teknidermy

This is unreal! Can you believe it? And how weird will it be when it's 2020 in only two more years?

Anyways, not listening to anything yet (cept Dex meowing) but last night I listened to Mariah Carey torture my ears on TV with her historic second chance at Dick Clark's New York's Time Square thingie (my ears still hurt)

Okay, now it's time to listen and watch the New Year's Parade on TV, why? cuz that is all that will be on TV all day *sigh*

/me goes jump into 2018...

/me pokes

If this thing suddenly works now, I'm going to scream.

Maybeeee Tek just likes me better than you? hehe

Marching band playing Katy Perry's firework tune in the parade on TV. (that's it, off to do the laundry) *sigh*

That song is god awful. And having a marching band play it only makes it worse.

Tek hates my guts because I've been slacking on the upgrade (and still continue to do so; many moving parts).

Then bury it already...

Tsk, quitter.

All good comes to those who wait (although sometimes the wait can be a tad long and it implies someone is providi Besng the good). Besides, with skinning being in the state it is right now, there's no rush.

I knew I was missing some words, but I somehow did not notice they had moved up a line.

Quitter? I'm just assuming you have already thrown in the towel since the state of Tek kinda speaks for itself. Umm, ie: just look at the date of the last news post 2014? And it's a roll of the dice if your post here on this very message board post and not be swallowed up into the void or text be chopped off or garbled up like your own post above. hehe

I never quit anything I start. I only put things on the backburner for a bit. Where a bit can reach decades.

Why is there no news on the front page? Hmm, well where exactly is that news then? Skinning seems to be in quite a dire state. Go peek at the WinCustomize forum. It's like a cross between a senior citizen home and a customer support section. They're one step removed from exchanging pics of the grandkids.

hehe! Are you seriously still visiting Wincustomize? I can't remember the last time I peeked over there, I think it was when I heard David passed away which was a while back who knows, I'm getting so old myself now I can't even remember!

Got to check if there's news every now and then. Move your walker over there and check that forum. It's old people doing old people things.

Switching back to music and into virtual parent mode, six months ago Reichi (rapper from Osaka) looked like this [link], but last month this "Melon Soda" video dropped [link] (shot in your backyard from the look of things) and she looks like she hasn't eaten in the period since. And her voice seems to have dropped too. If I were her parent, I'd be worried. Flow is still good though.

They were probably just simply researching some "authenticity" over here for their music (hopefully they didn't get bit by some wolves whilst doing so)

If they returned home quickly after shooting that vid they will be okay cuz they looked "clean" to me still...

By the way that shot looks like Hollywood (not LA)

If they shot that in LA I think they would have had to have more security but not been able to get it. I can see they blocked off the street for the vid (Hollywood would accommodate but in LA probably not, they would have been on their own)

I see sun, hills and palmtrees, so I assume it's California. If there were no hills but flamingos and yachts, I'd assume Miami.

Imagine waking up one morning and finding a film crew in front of your house and a car blocking the road...

Anyways, they shot two videos while they were there, the other is a generic booty video [link] (with some guy flexing his muscles). Rather generic track.

"Generic" is my word of the day.

Not sure what to think about that but it's weird (and they definitely chose a the wrong guy for that body shot) I still say they are simply researching "authenticity" for their booty tunes over here (which is not such a great thing for them)

Most guys (such as you) are attracted to the complete opposite of what they normally rep and they want to be like the booty gals over here?

If you are going to continually annoy me with your Asian girl fetish I need to block it out of my head with something that fills my soul! La la la la laaaaa!

[link]

Any fetish exists only in your head, Ms Jelly.

Got some Asian boys for you: Kowichi ft. T-Pablow & DJ Ty-Koh - Day Ones [link] (probably region locked). Not that big on Kowichi and his vocoder, but he does these type of swooping themes well.

Curious enough, I wonder how much it was inspired by this Australian track with the exact same name from this summer: Manu Crook$ - Day Ones [link].

In my head? You are probably right now in one of your t-shirt's with their cartoon pictures on them, sitting in a room surrounded by tons of their CDs listening to their music whilst speaking Japanese and reading a Japanese newspaper with YouTube on watching their vids! I even can picture one of them serving you tea in a skimpy waitress costume! hehe

Anyways, don't even try to turn me onto Asian Boy tunes (not gonna happen!)

Okay, so you already know how curious I can be (so I peeked) and their music is better than what we currently have playing on the radio over here but I still think that is a shame cuz they are attracted to this mess over here and they are always known for being clean, healthy with honor and grace (that looks strange to me) they also looked/sounded pretty authentic like they are "living" over here somewhere? I can't believe that mess would be going on in Japan's allies too!?

Hmm, your second link has some great beats in it too!

So I'm sitting here in a three ninjas t-shirt with cartoon pictures on it. That's about it. The news on TV is the regular Dutch news, no CDs in sight and no music playing either, 'cause I typing on this board.

After that, I'll be over on the cat pic sight reading three ninjas news.

Anyways, the little hoodlums in that video are probably on the highway to jail anyway. As to why they find the US rap scene so interesting, can't say. Perhaps they're trying to rebel against the expectation of getting a steady life-long job.

Played some drum 'n bass at work. It's boring as hell (same drum loop all the time), but it took seven hours before the colleagues started complaining. Did run into this killer track: Current Value - Dark Rain [link].

So I play that song and as soon as the beat starts, the cat sitting on my lap turns her head around and looks at my netbook with a look of "the hell is that?" on her face.

Hmm, that is killer! I like the techy spooky type vibe but around 1:14 it has a Prodigy like vibe (that you probably like)

Speaking of cats my Dex wants me to play chase with him he runs and cuts up the carpet and then hides and I have to chase him and try to catch him (until he gets underneath the couch then when I walk away he comes out and swats my ankle to tag me and runs off. hehe

Tonight I'm dead tired from work so he's pissed off that I don't want to play chase...

I have two cats, so daughter tries to play with mother, which does not always work. Mother cat practices old-fashioned child raising, so daughter gets smacked across the nose when she's too clingy.

Get Li'l Dex some small toy mice or marbles and see if he plays with that.

Cute, welll I do buy toys dutchy but Dex wants to play he gets bored with his toys and my Mom's cat is too old so he swats back at Dex when Dex tries to play chase with him therefore I'm the one he's stuck getting his exercise with (which ain't much because after he gets a quick burst of energy to play chase and hide and seek he then tires out faster than me!)

Got the stupid flu, need some healing vibes: [link]

*cough & sneeze* (sharing the love)

Ten to one that is going to be a worship tune.

/me clicks...

Yep, seems I was right. So, does that mean you're cured now?

/me goes hide

/me peeks out for a bit

There was some sad news yesterday. One of the three ninjas' guitarists fell of some high spot while stargazing and died a few days ago.

Cured? Nope, it's just a reminder for me not to worry if I die (this flu is causing ppl on this side to drop dead) sorry to hear about that guitarists, that part of their tunes is the ONLY part that is good! It's the three marketeers that are so totally annoying!

Only old people die of the flu. Now I know you're not one of the young ones anymore but the risk is low. Old people also can't trip over anything without breaking bones, which heal slowly and then things go from bad to worse.

Not that kind of flu dutchy, I think we've had something like 35+ deaths already (even kids are dropping from it) it's knocked me out of commission, I might go to the Doctor's but the ER's are overflowing so that is not a good place to be right now...

Hmm, but don't you have a doctor doctor? Over here everyone has a doctor and you visit that first and if things are bad, then you are redirected to the hospital. Emergency Room is more for when you break your leg or are in accident.

Anyways, /me sends chicken soup

I have a Doctor but can't get an appt since she is booked solid (hence having to go to ER) but I'm on the mend, yesterday I thought I was going to meet my maker but today I feel a bit better and I'm taking next week off to be sure since everyone has it (including my Mom) so I'm playing nurse on top of everything.

/me grabs your chicken soup

See, my virtual chicken soup is working already.

Now theoretically speaking your mother should be taking care of you, not the other way around. I hope the cats are still healthy.

Yup, that and this killer lemon & Ginger tea I'm now hooked on...

Mom is going through it fine so far, it's Sammy that is worrying me he's had it for about a month, he relapsed three times already and looks like he is on the mend yet again (but this flu is not normal) and apparently this cat did not make it and he apparently was in excellent health so you really can't say who can fight it and who can't for some strange reason:

[link]

I think you basically have to watch out for it hitting the chest (which is where flu's like to go once they enter your head) I had one day where I seriously thought I might be meeting my maker cuz I had a strange feeling in my chest but it went away the next day and I'm feeling alot better so I've just been cooking healthy veggie/beef soup for iron and all that and spraying the Hell out of everything, cleaning and chasing the virus out of my house and force feeding them and so far so good (not much else you can do really) the Doctors don't even know what they are doing...

I will tell you this, if you even look at anyone over here on this side that has the flu you will catch it because "everyone" is getting it (so you are lucky you cannot look at me)

Oh boy, I got up today and feel like I'm sick again? But it feels like a different sick, check this out dutchy:

[link]

I've been trying to poke around cuz the Doctors don't have a clue how to fix us back up other then saying it's the flu (which does not help at all)

Not even sure what to do now (I suppose pray again)

Anyways, I will be dropping off the map for few days but don't worry I'll be back to pester you when I feel better mijn dutchy...

Well, if the doctors don't know what to do, you can only resort to common sense: eat, sleep and exercise well and try not to stress out. Oh, and wash your hands before eating and don't cough or sneeze in people's face and stuff like that.

/me sends more virtual chicken soup

Umm, yeah, I have common sense however real live does not always accommodate common sense therefore you cannot eat, sleep and exercise well and not stress out when you feel like you are knocking at deaths door dutchy. hehe!

Anyways, I got knocked off my feet twice with this stupid flu but I'm back up and my Mom and Sammy look to be back up as well however I spent a day at the vet with my Mom's cat and after various blood test (and them shafting my Mom with a $500 dollar bill) basically her cat has end stage kidney disease so we've been trying to nurse him back again (not sure why since he obviously will never get healed) but I suppose we have to try?

I'm pretty sure while I'm at work tomorrow my Mom will call me up and tell me he passed. Horrible, she's been crying I think even more then when her husband passed!

All these storms in life! But today the sun looks like it's out again (at least for the moment)

Your pets are your kids, the attachment is strong.

I see your government has some problems with its budget at the moment, so a lot of federal employees seem to have the day off. Which is very considerate for the sick.

But then again, you work for the county, so no days off for Doreen.

Yup, me is County Government employee so no days off. We currently have got the craziest president imaginable (I actually think Oprah Winfrey will be our next president) It is quite the circus in our White House and I still think Abraham Lincoln was the last "real" president we ever had. (that said from someone who don't even know much about politics at all but that is how I feel)

If you pay too much attention to the news and the world you'd simply go crazy along with everyone else, I'd much rather have everyone else think I'm crazy by trying to keep focused on my own personal faith.

I find it interesting to see what's going on on this blue sphere of ours. Yes, there's lots of nasty things happening, but mankind is a nasty species. News usually focuses on things that are out of the ordinary, so it's not all that bad.

Hmm, not all that bad? Maybe on your end. Over here if put on the news you'll hear about wonderful Fires burning all over possibly coming to get you and your house, mudslides that have killed a bunch of ppl while they were going about their business (because of the fires) what kid got shot and killed that caught in the crossfire of gang activity, what body they found on the side of the freeway, who got raped in the neighborhood while jogging, and this freaking flu that is actually killing you withing 24-48 hours of your first cough! hmm and then we've got this crazy president that has an ego bigger than an elephant with his trigger finger sitting right on the button to start a nuclear war?

Wonderful news, then I get home and my Moms depressed and I ask her what are you watching? She says the news!

I much prefer to walk in forest in silence looking and listening to Gods creation (not look to much or listen to man's creation)

News reports abberations. If these were common day occurences it wouldn't be news. You don't see them reporting that the sun goes up, but they will when there's an eclipse.

New music time: Bizzey ft. Kraantje Pappie, Chivv & Yung Felix - Ja [link] (video is a parody of a crap quiz my mother likes).

If you are going to use fancy words on me please atleast spell them right so that I can look them up quickly and figure out what you are saying? (It's aberration)

/me goes check out your link...

Alright, I've no idea what that was about but I loved it! hehe

Anyways, sorry dutchy about that mess up there I'm in one of my moods dealing with a bunch of things the worse is having to watch my Mom grieving over this cat of hers that looks like a zombie walking dead cat. (It's heart wrenching)

I prayed over the cat before I left for work this morning that he would just pass already peacefully so this could finally be over with (she refuses to put him down)

I just got home and it looks like he might finally pass tonight, if not I might just die first!

Pre-emptive RIP cat. The best way to go is to just go. A long sick bed is hard on all parties involved.

/me goes sulk in the corner over getting spelling corrections. Creative license, damnit...

Well he is finally gone dutchy he'd been dying for weeks I thought it was never going to end and my Mom is stubborn so I didn't bother to try to tell her what to do (I just made subtle suggestions that she should put him to sleep) but she knew I would support her either way but watching that almost killed me!

/me goes decompress from everything (and then last night at 2:00am we had a 4.1 earthquake as if things have not been hard enough!)

The good news is that all bad things are over now. Unless another forest fire happens.

Take your mom out for lunch or dinner at some quiet place, to get her mind off of things (she's probably thinking of your stepfather too now).

Yeah, I "know" she is. Today I'm going to start taking her to the gym with me and then I'll take her out to lunch and probably the mall shopping. I most likely will need to exhaust her for a while so she won't have time to think much. Anyways, dank je for letting me come vent on you mijn dutchy...

snuggle, huggles

For some reason I'm thinking of 80s leg warmers now...

nuzzle, snuggle, huggie all the same thing = cozy, comfy, safe, cuddle (get a dictionary!)

definitely not leg warmers. hehe!

Okay, I had to look it up myself! Here is the meaning of a snuggle: settle or move into a warm, comfortable position.

"I snuggled down in my sleeping bag"

synonyms:

nestle, curl up, huddle (up), cuddle up, nuzzle, settle

"Kent and Maris snuggled by the fire"

Where in the world you get leg warmers from is beyond me?

The bit where you were taking your mother to the gym.

There's all kinds of bad 80s music to go with that. I'll spare you the examples. But there are bound to be leg warmers in those videos.

And speaking of bad, why is YouTube giving me U2 ads?

Leg warmers are probably a British or Dutch thing...

And YouTube is giving you U2 ads cuz you mostly likely typed "you too" somewhere it has gone so far off base on me I hate it now. (but, unfortunately I still have to run to it to check reviews out)

I'm listening to the absolute worsest Grammy Award shot everrr what in the world (and I "normally" like hip hop) but this stuff is really bad...

It's giving me U2 ads on YouTube on my TV. I never type anything there, everything comes through recommendations.

Now, speaking of hipperdehop, here's a recent booty tune: G-Eazy ft. A$ap Rocky, Cardi B, French Montana, Juicy J & Belly - No Limit (remix) [link]. Sir Mix-A-Lot ain't got nothing on the amount of booty shaking in this clip. Those poor girls look like they're having muscle spasms.

In the category "what?":

"Hello craeonics,

We're contacting you today because you purchased a "Give One, Get One FREE" or "Buy One, Get One FREE" Core Membership during DeviantArt's recent promotions.

During the promotions, we experienced a technical issue that resulted in your credit card not being charged for the purchase.

Over the course of the next few days, we will correctly charge the credit card you used. Please note this is not a new charge. We are simply collecting payment for the purchase you already made and for the Core features you already have access to."

Since when do you have to pay for DevArt and why do they think I have done so? Or would do so even. I probably haven't logged in there in over a decade.

Good luck charging that non-existant credit card for that non-existing purchase.

hehe! /me smacks the Hell out of you for looking at all that booty shaking!

Anyways, yeah, I got the same thing popping up on my phone today at work and was surprised since I've never purchased anything from them nor do I have any credit card on file with them. But when I got home I had this:

Oops! Please Ignore Our Last Email

Hello dor,

You may have just received an email from us titled "Notice Regarding Delayed Core Membership Charge."

That email was sent to you in error, and you will not be charged. This is embarrassing, but you can completely disregard that notice.

We sincerely apologize for any confusion this may have caused. Mondays, right? Seriously, though, we won't let this happen again.

Thank you,

—DeviantArt Staff

Was strange though getting something from "DeviantArt" just as strange as when I get things once a year or so from StarDock. Talk about a blast from the past...

I don't think I've ever gotten an email from DevArt. My IMAP goes back to 2010 and there's nothing from them until this.

We're missing out on that Delayed Core Membership!

I've got several emails from DeviantArt, everytime someones tried to guess my password to log in it sends me an email. (I get that mess constantly from everywhere) I also have been apparently signed up on a ton of stupid places which I think is done by a bot or something so I get military, political, fitness you name it emails (junk mail) from whomever or whatever is signing up all over the internet! Drives me insane unsubscribing all day long!

Your lord and saviour invented spam filters for that. My spambox currently holds lots of emails from Russian women who think I'm the cutest guy on the planet and have seen my pics on unknown site X.

You'd have to be incredibly dumb to fall for that. But spammers only need a minute amount of people to take the bait and there's plenty of dim lights out there.

Russian? (I would have expected Japanese women from XXX sites?)

/me runs...

Actually, my problem is different than yours what I keep having to deal with (for years now) is somebody always trying to figure out my password to my mail (and DevArt) what happens with my mail acct is that after three attempts it locks "me out" and I have to manually unlock my mail acct by having a text sent to my phone to identify myself and unlock it. I contacted Apple and they cannot disclose who is doing it by their IP but I told them at least do something to make them stop! They can see but won't disclose it to me! Been going on for years and it frustrates me but I WONT change my email address cuz it's my name! Totally annoying as Hell. They these bots that sign you up on a ton of stupid websites it's ridiculous...

I'm not so sure if they sign you up versus just buying lists of email addresses and spamming those. I get spam on very old and otherwise unused addresses.

Anyway, locking your account is silliness. They should block by IP and expand that to subnets (IP ranges) if it continues.

New music Doreen will hate: Erebos - The Arc of Genocide [link]. Growly girl on this one is one of the guitar players from Galmet, which is unfortunately on hiatus. The CGI on this video is rather no-budget, but hell, it's all about the loud music.

Oh that is so totally disgusting!

I so knew you'd like it.

Speaking of goodness, I need to get me some more three ninja t-shirts. Unfortunately they're all on the limited side of limited so the only way is through scalpers on eBay that add at least 100% markup, and more often than not multiple factors thereof. Three digits for a t-shirt is sillyness.

Speaking of goodness? Whatchu mean? Speaking of goodness means this:

[link]

Hmm, look at the name of that artist. Someone is obviously trying to profit from my fame (or infamy).

Anyways, has your flu situation improved by now?

He's just a Christian Hip Hop singer (I only like two of his tunes, he's zo zo)

As for the flu, nope it's all over the place and scary because it is not the normal flu dutchy, two of my friends at work one 26 the other 37 caught it the 26 yo was in the emergency room last weekend the 37 yo spent 2 weeks in the hospital and almost dies because it hit her lungs. Actually kids as young as 12 yo have died from this strain of flu. I'm still nervous about though everyone in my family except my brother has caught it and it seems to come back a second time in a different strain. It's like it's out to kill you when it jumps on you. I personally fought back when it ran through my house, I ran around cleaning and spraying disinfectant like a crazy person and broke out my instapot and began cooking and force feeding us all to keep our strength up (even though we could hardly walk or stand up) It was BAD.

Yikes! I hate to read the news (but sometimes you have to in order to know what is going on) apparently here in the states they are reaching closer to 2000 deaths (127 of them here by me) but the weird this is that ppl under the age of 65? (which is totally freaky)

You start out with the typical cough and sore throat, then within 24 to 48 hours you're septic and in respiratory failure alot have gone to the ER but sent home with the Dr. saying it's just the flu go home and rest or they give you an antibiotic and send you home but it's a roll of the dice if you will be the one that will die from it. Very strange flu...

The good news is that if you got it and got better, you now have resistance to this particular strain.

It's weird though, I read a scifi novel the other day, which was about some evil group releasing a type of flu on the world which would only affect people in their 20-40s or so. I bet that author is going "ha, I told you so" right now.

With the way this flu is hitting everyone as crazy as it sounds I think it's germ warfare from an enemy! hehe

Seriously who knows, it's definitely not the normal flu.

Check this out, today is the super bowl thingie and even Pink has the flu and she is supposed to perform at the super bowl today:

[link]

One of the most soothing tunes ever: [link]

/me jumps into this last day off work (can't believe how fast the weekends go!)

I sense worship tunes.

It's curious how they always cover the Super Bowl on the news, but only the halftime show. Not a second of the game is shown.

Which is good cuz I only watch it for the halftime show: [link]

Justin Timberlake playing Prince... No, I'll pass. I read somewhere the other day that Prince was no fan of this holograph stuff anyway.

Nah, he was just performing all his old tunes it was alot better than Beyonce's performance when she performed her halftime one year (which was a total disappointment)

Beyonce is probably busy being mom these days.

New music Doreen will hate: Band-Maid - Domination [link]. For some reason the volume on the video is really low, so I still have no idea what it sounds like. I've had the album on pre-order for months anyway.

Which reminds me, I still have three of their CD's to rip.

So much to do, so little time.

Oh boy... I think I got jussss the thing to turn you on: [link]

Why anyone would watch talent shows is beyond me.

MTV likes to push random new bands, by playing their videos constantly (during the limited hours they play videos). The latest one has a crazy video: Superorganism - Everyone wants to be famous [link]. I'm drawing a complete blank on what it sounds like. I can only remember the cat pics.

Why would anyone watch talent shows? Maybe your talents shows suck but sometimes over here we get to see things like this once in a while that blow your mind:

[link]

It's more like "let's all laugh at these idiots, oh, and here is some fool we can bend to our every desire and cash in on". For the casual viewer it is perhaps a bonding experience, like "oh this singer was so good", "well, have you seen the one last week, I hope they go far".

I don't watch it ritualistically but when I do happen to watch it I don't watch it for the singers I watch it for things like the above link (crazy music, dancing, light shows etc)

Ritualistically would involve special robes, incense and chanting.

I took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up at Japanese Milli Vanilli: Hiroonmi Tosaka ft Crazyboy & Afrojack [link]. I'm still looking for Afrojack, but I suspect he provided the bleeps and horns. Ofcourse this has gotten over a million views in a mere two weeks.

Okay now that one was quite awesome (though a portion of that theme is a rip of another tune I've heard somewhere)

[link]

Hmmm, La la la laaaaa! Maybe some salty air today!

Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

You thought it was quite awesome because it had good music (doubtful) or because they were all strapping young lads. Video was at least Michael Jackson "Beat it" inspired.

What are you jelly? Nah, it was not the beat it tune it was something else but since I don't remember the name of it I think it would take me forever to find it.

I hate it when that happens! It's the beat that kicks on at 2:10

[link] (old tune) but sounds like kinda?

Dear oh dear, Art of Noise. That's when dinosaurs still roamed the earth.

Meanwhile, new Dre & Snoop - The Coming [link] (haven't heard it yet, saw it pop up under "new videos").

Lemme seeee, when that particular tune was born you say it was when dinosaurs still roamed the earth? (it was 1985) and you were born almost a decade "earlier" then that, sooo hmmm, what was roaming the earth at that time then?

And since I was born more than a decade before you were I will stop capping on you then. hehe!

That snoop & Dre tune is yuk! Funny, I finally got around to watching a flick called "All Eyez on Me" recently about Tupac Shakur's life it was kinda interesting when he got on board with Death Row Records. I didn't even know Snoop and Dre had issues with Death Row Records when Dre broke off from them for some reason. It was a good movie.

Probably money reasons. And if Dre goes, so does his pupil Snoop.

When I was young dinosaurs certainly were on TV. You can't be saying those Dinobots in Transformers were a lie... /me goes sob in the corner

All I can remember when I was young (as far as TV cartoons) was getting up and pouring myself a bowl of cereal and turning on Scooby Doo and watching that until 6:30am and then grabbing my books and running off to school. (as boring as that sounds what I would not give to go back to those days)

Kids only have home work to worry about. At least, that's what I would think.

And then I see my niece (three years old), who gets worked up over things, like keeping her jacket on in the car because it's only a short ride and then is sobbing in the back, going "it's not fair". Or goes sob in the corner when uncle crae is sitting on her favourite spot, instead of just telling me. I'm not psychic, kid.

The struggle is real.

You'll blink a few times and the next thing you know your niece will be knocking on uncle crae's door asking if she can come live with you because your sister will not let her start wearing makeup...

Other niece (cousin's daughter). I have a ton of nieces. And they're all into Frozen for some reason.

/me goes put some extra locks on the door

Well then when you babysit all those nieces you already know what vid to pull out for them!

I've been listening to this girl's music and you can just feel what a spirit she has but I seen just "one" interview that she did and it confirmed it. Yikes! She's unreal...

[link]

Most definitely not your cup of tea, but boy! [link]

This one is awesome! [link]

Only prob with good worship music it's got that nasty country flavor that leaves a nasty aftertaste in my mouth. hehe!

Still the lyrics are out of this world!

Lyrics? What happened to "I don't listen to lyrics"?

Anyways, they changed clothes between videos, but not locations, nor did they change melodies (it sounds quite in the same vein). The singer sounds like a lesser Adele. I hope she can keep singing like this, because it seems she is straining her voice a bit and that never ends well in the long run.

You already know that I never listen to lyrics in bangin bass tunes (only worship tunes open up a certain layer in my ear drums)

And I actually thought she was Adele! They play her tunes on secular radio stations, she's all over the regular radio stations now.

So hard to find female Christian artists and I was trying to find that song when I heard it on the radio and searched it out by the name of the song (expecting to see it was Adele, seriously) anyways, she's pretty good and so is this other girl:

[link]

Course, 95% of the time I'm listening to the normal stuff on the radio which contaminates my ear drums. hehe

Last one cuz there is literally only three female artists that I can find that are top in this genre:

[link]

I'm not sure why it is so hard to find "good" worship music (or why it always has a country flavor to it?)

I can't hear your country tunes over all the guitars coming out of my TV. But it all fits in, does it not? You want to retire to Oregon, and at the same time you listen to Country music.

/me runs

Probably so, if you want to live way out in the boonies your music taste might change, and you? Are you craving the orient or sushi yet?

Holiday on this side of the Ocean so that means me is off and cleaning (as usual, stupid cloths & dishes just don't stay clean!!!)

My fav radio station is getting stale and all the tunes are beginning to sound the same:

[link]

You need more Jesus in your life.

Our Lord an Saviour delivered three ninja t-shirts #9 [link] and #10 [link] today and it slipped right past customs. I have enough of their shirts, I can spread the gospel by wearing 'em weekly.

New ghetto tunes for Doreen: Jacin Trill & Bokoesam – Nikes [link] (not very interesting, and the video makes no sense).

Well, those two shirts actually don't look too bad? And judging by your music don't you worship Buddha?

Umm, that Jacin Trill vid looks like a complete commercial?

Back in the good ole days the radio stations such as Power 106 played this goed stuffezzzz:

Mmm mmm mmmmm!

[link]

Yikes, there is Nate Doggg when he was still alive =(

Would you believe I stillll have no clue what they are singing about in that tune but that bangin beat is insane! (still love it)

Hard to believe Nate is already gone though: [link]

Check this out, I bet he has no clue what that tune is about either but it automatically makes you dance! [link]

/me goes do the crip walk and vacuum...

Introducing: David McCallum (yes, the actor): The Edge [link] (1967). Sounds a tad familiar perhaps.

The only hit Nate Dogg had over here was Regulate. That whole wobble wobble style never crossed the Atlantic.

What!??? Is there any originality left in this world!!! You mean Next Episode is a rip from that old fossil you dug up? And by the way I've never heard that tune before is that from your side of the Ocean or something? But at least they improved the tune by increasing the speed and bringing out the good bits of it (adding more coolness to it)

Dre is a bit of a thief when it comes to his melodies. Next Episode added a modest beat and a bit of rap. Other than that, it's the same song. He has more songs like this, but this is the most obvious example.

David McCallum, by the way, was in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (if I recall correctly), which is from your neck of the woods. I only saw it in reruns here many years later.

My neck of the woods? Hmm, I must have been busy watching Scooby Doo or something (don't know what that is)

/me kicks Dr. Dre for being such a rip-off artist!

Series about spies. Like James Bond, but as a TV series. Quite amusing, but very dated if you watch it now (though probably not as dated as Knight Rider which is nigh unwatchable these days).

Shop I import my CDs from sents me alerts whenever a new release is available for pre-order. I got one today about a new Bridear mini album. So I go and try to decipher the Japanese description [link] and I read: "progression from heavy metal to hard rock".

Argh, don't tell me they've gone soft. I know one of their guitarists left last year over a disagreement of the direction to take. Hell, I'm going to pre-order the thing anyway, so I'll find out in April.

Boy, that is loyalty. You still ordered it!

Collector's habit. If I start with something and like it, I'll get everything. I mean, I still buy every Ulver release, even though they sound nothing like they did back in the days (not very interesting these days, easy listening old fossil stuff).

In fact, I think I'm behind a release or two. This thing with that shop that never sent me those CDs I ordered has messed up my "Western" music buying habits.

Ofcourse, said shop still exists and will gladly take your orders, even though it hasn't been updated in years.

/me shakes fist at the heavens

I'd stay away from lil shady shops like that I will only order merchandise online if it is a huge reputable store.

/me trust no one (I don't have to be burned more then once to learn my lessons in life)

I ordered from that shady little shop for over fifteen years with no problems whatsoever. Something must have happened there and whatever it was, it's not good (every review of them these days is people complaining about unfulfilled orders and no response).

That being said, I still need to order what I ordered there elsewhere, otherwise I'm never going to get it.

Did the charges go through on your credit card? Normally they don't charge the cards until the order ships. (I'm just curious if they grabbed everyone's money without fulfilling the orders?)

Nobody uses credit cards around these parts. The money is unrecoverable.

But it's not so much about the money and more about the breach of trust and the fact that that site is still up.

Anyways, I should go rip the CDs that I do have. They've been accumulating dust for many moons now... [insert complaint about "too few hours in a day" here]

No credit cards? So how in the world are you paying for online things?

Go through local shops using local payment methods.

To import stuff from Japan directly, I had to resuscitate my moribund PayPal account, of which I had forgotten both the password and the answer to the "secret message" thing. I add funds to that through the exact same local payment methods I use elsewhere.

After some deliberation, I did get a credit card so I could watch wrestling from Japan, because they don't accept PayPal. That's basically the only thing I use it for. Most international stuff is PayPal.

OMG! Japanese wrestling? You mean that sumo wrestling? (well actually I hate wrestling but sumo wrestling is just so strange it is hard "not" to look at it!)

Sumo is great fun actually. It's very fast. A single bout usually lasts only a few seconds. I haven't seen it in years.

But no, I mean pro-wrestling. Women's pro-wrestling, which is much faster and intenser than men's wrestling (which is more about either power moves or acrobatics).

Okeee so nowwww you are not only obsessing over lil ninjas in super short maid uniforms, now you are watching them wrestle in thongs!?

/me smacks the living Hell out of you!

*insert jealous message board wife here!*

Way too easy to bait.

Sumo looks like this: [link] (skip around a bit). A match is over as soon as a competitor touches the ground with something else than his feet or is forced out of the ring. The reason they're so fat is so they can't be moved that easily. But look at how fast they move. There's muscle below those flaps.

Joshi (Japanese women's wrestling) looks like this: https://i.redd.it/lnbtdw224lg01.gif, though crazy bridging like this is her specialty. It's not bikini models pulling hairs like 90s "wrestling" in the US.

And I forgot that the board does not auto-link single character subdomains...

I know what sumo looks like and there is just way too many things that look wrong about it however, just like a nasty car accident on the freeway you HAVE to look at stare at it for weird disgusting curious reasons. (Sumo is just like that) strange that one guy didn't even look Japanese on that link you dropped? I mean he had the body of one but not the head?

As for that .gif if that is what they look like then carry on, me puts my claws back in...

(surprised she didn't break her back)

I haven't watched sumo in ages, but last time I did, there were a number of wrestlers from all over the world. Back in the days a number of their grand champions (yokozuna) were from Hawaii. There's a also a number from Mongolia (not terribly distinct from Japanese, really).

Some women's wrestler's look like they do sumo: [link] (jokes aside, she's a legend that has had a thirty year career).

Meanwhile, I wake up this morning, turn on the faucet and nothing. No warm water. I check the kitchen. No warm water there either. Cold water fine, warm water nothing. I check my heater. No problem there. Switch the thing off and on, still nothing. Call the company that does the maintenance, and the lady says "maybe the pipes are frozen". And I'm like "how can an indoor warm water pipe be frozen? I'm on the fourth floor...".

Yikes! Well she won't be a legend for too much longer with all that weight on her. Most Sumo wrestlers have short careers and die in their early 40's (because of their weight) I'm shocked that they don't either care or realize that their health is more important and they shouldn't mess with their bodies like that?

Anyways, if your pipes were frozen I would think that there would be no water coming out at all so me guesses that there is "something" wrong with your water heater.

/me tosses you my fuzzy blankee, because according to your weather you are degrees cooler then my temps over here, and I'm freezing already! (but I am "always cold")

Where did my 40 degrees go? Anyways, it's currently 62 here and it says 22 degrees where you are.

The filter has a developed a thing against special characters. I can't remember coding that, so it must have mutated somehow.

Anyways, it's minus four right now, so still no warm water. The curious thing is that my cold water is unaffected. I did notice that the pipe runs along the outer wall and that there's an intense cold emanating from the floor where it runs.

I suspect my idiot downstairs neighbours are not home at have switched of the heater (which should never happen, it should be put on anti-freeze mode).

Anyways, no warm water day two. Temperatures should go up from now on, so I'll have to sit this out and hope that was the actual problem. Cold water showers...

Torture, if my water heater goes out and I'm up at 4:30 to get ready for work and I have no hot water to take my shower guess who will be calling off sick. Good luck with that!

/me drops this blast from the past which has the smoothest beats Brandy released. Mmmm mmmm mmmmm!

Would be nice to have an edit button which could possibly reduce the number of my post dutchy!!!

[link]

Blast from the past? Not my past. I was wondering what happenend to Brandy, but this one never crossed the Atlantic.

An edit button would be nice, but it has priority below proper unicode support, so I can type Cyrillic and Japanese and you can type the accent on the last e of Beyonce without the board eating your post (but this requires a 90% rewrite of the backend), and improved linkification. And perhaps tags. Tags are nice.

Besides, three posts in a row is your signature.

In better news, yesterday afternoon I turned on the warm water and steady dripping happened. So I let the faucet on gradually the dripping went to drizzle and then a tiny stream and then the ice blockade burst and I had warm water again.

I still think it's crazy that an in-house warm water pipe can freeze.

I was wondering too what happened to her? Well motherhood. Which of course changes us and takes our innocence/naiveness somewhat away (so she looks a bit different)

[link]

Boy, I forgot how good she was...

/me goes dig up her dusty (and probably scratched) CD's

[link]

I cannot believe you had a frozen pipe? I thought it was a broken water heater. Which means you will most likely have this as an ongoing problem dutchy.

Motherhood does not mean you're out of the game for well over a decade. Lemmesee... Funny, she's around my age. From the looks of things, she's more focussed on her acting career.

Anyways, yes, the pipe was apparently frozen. The thing runs inside of my house entirely, so how could it possibly freeze. My theory is that the neighbours downstairs were away and had shut down their heater (you don't shut down your heater, but they're not from around here, so they probably don't know). And as a result it was probably freezing in their house. And since the pipes are below my floor and above their ceiling, they probably were affected.

Umm, sometimes it does, and it could be the issue was the Father of her daughter that put her out of commission for a while (who knows) Anyways, I think her daughter is about 16 now in that game you cannot just get up and go and do whatever you want without messing up the kid because kids need stability.

Did you get to speak to your neighbors to explain to them what happened? If not, you can expect it to happen again.

I've never even seen these neighbours. The previous owner sold his apartment to some housing firm that rents it out to temp workers. I deeply resent this practice, but it's completely legal, so nothing I can do about it.

Well, you could move? Otherwise you will have a never ending circus of new neighbors.

I can't move. House prices have gone through the roof. It's very strange, the mortgage rate is very low (2% ish), so it costs me very little to maintain this house, but because prices have sky-rocketed (20% last year), I can't affort anything of same or larger size. In decent neighbourhoods ofcourse.

Speaking of ghettos, new tunes for Doreen: $hirak ft. SBMG - Beng [link] (featuring wannabe gangsters).

Yes you can. What you don't realize is that the value of "your" house has gone through the roof as well. I just found that out as a matter of fact because my Mother hates the house I bought less than a year ago so I told her I'm never home since I'm at work and Sammy is either at College or work now so it should be a place where "she" is happy so I told her if you are not happy I'll put it on the market and when it sells we will find somewhere better.

I signed the papers and then took my Mother out to lunch and when we came home the agent called and said the house sold (cash deal) it sold in 30 mins. I only put 20,000 down and I doubled my money so now we have to be out in 30 days! I'm probably either going to rent or if God opens up the door to the "right" house for her I will buy again. I can't stop working for at least another 10 years so I can't move to Oregon yet if that is the way I go once I quit working my brother might even take my Mom and Sammy will eventually fly the coop to go to University with Gino so at that time I will finally get what "I" want to buy at that time (If God willing)

For me it has always been (like that Rolling Stones tune) something to the affect never getting what I want but getting what I need. But maybe someday I'll get what I want...

Wannabe G's or not that tune is goed!

/me bookmarks that one for when I need to dance and clean!

Maybe you should let your mother pick the new house.

I refuse to participate in this crazy rat race, so I'm going to sit it out until house prices come crashing. I expect I'll be moving to one of those six sided miniature houses everyone ends up in before the prices comes down though.

Well, it will have to be a compromise but since we are both like night and day this will be challenging! hehe

As for you sitting it out, the longer you wait the more value you will have built up in your house. Just having one is money in the bank. Having seen the profit I will have makes me think I should just flip houses!

Flipping houses is a very lucrative business. Everyone needs a house, so there will always be customers.

It's also a rather dirty business, I'd say. They're one step up from used car salesmen.

I was just kidding silly! You know I'm completely brainless with all that stuff (and basically everything) I just walk this journey with faith and that's it...

You know when I went to buy this house the first time I hit a road block and I backed out even though I could have moved forward to fight the road block (but I felt maybe it was not the right time) a year later my step Father dies and I grab my Mom and this house was still waiting for me and when I went through all the signing of docs the second time the agents said wow! if you knew how many people tried to get that house and each time it fell apart right before closing, they said the house had my name on it. So here I am thinking okay, if the house sat that long and we've been living in it now for almost a year that means since the house is no longer brand new it will sit on the market for at least a year or more before I have to deal with moving and bam! 30 mins it sold.

I still cannot believe it dutchy but once again I feel things happen at their own proper timing (you can't control certain things in life)

Now I'm praying God opens up things fast for me because I was just not prepared for this! I've got several appts. to look at rentals and also houses for sale with my Mom tomorrow. Say some prayers for us!

Going by your past track record, it will be fine. You're the fastest mover I know. Over here, these things take many months.

It's not the moving that is the issue dutchy it's the timing that I need to be Divine. I need "closing" over here to be in perfect timing with the "opening" and possible "closing" (if I am able to purchase) with where I am moving that is the stressful part.

Anyways, since this began I've been looking like a maniac and I completed the last few this morning so I've seen enough options to decide upon. There was only (1) that I want and my Mom really liked and it was too perfect (so I'm not even going to let myself think that one will happen)

I should also note that you've done this moving dance, including the opening and closing steps, so many times now, that your are a master at it. It always seems to have worked out in the past.

Cue Bobby McFerrin - Don't worry be happy [link]

Not on both ends? Rent to rent (I could do blind folded) rent to own I've obviously done but sell to own will be challenging closing docs on both ends will be quite the experience! Anyways, I've no idea why I worry so much whatever will be will be.

I've never liked that tune up there it always annoys me for some reason...

/me goes find one of your dutch ghetto tunes to dance with the vacuum and get busy today.

I think Public Enemy took offense to Don't Worry Be Happy in Fight the Power [link] (1989), which would ofcourse require you to listen to the lyrics. Then again, they're whole thing is taking offense to the status quo.

They're, their, there, my fingers can't handle these homonyms...

Hmm, I've no clue what he is singing about though the beats sound cool and I spotted Brooklyn (where I was hatched) anyways, it seems you want to annoy me with tunes on top of my clock being pushed up an hour! Why do they have to keep messing with the stupid time!!!

I think this is the same tune? This is where I think I heard it before: [link]

"Fight the power" was used in or a theme song of Spike Lee's movie "Do the right thing" (1989), which is about a riot in some urban neighbourhood on a hot summer day.

The song in that "Bruce Almighty" movie is Snap's "The power" [link] (1990).

Meanwhile I scored another three ninja shirt [link]. Going by discussions on favourite t-shirts, this is one of the most sought after ones. And I have it. My preciousss...

I'm a bit on a slippery slope on what I'm willing to pay for these things. Ridiculous prices if you didn't get it first-hand.

I've never head that tune before until that movie so I can only associate that sound with that movie. hehe!

That was one of my favorite movies.

T-shirt doesn't look too bad but me thinks you've got enough of them now, how many of em do you need!!!

I only have, um, eleven... For some reason a lot of the new ones look completely generic and don't feature Kagami artwork, like this one. Which means I'm not rushing to get those.

Snap! was big over here in the early 90s. One of the many singer+rapper backed by producer bands.

I cannot believe Craig Mack died today!? Flava in ya ear was the most delicious tunes my ears ever heard! (guess God wants to listen to some hip-hop rap)

By the way, I think having eleven of the same band's t-shirts is a sign that you are seriouslyyy over obsessed with them...

Yeah, so they should hurry up and release a new album already. It's been two years since the last one, so it's about time.

/me not know this Craig Mack, I do know a "return of the Mack" song, but that was the first one I heard of that Mack, so it was not much of a return for me.

Classic old stuffezzz: [link]

Sounds good. Never heard this before. I don't think he ever made it to this side of the pond.

I think I heard this one first before the original and most likely was the first tune to turn me on to hip-hop/rap: [link]

Anyways, was sad to hear he passed already, he was clean as far as I know so it must have been some underline health issue.

Judging by who else is in that last video, I see one shooting victim. Very much an occupational hazard if you did hiphop in the 90s.

Judging from wiki [link], his rap career was thwarted by backstage politics of a certain Mr Daddy and Mr Biggie. Dog eat dog world. Which for name reasons alone reminds me of this song [link]

Not really much to do with hiphop in the 90s but rather the later part of your comment of dog eat dog world. I did some poking around to see what he was about and there was not too much cept apparently he was searching for some peace and meaning to life and found God so he may have had a peaceful exit at least and hopefully (since I've not died yet) is in peace with the presence of the creator of this rock floating in space.

More like he went crazy in his latter life. Back in the days people went into monastaries to find peace and quiet (or that's where they shipped people with problems to). This seems to have been similar.

Which reminds me of how one of the Run DMC guys now goes by Rev Run. Even had a TV-series starring him and his 120 children (slight exaggeration). Every episode ending with him sitting in his bathtub texting some sort of life wisdom.

Really? I've never seen that TV series...

Anyways, who doesn't go a little crazy later in life? We chase our tails working and toiling and toiling and working then we suddenly look up and realize we are approaching the end of our life and the house & car payments finally end so therefore we finally own everything we've been toiling for our entire lives and then there's that "Wait a minute! Whatchu mean I can't take that stuff with me when I die!??? hehe

I seriously think movie stars and most musicians have the hardest times coming to term with their life.

May have something to do with going from having no money to having a lot of money in a short amount of time. Suddenly everything seems to be in reach and some overexert themselves. Especially in music, where they get an advance and forget that that is basically a loan they have to recoup before they get more.

Oh, and cameras pointed at you half the time when you're out shopping does not help either.

Then again, everyone is filming everyone these days (save me, because I have no phone).

Who knows, most either try to fill the void with drugs, alcohol, sex, food, money or whatever but there is no peace in this life until you fill the void and center yourself with the one who created you. (course trying to fill a void with something non tangible or visual is the test of faith) hehe

And of course everyone outside of that person will think they are crazy. And some could actually be if their faith is in blowing up other people! (crazy world)

Dutchy this thing with them trying to trick us with changing the stupid time is driving me crazy! I cannot adjust my biological clock and feel all messed up.

DST needs to die in a fire. The story I read the other day is that it was proposed by some guy from New Zealand who wanted to get up earlier so he could catch more butterflies. Wiki confirms: [link]

It messes up everyone's rhythm and is completely unnecessary.

I'm usually hazy for the full six months Summer time is in effect.

Hmmm, catch more butterflies??? (I told you this is a crazy world!)

Dutchy, since I've been coming to say hello to you every day for what is it now? almost two decades!? You've become part of my everyday ritual!!!!! I don't want you to think I got run over by a truck or hit by a bus. The last time I seen my "biological Father" was when I was pregnant to Sammy (and Sammy just turned 21!) anyways, he invited me to Florida to spend some time with him. Course, my Mother being the Angel that she is has convinced me to take him up on that offer and make the trip (it's now or never) even though I'm in the middle of possibly moving pretty soon etc. there will never be a perfect time so I'm jumping on the plane tomorrow morning at LAX (nervous & excited) I'll be back to see what three ninja tune you are listening to (or t-shirt you bought) on March 27th

Dutchy! You know I'm not reading all that mess! I skimmed it and spotted a purposed two hour thingie? If that had happened I would have had to find some kind time machine and go murder that guy! This one hour trick is killing me!

In Florida I think their clocks are advanced three hours so this should be freakin fun!!! Oh boy...

Well, I hear Florida is the weird state of the US, so have fun and be careful not to get eaten by an alligator or run over by some old coot in one of those motorised chair things.

/me takes off my shoes and drops some sand over here. Didn't see very much of what you mentioned above, he lives on the water and it was spring break so there were stampedes/herds of crazy young adults all over the place. Couldn't wait to get back home it was too "overwhelming" for my taste, I'm not used to being treated like royalty (but it was nice to spend time with my Dad)

Now to try and get myself adjusted back to Cali time (I woke up at 3:00am!)

At least you had some fun.

Some fitting music for your trip: Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine - Conga [link] (1985). I'm rather low on Florida related songs. Well, there's Flo-Rida, but he's rather bad.

That was not exactly what I was stuck listening to dutchy... t'was like going into a time machine, we jumped in his Mercedes he slides on his dark sunglasses and pops in his CD: [link] (like 21 yrs never passed he didn't even skip a beat)

Can you imagine! Barry White! hehe! (and his poor wife trying to pretend she didn't even hear it)

She's completely opposite of him but she keeps him in check...

One could do a lot worse than Barry White.

At some point in time people tend to lose track of what is current and remain in their time bubble. That's why grandmas over here all have perms. No-one under 80 has a perm these days.

Speaking of worse, Bridear released a new single: [link]. Two words came to mind while listening to this: "afgrijzen" (horror) and "teloorgang" (decline of something once grand). If this is their new direction, they'd better turn the car around and head back.

*Cough* I actually like Barry White but it was just so funny that when I jumped into his car it was like that is the "only" thing he listened to both then & now! (like time never passed or something)

As for your tunes wellll, they sound "typical" hehe why oh why are you even listening to that stuff!? (But I'm sure it is just a phase you are going through)

/me runs for the hills!

/me not listening to that stuff. That song is plain bad and their previous stuff was not. Let's hope it's the only bad one on their new EP. And don't get me started on their outfits...

Those outfits alone will sink their ship...

We had outfits like that over here in the late 80s, early 90s. It was a dark, dark era.

Well, all I can say is those outfits look pretty pitiful, they are putting themselves out of business soon...

I'd hazard a guess that they all have stable day jobs and the band is something they do on the side. Which is probably how all bands work unless they go big.

What is business though is what is behind the three ninjas. And said business aired a December concert yesterday and it had a new song. Or rather, a new intro, but it had a title, which makes it a song: [link]. Oh, and it had guys in fox outfits drumming and big fox heads with glowing eyes, so all good.

I haven't actually gotten past the first few minutes, because I still have nine previous concerts to see before this one.

In fact, the powers that be just uploaded this [link] half an hour ago. It may be ten ninjas soon.

Well, looks like they've invested some of your t-shirt money into semi-decent stage theatrics but at the end of that "much too long" theatrical performance she does nothing but raise up her staff? As for the second link you dropped it looks like they are trying hard to stay alive so they are now trying a gaming intro vibe to excite everyone. They will probably add a few decent male screamers most likely now that they are growing up and the pervs are losing interest in watching them. Should be interesting to see what desperate move they make. (gotta give them credit for trying something new)

That long performance was the start of a full show actually.

"Desperate" is an interesting choice of words. The sun might be shining and everything would be vibrant and Dor_Downer would go "look at that dark shade behind that tree, it's so cold and sad".

Now if the sun actually would start shining. I have this week off and was planning on painting the front door of the apartment block (since the home owners association is happy letting it rot), but it's going to be raining all week. Grrreat...

Oh be quiet you! I do not, I simply call it like I see it! Anyways, this week is crae_week, why would you want to paint on your birthday week, go celebrate and enjoy it. (just stay away from lil Asian girls or I'll come kick your birthday behind!)

Today I returned back to work after my time off and it was like walking into a lion's den. I know that it's always hard at work but when you take time away like that it really is difficult to get back into your normal routine!

When you return you have an inbox a mile long and a pile of paperwork reaching to the ceiling. I always hope all my projects are magically finished, but that's never the case.

Oh, and in my case, the plants will be dried out and people will go "the plants are looking a little sad" and I'll be like "yeah, maybe if someone would have watered them"...

Same with that entrance door. People going "it could use some maintenance" and I'm like "what's wrong with your hands then".

I assumed when I returned my plants would be dead but nope, everyone that passed by my desk when I returned said the same thing to me "I thought your plants needed water so I watered them for you" considering how many ppl told me that I am shocked my plants did not drown! I have two plants at work. Anyways, hopefully you got some sunshine and were able to get your doorway painted...

Transfer some of those colleagues over to here, so they can take care of the plants here too. The only reason I actually do take care of said plants is because the ones that buy 'em seemingly don't. In the end it's not the plants choice to be in a pot.

/me goes get paint (it's dry at the moment, but rather cold for the time of the year)

I think when someone decides to give a plant as a gift it should come with atleast one year of free watering & maintenance, because it's like being given a pet!

If you paint when it's cold or wet dutchy the paint might bubble up you probably should wait...

Anyways, Happy Birthday mijn dutchy!

I'm waiting with the painting. Temperature should go up tomorrow and along the weekendand it should be dry.

Funny how these weeks off tend to go. I go in with all kinds of plants, but at the end of the week I haven't done anything. Today being world crae day means I'm not going to do nothing. Oh wait, I'm seeing household chores laying in wait to ambush me.

/me looks at the clock... Hmmm world crae day is over now buddy so get to those chores! And get those plants done! I mean plans! hehe

I'm so busy I didn't eat until half past two yesterday. After midnight, that is. Today is finally door painting day. The sun is shining, it is dry and unfortunately still cold, but hell.

I think if it is cold the paint will bubble but I suppose it depends on how cold and damp the air is. Today on this side of the ocean we are expecting rain but yesterday the weather was a 5.3 earthquake so hopefully things stay calm and "still" today, we are always told that if we make it past 24 hours without getting a bigger one we are out of the woods. No matter what they say, I think they are absolutely clueless (only God knows)

At some point the San Andreas Fault will crack and you will end up in the sea. Better invest in a boat.

/me goes paint layer two

I suppose the real question will be will I first end up 6 feet under dirt before I end up 6 feet under water? Anyways, as for today no dirt or water so I must go run to the mall and get this before I die! [link]

Go finish painting nasty man!

You must have a closet full of bags by now.

/me goes paint the third and final layer. Interesting how all kinds of know-it-alls suddenly pop up when you're busy painting your door.

Probably equivalent to your t-shirt collection. Know-it-alls and nosy busy bodies...

If you are paying a home association fee "they" should be painting your exterior right?

The home owner association consists of the home owners themselves.

There's eight apartments here and they're occupied by 1) a couple that share a single brain cell; 2) an old biker that turns out to be the one that wrecked the door in the first place; 3) a girl who's around my age but has tanned so much her skin is ruined and has a criminal boyfriend that got a visit from both crooks (kicked down her door) and a SWAT team (who kicked down her door again; has since moved out and now rents her place to a single mother and daughter; 4) an 86 year old who used to run the thing; 5) a couple that rent their place from some unknown corporation that bought that apartment; 6) random part-time Polish workers that also rent their apartment from some unknown company; 7) the guy that manages the funds but likes to handwave everything ("let's just see how it goes"); and 8) me.

So that's seven incompetents and me. And I'm sure as hell not going to discuss things with them before I do things (took those idiots three years to agree to get the leaves painted).

You've been there for a while now so why don't you finish slapping that paint on it and fix a few things and check some of the latest appraisals in that area (or put it on the market just to check and see what offers you get to get some idea?) It does not sound like you are too happy there and it's not the only place in the world to live? You can build equity if you move into a better place instead of staying there and dealing with all that mess dutchy!

Or possibly rent it out and move like the others are doing? You should at least think about it, stop being so lazy...

I've been on a roller coaster with my home, I don't understand why people do not check their credit or funds before they go around making offers on houses they cannot afford or don't have the proper credit score to make the purchase and close the deal? I have a couple that is coming tomorrow to look at my place for the third time while I am at work (my Mom has to deal with it) they want it and have begun the process to purchase it now but if this one falls apart I've decided to take it off the market because I'm tired of the roller coaster and I've already got money built into it so it's money in the bank and I'm not desperate to move, my Mom is adjusting now She's barely getting over grieving (can you believe dutchy it's been over a year already! He passed on 3-12-17)

Time flies (like a banana).

Did I mention the little tidbit were house prices are going through the roof? They went up 20% last year here. Can you imagine that, 20%. It's not like my income went up 20%. And this crap has been going on for years.

I'm stuck here until people come to their senses (which I don't see happening). And it's fine here really, other than my neighbours being useless and me having more books than I have space.

If you feel fine being there then all is goed as long as your are happy, just don't go getting caught in SWAT crossfire or stabbed by that old biker dude cuz what will happen to me? Then I will have to come talk to myself over here on this blasted message board for the next 20 years!???

Keep your eye on the market periodically and see what happens you don't want to pass up on any opportunity where you can grab some money on your place and invest it into a better place that you will be happier more peaceful and "safer"

Looks like I'm back on that roller coaster the buy processed the paperwork today, I called the guy that owns the house I am after and made him an offer cuz he was looking to sell wayyy too high and I told him "Look mister that house belongs to me so here is my offer" (I offered him 75 thousand below his asking price so it will take nothing less than a miracle to happen) he said this Thursday he will meet with his tax guy and let me know if he will accept my offer. I get the feeling this guy is not too stressed for money to have responded like that because I seriously thought he was going to hand up on the phone on me when I told him that. hehe!

Say a little prayer for me dutchy...

buy = buyer, longg day my fingers will not cooperate and I ain't spell checking the rest of it!

I swear that bugs the Hell out of me! Hand = hang up the phone, dutchy! hehe

Dor_typo plays a mean hand. Have you tried poker?

I'm way too mellow for that. Seller: "asking price is X", me: "okay". Alright, I bid a tad less than the asking price, in the end I still overpaid. But that's that hindsight being 20/20 thing.

Well, the way I look at it I "think" most people list their homes about 10 to 20 thousand over their asking price so they have some wiggle room to negotiate? For me, I am biting at a house that is way out of my league (so I had nothing to lose by asking for him to take my ridiculous offer) I can only get that house if he accepts it and even then I will be struggling but I applied for Management Secretary III (I'm currently Sr. Sec III) so who knows at any rate it will take a miracle...

As for you I have no clue what houses go for over there, over in Oregon the houses are half the price they list for over here in Cali! I just can't move right now cuz of work

But, I want it! I want it! I want it! When I first seen the sign outside of it and I called it the guy said he was over in Costa Rica so he could not show it to me until he returned, I was looking at lots of other houses and all of them were horrible so I had a feeling I needed to see that one so I called the guy and pestered him to see if he could have someone open it up for me to view it and he scheduled some maintenance guy to meet me over there to open it up and let me and my Mom view it. When we got into the house and started walking around looking at it I cried and my Mom said whats wrong and I told her something this perfect ain't gonna happen, I almost let it go but decided I got nothin to lose so I put the offer in as silly as it was. I hope he calls me back tomorrow. If he counter offers I can't even budge because I need to be realistic and that's all I can go.

Anyways, I'm not desperate to move now and though my buyer is going through her financing and closing the deal on her home I've not yet signed my house off to her and her husband so oh wellll...

Also important is if your mother will like. Worst case scenario is if you buy it and then she goes "I liked the old place better", at which point I'd advice you to move her to somewhere under a bridge.

She liked it as well, but moving there might not make her happy and I'm trying to fix a problem that probably can't be fixed right now (she is still adjusting to a really bad year as you already know)

Anyways, the guy won't take my offer and I can't budge so it's a no go and as sad as I am nowww I actually am super relieved because it would have been extremely hard to make the move so tomorrow I've got to deal with my buyer on my house and make them sad tomorrow *ugh* not what I want to do but I can't move forward so they will not be happy tomorrow when I tell them.

Such is life...

Best thing is to stick with your current dream house (the one you live in now already was your dream house) and let your mother adapt, which perhaps will never happen.

The whole trouble with moving is that a) you first need to buy a new house; b) for that you need money; and c) in order to raise those funds normal people need to sell they're current house. All three things have to match up, else there's trouble. I know some folk who sold their house (fast), and then spent over a year finding a new house, and in between lived in some so-so rented apartment.

More importantly, I woke up in the middle of a dream. And in that dream I was asked a question and then I woke up and now I can't remember what the question was. And now I spend all the time thinking what that question could have been.

I know dutchy (thank you) I think I'm just trying to make her happy which would then make me happy and buying another house to move in will fix the issues. I'm even having issues adjusting to having my Mom (but I know one thing, I did the right thing taking her I had to)

As for your dilemma you most likely won't remember the question in your dream cuz with dreams you either remember them vividly or you wake up with a piece of the puzzle missing. hehe

Last night I had freaking nightmares about my Mom and when I woke up I was relieved to see she was just fine...

will = "wont" fix the issues. Here we go again! Plus I was in nightmare Hell last night...

Plus, it didn't help matters that she encourages me to go visit my Dad and I see him living in this big beautiful mansion with his wife and I have to hear the same guilt trip from him that I should have chose him and I would have had a very different life etc etc etc. totally sickens me. (I'm very aware of my choice then and now when at least it comes to "that" part of my life no matter what age I was) I've got a Mother that is one in a Zillion...

To quote one of my Japanese sentences (I learn vocabulary through sentences, so I can see how the words are used): "jibun no koui ni wa sekinin ga aru", or in other words: you are responsible for your own actions. People may have opinions on what you should or should not do, parents especially, but ultimately, you and only you decide what to do.

The nightmares mean you are fretting over things, so perhaps you try and get it out of your system somehow.

Don't go turning all Splinter on me tossing Japanese proverbs at me (that rat in ninja turtles)

Anyways, I awoke realizing the simple things in life are all I need, Dexter purring in my face to wake me up and I heard a beautiful song when I was driving to the store yesterday, lemme see if I can find it...

Here it is...

So beautiful (once you get past the nasty country flavor)

[link]

Got my ammunition for today. Toby finally came out with something decent. (this guy was from DC Talk)

[link]

The guy is asking to be set on fire... I suspect he wouldn't like it if someone were to actually light him up. Once you start listening to lyrics, some singers write weird stuff.

Which is why it's not good to listen to lyrics only the sounds...

Why is Stardock always in my mail box now? I don't get emails from them for years then suddenly everyday I'm getting spammed by them...

The sound was a piano. My piano tolerance is very low.

/me no got StarDock spam

Yeah, yeah, yeah I know...

I got a Stardock spam about two hours ago again, strange since I've not gone over there for a while. (manyyy years now in between visits)

Still no spam here. Froggles does not love me anymore...

More importantly, my right ear suddenly got clogged this afternoon, so I only hear superbass on that side. That may sound interesting, but people's voices don't normally echo through the skull.

Well you still have me spamming you everyday so stop the pitty party...(though I'm sure you appreciate me leaving you alone as well)

/me hands you a Q-tip to clean all that wax out of your ear!

I think it cleared up by itself (somewhat) overnight.

New music time. New trio from Japan, firmly rooted on the alt-idol side of thing, which means it's pop hidden beneath guitars and they try to be edgy and cute at the same time: Kaqriyo Terror Architect - Hide and Seek [link]. Chorus has firmly rooted itself in my head.

Oh, and on a character note, that first glyph means something like "hidden" and is used to write "ghost". Mnemonic is something like "children hidden between the mountain peaks". It's always pronounced "yuu", so I don't know where they got "kaqri" from.

Now before you start rolling your eyes and things start getting ugly, here's some Jason DeRulo for you: [link]

Hmm edgy and cute? *gag* I still think the metal mix with china doll is a desperate move to grab male obsession with lil china dolls or something because it's like trying to mix oil and vinegar (they just don't mix) who knows...

/me tries to restrain my jealousy with you and that silly obsession you have. I'm waiting for it to pass but it seems to be getting worse. hehe!

I'll have to save that Jason DeRulo for later to check out since I quickly heard some la la laaa in it.

/me goes grab some dinner...

I thought that DeRulo song was new, because MTV is playing it a lot during those few hours they live up to the M in their name. But it turns out that song is two years old already.

Two years! I've not heard it once before you dropped that link, all they play on this end is the same old [link] along with everything that sounds pretty much the same over and over again...

Lots of Post Malone here too. He's not that interesting. And so many crooners.

Heard a new Beyonce the other day, which sounded way different from the old R&B Beyonce, turns out it's years old as well (can't recall the name, so I can't look it up).

Yesterday I decided I should go rip a bit of that ever growing pile of CDs. Today is a new day and I somehow don't feel so inclined (I woke up with other ideas).

The joys of being lazy. Or having more ideas than time.

I woke up with two words on my mind "La Santana" which probably means Satan or something. (been having nasty nightmare from Hell which I don't normally get) And I feel totally fine I don't have nothing bugging me anymore nor any tough decisions brewing on my mind so I must be eating too close to bedtime or something weird that I need to figure out...

Trying to look it up it seems it could mean a bizillion diff things (ridiculous, nothing makes sense being awake or sleeping) hehe

I did however grab some numbers that the letters translate into and since I never play the lotto I might as well actually try it with the numbers!

Your subconscious is telling you to go listen to Santana.

Which is obviously the devil speaking, trying to stray you from the true path.

Ripped five CDs yesterday. Still a few dozen to go. I'm surprised my ten year old drive is still running.

Who knows, just my dreams/nightmares have been a bit dark and santanic so that probably was what it was.

Your drive is in good shape from all the intense workouts you give it.

So many CDs to rip, so little time. My music these days is primarily YouTube playing on the TV while I'm watching cat pics on the netbook.

Nightmares are a reflection of your inner worries. I may be the weird one here, but I never have nightmares. Maybe because I don't worry about things.

Well, I wish my inner worries would go away, I'm tired! I had one nightmare that was so bad I could not breath when I woke up (I think if I didn't wake up I would have died in my sleep) really horrible (almost the kind horror movies could be made out of) hehe

Anyways, just like everything else in life it will pass soon I hope...

The only strange dreams I have is when the mind is half awake, but the body is not and I can't move. Rather unsettling. It's why I don't sleep with my arms crossed.

Don't sleep with your arms crossed? I'm a tummy sleeper so that would be totally impossible for me at all. I might even have to give instructions for them to put me on my tummy in my casket or something (when that times comes) because I cannot sleep on my back at all...

But at least it sounds like you found a solution to avoid having that half mind awake while your body has checked out for the night thingy, sounds like a form of paralysis? Yikes that must feel weird & scary.

It happens once every few years at most. I usually sleep like a rock. Anyways, I can only sleep on my back, because as soon as I step into bed two little devils show up and think I'm a human mattress.

hehe adorable. Dexter has turned out to be a trader, I had him on a strict diet to keep him lean and healthy but my Mom is sneaking him food to bond with him (now that she does not have her cat) and Dex is giving all the love to her and I'm stuck with the vet visits and cleaning up his poop! (but he is a male so he will go where the goods are) I won't put out that extra food for him that he wants.

Grandparents live to spoil the grandkids, be they human or cat (or dog).

New music time: Jason DeRulo - Colors [link]. So I don't particularly care about Mr DeRulo, not his music, nor this specific song. But in this video he is standing on some kind of highly impressive fortification. I wonder where that is.

I have to agree with you that is a very impressive fortification, I almost think I seen it somewhere possibly a movie or TV series or something but I cannot pin where...

Search is useless these days, but it apparently it Citadelle Laferriere in Haiti [link]. Turns out Mr DeRulo has some Haitian roots. It looks like something you'd find in an Uncharted game.

Castles over here are never that impressive, because we have no hills or mountains [link].

The only thing that makes that castle in Haiti stand out is the majestic hill it sits on because of the "height" you feel the sense of majesticness, if I was over there in the Netherlands I would visit every single last castle you have over there that is amazing how many are over there!? Have you gone to see any yourself dutchy? (you're crazy if you haven't)

I see this old movie that made me fall in love with castles and I don't know where they made this movie but what I wouldn't give to visit this one and walk around in it!

[link]

One of my most favorite movies, I think I might need to watch it again but not sure when I will get the time...

Hate it when that happens... now I'm on a wild goose chase to find out, just because of their accents I did not think it was really going to be in Ireland but yes, it seems that castle is somewhere in Ireland. (I was expecting that it would really be possibly Italy)

That clip only has indoor shot, so it might as well could have been a studio.

Ah, here we go. High Spirits was shot in Dromore Castle in Limerick, Ireland. Built in the 1870s (so not a real castle) and now in ruin (deliberately due to not wanting to pay taxes, it seems). Some pics: [link] and some sketches and paintings: [link]

The castles here in our little frog country are really not more than reinforced houses. The last one I saw was in Leiden decades ago: [link] (direct link to the photo page).

Yikes! Those pics are amazing! That one by you looks more to me like a fortress people ran to for safety during battles/war? Anyways, I've no clue why concrete and brick amuses me so much but the design and history of what was is mind blowing to me, must feel strange to walk inside of a castle and "feel" the vibes of the castle (or maybe not, who knows)

It was just a big wall under an open sky when I was there.

Went to the south of Belgium once and the castles there are much more impressive. One towered above the town it was in, the other was hidden in the forests, covered by trees.

Anyways, we live in castles of concrete now. The age of high rise buildings.

No kidding, probably with the hussle & bussle of everyday work we no longer have time to invest in designing proper architect they can toss up a home in one week these days with paper and glue.

Paper and glue wouldn't last in this weather. It's all brick and concrete (usually reinforced concrete core with brick outer layer). My house is from the 50s, so it's all brick walls with wooden beams and floors.

I thought the bricks where brown, until we had the outside cleaned and they turned out to be yellow.

I couldn't help but think about you last night you crazy Dutchman... I was watching a flick named "The Hitman's Bodyguard" they needed to get a hitman to court in The Hague, Netherlands to testify against a crazy top guy but the camera shots/angles were taken by helicopter because it was beautiful scenery of the Hague from high up above and different angles of the beautiful buildings and streets and water canals with boats etc. (just very beautiful) you are lucky you had that kind of environment to have grown up around.

But then, they also had a few camera shots of the red-light district to mess that up ack! (can't believe a healthy female would lay down around the clock and let her body be used as a revolving porta-potty for any joe blow. *shivers*

We have a red light district? Only two separate streets in the outer center of town really.

Anyways, I'm not going to say this is the best town, because I've never lived anywhere else. But I can't help but being disappointed with what I see when I visit other cities. I'm too deeply rooted.

New music time, wannabe gangsters from the Orient on their favourite vehicle: Merry Delo - Scooter [link]. Remix with a better beat and more eye candy: DJ Ty-Koh ft. Merry Delo & Kowichi - Scooter [link]

You are deeply rooted but that is why I love to talk to you your not only rooted where you live but you are also deeply rooted and centered within yourself. (which is rare)

Anyways, me goes check out your madness...

*rolls eyes* and smacks the living Hell out of you!

What? There's only one chick in those videos and only in the second one. Director's instructions were probably "just act naturally", which is why she's on her phone the entire time.

Music in a language you can understand: David Guetta & Sia - Flames [link]. The song itself is average, but it has a kick ass kung fu video.

Well then that chick is one tooo many! I'm gonna give you three more months to get over that Asian chick fetish you are going through before I go find that voodoo doll you sent me and paint some needles on it and then turn you into that ugly pink transparent color or something awful like that!

Okay, I've got two questions now? Why oh why is Danny Trejo in that music vid of yours (and I almost did not even recognize him yikes!) and secondly, why is YouTube popping up this recommendation on me when I'm checking out your vid? [link]

Google knows where your house lives. It pops up videos you've seen once, ten years ago. Which is why I watch all dodgy videos that might mess up my recommendations in a private session. On my TV I don't watch anything that could mess it up at all.

As for Danny Trejo, perhaps he always wanted to play an old kung fu master, massive eyebrows and all.

Umm, "private session?" /me goes find that voodoo doll and drag it into the Recycle Bin!!!

And I'm kidding cuz I couldn't get rid of it even if I tried I actually think there could possibly be some voodoo on that thing. I've had so many hard drive crashes over the years and external drives and that thing always pops up somewhere on me years in between here and there. I think I might have it in one of my Drop Box accounts or possibly my Google Drive now days. I'd have to search for it and find it but I'm sure I still have it!

You may still have it, but I might not. I think that drawing is two machines back and I have no idea if I still have files from back then or where they might be.

This, coincidentally also includes the source files of all Tek imagery, including the bunny skull logo. I did those in Flash and I probably don't have Flash anywhere either to open them.

I'm pretty sure I still have the Tek logo as well but you will never need them I'm sure. I've no idea why I saved all my old files I need to dump them and free up some space but maybe it's just electronic keepsakes or something...

Oh boy here goes my YouTube adventures, forget about my recommendations I'll click on those links and take a trip around the world in 30 mins. Check this out! [link]

Remember that tune? I love that tune (who doesn't)

I had no idea that was him? I started jumping on links and ended up on one of his interviews and it totally blew my mind (and squeezed my heart) I don't think this guy was very happy at all even with all that fame? Sooo sad, he seemed so cool! (but lost or something)

[link]

Oh boy, he had a wild soul but didn't age too gracefully, this looks sad (I think I've had enough YouTube)this looks sad to me. He died already!

[link]

It's what they call "bat shit insane" or I'd say "Michael Jackson syndrome". People making bad decisions in life surrounded by yes-men who can't guide them to common sense and parasites that like to steer them off the deep end.

While we're on the subject of YouTube, they've changed something the last few weeks and videos have a 50% chance of getting stuck at the last second forever (what's autoplay if you have to skip to the next video by hand all the time). Today I see they revamped their interface (or atleast of the app on my TV), but unfortunately it still gets stuck.

I go to look at google news and then they post YouTube vids of entertainment figures and off I go from clicking on one link and somehow end up at biographies of dead entertainers or two headed babies. (not liking all the tricks that YouTube is playing trying to take me to creepy crap and paid advertisements) hence why I spend less and less time behind my machine these days (cept for work or coming to visit a certain crazy Dutch guy)

The part of the web that is run by corporates is a user hostile place these days. Whoever thought it was a good idea to have ads being anything more than just pictures, was not thinking clearly.

I've been filtering things since forever. Primary line of defense is NoScript (disables scripts at domain level), which requires a certain mindset (enabling domains one by one until the page works is not for everyone), secondary is uBlock Origin (blocks URLs based on patterns), which I actually haven't configured, so I might not even need it.

My TV obviously does not have any of that, but I only use the YouTube app there to play three ninja tunes.

Speaking of three ninja language, yesterday the word "negi" showed up in my studies. "Tamanegi" is onion, "negi" itself is leek ("tama" means ball or sphere). But what the hell is "leek"?

The joys of learning language A through picked-up-from-TV language B, while your native tongue is C.

Apparently "leek" is what we call "prei". In my mind that's not even remotely similar to onions... Or at least, not the part of it you eat.

I don't know dutchy, I think there is much more to learning a language then just learning the language even ppl who speak the same language don't have proper communication skills? You can spend the rest of your life trying to learn the language as "perfect" as you can and then even when you attempt to try to speak to the person who's been speaking it naturally since birth you might have trouble communicating with them? Sometimes communication does not need to be spoken or spoken by "correct" pronunciation or whatever. I kinda lost interest in trying to learn languages for some reason. I was trying in the past to learn proper Spanish, Italian and Dutch but I think it's a waste of time. (who knows I might do it when I have more time someday not sure, sometimes it's just fun to learn new things)

I sometimes see two ppl that speak the same freaking language and they are going at it trying to explains things to each other and the way they communicate is so off base because they don't know how to express themselves? (hard to explain what I mean)

That may all be so, but remind me again what foreign language I am typing in here and if you have trouble understanding it.

Meanwhile, the three ninjas dropped a new video: Distortion [link]. The first one in two years. Hurray, hurray. It has a bit of a Bloodbourne vide visually.

The bad thing is that the song is rubbish.

I'm going to chalk that up as "you can't have your cake and eat it".

Oh, and none of the three ninjas appear in this video. But there are seven new faces.

Ummm, you're typing in your native language which is Smarta**ish and I'm speaking in my native language which is Dorenglish and see we still understand each other just fine. As a matter of fact you incorrectly typed Bloodbourne vide visually but I will assume you meant Bloodbourne "vibe" visually?

Hence my point you don't need all that correctness you are worried about nothing in this world is perfect but let me know when you speak or write to a Japanese person how perfect that goes for you. hehe!

Welll that was "Distorted" I mean "Distortion" alright... So much stuff going on in that vid I'm at a total loss for words and my face is blanked out. That wassss (still cannot think of a word)

Parts of the song are good (like the crazy drumming), but the verses are weak, the chorus is crap and both that keyboard and the wow wows need to go. Wow wow is lazy song writing.

Video is cool though. I'm curious where they are going with this, especially since their world tour starts today (in Kansas) and I don't see these seven singing or playing instruments, or dancing.

I typed Japanese to the guy I get my three ninjas t-shirts from when one was unavailable and he asked me what to do. Now whether or not it made sense, I can't say, but I did get the right shirt (for completion's sake I also responded in Doreenglish).

The crazy fast drumming was about the only thing good (the rest was a bit overkill) As for wow wow being lazy song writing I'd say Lil Jon is making a killing with just screaming "Yeahhh" in most his tunes so it works for cool ppl just not Lil Asian girls trying to market themselves off of guys Asian female fetishes (I think anyways) hehe

/me runs...

You can run all you want, but I took a quick peek at the fan cams this morning. Video and audio on these are always crap, but you can get an idea of how things look, if there are new songs and if member Y who was sick during the last two concerts (and who happens to be my favourite) was there now.

So they start the show, and they do a spotlight reveal.

One, the main singer, completely different look.

Two, a dancer, can't tell who, because the characteristic twin tails are gone.

Three, second dancer. Ah good, so one of them must be Y.

Four, wait, what?

So I switch to the next video, which is a Japanese discussion video (Japanese fans like to make video of scrolling text of discussions elsewhere) and it seems to have been from during the concert. And they go:

"Song X is three people" (this is a two person song normally)

"What? Three people"

"Y is not there"

"Whaaat!?"

And I go, noooo...

After that I, slightly distressed, had to rush off to work and deal with idiots the entire day.

/me goes investigate the disappearance of Y

Update: as usual, no-one knows anything. Lots of upset fans. Lots of speculation.

Some are saying people should boycot buying merchandise.

I'm all in favour of that, because that gives me more opportunity to get my hands on it...

Grrrr! Which one of them three ninjas is "Y" and (she most likely came down with a bad case of childhood chicken pox)

/me boycotts the letter "Y" now from all m* t*ping to *ou in retaliation!

/me goes check out a three ninja vid and figure out which one is "*" hehe

I bet it's the lead singer not the two bopsy twins...

Gotta be the one in the middle, lead singer (she looks just like a Y)

[link]

Lead singer is an S(uzuka). The Y(ui) is usually on the left. This particular gesture of her at 1:18 in the first video I saw of them [link] is what drew me into this rabbit hole in the first place (now two years ago).

If it were the lead singer, they'd be done. The entire concept is built against her style of singing.

The anger among fans is not so much her not being there (well, there is a bit of that), but management not communicating what's going on.

Anyways, time will tell. Second show of the tour is tonight.

Meanwhile, the crazy neighbour that would run around the house screaming in the middle of the night has moved out. There currently is a lot of chipping at the walls going on. I don't know why some people need to go strip the entire place.

The only thing I did when I bought this house is paint the walls (and install a new sink and kitchen, but that's different matter).

I'm already looking forward to a heavy machinery orchestral performance the rest of this Ascension's Day.

See now she looks more like an "S" to me than a "Y" but anyways if she were a plastic doll I might play with her as well...

Anyways, be happy when you hear chipping on the walls because that means your neighbors are investing in remodeling which will help your house be worth more since they normally go by the last appraisal on the most recent house sold so if neighbors fix up and sell at a good price yours will have to be valued at that last selling price as well when you do your appraisal (or at least pretty close to it)

Horrible day today at work. I was lectured about using more appropriate key words such as "Team Player" etc. You know I only speak DorEnglish so things did not go well in that meeting but at the end I think he got the gist of things and we both speak the same language but again as I said earlier up there communication is not always easy.

What exactly is wrong with the word "team player", aside from that it implies some kind of sacrifice of personal goals for those of the team? It's not like you're calling people "silly cow" or something (which is what someone I know does behind the customer's back).

Anyways, I'm seeing happy messages from Japanese fans that Y is still there. Which is good for my wallet, because there is this super rare commemorative birthday shirt from four years back, which I saw for sale in my size at an outrageous price. If she has left, I'm getting it.

You'll always hear those key words "Team Player" when you attempt to speak up in common sense words and imply that there is a problem of which then they suddenly notice you're not an idiot that does things because the rest of the "team" is afraid to say something. Suddenly you will hear the words you are "not" a "Team Player" which I don't mind at all because it simply means to me that I'm not their idiot.

Happy for the fans that they still have their Y (I actually did see a doll like that once in a toy store)

Oh, they used the team player word on you. That usually means they want some unreasonable thing and you're not giving in to their idiocy. Pay it no mind (that phrasing sounds weird), unless it's the boss saying it, in which case you need to do some political maneuvering (either "your requests are a bit much because X, Y" or "I did X and Y, so how can you say I'm not a teamplayer").

You can also take the "I'm not hired to be a team player" route, but that's risky business.

The Y situation turns out to be far from cleared up. Basically some reporter got someone from an affiliated company to their management to speak up on the subject and the answer was that she's not on the US tour and all is going according to plan. Meanwhile, the only thing coming out of the real management is a cryptic tweet of "moving forward".

That's as loaded a phrase as "team player", so people are fuming.

Team Player = Shut up and go play nice with the rest of the team/program.

Moving Forward = Now that you've shut up get back to work.

(ain't gonna happen, but this will be a long battle)

Today will be interesting (going to have a yard sale) My Mom lovessss these things, so she will have a happy day today) *joy*

Put your mom on the lawn with your stuff, while you go do more interesting things.

I remember why I don't watch fancams.

It's not the crap video (4k clip that's all blurry and noisy and constantly shifting). It's not the crap audio (phone mics are useless). And it's not the angry security guard that's constantly blocking the view.

It's the bloody fans screaming and shouting and singing along.

It sounds like you are watching fancams? Anyways, yard sale was interesting...

Things I learned:

1. Would be good to know 5 different languages (or at least a minimum of 3)

2. Bring an extra coat outside & water

3. Have more change.

I decided to dive in with her and brought a few things to sell, she made $25.00 and I walked away with over $300.00 (but I have a mean wristlet & purse fetish so I brought a few of them out and some gadgets)

Wait, so your mother wants to sell off her old stuff and makes peanuts. While you just play along and rake in enough to get a new bag?

No, I actually but my money away for a rainy day. Oh! wait, look it's raining today!!!

Doreen putting money away for a rainy day?

I used to know a Doreen that had a hole in her hand and said she was going to end up under a bridge somewhere (cue RHCP). That Doreen seems to have been bodysnatched.

New music time. This guy was big a few years back, then suddenly retired (for reasons unknown to me). But this year he showed up in that Bizzey video and now he has his own new track: Kraantje Pappie - Lil Craney [link]. The city this video is shot in seems vaguely familiar, but every mid-sized medieval city has a center like this (townhall with a big open space in front for a market).

Every once in a while you drop something goed (such as that) he probably retired due to having that lil girl or something or could be that man bun he has on his head didn't go over well who knows. hehe

At any rate me thinks he wears that man bun wellll and I liked the tune.

I finally heard something pretty decent on this side of the ocean but I didn't catch the name, been so long since they've released anything good over here...

Lemme see if I can find why he retired... Hmm, he said at the time (2016) that it was because he turned thirty. Strange reason.

Not good either cuz if he retired at 30 that means he might be dead before he turns 40. Look what happened to that other DJ Avicii that retired in his early twenties and died recently at 28 years old.

That specific case partied so hard he damaged internal organs. In Mr Kraan's case, it might as well have been the kid, assuming that's his daughter.

Meanwhile I have been ogling this very rare but way too expensive ($200) three ninja shirt for half a year now. Price hadn't moved, but it hadn't sold either. With the recent shenanigans, I was this close to caving in and buying the thing. Only to find out it's gone...

Now I'm ogling an also rare $150 shirt that's been up for around the same time.

I should just grab what I can when I see it on the market. And perhaps a less expensive hobby.

I would say you are crazy wanting to spend that much on a t-shirt but you don't wanna know what I spend on wristlets and gadgets. I say get it before it's gone!

Plus when you get sick of it you can toss it on eBay and let others bid on it! There is sure to be other nuts that will bid on it if that is the only one avail on the market a year from now.

To the surprise of absolutely no-one, I bought it. But I won't consider it mine until I actually receive the thing. I buy a lot of t-shirts from this guy, so it will probably end up fine, but it wouldn't be the first time a package of mine disappeared (so far not with this seller).

Oh boy, let me see your crazy shirt when you receive it (that's if you receive it)

That is, if he sends it. So far I've had no message it was sent. Maybe we've jinxed things. The design itself is not that special. It's more the "I don't have it therefore I must have it" thing that collectors suffer from. My house is filled floor to ceiling with books I bought at auctions but never am going to read.

Hey, as strange as that sounds and as long as mijn dutchy is not collecting bodies I'm cool with it... I think I "collect" (excessive shop) more when I'm stressed out and then I toss those things that are not really necessities up in my closet to collect dust but now I realized I could always do that yard sale thing with my Mom and recoop some serious money years later. Alot of my leather wristlets were so small they don't even fit the newer phones that have gotten so big over the years and I was actually going to throw some of them away and I made alot of money on them at that yard sale I told you about? That was weird.

I might have to be a collector today I'm eye balling this and I also seen it somewhere in pink & pearl (but the black goes more with everything)

[link]

Pink only goes with pink. Some shades of pink only go with that particular shades of pink. It's a fickle colour.

Collecting bodies is more something you'd do if you have either a basement or a backyard to bury them in. Though there was that case over in land of the rising sun, where a guy has hidden nine bodies in boxes (one being used as litter box) in his tiny appartment (these are the things you learn while watching Japanese news).

Yikes! That must have been a big litter box! Anyways, all the news over here (and everywhere) is that royal wedding. That castle looked killer!

That castle looks grim. There's this hugely popular fantasy series on TV right now, that shall remain nameless, which is modelled on British history (War of the Roses to be specific), or in other words, lots of in-fighting and civil wars and people dying.

Sometimes when reading fantasy books (those things with letters) it's fairly obvious what countries they were inspired by (Britain a lot, but also France at times).

Oh great, now I'm getting that wedding on Japanese news (or to be more precies Brits in Japan getting together to watch it)...

That castle is killer! That wedding was viewed all over the entire world. Interesting that ppl get married every second and nobody ever views those weddings.

Because they don't have television cameras all over the place. Watching weddings is about as fun as watching someone's holiday picks. Or people with small children and an urge to show those to everyone ("look, so cute").

Speaking of TV, my favourite trio, who are now two plus two dancers, finished up their US tour with a concert at a festival. The festival (or an affiliated party) streamed the performance and some kind souls grabbed it and put it up on YouTube.

So on the upside, I got to hear the new songs in something that goes beyond cellphone recordings (although sound was still bad), but on the downside, YouTube muted parts of the audio.

The interesting thing is what they muted, I think it happens automatically and only on parts that match up against published videos.

It was like I was watching the "radio friendly" version of a gangster rap track, with half of it muted.

If you stopped buying all those expensive t-shirts and saved up you could probably buy a ticket to Japan and go see them perform in person? Or at the least when they pass by the Netherlands during their tours you might catch them in concert?

Yeah, but there's people there. I don't like crowds. Plus, they play at high volume and I value my hearing.

Friends went to see Gwen Stefani once and showed me the pics they took. If you looked closely you could identify that tiny figure in the distance as Gwen.

I figured with that obsession of yours you would want to go see them perform in person? At any rate I totally agree with everything you said above. Wayyy too many screaming ppl and wayyy too loud and you cannot really get close enough to see them at a decent distance (better watching concerts on TV)

Those fans are weird. New ho-hum song drops, they go "this is the best thing ever". Member is not on tour, they go "I love this band, but I hate this management, and I hate this new thing and this new thing and everything". Then other's find it necessary why they think things are happening the way they are happening or how song X got them through a depression.

I should say the ho-hum song has grown on me, although it's still not very good. I'm highly intrigued with where they are going with this.

How half the words always go missing when I'm typing is beyond me. It's also usually they key words that go for a walk.

As an example, there's a US artist working on a comic and he posted a teaser pic: https://i.imgur.com/FZifVbA.jpg. They're all going "there's three of them, Y is there!" now.

Pic itself has weird perspective. Looks like it's three pictures merged in one.

I think you'd be intrigued if they sang about poop cuz of your obsession for Y and that pic looks like a simple layered image with one or two filters nothing too impressive...

It's always the journey that's interesting. Things are changing, but what are they changing to and what can you learn on the way.

hehe! I'm sorry dutchy, I know that sounded rude or mean up there but seriously, I cannot relate to your obsession with those three ninjas. (plus I obviously had a bad day yesterday)

The metal is hard in the background but the lil Asian females being tossed into that mix for marketing purposes is nauseating to me, most likely cuz Asian females "seem" to be looked upon as sex toys by males or something and it also seems that alot of Asian females market themselves that way (God forgive me if I'm wrong) but look around (unless you are blinded by it as well)

Anyways, yes the journey is indeed interesting watching things change, music, cars, technology etc. (and ourselves) one thing I've noticed on my own lil journey in life is money seems to take precedence over integrity and ethics. (I won't lay down or bend over for nobody)

Extraditing your conscience to an imaginary third party does not particularly strike me as a good idea.

If there's any striking to be done, said ghostly friend would do well to act upon the idiot who thought it was a good idea to go fix the root of his shed in the evening with the loudest blowtorch known to man. That thing sounded like an aircraft engine.

I keep telling you I was just born with it, how can anyone not think that a third party did not put this ball floating up in space? Anyways, if you think I'm crazy ask a few ppl you know that don't believe in God but got married in a Church. (that's always fun to see their faces and wait for their ridiculous explanation for that) at any rate being born feeling that there is a God is not a good thing when you are a disobedient person because it only leads me to believe "I personally" will be sent straight to Hell when I die...

As for you I think you need a good set of ear muffs from those neighbors of yours!

It's not even my direct neighbour, it's some idiot down the block. This is a neighbourhood with a heavy DIY populace, so there's always someone working on something during the day. But this thing was especially loud.

Took him forever to do a small patch of roof too.

Better to be hearing those types of sounds then sawed off shotguns and couples fighting and screaming etc. Where I live now I too have one annoying neighbor that seems to choose Fridays to pull out his chainsaw and cut wood or do some drilling but again I've heard worser sounds from neighbors in my past...

Semi decent tune I keep hearing lately all over (specially at the gym today I think they played it twice)

[link]

That one's been around for a while. I've played too many games and read too many books about "ancients", but the video seems to have some type of lore implied. As in, who are those giants at the end.

The sounds over here right now are kids in an inflatable pool.

Not sure about the vid, I just tried to drop the first link I could find to show you the tune. I've not heard anything decent over here on this side of the ocean for quiet a long time but that one seemed to stop me in my tracks cuz it's the only decent one I've heard lately. I basically like the girl parts and I think it's a violin that kicks on at about 3:00? Not sure what that is.

Kids in a pool over there on that side? I would think it would be cold as usual.

Anyways, me has been fighting a bad cold so I've been just hitting the hot sauna at the gym and trying to melt it out of me...

I've got a sauna right here. It's 29.5C in my living room.

Meanwhile, I got my t-shirt. For reference, front [link], back [link] (theoretically, it's still bagged, so I can't see).

But alas, it is too late. This heat is killing me. Farewell, cruel world...

Okay the front has some pretty decent artwork going on in it (I cannot deny it) but that price you paid is a bit much (I would of course rather buy a wristlet)

That shirt came pretty fast compared to most of your orders?

This is regular airmail, which takes about a week. I used to use the cheaper SAL (surface air lifted) for CDs and such, which takes about three weeks. However, SAL processing over here has been a mess since December, with no light on the horizon.

If I weren't operating in collector mode, I would never have paid that much ofcourse.

Meanwhile, I'm still dead. Now it's high temperatures combined with rain showers. Very humid. Very tiresome.

Well, glad you got it that would have sucked if you paid all the money and never rec'd it like some of your collector items that have vanished into think air in the past.

Weather has been extremely unusual on this end, cold, windy and dark billowy clouds. (Love it!!!!)

think = thin! where did that "k" come from?

Yikes! Behold perfect pink! [link]

And they sold out!!!

You've got to be faster. Check constantly.

I visit the official international three ninja every day to see if there are new t-shirts (there very rarely are, getting things from eBay is easier but more expensive).

New music time. Summer is upon us, so people pull out the usual Latin stuff: Nicky Jam & J. Balvin - X [link]

I didn't trust the website inventory so I called the store by me and they had one and reserved it for me and I already picked it up. Myyyy Preciousssss! (love it and it looks even prettier then the pic on the website)

Hmmm, that tune you dropped was VERY decent. We need more of those to tunes...

Doreen the bag hoarder.

That tune was like one in a dozen. Every year around this time, a lot of these songs suddenly show up. Suffice to say, I've forgotten the other eleven ones. Some other recent stuff from down south: Daddy Yankee - Dura [link] (828 million views in four months).

Nah, dat my dear was a killerrrr watch in the most sexy pink I've ever laid my eyeballs on and it's mine! All mine, my preciousssss (can't keep my eyes off of it) hard to find the right pinks (most pinks are tacky)

Anyways, me will check your link out after I get my groove on with this one yet again. They could play this back to back and I don't think I would get sick of it...

[link]

Fast forward ten years...

There are songs that have a similar beat to that one, but none come to mind at the moment, other than Truth Hurts - Addiction, but the beat is obscured there by the hook and the singing.

Lots of Cardi B playing on this side (sort of a Nicki Minaj wannabe) [link]

Anyways, me goes to try and wake up and hit the gym...

Lots of bad rappers on this side. And gutless softrock bands are not going away soon either. I moved from normal radio stations to pirate radio back in '91 and have never had the desire to go back (even if pirate radio has been a thing of the past few decades).

Seems there's only a few good tunes release once in a blue moon now. (and half the time they are just a remix of good tune from the past) pirate radio I can't listen to because I practically live at work and I can't play anything there because it's a stiff & stuffy office atmosphere over there.

I seriously do not like being a secretary but sometimes life just leads you on it's own path (at least the money is good)

Pirate radio was when local enthousiasts would fill up a tape, stick it in an auto-reverse player that was strapped to broadcasting equipment and an antenna up on a roof somewhere. The fun would last until the boys in blue would show up and confiscate the equipment. I've read some interviews with some of these pirates and in most cases it just became too costly to get new equipment.

Anyways, new music: Janelle Monae - Make me feel [link]. This sounds like Michael Jackson (Off the Wall era) had Prince (Kiss) produce him a song with Kelis on vocals.

hehe you could not have described that any more perfect. I'll simply describe it as cool and fresh...

It sounds like an 80s song. That makes it almost forty years past fresh.

More new music: OrelSan ft. Stromae - La Pluie [link]. It's been rather quiet about Stromae the past few years. But apparently he was (or still is) suffering from side effects from anti-malaria drugs which requires lots of rest.

What I meant was "that girl" is cool and fresh she seems to have no boundaries (crazy) when I listened to it I actually was wondering if she took some serious times to pin bits and pieces of past tunes that were hits to merge them into something crazy and current (which is basically a rip) but as I said earlier up there most are simply doing that these days but for "her" she did it in a crazy way I liked it, she's got more going on then the rest of the female singers I think as far as creativity goes.

/me goes check out your link...

Hmmm, dat iz goed. Smooth course I'm clueless what they are singing about but with a good tune you don't even need to know what the lyrics are...

What is it with all the man buns? That guy had man pony tails going on? hehe Mickey Mouse look?

We're back to the nineties basically. Plus seventies beards.

/me goes see if I still have all my fluorescent clothes from back then

I'm pretty sure you do. I don't change my cloths according to the trends, as long as there are jeans & t-shirt or sweat shirts around to buy I will probably die in them (unless I'm at work having to dress to impress)

I seriously need to dig deep today and find some decent tunes somehow, my playlist has a ton of dust and spider webs on it from such neglect!

My playlist has all kinds of things that get Doreens upset, so no sharing today.

The only fluorescent thing I still have is a bag I bought in 1989 which is bright pink and bright green. It's my library bag. I even got a compliment on it the other day I and was thinking "this is a worn old back in garish colours, not particularly stylish".

I think the compliment might have been made in joking? Or might have been made to speak to your character that you actually have enough nerve to be seen in public with something like that? hehe

There is this guy at work that has glasses with scotch tape around them and wears the same cloths all wrinkled (but clean) every day with tan shoes that are totally scuffed up and are about two inches too big that they actually slip off the back of his feet and clank on the floor when he walks around the building and about two months ago he walked by me and I said good morning to him (nice guy just very qworky) and another office co-worker walked by us both and looked at his shoes and said "nice shoes" I'm pretty sure the guy was being sarcastic but then who knows so I stayed out of it or I'd have possibly said a few sarcastic things to him in yings defense. Everyone is always talking bad about this guy, but the guy talks to me and he's extremely grounded (just totally qworky or something with his cloths and we all know it ain't a money issue)

And you can share your tunes I will "try" to refrain from rolling my eyes and saying any bad words over here on this side that you cannot hear. I'm not even sure why that annoys me sometimes. hehe

I actually have no mercy for you so I will annoy you with my worship tunes, something totally mellow but goed:

[link]

I keep hearing this girl (powerful voice) had to check her out, pretty good, just vocals and instruments, clean and unfiltered:

[link]

The overall impression I got from that comment was that she was somehow impressed to see a guy walk around with (essentially) a bright pink bag.

Onto your worship tunes, if I don't switch it off on the first three notes, the first one has a nice progression. But it falls firmly in the softrock category that gets played a lot over here. Needs a bit more of a punch.

Second one really has a powerful voice. Sounds a bit like a movie soundtrack under a dramatic scene (disaster happens and people go on a rescue mission). Would do a lot better without that keyboard.

The fact that you actually listened to it past the first three notes has put me into shock! As for that girl, I agree with you and I actually think she just might be a vocalist singer for movies (but not sure I was just trying to see who she was because her voice caught my attention)

Today, me needs some ghetto tunes, lots to do and too lazy to do it.

/me goes on the hunt to find some...

Happens every time, I got hijacked by YouTube. After watching a vid about Johnny Depps life and several skin, makeup and hair techniques I walk away yet without finding any decent ghetto tunes to take with me to the gym this morning so now I have to rely on the gyms overhead tunes (which are always hit and miss over there!)

YouTube thinks I should go watch bald-face Mr Depp too, but YouTube can go fly I kite. I'll go play some Lovebites instead.

I'd say that singer in your second video is the solist of her church choir. And I expect that in church choirs everyone starts at the same level, but if they notice you've got a decent voice and technique, they let you do solos. And it goes from there. If I recall correctly, Beyonce started like this as well.

Lovebites? What is that? Anyways, I got curious cuz Mr. Depp looked sick but turns out he is possibly prepping for a new movie or something.

As for that female singer I'd go hunt down if she was actually a backup vocalist in any movies but I'd probably get hijacked again. I think I have some kind of attention deficit disorder because I begin looking for one thing and get hijacked easily (but then again YouTube has some freaky stuff that pops up that you cannot easily ignore!)

One only needs to look at those commas and periods you drop to discern some type of attention deficit. /me runs...

Before I run, in the category "music Doreen will hate simply because it's Japanese women": Lovebites - The Crusade [link]. This particular EP came out this week, so I'm waiting for the thing to get shipped. It's a tad too bombastic for my taste at times (especially some of the tracks on their album), but decent enough usually.

/me tries hard to resist the urge to roll eyes (but fails miserably)

/me tries hard to resist clicking on that link (but fails miserably)

Either I'm too freaking nosy when it comes to you or I like to punish myself...

HA! My invisible friend saved me!

This video contains content from Victor Entertainment, Inc.. It is not available in your country.

You invisible friend has no class.

Today's adventures of crae: I'm riding to work this morning and I spot some dodgy fellow on one of my shortcuts and the guy yells "nice shirt bro" in English. It was my brand new way too expensive three ninja shirt, but I wonder if he really was complimenting the shirt or was going to follow it up with a dodgy question. Regardless, by the time I had parsed what he said, I was already at the end of the street, turning the corner.

The life of crae is an uneventful one and I'm perfectly happy with that.

/me ponders if God has class or not? Hmmm, I think God is spirit form that surrounds everything infinitely and has no boundaries therefore he (and I only say "he" cuz I'm thinking it's masculine or strong spirit form) it/he has no definitive personality traits. Plus, I wouldn't describe anything he's created as classy but more wonderful and mind blowing (like the universe)

Now that I've given myself a headache back to your exciting day, I'll assume that dodgy guy was only trying to get your attention and his next question would have been "Hey bro, do know where I can score some blow?"

Terribly dodgy questions.

This weekend is birthday hell. I've got three and am going to skip one, otherwise I have no free time whatsoever. Ideally, I'd skip them all, but then my mother would come over and drag me to whatever birthday I'd "need" to be at by the hair.

Enjoy, at least you will get some free cake out of it. I've got the usual hot date with some dirty dishes & dirty laundry and hopefully a trip to the mall to grab some things I really don't need.

I'd value my free time over bad cake.

Lately, I've had this song stuck in my head: Westbam - Celebration Generation [link] (1994).

Been ages since I've heard those beats (but it never gets old) I may take some of those tracks to the gym this morning.

As for the cake me totally agrees. It's even worse for me since I literally cannot keep it down. I get sick if I eat sugar for some strange reason (which is actually a good thing cuz my body protects me from eating junk)

Anyways, have fun mijn dutchy, so strange when I think about it when I'm getting up in my day you are kinda winding down on your side.

I'd need to wind up first before I wind down.

Looking at three new three ninja shirts, which are readily available (or at more than their regular shirts and at reasonable prices), but have the dullest designs ever. It's like their management is thinking, "let's save the good designs for the tours and give the rest simple shirts".

I shouldn't be buying into this, but I'm in collector mode.

Well, obviously you survived your party. (and back at annoying me with your obsession with those three ninjas again)

How many shirts do you need from them!

/me suddenly remembers my own purse collection and shuts up...

These are t-shirts #15, #16 and #17, if memory serves me well. I'll dig up some pics later, but they are really plain.

I skipped yesterday's party (I'm not wasting two days on bloody birthday parties), but I can't skip today's, so /me has to run

It wouldn't even be so bad if it was in the vicinity, but I've got to travel an hour and a half to get there. The whole day is wasted, grrr...

Probably right now you are eating your cake and having a good time Mr. Grumpy...

But yeah doing nothing is more my cup of tea too on my days off from work. I think it's just work sucks so much out of us we just want to be left alone during the days off, that's all it is. But it's probably good you went and forced yourself to have some fun dutchy.

Tomorrow afternoon I've got my Management Secretary III interview to get placed (banded) on the list. I need to spend today praying cuz it probably just means a higher level of stress that will go along with the higher level of pay (but I kinda like shopping a lot as you know)

There were a dozen screaming little devils running around the place and generally not knowing the concept of "sharing". Kid A plays with toy X, kids B through Z immediately want to play with Z as well. Crying ensues.

Also, "princess cakes" don't taste very well.

Anyways, good luck with your interview.

Hmm, not the kind of party I thought you'd be at. hehe

But in actuality adults are just screaming little devils all grown up.

Interview went excellent, now to get the AP and final score and begin the job hunt. To be honest, I never expected to get my application accepted in the first place and I'm okay where I am at but if my invisible friend opens up a door for me I normally drag myself through it kicking and screaming the whole way out of fear of the unknown etc.

Hurray, hurray.

Here's some crap music to celebrate: Clean Bandit ft. Demi Lovato - Solo [link]. This band specialises in god awful romantic pop tunes. I'm not saying this song is different, but it has a barking dog near the end, so they get a pass on this one.

I thought it was pretty good and I normally don't care for Demi Lovato but she seems to be getting better with age...

The only thing that makes it good is the barking dog.

Received my three zero effort three ninja pics. Let's see if I can find some decent pics...

Pentagram: [link], which is an odd choice, because there's no satanic imagery or lyrics anywhere. The print is actually bigger than this rendering and covers the full width. Completely generic. Could be any band.

Skull Sword: [link]. I have a suspicion how this was designed. "Here's a sketch of an idea I have". "Sounds like money. Print it". "But it's just a sketch". "Print it".

Pixel Tokyo: [link]. If my grandma was still alive and would knit me a t-shirt, this is what you'd end up with.

hehe! Come on you will not seriously wear that last one? That one sucks the other two up above are decent but nothing special like some of your other ones that have some cool graphic designing going on in them. I like designs that you can look at that swirl various imagery together in a way that you see something different when you look deeper into the design like hidden swords inside of a skull image or hidden skulls inside ocean waves etc. Those three are pretty simple. But then again you are a collector...

It's almost like they made some bad shirts for wide distribution (you can get these at random music merchandise shops, not through their own shop) and keep the good shirts holed up and exclusive for concert-goers.

I've walked around in the Watchfox shirt [link] which has a similar style to the Pixel Tokyo one, so I'm no stranger to wacky shirts.

Then again, I always was the odd one out (long hair, long nails) already.

Welll, actually I've been talking (typing) to you for so long I already know you are an odd one. But those look a bit too feminine the other ones look cool but those one's with the cartoon ninja girls are a bit much! hehe

What is it with the wolf? They always have that wolf?

See look? Here's one that is not too bad (but again has a wolf) I think it said Rose Wolf? [link]

It's a fox.

Once upon a time in a country far, far away, there lived a producer with roots in punk, rock and metal, who worked for a talent company. Within one of the company's talent pools he noticed a girl with a peculiar voice. The producer figured that this girl's voice was better suited for metal than the usual pop. He paired her with two angelic looking girls to offset the perceived anger of the genre and called this setup the "heavy music club" (the overall theme of this pool was "school" and in that distant country schools have various clubs).

Now, these three young girls knew nothing about heavy metal. Which is not surprising, because at that age kids only listen to kiddy pop and metal gets no airplay anyway. So he tried to explain them some of the concepts, like devil's horns hand symbol (based of an Italian gesture to ward of the evil eye).

The girls though, thought he was doing shadow figures and were imitating him, but instead of horns, they made foxes.

The producer went with this and over the years this involved into the lore that they are emisaries of the fox god sent to save heavy music.

"No way" you think and roll your eyes, but here's the story from the horse's mouth [link] (at 2:26, and the club story at 4:50), from back when they did appearances like this (early 2013). Switch on the subs ofcourse, since it's all Japanese.

Long story short, good t-shirt designers will pick up on band traits like this and incorporate a fox somewhere in the design. Bad ones, like the ones that did those last three shirts, will not.

You know what I think it is? I think that all those heavy metal dudes really like to play with dolls and this particular band allows their feminine side to be accepted without ridicule? I cannot even look at that band and listen to the obvious contrast and not think of only two words 1. Strategy & 2. Marketing

I don't feel true music goal intended there at all???

As for the Italian Horns my Grandparents wore them and had them hanging in their cars under their mirror, red ones gold ones I always thought it was totally ridiculous! (but they were the adults so I doubted my feelings) hehe

Anyways, I got so tired of going to gym and having to deal with the other people there that don't really go to the gym to workout and relax but rather for chit chatting and trying to pick up so I went and bought me my own treadmill and killer Infared Carbon Sauna! Now I can blast my own tunes and zone and don't have to deal with the nonsense. I'm soooo excited dutchy!

I can get my workout on and my sweat on I can't find the treadmill I bought but this is the sauna (I bought it at a different store on sale but this it is)

[link]

Found it, here's the treadmill: [link]

It's like total Heaven I already had the bike but I wanted the treadmill so badly, at the gym you have to wait on line to get one and you cannot concentrate on working out when other people start trying to talk to you and you don't want to be rude but come on how can you really work out and bust a serious sweat when you got a fly buzzing around in your face breaking your concentration? So annoying...

Doreen the hamster. I, who has never worked out a day in his life, don't understand the allure of gyms. The only people I hear talking about going to the gym are either horribly out of shape or budding bodybuilders.

That first group especially only goes to the gym to hang out and so they can say to their friends and colleagues that they've been to the gym. Bit like going to the pub, except this is supposed to be healthy. It's so insecere (I can't for the life of me remember how that word is spelled).

There's a gym around here with a fast food restaurant across the street. That can't be a coincidence.

Probably a bit different on this side over here in Cali most are pretty vain and hang out at the beaches etc. For me it has nothing to do with wanting to look good for anyone but rather to "feel" better and be healthy (been working out for over 10 years now) it helps me to relax that's all. The added benefit I get is the body is healthy but that is not my focus at all. (cept I always have chronic anemia)

When I use to have to run to the gym I had to get up way early in the morning to beat the herd and stampede that also run there early. Most of them are all showing off their bodies and trying to chit chat and pick up instead of focusing on working out so it got annoying. Plus in the co-ed sauna you get some creepy dudes and it just feels too close for comfort.

I love having my own gym now! Most awesome thing I ever had! So excited!!!!

Next up, your own sauna and your own bag shop and you'll never have to leave the house again.

Old song with a gym setting: K-Liber - Viben [link] (2004). These guys seem to have fallen out of sight. No idea what they're up to these days.

The problem with having such luxuries is that you actually have to work to pay for them which means you are hardly home to enjoy them as much as you would like...

/me goes check out your madness...

That's a pretty decent bust a sweat tune for working out...

I came across a great clip for anyone that played games in the late 80s and early 90s: m7kenji x Necronomidol - Skulls in the Stars [link].

The first Necronomidol track I heard was this one [link], but I was not too convinced. The singing came across as too contrived and did not blend that well with the music.

That Skulls in the Stars track though has better singing, although the mix is still off. Interesting enough for me to check out more though.

Not safe for Doreens for obvious reasons.

Okeee, that second one gave me complete nausea and a total tummy ache. (so much for dinner now)

There's an endless ocean of Music Not Suited For Doreens.

One I found yesterday: Yuzukingdom - Eyes shut tightly [link]. I'm not too convinced on the female vocals (the Yuzuki of the band name), but the rest sounds interesting enough. I need to check out more of their stuff (though here again, I did not like the first song I heard of them).

Ack! Dutchyyy!

Doreen - Ears shut tightly

More Music Not Suited For Doreens tomorrow.

As for today, Beyonce and husband made a tune together under a new name: The Carters - Apeshit [link]. The video is shot in the Louvre. Which only tells us they have a lot of money to spend. Also, if they go with Carters, does that mean Jay Z is actually Jay C?

I've no clue why I actually liked that one? Since I don't normally care much for either one of them. (not sure what is all the hoopla over them two?)

I did finally hear a killer tune yesterday on the radio but I did not catch the title of it and it was not by anyone I recognized.

Completely coincidentally, colleague played a lot of Beyonce and Jay-Z today. Most of it sounded a bit disjointed. Mr Z has never done anything interesting really.

Today's portion of Music Not Suited For Doreens: Broken by the Scream - Dodonpa!! (Live in Tokyo) [link]. Bandname forshadows the style. Four girls: two bad singers, one growler, one screamer. Awful choreography. Outfits look like they dragged four random girls off the street.

A bit too much screaming for my taste (pacing must be a foreign concept), but decent enough otherwise.

If I end up in Hell at the end of my life it would probably be a dark pit surrounded by such as them screaming and growling exactly like that.

/me goes slide into my sauna...

Hell is other people.

YouTube just shifted from Yousei Teikoku to Unlucky Morpheus [link]. The speed and intensity is there, the bass could be a bit more in the front, but I remain unconvinced about the singing (powerful, but a tad too dramatic). Guitars have that neoclassic vibe you'd find in Finnish stuff from the 90s. And that violin...

It's not really my thing. But then again, this song comes around a lot, so I'm a bit used to it now.

Minus the growling they are okay, and at least they know how to do their makeup pretty good. I've got the meanest Mr. Robot hangover this morning (was up until almost 2:00am binge watching Mr. Robot) I actually had to bite the bullet and get Amazon Prime to get all the seasons since nobody else had all the seasons. Not only is it full on engaging but it has killer techno and crazy bass as BG music (instead of the boring usual suspense sounds or whatever music they toss behind other shows)

If you can get over his psycho eyeballs you might get into it. (he got insect eyeballs) but he's an awesome hacker and he hacks to take down major corps & suits etc.

[link]

He got = he's got insect eyeballs (my fingers are still sleeping as well)

I only watch news and wrestling (and there's too much wrestling). Haven't seen a TV series in at least a decade. And that sneak peek is region blocked, so perhaps your invisible friend may not want me to see it.

Currently stuck in my head: Necronomidol - Ithaqua [link], with almost proper use of keyboards for once. I take people standing in the snow as an homage to Immortal, though in this case it may just be topical (Ithaqua is snow monster from early 20th century pulp horror stories).

Turns out this group was doing a meet & greet literally on the other side of the block from my office a few weeks ago. Uncanny. This is an omen that I should go buy their album.

Ack! Too early in the morning for that. And the spider on her face is ridiculous cuz if she were "really" going for it then it would be a tat not a plastic Halloween spider.

Doreen focusing on the important bits. I could use some of that snow here. It's scorching.

Here's some crazy bass: Ydizzy - not (dead) [link]

Of course, and as for that one the guy had a tat of lips cuz he could not get the real deal lips on his neck! Anyways, agreed, there was good beats & bass in that one for sure.

AS for you scorching weather? You are a wimp! You'd be dead if you were here on this side of the ocean because we are expecting triple digits of 106 this week. Thank God for air conditioning!

You know what? I think that tune was in this Mr. Robot thingie I've been watching.

Yikes! I made a mistake the news just said 109 I think I will start to swim over to you right now!

I've been in the tropics at way higher temperatures and that was way more bearable than a Summer day like this over here. It's the high humidity which makes it hard to cool off.

New music time: Band-Maid - Start Over [link]. Starting over is fine, but I'd say it's a false start. This is their dullest song yet. Soft rock drivel. That being said, I have this single on pre-order, so let's hope the B-side is better.

Oh Lord help me! You are seriously making me despise lil maid outfits really bad!

This has piano & worship (two things you jussss love) but no, I'm not trying to retaliate (Just what I happening to be listening to)

[link]

La la laaaaa!

The beard is strong with that one. Though I associate "Come as you are" more with a Nirvana song: [link]

So I check the US and UK three ninja shops daily in case anything new pops up, and even more frequent when I expect something to happen.

Checked just now. Hello, four new t-shirts in the UK store.

I won't celebrate until the package arrives here safe and sound. Last time I ordered from the UK store, they shipped with the absolutely rubbish (British) Royal Mail with no tracking. The package vanished into thin air and I've never seen that shirt for sale anywhere since.

Did you at least get your money back? You are definitely crae_zy...

Anyways, last night (July 4th) fireworks begun around 8:00pm and it was non stop war zone with m-80's and shotguns until 4:00am (Dexter was completed freaked out) and then the alarm went off at 4:30am to get up for work, needless to say how the day went with only 30 mins of sleep.

I thought you were living in a quiet neighbourhood these days.

Yes, I did get my money back that time, but I'd rather have had that t-shirt. This, by the way, also shows why having insurance on things you collect is pointless. If things burn down, you may get the money, but you can't go out and buy what's lost anyway.

I do live in a quiet neighborhood (normally all you hear is birds) but actually everyone at work said the same thing yesterday "This 4th of July was not like any other 4th of July" seemed like it was abnormally wild and loud and went on for hours and hours.

Anyways, I don't believe much in insurance you have to pay your insurance bill on time but when it comes time for them to pay you might as well forget about that. (nothing in this life will give you back the same courtesy)

/me comes to grab a bucket of ice from my dutchy, can you believe it's 118 (this is so ridiculous!)

Get your own ice!

Or in the first words my nieces seem to have learnt in kindergarten: "no, don't touch it, it's mine".

I woke up to someone in the neighbourhood doing business with some sort of stone grinder or cutter. It's an awful racket. I'd like to think that back in the day, before electric appliances were a thing, life was much quieter.

You are so stingy! It's so hot over here that even the birds are silent this morning? I am very familiar with hot but this is ridiculously hot! (I don't think it even dropped to the low 90's last night)

At least I'm not stingy! /me tosses you some ear muffs!

I've recently discovered what birds do all day.

I've moved to a new office at work and from there I can look down on the roof of a nearby building. There's a seagull family living there, two parents, two chicks.

They seem to be more cat-like than I'd expect. The chicks are usually sleeping in the shadow and one parent is around most of the time laying about a bit at a higher spot.

Well atleast you have a window and a view, where I sit I have to wear a jacket so I don't freeze to death all day because the air conditioner vent is directly over my head and there is not a window in site but if there were I'd get nothing done all day since I'd probably be staring at the trees and watching what the birds do all day such as you. hehe

Put a sun screen (the umbrella type) above your head and then wait to see if it sinks in with the rest.

Nah, there is nothing they can do for me the vent is over my head and my spot is permanent outside the door of the Division Manager etc. I'd rather be cold than hot if I had to choose but I have to keep coats or sweaters handy at my desk for those days it's blowing on full blast (which is now because of this massive heat wave)

But, the birds are back to singing outside so I will assume that the heat wave is almost over...

In the meantime, you should go build a snowman on your desk.

And in my meantime, I'm wondering why shipments from the UK always take forever. I want my three ninja t-shirts, damnit. I have next week of. Ten to one those shirts are going to be delivered the minute I walk out of the door (I always ship everything to work).

Too bad you can't order them through Amazon they have same day delivery! I'm one of those impatient ppl so I use Amazon alot (when I can) not all things I want are through Amazon though...

The thing with Amazon is that, well, there are multiple things with Amazon.

For one, they had a big office in my little cold frog country early this century. Yet, no shop aimed at this country. There's one now, but it only deals with ebooks and refers you to the German shop for everything else.

Two, they have beef with eBay and eBay used to own PayPal, hence Amazon does not support PayPal. Nor does Amazon support the payment method basically everyone here uses. I can pay with that in bloody China, but not at Amazon.

Three, what they do have going for them, is a lot of reviews. But they jumble those reviews across several types of the same product. That's a tad misleading.

Anyways, I got my t-shirts today, so all is well.

Shame you have all those issue with Amazon on that side of the globe. I not only pay a lot less for everything I would normally purchase but I get most things delivered the same day! I got my exercise bike through Amazon as well the sports stores wanted double what I paid for the same exact model bike!

I still need to hit the malls for select designer items but I pretty much always check Amazon first now.

Anyways, I was wondering if you got your delivery in time, I know what it's like waiting for stupid deliveries (I'm totally impatient)

The fun starts when you do international shipments. This last shipment from the UK to here spend half a week in storage somewhere. Completely unnecessary.

Airmail from Japan takes about a week.

You can use courrier services like DHL and the like, but then you pay a fortune, they prevent the customs delay by coughing up the import tax (at a hefty fee ofcourse), and in the end it still takes a week.

Domestic orders are usually next day or the day after. Which is fine. I ain't paying for same day delivery.

That sounds like a nightmare. (especially for a t-shirt) your ending up paying more for the shipping then the shirt!

With Amazon Prime you get free two day shipping and same day 3.99

Me and Sammy split the monthly fee $7.00 dollars a piece since both of us get our flicks free (like all seasons of Mr. Robot etc.)

and I figure what I save in shipping fees pays the membership fee 100 times over! I feel like I'm committing a crime or stealing or something the deal is so good.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy your week off...

The joys of buying obscure stuff online.

It's great that this is actually somewhat possible, thanks to internet, global shipping and global payment systems (I'd rather have local payment systems facilitated, but that's for the future).

On my plate of things to do this week is rewrite the chat backend of Tek, so I can use Cyrillic and Japanese and you can use emoji and we can type the accent droit on the second e of "Beyonce". That's my prime annoyance with Tek (even more so than the perceived inactivity, which is all on me).

However, I know better than to make plans for my holidays.

In reality, I'll probably be playing games all week.

Well have fun mijn dutchy, me goes jump into my day...

Holiday status thus far: playing games all day.

Not today, unfortunately, the household chores don't take care of themselves. We need some sort of sonic shower, where you just walk through a portal and all dirt falls off you and your clothes. Or you pass your dirty dishes through a sonic portal and they come out clean instantly.

Hurry up, science!

In the meantime there are paper plates but that gets tacky after a while. If you makes you feel any better you are not alone I'll be taking care of chores as well...

Paper plates are so wastefull. And they blow away. Was barbecuing on my balcony once and my paper plate (or plastic) flew off and landed in the neighbour's garden below. With the neighbour looking up with a bewildered expression on his face.

Just spotted myself looking at the clock to see how much time I had before work. Somewhere in the back of my mind the holiday spiriti is not awake yet.

Paper plates are wasteful? Washing dishes is even more wasteful! I have a dishwasher but though they come out looking clean they smell like a wet dog? Not sure if it's the water or what because I've tried buying the lemon and fresh scent dish washing detergents but still I always smell something on the dry dishes.

Anyways, I'm beat down from my day which translates into I will now veg on the couch and watch a few episodes of Narcos!

It could be the water. Sometimes hot water plain reeks.

Meanwhile, I was thinking of getting productive while watching wrestling (three and a half hour show), but it gets so scorching hot in here in the evening, that all energy is gone. Maybe I should go enroll in an old fossil house already.

hehe dutchyyy... Well most likely it's just the heat you are not used to. We've had a meannn heat wave on this side (been hitting triple digits) horrible! Though a lot of Californians are all loving it I completely despise heat waves. I only like to sweat in the sauna but when I come out I like to shower and feel cool and comfortable not hot and sweaty!

Been watching too many Narcos episodes that I go to sleep with this playing in my head all night... [link]

You just know Buena Vista Social Club is going to show up in the recommendations.

It was 29 degrees in the living room yesterday, now going by the name of "sweating room". But it helps if you put up a fan at eye level and point it in your direction. Doesn't take the temperature one bit, might even take it up a bit, but it feels quite a bit cooler.

I'm pretty sure my electric bill will be close to 200 bucks this month or more.

Anyways, it's Narcos time! Last night they killed Pablo Escobar and I figured it was finally the last episode but nope! Now it's on to the other cartel taking over! Only issue is that the Narrator speaks in English while I've got to read the Spanish subtitles but you get so caught up in the action you forget that your reading. I've been into Foreign movies for some reason and I was watching a Korean one that was pretty cool too "Train to Busan" ended up reading the entire movie and didn't even realize it because it was so awesome. (Korean zombie type flick)

Doreen discovers subtitles.

Always an odd thing to see people stumble over this. The alternative would be that they dub the voices, which is always awful (look at you, German TV).

Japanese TV has subs for native stuff too (due to homonyms), but I can't read it, because it goes at lightning speed. "What was this character again? Oh, it's gone already". Though I could make out 95% of a headline just now, only one word unclear.

When they dub the voices that is so insanely annoying to me I cannot even enjoy the movie at all so that never works for me so I'd rather read through the whole movie rather then be distracted by the sound of the voice not matching the character and the lips not moving correctly to the words.

Sometimes the dialogs are so soft I'm glad there's subtitles.

Anyways, the holiday is over. Productive days: zero, as it should be. Although, I did decalcify my water cooker just now.

hehe! Such accomplishments! And you did exactly what you should have done when off work "Nothing" (if of course that is what "you" felt like doing) so good for you!

Anyways, whilst on my journey on this side of the globe I've not yet found one (1) single thing that is perfect on this floating ball of dirt until today! Today I've found perfection in one single thing:

[link]

I'm going to predict the thing starts with a piano... /me clicks

Oh, so it starts with a guitar. This sounds very, very Coldplay.

I totally agree very Coldplay. I had to listen & watch that vid about 3-4 times to absorb all the sounds and tones and see every single part of the visuals in that vid it was so good. (plus my soul was parched & thirsty again, I keep running on empty)

Well, whatever motivates you is fine.

In my case it's so many ideas, so many things to do and so little time. Someone needs to go invent that time machine, so I can step out of time and get stuff done.

Not sure motivates is the correct word, probably comforts is a better word but it only comforts me for a few mins until the reality of this world creeps back in and overwhelms me, oh well such is life...

How was your first day back to work? Fun I'm sure. hehe

I don't even want vacations any more I just want to stop working all together (but my bills will disagree on that option)

They raised the retirement age to 67, so I've got a long way to.

We're having a heatwave here, so I took a thermometer to see how high it would go. 28 degrees, apparently. Come home and the living room is 30 degrees. I become very drowsy above 26 degrees for some reason, so these are fun times.

New music time.

Killer beats but not-save-for-Doreen due to Japanese woman sighting: kZm ft. 5lack (prod. by Chaki Zulu) - Wolves [link]. That gamelan... One of these kids is probably early twenties, but has the face of a fifty year old.

Half decent beats save-for-Doreens: Ariana Grande - God is a Woman [link]. At some point in time this girl is going to look her age (25) instead of a (early) teen. Probably when she drops the ponytail.

OMG! They raised it to 67! It's still 65 here (at least for me with the plan I am on) At any rate I still have way too many years to go as well, not as many as you but still way too many considering I feel like I'm done already, I've had enough of this playing servant for too many bosses, The very word Secretary has now become a vile word to me.

Today in Palm Springs we hit 122 degrees! I don't know Celsius? /me goes ask Mr. Google what 30 translates to...

Pfff 86? And you are cryin with 86? hehe

Strange that I never heard or seen that God is a woman vid (but all her tunes sound exactly the same)

I actually liked your Japanese vid better though why do all the chicks wear the same maid outfits? Ack! Can't they be a bit more creative with the cloths?

Doreen liking my Japanese tunes? The heat must be affecting my reading comprehension.

If I recall correctly, the area that video is shot in, is the "tech shop" area, with all kinds of computer and other hardware store, but also all the weird niche stores, and "maid cafes". One could derive a correlation between tech and weird hobbies, which probably wouldn't be too far off.

Meanwhile, I'm still melting here, and it's going be even hotter the next few days.

Same here dutchy, the heat is murder right now...

Okay, a tune to get busy today (off work today) here's a tune that "everyone" needs at some point and time in their life:

[link]

That Anne-Marie girl still has baby fat. I find it highly disturbing.

32 degrees in the living room now. /me goes play some Immortal to bring the temperature down: [link]

One of the many talents we females have is we can shape shift every 6 months throughout our lives.

Back on this tune at the moment: [link] Mmmm mmm mmm! I think this was the best tune I've heard in many years...

hehe you nut! I think I remember you used to listen to Immortal many moons back?

Immortal withstands the tests of time. Even though there have been some personnel changes as of late, with founder Abbath (the one with the cat-like triangular facepaint) leaving.

If that stupid shop would have just shipped my CDs two years ago, I wouldn't be so behind on their current status and sound. I have not bought any non-Japanese music the past two years, so it's long overdue.

But first this heatwave has to go.

Which reminds me, look at who's Abbath's posing with here: [link] (from 2016, if I'm not mistaken, the guy on the right is or was actually a school teacher).

/me runs

You mean the one on the right that has the lil Asian girl that is staring at him plotting an evil agenda?

Goes by the name "King ov Hell". Wiki has a whole section on how others from that scene consider him a "poser". Tsk, tsk...

New music time: Ali B, Ronnie Flex & Numidia - Meli Meli [link]. Mr B (in white with pony tail) is probably the prolific rapper in the country. Even my parents know who he is and they don't know any music beyond the 70s. Not that they know his records. They know him because appears as guest host in talk shows, jury member in talent shows (The Voice of X stuff), theatre tours, and things like that.

Every time I see Immortal it reminds me of KISS over on this side. (though they are totally different)

Anyways, that link you just dropped is a good tune, I saved a link you dropped a while back cuz I like it: [link]

The thing with Ronnie Flex is that I, for some reason, can't stand the guy. He's probably a fine and upstanding gentleman (who does too much drugs), but he somehow rubs me the wrong way.

Anyways, he is quite popular among the kids.

/me goes sit in the old people corner

Most the playas & druggies know how to jam (but that's about it) I'm almost certain with the type of music I listen to that I'd hate most everyone of them (having the exposure I've had to losers)

I always say that if you fail at life, you can always become a rapper. And if you fail at that, a communication consultant. I deal with the latter on a daily basis and they truly are the dumbest creatures alive.

What is a communication consultant? I've never heard of that title before?

I don't know the English term, so I'm just guessing. Hmm, I can't even find an English translation.

A "communicatieadviseur" takes care of communication activities and strategies in companies and government departments and such. So if you build websites for a living, like me, and your clients are in the NGO sphere, a lot of the people you get to deal with have this job description.

You'd think they'd be good at communication, deliver their stuff on time, know what they want and generally have their stuff in order, but in reality, they can't even tie their shoelaces. Ofcourse they do opinions on everything.

Sounds a bit like all upper Management? "Here's what I want, now you figure it all out and get it done!"

I'm a total organizational freak (probably even a bit OCD with it) but I need things in order at work cuz at any given moment everyone in the Division likes to ambush me exactly 5 seconds before they are running into their meetings with the usual "Doreen can you get me _____ for my meeting!?" I'm even a mind reader so I normally spy on what the meeting entails and have it on my desk so when they come up to me before they even ask I shoved it in their face. "Here! Now go, goodbye!"

That mind-reading is probably why they all want Dor_secretary. So many airheads making big decisions...

New music time. Slow romantic tunes seem to be in vogue.

Khalid ft. 6LACK & Ty Dolla $ign - OTW [link]. What struck me about this one is how that beard makes Khalid look like a penguin. Oh, and the oh so obvious Kodak product placement.

Aya Nakamura - Djadja [link]. Not much French stuff gets played here, so this one is a surprise. Bit low-key beat, but not too bad.

I fail to see the penguin resemblance but what strikes me the most is the dude with the dreads (dreads are ugly enough without tossing green on them too!) hehe!

Okay, second tune gets an A++ goed stuffezzzz!

Currently listening to Broken by the Scream, so I shall spare you. The sun is not sparing me, as the heatwave continues. /me goes melt...

Looks like it's going to be in the upper nineties today on this side, which is actually cooler than the triple digits we've been having. (but still sheer Hell)

/me longs for Oregon...

Maybe you need a "weekend house" in Oregon.

Current tune: Aldious - We are [link]. Bit of a bland track, the songs they released after this have more of a bite.

Umm, with it being a 16 hour drive I seriously doubt that (the drive is killer)

Anyways, onto semi zo zo tune: [link]

/me is crawling with this heat and I've too much to get done this weekend...

I might have the most dysfunctional YouTube feed ever cuz it takes me all over past and present and future at the drop of a hat! Took me back to when my eardrums first bloomed: [link] and then to the only group that was ever able to do the original any justice at all: [link] (not even sure which one I love best)

YouTube is acting scientient today. That Drake track popped up with a translated title, meaning that if it had not appeared in the actual video I wouldn't have known what the actual title was. And this is in private browsing mode (they can't build a profile on me), so this is what the average visitor over here would see. Weirrrddd...

Oh, and it was subtitled and the subtitles were right in the uncanny valley of "could have been right if translated with no regards to context, but really truly off".

I actually know that Ohio Players song, even if it's older than dirt. I don't think that genre ever got traction here, but this got played occasionally. Though I can't recall where.

/me watches the third video

On second thought, maybe it was the Chilli Peppers that popularised it...

Did a bit of detective work. Ohio Players have no Dutch wiki page. That does not mean they may have not been popular here, but usually it's a good indication of obscurity.

The video of the RHCP cover of Love Rollercoaster, which was part of a Beavis & Butthead movie soundtrack, apparently was regularly played by MTV over here in the late 90s, but ignored by radio DJs.

And the final piece of the puzzle, the original Ohio Players version appeared on one of the radio channels in GTA: San Andreas, which is probably where I heard it (since I play those games to death).

Curious how things spread these days.

Oh, and finally, "scientient" is ofcourse spelled "sentient".

I don't know what a scientient would be. The stuff of horrors perhaps.

I got turned onto the Ohio Players from some older players but even so, I myself am now getting old as dirt (but so is everyone else so who cares) at any rate to date I can still listen to them and nobody can touch them with that tune. I think they were sexy funk...

Only two from them that I liked and that was about it. Love Roller coaster & Sweet Sticky Think (which was a smooth, mellow tune and surprised me that the individuals I was hanging around with even listened to that)

You may be old as dirt, but little old me is still sixteen, even though I first turned that when the years still started with a one and a nine.

I let YouTube autoplay through the alt-idol suggestions it gave on Kaqriyo Terror Architect. 99% of that is absolute drek, but I found one killer tune, an interesting tune, and a so-so tune with great visuals.

Starting with the killer tune, absolutely not safe for Doreens: Minna no Kodomo-chan - Nakunaru Watashi [link]. If you ignore the corpses for a bit, they use two older tunes. The evil synth at the beginning is ofcourse Afrika Bambaataa's Planet Rock [link] (1982), which was sampled from Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express [link] (1977). The melody at the end is Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King [link] (1875, no typo).

Yeah right, I was hatched 196_ and you were hatched 197_ and I swear you are much older than me!

/me goes check out your crazy tune...

You are so weird, minus the visuals and the singing though it was zo zo...

Hmm, no sound on that last link dutchy?

Classical music is always very low volume (and then the loud parts happen right after you crank up that volume).

The interesting tune: Migma Shelter - Compression: Free [link]. You need a sub for this one. I played it at work and it was a bit flat there. I like the synth, I like the menacing bass. I don't know why you'd need seven girls in a band, but hell.

Nope, me cannot stomach it...

/me puts on a surprised expression

Third and final is the video with the visuals: BiSH - Non tie-up [link]. Musically this group is not very interesting. But the (rendered) backdrops in this video, especially the beginning, look great.

Umm, yeah right you like the backdrops. But, I will give them credit for the creative vid (that's about it)

/me wonders how much longer your Asian girl fetish will last...

I think Ken's lasted a couple of years? Oh boy, this is gonna be grueling.

While Dor_hater is busy hating, I've been so busy I've had three to four hours of sleep every day this week.

My words training program says I spend an hour and a half every day learning new words, but I think it's not keeping track all the time, because it feels like three hourse.

And to keep things interesting, my download computer decided to pass on from this mortal coil. Ordered a new and all parts are delivered except the hard drive, which for some reason was shipped from Germany with those UPS cretins who claim there's no one around while there's a full office of people, because I ship to work. Tomorrow I can cycle to the other side of town to go find the supermarket they dumped my package at.

But first I need sleep.

I can hear you snoring all the way over here! Anyways, on this side of the globe I've been doing rain dancing trying to make it rain and today it looked like it almost worked (but it just got cloudy and gloomy, still suffering with this stupid heat wave)

Everything but the hard drive!? Great, hopefully you will be able to track that down. Always fun to get a new computer (I like the new smell!)

I even got a legit Win10 license this time. Now I need to finish my breakfast and scoot over to the other side of town, while dodging all the raindrops.

Normally when a package is not delivered due to absense, the delivery guy leaves a receipt which you have to show at the pick-up point. But since this one didn't even bother to try, there isn't one. We'll see how it goes.

/me still needs sleep, but the body decided to wake up, so the mind can only follow

A legit Win10 license? Sheesh you really must be getting old? You mean you didn't even consider a pirated copy for even a split second?

And dodging raindrops!!!? Then that means I must be directing rain in the wrong direction! Argh! Still only clouds over on this side but it's teasing me that it could actually rain!

/me goes do some more rain dancing...

Did I somehow missed going here yesterday...?

I'm coughing like an old man, so that rain may not have been that benificial to me. The drops are hard to dodge. You always get drenched on the last stretch for some reason.

Machine is up and running, with that legit Win10 Pro. Turns out it runs fine without activation, but then you can't access the "personalisation" interface. Not that there's much to customise. The white window frames are still glaring.

Maybe I should go set up some monitoring, like Rainmeter to keep track of temperatures and drive health before this one goes poof too, but no time, no time...

Yes, you forgot about me yesterday... Get a car old man. Win10 sucks but I don't use my desktop PC like I used to in the past. Nowadays I only use it for my finances and to type something in Word (and of course visit you old man)

I think I just get so sick of using a PC at work all day. (I use my phone when I still get my itch to customize things)

At any rate, hopefully you got a good new toy that will last you and hope you feel better...

Previous one lasted six years. Although I had to replace the drive last year. 24/7 activity is hard on these machines.

New music time: A$AP Rocky ft. Skepta - Praise the Lord (Da Shine) [link]. Bit of a US/UK crossover.

That's not too shabby plus they also managed to catch a killer lightning strike in the sky at 0:52 in that vid (what are the odds of that)

I don't know what happened to my PC but over the course of 6 months it's been going slower and slower and I keep having to restart it to get my finance data file to open and of course when I restart it then it takes 15 mins to fully load! So I just reset it back to factory settings (first time I've had to do that to it and it's been about 3-4 yrs) but, it feels squeeky clean and fast and I don't hear the boogieman running around in the background anymore! Hooray!

Yeah, but that's weird though. You must have accumulated lots of cruft over the years. My machines usually die of old age (hardware failure).

Even with legit sites these days not even the trash sites you get a tidal wave of advertisements and popups all over the place. (even the banking sites) so there really is no escaping it you need some popups to maneuver payment sites etc. But such is life...

I can already hear the boogieman running around but it could be the default virus scanner or a windows update, who knows, I've no time to get paranoid about it.

I'll go out on a limp and guess it's Windows "it's 2018 and I still can't update your files without having to reboot" Update.

/me no get no pop ups or nasty stuff, me has uBlock Origin and NoScript running

And of course just to come here I had a ton of updates to install and reboot twice. Freaking nightmare with these stupid updates and my machine was squeaky clean and loaded perfect before the updates!

/me goes see what that uBlock is...

So, why hasn't anyone ever told me about RGB keyboards before? Check this out: [link]

Question is if I want to go shelf out $140 to get one.

I not only have the Keyboard but the mouse pad and mouse as well but they are all by Razer (Mamba) last night I had to re-download the Razer Synapse software because of resetting my machine (pita!)

But as far as getting one I can tell you though they are totally cool I'm never even playing around with all the reasons I bought them for! I don't have time. You can customize the colors and the waves of the colors and other users upload a ton of their customization to the site to share as well.

I have the Razer Mamba Tournament Mouse & that Mouse pad: [link]

As for my Keyboard it's also RGB but I wanted a roll button for my volume control (for when I need to listen to my tunes)

I went with Logitech: [link]

I originally had the Razer Keyboard but it sucked. The Logitech is awesome! (and cheaper) so Sammy got my Keyboard now.

I was going to jump back into WOW but I don't have time for anything! I'm a slave to responsibilities day and night never anytime to play...

And you got The Division with that keyboard (of which the demo looked fine, but I've been hearing bad things). I think I'll just get a Corsair K65: [link], which looks a bit bizarre. Though I do wonder how high it is. I never sit in a proper typing position anyway, so it probably doesn't matter.

At work, because the party keyboard is going to be for work, I currently have the volume mapped to Win+PgUp/PgDn through this little skinnable app [link] (with no screenshots on the site).

Doesn't look bizarre at all to me. But don't buy it until you actually try typing on it first, they all have a various tactile feels to them. (I like a bouncy feel to my keys) and then they have various "sounds" to them so some of these keyboards are noisy and some are completely quiet and you hardly feel any of your keystrokes. I hate the super loud ones but those seem to have the more bouncy and fluid key strokes. The one you showed has the volume buttons (most do) I wanted the "wide roller" that you can see on the upper right on my keyboard so I can slide my volume more precisely instead of having to adjust my volume in specific increments. Yes, I'm a picky pita (hard to even live with myself at times) hehe

Hmm, on your last link I only see "coming soon" for the skins section. I would not use something like that only because I would never have the time to skin it and I could care less how my volume looks but rather how it functions. I only see my slider GUI (which is half the size of a stick of gum) pop up on my screen for a split second when I roll my volume button and then it disappears.

Let me see what you end up getting but please go check out both the Razor Mouse Pad and their Tournament Mouse they are both awesome!!!!!

I have on all three of devices the multi color soft wave that all flow in sequence. There are hundreds of user configs to download though for each device that have some pretty cool combos and dancing sequences for each of the lights.

That's all fine and dandy, but... I don't use a mouse. I use a tablet (for the past er, twenty years, eek).

My old desktop has a backup mouse because that machine has flaky hardware and randomly forgets about the tablet driver. So I use the mouse to click on the tablet driver installer and then go on my merry way again.

My TV computer has a mouse, but that is only do move files and start what I want to watch.

I'm also not the try-before-buy type. I'm more the buy-oh-well-better-luck-next-time type.

I will buy certain things before trying them but a keyboard I need to "feel" no way I'm dishing out that kind of money and get the thing and not like the way it "feels" and I cannot imagine using a tablet instead of a mouse that must take some serious mad skills. hehe

Tablet is much easier than a mouse, if you think about it. Top left of the tablet is the top left of the screen, bottom right of the tablet, bottom right of the screen. You never have guess where the pointer is at. And you never have to do that rolling motion to get the pointer to the right position.

It's also probably why that stupid Google ReCAPTCHA thing (the "I'm not a robot" checkbox you see on certain sites) always thinks I'm a bot and then I have to go click on pictures of shop signs again.

A mouse is only better if you need very precise movements (I have shaky hands).

New old music time, 100% guaranteed Not Save for Doreens.

I've been playing this one a lot lately: Minna no Kodomo-chan - Futari wa nakajoshi [link] (2017). That silly dance they do halfway in has sold me on this band, so I ordered the album.

Musically, you need to look past the superficial layer. In that respect, it's not that different from the demons in forests genre (which I need to go pick up one of these days, I'm two, three years behind).

What! No lil maid outfits? And I only watched it to see what dancing you were talking about of which I seen no dancing at all, only hopscotching...

Anyways, I would think with your shaky hands a mouse would be more steady for you then a pen? I remember you mentioning you used a tablet many moons ago but I though only for drawing. I still cannot imagine using a tablet for everyday use. I wuv my glowing mouse. The Mamba has more precise settings so it glides smooth as silk (doesn't skip or jump at all)

That whole skipping thing is brilliant. Such a simple, silly dance. I play that song all the time (like, right now).

Tablet is better for drawing and general use. Mouse is better if you need to drag things around very accurately.

I need to go check out and order that keyboard in a bit.

More new music time, again 100% Not Safe for Doreens: Broken by the Scream - Sayonara Birthday [link]. Not a particularly good song. Feels very disjointed. But they've stepped up their visual and choreo game though, and the growling/screaming is still great. I have their album on pre-order, should be out somewhere this week.

Ack! Definitely not safe for me...

I don't even see wacom tablets for drawing anymore come to think of it because now they have tablet laptop thingies that come with a pen so I think those wacoms are stone age now. (a thing of the past) if they even still make them?

Everyone doing creative things uses a Wacom.

I got my keyboard today. The open frame is quite a strange sight. It types just as good or bad and my old Dell keyboard. Front is higher, so that's going to take a bit of getting used to.

The fancy effects only work if you keep the (massive diskspace eating) software running. Otherwise, you only have static lights. And just light skinning, I only looked five minutes and am already looking into the limits of what's possible.

Coworkers are jealous and my boss called it a "whore keyboard", so it's having the desired effect.

It's so odd that the brain signals the fingers to type one word and a completely different word comes out. And ofcourse I only notice after submitting the form.

/me goes sulk on the couch and play more Minna no Kodomo-chan

I still think you should have gone down to the electronic shop and tested out all the various keyboards and felt them out before selecting one. As for the mouse and mouse pad it would have been okay to shop online but you didn't want those anyways but there are a ton of these keyboards with various switches and features it's unbelievable! The only thing about mine that I don't like is the noise when I type but my nails make noise anyways when I type so it wouldn't have mattered if I got one that was more quiet.

Why does your boss call it a whore keyboard? hehe

(probably cuz you have it glowing red?) Try the multi-color wave it's awesome!

Because it's flashy, gaudy and gary.

For some reason the official software can't make the lights follow the music (well, it can, but only if you use special Corsair headphones). Installed a crazy buggy third party tool that can, and now my keyboard is a spectrum visualisation of whatever I'm playing.

As it should be! Glad you got it working. I don't have mine set up to dance but then again I'm easily excited so my multi-color wave is enough to keep me happy.

I'm concerned the left half of the keyboard will burn out (because of all the bass tones in the music), so I had the lights off the entire day. And the fact that you have to keep the software running for the effects to work.

But there's probably more that gets handled by the computer than the actual keyboard itself. I still have my old keyboard hooked up and accidentally hit caps lock on the new keyboard and the indicator went on on both keyboards. This suggests that it's the computer that signals caps lock is on, and not something the keyboard can determine by itself.

There ain't no bass tones in that lil Asian doll tunes you listen to so don't worry so much. Enjoy the keyboard and stop worrying so much about breaking it! And the only thing the caps lock key is good for is frustrating me to death when I'm typing in passwords.

I've been playing nurse for my Dexter (he has an eye infection) which I think is due to the air conditioner being on constantly from this murderous heatwave on this side now for months because he sleeps by the vent. Hopefully it will begin to cool down...

/me sends healing vibes to Li'l Dex

Those airconditioners are murder. We had a heatwave here a few weeks backs and some of my less resilient colleagues put the AC one. And when they do they close the windows. But these devices only suck up the air in the room and spit it out cooler through filters that have not been cleaned since the bloody things were installed twenty years ago.

Needless to say the air is foul and everyone's been coughing. And in my case I'm a little bit more susceptible to dust and pollen floating in the air, so I've been coughing for weeks now, even though the heatwave has been over and they've been off.

Next time I'm keeping those windows open.

Not much else you can do but put the air on just to survive when you hit 112 and above on this side. You cannot breath or sleep so you have to put it on. If I hadn't Dexter would have died with his thick fur. Today looks overcast and feels different so I think the heatwave is breaking (I hope) I don't believe I've ever been in a heatwave that lasted so long with no break in between, literally I've had the air conditioner on for months. (that's how bad it was dutchy) I don't function in triple digit so it was almost the death of me!

I have to share some good news with mijn dutchy. Remember I told you I applied for the Management Secretary III, I rec'd my notice in the mail that I passed the exam and scored a 100% so I hit band 1. First time I ever get a 100% (I normally hit band III)

Back to being nervous & excited...

I don't know what all that means, but hurray, hurray!

On an unrelated not, cats are originally desert creatures. They can deal with heat. Then again, Li'l Dex is the product of generations of misbreeding for questionable esthetics, so he may not be as sturdy as an a normal cat.

When it's warm, my trailer trash cats usually randomly drop on the floor whenever they find a cool spot and then stretch out (while keeping an eye on me ofcourse).

It basically means more dinero (and more stress & headaches IF I choose to take that promotion at some time in the near future)

As for cats being desert creatures? That I did not know, with the fur God gave them I would assume the opposite? Dex does not have normal fur or normal nasal passages so he suffers in heatwaves really bad.

They'll say "Doreen, take this job" and then you'll scream and squirm and in the end you'll take the job anyway.

All mammals have a fur, except for the hairless apes that run this planet and the descendants of the big land dwellers that went back into the ocean. Oh, and various "naked" species, called thus because no having a fur is uncommon.

Crap new music time: Martin Garrix ft. Bonn - High on Life [link], and in 4k even. This empty drivel is what's popular with the vapid crowd. Suffice to say, I'm not a fan.

I'm not too sure yet, it depends on where the offer is. If it is going back to downtown Los Angeles then it would have to be a position that is super easy or forget it (I hate commuting to Los Angeles) And I won't accept it where I currently work so it just depends on the Department and the location etc. For now it was a gift just knowing I passed with 100% and landed in Band 1 so I feel good about that, if God opens up a really good door and someone makes me an offer I cannot refuse then I will not be stupid enough to refuse it.

And I don't think all mammals have fur (cuz whales are mammals)

/me goes check out your crap new music (I bet I will like it)

Ok, you were right, crap and boring...

You missed the bit where I said except the creature that went back into the ocean. The predecessors of whales where big land dwellers, like elephants.

New music time, (people acting like) screaming monkeys and midgets: SBMG ft. Boef - Lit [link]. I have no idea what's going on in that video, but it sounds like a typical SBMG track.

Just be happy that I at least knew a whale was a mammal okay! Boy you are annoying!

/me likes SBMG stuffez so I will check dat out...

Yup, yup goed stuffezzz, as expected. What do you mean you have no idea what's going on? Crazy party circus and twin midgets getting stoned (that about sums it up) hehe

Their tunes are always crazy...

Crazy circus party with lots of smoke for some reason.

I think I heard some other new stuff this morning, but my memory is not particularly forthcoming as to whether or not that was actually the case.

Mijn dutchy that seems to be the case with me as well, I'm so distracted with the business of life and responsibilities I cannot even enjoy music like I used to (cept when I'm driving to and from work) but then I'm not always able to catch the name of the tunes (and most of everything is replays or sucky tunes)

For me I almost got my kids out of my hair and when I took my Mom I took 100 steps backwards. Yes, I would do it again but I'm finding it to be quite the biggest challenge of my life yet.

The difference is that you don't have to take care of your mother. Assuming she is in good health and does not need looking after.

Aside from tunes from the Orient, which are all not safe for Doreens, the only time I hear stuff from over here is when I'm eating my breakfast and MTV actually plays videos.

What does happen is that I buy the CDs, but I don't really listen to them. I usually have YouTube on in the background and that's a limited set of videos.

No I don't I just have to constantly clean up after her! And I mean constantly! (she is not obsessive like me about a clean house)

My mother used to obsessive clean the toilet after my (late) grandmother had paid a visit. My house is covered in thick layers of dust, so I certainly did not inherit that trait.

Maybe those things skip a generation.

Well, I expect that of a man but not really of a female. My Mom has always been about fun first and work last...

Society's gender expectation are not decrees. In the end you have your own priorities and make your own decisions. My sister is just as sloppy as me, if not more.

In your case, I see it more of a matter of not having a place to yourself anymore. Maybe you should go build a cabin on the roof and feed the pigeons.

Sometimes you have to make tough decisions and take a leap of faith that God will take care of the rest and with each challenge you learn alot. I'm going to be super smart before I hit the grave...

I'm going to be death when I hit the grave. The rest is up in the air.

Unnecessary cover of the day: Kris Kross Amsterdam x The Boy Next Door ft. Conor Maynard - Whenever [link], which adds little to Shakira's breakthrough single (outside the Latin world). How many years ago was that already...

Hmm, since we are already fast approaching 2019 I will say 18 yrs. And they didn't do a bad job with that remake, but who is that? Is he a dutch Justin Bieber?

With a name like that he can only be British. He makes songs like this: [link] (which is six years ago already, time flies).

Speaking of the Bieber, I hardly recognised him in this song: DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper & Quavo - No Brainer [link]. That Khaled fellow manages to make even worse songs than Flo-Rida and Pitbul.

He seems to be all over mixing it up with other artist similar to timbaland. (which I wonder what happened to him)

Timbaland is even more missing than Missy. But that is just the way these things go. What happened to Quincy Jones, or Li'l Jon as producer. Or if I hear an 80s track and don't know who it is, odds are Hall & Oates are behind it. Haven't heard anything of them in ages.

Well as for Missy last time she showed up at a superbowl halftime show over here on TV I didn't even recognize her!

When I first seen her she had super short hair and was pretty heavy then years later she showed up somewhere 100 lbs lighter and her hair down to her butt. (most like those hair pony tails everyone is wearing who knows) but then look at Janet Jackson who feel off the face of the earth and then recently came back with a new single after she had a baby at 50! Strange!

feel = fell (long day and my fingers are off duty now)

I'm sure it's not your cup of tea and I've not really had much time to really check it out but Janet popped up here:

[link]

Her nose seems to be sinking into her face.

Not a very good song. After one minute I had the feeling I had been listening to it for half an hour already and I had two and a half minute to go still. It seems to be chorus, chorus and more chorus. Sounds like a Janet track alright, but that reggaeton beat adds nothing. Her older songs had much more interesting beat and bass.

hehe (you mean like her brother Michaels did?) anyways, she was never your cup of tea but I like a couple of her tunes back in the day. I was just surprised she sprung up out of no where again with that single. I think she recently had a nasty divorce right after she gave birth to her baby or something so she is just using music career as therapy (most likely)

This was about the only one I really really liked out of all her tunes: [link]

I can't recall that one (and I think they sampled Chic in there). I was thinking more Rhythm Nation era material: [link] (1989).

Michael went severely downhill after the Bad album.

This was the only vid I liked of Michael's tunes. (I've never really cared for his music)

Okay where did my link go! Let me try again: [link]

You mean you skip all this work and then pic the so so duet with his sisters. Tsk, tsk...

I'll throw in another Jackson with track from the 80s: Jermaine Jackson & Pia Zadorra - When the rain begins to fall [link] (1984), which always felt like a movie thing to me. Great for when it's pouring.

I must have somehow missed that one. Definitely has a musical/movie vibe to it. But totally corny and bad in soooo many ways! hehe

Was that his first and last music vid?

It's the only song of either of them that I know. Pia Zadorra is an actress, but I'm not aware of any of her movies or series. Jermaine Jackson also did... /me checks wiki... a lot apparently, but I don't know any of it. All early 80s material.

It's been a crazy few days including being in the middle of one of those active shooter things (and on a day I decided not to wear my gorgeous bullet proof vest to work)

Anyways, all is well just been a yuk few days and life has not been nice but then again I didn't catch a bullet! hehe

I guess I should be thankful...

The good news is you survived.

So I was thinking of looking up some songs with gunshots, because that is how I roll, but lucky for you nothing came to mind. And then it struck me: Gloria Gaynor [link] (1978).

I would have thought in that case you would drop a link for Shot Gun: [link]

(though they never told us what kind of gun it was)

And no way in Hell will I click on that Gloria Gaynor link because it will chase me in my dreams tonight.

/me smacks & kicks you!

That Shotgun track does not ring a bell. Sounds a bit like a Cosby Show theme (or any random other 80s sitcom).

I had totally forgotten about the other shotgun song, Yellow Claw [link]. Haven't heard anything new of them lately.

Kind of an anthem for Cholos over here: [link]

I heard this one on my way home today and had to Shazam it and grab it: [link]

Piano and violins, and some guy singing Coldplay style...

That Cholo guy has no voice for rapping, but the beat is good.

I only dropped that Cholo link because I was referring to the previous post about that Shotgun tune. The Shotgun tune is as old as the hills but it's basically an anthem for cholos and I was trying to give you a point of reference. hehe

This might be a better reference (and it's as old as the hills as well) I actually cruised that Boulevard myself in my young and stupid days since I was circled by wolves and it's only a hop skip and a jump from any neighborhood around here but they shut it down at 8:00pm from all the gang bangers [link]

I'm getting severe disco vibes from that movie trailer. I'd say that's one part of culture in your part of the woods that rareless gets attention on this side of the pond. I basically only know about it from 90s hip hop like Cypress Hill and ofcourse games like GTA (specifically San Andreas).

Anyways, the climate here is unfit for people hanging on the streets most of the year, so we don't really have that. Though I did seee some guy driving around in a convertible last week.

It could might as well be possible that we do have it and I just never noticed it (but unlikely).

It's a good thing you don't have it over there since there is nothing good or safe about it. Plus you dutch drive around on bicycles so how can you cruise a boulevard on a bike in the rain or snow! hehe

I think the way of life around here is driven basically by the temp (it's just so hot over here) people tend to get a lil crazy when the temperature is so high it just affects moods and actions etc.

Alot of the cruising has died down these years because there is way too much gun activity so if they shut down certain streets at 8:00pm from all the low riders etc it's been phased out. (which is a good thing) there are still car shows now but they are for the older crowd that show off their rides and have competitions etc.

Had my Mom not brought me over to Cali from New York when I was so young I myself would have never had the exposure I've had in my life to this craziness but like I said before there are things in life you don't have much control over.

If your Mom brought you over from the Netherlands to Cali you too whether you like it or not may have had the same unfortunate exposure (be happy you have the boring life you have) I think it's a goed thing!

I might have ended up in some county secretary position. /me runs

I started GTA5 yesterday (I'm years behind on games, because they take forever), which takes place in a Los Angeles-like city, so I'm virtually cruising your neighbourhood.

We have male secretaries so laugh as you may...

/me goes look outside for a dutch guy outside cruising on a bicycle...

If you see someone going through the street at high speed, crashing into everything (because everything in that game always swerves into my trajectory for some reason), that would be me.

This game is the reason me driving cars went nowhere. Speeding, tailgating, cutting corners.

Get your butt to work and stop playing that GTA! If I have to work so do you!

I've actually never tried that game, though I've not had time to game it as you know I'm more into those drive on dragons or fly around without needing a car. Probably cuz in real life I'm already driving around in a real world GTA atmosphere for reals!

You've mentioned it before, but it would probably be like ordinary life. It would probably hit too close to home. The game is a bit of a parody, with dark humour. Atmosphere is usually very good, though I'm not quite feeling it in this one yet.

I have the week off, so I can do some more virtual speeding.

Speaking of speeding, new music time: PassCode - Taking you out [link]. This is a tie-in to some video game. Four sharply dressed ladies from the land of the rising sun, which instantly disqualifies it for Doreens.

The screaming is interesting. It's a bit too abrasive on its own, but she mixes it with a couple of other techniques, like the bit where it sounds like she's clappering her teeth. Very strange, but works well.

The singing is no good. The keyboard is no good either.

The bass in the bridge at 1:40 reminds me of Morbid Angel [link] (1993). The entire bridge is awesome anyway.

Ack! *shivers* pacman vibes vs lil school girls (in their school girl uniforms)

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the sounds of construction. Somewhere down the block someone is doing some heavy drilling and my neightbours are having their roof done, which means the construction workers are walking on my roof all the time (same roof, but mine is not getting done).

Some coordination would have been nice, but both home owner associations are in coma.

I get that as well, on my days off it almost seems as if my neighbor decides to cut wood or do some sort of drilling right next to my bedroom window. He can't do that mess when I'm at work! (He's retired he can do that stuff anytime he wants!) Argh! Don't even get me started...

I can only imagine how it was back in ye olden days, before motorised equipment, when people had to do things by hand. Which reminds me that I have laundry to do (read: put it in the washing machine, I'm not doing that by hand).

Some more PassCode: Tonight [link]. This, beyond the intro, is "drive your car against traffic at full speed" music. And I'm intrigued by that structure they're standing on. Looks like an elaborate lookout point.

Yeah right your intrigued by the structure they're standing on? Anyways, I'm thinking it's a rich person that has way too much money and decided to build a party platform for entertainment purposes...

Big ass tower structure taking up a lot of area. And it's only stairs with small platforms (and in need of some maintenance, going by the paint job).

The comments on the video are not helping.

Looking for "stairs platform overlooking sea" is not helping either, but I did find this crazy wedding chapel: [link]

Aha, found it: [link] Apparently, it's a viewing deck from 1971 in the middle of nowhere.

That's a beautiful wedding chapel (most likely only for the rich and famous)

The viewing deck is a strange one but I still think someone with way too much money that was completely bored decided to build it for the fun of it or possibly a tax write off? Who knows...

Or some government official had a cousin with a construction firm that had some downtime.

New music time: Necronomidol - Strange Aeons [link]. Very well done video. But contrary to what some people think, I'm here for the music. And the music in this song is, well...

Remember those 80s TV series (usually detectives) where whenever there was a plot around an artist, there would be a scene where the artist had just finished performing, and you'd hear the last few bits of the song and that song was the blandest of the blandest middle of the road music possible.

That's the impression I have of this song.

I'm off this week to mellow out and relaxxxx and currently enjoying a few tunes from For King & Country - Amen

All the ppl say Ahhhmen! Ahhhmen! All the ppl say Ahhhmen! Ahhmen, Ahhhhhmen! Mmmm

Anyways, me covers her eyes and click on your link so I don't get too annoyed...

Okeee, nevermind covering my eyes didn't work I already got annoyed and I'm off to mellow out and relax so I'll skip that link. hehe!

/me jumps back on my Amen tune: [link]

All the ppl say Ahhhmen! Mmmmm so goed!

First fifty seconds are decent, but then it turns into a cross between Coldplay and a church choir. Odd video dimenstions too, by the way. Movie style ultrawide.

More bland music, Muse - Something Human [link]. Much more subdued than previous Muse songs, which were all bombast.

I've not been able to stop listening to them. I pretty much like everything they've done (with the exception of about two)

This one you have to listen to with a good sounding headset to really appreciate how clean and versatile their sounds are: [link]

(their instrument blending is outstanding!)

Boy that drum in that one takes me off to Jupiter! I bought all their tunes. (with the exception of two of course)

Alright just checked out your Muse tune and it was so so (but the vid was pretty cool)

That King & Country one works quite well musically. Bit folk style. The singing is far too weak for my taste though and it doesn't flow well either ("thou" is not a melodious word).

Also when they crowd starts singing, why do I only hear women?

I didn't even notice that? hehe

Anyways, no growling in their tunes so it's not your cup of tea.

Nobody, nobody, nobody sees you nobody, nobody, nobody will believe youuuu, God only knowsss... Mmmmm

[link]

This one builds up to something, but never reaches whatever it's aiming for. Very mellow song, Dor_softie. Selfie stick angle is nice, but could use some stabilisation. I feel like I'm on a ship at sea watching that.

Once again, no growling so I didn't expect you to like any part of it. hehe

(I love it!) anyways, today no tunes, there is some political trial on TV that I'm trying to see what is going on and from what I gather it's just another one of those guys (political or not) that thought he had a right to think with his penis instead of his head at some point in his life...

And he's probably going to get away with it, because his cronies have a majority of seats and run this investigation. It's really sad that it's about power and spiting the other party these days and not so much the good of the country.

Anyways, some old good stuff I discovered recently: Zomby - Spliff dub [link] (2007).

Everybody has their own agenda, nothing is for the good of others. (such is the way of the world)

Anyways, seems the trial is still continuing? I should not judge but the fact that he refuses to take a lie detector and she does not, and the fact that the only other witness that was in the room (his homeboy) won't testify seems a bit off.

/me goes grab a bag of popcorn for breakfast...

Can't help it! I have to watch this!

Doreen watching politics? Now I'm certain you have been bodysnatched.

Yes, I'm watching it but I still don't understand anything about it!

If you are going to listen to that dub you need to toss some string in there and make it sound right...

[link]

Now that is so beautiful I could literally listen to that the entire day...

Yikes! Dirty, sexy, classy! Check this out dutchy! [link]

Look at that black violin! That's insane!

Problem is, you could mix in Justin Bieberlake and it would not feel out of place.

The violin is a very dominant instrument. If you use it, you have to balance the sound, otherwise it's all violin all the time (grating). Heidevolk knows how to do it right: [link] (they also know how to do double vocals right).

I'll have to agree with you that is perfect, drums and all, just about all the sounds blend perfectly...

I need to go check if they have a new album out. Funny, I bought their first album from their very own site, long before they had a record deal. I'm usually Johhny Come Late in these situations.

Anyways, Winter is approaching. The sun sets somewhere between seven and seven thirty now. So it's eight o' clock now and I'm typing this in pitch dark because I'm too lazy to flick on the light, which should have gone on automatically.

/me gets off the couch and kicks the light switch

Almost 6:00pm on this side of the globe right now and still plenty of hot sweaty heat shooting at me from that ball of fire! I cannot wait for this stupid heat to end. It was the worst summer yet!

I'm a fair bit more to the north, so it gets dark here early. No heat either, it's thoroughly autumn, with dark, cloudy skies, rain and lots of wind.

Anyways, I heard the time switch flick on, but the lamp that's hooked up to it did not go on. When I flipped the switch on and off, the lamp went and stayed on. Translation: I need a new timer switch.

I have a couple of lamps on timers so the cats aren't in the pitch dark when I'm not around. Oh, and because I'm lazy, maybe.

God has finally answered my prayers or my rain dance is going to pay off because I see cloud coverage finally. (relief is in site!)

/me did not get the request, but sends clouds anyhow

New music time: Band-Maid - Glory [link]. I'm wondering if I missed an album or single preorder or something, because I was not expecting a new song. They crank out songs really fast. A new video every few months.

Rainnnn!!!!! The ground had been cooking with a nasty heatware for 3-4 straight months so when the rain came the ground gave off a smokey sulfur steam such a relief! I'm a happy camper (I just hope it stays like this now)

Do I dare click on any links of yours that have the word "Maid" in it?

I swear do those girls have any idea that there are other outfits to wear besides those maid outfits? OMG! (not only annoying music but their cloths are always the same)

Well, that's their gimmick. GWAR dresses up as monsters, Slipknot dresses up as deranged lunatics, Insane Clown Posse are, surprise, surprise, clowns, and Band-Maid dresses up as maids.

Seems to be a song made for a cartoon series, so no physical release just yet.

Maybe a different colored skirt but basically all those lil Asian girl bands you listen to wear the same ole thing over and over again...

(no style of their own)

Since you're in such a magnaminous mood, more music that fits your taste. Currently playing here: PassCode - bite the bullet [link]. The one before that was an announcement of a release of one of their albums on a UK label. I'm not entirely convinced. Not a fan of the vocoder vocals.

That label usually send out an email when they release an album, but nothing on this. Odd.

And immediately after that, new live video from Aldious: [link]. Probably because they're releasing a new DVD. I'll stick to albums only with them.

Well at least she has a levi jacket? This obsession you have with this crazy music is sure taking a long time to pass.

The pacing is really fast, so that offsets the bad singing. I can put up with a lot if there's a determined forward movement in the music.

Meanwhile, my download machine went Schroedinger's Cat on me. It appeared to be offline, did not respond to pings and the power light was off. I switch on the second and the machine acts like it was online all the time, with everything still running.

Which is all fine and dandy, but there's a seven hour gap in activity in the logs.

Computers are supposed to make life easier. Which works well enough 99% of the time. It's just that that remaining 1% that eats away at things...

Well I don't know of anything else in life with odds like that 99 to 1 (with 99% being in favor?) You won't find much else in life with odds like that dutchy. hehe

For me the 1% is when things get interesting and I am so obsessive about trying to fix things that I will usually go crazy when that 1% pops up on me with my machine.

/me is listening to a crow outside and Dexter doing his male meowing at me...

Li'l Dex is actually looking past you and is barking (cat style) at the crow.

Stupid computer managed to get the remote desktop process so messed up after that non-reboot, that I had to actually disconnect the thing and hook it up to a screen to see what the hell was going on (it's usually in the meter closet next to the fuseboard).

Ofcourse it just ran fine then.

At which point I found out that the power button was mapped to "sleep" by default instead of "power down".

/me goes see if I can score some new old three ninja t-shirts, who, by the way, have a (US made) comic coming out this month: [link]

Then you possibly need to tell your cat over there to stop remapping your power buttons apparently.

Don't you already have enough of their shirts?

/me goes run off and buy more cross-body purses...

I have 24 of their t-shirts. There's more than a hundred. Most are completely impossible to attain (limited print run and I was very late to the party).

New music time, rather nasty lyrics and Kanye is a git, but those outfits... Kanye West & Lil Pump ft. Adele Givens - I love it [link]

Now you know that was just made from a dream that Kanye had and decided to turn it into a vid. (I will assume anyways)

Well, looks like you have 76 more t-shirts to go!

It's impossible to get my hands on those shirts, sniff, sniff...

Did I mention that this shop were I ordered some CDs two years ago and which never delivered them, finally went out of business earlier this year? I'm never going to get that order now, nor my money back, and it's sad that it took two years to shut this scammer down, but I'm still glad nobody else can get swindled now.

Although, the owner was declared bankrupt, but the site is still up and running, hmm...

Bankrupt? With what he charges for those t-shirts I highly don't think so, most likely that shady guy is taking your money and having great vacations in the Bahamas or something...

Hmm, you're mixing things up. This was the shop where I bought my CDs with no problem, until things became problematic. The t-shirts are through eBay and no problem whatsoever with that guy.

That's cuz I'm getting old and senile (plus I've had my Mom in the hospital, so I've been a bit distracted lately)

Anyways, save yourself some headaches and go hit Amazon you are still in the stone age shopping at eBay...

What are you doing talking to me while you could be playing Ying Yang Twins at the hospital. Your mother would be out in no time.

Who else is going to talk to you about your lil Asian girl fetishes?

Anyways, it's a good distraction. She's fine (thank God) I got her home from the Hospital. With what she had it looked pretty serious so they ran every test under the sun and then some and could not find the cause of it and the problem suddenly went away so the team of Doctors consulted and had no choice but to discharge her back home to me with absolutely no clue what happened. For me I don't care what it was I'm simply thankful for the outcome (I don't question things in life it's a waste of time)

And now she's back to drving me crazy (cept this time I learned to appreciate it more)

Because if your mother won't drive you crazy, who will? Maybe she just needed to get out of the day-to-day affairs for a bit. Though going on vacation for a bit might be a tad less expensive.

Umm, possibly you? She has good med insurance or that lil bit would have cost as much as a house I think!

I'd figure your kids, neighbours, boss or cat first.

/me would never annoy anyone.

That being said. Currently watching some Japanese talkshow while eating my donut breakfast. It's a change from the news which is "police this" and "police that" all the time. This talkshow is odd though. There's like a dozen guests and they show a clip of a random current event and then basically everyone gives their opinion on the subject for a couple of minutes, then they switch topic. Should make for good listening practice (if they'd stop talking at lighting speed).

Japanese talkshow & donuts = Annoying already!

/me goes jump into my last day off before I go back to work tomorrow *joy* *joy*

Got my purse yesterday so me is a happy camper for now:

Got the Tan/Rust/Brass one!

[link]

The mystery of what women carry around in those massive bags. Colleague of mine pulled out an entire toolset and a jack in case the car would break down (she came to work by bike).

I personally would not know about that since I hate large purses I only buy the small cross-body purses that are only big enough for me to carry my phone, keys and credit cards that's all that fits in the ones I buy.

So small, they fit in your pocket, like a wallet.

At which point I should note that I have no wallet. I go through life carrying no money, unless I'm shopping. That makes it a bit of a social hassle, because I can never spontaneously go places, because I can't pay for anything.

Not that I was going places anyway.

No wallet & you carry no money with you? Umm, that explains the saying "Going Dutch" that I've heard on this side of the globe.

I just looked that up to see exactly what it means (because though I've heard it several times I never really knew what it meant) It means when you go on a date with someone you each pay for yourself. Hmm, apparently going on a date with you would bring that saying of going dutch to a new level! hehe!

Well, a little history lesson is in order. A couple of centuries back the big trade nations were Spain, Portugal, Britain and our little frog country. A number of (naval) wars were fought and so on.

This lead to a bit of British propaganda to attach "Dutch" to bad things and that still lives on in the language you speak to this day.

If you'd ask the average Joe or Jill around here about these things they wouldn't know what you're talking about.

Hey, I only speak Dorenglish, I don't speak anyone elses language therefore though I heard that saying it has no bearing on me(I could care less nor pay much attention to history) I'd rather stay in the quick lil moments I have in this life right now.

Besides I only know one dutch (you) and I already know #1. You love history and #2. You are smart with your money (which could be interpreted as cheap sometimes) but since it does not affect me I can deal with just about anything from you, good, bad or ugly. hehe!

Bottom line you are mijn dutchy no matter what apparently. Mr. Cheapy (jussss kidding!!!)

And aside from all that, wallets are unwieldy things. The only thing I carry around are my keys. And there's way too many of those (two locks on front door, entrance to stairway, gate to the back, bikeshed, mailbox, two locks on the bike, and one key for work). I walk around like a bloody janitor.

I think soon in the future most ppl with simply scan either their watches or their phones to unlock their homes, cars and start their cars etc. (not you of course you will still be walking around like a bloody janitor) hehe

I think keys are so dated now and it's time to do something different with them.

Some car models these days have keyless locks. You point a little device at the car and it unlocks. Bad thing is, that if it's just a signal, thieves can (and already do) try to bruteforce the signal.

New music time, new three ninjas song: Starlight [link]

Hurray, hurray? Not very much unfortunately. The vocals are terrible. Just because you can go at full power does not mean you should the entire song. Plus "la la" and "na na" song writing is just lazy. Oh, and choir singing in boarding school English...

Possibly they could simply make all doors, cars open with fingerprints they already have that technology (and have had it) for super-classified buildings etc. They just need to toss the keys now it's a totally diff day and age.

Cept most likely alot of ppl will have their fingers chopped off from desperate care theifs! hehe

Oh brother... Okay, well you managed to make me "dislike" my very first la la tune. I normally like all la la and na na tunes...

Which brings me to my mostest favoritest la la na na tune: [link]

Hmm, YouTube finally tossed me one that's right up my alley: [link] (not bad)

Bit too smooth for my taste.

A German hacker club, as a demonstration, managed to get their hands on a wine glass held by the chancellor and made a functional fake fingerprint from that, which they used to open one of those biometric locks.

I see now they can even do it with just a good photo.

Anyways, right after I posted that la la song, the official video was released: [link], which actually makes the song work better. Perhaps it needed a bit of anchoring. Ofcourse, some people were raging that, like the previous video, you don't see any of the group members. I think it works well, but I do have a thing for brooding landscapes.

And then, not long after the video came the announcement that my favourite of the three was leaving.

On the plus side, I could read her farewell message quite well. Only had to look up two or three words.

Hmm, strange vid specially the ending with the star but strange probably because I've no clue what they are singing about. Anways, I will assume the oldest of the three ninjas is the one leaving since she is no longer a baby and they market on baby ninjas?

The oldest (20, 21 in two months) is the center piece of the band, since she does most of the singing and the band is build around her voice and style. The other two (19) are more cheerleaders. One of the two has been out with an undisclosed injury for an entire year and has now called it quits (and apologised three times in that letter).

Management have been suggesting a seven piece group the entire year now. I suspect we'll get to see what they intend with that soon.

Ah well, nothing lasts forever.

OMG! You even know her freaking birthday? And you're right nothing last forever except this brown site seems to be lasting foreverrr.

Tek is going nowhere until I croak.

For years the final concert of the year was her birthday concert, so it would be hard not to notice.

Meanwhile, customs has intercepted t-shirts #25 and #26. And it only took them half a week to inform me. Guess who has to take a trip to the post office tomorrow and pay tax and handling fees.

New music on this end is rather barren at this moment. Lots of boring "easy listening" stuff like: Childish Gambino - Feels like summer [link]

Well hopefully I don't croak before you or you are going to be talking to yourself over here! And I'm pretty sure regardless of that final concert of the year being her birthday excuse you most likely know her shoe size and have checked out her marital status etc.

Anyways, I cannot imagine you having all these t-shirts and your friends not being a bit concerned about your obsession? hehe

Hmm, I actually liked that Feels like Summer tune (familiar vibes & cool vid too)

I've not had too much time to listen to anything I'm gearing up to get myself back into Interview Mode. I should be getting calls to begin the interview process for that Mgmt Sec III item within the next few weeks I'm just waiting for them to promulgate the list out to the various Los Angeles Departments now. Say a prayer for me. I'm not even going to consider any calls to go back to Downtown LA (I'm done with all that mess) the position needs to be close to my home so that might mean a 1 in a million shot for that to happen.

Prayers, eh? Hmm, I've got either Madonna [link], Bon Jovi [link] or MC Hammer [link] (though I can't recall if he had dropped the MC at this point).

Yesss, you could pray to your Chakra or Chakras or whatever that thing is, what is that again?

/me goes ask Mr. Google...

Okay, nevermind those are some kind of healing stones?

So wait just a minute! You think I'm crazy for praying and you think rocks will heal you? (who's the crazy one?)

If you're talking about how I called all my (bad) skins "chakram something", a chakram is a ring-shaped weapon: [link]. Popularised in the west through the Xena: Warrior Princess series (which was great fun, by the way).

As for chakras, those are fabled energy points in your body, if you're into that kind of thing.

Actually, no not your skins, I mean those stone thingies that you made once on a website that were kinda like Fortune Cookies but they were like Fortune Stones or rocks. hehe!

I don't know what they were called, they had some strange symbols on them too? Do you remember them? At any rate you obviously played around with strange things of that nature so stop calling me crazy cuz I've got my invisible friend (actually you even are kind of an invisible friend if you really think about it) hehe!!!

I can't see or hear you but you are always here/there?

See even more proof of a God! I've been communicating with someone whom I've never physically seen, heard, spoken audible to or tangible touched or smelled or anything for how many years now and you dispute that you can actually do such a thing and you've been doing it with me!!! Ha!

Only difference is my invisible friend created "everything" including you to irritate me to death!

Sounds like you also think phones are magic and that there are small people living insided TVs. Remote tribes still living in the stone age that come in contact with modern age busy bodies, sometimes think cameras capture their soul.

My rune casting thing is still out there somewhere (forgot where I put it), but probably won't work anymore, since it's Flash and Flash has gone the way of the dodo largely (due to Apple not wanting it on their mobile devices).

Nah, I actually don't think any of the above and yeah those rune thingies! That's what I was talking about. Some believe they can get their answers from rocks or paper cards (terrot cards? I think they are called) being read their fortune or whatever and you think I'm crazy because I "try" to find my guidance from a spirit that I feel created this craziness called life?

I mean really if you think about it God creates this world and man is slowly destroying it. He gave us his "words" as sort of instructions on how to live life and man has also destroyed that by manipulating it so many diff ways no body even knows any more what Bible to even read!

You have been yourself reading words from someone who you've never physically seen, met, felt, heard or physically know but my spirit types these words for you so I'm kind of a spirit friend too, and you think when I feel the presence of a spirit or read his words I'm different then what you do when you come here and communicate with me? hehe!

Anyways, deep thinking gives me a headache so I'm stopping here but yeah those rune thingies fortune cookie, fortune rocks or whatever...

And Apple wants to rule the world and just might cuz even though I love my Note 9 I cannot stop using my iPhone Xs Max because it's just good and I go with what is good. Hopefully Samsung will beat them some day but for now they are only a close second (so I have both phone and use both OS systems) hehe! Well, I do have two hands!

Ummm, that God gave me by the way... hehe

/me watches Doreen go off the deep end

On to new music, DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B - Taki Taki [link]. 4k video even. There's something highly disturbing about this Cardi B person. I can't quite put my finger on it, but her face is the stuff of nightmares. Maybe it's the crazy eyes.

Oh be quiet you invisible Dutch guy...

I already told you that Cardi B is a Nicki Minaj wannabe as soon as she hit the music scene I seen trouble coming and sure enough they actually got into a cat fight when they were both in the room at some event. Let me see if I can find it, it was funny (well not funny but inevitable I thought anyway)

She had a bump on her head the size of a small golf ball:

[link]

Not sure if that site will load on your side of this floating planet.

For me today it will be some old stuffezz I need to get busy and Korupt is always good for that: [link]

Old stuff indeed and yes, that looks like a very strange bump on her head. That's the kind you usually see in cartoons. Maybe she is a cartoon character come to life.

Meanwhile we've finally switched back to winter time, so all is as it should be again. There's talk about dropping this nonsense time switching, but I fear they'd rather stick with summer time rather than the original winter time (because early birds prefer that and early birds make up a majority of the population).

I'm with you in preference of winter time. I always calm back down (biorhythm wise) when the clock is put to where my body wants it and I never adjust to the switch when they do it the entire time which turns me completely upside down physically and then it affects my emotions too I think because I can't rest right. Anyways, I'm pretty sure if the world takes a vote on which time they will stick with it will be opposite of what I need.

It's a completely unnecessary change that messes everything up.

Anyways, along with winter time came a sudden drop in temperature, so not only is it pitch dark when I leave the office, the temperature outside is also in the lower single digits.

The darkness is nice though, the world seems much quieter that way.

Quieter indeed! This morning I drove through darkness and fog so thick I could slice it with a knife and then coming home it was back into darkness again. I love the calmness and coolness of it (if you can call upper 80's to lower 90's cool) but it's still better than triple digit heat and blazing, burning, scorching sun!

It's a wee bit colder here.

And along with the darkness and temperature drop came strong winds and heavy rain, which is nice when you're inside (and your roof does not leak), but not so nice when you need to go through that to get home.

I probably say that everytime it rains.

Saw a new CD I want.

Problem #1: it's only available in one shop (seems to be some exclusive deal) and that shop does not ship abroad. The shop I normally use has a "proxy shopping" service, where they can shop at other shops for you so you can get that stuff after all.

Problem #2: something's going on with that CD. It seems to be bundled with a book, which makes it too heavy for regular airmail. Meaning it has to go via couriers like FedEx and DHL. And those don't come cheap.

Long story short, I spent about $65 on shipping for a $18 CD yesterday.

Yes, you say that everytime it rains, but I'm pretty sure I'm complaining on this side when it hits those triple digit heatwaves (this one lasted for many months)

As for spending $65.00 on shipping for a CD that only cost $18.00 you are as crazy as me, I used to buy something at Amazon and they pay more for the shipping then the item I was purchasing, which I thought was nuts so I became a prime member and now my shipping cost are waved so basically it pays for my membership several times over! Amazon is the way to go if you want just about anything at a cheaper price and lots of times my delivery can even be "same day" which is awesome cuz me is very impatient!

Hopefully the "book" that is bundled with your CD is not a twice folded poster or something deceiving.

Let's see if I get it first. "My" shop has placed the order by that one exclusive shop that sells the CD. It's a limited run of 300 copies.

Assuming it ships, the icing on the cake would be if it gets intercepted by customs and I'd have to pay administrative fees on top of everything.

New music time: Bad Bunny ft. Drake - Mia [link], with Mr Drake speaking Spanish. 146 millions views in three weeks. The stuff I usually watch would get 146 views in that period (slight exaggeration).

Yeah that Drake has so many songs out right now there is not a station you can turn to without bumping into him over here. That one is okay but overall I'm not a big Drake fan...

/me be listening to this kinda stuffezz for today: [link]

This is probably theeee most trippy vid that YouTube has ever suggested to me: [link]

Hmm, freaky indeed (had to look at it again!) possibly cuz sometimes I like to listen to slow, draggy and ghetto but I swear it almost freaked me out and though I don't get high I felt totally stoned just watching it! Anyways, I took off work today for several appts and I'm off to run to another one now.

Laterz mijn dutchy...

That Althea and Donna thing sounds so very 70s and then the singing starts and I finally recognise the song. Followed some warp effects that weren't really needed. Weird remix.

The effects do work on that Lorn song. Synth lead is good too. Description says the video won a price in the UK, which would raise the odds of MTV playing the song, but I can't recall seeing this.

Yeah, it was actually a bombastic type remix. As for that second one it creeped me out not sure why since the Ghetto dancing was awesome for me but the sounds chased after my soul! I was creeped out for the rest of the day like a dark cloud was looming over me. hehe (ridiculous right?)

You just prefer funky beats over warped synths and haunting vocals.

New music time: Yuzukingdom - Odd Parade [link] (not safe for Doreens). Quite good until Yuzuki starts using her normal voice and it turns out she can't really sing. Which is a bid curious since this (Yuzuki fronting the band Blood Stain Child) is a side project from her usual poppy work as a member of an idol group (Q'ulle, which is not my cup of tea at all).

Definitely not safe for me at all, I've been watching nothing but Demon stuff on Netflix and she sounded like she swallowed one of them...

It's going to be nothing but demon stuff this week, since I have the week off.

Or so I'd wish. My plans of not going anywhere are already out of the window. First I have to go cat sit for two days and then I have to go help out my mother with some administrative stuff that requires accounts on websites (which spooks her).

Well enjoy your time off demon guy, it's amazing how fast it goes (and it's never enough for sures) I don't have those issues of running over to my parents house to fix their computers anymore because one is no longer needing one and the other one is right here so I can fix it on the fly!

Anyways, have fun and may the week off go by in slowwww moooo.

It's already Tuesday...

Onto the demon stuff. This one popped up on the recommendations: Bloody Tyrant - Final Battle of Sun-Moon Lake [link]. Taiwanese band. Sounds very Dimmu Borgir, but a tad too much emphasis on the vocals. Becomes a bit grating after a while. Half way in there's a lute and at the end a flute, which is a nice touch.

Andddd now it's Wednesday! (At least on your side, over here it's still Tuesday)

Only cuz you mention flute I will see what that is up there...

Hmm, soooo your stuffezzzz, and yup, hair thrashing and vibe like Dimmu Borgir (your oldest favoritest) but since I'm hungry and just got home I had to fast forward to the flute which was not a flute and it was only about one second to boot!

Sounded very much like a flute to me. Song gets stuck in your head, but I really don't like the vocals.

New music not safe for Doreens: Aldious - Monster [link]. Not doing anything for me. It's all too smooth and polished. Nothing happens in this song. Perhaps the first song I heard of them was uncharacteristically heavy, because most of the rest has been a tad too soft for my taste.

Is it possible you are finally just getting over your obsession with this type of music? (or that you've pretty much listened to all that there is of it and are now ready for some decent music?)

Sometimes artists just change their style. Compare old Ulver [link] to new(er) Ulver [link] (full albums, skip around a bit) and you would not even notice it was the same band, if not for the singer.

In this specific Aldious track's case the mix is just bad. There's two guitarists playing, but you barely hear them, aside from one chord and the solo.

Definitely different but still equally good (I could swear that I've heard that second one before, possibly as a movie track?)

Strange, I could not find anything about it being used in a movie? But I know I've listened to it recently somewhere? I came across this one right now: [link] Which again sounds like a bg tune from a flick I've seen. I've probably just been watching too much Netflix. At any rate Ulver has mean talent...

They've done soundtracks for some indy Norwegian movies, I think. Their later sounds fits well with mystery type stories.

And they're quite productive too. About a decade ago, I piled up all my CDs on the table by band. Ulver had the biggest stack. Considering I basically only like their first three albums (in descending preference), I've been in collector mode with them for a long time.

New music time, this (not safe for Doreens) crazyness popped up in my suggested list: Senanan - Love Hotel ni iku koto mo sukunakatta [link], which translates roughly as "went to a love hotel for a bit" (I have a hard time parsing that sentence ending). Video featuring a rotating bed, a filthy bathtub and some other dubious things.

The song though, sounds decent enough if you ignore the vocals, and then the bass drum hits followed by an Arabian Nights style melody.

Umm, and why would such a thing pop up in your suggested list? As for Ulver I actually bought (1) CD myself back in the day, probably because you dropped a link and I like it because I know they don't play that over on this side. I still know I've heard that tune in a recent movie and I was watching one Norwegian thriller or something on Netflix I always end up watching weird stuff. It's kind of like YouTube recommending strange things.

Long Holiday weekend, but it was not long enough since today is my last day off work before returning to prison. Currently listening to one of the most beautiful worship tunes ever:

[link]

Youtube always recommends all kinds of strange things. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

That worship tune, is there some kind of magic formula for these things? They all seem to have the same kind of progression. Start with a tingly tingly guitar or piano, end with a choir and multiple layers.

I never really thought about it, to me a good worship tune penetrates my ears (which are normally turned off to the lyrics mode) and then when it bypasses my ears it darts straight to my heart. Most likely I've only about 5-10 at the most that can do that to me. I'm a picky pita.

/me goes listen to that again and see what you are talkin bout willis...

Wow, okay I went back to give that a good lesson and I'm not sure how to describe it other then overwhelmingly beautiful!

I had to look up the lyrics:

I've seen many searching for answers far and wide

But I know we're all searching

For answers only you provide

'Cause you know just what we need

Before we say a word

You probably think it sucks but I'm in awe of that tune! That guy is God touched for sure to write such beautiful lyrics like that.

lesson = listen where did that come from? hehe

I think I will go lesson/listen again!

Tsk, tsk, Ms "I don't listen to lyrics".

New music time: French Montana ft. Drake - No Stylist [link]. I would say Mr Drake is the biggest rapper at the moment. Odds are high MTV plays one of his videos while I'm muching my breakfast every day. New tune every month too. And it's been like that the entire year.

So burnt out on him, it's pretty much playing 24/7 on this end as well. I think by now he's made so many tunes he's bought out all the radio stations and that's why they are all just playing Drake!

I wonder if "pluggers" are still a thing. Those were sort of door-to-door salesmen who would go from (radio) station to station to promote new singles.

New music time, Hikari Shiina - Hate!Hate!Hate! [link]. With a title like that, it should not come as a surprise there's quite a bit of growling going on. This girl used to post saccharine pop songs and make-up tutorials under the name Pikarin. Whether this sudden change in style is a one-time thing (see Snoop Lion) remains to be seen.

Since this is not your cup of tea, here's some Borin^H^H Bruno Mars for you [link] (what the hell, that song is already two years old).

/me totally grabs that Bruno Mars one, that other one is more for some deranged psychopathic rapist murderer or something. *shivers*

As for that Snoop Lion, not sure what he was thinking since he basically coined that Snoop "Dogg" market so well and it fit his style well. Lion? Nope that was just totally ridiculous but most ppl try to reinvent themselves to try to stay in the competition but there is nothing better to me then staying true to yourself not trying to please the masses.

Have you heard that record he made under the "Snoop Lion" monniker? He's singing on all the tracks. Problem: Snoop can't sing. At all.

I know he is back to "Dogg", but I can't recall any recent song of his.

I'm still wondering if he got his nickname from Snoopy? I can imagine them all sitting around smoking blunts and drinking brewsky and one of his homies starting capping on him telling him "Hey dog you look like that Snoopy Dog from Peanuts"

[link]

And the rest was history...

(sorry those are about all the possible history lessons I might know dutchy) hehe

Actually, most likely his cousin Nate Dogg and Warren G are responsible for bringing Snoop into the scene who knows...

Nate was a crooner as you know his was one of my favs: [link] (he died already)

Dutchy I forgot to tell you that my first offer came in on that Management Sec III item but it was for LA County Fire Dept working for some Chief, #1 it was of course working back downtown LA and #2 part of the duties would be handling their Budget (butget is a bad word to me) so I had to pass, I suppose I will wait to see what other offers come in because it's early yet (the list expires in one year so I still have some time to be picky)

Apparently his parents indeed called Snoop (47 already) "Snoopy" because of the likeness.

The only Nate Dogg song I know is Regulate. There was a docu spoof a few years ago retelling the origin of the song and the dynamic between Michael McDonald (whose song it was based on) and Nate Dogg. Ofcourse I can't find anything, but someone did make this mix: [link]

If you're the luxury position that they are giving you job offers and you can be picky about them (so, no pressure or anything), then you are in a good position.

I should add, going through Snoop's bio, the guy has been a grandfather for three years already. Grampa Snoop, can you imagine it?

His parents? Strange, cuz I was just playing around thinking that one of his homies might have given him that nic? Is that true though? His parents? Michael McDonald I've not heard of.

As for the job offer, none come without a price so I'm going to be really picky and if none feel right I will stay where I am because not all money is good money and I'm not dealing with running downtown LA right now (I'm about 25 mins from my house without any freeway driving) I never planned to ace the exam so I'm unsure what God has in store for me at this point, I'm just waiting to see what offers pop up and if one is close enough to home I may jump on it.

As for Snoop being a Grampa, we start early on this side dutchy so no surprise at all.

/me goes check out your link.

"This video is blocked in your County blah blah blah copyright crap" *sigh*

County = Country (Why does any of that matter? seriously, this is the internet and we have no net!?)

Old publishing pushing its rules on new publishing. Not the mix I was linking to, but this is Michael McDonald [link] (1982). The song might sound familiar.

New music time. Got an email Lovebites had a new song out from their (previous?) UK label, check YouTube and I find not only the new video (released by Nuclear Blast, which is a big metal label), but also a live performance (fancam). This was very well coordinated. Lovebites - Rising [link].

I've heard keyboard intros like this before, for example it sounds quite a bit like After Forever's Monolith of Doubt [link] (2003, original video nowhere to be found) and Iron Maiden's Wasted Years [link] (1986).

The bad news is that both of these are so much better songs. Lovebites' output is either catchy heavy stuff or something straight out of a musical. This one is the latter.

Yeah, I've heard that guy but I cannot believe I never ever seen his face or knew what he looked like? I think everyone knows that tune.

Okay, out of your (3) links:

#1 - Tolerable (if you remove the female vocals)

#2 - Good (minus the opera singing that comes in)

#3 - Totally corny

/me goes jump into this day, sales galore cuz of the approaching Holidays!

Calls a heavy metal classic totally corny, tsk, tsk...

Today is household chores and book reading day. Books (those bind stacks of text on paper) need to return to the library on Friday and I basically have today to finish 'em.

Books? Have you never heard of Amazon Audio? I have my books read to me. (I don't read books)

Anyways get to reading those Japanese books!

/me puts on surprised expression

I have some beginner level Japanese books. Meaning short stories with a partial translation and a word list. The stories by various big(ish) names written for a native audience, not school kids or foreign learners. I have yet to read any of them, because walls of kanji are rather imposing.

So that means you are now a Collector of Japanese books that you may never even read?

Cooler temps have finally arrived and me is in cozy Heaven (that is until my alarm goes off at 4:30am to get up for work!)

It's a matter of time. I haven't had time to read them. Or maybe I play too many games.

Got a note from the mailman today that I can come collect my package (more t-shirts ofcourse). But this time, it's not at the post office around the corner from work. Because apparently that was the last post office in the country and they closed it.

I sure as hell wasn't aware of that.

Statement from the PR department is that "people to prefer to combine their post office visits with doing shopping, so it would make sense to let shops take care of packages". Right, totally not a cost-cutting measure.

So where can I go pick up my package? At some place called The Parrot Palace...

Parrot Palace? So you are to pick up your package of t-shirts at the local Pet Shop now? hehe!

Well, times are changing dutchy so get with it! I don't mind the new changes with mail shopping cuz with Amazon when I get something that I change my mind on now these days I don't have to even re-package it and send it on my dime, I simply bring the item to my local Kohls store and they re-package it and send it back to Amazon on their dime! I love it!!!!

It was a pet store specialising in parrots. Birds in the back, making an awful racket.

I don't want to have to go to either post office nor store to get my packages. Everything is shipped to work, so there's always someone there to open the door (at least during work hours). In this particular case, I did not have to pay extra tax or handling costs, so why wasn't this one delivered at work?

Lazy postmen...

Speaking of Postmen, old track from when they were still good: [link] (1998).

I'll have to check that out tomorrow. Today is Turkey hangover day cuz yesterday was Thanksgiving over here so lots of cooking and serving and me as usual saying "This is the last time" (and of course I end up doing it again)

I am "Thankful" that Thanksgiving only comes once a year!

The turkey has not crossed the ocean, but some companies are doing these "Black Friday" deals all weekend, so I'm going to have to sift through things and get all the games I did not get before.

With games, I tend to wait until the prices is cut in half (as in, below $30) or the game's availability drops below three shops (at which point it has the risk of becoming unavailable, I've missed a few titles due to waiting too long).

I normally in the past avoid going out on Black Friday because it is sheer madness! (I totally despise that stuff) but some deals this time were so good I had to run out at night to grab after the morning & afternoon madness was over. I'm completely hooked on Amazon so as a Prime Member you basically get most of the same deals if not better since they pay no overhead they even go lower and can ship the same day if you are prime so you can avoid most of the Black Friday craziness and standing in lines for several hours (that is just stupid)

I will tell you that my bank account balance today is crying but I got some Christmas shopping done earlier then I normally do for this year. This jingle bells time is a royal pain!

And now my brother is getting married on Monday and yes, he finally got divorced and is now going on his second (hopefully last) marriage now so I forgot to get him a wedding present! Argh!

Give him a salt and pepper dispenser thing. That was the default present here up until a few decades back. These days the unhappy couple to be usually puts "present tip: envelope" on the invitation (or in other words: money, though I'll give them envelopes if they want envelopes).

Still haven't done my shopping yet. Was busy playing games.

Quick wedding nothing big so no envelopes or gifts etc he may have a bigger wedding later (but I doubt it) he's a married man now (again) and he's happy so hopefully he will stay that way.

He's a chained man now.

In other news, I opened the blinds this morning looked across the street and apparently someone had dumped all their furniture on the curb. This is not an uncommon occurence with rental houses (like those across the street). Some people don't seem to value their stuff. Or maybe the owner died.

Anyways, there was not much left of it. Because someone had set it on fire. And from the looks of things, the fire squard had put it out.

This is not the first time this happens. If people dump their stuff at that corner, odds are someone will set it on fire. Seems like we have an arsonist around here.

But the real odd thing is that I slept through all of it and did not notice a thing.

Hmm, across the street? I would highly suggest you do two things immediately:

1. Get a smoke alarm

2. Take out massive fire insurance

Pfft, no. A little fire on the curb won't hurt no-one. Houses are built from bricks here. They don't burn easily. Plus that's straight at the front door of a flat with lots of fossils. Should give them some action in their old age.

If someone sneezes too hard over here it's all about up in flames!

Actually we just had one recently that was the biggest fire in U.S. History (so far) my boss even got called out on special assignment for six months to assist the CEO handling disaster relieve and recovery. Fires over here are pretty serious because of our temps. Most likely on your end things are so moist and/or damp you don't deal with such things.

Blazing Fires last week and tonight pounding rain and roaring thunder! Yowza! hehe

Cozy night tonight...

Yes, it seems someone loves to barbecue in the wild over on your end. These fires seem to pop up a few times every year. Probably because it's just too dry.

Meanwhile, we've gotten ourselves a new type of spammer. This type likes to present itself as advice to get more traffic. Which is one of the words I can probably nail it on, along with "links", "link building", "customers" and "sales".

But perhaps I should start with an easier removal process instead of having to hop into the database, remove the post (easy) and reset the thread metadata (cumbersome). Or lock older threads. It's always older threads they post in.

Just delete the older threads, they are nothing but chit chat anyways, then it might be easier for you to maintain one active thread.

Anyways, the rain had me hibernating it puts me to sleep instantly and drugs me or something so not listening to anything but getting ready to find some thriller or jump on that Narcos Mexico thingie on Netflix, a bit gruesome but awesome and it's based on a true story (love those)

Maybe we should start a "I'm watching" thread! hehe jussss kidding

On that note, I'm watching Yuzukingdom, but that's because I mostly "listen" to music through YouTube.

TV and movies are a rather pervasive medium. If you read an interesting book or coomic and check if people are talking about it, odds are you find very little. Then it gets turned into a TV series or a movie and all of a sudden everyone and their dog discuss it. The movie/series that is, rarely the source material. Guess there are a lot of Doreens out there.

Sic transit etcetera.

I don't know about all that but for me Netflix has been recommending foreign flicks to me so I've been traveling the world visually & audibly, but like I said the only minor set back is I have to read the subtitles which after 15-20 mins I'm so into the movie the fact that I'm reading it completely and 100% vanishes into thin air. Right now, I just got out of my sauna and I watched the best French flick it was totally awesome! I need to see if a Russian one pops up soon and I really need to check out a Dutch one the Koreans are completely insane. Funny how movie making from around the world reveals their diverse ways of thinking and expression through the movie. I'm so bored with the flicks over here you would not believe it, 99% of the time I know how the movie ends after 15-20 mins of watching it so I am bored and fall asleep sometimes. (we make good special effects but the story lines suck!)

As for music I'm so sick of repeats you have no idea... My ear drums are bored.

I'm currently "watching" Necronomidol [link] (two leads in that video are leaving the band, so interesting how that will pan out).

Sounds like you're, as we say over here, "je blikveld aan het verruimen bent" (expanding your area of vision), which in English would probably be "stepping out of you comfort zone". It's a big planet and there's lot of people outside of the local bubble, doing things in their own way. People would probably be more appreciative of others if they were more aware of that.

On the flipside, they might also focus on the questionable things "others" do to frame them in a bad light.

Ummm, well I like the mansion, the muted colors against the matt red lipstick? (thazzz about it)

Anywaysss, I 100% agree with you if we had more exposure to the variety of people around the world and their culture and not be so bombarded with the horrible things the news feeds to us we might have more respect and appreciation of each other and love instead of hate (such is not the way of this world)

On to another Netflix recommendation, some "Medal of Honor" Series which is highlighting and recreation stories of some of the only 3600 war heroes recreating what happened in battle. Makes me ashamed that when we have our Memorial Holiday everyone says to me "What Holiday is it coming up?" and I'm always like "Who cares! It's a day off from work!" That's all I care about. Now I feel ashamed of myself!

Some of these stories of what they went through on the battle field are overwhelming!

Course, then again, if we all had more respect and love for one another there would be no freaking wars!

It's this one: [link] Dutchy some of the stories are so overwhelming! People love to read comic books and fantasize about action heros these guys are REAL action heroes! You have to check this out!

The education of Doreen.

There will always be wars. Mankind is a tribalist and envious species.

Discovery has been doing those kind of documentaries like forever. Not sure if they still show 'em these days. Last time I checked (that channel) there was too much fake drama going on. Shows about ghost hunters and all that nonsense.

/me is currently "watching" Minna no Kodomo-chan [link] (though I'll be switching channels to see the weather report)

Argh! Such an obsession! Are you eating sushi yet?

Day off today for the last minute declared National Day of Mourning and it's raining again so me is a happy camper!

Fish is blegh and rice is blegh too, so no, I don't eat sushi.

The further education of Doreen still has some ways to go, it seems.

/me is "watching" the news

Sushi is awesome, someday you'll realize that! Back to my education (currently visiting Poland via Netflix)

Fish is for fishies. I only eat land food.

New music time, ofcourse Not-Safe-For-Doreens: Kaqriyo Terror Architect - Identity Crisis [link]. This group started out as two basket cases. Management added a more normal girl soon, which lead to their first album. There's been a new album since October, which I haven't had time to listen to yet (I've had it since October too). But surprise, surprise, apparently they added two new members.

Musically, I'd say the producer was on drugs when this was recorded.

Video is shot in some massive underground vault below Tokyo, meant to hold water during floods.

Thanks for the warning and I will indeed heed to it.

/me is listening to pounding rain and blazing flood warnings over the TV. I have an appointment today and wondering if I should cancel or charter a boat? At any rate this is the coziest weather we've had in ages and I hope it does not stop.

I suspect you go by car, so the only risk of getting wet should be walking to and from it. Unless you're in one of those crazy places where streets flood and cars get swept away.

Which one of the sillier ways to pass this mortal coil, behind "crushed by tree during storm", but I digress.

My Doctor apparently could not make it so my appt was canceled therefore I did not need to go so I ended up listening and watching a Helicopter rescue over my house on someone else that apparently was drowning in the water overflow channel yesterday for two hours. (not sure if they survived or not) probably some kid playing around. It was crazy yesterday! Towards the evening when the rain passed I ran out to the store and there was not one but two rainbows it was like the storm never even happened.

I just checked the news page and it was apparently a male in his mid twenties swept away in the storm drain but they got him. I thought since that helicopter was flying overhead for a couple hours for sure the person died (or froze to death) it was crazy.

They sent out these doctors in helicopters in some cases (here). The idea being that it's faster to get a doctor to the emergency site than having him or her go through traffic.

In reality though, you then see a helicopter circling for quite some time, before it flies off again and some time later the doctor arrives by car after all. It's because the idea is fine, but the helicopter can't land anywhere, so it has to find the nearest landing spot (read: not anywhere close to the site) and then gets picked up by car.

Well, they get an A for trying, because of the stats I used to run (when I ran reports for the County Hospital) they realized if they could get the patient to the ER (cut time) faster the (equal to) lived for outcome was higher therefore the new county General Hospital has the helicopter landing strip on the roof of the ER.

Anyways, check this out: [link]

The other day I ran over to the UPS store (that one) to return something I bought online and I was delayed by about 5-10 mins before I left my house when I pulled up this old lady crashed right into the spot where I would have been standing to pick out a box to buy to ship my item back in. I would have been complete roadkill... Just 5-10 mins earlier.

I buy my boxes on the left side "exactly" where she ran in. I double I would have heard anything coming at me because she hit the gas not the break and I'm pretty sure knowing my frame I'd been killed she was fine (she had the car to protect her) Thank God.

double = doubt (I'm still in shock, along with my fingers!)

That old fossil was after your package.

Some people get their driver's license with their breakfast cereal.

I should that I ride my bike to and back from work four days a week and regularly encounter people where I wonder how they can still be alive. For instance, people crossing the road (diagonally even) without looking behind them. Good thing I know how my brakes work.

Old fossil. hehe! Dutchy you and I are becoming old fossils soon (I will sooner than you)

Had I left my house just a few minutes earlier she would have gotten more then my package! I would have been standing in that exact spot. Totally freaks me out when I think about it. Today I had to go back over there to send something out and that side of the UPS store is all boarded off with yellow ribbons and the side glass is partitioned off with a wood board. (can't believe it)

I hope when I get to be her age (she almost took that hope away from me) but I hope when I get to be her age that I have enough freakin common sense not to be driving and jeopardizing other ppl's lives!

As for you on that stupid bike you probably are increasing the odds one hundred fold of becoming road kill yourself!

Before I took off and left that day after it happened I took pics with my phone (but that vid I showed you was much clearer) cuz my hands were shaking so much my pics came out all shaky like yours always do!

Even the stabiliser on my DSLR is no match for my shaky hands.

Last year my father's eye sight dropped from mild issues to very bad eyesight. In the last month that he still drove his car, he could not see at night. I thought he was exaggerating, but then I was in the car with him and he took a turn where there was no turn.

He stopped driving not long after (and my sister basically confiscated the car), but it took him months to accept he could never drive again.

Old fossils sometimes don't notice their abilities or cognition slipping.

You probably should lay off the sodas or whatever caffeine you are overdosing on. Hmm, does your Mom still drive? My Mom still drives but when that day comes at least she has Uber as an alternative.

My mother has no driver's license. I have, but due to too much GTA and two decades of not driving, it would be unwise for me to take the wheel. It's a bit troublesome, because my father was my chauffeur when I needed to get something big or go places. Nowadays when there's out of town birthday parties and the like I accompany the old coots on public transportation, even though I had intended never to step in a bus, tram or train again. I do passive resistance by not sitting down (much to the annoyance of my mother).

hehe! dutchy you are too much! I personally do not know how people even survive without driving but over here it probably is much more of a necessity than over there where you live I suppose. I'm terrified of public transportation so I've never been on a bus (not terrified of the bus but rather terrified of the passengers on the bus)

Plenty of obnoxious folk everywhere and even more when you're cramped up with them in some vehicle going from A to B. Which is why I prefer riding my bike. I can decide my own direction and speed and am not by passengers.

There's other challenges ofcourse. Example, just now. I peddling from one side, a motorbike is coming from the other side. Two old fossils on my right cross the street, looking only at the motorbike on their right. Only when they had taken a couple of steps onto the street and I had braked did their heads turn left in my direction.

If I had a car I would probably outfit it with bullhorns and feign ignorance (all lies, I would never do such a thing).

But you are exposed to the extreme elements so when it rains or snows over there you are really in a mess. (I cannot live without my seat warmers when it gets cold and my heater or air conditioner) I'm not into toughing it out...

Mess, mess, it's all relative. If I ride from work to home and get soaked along the way, it's a small incovenience, because I can change (clothes) at home. If I get soaked on the way to work I get to sit in my wet clothes and sogging shoes the full day and usually are only just about dry the time I get to go home again. So that's less fun.

I'd rather have snow than rain. But on the other hand, I'd rather have clear roads than frozen (and thus slippery) roads.

/me is currently listening/watching this craziness: Dai Dai Dai - ZZ ARIN [link]. Video is nigh impossible to find if you don't type the name in kanji. I don't know what's going on in that video, but if you did not have epilepsy before, you might catch it from this.

I seriously do not know how you do it and as you become an older dutch man you won't be able to tolerate both the extreme weather and the physical ride (but hopefully you will have retired before it gets to that point)

/me goes check out your krazzzziness kanji...

Oh boy, though I've never tried acid I will assume whoever made that vid did. (and one of those chicks needs to seriously try using some chapstick on her lips) ack! dutchyyy

Song is great though (if you like your music a bit chaotic).

I used to see this old man from the window, on mornings on workdays, riding his heavy bike through the street, lurching over the steering wheel. Almost like a charicature of "gruff old man", big hands, big nose, long dark coat, heavy glasses and of course a hat. Almost like catching a glance of some ancient being.

Haven't seen him in some time, so he either moved or died.

Probably died on his bike around the corner from you!

Just dropped off Dex to get him groomed (been almost a year) his claws are like switchblades and he was overdue. Cuddling with him is like cuddling with his litter box. Can't wait to pick him up all clean and puffy!

Not listening to anything cuz every radio channel has jingle bells tunes Ack!

Yowza! My jingle Bells: [link]

Argh, fancams. Though with somewhat decent audio and a completely silent crowd (as far as I could hear). This wallowing style of singing reminds me of something beyond Coldplay, but I can't put my finger on it.

Also, what are you doing to that cat? Mine, and all their previous brethren, have been self-sufficient when it comes to fur and claw business. Their claws shed by themselves, is what my feet tell me when I step on one laying about.

I groomed him cuz every time he wants to play I have to surgically remove him and his claws off of me, his claws end up stuck inside of my skin! He gets crazy.

Anyways, yesterday he came back all poofy and puffy and soft and smelling so good and I've been able to cuddle him without smelling his litter box cologne scent on him! Not sure how long it will last but I think I will start taking him back for grooming every three months again cuz it's worth it and they clean his ears too.

More jingle bells tunes for you: [link]

One hour of that wallowing? I think not.

/me comes to kick you! When I listen to all your horrible growling tunes! (well most of em)

It's even worse. The Japanese broadcaster that used to stream their news bulletins on YouTube stopped streaming. They still upload the seperate items, but that's no fun.

Instead, YouTube is suggesting I watch Mr Bean videos (these things are ancient) and three dozen fireplace videos, probably "for that Winter feeling".

Oh, and apparently Will Smith has a channel and YouTube thinks I should see that.

hehe! Welll YouTube knows what is best for us! I've actually found 1 or 2 cool things by it's recommendations but most are pretty extreme or way far off from my normal taste.

Was listening on my way home on the radio (what else?)

Bad Bunny & Drake - Mia

[link]

Drake is of course on every single station...

Hmmm, okay that one might deserve a few listens whilst I wash work off of me and settle in for my night...

/me points out that that is a Drake song

I wonder who's going to be the next Drake.

Or who was the previous Drake for that matter. Busta maybe?

I am not a big fan of Drake (because of overdosing of him on the radio) but the beats in that tune I would not care if Elvis Presley was singing in it cuz it was goed!

Doreen heading to Graceland confirmed.

Old music time. This song has popped up in my suggestions for over a year, but I ignored it because of super nasty looking geisha in the video: RagDollz - Kaleidoscope [link]. Or it translates as "kaleidoscope". It reads as "ten thousand flower mirror". Fair bit of growling going on, so not safe for Doreens. Riffs are quite good though.

Okay, that is just nasty in so many different ways! Check out the part at 1:24 of this link to see what vibes it gives to me:

[link]

OMG! Now I am so creeped out by that stupid link I dropped for you (Whyyy did I even watch it again!)

Buffy can handle creepy monsters crawling down the stairs.

I technically have a funeral to attend today. But it requires two hours of travel to get there, so that is not happening. Two hours to listen to Pink Floyd even. It's the reclusive stepfather of my brother in law, who I've only met like four times in fifteen years, so I can't say I it's a very close relative. And it's raining cats and dogs (ofcourse).

Life is too short to attend funerals (and like I said I would not even attend my own if I could)

I say stay home and enjoy the rain...

Or eat too much chocolate, get a headache and become nauseous. Yesterday was not a good day.

And then you go check up on your favourite bands, and you see a notice that one (Telecide) is disbanding. The writing was on the wall, as the guitarist left next year and they did not release anything after that. I'm never going to get an album now.

The good thing is that I have two weeks off to spend on friends and family (read: ignore everything and everyone and play games all day long).

I have these weird typos where the key word in the sentence flips in meaning. The guitarist left _last_ year. I'm not that prophetic to see people leaving _next_ year with any certainty.

I am, I normally can see the writing on the wall and guess which bands are one hit wonders. (alright, so some of the time)

Going nowhere and doing absolutely nothing for two weeks is my ideal vacation cuz it makes time slow down a bit, of course everyone else thinks I'm strange because I don't like to travel and do vacations the way everyone else does but that will possibly come when I retire and I'm not continually slaughtered by work! I don't like returning to work needing a vacation from my vacation!

When I went to Florida to visit my Dad we were so busy over there that when I returned home and back to work I was totally disorientated to the time (which is only a three hour diff) so my sleep pattern was a mess and I was totally exhausted from all the run around.

Anyways, enjoy your vacation and enjoy it "your" way I say...

Just don't be going out with little ninja girls!

And something new and fresh and smooth:

[link]

That video raises so many questions. Starting with why all hip hop videos I see these days have obvious Beats By Dre product placement going on.

Anyways, vibe is good.

That vid is based on our number one TV Series called "Breaking Bad" A chemistry teacher gets DX'd on his 50th B-day w/ terminal cancer and decides to hook up with one of his trouble maker students to do some cooking out in the dessert (hence that music vid which rips off everything from Breaking Bad minus the toy Alien)

That series is more addicting then Meth itself...

[link]

A trailer smack dab in the middle of the desert is not conspicuous at all. I'm still wondering where that alien ties in.

/me goes back to getting his backside kicked by robots, like: [link] (judging by how that guy plays, I have no idea what I'm doing)

The alien (ridiculous toy alien at that) ties in because of area 54 I think they call it that where out in the dessert there are known aliens that visit area 54.

/me goes check out that link of yours...

Yikes! That actually looks pretty cool. The texture on that landscape and everything and even the hair movement on the character. Can you create/customize your own character? Or are you stuck with the defaults?

You're stuck with that girl. Long story about how she is an outcast in a post-apocalyptic world where tech is evil, being called up to protect the tribe against evil robots (and other tribes, because people can never be friendly with each other). More of an open-world shooter than an RPG.

I have to figure out a way to deal with those big robot panthers, with my current "fire an arrow and run away, repeat until dead" method, it takes half an hour...

But first, Christmas dinner with the family.

I've managed to avoid just about all Christmas songs so far.

Forget it then, first of all this girl loves tech so I could never play her and secondly I love to customize my character.

But it still looks cool even though it's so limited.

I've got family coming today so it's off to more slaving for me...

Family dinner was hell. Six year old niece was throwing tantrums all night, culminating in five minutes of screaming (grandma: "oh no, she does not have tantrums anymore"). Both parents and grandparents failing to properly address that and giving conflicting signs.

No kids for uncle crae, I so very much value my peace and quiet.

hehe!!! dutchyyy, had I come to my senses earlier I would not have had them either (so thank God I did not) now that they are young adults it's soooo much better now! I've really no clue what I was thinking at that time(as selfish as I am) having had kids but God knows best for me. I will say though when they get older and when you get older it all becomes more clear once you've survived the younger years.

You were just born a grumpy old man! hehe

Parents usually suffer from some bodysnatching syndrome where they think their children are angels (and when said children pull some stunt, the parents blame other children).

/me is listening to a Minna no Kodomo-chan concert (half an hour of out of tune singing and rough guitars, but they know how to make that sound right), but I've heard something new yesterday by chance, that may be more up your alley: WizKid ft. Drake - Come Closer [link]. Alright, so it has Drake (somewhere, didn't see him, but only caught the end of the video), and apparently it's a year old already... Beat is nice though.

Yup, that be definitely up my alley, if you hit any gym right now and jump into an exercise class that would be the dancing/exercise/workout you'd do. (strange but it's a full body workout)

Weekend is here & the Holidays are allllmost over. Hooray!

Part-body workout is one where you only wiggle your foot for half an hour.

/me goes back to shooting robot dinosaurs with bows

"IF" I had the time to play this would be the game I would jump into and disappear: [link]

You can totally customize your character and you can design a pet!

However, the last time I decided to jump into game world again and activated my account I think I played exactly 1 hour in the month so I wasted a monthly fee for nothing! My work consumes me and when I'm off it's my Mom and the house that always need attention etc.

Today, I'm having some guys do my landscaping outside and put California Gold rock and drippers for my plants to save water cuz my "water bill" is totally taking all my paycheck. (and I'm rather be shopping for purses then pay a water bill!)

Plus, when I activated my old WOW account it seemed they changed up the entire game. No challenge anymore. But check out that Monster Hunter World you kills monsters but it's kinda like WOW (which you don't like) where you have to eat to get your level up for killing etc.

Here's a better link to check out the teaser trailer: [link]

Monster Hunter World is out on PS4 too and currently gathering dust on my shelf. Haven't played it yet, but my backlog is in the dozens. Only so many things one can do on any given day. I do prefer story heavy games to "roam around aimlessly in an open world" games though.

Have you considered getting a (whatstheenglishword...) rainwater tank? It must rain in sunny California ever so often, so if you catch that water and store it, you can use it for your garden.

I prefer to roam around aimlessly (kinda like what I do in real life come to think of it?)

/me knows nothing about a rainwater tank and doubt I could maintain something with the word tank mixed in it. (sounds heavy) but my landscaping is complete now and looks insanely cool! Plus now my plants gets watered at the roots because I had the water lines redone so it does not spray a ton of water that gets totally wasted, it looks clean and neat. The water bill savings will absolutely pay for the entire thing.

I knew it was an uncommon thing over on your end when I had to look up the word and found only a long term. Basically, big barrel with rainwater. Ideally you loop your roof drain to it, so it fills by itself.

Blast from the past to end the year: DJ Lancinhouse vs DJ Jappo - Exlxaxl [link] (1997). And when I I say blast from the past, especially the loud aspect. Though the best part is the Enya sample at 1:50. I have not heard this song in over two decades. Back when pirate radio stations were still broadcasting. When they stopped, I switched to demons in forests (just as noisy, but in a different way).

Yup, that stuff totally vibrates and scratches the brain real good. (shame we don't hear much of that anymore)

Anyways, in about 3 mins it will be Happy New Year! (for you) over here still 9 hours to go...

I hail from the future and have come to tell you that 2019 is not that much different from 2018. Quite warm too. I was walking around, setting off fireworks in my t-shirt.

/me hails from your past since you are already 9 hours ahead of me in 2019 which reminds me I need to create a fresh I'm listening to thread. It was the usual everyone shooting fireworks and guns and the TV flushing all the bad news of 2018 down the toilet and pretending the new year will be different and better.

/me prays for good health & happiness for all...

Well, looks like you removed that option so this might be the death of our beloved Tek. These threads will only get bombed by spammers anyways...

I did not remove nothing. That would require me to actually do something first. This codebase is over a decade by now, so there are some creaks here and there, but surprisingly it all still works mostly.

It gets bombarded by spammers all the time. I cleaned out some 400 meg of logged attempts some weeks ago. Filter's very good at what it does. Suffice to say, I'm quite amused by this.

Now, it could be that creating new threads is broken. I can't recall if the server had major software updates last year. /me checks mail... No, last breakage was 2017.

Hmm, well if you did not remove it then how about fixing it then?

Creaks here and there? It's a ghost town! Which I don't mind but atleast allow me the option of making a 2019 thread so I don't have to chit chat in a freaking 2018 thread for the next 20 years (plus we must catalog the music by years I'm just weird like that)

Fix it!!!

Hmm, I seem to have misplaced the "new thread" form. I can't recall doing that... Where's my FTP client at...

Yikes! What is this dutchy? I ain't clicking on his link my immune system is already compromised and I don't need to catch any virus' right now.