Aw yeah PS

Emusic.com just got licensed to distribute Ghostly International and Spectral Sound! James T. Cotton, Audion, Matthew Dear, etc. here I come! This site just gets better and better. Let me refer any of you. We each get 50 free downloads!

Father and son PS

Apparently Koby Clemens (son of Roger "The Rocket" Clemens) smacked his father's first pitch of spring training over the wall.

I wonder if Roger then picked up the bat and threw it at his son?

Two paths diverged in a yellow wood

I've worked as a consultant at this firm for over ten years now. Hell, I started working for them before all the merger madness. I've seen two mergers and held five different positions. Many is the time I've heard talk of them hiring me on full time, but it's always come to naught.

Until now.

They've offered to take me on as a full time employee. After years of dealing with three month contracts and seemingly endless extentions, they've finally put an offer on the table.

Many folks would see this as a good thing. More security, more opportunity for advancement, a place to finally rest my head (as it were).

However, many folks aren't me.

Here's the problem. I already get great benefits from my consulting company. I've been with them since I moved to New York in 1996 and they've treated me very well. Sure, I've made them tons of money, but they've always done right by me.

But, truly, in the end, it all comes down to the dollas: taking them up on their offer would involve me taking at 20% pay cut.

Ouch.

Sure, I'd get a five to ten thousand dollar bonus at the end of the year, but even with that I'd still be making less than I am now. I still have to find out if they're offering stock options, etc., but in the end it's less. I'm going to try to bump them up another ten grand, but I doubt that's going to happen.

Unfortunate.

So, barring a change of heart on their part, I'll be job searching again soon. Given my pattern, I'll probably land another position at here. They can't seem to get rid of me.

Or perhaps I should just quit the IT game and become a bike messenger.

Perhaps that will make all the difference.

Strong enough for a man, made for fucking everybody:

Entombed - Left Hand Path
(towering, groundbreaking, gut crushing death metal)

Prince - Diamonds And Pearls
(say something; I dare you)

Bit Shifter - Life's A Bit Shifter
(8-bit wicked shit)

Portishead - Portishead
(and that head is nodding)

Various - DJ Abstract 12: The E.SP. Mix
(housetechobreakage)

And we're off

The South Dakota Senate has approved a bill outlawing abortions in their state except in the case where it would save the life of the mother.

Yes, you read correctly. If the SD House approves the bill, it passes into law and all but a handful of abortions become illegal in the state of South Dakota. Yes, Gov. Mike Rounds still needs to sign it into law, but that's a forgone conclusion, as he's a Republican and openly anti-choice.

Oh, and what's additionally stunning about this? The bill's main sponsor is Julie Bartling, who is a Democrat and a woman.

Gender traitor.


WTF, Julie.

"It is the time for the South Dakota Legislature to deal with this issue and protect the lives and rights of unborn children," she says.

OK. Welcome back to the 1950s, everybody. Oh. Wait. This is South Dakota. Chances are they never left.

How can any woman (especially a Democrat) be anti-choice? I just don't get that.

Anyway, the upshot of this is that somebody will no doubt challenge the law and it will end up... you guessed it... in The Supreme Court.

And just guess what's been happening there?

$20 says Bush, Scalia, Roberts, and Alito all woke up this morning with a hard on, screaming, "Now we gonna get that bitch Roe to shut the fuck up!"

Welcome to the new "Culture Of Life", America.

Raise 'em all in with womb with:

Various - Lee Perry: I Am The Upsetter
(he comes from space through a hole in the sky)

A Great White Bird - Collection 1
(as I float in blue and yellow water)

Various - DJ Abstract 8: Black Eye Mix
(stomp a mudhole in dat ass)

Various - DJ Abstract 13: Ice Blue Mix
(on the minimal tip)

Mixed bag

It seems my life is often a collection of situations involving almost polar opposites. Good news often gets soured by bad and, likewise, bad is often tempered by good.

The last few days provide a perfect example.

We've learned more about my stepfather's cancer. It's spread to his pancreas, his hip, and some of his adrenal glands. The doctors are giving him a year at best. Mom is taking it fairly well, but it looks like when Skip does die she'll no longer receive his pension, health insurance or (perhaps) his social security. She can only work part time as it is, so money will be tight and my sister and I will no doubt have to support her.

That's bad news.

On the flip side, I've submitted my Breaks The Blank Day project to the Kikapu netlabel and may be getting distribution from them. I also put together what I think is a pretty nice website for the project. If you want to download the two EPs I've already completed, you can snag them there. It's a pretty simple site, but I think it's elegant.

That's good news.

If I was the type of person who believed in a god that took a continuously active role in our lives, I'd think I was being fucked with (and I'd expect to find him laughing...). As it is, it just reaffirms my belief that we live in chaos most of the time and that we have to steer our own ships as best we can.

Getting my motor runnin':

Nasum - Shift
(37 minute slamdunk contest on your brain)

A Covenant Of Thorns - Hallowed & Hollow
(retro darkwave goodness)

The Dustmite - Seekers In Darkness
(the doom, the bip, the doom dip)

Korn - Life Is Peachy
(yep, you can say that again)

Abstract Audio Systems - The Ivory EP
(poignant piano drops)

Mixed results

Well, my gig on Friday went OK.

Not great, but OK.

The problem is this: not everyone has escaped being poisoned by MTV. Many of these unfortunate victims were in the crowd on Friday night. Actually, they made up the vast majority. These are also the type of folks who will not dance to songs that they don't know.

MTV: Robbing impressionable youth
of adventurous tastes for almost 25 years.


So my plans to spin lots of tasty techno, house, and other danciness kind of fell by the wayside, for MTV does not play techno, house, and other danciness (at least of the kind I'd brought with me and hoped to spin).

MTV plays hiphop. Lots of hiphop. Oh, an apparently some reggaeton.

Not a fan of reggaeton, so I don't own any. And as for the hiphop that gets played on MTV... again, not a big fan.

Luckily, the Zoppas had provided me with several discs of stuff they wanted played, so I managed to keep select chunks of the crowd satisfied from time to time. Another tricky thing about DJing to a bunch of folks like this is that everybody has different tastes. I won't say "varied" because that would imply they liked more than one type of music. Not so the case here. I say "different" because everybody liked different stuff exclusively. Throw on the hiphop, the reggaeton people sit down (although this makes no sense to me, as reggaeton sounds to me like a simple variation of hiphop).

Likewise the hiphop folk with reggaeton.

These folks couldn't even agree about 80s, which most people seem to love. I think my short 80s set got the best reaction, but I feel cheap every time I do it. One can only play "I Melt With You" so many times before coming to the realization that your set is treading water.

I was also constantly bombarded with requests. At one point there were six people in the booth with me, all asking for different stuff. With the begging coming fast and furious, it was extremely difficult to establish a groove. "Yes, I will play some Missy, but I'm in the middle of a No Doubt, pseudo-rock set. Give me ten minutes." These appeals failed to make an impact and it got to the point where I was switching vibes almost every other song.

In the end, however, the Zoppas seemed happy, which, given that it was their birthday, was the most import thing. They were even kind enough to pay me, so I must not have fallen on my face too badly. However, I did leave the evening with a very pronounced feeling of disappointment, as I'd planned the night's musical execution, but didn't get to execute my plan.

In short, I need to rent a place and throw my own party. It will be understood that dancing will be mandatory and that all kinds of dance music, from techno to house to hiphop to drum and bass to breakcore to trance and all matter of other butt moving tunes, will be played.

Who knows? Maybe I'll even throw in some reggaeton.

Dusted:

The Dustmite - Assassin of Memories
(the return of the dark hop)

The Dustmite - Remix + Rarities
(DMs tunes twisted and shifted)

The Dustmite - Dub Sessions V.1
(deep, dark dub)

Various - Intelligent Freaks Mix '05
(the Dustmite mixes the evil)

Junkie

So I've taken the final plunge.

After several months of membership with EMusic, I've hunkered down and signed up for their annual program. $190 for the year and I get to download 90 TRACKS A MONTH. Yes, that's about 9 new CDs every month, unless I'm downloading 30 track albums by grindcore bands (which I will, no doubt, be doing).

In fact, I downloaded 7 new goodies just yesterday (you get the benefits of the bump to annual right away).

If you wanna sign up, I can refer you. I get 50 free tracks and so do you. That's about 10 normal sized CDs. Some of you will undoubtedly double your collection right off the bat :). Me, I'm well on my way to 2400.

The joy is that I'm getting to use my ill gotten gains more and more. I'll be spinning some brand new tracks at tonight's festivities and I'm investigating some other DJing opportunities.

God, I love music.



Making a joyful noise:

Kittie - Oracle
(these chicks are seriously pissed off)

Donnacha Costello - Together Is The New Alone
(this dude, however, definitely is not)

Scrapper Blackwell - The Virtuoso Guitar Of Scrapper Blackwell
(vintage blues from the 1920s)

Basic Channel - Basic Channel
(the orginator, not the imitator, no one burbles minimal-er, no one burbles greater)

MF Doom - Operation: Doomsday
(KMD still lives in the hearts of men)

Work for idle hands to do

When I'm not working, cooking, dancing, writing music, or dodging shotgun blasts from the Vice President, I sometimes find myself getting bored.

And that's no fun.

Luckily, my obsession with music is such that during these terrible down times, I can turn my attention to another of my hobbies: DJing. If I find myself feeling less than entertained, I can often throw together some fairly sweet mixes.

Two cases in point.

On the last day of the GothCruise, I was struck with the cruise plague and was pretty much housebound for the entirety of the subsequent weekend. Unwilling to vegetate in front of the TV (which I sometimes do), I decided to throw together some tracks for a recent acquaintance whom I'd hoped to date. This person (who has since pretty much disappeared, as seems to be the inevitable result of such things for me) was really into house and techno, so the cogs and wheels in my head sputtered to life and gave birth to

DJ Abstract 12: The E.SP. Mix

Lots of four on the floor. Lots of rising synths. Just too much fun, no?

01 FC Kahuna - Hayling
02 Solvent - My Radio (The Mitgang Audio Remix)
03 Audion - Kisses
04 Matthew Dear - It's Over Now (Peter Grummich Remix)
05 Fortran 5 - Love Baby (Haze Mix)
06 Sven Dedek And Alex Bau - Listen To Me
07 Hive - The Chase (Remix)
08 Telepopmusik - Breathe (Extended Mix)
09 Moby - Go (Woodtick Mix)
10 Electrostatic - Misused (Reybot's Topcone Mix)
11 Analog Pussy - Anarchist
12 Abigail - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Club Mix)
13 Mos Def & Massive Attack - I Against I



Unfortunately, I've never been able to deliver it to the person who inspired it. Might see her briefly this weekend, so perhaps she'll finally get to hear it. Gotta say it was one of my best mixes.

At least until yesterday.

I took a half day off from work to get my taxes done and then got to sit around waiting for the cable guy. He was supposed to come between 2pm and 6pm. Big surprise. He never showed. However, in the intervening period I was yet again drawn to the idea of cranking out some sweet music. Given the fact that I've been listening to more than my fair share of that awful minimalist techno that everybody hates (heh heh), the end result was

DJ Abstract 13: Ice Blue Mix

Cavernous, dub-like sounds. Thunderous beats and chilly atmospheres. Lots of tracks from the Thinner label (god bless the Germans), mixed with some classics. After all, who can deny the joys of Aphex Twin or Coil remixed by Jack Dangers, eh?

01 Sebastian Redenz - Illusion
02 Karsten Hammer Hansen - Sun Spots
03 Coil - The Snow (Answers Come In Dreams II)
04 Dolby - Red 4
05 Yuma Tripp - Electro Dreams
06 Digitalverein - Winterdumpf (Dolbys Techmix)
07 Nulleins - Departure
08 Rktic - The Opposite Of
09 Timo Saikkoken - Pau
10 Curse - Most Of Here
11 Benfay - Rheas Blues
12 Nanospeed - Spielerei Rmx
13 Aphex Twin - Pulsewidth



I'm really proud of this one. Most of the tracks just melt into one another. It's pretty smoove (if I don't say so myself).

Another great thing about this burst of mixing frenzy is that it's given me a lot of ideas for my upcoming gig on Friday night. Major fun will be had, methinks. If y'all would like to stop by...

Friday, February 17th @ 9:00pm
The Frying Pan
Pier 63 North River
23rd & West Side Highway
New York, NY

I've no idea how late it's gonna go, but if last year's party was any indication, probably about 4am. My prayer is that I'll still be able to go to my spin classes on Saturday. That way I can give Emily her mix.

But one never knows, does one?

DJ Abstract's Hot Fives (Hot Sevens still at home):

Various - DJ Abstract 13: Ice Blue Mix
(turn up the heat, 'cause this shit is chilly)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The RK Tracks
(some of the faves of Ms. Kelly, bless her heart)

Souns - Lights
(light and lilting)

Nick Cramer - Anti-Gravity
(glittering and open, dubwise in space)

Polar - 37 Degrees Celsius And Falling
(dnb that continues with the icy theme)

From dictator to conductor PS

"And a one and a two..."

Going around, coming around

No doubt every sarcastic, liberal blogger such as myself is simply slavering over (or bent over laughing about) the story of Big Dick Cheney shooting one of his hunting buddies. How priceless is that? Give the Bush campaign a couple of grand and catch a faceful of birdshot for your trouble.

Certainly renews my faith in karma.

Harry Whittington, newly turned Democrat?


Shotgun goes boo-yah:

Digitalverein - Zu Hause2 Remixes
(DV's icy techno redone)

Various - Spectral Sound, Volume 1
(bob thump blip crunch)

Various - Thinner Volumes 05 & 06
(more minimal from the masters)

Louis Armstrong - Rhythm Saved The World
(Satchmo does his thing)

John Coltrane - Lush Life
(monument of mellow)

White boy rhymin' PS

Might do more of this later, but this was what came spilling out first:

NSA on your phone
There's no safety at home
Never leave you alone
Til your freedoms are gone

Bad domestic plans
So I do what I can
To stay out from under
The boot of the man

From Iraq to phone taps
To pat acts
To judges
Bad men breakin' laws
To settle old grudges

World in flames

"We are a nation that can't forgive, be silent or ease up when they insult our prophet and our sacred values."
-Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah

Can't forgive.

Can't forgive? So all Muslims should be eternally angry about the cartoon portrayal of the Prophet Mohammed? No peace? Ever?

Even during peaceful protests, such as the one attended by half a million Muslims in Beirut, participants are chanting, "Death to America, Death to Israel."

What would you have people do?

If there is no such thing as forgiveness, this can NEVER end. This fire will continue to burn and many of those who are currently protesting peacefully will boil over. Already, Nasrallah has been heard to say, "We will defend our prophet with our blood, not our voices."

"Defending the prophet should continue worldwide, let Condoleezza Rice, Bush and all the tyrants shut up."

Until what? Until the cartoonists are stoned to death? Until Denmark and all the countries that have published the caricatures are reduced to ashes?

How much anger and outrage is enough?

It's no wonder that so many people think Muslims are crazy people. Burning flags, ransacking buildings, throwing stones, clashing with police, all over CARTOONS?

How can any rational person justify this stuff?



I have to understand? No, I don't. Can't afford? What are you talking about?

How does a satirical depiction of your prophet truly reduce the validity of Islam? You do more damage to your own religion by acting violently than any cartoon or other supposed blasphemy we heathens produce. Each time the non-Muslim world sees this radical and fundamentalist attitude, you further drag Islam further and further into that realm of "What? Those crazy people?"

How can you ever hope to accomplish any of your goals when you continue to pursue such a single minded attitude towards things? Without flexibility, there can be no growth. Without growth, there can be no success. The world will continue to see you as a bunch of lunatics and your religion will only be perceived as an excuse to do violence.

In the end, the only people who will respect Islam will be Muslims themselves. No allies, no sympathizers, no supporters outside of your own closeminded world.

"And make not Allah because of your swearing (by Him) an obstacle to your doing good and guarding (against evil) and making peace between men, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. ...Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing."
- The Koran

Forgiving and forbearing Allah may be, but far too many of his followers are not.



Heathen and infidel music:

Various - Kruder Dorfmeister - The K&D Sessions
(masters of mellow)

Godflesh - In All Languages
(masters of massiveness)

Front Line Assembly - Gashed Senses & Crossfire
(fuckin' aggro)

Colophon - MP3 Compilation
(rainy nights and distant spaces)

Chachi Jones - Claustrophilia
(glitchy glitchy coo)

Eat to live

Anyone who has met me even in passing will tell you that I love food. I love to cook. I love to eat. I derive a deep-seated satisfaction from preparing a sumptuous meal or simply enjoying an evening out at a fine restaurant. But little did I know that my culinary proclivities might one day save my life...

Mitchell Rupe, who killed two people in 1981, died today at the Washington State Penitentiary. Rupe had been sentenced to death not once, but twice. However, higher courts overturned each of the sentences.

The reason?

Rupe weighed 400 pounds and he argued that he was too heavy to hang due to risk of...

(duhn duhn duhn!) decapitation.

Which would be cruel and unusual punishment.

Who would have ever guessed that one way to get around swingin' would be gluttony? Out of appeals? Start chowin' down. Then again, these days most states rely on lethal injection to murder their death row inmates, so I guess that loophole (or noose?) has been closed...

"I fat the law."


Death row diet plan:

Rapeman - Two Nuns And A Pack Mule
(Albini proves he's still pissed after Big Black)

Opeth - Blackwater Park
(gotta love 10 minute metal songs)

Radiohead - OK Computer
(I want that key to the basement)

Blue Sky Research - MP3 Compilation
(glitchy heroin headnod)

DJ Krush - Meiso
(more headnodiness)

Next stop... bankruptcy

Imagine this: it's nearing the first of the month and you sit down to organize your finances. After figuring out how much you owe, you decide how much you're going to spend. Since you don't have any cash on hand, you realize that you'll have to use your credit card to buy stuff. Not to worry, though, because since it's a credit card, you can pay it off later. How much credit would you use?

If you're George W. Bush, the answer to this question is 423 billion dollars.

Four hundred and twenty-three BILLION dollars. Also known as $423,000,000,000.

Yes, that's nine zeros, folks.

Dumbya has just submitted a budget to Congress that will drive the annual deficit higher than it has ever been before. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention: it cuts spending on education, Medicare and Medicaid, farm subsidy programs, and more.

"Ah, but military spending is so important that funding for certain programs needs to be reduced," you say. But apparently critics are saying that this marvelous budget understates the spending that will be necessary to fight our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

That pretty much puts your argument in the toilet, no?

The biggest villain here? A perennial Bush fave: tax cuts. It's going to cost us $1.35 trillion over the next ten years to extend Dubya's first-term tax cuts. You know, the ones that primarily benefit the super rich? But what's really funny?

A trillion dollars is about how much we owe foreign governments as of right now.

Yes, we owe other countries over a trillion dollars. Also known as $1,000,000,000,000.

Yes, that's twelve zeros, folks. Twelve.

Imagine if you owed your landlord that much money? No apartment. The gas company? No heat. Electric? More of the same.

You get the idea.

Bush is continuing to bankrupt this country. Fact is I wouldn't be as upset about this if he was actually doing it to benefit the majority of us, but that just isn't the case. He's pouring money into defense while simultaneous reducing our main source of income: taxes.

Then again, I'm just another tax and spend Democrat.

I long for the day when a president is brought up in the real world, the world where people have to worry about money and making it through to the end of the month; a president with some semblance of knowledge about financial responsibility.

Clinton balanced the budget. Why can't GW?



The $36 billion reduction in Medicare, the $5 billion reduction in farm subsidy programs, and the $4.9 billion in reduction in Medicaid support for poor children will definitely help you buy:

Damageplan - New Found Power
(Darrell was not a dime a dozen)

The Crystal Method - Keep Hope Alive
(bumpin' takes on one of my faves)

CocoRosie - La Maison De Mon Reve
(just plain weird... and lovely)

Yuma Tripp - Yuma Tripp MP3s (Disc 3)
(house house house trance trance trance)

Various - DJ Abstract 12: The E.SP. Mix
(one of my best mixes, IMHO)

Sur les rouages de siderurgique

I've been recruited to spin at the annual Zoppa Brothers birthday party. The triplets are turning 24 and have rented out the Frying Pan here in New York City. For those unaware of the beauty that is the Frying Pan, it is a light ship that lay submerge for many years in an inlet of the Chesapeake Bay. It was brought to New York in the 80s and is slowly being restored.

It is one bad ass space.

I'll be spinning hip hop, techno, house, and a bunch of other shiznit. The Zoppas are actually looking for recruits as well, as they really want to pack the place. There's a $10 cover, but it should be an amazing party.

So everybody should come and listen to me do my thang.

Friday, February 17, 9:00pm
The Frying Pan
Chelsea Piers
West End Ave and 23rd St

Probably not going to spin:

Everlast - Whitey Ford Sings The Blues
(roots rock rap)

Tom Waits - Bad News Out Of A Pretty Mouth
(many of my Waits faves all in one place)

Slayer - Reign In Blood
(bonecrushing, pro-Satan, and mighty fine)

KRS-One - Return Of The Boom Bap
(original rap)

MC 900 Ft Jesus - Hell With The Lid Off
(sounds dated as hell, but still awesome)

God does have a funny bone

No doubt many people would cite their religious or spiritual beliefs as one of the most important things in their lives. Hell, I'd say mine was pretty integral to my existence. Weird and slightly undefined, but integral nonetheless.

What I can't understand are people who can't take a joke.

There's currently a huge uproar in the Muslim world over cartoons that were published in a Danish newspaper. These cartoons depict the Prophet Mohammad (which is a no-no) and depict him farcically (which is a BIG no-no). Flags are being burned, buildings are being ransacked, etc. Calls for apologies from Denmark's government are being made. The Danes are declining to do this, citing the right of free speech.

Good for them.

Here at home, the ever vigilant American Family Association is calling for a boycott of "Will & Grace" because of an upcoming episode that they believe mocks the crucifixion of Christ. Supposedly the gay TV network featured on the show is taken over by a Christian broadcaster and they decide run a cooking segment called "Cruci-fixin's."

Stupid pun, yes, but hardly something to get bent out of shape about.

People just need to relax.

True faith means you believe what you believe, regardless of what other people think, do, or say. What's the point at getting offended about humor? If you don't find it funny, that's fine. Don't buy the paper. Don't watch the show. But why raise such a hue and cry about it? If anything, that draws more attention to the joke. I'm certainly not Danish, so I'd never have heard of these cartoons if hard-line Muslims hadn't raised a stink.

Now I wanna see dem toonz.

Likewise, I've never seen "Will & Grace", nor have I ever had the urge to tune in.

Now I might.

After all, Brittney Spears will be a guest on the show.



And you know what a draw SHE is.



(Yes, that last bit was a sarcastic joke. I now fully expect to be burned in effigy by rabid Brittney worshippers.)

Today's dose of hue and cry:

John Coltrane - Lush Life
(from the bop to the blues)

Ministry - Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed & the Way to Suck Eggs
(Paul and Al turn it up to 11)

Various - Thinner Volume 01
(uhnst uhnst uhnst uhnst)

Building Castles Out Of Matchsticks - It's Raining In My Bedroom
(gorgeous DIY electronic)

Freq. Magnet - Principium Somniferum
(audio hallucinations)