The House of Hunt

A few weeks ago, I stopped by our local Cracker Barrel to pick up dinner for myself and my beloved. Being that she’s avec enfant and everything, I try to make sure she gets what she wants when the various cravings hit. Of course, CB’s not a tough choice, as I love everything on the menu. It’s like being asked, “Would you like Cocoa Puffs with chocolate milk or buffalo wings deep fried in blue cheese?” The answer of course is “Yes.”

At any rate, I pull up to get the order she had called in and I saw something on their front door that gave me pause. Now understand, I’ve been to many a Cracker Barrel in my time. There are many things you expect when you walk in. The folksy decor, the Underdog DVDs, the gut-enhancing food, that crazy golf tee game that accuses you of being an “ig-nore-a-moose” if you fail to win…all sorts of wonders for the eye and the stomach. Yet here was something at the door that caused me to question my manhood, my hungerhood…indeed, my very humanhood. It was a small sticker on the glass of the front door that simply said “Store Premises May Be Monitored By Electronic Surveillance.”

What the H? What in the Sam Hill does that mean? May Be Monitored? Is that some sort of a trick? Is CB turning into some sort of bizarro Clint Eastwood character…Do you feel lucky punk? Well do you? This store you’re entering? It might be under surveillance…it might not? Are you willing to take that chance? It’s like playing Russian Roulette with my shoplifting skills!

And what if it’s not actually using any security devices? What if those cameras in the corners of the ceilings are just fake? Who in the hell would announce to the world that there’s at least a 50/50 chance that there isn’t any monitoring equipment? It’d be like saying, you know that stuff that we sell in here in an effort to make a living? Yeah, we really don’t care about it, so you can just saunter in and help yourself to our goods…just so long as it all fits in your pockets or under your coat.

Amazing. Simply amazing.

Oh, and for the record, I simply walked in, paid for our dinner, and walked out. I wanted nothing more to do with a store that has such a laissez-faire attitude about its wares.

With our first little one on the way, it’s probably not too early to start thinking about this:

Yet more proof why these guys are one of the best bands. EVAR.

Okay people, after all the hoopla about Radiohead’s latest album (including some coverage by yours truly), I’ve got some even cooler news about another band that’s stickin’ it to the man. A little history first…

Codeseven was a band from the Winston-Salem area that I only got to see live once, but they left a big impression on me. They were originally a somewhat generic hardcore band, but as they grew and developed they added a lot of spacey effects to their sound. They ended up morphing into a really creative group, but sadly called it quits a year or so ago.

Well as luck would have it, some of the Codeseven guys have resurfaced in a new band called Telescreen, and much to my delight, they seem to be carrying on the spacey rock sound that they were developing in their former life. I really dig this stuff…check it out.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Telescreen just released a digital EP, entitled The Solar Sea. But rather than keep all the lovin’ to themselves, they decided to share the wealth. With each purchase, they provide the buyer with a unique URL and then that individual can turn around and market the album themselves. When someone buys the EP through that URL, then you get the proceeds from the album. Wild, eh?

So here’s the deal: check out their music on their page above and if you like what you hear, buy the album here. I’ll make a little money, you’ll get some awesome tuneage, and Telescreen spreads the word about their sweet music. It’s a Win-Win-Win situation. Michael Scott would be proud.