I don’t know what it is, but I love this commercial!

Back in June The Orb announced the cancellation of the U.S. tour with no explanation. Fans were left wondering why. The reason, as it turns out, was due to the death of Andy Hughes. A producer, engineer and DJ, Hughes ended up working on tracks that never ended up being released to the public.

Here is one such track.

This was dug up by gel-sol, a former label mate of Andy Hughes when they were both associated with em:t records. The track does not have a name, nor is it know what this track was intended for. From what is know the production was unfinished but was in production back in 2005.

The track is very, very good. Sad to see it never had a release.

If you are staying at a hotel and see the following things, you may want to reconsider your stay there:

1) Paint coming off the doors and walls

2) No “stopper” in the shower

3) Plastic cups, not real glasses

4) A Zenith cathode ray tube TV

5) Some of the power outlets do not work

6) Only 4 cars in the parking lot

…tho free WiFi is available.  Weird.

Update

and 7) A shower/tub that does not drain

And here is the last of the digital promo tracks for Pop! Remixed.  This one is Sugar Hill from around the “Chorus” era…

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Just my take on this track – it’s a good thing it was never officially released.

Oh, I’m pissed.

I woke up thinking it was a good day but it turned into a very annoying, very bad day.  The main trigger for the bad mood was dealings with Citibank.

My bank account vanished.  That’s to say I logged into my account and there was no account there.  Weird, no?  As a result, I head over to a Citibank branch and speak to a teller and here is the breakdown.

There was a fear that there was fraudulent activity on my account so Citibank froze my account and removed all public access to the account. They didn’t call me, they didn’t attempt to contact me in any way, they just shut the account down.  I could not gain access via the web or via my debit card at a cash machine. 

Turns out there was no fraudulent activity (yay!) so they re-activated my account.  Problem being my FUNDS were not released.  My account was unfrozen but the money was not available.  The branch attempted to have the funds released but was unsuccessful in their attempt.  The theory was that it would take one business day to release the money back into my account and the funds should be available tomorrow.

Since it’s not yet tomorrow and I don’t have my time machine available at this very moment, I don’t know if this is actually the case.  Will my money be available, will I not?  Will I have to continue on with this headache well into next week and, as a result, will I be late in paying some bill because Citibank won’t allow me access to my money?

The teller I was dealing with was very helpful but I still want my money, damn it.

Second…

I go in for a haircut and as for an half-inch off and to leave the back longer as I tend to have a bit of a cowlick.  Wouldn’t you know it, the damn stylist goes and takes off more than I want AND cuts the crown uber short.

Immediately I say “you’re cutting too short” but she continues.  Granted, I was committed to the cut the second she took off more than I wanted.  Really, what could I do at that point.

After voicing my displeasure a few times her behavior didn’t change. I was stuck.  What really gets me is the question she asks at the end: “How do you like it?”

I don’t, you dumb ass.  I can feel the hair sticking up on the crown of my head and it’s about two inches shorter than I asked for.

For the first time in my life I didn’t tip.

Damn it, I just pissed today.

Mute/EIS provided fans who purcahsed the last  Total Pop! early with a 4 digital track release, here is on track question.  It’s called Early Bird and lacks the vocals Cyndi Lauper would eventually provide.

Take a listen:

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Not to be negative, god bless them for trying new things – breaking new ground – but this version of the song is so much better without Cyndi Lauper. Anyway, Erasure, Erasure Information Services and Mute have always been kind to their fans.  Make sure you run out and get the upcomming The Innocence re-release!

Yesterday, August 27th, 2009 was year one of the blogging experiment known as vansantos.com.  During the majority of the time I posted on a daily basis.  The months of July 2009 and August 2009 were slower than what I had previously established but that was due in part of a number of medical issues I faced.  I simply didn’t have the energy or focus to blog on a consistent period during that time.

Regardless of how much I may or may not have posted, I was very impressed – no, honored – to see 76,555 people came to read over 300,000 pages on the site during that time.  I never expected such numbers, and I didn’t really have a goal. I was simply tracking my thoughts and how they are changing over time.  I’m glad to see there are a number of people out there who share some of the interests that I do.

The three stories that obtained the most attention over the last year are:

Pixar, you’re a class act – Fills dying wish to see UP 3000 views (30K in page views)

Up To 15 UK Retal Chains Expected To Go Bankrupt (23K PV)

The Orb – Blue Room (Coco Da Bank Remix) (12.5K PV)

That is all well and nice for the story but what about me, what did I learn and how did I grown over this period of time?

Amazingly, I’ve found much I can depend on my friends and family. My sense of “go it alone” is somewhat past due to the understanding that I don’t to through life alone. OH, and friends do not have to next door to me… they can be in SC, NJ, UK or CA.

The medical issues I’ve had to live with made me understand that I am not the person I used to be… or even more… I may not even be aware of who I am today. What comes next in the process it to take what I don’t know and transform it into what I want to  know, what I want to believe in.

Finally, the last year has all pointed to the development of my next phase in life.  I have an idea, one I’ve played over in my mind consistently – such as finishing my masters – and than making a switch to a career and lifestyle that is more in tune with who I am and what I want the rest of my life to be like.  The plan is in motion and I will blog about it when the time is right.

The year of consistent blogging has a tool that focuses me in both the best times and the difficulty times. Based off of what I’ve experienced, what I’ve felt, those I’ve met and the lives I’ve had a chance to influence – both mind and others – there is no way I can stop now.

Thanks for going along on the ride with me.

Several days back I caught wind of this story but did not get around to reading about it.  On 8/19/2009 Chrysler, the ailing U.S. auto manufacturer, said that it was dropping their lifetime powertrain warranty, replacing it with a 5 year / 100,000 mile guarantee.

Now this is going to seem odd – guess why they are cutting the lifetime warranty? Consumers do not want a lifetime warranty!

Chrysler spokesman Rick Deneau said the decision was driven by market research that showed consumers prefer warranties with a fixed time period. Powertrain warranties typically cover repair or replacement of transmission and engine parts.

What?

Chrysler is trying to tell us that consumers only want a warranty that is for a set limited time.  Does this make sense to anyone? You don’t happen to think this is a cost savings measure on the part of Chrysler, especially when you factor in how poor Chrysler’s quality is over a long period of time, do you?

Once I get past the performance requirements I have in a vehicle, the very next thing I am looking at is the warranty. A 5 year / 100,000 mile powertrain warranty is an automatic “no purchase” in my book simply because I hear “this car will pall apart on year 5, day 1”.

Just another step in Chrysler’s move towards automotive obscurity.

Fans of the Venture Bros. your time is near!  Sure, the season starts in November.. but fans can get a taste of what is coming thanks to the Season 4 trailer.

I have no doubt there are many questions running through your mind.. What did I just watch?  Who is the new body guard? Are the clones of Dean and Hank really gone?

Favorite quote of the promo comes from Dean Venture:  ”I love Hitler and Hitler loves me. He’s not all bad, Hitler just needs someone to believe in him.”

Makes you wonder if the show had the balls to actually create a character named Hitler! I cannot wait to see what is in store for us.

Here is another gem from the Chicago Cubs’ anti-hero, Milton Bradley:

Bradley, known for emotional outbursts throughout his career, said what he’s gone through is not new and is not surprising.

“It’s nothing that just started when Milton Bradley came here,” he said.

So does he regret signing with the Cubs, who are his seventh major league team?

“I don’t regret anything,” he said. “I regret that there are idiots in the world, that’s what I regret.”

I’d start off by saying that people who speak about themselves in the third person qualify as idiots.  That said, Bradley does not seem to understand that saying something along the lines of “I regret that there are idiots in the world” while having a discussion about how fans treat his is akin to Chicago Cub supporters idiots.

Classy move, Milton.

I suspect he will not be on the roster in 2010 even if it means the team needs to eat his entire salary.