Diary of the Mad Pigeon

Offline until Monday (just me, that is...)

I had hoped to write more while here at SIPP, but this last week is nuts.  I'll be home Saturday evening, and plan to roost in with the family on Sunday (i.e. if I blogged after being away from home for a month, the Hummingbird would kill me).

See you next week!

- The Pigeon-in-Exile

Let's Play a Game....

...called MOGS names what he thinks were the best albums of the 1990s (or at least, his favorites) and see what we get for replies...(hey, it's Sunday, I'm procrastinating on some work, and I'm bored). For Pidge and AT: I guarantee you this list will surprise you. It's pretty vanilla, there are few obscure or "cool" records on this. Sorry to disappoint you. I got in to a lot of that stuff well, well after the fact.

I used a very, very simple criteria for this: namely, can I listen to the whole album without skipping any song on it, or pushing random/shuffle? No fancy schmancy musical analysis or any of that crap, just a good old test of whether or not I can throw a set of headphones on and tune out the world while I listen to the record.

Pearl Jam - Ten: I know there's people out there who will defend VS. and Vitalogy to death, or the random jag-off who will find something nice to say about any of Pearl Jam's later albums, but not me. I don't think Pearl Jam ever topped their first effort, at all, a record I still listen to today. Not once, despite the presence of some great songs on the next two records ("Better Man," "Corduroy") and the surprise B-side great one, "Yellow Ledbetter" but as far as albums go, they never topped this. If anything, Pearl Jam has suffered because Eddie Vedder can't keep his trap shut (if there's ever been proof that no one really cares about "cause rock" it's listening to Vedder's mumbling about this or that). I'm a bit sick of "Jeremy" though.

Soundgarden: Badmotorfinger - three of my favorite Soundgarden songs: "Rusty Cage," "Outshined" and "Jesus Christ Pose" - the only reason I picked this over Superunknown which has "The Day I Tried to Live," "My Wave" and "Fell on Black Days" on it is because I'm sick to death of "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman" though I gotta tell you this was close. And yes, to all the purists out there, I've heard the earlier Soundgarden stuff that all the "true" alternative/Sub Pop aficionados would know, and truth be told, I've not cared for any of it.

Alice in Chains: Jar of Flies: Hey guess what, I include EPs and Live Albums in this list too. AIC never got better than this one. Of all their records, this left the greatest mark on me, and it's not their most metal, but it probably is their heaviest, if that makes sense. "Don't Follow" for some reason, stuck with me when I left home for the first time really in '95, and made my trip to Colorado for Beast... - this is one I couldn't ever play as a cover. I wouldn't get through it. Note: My favorite AIC song though, is on Dirt, and it's, no big surprise I'm sure, "The Rooster." "Dem Bones" is a close second.

Silverchair - Frogstomp: Damn straight I dig Silverchair's debut. Why not? "Tomorrow" and "Israel's Son" if you DON'T enjoy playing those songs live, well, there's something wrong with you. Yeah, it has it's moments of teenage angst ("Pure Massacre") but the fact that 15-16 year old KIDS could put out something that legitimately rocked...and more than anything they released since (perhaps except "Ana's Song (Open Fire) - proof that even whiny songs about anorexia can actually rock).

Bush: Sixteen Stone: Snobs pretend they don't like Bush. Everyone from the '90s likes Bush, or at least, Bush's first album. The Nirvana comparisons are overblown. The record is just good, and like the others here, fun to play (see a trend) - "Little Things" "Everything Zen" "Comedown" "Machinehead" - you can play the whole damn album - it's fun. Note: my favorite song is actually "Alien"

Weezer: The Blue Album: Music geeks say that Pinkerton is the best album, and while it's got some of my favorites on it ("The Good Life," "El Skorcho"), you can play this whole thing through and not skip a track. It's perfect. - Songs I've covered in bands or with friends: "Say It Ain't So," "Undone (The Sweater Song)," "Only in Dreams," "My Name Is Jonas," ... also, Weezer's B-sides and DEMOS are better than a lot of their regularly released stuff "I Just Throughout the Love of My Dreams," "Mykel and Carly," "Paperface," "You Won't Get With Me Tonight," "Teenage Victory Song," you get the idea.

Megadeth: Countdown to Extinction: Whether or not this actually Mustaine and co's best album is irrelevant - this was one of the first records I got, on my own, and under my parents' noses because they were on an anti-metal crusade at the time. Right along with GNR's Appetite for Destruction and Metallica's ...And Justice for All... - so ah, mom and dad, how'd that donation to the 700 Club pan out? ;)

My Bloody Valentine: Loveless: So far out of this list, this is the only record that I did not actually own or listen to in the '90s. I found this one in 2003. Haven't stopped listening to it since. It came out in '91, at which point I was just getting into high school and into metal, so this one wouldn't even have popped up on my scope. Secondly, Brit Pop and "Madchester" or any of that stuff wasn't really something that would make it out into the Jersey 'burbs, at least not when grunge and rap came along.

Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream: Yes, Gish is better. Mellon Collie should have been one disc, but the first time I heard the Pumpkins was "Cherub Rock" and I thought it sucked actually. Then two or three listens later, it just caught me, and then "Today" came out as a video. Well, there you go...

Nine Inch Nails: Broken: Pretty Hate Machine came out in '89, so it doesn't count. The Downward Spiral has parts that are completely unlistenable. Sorry to any NIN fans out there, I still can't get through the whole record in one sitting, even with good stuff like "March of the Pigs" (check out my earlier post on "Closer" to see what I think of that one too). The first time I heard or saw NIN was "Wish" and my honest to god reaction to that is best summed up by: "Oh. My. God. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Furthermore, I like NIN a lot more as a full band than as a creation on Trent Reznor's laptop, and while this record wasn't quite that, the songs on this one can be played live in a way that's simply stunning.

Metallica: The Black Album: Sorry folks, I wasn't issued a copy of Master of Puppets when I started grade school. Like most of my generation, though we won't admit it, "Enter Sandman" was the first time I heard Metallica (and then a friend gave me a tape copy of "One" well after the fact). I've spent a LOT of time on the road, TDY, traveling for the hell of it, you name it. "Wherever I May Roam" is a favorite of mine for that reason. Also, the books I was reading at the time, Terry Brooks, the first time I read Tolkien, the songs on The Black Album reminded me of certain characters, no lie.

Matthew Sweet: Girlfriend: this is probably the wimpiest record on this list. Fine, top it though. Find a better power pop album from the '90s...well I can name one.

Superdrag: Regretfully Yours: If I've done a service to rock fans at all, it's been in getting friends, family and acquaintances into this record. Lots of people have heard "Sucked Out" but to this day I can not find a record that hits the phrase "bittersweet" any better than this, period.

Mighty Mighty Bosstones: Live From the Middle East: Now for some snobbery, I WAS listening to the Bosstones long before they got (briefly) big. Here's some things to note: 1) Best ska or ska-punk or whatever horn section, period. 2) They are WAY better live than they are in the studio. 3) Pretty much the best inspiration to us horn players (alto, tenor sax yo) that we could possibly be more than band geeks, right along with Reel Big Fish.

Reel Big Fish: Turn the Radio Off: "Hey little alternative girl, said don't you want to be my friend..." and "She has a girlfriend now, she say 'guys don't do no more, for me.'" Do I need to say anything else?

Less Than Jake: Hello Rockview: When LTJ ditched the old horn section (getting the bari player was a good move) and stopped covering TV show themes (friggin' "Happy Days" and Grease - seriously you guys), they actually got good.

Social Distortion: Live at the Roxy: The actual first time I heard Social D was "Bad Luck" from the live album, and the video for the song "I Was Wrong." I think you could take all the Social D studio albums, and get one or two really, really good ones out of them. This one struck a chord, between "Mommy's Little Monster" and "I Was Wrong" and "Story of My Life."

Failure: Fantastic Planet: What I think is cool about this one, is that I get to say "I told you so." bought this on the strength of the song "Stuck on You," and it ended up being one of those that no one listened to....fast forward until the early '00s, and it seems like everyone and their mother is either covering this or listens to it now.... ;)

Hole: Live Through This: For a minute, forget about everything you know about Courtney Love, Seattle, grunge, punk, and just listen to the damn album. It actually is that good.

Goldfinger: Hang-Ups: Remember that band that did the catchy "Here in Your Bedroom" song? This was the album after that. I stand by saying this is one of the most unfortunately overlooked albums of the '90s. I always thought it was a real shame. All the hyped garbage that got associated with the '90s five minute "ska revival" buried this thing, sadly.

Tool: Undertow: Is there a single person out there who is NOT disturbed or bothered by Tool's videos (it's the puppets), songs, or stage show?

Rancid: ...And Out Come the Wolves...: Pretty much the best punk album of the '90s I think. I think you could lose the entire catalog of punk from that decade, but if we kept this one, we'd be fine.

Green Day: Dookie: Sure, maybe Kerplunk is better, but there's one problem: nobody would have listened to that if they hadn't listened to this first. As for Blink-182? Yeah, Green Day was better kiddies, sorry. Plus, stick to the criteria mentioned earlier.

Nirvana: Nevermind and MTV Unplugged in New York: Let's be frank about Nirvana. They're generally overrated, and the aura of tragedy has prevented any real criticism of them at all. But, I gotta tell you, the first time I heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" it did seem like something changed in the air...I was in highschool by then, and the hype machine was in full effect. A lot of music writers and such try to paint the earlier Bleach and the later In Utero as Nirvana's masterpieces, well, whatever nevermind. ;)

So that's it. What, no rap? No Dr. Dre, or NWA - sorry wasn't listening to it then. Rap to me has always been something best heard in a club, or at a party, or something like that. I couldn't ever just sit down and listen to that stuff. Still can't. I've never really been enamored of it. After growing up on Motown, Soul, and actual R&B and Jazz, how the heck could you see rap on the same playing field? I've always thought that musically, rap was a step backward, not forward.

And there's no real "deep" alternative here, either. No Pixies, no Lemonheads, no Afghan Whigs...

Well here's the thing, unless you were tied into the actual underground (back when it existed, before the internet), you weren't going to hear any of that stuff, unless someone big (Nirvana) dropped the name. Also, while I love a lot of that music today, I don't think I've ever actually sat down and listened to a full album by any of those groups, all the way through.

There were a few other ones I really had to think about putting on this one or not, that came very close (Four Minute Mile by The Get Up Kids and Dear You by Jawbreaker both come to mind) until I realized I haven't listened to those albums in quite literally, years now. The funny thing is how maligned both those records were when they came out - no joke. I almost added Something to Write Home About by The Get Up Kids, except for the song "I'll Catch You." Can't do it, if for the fact that thanks to them, we now have crap like Dashboard Confessional, best described in a concert review I read once as "sleepover camp for emo kids."

Trying to predict future tastes is almost an exercise in futility, but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say most of the ones on the list here will still be around in twenty or so years.

Trust but Verify

From a fellow student here at the SIPP conference:

"Secession, Ignorance, and Stupidity"

SECESSION, IGNORANCE, AND STUPIDITY: A recent Zogby/Middlebury Institute poll shows that 22% of Americans believe that "any state or region has the right to peaceably secede and become an independent republic." Belief in states' and regions right to secede was especially common among blacks (40%), Hispanics (43%) and people aged 18-24 (40%). Interestingly, political liberals (32%) were more likely to believe in a right to secession than conservatives (17%). 18% of respondents say they would support a secession movement in their own state, including 24% of southerners.

Constitutional law professor Ann Althouse claims that these poll results show that "all these people [who believe in a right to secession] have the law wrong and don't seem to know the basics of the history of the Civil War." She concludes that the pro-secession survey respondents are "fascinatingly stupid."

More at The Volokh Conspiracy

So, what do I think about this one?

More Motivational Posters!

Not in the best of taste... but then again, consider who's writing this post:

Culled from the Comics Pages

If I were meant to be a vegetarian, I wouldn't have front teeth designed to rip flesh from bone. 

(Tundra, by Chad Carpenter)

Six Confirmed Dead in B-52 Crash

(Reuters) - All six crew members aboard a U.S. B-52 bomber that crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Guam earlier this week are dead, the U.S. Air Force said on Wednesday. The plane crashed on Monday, while on its way to participate in a flyover to mark a Liberation Day parade in Guam, a U.S. territory.  The bomber, which had no weapons on board, crashed about 15 minutes before the parade was due to begin.

CONTINUED

A moment of silence, please...

My Military Birthday

As of today I've been in the service for 14 years!  Now where's my cake?

Leadership Priorities in Wartime

Washington Post (via the LA Times):  The top Air Force leadership sought for three years to spend counter-terrorism money on "comfort capsules" for military planes to ease the travel of senior officers and civilian leaders -- with at least four top generals involved in design details such as the color of the capsules' carpet and leather chairs -- according to internal e-mails and budget documents.

Production has begun for the first capsule -- two sealed rooms that can fit in the fuselage of a large aircraft -- and four mobile pallets containing plush, swiveling leather chairs with footrests.

Air Force officials say the new capsules are necessary to ensure that leaders can talk, work and rest comfortably in the air. But the top brass' preoccupation has alienated lower-ranking Air Force officers familiar with the effort, as well as congressional staff and a nonprofit group that calls the program a waste of money.  CONTINUED

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I don't know how any of these senior AF leaders can look themselves in the eye:  this smells of fraud, waste and abuse in my book.

Not to mention we've got a war to plan.  I mean, how do you plan--let alone inspire the airmen you lead--by deciding between a mauve or puce carpet?

Then again, I'm quite egalitarian for an officer:  I don't think officers should have ANY special perks.  No special parking spots in front of the BX, no special rooms in hotels, nothing that expends extra resources just to build a facade of power (I have a particular distaste for protocol offices).  Indeed, at my last base I made some other officers bristle by helping the airmen take out the garbage.  I don't believe in making my troops do anything I'm not willing to do myself.  Personally, I admire senior officers who are willing to get their hands dirty, such as the Colonel who volunteered to buff a floor and a Major who stepped in with a gaggle of airmen to help them clean up an old office.

I also strive to remain true to the Army Noncommissioned Officer's Creed, which includes the phrases, "I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety...I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own."

Indeed, I was really taken aback by the following:

Air Force officials say the program dates from a 2006 declaration by Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb that existing seats on transport planes, including some that match those on commercial airliners, might be fine for airmen but were inadequate for the brass. McNabb was then the Air Mobility commander; he is now the Air Force's vice chief of staff. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates nominated him in June to lead the military's Transportation Command.

Fine for airmen, but inadequate for the brass?  So you're saying the sergeants in the back of the plane--the one's doing the real work putting your strategy into action--can be crammed like pigs in a stall while you drink martinis and spin in your chair?  To quote a former wing commander, "I don't do anything except say yes and no... it's the airmen, sergeants and junior officers who make things happen."  For that reason, he made it a point to prioritize time and resources for his subordinates and not for himself. 

I think some senior officers out there need to remember their junior days for a moment (especially if they're mustangs from the enlisted ranks) and consider if blowing wads of cash on comforts is the right example to set, especially while we're embroiled in conflict.

Oy. Make it stop

Cadets in ABU's? I'm getting old....

New cadets discover Jacks Valley 7/22/2008 - U.S. Air Force Academy basic cadets of the Class of 2012 march out to the Jacks Valley training area near Colorado Springs, Colo., July 14 to begin the field training portion of basic training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Dave Ahlschwede)

They found the cleanest cadet on the assault course (SIR!) for this picture....

MOGSY