Solos en la Selva

Someone Tell Obama

2009-01-13T09:01:00.000-08:00

Karl Denninger over at The Market Ticker came out with some dismal, diarrhea inducing, get on your knees and pray to big baby Jesus predictions of what is in store for the economy in 2009- and now he has written a simple, back of the napkin plan for what President-elect Obama should do with the second half of the bailout monies.

Read about it here:

http://www.someonetellobama.com/

It's worth a damn shot.

Song of the Day: Kanye West - Flashing Lights

2009-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Not a big fan of Kanye West, but this song from his album Graduation is off the hook.

I first heard it during the pre-game intro of the Warriors-Rockets game, the Warrior Girls in short shorts, white knee length boots stomping to the beat. I didn't find out the song title until I heard it again in a Nip Tuck promo and used The Google to hunt it down. Great production, but an epic track like this is better off as an instrumental or better yet, paired up with lyrics from a master wordsmith like Nas, the Mobb Deep guys or someone from Wu-Tang. If anyone finds an instrumental only version, hit me up.

The song reminds me of the title credits to the serial samurai dramas that air Saturday nights on KTSF. Check them out!

Song of the Day: Bruce Springsteen - The Wrestler

2008-12-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

As The Wrestler cuts to credits, this nice ballad by Bruce Springsteen begins playing, a bookend to an unexpectedly emotional story...

Song of the Day: Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby

2008-12-25T14:24:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. to perhaps one of the best ladies to play Catwoman...

Never Tell Me the Odds!

2008-12-22T02:18:00.000-08:00

C-3PO: Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1.

Han Solo: Never tell me the odds!

Roger Farmer, an economist with the NBER said that the odds of the US entering a depression within the next 3 years is 50%. The NBER is the organization charged with the task of "officially" declaring recessions, and a few weeks ago they said they would not declare a depression. While one out of several hundred members of the NBER is speaking out, it is not indicative of any trends within the organization. However, Roger Farmer joins a growing chorus of experts who are warning us about the risk of the year-long recession turning into a depression...

Chorus (listed in no particular order):
Bernard Connoly
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Miguel Ángel Fernández Ordóñez
Karl Denninger
Jim Rogers
George Soros
Robert Reich
Marc Faber
Peter Schiff
Ron Paul

On that somber note, I would like to wish my friends and small band of loyal readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

If you can, donate to your local food bank, give away old clothes, and give some of your time or money to charities that help the homeless and/or the working poor. If you have generous relatives, ask them to give you cash this Christmas, you may need it some day.

See you next year.

Song of the Day: The Vapours - Turning Japanese

2008-12-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

Dedicated to Ben "Helicopter Ben" Bernanke and all the other motherfuckers at the helm as the American and World economies imploded.

Recommended reading:

The Market Ticker - Welcome to ZIRP
Calculated Risk - Fed Funds Rate from ZERO to 0.25%
Paul Krugman: The Conscience of a Liberal - ZIRP!
Robert Reich's Blog - And Now Deflation

Song of the Day: The Pretenders - Back on the Chain Gang + Selena - Fotos y Recuerdos

2008-12-15T09:01:00.000-08:00

Me (thinking): Wtf are they doing playing Selena here?

(turn to classmate)

Me: Hey that's a Selena song...

Classmate: Who's that?

Me: blah, blah, blah.

Classmate: Nah man, it's The Smiths.

So I was at Dave's last Wednesday night, having some celebratory pints with a friend after a long and punishing semester. Suddenly "Back on the Chain Gang," by The Pretenders played on the jukebox. At first I thought it was "Fotos y Recuerdos," the classic Selena song from many moons ago, and thought it was weird that the white ladies at the corner of the bar would be listening to it, but this is San Francisco afterall and white people don't really surprise me anymore. I didn't notice until halfway into the song that the lyrics were being sung in English... Never heard the original, since it was released the year I was born, haha.

The Pretenders - Back on the Chain Gang

Selena y Los Dinos - Fotos y Recuerdos

Song of the Day: Hall & Oates - Alan Colmes Tribute

2008-12-14T05:13:00.000-08:00

Song made my week, it just gets better every time you hear it!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Hall & Oates Pay Tribute to Alan Colmes

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Anytime you need a token liberal
Nothin' but a body to fill a chair
The barest shadow of a person
Alan Colmes is always there.
But all those years of non-existence
Can really run a person down.
Now he's leaving Hannity forever
Alan, please don't go!
You're the only non-douchebag on that show
He's gone. Bye bye,
Oh why
He was the Tango to his cash
And he's gone.
Oh why
To the extent
That I hadn't noticed he was there
But he's gone.
Oh why
What went wrong?
He's gone. Bye bye
Oh why?
He was the Laurel to his Hardy
He's gone
To spend
More time
Not being seen with his family
He's gone
What went wrong?

The Illusion of Understanding the World...

2008-12-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

Saw this linked to on Calculated Risk. Charlie Rose had Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the Lebanese mathematician, hedge fund advisor, and author of "The Black Swan," a book about highly improbable events. Very interesting interview, he takes Bernanke, Greenspan, and other economists to task for being monumentally wrong in their understanding of the world and the risks taken by the banks. Taleb also postulates that there will be a new capitalism taking form as a result of this crisis.

Watch the interview here.

CHARLIE ROSE: Now, why are you so on Bernanke’s case?

NASSIM NICHOLAS TALEB: Not him. It’s just this class of people who are into economics give and have this illusion, provide us with all these analytics, the illusion of understanding the world. And that I find it very dangerous, because the economic establishment -- and I showed them my book -- as a class, all right, as a class, has been extremely incompetent in history. It is like medieval medicine. Medieval doctors killed more patients than they saved.

And the same thing happened -- they can’t predict better than cab drivers. And they increase the risk.

And I blame this crisis on economists, on financial economists, particularly because they introduced risk metrics, measurements of risk that were extremely faulty. They ignored black swans. It is like you give a pilot a measurement of his risk...

Eerily Prescient...

2008-12-06T23:59:00.000-08:00

Being the super nerd that I am, I spent my Saturday night ~~masturbating and~~ reading John K. Galbraith's classic work - The Great Crash of 1929.

In the foreword for the 1997 edition of the book, Galbraith wrote the following:

"There would also be, we may be certain, the traditional reassuring words from Washington. Always when markets are in trouble, the phrases are the same: 'the economic situation is fundamentally sound' or simply 'the fundamentals are good.' All who hear these words should know that something is wrong."

Doesn't that remind you of a certain presidential candidate? Btw, I'm reading the book because I have to do a 10 minute presentation on the Glass Steagall Act of 1933, its repeal in the 90s and how if the law had been left on the books we could have avoided the Great Crash of 2008.

*photo taken by Flickr user hfabulous

Song of the Day: The Beatles - You Know My Name(Look Up The Number)

2008-11-25T09:01:00.000-08:00

Silly song, but it has a special place in my heart... remember the good old days, when you could look up random people on the phone book and prank call them. This activity filled many summer days in my youth full of fun. Angry, cursing adults, making threats, ah, good times.
The fun ended with Caller ID :(

You know my name, look up the number.

Wherefore By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

2008-11-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

I was watching President elect Obama's press conference this morning and something he said caught my attention.

"My administration will honor the public commitments made by this administration..."

Woh there, hold your horses Change Man! Are you sure you want to give the pigmen such a wide opening? Bernanke admitted he fucked up in a recent interview with the New Yorker magazine, and yet you trust him enough to honor his public commitments? What if he is wrong, again? Or how about the current Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson? A man who knowingly lied to Congress, on the eve of their vote on the bailout bill, as to how he would use the money. We know you have an inside man (i.e. NY Fed President Geithner) and are privy to plans cooked up by the same economic "wizards" that lacked the foresight to see what was plainly obvious - that our service economy, inflated by a highly speculative housing and derivatives bubble was on the precipice and in for a hard fall.

Now comes word that Paulson might spend the other half of the 700 billion dollars in bailout money. Not that long ago Paulson said he would not use that money, after getting a lot of flak for giving it to the banks, who then either sat on the money or used it to buy smaller, regional banks. The Federal Reserve is out of "bullets" and Obama, if he isn't already aware, will be in for a big surprise in Janaury.

So what can the President elect do? Stop Paulson and company from spending the rest of the bailout funds! Otherwise, he will be eating the words he uttered on this day. I am awfully pessimistic these days, but I smell a painfully hilarious Daily Show clip coming in Feb, 09, but that's just me.

Song of the Day: Fontella Bass - Rescue Me

2008-11-24T00:01:00.001-08:00

Dedicated to Citigroup CEO Vikram "Bandit" and his crew of fat and sassy pigmen, who have been on bended knee all weekend singing this song to the Feds... read about the federal government's second attempt at bailing out Citigroup. Why do I get the feeling they will be back, hat in hand asking for more money in '09? Let the plundering of the Treasury and Fed Reserve continue!

Back to the music, addicting bassline + Fontella Bass' voice = delightful!

Rescue me! Come on and take my troubled assets.
Take your cash and conquer every part.
Cause i'm broke and i'm blue,
I need you and your cash too!
Come on and rescue me!
Come on baby and rescue me!

Are You Smarter Than an Elected Official?

2008-11-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

Take the test in good faith - that means no cheating, no looking for answers in Wikipedia! Not to brag, but here's my score -

"You answered 29 out of 33 correctly — 87.88 %
Average score for this quiz during November: 77.8%
Average score: 77.8%"

Would an encyclopedic knowledge of American history make me an effective leader? Hardly. But some general knowledge of history, common sense, and charisma will go a long way for any politician and help prevent repeating the mistakes of the past. All qualities sorely lacked by the current President. 57 days to go!

US officials flunk test of American history, economics, civics
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US elected officials scored abysmally on a test measuring their civic knowledge, with an average grade of just 44 percent, the group that organized the exam said Thursday.

Ordinary citizens did not fare much better, scoring just 49 percent correct on the 33 exam questions compiled by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI).

"It is disturbing enough that the general public failed ISI's civic literacy test, but when you consider the even more dismal scores of elected officials, you have to be concerned," said Josiah Bunting, chairman of the National Civic Literacy Board at ISI.

"How can political leaders make informed decisions if they don't understand the American experience?" he added.

Song of the Day: Happy Days Are Here Again - performed by Jack Hylton & Orchestra

2008-11-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

My boy Karl Denninger over at the Market Ticker has some stomach churning data on the economy... read it and weep. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

In light of this depressing news, here's some lighter fare that was extremely popular during the last Depression...

Song of the Day: Blackalicious - Make You Feel That Way

2008-11-17T21:01:00.000-08:00

Making music that'll bump for a thousand years...

Song of the Day: Nujabes - Sky is Falling (feat. CL Smooth)

2008-11-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

I had to walk through hell just to get to heaven
my weapon's a microphone, laced with a high track
knock it back, this is real hip hop, Jack

Song of the Day: Stereolab - Cybele's Reverie

2008-11-11T09:01:00.001-08:00

These guys kicked ass at The Fillmore when they were in the city last month and almost closed their set with this song, before they came back out for an encore. Some synthesizer goodness beginning at the 1:37 mark.

Che bella canzone.

Song of the Day: Al Green - Call Me (Come Back Home)

2008-11-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

It's all in a day's work, call me.

Song of the Day: Wilco - California Stars (lyrics by Woodie Guthrie)

2008-11-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

This image of Racetrack Playa in Death Valley at night was taken by Dan Duriscoe,
for the U.S. National Park Service.

Lately this lovely song has been on heavy rotation on Winamp.

[Note: I refuse to buy an Ipod - stop polluting the planet with a crappy plastic and metal encased product that stops working after a couple years - or use iTunes, a horrible piece of bloatware everyone seems to love. calm down, deep breath, end rant.]

My cousin died earlier this year. He really loved music and Wilco was one of his favorite bands. After he died, I went mad downloading music by his favorite bands and musicians, and bought the CDs I couldn't find online. While putting together a slideshow of his pictures set to music, I considered using California Stars, but decided not to use it - didn't want to make anyone cry - and settled on some Beatles and Nick Drake.

California Stars first debuted on Mermaid Avenue, a collaboration between Billy Bragg and Wilco, who arranged music to the lyrics of unreleased songs written by Woodie Guthrie. It's amazing that the lyrics to this song and the rest on the album may have never been performed had it not been for the efforts of Guthrie's daughter Norma, Bragg and Wilco. Click here to read about how the project came together.

Play this song at my wedding or funeral, whichever comes sooner ;)

I’d like to rest my heavy head tonight
On a bed of California stars
I’d like to lay my weary bones tonight
On a bed of California stars
I’d love to feel your hand touching mine
And tell me why i must keep working on
Yes, I’d give my life to lay my head tonight
On a bed of California stars

I’d like to dream my troubles all away
On a bed of California stars
Jump up from my starbed and make another day
Underneath my California stars
They hang like grapes on vines that shine
And warm the lovers glass like friendly wine
So, I’d give this world just to dream a dream with you
On our bed of California stars

Song of the Day: Nujabes - World End Rhapsody

2008-11-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

From the album, Modal Soul.

WOW --- Gov. Palin is Dumber than a Fifth Grader!!!

2008-11-06T01:44:00.001-08:00

I think reports or suggestions that Palin may run for President in 2012 or 2016 are highly optimistic, considering all the magnificent campaign tidbits that are surfacing the day after election day.

Remember Sarah Palin's disastrous interview with CBS News Anchor Katie Couric, on September 25, 2008? According to Fox News reporter Shepard Smith, the day after the fateful interview, Obama's poll numbers rose and kept rising all the way through to election day. Don't forget that an anonymous McCain campaign staffer referred to Gov. Palin as a "whack job," this was with a week to go before election day. What's more is this devastating piece from Fox News - you just have to see it to believe it!

Furthermore, Newsweek is reporting that Palin spent more than $150,000 in clothing and fancy accessories for her and her family. Here is the money quote:

An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.

PWNED!!! Wasilla hillbillies!

Thanks to everyone that voted to keep these kleptocrats out of office!!!

Songs of the Day: Steam - Na na na, hey hey, kiss (her) Goodbye & Sound of Music - So long, farewell

2008-11-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

While watching McCain's concession speech, I couldn't help but notice the forlorn look on Gov. Sarah Palin's face. Her 15 minutes of fame were up. How will she remain relevant and in the national spotlight for the next 4 years if she's all the way in Alaska? She can't. A campaign in 2012 seems beyond reach, poll numbers show that even the Republican party faithful think she's not ready to be Commander in Chief.

But I hope she runs. If she does, she could tear apart of what's left of the Republican Party. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt "Mittens" Romney is angling for a run in 2012, but my money (if I were to make a wager) is on former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. The guy's a religious nut, but at least he seems like a fairly decent guy and he has a platform that may keep him in the national spotlight - a talk show on Fox News.

Governor Palin, I bid you adieu.

Words and phrases I don't want to hear for another year: Don'tcha know, Wasilla Main Street, Joe the Plumber, Barack the Redistributor, Socialist, Hockey mom.

Yes We Can Heal This Nation

2008-11-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Go vote and make it happen.

This video is one of my absolute favorites - it combines President Barack Obama's soaring rhetoric with some powerful brass, building into a crescendo, presaging perhaps the dawn of a new era. With the global economy gripped in the jaws of a terrible recession, hurting from a massive fraud perpetrated by the bankers and Wall Street, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make things right.

President Obama's campaign was different. Stung by Governor Howard Dean's meteoric rise and fall, and Senator John Kerry's defeat in the 2004 general election, I was skeptical at first about the junior Senator from Illinois. Could he win? What about his "lack" of experience? These doubts faded away after I read this article by Al Giordano. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do, only then can you begin to understand how and why Barack Obama won. Four days after his victory speech in South Carolina, I (like millions of others) made the first of many small donations to the campaign.

Enjoy this victory of reason over fear, but do not rest on your laurels. The fight to reclaim America has just begun. Do we remain a republic or do we continue our long descent and become a banana republic? What kind of country do you want future generations of Americans to inherit? Keep Congress and President Obama on their toes, remind them who they work for. No more bailouts for Wall Street!

Yes we can heal this nation
Yes we can seize our future
And as we leave this great state...
With a new wind in our backs
And we take this journey across this great country
A country we love
With a message we've carried from the plains of Iowa, to the hills of New Hampshire
From the Nevada desert to the South Carolina coast
The same message we had, when we were up and when we were down
That out of many, we are one
That while we breathe, we will hope
And where we are met with cynicism and doubt
and fear and those who tell us that we can't
We will respond with that timeless creed
that sums up the spirit of the American people
In three simple words
Yes we can

- President Barack Obama,
in South Carolina, January 26, 2008.
(background music: John Williams - Planet Krypton)

Song of the Day: The Beatles - You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

2008-09-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Gather 'round all you clowns...

Here I stand head in hand
Turn my face to the wall
If she's gone I can't go on
Feeling two foot small
Everywhere people stare
each and every day
I can see them laugh at me
And I hear them say

Hey you've got to hide your love away
Hey you've got to hide your love away

How can I even try?
I can never win
Hearing them, seeing them
In the state I'm in
How could she say to me
"Love will find a way?"
Gather round all you clowns
Let me hear you say

Hey you've got to hide your love away
Hey you've got to hide your love away

Why?

2008-09-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Musica Gratis: Stereolab - Chemical Chords (Japan Import)

2008-09-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Kept this one in shrink wrapping for weeks and figured this weekend was as good as any to tear it open and have a listen. The Japanese release of Chemical Chords includes three bonus tracks no available in the US release - (The Nth Degree, Magne-Music, and Spool of Collusion).

Overall Chemical Chords is a good album and I hope you will like it too. Here are my favorite tracks:

1. Neon Beanbag - This syrupy little ditty, totally reminds me of Mr. Humphries from the britcom "Are You Being Served?"

7. Silver Sands - The french horn reminds me of fox hunting and women taking off their stockings for some reason. Two completely random, unrelated thoughts. What gives?

14 Vortical Phonotheque - this is what you might get if you crossbred the Beatles and french dynamic duo Air. I can picture Ringo on the drums giving the back beat, Paul on the harpsichord, John and George on the guitars and the Air dudes on vocals and the synthesizer.

15. The Nth Degree - Upbeat bass, danceable and dying for a remix by a dj. This was one of the three bonus tracks I mentioned earlier.

Download CD here.

Song of the Day: The Beatles - And I Love Her

2008-09-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise when I first heard this song. I thought wait a minute, I've heard this song before...

Enjoy this throwback from simpler times.

Everybody Panic!!! (100th Post)

2008-09-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

The handwritten note says: "ATM is out of money." This morning at 11:20AM at the Embarcadero Center.

... just kidding. Isn't the 1 Trillion dollar bailout a bit excessive? On top of that, some economists believe the Iraq War will end up costing the American taxpayers around 3 Trillion dollars. Seems as though Congress had no better alternative. I only wish Milton Friedman were still alive to see the death of the free market myth. RIP.

Ps. Yay, 100 posts!

Song of the Day: Royksopp - Eple

2008-09-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

To the anonymous and beautiful ladies I see thundering down (heels stomping the pavement, clack! clack! clack!) Kearny Street every day, thank you.

Thank you for giving me a stiffy every now and then, and reminding me that I still have a pulse.

That is all.

;)

Song of the Day: Little Richard - Tutti Frutti

2008-09-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Yawn. Fuck 9/11. Get over it people.

Seven goddamn years and Osama been hidin'.

My 92 year-old grandpa (oooooh spooky terrorist) gets wanded, patted down, has his shoes x-rayed, and questioned by a low IQ having motherfucker ad nauseum. The reason? The metal clasps of his suspenders.

Never forget America, how they played you for fools.

End rant. And now some Little Richard!

I got a girl named Daisy, she almost drive me crazy!
She knows how to love me, yes indeed
Boy, you don't know what she do to me!

Song of the Day: Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now

2008-09-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

While nibbling on pretzels and having some pints of Anchor at Dave's this song came on the jukebox...

I'm Speechless....

2008-08-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Ludwig van Beethoven: Syphony No. 9 (Conductor: Herbert von Karajan)

2008-08-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Wheeee!!! It's pay day, a 3-day weekend is upon us, there's no class on Monday, and the weather couldn't be better. I've had the 9th stuck in my head for days, listening to it fills my heart and ears with joy. Have a nice weekend :-)

Btw, I have a 30-minute Flip Video camera that I got for "free" when I bought my new laptop. Should I keep it and use it to record "home videos" ... or should I sell, sell, sell?

The Beatles - All You Need is Love

2008-08-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Three cheers for the only thing money can't buy ; -)

Borders Coupon: 40% off up to 3 CD's, Aug. 25-26.

2008-08-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

Borders has another wonderful 40% off coupon that you can use when you buy up to 3 single disc CD's. That's really the only catch, you can't use it for 2 disc sets or boxed sets. Nonetheless, you can score some good deals on import or hard to find CD's.

Print the coupon or use this code when you buy online: SAC5063

Comedia Gratis: George Carlin - It's Bad For Ya

2008-08-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

This one is for my foul-mouthed friend, Patty.

Here it is. George Carlin's final stand up comedy album. The same show he recorded for HBO, which will be out on DVD in time for Christmas, do pick it up for the Carlin fans out there. But if you simply can't wait that long, you can find a high definition copy of the show on Mininova.

Quality stuff and not a bad way to end a legendary career. I'll keep the adulatory priase to a minimum, but here's what's in store for you...

Opening

(Wild cheers and applause)
Thank you, thank you.
I'd like to begin, i'd like to... thank you, thank you.
I'd like begin by saying fuck Lance Armstrong!
(laughter)
Fuck him and his balls, and his bicycles,
and his steroids, and his yellow shirts,
and the dumb, empty expression on his face.
I'm tired of that asshole!
(laughter)
And while were at it, fuck Tiger Woods too!
(laughter)
There's another jackoff I can do without.
(laughter)
I'm tired of being told who to admire in this country.
Aren't you sick of being sick of being told who your heroes ought to be?
Being told who you ought to be looking up to.
I'll choose my own heroes thank you very much.
And fuck Dr. Phil too!
(uproarious cheers and applause)
Dr. Phil said I should express my emotions, so that's what I'm doing.

Click Here to Download CD.

Song of the Day: The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There

2008-08-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

This song kept me going while I wrote a Memorandum of Point and Authorities for the first time, a dreadful ordeal for a procrastinating scatter brain like me. I got a glimpse as to why attorneys are generally unhappy people. But never despair, there is always good music to lift one's spirit.

The video uses a pretty good montage of concert footage from different eras. Best of all are the infectious smiles on the faces of the young Beatles as they perform, they really loved what they were doing back then, it was truly special.

One, two, three, four!!!
Well she was just seventeen,
and you know what I mean.
And the way she looked
was way beyond compare.
So how could I dance with another?
Oohhh...

Ernest Borgnine and His Secret to Longevity...

2008-08-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ernest Borgnine, 91 years old:

"I don't dare tell you. (whispers) I masturbate a lot."
...
"Yesterday, it went all over the place!"

The Case Against Sen. John Sydney McCain...

2008-08-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

Brilliant! And it's going viral slowly... posted on July 31, the video only had 5,000+ hits by Sunday night, and nearly 60,000 hits as of tonight. Spread it far and wide kiddies.

The song in the background? Requiem for a Tower, a remix of Clint Massel's Lux Aeterna.

Song of the Day: Beastie Boys - Intergalactic

2008-08-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

Something fun to end yet another dull week. Dancing robots, Japan, nacho cheeze, what's not to like? I like my sugar with coffee and cream, too.

888

Song of the Day: The Beatles - For No One

2008-08-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Al Green once asked, "How can you mend a broken heart?" With music of course!

Check out Paul McCartney rehearsing the song, I like how his voice breaks and his immitation of the french horn.

Song of the Day: The Beatles - Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds

2008-08-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

Was in a nostalgic mood this weekend. Sometimes when I listen to the Beatles, I remember my cousin. Maybe it's just me, but there's a hint of sadness in Lennon's voice as he sings the verses. Dig the bass w/the chorus, it's like two songs in one.

Lennon:
Picture yourself in a boat on a river
with tangerine trees and marmalade skies
somebody calls you
you answer quite slowly
a girl with kaleidoscope eyes
cellophane flowers of yellow and green
towering over your head
look for the girl with the sun in her eyes
and she's gone...

Chorus:
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
ohhhhh

Song of the Day: Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters

2008-08-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Something fun to end the week on. Ah, how I never tire of watching this movie and what a catchy theme song.

Lemme tell you something
Bustin' makes me feel good! (ah, skeet, skeet, skeet)

Song of the Day: Rappin' 4-Tay - Playaz Club

2008-07-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

Jebus, this song takes me back to the good ol' 90s and reminds me of my visits to the seedy Crazy Horse Gentlemen's Club as an impressionable lad with a fake ID from North Carolina. Every now and then, old school pimps wearing gaudy suits would show up around 1 to check in on ladies old enough to be their grand daughters... Ick. Anyway, enough of memory lane. Rappin' 4-Tay shows off his legendary smooth delivery in this classic Bay Area rap track. If you like it, download here.

We gets freaky in the studio late night
That's why the beats you hear comin real tight
Somethin to roll to,
Somethin to stroll to,
If you'se a playa in the game
This'll hold you...
- Rappin 4Tay

Creepy Hobbies: Gacha Machine Collectibles

2008-07-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ah, don't you just love it when you get back into a geeky old hobby? One of my hobbies was collecting miniatures from the Gacha machines made by Tomy, a Japanese toy company. (Side note: when I was little I had an awesome shinkansen train set they made.) I love collecting these miniatures so much that one day I'd like to visit Japan again just to buy a whole bunch of them, but also to take pictures with my favorite gravure idol - Fuko. ;-)

These machines were once a rarity in the States, but now you can find them in movie theaters, toy stores, arcades, liquor stores, gas stations long I-5 and even out on the street in the Mission.

I haven't bought any miniatures since... oh, 2005. And at a buck a pop, it can get expensive to complete a series, between 6-8 miniatures. A few days ago, I found a bunch of these machines at Jeffrey's Toys on Market, conveniently a few blocks away from work. And yesterday, to my utter delight I completed The Simpsons Buildable Series 1, pictured below.

I bought about 12 capsules to get the series of 7. I've given away the extras, except for a Milhouse miniature figure, if anyone wants it lemme know.

Song of the Day: Carlos Gardel - Por Una Cabeza

2008-07-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to madcap gamblers that have lost it all and especially to those who have loved and lost... (click link below for YouTube video.)

Por una cabeza, metejon de un dia,
de aquella coqueta y risueña mujer
que al jurar sonriendo,
el amor que esta mintiendo
quema en una hoguera todo mi querer.

Carlos Gardel - Por Una Cabeza

Song of the Day: David Bowie - Under Pressure (feat. Queen)

2008-07-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

"And love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the light
and love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves
This is our last dance, this ourselves...under pressure, under pressure..."

And just for kicks, word to your mother, for real.

Song of the Day: Can - The Thief

2008-07-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

First heard this song in the end credits of Steal This Film, the first of a three part documentary series about the history and current trends in peer to peer file sharing and copyright law. Anyway, there's something about this raw, unpolished music makes me want to lob molotov cocktails at...

Why must I be the thief?
Why must I be the thief?
Oh lord, please wont you tell me, why must I be the thief?
Why must I be the thief?
You said to the hanging man

Song of the Day: Beethoven - 5th Symphony, 1st movement (conducted by Herbert Von Karajan and perf. by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra)

2008-07-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

I dunno what to tell ya, just shut up and listen... ;-)

Song of the Day: Queen - Another One Bites the Dust

2008-07-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Ok. Maybe I'm off my rocker today, maybe I didn't have enough coffee this morning, maybe I didn't get enough sleep last night, but why was part of me satisfied that another scumbag is off our city streets?

Personally, I would have preferred that Mr. Dennard had his day in court and was convicted by a jury of his peers. But he never got that chance. Not after Terrell Rollins, the star witness who identified Dennard as the killer of Arkeylius Collins, was murdered in the City back in 2006.

Was Dennard's murder a case of road rage? A hit? A pissed off vigilante crossing the line? Or just plain karma? My sense is that the retribution killings wont stop until the city invests resources to beef up the SFPD Homicide Detail and efforts to protect state witnesses. Otherwise cases will continue to go cold and people will be afraid (and for good reason) to testify in court. Will the mayor with aspirations for higher office do something, or will he remain a slick newshound in search of his next photo-op?

Daniel Dennard, 23, was the 59th homicide victim in the City this year.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-18T03:52:00.000-07:00

Sweet Jesus what a crazy movie!!! And not one empty seat in the house for the show half past midnight.

This is not the Joker I grew up watching on TV - from Cesar Romero in the campy 1960's Batman TV series starring Adam West, to Jack Nicholson in the 1989 movie, or even Mark Hammil, the voice actor who played the Joker in Batman the Animated Series in the early 90s. No sirree, those incarnations of the Joker were truly harmless in comparison to Heath Ledger's portrayal of Batman's maniacal arch-nemesis. Ledger did such a convincing job portraying a homicidal psychopath (the man did his homework!) that I was utterly repulsed and could barely watch during some of the tense scenes.

My favorite scene in the movie was when the Joker made an audacious escape from the Gotham PD Major Crimes Unit holding cell and went for a joy ride through his beloved city in a stolen squad car. It's an epic battle for the soul of Gotham City, as the Joker pits the citizens and criminals of Gotham in a classic Prisoners Dilemma - will they choose Order or a descent into Chaos? Life or Death?

Song of the Day: David Bowie - Space Oddity

2008-07-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

"And may God's love be with you..."

Song of the Day: Soda Stereo - Juegos de Seduccion (perf. by Cafe Tacuba & Gustavo Cerati)

2008-07-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

The namesake of this blog are the lyrics of this wonderful and kinda erotic song by Soda Stereo. Close your eyes and imagine the scenario in the lyrics below, my mouth is a little parched, wonder why :)

Estamos solos en la selva
nadie puede venir
a rescatarnos
estoy muriendo me de sed
y es tu propia piel
la que me hace vivir este infierno

Song of the Day: Compay Segundo - Casabe y Macho

2008-07-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

A what a nice little gem by Compay Segundo, about a naughty boy on the dance floor :)

Click Here to Download MP3.

Couldn't find the lyrics online, so to make benefit for music lovers around the world I went ahead and transcribed them the best I could. For those of you that don't know Spanish by now, shame on you! You're missing out. I really dig the call and response between Compay and the chorus (in italics).

No quiere nada conmigo (x 4)

Esa chinita es hija de Juan

No quiere nada conmigo

Porque bailando me porto mal

No quiere nada conmigo

Allá en Chaveco vamos a rumbear

No quiere nada conmigo

Tremenda fiesta se va formar

No quiere nada conmigo

A casa de Concha van a matar

No quiere nada conmigo

También me dijo que su mama

No quiere nada conmigo

Porque bailando me porto mal

No quiere nada conmigo

No quiere nada conmigo

Allá en Dos Palmas vamos a rumbear

No quiere nada conmigo

A Palmas Oriano de madrugada

No quiere nada conmigo

Esa chinita es hija de Juan

No quiere nada conmigo

También me dijo que su papa

No quiere nada conmigo

También me dijo que su mama

No quiere nada conmigo

Porque bailando me porto mal

No quiere nada conmigo

Tremenda fiesta vamos a socar

No quiere nada conmigo

Esa Chiquita es hija de Juan

No quiere nada conmigo

No quiere nada conmigo (x6)

Song of the Day: John Lennon - Stand By Me (cover)

2008-07-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to my cousin's friends (Cesar, Steve, Mike, and Jon) that stood by him one last time on Wednesday as though he were your brother.

Click Here to Download MP3.

Song of the Day: Rolling Stones - Satisfaction

2008-07-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

This song has one of the illest guitar riffs in the history of music. And maybe I'm too hopped up on caffeine right now (6pm on Sunday) - a can of Coke, a Redbull and two cups of black coffee flavored with cinnamon- but this song makes me wanna do naughty things that would make Satan blush. Yeah...

I can't get no
I can't get no
When I'm watching my TV
and a man comes on and tells me
how white my shirts can be
but he can't be a man
cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me

...

I can't get no satisfaction

I can't get no girl reaction
Cause I try, and I try, and I try, and I try!!!

Preach on Reverend Jagger, preach on.

Hiatus!

2008-07-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from blogging. I will post irregularly until mid-August to focus on school and my rad love making skills. Every now and then I will break the radio silence and post links to free music. See ya!

Song of the Day: Brad Leighton - Battle Hymn of the Republic

2008-07-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of ~~Happiness~~ Good Ale."
- Recently discovered draft version of the Declaration of Independence, correction thought to be by Benjamin Franklin.

The Drafting of the Declaration of Independence, an engraving by Alonzo Chappel

Considering that it is Independence Day, I wanted to share with you my favorite rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic by Herbie Mann. I couldn't find it on You Tube, so this clip of Brad Leighton's outstanding rendition should suffice. Happy 4th and no fucking drunk driving, don't want to read about any of you in the papers tomorrow morning. Let's take back this country in November!

Click here to download the Herbie Mann version.

Song of the Day: Yo Yo Ma - Prelude to Bach's Cello Suite No. 1

2008-07-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

Let's try some classical. Ever since I heard this piece, the stodgy version played by Rostroprovich, my appreciation and respect for the cello has grown. Right now I'm listening to Soul of the Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla. Yo Yo Ma and an ensemble of musicians play music written by Astor Piazzolla, a prolific composer with at least over 1000 works written in his lifetime. I enjoyed the CD and I hope you will too, when it becomes available in the next installment of Musica Gratis.

Song of the Day: Air - Mer Du Japon

2008-07-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

So I was given the morbid task of going through my cousin's laptop to delete anything that should remain private, make copies of photos and plunder the hard drives for any music. The man had good taste. One of the albums I found was Pocket Symphony, by Air, a french electronica band.

Some of you may already be familiar with their work. Surfing on a Rocket, a song from an earlier album, was used in a car commercial here in the States and is how I and many others first learned of the band.

Today's song of the day - Mer Du Japon, has some chill vocals, piano and synthesizer, but overall it has a frenetic pace more suitable for rush hour. Play it while weaving through the faceless hordes of office drones pouring out onto Market Street after 5 o'clock.

Lyrics:

J'en perds la raison
(I lost my mind)
Dans la mer du Japon
(in the Sea of Japan)

J'en perds la raison
Dans la mer du Japon

Musica Gratis: Stereolab - Transient Rendom-Noise Bursts With Announcements

2008-07-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

My cousin Jose "Betio" died late Sunday night/early Monday morning, he was 35. I'm still stunned by his death and have difficulty talking about it, but it helps to get things off my chest. Although my cousin is no longer alive, he lives on in digital form - in photos, the music he sent me through AIM, his Myspace profile, his You Tube page, text messages and the chats we had on Gmail that I've archived.

Jose enjoying a cup of coffee (May 18, 2008)

He instilled in me a deeper appreciation for music and introduced me to bands I had never even heard of before, had it not been for his music recommendations. A little over three weeks ago, we were chatting about one of his favorite bands - Stereolab. He was such a big fan, that when he was a student at FIU, he made a trip from Miami, FL to Atlanta, GA just to see them play. We were supposed to see them perform later this year at the Fillmore, but I guess I'll be going solo.

10:31 PM Jose: hey do you have transient random noise bursts with announcements?
by stereolab?
lol
I have it im gonna burn it to itunes then itouch it
10:32 PM its from 1994
a seminal album
a transitionary album when people realized they were something special

Without further ado...

Click here to download Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements.

My favorite track in this album is Tone Burst, which I wrote about last month.

In August, Stereolab will be releasing a new album - Chemical Chords and you can be sure to find it here.

Song of the Day: Stereolab - The Incredible He Woman

2008-07-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

This was the first Stereolab song my cousin Jose sent me. It's quite catchy, despite the surreal lyrics :-)

Month one Mary grows a mustache
In the second she grows a beard
In the third month her breasts fall off
The fourth month testicles appear
The fifth her penis shows it's face
In the sixth month grows a foreskin
It took nine months made evident
Experience, she gave it hands
In the seventh month, Christ's sandals grow on her
In the eighth month, her chest becomes transparent
In the ninth wounds appear as Christ is apparent
And then she was Christ
And Mary disappeared

Song of the Day: Simon & Garfunkel - Mrs. Robinson

2008-06-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

Ah, who doesn't like a good MILF every now and then? > :)

Song of the Day: Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back in Town

2008-06-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

This rollicking good tune is dedicated to the gheys (but let's not forget the ladies too) in town this weekend, this one's for you. Apparently it's a gay anthem, who knew, but makes sense.

Song of the Day: Juan Luis Guerra y los 440 - El Costo De La Vida

2008-06-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago, the SF Chronic Lies reported that we can breathe a sigh of relief since gas prices have topped off for now. Hogwash. Americans are already hurting from the record gas prices, cutting down on the fun, and taking it to the streets. Well, globalization is a double edged sword, one day you reap the benefits and it hits you- pow! - right in the kisser. Most of Asia, Latin America, Africa and even Russia felt the pinch in the 90s. Many of the woes mentioned by Juan Luis Guerra have come to pass here in the States, how we will deal with it, who knows, but may cooler heads prevail.

El Costo de la Vida was first released in 1992, in the album Arieto. I found out through Wikipedia that the album was banned in several Latin American countries because of the "controversial" nature of the lyrics.

"Guerra became a controversial figure in 1992 after he released his next album, Areíto (which is a Taino word for song and dance). It featured the hit single "El costo de la vida," (The Cost of Life), whose video version was banned in several countries because it had an "anti-American" undertone, this due to the fact that there is a generalized underlying fear in Latin America of broadcasting public criticisms against the United States. The video has also been interpreted as anti-capitalist. Other songs also included protests against the poor conditions in many Latin American countries, the celebration of the discovery of the Americas ("1492"), and the double standards of first-world nations."

Anyway, thought I would have a little bit of fun, check out how recent news stories correlate with the song lyrics, sort of astounding. You can find an English translation of the lyrics here, done by Presbyterian Minister Ben Daniel, it's not so bad for a gringo.

Lyrics: El Costo De La Vida

El costo de la vida sube otra vez
el peso que baja, ya ni se vé
y las habichuelas no se pue'n comer
ni una libra de arroz, ni una cuarta de café
a nadie le importa qué piensa usted
será porque aquí no hablamos inglés.

Ah, ah es verdad
do you understand? Do you, do you?

Y la gasolina sube otra vez
el peso que baja, ya ni se ve
y la democracia no puede crecer
si la corrupción juega ajedrez
a nadie le importa qué piensa usted
será porque aquí no hablamos francés.

Ah, ah vous parlez?
ah, ah non monsieur.

¡Eh!...

Somos un agujero
en medio del mar y el cielo
quinientos años después
una raza encendida
negra, blanca y taína
¿pero quién descubrió a quién?
um es verdad, es verdad.

Ay, el costo de la vida
eh, ya ves, pa' arriba tú ves
y el peso que baja
eh, ya ves, pobre ni se vé
y la medicina
eh, ya ves, camina al revés
aquí no se cura
eh, ya ves, ni un callo en el pie.

Ay, ki-iki-iki
eh, ya ves, ay ki-iki-é
y ahora el desempleo
eh, ya ves, me mordió también
a nadie le importa, no
eh, ya ves, pues no hablamos inglés
ni a la Mitsubishi
eh, ya ves, ni a la Chevrolet.

La corrupción pa'arriba
eh, ya ves, pa'rriba tú ves
y el peso que baja
eh, ya ves, pobre ni se vé

y la delincuencia
eh, ya ves, me pilló esta vez
aquí no se cura
eh, ya ves, ni un callo en el pie.

Ay, ki-iki-iki
eh, ya ves, ay ki-iki-é
y ahora el desempleo
eh, ya ves, me mordió también
a nadie le importa, no
eh, ya ves, pues no hablamos inglés
ni a la Mitsubishi
eh, ya ves, ni a la Chevrolet
um es verdad, es verdad.

¡Oye!

La recesión pa'rriba
eh, ya ves, pa'rriba tú ves
y el peso que baja
eh, ya ves, pobre ni se ve
y la medicina
eh, ya ves, camina al revés
aquí no se cura
eh, ya ves, ni un callo en el pie.

Ay, ki-iki-iki
eh, ya ves, ay ki-iki-é
y ahora el desempleo
eh, ya ves, me mordió también
a nadie le importa, no
eh, ya ves, pues no hablamos inglés
ni a la Mitsubishi
eh, ya ves, ni a la Chevrolet.

Song of the Day: Daft Punk - Voyager

2008-06-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Put your tray tables in the upright position. Sit back, relax, the weekend is almost here. We're about to take off to another world with yet another Daft Punk choon, from the their album Discovery.

Click here to download MP3.

The video is from the movie Interstella 5555.

Song of the Day: Daft Punk - One More Time (feat. Romanthony)

2008-06-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

My, how time flies. This Daft Punk song was first released in late 2000 as a single, and later as the opening track of the hit album Discovery, released in 2001.

The video clip below is from Interstella 5555, a full feature anime movie produced by Daft Punk and Toei Animation. Think of it as one long music video. And click here to watch a video of how Daft Punk sampled Eddie Johns - "More Spell On You."

Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucked, Tits!!! RIP George Carlin

2008-06-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

Just got word that George Carlin has kicked the bucket. The angry son of a bitch will be missed, so have a shot tonight or tomorrow in his memory. He was 71.

Inspired by his book, "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops," I enjoyed a succulent pork chop on the same day (October 4, 2005) as Rosh Hashanah and the beginning of Ramadan. I gotta say it was blasphemicious and can't see what the big deal is over pork.

For the youngins out there, you might recognize him as Mr. Conductor from the PBS children's show, Shining Time Station. But if you're not familiar with his stand-up comedy work, I highly recommend that you check out his 1999 HBO special - You're All Diseased. The show has some of his best stuff on video, add it to your Netflix queue.

Since George Carlin died in LA, today's Song of the Day - Tupac's "To Live and Die in L.A." - is dedicated in his memory.

"Everybody got they own thing, currency chasing
Worldwide through the hard times, worrying faces
Shed tears as we bury brothers close to heart
What was a friend now a ghost in the dark"
- Tupac "To Live and Die in L.A."

*George Carlin photo from www.georgecarlin.com

Song of the Day: Rza/Bobby Digital - You Can't Stop Me Now

2008-06-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

I hate being stuck in a stuffy office when it's so lovely outside. All the fine honeys wearing their short skirts or sundresses, showing off their toned legs, juicy thighs. Praying for that miraculous gust of wind to come by to lift some skirts and dresses, as I stand at the corner of Montgomery and Sutter grinning like a perv with my stunna shades on. > :)

Well, I've found an appropriate way to end a grueling work week. Light up that Black and Mild and serve up some chilled Hennessy and listen to this fine track by the Rza.

No matter how hard you try,
you can't stop me now...

Samples from:
music: Temptations - Message From a Black Man
vocals: The Spinners - Message From a Black Man

This song is hot and ought to be on Obama's playlist for campaign events, since he's unstoppable and will crush the Depends wearing McCain. From the Rza's latest album - Digi Snacks - coming out next Tuesday to a music store or torrent site near you. And if you really liked the track, then download it here.

Hope you have a good weekend and hello to my readers in Brazil, Costa Rica, and the UK.

Song of the Day: Wu Tang Clan - My Heart Gently Weeps

2008-06-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here's how you should sample a classic. The Rza's take on George Harrison's classic song While My Guitar Gently Weeps, as interpreted by Jimmy Ponder, is rather interesting if you pay attention to the lyrics.

"That bitch is crazy and uh, she brought her baby."
-Ghostface Killah

My favorite lyric, sung by Ghostface Killah, evokes an image that reminds me of the mid to late 90s in the Mission. There was a flood of male Honduran immigrants in the neighborhood, who sold drugs to pay off the exorbitant debts they racked up just to get here. Early one morning, on my way to school I saw a "responsible" mother with a baby in a stroller buying some rocks. To this day I have that image etched into my mind.

This is a single off Wu Tang Clan's latest album - 8 Diagrams. Produced by the Rza and George Drakoulias, vocals by Erykah Badu, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah. John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Dhani Harrison on the guitars. Make sure you watch this video where the RZA explains how this song came to be.

The Rza will be performing with a live band this Saturday, 8pm at 1015 Folsom out here in San Francisco. Check him out. Also, he'll be releasing a new CD - Digi Snacks - on Tuesday, June 24. You can preview some of the tracks on Myspace.com or download the whole CD (low bit rate encoded MP3s) off Pirate Bay... but beggars can't be choosers.

Borders Coupons: 25% Off Any Item and 30% Off Any Item Over $10

2008-06-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

Borders has released two coupons this week for members of their rewards program. Either coupon can be used for an in-store purchase or online, and both expire on Sunday, June 22. Unfortunately, you can't combine them. Wouldn't that be a sweet discount?

25% Off Any Item - Printable Coupon or online coupon code: SL2508

30% Off Any Item Over $10 - Printable Coupon or online coupon code: SL3010

Song of the Day: Bobby Blue Bland - Ain't No Love In the Heart of the City

2008-06-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Jay-Z and Kanye West (as producer) sampled this great song, and literally stripped it of its soul and meaning (Boooo!!! hisss, *throws peanuts* from the gallery). Here it is, in unadulterated form... light up your cig, take a drag, relax, pour yourself a glass of whiskey, and look wistfully out the window while you think of her.

Thanks for the tip Terrence.

Firefox 3: Get it, en bombas!

2008-06-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

The moment we've all (nerds) been waiting for - Firefox 3.0 is now available! Become a part of history and download it today.

I've been a loyal user since late 2002, when the browser was known as Phoenix 0.3. What drew me to Firefox was the tabbed browsing feature, which was a godsend to a news junkie like me. I could have 10 or more news, blog or (ahem) other websites open in one window, without having my computer crash as it would under the strain of having ten Internet Explorer windows open all at once. Best of all, it was and still is the most secure browser out there.

Wondering if you need to bring your umbrella? Install ForecastFox.

With time the open source browser spread like wildfire, incorporated new features and was customizable with user created plugins. Some of my favorite plugins include: Ad Block Plus, ForecastFox, PDF Download (gives you the option of saving a PDF to your computer or opening it within Adobe Acrobat, as opposed to inside the browser), and Download Statusbar. My all time favorite feature would be the search bar. Over time I have added over 20+ search engines - news, dictionaries, torrent index sites, the works. Here's a partial screen shot of my custom search bar:

You might be asking, if the browser is so great, why should I download an update? Well, over time the browser became a huge memory hog - at least if you were/are using a really old computer - and after 2 years of strenuous coding and beta testing, the developers and users have come up with a winner. The latest release - 3.0 should fix many of the problems you may have encountered with Firefox 2. I can't stress it enough, but get it today.

Song of the Day: Busta Rhynes - Don't Touch Me (Travis Barker remix)

2008-06-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is a remix of Busta Rhyme's new single from him upcoming album - Blessed. Although the percussion in this remix at times overpowers Busta Rhymes infamous spitfire delivery, I couldn't pass up sharing a song with so much energy.

Btw, doesn't Travis Barker remind you of the guy that plays the plastic jugs and pails at Union Sq. and the Embarcadero?

Song of the Day: Bob Marley & the Wailers - Stir it Up

2008-06-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

Dig the porno beat and the lyrics are oh so sweet. Speaking of sweet, my memory may be hazy, but I remember reading that Marley wrote this song for his wife. Anyone know if that is true?

File under: baby making music.

The Incredible Hulk: Watch it, NOW, en bombas!

2008-06-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

So I got to see a midnight preview of The Incredible Hulk... but before I get started with a mini review, here's a disclaimer: I was never a fan of the Hulk comic book and I thought the Ang Lee movie totally sucked, but I do have fond memories of watching syndicated reruns of the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno show as a little kid.

The movie offers a bit more bang for your buck than your typical summer blockbuster- there's plenty of action, the storyline isn't all that bad, neither is most of the acting or cinematography. Not to mention the special effects, hats off to the entire team. I also enjoyed the cameos and cross over appearances from other Marvel Comics movies- the very goddamn beautiful Débora Nascimento as Martina (Muito gostosa! For everyone's sake, I hope she'll come out with a pin up calendar soon. She's sure to have a ton of fanboys in the States by week's end.), Stan Lee, Lou Ferrigno as a campus security guard, Michael K. Williams (noted for his role as Omar in The Wire) as Harlem bystander, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

Débora Nascimento makes my heart flutter...pulse dangerously close to 200 beats per minute...

Best of all was the phenomenal no-holds barred fight between the Hulk and his arch-nemesis Abomination through the streets of Manhattan. Think of what Superman v. Doomsday was to comics, but on the epic scale of a the big screen and monster sized sound system.

Song of the Day: Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan

2008-06-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

We'll finish off the week with a son cubano, a type of music that combines African rhythms with Spanish lyrics and guitar. This particular song, composed by Compay Segundo and made popular worldwide after it was performed by the Buena Vista Social Club, reminds me of a special gal I once knew from Belize...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JEdf7XsV5g

Musica Gratis: Nigeria 70 (3 CD Set - Out of Print)

2008-06-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well dear readers, it seems as though the Nigeria '70 - Lagos Jump CD was immensely popular. So I looked for more of this type music on the Internets, (you know that series of tubes you can send stuff through?) and found a now out of print 3-CD set from Strut Records.

LOL, check out those pimp platform heel boots, someone get me a pair!!!

Some really kind soul out there on Mininova hooked it up fat with a rip of Nigeria 70, the above mentioned 3-CD set. If any of you can find the CD set for me, I will forever worship the ground you walk on or hand feed you grapes until your belly is full. Your choice. Enjoy and download free music to your heart's delight.

Download CD 1
Download CD 2
Download CD 3

Ps. I haven't even had a chance to listen to the tracks yet, so I'll spare you joos my lame review. But here's a great one I found on Amazon.com:

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic overview of '70s era Nigerian music, October 6, 2004
By Chet Fakir (DC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Nigeria '70 (Audio CD)
The box set doesn't lump every style under the one rubric of afrobeat unlike what the other reviewer said. There is actually an extensive booklet discussing the history of the different genres and musical styles including highlife, ju ju, afrobeat and the hybrid musical styles found on Nigeria 70. So named because this CD concentrates on the wide variety of funky sounds being created in Nigeria during the 1970s. A third documentary CD is included with various commentary and interviews for the listeners further edification. A name is just a name anyway, the music speaks volumes more in its conflation of western jazz, rock, R&B and African styles. Horns, guitars, vocals, keyboards and drums, drums, drums combine to make sublime polyrhythmic and melodic groove. Some of the musicians may be familiar to western ears such as King Sunny Ade, OJ Ekemode, and of course Fela. But there's plenty of more obscure (to me anyway) folks on here such as Tunji Oyelana and Segun Bucknor (his song La La La is an African take on James Brown). In any case if you don't feel like moving when you hear this stuff you're probably dead.

Previous Installments of Musica Gratis:

Song of the Day: Moby - Porcelain (Rob Dougan Mix)

2008-06-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

Ah, took me a while to find this classic on You Tube, but here it is - a Rob Dougan remix of Moby's hit song Porcelain, from his classic 1999 album "Play." Enjoy the video and if you wish, download the MP3 here.

Borders Rewards Coupon: 40% Off 1 CD or DVD Box Set or 30% Off Any Purchase over $10

2008-06-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hate to shill for an evil corporation like Borders, but these coupons have saved me a lot of money... Sure, I could check out books, CDs and DVDs from the library like any old commie red that doesn't believe in capitalism, the glory of the free market, and drinking his neighbors milkshake. And I could save myself ton of money and grief when the bills are due by not buying things, but there are simply some things you can't download for free off the net. And how else would I be able to share good music with you, my dear readers, that has yet to hit net or is too damn hard to find or complicated (for the lazy and Mac inclined out there) to download?

Print out coupon for CD Box Set or DVD Box Set, in store only :( Good until Friday, June 13.

Print out coupon or use the following code: SL4732 for 30% Off Any Purchase over $10. Good until Sunday, June 15.

Song of the Day: Motorcitysoul - Space Katzle (Jerome Sydenham Remix)

2008-06-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

First heard this song in DJ Tiesto's new CD - In Search of Sunrise 7. The first 15 minutes of the mix are pure gold. This track, as found in You Tube, is in it's original form- slower tempo, runs a couple minutes longer than it does in the mix, but it's still a superb track that will work up those on the dancefloor into a frenzy. Anyway, check the song out down below and enjoy, just two more days until the weekend...

Song of the Day: Stereolab - Tone Burst

2008-06-10T09:01:00.001-07:00

This cut is off Stereolab's 1993 album - Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements. The driving rhythm should get anyone through your typical, doldrum Tuesday, plus it's a love song, awww tan cute (as Jose would say). Every time I hear this song, I imagine some troubadors or knights errant going from country town to country town and serenading and bedding beautiful country gals. My apologies for the lack of a video, as the track is not available on You Tube.

Download track here.

Tone Burst
(aka Captain Beefheart)

Tels deux amants de longue date
Nous nouse retrouverions une aprÈs-midi
Nous ferions, nouse ferions longuement l'amour
Ce souvenir vivra dans mes cellules
Quand tes yeux pÈnÈtrants rencontreront les miens
Ton corps, ne quitterait jamais le mien
Il y resterait une ÈternitÈ
Le son profond de ta voix
Tel un rayon vibrant ouvrira mon coeur

English translation:
Much like two old lovers we would meet again one afternoon
We would, we would make love lengthily
This memory will live on in my cells
When your penetrating eyes will meet mine
Your body would never leave mine
It would stay there for all eternity
Your skin, your skin, for once in my life
The deep sound of your voice
Like a vibrating ray will open up my heart
Source: http://koly.com/stereolab/

Borders Rewards Coupon: 40% Off 1 to 3 CDs

2008-06-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ah, the moment we have all been waiting for, yet another coupon for 40% off 1-3 CD's purchased at any Borders store, including their online store using the following code: SL40CD, between now and Tuesday.

You can get some pretty good deals if you shop around, and if your local Borders does not have the CD you were looking for (check inventory here), you can order it online and have it shipped to the nearest Borders store for free.

Song of the Day: Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter

2008-06-09T09:01:00.001-07:00

Had not heard this song in years, until I saw a trailer for "When We Left Earth," a 6-part mini series on the NASA Space Program that began airing yesterday. I hope the series will be shown in an IMAX theatre sometime in the future, because the footage looks amazing.

If you're interested in learning more about manned spaceflight, check out these two comic books, or graphic novels if you prefer, "First in Space" by James Vining and "Laika" by Nick Abadzis . I picked up First in Space while browsing through the booth's at last year's Comic Con and was lucky enough to meet James Vining, who signed my copy and drew a cool sketch. First in Space is about Ham the Chimp, who went through rigorous training and eventually to space as part of NASA's Project Mercury in 1961. In the latter book, Nick Abadzis tells the tragic story of the first mammal in space, a stray dog named Laika, who went to space aboard Sputnik 2. Laika died while in orbit after the life support system in the capsule failed. Both comics are well researched and look into the necessary (but at times questionable) sacrifices made by lab animals in order to put man in space. If you're into top knotch art and story telling, you can't go wrong with these comics.

Song of the Day: HHC - We're Not Alone

2008-06-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

This track starts off Paul Oakenfold's 1996 mix CD "Perfecto Fluoro," and is a calm intro to the weekend...

Borders Rewards Coupon: 30% Off Any Item Over $10

2008-06-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

The coupon is valid until Sunday, June 8 and can be used online at borders.com, using the following code SL4692. Click here for a printable version of the coupon. You can score some good deals on CDs...

Song of the Day: Juan Luis Guerra y Los 440 - La Bilirrubina

2008-06-05T09:01:00.001-07:00

This sweet love song first appeared in Bachata Rosa, a Grammy award-winning album released in 1990 by Juan Luis Guerra y los 440. Really brings back to some fond memories of life in the Mission in the early 90s...

Song of the Day: Queen - We Are the Champions

2008-06-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

For President Barack Obama, who has paid his dues, had sand kicked in his face and yet triumphed. If you haven't done so already, donate to the campaign , there will be a pitched fight against Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) in the next few months.

Song of the Day: Bo Diddley - I'm a Man

2008-06-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

RIP

''I don't like to copy anybody. Everybody tries to do what I do, update it,'' he said. ''I don't have any idols I copied after.''
''They copied everything I did, upgraded it, messed it up. It seems to me that nobody can come up with their own thing, they have to put a little bit of Bo Diddley there,'' he said.

Song of the Day: Tupac - Who Do You Believe In? (feat. Kadafi)

2008-06-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

First heard this song in early 2000, from a friend with a copy of Suge Knight Presents: Chronic 2000. At the time it was an unreleased Tupac track, featuring the Outlawz, and recorded sometime in 1996.

Very dark, apocalyptic undertone to the song, but the lyrics speak volumes about the senseless violence in American cities.

I asked my homie on the block why he strapped
He laughed
Pointed his pistol as the cop car passed and blast
It's just another murder
Nobody mourns no more
My teardrops getting bigger
But can't figure what I'm crying for
Is it the miniature caskets?
Little babies
Victims of a stray, from drug dealers gone crazy
Maybe its just the drugs
Visions of how the block was
Crack came and it was strange how it rocked us

Song of the Day: Aphex Twin - Heliospan

2008-06-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Dig this Aphex Twin track, reminds me of staying up through the night and into the early morning to see the sun rise and the city slowly come to life. A worthy tribute to the Sun, giver of life.

Musica Gratis: Nigeria '70 - Lagos Jump

2008-05-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

Nigeria '70 - Lagos Jump is a compilation of afrobeat and afro-funk songs from various artists from or living in Nigeria during the 1970s.

Favorite Tracks: Really hard to pick my favorites from this outstanding CD, but if I had to choose some tracks, these are it:

Ify Jerry Crusade - Everybody Likes Something Good (heard this song at least 4 times, real catchy, with a booty shaking beat)
Ahanti Afrika Jah - Onyame (the liner notes explain that "the track is sung in the Twi language and, for Ghana's Akan people, 'Onyame' is the Supreme Being, creator of all things..." Real mellow track.)
Peter King - African Dialects (dig Peter King on the saxophone, this is a good song to play while driving around the city on a Saturday night with your stunna shades on)
Dynamic Africa - Igbehin Lalayo Nta (wonderful percussion from various instrument throughout, but what really shines are the claves keeping the beat, coming in at the 2:50 mark)
The Faces - Tug of War (Play this in your head when running away from the fuzz)
The Immortals - Hot Tears (Love the energy in this song)
Eddie Okwedy - Happy Survival (Yet again, the claves are keeping the beat. Dance to this tune with your sweetheart)

Best Time to Listen to the CD: Friday or Saturday night, with plenty of ice cold beers in the fridge, some chronic and good friends that share your love for music.

Why You Should Buy the CD: It's always a pleasure to enjoy old music, especially when it comes from the other side of the world, we're not likely to hear on TV or radio. And if you're a music nerd, the liner notes are chock full of history, giving a basic overview of how pop music evolved in Nigeria from the early 1900s-1970s.

Download CD here.

Enjoy the weekend.

Song of the Day: Armand Van Helden - Full Moon (feat. Common)

2008-05-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

This track is off Killing Puritans a classic album by Armand Van Helden released in the summer of 2000, when yours truly was barely 18. Ah, the memories of that invincible summer... Happy Friday!

"It's a full moon out tonight
Party people here just feel alright
The place is packed and the mood is right
Now have a good time y'all
A good time y'all
I know y'all niggas ain't come here to fight
Ain't nothin but love so don't be uptight
Black, Latin, Asian and White
What?"

Friday Funny: In Living Color - Men on FIlms

2008-05-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

Fucking classic...

In Teh News....

2008-05-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

International:

Tonderai Ndira, a political activist in Zimbabwe, was brutally murdered by pro-Mugabe thugs. Rest in peace.

Sad: Fullbright Grants awarded to students in Gaza were taken away by the US State Department because of uncertainty over whether or not the Israeli government would let them travel overseas.

Quote of the Day: “This could be interpreted as collective punishment,” complained Rabbi Michael Melchior, chairman of the Parliament’s education committee, during the hearing. “This policy is not in keeping with international standards or with the moral standards of Jews, who have been subjected to the deprivation of higher education in the past. Even in war, there are rules.” Rabbi Melchior is from the Meimad Party, allied with Labor.

Absurd:Four yakuza jump to the front of the line and get liver transplants at the UCLA Medical Center. At the same time over 100 patients from Southern California died while waiting for liver transplants.

Keystone Cops Bonus: The FBI helped one yakuza leader obtain a visa, and if you have to ask - he didn't provide them any valuable information.

Goddamn!: That's a paddlin', no wait... a beheading? :*(

National:

Ready on Day One: President Obama gets a clean bill of health from his doctor.

Texas Supreme Court upholds state appeal court ruling in the controversial case arising from the law enforcement raids on the FLDS compound in El Dorado, Texas. Still a big mess to sort out.

In a sign of the tough times... thieves take a page out of The Simpsons - they're stealing used cooking oil.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating the possible manipulation of the oil futures market. Good luck with that guys... y'all should have started this investigation back in 2001.

Summer Concerts

2008-05-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Going to the following concerts or dj sets to keep sane during what looks to be a grueling summer semester. Plus trying to stay busy, because you know what they say about idle hands...

Now if only the weather gods will hook it up with some more sunny days...

Friday, June 20: Outernational Music Festival - Thievery Corporation, special guests Seu Jorge, Bebel Gilberto, Los Amigos Invisibles and Federico Aubele. At the Greek Theatre, in Berkeley, CA.

Sunday, June 29: SF Symphony - Stern Grove Festival. (Free, woo hoo!)

Friday, July 4: Paul Oakenfold - 1015.

Sunday, July 27: SambaDa - Stern Grove Festival. (Free)

Friday, August 22-Sunday, August 24: SF Outside Lands Festival - Partial lineup - Radiohead, Manu Chao, Cafe Tacuba, Tom Petty, Beck, etc. Golden Gate
Park.

Friday, September 12: SF Symphony - Knussen's 3rd & Beethoven's 9th

Technically not in the summer, but who cares?

Saturday, October 4: Most likely at a post-Lovefest dj set somewhere in the City...

Tuesday, October 21: Stereolab - The Fillmore.

Suddenly my wallet feels a lot lighter these days... (Photo taken by: razzlefrazzle)

Now accepting donations for the Buy Me a Beer Fund - Anchor Steam Summer Beer gladly appreciated.

Song of the Day: The Magnetic Fields - All My Little Words

2008-05-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

In Teh News...

2008-05-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

All CA counties to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Tuesday, June 17, 2008. Congrats!

New teen suicide fad hits Japan - mixing detergents to inhale hydrogen sulfide.

111 countries sign pact banning cluster bombs. Notably absent from the pact are the peace-loving peoples of the US, Russia, China, Israel, India and Pakistan.

Italian anti-terror cop testified in court about how he and his team busted some sloppy CIA agents that orchestrated the kidnapping of a radical Egyptian cleric living in Milan.

Gavin Newsom spends over $10 million a year in city funds to employ 87 PR bots to make him look good. You're doing it wrong. SF Chronicle reporters do it for free... :)

Update: Metallica still sucks. Long live the old Napster, long live Pirate Bay!

Song of the Day: ? and the Mysterians - 96 Tears

2008-05-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

A mainstay on KFRC, but I wouldn't know for sure since I haven't listened to the radio in ages. Heard this song after many years while watching Episode 3, Season 5 of The Wire a few months ago.

The song plays in the background, as a drunken Det. Jimmy McNulty stumbles out of the mensroom in a dingy bar. His eyes adjust to the change of light, he sees his reflection in the mirror, he looks disgusted with himself and goes back to flirting with the semi-attractive blonde waiting for him. The scene ends as he orders another round before hitting the road. Later in the episode, two Baltimore PD patrolmen spot McNulty and the blonde humping away on the hood of a car. The dialogue in that scene is funny:

Officer 1: Woh, what the fuck, check this shit out. Beautiful...
Officer 2: Holy shit, look at this motherfucker!
Officer 1: Hit him with the spot.
(Cops shine spotlight, McNulty flashes badge)
Officer 1: CID... figures don't it?