Uncategorized – Page 9 – The Designer Monologues

April 29, 2016

Friday Music

Been so busy on FAR WEST and teaching this week that I’ve slacked off on posting regular entries… but I’m not about to let Friday Music slip!

To start off, here’s one of my favorite hip-hop tracks, from 2002. Those of you getting into hip-hop via HAMILTON will probably like this one — it’s got that kind of nested-complex-rhymes thing that Lin-Manuel Miranda does so well, and the backing track is based around jazz samples. K-OS, “Superstarr, Pt. Zero.”

From around the same time, coincidentally, here’s a bit of indie pop/soul from Philadelphia-based singer Res. It was her breakthrough single, but her label was eventually phased out during a buy-out, and she eventually asked to be released from her contract when the new label owners weren’t releasing any of her material. She’s gone completely indie, and still records and releases work — including as part of a hip-hop/electronic duo with Talib Kweli, called IDLE WORSHIP. Res – “They Say Vision.”

This song is a helluva lot older than I thought it was. I knew it was a Lead Belly song from the 1940s, under the title “Black Gal.” Turns out that it’s actually a traditional Southern folk song, dating back until at least 1870, and possibly earlier, with the original title “In the Pines.” This is my favorite recording of it, under the title “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”, recorded live during Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged appearance in 1993. Cobain’s ragged voice, and especially the pained howl he gives during the climax of the performance, really sends chills down my spine. Nirvana – “Where Did You Sleep Last Night.”

I know almost nothing about this next artist, aside from the fact that her album, Skin, was just released, this single was featured on Apple Music, and one of the music blogs I read really, really likes her. After giving a listen to this alt-pop track, so do I. Carmody – “Skin.”

Sticking with the alt-pop genre for a while, I really like this one, too: Ardyn, a group comprised of 2/3 of a set of triplets from Glouchestershire, who have really put together some rousing, yet slightly melancholic, pop structures in this song. Ardyn – “Over The River.”

We’re gonna close out with more high-quality hip-hop — with the kind of genius verbal dexterity I really love, layered over a solid bass & horns 70s-soul/funk groove that I might love even more. Shirt is an indie Queens-based MC, and he’s getting some serious boost from the fact that this track was used in the closing credits of a recent episode of HBO’s Silicon Valley. I cannot emphasize enough how fucking GOOD this is. Enjoy: Shirt – “Phantom (Redux).”

There ya go, kids. See you back here soon.

August 5, 2015August 5, 2015

#RPGaDay2015: Day 5

Today’s topic in #RPGaDay2015 is: Most Recent RPG Purchase. I don’t tend to purchase a lot of RPGs — one, I’m not currently in a regularly-scheduled playing group, and two, a lot of stuff is sent my way as swag from industry colleagues. But when I do make a purchase, it’s something that has grabbed my attention to the point where I cannot let it go. That’s definitely the case for my most recent purchases.

Folks who know me are well aware that my greatest love is what might kindly be called “Trash Culture.” All of the various things that I’m really into: Spaghetti Westerns, Kung Fu and Wuxia, Monster movies, Spy-Fi, Pulp, Comics, etc… all of it is the sort of stuff that parents and teachers warn us “would rot our brains.” And, given that I grew up in the 1970s and 80s, trash culture from those decades hold a special place in my heart. So you can imagine my joy when I heard about The Spirit of 77 RPG. I immediately ran out and bought the PDF of the rulebook, and the first supplement, Wide World of 77.

I mean come ON. Look at that awesomeness! Spirit of 77 is basically the RPG of the Trash-Culture Seventies. Blaxploitation heroes, Kung-Fu Fighting, Bionic Women, Luchadores, CB Bandits and Stunt Bikers… It’s all there. If you like any of this stuff, you owe it to yourself to check it out. OUTTA SIGHT!

Now, I’ll turn you over to Dave Chapman for his video entry of the day.

That Dave is one bad muthaSHUTYOURMOUTH!

(I’m just talkin bout Dave…)

May 2, 2011

Bin Laden Reactions

History-making news now breaks, not on Cable News, but via a text message from my oldest daughter (who has friends in the White House Communications Office). Then bursts through my Twitter Feed– real time reactions from all over the world, speculation from journalists and news organizations… and lastly, mocking the floundering of the formerly mighty Cable News, who spent the hour before the President’s speech stumbling over themselves (and often just repeating what was appearing on Twitter 10-15 minutes previously). If the revolution in Egypt hadn’t made it clear, last night made it inescapable: Cable news’ run as the go-to source for breaking information, which really hit its stride with the Gulf War, is pretty much over.

Two things which strike me now, which have prompted me to post here (as they’re too detailed to distill to 140 characters on Twitter): The reactions, both on the left and right.

First, the right: I’m already seeing a tendency to either completely remove the President from any credit for this, or to start the inevitably-growing rumbling about how Obama will be “politicizing” this. To which I say, in the words of former Vice President Dick Cheney: Go fuck yourselves.

The right not only took credit for every positive thing that happened in the “War on Terror” from 2002-2008, but also for any bad thing that DIDN’T happen. Every month that passed where we weren’t attacked again was somehow directly because of President Bush’s vigilance. Every FBI sting where some hapless moron was tricked into planning a terrorist attack by the FBI itself, and then stopped, was treated as if President Bush, resplendent in a Captain America costume, was personally giving a Ratzi a sock on the jaw.

Even worse — the intimation that 9/11, despite happening 9 months into Bush’s watch, despite direct warning in the Threat Briefing, was somehow Clinton’s fault — for not taking Bin Laden out after the USS Cole bombing (despite GOP criticism at the time that Clinton was trying to “wag the dog” and divert attention away from his impeachment hearings). That a vote for Kerry in 2004 was “what the terrorists wanted.”

A reminder to these Kings of Politicization: 6 months after 9/11, President Bush said “I don’t know where he is, and honestly I don’t spend that much time on him… I’m not that concerned.” (Video)

Obama, upon taking office, directed the CIA to make Bin Laden a priority. But the right will now deny it, saying that this event is somehow a continuation of Bush’s efforts — despite words from his own mouth to the contrary. So again, a hearty fuck you. If Bush somehow deserved credit for his efforts — so does Obama. Even if you hate him.

Now, to my fellow travelers on the left: I’m seeing a lot of hand-wringing and self-righteous lecturing about how killing is wrong, celebrating murder is barbaric, etc. It’s situations like this that makes me wish there was a hashtag like #firstworldproblems that applied here — something like #privelegedprinciples.

I suppose it’s very easy to pontificate and finger-wag, if 9/11 was only something that you watched on television. If you didn’t know anyone who was killed, it’s quite comfortable to wrap yourself in your principles. For everyone else, this is justice. Maybe you should consider that, and keep your sense of outrage to yourself?

I mean, look at this picture:

Now tell those Firefighters that they’re being barbaric for celebrating the death of the man directly responsible for the death of their brethren. Go ahead.

Sometimes, comfortable first-world liberal, it’s not about you.