Jul
27
This list is by no means representative of the entire order of mythological and demi-natural creatures, but rather those that I find the most beautiful, and horrendous.
The best of the woodland hills, ethereal planes, and down at the seascape, in no particular order (numbers provided for easy reference):
001. Mushrooms
002. Lizards (monitors - the kind with the forked tongues)
003. Snakes
004. Spiders
005. Catepillars
006. Butterflies
007. Nymphs
008. Pixies
009. Sprites
010. Fairies
011. Dryads
012. Nereids
013. Giant clams
014. Hermit crabs
015. Octopi
016. Unicorns
017. Winged flying horses (of which Pegasus is but one specific example)
018. Dragons
019. Sylphs
020. Sirens
021. Rainbows
022. Crystals
023. Griffons
024. Black panthers
025. Snow leopards
026. White tigers (no, not albino)
027. Giant sea serpents
028. Pythons
029. Succubi
030. Anglerfish
031. Gargoyles
032. Demons
033. Angels
034. Basilisks
035. Multi-headed water hydras
036. Scorpions
037. Sea shells
038. Seahorses
039. Mermaids
040. Hippocampi
041. Troglodytes
042. Centipedes
043. Bats
044. Skeletons
045. Falcons
046. Beetles
047. Praying Manti
048. Moss
049. Ferns
050. Venus fly traps
Jul
23
Well, as most of you know Bad Man’s always on the prowl for a new friend. Here’s a little primer on what character strengths the kind of girl I’m looking for must possess to be considered in the running to be my girlfriend. In no particularly order:
001. Tattoos, lots of ‘em
002. Not her natural hair colour; plenty of roots showing
003. At least 2 DUIs
004. Piercings; the more the merrier
005. Raised Catholic
006. Listens exclusively to Metal/Punk/Goth music
007. Raised in an all-girl boarding school; mostly in dentition or cutting class
008. Wears wifebeaters - white with black bra, black with red bra
009. Pagan or Wiccan
010. Favorite sex position is taking it in the back door
011. Consumes hard liquor. In large quantities
012. Smoker
013. Bisexual
014. Gobs on way too much eye-liner
015. Comes from broken home
016. Been in jail on more than one occasion
017. Has been to an N.A. meeting, and scored right after
018. Paints her fingernails black. Badly
019. All her pets have died. Of unnatural causes. Including the snake, the monitor lizard, the tarantula, the scorpion, and the puppy
Jul
22
In related news, Zombieslayer came up with an interesting list. The category here is PERFECT albums - meaning NOT ONE BAD track on it. My standards are much higher - when I hear “perfect album” VERY FEW releases come to mind. To me a perfect album has a beginning, a middle and an end, has not a bad track to be found anywhere on it, and exists as a complete whole. Therefore I’ve split my section into two lists - the perfect albums, and the great solid albums, such that taken together the two lists adhere to ZS’s criterion.
I’m sure he and I (The Bad Man) completely disagree on these entries, so here you have two lists with but a smidgeon of overlap.
SOLID ALBUMS
ZS:
Nightwish (2)
Once
Century Child
Queen (2)
Night at the Opera
Innuendo
Judas Priest (4)
Screaming for Vengeance
Defenders of the Faith
Painkiller
Angel of Retribution
Def Leppard (1)
High and Dry
Iron Maiden (1)
Iron Maiden
Metallica (2)
Ride the Lightning
Master of Puppets
Cradle of Filth (1)
Midian
Black Sabbath (2)
Paranoid
The Mob Rules
Prince (1)
Purple Rain
Dimmu Borgir (1)
In Sorte Diaboli
Him (3)
Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights
Love Metal
Venus Doom
Pink Floyd (2)
Wish you were here
Darkside of the Moon
Guns and Roses (1)
Appetite for Destruction
Bruce Dickinson (2)
Accident of Birth
The Chemical Wedding
Yngwie Malmsteen Rising Force (1)
Marching Out
Deep Purple (1)
Perfect Strangers
Rainbow (1)
Rainbow Rising
BM:
BM: PERFECT albums:
Tears for Fears (1)
The Hurting
Peter Gabriel (2)
peter gabriel iii
Prince (1)
Purple Rain
Queen (1)
Night at the Opera
Cure (4)
Pornography
Jimi Hendrix (3)
Are you Experienced?
Jane’s Addiction (1)
Nothing’s Shocking
Cult (1)
Love
Social Distortion (1)
Social Distortion
The Clash (1)
London Calling
The Doors (2)
The Doors
Sonic Youth (4)
Goo
Bjork (3)
Vespertine
XTC (3)
Black Sea
David Bowie (1)
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
Joy Division (2)
Unknown Pleasures
Depeche Mode (3)
Songs of Faith and Devotion
The Smiths (5)
Meat is Murder
Hole (2)
Pretty on the Inside
Nirvana (2)
Nevermind
Public Image Ltd. (2)
Second Edition
Bauhaus (2)
In the Flat Field
The Jam (1)
Sound Affects
nine inch nails (2)
Downword Spiral
Marilyn Manson (2)
Antichrist Superstar
The Sex Pistols (1)
Never mind the Bollocks here’s the Sex Pistols
BM: SOLID albums:
Sonic Youth (4)
EVOL
Sister
Daydream Nation
Pink Floyd (2)
Wish you were here
Darkside of the Moon
Peter Gabriel (2)
Security
R.E.M. (1)
Murmur
Bauhaus (2)
The Sky’s Gone Out
Cure (4)
3 Imaginary Boys
Faith
Seventeen Seconds
Bjork (3)
Post
Homogenic
Marilyn Manson (2)
Portrait of an American Family
nine inch nails (2)
Pretty Hate Machine
Nirvana (2)
From the Muddy Banks of the Wishka
Metallica (2)
Ride the Lightning
Master of Puppets
Hole (2)
Live Through This
The Jesus and Mary Chain (1)
Psychocandy
Kraftwerk (1)
Autobahn
pixies (2)
Surfer Rosa
Come on Pilgrim
Cocteau Twins (2)
Garlands
Head Over Heels/Sunburst and Snowblind
Dead Can Dance (1)
Dead Can Dance/Garden of the Arcane Delights
Jimi Hendrix (3)
Axis: Bold as Love
Electric Ladyland
Public Image Ltd. (2)
Public Image
The Smiths (5)
The Smiths
Hatful of Hollow
The Queen is Dead
Strangeways Here we Come
The Doors (2)
Strange Days
Echo and the Bunnymen (1)
Ocean Rain
PJ Harvey (1)
To Bring You My Love
Depeche Mode (3)
Violator
Black Celebration
Joy Division (2)
Closer
XTC (3)
English Settlement
Drums and Wires
Repo Man - Original motion picture soundtrack (the best various-artists release EVER)
Jul
22
In response to Zombieslayer’s comment today that (and I’m quoting him here) “America NEVER wrote good music” I have compiled this sterling list.
Now I HATE America and all that it entrails, but after Goth died in the mid-80’s (technically before, but Sisters of Mercy and Cocteau Twins continued generating solid efforts into that era, as of course (not goth) did The Smiths) the tide shifted and with the birth of Grunge and some electronic based offerings of the likes of Jane’s Addiction, pixies, Sonic Youth, Nirvana and nine inch nails we had a true upsurgence of phenomenal music which, unfortunately, happened to be centered in the New World.
Great American Bands - numbers next to artist name are the number of great albums they’ve released. The list is divided into true new school, but of course there’s always been a solid old school set of aural artists from the get-go. Thus I’ve split the list accordingly around the mid-80’s mark. Otherwise in no particular order…
Old school
The Stooges (2)
Iggy Pop (1)
The Velvet Underground (2)
Peter Gabriel (2)
Laurie Anderson (1)
early-mid Talking Heads (2)
Black Flag (1)
Dead Kennedys (1)
X (1)
The Cramps (1)
Blondie
Suicide (1)
The Ramones
Van Halen (1)
Metallica (2)
Miles Davis
Prince (1)
John Coltrane
John Lee Hooker
Janis Joplin
The Beach Boys
The Doors (2)
Jimi Hendrix (3)
Devo
Bad Brains
New school
Sonic Youth (5)
Nirvana (2)
Hole (first 2 ONLY)
Jane’s Addiction (1)
Social Distortion (3)
early R.E.M. (2)
Nine Inch Nails (2)
Marilyn Manson (2)
Interpol (1)
Pavement (1)
Modest Mouse (1)
Green Day (1)
pixies (1)
Velvet Acid Christ (1)
Manufactura
Converter
NON
Terrorfakt
Psyclon Nine
Die Sektor
Interestingly, since the tide shifted to the left continent, very few great (regular/organic/guitar-drum-singer type music - meaning not purely electronica based music, the innovation of which still resides in Europe, as they have moved beyond the norms this country (USA) is still too firmly entrenched in) bands have been born back in the land of Europe. There’s of course Bjork to name one great one, and PJ Harvey to name another, and there are undoubtedly others, but lets face it something died over there. A victim of the evolution of the spirit of musical innovation.
But that’s okay by me, as now I primarily listen to aggrotech and powernoise and dark ambientcore, noteworthy efforts spawning from Belgium, Germany, Norway, and let’s not forget Mexico. Okay, also Trip-hop from the likes of the Brit Tricky.
Jul
17
The movie Control, directed by Anton Corbijn, features (albeit during the credits, and albeit an otherwise fine, if not sterling, motion movie picture) a cover of the Joy Division song Shadowplay by the band The Killers. Thanks Anton. Now when I hear Joy Division’s original my memory of this The Killers rendition sets in - and, worse yet, when I’m minding my own business this version by The Killers creeps into my cerebral consciousness - and I can’t get it out, tarnishing, no, completely ruining, my personal experience with (one of) the world’s most transcendent artists.
Anyone who holds Joy Division as close to her (or his) heart as do I should make sure to aurally avoid this worst sort of mockery. I recommend downloading the film w/out purchase and editing it appropriately before viewing. Although this sounds encumbering, trust me lest you destroy one of the most important sonic art objects of the last century.
Jul
16
The criteria here is based purely on aesthetics – what a sports/exotic automobile should look like. I have represented most of the major sports motor car manufacturers over the last century, with favoritism shown to English, German, and especially Italian automakers as they lead the world in vision and construction. The U.S. and Japan on the other hand are the worst in concept and execution, and as such I include only a token Chevy for its romanticism. In general (with the surprisingly numerable exceptions noted below) I do not like convertibles – I don’t like the concept, and I don’t like the styling examples seen in most of the industry output. The fast-back lends a superior flow for art design, a platform that transcends the singular linearity of form inherent in convertibles. That, and I really hate wind.
These were all in their time actual street-legal cars with legitimate production numbers (except the Zagato, but there are plenty of related David Brown’s around) – no one-offs or concept cars allowed. Most importantly, these all look like what a sports vehicle should look like. I don’t care about performance; some of these did not do well on the track, let’s face it. But these bodies are the classics. No rising stars need apply – these have stood the test of time. In fact, no current vehicle can achieve the same rarified status as these, because new manufacturing and design trends preclude the necessary art-for-art’s sake perspective – modern cars all suffer from the bowing to advances in the aerodynamic sciences and their ilk, compromising most every aesthetic objective.
And I know what you’re thinking - “Hey, where’s the fucking 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe, the deTomaso Pantera, the Maserati Merak, the modern ‘Vette, the Pontiac GTO and the Ford Thunderbird?!? WTF!!!“ To which I reply, uhm, nuh-uh. Those are trendy poppy BORING status-quo cars. God, I HATE everything about the Thunderbird - what an ugly abomination on 4 wheels. Perhaps the only thing worse is a 1964 Pontiac-fucking-GT-the-fuck-O (what a travesty - talk about misuse of a moniker). I admit as much as I’m anti-American and especially (sorry in advance to those who I’m offending) anti-Ford, I adore the Ford GT40, but that’s a racing car. And, might I add, was designed and built in Britain - that’s why it was so effective against Ferrari at the track, not to mention so damn beautiful.
Best viewed if you maximize this window first. Also, before proceeding, run down to the local quicky electronics jamboree and purchase an HD wide-screen 24″+ video display monitor, preferably one that runs in the $900 range (like mine). Then you can continue with confidence on this page…
In order by model year…
|
|
| Year |
Make |
Model |
Engine |
hp/ft-lbs torque |
Top Speed |
0-60mph |
Colour(s)/Notes |
Pix |
| 1957 |
Jaguar |
XK-140 SE OTS |
3.442 litre in-line 6 |
210bhp/210+ft-lbs torque |
|
|
British racing green. Open-two-seater |
  |
| 1959 |
Chevrolet |
Corvette C1 |
283 cu. in. (4.638 litre) V8 |
230bhp |
128mph |
0-60 8.4s |
Unit should be glossy black, with after-market flared fender wells. Drop-top |
|
| 1959 |
BMW |
507 |
3.168 litre V8 |
155bhp/174ft-lbs torque |
125mph |
0-60 8.8s |
Silver, as all German autos should be – exception; see below |
 |
| 1960 |
Ferrari |
250 GT California Spyder |
2.953 litre V12 |
240bhp |
140mph |
0-60 7s |
Ferrari blood red scarlet - if you have to ask you just don’t get it |
   |
| 1961 |
Aston Martin |
DB4 GT Zagato |
3.670 litre in-line 6 |
314bhp/278ft-lbs torque |
154mph |
0-60 6s |
Silver or British racing green |
  |
| 1970 |
Triumph |
GT6+ Mk II |
2 litre in-line 6 from Vitesse |
104bhp/117ft-lbs torque |
117mph |
0-60 10s |
British racing green |
|
| 1974 |
Lancia |
Stratos Stradale |
2.418 litre V6 (Ferrari Dino) |
190bhp/166ft-lbs torque |
130 mph |
0-60 6s |
Fluorescent orange with flat red rims and cobalt spoiler. Nuccio Bertone designed |
 |
| 1982 |
Lamborghini |
Countach LP 500S |
4.754 litre V12 |
375bhp/302ft-lbs torque |
186 mph |
0-60 5.6s |
Cobalt blue with bright orange trim |
|
| 1987 |
Lotus |
Esprit Turbo |
2.174 litre 4 cylinder 16 valve DOHC |
215bhp/220ft-lbs torque |
153mph |
0-60 5.5s |
Black. Giorgetto Giugiaro for Ital Design |
|
| 1993 |
Porsche |
911 Turbo S |
3.299 in-line 6 OHC turbo charged |
375bhp/361ft-lbs torque |
|
0-60 4.6s |
Jet black – hard-top – no targa here, huge whale tail, massively flared fenders |
|
Runners up…
|
|
| Year |
Make |
Model |
Engine |
hp/ft-lbs torque |
Top Speed |
0-60mph |
Colour(s)/Notes |
Pix |
| 1968 |
Alfa Romeo |
33 Stradale |
|
|
|
|
A worthy historical nod, but this company never could put it all together to produce a complete package, despite the help from Bertone, the single greatest auto design company the planet has ever known. The 1968 33 Stradale is worth a look, but only 18 were built |
|
| 2001 |
Lotus |
Exige |
1.796 litre in-line 4 DOHC 16-valve |
192bhp/146ft-lbs torque |
136 mph |
0-60 4.6s |
Flat black with bright yellow stripped trim – looks blazingly fantastic from the side, too much like a squishy bug from the front |
|
| 1975 |
Maserati |
Bora |
4.930 litre V8 DOHC |
320bhp/308ft-lbs torque |
168 mph |
0-60 6s |
Giorgetto Giugiaro for Ital Design. Ferrari red |
|
| 1984 |
Renault |
R5 Turbo 2 “Le Car” |
1.527 litre in-line 4, 32 valve |
|
121mph |
0-60 7.7s |
Fluorescent orange/yellow/green stripped |
|
| 1969 |
deTomaso |
Mangusta |
4.950 litre V8 OHV |
230bhp/310ft-lbs torque |
155mph |
0-60 7s |
Ferrari blood red |
|
Jul
1
I didn’t know that Zombieslayer’s favourite band Nightwish and my (Badman’s) favourite director Peter Greenaway had so much in common - this is quite amusing:
Michael Nyman composed the score for more than 4 of Peter Greenaway’s films, including his finest, 1989’s “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover”. It turns out Nyman’s music has been honoured many times by many artists and organizations, which stands to reason as he is certainly one of the world’s greatest living composers.
As it turns out, Nyman’s “The Heart Asks Pleasure First” was covered by the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Nyman rightly refused it to be released.
Too funny. I will have to track that down to hear just how awfully they butchered it.
Jun
23
We’d all agree that some sort of punishment should be given when a person takes another person’s life. I propose that the penalty for such action should be directly proportional to the irresponsibility of the crime. Therefore, if you accidentally run over some children on the sidewalk while driving your car, you should be strapped in the fryer post haste. On the other hand, if you methodically and purposefully plan out a murder, you should probably be put away… But first we must examine your intentions. If the life-snuff was justifiable, like a vigilantism retribution move, then it’s all good and you won’t have to do much, if any, time down at the local pen. For example, if your daughter is raped by some misanthropic sociopath, you and your brother take the key, open the rack, remove the guns, and proceed to blow the dude’s head clean open down on the tracks just south of town. No reason anyone should be locked up over that - justice was served far better than burning tax-payer’s money in lengthy trials, when everyone knows what was done was right.
We’ve discussed taking a life off this planet. Let’s now turn to an interesting flip-side of this equation. If you bring a life onto this planet, in Bad Man’s utopia you will be greeted with a similar judicial system. If you just popped out a puppy cuz you forgot to take your pill or use a raincoat, or just don’t care and are already on welfare, then yeah, you should be strapped in and prep’ed for your immediate terminal injection. If you took some time and got married and planned out your family then, yeah, you should probably be put away… But first we will allow your intentions to be examined. If you have the savings in your immediate bank account to pay for your progeny’s college tuition at a prestigious national university, and will be able to afford to provide her a life with full access to the best health care, private education, cellular plan, and space-camp every summer, then you shouldn’t have to spend much time, if any, down at the local pen with people who can’t seem to drive straight.
Jun
11
Screw existing people - they’re so booooooooring.
Starting a new concept here - spec out your personal favorite planetoid denizen with which to hang. Well, I guess it doesn’t have to be terrestrial…
BODY
Species:
Gender:
Age (range):
Birthdate(s):
Race (with proportions):
Hair colour (with proportions):
Hair length:
Eye colour:
Skin colourations:
Physique type:
Physical adornments:
Fashion motifs:
Athletic interests:
Culinary preferences:
Sexual preferences:
Voice characteristics:
MIND
Literary influences:
Musical biases:
Intelligencia Coefficient:
Social tendencies:
Languages spoken:
Personality qualities:
Educational characteristics:
Aesthetic interests:
SPIRIT
Morality indicators:
Spiritual disposition(s):
Religious affiliation(s);
GENERAL
Traveling experiences:
Historical frameworks:
Occupational provisions:
Talents:
Hobbies:
Modus Operandi:
Special interests:
General Observations:
Jun
5
to do a
Draft for dudes, here’s who I would pick up:
|
BM picks: |
| Round 0001 |
Johnny Depp |
| Round 0002 |
Brad Pitt |
| Round 0003 |
Jeremy Irons |
| Round 0004 |
Willem Dafoe |
| Round 0005 |
Kevin Spacey |
| Round 0006 |
Gary Oldman |
| Round 0007 |
Dennis Hopper |
| Round 0008 |
Christopher Walken |
| Round 0009 |
George Clooney |
| Round 0010 |
Nicolas Cage |
| Round 0011 |
Harrison Ford |
| Round 0012 |
Mel Gibson |
| Round 0013 |
Antonio Banderas |
| Round 0014 |
Ed Norton |
| Round 0015 |
Jack Nicholson |
| Round 0016 |
Clive Owen |
| Round 0017 |
John Cusack |
| Round 0018 |
Sean Connery |
| Round 0019 |
Martin Donovan |
| Round 0020 |
Christian Bale |
| Round 0022 |
Robert Downey, Jr. |
| Round 0023 |
Harvey Keitel |
| Round 0024 |
Steve Buscemi |
| Round 0025 |
William Hurt |
| Round 0026 |
Tim Roth |
| Round 0027 |
Leonardo DiCaprio |
| Round 0028 |
Christian Slater |
| Round 0029 |
Crispin Glover |
| Round 0030 |
Gael García Bernal |
| Round 0031 |
Wesley Snipes |
| Round 0032 |
River Phoenix |
| Round 0033 |
Rutger Hauer |
| Round 0034 |
Liam Neeson |
| Round 0035 |
Mickey Rourke |
| Round 0036 |
Hugh Grant |
| Round 0037 |
Matt Dillon |
| Round 0038 |
Eric Stoltz |
| Round 0039 |
James Spader |
| Round 0040 |
Peter Weller |
| Round 0041 |
James Woods |
| Round 0042 |
Samuel L. Jackson |
| Round 0043 |
Jeff Goldblum |
| Round 0044 |
Aidan Quinn |
| Round 0045 |
? ? ? |
Category: 
