Monday, April 15, 2013

The great bandana face off


Wouldn't you like a soft decorative rag upon your person? Something to tie over the crown of your head to prevent your bald spot from getting a sun burn? Something to tie around your forehead to sop up sweat? Something to soak and tie around your neck to keep you cool like a dog or Charles Nelson Riley? Well I have just the ticket: bandana!



Oh but you find life too short for itchy fabric. You will stop at nothing to comfort yourself in the softest fabrics available. Then I am here to help you.

The two websites which boast of the most premium bandanas are tansclub and wholesale for everyone. A bit of warning:  both stores will charge you a minimum of about 7 bucks for shipping but a trifle for the bandanas. Like 39 cents or something silly.  So buy a few; you might as well.  Shipping was fast for both websites.  I followed the wisdom madness of the nets and boiled these to reduce starch and stiffness. It helped a little but putting them through the washing machine worked better (don't forget the fabric softener).

Well here is the result of tansclub.  They seem nice.


Look closely you can see the quality stitching around the edges that tansclub premium advertise.

And how does wholesale for everyone compare? First I should note that they have 2 premium choices. The regular and the made in USA. When I opened the package I couldn't tell which was which. They have different hues, and one is slightly larger and slightly thinner. Then I noticed the stitching around the edges was different and compared to my other regular. Turns out the USA one has better stitching and is the slightly smaller and thicker one. So there's that.

USA! USA! USA!



Inferior Chinese stitching.

As you can see they are all slightly different hues.  The Tansclub's bandana was very very slightly thicker than the other two.  However I would give the slight edge in softness to the USA made wholesale for everyone bandana.  I also liked the hue, but each color variation has its own merits.  So there you go.  The softest bandana is the wholesale for everyone.  The thickest is the tansclub.  They all have slightly different shades of orange.  Paisley is suckass cowboy crap.  I have problems!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Forgotten Classics: Vader's Spiritual Litany

Too often we forget what a profound spiritual work Vader unleased with Litany.  Rushing like a tsunami, Wings sets the tone of the album perfectly.  A philosophical and poetical work revealing the godlike nature within.  Would you do the same if I shed my pair of wings it asks.

The symbolism of the scarab is veiled in the mythology of ancient Egypt.  Personified by Khepri, the scarab was the god of rebirth.



A scarab beetle which toils through its phases
From an egg through a larva to the protector of the dawning Sun

The birth of the individual from his humble beginnings to the creation of the will requires toil. Much like the word yoga originally meant to yoke onself to a task that requires exertion (before it came to mean leggings for rich white women), Xeper symbolizes not just the Egyptian mythology of creation but of our inner creation.

Meaning can only come from the individual In the moments of divine clairvoyance and intensification of Being The utterance of the word which ripples through the fabric of the world And gives insight and strength to those who want to become

I have come into being

Sounds existentialist, no? The One Made of Dreams takes us through similar existential questions.

I am the Lizard without the King
I am Fall without the Leap
I am the Power without the Might
I am the Wanderer without the Road

The inner logic of this album is punctuated by the music, which seems to wash over the listener in waves.




Yes it is percussive. And fast. But it also the most intense album Vader has released. Each moment is embedded with so much passion that it is at times overwhelming. Anyways, it seems like an overlooked classic that gives greater insights and revelations as time goes on. It doesn't sound dated at all, though it was released about 13 years ago. My how time flies. Heck I even really dig the cover art. It is a lot classier than the last couple albums. Some digitial looking stuff and that neo-fascist stuff I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that as a t-shirt (not that I wear t-shirts anyways). Would would buy that merch? But the Litany art? I would buy that merch.

So there it is, Litany. My favorite Vader album. Your thoughts?