Halloween Fifteen: Creepy Boy, Creepy Girl

Like most years, I found only a few items that made me definitely uncomfortable: the trailer for "The Boy," near the middle, and the gif of the little girl at the end are the top two, for sure. Eek!

Julia Segal

 "Jon Snow White" Tastefully Offensive

This space skull just whizzed past us a few hours ago. Bad Astronomy

Fake Science

A slew of photos of "Halloween makeup and prosthetics by students," at The Guardian

 The Witch Head Nebula, APOD

Zolloc, via Kottke

Tastefully Offensive

Savage Chickens

Medium Large

Tastefully Offensive

I Hate My Parents

Tastefully Offensive

Doodle for Food

I will not be watching this movie. Mannequins will eat me.

Extra Fabulous Comics

Cyanide and Happiness

Jim Benton

Incredible Cinderella costume, Tastefully Offensive

Jim Benton

Cyanide and Happiness

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Funny to Me

Loading Artist

Funny to Me

Cheezburger

Sorry, but your kid is possessed by Gary Busey. Cheezburger

Tastefully Offensive

Cheezburger

Saturd80's: Shriekback

Haven't done one of these for a while, but recently something reminded me of "Nemesis," which I love. My take has always been that it satirizes "evil," rather than glorifying it, but your mileage may vary.

All of these are from the 1985 album, "Oil & Gold." "Everything that Rises Must Converge:"

"Malaria:"

And to finish off, the quiet and contemplative "This Big Hush:"

Geo 365: Feb. 10, Day 41: Waiting for the Worm

Dana and I planted our thumper and waited. But the worm never came. Looking roughly south from the first dune south of the path's exit to open sand at Eel Creek Recreation Area.

Photo unmodified. March 8, 2012. FlashEarth Location- cross hairs on day-use parking area.

Gaudete

I'm not a religious person- perhaps I'd be better off phrasing that as "I'm not a Christian." However, that does not mean I can't or don't appreciate many things inspired by religion. For example:

Lyrics and translation can be seen here, as well as some of the history of this carol. Someone was telling me that they'd never heard an a capella piece they'd enjoyed. Feel awful sorry for them.

Pah-Rum-Pah-Pum-Pum

For the Twitter hastag, #christmascarolswithspiders

"There Is No Place To Hide"

Fair warning: I was not prepared for the heart-tearing intensity this song hit me with today. 45 minutes, and I'm still crying. Kind of embarrassed, but not really. The people who aren't crying are the ones who should be embarrassed.

They're crowded into the smallest spaces
While outside all of nature cries
It's known to be cruel and unfair
But there is no place to hide
Oh I've seen a part of people that I never really want to share
Oh I've seen a part of people that I never really knew was there

[CHORUS]

Shelter - give them shelter from the coming storm
Shelter - give them shelter from the coming storm

I can't sleep haunted by their faces
The sadness in their eyes
It hurts so much to see them helpless
It makes me want to cry
But still there is so much left unanswered
For so many innocent lives
They close the doors and are letting nobody in
And only the strong will survive

[CHORUS]

I've seen the anger and I've seen all the dreams
And I've watched an existence torn apart by the seams
And though I may seem helpless
I will do all that I can do
Oh I've seen a part of people that I never really want to share
Oh I've seen a part of people that I never really knew was there

[CHORUS]

A Better Pagan Holiday than Even Christmas

Today's EPOD

I am currently wearing a pretty floral bonnet, thanks to a couple of IZ friends, one of whom actually sewed it, and the other who has applied pressure over the last couple of days, saying this is just too  good of an idea to *not* make it happen. Bill took a few photos earlier, but I have to download those to my old computer, then transfer them by thumb drive to this one- my camera and this computer aren't on speaking terms. The following are some fun bits I've come across in recent days... enjoy!

 Julia Segal

Hair-Raising Hare

Electronic Cerebrectomy- several more pics at the link.

Cake Wrecks- yes that's a cake, and there are many more at the link.

Dracula Flatt and Frankie Scruggs, from Bits and Pieces

Via @tjnance

Bizarro

Via @badbanana: "Too fun not to share. My daughter in her homemade Dr. Who TARDIS costume. The headband lights up. Also: stay away from her, nerds."

Ramblings

 Fake Science

Senor Gif

Magma Cum Laude finds a folded outcrop of evil rocks.

Dr. Skyskull explains how, when you die, a certain portion of your body will become zombie-like. And I haven't found a good sample of creepy stuff, so I recommend reading more of that blog here.

Sofa Pizza

Bits and Pieces

Pleated Jeans- this is the first of six Horror Movies for Pets, and may not even be the best by your taste. If you're a pet lover, click over for the other five.

And now is the time on Sprockets when we dance...

I don't think I'm capable of letting a Halloween pass without a version of All Soul's Night:

And I don't think I've ever actually posted this one before, though for the life of me I can't think why.

Have a fun evening, everyone!

Saturd80's: The Women Rock It Edition

Divinyls "Science Fiction"

Siouxsie & The Banshees "Peek-A-Boo"

Blondie "Angels on the Balcony"

Autumn

For reasons not entirely clear to me, Interzone got a piano yesterday. My (vague) understanding is that someone is simply storing it here for a few months, and someone else is kinda maybe thinking about using it for a performance series this fall. Whatever, we'll see. But a young woman just came in, sat down, and played some very nice bits of music. When she finished up, I asked her what it was, as it had sounded a little familiar. She replied she'd just been making it up as she went along... a fact I find very impressive. She sounded like she'd played it before, needed a bit more practice, but was playing a well-known piece. The idea of composing it as she went along is difficult for me to grasp.

At any rate, in one of those recollective belches that happen to me frequently, I was able to come up with the album of which her music reminded me. I commented to her that while much of the "New Age Music" of the 80's-90's could get very trite and cliche, some of it (especially, in my experience and opinion, from Windham Hill) was really quite lovely. Here are a couple selections from George Winston's album "Autumn."
Colors/Dance

(Not sure which pieces are included in this; it's at least three tracks from "Autumn." That minor sound is what reminded me of the young woman's ad-libbing, but the original post is in Japanese.)

This morning was the first this fall cool enough to prompt me to wear a jacket. The foliage is only just beginning to change, and it won't really feel like autumn until we get some real rain (still none in predictions), but these piano solos feel right for today... cool and crisp.

Followup: Yes, it looks like there is a music series planned for this fall and winter.

 The hard surfaces in this space make it painful for me to listen to music- especially amplified music- for any length of time, so expect no reviews here.

Know The Difference

Bif Naked

Bif, furry. Yes it's subtle, but I'm fond of both of them, so I'm obligated to know the differences. Don't know Bif Naked? Your loss.

Saturd80's

The Vapors, Turning Japanese:

B-52's, Rock Lobster:

XTC, Senses Working Overtime:

Saturd80's: Extended Rapturous Apocalypse Edition

Since I gather this may be the last Saturd80's I'll be able to post, I'm gonna double up. Blondie, Rapture:

REM, End of The World as We Know It:

Tom Lehrer, So Long, Mom (A Song for World War III):

Not precisely apocalyptic... but it has always felt that way to me. Kate Bush has done more goose bump-raising pop music than anyone I can think of. (BTW, yes, that is a very young Hugh Laurie.) Kate Bush, Experiment IV:

Not apocalyptic at all, but I can't dodge the title. Motels, Apocalypso:

And I finally thought of the perfect song to end this set with: "This is what you want? This is what you get." Think about it, rapturists. Public Image Ltd., Order of Death:

This Is the Last Night of the World

I started listening to Sarah McLachlan during the summer of 1992, so her music doesn't technically fit the Saturd80's format. But she, like another of my female musical idols, Kate Bush, was one of those teen prodigies. McLachlan signed a contract with (I believe) Nettwork records when she was 16 or 17. I first came upon this song, originally from 1988, on her compilation album Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff (1996). As much as I like her solo work, I find the combination of her soaring vocals with the beat-heavy synth-electro-pop of Manufacture impossibly appealing. May not be your cup of tea, but it's sure my cup of coffee! And what with the raptor almost upon us, how can I resist? I can't.

I'm not convinced any of the slinky women in this clip are actually my dear Sarah- first, none of them really look like her (though to be sure, she was much younger then), and second, I'm not convinced she would ever act that undignified. But make up your own mind.

The thing that brought this to mind was another apocalyptic video I came across a few minutes ago. I don't like this song as well, but it's not bad...

...and the mix of movie clips is awesome.

Saturd80's: Figgy Duff Edition

Figgy Duff was a group formed in Newfoundland in the mid 1970's, and who came to my attention about 1981. I grew up with Irish and Celtic music, and it remains one of my favorite genres. Figgy Duff's unique take on a unique folk culture that preserved their own version of Celtic music is a sound for which I have held deep respect and appreciation for about 30 years now.

Woman of Labrador... so beautiful, so sad:

Henry Martin... Pirates were not what we have romanticized them to be:

Geese in the Bog... a very evocative instrumental piece:

Saturd80's

The Cult, She Sells Sanctuary:

Depeche Mode, Dreaming of Me:

Peter Gabriel, Games Without Frontiers:

Saturd80's: Bagpipes Edition

AC/DC: It's a Long Way to the Top if You Want to Rock and Roll:

Rare Air, Reels:

Steve Earl, Copperhead Road:

My understanding on this one is that the bagpipes are sampled and played digitally via keyboard.

Big Ol' Bronto-foo-foo...

...scourge of the Cretaceous,
running through the therapods...... and bopping them in the face. (From SVPOW, where you can see this and many other pictures of "Sauropods stomping Therapods.")

And down came a biiiiig comet...

Saturd80's: Shadowfax Edition

see more dog and puppy pictures

I was introduced to Shadowfax by a young woman on my first geology field trip to southern Oregon and northern California. Jad D'Alura from SOSC led the trip, and we spent the night with various geology students from that university. Many were the rocks beaten during the day, and many the beers who gave their lives that night. I nearly forgot the name of the group in the following years, but a later room mate had a couple of their albums, and I was happily reintroduced to their music. I've been in much need lately of plain and simple beauty, what with all the terrible news, and Shadowfax fits the bill. The name comes from Gandalf's horse.

Shadowdance:

Another Country:

New Electric India: