Total princess
Author: DMS
Welcome Aria Raven
My little princess Aria Raven was born Friday (August 18). My first daughter, after three sons, came bursting forth from her mommy at 12:39 pm. She was the smallest of my four babies at birth weighing 7lbs 12oz. She strongly resembles her mommy, which is awesome. I am a very proud daddy š
Ranking The King Crimson Albums
Without question, one of the greatest assemblies of musical talent to ever fill one bandroom is the inimitable prog rock collective King Crimson. Pushing all compositional boundaries to the brink and beyond, this band epitomizes the spirit of sonic pioneering that made theĀ 1970’s a unique era unparalleled since in terms of musical experimentation in rock music. In fact, if this band were born today in the era of hyper simplistic pop music, their name would only be known by underground fans. They cover music motivated by ‘feel’ and ‘atmosphere’ as well as the equal opposite end of the prog spectrum, music that is mathematically complex to the point of only appealing to musicians and those who demand abstract elements. Here is how their albums are ranked not by me, but by the masses of people who rank albums on RYM (as of 7/31/17)…
- In The Court Of The Crimson King (1969)
- Red (1974)
- Larks’ Tongue In Aspic (1973)
- Discipline (1981)
- Starless And Bible Black (1974)
- Lizard (1970)
- Islands (1971)
- In The Wake Of Poseidon (1970) <- My personal favorite
- The Power To Believe (2003)
- Thrak (1995)
- Three Of A Pair (1984)
- Beat (1982)
- The ConstruKction Of Light (2000)
2017 NFL Predictions
Prognosticators unite! It’s that time of the year again for those of us who wish to guess how the NFL will shake up over the coming season. Another foolhardy round of guesswork based on past performance, perceived upward/downward/stagnant trajectories, and just plain old hunches. Here’s how I think it will go down:
AFC
East
1. New England Patriots
2. Miami Dolphins
3. Buffalo Bills
4. New York Jets
North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Cleveland Browns
South
1. Tennessee Titans
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Houston Texans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
West
1. Oakland Raiders
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3.Ā Los AngelesĀ Chargers
4. Denver Broncos
NFC
East
1. New York G**nts
2. Washington Redskins
3. Dallas C*wb*ys
4. Philadelphia E*gl*s
North
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Detroit Lions
4. Chicago Bears
South
1. Carolina Panthers
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. New Orleans Saints
West
1. Arizona Cardinals
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Los Angeles Rams
4. San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl:Ā Oakland RaidersĀ defeat Green Bay Packers
Maybe it took 50 years for the Raiders, but they’ll get revenge for the Super Bowl II loss to the Packers…
Anxiety And The Purchase Of A Vehicle
Nothing disrupts my inner peace quite like automobiles. I don’t mind driving them, but dealing with the purchase, the maintenance, and the repair of them (salesmen and mechanics have long been a source of distrust with me, due to multiple events of unethical behavior from both in my life), is more than my simple mind desires to handle. Add to the economic impact of financing… scary, anxious times.
Not being a man blessed with wealth and with my fourth child on the way, my family’s budget is not ready for this, yet we must force it through somehow. My car incurred some engine damage (blown head gasket most likely as oil has taken residence in my coolant reservoir) on the way home from work Tuesday afternoon. When taken in to a big chain auto repair place (we’ll call them “Tires Addition” to veil their actual but sinisterly similar identity), their tech wanted to perform only a full Tune Up (with no mention of at very least a coolant flush). What knowledge I possess about cars lets me know that if oil is in my coolant I need waaaaaaay more than a $700 tune up…
RIP 1999 Nissan Sentra (with only 106,000 miles), you were a fantastic car for the 4 years we were together…
As is sometimes the case with unexpected emergencies, we didn’t have much at all to put down on the car, thus securing an auto loan from (place I tried to purchase used car from) proved problematic even with our good credit rating. Mainly because the car I was looking at was over 10 years old (with only 98,000 miles) and our down payment was closer to my body weight than the weight of the car I just said good bye to. However, we did secure a personal loan from the bank and once that hits our account we will have the capacity to go shopping for something. My anxiety (besides the obvious economic toll – remember, new baby within the next 3 weeks) is mostly due to the fact that I CANNOT GET THIS WRONG! I cannot guess incorrectly. I have learned a little how to diagnose car issues the last decade or so (although being born with basically two left hands, I lack the ability to work on cars mechanically), but I am not confident enough in myself to ensure that I get a car that won’t break down in the next few days, weeks, months… That would be catastrophic on many levels. Honestly, if I didn’t have kids, I wouldn’t own a car, but I certainly would NOT trade my kids for the inner peace of carnothavingness (should be a word). I had a friend who was super mechanically inclined that I trusted to fly with me on these kinds of decisions, but he is in the Army and away now. As overwhelmed and out-of-body as I have felt lately, I know a good, solid choice within my budget would at least steer me back toward a little tranquility. Folks, cross your fingers for me. I could definitely use the good vibes.
(Below is the 2003 Toyota Highlander I was checking out before the auto loan situation fell through)
Can anyone else relate with this panic/paranoia/anxiety? Am I a pathetic pussy? Is pork superior to beef? Did I leave my lights on?
1. Pestilence – “Testimony Of The Ancients” (Top 1000 Death And Black Metal Albums Of The 1990’s)
Pestilence – “Testimony Of The Ancients” (1996)
2. Death – “Human” (Top 1000 Death And Black Metal Albums Of The 1990’s)
Death – “Human” (1991)
3. Incantation – “Onward To Golgotha” (Top 1000 Death And Black Metal Albums Of The 1990’s)
Incantation – “Onward To Golgotha” (1992)
4. Rotting Christ – “Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers” (Top 1000 Death and Black Metal Albums Of The 1990’s)
Rotting Christ – “Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers” (1996)
5. Darkthrone – “A Blaze In The Northern Sky” (Top 1000 Death And Black Metal Albums Of The 1990’s)
Darkthrone – “A Blaze In The Northern Sky” (1992)
