Congratulations, Antlers! You just made the Album of the Decade!

I've heard some amazing music the last nine years, but "Hospice," by Antlers, is by far the best. A concept album about an abusive terminal cancer patient and her caregiver/boyfriend (According to the review.. I haven't quite grasped that on my own..) isn't a real fun pretext for music, but everything; every note, every second.. is perfect. Too heavy on the compliments? Not to me. Listen for yourself( Lala is located in the blue box to the right of the review. Hit "Play all" for the full experience..). Love it or hate it, you won't be able to be objective about it..

I've heard this album once, immediately ordered it, and have thought about it continuously for the last 24 hours. The level of creativity this group manifests is staggering. I'm now a fan. A true, ardent, over the top fan of Antlers. Thanks in advance for the amazing hours I'll spend with your work. I can't wait.

Study: 74% Of Children Tenting Out In Yard Don't Make It Through The Night

From The Onion, of course..

Glen Beck waves goodbye to the last remaining bit of his soul..

He's not awful because he (now) spouts Libertarian gibberish on Fox, it's the massive hypocrisy of having the script change on him, and him not missing a beat.. From a lickspittle NeoCon to New Libertarian Hope and No One Noticed! I've lost A LOT of respect for Ron Paul, who, in the course of the last two years, has been loony-tized, then deified by the likes of Beck. Paul could have easily called Beck on his hypocrisy, but hasn't. While I'd like to believe that Ron Paul is Above The Fray when it comes to Beck, a part of me now believes that Ron Paul is No Better Than The Others.. -BUT- How Ron Paul deals with Beck's douchebaggery is not in question. Beck's douchebaggery, though, is.

He reads scripts for lots and lots of money. He doesn't care what he says on camera. He doesn't care who he hurts, or what consequences might come from his actions. His cold and greedy heart has overwhelmed his underdeveloped conscience.

And that's why he's awful. And that makes me sad.

Kevin Martin predicts possible Cape Cod hit by Bill..

Dependent on that pesky western High that's baking the west and keeping Missouri/East cool and wetwetwet. If it doesn't move easterly fast enough to send Bill north when predicted, Bill just might slam into Cape Cod..

I've written about Kevin before, so I'll post his forecast just to see how accurate he is compared to these guys.. If his hurricane predictions are anything like his other severe weather forecasts, my money's on Kevin..

"Without obtaining any tissue from that person."

I guess DNA can lie, after all.. So, what about all those cases(past/present/future) whose decisions all hinge(d) on DNA evidence? Will DNA Evidence-decided trials have to be re-reviewed? If so, would our legal system gridlock nationally.. almost overnight?

And what of Forensic Science? Will the industry react and establish new criteria and methods for determination of authentic DNA? How sophisticated will the technological upgrade have to meet the new set of "acceptable standards?" How much will it cost nationally?

The cynical bastard in me says that none of this will happen. The industry will continue to preach the "Infallible DNA" line right up to the bitter end. Sad. I would really like to be wrong about this, but I don't think I am..

The scariest implication of DNA fabrication is "corruption of evidence." "Corruption" is an alteration or fabrication of forensic material in order to produce suspicion in any desired direction, by creator of said material. In other words: If "they" (whoever "they" may be)want you, they'll get you. And they can create the proof to prove your guilt. And that "you?" Could be anyone, including..

Yeah? Now how do you feel?

Real Unsolved Mysteries, Take One..

The Voynich Manuscript, the "Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World.." Illustrations of plants and flowers not found in nature, oblique astronomical drawings(some of which turn out to be very advanced scientifically), an undecipherable language(possibly two), and drawings of little nude people in trash cans. Scooby and Shaggy could smoke a million joints and still not figure this one out..

The Last Three Stories of What Will Be My Book..

This was me in a different life. I can't prove it, but I know. And somehow, this life is somehow connected to the present, although I'm not sure how, or why. So, here they are:


During/the end

They had arrived safely. The water was seasonably warm, and not uncomfortable. The waves rippled and crashed as they pushed the boat an acceptable distance onshore. The song of the insects was unfamiliar. The air was humid. Dread was eating the man, his nausea rising. He wondered why. Everything seemed to be fine.

They were preparing to build a fire and explore the immediate area when the attack started. The noise of landing had masked all other sounds, and the inhabitants of the island were upon them before they had a chance to organize a defense, as they had not accounted for such a situation. The ones that had survived the initial onslaught ran aimlessly, further away from their boat, their lives taken one by one. A few men made an attempt to re-launch the boat, but were killed before they got to the water.

The man’s dread was forgotten as he ran along the beach, but his crippling nausea remained, bile rising with every footfall. He ran parallel to the shore, the water only feet away. His breath was heavy from panic. After an acceptable distance, he reasoned, he would disappear into the tree line until the morning, then swim to the ship.He continued to run, loudly exhaling his fear, his mouth gulping the sea air. He veered towards the trees, his immediate safe harbor. Darkness and brush and unfamiliar Flora enveloped him as he decided to stop and rest and look back at what was left of the expedition. The man who had followed him into the trees noticed his shocked expression as he turned around to look. He knew his prey had not heard him follow, as fear had overwhelmed all but his instinctual, reflexive flight. The inhabitant fell upon him, and the deed was done. The man’s life had ended on this island unfamiliar.

Off shore, the ship was anchored in semi-shallow waters, its silhouette alone against the horizon. The lone occupant of the ship, the dog, paced and whined and cried, echoing the distant and occasional cries from the island. After awhile, the dog began to yowl, breaking the silence that had once again settled in over the area. After a period of no response, the dog once again became quiet, and laid down to wait.

Miles upon miles over the ocean, the man’s wife went about finishing her daily activities. Their son, not far away, was amusing himself, within her view. She watched him for a moment as he ran in circles. She smiled and called for him to follow, as it was time for them to go inside. She turned around again when she reached the doorway, calling to him, pulling on a creeping vine, silently breathing a prayer to God to watch over her husband.

Right before


…They worked in silence, making themselves and the smaller boat ready to embark. They rowed in unison, gently breaking the waves, cruising in quietly and deliberately, timid and un-announced. The tightness of his face reflected the pressure in his stomach as the sound of the waves striking the rocky beachhead intensified. They were arriving safely, but this was of no comfort. The warm wind chilled, heeding him to pay attention, to be…aware.


The sky was a navy blue sea of diamonds, shining brightly, coldly, and perfectly over the solid blackness of ocean below. The unseen already in motion, all was now in place. Events in the forefront could begin. And they did begin. At that moment, at that arc of realization, on this, the most visually beautiful night of his life.

Before

They could feel the land before they ever saw it. It had been days and days and days since there had been even a hint of coastline, islands on the horizon, humanity, fresh water, anything. Tonight, though, was different. Most of them were sleeping, or trying to, when a feeling of discontent or anxiety took over one of the men, who decided to rise and ease those feelings experienced by staring onto the endless horizon.

Landlocked people don’t understand how much reflective power a full sky of stars has on the ocean. Contrasts between light and darkness are interpreted on a different visual spectrum, so even after his vision had adjusted, the man still couldn't be sure to trust his eyes. He stood motionless, staring, for a few minutes, wanting more affirmation from the possible masses he saw southwest from their vessel. During the time the man was trying to analyze the sliding empirical evidence the night and the stars and the ocean offered, he was made aware of the tension in his stomach. The cause of his anxiety he mistakenly attributed to nervousness about future food supply, homesickness for his son, his wife, buildings and surroundings from his home city, the familiar comfort from his home shores, or the realization of the duration of this adventure, which was already much longer than intended. Land or not, the expedition was not even half over.

Consumed by these thoughts and analyses, he was slow to realize he was no longer alone. He looked to his left and right, and all were there, all staring southwest, all silent. The stars were shining brightly, and from that distance, the man swore he saw light, or movement. He was not sure if the others saw anything similar, but by the lack of commotion, talking, or excitement displayed by the men, he knew they all felt something…not right.

They had found it and it had already begun.


And yeah, that's the order I intended.

Melancholy Diversion

File Under: Cool, but sad..

Worlds in Collision!

Ok, so it happened a few thousand years ago, but WE just found out about it..

Oh...So Sweet in my Mouth..

And this ain't no damn fly in your chardonnay, neither. I'm feeling a little hillbilly today.

Xymphora Talk: You Listen.

Spla DOW!

Lady GaGa: Hemaphrodite, Illuminati Puppet, or Both?

Two disturbing articles on fame's latest Superstar To Emerge From Nowhere.. This One(or, more likely, the ones surrounding her) knows controversy and she knows marketing. Team GaGa really knows the power of the visual. And so much "coincidental" symbology to boot..
Watching these two videos back to back in context of that information does give me pause. I'm not sure which one is creepier.

All of these symbols and references might be random and they might be totally benign. But.. everything else about her career trajectory seems so choreographed, so well executed for maximum impact, I hardly believe anything regarding her persona to be "random," or "accidental."

I will, in the future, look very differently at Lady GaGa.

Making Our Lives Better By Changing Karma

Robert Wilkinson writes yet another amazing article on his Aquarius Papers site..

Some samples: (Emphasis mine)

"Most limits arise from personal, social, or familial taboos and expectations, those reactions we formed at other times in our lives. These condition the personality in many ways, and bring about events that challenge us to choose our responses carefully and intelligently. That is karma. All significant events in our life challenge us to grow beyond old limitations so we can demonstrate our willingness to become our Higher Self. That is Karma."

And:

..Our successes also condition us, usually programming us to want more.

Thus we are a combination of programmed responses, attached to what we believe will bring us happiness, avoiding what will bring pain. The paradox of life is a peculiar mix involving many things which once brought us happiness eventually bring pain, and much of what once brought us pain led us into unknowns that yielded great happiness. If we choose to, we can grow tremendously through both types of experience, and find love, wisdom, power, and intelligence regardless of the outer condition.

And:

"If we willingly avoid looking at our power to choose to change patterns, then our lives stay stuck in past patterns until we are forced by circumstances to change. On the other hand, we can also choose to welcome unknown possibilities, moving into our potential to grow into higher awareness. That yields opportunities to become more skillful in applying our spiritual intelligence in our life, which in turn yields knowledge and understanding."

Please read this. It may change your life.

O'Reilly vs. Amsterdam/facts/reality etc..

It's like he thinks no one listening will respond.. with verifiable facts!

Looks horrifying. Can't wait to go sometime.

Jimi Hendrix, Space Alien..

Jimi Hendrix was from Mars, possibly a walk-in, attracted UFO's to his live performances, and most awesomely, was saved from freezing during a blizzard by an eight foot tall alien. Jimi Hendrix, the American/Martian original.

These beliefs would be totally laughed off coming from a lesser individual, but Hendrix was in a category by himself. Hendrix played like no other, and his music still has a "parallel universe" feel to it. Yeah, he took a lot of acid, but so did Leary. So did McKenna. He was serious in his exploration of consciousness, and some of his "beliefs" might be manifesting today. So it doesn't strike me as odd that Hendrix were to ask "What planet are you from, pal?" Or that he meant it. Or.. that it might be true. Of the worlds he explored, anything is possible..

Two interesting (and very different)perspectives regarding his death are here and here.

Head Birther Debunked, Loses Last Fingerhold on Sanity, Flees to Israel.

Credible, much? Naw.. Not at all. And maybe, just maybe, Orly Taitz has a darker motive than "Patriotism.."

..So the next time you think that Crow is looking at you, it probably is..

They have advanced problem solving capabilities, and a grasp on estimating weights and measures. Is anyone else a little unnerved by these findings?

Nice Crow.. Just headed to my car, and I'll be on my way.. Feel free to stay put, and.. run!

Wow, Really?

Gay to straight therapy doesn't work? Well, I'm.. not shocked. Not at all.

The only choice people have when it comes to being gay is whether they accept it (and themselves), or not. Period. No "Lifestyle Choice" is involved. None. If you're on board, cool. If not, Deal With It.

No doom, just beauty..

30 Alternative Wonders of the World. When you're not looking around, it's easy to forget the world is this diverse, this beautiful.. Here's a reminder!

Have a laugh, and feel creepy about it..

Courtesy of The Onion.