RT1: I need a new web page category for entries like this, as there's nothing particularly personal about it.
RT2: Leonard Cohen's
work after his voice got deeper is some really trippy, moody, and quite
cool stuff. I realize that Mr. Cohen is enjoying a bit of a renaissance
right now, but I've been a fan since I heard "Waiting For The Miracle"
and "The Future" across the psychotic landscape of Natural Born Killers.
RT3: Along those same lines, Natural Born Killers
is a far, far better movie than most people give it credit for, in my
opinion. On the one hand, the blunt-force trauma of so much violence
and gore is a very heavy-handed way to make a point about the
glorification of such things. On the other, there are so many little
subtleties in this movie that people tend to miss, and the performances
throughout are just incredible. I can't even say "especially...."
because they all rock like mad, from Rodney Dangerfield as the
perverted father of Mallory to Robert Downey Jr.'s absolutely
mindblowing performance as tabloid reporter Wayne Gale. It's very much
a "love it or hate it" proposition. I love it. Also, the soundtrack album is one of the few in the last twenty years or so that includes actual film dialogue. Cool.
RT4:
I wonder if there are any bands out there called "Cognitive
Dissonance." I would like to name my next band that, if there isn't.
The album cover potential is unlimited. If the band name has been
taken, I think I'm going to use it as an album title when I get back to
making music again, just so I can invoke all the surreal imagery.
RT5:
The one thing that sucks beyond all else about the Age Of The CD is the
loss of intricate album cover art. The idea that we'll never see stuff
like Santana's Abraxas or even Danzig's
killer H. R. Geiger cover art again, or at least not in nearly as much
detail, is kinda depressing. On the other hand, as music moves into the
digital age, the delivery of quality additional material is coming back
into vogue. Still...posters? Remember the posters from KISS' solo
albums and other stuff? What do teenagers put on their walls these days?
RT6: Creating a CRM system from scratch is quite difficult. I, however, am doing it. Go me.
RT7:
Johnny Got His Gun is quite an excellent film, and an even better
book.
You should get it. Be careful buying the DVD though - it's never been
officially released in the US (it's owned by Metallica, and they have
become corporate weenies and retards over the last 15 years or so, I
kinda hate to even suggest buying this because they'll make money on
it...which is kind of sad considering they used to be one of my
favorite bands, and their pre-black album stuff still is, but that's
another rant). Amazon has some available as Region 1 format that are
produced in Portugal or something, though. Just keep your eyes open and
make sure it's either clearly marked as Region 1/NTSC or
region-free/NTSC, if you're in the US.