Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

Seems like the Dormant Commerce Clause would work better than the First Amendment there, no?

Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

Dunno. Was not a big Con Law guy. I just think peeps start taking away porn they’re going start losing elections. I mean even Trump likes porn.

Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

Slayer’s biggest problem is the laughable satanic lyrics in its early stuff. I think it was Lemmy who said the devil doesn’t exist, so singing about him makes one sound like a fool.

But RIB was such a relentless and flawless record musically, it escapes that criticism. “Angel of Death” might be right behind “Overkill” as the perfect thrash metal anthem. If you’re struggling on a last set at the gym, either will get you thru it. May even help you put another 10 on the bar.

I don’t know post Black Flag Rollins too well. Damaged of course remains a favorite. And Slip It In.

Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

Metallica's early lyrics weren't exactly Shakespearian.

But to your point, I recall as a kid when you finally adopted Slayer (and then Venom, Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, Posessed, etc.), you were regarded as part of some Satanic cult. And that, even then as a teenager, was so damn silly. But we did it anyway, to annoy the Def Leppard/Poison crowd.

The SOD album (Stormtroopers of Death, for the 3 you that might be interested) changed everything in that brief minute in NYC with the metal crowd. We then went punk/hardcore.

SlaveNo(don't get me started on Wagnerian opera)More

Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

SOD. Holy shit is that an arcane reference. And talk about stuff that could never be released today.

I fell into Slayer through rap. I listened to a lot of rap on the Def Jam label because they had the best acts (most notably, Public Enemy). A buddy who was a musician decided to try out Reign in Blood as a novelty - the thrash band on the rap label, produced by Rick Rubin.

However, like everyone else who heard it, the minute that album started, you were locked in for 28 minutes. It transcended genres.

It's since slid into regular rotation among general hard rock classics ("Raining Blood" used to be played on big market terrestrial radio in these parts) and become a critics' favorite.

But they were about as far as I could get into death metal. I loved Sabbath of course (who doesn't?) and some of Judas Priest's and Iron Maiden's catalogs was excellent, but that was pretty much mainstream stuff. Venom and Celtic Frost were just too extreme for me. They crossed a line of sorts. You could do almost anything to Slayer, as it was jammed with killer hooks and so perfectly produced. I'm almost certain I've even had sex to it (6 cd changer on shuffle?). That super-dark shit like Venom, where the singers feigned an unnaturally deep register and seemed to perhaps actually worship Satan was just too silly.

That concludes my accidental channeling of Chuck Klosterman for the day.

ETA: If you've done the three-day version of Wagner's Ring Trilogy, you need therapy.

Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

I donated to both sides in the past few years and I think the fuckers sold or gave away my info.

But the calls are only part of the issue. I'm also tired of being told what I must do by people.

The haute bourgeoisie is the problem. There is nothing more annoying than having someone hold forth at dinner about why it is an "existential" matter that people vote one way or the other. The world will not end in either scenario.

It's also surreal to see the class split in a purple state. While the better off folks like us talk about who's preferable for the market, abortion rights, the environment, etc., the regular folk who haven't enjoyed the Covid Boom and have ripped thru their pandemic savings and are now struggling with food, shelter, and fuel expenses. I'll occasionally acquire the temerity to tell a friend in driving mocs and a pastel polo over oysters and G&Ts that he should acquire a better knowledge of Maslow's Hierarchy before parroting the media narrative that the hoi polloi are only bitchy because they don't know how great the economy really is for them due to lack of higher education in economics.

One can't help but conclude we've entered an arena where the choice is:

A. Do you give a shit about the upper middle class to wealthy, on one hand, and the destitute, on the other, and no shits about the middle?

or

B. Do you not really give a shit about anything but your taxes, and maintaining the notion, probably more a fiction at this point, that it's better for people to be encouraged to do for themselves rather than be provided for by a centrally managed system?

I choose Option C: Gin.

Fuckshitup
 

Hank, your field gets all the fun cases. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://business.cch.com/ipld/InreGatsbyTTAB20240607.pdf

Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

I almost wore my (30ish year old, good grief) SOD T-Shirt at the No Values show, but the ever-decreasing intelligent side of my oft-reptilian brain shouted "Wearing a T-Shirt in SoCal with a very Hispanic audience that goes crazy over Suicidal Tendencies may miss the subtlety of "Speak English or Die""

Rubin rebuilt Johnny Cash for 3 generations. He made Run DMC a thing, made the Beastie Boys millionaires, and somehow got death metal on the map. But his work with Cash transcends all. Those American recordings with Cash are strong, yet haunting.

Although she is not at all a fan of thrash metal, I took Mrs. Catrin Darcy to a Slayer show saying that seeing "Raining Blood" live was a Bucket List event. Afterwards, she did not disagree.

The Venom LP (for another discussion down the road, how amusing that vinyl is back) for "At War With Satan" was literally framed like a bible, with a fold out upside-down cross inside. So damn silly, yet we ate it up at the time.

Loved his recent 90's book.

Sebby, it's FOUR. And sit on the aisle because you will certainly need at some point to slip out to the bathroom during Siegfried or Gotterdammerung.

SlaveNo(Valhalla Baby!)More

Re: Fuckshitup
 

The Nanny State of this aspect of Trademark law is silly. But yes, it would be fun to be on this file. The best argument the applicant has is that SHIT is shown as bolder on their specimen. I'd refile as a design mark with that emphasized. The TTAB relied upon that to support the refusal but I'd turn it back on them. FWIW I think this will be reversed.

I've never had the pleasure of being on anything like this one. The best I've had is the Kafkaesque Patent Appeals Board matter focusing on whether an "-" in an obscure 1975 Japanese language technical document was a hyphen or a negative sign. With a dep at GGG's law office! RIP

The next would be a patent lawsuit with two patents. Convention is to refer to them by the last three numbers, one was '565 which was more important. The other was '420. At argument I focused on '565, but then ask the Judge "may I move on to '420?" Corny but a fun little thing.

Re: Since you mentioned GGG
 

As a direct enemy of mine on these "fake' boards and someone I truly did not like at all in real life either (and even perhaps more so, vice versa)...

I want to raise a toast to GGG. His passion fueled many a thoughtful discussion or response.

Salut SMM and Godpseed.

-K

Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

I'm half of a two-man shop - I hide larger recoveries in the mattress.

Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

"I Remember You" is a great karaoke song.

Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

Klosterman - no one sniffs his own farts more.

Re: Since you mentioned GGG
 

I thought he was a good guy. He was an enemy at first, but then we mellowed. But yes, to GGG!

Re: I'm the Joker in the Pack
 

I still have "I Saw Your Mommy" and "Institutionalized" in my phone. You cannot jettison the classics, no matter how old you get.

SOD was tongue in cheek and meant no harm. MOD, OTOH...

The Cash boxed set of unreleased stuff from those sessions is brilliant. The Heartbreakers were the backing band on a lot of it, and it is of such quality, I wonder how the fuck these tunes didn't make it to the albums. The Strummer/Cash version of "Redemption Song" is about as emotional as music gets.

A buddy of mine has seen them a bunch and claims the same.

I'd always taken the satanic marketing posture to be a proxy for rebellion. What's a bigger finger to mom, dad, and all the institutions than worshipping the avatar of evil? I preferred, however, to go straight for the jugular. DK and Black Flag filled that space perfectly. What's a more in your face record cover than Slip It In or Family Man (no one listened to the latter... you just bought it for the shock value artwork). And Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.

The thing about DK is they were also great musicians and song writers. Sure, one could never - ever - play Holiday in Cambodia on the radio. But with different lyrics and slicked up production - hell yes you could. It'd make the Top 40 (or whatever that's called today). "Kill the Poor," "Too Drunk to Fuck," "Police Truck"... These are objectively great fucking tunes. Punk with killer hooks, up there with the Pistols, IMO.

Did not read his novels, but the rest of his catalog never fails. It's not going to blow your mind, but sometimes a Snickers Bar for the brain is all you need, and he stumbles through some truly astute observations now and again.

23 and Me says I'm significantly German, but... Hard No. Love the sweep of some of his pieces, but no way in hell am I ingesting that much of anything. That strikes me akin to reading Moby Dick twice without pause.

SlaveNo(Valhalla Baby!)More[/QUOTE]