1992 / Circuit Records, 1990 )

White Noise LP / CD (Big Cat UK, 1991)

Suck City CD-Single / 12" ( Interscope, 1992 / Big Cat UK, 1992)

$10 Bill CD-Single (Big Cat UK, 1993)

"You Know You Grew Up in India in the 90s if"

and then there was list of about 75 items and it must be the most accurate summary of the childhood I and the people who belong to my generation have had.
Most of the points in the list fit so perfectly, it seems as if he is talking about me rather then a set of ppl.

Goes on to show that our generation grew up in the transition stage of India. :) and I am proud of that... List is long 75 items in all but worth a read
You know you grew up in 90s if
1) You know the words to ‘In-pin-safety-pin’ and ‘akkad-bakkad’ by heart
2) Cricket is almost a religion for you, and you idolize at least one of Kapil Dev/Rahul Dravid/Sachin Tendulkar/Saurav Ganguly (Kapil Dev.. Sorry a bit late to see him)
3) You have read at least some Chacha Chaudhary or Tinkle comics
4) You’ve watched Shaktimaan on TV at least once in your life. And you can immediately recognize the character when you see him. (Actually only once or twice :P )
5) You have some ‘NRI’ relatives.
6) You couldn’t wait for it to be December so you could have the Toblerone chocolates your NRI relatives brought you (Not for me!! :( nobody came from phoren with chocolates for us)
7) You watched Cartoon Network, and then the late night movies on TNT that came after Cartoon Network ended.
8 ) You watched corny dubbed versions of Small Wonder, Silver Spoon, and I Dream of Jeanie (And still love them)
9) You were THRILLED when McDonald’s opened in your neighborhood (or even eight kilometers away)
10) Your first burgers were at Wimpy’s or Nirula’s.
11) A visit to Pizza Hut used to mean a special treat
12) You have seen Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun at least 5 times each (KKHH-Yes, HAHK- Not more than once)
13) You still remember the theme song to Hum Paanch.
14) You have played hours upon hour of Pukdam-pakdai, oonch-neech, kho-kho, ‘Doctor, doctor, help us!’, ‘Lock and key’
15) You have played ‘Uma Joshi’ more times than you can remember. ( :O What does this mean?? )
16) Dog ‘in’ the bone was your favorite co-ed game. (Nevr heard of it)
17) Much of your free time in school was spent playing UNO.
18) You collected trump cards of wrestlers, cricketers, and airplanes, and did not quite understand why your younger siblings were obsessed with Pokemon and the other Japanese trends that followed.
19) Your summer vacations were often synonymous with visiting your grandparents
20) Your parents, at some point, told you ‘Dark Room’ was a bad game to play. But you still loved playing it.
21) Bole mere lips, I love uncle Chips!
22) You know the song ‘Made in India’ by Alisha Chinoi
23) You have seen many many many episodes of ‘Antakshri’ on Zee TV and know the only thing constant in the show is Anu Kapoor.
24) Many evenings have been spent watching little kids gyrate vulgarly on Boogie Woogie on Sony.
25) You were the coolest thing in class if you had a computer in your house while it was still the 90s. (Unfortunatley got it in 2000s)
26) You learnt LOGO in school!
27) You couldn’t wait to start 4th/6th standard so you could start writing with PENS instead of with pencils! (Aah the magic of pens)
28) You often you terms and phrases like ‘kutti’, ‘abba’, ‘same to you, back to you, with no returns’, and ‘shame shame, puppy shame, all the donkeys know your name.’
29) You most probably saw Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge at the cinema at least once. You also fantasized singing songs in mustard fields like in the movie. (And about 50 times on TV)
30) You have seen David Dhawan and Govinda movies and laughed at them.
31) You have said ‘haw’ or ‘haw ji ki pwji’ when you saw people kissing in English movies (Wasn't so naive)
31) You have seen Titanic at least 12 times.
32) You thought seeing English movies and speaking English made you the coolest thing ever.
33) You remember the Orissa cyclone, even though you didn’t know what a cyclone was.
34) You remember the Gujarat earthquake very clearly and could possibly tell everyone EXACTLY what you were ding when the earthquake occurred.
35) Barbies for girls, and GI Joes for boys were the ultimate status symbols. You just wanted more more more and more. And how can I forget Hot Wheels, for both boys and girls? I personally have a collection of over 200 little Hot Wheels cars.
36) You have worn Osh-Kosh B’gosh and United Colours of Benetton clothes while growing up. And you thought ‘imported’ clothes were definitely way better than ‘made in India’ clothes (never mind that a lot of clothes brought from overseas by NRI relatives were actually made in India, before ‘Made in China’ started appearing on EVERY existing thing)
37) You know the words to ‘Posham Paa’, and like it better than ‘Oranges and Lemons’ even though you’d sing the latter to sound cool (see 32 above).
38) At some point or other, cool was your favourite, and therefore, most overused word.
39) Captain Planet was your first introduction to environmental consciousness.
40) You have tried to convince people around you to not burst crackers on Diwali, and then gone straight back home and burst them yourself.
41) You have had endless packets of Parle Gluco G biscuits, and of Brittania Little Hearts biscuits.
42) You loved licking off the cream from the centre of Bourbon biscuits.
43) There were no Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Puma- Bata and Liberty was the way to go for your sports shoes.
44) You have probably consumed more Frooti in your lifetime than there is oil in Iraq.
45) You watched Baywatch on Star World even though (or because) your parents said you shouldn’t watch it.
46) You bought packets of potato chips for the specific purpose of collecting Tazoa. And you had Tazos depicting everyone from Confucius to Daffy Duck to Daffy Duck dressed as Confucius.
47) For the longest time, the Maruti 800, the Premier Padmini, THE Fiat, and THE Ambassador were the only cars you saw on the road, and the Contessa was cool because it was bigger.
48) You would literally jump up in excitement if you ever chanced upon an imported car (Oh my gosh, is that really a MERCEDES?)!
49) You spent a good part of 1998 drooling over the Hyundai Santro and the Daewoo Matiz , debating which one was better.
50) You used to Fuzen gum. You also chewed Big (big) Babool and/or Boom Boom Boomer chewing gum. They were bright pink and disgusting tasting, but you loved them for the temporary tattoos.
51) Talking of temporary tattoos, you sometimes had contests with your classmates about who had more tattoos on their arm, leg, knee, hand, forehead, wherever.
52) You thought Mario and Tetris were the coolest things ever invented, especially if you were a boy.
53) You knew that having the latest Hero or Atlas bicycle would make you the coolest kid on the block.
54) You can imitate Sushmita Sen’s winning gasp to perfection.
55) You have, at some point of time, worn GAP clothes (real or fake) like SRK in KKHH. (Ironically, even after wearing almost all famous brands, havnt had a GAP yet)
56) Seemingly senseless acronyms like SRK, DDLJ, KKHH actually make sense to you.
57) You have at some point debated who was more beautiful- Aishwarya or Sushmita.
58) If you lived in Delhi, you went bowling at Essex Farms, or Go-Karting at 32nd Milestone and couldn't think how you could get any cooler than that.
59) Baskin Robbins ice-cream was THE thing to have!
60) You know what Campa Cola is. And you also knew that Coca Cola was THE drink. (I go with Pepsi)
61) When you would watch WWF keenly every evening/afternoon and really think that Undertaker had 7 lives and he made an "actual" appearance in the Akshay Kumar- starrer Khiladiyon ka Khiladi.
62) When all backpacks (or 'schoolbags') and water bottles and tiffin boxes had strange cartoon characters that were hybrid versions of seven or eight different characters, and you still bought them, because a green man wih a water pistol, boots, a jet-pack, Johnny bravo hair, a rajasthani mustache, gloves, and underwear (long johns) over his pants, called 'Mr. X' was OBVIOUSLY a status symbol.
63) You remember the Nirma tikia jingle.
64) You remember the Nirma girl.
65) You remember the 'doodh doodh' ad and also the 'roz khao andey' ads. (Still hum the Doodh Doodh ad jingle sumtimes now )
66) You grew up reading, if you read at all, some or all of Nancy Drews, Enid Blyton books, Hardy Boys, Babysitters Club, Animorphs, Goosebumps, Sweet Valley series, Judy Blumes, and Tintin, or Archie comics. Because naturally, reading foreign authors made you much coller than reading Tinkle.
67) Towards the late 90s (1998-99) at least some of us started our Harry Potter obsessions!
68) You absolutely HAD to go to Essel World if you wnet to Mumbai! "Essel World mein rahoonga main, ghar nahin nahin jaaonga main!"
69) You watched the Bournvita Quiz contest on TV pretty religiously. The smarter ones amongst you actually took part in it and had your entire school and your entire extended families watch you on it!
70) "Jungle jungle baat chali hai, pata chala hai. Chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai, phool khila!"
71) Maggi 2 Minute Noodles = ultimate snack (and tiffin, lunch, dinner)!
72) If you grew up in the early 90s, you recall the nation's obsession with Mahabharata on TV
73) In the later 90s, you religiously followed Hip Hip Hooray on Zee. Maybe Just Mohabbat on Sony too.
74) You eagerly awaited Friendship Day, so you could give friendship bands to all your friends, and get bands from them in return. Then, of course, those with the most bands loved to show them off (and on Rakhi, boys with the most Rakhis loved showing those off too!)

AND

75) This list made you smile.

I am sorry for lifting the list just like that but there was no mention of any one. This is the link for the facebook group. Join it, if you like the description!! :) Text in this colour and in brackets after the points is my two bits

NUMBER ONE: THE HOLY BIBLE (August 29, 1994)
Favorite tracks: Die in the Summertime; Mausoleum; Archives of Pain; Of Walking Abortion; Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedaysit'sworldwouldfallapart; Revol; Faster

As I finally sit down to write my thoughts about The Holy Bible, I feel more than intimidated. It's not just that this is my favorite Manics album. It is that The Holy Bible is possibly one of the finest rock albums ever recorded, and I do not write that statement lightly.

When I first became a Manic Street Preachers fan, I began to hear tales of The Holy Bible, how it was the one Manics album every person should own, how it put all their other albums to shame, and how brutal of an album it was. When the album was finally released in the United States in the form of the 10th Anniversary Edition, I greedily snatched up a copy at my local shop and listened to it with much anticipation. And as it turns out, everything I had heard about the album was true. It was vicious. It was unapologetic. And it was absolutely brilliant.

The task falls to me now to describe to you why I and so many others hold this record in such high esteem. More than anything, this is one of those rare records where, even though each individual song is fantastic, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Thematically, this record stays on course, with each song leading seamlessly into the next so that the listener, once absorbed into the opening track, never becomes distracted from the message until they are spit out at the other end of the record, wondering what just happened. It is also a record where the music absolutely matches the lyrics, word for word, note for note. The lyrical content of this album is so intelligent and unabashed, equal parts poetry and stream of consciousness. James Dean Bradfield's attempts to match his guitar playing to Richey James's incredible words yields some of the most incredible, impressive music and singing I've ever heard. And speaking of the lyrical content, between the message and the music of this album, the Manics managed to create a piece of art that encapsulates rock music to its core: rebellious, accusatory, and fierce. You can't listen to this album without cranking it up and feeling both empowered and scared to death of what the future holds.

The Holy Bible has so many amazing tracks on it, and there's no way I can talk about each one. The only one I rarely listen to is The Intense Humming of Evil, mostly because it disturbs me so much to listen to the news reporter at the beginning of it speaking about the Nuremberg Trials. But the rest of the album is one I listen to as a whole. Bear with me while I mention a few of my favorite moments, accompanied by Richey's words.

Scratch my leg with a rusty nail, sadly it heals
Colour my hair but the dye grows out
I can't seem to stay a fixed ideal

The hole in my life even stains the soil
My heart shrinks to barely a pulse
A tiny animal curled into a quarter circle
If you really care wash the feet of a beggar

Die in the Summertime is probably my favorite song on the entire record, and I've posted its lyrics in their entirety on my blog before. Nearly three-fourths of the lyrics on the album were written by Richey Edwards (with the other quarter coming from Nicky Wire) only a short time before his disappearance, and when I listen to the lyrics of Die in the Summertime, I feel his desperation and frustration with the world's hypocrisy. I don't think it's just living in Phoenix, where summer temperatures easily top 115 degrees, that makes me love this song. Any time I'm feeling frustration and despair, I can listen to it, and I feel understood for a few moments.

Humanity recovered glittering etiquette
Answers her crime with mausoleum rent

Oh, Mausoleum. Such a powerful little song, packed with brutal guitars and a nasty groove. I've listened to it countless times, and I still can't make out many of the lyrics without looking at the lyrics sheet. A perfect example of James managing to squeeze Richey's urgent lyrics into a space so tiny, I'm not sure when he has time to breathe. Also, one of the few songs I like on the album nearly more for it's music than for its lyrics.

I know I believe in nothing but it is my nothing

The only song from The Holy Bible to make it onto the Greatest Hits collection, Faster was my least favorite song for a long time. But as it were, I would often listen to The Holy Bible on my commute, and always by the time I was arriving home in the afternoon, Faster would come on. And something about listening to that song after a long day of being screwed over and disrespected and overworked was so stunningly refreshing. Richey's bold proclamations seemed to indicate that he was simply misunderstood, that he was far more intelligent than even the most respected scholars, and that he should damn well lament and celebrate life in his own way, according to his own standards. By the time I was pulling into the drive, I would be screaming along with James: So damn easy to cave in, Man kills everything.

Honestly, I could go on and on, quoting brilliant lines from this album and saying what they mean to me. The Holy Bible leaves no important issue ignored. Ifwhiteamerica and its invectives against racism fire me up every time, whereas 4st 7lb simply makes me sad as I listen to lyrics that document Richey's own battle with anorexia. Yes talks about the complicated world of prostitutes and pimps, and Of Walking Abortion speaks to the hopelessness and insecurity that often comes with being a man. Clearly this is not your average rock record.

The last thing I will say about The Holy Bible is that it is an extremely intelligent piece of work that exposes humanity's flaws while expressing both outrage and shameless despair on a personal, individual level. The Holy Bible is so filled with famous quotations and literary allusions, one could spend hours tracking them all down in an attempt to better understand what the Manics were going through and what Richey was feeling when this powerful album was recorded for posterity. It is a record that rages against all of the injustices in the world, and yet acknowledges how it feels to be one of the few people who is outraged enough to say something. While it can be empowering to stand up and fight, it can also be lonely, debilitating, and hopeless. Somehow in the music, the Manic Street Preachers managed to capture all of that and condense it into an amazing work of art, and there can be no doubt as to why many critics consider it to be one of the most important, heaviest records ever made. Like its namesake, The Holy Bible is filled with eternal truths and reflections on the human experience. I have a feeling that it will remain the magnum opus of the Manic Street Preachers for a very long time.

I first saw the film "All Over Me" when I was 15, and though I wouldn't say it is my favorite movie of all time, it is most definitely the one that has had the greatest impact on me as a person.

For those of you that haven't seen it ( and I know all you radical fags and fagettes have), All Over Me tells the story of Claude, a butch-ish 15 year old girl struggling with her queer identity, and her straight best friend Ellen, who is falling into a black hole of drugs and abusive relationships. Claude, of course, is secretly in love with Ellen, and the two navigate this complicated relationship against the backdrop of Hell's Kitchen, a very bad neighborhood in NYC. There world and relationship is changed forever when they become involved in the murder of a local queer musician.

There is a lot of drama and crying and awkwardness of course, but that is not really what mattered to me when I was fifteen. Luckily, I had great parents and was very well adjusted and okay with my queerness. Very little drama involved. So, it wasn't the queer storyline  that really changed something inside of me.

What changed me forever was the musical exposure that I was given by All Over Me. It was how I discovered Helium, Sleater-Kinney, Geraldine Fibbers, Babes in Toyland, The Amps, and The Murmurs. Finding these bands started me thinking about feminism, politics, queer theory and modern art. They gave me the nudge I needed to discover other bands like Team Dresch and Bratmobile. Basically, the soundtrack to this movie helped me to become a pretty fucking awesome, smart, and confident queer teen. I know that who I am today is the result of a clear trajectory started my queer/feminist/altenative rock music of the mid-nineties.

Here is and idea I had today but will most likely by apethetic about following through on:

ALL OVER ME soundtrack tribute/cover night!

Four bands each cover 3-4 songs off the soundtrack and all the proceeds go to SMYRC (a portland queer youth non-profit). Of course my band Swallows would play. Local lesbo heartthrobs and 90's rock lover's Sick Sick Sister would certainly be invited as well... who else?

I feel like a ton of other queer people my age had a similiar experience with this film, so the night would be bound to succeed, especially here in Portland.

If it actually happens, I totally claim the song "Dragon Lady" by The Geraldine Fibbers. Here is the video:

I would love to see Sick Sick Sister perform "Hello" by Babes in Toyland:

If you have any memories of All Over Me I would love to here about them in the comments....

Garth Brooks - Friends in Low Places - 1990
M.C. Hammer - U Can't Touch This - 1990
R.E.M. - Losing My Religion - 1991
Bonnie Raitt - Something to Talk About  - 1991
BeBe& CeCe Winans - Addictive Love - 1991
Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart - 1992
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You - 1992
*Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit - 1992 (top song of the decade)
Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do - 1994
Boyz II Men/Mariah Carey - One Sweet Day - 1996
Eric Clapton  - Change the World - 1996
Elton John - Candle in the Wind - 1997
R. Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly - 1997
Will Smith - Men in Black - 1997
Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On - 1998
Dixie Chicks - Wide Open Spaces - 1998
Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing) - 1998
Shania Twain - You're Still the One - 1998
Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills - 1999
Faith Hill - This Kiss - 1999
Tim McGraw - Please Remember Me - 1999
Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Loca - 1999
Santana/Rob Thomas - Smooth - 1999
TLC - No Scrubs - 1999

Here's the top song of the decade:

Enjoy!

I am talking about the lyrics for the song Zoo Babylon - Spaceman.

I haven't heard this song in many years but I will never forget the chorus. Not because of the lovely melody or the music video. It is the lyrics! After all these years, I still can't decide wheither the lyrics are the ravings of another deranged hermit or if they are missunderstood poetry.

It is mostly the chorus that interests me. It basically goes "Spaceman, i've always wanted you to go into space, man!" It feels like something a squirrel high on something green would say. If you listen to the rest of the lyrics, you will just be more confused. Personally, I like it! Click Here for a direct link to the lyrics.

Drift s'ouvre sur un au revoir.
ça commence bien.

Se méfier de ce qu'il se passe à 2mn58 de All his stupid Friends.
Parler alors du son de la guitare
des lignes tissées par de subtiles cordes
Ne pas réussir à vous raconter l'histoire du gars. Peter Milton Walsh. Australie.
Prendre une bière avec lui.

On en reparle.
C'est en progrès.

the goodbye train.mp3

Lien rapidshare

itunes