Month: October 2015

Diary, Doc2 Comments

Ernest Henley was right

docphd

Still on the road at the annual college media convention. Sorry for the lateness of the post. -Doc Being on the road and in full-crisis mode over various personal and professional issues makes it really hard to sleep. It’s incredible that you get to see people you only see once a year and yet you slip right back into hugs and conversations you’ve been having for years. It’s an incredible feeling that makes you realize you’re never really alone; you’re just a little farther away from what you remember and the people you love. And you also realize those people … Continue reading Ernest Henley was right

Adrastos, Album Cover Art, LOL, Music, Television2 Comments

Album Cover Art Wednesday: Frankie Stein and his Ghouls

Peter Adrastos Athas

Monsters were all the rage in the mid-1960’s. The Universal classics were playing on late late shows on local teevee stations and the Addams Family and the Munsters were on ABC. Frankie Stein and his Ghouls were a rather successful attempt by Power Records to cash in on the trend. Here’s how Wallace McBride at the Collinsport Historical Society described it:

The music of Frankie Stein and his Ghouls is cooler than it has any right to be. Between 1964 and 1965, the “band” cranked out no fewer than five full-length albums. By all rights these records should have been little more than white noise, the kind of generic elevator music that blared from teenage radios in movies and television whenever the producers didn’t feel like ponying up the dough for a legitimate song.

But there’s something special about the Frankie Stein series. Something surprisingly focused, haunting and aggressive. Which has led fans to sometimes speculate about the identities of the anonymous musicians that made of the ersatz band. If Frankie Stein was a real person, he’s been suspiciously quiet in the years since his band’s albums were hastily released. And there might be a good reason for it, if even a fraction of the rumors about the musicians involved with this project are true.

The “Frankie Stein” albums were released by Power Records, a subsidiary of the children’s specialty label Peter Pan Records. Power would later strike a chord with its young audience during the ‘70s when it licensed movie, television and comic book properties for its famous “book and record” sets. Years earlier, though, it was still struggling to find an identity, which lead the company to create some … unusual products.

I didn’t remember the name Frankie Stein and his Ghouls but I recall the music. It’s the sort of instrumental pop-rock music you’d hear on teevee shows of that era only with mildly spooky sound effects and wacky voices added to the mix. I wish Frankie Stein would come out into the light and reveal his true identity unless, that is, he’d melt as a result.

I give you three-count ’em three-album covers including one after the break:

Ghouls-one

Ghoul Music

Continue reading “Album Cover Art Wednesday: Frankie Stein and his Ghouls”

Athenae, Political Crack, So Called Liberal Media, Stupid Blue Dog Tricks, Stupid Republican Tricks3 Comments

The Pre-Palin GOP Was a Scholar’s Paradise, and Other Lies We Tell Children

Allison Hantschel

Bill Daley, attempting to let Republicans off the hook by complaining about those filthy Republican voters:  Calling the current GOP primary “carnival-like,” Daley said the party had a chance to right itself after Palin’s “blatant lack of competence and preparedness” became apparent and contributed to the collapse of the McCain campaign. “What’s critical is that substantive, serious Republican leaders either wouldn’t or couldn’t declare, before or after the election: ‘This is not what our party stands for. We can and must do better,’” Daley wrote. “Once McCain put Palin on the ticket, Republican ‘grown-ups,’ who presumably knew better, had to … Continue reading The Pre-Palin GOP Was a Scholar’s Paradise, and Other Lies We Tell Children

Stupid Republican Tricks, Tommy T4 Comments

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – Sneaker of the Louse edition

Tommy T

Dang.

Boehner’s bitten the big bananna, and the Freedumb Cacusasians are finally in the driver’s seat!

Or are they?

Freedom Caucus Balks at Paul Ryan, Refuses to Endorse
breitbart.com ^ | 21 Oct 2015 | Matthew Boyle

Posted on 10/21/2015, 9:45:20 PM by 867V309

Since Ryan has failed to achieve the Freedom Caucus endorsement, the question now becomes if he will stick to his promise and drop out of contention for the Speakership.

“No,” Ryan’s spokesman Brendan Buck told Breitbart News earlier on Wednesday when asked if Ryan would follow through with a Speakership bid without an official House Freedom Caucus endorsement.

***********

Keep a promise? Don’t hold your breath.
1 posted on 10/21/2015, 9:45:20 PM by 867V309
Oh, by all means – hold your breath,
To: 867V309

Muey(sic) bueno, as Lyin’ Ryan would say after amnesty.

8 posted on 10/21/2015, 9:53:36 PM by Fungi

“Lyin’ Ryan”….now where have I heard that term before?
Oh yes – from the Democrats, in the last election!
RyanLyin
.
Are Freepers morphing into Dems?
To: 867V309

Breitbart has become a clickbait whore dead clickbait whore much like The Blaze.

Couldn’t get to the story.

Too bad.

11 posted on 10/21/2015, 9:55:37 PM by ButThreeLeftsDo (Plea$e $upport Free Republic.)

FIFY.
To: 867V309

Ryan is the best thing that has happened to the Republican party since Reagan…..to hell with the freedom nitwits.

17 posted on 10/21/2015, 10:31:26 PM by terycarl (COMMON SENSE PREVAILS OVERALL!!)

DangerClose
.
To: terycarl

“Ryan is the best thing that has happened to the Republican party since Reagan”

You need to see a doctor. Quick. There’s not much time.

23 posted on 10/21/2015, 11:20:27 PM by Mariner (War Criminal #18 – Be The Leaderless Resistance)
To: terycarl

What??? You really love your liberal, open borders traitors, don’t you?

27 posted on 10/22/2015, 12:10:26 AM by CrimsonTidegirl

That’s lyin’ liberal, open borders traitors, thank you very much.
To: 867V309

I’ll concede I was dead wrong in my prediction they would fold.I’m genuinely and pleasantly surprised.

22 posted on 10/21/2015, 11:17:29 PM by Mariner (War Criminal #18 – Be The Leaderless Resistance)
You know what’s coming up, don’t you?

Freedom Caucus Majority Backs Paul Ryan for House Speaker NY Times ^ | 10-21-15 | DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and EMMARIE HUETTEMAN Posted on 10/21/2015, 10:53:26 PM by afraidfortherepublic

A strong majority of anti-establishment conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus voted on Wednesday night to support Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin for House speaker, assuring that he will have the votes to secure the post next week and averting a leadership crisis for Republicans.

Mr. Ryan indicated that he was prepared to seize the gavel and try to bring unity to his party, which has been riven over how House leaders exert authority over members. That fight had become so bitter that it forced the resignation of Speaker John A. Boehner and derailed the candidacy of the majority leader, Representative Kevin McCarthy, to replace him.

“I’m grateful for the support of a supermajority of the House Freedom Caucus,” Mr. Ryan said in a statement, referring to the two-thirds vote he received.

The apparent coalescing of support behind Mr. Ryan, 45, comes at a critical moment for Congress, with votes expected to begin as soon as next week over raising the government’s borrowing authority, the first of several pressing fiscal matters.

1 posted on 10/21/2015, 10:53:26 PM by afraidfortherepublic
GunInMouth2
.
To: afraidfortherepublic

Then I guess the Freedom Caucus isn’t all that conservative.

3 posted on 10/21/2015, 10:57:08 PM by fatnotlazy

To: afraidfortherepublic

next under the FR bus; the freedom caucus.

4 posted on 10/21/2015, 10:58:15 PM by JohnBrowdie (http://forum.stink-eye.net)

You know, Freepers – it’s getting REALLY crowded under there.
Just sayin’….
And then, just when the Freeperati are sinking into their well-deserved depression, one of their own pours gasoline on the fire – right after this non-commercial break!
.
(said break which I forgot to put in, allowing my post to take up the entire front page – mea culpa!)

Continue reading “Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – Sneaker of the Louse edition”

Athenae, On Wisconsin, So Called Liberal Media3 Comments

Wisconsin State Legislators (I Mean Their Photos) For Sale

Allison Hantschel

Today in unintendedly hilarious things newspapers do on the Internet: The Wisconsin State Journal, like many newspapers, offers its photos for sale, for people who want prints of what appears in the paper. But they’ve done this by adding a “BUY NOW” link under every photo. Every. Photo. Including shots of elected officials. Inadvertent fail in attempt to make some quick cash or subtle statement on political corruption? We report, you decide. Hat tip: Mr. A. A. Continue reading Wisconsin State Legislators (I Mean Their Photos) For Sale

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media2 Comments

Nobody Understands the Internet

Allison Hantschel

Answer 50 survey questions to continue reading this article about a house fire in your neighborhood!  As Tim Brown of IDEO eloquently puts it, “Empathy is at the heart of design. Without the understanding of what others see, feel, and experience, design is a pointless task.” Having failed to apply design thinking at the outset of our online publishing journey, we as creators of experiences have built the mess we face now. Advertisers are so fixated on blasting through the noise and publishers are so desperate to monetize that they haven’t noticed just how bad this whole experience has become … Continue reading Nobody Understands the Internet

Athenae, Geek Cred

Last Chance to Pre-Order the First Draft Book!

Allison Hantschel

Our Kickstarter ends tomorrow morning, so get your book on! Thanks to everybody who’s contributed so far. I’m proud of this blog for lots of stuff, like how often we work “shitbird” into general conversation and how many times we’ve told politicians to suck it, but what I love the most is our ability to do the things we want to do. Instead of just sitting around and bitching, we make things happen. You’re all fantastic. A. Continue reading Last Chance to Pre-Order the First Draft Book!

Athenae, Stupid Republican Tricks3 Comments

Jeb Bush Has Better Things To Do

Allison Hantschel

Dead people, shmead people, why you gotta be so rude?  “If this election is about how we’re going to fight to get nothing done,” Mr. Bush said, then “I don’t want any part of it. I don’t want to be elected president to sit around and see gridlock just become so dominant that people literally are in decline in their lives. That is not my motivation.” He added, “I’ve got a lot of really cool things I could do other than sit around, being miserable, listening to people demonize me and me feeling compelled to demonize them. That is a … Continue reading Jeb Bush Has Better Things To Do

Current Affairs, Doc, Stupid Republican Tricks4 Comments

I’m sorry the facts don’t fit your narrative: Guns edition

docphd

As HRC continues her walk of shame through the Republican gauntlet of stupid, I found two moments completely perfect in capturing how some people just don’t get it. The first, and the funniest, was the exchange she had with Alabama’s Martha Roby (R-Darwin’s Waiting Room) in which Roby asked Clinton if she was home alone the night of the Benghazi attack. When Clinton responded that she was, Roby’s reply was golden: “The whole night?” This, of course, had Clinton laughing and Roby not getting it, which is to say she’s either a bible-thumping Alabama housewife who couldn’t conceive of how … Continue reading I’m sorry the facts don’t fit your narrative: Guns edition

Michael F

In These Uncertain Times…

mmferry1965

From Album 5 It’s nice to know you can count on one thing: William Kristol will always — always — be utterly wrong. There must be an extra dose of lead in his crystal ball, sufficient to further dull the dim bulb and sick music box that serve as his muse. He could be the anti-oracle. Station him in some suitable location — a combination gas station/Taco Bell/KFC/video poker parlor/roadside casino (or, I don’t know, a Trump branded resort?), and let people approach seeking answers and/or enlightenment. Then, whatever he says, they’ll know to do the exact opposite. Because his record is … Continue reading In These Uncertain Times…