OK, I did actually come up with another idea that I kind of like more. I'll post the sketch tomorrow, when I get a chance to scan it. But, I'm down to do the Halloween volume, if you'd rather me stick to the original idea.

Actually, Alex, what I think I might do is use your cover for a Halloween-themed volume... "Garage Monsters"... that would come out in October. If I do it that way, I'll make that Vol. 10. Which means I'd need someone else to do Vol. 9 which I will target for August, if all goes well. I'm gonna wait and see how many more good submissions (songs) come in during the next month or so.

Steve Jobs had an approach to make everything proprietary down to needing a special tool made only by Apple just to open the case on his products. The advantage of this is that everything works, but the disadvantage is lack of customizability and flexibility. You just have to ask yourself one question: Do I want to allow the technology to tell ME what to do or do I want to tell the TECHNOLOGY what to do? If tech is to be your servant go with PC. If you want lack of snags and can pay the big bucks OR if you're really into the under the hood stuff and have to have elegance in your operating system go with Mac. 

Cool! I will order these along with The Complete Stories of J.G. Ballard. I remember vaguely a Ballard story about forced obsolesence in which products are abandoned after a few months and piled up in mounds (tvs, stereos, etc.) beneath the freeways to rust. Funny cause this guy I know was saying yesterday how he had to get new earbuds every few months. Atomized looks interesting too. Dual nature of man in a pluralistic society perhaps? Let me know of anything else good to read along these lines! I have read Ballard's Crash and Empire of the Sun thusfar . . .
 
Pikini Death Ray said:

Thanks I have not read either of these but will check them out. I love some of Ballard's books, Super Cannes & Cocaine nights being two of my favourites. If you have not read Super Cannes check it out. It is the story of a high tech business park and residential complex in the south of France whose executive inhabitants are overworked and have found bizarre ways to unwind and relieve executive stress. It is pretty sinister and in a style that is typically Ballard it presents a slightly distorted/exaggerated version of reality and discusses some of his favourite themes, corruption, greed and a nightmarish near future. Cocaine Nights is a 'sister' novel to this and is about the British expatriate community in Spain. Both good books! Also I can highly recommend Atomised by Michel Houellebecq. I won't go into detail but there are some link to reviews below.

All the best

PKD

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2000/sep/09/fiction.jgballard

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/feb/24/fiction.michelhouellebecq

Thanks I have not read either of these but will check them out. I love some of Ballard's books, Super Cannes & Cocaine nights being two of my favourites. If you have not read Super Cannes check it out. It is the story of a high tech business park and residential complex in the south of France whose executive inhabitants are overworked and have found bizarre ways to unwind and relieve executive stress. It is pretty sinister and in a style that is typically Ballard it presents a slightly distorted/exaggerated version of reality and discusses some of his favourite themes, corruption, greed and a nightmarish near future. Cocaine Nights is a 'sister' novel to this and is about the British expatriate community in Spain. Both good books! Also I can highly recommend Atomised by Michel Houellebecq. I won't go into detail but there are some link to reviews below.

All the best

PKD

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2000/sep/09/fiction.jgballard

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/feb/24/fiction.michelhouellebecq

High-Rise

"High Rise is about a 40-storey apartment block, and how from innocent beginnings it reduces people to murder, incest and above all a passionate love for chaos. A gripping read, particularly if you like your thrills chilly, bloody and with claims to social relevance." -Time Out London

Millennium People

"Ballard is a British Philip K. Dick, heir to Conrad and H.G. Wells, in whose stories the present, taken to extremes, anticipates the future. In fact, the only complaint to be made of this bruisingly smart novel is that it has taken eight years for it to appear in the U.S." -Publishers Weekly starred review.

p.s. www.writingforums.org looks like a good site for nit-picky, obsessive English major stuff for anyone involved with creative writing. I'm just sayin' . . .   

I didn't see this movie when it was released, because even to my 14-year-old mind at the time it looked ridiculous.  I did watch it recently on youtube, and now I'm REALLY glad I didn't go to see this movie.  However, I have to admit that it is good cheesy fun. 

NICE!! that just might go on my xmas list.

Jessy Drastic said:

just ran across this today, it actually looks pretty cool.. integrated iPod dock and it will record vinyl to mp3, etc..

 

http://www.pyleaudio.com/sku/PLTTB8UI/Classical-Vinyl-Turntable-Rec...-

just ran across this today, it actually looks pretty cool.. integrated iPod dock and it will record vinyl to mp3, etc..

http://www.pyleaudio.com/sku/PLTTB8UI/Classical-Vinyl-Turntable-Record-Player-With-PC-EncodingiPod-PlayerAUX-Input-and-Dual-Fold-Out-Speaker-System-

I use the Numark PT-01USB and really dig it.  I like for record shows and recording vinyl.  Uses battery or A/C power.  It also has RCA outputs if you'd rather not use the built in speaker.  Very eay to find online (Ebay, Amazon et. al)

http://www.numark.com/product/pt01usb

I have a Numark pt-01 and I really like it, sounds decent, and you can hook up a couple of computer speakers in the headphone jack if you want, also can run on batteries, and for 100$ its not too pricy

I have the Crosley CR-40 and it has no automatic cut off. 

It's not great, but it's fairly inexpensive and I figured if I'm going to be using it as a portable and it's gonna be getting banged around and stuff, what's the point of spending a lot? 

It's not too loud, but you can attach it to external speakers.  I would never suggest it to a serious audiophile though.  It has zero extras.  It's just something convenient to carry from room to room.  You gotta plug it in.  I like it for what it is, a cheap portable that I don't have to worry about abusing. 

Ken said:

The only advice I have is NOT to get one of the cheapo Crosley deals they sell at Target, walmart, et. al.  Especially if you plan on playing 45s.  They have this annoying auto-stop function that normally cuts of a 7"er at about the Two and a half minute mark.

yup, this.

or, burn all your vinyl to mp3's, load up an iPod, and voila - you have a dj taking care of tunes while you get to sit back & stuff your face with burgers.

Mike Humsgreen said:

An arty picture frame shop on my street wanted to display a Nancy Sinatra 7" framed in the window. It lasted one day before it had melted into some weird sculpture. Ooops

Get a ghetto blaster, nobody misses tapes and they still look kick arse.

Jessy Drastic said:

i know. :( but i also know that the records i would even want to spin at a bbq are ones i didn't just pay $1 for.. and if something sat in the sun, or had beer spilled on it - it would be total suck-b-que city..

Sounds like I made your day by bringing up this one.  And no, I never even heard of "The Mightly Peking Man."  Guess I'll have to check it out.

The screamin' Soul Preacher said:

Ooooh man !!! I DO remember this awesome... "thing" ! I saw this under the title of "Super Inframan", as if "Inframan" alone wasn't tuff enough !

In fact, I've seen it at least a couple of times, one time as a kid and another time 5 or 6 years ago. And I loved it ! Twice !! Ok, I admit I've almost died laughing my ass off the last time I watched it but I loved it !

Oh man, those pseudo-karate kicks ! And those groovy boots (rocket feet they say) !! And what about those plastic villains !!!

It sure is an ultimate trip !!!

500% cooler than any Lucas geeky flick ! For sure.

(Another Shaw Brothers production, another experience : have you ever seen " The Mighty Peking Man" ? )

Ooooh man !!! I DO remember this awesome... "thing" ! I saw this under the title of "Super Inframan", as if "Inframan" alone wasn't tuff enough !

In fact, I've seen it at least a couple of times, one time as a kid and another time 5 or 6 years ago. And I loved it ! Twice !! Ok, I admit I've almost died laughing my ass off the last time I watched it but I loved it !

Oh man, those pseudo-karate kicks ! And those groovy boots (rocket feet they say) !! And what about those plastic villains !!!

It sure is an ultimate trip !!!

500% cooler than any Lucas geeky flick ! For sure.

(Another Shaw Brothers production, another experience : have you ever seen " The Mighty Peking Man" ? )

This was a Chinese made movie from 1975.  I saw it in a drive-in theater with my parents during the summer of 1976.  Before "Star Wars" was released in 1977, I thought this was the coolest movie ever made.  

Lucky for me Mike, my parents favored going to the drive-in as opposed to hitting the walk-in theaters back in the '70's-early '80's. I was fed a steady diet of flicks like "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry", Billy Jack films, "Deliverance" rip-offs, "She Devils On Wheels", the "Walking Tall" series, along with numerous car-chase, slasher, ultra low-budget horror, and "Southern" actioners. Once cable television was introduced here in my city, we spent less time going to see these types of flicks, and I stayed glued to stations like WTBS, USA, and others, devouring popcorn while entranced with Japanese monster movies, Hammer films, and celluloid punk culture.

I wish my parents had been so cool as that kid's.

Glad to pass it on - and gives me even more movies to want to watch!

SCHWEET!

Count Von Tuthrie said:

Nice El Dorado!

Motorcycho McFuzzybutt said:

I Dig Sickles!

Detroit Rock City:)

Thanks for the books, man! I thought that John Battles and I were the only fans of comics here. Always read anything Bagge makes.

Hope ya post more often.

Dave

Wow, I'm glad you like Altergott, John! I'm a big Doofus fan, wonder what he's doin' now? (Mike  Dringenberg [Sandman]actually took a break from comics 'cause he wasn't making a living off of it).

Wonder how many 80s comics will be considered classics in the future? Love and Rockets for sure, hopefully that string of bile like Hate, Naughty Bits, Dirty Plotte, etc.

Steranko once said that comics are like an egg, a form of perfection that can't be improved upon. Hope they manage to stay afloat in the current economy.

PKD is essential, but I have to be in the right mood to enjoy it. When I was 21 I read my 1st Dick book, Bladrunner, and it bummed me out so much that I stayed away from his stuff for 3 years! Potent writing...

If you have not read his later books Divine Invasion/Valis/(1 other, haha, can't bring up the title, it's a sort of trilogy) and the collection of his letters, I can't recommend it highly enough.