Another ancient song, dating from my days in the Natty. Did most of it in Reason, utilizing keyboards, bass, and a drum loop. The dueling guitars are messy, butting in like two drunken patrons trying to outdo one another. One of my weird lyrical ones. Weird, but creative.
So I've been doing intermittent fasting for a couple months and it's worked well enough, having chipped away at the doughnut I've worn around my waist since I aged into my thirties. I haven't changed my diet so much as I've just skipped breakfast, as well as needless snacking. Doing so sensitizes the body to insulin, and more or less gives you back the metabolism you had when you were younger. What does this mean for Bulksgiving, the greatest of bulking holidays, the American tradition, the pie-eating, turkey-stuffing, mashpotato-popping extravaganza of disgusting gluttony?
Well, hell, that's basically how I eat nowadays anyway. I usually have a huge lunch, and a pretty big dinner, and that's about it. Now, the four or five pieces of apple pie I'm going to consume today isn't standard, and certainly not recommended for anyone trying to decrease their insulin resistance. But you gotta live, brother. How many Bulksgivings do you think you have left? We live in a time of plenty, a gross time of over-indulgence and obesity. Maybe the future will have us consuming a plate of over-cooked green beans instead of the glorious feasts of today. You never know. So keep eating while you still can, big boy. I certainly will.
Prospective menu for today (subject to change):
Half a pound of turkey smothered in gravy.
A substantial amount of mashed potatoes, accompanied by green bean casserole.
One or two rolls, consumed with butter.
Two pieces of apple pie with an excessive amount of whipped cream.
Probably a piece of cherry or pumpkin pie.
A decent amount of seconds several hours later.
This goofy stoner pop song was discovered after spending an hour browsing my music collection for songs to redo. I feel as though I was attempting to channel some seventies singer/songwriter mojo. Was I successful? Yeah, I dunno. I like the electric guitar dubs I do on the bridge and chorus. I had completely forgotten about this song; it was never done during the live days of my band. I will continue to see what else I can drag out of the depths of the TPM catalogue to see the light once more.
I've cleaned up my Youtube channel, taking down a few videos that I'm not happy with. Didn't like the vocal on "I Ain't Gonna Do Nothing With My Life," or the varying rhythm of "Happy Once Again." I haven't taken down "School Days" but there's some sloppy guitar work that I'd like to correct. I'm always time-limited when I record a song, and I'll just want to get it done without making sure all the tracks are to my standards, which aren't unreasonably high, hah. I also removed a few covers that I thought were lackluster--"Crazy," "Boys Don't Cry," and "Judy Is A Punk." It's a shame Youtube doesn't allow you to switch a video. You either have to delete it forever or leave it alone.
I hope to put some of the songs back shortly, given some time. I've always struggled with my voice, which isn't the best. As an amateur, my guitar work is usually sufficient. Anyways, this stuff is important to me, even if it's just a hobby, because I view songwriting as my chief creative outlet nowadays, and I'm pretty proud of what I've accomplished in the garage. I'd like to get back into writing, but the time, man, the time is just not there. I ain't gonna do nothing with my life indeed.
I wrote this song before Theme Park Mistress, way back when I was a sophomore in college. It's just a typical adolescent yarn about hating school, played with an AC/DC stomp. I rerecorded it with just a simple arrangement of guitar, bass, and triple-tracked vocals. That's a picture of my kids in the opening, the little devils.
Old song I had laying about that I made into a country rock sort of thing. It's amazing to me how many songs I wrote in my twenties. I just pumped those suckers out by the week. Thing was, I never really polished any of them or practiced them enough to add to the TPM repertoire. Still, I wish I could harness that drive again, this time with the wisdom of maturity. Ah, but who are we kidding? There ain't any time in the world.
PoliticalJunkie asks "What do you guys think will happen next Tuesday? Who will win the Midterms?"
Dave: Probably not you or me.
Arnold: Unless it's a total Democratic victory, the American people lose. The polls are tightening toward Republicans. We already voted, but we're not optimistic.
Dave: The question that will determine the election is "How much do Americans care about democracy?" I'm afraid that we already know the answer.
Arnold: The United States isn't a democracy, Dave. It's a capitalist oligarchy. It's a consumerist nation where wealth defines how much you matter to society. We're the fucking Ferengi, is what I'm saying. Americans would gladly exchange their right to vote for an Amazon gift card and lower gas prices. Our understanding of our political system is limited to simplistic takes, which is why fascism is so attractive to the under-educated masses. Gas prices up? Must be Biden's fault! He's the President, ain't he? Can't the President do anything?
Dave: You're becoming cynical.
Arnold: Everything that's happened to American politics since 2016 would turn Jesus himself into a cynic. I had no idea how susceptible the average American was to propaganda.
Dave: You got to have hope, brother.
Arnold: You're right. I'm no defeatist. I know that there are good people out there who aren't fooled. We can't give up, no matter what happens. We have to do as much good in our lives as we can.
Dave: You're a fucking saint, you know that?
Arnold: Beam me up, Scottie.
Dave: ...
...
FattieMcTwoShoes asks "What's a good diet for a person looking to lean out? I can't get rid of these love handles!"
Dave: More cushion for the pushin'?
Arnold: You prefer the doughnut look?
Dave: I ain't bothered by a spare tire.
Arnold: Intermittent fasting is pretty idiot-proof. Just do a 16 hour fast. Stop eating at eight at night, and fast till noon the next day. You'll become more insulin sensitive and lose some of that stubborn midsection fat.
Dave: I thought that's what Nugenix Total-T did!
Arnold: Fuck, just take steroids instead of overpaying for a B12 supplement. Anyway, check out Lean Gains for more on bodybuilding and intermittent fasting.
...
DumbassBob asks "What's the key to happiness?"
Dave: Ice cream.
Arnold: Living for something other than your own pleasure.
Dave: I can't think of anything more gross than a solipsistic quest to find happiness.
Arnold: Eat, Love, Pray, Dave. Become a fat, slutty Evangelical.
Dave: Was that what that movie was about?
Arnold. Sure. Other than my initial answer, you could always drink until you think of something. I've found that alcoholism is more productive than it's often depicted.
Dave: Hemingway was an alcoholic! And a prolific writer!
Arnold: The two go hand in hand. I find that creative people often have manic personalities. If you happen to be such a person, then making something should give you a high that you can coast on for a few days. Be productive, is what I'm saying. Not in an economic sense; you're a human being, not a fucking machine. In a personal, creative sense. Write something. Make a chair. Learn an instrument. Try to write a book. Better thyself in the old Star Trek Next Generation model. Be a William Riker, DumbassBob.
Dave: Advice we can all live by.
Spider-man Remastered is the pc port of the 2018 Playstation exclusive, decked out with higher graphical settings and ray-traced reflections. Swinging around New York is about the only part of the game that looks a little dated; performance in the open world is also lacking. Indoors and during the set piece missions, Spider-man runs great at 1440p with ray-tracing on a 3080 and a 5800x, as you'd expect, since the aforementioned GPU and CPU are far faster than what's in the Playstation 5, not to mention the PS4 Pro. Swing around the city for a while, and you'll notice that those pretty ray-traced reflections are very heavy on the CPU; 1 percent lows dip below 60 quite often, which is disappointing, considering a 5800x is a better than mainstream part. A VRR display is essential to enjoying a smooth experience in Spider-man Remastered, especially with ray-tracing. Other than performance, it's a fun superhero adventure. The combat is fluid and seamless, and the variety of moves Spidey can perform with just a few button presses is impressive. I often did the filler content just because the combat was fun rather than out of a fear of missing out. Almost every costume Spider-man has worn over the many years of his existence is available, provided you do enough side missions. The main story is great and offers a better Spider-man experience than any of the many films. You'll tackle the Sinister Six, with this incarnation including most of Spidey's classic villains, including Doctor Octopus and the Scorpion. The boss fights are cinematic and a nice change of pace, since many will involve Spider-man having to juggle two different super-villains at once. There are a few stealth-based segments where you'll play as Mary Jane or Miles Morales, and while I didn't mind them, I was always eager to get back to playing Spider-man. Unlike most recent open world games (Elden Ring, I'm talking about you), Spider-man Remastered should only take you about 29 hours or so, if you do a few side missions. It's the best superhero game I've played since Batman: Arkham City (way back in 2011!), and highly recommended to anyone who enjoys third person action games. Hopefully the sequel doesn't take four years to come to pc. Screenshots below.
RedditUser1324 asks "WTF am I even doing? I spend all my time consuming vapid content on social media platforms while my own creative...
