It was just over a year ago that Neil Young sold 50% of his worldwide copyright & income interests in his 1,180 song catalog to some UK capitalist whale. Now Neil Young has started this ‘boycott Spotify’ campaign over some reactionary podcast that promotes COVID misinformation, when it’s mass media misinformation EVERYWHERE.
I respect Neil Young the musician as I have many of his records & CD’s, but it just feels like all the wrong people are making money for all the wrong causes and nothing ever gets better under this existing set-up. I respect Neil Young’s & other artists’ right to use their political clout, so I hope they respect my right to say it’s self serving and a political dead end.
Spotify basically doesn’t pay the artists, especially indies. The reason our music is still on their platform is because it’s “new radio,” meaning free distribution through the internet. The music goes online through a major label (or the likes of CD Baby), which places it on every streaming site: iTunes, Spotify, etc, and you don’t get to pick & choose. The problem for indies (besides not getting paid) is that all their algorithms work against us, so relatively few listeners can find us. It’s like that with all the corporate platforms.
The original streaming service was Napster (1999-2002), which was destroyed by the RIAA, when its well-heeled shills (Metallica & Dr. Dre) did their dirty work for them. Their claim was artists needed to get paid. Napster offered to work out an artist payment model, but they wouldn’t listen or negotiate, only the destruction of Napster would suffice.
This opened the way for Apple iTunes & venture capitalism (Spotify, Pandora, etc) to monopolize the mp3 market. This is why 99+% of all mp3 downloads are “illegal” today. We need a revolution, not reformism, because these elitist bloodsuckers will never willingly give up control.
I just watched Get Back (2021) and it’s amazing! Get Back is directed & produced by Peter Jackson, who takes the vast film footage & audio material originally captured for Let It Be (1970) a documentary of the album by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, whose 16mm cinematography is stunning. Get Back seamlessly transports you back in time, while the digital editing & titles give it a clean modern look. Pushing eight hours in length, it never gets dull. It was all filmed & recorded in January 1969, and then finally put together just recently, but everything about this Beatles documentary is timeless.
Michael Lindsay-Hogg was a pioneer in music film production, who makes his face seen & voice heard in Get Back. For instance, there’s a debate among the band over 35mm vs 16mm for filming. Paul insists it should be 35mm, or else it won’t look right. Michael Lindsay-Hogg then interjects that 16mm will be fine, and that’s it. Watching in early 2022, it looks like Get Back was shot a few months ago, and put together quickly. Of course it was all shot 53 years ago, and took 4 years to produce. There are no flaws in the moving images, and the camera framing is exquisite, giving Get Back an authentic appeal.
This is mostly a testament to how well the original film crew & Michael Lindsay-Hogg did their jobs. This made the digital transfer much easier, and the result is one of the great rock documentaries ever, maybe THE best. And to think, it sat “in the can,” wasted & unused for decades. In many ways it compares to the Netflix release of Orson Welles’ famous unfinished film, The Other Side of the Wind in 2018.
Get Back is Disney property, which maintains strict monopoly distribution of its content. I’ve got friends who have pirated it, because that what happens when you try to “own” something that really should be public domain. Everyone has the right to see this film, as the Beatles are part of the fabric of our popular culture. I know it’s being called a TV series by Disney, but really it’s a 3-part movie that runs 468 minutes total. That’s too long of a film for most people, so it’s marketed as a TV-series.
This definitive Beatles documentary of their early break-up phase has an unending cast of interesting characters; Mal Evans, Peter Sellers [!] & (of course) Billy Preston are a few of my favorites. There’s plenty to choose from as each of the Fab Four comes to life under constant camera & microphone recording, which (in retrospect) was their recording of Let It Be, released in May 1970; after Abbey Road (September 1969), and after their break-up was officially announced by Paul in April. Paul is the one who tries the hardest to prevent their inevitable break-up, because he profits the most from working with John. Everyone loves Ringo, so it’s George that’s made the target of Paul’s frustrations.
The real war in Get Back is between Paul & John for band leadership. John had always been the leader of the Beatles, but increasingly Paul feels he is more than qualified to lead. The disagreements are creative, as well as financial. Linda Eastman makes her first appearance on the scene during filming, and becomes another of the cast of characters fans will come to know better in time. There’s a scene featuring Paul working out a song on piano, with Linda & Yoko talking in the background so we can’t hear them. As far as popular music & human interest goes, it hard to get much more fascinating than that.
Paul always had a tough time with Yoko, which meant a conflict with John. This is early tabloid era, where you just needed to refer to them by their first names. Nothing ever again approached 1960’s Beatlemania, not even K-pop. The Beatles separate oldies & doo wop from classic rock. The Beatles flipped the switch, and music went from AM to FM; from mono to stereo. John sings “Revolution” in different ways, single vs. album. The Beatles changed cover art & lyric writing. The Beatles led the counter-culture & anti-war movements. In a word, they forever changed everything in popular culture.
As a diehard Velvet Underground fan, I take the Beatles as the pop standard no one can match. The Velvets did their underground Factory multi-media show with Andy Warhol & Nico in 1966. The Beatles were attempting to put on some kind of TV show in Get Back, but mostly it’s bad ideas, and then the drama of George leaving the band for a few days over Paul’s harassment. Artistically, the Velvets were far ahead of the Beatles in many important ways, but they were both broken-up (around the same time) by the same industry forces.
George was always the weakest link in the Beatles, and not coincidentally he’s the one who was most taken-in by Allen Klein in his post-Beatles career. George has a weakness for mysticism and is most-influenced by John, whom he idolizes for his songwriting & emulates in his singing style. George also is in awe of Paul for his prolific songwriting, musicianship & sweet singing voice; and thus covets his respect & approval.
Allen Klein is introduced to John & Yoko on the evening of January 26, 1969, and it’s referenced, but not filmed in Get Back. It helps if you know your Beatle-ology here, as Allen Klein is one the most notorious & prolific conmen in music business history. Allen Klein made a career for himself by ripping-off artists such as Sam Cooke, and then the Rolling Stones with his ABKCO Records, but his ultimate ambition was to manage the Beatles. Eventually he would, over Paul & Linda’s strenuous objections. It was definitely one of those times in Beatles’ history where Paul was right. Allowing Allen Klein to manage Apple Records for just a few years, led to bad personnel decisions, millions in lost royalties & endless lawsuits.
In Get Back, Paul has ideas for his new songs, that George can’t get to. It’s a truth of the Beatles that John is their best guitar player. George offers little when it comes to being a “lead guitarist,” and that’s why in his early solo career he worked with Eric Clapton so much. By 1969, George is a rhythm guitarist & aspiring songwriter, who is of little use to Paul. This is why Billy Preston is the key to making the Get Back sessions work, as the “Fifth Beatle.” As Paul acknowledges, “Billy Preston solves a lot of problems,” meaning his musicianship helps Paul realize his songs more fully, which eases George back into the band and relieves the pressure, which was immense.
Most Harrisongs aren’t Lennon-McCartney quality, but any attempt at songwriting is always welcome in any serious band. John encourages it, while Paul mostly dismisses George’s new ideas. The hardest thing to do is produce good new material. The Beatles did this for a dozen albums, all classics, due to an amazing songwriting team in Lennon-McCartney, which gave them a freshness & unique sound that always put them at the cutting edge, from mop-top sensations, to rock pioneers of studio recording.
A lot of people like to slag Paul, but I’ll take him in my band any day. Bass players are hard to find, and prolific songwriters are even rarer. That’s why John latched onto him when they were the Quarrymen. To have talent means you recognize it in others. The hard truth was that most of George’s new songs weren’t that good, but he had colleagues (outside the band) who were telling him they were, so egos start flying.
One can argue that it was George Harrison who broke up the Beatles, as he wanted to do a solo album of songs that Paul wouldn’t do, and John wasn’t crazy about. Or you could just Let It Be. For those who don’t know, writing songs is serious business, and the true artists who can do it don’t hand out free passes just because you’re a bandmate with ambition. You have to deliver, repeatedly, at a high level. These lessons in collaborative creativity & artistic standards remain relevant today.
The confusion that permeates their first rehearsal location, as well as the Apple Records studio are brought into focus when George Martin finally arrives, and promises the band in his assured & professional style that he will get all the sound issues straightened-out by the next day. The band finally breathes a sigh of relief as they leave. This is how it was.
The Beatles never really had a manager who could handle everything, because nothing like the Beatles had ever happened before. Brian Epstein had their best interests at heart and guided them to stardom, but he wasn’t tough, and he died in August 1967. Apple Records was established in January 1968, with no leadership, which meant the Beatles financial issues wouldn’t start to get resolved until the mid 1970’s.
But they always had a great producer in George Martin, and that’s more important, because if you don’t make great records then no one cares. Great records start with great songs, which means the producer has to recognize it, and then record an inspired performance. Then it can be produced. Get Back proves once again that no matter how gifted you are creatively & musically, you need a producer with a clear head.
The legends of decadence & excess at Apple Records are confirmed in Get Back, with all kinds of stoned employees, gay groupies & other hangers-on, etc, occupying the studio. Who are these fucking people? Answer: It was the 1960’s. Many appear well-meaning, but too many are wasted and none can handle the Mafiosos constantly in the background, rubbing their hands over how much money they were going to make. It should be noted in retrospect that it’s this lack of attention to security that ultimately got John killed.
Perhaps the best part of Get Back is when the Apple employees handle the bobbies, as the Beatles are playing their final concert unannounced on the rooftop of Apple Records in London. “It’s making quite a bit of racket… We’ve had over 30 complaints already,” claims the UK cop immortalized in the footage. Apple Records receptionist Debbie, and Beatles road manager, Mal are priceless here. So much love went into this music created by John, Paul, George, Ringo & Billy with their ever-producer, George Martin, and yet it’s the businessmen who are raking. That’s how it is when you’re an artist, and it’s all in the film.
It’s best to follow in your footsteps, particularly in the snow. It’s my first Wisconsin winter since 1993-94 and it’s cold, but not as sustained cold as it used to get. The summers are milder too and that’s the global warming I’ve noticed in Milwaukee, WI. In Central Florida the summers have become guaranteed scorchers which start in May and last through hurricane season which keeps getting longer & more intense.
What is proven by Hurricanes Charley-Francis-Ivan-Jeanne (2004), Sandy (2012) and then Irma in 2017, is that you can not sustain a direct hit from the eye, and the storm surge is now HUGE on both sides of the Florida peninsula. The panhandle and the Keys are the most dangerous places because they are exposed and too often in a hurricane’s path. Something needs to be done, but nothing is.
In 2019 Hurricane Dorian stalled over the Bahamas for 48 hours with a wind forces that exceeded the Saffir–Simpson scale in which a Category 5 starts at 157 MPH. The rating scale starts at 74-96 MPH for Cat 1, with ranges in the mid-to-high twenties of sustained MPH through Category 4 at 130-156 MPH. Sustained winds for Dorian were over 180 MPH, with gusts of 200+ MPH. Dorian was a Cat 6, and I was relieved it didn’t hit where I was, but my relief is someone else’s misery.
I have a simple rule for establishing residency in Florida: Have you ever been in the eye of a hurricane? It will teach you to be ready in EVERY way. With that said, I’ve met a lot of great snowbirds and have no prejudice against them for going back North during the Florida summer. Everyday people are great everywhere is what I have learned.
I really feel for loved ones, colleagues & friends who still live in Florida. It’s an amazing place with so many great people… but it’s been fucked-up by elites who don’t care about anything except profit for themselves. Anyone who has lived there will tell you that it’s a good ol’ boys network and if you ain’t from the Sunshine State (or relatively close) then you’re not-so-welcome by the people who own it. They’ll take your money and get you to work for them, but they don’t like you. Many of them are still fighting the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy. You have to beat them at their own unfair game, which I did. Then they really hate you.
That’s what I ran up against from the start in Central Florida. Now, Florida is run by Donald Trump from his Mar-a-Lago compound though his puppet Ron DeSantis in the governor’s mansion. For me it’s like that April Wine song “Sign of the Gypsy Queen” where you better see the red flags and MOVE.
On April 17, 2021, directly upstairs to my Sanford apartment, I witnessed my angry neighbors bringing in at least 3 assault rifles in hardshell cases around dusk on a clear Saturday. I had seen what looked like cases of ammo when they were unloading their U-haul trailer, shortly after they had moved-in months earlier. These haters never smiled, and always tried to provoke & intimidate everyone. That upstairs armament incident happened the weekend Drivin N’ Cryin played in Sanford. They were great, but the local music scene has become so toxic that it’s impossible for me. No respect from the gatekeepers, with too many jealous wanna-be’s, manipulative hangers-on, etc. I’m a pariah for being a revolutionary. All this told me it was time to go.
There’s no regrets on leaving Florida, and no complaints about the good people I worked with across all the professions. I met & worked with some amazing dental specialists, world-class practitioners; along with amazing hygienists, assistants, office staff, lab specialists, etc. I’m a humble bread-and-butter dentist, but with musical talent. Everyone who was there knows. Since I’m grateful to escape, my policy now is what happened in Florida stays in Florida. That’s the kind of state it is, and if you respect that you can get by, but you always have to be ready for the rough & mean.
I also worked with some serious musicians, all of whom I didn’t always see eye-to-eye with. Being a professional is about doing a first-class job whenever you are hired, no matter how you feel about that person, the material, etc. Music for me has been about finding my collaborative soul mate, as I’m deficient in certain key areas. Everyone knows that Tom Pearce is my musical partner. You need a producer.
Tom is the older brother I never had as a kid, so we disagree about stuff… but it’s the love & respect that carries us through. It certainly wasn’t about the money because there wasn’t any for what I did. We just wanted to be free and make music. Today, Tom has many side projects and has benefited tremendously from our collaboration. It’s the only way I can pay him anymore. We’d love to re-master everything onto a multi-disc CD anthology with a booklet and all that, but there needs to be money & distribution. Tommy Mottola & Co. have it all locked up. The music business is a mafia.
Friends who helped in music & dentistry have moved on and are pursing their lives, hopes & dreams. I hope they understand life is a journey as well as a conscious choice. I gave it my best, but there’s no money or prospects for me, so I had to move on. That’s my attitude and it’s rational, but it’s also hard to concisely explain. Concision is such a virtue.
So whenever you’re going somewhere you’ve never been, learn to follow your footsteps. It covers your tracks and keeps you warm, clean & dry. It gives you something that is your own to follow & believe in. It marks & remarks where you’ve been, in a silent way. You can live to cover many miles by following your footsteps.
Preface:Omicron isn’t mild. That’s a political lie meant to numb you to the dangers of letting the virus rip, which has been the US government’s policy from the start, first with Trump, and then continued under Biden/Harris. We need a Zero COVID strategy, globally, to end the pandemic.
The Novak Djokovic ruling in Australia reinforces an anti-scientific & eugenics stench among the capitalist governments. For those not up-to-date on the situation, tennis star Novak Djokovic who is unvaccinated, has been allowed entry into Australia, despite strict entry requirements– which Novax doesn’t meet. He was allowed to work a deal with the Australian Open organizers and government officials, despite the protestations of the VAST majority of Australians who have been living under some of the toughest COVID mandates in the world. It’s been widely seen for what it is: another generous exception granted to the privileged, while the rest of us have to “live with it.”
Last week, Novax arrogantly posted on Instagram that he had obtained a visa to travel to Australia and would be participating in the Open. This incited a firestorm of opposition among the people of Australia, who have been living under stringent COVID mandates on vaccination, travel, masking, etc, for months in an effort to contain Delta & Omicron. It was this mass eruption of democracy that forced the Australian government to temporarily rescind Novax’s visa when he arrived.
The fake media keeps writing it up as if there was a “mix-up” or some government confusion over their visa policy, etc. The toiling masses can’t be given credit for preventing a corrupt anti-vaxxer from buying (& lying) his way into their country and being allowed to do whatever he pleases because he’s privileged. That’s not a narrative the fake media is interested in, but it’s what happened. The reactionary court ruling to allow Novax entry, overturns the will of the Australian people.
What it confirms is that if left up to the courts, a right-wing agenda will always be validated– from Julian Assange to Kyle Rittenhouse. This can be traced all the way back to Bush v Gore in December 2000. Anti-vaxxers are free to spread COVID as an ideological pillar of class rule. Vaccines, lockdowns, masks, testing, and science in general, are vilified as violations of “individual rights,” while the social rights of the VAST majority are dismissed. Novax is the $220 million martyr for the anti-vaxxers. Oh how they pity him & his suffering! The hypocrisy is staggering.
This situation was turned into a nationalist issue for reactionary purposes. Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic wrote last week, “Our bodies are doing everything to see that the harassment of the world’s best tennis player is brought to an end, immediately.” Novax’s father, Srdjan Djokovic lashed out at the Australian authorities, claiming his son is a martyr comparable to Jesus Christ, “Our Novak, our pride. Novak is Serbia and Serbia is Novak… They are trampling over Serbia and by doing that, they are trampling on the Serbian people… The leader of that faraway land, Scott Morrison … dared to attack Novak and expel him before he had reached their country. They had wanted to throw him to his knees, and not just him, but our beautiful Serbia… We Serbs are a proud European people. Throughout history, we have never attacked anyone, we only defended ourselves.” Djokovic’s mother Dijana claims her son is a “revolutionary” who was “changing the world.” All this because Novax won’t get vaccinated.
Anti-vax Nazis compared Novax to Julian Assange during this drama, which was ludicrous. Assange is a hero for telling the world the truth about imperialism. Assange is suffering in a real prison for that. Novax is just another entitled reactionary, grandstanding for himself, a symbol of hope for the hopelessly ignorant. Anti-vaxxers all claim “natural immunity” as their defense. If natural immunity was enough to stop COVID, then the pandemic would be over already. But it isn’t.
The anti-vaxxers uncritically accepted Novax’s claim that he had ‘natural immunity’ from COVID, by testing positive on December 16, 2021. It’s now very likely that his ‘positive test’ claim was a lie to get Novax around the vaccine requirements for a visa. The timing couldn’t have been better for an unvaccinated individual wanting to participate in the Australian Open.
A fake positive test can be obtained the same way a fake vaccine passport can be manufactured. If ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Antonio Brown tried it, then why not Novax? One of the requirements for a visa is that you don’t bring danger or harm to any of citizens of the country you are entering. The Australian government wasn’t interested in any of this, or asking Novax about not masking/isolating after his supposed positive test. Those facts & questions would be very inconvenient.
Novax has now been confirmed as unvaccinated by the government of Australia. If he was actually COVID positive on Dec 16th (which is highly questionable), he refused to wear a mask or quarantine himself, as required by Serbian mandates. That’s not a national hero or a martyr, but a selfish & ignorant elitist. Anti-vaxxers & COVID denialists are the political equivalent of flat-Earthers & holocaust deniers. That’s why the vast majority must reject them and their Malthusian ideology.
The bigger issue is that this AO event shouldn’t even be held, until we’ve eliminated COVID. To all the people attending indoor public places & outdoor super-spreader events without a mask, I must insist that you just don’t get it. I’m talking about the BIG picture. This isn’t coming from jealousy or any other form of hatred, but from science. You’re too wrapped up in your personal interests, and this is what is perpetuating & worsening the pandemic.
I am the first person to publicly call this pandemic what it will be known as in history: the Coronavirus War.It’s the war to prevent WWIII. Please step back and look at the big picture, which starts with how WE are going to end this pandemic. It can’t be just a few of us, it has to be the VAST majority of people who have ethics & respect science, along with all those willing to sacrifice for a better world. Join the fight on the good side of the Force, because WE deserve better than 2021.
Fri 14 Jan 2022 09:22 AM CST
Breaking update: Novax’s visa was cancelled a few hours ago, for a second time on the basis that his presence could “excite anti-vaccination sentiment”. His legal team is appealing the decision of Alex Hawke, the Australian immigration minister. Novax will soon be interviewed by Australian immigration officials, with a full hearing to take place on Sunday morning (Melbourne time), the day before the Australian Open begins. The chances of the immigration minister’s ruling being overturned are remote according to legal experts.
The sick Djoke presented false information on his visa form, saying he hadn’t traveled outside Serbia for the 14 days before flying to Australia, but social media has photos of him in Marbella, Spain over the holidays. As a rule of visa law, no one gets away with that. That’s not a “minor oversite” or “mistake” in filling out a visa form, but a false declaration to gain admittance. The political pressure this situation has created for the Australian government has been enormous.
On Monday (Jan 10), Der Spiegel claimed that when it scanned the QR code belonging to Djokovic’s PCR test at 1.19pm German time on December 16, it said: “Test result Negative.” However an hour later, after another scan, it said: “Positive.” Several others – including New York Times journalist Ben Rothenberg – reported the same findings, with Rothenberg also posting a photo of the two different results. When anyone tried on Tuesday it returned universally positive results. It’s now clear that Novax’s ‘positive’ COVID test is surely a fake, as many of us suspected from the start.
Novax always has a convenient excuse for his lies & blatant disregard for the health of others. It gets to the point where no one believes him anymore, just like the little boy who repeatedly cries wolf. If Novax keeps trying to press his luck with his legal appeals, staging fake protests, etc, Australia may decide to ban him for 3 years. Most foreigners would have already received this ban, if they tried to pull what he did. The Australian government doesn’t want to do this, but this sick Djoke was never very good at reading the political situation.
Fri 14 Jan 2022 4:034 PM CST
There’s a lot to digest from all this, and since the verdict is now assured with only a few footnotes to be added, I’ll make my final comments & sign off.
What offends the most from start-to-finish are several things. First is the fanaticism masquerading as seriousness in discussion by the anti-science crowd. Everything is right-wing talking points, junk science & attacks from the anti-vax mob. They don’t want any kind of rational discussion of the facts, they just want to rant & then fight. In a word, they are impossible. These Stalinists & Nazis are working together as the Axis around US/UK imperialism in the Coronavirus War.
My second irritation is with Novax, as all-around this was a shoddy production from him. Sloppy, lazy, ill-conceived & poorly planned. It’s execution could only end in failure & ignominy, with Novak Djokovic being played as a political pawn. From the side of science & democracy, we made an example out of Novax. Didn’t want to do it, felt we owed it to him… He thought because he’s such a great tennis player that he could transcend international politics by doing whatever he wants during a pandemic and get away with it. The people of Australia said, “Fuck you” to that, and Novax will soon be on a plane back to Serbia.
His family back home have been shameless conspirators in this fraud Novax tried to pull off in obtaining a visa. Right-wing nationalist elements all rallied around Novax & his lying family. All of them were in on this conspiracy to obtain an Australian visa by fraud because they all knew Novax was unvaccinated. All the anti-vaxxers supported every Novax legal argument, document & positive test as facts. If I’m the Australian PM, it’s a 3-year ban as stated by law. These transgressions warrant it, as (scientifically speaking) this was an attack on your border.
It’s the smugness that rubs raw with Novax. He expected to get away with it, so he didn’t make sure his COVID test indicated “positive” instead of the actual negative result. Anyone can (& will) check that QR code, and SCREENSHOTS will be the proof. Lazy & stupid people helping this sick Djoke in his camp & at the highest levels of the Serbian government. All because he won’t get vaccinated and can’t admit it. Marxists call that political cowardice. For all the anti-vaxxers reading this, I ask, “At what level does the hypocrisy get so ridiculous that you bail on him?” Intelligence & the far right have a preconceived limit on when to stop talking and start fighting, but they don’t want to admit it or identify where it is.
If your strategy to get into the Australian Open is to falsify documents & a COVID test, then at least do it right. Since your consider yourself a professional, and clearly have the money, then have a serious plan that can succeed or else don’t try. Don’t go out in public maskless after the proclaimed positive date. Stay isolated as mandated, and no one can dispute your story. Don’t travel to foreign countries within 14 days if the rules stipulate against it. For the respect of the Australian people whom you expect to welcome you into their country, it’s not asking too much. It insults EVERYONE’S intelligence when you disrespect people like that.
Once these documents in question were released to the media, it was too easy to investigate and expose all the inconsistencies & lies. It took like half a day, which begs the questions, “Why didn’t the government of Australia figure this stuff out since is wasn’t that hard? Don’t they have people who know how to investigate & handle this stuff at their borders?”
The best explanation here is that this was a backroom pay-off deal Novax set-up with the Australian Open & government officials, that went bad. Cinematically speaking, it compared to the end of La Femme Nikita (1990), except no Anne Parillaud & no style from Novax, who never spoke directly to the media nor answered their questions during this murky affair in which everyone got bloody. It was his lawyers, family and right-wing extremists that spoke for Novax, and they were never believable. That’s why it ends like this.
It’s an election year Down Under, so the 9-time AO champion has to leave in order to soothe the discontent of the Australian voters. A warning lesson from all this is that if Novax hadn’t been so careless & stupid, he could have easily gotten away with it, but it was the power of the people speaking their voices that sent Novax home before the Happy Slam begins.
This blog does not tolerate violence, harassment, or hate speech; yet it can’t be called a safe space for certain readers. That’s because there is too much content that is upsetting to snowflakes, and it doesn’t contain the requisite trigger warnings. There is nothing more hysterical & shrill than a snowflake who has been set-off, due to lack of trigger warnings.
This blog discusses many forms of art including music. But for me to identify with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, etc, is considered unacceptable cultural appropriation by the snowflakes– particularly the black racialists. This will lead to media attacks, censorship, de-platforming & blacklisting. Liberal racialists insist on separation, much like the racist Alabama Governor George Wallace (pic below) meant when he insisted on “separate but equal” institutions in the 1960’s. Black racialism is the flipside of the white racist coin.
Critical Race Theory, is a re-working of the post-modernist school of Critical Theory, which insists that everything is subjective. This means there is no historical truth, no such thing as facts, and that idealist narratives can replace rational thought in all things. Lazy liberals gravitate towards this ideology because they never really learned anything, as this post-modernist construct elevates them, while hiding their ignorance. In short, liberal ideology has become right-wing reaction, peddled as progressive thought.
In America, this nonsense is funded by the Democratic Party & corporate elitists, who seek to divide & dumb-down the working masses & youth with dead-end identity politics. These aren’t genuine grassroots movements, but instead are well-funded astroturf campaigns.
For example, intersectionality is considered inherently progressive, because women are always to be believed, and black people are always the victims of racism. This means that Jay-Z & Beyonce, despite their fabulous wealth & celebrity power, are oppressed by the white colonialist patriarchy that is in our DNA.
If you disagree with the above statements, then you are a class reductionist, which automatically means you are racist, misogynist and/or homophobic. This is the state of the American media today. This is why movies, television & music suck so hard. It’s also why there is no discussion outside of these “safe space” boundaries in academia, pop culture, or politics.
So in answering the title, “Is it safe?” one reminisces Dustin Hoffman about to be tortured in The Marathon Man (1976), with Laurence Olivier playing the Nazi by asking a question that can’t be answered–“Is it safe?”
A healthy response is to shout down this woke mob, and all their witch-hunting, book-burning fake politics. To those philistines who want to cancel Shakespeare, etc, we contemptuously ask, “What have you done?” Seriously, what the fuck have you done?
Here’s my Page Overview, which says I have 1,485 followers, and that in the last 28 days I’ve had 28 reaches on all my posts– combined. That’s called being in Facebook prison.
I’m censored because I’m too good. Mark Zuckerberg hates Ric Size. He’s been taught that by Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bill & Hillary Clinton, Mark Warner, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, etc. Those are the people who run the Democratic Party. For these elitists, 99.9% control isn’t enough.
That’s why I keep getting these notices, shown above.
Since less than 0.1% of my audience is being reached due to Facebook censorship, I don’t get too upset when they threaten to delete me for violating their “Community Standards.”
Above: Ric Size Facebook demographics on gender & leading urban markets
Censorship of this social media page began immediately when it was established in 2012. There was a qualitative increase in online repression in the summer of 2016, as this blog became more widely read. The DNC email Wikileaks were severely damaging, and demanded a strict censorship response from the political establishment. When Donald Trump won the Electoral College in November 2016, the World Socialist Web Site, Julian Assange, and myself were their top targets.
The #MeToo & BLM campaigns have also targeted this site for blacklisting, de-ranking, de-platforming, etc. This has occurred on all platforms, including Google, YouTube, Amazon & Disqus.
Extended Play 2019-21 has undergone many permeations, as “Millennial Whoop”, “The Road Rage Song” and “Patch Me Up Doc” have been released. This EP originally had 4 songs, and was to be finished by the end of 2019. But “Primary Colors” was never properly done, and then the coronavirus pandemic struck, causing further delays in production & release. When it finally came time to try again on that song, and then again, I had written more new tunes, which I’m calling “bonus tracks” for clarity on this sprawling 7-song EP which took two years to complete.
Tom Pearce & I got recordings of two brand new songs, “(It’s a) Steamy Jungle” & “When You’re Out There,” so it was a nice session on December 2, 2020 in Sanford FL. Minimalist studio recording is the only safe way to deliver meaningful new music during this coronavirus pandemic. That’s the idea here.
Tom brought a somewhat different recording rig this time. He still uses a Mac flatscreen installed with Studio One software. But now he’s using a router to connect wirelessly to a Behringer rack pre-amp, which he likes. This rack pre-amplifier rests solidly on a milk crate which carried the cables, etc. The vocal & guitar microphones were wired to the pre-amp, as well as a line-in from the guitar through a DI-box, for crystal clean three-track live recording.
I’m the one who insists on the guitar line-in, as it gives the producer another track to fatten the sound, if needed. I play an acoustic-electric so I can get both sounds. The two live mics have “sound spillage” due to their proximity, so lining-in gives the producer a clean track to boost the guitar sound without affecting the vocals. It’s called double tracking the guitar, and I know I didn’t invent it.
As you can see in these images, Tom used folding microphone stands to drape blankets & create sound screens which envelop me. This significantly cuts down on the guitar & vocal reverberation in the room, giving Tom a cleaner acoustic recording.
My vintage Tech 21 Trademark 60 guitar amplifier never got plugged in, again, instead it made a comfortable seat with a sofa cushion in-between. It really helps when taking pictures, I think. We also had a different headphone monitoring set-up, with me getting a small wireless dedicated unit, while Tom was headphone monitoring through his computer jack. This performer monitoring unit can rest on a flat surface, or be clipped to the microphone stand.
Tom’s always explaining this stuff to me as he’s setting up. I’m listening until it gets too technical, and it’s time for me to check my lyric sheet one last time, or whatever. Lots of nervous energy being exchanged. He goes on until he finishes and then says to me, “Got all that?” I reply, “No. But as long as you like it, I’m good.” Then he says, “I think you’ll like it.” And I respond, “Alright, let’s rock.”
And then we do it. And when it’s over, we get photos. As an artist, if you do this well here, it’s so much easier to get everything done & online. Good images help with visualization & concretizing of abstract ideas into forms people can recognize & relate to. If the song is strong & well-performed, then artwork is the final piece that the artist must give to the producer to help him finish.
When the song is mastered, what I need from my producer is a jacketed mp3 & the cover art image jpeg. With that I can make a thumbnail video, which allows me to promote & distribute the song across all platforms. This is everything necessary to promote a song, with minimal resources spent. A website with a running blog, a YouTube channel, and a social media presence is your ‘press release’ department. You have to wear a lot of hats, and stay on top of things as best you can to succeed against these industry odds.
Live streaming is now a valid artist delivery method. It works better as a revenue stream if you are a ‘name performer,’ otherwise you are better off streaming for free, and soliciting donations. Live streams are the now & future, so prepare for it, while understanding there’s a limited amount of excitement that an artist can create with a live streaming performance. Live streams are better for interviews, discussions, comedy, etc. Making new music is the most effective way to reach fans during this pandemic.
The next step is pressing CD’s & vinyl, but that takes money & connections, so be sure you have a deal that pays you (the record & publishing company) upfront, otherwise stick mostly to the low-budget DIY model. If you’re insistent on selling CDs, do it right. Keep the publishing & copyrights updated, the website & social media running with consistent fresh content, and the domain name locked up.
“When You’re Out There” was written in August 2020 after I listened to a LOT of Sun Ra on YouTube. With COVID-19 killing the live music scene, it was a good opportunity for me to finally hear many of his records which were never really available during the vinyl era, and were overpriced during the CD era.
Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth was always a champion of Sun Ra, and was the one who introduced this unheralded genius jazz composer & virtuoso to me. Sun Ra’s music is timeless, with depth, and a spirit of fierce independence. He’s out there, and that’s what inspired this song.
The other bonus track we recorded during this session was “(It’s a) Steamy Jungle,” an acoustic reggae song I came up with in October 2020.
Tom took all the pictures of me, and I took the set-up shots. He ripped mp3’s of all the recorded songs during playback, and put them on my thumbdrive. The mp3’s are uploaded onto my computer and checked (skimmed before parting) for audio fidelity & length, meaning all songs are clear, and none are cut-off short. That is what an artist expects & needs from a producer after recording.
These mp3’s are “prints,” meaning raw stereo recordings with no processing. This is what the artist listens to and determines if there is a song that can be produced, or if it needs more work, re-recording, etc. Pictures are shared & reviewed, and we discuss the ones we like, and how they are to be used. Cover art is a collaborative effort, where we both share thoughts & ideas, and then I let Tom do it. Meanwhile, these liner notes are written [12-2-20], while everything is still fresh in the mind.
“Primary Colors” & “Bitter to Better” were recorded on March 1, 2021 in Sanford, FL. Pics by Tom. In total there were 5 recording sessions in Sanford, from August 2019 to March 2021, to get 7 songs. The coronavirus pandemic was the primary reason for the long process in making & releasing this EP. Tom recorded the electronic beats & drums to “Millennial Whoop” & “Patch Me Up Doc” at his home in Tavares, FL sometime in 2020. Ask him for details on that.
As an artist, stay connected with your producer during mixing & mastering, and LISTEN. Production is not your domain, otherwise you would be doing it, so the producer gets the final call on sound. The producer has the song(s), and how long it takes depends on: 1) how good are the recordings, 2) how good is the producer, and 3) how much it costs? Choose wisely.
These are hard truths. As an artist, transition your efforts into online marketing by publishing videos, pictures, press releases to encourage discussion among fans, friends, etc. Use friendly forums, your website, preferred platforms, etc. This is how to generate content & promote– DIY.
Below in bold type is the template I now use for releasing songs as singles on my site. It can be as brief or as long as needed, rearranged, etc, but this is a professional press release. This is your first chance to promote your new song, so do it right.
“Song title”
jacketed mp3
liner notes & discussion
cover image
lyrics image
video
tags: album title (year), official mp3 release
Once all the singles to this EP are online, I then publish these liner notes as a post, and create a permanent Media page for the album on my site. I also update my Free Music Downloads page by adding the new mp3’s as they are released. Every song is released onto Spotify, iTunes, and all the rest of the streaming services for maximum distribution, along with the thumbnail videos on YouTube. That’s all you can do when you’re blacklisted.
Everyone says “organic is best” for promotion, but the rub is that it’s a lot of work, and there’s a lot of censorship, with nefarious spamming, hacking & de-platforming across the internet. The world goes on 24/7/365, and no one can be there for all of it. So be smart about putting up media that keeps working for you. Pick your spots to be active, and engage in real debate on serious issues, when it matters most. That will attract people on all sides, because EVERYBODY is sick of the pablum from the fake media. Everything you see, hear & read here is an alternative to MSM.
The message is that we have a choice in deciding on what the future of music will be. It’s the artists who create the culture and it’s the cool young kids that are hip to it who promote it. That is who this music is for and why it was created. Tom & I hope you enjoy it.
Recorded March 1, 2021 in Sanford, FL, by Tom Pearce who used Behringer software to record & monitor on his Mac flatscreen, to match with his Behringer wireless pre-amp, which is the heart of everything. Two cabled microphones, one on vocals & one on acoustic guitar, and a line-in guitar through a DI-box to the pre-amp.
Photo by Jose Luis Magana (AP), taken on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC
Production & art design by Tom Pearce. Previous references to this song on Extended Play 2019-21 are to a version we recorded in 2019 which didn’t work out. This song was also recorded (mono live) on March 20, 2020 as part of my Coronavirus Concerts project.
I’ve been repeatedly asked how my music can be legally purchased in a way that pays the artist. As of now, everything Ric Size from Magnified (2012), Electrified! (2015), Hwy 19 & Main St (2015), Fully Covered (2016), and Over & Out (2017) is available as a HQ digital download on Bandcamp.
Over & Out (above) is available on CD for $10 + S&H. Supplies are limited. This is currently my only album available on CD, as the cost of production is too high, while sales opportunities are too restricted, under conditions of censorship & de factoblacklisting.
00:22 Riverdale began to be consumed into a suburb of Chicago
00:32 I said, “No U Turn!”
00:40 The Riverdale Philharmonic could use some more practice
00:52 The Brain Eaters: The true story of how Hollywood dumbed-down America
01:03 Alan Frost; AKA Alan Jay Factor; AKA J Factor
01:10 These credits are Roger Corman-esque
01:18 Spock! You’re name is misspelled.
01:43 Bombastic music by Tom Jonsonville brats, Jonsonville brats, Jonsonville brats…
02:09 […home in the country] … so you can understand why were were driving so fast.
02:22 … when J Factor suddenly had a blowout on his ride
02:35 Power lines in the background foreshadowing stupidity
03:00 “Let playing-dead-for-the-camera dogs, lie,” I always say.
03:30 It’s an over-sized party hat; a giant pastry bag for cake decorating; an early scale-model of the Matterhorn at Disneyland; industrial aluminum sheeting, circa 1958.
03:43 AKA, porno flicks
04:16 That base diameter isn’t even close to being equal to it’s height, but that’s 1950’s sci-fi for you.
04:35 [total resistance to pressure] The cone will not be pressured
04:43 It’s believed that the cone was used to suffocate its victims under a massive flow of sugary icing.
04:49 “If anyone is hiding the boy Vito Andolini, turn him over to me and there will be no trouble…”
05:05 […nature of the cone remain unknown] … aside that it’s a 3-dimensional figure with length, width & height, and a flat, circular base.
05:22 Breaking information on the nature of the cone. The cone is a ship. We have good intel on that.
05:29 … but I will have my hands bound by the person holding all the coats.
05:45 Bad touching
06:03 Speaking of cleaning out closets, this bigshot should check his before he comes out
06:10 [Garrett!] He looks & talks like Rudy Guiliani
06:19 [the lid will be off in 24 hours] I’m going down to Ground Zero to blow the lid off of WTC 7
06:35 Washington’s air transportation for its most distinguished political representatives is a Cessna turboprop
06:45 [requested no publicity] … and there wasn’t any.
07:00 Glenn Cameron– illegitimate son of Glenn Close & James Cameron
07:08 I thought Rudy Guiliani was the mayor
07:17 [abundant supply of bunglers]… which explains NY fire fighters without operable radios. Any comment, Mayor Guiliani, or are we done here?
07:25 Mr. Guiliani!! Mr. Guiliani!!! What about the Twin Towers collapsing at free-fall speed?
07:31 What about nanothermate in the ash? Why weren’t you at the established command post…? Mr. Guiliani, Mr. Guiliani…
07:40 The station wagon: government ground transportation that doubles as a hearse, for easy clean-up of government waste
07:48 He’s doing Tai Chi, hold ball
07:52 short form
08:02 “Restricted ravine area…” That means weed farming territory, so watch out for guerrillas!
08:12 [curiosity seekers] … so they came by the thousands
08:20 … unhampered by public accountability & oversight
08:34 But does he know the nature of the cone?
08:45 They’re making a test right now, it’s called #2
08:50 “Sonic reverberation,” huh? So they’re farting into the cone and recording it, as part of test #2.
09:05 Someone blow an air horn, right now.
09:38 Trump Casino has you’re action, Mr. Guiliani. We’ve got roulette, craps, keno, slots, baccarat, blackjack & Texas Hold Em!!
09:42 I wonder what Ed Nelson stuffs into his pipe to convince himself he looks smart?
10:02 Inconceivable!
10:07 … spirographs & polaroid
10:20 “Alter the surface?” Nonsense, the markings will buff right out. What are you smoking, Ed?
10:24 [nothing’s indestructible] … except capitalism.
10:36 [not a mar] “Not a mar,” huh? Next time try putting a tool on it, pretty boy.
10:41 … hallucinogenics, angel dust, meth….
10:48 We were thinking about going inside, but let’s stand around & talk some more.
11:02 We’re clueless, without a map
11:11 Look out for ricochets!
11:20 That’s pretty much how we’ve been testing it. Lost a few doctors on the ricochets.
11:28 “Cyclic,” like a woman
11:39 … and you women in your fallopian tubes
11:47 [inside of that ship] Now pull WTC 7!
11:58 … so you can injure yourself
12:19 The final scene of a really cheezy B-movie
12:27 Watch out for ricochets!
12:38 Florsheim shoes
12:50 I think this would have been better as a silent movie, set during the Civil War
13:15 [too long] Sonny is ready to go the the mattresses…
13:18 … while Mikey is off to kill Virgil Sollozzo & Captain McCluskey.
13:31 [Listen!] It’s the Brain Eaters!! Shoot first & ask questions later!!!
14:00 N scale or HO?
14:03 It’s for hobbyists
14:15 [Hold the Line] Love isn’t always on time
14:22 … and there’s gonna be trouble/ Hey now/ Hey now/ the mayor’s back
14:29 The mayor of Riverdale has been afflicted with Parkinson’s & muscular dystrophy
14:48 We need a horizontal on the camera, please.
15:25 Filmed in diagonal-vision
15:33 I’m getting dizzy with this vertigo photography
15:44 Yeah, because the toy train tunnel is so mystifying. Level the tripod, you idiots!
15:56 [I’m sorry dad] … but it appears the Brain Eaters have gotten the best of you
16:05 This camera work is making us all sick
16:14 Don’t make me call Roy Cohn
16:21 [… under martial law] That’s how democracy works here in America
16:30 The shot is slanted screen right
16:42 The mayor looks like George Will
17:00 Give it to him! Give it to him!!
18:20 Ed Nelson’s hair is holding up well
18:23 I found out that smoking tobacco causes cancer. But nevermind that, how do I look? Do you like my hair?
18:34 I don’t need rest, and I don’t need your nagging. I need to get laid. Got that, honey?
18:57 [would’ve died anyway] … only 40 years later.
19:03 [2 piercing instruments] … one that lifts & separates, and one that cuts.
19:21 … by secreting acids out of their asses into the CNS. That’s not only hard to believe, it’s hard to say.
19:40 Brain Eaters are like having a monkey on your back
19:48 [victim isn’t human anymore] He turns into a Republican
19:56 In fact, let’s keep this whole movie confidential. The American public doesn’t need to know about this.
20:04 Quick, light a match.
20:21 The Sheriff will be tunneling the cone next
20:34 “Whoa!! Missed that turn in the dark, and skidded out of control…” What dimbulb cast this cop who can’t drive?
20:40 Brain Eating speed bump ahead, approach with caution
20:52 You can tell this is Hollywood action, a real cop would use his gun and blast the Brain Eaten zombie.
21:02 It’s the Tai Chi master observing his student
21:18 This part of Tom Jonson’s score is called, “March of the Brain Eaters”
21:25 Tai Chi sifu demonstrates ‘Snake Creeps Down’ to his pupil
21:36 The Brain Eaters are cooking Jonsonville brats, Jonsonville brats, Jonsonville brats…
21:50 … and back to ‘hold ball’
22:12 What a shame, Riverdale now has Brain Eaters for law enforcement.
22:30 She prepared instant coffee on a bunson burner. Science!
22:42 He’s filleting a lobster
22:45 Hey lady assistant, turn off the bunson burner when not in use, the valve is in front of you.
22:57 Oh, for about 10 seconds
23:03 How long does that take, smart guy?
23:16 [hands like ice] … and so is the rest of you.
23:25 I’m so high from all the fumes in here that I didn’t realize my pipe had gone out. Slide that bunson burner over here, sweetie.
23:35 [back to work] So doctor, what should we do about that Brain Eater crawling behind that beaker?
23:48 A toy mouse has been attached to Ed Nelson’s elbow!!
23:52 It hurts & stuff!
24:12 What’s that burning smell behind us?
24:46 … and once again the weed farmer militias were out in force
25:00 [and there wasn’t a guard on duty] Pop is all alone. Call Sonny & Tom Hagan
25:36 [are you thinking the same thing I am?] Yep, DUI
25:55 I think Dr. Wyler was in D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation (1916)
26:15 This B-movie is a waste of time
26:28 [useless piece of junk] … so we’re gonna blow it up and build a Freedom Tower in its place.
26:42 [we don’t want a nationwide panic on our hands] … or a “war on terror”
26:51 [scientific hunch] … and the rest is propaganda
26:58 You mean they’re like hedge fund investors?
27:03 Because people are more gullible.
27:21 [trial & error] Mostly error
27:27 That shows they understand bourgeois politics
27:33 Like a infantry Private
27:42 Yes they have. There are dead bodies all over Riverdale.
27:53 [draw up a map] … and mark every massage parlor in red.
27:58 [phone ringing] Rudy Guiliani calling Donald Trump, “Don’t fly on September 11th!”
28:20 The hunchback of Riverdale being tormented, “The bells, the bells…!”
28:45 This could an Andy Warhol silent, set to the music of Tom Jonsonville brats…
28:59 Rudy Guiliani’s thinking to himself, “Who ordered this lousy communication equipment?”
29:13 [Just routine] Routine Radio Free Europe stuff
29:18 This ‘not-so-good map’ shows every location needed to shoot this B-movie in six days
29:31 That would make it easier for the Brain Eaters to pick us off
29:38 We can put you ladies under the police protection of the possessed Sheriff
29:54 … to disagree.
30:04 Can’t do science without weapons
30:24 Then we’ll have to do something
30:38 Bored? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.
30:40 It’s day, it’s night; it keeps switching in the cutaways
31:05 Parrots survived the KT extinction event because they’re prolific fliers. Someone tell Senator Guiliani to put a sock in it.
31:44 [woman screams] More Tom Jonsonville brats!!
32:02 Is Dr. Ed not hearing that hissing foley? Is he deaf, or just dumb?
32:10 … a discharged fuel receptacle of a Brain Eater?
32:30 .. or some really bad sound editing
32:33 … and out of this movie!
32:54 It’s day again. Continuity!
33:04 Alice has a piercing scream, doesn’t she?
33:10 Now we’re trapped inside, it’s NOT alright!
33:22 It’s Brain Eaters hissing!!
33:35 Glenn/J Factor just peed his pants.
33:51 J Factor needed two cutaways to clear that window. Remarkable
33:58 … and he isn’t a very good shot; the Brain Eaten zombie was point blank.
34:05 … and he didn’t double tap. Glenn Close Cameron is an idiot who deserves to get eaten by the monsters.
34:20 Was that an action/getaway sequence?
34:28 I guess we’ll just sit around and do nothing, again
34:44 [DONT TOUCH THEM] That hanging whatever-it-is, is rotated 90 degrees on the wall. No, more like 87 degrees.
34:56 I’m guessing he missed his bet
35:10 … by rigging nanothermate cutter charges to all the support beams, which could be detonated in sequence, unleashing Brain Eater parasites.
35:37 I need you in the worst way
35:49 Dear Bill & Hillary…
35:56 I’m sorry, sir, but the Clinton’s are vacationing with the McDougal’s in Whitewater, and can’t be reached until Monday.
36:21 [It’s already there] … and I’m Already Gone
36:36 Tai Chi death stare
36:45 Maybe I’m nothing but a shadow on the wall / Maybe love’s a tomb where you dance at night…
37:40 The Velvet Underground would have done a better soundtrack, I think.
38:00 They’re re-enacting Romeo & Juliet, where he’s leaving a Brain Eater on her fire escape
38:22 window opening feedback
38:26 Eeeeww!! Brain Eaters are giant hair clogs, parasites which are transferred to other humans in a fishbowl by their zombies. Got that?
38:45 I realize they’ve gotten a few dogs already, but I say a good cat would be all over these Brain Eaters as they slink & hiss across a floor, pulled by a wire.
39:00 I’d like to see a Siamese kitten pounce and devour a Brain Eater, then barf it up as a hairball, thus mutating it.
39:14 Beware!! Brain Eaters attack those who sleep alone.
39:24 Hey guys, do something while the music is swelling!
39:34 (Guys thinking) We’ll… I guess we stood around too long, and now it’s too late, huh?
39:47 The Princess Buttercup!
40:09 Starting with his face, the Sheriff just melts into the background
40:20 Brain Eaters breaking up into groups
40:38 [“We’ll find a way”] !!? Neither of these schlubs could find their way to second base, so how are they going to rescue the girl from a giant cake icing dispenser that shoots out Brain Eaters?
40:44 You can let go of his arm, Glenn. Was J Factor trying to tell Dr. Ed something important?
40:54 B-movie 2-shot: Good Hair & Wannabe
41:02 [… mystery greeted us] How to disguise a sound stage as a canyon location?
41:17 Brain Eaten for five years, the Professor is remarkable well-preserved
41:22 Try mouth-to-mouth, doc!
41:30 Twist his spine some more, doc. Do any of his patients survive?
41:42 Because it felt UNCOMFORTABLE in there. The Brain Eater was unloved & unappreciated.
41:48 No, it isn’t. Your heart is much more serious than a bad car engine.
41:55 He’ll tell dirty little secrets
42:08 Who cares?
42:13 [every minute counts] To the Batmobile!
42:22 What if it’s Funkier than a Mosquito’s Tweeter?
42:54 But vehicles can’t drive through the woods, that’s what roadblocks are for. Any lightbulbs going on, doc?
43:02 … a little TOO cooperating
43:25 [… What do they want of us?] What is the nature of the cone?
43:56 [What is the secret of the cone?] Its tapering cylindrical qualities.
44:00 “Carbon…iferous,” from this we deduce that these hair clogs known as Brain Eaters come from the Paleozoic Era.
44:23 Wooly Mammoth dragonflies
44:30 The Earth is largely carboniferous
44:42 Dr. Kettering (Ed Nelson) just lost another one. His patient base dies off quicker than Jack Kevorkian’s.
44:54 … carboniferous?
45:05 The Brain Eaters have tunneled up through the Earth like Hogan’s Heroes.
45:09 Kenneth Starr
45:17 [I’ll keep trying sir] Clear the lines for Sen. Walter K. Powers, head of the flying saucer investigation committee, who has this to say, “We will rebuild at Ground Zero, no matter the cost.”
45:26 [Operator] … well, could you help me place this call?
45:44 [Hello Operator] Oh could you help me place this call?
45:52 The operator is hopped-up on Brain Eaters
47:58 [Hello, operator] … well, let’s forget about this call
46:03 If you would like to make a call, please hang up and try again… if you would like to make a call…
46:12 … so we can’t give the firefighters the signal to clear the Twin Towers before it implodes
46:18 It has just been reported that WTC 7 has collapsed…. Wait, it’s still standing… Apparently it’s about to collapse, and we’ve been told to ‘stand by,’ as collapse is imminent…
46:35 You can really see what an improvement The Dukes of Hazzard was over 1950’s sci-fi
46:42 Bruno VeSota never considered placing a microphone and directing this scene, but instead went for loose improv, a voice-over, and then a heaping helping of Jonsonville brats.
47:07 Why are Dr. Ed & J Factor rushing off after beating up the telegraphers?
47:16 [director points] Good Morning Vietnam!
47:26 Don’t come here, its a mess with Brain Eaters.
47:42 Brain Eater inflating his humpback– pupa stage apparently
47:52 Cool, I heard Nina Simone was performing…
37:59 [who thought so little of his own abilities] .. and for good reason
48:04 [Hi] High? Of course.
48:14 [detect any movement around the hatch] We’ve strung tripwire up & down, and camouflaged punji sticks at the base of the scaffolding
48:25 … but look out for Brain Eaters, doc
48:40 He’s like Sgt. Hulka in Stripes (1981) on the rope climb. “Anyone wanna come up and try to knock me down?!”
48:51 Dr. Ed’s thinking, “This piece of junk only dials-in AM.”
49:11 [Duck!] What the heck is Dr. Ed doing?
49:20 The main characters don’t even know what’s happening.
49:28 If Dr. Ed keeps shooting people dead, the medical board will eventually have to revoke his license to practice
49:46 Another victim eats lead from Dr. Ed
49:57 [What did you kill them for?] Don’t question my actions, I’m a doctor.
50:04 Not after Dr. Ed operates…
50:11 Look out for ricochets!
50:25 Dr. Dead & J Factor, inside the cone
50:34 [Where’s Kettering & young Cameron?] Shooting the tube
50:43 Ahhh, a light at the end of the B-movie.
50:53 The voice of Leonard Nimoy, whose name is misspelled in the credits
51:14 Science Officer & First Officer of the USS Enterprise
51:29 … except Shatner’s ham-fisted re-writes & grandstanding
51:44 [We are in complete harmony] … like the Mama’s & Papa’s
51:47 [We are inseparable] … like Sid & Nancy
52:03 [like seeds, in the wind] Dust in the wind / All we are is dust in the wind / (All we are is dust in the wind) / Dust in the wind…
52:09 […from the corruptions of the Earth] …like the Delta variant.
52:24 We shall enforce Cher & Paula Abdul upon them.
52:38 You’re on our short list for ‘guest villain’ on Batman
52:44 … but we’ve gone through a few drummers & upgraded our bass player
53:03 They aren’t “flesh & blood” anymore, they’re possessed by Paleozoic arthropods which eerily resemble hair clogs in a drain.
53:09 Hey doc! Watch out for ricochets!!
53:15 [Let’s get out of here!] Leonard Nimoy definitely went for the ‘star part’ in this stinker. That’s where you get paid up front, show up at the end & exit quickly, and everyone remembers you best.
53:24 Keep shootin’ doc! Is anyone recording the bullets pinging around inside the cone of unknown nature?
53:30 That scaffold doesn’t meet OHSA specs. I’m starting to think this is a REALLY low-budget flick.
53:48 Crickets chirping, idiots filming
54:02 [What are they waiting for?] Rudy Guiliani is ready to blow-up the whole thing. The parallels to 9/11 are inescapable!
54:08 [We need the time] The time is 7:52 PM
54:19 I might. Why?
54:31 “Salvage that power truck,” my ass. Keys were still in it, so J Factor just backed the front tires onto the road again.
54:41 [over difficult terrains] I use it to operate on patients
54:58 It’s the electricity from the high-voltage power lines overhead, Rudy
55:15 … and then scream in pain as you’re electrocuted.
55:28 We’ll light up this valley in flames. It’ll be like California in the 2000’s & beyond.
55:38 Enron used a similar technique to deliver power to its customers
55:59 They obeyed the maniacal Dr. Kettering completely & absolutely.
56:05 … which I would hold onto until death to complete the circuit.
56:15 [strung an inch or two from the cone] I’m sensing deep sexual frustration from the narrator
56:25 [What’s your plan?] We’re gonna pull the Twin Towers & WTC 7, while a CIA drone hits the Pentagon with a cruise missile; then blame it all on the Arabs.
56:40 [… the kind that kills] Dr. Ed is on a killing spree. You can hear it in his voice & see it in his eyes.
56:50 [I’m against it] Suicide is unacceptable, we prefer slaughtering our own
57:05 … who will hold the gun the cable is connected to, and get electrocuted?
57:11 [Kettering!] FERC is going to be on your ass if you try to go through with this crazy stunt, doc.
57:39 Comin’ down the mountain / One of many children…
57:47 It’s Romeo & Joliet theater
57:58 Whilst thee now go & be done, or shall thou pad thy part?
58:04 [Go ahead] … make my day
58:22 If it takes me the rest of my life, I’ll save one patient!
58:35 {Dr. Ed shot] Woo hoo!
58:40 Shakespearian tragedy from Bruno VeSota & Gordon Urquhart; Dr. Ed lost his final patient
58:54: [Fire the gun] But Mayor Rudy, the firefighters can’t hear the order to evacuate because their Saber III radios don’t work, due to the sweetheart contract you negotiated with Motorola.
59:07 Glenn Close Cameron fires the gun…
59:09 …and he is instantly electrocuted.
59:22 Hmmm…. Fried Dr. Kettering… Smells like chicken.
59:32 Even the cast can’t watch the end
59:37 [electrical wires flashing] Nice job dickweeds, everywhere from Milwaukee to Indianapolis is blacked-out.
59:45 We have to make sure nothing could have lived through that
59:51 [… every last one of them] You mean there are no survivors at Ground Zero, Mayor Guiliani?
1:00:02 I think we DO know Walter K. Powers; AKA: Rudy Guiliani, J Edgar Hoover, James Cagney, Don Vito Corleone…
1:00:10 You can tell they had to finish shooting that evening. The scaffolding was due back at Classic Tents & Events in the morning, and it would have put them over budget if they were late.
1:00:25 [Oh Glenn] Don’t ever pimp yourself as J Factor again
1:00:32 There’s babe factor, and then there’s Alan Jay Factor
1:00:40 Jonsonville brats, Jonsonville brats, Jonsonville brats…
