Musings on Tap

What Sensationalist Titles are Doing to the Internet and What You Can Do to Stop It.

2014-11-16T23:43:00.000-06:00

Social media is hype-driven. But social media is only the vehicle. The driver is far more to blame and people with their overly-socialized fingers are the driving force behind this stupid problem. The solution for this is simple and kind of a letdown I'm sure (isn't that how this is supposed to go?)

Stop falling for it.

-De

Do You Feel Alive? A Tribute to Tom DeLonge

2014-10-10T00:44:00.000-05:00

Self-promotion. Shameless self-promotion. But not really shameless as I am attempting to alleviate my shame through admission. And not entirely self-promotion as the album is a tribute to another. Sometimes I like to make statements and then disprove them immediately. This entire paragraph was a waste of time.

If you are a fan of Tom DeLonge, blink-182, Angels & Airwaves, Box Car Racer or even the Big Oily Men, go listen to my tribute album:

Do You Feel Alive? The Tom DeLonge Tribute Album

Do You Feel Alive? The Tom DeLonge Tribute Album by Derek Zoia

Maybe Mi has follow-up questions, maybe he doesn't.

-De

MoT 2014 NFL Mock Draft: Top 10

2014-05-08T19:07:00.004-05:00

Usually by this time, the number one pick has been predetermined, but this year, no one is even sure which team will be drafting first, let alone which player. Should be an entertaining night to say the least.

I really wanted to do a complete first round mock, but I'm going for accuracy here and I'm of the opinion there will be quite a few trades that go down beyond the first 10 picks. Outside of Atlanta, I don't believe there is much room for teams to trade up in the top 10. Plus, we love us some top 10s here at MoT.

1. Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
The best player in college football should go 1st overall. Also, I believe the character/laziness issues will be literally worked out of him, because J.J. Watt won't let him slack off on the field. Defensive scheme be damned, as long as Clowney plays defense in the NFL, he will be star. The Falcons recognize this fact and could very well trade up to take him.

2. St. Louis Rams: Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
Has the most upside of all of the offensive lineman in the draft. May not be as pro-ready as the next lineman off the board and he may not start at left tackle right away, but he is the most physical blocker in this year's draft and the last time I checked, football was all about physical play. The Rams are looking for the next Orlando Pace

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo
As safe as a pick can be in this draft. Many mocks have him going number one; however, I think Clowney matches the hype, leaving Mack as the second best defensive player of this draft. Excellent as a pass-rushing, run defending and coverage linebacker.

4. Cleveland Browns: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
The Browns are in a position to dramatically improve their offense. Drafting Watkins would give them another legitimate number one receiver. The Browns could have the opportunity to draft Teddy Bridgewater at pick 26 and address their quarterback issue. I believe Bortles and Bridgewater will be the best quarterbacks to come out of this draft.

5. Oakland Raiders: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
The second best WR in this draft, but not by a large margin. A big-play receiver who has made Manziel look really good. The Raiders have made some horrid picks in the recent past, including at the receiver position. The Raiders, however, seem to be at a turning point as a franchise and Mike Evans would fill a big need for them.

6. Atlanta Falcons: Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
Jake Matthews is another really safe pick. Matt Ryan was hammered last season and was the third most sacked QB in the league. The Falcons need the stability and reliability that comes with Matthews. If they don't trade up to take one of the best athletes we've ever seen in college football, Matthews is the answer at pick 6.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
The third Aggie taken in this draft, Mr. Manziel brings athleticism and play-making ability to the quarterback position. If I were the GM of the Bucs, I would pass on Manziel here, but I think the need at quarterback is too great and they will draft on need here.

8. Minnesota Vikings: Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State
The best coverage corner in this draft, Justin Gilbert will help Minnesota against the potent passing attacks of the NFC North.

9. Buffalo Bills: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
Not the most physical offensive lineman in the draft, but he makes up for it in technique and quickness.

10. Detroit Lions: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
Detroit is physical up front on defense, albeit not very disciplined, but they need a lot of help in their secondary. He is a physical corner who excels in press coverage, but also possesses good speed and can keep up with most receivers.

-De

The Infinite Second

2014-04-04T21:11:00.000-05:00

Plastered all over the news recently are reports of a new machine called the NIST-F2. The F1 model released in 1999 was just not cutting it. What I'm speaking of is an atomic clock that loses one trillionth of a second every day. I just cannot fathom losing that much time.

Why is such a precise measurement useful? Many high-tech computer systems need precision to the millionth or even billionth of a second. GPS communication, power grids and other daily forces that synchronize across many systems rely on technology like the NIST-F1. As our world gets more advanced and more reliant on computers, and further computers keep pushing the boundaries of what can be done per second. It is time to wonder what these precise timing tools, coupled with automation and ingenuity will be able to accomplish. How far will the subdivision of the modern second get? If a computer could perform a set task per trillionth of a second, could technology advance where it performs the same task in a googleplexth of a second? How complex would that task be? Right now, modern computer chips do loads of calculations per minutia of a second, but not any one that you could point out and boast about, just bits here and there that form something larger. With more complex tasks being performed in nth seconds along with time-keeping technologies such as the NIST-F2 and beyond, is it the first step in experiencing the infinite second?

There are several philosophical conundrums with "the infinite second." Will it last a second, or an infinite amount of time? Would the placement of infinite instructions not take an infinite amount of time?

So, truly not infinite, but it would be be cool, nay impressive, nay mind boggling to witness how our "world" will change as our capabilities approach infinity.

We can tell each other what we've accomplished in a year, month, week, day, even a minute; however, will we ever brag about how much we've accomplished in a nanosecond? By "accomplish" it will surely mean something metaphysical and non-tangible. Obviously, we can't grow a tree in a shorter period of time, but the virtual world of the future will be a blur to our physical senses. To synchronize the 3-D world wide web, we will surely need the NIST-F3. And by 3-D I don't mean putting on a pair of 3-D glasses and objects come out of the screen. I mean a virtual "internet" that is 3-D and interactive with our senses. That's a blog for another time. There will be blogs on self-improving your "second" that will crop up around the internet. How-to seminars for business professionals similar to high-frequency traders who have discovered the benefits of millisecond advantages in the markets. The Neos of the future will discover the advantages of "The Infinite Second" - A Novel by Mi

Not Another Random How To: How to Dress Like a Gangsta

2014-02-27T17:41:00.000-06:00

I was going to just post this on MoT nation or the ReMusings page, then I thought (actual internal dialogue), "No, this is worth posting to the site".

So, in case you were looking for it, I found the whitest article on the internet. The clincher is the "Warning" section:

http://www.wikihow.com/Dress-Like-a-Gangsta

Assuming you've read and possibly laughed your way through the above, I have two bits of insight to share. If you are searching the internet for "how to dress like a gangsta" 1) you're not a gangster and 2) it's too late for you to become one.

Lack of an apostrophe
That's pretty gangsta

Now you may be wondering, "How might De have come upon this article? Does he perhaps aspire to be a gangster?"

Wow. Ridiculous questions.

For further entertainment, imagine the above article in the voice of Herbert the Pervert. Also, consider reading:

"How to Dress Like a Puerto Rican Gangsta"

This article actually suggests not listening to others, rendering all practical use for this article impossible.

-De

DE...EXPOSED!!

2014-01-17T14:40:00.001-06:00

If you clicked and were expecting a compromising picture of De you can Snapchat him, and work that out between you two.

I have known this for awhile now, and after much consideration I think it is time for the world to know. It is time to release this well-kept secret. I am certain that most will not believe mi, but I assure you these are 100% facts.

Some backstory

De a.k.a whiteface (no seriously, in North Korea they gave him the epithet "whiteface", because when everyone had the same jumpsuit uniform on he clearly stood out because of his "white face). How whiteface came to America? Well not many really know. He tells most that it was by hardwork and perseverance, but as it will be presently revealed. Whiteface is in the direct lineage of Kim Jung Il, or more concisely he is Il's son and Un's younger brother. Exhale. Finally.

Some more backstory

Whiteface is in fact Korean. He was just unfortunately born, well white. There really is no explanation for it. Some say that this is all part of Kim Jong Un's legacy- Kim Jong Un can have white children at will. Mr. Un lacked some foresight and realized no matter his fertile omnipotence it wasn't proper to have a white child. So in the dead of night. De was strapped to a Russian rocket and shot about 75 meters to sea where the South Koreans picked him up. Whiteface was immensely lucky he is white, since the South Koreans thought it was some Western dignitaries kidnapped child they just saved. Nope. As the they shopped the small child around the United Nations floor to see if anyone would claim him, a Sicilian man motioned to the Koreans. Not understanding each other in the slightest the Koreans gave the Sicilian man the child when in fact all he wanted was a smoke. The Sicilian interpreter then sent whiteface to go live in America with his distant cousins in Illinois.

Aside
I can see that your mind is wrought with skepticism. So many bold claims. Why did the Sicilian man not have his own cigarettes? I'll go piece by piece.

First and foremost it is important to note that De has always had an affinity for the late Kim Jong Il. In fact he was so much in denial when his father died that he made this post about it. Not to mention he adored his father so much he claimed over twenty ridiculous feats for his dear papa.

You might be also wondering, "no way did a North Korean rocket travel 75 meters." I'll admit this one is kind of hard to believe myself. But upon further review it was actually a Russian rocket they employed.

How did he survive the fall in to the sea? Don't be ridiculous is father is Kim Jong Il, whiteface would have been a demigod.

Why didn't the Sicilian have his own cigarettes on hand at the United Nations meeting? I can foresee receiving tons of flak for this one. Probably the biggest hole in my whole story. But see that day they were training new maids at the hotel the ambassadors were staying at. They simply got a little greedy and stole his pack of smokes. The ones I have salvaged and took a picture for you all as proof.

Proof

And so there it is. Airtight. Open and shut case on how De a.k.a. whiteface is North Korean and Kim Jong Il's son.

-Mi

The MoT Top 10: The Twenty-Ninth

2013-10-14T21:36:00.000-05:00

Top 10 Things that De Doesn't Like

As difficult as it was, I did my best to rank these from least to most disliked:

10) Bad puns (sorry Mi). Although almost completely arbitrary, my system for distinguishing good puns from bad employs one rule that has proven true: no pun that includes the word "pun" is worth saying.

9) Liking/favoriting your own posts

A-Rod's true love

8) Hashtags in texts. Those who participate in this reprehensible activity clearly don't understand the hashtag's function. The occasional hashtag in a text as a joke, alright, but meaningless hashtagging has got to stop. Unfortunately, it may be too late; the hashtag disease has spread to spoken communication:

7) Selfies in which you can see the camera.

The real joke is on whoever made this. This is clearly an iPhone 4 or newer, which has a front-facing camera.

6) Really bad/non-segues in a comedy routine:

"And I told my buddy, 'The aliens will never come back if you don't stop making up abduction stories........So I was chatting up this old lady at a Megadeth concert the other day'"

5) This might hurt to type: irregardless. It bothers me that Blogger didn't want to spell-check that. If you Google this nonword (that it spell-checks.....), the first definition you will see is "regardless". While I enjoy the hopefully satirical intent behind such a definition, I would prefer something along the lines of:

Your search - irregardless - did not match any documents.

Suggestions:

Try regardless
Try regardless
Try fucking yourself

4) Things that can't be organized in a list format. Nice job idealized Google^.

3) Vanilla ice cream. What is so great about vanilla ice cream? Nothing, it's vanilla. By definition it has no special qualities; lacks distinction and is ordinary. Next.

2) "Expresso". This abomination ranks highly due to my recent hiring at Starbucks. It's astonishing how often "espresso" is mispronounced by customers and even partners.

1) The Oxford (serial) comma. Having a comma precede a linking word in series is annoying, redundant and useless. If you ever witness an oxford comma in a De-approved sentence.......I can't think of a punishment appropriately unpleasant enough for such a crime. Perhaps a lifetime sentence of oxford comma use ;)

-De

Russian Roulette

2013-10-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

I am not even going to pretend I'm good at programming. However, I will say that this project was fun to put together. I think VBS or Visual Basic Script is one of the easiest if not easiest programming languages to learn, so I made a program that simulates Russian Roulette. You enter how many players you want to play and then put in their names. The program will then randomly generate a number that will decide if the next person is dead or not. After it goes through every bullet (more guns/bullets) if playing with more than 6 people it will tell you if they died or not. At the end, it prints out all the survivors and all the dead. It was cool experimenting around with arrays and for loops, because it saves a lot of time and when it all works you feel like a wizard. Like I said I'm a novice.

There are some flaws in the program. For example, if you are playing with n>6 people the program plays as if it has a Ceiling(n/6)*6 chambered gun instead of Ceiling(n/6) 6 chambered guns. This slight variation might make a difference because the chances can be greater than or less than 1/6 (most importantly greater than) for a random distribution along the line. We can talk to Putin about how Russian Roulette works with n>6 people. Also, the way the code is setup is the player dies if the randomly generated number is < than n+1 bullets. And I had to make the number of chambers remaining go down accordingly. So, in a large n case we are able to see a uniform distribution of people dying. I am not sure why it doesn't print out all the names; perhaps there is a character limit. Here's to version 2.0!

'############################RUSSIAN ROULETTE##################################
msgbox "Welcome to Russian Roulette, the game of your life!"
count = inputbox("How many players?")

Function Ceil(x)
If Round(x) = x Then
Ceil = x
Else
Ceil = Round(x + 0.5)
End If
End Function
'thank you random internet post for this ceiling function ^^

bullets = Cstr(ceil(count/6))
chambers=(ceil(count/6))*6
msgbox "You will be playing with "+ Cstr(ceil(count/6)) +" standard 6 chamber revolver(s)"
guns = ceil(count/6)
dim player()

for i = 1 to count
ReDim Preserve player(i)
player(Cstr(i))= inputbox("Please enter " + "Player "+ Cstr(i)+"'s name")
if player(Cstr(i))="" then
player(Cstr(i))="Player "+Cstr(i)
end if
if count > 1002 then
msgbox "This will surely be too tedious, Shirley."
i = count
count = 0
end if
aglom = aglom + player(i) + ", "
next

msgbox aglom + " this is it. This is Russian Roulette. Dun Dun Dunnnnn!"
Randomize()

for i = 1 to count
newchambers= chambers-(i-1)
'pickgun = CInt(Int((guns * Rnd()) + 1))
pick = CInt(Int((newchambers * Rnd()) + 1))
'msgbox Cstr(pick)+" bullets"+Cstr(bullets)
if pick < bullets+1 then
msgbox player(i)+ " is dead. BANG!"
aglommm=aglommm+" "+ player(i)+" "
bullets=bullets-1
if bullets= 0 then
for k = (i+1) to count
leftover= leftover +player(k)+" "
next
end if
else
msgbox "Click! "+ player(i)+" lives"
aglomm= aglomm+ player(i) + " "
end if
if bullets= 0 then
i=count
end if
next

msgbox "game over, congratulations to the survivors: " + aglomm + leftover
if aglommm <> "" then
msgbox "And" + aglommm+", not feeling so Russian, huh?"
end if

'###########################RUSSIAN ROULETTE###################################

To play this super fun violent game, just copy the above code into a notepad. Windows only, sorry. Then save the file as RussianRoulette.vbs. Or just make sure the file extension is .vbs
Next change "Save As Type" in the drop down to "All files"
Leave encoding as "ANSI"

Now find the file you saved and double click on it and it should run!

In the DeMi test trial, I unfortunately died. It was but a flesh-wound as I am all better now.

Cheers,

Mi!

The Random How To: Driving in India

2013-10-08T14:48:00.001-05:00

Quite simply: Don't.

Otherwise if you enjoy harrowing experiences, near-death and otherwise, just follow this quick guide that will have you on or off the road in no time!

Lines Lines Lines

This Indian man said to me: 'Indians don't drive on the left or the right. They drive on what is left." A truer statement has never been uttered. If you are a Westerner, or are accustomed to 2 lane roads in general, you would take it as a general understanding that lanes and medians exist for a reason. In India, it is best that you treat these "lines" on the road as two-dimensional abstract art. The only reason that you are driving here as opposed to there is that there might be a 10 ton bus coming your way, there are trees larger than a sapling, or you don't plan on off-roading, because you find yourself without your Jeep.

Need to get there faster? No one is in the oncoming traffic "lane". No worries, just cruise down the shoulder/pedestrian walkway/construction zone lane for awhile. All others are clearly idiots for not thinking of this prime opportunity.

"Horn OK Please"

Truck drivers legitimately appreciate you alerting them with your horn. Hence this phrase.

Do you ever feel the irresistible urge to just lay on the horn for 10 seconds at a time? Wellll chief, in India, it is your right, and damn well expected. Like bats, most experienced drivers in India have a 6th sense-- echolocation. More useful than mirrors, you must learn to rely on your ears to know when someone is entering your blind spot.

Is That Yo' Weave? How to 2 Wheel it in India

Mopeds and Motorcycles are highly popular in India. First off, if you can't fit your entire family on a motorcycle, you are clearly doing something wrong.

This is a family vehicle. Minivans are for yuppie moms.

Second, if you are on of these two wheeled motorized vehicles you have several advantages. You don't have to pay tolls. And the most notable advantage. Weaving. You can go to L.A. and think that the motorcycles there are ridiculous. But here, the motorcycles are going 2-3 deep between cars, buses and trucks. If there is a 1 foot gap, you damn right better go through or someone else will. In months you will learn how to navigate gridlocked traffic like a champ! Just remember to use your horn.

Stop lights? More like go lights!

Now we are getting to the finer nuances of Indian driving. A stoplight is ahead and the light looks red, but you can't really tell, because everyone else around you is apparently color deficient. These traffic lights are more of a game of momentum. Are there more cars going in your direction or are there more cars intersecting? Are you feeling lucky? Do you have a foghorn equipped in your boot? These are all careful considerations to take as you check out that intersection. The most important thing to consider is if you never go, you won't make it to the other side.

Attaining Your Drivers License

Yes you do need a driver's license to drive in India. Oh and interesting tidbit I'll throw in here that's only really important, but because they are an ex-British colony they drive on the left. Hope that's ok.

To acquire your Indian's driver's license you pay about 300 Indian Rupees ($5) in processing fees, submit several passport photos of yourself or someone that looks like you, and allegedly take a test. Though from what I have heard is that all they do is take your money...Safe to say, I don't really want to drive in India.

-Mi

Here are some more Random How To's that might interest you!
Interrogating Piranhas

How to Properly Conduct Business With Aliens

The MoT Top 10: The Twenty-Eighth

2013-09-23T20:15:00.001-05:00

General Hospital is the longest running American soap opera still in production and the third-longest running American drama. Wow, what interesting facts DeMi! (sarcastic excitement). Before we continue, it should be made clear that this Top 10 is not entirely about General Hospital. More fun facts: 12,987 episodes at 42 minutes each. It would take 376 days to watch every episode; longer still since it's still running. The point of this killer intro is if the writers of GH can continually recycle plot lines and revive deceased characters for over a year's worth of material, surely DeMi can bring back the Top 10.

Here are the Top 10 Things Younger Than General Hospital:

10) The Beatles in America

9) The NASDAQ exchange

8) Assassination of John F. Kennedy

7) MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech

6) The nanosecond - You couldn't have watched GH in nanoseconds, because you wouldn't have known what a nanosecond was

5) Our moms

4) The Clean Air Act

3) Women in space

2) Zip codes

1) Hepatitis-B vaccine - If a patient at General Hospital were diagnosed with Hep-B before 1980, they would be SOL.

Just Missed the Cut
Here are a few things that have been around slightly longer than GH:

Michael Jordan

Valium

Obama

The smiley face

This is the first smiley face design introduced to popular culture. That's right, the first fucking smiley. We only have content of the highest quality here at MoT.

-DeMi

The 13th Month

2013-09-10T22:48:00.000-05:00

I haven't done any research on this, hell I don't even own a calendar. I know there are all sorts of calendars and what not, but I would like to propose the need for a 13th month.

How many weeks do we usually approximate in a month? 4? So how many weeks are there in three months? 12? wrong! After 3 months you lose on average 7 days. The insane part is that after just a year you will lose a month. Where is this 13 month? Where does it go? Why, it's at the end of every month of course. Except February, those days are always on strike. And after all 13*28 = 364.

It really makes sense to have each month except two have 28 days. February can have its damn leap year and then the months can take turns with the extra day. So every year is a hop year, every four years is a leap hop year, and every 12 years is a double leap year! And people, including myself, will just have to adopt new birthdays. I'll gladly take Sept 1st. That'd be wild.

This will solve many problems, such as a better approximation of tides, full moons, and menstruation cycles. Also, financial schedules and other calendars would be easier to keep track of.

Ok, just looked it up. Of course someone has thought of this. Apparently Eastman Kodak adopted the international fixed calendar until 1989, or so says Wikipedia.

But like most innovators, I will take this idea as my own. I now dub it.....The Beben Calendar. Don't worry, I'm pretty humble. I eliminated my own birthday.

Keep on musing on,

-Mi

For those curious, today, the 10th of September would be the 28th of August, assuming a hop year with the hop being in January.

The 2013 Packers: Analysis and Predictions

2013-09-05T22:23:00.001-05:00

The Packers finished with a healthy 11-5 record last year and could have done better. Many believe they threw the final game of the season against Minnesota and I find it really easy to buy into this theory. A loss to the Vikings in week 17 meant keeping the Bears out of the playoffs and avoiding another post-bye week blowout like the year before (20-37, Giants). This strategy didn't make much of a difference in the end; however, as the Packers won a playoff game they wouldn't have had to play against the Vikings the following week, then proceeded to be exposed by the Niners in the Divisional round. This means the Packers were essentially a 12-4 team, 13-3 if you consider the blown call by the replacement refs in the Seattle game. A 13-3 record with an average defense and under-performing offense........it's difficult to believe they won't have at least 13 wins this year.

The Packers have been reminded of a very important lesson these past couple of seasons; winning the Super Bowl is not about as much about talent as it is about matchups and momentum.

Schedule

By no means do the Packers have an easy schedule. In fact, they have the 6th strongest schedule, according to NFL.com (.533 SOS rating), based on the performances of their opponents in 2012. Their opponents include the Super Bowl champion Ravens, the NFC Conference champion 49ers and, of course, 6 games in what could be the toughest division in the NFL. Yet, the Packers have one major advantage: no back-to-back road games for the first time in decades. This will help them to avoid losing streaks and maintain positive momentum.

Improved Defense
The pass rush has to be better this year. With the return of Nick Perry and the addition of Datone Jones, the upgraded front 7 should be able to take some pressure off the secondary. Perhaps the biggest question mark for the defense is their ability to stop the read-option. They should be slightly less taken aback by it this year, as they have had all of the off-season, training camp and preseason to prepare. Also, they have an abundance of film from last year on how not to stop it. Perhaps the most important variable in the Packers' formula to counter the read-option is the play of MLB Brad Jones. He is replacing Desmond Bishop, who has proven to be a stout defender, in more than one sense of the word. While he is very effective against the run, he is far too slow for the QB spy role, which is necessary against the read-option. Brad Jones is the faster linebacker and should do a better job keeping contain on mobile quarterbacks.

Balanced Offense
Last year, when Aaron Rodgers was asked about the Packers' need to improve the running game, he responded, "Do we need to? I think this is a pass happy league, so I think it's got to start with the pass with us." Lately, however, he has acknowledged the greater need for a running game, both to neutralize the pass rush of opposing defenses and provide another dimension of play-making potential. 2nd round draft pick Eddie Lacy could give the Packers' what they only had a glimpse of last season with Cedric Benson: a strong power running game.

Improved Offensive Line?
Aaron Rodgers was the most sacked QB last season, so it's hard to imagine some progress won't be made by the offensive line in 2013. But I believe there is room for a good deal more optimism. The Packers made improving the offensive line a priority during this year's draft, without sacrificing picks in the early rounds and drafting guys too early. Brian Bulaga's season ending injury, though seemingly detrimental to the offense, may have very little effect on the overall performance of the line. Despite his elite potential, Bulaga gave a very inconsistent performance in 2012, allowing too many edge rushers to beat him. Also, he only played 9 games last year due to an injury that has since been reaggravated. This season, the Packers planned to have Bulaga start at left tackle, but Bulaga's injury has allowed rookie David Bakhtiari to take over on the blind side. Bakhtiari has impressed thus far in pass protection and could be a positive difference maker for the offense. My favorite change to the O-line is the moving of Josh Sitton from right guard to left guard, which allows him to help the rookie protect against the NFL's better pass rushers.

Bold Predictions
Since I did not make my Packers' Super Bowl win prediction public before the 2010-2011 season, few believed me after the fact. So, here are all of my predictions for this season:

Packers will dominate the NFC North and go 5-1 (Not the boldest of predictions, but all the new talent in this division will prove to provide very little meaningful resistance against the Packers.

Packers will go 14-2, losing only to the 49ers and once to the Lions (in Detroit of course).

Super Bowl: Packers over Broncos in a Super Bowl XXXII rematch (Someone may have to hold Elway back to keep him off the field)

Other Predictions Around the League
The Ravens will not repeat or even win the AFC North

The Bears will again miss the playoffs despite a strong regular season performance

The Seahawks and Cowboys will make-up the NFC Wildcard picture

The Colts and Ravens will earn the AFC Wildcard spots

Division winners:

AFC East - Patriots
AFC North - Bengals
AFC South - Texans
AFC West - Broncos

NFC East - Redskins
NFC North - Packers
NFC South - Falcons
NFC West - 49ers

-De

The MoT Top 10: The Twenty-Seventh

2013-09-01T16:30:00.001-05:00

Mr. groom to be, Frank, asked me to compile a top 10 list of songs. As that was kinda vague I made the list to be the Top 10 songs he should have on his wedding playlist. For those that don't know I was roommates with Frank for all four years in college. So I would say I know his musical tastes pretty well.

Check it.

Top 10 Songs for Frank

10)

Time of Your Life - Green Day

I like this one because it's a classic, cliche since it came out. However, Green Day was one of the bands that I played a lot our Freshman year- the year where Frank mostly listened to classic rock. Oh how that was soon to change.

Anna Sun - Walk the Moon

This is one of the songs Frank would just jam out to. Study break, or whatever this was a great stress reliever. Lyrics probably aren't wedding appropriate, but it's upbeat and who cares.

Good for Great - Matt and Kim

Pretty simple here. Matt and Kim is one of our (De excluded, but that's not important right now) favorite bands. This intro to this songs sounds pretty amazing played loud over Frank's studio monitors. Also Frank doesn't read books, another key lyrics to this song. "for late leave sleep" - our motto

Sleepyhead - Passion Pit

I think it was Sophomore year. This song was played..a lot. One time we stayed up til 5 a.m. binge writing a 10 page drama paper. This song was definitely a part of that.

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up) - Fall Out Boy

Senior year. If Frank didn't have this song cranked when I got back to the room something was wrong. Minor hyperbole post-alert.

5 Years Time- Noah and the Whale

Another one of Frank's classic sing-along-songs. And it just leaves you feeling so happy.

Magic - B.o.B.

This song was a staple. Always trying to get the rap part right. Jamming out at soccer games. This one had a long lifespan. Also pro-friend proving alert. Frank if you still have that label I made you post it to the FB group.

Sail - Awolnation

Junior year spring break I spent the week at Frank's house. Going to play basketball, cruising around town, or driving 4 hours to accidentally find ourselves in South Carolina, this song was bumping

Daylight- Matt and Kim

This is the song that got us hooked on Matt and Kim. Awesome piano. Awesome music video. And so much energy doe. One of the few bands Frank introduced to me...ha I kid I kid. But damn this song was just the perfect song to unwind to at the end of the day.

Saturday Love - Angels and Airwaves

One of our favorite bands (De is finally included). The lyrics are really fun to sing. The feelings are real. It's AvA. I had to decide between this one and Surrender..if he didn't sing each of these a thousand times I'd be surprised. AvA was our choice of chill out/ study music, and the awesome part was that you could also crank it and sing along.

0) Boom. Included

Thrift Shop - Macklemore

Because if it wasn't included it would be admitting to not knowing Mr. FJT. Admittedly, he was a thrift shop hipster. He showed me this song a good 4 months before it got more airplay than a good metaphor. I'll try harder next time, promise. He knew the words, and he would dance. Turn this song on and Frank (tried to) bec(o)ame Macklemore. It was quality entertainment. Especially for Taylor, right Taylor?

BONUS LIST

Top 10 Frank Verifiably Can Dance to Dance Songs

~~1) Teach me how to dougie~~

Not actually verified

2) Party Rock Anthem

Do the Spongebob

3) Rock That Beat - High Street Allstars

Jumpstyle

4) 2 Step

~~5) Walk it out~~

Nope, this one's just me. Sorry.

6) Jerk

Frank told me in full confidentiality that he had a dream in which he jerked it.

7) Moonwalk

There is a little Billy Jean in all of us.

8) Moving Like Bernie

His preferred dance move for Thrift Shop

9) Wobble

Wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble baby

10) Yes

"Let's do the fork in the garbage disposal"

Congratulations to Frank and Taylor on their marriage this September 7th! I am pretty excited for them and know that they're going to be able to finally take that third wheel off and live on their own. Though you know guys, rent is a lot cheaper with more people...

-Mi though De is here in spirit. But not dead.

De's San Diego Vacation

2013-08-23T12:30:00.000-05:00

Because of my extended absence from the blogospehere, I have returned with a Superblog! detailing my summer vacation (as you can see, we haven't had one of those in a while^). Sadly, this isn't your typical Superblog! with multiple authors, as Mi has been abducted by aliens and Ho's blogging career remains in a state of retirement.

My view from the plane

It had been far too long since my last vacation and longer still since I had been to California. My parents actually had the awesome idea of going to San Diego for a post-graduation, last family vacation. I saw this as an opportunity to explore some blink-182 past and present, as well as some other more touristy places. For those unaware, blink-182 was formed in Poway, CA, a suburb just outside of San Diego, the hometown of co-frontman Tom DeLonge and luckily enough, where my dad booked our hotel.

Sombrero Mexican Restaurant

Sombrero at 11040 Rancho Carmel Drive, San Diego

One of the spots I had to hit was a Mexican restaurant called Sombrero, made famous by the blink song "Josie". Mark and Tom of blink-182 used to frequent Sombrero between recording sessions and would often receive fan mail there. So, thanks to Yelp and this particular location's proximity to Poway, I determined this was the place. I asked an employee at the counter if they still receive blink fan mail, to which he replied, "Yeah, every once in a while". Nice.

The video below is part 3 of an MTV series called "The Road Home" which shows one of Tom and Mark's visits to Sombrero (sorry, the video will only play on YouTube through the title link).

My California Burrito

Carne asada, cheese, pico de gallo, fries and yes, it's as good as it looks.

This location has clearly undergone some expansion over the last decade, but the blink-182 tribute in the bathroom (pictured below) cleared any confusion.

Fans' tribute to blink-182 in the bathroom

top half

bottom half

I wish I could say I had written something on the board, but I was sadly without a marker. Damn, I guess I'll have to go back.....

Sea World

Dolphin Encounter

One Shamu

Two Shamu

Mostly, Sea World blew. It wasn't at all as I remembered. Apart from being inanely overpriced, it was super crowded for a week day. Also, the Shamu "One World" propaganda show was really short and melodramatic. I felt like the orcae weren't the focus at all.

Macbeth Flagship Boutique

Macbeth store in Encinitas, CA

Tom DeLonge sat here

They don't call Macbeth a boutique to be fancy. This store is fucking small. I honestly believe they rented out the storage area of the adjacent store to create room for this one. But, since it is Macbeth's only physical store in the U.S., I had to check it out. Macbeth is a footwear, apparel and accessories company founded by Tom and Mark in 2002 (Mark later sold his stake in the company). Only a week before I arrived, the Macbeth Boutique hosted a party with a fan signing by Tom DeLonge and David Kennedy (Angels & Airwaves) as well as live performances by David Kennedy and Night Riots. I asked the one employee at the store about the party and in his words, "It was crazy". What sucks is the original plan was to leave the week before, meaning I would have party anecdotes to share. I know, I'm disappointed in me too. Please don't be mad. Here, look at some pretty pictures:

San Diego Safari Park

Lion and lioness (in truck)

Mission Beach, San Diego

Dem waves

Overall, it was one of the best trips I've had, despite the usual tension that goes along with family vacations. The weather was perfect every day. Also, it was really cool my aunt and cousin were able to drive down from L.A. and stay in the hotel with us for a few days. I hope to return to San Diego soon and on a much more permanent basis. I leave you with these incandescent words of wisdom:

"Everyone else but me surfs, I grew up skateboarding, but I don't even do that anymore. I'll get hurt and die.....but if I die, I'll sell more records. We're thinking of doing that. Actually dying." (Tom DeLonge)

-De

The MoT Top 10: The Twenty-Sixth

2013-07-12T13:29:00.000-05:00

This week's Top 10 is brought to you by a good friend of ours and a long time member of the MoT Nation. We give you, El!

Top 10 Worst Ways to Hit on a Girl

Flirting can be fun and exciting, but the goal should always be not to completely creep out a girl. Some of these may or may not be real experiences of mine…

10) Telling her she's a buttaface.

9) Pronouncing her name wrong

8) Trying to holla at a girl when she is with her dad

7) Drunken Facebook messaging like "wgasts up sedxy! Wannfa talkj dirtyu?"

6) Claiming to be 15 years younger and trying to go for the girl that is 20 years younger than you

5) With the line, "Hey girl, I'd love to see you lick a popsicle topless"

4) Creeping on the new girl at work and asking her out via e-mail

3) Asking a girl if she can smell steroids on you

2) Sending a Snapchat video of your junk to a girl you've never met

1) Spotting a cute girl at a store and following her to her car when she is alone and it is dark outside; asking her out will not only result in some version of "hell no", but she may be armed and ready to use some highly potent pepper spray.....

-El

The MoT Top 10: The Twenty-Fifth

2013-06-16T21:43:00.001-05:00

Top 10 Best Ways to Die

Don't get too excited......The MoT Top 10 has returned!!

Hopefully unnecessary disclaimer: Please don't interpret this as a list of suggestions.

10) After defeating your mortal enemy

9) While saving someone else. It's the circle of life, it's circular, like a circle. Simba. Magic. Beautiful. All good things.

8) In a magic trick gone wrong; at least you had an audience/witnesses

7) In Call of Duty, revenge is only a respawn away

6) By firing squad, it doesn't take 7 rifles to kill one person, but it still looks badass

5) In a soap opera, you'll get to come back as your own long lost twin

4) Down with the ship. The Black Pearl

3) With a chilling catchphrase like, "I'll be back", but you won't.

2) After everyone else, you have just won life

1) Hard, and not from a Viagra overdose

-DeMi

The Making of a MoT Top 10

2013-06-13T17:29:00.001-05:00

Waaaaay back when DeMi used to write Top 10s on a weekly basis, we usually brainstormed over late-night phone conversations. The eleventh MoT Top 10, however, we discussed over Facebook instead. It is the creation of that Top 10 we would like to share. Below is the beginning of that conversation and the entirety of it is embedded as well as provided through a link to the same Google Doc.

april is gonna be the month to smash records brah
alright which top 10 do you wanna do?

I want to do.....
what are my options

the current one,
any other one you think of

not at the moment mon frere
we stopped doing the stick to the man one right

go to a bar order a cocktail on the rocks, finish it, take it outside and sell the melted ice to minors
do you have a good one for that?

no

ah lol
Top 10 Things Toddlers Don't Have to Worry About

ooooh
shitting their pants

sucking tits

regularly
toddlers?
tho

peeing on trees
loll
yeah you're right

we can change it to babies

Easter is on Sunday
Top 10 Things Jesus Would Not Do

uh oh

lol

Picket Funerals

1) Mary Magdelene

ohhhhhhhh
nice lol

thanks

secular
easter bunnies

wear shoes

lol

wear pants

swim

speak in ebonics

catch only one fish

lol

alright we're doing this one

https://drive.google.com/?pli=1&authuser=0#my-drive

New Top 10 coming this Sunday!

-DeMi

Privacy, Xbox One, NSA, and More

2013-06-10T20:51:00.000-05:00

Xbox One with the all-seeing Kinect.

The Xbox One, or Xbone, as many affectionately like to call it, is receiving a lot of flak for how it has handled the press and different release statements it has made, and rightly so. Even the Xbox fanboys of yore are seriously considering turning to the PS4 or PC gaming because of all the BS they've seen in these past 4 months.

First, the Xbox One release event was terrible. If you were to ask a layman what the event was about, they would think Microsoft was trying to pitch a new-fangled cable box. This is one of the many ways they are alienating their fan base, Another way is they are coming out with a DRM (Digital Rights Management) method so that the Xbone must connect to the internet every 24 hours in order to play the games you have bought. Yep, that's right. Of course, their whole front is piracy protection, but really all Microsoft wants to do is run the secondary game market out of business. Beyond that, it is rumored you can only transfer a game once and it must be to a friend that has been on your list for more than 30 days. No more late-night, craigslist-joyriding to buy a copy of your favorite video game at a sketchy gas station.

Fake Sony CEO Twitter account prodding fun

So far it does not look good for Microsoft and the Xbox camp. Which leads me into my next topic: the NSA. This past week we have heard a good deal about the NSA and its spy program called PRISM.

The True American Patriot

Whistleblower Eric Snowden, or as many are starting to hail him, "The True American Patriot", revealed the fact that at any given time, he was able to wiretap whomever he wanted from his desk; whether it be the president of the United States, Oprah, Joe the Plumber, or Sarah Palin's secret lover (if I read the Enquirer correctly).

Boom. Hacked

Not only were they able to listen in on phone conversations, but Snowden claims they ~~were~~ are able to intercept whatever form of communication they please. Including email, Facebook, texts, and much more. In fact, Microsoft has had relations with the U.S. government since 2007 . It is known that Skype, since purchased by Microsoft, has actually become less secure with various vulnerabilities allowed for so that the NSA can bring about justice, at least to your late night Skype date.

Is the NSA really worried about what individuals might be doing? Probably not. The law of large numbers allows some protection there, until you start automating the spying. Allowing massive supercomputers to act on algorithms to point out "alertable events". So even though the NSA can not employ an army of watchdogs, they will certainly be able to build the robots, if not already.

Thankfully, Mr. Snowden stepped in. But in the grand scheme of things, this will only be a minor roadblock in the way of government surveillance. With bills such as CISPA and SOPA/PIPA becoming regular

Write your congressman!

conversations in Congress, it's possible the government would want to intervene and put similar regulations in place. As the Patriot Act of a decade ago has crippled some of American's Liberties, these new cyber laws might cut them down further.

This plays out badly for Microsoft because of their partnership with the U.S. government. The release of the Xbox One in November and the rumor that the included Kinect might always have to be turned on illustrate an Orwellian nightmare waiting to unravel. Having a viewing party to watch Netflix on your TV streaming through your Xbox could result in to a hefty penalty, because by law you can only have 6 people watching one copy of a movie. And don't get me started on those creepy ideas to implement commercials based on the ambient noises your Kinect picks up.

Privacy is becoming a luxury, and one that even money can't buy.

-Mi

High Speed Rail

2013-06-06T19:06:00.001-05:00

Whoosh

I'm all about the future, hell we all are. It is what we live for. Of course there are those cliches about living in the now and how we should enjoy the moment, man. But everyone must afford a bit of foresight to survive, and I believe that the United States government should have the foresight to implement high speed rail. A technology that is ages old in other first world countries. Similar to how we scoff at the Europeans for not owning dishwashers and dryers, they rebuff the United States for poor infrastructure. I hope to explore some arguments for and against high speed rail here in the U.S.

Automakers and Unions:
Detroit, The Motor City, is home to some of America's biggest auto-making factories including, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. Collectively known as "the big three" because they are the biggest automaker

We be clashin'

s in North America. Their market share has seen a decline since Toyota and Honda and other foreign companies have stepped in to the American automobile market along with the subsequent cry to halt the loss of American jobs.

And the big three have special interests in maintaining their position at the top of the transportation chain. Those with vested interests such as chair member of the General Motors corporation have the money to lobby congress and derail (badum tss) the attempts to push legislation forward. Similarly, when chair members of General Motors took measures against railways in the 1920's when railroads were the way to travel, they could certainly do it again.

Admittedly, this country is vast and too spread out:

Mockup of potential routes.

Classic example. Someone wants to go from the biggest city in the U.S. to the second biggest. The 2,789 mile journey from New York to Los Angeles would take 11-12 hours going nonstop at around 250mph. Hang on, because of those pesky Rocky Mountains and other such track-blocks we must tack on an extra 500 miles and 2 hours to the journey. After all, high speed rail does need a straight track for best results. And then the person continuing this argument would tell you that the train would have stops along the way,
and that your total traveling time would end up being closer to 19 hours. My argument is that, although the NY-LA route is unfeasible, many of the connections in between would be worth it. A more popular route would be perhaps Chicago to New York. at 200 mph that trip would take about 4 hours. If Sally left her Chicago apartment at 6 a.m. and caught the 7 a.m. to NY she would be there by 11 a.m. She could spend the whole day sightseeing, have an early dinner, catch a show and be home by the early morning. It seems overly idealistic and it doesn't factor any costs but there are tons more examples out there.

Bring down airline prices:

Train versus Plane.

One of the reasons often quoted for high airfare is high oil prices. Not very convincing because Europeans face higher oil prices than the Americans and they seem to have equal or better airfare within the E.U. A big reason is that airlines main competition are cars, buses, and contemporary U.S. rail such as Amtrak or the Metra if you are in the Chicagoland area. Airlines price their tickets so that the gas and maintenance of a car is not worth it. And for some reason Amtrak prices are almost as expensive as plane tickets. Greyhound is cheap, but several days of traveling would be gladly avoided by all. High speed rail would be able to compete on those shorter distance, regional routes and help drive airline prices down, or perhaps drive them to offer more "luxuries" such as free checked bags or cookies.

Better Job Competition:

Did someone say job competition?

Say you you live in Milwaukee, have a nice house, and are settled down with your family. Then one day something unspeakable happens to the company you were working at and it ceased to exist. You file for unemployment and begin looking for jobs in the area. However, the smaller market in Milwaukee makes it hard for your specific qualifications to stand out.
With the advent of high speed rail, however,l you will now be able to take the 91 mile Chicago-Milwaukee express route and get there in 21 minutes. You happily look for a job in Chicago knowing that your commute will not force you and your family to relocate. For employers they will see more qualified individuals apply to their firms and be able to hire more qualified personnel.

Job creation and economy stimulation and stuff like that:
In the 1930's FDR got a lot of folks back to work by creating many government agencies that employed those that were down on their luck, fresh out of high school, or otherwise willing to earn money. This mobilization of the unemployed along with WWII helped the U.S. rebound from the Great Depression. To rebound from this recent Great Recession this great country needs a project like high speed rail. Sure, we can fix our roads every season, but the country needs to become less stagnant and expand their projects in a different direction to stimulate the economy.

But the cost! Relax, we throw money around in this country like it's not even ours! Besides, there hasn't been a country that has regretted the decision of upgrading to high speed rail. Instead of the government giving tax breaks to BS programs we could spend some money creating a test track from NY to DC. And after the surge in demand, the government can privatize it, sell the rights. and we can finally have.....yes! Google Rail or GRail if you will.

GRail ©

Thanks for reading, musing, and hanging out,
-Mi

The MoT Top 10: The Twenty-Fourth

2013-04-01T20:06:00.001-05:00

A little back-story. One year ago today, DeMi was coming up with this Top 10, and my roommate, Frank, overheard our list. Halfway through the list we realized that April 1st was the next day and we decided that we could not miss out on an April Fool's themed blog. So Frank asked what happened to this Top 10, and we told him it didn't exist, and half-asleep he tried to come to terms with our....LIE!

HERE IT IS FRANK, APRIL FOOLS! ONE YEAR LATER!

Top 10 Ways to Get Your Money's Worth

10) Pick a restaurant, grab a plate and make the kitchen your buffet.

9) Hire a prostitute and shoot video of your fun together. Sell it as porno.

8) Always take a penny; never leave a penny.

7) Buy some skittles. Taste the rainbow. Follow the rainbow. Make the leprechaun your bitch.

6) With your gym membership, make it a point to touch every machine in the gym, even the ones that somebody maybe using. Maybe with a wink.

5) Always extend the hose of the gas dispenser and shake it vigorously for 5 minutes to get "every last drop"

4) Double bag all your groceries at the self check-out. Make accessories from these bags, and fail at starting a new fashion trend.

3) Stay 3 hours after you're done with a meal to continue getting water refills. Go to the bathroom when they're not looking to make them think you have a bladder of steel.

2) Rock a temporary or real tattoo of your foes telephone number on your forehead while sitting in the front row at a big sports venue.

1) Buy North Korea, resurrect Kim Jong Il and hence resurrect all that was right about the country.

-DeMi

The MoT Top 10: The Twenty-Third - Easter

2013-03-31T19:59:00.000-05:00

Top 10 Places to Hide Your Eggs

10) On the far side of anything: moon, mountain, magic carpet ride, comic.

9) In a carton labeled "Not Eggs"

8) In a yolk

7) In an omelette

6) In a vegan's fridge

5) Auntie's bonnet

4) In a nest

3) In the grocery store

2) In the past

1) Ovaries

-DeMi

Office Predictions and Why De Hates Croutons

2013-02-10T18:35:00.000-06:00

So The Office U.S. is wrapping up like the elves of the North and we have some predictions for how it's all gonna go down. Some of these predictions are ridiculous, some of them are just wishful thinking, but a few of them could very well happen.

Dwight becomes Scranton Regional Manager and after an extensive interview process assumes the position of Assistant to the Regional Manager, as he is the most qualified candidate.

Pam gets a job as a Graphic Designer at Athlead and gets a desk near Jim's. It just seems right that Pam and Jim work together. Especially after the big deal Jim made about how important it is who you sit by at work.

Oscar goes to Massachusetts and marries the Governor, but not before Gil tries to intervene.

Erin gets married.

Kevin Malone starts his own paper company. Guess what he calls it…….yup the Kevin Malone Paper Company.

Meredith dies. Possible title: The Demise of the Wigged (wig-ed) Lady

Andy gets demoted, but not fired. It gets really awkward for Erin at the office.

Michael Scott returns for the finale and kills Toby. Toby dies. Finally
Addendum: While this would be a very satisfying way to round out the show, it probably will not happen. However, at the very least, Michael needs to return for the finale.

The cast performs a musical number.

Steve Martin makes a guest appearance. Kills Meredith

A "What Could Have Been" episode airs, exploring if Pam had stayed with Roy, if Jim had gotten the NY job and if Michael had stayed with Jan.

Awesome Office timeline:

http://theoffice.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline_of_The_Office

De hates croutons, because there is no way to tell if they are #fresh. Follow @Musingsontap

-DeMi

blink-182 EP "Dogs Eating Dogs" - De's Review

2013-02-03T17:33:00.003-06:00

"I think people really need to prepare for the return of blink-182." A bold, yet intriguing statement from blink-182 guitarist, vocalist and co-frontman Tom DeLonge.

Mostly, I love this EP. I don't think the members of blink-182 will be recording any more albums apart from each other. Don't get me wrong, Neighborhoods has its hits, but even the hits seem to be missing a certain level of cohesion. After listening to the new EP for the last few months, I've determined that despite "Boxing Day" and "Pretty Little Girl" it is better than Neighborhoods on the whole. I like the idea behind "Boxing Day" and blink definitely needed a new ballad, considering it had been over 9 years since the release of "I Miss You". But some of Tom's lyrics for this song need to be explained to me, because they come off as extremely corny and nonsensical . "Pretty Little Girl" would have been a solid song, but Yelawolf hi-jacked the track and vomited all over it. I'm very in favor of blink occasionally having rap in their songs, but this doesn't mean they can just take a song that's basically a finished product and throw in any rapper. The remaining three songs on the EP; "Disaster", "Dogs Eating Dogs" and "When I Was Young" are all hits in my opinion. They maintain blink's lyrical edge and sophistication and have a great deal more energy than anything on the last record.

Some purist blink fans may shun me for this, but I decided to rewrite "Boxing Day". I'm still doing some work on it and my singing voice is far from healthy, but here is a clip of "Resolution Day".

My favorite song off of the EP is the title track "Dogs Eating Dogs". It has a little bit of Angels & Airwaves, a little bit of "Feeling This" and a little bit more of "Lycanthrope". I've heard many complaints about how blink's new music just sounds like a remix of their old hits. What I don't think people understand is blink has a very specific style, almost a formula for their songs and it gets more and more difficult to create something new without it having some qualities of another song or sounding too different and outside of their stylistic comfort zone.

First of all, this song is sad. Not so sad that it's off-putting, but very sad nonetheless. Throughout the song, Mark seems to be experiencing the past in the present while Tom sings a chorus filled with cloudy, all-encompassing declarations. I will try my best to interpret these lyrics and hopefully someone will notice some things I've overlooked or offer different interpretations.

Dogs Eating Dogs

Verse 1:

I've got a feeling, I've got a feeling
(I love how this song starts; the line above is like a double pickup to the start of the verse and it's the change of pace that is representative of this album.)
These broken nights and bitter ends
(See. Sad)
We will always starve and devour
(I like songs that begin to explain the title early; a clear reference to "Dogs Eating Dogs".)
Our closest friends, my beautiful friends
Paranoia, my paranoia
(Mark is probably talking about blink's hiatus or perhaps just before, when Tom's side project "Box Car Racer" created distance between him and Mark. Tom said in a personal interview for the AVA documentary film "Start the Machine" that Box Car Racer was not anything against Mark or Travis, but he also said things were never the same between Mark and him since its creation. This very well could be reading way too much into Mark's "paranoia", but I think he's reliving the bitterness of the past or is perhaps worried it will happen again.)
Can't let it go, it never lets me go
What am I feeling, why am I feeling?
(Mark is trying to move on by ignoring his feelings, but he may have reached a point where he no longer feels he is in control.)
Forecast into the freezing cold
(This is perhaps the best evidence for determining whether Mark is just reliving the past or is concerned about the future as well. He could have said "Cast into the freezing cold" and remained ambiguous, but he chose to go with "forecast", which I believe means these feelings of his are a foreshadowing or even a prediction. Being cast out into the cold has a connotation of loneliness, even isolation.)

Prechorus:
Dogs eating dogs, dogs eating dogs, dogs eating dogs
Dogs eating dogs, dogs eating dogs, dogs eating dogs
(Dogs eating dogs is a classic metaphor of the cannibalization of mankind and the selfishness of his nature.)

Chorus:
I'm the last and the first in a very sad set of eyes
(I'm usually pretty good at figuring out Tom's lyrics, which a fan of any of his music know is difficult at times, but these lyrics took some imagination to understand. Perhaps the easiest line to cipher is the first. It is quite common for Tom to use biblical references in his songs and he does again here. "I'm the last and the first" is a paraphrasing of Revelation 22:13, which reads, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last". Mi will likely rebut this, but Tom DeLonge does not believe he is Jesus. He is just aware of how beautifully the Bible is written and likes to use it in his songs.)
To the bone, to the knees, to the factory line
I am numb to the shot, I have a crippling fear of heights
'Cause the fall sounds a lot like a symphony of cries
(The chorus was probably the most difficult portion for me to interpret, because it's almost pure symbolism. I believe Tom is saying he used to, even numb to personal attack, but he's still afraid of the fall. The "symphony of cries" could be referring all the artists who have succumb to the attacks of the music business and have fallen out of relevancy as a result.)

Verse 2:
Your only hope is burning down the chapel
All getting washed out with the tide
(These first two lines are about to be explained by the end of this verse.)
We need to find some middle ground
It's always sex or suicide
(This is about finding balance in life and probably is alluding to those with celebrity status. Mark is saying we shouldn't only live for the highs (sex) and abandon all hope (suicide) when we don't get what we want. But according to the first two lines, the subject of this verse is not listening to him. I'm choosing to take the chapel as a sign of hope and a foundation of the past, which the subject of the verse has burned down and left for ruin, because he or she has chosen a path of despair.)

I think as far as a complete idea, this song is about how our relationships can tear us apart and the crazy thoughts that will go though our heads when we think we're going to lose everything. A bolder and more specific interpretation is this song is a metaphor for how the music business can take over a band and destroy it from the inside out.

-De

The MoT Top 10: The Twenty-Second

2013-01-27T19:00:00.000-06:00

It's a great day for America! (Read in Craig Ferguson's voice)
Today marks the return of the MoT Top 10!

Jubilee by Mi

Unorthodox Preface to Jubilee by Mi

In no way doth Jubilee refer to the Queen of England. As a minor preamble or aside I would like to make that clear. It is known that the Supreme Reigner of the Britons enjoys her Diamond Jubilees, but again this minor word association that casually sprang to your tongue is in fact coincidental (and I forgive you). I realize that the Top 10 might contain a minor jab at a Queen, coincidentally from the same country as that Queen...

Even further and more to the needletip we delve in to the awe-inspiring rhyme scheme of the work of art itself. The ABA CDD scheme verily sends tremors that transcend the poetic world. It is not a mere coincidence that Edgar or Emily are proverbially "rolling in their graves", because in fact this ground breaking moment might just give them reason enough to wake up.

This third and last paragraph, yet never bland, is reserved for all my haters. Yu said I couldn't pull of an unorthodox preface to a poem that is longer than the actual poem, well poo to you. Thei said I would not be able to adopt a giraffe, well read up on the new statutes on importing goods specifically Statute 156.3.C regarding spott-ed or strip-ed (read stripe ed) sub-saharan-African-creatures. I don't want to have haters that can't even read. I want hipster, barista, haters that hated before there were emotions.

Jubilee O Jubilee there will be had
If this list turns out
and isn't bad.

Woketh from the blue
so scream and shout
New Top 10 is finally out!

Top 10 Worst Things to Collect

10) Toupees (with all the money you'll spend, you can afford implants)

9) Facebook friends (a virtual social life is synonymous to an imaginary one)

8) STDs, STI's...acronyms really

7) Get out of jail free cards

6) Pounds: fat, British and hashtags #calmthefuckdownwiththosethings

5) Countries (ask the Queen of England, she has plenty of free time)

4) Airbud sequels

3) Lawn gnomes

2) Condoms (everyone will know you're not having sex)

1) Calls

Wait what?

-DeMi

New Music News

2012-11-16T23:56:00.001-06:00

What the hell is going on 2012? I've been really disappointed in your music so far. I mean, we all have five weeks left to live and yet at this moment, Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Taylor Swift and the Gangnam style guy are all in the top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100 Songs. Actually, I can't hate on Taylor Swift this time, but I can hate myself. Her new single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is super catchy and I hate myself because I don't shut it off when it comes on the radio.

But I have come today bringing good tidings of great music, because there are some awesome things in the making:

Eminem:

If you don't like Eminem, it's not him, it's you. He may say some things that offend you, but you have to respect his talent. Unfortunately for hip-hop, his talent hasn't been around much lately, as his last release was two and half years ago.

On 11/19, Rihanna's new album, Unapologetic will be released and with it, Eminem resurfaces as a featured artist on the song "Numb". However, Mr. Marshall is not the biggest story here; Chris Brown, yup that Chris Brown, is also featured on the album. I really hope he was very careful choosing his words for this song. If not, critics and fans will come up with some very mean, albeit very clever things to say.

On 12/11, Eminem will again be featured, this time on a single by Wisconsin's own Skylar Grey, titled, "C'mon Let Me Ride". Eminem is also an executive producer for the album that will follow this single.

Kid Cudi:

Staying within the rap genre, Kid Cudi is going to release the album Indicud in early 2013. One song I've heard from this album, "King Wizard", is a huge step in the right direction for him and I hope to hear more like it on the rest of Indicud. Cudi has always had an unmistakable rapper's voice, yet his voice is really unique and distinguishable. Also his lyrics are above average and his cadences are refreshing. Still, I've always felt like Cudi's hooks needed some developing and I think the hook in "King Wizard" shows a good deal artistic maturity. Hype aside, the album should be unprecedented and a departure from his previous work.

blink-182:

After news broke that blink-182 had split with their label to go the independent route (pretty badass move I think), they surprised fans with the news of a new album, through various tweets from the band about recording in February of next year. It's such a big surprise because it's only been a little over a year since the release of their sixth studio album Neighborhoods. But, the band claims it has a new found agility after leaving Interscope, so hopefully this leads to a faster, more energetic album with perhaps a less melancholic tone than Neighborhoods or self-titled, while still maintaining the lyrical progress they've made since the days of Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. Then they announced, again via twitter (which is becoming their official press release), they were recording this month and releasing an EP before the end of the year as a Christmas present to blink fans everywhere.

Here are some of last week's photos of the band's most recent recording sessions:

(A prize will be awarded to anyone who can tell me what these lyrics are before the EP's release)

^DeMi is just a little pumped for this EP.

Here is the most recent article with news about the EP, set to be released December 18th.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1697322/blink-182-mark-hoppus-new-ep.jhtml

Angels & Airwaves:

Tom DeLonge is the busiest dude alive. Shortly after blink's announcement of a new EP, Tom tweeted about a new music video for a new song "Diary", dedicated to Critter. The one and only Jeff "Critter" Newell was Tom's former sound engineer, who died on New Year's Eve last year at the young age of 45. He is often credited with helping Angels & Airwaves find their unique sound and because of this, the band thinks of him as their fifth member. His very next tweet announced an upcoming double EP for AVA, named Stomping the Phantom Brake Pedal, also coming out December 18th.

Information about the double EP, including bundle contents, track list and prices can be found here:
http://www.angelsandairwaves.com/

Diary Official Music Video

-De