Author Archives for Brett Callero

Sen. Al Franken

“Conservatives love America like a child loves his mommy. And Mommy can do no wrong. Liberals love America like an adult loves someone – recognizing our mate might have some faults. We take the good with the bad always working to appreciate what’s there and being critical of what’s wrong, trying to help make it better.”

Thomas Edison

“You see, we should make use of the forces of nature and should obtain all our power in this way. Sunshine is a form of energy, wind and sea currents are manifestations of this energy. Do we make use of them? Oh no! We burn forests and coal like tenants burning down our front door for heating. We live like wild settlers and not as though these resources belong to us.”

Roger Ebert

“We do not know the actual other person. What we know is the sum of everything we think we know about them. Even empathy is perhaps of no use; we think it helps us understand how other people feel, but maybe it only tells us how we would feel, if we were them.”

Top 11 Horrible Trends in Contemporary American Culture

I really tried to stretch out and reach deep down on this one. There is a lot to be bothered by these days. I really could rant for a while about the terrifying yet ridiculous side of contemporary culture.

So here you have it. In my unvarnished opinion, these are some of the more disturbing trends in contemporary American culture.

1. The shrinking middle class and the rise of the educated poor.
2. The sharp rise in organized white supremacist hate groups since 2001.
3. Increased merging of church and state.
4. Politically motivated catch phrases designed to suppress the critical thinking abilities of the public.
5. Corporations having more rights than individuals and families.
6. Competitive plastic surgery, beauty pageants for children and other means of overblown narcissism.
7. Champions of anti-intellectualism celebrated as role models.
8. Megachurches that teach intelligent design and methods of exclusion through inclusion.
9. Lack of appropriate conduct due to a growing reckless sense of entitlement.
10. Instant gratification without a sense of responsibility towards others.
11. Relentless marketing to the lowest common denominator.

Top 11 Songs by Queens Of The Stone Age

In my opinion, Queens of the Stone Age are clearly one of the best hard rock bands going these days. I was a fan right from the beginning. In 1998, no one said anything to me when I wore my QOTSA T-shirt. In 2003, everyone would come up and say “great band, man.” Sometimes being against the grain ends up being ahead of the curve and I can’t say I mind when that happens.

1. Mexicola
2. The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret
3. Infinity
4. Misfit Love
5. How To Handle A Rope
6. 3’s & 7’s
7. Better Living Through Chemistry
8. If Only
9. Song For The Dead
10. In My Head
11. You Can’t Quit Me Baby

Top 11 Largest Cities in the United Kingdom

There are many famous cities in the UK, but none nearly the size of London. What’s next? I was curious myself. Here are the numbers. (7/04 census results, city population only)

1. London, England (7,172,036)
2. Birmingham, England (965,928)
3. Glasgow, Scotland (662,954)
4. Liverpool, England (481,786)
5. Manchester, England (432,474)
6. Sheffield, England (431,607)
7. Leeds, England (424,194)
8. Bristol, England (407,992)
9. Edinburgh, Scotland (401,910)
10. Leicester, England (318,518)
11. Hull, England (310,636)

Top 11 Songs by Black Sabbath

Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Sabbath. Not sure why. Maybe it’s because I have a a lot of work to do and I’ve been in the mood to get stuff done. Black Sabbath is good for that.

Along with the Beatles, Black Sabbath is probably the most often imitated band in the world. Their style has been incorporated in thousands of bands. Imitation as a form of flattery has brought accolades to the Beatles for decades, whether you like heavy metal or not, you have to recognize that Black Sabbath is up there with the great mold-breakers of our time. Also, it was a reminder of how authentic Ozzy was, and still is today in his own weird way. No knock on Ronnie James Dio, but the Ozzy era is the best and it’s where I’ve focused my list. This is my definitive Black Sabbath Top 11.

1. Supernaut
2. The Writ
3. Jack The Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots
4. Symptom Of The Universe
5. Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener
6. Killing Yourself To Live
7. Sweet Leaf
8. N. I. B.
9. Tomorrow’s Dream
10. War Pigs
11. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Top 11 Maximum Station Wagon Rock!

These are the top 11 FM radio songs from my youth. The days of the Ford Country Squire station wagon. That’s a long way back, even before the Chevy Suburban made an appearance on our driveway. There were dozens of favorites but these 11 still stand out. These were also my favorite choices on the Pizza Hut jukebox. I still actually have the 45rpm single or the full-length album for a couple of these songs. Turns out a few of these songs were just about the holy trinity of decadence. Sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, but of course at the time I had no idea. Maximum station wagon rock!

1. Barracuda – Heart
2. Superstition – Stevie Wonder
3. 25 or 6 to 4 – Chicago
4. All Right Now – Free
5. Switchin’ To Glide/This Beat Goes On – The Kings
6. One – Three Dog Night
7. Burnin’ For You – Blue Oyster Cült
8. T.N.T. – AC/DC
9. Brown Sugar – The Rolling Stones
10. I Shot The Sheriff – Eric Clapton
11. Calling Dr. Love – Kiss

Top 11 Largest Cities in the American Union (1860)

These places were the largest cities in the Northern States at the time of the Civil War.

1. New York, NY (813,669)
2. Philadelphia, PA (565,529)
3. Brooklyn, NY (266,661)
4. Baltimore, MD (212,418)
5. Boston, MA (177,840)
6. Cincinnati, OH (161,044)
7. St. Louis, MO (160,773)
8. Chicago, IL (112,172)
9. Buffalo, NY (81,129)
10. Newark, NJ (71,941)
11. Louisville, KY (68,033)