Billy Joel Reamed

Ron Rosenbaum at Slate just tore Billy Joel a new one. I mean, he really goes off on the guy:

"Billy Joel, they can't stand you because of your music; because of your stupid, smug attitude; because of the way you ripped off your betters to produce music that rarely reaches the level even of mediocrity. You could dress completely au courant and people would still loathe your lame lyrics.

It's not that they dislike anything exterior about you. They dislike you because of who you really are inside. They dislike you for being you. At a certain point, consistent, aggressive badness justifies profound hostility. They hate you just the way you are."

Ouch! And to think I was hard on Sting. Slate has done this kind of thing before. I hope they don't ever do Bono like this.

Update: This picture is on page 1 in Google search, credit should go to www.ShowBizIreland.com
I get a ton of hits on this, BJ fans are great! Don't let that article get you down, it was so bad it was funny.

Drummer Nails Boots

Check out this kid drumming U2's new single, it makes me like the song more:




There's a high-res version on youtube

Lenovo Ad for Geeks

As somewhat of a geek, and a Lenovo owner, and an admirer of the fairer sex, I found this interesting ad over at Gizmodo:

The Future in 3D

Engadget HD has a good update on the state of 3D technology. Oh sure, they diss the red/cyan glasses, but the future looks bright (and it's sticking out of the screen).

What will I do when red/cyan glasses are out and new 3D technology is in? All the pictures I have in 3D are in pairs....pairs that could be reassembled in any 3D format. So, in a sense, they are future-proof. Cool!

Elvis Presley & Bono Duet on Vertigo

This just made my day, I love it! Simply Amazing!!

Boots On

Boots On, originally uploaded by watts4u2.

from the Centro
http//:www.WattsCarr.com

Hear the New U2 Single!!

Put on some headphones and crank it up, it's the new single from U2 called: "Get On Your Boots". The link goes to the U2 webpage that's repeating the song, you can download it from Amazon or iTunes from there if you so desire. Here's a link to the lyrics.

Happy MLK Day, folks!!

Bonobama

Somebody had to say it. Thanks Robert A. George of the Philadelphia News.:

"He is both harbinger and embodiment of the current political mood. Note that Bono and Barack Obama are the same age. Though one hails from Ireland and the other America-via-exotic back-story, they see the world through similar (sun) lenses: They put a premium on post-partisanship....

...Bono dismayed fans by meeting with the late Jesse Helms -- who pronounced Bono as "genuine" and "well-prepared" in trying to get aid to Africa that would actually get to the people who needed it. This is the sort of common sense you wish every cause-chasing Hollywood-type would follow. With that post-partisan pragmatic approach, Bono sounds like Obama (or, more accurately, Obama sounds like Bono).

Ironically though, Andrew Sullivan who loves and admires Obama's pragmatic sensibility, dismisses Bono for his "opaque" lyrics. Right -- and no one has accused Obama of high-flying rhetoric that appears not to mean anything at first glance?!?! The similarity between singer and politician are pretty strong."

Thanks George! (Hey, I can say that without using it in a disparaging way!)

Got That Spirit!

redwhitenblue
Originally uploaded by Watts4

Check out this video, in tune with the times:

"Get On Your Boots" Primer

U2 has a new single scheduled to come out on January 19th, "Get On Your Boots"!!! Alan's Music Geek blog has a primer....he's heard the single:

"This is NOT a back-to-basics guitar/bass/drums track like “Vertigo” or even “Beautiful Day.” There’s some definite sonic evolution going on here.

It does rock. ...

Bono manages to rhyme “submarine” with “gasoline” and says something about “don’t talk to me about the state of nations.”

There’s a portion of the melody that somehow reminds me of the cadence of the verses in Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up,” but as I write this, I’m not completely sure. Still, part of the song reminded me of…something else.

Did I like it? I didn’t hate it—but I need to hear it more before I really make up my mind about what I think about….anything to do with the song.

Like so many U2 songs—especially ones produced by an Eno/Lanois/Lilywhite nexus—it’s filled with far more subtleties and complexities that anyone can hear with one listen. I need to examine it, ponder upon it and otherwise live with it.

But that’s the cool thing about U2. There’s just so much THERE there that it can take a while to sort through it all. Suffice it to say, however, that if you’re a U2 fan, you’ll be pleased.

If the song isn’t on the radio by the end of this week, I’ll be shocked."

I'm on pins and needles for this one, folks. I wouldn't be too surprised to hear my favorite President-elect use this theme and maybe this song somehow in the inauguration on the 20th.

Happy New Year! Bring it on.

tbikepool, originally uploaded by Watts4.

Here's a 3D anaglyph fer yer New Year's. I have plenty of red/cyan glasses if you want to check 'em out, drop me a line...

2008 Year in Review Vol. III

And a few more highlights to finish out the year:

Sarah Palin and John McCain stand-up Bono.

I go for the low blow on McCain.

My favorite Hillary supporters for McCain.

$600 Billion? Oh Yeah...

The Left's Not Right, they're miserable.

Obama Wins! I record an acoustic version of the Star Spangled Banner with echo from Audacity.

Pete Townsend scoffs at us Gen X'ers.

Happy New Year to All!

Watts Gonna Happen in 2009?

2008 Year In Review, Vol. II

We saw Barack Obama in person, and even shook his hand!!

We had kittens!

Less than 2 months after I started making anaglyphs, I was quoted in an article!

A great experience with a fellow Obama supporter.

Attacked John McCain in a bad way.

Noted that America is #1!

Knew Tina Fey would accept the nomination.

Caught up with John Edwards.