Best albums of all time - A start to my list... Part 1

So, people have been posting on social media to list an album they can listen to from front to back... a "perfect" album... one they don't have to skip a track.

It's kind of a funny question for people who tend to ONLY listen to albums, collect music, records, and really appreciate albums as an organism.

When I post a reply to those posts, I album dump a list of albums, usually with no explanation, save "I could go on!"

Over the last several days, I started a long list that's up to something like ten pages... I don't know the total number on there, but I want to write a little something on each album.

As a result, here's the first chunk of them. The genres are all over the place! We have classic rock to metal to punk and hip hop and emo.

How I made my selections for the most part is I TRIED to only include one album by a band/performer if I hit a point where I thought, "damn, they have more than one 'perfect' album!" One example I'm having trouble with at the moment is Bob Dylan (not included), because I have a group of albums I love, and I usually listen to them in chronological order, front-to-back... seriously. In a few cases, I lumped some albums together. You'll see what I mean.

In other words, welcome to my musical mind. I'm a music lover, music fan, with just a tiny bit of music knowledge, so I'll intermix feelings with a touch of music knowledge and history. It's random and silly... But, I hope there are some in here you're familiar with and some you're not and might be inclined to go and search for after reading about them.

Pearl Jam – Ten – My album for my teen years, I suppose? Good thing I didn’t realize the deeper meaning to the songs when I was younger? I was just one of those down grunge kids in the early 90’s, trying to figure out how to fit in and this “Alive” song comes on and I keyed into it. July 1991, it debuted on the radio… Not too long after that, I was visiting friends out of state, riding in a car, and we were all singing it at the top of our lungs. 29 years later, that song… hell, the whole album… I still want to sing at the top of my lungs. For me, Ten, Vs, and Vitology are more of a trilogy, and I like to listen to them all together when I have the time, or Ten and Vs together. They were all recorded at such a great time in music. While Pearl Jam has SO MANY great albums, those encompass a particular time in their career that is special to them… and to me. I listen to the band a lot… their albums, live albums, the Green Habit Collection(?), etc… you get the idea. I’m a completist. I love ‘em.

Bad Religion – Generator – Stranger than Fiction might be the answer for some people, I’ve always loved Generator… It captures the band prior to hitting the major labels, before they had to prove anything to the world, while they were still a widely-known, but secret to mainstream audiences. Perhaps it’s just preference for me, but I like this album better than Against the Grain and Recipe for Hate. Just the overall quality of the songs, I suppose – I’ve listened to all of them countless times, but I always go back to Generator. For playability, I probably listen to 1) Generator, 2) Stranger than Fiction, and 3) All Ages, which is a collection.

Radiohead - In Rainbows – I love Radiohead. No apologies there. They have a lot of records which could be technically perfect, but I consider In Rainbows to be their most perfectly listenable record, front to back. My wife and I had this CD in our car for a couple of years and, whenever we didn’t have an MP3 player hooked up, we listened to that album, front-to-back, again… and again… and again… Never tire of it. I listen to all of their albums, bootlegs, compilations, deluxe editions, etc… But, I listen to In Rainbows more than any of their other albums. Believe me, I listen to a LOT of music, but I think I listen to In Rainbows more than any other album I own.

Beck - Sea Change – Beck wrote this album, I believe, in the span of seven days, following a breakup…. and it tears your heart out. It is haunting, beautiful, soulful, and wonderful. I love it so much. You wonder at times, how did he get through this period in his life? He’s a funny character, too… You hear him sing on his albums (some of them) and he understates his voice. My wife and I saw him live in support of this album and we were SHOCKED at how amazing he sounded. Was this the same guy? Indeed… Powerful and…. So soulful. Anyway… One thing to keep in mind, too. While Sea Change is about loss, you should follow it up by listening to Morning Phase… Where Sea Change is about loss, Morning Phase is about finding love again. While not stated as such, I consider it as sister album, released twelve years apart.

Bastille - Bad Blood – What would you call them? Synth-based British Indie Pop? I have no idea. Wonderful band, great dark lyrics masked with uplifting (at times) beats. Song after song, hit after hit… Catchy, haunting at times, and go between ballads and driving “dance” songs (the British equivalent of dance/club songs).

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Telesterion – Ok, this is a bit of a cheat, but I’m including it anyway. This is a “best of” from his first TWENTY solo albums. Crazy, right? Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is the guitar genius behind At the Drive-In, Mars Volta, Bosnian Rainbows, and other bands (too many to list). His solo efforts are ongoing – 40+ now? This boxed set was an effort to curate a selection from the first twenty releases into a package for Record Store Day several years ago. So freaking good, seriously. He blends together rock, progressive rock, blues, jazz, and whatever flows into his head seamlessly / uniquely. I’m a fan… obviously. My wife and I managed to catch him with Mars Volta a number of years ago at a secret show in Hollywood. It was crazy! We had missed seeing At the Drive-In, because they broke-up the show BEFORE we were due to see them. Damn!

Brand New – Deja Entendu – Brand New has released a decent amount of content from 2000 through 2015, but, in my mind, nothing can touch Deja Entendu. It is just the right balance between melodic and hardcore… They were one of those bands back in the early 00’s that I felt like I was keeping secret from people when I would play this CD. This, Burning Airline’s Mission: Control!, Jets to Brazil’s Orange Rhyming Dictionary, and Texas is the Reason’s Do You Know Who You Are? were on regular repeat back in the day, and I just smiled… and rarely shared the secret except with a few “deserving” people. Now, I realize that was a shitty thing to do!

Burning Airlines – Mission: Control! – This is one of the best albums no one has ever heard of. Full of hooks and so f’ing good, I am shocked it’s not on every damned list of best rock albums of all time. Maybe not THE best, but on lists. Seriously. Two of the guys from Jawbox, who I caught ONE time in San Diego (stumbled on opening for another band, I think?)… didn’t realize the correlation until later… Still, though, they were good. Mission: Control! is lightning in a bottle.

Texas is the Reason – Do You Know Who You Are? – Oh, I pined over this band! One amazing album and done. The band members went on to other things, but nothing quite matched the perfection that was this album. If Burning Airlines’ Mission: Control! Is up high on best album lists, this one should be right after it. I would trade some of the rock flavor of Mission: Control! for melody in this one. Just an apples v oranges comparison.

Jets to Brazil – Orange Rhyming Dictionary – Formed by the lead singer of Jawbreaker, this is their best album, in my opinion. I do think Four Cornered Night is solid, but ORD is just the best. I bought it on CD and Vinyl right around the same time and it was on constant rotation. Couldn’t help myself. Just great damned music.

Sleigh Bells – Treats – There’s a punk energy in the electronic sound. This could be because the songwriter/producer, Derek Miller, came from the hardcore scene. Listen to this at volume, and I’ll see what I mean. I think “at volume” is the intent here. Just lose yourself in the noise and… you’re welcome for the ear-melting candy.

M.I.A. – Kala – I was trying to figure out which one of M.I.A’s albums was my favorite… This one just has some bizarre beats, intermixed with some GREAT samples straight out of music I love (or would if I took the time to look up the samples). She’s definitely an original! #2 for me is MAYA.

The Bronx – Self-Titled – An amazing example of the four-take rule. The band plays live in-studio for each take, each song, and they used the best of each version. Captures the raw intensity of their live performances. But, this album is SOOOOO good from everyone. Punk's raw intensity, fast, and tight.

Dashboard Confessional – The Swiss Army Romance - I can remember in the early 2000’s, Chris Carrabba had just been signed to Vagrant. Before this album was re-released, he was touring as an opening act early on a Vagrant tour. I think it was 2001? Alkaline Trio was headlining. My wife and I were sitting on the floor in this youth center venue, the Epicenter and stood up when he started. He was something special. I b-lined to buy a copy during his set. Every. Damned. Song…. Brilliant.

Further Seems Forever – Penny Black – Chris Carrabba’s band, pre-Dashboard Confessional. This is actually a return to the band after a 12-year hiatus. In 2012 Penny Black was released and is GOOD. I think it was released at a time no one was paying attention.

The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips isn’t for everyone, I know, but I think this album is a lot more accessible. It’s a fun album, a great storyline (robots!), really sweet, and dreamy.

Ima Robot – Self-Titled – It’s kind of funny.. The lead singer of this band, Alex Ebert, had this great band, Ima Robot… I loved it… But he didn’t get noticed until he formed ANOTHER band years later. You may have heard of them – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. This one is more indie, electronic, and quirky, less folk.

Metallica – Master of Puppets / Ride the Lightning / Master of Puppets / …And Justice for All – When picking a favorite album by this band, which one are you going to go with? Many choose Master of Puppets… Is it because of “Orion”? Why Ride the Lightning? Because of “Fade to Black”? “One” for …And Justice for All? Probably not the easy answers for everyone. To be honest, I’ve been listening to Metallica since early 1989, which would be considered late in the game to old dogs, but that’s 31 years… I was 13 and saw the video for “One” on MTV. I was already listening to rock and hard rock, so that just kicked me in another direction of digging into another band genres – metal, speed metal, etc. If it wasn’t for Metallica, I wouldn’t have found things like Rip Magazine or stumbled into Grunge music, most likely, since it was covered as “rock” in those days.

Finger Eleven – Tip – I can remember hearing Finger Eleven’s “Above” late one night in 1998 and thinking, “what is this?” Went out and bought their album the next day. While I think their albums after this are a bit uneven, this is a GREAT album, front to back.

Foo Fighters – Self-Titled – July 29, 1995 I was at Soma in San Diego watching the Foo Fighters live playing the songs from this album. I still think it’s their best. While The Colour and the Shape is also a GREAT album, this one was done by Dave himself, and is a pure outlet for his creativity, post-Nirvana.

Faith No More – The Real Thing – You know… I had this assignment in High School (Gen-X kid here) where I had to memorize a poem, write it out, and analyze it. I chose “Falling to Pieces” by Faith No More. Welcome to my mind… There are some pretty f’d up songs on this album, but it is PERFECT. “From Out of Nowhere” to “The Real Thing” to the jazzy “Edge of the World,” it showcases Mike Patton’s vocal range and the diverse cast of characters that makes up Faith No More and just how great they are at what they do – stretching sonic boundaries and making music worth listening to. If you haven’t heard it, the 2015 Sol Invictus is damned good… It’s like they never left, and Patton still sounds phenomenal.

A Perfect Circle – Mer de Noms – This album… If I had to make a list of my top twenty (?) albums, I know this would be on there. I hate making top lists, because I always forget adding things. I have this on CD and Vinyl. The flow of it is one of beauty. Despite the heavy moments, the ebb and flow of it, in 6/8, just washes over and takes you away – joy, sorrow…. Who cares, really, it just strips everything away through the whole album. I forget myself when I’m listening to it. “3 Libras” repeats “You don’t see me” again and again until, “you don’t see me at all,” but I don’t see myself while I’m listening.

Evanescence – Fallen – A perfect album that’s a damned shame, honestly. I’d call them a Utopic band that got lost in itself because of fame. They couldn’t keep themselves together. Who’s the most important member of the band? The band is… If they could have remembered that, maybe more albums like this could have followed. “Bring Me to Life” is good, sure, ok, but the ALBUM is great, front to back.

Elliott – False Cathedrals – While they did have other releases, nothing could really touch this album. Some great some build-ups, vocals, and swell, but it is a great album from song-to-song. I was surprised more people hadn’t heard of them. I think it just comes down to record label! I found them on a Revelation Records compilation. I fell in love with this band around the same time I fell in love with the woman who would become my wife. The song, “Drive on Me” was one of our anthems, because we were constantly driving to see each other. Go figure. It ended up on our wedding soundtrack.

Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not – It’s kind of funny… I haven’t listened to the album in a while. I knew I loved it, but listening again, I remembered just WHY. It’s so damned different. A little jarring a times, off-kilter, but it works. Frenetic… in a good way. You feel like you’re listening to a band on tap – just polished enough, but without losing any of their originality.

Saves the Day – Through Being Cool – I always felt I was a little old in 1999-2002 for the emo shows I went to… I was in my 20’s. I saw Saves the Day live a couple of times and they were YOUNG, in my opinion, but their musicianship was great… the lyrics – stellar. This album in particular tapped into something for me, personally. Still love it and it has aged well. I was shocked to see it hit a 20th anniversary in 2019.

George Harrison – All Things Must Pass – This is my Zen… When I’m feeling down sometimes, I turn on my record player and play one of my two copies of this album, front to back. It’s a happy place. I didn’t realize until several years ago (shame on me), but once I did, I devoured as much of his catalogue as I could. This is my favorite. I do love Living in the Material World and Dark Horse, but All Things Must Pass, despite its length, is what my soul is drawn to.

The Insomniacs – Out Of It – Way back… Waaaayyyyy back… I fashioned myself a music reviewer. I had a blog, I reviewed music, and some labels even sent me free records! Go figure. I even interviewed some people. One of the guys I interviewed was the drummer from the Insomniacs. Why? Well, because I thought the band was AWESOME! I saw them live at the Casbah in the mid-90’s (you know, around when I was old enough) and was blown away by the power trio. Modern garage rock done right… Just enough of the 60’s aesthetic to make it work without being dragged down by it. Hooky guitars, great lyrics, and thumping beats… Between this album, Wake Up, and their self-titled 10”, I had them on heavy rotation.

Guster – Ganging Up On the Sun – This was recommended to me several years ago by my friend, Michael… Had heard of them, but hadn’t listened to them AT ALL, so it was cool to listen to them with fresh ears. Really, I was surprised I wasn’t listening to them sooner. After listening to their complete catalogue, Ganging Up On the Sun remains my favorite, because of the sum of its parts. They are just a good band, really! This album goes from ballads to rock tracks seamlessly and solidifies them as, what, an indie band? Labels are weird.

Days of the New – Days of the New II – Grunge Version 2.0! All of the Grunge, none of the excess! I loved this album when it came out and still really do. When I used to listen to it, there was always something that bothered me (like 2%) and I finally pinned down what it is – over-production. One thing that was always great about music from the 90’s grunge era is that you FELT everything… With this, maybe it’s one too many takes, a little too many layers, etc… At some point, it wears away at “the feels.” Don’t get me wrong, I still think the album is a great one, but when you stack it next to something from the era, when someone is struggling with addiction, for example, and their lyrics are from the depth of their struggles, it cuts to the bone. This isn’t scabbed over, but covered with a band-aid from too much production. I’d love to hear something put together from earlier takes.

Frank Turner – England Keep My Bones – This album… I feel like I’m in a pub listening to someone sing songs about places I’ve never been, but would love to go. Loves I’ve never had, people I’ll never meet, but, by the ends of the songs, I’ve had a glimmer to the heart of how all of them scarred one Frank Turner. He’s a beautiful songwriter and goes from soft-spoken singer to a growling howl in a beat. Don’t forget to tip the barkeep.

The Cumulative Effects of Various Forms of Voter Suppression

I've been waving the red flag for a while now about how, since the primaries, the signs have been there for massive voter suppression in the November Presidential, Senate, and House elections. Well... More evidence is coming in to support it

Now, we really need to think about the cumulative effect of the "little" challenges we'll have with voting in November and the efforts being made to discredit mail-in voting, reduce the number of polling stations, and, we're finding out now, efforts to SLOW mail down and "leave it behind."

Check the links, read them, see what you think...

1. The president (and those around him) discredits mail in / absentee voting - if he loses because of those, "it's a sham election." He has been saying that for weeks, because of pushes to EXPAND absentee voting during increases cases of the virus. More people with access to absentee voting = more HONEST voting = closer to a popular vote, which he lost in 2016.

2. Close the number of polling stations - Reduce poling stations in areas known to lean Democratic in swing states. Net result = more likely for the state to land Republican when you take out mail in / absentee votes.

3. Slow down mail / "leave behind" mail - So, in different areas, how are absentee votes counted? Is it based on post mark or Received by dated? It may depend on the region, BUT when going through the articles for my post below, some of them were talking about received by. If the new USPS Chief appointed by the President is going to enact changes, which will, in effect, slow mail down, think about this - what if we look at zip codes? Which zip codes are more likely to vote Democrat or Republican? What if Democrat zip codes are slowed down just enough, so a higher percent miss the cut off, while more Republican zip codes do not? This could be "nudged" simply because, "oh, it's their distance from the local post office" or regional dispatch. There are any number of reasons to excuse it.

4. Lawsuits - don't forget as well that there are a number of lawsuits going on to make mail-in / absentee voting even more complicated! Needing to have your mail-in vote witnessed... Some people are suing to be able to mail-in-vote at all (safety)...  Well, all you have to do is search on mail in voting lawsuits and you'll find hundreds of articles - just avoid partisan web sites and there's some good reading.

This is just FOUR things - pre-contest, restrict voting in places which would be more likely to vote you out, "slow down" the ability for people to vote you out, restrict mail-in / absentee voting. You get the idea!

The cumulative effect of all of this is to take a substantial lead Biden has over Trump on election day and hack away at it through tricks, not a fair election. Long lines, limited polling stations, slow mail... And, if it comes down to waiting for absentee votes which may be in transit - how long to wait until BIDEN is in a position where he has to either contest the election himself or bow out?

Do we want a free and fair election, where the PEOPLE choose the president, or do we want corrupt politicians to rig the "game" and choose for us? I'm sorry, but I'd be FURIOUS if a Democrat OR a Republican was pulling this same thing. Everyone has said the system is rigged for how long? Well, someone these guys are hitting the game with both palms and the machine hasn't started flashing TILT TILT TILT yet. It's time...

I can guarantee that the 2020 primaries and 2020 presidential election WILL lead to law changes - it's just a matter of whether they will be able to be enacted in 2021.... or 2025.

DO NOT REWARD CHEATING - DEMAND FAIR PLAY!!!

About me - Data analyst by day, so I'm used to looking at up to millions of lines of data at a time... Looking for the "ghosts" in the data. Also a long history of working in supply chain / logistics and process improvement / management. I look at everything going on from the 30,000 foot view, dig into the details, processes, what's going on behind what people are saying, and what, perhaps, could be done in the best case / worst case situation.

It's kind of funny what "logistics" can do to screw up an election, just like lines on a map can impact how people vote - polling stations, allocation of supplies, etc... Slow this down, shorten this, give more to the "right" areas, and you can subtly pre-skew how the results will come out in various areas comprising zips, counties, and states. It's not playing the odds... it's rigging them. We don't want anyone to do this from either party for any reason. We don't want anyone to decide who is "worthy" to vote or whose vote is more important. That is not democracy - it's a farce.

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/07/15/postal-service-slower-mail-delivery
https://www.postaltimes.com/postalnews/postal-service-memos-detail-difficult-changes-including-slower-mail-delivery/
https://www.businessinsider.com/postmaster-general-carriers-leave-mail-delays-routes-usps-postal-service-2020-7
https://www.newsbreak.com/new-york/new-york/news/0PcIUH6p/disturbing-memo-reveals-trumps-usps-chief-has-slowed-delivery-amid-calls-to-expand-voting-by-mail
https://www.npr.org/2020/06/01/865043618/need-a-witness-for-your-mail-in-ballot-new-pandemic-lawsuits-challenge-old-rules
https://www.splcenter.org/news/2020/06/22/splc-lawsuit-challenges-louisiana-vote-mail-restrictions-during-pandemic

Voter Suppression Issues I was talking about in June on Social Media - Just a copy and paste with links...

Do we see the writing on the wall for November? Right now, the Rep's are working to maintain their hold on the Senate. Believe what you will about the left or right, voter suppression is WRONG. If both sides are doing it (we know it happens), it should stop. Below, we're seeing how areas are targeted by closing polling locations. Limit the number of votes that can be cast, limit people who are willing to brave the pandemic, and wait out the clock.

So, southern states, how do you justify closing down polling locations in heavily African American communities, meanwhile making it difficult to do mail-in voting and/or claim that mail-in is rife with fraud?

We can't allow this to continue NOW, and certainly not heading into November.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-locations/southern-us-states-have-closed-1200-polling-places-in-recent-years-rights-group-idUSKCN1VV09J <-- 1200="" dramatically="" has="" in="" jumped="" p="" recent="" the="" weeks.="">
Georgia - 868 voting locations were closed across the state, "usually in areas with poor people and minority communities that have less resources to get to other locations..." The voting locations are in 53 of the 159 GA counties. "Of the counties that have closed voting locations, 39 have poverty rates that are higher than the state average. Thirty have significant African-American populations, making up at least 25 percent of residents." Voter suppression? The long lines in the counties impacted and other complications certainly indicate a concerted effort to keep some peoples voices "less" heard, doesn't it?

https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/voting-precincts-closed-across-georgia-since-election-oversight-lifted/bBkHxptlim0Gp9pKu7dfrN/
https://www.npr.org/2020/06/09/873054620/long-lines-voting-machine-issues-plague-georgia-primary
https://www.governing.com/topics/politics/sl-polling-place-close-ahead-of-november-elections-black-voters.html

Kentucky - Kentucky cut the total number of polling places in the state from 3700 down to 200. In some of the most populous counties, there's ONE polling location per county.

Jefferson County, Kentucky, population 766k, has ONE polling location. The absentee ballot period has passed for people to request them... “We mailed out just under 55,000 ballots. We had to get everything done that had been requested through application, process return, or through the portal, they had to be mailed out before midnight last night," and that was on the 17th. FYI, two of the cities with the largest African American populations are in Jefferson County. It's kind of funny that it's Mitch McConnell's city (when he was a county judge back in the day), but he would do his best to suppress the vote of that county when it comes down to it...  You cut voting locations at the last minute and the mail-in voting cut-offs (application period) has passed. The process appears that it was complicated to begin with as well. Interesting...

https://wfpl.org/judge-rules-against-lawsuit-calling-for-more-kentucky-polling-places/
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/06/kentucky-slashes-polling-places-voting-rights-mcgrath-booker-lebron-james/
https://lebronwire.usatoday.com/2020/06/20/lebron-james-criticizes-kentucky-for-closing-of-polling-places/
https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Limited-voting-locations-for-Kentucky-counties-571277101.html
https://news.yahoo.com/kentucky-officials-criticized-cuts-primary-204804279.html

"If it doesn't fit, get a bigger hammer" or “Don't force it, get a bigger hammer”

I can't figure out if the president is trying to channel his inner German, Tim the Tool Man Taylor, or Arthur Bloch... Regardless, the idea that he's telling the governors of the US to use MORE force, be more dominating in their approach to leadership, that they're weak and that they're "going to look like a bunch of jerks" if they don't "dominate" the situation, while his press secretary says, on his behalf, "what stops anarchy is action," is the complete wrong message.

In a time like this, when frustration is justly high, it's a message of empathy, sympathy, unity - SOMETHING to bring us together - that will help.

Instead, he's instructing governors to call in the national guard, use more force, arrest, and jail for up to ten years. That will end everything in his mind.

Meanwhile, we have the family of George Floyd calling out for Peace. Continue to protest the injustices, but do not riot and destroy.

We have our last president saying to protest, but not riot and destroy, and to remember that change comes in the ballot box.

True leaders unite and see what they can do to fix problems - they don't stoke the flames.

Our current president, as reporter Jim Acosta put it a few days ago, "is a president at times as we know who likes to light the match, set the fire, and then run away from the flames."

As people die from COVID-19, he's safe as everyone around him gets tested regularly. He can flaunt not wearing a mask, encouraging others not to as well.

As people protest, demanding justice, he demands force is used against men and women, as he is secure in his bunker without fear of harm.

Color blindness should not be color indifference

Right now, I could be writing this from anywhere in the country, inside or outside, in a restaurant, or loitering, hanging out on a boardwalk, and no one would blink. In fact, I’m usually ignored to the point that you’d think I’m invisible (couple of stories there). I never thought much of it aside from the humor… Not until the last week.

I was raised color blind. I am thankful to my father for that. In the military, shoulder to shoulder with other soldiers, starting in Vietnam, it was about your fellow man for him, not about the color of their skin. For me, I was raised on military bases, which were always a melting pot. No one told me someone was this or that. To go 80’s on it, “people are people, so why should it be? You and I should get along so awfully…”

As I got older, I entered the workforce while I lived on a military base, still a melting pot, working around men and women, but I never gave much thought to color, nor gender – just the work. Good work was good work, bad work was bad work. That stuck with me when I moved into Corporate America and the world moved into being more PC and we really had to mind our P’s and Q’s. But, I was looking at people as people, not male or female, their cultural background, or whatever. I just cared if they could do the job, compose an email at above a 4^th grade reading level, and follow processes.

I’m not saying this to toot my own horn…

What I missed somewhere along the way is that there is a difference between color blindness and color indifference.

In the early 00’s, there was a crackdown on, let’s call it, indecent usage of the internet. Before that time, I let it be known, “don’t send that $%#@ to me,” when it was circulating. When guys would say things about women on the clock when I was younger, I wouldn’t say anything. It would make me uncomfortable, but I would just walk away, shrug it off, or mumble nonsense. I didn’t stop it.

I’ve realized now that I’ve done the same thing with racial intolerance. People have said things to me… “around” me over the years. Despite doing MY best to treat everyone equally, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, sexual preference, gender assignment, or physical ability… By not saying something when people say things that, in my heart of hearts, I know to be wrong, I’ve helped to perpetuate intolerance on multiple levels. Don’t get me wrong, some people knew what they said made me uncomfortable, but I didn’t do enough. I know that now.

I have to do better… We have to do better.

To the “where I’m writing this” example… I could be writing this from anywhere, while an African American man could get harassed by a police officer in La Mesa, CA for sitting, doing nothing, waiting for a friend. While I’m “invisible”, others are profiled and targeted for no reason. Is that right?

If I had asked the same lady in the Ramble in Central Park to leash her dog – I’m a geek comic writer / editor just like Christian Cooper – would she have called the cops on me and said I was threatening her? No.

I can’t even imagine with what happened in Minnesota… It’s too horrible. That SHOULD NOT have happened. I have had an experience with a counterfeit $20 bill, but it was such a NON-ISSUE when I was younger. It was given to me as change over twenty years ago and I didn’t catch it, it was noticed when I tried to use it somewhere else. Oops, and it was handed back to me. I believe I ripped it up when I got home. It happened so long ago that the details are fuzzy except the broad strokes – that’s just how little of an impact it made on my life. It was an inconvenience in that I was pissed that I was out $20. I lost $20, while George Floyd lost his life.

Over. Twenty. Dollars.

The racial tension that has built up for decades has only gotten worse in the last five years due to our current political climate, but this shouldn’t be about that. The last five years HAVE shown us, however, live on television – from protests waving Nazi flags to politicians quoting hateful rhetoric – the dirty little secret in America is out in the open… Racism is alive and well.

I think all of our eyes are VERY open today to that fact.

There’s a piece of graffiti that I’m reminded of that someone posted – “Make racists afraid again.”

While I think we all know what, over the last five years, has “uncorked” the rhetoric, it has intensified over the last three. People have come to think it’s okay to say what you want and do what you want to the point that it’s okay to walk into a state’s capitol, armed with AR-15’s and wearing tactical gear, yelling to open up America… As long as you’re white.

It’s okay to loiter, to wander, and get close to chaos… as long as you’re white.

The last week has taught me the true meaning, FINALLY, of white privilege. And, by God, I’m sorry it has taken me this long.

Peaceful protesters were not treated well in recent days by the police – tear gas, rubber bullets, bean bags, and arrests.

White reporters left alone while an African American reporter was arrested. Same general positioning, different response.

Is there some sort of inequity here?

I see that it’s not okay to sit idly by – if you’re in a group and someone says something or does something that is not acceptable, you HAVE to call them out on it. You don’t have to judge them on the past, but if they do something, say something and give them the opportunity to move forward.

The next time something happens that you’re not comfortable with – something said or something done – let them know it’s not okay.

LET’S START TODAY. NOW.

This goes from tossing around derogatory names for different ethnicities to treating people differently or “less than” for any damned reason.

Again, we’re in the middle of a reality check here… I’m shifting my way of thinking. I’m just asking my friends, my family, everyone… please… take the time to think about it and see if you can take this journey with me.

We are all one people, but we do not experience the world the same way.

We can treat each other equally AND celebrate our differences.

When we look to people, and this includes those in power, we need to hold them by the same standards – We can’t allow our leaders to judge others based on race, gender, physical ability, sexual preference, sexual orientation, or identification – they are part of us, but they are not the sum total of what comprises US.

WE the people, not We the people*.

*only if you agree with me.

To everyone:

Extend a hand.

Start to heal.

Make some changes.

#JusticeForGeorgeFloyd

Folksonomy and a Taxonomy

Have you ever been a little bit curious about what the whole folksonomy versus taxonomy thing was all about? Well, I wasn't so much, it seemed pretty cut and dry when I read about it in a class I'm taking right now on Web 2.0, but I did get a little more information out of it than I thought!

Taxonomy is the old school way of categorizing things. Much like creatures on the planet, with genus, species, sub-species, etc, Taxonomy categorizes by taking a higher level category and making it more and more granular until you hit the item in question. Take music, for example. Say you would like to categorize the band Metallica. You would put it in Music, Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, and then it would be alphabetical by "M" for Metallica. If you haven't tried it before, go to Yahoo and try to find any band or any movie just by clicking through categories.

Folksonomy, on the other hand, is all about tags instead of categories. You may throw tags on a web site, making things easily searchable with a search engine. This even works to the level of certain web sites. Photo web sites do have conventional categories, but they also have tags, allowing you to bypass a specific classification, pigeon-holing the photo, and calling it what it is. A photo of a celebrity, like Matt Bellamy, could have tags such as "Muse", "Matt Bellamy", "band", "music", "Custom Guitars", etc... Each of those would find pictures that fall into that tag including, conveniently, the one you tagged. What's the benefit of this? Well, on a lot of sites, people can tag others' photos, posts, etc, to relate them to other people, paces, things, sites, whatever. So if I take a picture of a group of people and post it on FaceBook, for example, tagging three people I know who I took the picture of, someone else might come along, see the picture, and tag several other people, etc. How do you think sites like Ancestry.com manage to work so well? It's a combination of individuals entering in their own personal data and random people finding relations they may not have known about.

Bottom line, though... The two are related in the sense that you end up loosely categorizing things using folksonomy, but how things are "categorized" in folksonomy isn't necessarily in a way you could call it taxonomy.

Clear that up?

folksonomy and a taxonomy.

No, you're not staying up too late, you've got something wrong with your thyroid!

During Small Press Idol, I spent months staying up late, waking up early, etc... Somewhere in the middle of the competition, April or May, I started getting really tired, like I wasn't getting enough sleep (which I wasn't). I thought, well, I've been staying up late and waking up early for months, so I just need to get some sleep, rest up, and I'll be good to go! So, I took the period between rounds 2 and 3 and then between 3 and 4 to catch up on sleep, chores, etc, thinking it would help me feel better... it didn't. During the last handful of months, too, I started to gain an odd amount of weight... I thought to myself, "well, I haven't been eating a lot more, but maybe my metabolism is slowing down or I'm eating more than I thought." Nope...

During SDCC this year, my wife and I gave blood... I get this letter in the mail a couple of weeks later that I got a false positive for something indicating I could have or could end up with leukemia. Since my grandfather died of leukemia, I thought, OH CRAP, and made a quick appointment with my doctor to get things checked out. Barrage of tests later, nope, I'm fine, oh wait, there are some levels off with your thyroid! Hmmm....

Didn't think too much about it, but I did recall that thyroid issues run in my family. The doctor scheduled me for an ultrasound of my thyroid which showed that I have multi-nodular goiters on both sides of my thyroid. The doctor didn't seem too worried but said "just in case" I should get these extra tests done (I'll get back to that "just in case").

Last Thursday and Friday, I got to play Radioactive Man... They gave me this radio-nucleotide pill (radioactive iodine), which was cool because I didn't have to get a radioactive injection instead (phew). They kicked me loose for a few hours and then did some scans... Friday morning, more scans...

Today I found out that there's a bunch of abnormal stuff in the readings, so I just need to find out what my next steps are, but I was told I'm probably going to need to get my thyroid taken out. Some? All? Who knows!

Strangely enough, I was listening to Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb when my wife called to tell me... Surreal.

Just thought I'd share since people actually do read this thing, I've come to find out!

Well, while you're reading... go check out all of the cool stuff I updated at the Bearded Lady site... Darn it!

Projects, projects, and more projects... more coming?

So, over at the BeardedLadyOnline.com site, we've got a few projects mentioned... well, some of those are going to be getting a lot of wordplay from us in the coming weeks... We're actually going to start doing web comics, too!

First to be mentioned... Capetown Chronicles... Part 1: Just a Cup of Coffee...

After some of the buzz surrounding the story, perhaps for its sheer vulgarity, I'm not sure, we've decided to share the story in the coming weeks and follow it up with some more installments, all on the web!

The page just shows a sample, so be prepared, there's a lot more coming... Roger is just working to get some more life in the pages. You'll see!

Go to the Bearded Lady Comics section of the site here and click on "Capetown Chronicles"...

Enjoy!

thanks,
Erik
erik@beardedladyonline.com
http://www.beardedladyonline.com
http://thelastbardsblog.blogspot.com

Image Crazy 99! Ok, maybe it's just the third one, but I thought I'd share...

Yeah, I know it's a crazy number of images, but that's the point! Welcome to my mind, people! What happens to me when I'm writing, or should I say when I'm in a creative mode, is that other ideas start popping into my head. Rather than consider them distractions to the stories I'm working on, I welcome them, flush them out, and get them out of my mind by writing as much as I can in a short period of time.

I've probably talked about my process before, but when I get that initial idea, I try to get to my computer, open a file and brain dump as much as I can out at the same time. It's a loose plot and dialog and whatever else might pop up... names, locations, time, whatever happens to come out. I'd say it's a brainstorm, but I don't limit myself in any way, I just throw what I can out in as large chunks as possible. In the end, I'll end up with anywhere between a page and a handful of pages and I can set it aside until I get back to it again. The nice thing about co-writing with someone, if you do that, is you can take that same brain dump, throw it into a Google Doc (I recommend it if you haven't tried it), and bat it back and forth, organizing as you go along, add, subtract, separate into different files, etc... in the end, you have something you can almost start scripting from. Over the past handful of months, I've ended up with over 30 of these "little" brain dumps ranging from solo projects to things I've worked on with Michael Nelsen, etc... So there you have it!!!

What you have is... Unfiltered, written by Me with art by Jason Baroody... Unbeatables, created by Michael Nelsen and I with art by Michael Nelsen.... "TLA" created by myself and Michael Nelsen... pen "doodle" by Michael... The Evil Tree written by me with art by Denman Rooke... My Detective book, written by me with Art by Sachin Nagar... Any lettering you see is done by me, I try to do all of my own lettering, but sometimes I get some help. ;)

Have fun and please go check out the Bearded Lady site, it's getting ready to go through some SERIOUS changes!

Thanks,
Erik
erik@beardedladyonline.com

Faction - And one more with feeling!

Back in February 2009, I was emailing back and forth with Ian, asking him questions about Small Press Idol, trying to figure out if any of my ideas would be a good fit for Small Press Idol. Eventually, I settled on Faction and the journey began! If you can believe that, it has been just over seven months since that time! Since then, our experience and confidence has grown by leaps and bounds.

Guess what, though? It was officially announced today on the DimeStoreProductions web site ~ http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/site/news/view/kick_start_235.htm?filter=1 ~ That Faction won the contest!

I just want to say that Faction couldn't have made it this far in the journey without the support of the 3 F's ~ Family, Friends, and Fans... Our families helped us with their love and support, our friends help with their votes, and our fans picked up copies of the book.

We received confirmation that Faction issue 0 has been sent to the printers, so it will be shipping to everyone who pre-ordered in the next couple of weeks.

If, by some chance, you haven't picked up a copy yet, come check out what all the fuss is about. Read more about Faction at the web site ~ http://www.beardedladyonline.com/faction ~ and then go pick up a copy of the book.

Printed copy - http://www.dimestoredistro.com/faction-0-2274.html
PDF copy - http://www.dimestoredistro.com/faction-0-dl-2275.html

Yet again, I have to thank Arnie for the great artwork and Mike for the spectacular colors... The book wouldn't be the same without your help!

Thanks,
Erik Hendrix
Writer - Faction
Erik@BeardedLadyOnline.com
http://www.beardedladyonline.com
http://thelastbardsblog.blogspot.com

Patience and persistance can pay off in the end...

Seems like many many moons ago, I started talking with Sachin Nagar about my detective book XXXXXXXXX (no, still not slipping on the name). I honestly have over 180 pages of script ready to go as well as TONS of info to get me beyond that. I'm not going to call it an epic, just a great story with plots and sub-plots, which keep it going. Don't forget the mysteries involved... always something behind the scenes to figure out.
Originally, I came up with the idea back in November and started working with an artist shortly thereafter. I was fired up and he was fired up, so I was cranking out scripts, just knowing, "this is the one." After a while, life got on the way of my poor artist and he had to bail out. Common story in comic book land, at least in the pre-production phases. He has taken a different path and I wish him luck, actually! He's had some luck, done some covers for publications, etc...
For a time, I gave up on finding an artist because the ones I was trying to work with didn't really match up with what I was looking for on this book. Eventually, though, Sachin popped up with this amazing artwork and from the first rendering of the main characters, I was sold on his style.





Here we are a few months later and we're just about ready to get a submission package sent out... I'm excited, of course... this is one of those books I've been waiting MONTHS to send to publishers, eager for feedback, eager to get moving on the book, etc... I guess that's the problem with writing too far ahead, huh?
Hope you enjoy the images! More to come, as always.

Shall we pontificate for a moment?

I got word yesterday... or maybe the day before... heck maybe the day before that... that Faction probably won Small Press Idol. I haven't posted about it in fairness to the other competitors since it's not "officially" official yet, just looking pretty good. I'm happy things turned out the way they did, certainly!

I received a few messages late last week from people who assumed Faction had already lost, that there was no hope to catch up. I didn't argue because that would be revealing my hand. I'm not intentionally sneaky, but I knew some things would take until the last day or two to come in. I was patient, I was hopeful, but I was quiet. Those close to the fold, on the Faction team, friends, and family, knew I was still confident in the end... well, confident, but also biting my nails a tad, I can't argue there. No matter how well you plan for something, someone is always around to throw some wrenches in your spokes, to which you must react or get tossed on your face, sucking dirt. Worries appear to have been unfounded. I hope I didn't worry the Faction supporters out there too much!

So, what to do now? Well, for right now, we're patient, we wait for the official word and then we can celebrate some. I will say this to the other contestants in Small Press Idol. I appreciate the well wishes and I wish you luck moving forward. Hopefully you will land on your feet and find a home for your books, whether it be at another publisher, or self publishing.

The audiences are out there for small press books, it's just a matter of honing in on them and leading them to the trough to dig in and read up... Six months ago or so when we signed Faction up for Small Press Idol, I didn't know much about small presses, self publishing, or the industry in general, but I've learned a lot, met some great people, and done tons and tons of carpet bomb promoting to the point where I'm even tired of seeing my name on emails (sorry about that). Did they work? Some yes, some no.... If a person picked up Faction, I'd have been a happy camper because that would mean someone believed enough in the quality of the product to purchase it with their hard earned money. It turns out that a lot of people believed in it, which I'm humbled by.... Despite my confidence in the book, despite the feedback I've received, you never know until the book gets in front of the readers how well it will be received.

Hopefully in the coming months, you'll stick with Faction on its journey. We'll keep updating things, show you some images here and there to prepare you for the inevitable issue 1, which Arnie is already drawing... I think you will be VERY happy with what's to come. Faction is a tale I've been excited to tell since I started the first page of the script many months ago and it keeps getting better.... Four issues will just be the beginning of the series, a chance for you to meet the characters and get a feel for the world just long enough for the entire thing to be rocked to its core.

Thank you again to everyone who picked up a copy of Faction, to the retailers who are going to carry the book in your stores, and to DimeStoreProductions.com (Ian) for putting the contest on in the first place.

To anyone who has dreamed of making comic books and never knew how, I challenge you to join in Small Press Idol 2010.... We're not too long away for that to start up!

I've enjoyed the ride so far, hope you have to, and stick around for a lot more!!!

Thanks,
Erik Hendrix
Writer - Faction
http://www.beardedladyonline.com
http://thelastbardsblog.blogspot.com

BTW ~ Image on this post is Michael Nelsen's interpretation of Acker Kinney from before he joined the Faction team.... How's that!

Image Crazy and Faction's last call!

This is it, folks... last call for copies of Faction... Tonight (Aug 31st) at Midnight EST is the last time to place orders for Faction issue 0 and have them count towards our win in Small Press Idol. Please help us pull this off!

a. PRINT COPY - http://www.dimestoredistro.com/faction-0-2274.html
b. PDF DOWNLOAD - http://www.dimestoredistro.com/faction-0-dl-2275.html