Lockdown, Pt. 2 - Sh!t to Do, EASTER EDITION

Morbid Angel - Where the Slime Lives

I still can't post pictures but I did start looking into workarounds, and hope to be able to do so soon.  Posting anything has become such a pain in the ass that this will have to suffice for a moment.
 
I said I would at least keep posting music but, due to the atmosphere and the fact that I post so much death metal, I thought I'd give it a rest for a bit.  I don't want people to think I'm being insensitive or mocking them.  I'm a delicate, little flower; I am sensitive to the needs of others and shit.

I posted this Morbid Angel song because I rediscovered it recently and forgot that I love it.  I hated that album at the time (the whole community did) for many reasons, most of which seem petty now (like the fact that it was a death metal training bra to attract new listeners -- e.g., to get Riki fucking Rachtman to play it), but this was The Good Song on it.  It popped-up as a suggested video a week or so back and I've been rocking it ever since.

I hope we don't get splogged by the engines, but this is the first in a series filled with lists and links regarding what I'm currently doing, listening to, watching, following, and whatever else I think you guise might enjoy.  I call it a "blog."  (I'm hoping it catches-on.)

I'm actually answering Warren Ellis' call to action. 

Speaking of which (or whom), Ellis has a playlist of tunes he posts semi-regularly called #SPEKTRMODULE.  We here to The Weirding also have a veritable fuck-ton of playlists I put together back in my Facebook DJ-ing days but I have no idea how you get to them.  Just go to the YouTube channel in the sidebar and click on stuff -- that's what I do.

For all my provincialism (I would have sworn it was "provinciality" and now wonder why it's not), I have always enjoyed content from across the world, and foreign news outlets I follow are posting more content aimed at America[ns], as many here are likewise following world events more closely than they have in decades (if ever).  A lot of the fare I'll be sharing is from across the world, so some of it is likely to be new to many readers (most, but not all, of whom tend to come from the US).

There's a lot more bad shit ahead, but there are some upsides to all of this, such as that it's made our world a bit smaller and brought a lot of the problems we all face into focus.  Now is the time to take things upon ourselves and realize the Internet's original purpose: The sharing of information and ideas.  And kick-ass music.

Comic Book Resources has been posting a bunch of D&D content lately, as well as general tabletop RPG articles.  I've been following CBR (again) for the last few months and this is new to me, so I don't know if this is new to them or not.  I've lost a lot of links and feeds over the course of 12+ computers...

Speaking of pen and paper RPG, I may have something in the works.  Given the state of, well, everything, I make no promises, but I have been planning some stuff for a while.  (If that link to the site doesn't work, I don't know what to tell you...)

Most of the content I've been consuming lately is political in nature, and I realize that few people care for such (generally speaking) -- especially right now -- but, in coming weeks, I'll be providing lots of links that may interest you during the long, and somehow exhausting, hours in lockdown. 

Hey, there's another upside: We haven't been endlessly bombarded with Election 2020 bullshit... yet.  Living in the heart of the Bible Belt -- literally the birthplace of both the Kefauver Commission and the Satanic Panic -- and loving death metal, Dungeons & Dragons, and comic books like I do, it's hard to not be concerned with politics.

Speaking of, basically no one is printing and/or distributing comic books at the moment... which is weird.  There can't be that many people left who were around before they started printing comic books.  I'm reading the latest run of Daredevil, which is still new to me.  I still have Trees and several others to get to, but I'm seriously considering a garden patch and some other things.  I didn't even think to bleach all my new comics...

If you'd rather, you can always color a bunch of pictures or get your kids to color them for you.  Or, gather the family 'round the old sexbox and check out cute animals.  Heck, you can even grow some of your own!  You could always break your record and read a fucking book.

Future entries will tell you what I am watching and listening to, as well as where to find it all and why you should.  Until then, enjoy!
 
© The Weirding, 2020

Lockdown, Pt. 1

I am still hamstrung by Internet-related issues, such as Blogger trying to force me to allow i18n-cloud. appspot. com in this browser window to post images or video.  I have no idea what that is, nor have I seen it before, nor do I want to use it (whatever it is).  Google [dba, Blogger] also wants me to sign-in to a slew of Google services I do not use and do not want, including Google Play, Google APIs, et. al.

I believe there is a workaround but, yet again, I am unable to access The Weirding at all, which complicates matters.  I'm certain these issues are related but have no idea as to how, nor have I figured out how to block/remove/restrict them yet.  I planned to take the computer in for repair back when I last posted, then the COVID-19 outbreak occurred.

I actually was very sick for several weeks, with an extremely dry and forceful cough, high temperatures, and so on, but it appears to be tied to the weather and is most likely a sinus infection or simple cold/flu.  OTC medicines and a shitload of vitamin C got rid of the cough (mostly, it's productive when it occurs now and I'm not having long, hard, barking fits like I was) and fever, and my ears are draining, which is not indicative of the virus.

That said, I definitely could have contracted it but, either way, I sequestered myself indoors a week or so back -- a few days before this became a media sensation and political football (to borrow a buzzword) in the US.  I'm not sure people are taking it as seriously as they should, though traffic has thinned significantly, according to people with whom I've spoken.  I have not left my house in almost three weeks now, except to check the mail.

I have taken measures to avoid all Russian, Iranian, Chinese, and North Korean operatives, which is remarkably easy, in case you wondered.  I heard that Nashville is on lockdown and that there is a petition requesting Governor Bill Lee expand that statewide, which he has not done.  In fact, no Southern GOP Governor has issued a statewide lockdown as of this writing.  Governor Abbott volunteered Texas' septuagenarians for death, to which I say, "Okay, Boomers!"

Fuck 'em; they're Texans and we need the beds.  I suggest turning Six Flags Over Jaysus into a temporary shelter-in-place old folks' home / morgue -- at least until Easter, when all of this will magically be over!

There is a COVID-19 crisis unfolding in Tennessee and around it -- Louisiana is quickly overtaking New York as the epicenter of the US outbreak as I write this -- but it is unlikely to turn into the nightmare we're watching across the rest of the world for another week or two.  I plan on staying at home the entire time, mostly inside.

I'm going to post when I can and work on these computing issues, as well as catch-up on my subscriptions.  I read the last four issues of the original Daredevil (2019) run and I have the newest incarnation lined-up and ready to go, along with DKIII and Golden Child.  I also received the latest Weird Tales a while back and hope to get into that, too.  I'll at least post some music for the foreseeable future.

I suggest Pluto, Xumo, and Al-Jazeera for COVID-19 coverage, as well as Merlin, Young Dracula, and the original Being Human.  It looks like Pluto is finally running some different MST3K episodes, so I hope they get some new RiffTrax, too.  The NHK (Japan) channel is a really unexpected blast, as well!

Stay inside; limit your IRL, personal interactions; do your very best to avoid beaches, public transportation, hiking trails, and fatal viral infections; and wash your hands often.  "We're all in this together," but all of you need to be in this together over there --- - ---- - --- ->

© The Weirding, 2020

NEW Sepultura - Isolation

Sepultura - Isolation

From their new album, Quadra, out today!

© The Weirding, 2019

No Apologies (*)

In going through old posts, I realize that I have, at times, been particularly hard on some people (mostly celebrities) and projects (mostly shit).  No, it's true.

My views on a lot of things, especially political and social issues, have changed a lot, too -- some entirely. But I'm not taking down those posts and I'm not "updating" or whitewashing them to reflect the changes in my opinions.  I'm only updating them to cash-in on recent developments and popular opinion.

Those posts were written by a different person in a different time; a time which, in retrospect, may have been Big Media's Last Gasp:

MySpace was bigger than Facebook, which wasn't even available to the public until 2008 or so; YouTube had only been online for one or two years; I don't think Twitter had even launched yet.  Hulu didn't launch until 2008 or 2009 and Netflix still sent DVDs to your house because DVDs were still A Thing.  Blockbuster was still bigger than Netflix back then!

The 24-hour cable news cycle was in full-swing; streaming media wasn't even A Thing until at least 2008-2009 and didn't become a serious contender until 2015 or so; tabloid blogs were all the rage (remember Perez Hilton?); people still went to the movies because Hollywood made more than just superhero films; and chicks like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and (the real) Paris Hilton were fucking crazy!

I'd forgotten how nucking futs Britney went!  It wasn't just an off-color, or "tone-deaf," remark or two -- like the ones that kill careers today; she went off the rails for a while there.  Remember when they sent a chopper to Paris Hilton's house -- and broke into regular programming to show it in real-time?  Like it was an earthquake or 9/11.  They're Impeaching the sitting "President" right now and I don't think they've interrupted regular programming for that!

I don't feel bad for reacting to those things like they were the end of the world -- that's how they were presented!  TV, movies, and even cable TV were huge parts of American pop-culture, and our daily lives, which is how (and why) tabloids and sensationalized news stories about famous people got started in the first place.  I still largely believed things the talking heads on TV told me about war, politics, health, and other important issues, and few of those outlets had a notable online presence (and none of them should).

Those posts were written 10+ years ago and everything was different then -- including me.  I can't apologize for those things.  I started to apologize for piling-on to Britney Spears, for example, but I'd entirely forgotten about her skipping court appearances for custody of her children and serving her mom with papers on the set of her little sister's TV show.  Shit, I'd forgotten her little sister ever had a career (in entertainment)!

The things I felt, thought, and said back then were shaped, not only by the events themselves, but by the media, the constant coverage, the proliferation of tabloid websites, the mainstreaming of it all, and a thousand other things -- most of which I've all but forgotten!

I certainly did go too far sometimes, but who didn't?  That's not an excuse, that's just the way things were back then.  Remember Perez Hilton?  I was in competition with major players who had major backing from major corporations, all of whom went much further.  And, again, a lot of that was some unprecedented shit and the drama was ramped-up by the traditional media by at least 1,000-fold.

Hell, I sometimes go too far today and I'm okay with that.  The world's a fucked-up place and the morons running it are War Criminals with zero oversight.  Most days I wake up, I'm (pleasantly) surprised that people aren't running wild in the streets -- which would hardly be an "overreaction," should they start.

For those who weren't around then or haven't noticed, the "news" cartels have simply replaced pop-culture celebrities with politicians.  And blogs have largely been replaced by social networks.  Traditional media is still as toxic as it ever was and its effect on viewers is evident on social networks today.

Keep this in mind when, five or 10 years from now, you re-read people railing on "Cancel Culture" and "#[everything]SoWhite," because these things, too, will be forgotten.  Not the events or people, but the context in which they are taking place, and the things that are said in the midst of the fray will read entirely different once removed from that context.

So, if I hurt anyone's feelings or upset them, I didn't get their Twitter account removed or break into regular programming to show my chopper hovering over their mansion.  That's an important distinction.  Blogging, the Internet, TV -- everything was entirely different in 2008, 2010, 2012, et. al., and the context in which those things were written and those events took place matters.

I take full responsibility for the things I have said but I feel no responsibility to apologize for being fooled, swept-up by current events or my emotions, nor anything like that.  All of that just makes me human, and I can't really change that.

© The Weirding, 2020

On the Stump #1

On the Stump #1

A politically-charged series in which Presidential candidates physically fight for the Office.

© The Weirding, 2020

NEW Sacred Reich - Awakening (Album)

I have been trying to get this posted since it dropped.  It's like a dearth of great, new music then a deluge.

© The Weirding, 2019

Death - Spiritual Healing

Death - Spiritual Healing

The Sun has risen!

© The Weirding, 2019

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Pop Pop!

Changes galore!  I apologize for all the wonkiness while we undergo some upgrades, upkeep, and so forth.  Some links may not work, or may not have been updated in a while, and stuff is likely to be difficult to find if you're a returning visitor.

I know I've mostly posted upcoming covers here the past few years, as I've been focused on (a lot of) other stuff, but I'll do my best to drop by more often with some pithy... pith.  I'll still be posting a lot of covers, though, so there will be daily activity.  Remember, these posts are scheduled well in advance -- weeks, months, even years (holiday posts, mostly) -- so please overlook hiccups should they occur.

There have been a lot of shenanigans online as of late, and 99% of it leads directly back to politically-motivated criminal organizations -- such as Facebook, for one example, and entities supporting ISrael and other, rabidly Right-Wing terrorists and terrorist entities.  Many of these hide behind candyass, Mickey Mouse religions they can't even comprehend, and hardly adhere to.  I blame Black Metal.

If you have suffered any inconvenience -- headaches, technical issues, identity theft (including the loss of online personal accounts, such as those on social media, or having been accosted by the like ["sock puppet" accounts]), anything -- due to any content here or on any of the associated sites, know that I have not been able to access the back end of the website for over two years now due to the same.  Please disregard the constabulary, as they are directly to blame, and find a lawyer.

Then have your lawyer contact my lawyer, because the Law is surprisingly malleable and wide open to interpretation.

I reiterate: I, too, have been the victim of whatever the hell's going on, and have suffered e-mail outages, (apparently) re-routed DNS "hijacking" attacks, telephone troubles, (apparent) set-top box breaches, and more.  Some of this was due to links and even ads on the site(s), and I have been unable to remove them for years now, as I was blocked from accessing the back-end of the site entirely -- making it impossible to edit, or remove, anything.  Everything I was able to source came back to Federal agencies, and/or "private" companies working for government-affiliated agencies, in this country or another.

Mostly the War Crime, ISrael.

Happy 4/20, y'all!

UPDATE Not to jinx it, but I may have (knock wood) restored limited access to the site, but it's going to take a while to update everything -- probably an entire redesign.  Project Wonderful has since gone under, as have G+ and our Twitter account, and we no longer use Facebook either, so it's a major undertaking and I have no ETA even if my luck holds out and I can still get to the damned thing.  UPDATE 2:  Chitika just folded yesterday, effective immediately.

© The Weirding, 2019

Little Bird #1

Little Bird #1

© The Weirding, 2019

NEW Metal Church - By the Numbers

Metal Church - By the Numbers

Metal Church - By the Numbers may have been censored by YouTube for Old Man Near-Nudity.

© The Weirding, 2018

NEW Warbringer - Power Unsurpassed

Warbringer - Power Unsurpassed

Warbringer - Power Unsurpassed may have been censored by YouTube for behavior unbecoming.

© The Weirding, 2018

NEW Voivod - Iconspiracy

Voivod - Iconspiracy

Voivod - Iconspiracy may have been censored from YouTube for reasons that are redundant.

© The Weirding, 2018

NEW Soulfly - Evil Empowered

Soulfly - Evil Empowered

NEW Soulfly - Evil Empowered may have been censored from YouTube for being #FAKENEWS.  It is available on competing streaming platforms.  The album drops October 18, 2018.

© The Weirding, 2018

Kreator - No Reason to Exist

Kreator - No Reason to Exist

Kreator - No Reason to Exist may have been censored from YouTube for the band's penchant for North Korean cuisine.  It is available on competing streaming services, cassette, and vinyl.

© The Weirding, 2018

Ministry - Gangreen

Ministry - Gangreen

Ministry - Gangreen may have been censored by YouTube for its support of the Anti-War effort.  It is available on competing streaming platforms.

© The Weirding, 2018

The Wretched Ones - I'm Just Doing My Job

The Wretched Ones - I'm Just Doing My Job

The Wretched Ones - I'm Just Doing My Job may have been censored from YouTube.  It can be found on competing platforms.  Support the ISraeli troops!

© The Weirding, 2018

Memoirs of a Very Stable Genius - Shannon Wheeler

Memoirs of a Very Stable Genius - Shannon Wheeler

© The Weirding, 2018

Hollywood Democrats' Sustained Mob Attack on the Mentally Ill

No apologies, rapists.

© The Weirding, 2018

Sick of it All - Scratch the Surface

Sick of it All - Scratch the Surface

Sick of it All - Scratch the Surface may have been censored by YouTube.  It is available on other streaming platforms.

© The Weirding, 2018

NEW Suicidal Tendencies - Nothing to Lose

Suicidal Tendencies - Nothing to Lose

Suicidal Tendencies - Nothing to Lose may have been censored from YouTube, but is available on other streaming platforms.

© The Weirding, 2018