StevePrutz

On Obama, Artificial Intelligence, Getting Ahead at Work

2012-02-07T17:23:00.002-06:00

Obama's gonna win again. Is there any doubt? If there is, you’ve been watching too much TV. I mean, Barack’s done nothing horrible, nothing immoral. Maybe be a little un-American (can you blame him from distancing himself from the tacky parts of our country?). This President never dons a cowboy hat. And, Tacky America makes us look like cattle.

> > Read further...

Best of the Year 2011: Song

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

"Amarillo"
Gorillaz
From their free iPad-made album, this song is a big wall of sound vibe-y goodness.

"End to the Lies"
Jane's Addiction
Although the album was widely panned, this track is great rock.

"Art of Almost"
Wilco
Tweedy's brand of electronica. I dig it.

"Queen of Hearts"
Fucked Up
Holy gosh! Toronto is so hot right now.

"Niggas in Paris"
Jay-Z & KanYe West
On my 8-hour drive to Hometown, I listened to a heap of R&B and rap radio. These guys are a killer duo. I can't think of any other in history. The Blades of Glory sample is witty. There's some Dre-esque backbeat, and a Nine Inch Nails coda. This is the second biggest thing Jay-Z's done this year. This is the best track of the year.

Best of the Year 2011

2011-12-12T19:49:00.002-06:00

Coming! *bites lip*

More blogging

2011-12-07T12:01:00.001-06:00

It's rapidly becoming 2012. I've always disliked the end of the year... lots to do before Christmas & New Year. It feels like being busy for no reason. I don't want to care at the end of the year.

I need to write more. More rants, raves and ________.

Frustrated

2011-11-29T13:59:00.001-06:00

Frustrated. Blogger autosave deleted a big post. And, I cannot find the damn setting to change Jump Break text wording...

> > Read further...

Entry #006

2011-08-23T20:32:00.003-05:00

Let’s go downtown and watch the modern kids
Let’s go downtown and talk to the modern kids
They will eat right out of your hand
Using great big words that they don’t understand

They’re singing
Rococo, Rococo, Rococo, Rococo…
Rococo, Rococo, Rococo, Rococo…

They build it up just to burn it back down
They build it up just to burn it back down
The wind is blowing all the ashes around
Oh my dear God what is that horrible song?

They’re singing
Rococo, Rococo, Rococo, Rococo…
Rococo, Rococo, Rococo, Rococo…

The Best Vietnam Song

2011-06-07T08:00:00.011-05:00

What is the best musical expression to fit the Vietnam Conflict? ...I know what I'm getting into here. Nostalgia. Stepping on the memories of vets. Rolling Stones bashing.

The war happened between 1963 and 1972: Military overconfidence, civilian casualties, strung-out draftees. Even in the wake of the aftermath, artists still wrote about the conflict. But which has the perfect vibe?

A few songs come to mind:

"Blowin' in the Wind" (1963)
"The Times They Are a-Changin'" (1964)
"I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)" (1965)
"The End" (1967)
"White Rabbit" (1967)
"Give Peace a Chance" (1969)
"Fortunate Son" (1969)
"War Pigs" (1970)
"Born in the USA" (1984)

Now Bob Dylan was mega in that era. A poetic and a reluctant leader. He would deny the Sixties and probably say he was above the war and politics. I'm going to throw him out, yes I am.

"Satisfaction" by the Stones seems almost perfect. Not for the content, but the attitude. Who can forget the water skiing scene in Apocalypse Now? But, it's not there yet. In that same film, "The End" destroys a treeline (and a man) with atonal cacophony. And that's what Vietnam encapsulated: Western cacophony. But, the Doors are a little too hipster for the demographic of Army grunts, aren't they?.

"White Rabbit" seems ideal with the whole drug culture thing. But, not everyone did dope. And, the crescendo ending is almost triumphant. Vietnam wasn't about triumph. Creedence Clearwater Revival is the face of Southern rock. And, I must have looped "Fortunate Son" once for a straight hour. But, I feel that this is a song for all the people who didn't get drafted. It wasn't an anthem for soldiers, was it?

Black Sabbath doesn't bring Saigon or Mekong to mind. I feel it was a tad too heavy for the time, an eclectic track. Now, a classic; then, an outsider metal song.

I doubt most veterans realize "Born in the U.S.A." is anti-Vietnam. It came out in the 80s, and had every American flag-waver singing the chorus (but ignoring the verses). Ironic, and probably frustrating for Springsteen. Really good songwriting... not depressing enough.

....There is one song, unlisted and relatively unknown to pop culture. And, to be honest, it--above all others--captures the essence of Vietnam. The essence that Capt. Benjamin Willard shows in the Kurtz compound. The paranoia, the distress... raw insanity. Synthesizers. Fucking 'Nam.

> > Read further...

It’s Only Right and Natural: an Autobiography Translated

2011-05-23T12:07:00.005-05:00

I have below a translation of one of the hardest things I’ve ever read. Harder than making it through Tom Sawyer’s southern dialect or Joyce’s consciousness. It was a challenge, and hours to complete fully. I had to rewrite and re-think what I knew about grammar—semicolons, punctuations, paragraphs, ellipses, inner dialogue, etc. It was a beast. But reading it made me laugh, because it started to throw in puns and wordplay (if you only knew the inside jokes!) I tried to mark and notate the mental illness as best I could. Still difficult, but worth it. Especially if you are a fan of alternative music, and never heard of the cult band The Frogs. I’ll leave it at that. Without further ado: The Frogs’ Myspace autobiography.

[It] began in earnest 1980. [We] played five “warm up” shows to get our feet wet at UW-Milwaukee—open mike, etc. Rocked them, knew we were ready and moved on… to the Starship (a downtown Milwaukee nightclub). Initially [we] had a small but loyal “skate punk” following… That didn’t last. From June to October 1980, we went through half a dozen changes stylistically—soundscaping faster than our audience could keep up with: a) electric guitar, three drums, floor tom, snare and cymbal; b) electric guitar, three drums, floor tom, snare, cymbal, drum machine, washing machine, etc.

After Halloween 1980 we decided we wouldn’t play live again until our set consisted of all originals—and we set out to do just that. Then sometime in 1982, Jim wrote “Death Songs” (to be continued). Backtrack: we were never a folk-rock duo; we were drums and wires, drums and electric guitar from the get-go; and we rocked the hell out of Donovan, Beatle ballads, Leonard Cohen, nursery rhymes, etc. An eclectic mix as I say, from the start. Although, what must be stated up front is that—for all intents and purposes—when we got the group together in 1980, to our eyes and ears rock was already dead. But, we decided to throw in our two cents’ worth anyway. So we started playing live; mastering the stage as we went, becoming our own beast friend in the process. The perfect unit/ensemble a la Beatles, Rolling Stones, who-have-you; and that was that. [We also liked] taking the piss out of every (pretentious) bitch/witch/bastard who happened along the way; needing bringing down a rung or two (or three or, for that matter/fatter, four). To be continued for you and me. (Two beat continyoued for u and meet.)

> > Read further...

Gentlemen Broncos quotes?

2011-03-09T19:33:00.006-06:00

Wow. People must really abhor this film. I can only find two goddamn quotes on the entire web for this entirely quotable, Napoleon Dynamite-caliber* film. I make it my mission to make the first reasonable fan page in existance. (Perhaps) my fanpage will contain:

Bronco (and Broncanuss) full body shots
Yeast lore
Ronald Chevalier's guide to character naming
Popcorn balls

And, what's with the lack of video clips? Was there a RIAA witchhunt for them?

*in quotability

P.S.: Rotten Tomatoes is the worst. Biased, fanboy, fickle, myopic, etc.

Best of the Year 2010: Film

2011-01-22T08:00:00.013-06:00

[I know it's mid-January... but I had to catch up on film]

The Fighter
Should have been titled the Fighters. Bale's character (Dicky Ecklund) digs deeper into boxing and New England slumming than the titular character (and actor) could ever try. English acting outstages a homegrown Bostonite! Huzzah!

Salt
Every once in awhile we need a movie to update us on the latest Defcon procedures. This wins the award of Best Driving of a Car with a Tazer.

Alice in Wonderland
Way better than most of the recent stuff Burton's done!

Inception
Come on! For all the entertainment in the world, none can compare to the Dream World. People like to point out flaws of the this film, but compare it to some great films like Dark Knight and Matrix (which are even more flawed). This film has replay value of immense proportions. Like looking at the same painting and finding a color you never saw before. Suspend your disbelief. Dream.

Best of the Year 2010: Song

2011-01-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

"Dirty Cartoons"
Menomena

"Kids"
Sleigh Bells

"The Believers"
How to Destroy Angels

"Dance Yrslf Clean"
LCD Soundsystem

"On Melancholy Hill"
Gorillaz

I also liked "Runaway" (live on MTV VMAs, of course)

Free 411 phone numbers

2010-12-18T15:08:00.000-06:00

With the death of GOOG-411 (Google's toll free address service), I had to look for a new information line to fulfill my non-GPS, non-iPhone needs. Thank goodness for Wikipedia categories (at the bottom of each article)!

(800)373-3411 (800 FREE-411)
(800)843-4636 (800 THE-INFO) [Verizon]

Alternative Nation: wut happen?

2010-12-14T11:49:00.003-06:00

I stumbled upon this retrospective of the 90s today. Full of quotables, "I was there" moments, and brilliance.

Love this: "...With the Internet, we know about every promising band seemingly from the time it records its first demos. By the time the album comes out, the backlash has already kicked in. Now the challenge is to not be informed; surprising people has gone the way of putting current events on newsprint. It’s almost like we don’t want to be surprised anymore, because that means we’re somehow out-of-the-loop, or not savvy enough to be there first, which seems to be of the utmost importance when it comes to music these days."

A great read for those sitting at a relative's house, waiting for the turkey to burn.

What Happened to Alternative Nation?
http://www.avclub.com/features/whatever-happened-to-alternative-nation/

Best of the Year 2010

2010-12-09T13:02:00.002-06:00

Music video best-of coming soon!

EQ1 Map Archive

2010-12-02T20:24:00.001-06:00

My current pet project (among other things, like life) for the past few months has been collecting all of the dwindling EverQuest drawn maps, storing them, and giving them to the public. I call it the EverQuest Map Preservation Society (maybe I should have a Donate button). Work in progress here.

www.steveprutz.com/eq

Jewelry

2010-11-09T09:19:00.001-06:00

Check out my friend, Aatisha Singh, and her insanely awesome recycled creations:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DevakiDesigns

Entry #005

2010-10-02T21:15:00.001-05:00

Somewhere along the way
exacting vengeance gave excitement
Somewhere along the way
that excitement turned to pleasure
Somewhere along the way
that pleasure turned to madness
But sooner or later that kind of madness turns into pain

Tackleball

2010-09-06T08:55:00.000-05:00

Week 2: Somehow Joe Paterno gets past state troopers and executes a three-punch combo on Nick Saban's hairpiece.

Week 3: The Nittany Lion mascot places a peace flower in the earhole of Shane Ewing's helmet.

Week 4: Hooty hoot!

Week 5: Iowa is finally overcome, with extreme prejudice. Goal posts are taken down by the White-Out faithful and transferred to a nearby corn field.

Week 7: The Victory Bell is fashioned as a hat and a drinking receptacle.

Week 10: Jim Tressell forfeits after seeing Rob Bolden's forearm from a mile away.

Week 11: The state of Maryland donates all land to Penn State University after just seconds witnessing the Nittany Lions take the FedExField.

Week 12: Nothing of interest.

World Cup

2010-06-14T13:30:00.002-05:00

Somehow, I became a worshipper of soccer. It started at an early age. No pee-wee football or little league for me--rather a midfielder for McDonald's in first grade. We won the championship in our age class, and we got a free meal at our sponsor's restaurant. I remember this because it was the first time I ordered food for myself... (I didn't know you had to wait for your food at the counter). I then left sports for Boy Scouts and music.

Later, in 1998, I came out of sports retirement. I joined the high school varsity team. I played midfield. My legs creaked and popped. I watched the Coupe du Monde (France) the same year. I was caught up in the haircut fever of Ronaldo. I didn't know how "Zizou" was, but I was getting there. I started to understand the simplicity and difficulty of this sport. No equipment required but a slightly-inflated ball... not even shoes. This prepared me to watch Brandi Chastain strip off her uniform in celebration in 2003.

In 2006, Germany (my favorite national team) was hosting the Cup. My roommate had a big-screen. I saw "Zizou" and the head butt. I saw the burgeoning boy-genius of Cristiano Ronaldo. This prepared me to watch the 2008 UEFA championships at 4 AM while in lived in Australia.

Now we are here, 2010. South Africa, more U.S. media coverage than ever. More games than I recall ever seeing being broadcast. Germany just kicked Australia's ass. England and the USA ended up in draw. Drooling now to see what other teams (Brazil?) can astound. Alas, too little time to see it all. Maybe I'll go to Brazil in 2014.

Random observation (March)

2010-03-22T11:51:00.002-05:00

So, it looks like free government health care has finally come to the U.S. From the perspective of a poor person, this is a truly positive thing. And, to me, any argument against providing a free option is ludicrous. It boils down to the same economic concept of "earning it" vs. charity. Any person holding on to the old system of capitalism is delusional. That antiquated system does not account for the welfare of the losing side. Plus, you've got to ask yourself two things: what is the point of capitalism (advances in technology, etc), and what is the point of society? The answer to both is "bettering the human situation". Free health care is going to help my situation... physically and (more importantly) mentally. Now, if we would only legalize marijuana, cocaine and LSD (and tax it)....

To Bill Brasky!

2010-03-08T20:18:00.001-06:00

Best damn salesman on the market!

He once scissor-kicked Angela Lansbury!

Know Your 80s Charity Supergroups REDUX

2010-02-22T17:48:00.003-06:00

(original post here)

Twenty-five freaking years ago, "We Are the World" was born from Lionel and Michael (their last names are not required!) Now, MJ is gone, and the airwaves are quite different. In the diverse and expanded universe we call "pop music" (read: R&B), EVERYONE wants a piece of the charity cake. If only some ground-shaking event would make an old song rise from the grave (read: subtle voodoo undead reference). Enter, Artists for Haiti!

I have to get this side-by-side comparison out of the way... Here it is, past and present.

USA for Africa (old)
Song title: "We Are the World"
People count: 45
Blind persons: 2
Ghostbusters involved? Dan Akroyd
Jacksons: 7
Dudes: 0
Actual Africans: 0
Country musicians: 3
Non-artist celebrities: 2

Artists for Haiti (new)
Song title: "We Are the World"
People count: 72
Blind persons: 0
Ghostbusters involved? none
Jacksons: 5* (*MJ posthumous)
Dudes: 2 (Vince Vaughn and... Jeff Bridges)
Actual Haitians: 2 (Jimmy Jean-Louis, Wyclef)
Country musicians: 2
Non-artist celebrities: 1 (Vince)

Food for thought?
> > Read further...

The Who

2010-02-07T08:00:00.005-06:00

The first time I took notice of the Who, it was via a pinball machine in my local bowling alley. I had no idea what "Tommy" was, and frankly it looked a little tacky.

I remember exactly where I was when I first heard Tommy. I was fed up with not knowing what it was, and I knew there was a (more digestable) movie version available. I was sitting in front of a computer, and had accidentally downloaded the complete MP3 album instead of the musical version. My computer was on a coffee table, and I was wearing headphones. It was 3 AM. I was in the living room of a single-wide trailer in Key Largo, Florida. Then I heard the lines, "It's a boy, Mrs. Walker, it's a boy." I had no idea what was going on, or anything about the story, and yet I was enthralled. Some might say that I immediately fell in love, but I think that when I got to "Sparks" or "Underture" is when it happened. In 1969, the Who made an album, and a work of art. ...And it would not be their last. See? MP3 downloads do lead to record sales.

One band is unique to rock 'n roll: the greatest drummer ever and greatest bass guitarist ever, and the greatest guitar innovator of all time. I'm talking about Keith Moon, John Entwistle and Pete Townshend.

We're talking about a band here that invented the Guitar Windmill and innovated trashing instruments onstage. The Slide, before Springsteen slid. Pete Townshend almost killed Abbie Hoffman onstage at Woodstock! They were way ahead of their time. And even though they haven't had a great album in decades (what old band has?), they still rock.

Here's to staying sober until the Super Bowl Halftime Show!

Random observations (January-February)

2010-02-02T08:00:00.002-06:00

Why is Shaq still playing basketball?
I've been thinking long and hard about this, and I believe that phone numbers are going to be irrelevant in about 10 years. I hate numbers. I want my phone number to be sp@phonenumberssuck.net! I can barely remember my SSN.
It's the Saints (finally) in the NFL championship. I hope they score at least once on Peyton...
In music, nothing is happening.
In television, nothing is happening (other than Conan has always rocked and Lost is about to start again!)
The Who are playing the Super Bowl. Maybe they'll sneak in the fuck during the "Who Are You" chorus, and bring some controversy and some mad props. I can just see Townshend scheming it.
I cannot make this stuff up. (Starring Denzel Washington as a "veteran railroad engineer".)

Life Regarding Australia (Part 6 of 137)

2010-01-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

The first icebreaker of my job was a Wednesday afternoon. I had stayed in my hotel room all day, venturing out only once to walk around. I even swam on the roof and took photos. I had all my lost bags now (they were delivered to my room). I wore my best-looking shirt and expensive shorts (I bought from the mall in Ft. Smith a few weeks before).

I walk to the office, which is in a weird mall-like complex and I try to pull open the door. Everything is not as it seems. I try the door again and Cherryn opens it from the inside, telling me to push. I smile and probably go red in the face... good at first impressions. I sit down with all of the employees of Reef Check Australia (all waiting for me). There is my boss, a beautiful thirtysomething with fair skin; a blue-eyed blond; and a dirty brunette with long, curly hair and nice legs. I don't remember what is said, but I remember trying to make eye contact with everyone I could. I remember Tara looking away in a coy way. She was young, I guess. Jo, when I looked at her, was more of a shark.

We go out for drinks across the seaway. There is going to be a lot of walking in Australia, but I do not know this yet. On Palmer Street, the bar is called Rhino, and all of us sit at a sidewalk table. Jos (my boss) tells us we "interns" need to find some good college parties and meet people. "Goat parties" or "pig parties" are occasions where said animal is thrown on a fire (to be consumed or desecrated). It seems that Jo has already met a guy-friend, and Tara is too destitute to explore. I never hear about any of these parties during my stay...

We eventually leave Rhino and head toward the yacht club (not far). I see a man who looks just like one of my best friends... beard, height and eyes. I tell him this, not realizing until much later that it is Jos' main squeeze. I meet a few others, and then we interns decide to go to Tara's hostel. We are all drunk by this time. It's pitch black, and the swimming pool is darkened. Tara swims while we watch.

Suddenly, it starts raining. Hard. There are no places to take shelter on the rooftop pool (a theme?) above the Indian restaurant and we are all soaked. It is a good hostel, and I plan on moving there.

Jo and I leave the walk to her hostel in the pouring rain. We skip down Palmer, past the upscale pubs and restaurants. I yell to some older people having trouble with their umbrellas. "It's raining, who cares?" They reply under their breath about hoonish behavior.

Jo and I walk and walk to her hostel, which is downtown across the bridge. We finally make it, and she tells me she has a television. She says "hi" to some big Islander looking neighbors and opens her room. Me and Jo shake hands, laughing (both cross-eyed drunk) and part ways at her door. It's 1 AM.