Shuffleboard 13

1. "Hit" by James Horner from Patriot Games
Yes, James Horner has scored other things besides James Cameron films. I know, it's shocking.
Patriot Games has a interesting Irish-tinged score that's also fraught with action and tense suspense. It's an odd combo, but it makes for an exciting as well as dreary-sounding score, much like the film itself.
"Hit" accompanies the assassination attempt on Jack Ryan's family in the middle of the film. It's a harrowing scene featuring Sean Bean at his most brutal. The track is mostly ambient for the first three minutes, throwing some Irishy strings and flutes, before picking up a little around four minutes in, as the attackers near Ryan's family on the highway. The tension builds, and builds, AND BUILDS, speeding up and adding more flutes or drums or odd synth bass cues along the way.
I can't help thinking of Sean Bean's chilling line throughout this entire track: "How's the family, Ryan?"

Hope and Change

This post is written first to myself, Caleb Sommerville, and then to the tens of people that will read this.
The two words up for the prize of Buzzwords of the Decade.
Hope and Change.
The question no one (seriously) asks of Obama's catchphrase is this: Hope in what? Change of what? What are we supposed to be placing hope in? What exactly needs change and what does that entail?

The Five Weirdest Songs in My Library

As you tens of readers know from my occasional Shuffleboard© posts, I have a ton of music. A ton of really varied music. Over the years I've collected quite a few tunes (I'm up to 9032 songs, 24.1 days, or 42.48GB), so a few of them are bound to be weird, even to my eclectic ear.
Ooo. I'm saving Eclectic Ear for when I have a band.

I'm Leaving Apple (and AT&T)

Come April, when my two-year contract is up with AT&T, I'm splittin' town. My iPhone will remain in service as an iPod Touch, but my cell phone loyalties will be shifting to a competitor.
I can only stomach so much arrogance and buffoonery before I throw up.