Textually Transmitted Diseases

NFL WEEK 9 PICKS

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:14:40 GMT

Selected picks for games that matter:

Houston Texans v. Indianapolis Colts: Crucial AFC South matchup that the Colts will win, but with all the injuries they've had, and the creaks starting to show against the 49ers last week, it's all gonna be on Peyton Manning's shoulders once again. Eventually it's going to take its toll.

Miami Dolphins v. New England Patriots: It may be a fool's errand to bet against the Pats at Foxboro, but, er, the Phins already got the duke on Tom Brady once this season. Can they do it again? Miami may only be 3-4... but those 3 wins were in the division, giving them the best AFC East divisional record. HMM.

Baltimore Ravens v. Cincinatti Bengals: Any way they can BOTH lose? ... No? ...

San Diego Chargers v. New York Giants: Ironic given the history here. Both have also been kinda sorta underachieving this season. Think the rot stops for the Giants here tho.

Dallas Cowboys v. Philadelphia Eagles: HA HA. Picked on principle. Screw the Cowboys.

Pittsburgh Steelers v. Denver Broncos: Well who did you THINK I was gonna pick!?! Should be a great Monday Night matchup either way.

Sound + Vision

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:00:27 GMT

Good morning.

FORT HOOD

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:53:56 GMT

Just a quick note: Sgt. James Wessel, my brother, sgtwessel, stationed at Fort Hood, is *OKAY*.

V

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:52:53 GMT

Yeah, this really coulda been better. Good litmus test: Liam Wessel, age 5, wasn't scared one bit. In 1983, Geoffrey Wessel, age 9 or 10, was scared shitless.

* It's kind of a more organic design than the old series, but dammit, I *liked* the old Visitor saucers. It was a pretty iconic design, really. Come to think of it, the Visitors' old CLOTHING was more iconic, even down to the thinly-disguised swastika. Now we have earth-tone quasi-business-wear. Uh?

* Of course we see the Visitor ship hitting New York first, because that's where EVERYTHING important happens! Oh, wait, no, as I recall the first Visitor ship we saw in the original series was at some banana republic in the midst of an uprising, before cutting to London, Paris, Moscow, LA, Chicago.... bleagh. There is more to this country than New York and LA, assholes.

* The characters, well, no real clear analogues to the original series, unlike, say, BSG, where they kept the same names, more or less. So is FBI Woman supposed to be Marc Singer, or is Dude From PARTY OF FIVE Acting Like Bill O'Reilly?

* Oh come ON. Really really contrived way of revealing the Lizardness of the Visitors. And then we don't even get the full effect! Least olden days, we got to see a Visitor swallow a live rat whole before getting his ENTIRE face ripped off. Here we barely got a look. Pff. That's how you HOOK someone! You think LOST would have been the hit it was if wacky shit didn't happen right when the plane crashed?! Or if the "Blackout" in FLASHFORWARD happened in Episode 3?

* The most annoying part of all this: the show can't decide which side of batshittery it's on. Are these the evil Lizardmen that David Icke talks about, start illegal wars and messing up the human race in general, or are they the version of left-wingers that idiots like Glenn Beck go on about all day ad nauseum with, you know, no proof at all. "Universal Health Care!" THOSE FIENDS! Of course, the fact I've noticed at LEAST one former actor from 24 kinda gives me a hint WHICH side their on.

* Worse still, original series creator Kenneth Johnson? Seems to be behind the wheel of THIS one too. Hmm. Wonder why all the changes that, like, diluted the impact of the original series then? Of course, this was the man who tried to convince Stan Lee to make the Lou-Ferrigno-Hulk red on TV. Gosh, I wonder why Marvel never did a Red Hulk? Oh, wait...

I might watch next weeks, tho I'm guessing we're going to see it's really wingnut paranoia behind the show if that trailer's any indication: you know, immigration, and all that. Lou Dobbs might tune in, but even then he'd probably say it was Mexicans who were the bigger threat than alien Lizardmen.

NFL WEEK 8 PICKS -- NOT THIS WEEK

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:25:46 GMT

Yeah I know, big surprise. FInding less time to do these this year.

And besides, the Steelers are off this week anyway.

Happy Halloween

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:12:07 GMT

A tale of 2 Cthulhus!

For the kids:

And for the grown-ups, told in music video form:

Happy Halloween

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:59:04 GMT

White on white, translucent black capes...

Happy Halloween

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:57:27 GMT

Quick! What's another name for Halloween??

Happy Halloween

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:31:40 GMT

UK Broadcast: November 15, 2009
US Broadcast: December 19, 2009

Happy Halloween

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:04:50 GMT

Good morning, my little fleshbombs.

NFL WEEK 7 PICKS -- NOT THIS WEEK

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:47:37 GMT

Hey gang, ran out of time to do picks again this week. Of course, there are also TWO good games this week anyway (maybe 3. 4 if you squint hard enough)

So, yeah, sorry. I know you're all disappointed ;-)

Good morning....

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:31:36 GMT

I've not had a cigarette for 60+ days.

Here's a classic house track for your day.

International Paul Raven Day - "Watch Yourself"

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:20:27 GMT

2007 brought what Al Jourgensen claimed was Ministry's final studio album, THE LAST SUCKER. This would also be the last studio recording of any kind that Raven would complete.

Paul Vincent Raven died in his sleep of a heart attack on 10/20/07 in Geneva Switzerland, while recording with another band, Treponem Pal (2008's WEIRD MACHINE), and working on the debut album with still another, HOLY CITY ZOO by Mob Research. The Mob Research album was eventually released in 2009 as well. As you can tell, yes, I still miss Raven, as do many many others.

Also worth noting: today is also Bela Lugosi's birthday, and the 20th anniversary of the release of Nine Inch Nails' debut album, PRETTY HATE MACHINE, an album which surely was influenced by Killing Joke + Ministry. Weird synchronicities.

Thanks for putting up with this. Enjoy this final track, co-written by Raven and Al Jourgensen. Good night.

International Paul Raven Day - "Lieslieslies"

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:56:09 GMT

Raven once again departed from Killing Joke, and once again fell in with a classic cult band, the almighty MINISTRY. Ironically, he would also be reunited with Tommy Victor, the former Prong frontman.

Coming in for the album RIO GRANDE BLOOD, the second of Al Jourgensen's trilogy of anti-Bush albums, this particular song was nominated for a Best Metal Performance Grammy in 2007, but alas, did not win.

Last one next post. I swear.

International Paul Raven Day - "Hosannas From The Basements of Hell"

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:41:29 GMT

The title track from Killing Joke's 2006 release; it would also be the last Killing Joke album Raven would play on.

Explanation of the title from Wikipedia: "The album title refers to the location of the album recording. The bandrecorded the album in a dark basement studio in the Czech Republic.
They also used recording equipment from the late 1970s to achieve the dark, brooding atmosphere of the album." The song itself appears to be about the process of creating a KJ song -- they even namecheck themselves.

And yeah, the video's a bit ridiculous, but, still, good song.

The wrap-up is next.

International Paul Raven Day - "Pssyche"

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:13:32 GMT

As I said last post, after leaving Prong, Raven sort of drifted a while between different projects, including an abortive tour with Godflesh in 2002 that never actually happened due to Justin Broadrick having a nervous breakdown. So any guesses where Raven next ended up? ...

Did you say, KILLING JOKE?

Raven returned to the familiar confines once more in 2003, to play on the band's only self-titled release (one which would feature Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl on drums, penance for Nirvana lifting the bass line from "Eighties" for "Come As You Are" one assumes).

In 2005, the band's 25th anniversary, Killing Joke went on its "XXV Gathering" tour, which was commited to DVD. Here's one of the best tracks from that, "Pssyche," with Raven on vocals. Yes, it's spelled that way.

International Paul Raven Day - "Rude Awakening"

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:59:01 GMT

Title track to Prong's 1996 release, and the last Prong album Raven played on.

Prong itself continued for a while after this, whereas Raven drifted for a little bit between projects, including an abortive stint in Godflesh, who disbanded before the tour Raven was due to play on happened.

But eventually he'd be back on familiar ground...

International Paul Raven Day - "Whose Fist Is This Anyway?"

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:48:23 GMT

Another Prong track. Admit it, it's one of The Most Metal Song Titles ever.

International Paul Raven Day - "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck"

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:35:44 GMT

Come 1994, and once again Paul Raven is a replacement bass player for a band with an existing cult following: the great metal band Prong. The group had made a breakthrough with "Prove You Wrong" a couple of years before, but this here was the first video by the group to really hit the mainstream. If nothing else, it's a song you'll hear on "alternative" radio, occassionally. Touring with the white hot White Zombie didn't hurt much either.

International Paul Raven Day - "Murder Inc."

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:25:36 GMT

[(Killing Joke) - (Jaz Coleman)] + (Chris Connelley) = MURDER INC.

The 1990 version of Killing Joke left behind Jaz Coleman, and replaced him on vocals with who was the hottest vocalist in industrial music at the time, Chris Connelley (Ministry, Pigface, Finitribe, Revolting Cocks). Sadly this, too, would only last one album. Raven would join Connelley in Pigface for a bit, whereas the rest would go back to Killing Joke, with Jaz Coleman. (Apologies for the video quality, but ONLY instance of this video I can find!)

"Just remember one thing: we've come to fuck you over"

International Paul Raven Day - "Money Is Not Our God"

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:10:22 GMT

Killing Joke split up for a bit, then returned in 1990.

This was their single off the resultant album EXTREMITIES, DIRT, AND VARIOUS REPRESSED EMOTIONS (also the one tour I actually got to see KJ on, boo hoo).

This lineup would only last this album, but more on that later....

International Paul Raven Day - "Night Time"

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:58:02 GMT

Filmed live for something somewhere, and truthfully probably the best version of this song I've ever heard.

International Paul Raven Day - "Love Like Blood"

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:51:32 GMT

"Until the fearless come, and the act is done..."

International Paul Raven Day - "Eighties"

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:43:31 GMT

Version from an appearance on The Tube, since embedding's disabled on the actual music video, of course. Younger viewers may recognize Raven's bass line in this song. Ahem.

International Paul Raven Day - "Warance"

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:35:20 GMT

Filmed live at the Brixton Ace, 1982.