W: Contents of Pocket? S S C A: Bar Tool, n Lip Gloss Bartool BArkey, BArkey W: Best part about being a bartender at The Dirty Bottle? S S C A:
The Dirty Bottle
210 S. 17th St. Mcallen TX Selena, Sarai, Charlie, & Axel
The Team, The Interaction with Customers The Girls I Work With, Its A RUSH! That You can be yoursef here! W: Are You Single?
Whats SO HARD ! Nothing I love my JOB!, NOTHING! W: You Girls Get Hit on By Many Guys here? S S C A: What do you think! shakes head no, says YES! ,NEVER. LOL PLENTY! W: Have you ever seen the white Vampire? S S C A: No, but id like to.! No, what is that No but if he looks like Edward from TWILIGHT, Bring Him on!, YES in my bedroom! LOL, just kidding.
W: AGE?
S S C A:
S S C A: 24, 20, 21, 21
YES! YES YES, YES
W: Years Bartending?
W: Favorite Local band or DJ?
W: What is your Specialty Shot/drink?
S S C A: 7, 1 ,1 ,1
S S C A:
S S C A:
DJ LUDA, DJ ALEX THE SCAN and DJ JAVI,, DJ JAVI
Purple gecko! Jagerbomb PATRON, PATRON
W: Hardest Part about being a BARTENDER?
“Quotes of the Night”
S S C A:
“IF YOU AINT
W: Favorite Night to work? S S C A: , T ue n Thurs,We d, WeD n S at , WED is School Girl Night
Dealing with Drunks at the End of Night!
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DIRTY, YOU AINT HERE TO PARTY”
IM LOVING THIS PLACE “THE DIRTY BOTTLE IS THE bad boys bar of 17th St. IT ROCKS!”
Rocky Road Looms: Americans NOT Prepared It Is Going To Be A Rocky Road By Chuck Baldwin September 22, 2009 Let’s face it: most Americans live in a world of false security. This is somewhat understandable, given the fact that the majority of the U.S. population was born after 1945. Few remember the dangers and hardships of World War II; fewer still remember the Great Depression. Few Americans know what it’s like to not have some sort of “supercenter” nearby with shelves stocked with every kind of food imaginable, twenty-four hours a day. Few know what life was like before there were restaurants of all sizes and types on virtually every street corner in America. And only a handful remembers when most roads were unpaved, or when sports were truly a pastime and not a megabuck obsession. Modern living within the world’s only “superpower”
has created a giant unsuspecting, soft, lackadaisical, and lethargic society. We expect the government to keep our streets safe, our roads paved, our stores stocked, our jobs secure, and our enemies at bay. However, in the desire to make government the panacea for all our problems, we have sold not only our independence, but also our virtue. Where the federal government was contracted (via the U.S. Constitution) to accept limited power for the overall good of both states and people, it has become a monster of gargantuan proportions, claiming authority over virtually every liberty and right known to man. And in the process, it decided it didn’t need God, either. It is no hyperbole to say that the U.S. federal government has been on a “Ban God” bandwagon for the past 50 years. Whether it kicks prayer and Bible reading out of school, bars military chaplains from praying in
Jesus’ name, burns Bibles in Iraq, removes state supreme court chief justices from their positions for posting the Ten Commandments, or threatens high school principals with jail for asking the blessing, the federal government has invoked the judgment of Heaven upon our country as surely as did Old Testament Israel. Although the comfortable, sports-crazed, TV addicts probably aren’t paying attention, this country is on the verge of an implosion like you cannot believe. For anyone who cares to notice, the signs are everywhere.
First of all, Israel and
Iran are on the verge of war. And right now, I’m not concentrating on the “why” or “who’s right or wrong” of the equation. I’m simply telling you, war between Israel and Iran could break out at any time. And when it does, the chances that it will not become nuclear and not become global are miniscule. Yes, I am saying it: the prospects for nuclear war have never been greater. The CBS-canceled TV show, JERICHO, could become a reality in these United States in the very near future. (I strongly urge readers to purchase both seasons of JERICHO and watch them, because this could be our future.)
Secondly, America
is on the verge of total financial collapse. By the end of this year, America’s budget deficit will stand at around $2 trillion. The debt gap is many trillions more than that. But the nail in the coffin for America’s fiscal health will be the decision by China to dump the U.S. dollar. Ladies and gentlemen, this will be the death knell for our financial stability (and a painful lesson in sowing and reaping).
It is estimated that China owns around
one-third of all U.S. debt. If and when China dumps the U.S. dollar, there would be nothing left to stabilize it, and Weimar Republic/Zimbabwe-style inflation will ensue. America will be thrust into financial chaos. (If one doubts that China is planning to dump the dollar, consider that China is currently purchasing and stockpiling gold at an unprecedented level. This is why gold has suddenly surged to over $1,000 per ounce and why it will continue to rise.)
Third, the paranoia re-
garding the Swine Flu being demonstrated by both government and media spokesmen begs a giant push for some type of “government solution.” If they keep hyping this “pandemic,” mass hysteria and fear (created by the government and its lackeys in the media) will result. This would, no doubt, necessitate some form of forced vaccination, quarantine (maybe this is what all those internment camps will be used for), and martial law. Exactly how and when all of the above will actually materialize is yet to be seen. There is no doubt in my mind, however, that within the next few months, the world that we know today is going to vanish. And most Americans are totally unprepared for what’s coming.
If you are able to get out of debt, do it. If you need to scale down your lifestyle in order to be better prepared for difficult days, do it. If you don’t have guns and ammo, buy them. If you have not prepared some sort of preserved food pantry, do it. If you don’t have some kind of survival plan in place for you and your family, get one. If you are not physically fit, get in shape. If you are able to move to a more secure, out-of-harm’s-way location, do it. (During any kind
of financial or societal meltdown, urban areas will quickly turn into war zones. Can anyone say, “New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina”?)
In other words, get your nose out of the boob tube, get your bottom off the easy chair, and get busy. Am I worried or discouraged? Absolutely not! (But I am preparing.) The potential good that may result from all of the above is that perhaps God will protect and raise up a remnant of people who would be willing to rebuild a place where Natural Law is respected, constitutional government is revered, and where a ubiquitous, loathsome, overbearing federal government is far, far away. You know, like America’s Founding Fathers did 233 years ago. In the meantime, get ready. It’s going to be a rocky road. Page • weirdmagazine.com
Mainstream Media creates Feeding Frenzy for Fake Terror. Phony Terror Case Prompts Corporate Media Feeding Frenzy Kurt Nimmo Infowars September 22, 2009 The Associated Press is reporting that so-called counterterrorism officials have issued security bulletins to police around the nation about terrorists’ desire to attack stadiums, entertainment complexes and hotels. The bulletins sent to the cops mention an alleged al-Qaeda “training manual” that specifically lists “blasting and destroying the places of amusement, immorality, and sin… and attacking vital economic centers” as desired targets of the CIA designed global terror and boogieman network. It should be common knowledge to readers of Infowars and those who listen to the Alex Jones Show that the CIA, Pakistan’s ISI, Mossad, and MI-6 created al-Qaeda — taking the name from a Mujahideen database — and also manufactured much of what today passes for “Islamic terror” and global jihadism.
“Official ‘war on terrorism’ disinformation is repeated ad nauseum, accepted as fact by the mass populace, and used as the justification for ever-expanding AngloAmerican war and everdeepening criminality,” writes Larry Chin. “Virtually no attention is paid to the Anglo-American support and management of ‘AlQaeda’ and other ‘terror’ groups. Little or no attention is devoted to the criminally fabricated nature of modern ‘terrorism’ or the fact that every major ‘terrorism’ event in recent times has been a US or US-allied covert operation, followed by political manipulation and cover-up.” As usual, the FBI and DHS are playing along, even though the secret police agencies “have no information regarding the timing, location or target of any planned attack.” Regardless, they “believe it is prudent to raise the security awareness of our local law enforcement partners regarding the targets and tactics of previous terrorist activity,” largely the product of the above mentioned organizations, as pointed
out by Chin and no shortage of others. The AP notes that law enforcement bulletins are not intended for the public, but they were released this time around because they correlate with the latest phony terrorist case. John Byrne, writing for Raw Story, explained earlier today how the corporate media is engaged in a feeding frenzy over another government terror case, even though the feds have yet to charge anybody and it appears their case is baseless, as usual. It appears even some members of the corporate media are growing tired of endless and transparently bogus terror plots. Andrew Cohen, writing for CBS, said the almost complete lack of evidence against the supposed al-Qaeda bad guys didn’t stop the feds “from clicking off all of the elements of their perennial song-and-dance number in terror-plot cases; this time from New York to Denver to Washington and back. The prejudicial leaks from law enforcement; the prompt (and promptly repeated) links to al Qaeda; the dra-
matic headlines, the identification of a ‘person of interest;’ the assurances that no particular target had been specified; the intercession of an overwhelmed defense attorney; the denials, the meetings, the breakdown in talks, and, finally, the arrest (late at night, but with the tipped-off news cameras hovering above and about).” In short, the arrests late Saturday night of Najibullah Zazi and his father, Wali Mohammed Zazi, were orchestrated for corporate media consumption and to keep the fallacious idea that “they hate us for our freedoms” front and center. Americans have a tendency to forget about such nonsense if it is not sensationalized by the media.
The bulletins also serve to further propagandize increasingly federalized local law enforcement. The phantom al-Qaeda threat will also be used to explain why there are National Guard “security” troops on the streets, a fact highlighted by Alex Jones on his show in recent weeks.
The insubstantial terror case now unfolding in New York and Colorado has prompted officials around the nation to step up patrols in subways and on mass transit. “New York City’s transit agency said Tuesday it increased police presence around the city in light of the ongoing probe and the law enforcement notices,” the AP reports. Extra officers — with helmets, bulletproof vests, large rifles and dogs — were seen Tuesday morning at spots like Grand Central Terminal in midtown Manhattan. The U.N.’s General Assembly, with leaders from around the world and President Barack Obama, is several blocks away. It is no mistake the Associated Press — a valued Operation Mockingbird asset — insinuated that Obama was at risk. It adds an ominous character to what should be considered another attempt by the DHS and FBI to scare the dickens out of average Americans and indoctrinate them into believing there is a threat out there when in fact the terrorist threat — at least from the likes of the CIA contrivance al-Qaeda — is nonexistent.
Page • weirdmagazine.com
Paranomal Activity
A scary haunted house movie! And it’s not even Poltergeist!
‘violent’ acts. The increasingly terrifying nature of the scares is what really makes the film work – if you just watched the finale by itself, you’d be pretty perplexed as to why anyone was scared by it (just like Mike standing in a corner isn’t really that interesting unless you’ve been totally sucked into the previous 80 minutes).
Yes, Paranormal Activity managed to do something that almost no other haunted house movie in the past 25 years has managed to do: actually be scary (1408 got a few jumps out of me, though nowhere near as effective as this). Like Blair Witch, it’s presented entirely through self-shot footage (or from a fixed tripod in their bedroom), and ramps up from simple noises to truly freaky
Also, as the film is entirely digital video that looks no better/worse than what any average Joe can shoot, the scares are fully believable. There’s a subconscious acceptance that what you are seeing is real when it’s digital video (it’s not all glossed up and “cinematic”), which is what made those Ratchet and Clank commercials work so great. So when added to the perfectly paced ramping
By: BC
of scares, it proves incredibly frightening. The acting is also good, something that posed a problem with a few characters in Diary of the Dead. There’s really only two people in the film, and unlike Heather in Blair Witch, they never get too shrill or just plain unlikable, even as they begin to bicker with one another. I totally believe them as a couple, and they sell their fear quite well too. And the film does a good job of making their actions with the camera logical for the most part (100% admiration for how the finale is “filmed”).
The hilarious thing about the whole presentation was that it was preceded by 10 minutes of some new A&E show called Paranormal State, which deals with a “real” paranormal research team. The footage was cheesy and laughable, and without any sort of suspense. So yes, the “real show” wasn’t as believable as the movie that we knew damn well was fake. Then the guys who host/produce the show came out after the movie and more or less dismissed the film while tooting their own horn. Wisely, I (and many others) just left them to suck their own cocks while I talked to the filmmaker/cast of Paranormal Activity in the lobby. Which is the great thing about Screamfest,
and any independent film festival in general; you can often just chat up with the filmmaker after the film and not be bothered by 40 other people in the process. Not to mention laugh at the actors in stupid basic cable shows for talking about things like “Dead time”. Not sure if there’s a release date for this one (IN THEATHERS NOW) I suspect it will play just as well at home). Take it from me, dismisser of nearly every film of its kind I have ever seen – this one DOES work as an actual ‘scary’ movie.
“Paranormal Activity” is scaring late-night college crowds just like Paramount Pictures had hoped.
Twelve college towns played the ultra-low-budget horror film at late-night screenings Friday and Saturday, and virtually all sold out. The sole exception was in State College, Pa., where a Penn State football game Saturday evening left a show at about 75% capacity, according to the studio.
Numerous theaters reported sellouts hours before screenings started, indicating that the studio’s strategy to build “Blair Witch Project”like buzz from college students was a success.
Based on the positive response, Paramount is putting together expansion plans and will start rolling out the film in new markets Friday, where it will continue to show “Paranormal Activity” in late-night screenings only. One factor in Paramount’s determination of where to take “Paranormal Activity” next is a “demand it” feature on the movie’s website, where about 200,000 fans have requested screenings in their cities. Los Angeles is currently on top of the list, with 14,196 requests, followed by New York and Chicago.
“Paranormal Activity” was acquired by DreamWorks nearly two years ago. Initially, the studio planned to produce a biggerbudget remake, but
after getting positive responses from industry talent who saw the film, including Steven Spielberg, it decided to release it as is. The movie stayed with Paramount Pictures after DreamWorks left its former parent company last year. (For more on the history of “Paranormal Activity,”
Read more at BC’s horror-movie-a-day. blogspot.com/
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Phillys Americana months. WEIRD: So this IS THE REAL DEAL of Philly Sandwiches! PA: This is ABSOLUTELY the “real deal”! We stake our name on it! This is the ONLY authentic cheesesteak in all of South Texas.
Weird Magazine Interviews Phillys Americana of Brownsville WEIRD: Welcome to Weird Magazine Walter. Tell us about Philly’s Americana. PA: Thank you very much! In a nutshell, Philly’s is a sportsthemed bar and grill specializing in authentic Philly cheesesteaks and ice-cold domestic and imported beer. This is the only authentic Philly cheesesteak in all of South Texas. We import our rolls straight from the storied Amoroso’s Bakery in Philadelphia, the same bakery used by Pat’s and Geno’s. We shave our beef every morning and use locally grown 10/15 mild yellow onions. WEIRD: How long have you been open? PA : We opened mid-April and are just rounding out our first six
of every month from 5:307:30pm entitled “Thirsty Thursday”. All current and former Long-
WEIRD: OK Lets TALK UT FOOTBALL! I Understand you’re a FAN of UT HORNS ?
horns, friends, fans, and family are welcomed! I must say we are very proud of our number 2 ranked Longhorns and are cheering them on to victory each and every week at Philly’s!
PA:Big Time! I am an alum of U.T. and am the president elect of the Brownsville Chapter of the Texas Exes, the official alumni association of the University of Texas at
WEIRD: Cool. HOOK EM! Now tell the Weirdo’s out there about the MAN Vs Philly Cheesesteak CHALLENGE. How does this work?
Austin.
We hold all the official gamewatches for every U.T. sport at Philly’s Americana. In addition, we host an official Longhorn happy hour on the third Thursday
PA: If you eat five cheesesteaks you recieve a free t-shirt and your picture on our wall of fame. If you beat our champion, who ate six, you get the aforementioned prizes plus your picture in the newspaper and you get to build and name your own sandwich and put it on our menu. Did I mention that its free??? WEIRD: Authentic Philly sandwiches, Cold Beer, Longhorn Football. I’m loving this deal so far. You have a pool table and a beautiful outdoor balcony on the water too, how about a room in the back that I can rent out. Any closets available?
just kidding!).
But we do have very dedicated groups of fans from several different college and NFL teams alike that come in and show their support every time their team is playing. WEIRD: Any Final Predictions? HORNS Win National Championship over Miami 44-41 in a Thriller! Hi Danny!
PA: For you? Of course we’ll put a cot out in the back, unless you’d prefer to sleep on the pool table! You can always pull up your house-boat and dock it on the patio, if you’d like!
PA:‘Bama takes out Florida in the SEC championship and Texas blows Nick Saban and the Tide back out to sea in a landslide victory!!!
WEIRD: So are there any other locations in the works? Franchise opportunity?
WEIRD: Thanks Walter! I like that Prediction!
PA: This is our first and only location. Franchise opportunities are available, but we encourage all candidates to come have a hot Philly and ice-cold beer first!!! WEIRD: How does the Sunday Crowd get? PA:We have the ESPN College Gameplan and NFL Sunday ticket showing on all our hi-def LCD televisions and our crowd can get pretty raucous (no...
HEAD ON DOWN TO PHILLY’S AMERICANA FOR THE BEST DAMN CHEESESTEAK SOUTH OF PHILLY AND NORTH OF THE BORDER! CATCH A GAME AND A COLD BEER OR TRY THE CHALLANGE!
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TESLA AND TIME NIKOLA TESLA: SECRET TIME TRAVEL EXPERIMENTS By Commander X Commander X delves into the secret time travel experiments of Nikola Tesla. Long before the disastrous Philadelphia Experiment, partially based on Tesla-technology, Nikola Tesla discovered by accident the secrets of traveling through time and the inherent dangers of tampering with the cosmic framework that governs the laws of time and space.
nology that was simply for his own curiosity. Of these inventions, we know practically nothing. Remarkable by any standard, Tesla’s patents illuminate only his most purposive, practical work. As he often lamented, there just wasn’t enough time to tame the racing of ideas in his head; so much had to be left incomplete. Some of the projects-- achieving an ultrahigh vacuum, a rocket engine design, experiments in directed beams and solar power--simply don’t fit into the early 20th Century. Frequently he was content to publish his findings without regard to priority or patentability: he introduced in this way the therapeutic method now called diathermy. Other ideas were simply written down with no attempt to patent or even publicize them. We now know that Tesla was interested and experimented in such “wild” ideas as free energy, antigravity, invisibility and even time travel. Its no surprise that Tesla in his day was loathe to speak of these kinds of interests - after all, even today these areas of study still come under fire by some “mainstream” scientists, who refuse to use their imaginations and intellect, and scorn such interests with terms such as “bad science” and quackery.
I have long been an admirer of the great inventor Nikola Tesla. That should come to no surprise to anyone who has read some of my previous books. Here was a man whose genius was far beyond the great minds of his day. He had an intellect that at times seemed almost unearthly. I suppose this is why some have speculated that such a remarkable individual could not have sprung from the bosom of mother Earth, but instead was the product of extraterrestrial intervention.
TESLA THOUGHT “OUTSIDE THE BOX”
I must admit that for a while the idea that Nikola Tesla was not of this planet held a certain appeal to me. It would certainly answer a lot of questions about this enigmatic man - but of course it would also create even more questions that would be impossible to answer in my lifetime. So I was finally left with the simplest explanation on the true origins of Nikola Tesla. I have concluded he was an extraordinary human the likes we so rarely see.
To say that there are other black budget projects involving Tesla-based research would wildly underestimate the total amount of research and development being conducted right now by many countries worldwide. And these are the projects that we know about. Who knows how many deep, dark, secret projects are being conducted right now with science that could be decades, even hundreds of years beyond what civilian science knows today.
My primary schooling was bereft of any education of Tesla or his great achievements. His name, in its absence, spoke of dark conspiracies and downright thievery. In public, only the Tesla-coil stands out in honor of its namesake, but few know of the person for whom it is christened. Textbooks held no place between its pages for this great man, and teachers rarely uttered his name. Thankfully, some have come to recognize the great injustice that has been done to Tesla and have found a place in some classrooms to teach his history. I think it would be safe to say that Nikola Tesla was the man who invented the 20th Century.
SMALL DISCOVERIES LEAD TO GREAT THINGS
But a mystery remains. A mystery that has been diabolical in its treachery not only to Nikola Tesla, but to humanity as a whole. We know that the United State Patent Office granted patents to many of Tesla’s inventions. These were inventions that Tesla and his investors saw as potentially profitable - the AC motor is an excellent example of one of Tesla’s inventions that changed the world. However, Tesla also invented an unknown number of other items that were never patented for one reason or another. Tesla had a keen sense of what would garner financial interest, but he also worked on and developed tech-
In my years as a military intelligence operative I came into contact with a number of top-secret programs that were either investigating, or, shockingly enough, actively using technology based on some of Tesla’s “wild” ideas. Both the United States and Russia have active Particle Beam and RF (radio frequency) weaponry that has been in operation since the early 1970’s - all as a result of Tesla’s early 19th and 20th Century experiments.
In 1895, while conducting research with his step-up transformer, Nikola Tesla had his first indications that time and space could be influenced by using highly charged, rotating magnetic fields. Part of this revelation came about from Tesla’s experimentation with radio frequencies and the transmission of electrical
Tesla’s simple discovery would, years later, lead to the infamous Philadelphia Experiment and the Montauk time travel projects. energy through the atmosphere.
But even before these highly top-secret military programs came about, Tesla made some fascinating discoveries on the nature of time and the real possibilities of time travel. With these experiments in high-voltage electricity and magnetic fields, Tesla discovered that time and space could be breached, or warped, creating a “door-
way” that could lead to other time frames. But with this monumental discovery, Tesla also discovered, through personal experience, the very real dangers inherent with time travel. Tesla’s first brush with time travel came in March 1895. A reporter for the New York Herald wrote on March 13 that he came across the inventor in a small café, looking shaken after being hit by 3.5 million volts, “I am afraid,” said Tesla, “that you won’t find me a pleasant companion tonight. The fact is I was almost killed today. The spark jumped three feet through the air and struck me here on the right shoulder. If my assistant had not turned off the current instantly in might have been the end of me.” Tesla, on contact with the resonating electromagnetic charge, found himself outside his time-frame reference. He reported that he could see the immediate past - present and future, all at once. But he was paralyzed within the electromagnetic field, unable to help himself. His assistant, by turning off the current, released Tesla before any permanent damage was done. A repeat of this very incident would occur years later during the Philadelphia Experiment. Unfortunately, the sailors involved were left outside their time-frame reference for too long with disastrous results. Tesla’s secret time travel experiments would continue on in the hands of others who were not as concerned with humanity as Tesla. We are left with rumors and speculations on who may have become the heirs of Tesla’s research -hopefully, someday these secrets will be revealed once and for all.
Page 14 • weirdmagazine.com
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Music Review Pearl Jam
fan reaction to Binaural, and it is from this point onward that the group began getting a bit looser with their legacy, starting with the release of 72 “official” live bootlegs from their corresponding European and U.S. tours from that same year. In 2002, the group released Riot Act, a solid if not truly spectacular album, failing to reach the heights of Ten or Vs., but still showing the group taking steps in the right direction, opening up their sound a bit more instead of letting themselves get weighed down by their own legacy. This was soon followed by a contribution to the Big Fish soundtrack, a two-disc career retrospective called rearviewmirror, the aforementioned Lost Dogs rarities set, and two more rounds of live bootlegs. It’s as if Pearl Jam had finally embraced who they were, and were doing nothing but celebrating that discovery.
Pearl Jam Backspacer
Shining a Human L ight You’ve heard the rumors, and the rumors
are true: Pearl Jam have finally released a “pop” album. Yet the phrase “pop” doesn’t mean what you think it does in the world of Pearl Jam. For certain purists, “pop” is just another way of saying that Pearl Jam have “sold out”, a theory that’s only furthered by the fact that Backspacer—the group’s ninth studio album—is getting the premiere of its physical release through big box corporate retailer Target, a sure sign that the group is now chasing the Almighty Dollar instead of their values, lurching forward as if their infamous battle with Ticketmaster never even happened. As if that isn’t enough, there are some that gladly point to lead single “The Fixer” as undeniable evidence that the grunge-pioneers have shed their white-knuckle trademark rock sound for something infinitely more accessible and upbeat, as if Eddie Vedder & co. are now desperate for a gigantic radio hit ...
As such, their 2006 record—simply titled Pearl Jam—was nothing short of a revelation. For the first time in their career, guitarist Mike McCready was the principal sonic architect, and McCready made his intentions clear: he wanted to reconnect with the band’s early sound, penning powerful rockers that were more melodic than angst-ridden, more soulful than distortion-fueled. It was, in short, the album that patient Pearl Jam fans had been waiting for, and boy did it deliver. Shortly thereafter, Eddie Vedder released his first-ever solo album in the form of the Into the Wild soundtrack, and the group’s crowning achievement (Ten) was given the deluxe reissue treatment, not only reminding everyone just how influential that record was, but also showing that group had now officially moved beyond it—as great as Ten was, Pearl Jam were not going to let that disc define them any longer. Which leads us to the novel thing about Backspacer: there isn’t a single disc in the group’s entire back cata-
... to which the following response is generated: so what? When Pearl Jam released their iconic debut album Ten back in 1991, few would have guessed that the group would become unintentional godfathers of the ‘90s grunge explosion, entering the gigantic world of mainstream rock radio before Kurt Cobain even had a chance to let the door shut behind him (which is incredibly ironic given that Ten came out a whole month before Nevermind did). Though Pearl Jam soldiered on—racking up #1 albums and radio hits in equal measure— things began winding down as the millennium came to a close, and their 2000 release Binaural was arguably the moment when the group hit rock-bottom, having finally released a disc that tried to sound like what the group thought people wanted to hear in a Pearl Jam album, instead of making the record that they actually wanted to make. That’s a theory that gains traction when you look at the rejected songs from the Binaural sessions that wound up on the 2003 rarities comp Lost Dogs—tracks like “Sad” and “Hitchhiker” that proved to be some of the poppiest songs that the group had penned in years. Yet it seems that Pearl Jam was very conscious of the
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log that it can even be compared to. Though individual songs can be referenced in order to give one an idea of what Backspacer sounds like (“Last Exit” from Vitalogy and “Wishlist” from Yeild being chief among them), Backspacer is its own unique entity: a scrappy little rock record that barely lasts 37 minutes, making it the shortest and most up-beat album in Pearl Jam’s cluttered discography. Yet, more critically than that, Backspacer is the sound of Pearl Jam actually having fun again, and it’s hard not to picture Vedder sporting a huge goofy grin on more than a few of these tracks, here rocking out with more passion than he did during his three-song stint as the Doors’ guest vocalist during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1993. Backspacer starts off with the lurching strut of “Gonna See My Friend”, a ferocious little number that sounds like it was made by a much younger band, one that worshiped at the altar of ‘70s album rock instead of
participating in the ‘90s Seattle grunge scene. Though the band’s love of their heroes has been apparent in just about everything they’ve done—ranging from their massively successful take on Wayne Cochran’s “Last Kiss” to their cover of the Who’s “Love, Reign O’er Me” from the soundtrack to the 2007 Adam Sandler movie Reign Over Me—never before has Pearl Jam made such a direct, deliberate homage to their influences. Hell, “Supersonic” even manages to do the sounds-ridiculouson-paper feat of marrying the non-stop guitar strum of a Ramones song with a Tom Petty chorus and solo-filled bridge that would make Jimmy Page (and the makers of Guitar Hero) proud. It even concludes with a “yeah yeah yeah” chant ... ... and that’s not the only time they use it either. “Yeah” makes up for a majority of the lyrics to the chorus of “The Fixer”, an unbelievably catchy rock single that even uses handclaps during its verses. No, this is not the same Pearl Jam that made No Code—far from it, in fact. As visceral as Pearl Jam was, it in no way could have prepared anyone for the radio-friendly pockets of joy that make up Backspacer, an album that moves from one Bic-lighter stadium anthem (“Amongst the Waves”) to another (“Unthought Known”) without as much as batting an eye. Oh sure, some songs fall back on some tired rock clichés (“Force of Nature” relies on that wah pedal just a bit too much, just as how “Johnny Guitar” feels like a pastiche of other, less-interesting early-Pearl Jam rockers), but these moments are often over before they even have time to register, instead allowing us to just sit back and enjoy the six-string spectacle all around. Lyrically, Vedder focuses less on worldly woes and instead tackles relationship issues, getting caught up in his own contradictory promises to his lover during the lush folk-pop ballad “Just Breathe”, wanting to make things better for everyone during “The Fixer”, and then suffering the pangs of sexual inadequacy during “Johnny Guitar” (as in: “Oh and I had my disappointment / ‘cos for years I had been hopin’ / That when she came / She’d be comin’ just for me”). In short, Vedder has become vulnerable again, and for a record that’s so musically outgoing and forceful, the dichotomy between these two sides works extremely well. Which leads us to why Backspacer is such a contradictory little album. Make no bones about it: this will not go down as Pearl Jam’s best album by any measure, but that’s because it’s not supposed to be. This is Pearl Jam’s “fun” record, a disc that was likely just as exciting as record as it is to listen to. Tracing things from Riot Act onward, it’s become apparent that Vedder & co. have truly rediscovered their passion for what they do, and even when Backspacer missteps, it never feels like it’s going to fall: it will just restudy itself and then crank the guitars back up to 11 all over again. During the album’s closing song (the aptly-titled acoustic number “The End”), Vedder warns us that “The end comes near”, and just as the string sections swell during his declaration “I’m here”, all the music suddenly drops out, and Vedder—by himself—ominously warns us “But not much longer”. Then the album, rather abruptly, ends. Fans can read into this as much as they want, but if Vedder is actually telling us that Pearl Jam’s days are truly numbered, then we truly have a tragedy on our hands here: we’re about to lose a band that—after years of being lost in the alt-rock wilderness—have finally re-discovered who they are, and sound stronger than ever because of it.
UFOS IN THE UK
RAF Suspected Aliens of “Tourist” Visits to Earth A new book reveals details about UFO sightings over British skies after author David Clarke studied declassified Ministry of Defence records. The book gives new insights into an incident known as “Britain’s Roswell” as well as the belief in UFOs by high ranking defence officials. Documents in the files reveal that there were high level defence officials in the 1990s who believed UFOs could be spacecraft piloted by extraterrestrials who could even be conducting “tourist” visits to earth. In 1993, an RAF Wing Commander lobbied MoD officials about the need for a properly funded study. He told them: “The national security implications (of UFOs) are considerable. We have many reports of strange objects in the skies and have never investigated them.”
He added: “If the sightings are of devices not of earth then their purpose needs to be established as a matter of priority. There has been no apparently hostile intent and other possibilities are: (1) military reconnaissance, (2) scientific, (3) tourism.” The Wing Commander, whose name is blanked out in the documents, said the MoD could learn from the craft.
“If the reports are taken at face value then devices exist that do not use conventional reaction propulsion systems, they have a very wide range of speeds and are stealthy. I suggest we could use the technology, if it exists.” The internal debate in the MoD came to a head in 1995, when documents were made public revealing that UFO reports were
routinely copied to specialist “Defence Intelligence” branches. An exasperated intelligence office wrote to the UFO Desk: “I see no reason for continuing to deny that (Defence Intelligence) has an interest in UFOs. “However, if the association is formally made public, then the MoD will no doubt be pressurised to state what the intelligence role/interest is. “This could lead to disbelief and embarrassment since few people are likely to believe the truth that lack of funds and higher priorities have prevented any study of the thousands of reports received.” Dr Clarke said: “Some of these officials, like the Wing Commander, obviously believed in some pretty weird stuff. He doesn’t seem to have any evidence for his theories, but seems to have just been watching the X Files, like everyone else at the time. “These are senior officials and yet they believe some pretty bizarre things.” An inquiry, Project Condign, was eventually launched in 1996, apparently without the knowledge of then defence secretary Michael Portillo. It was completed in 2000 under Geoff Hoon.
The report found: “That (UFOs) exist is indisputable. Credited with the ability to hover, land, take-off, accelerate to exceptional velocities and vanish, they can reportedly alter their direction of flight suddenly and clearly can exhibit aerodynamic characteristics well beyond those of any known aircraft of missile – either manned or unmanned.” It went on that, although they existed, UFOs presented no threat to defence. It found that many sightings of UFOs were in fact “plasmas” of gas caused by charges of electricity in the atmosphere. The author even suggested that exposure to plasmas could cause responses in parts of the brain that lead to elaborate hallucinations that might be interpreted as supernatural experiences of encounters with aliens. The inquiry examined seven “near misses” involving RAF aircraft and “unexplained aerial phenomenon”. The unnamed author concluded that “the possibility exists that a fatal
accident might have occurred in the past” as a result of aircrew avoiding a UFO. The study recommended that pilots should make “no attempt. to out manoeuvre a UAP during interception”. “Britain’s Roswell” This occurred in the early hours of December 26, 1980, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, near two military bases used by the US Air Force: RAF Woodbridge and RAF Bentwaters. US security personnel from the bases ventured into the forest after they spotted unusual lights that they feared could be a crashed aircraft. They reported seeing a strange glowing object which moved off through the forest. Dr Clarke said the files from the National Archives, at Kew, showed the authorities had missed the opportunity to fully investigate the incident. “There was clearly a missed opportunity to investigate properly here,” he added. Earlier this month, Peter Turtill, 66, from Ipswich, claimed that he had caused the scare by burning a lorry full of fertiliser. However, his claim has been met with scorn by some ufologists. Dr Clarke added: “There have been other people claiming responsibility for whatever happened in Rendlesham Forest. There is so much ambiguity about the incident and that is because there was not enough done at the time to look into it.” Source: Telegraph (UK) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ news/newstopics/howaboutthat/ufo/6209684/ Britains-X-Files-RAF-suspected-aliens-of-tourist-visits-toEarth.html strangenews/090123-teleportation-atoms.html
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Zombieland (2009) American post-apocalyptic zombie comedy
Zombieland (2009)
Rated: R For horror violence/ gore and language Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn’t have fears. If he did, he’d kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they’re about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other. --© Sony
slaying’ bad ass whose single determination is to get the last Twinkie on earth. As they join forces with Wichita and Little Rock, who have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem, they will have to determine which is worse: relying on each other or succumbing to the zombies. Written by Columbia Pictures Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin Director: Ruben Fleischer Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
In the horror comedy Zombieland focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. Columbus is a big wuss -- but when you’re afraid of being eaten by zombies, fear can keep you alive.
Tallahassee is an AK-toting, zombie-
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