#VMT-2

[ossyflawol]

you know how they have to use different portal colors for co-op? is there any info/evidence anywhere for what the 7th, 8th, and further portal colors are?

In Portal 2, all the Portal colours are manually defined both in code and VMTs (material definition files, tl;dr), so there's no further colours beyond what exists. Portal 1 handles things differently, with it's colours being chosen by texture files directly rather than colour values.

In a leaked copy of Portal 2 that is typically handed to people who license out the game's code for use in Source Modding projects, there are unfiltered material definition files, meaning all commented out lines in these files are intact, and for definitions related to the Co-op Portals there exists earlier colour choices for them, here are them on display alongside their release counterparts:

There's also the iconic beta colours for the Portals during Portal 1's developments. Things alternated a lot between Blue & Pink Portals and Blue & Orange, but there was a last minute shakeup right before release where they tried to do Blue & Red only to change their minds at the last moment, which is why the subtitles erroneously refer to the orange portal as a "Red Portal". We have the texture of the red Portal still leftover in the files, so here's it applied to replace the Orange Portal texture:

Hope this suffices in at least compensating for what you may be looking for. :)

[wjbsart]

Important update:

It works in Source, too!

(map is Spytech)

I have learned how to recreate the "Unmoving Plaid" effect in Blender, so now I can make pretty portals and stuff.

[opelman]

War Dog by Treflyn Lloyd-Roberts Via Flickr: John Colver's Texan "War Dog" displays at the El Centro air show. Aircraft: North American SNJ-5 Texan N1038A 90917 "War Dog" in US Marines VMT-2 markings. Location: NAF El Centro, California, USA.

[vmtglobal]

Dich vu van chuyen hang Trung Quoc chinh ngach tu 2-3 ngay

Dịch vụ vận chuyển hàng Trung Quốc chính ngạch của VMT Global giúp các doanh nghiệp Việt Nam nhập khẩu hàng hóa từ Trung Quốc một cách nhanh chóng, an toàn và hợp pháp. Một số điểm nổi bật của dịch vụ vận chuyển hàng chính ngạch từ Trung Quốc của VMT Global bao gồm:

Quy trình minh bạch, đảm bảo pháp lý: VMT Global cam kết tuân thủ các thủ tục hải quan và pháp lý cần thiết, giúp hàng hóa của khách hàng thông quan một cách dễ dàng và tránh được các rủi ro pháp lý.

Hỗ trợ tận tình từ A đến Z: Chúng tôi hỗ trợ khách hàng từ bước tìm kiếm nguồn hàng, thương thảo với nhà cung cấp, cho đến vận chuyển và hoàn tất thủ tục hải quan. Điều này giúp khách hàng tiết kiệm thời gian và tập trung vào kinh doanh.

Thời gian vận chuyển nhanh chóng: VMT Global cung cấp các gói vận chuyển linh hoạt và cam kết đúng tiến độ, đảm bảo hàng hóa được giao về Việt Nam trong thời gian nhanh nhất, giúp khách hàng có kế hoạch sản xuất và kinh doanh hiệu quả.

Chi phí hợp lý và minh bạch: Tất cả các chi phí từ vận chuyển, thông quan đến dịch vụ phụ trợ đều được báo giá minh bạch và không phát sinh. Chúng tôi cung cấp giải pháp tối ưu để giúp khách hàng tiết kiệm chi phí và đảm bảo tính hiệu quả trong vận chuyển.

Bảo hiểm hàng hóa: Để tăng cường an tâm cho khách hàng, VMT Global cung cấp các gói bảo hiểm hàng hóa trong suốt quá trình vận chuyển, bảo vệ lợi ích và giảm thiểu rủi ro cho khách hàng.

[brookewalkerblog]

Carpooling Revolution: The Eco-Friendly Future of Taxi Services

In recent years, the rise of taxi booking apps has transformed urban transportation, offering convenience and efficiency to millions of users. However, as entrepreneurs and startup leaders in the mobile app development industry, it’s crucial to understand the environmental impacts of these services. This article explores the dual nature of taxi apps' influence on sustainability, backed by relevant statistics and insights from industry experts.

The Environmental Landscape of Transportation

Transportation is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 29% of total emissions in the United States alone. Traditional taxi services, primarily powered by fossil fuels, exacerbate this issue. The combustion of gasoline and diesel vehicles releases large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants, contributing to climate change and air quality degradation. The urgent need for sustainable alternatives has never been more pressing.

The Role of Taxi Booking Apps in Promoting Sustainability

Taxi booking apps have emerged as a key player in the shift towards greener transportation. Here’s how they contribute to sustainability:

1. Encouraging Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

Many taxi apps are now integrating electric and hybrid vehicles into their fleets. This shift not only reduces emissions but also promotes the adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies among taxi operators. A study highlighted that ride-hailing services could reduce emissions by up to 50% if they transitioned to electric vehicles. As a mobile app development company in USA, investing in features that support electric vehicle options can position your app as a leader in sustainable transport.

2. Optimizing Routes for Efficiency

Advanced algorithms in taxi booking apps analyze real-time traffic data to optimize routes. This capability minimizes unnecessary driving and reduces fuel consumption. According to research, efficient routing can cut fuel usage by 10-20%, translating to significant emissions reductions. By prioritizing route optimization in your cab booking app development, you can enhance user experience while contributing to environmental goals.

3. Facilitating Carpooling

Carpooling features in taxi apps allow users to share rides with others traveling in the same direction. This not only reduces the number of vehicles on the road but also lowers emissions. A study found that ride-sharing can decrease the number of cars needed by up to 40%, significantly alleviating traffic congestion and its associated environmental impacts. As you develop a white label taxi booking system, consider incorporating robust carpooling functionalities to appeal to eco-conscious users.

4. Promoting Multi-Modal Transportation

Integrating taxi services with public transportation options enhances urban mobility sustainability. By offering seamless transitions between taxis, buses, trains, and bikes, apps can encourage the use of public transport, further reducing reliance on personal vehicles. This holistic approach to transportation is essential for reducing the overall carbon footprint of urban travel.

The Flip Side: Environmental Challenges

Despite these positive contributions, taxi booking apps also face criticism regarding their environmental impact:

1. Increased Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)

The convenience of ride-hailing services has led to an increase in vehicle miles traveled. Research indicates that ride-hailing services contribute to a rise in VMT, with some studies suggesting that they can increase emissions by up to 60% in urban areas. This phenomenon, known as "deadheading," occurs when drivers travel without passengers, further exacerbating congestion and pollution.

2. Traffic Congestion

The proliferation of taxi apps has been linked to increased traffic congestion in cities. The ease of booking rides can lead to more people choosing taxis over public transport, resulting in higher vehicle counts on the road. A report noted that ride-hailing services could contribute to a 15-20% increase in congestion, particularly in densely populated areas.

3. Diversion from Public Transport

The availability of ride-hailing services can divert users from public transportation, cycling, and walking. This shift can lead to a net decrease in the use of more sustainable transport options, which is detrimental to overall environmental goals. As an entrepreneur, it’s vital to consider how your app can complement public transport rather than compete with it.

The Path Forward: Innovating for Sustainability

As the taxi app industry evolves, there are several strategies entrepreneurs can adopt to enhance sustainability:

1. Invest in Green Technologies

Partnering with electric vehicle manufacturers and investing in charging infrastructure can significantly reduce the environmental impact of taxi services. By promoting electric vehicles within your app, you can attract eco-conscious consumers and contribute to a cleaner environment.

2. Implement Dynamic Pricing

Dynamic pricing strategies can encourage off-peak travel, reducing congestion during peak hours. By incentivizing users to travel during less busy times, you can help balance demand and decrease the environmental footprint of your service.

3. Foster Community Engagement

Engaging with local communities and educating users about the environmental benefits of using taxi apps can foster a culture of sustainability. Consider implementing features that allow users to track their carbon savings or participate in community initiatives focused on reducing emissions.

4. Collaborate with Policymakers

Working alongside city planners and policymakers can help integrate taxi services into broader urban mobility strategies. By aligning your app with city sustainability goals, you can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of urban transportation.

Conclusion

The environmental impacts of taxi booking apps are multifaceted, offering both opportunities and challenges. As entrepreneurs in the mobile app development space, it’s essential to recognize the potential for these services to drive sustainability in urban transportation. By embracing innovative technologies, optimizing operations, and fostering community engagement, you can create a taxi app that not only meets user needs but also contributes to a greener future.

The journey towards sustainable transportation is a collective effort, and as a startup leader, you have the power to influence this transformation. By prioritizing sustainability in your cab booking app development, you can position your business as a leader in the green transportation movement, paving the way for a cleaner, more efficient urban mobility landscape. Together, we can drive forward into a future where technology and sustainability go hand in hand, ensuring a healthier planet for generations to come.

[vishalmachinetoolss]

CNC Power Chuck Manufacturer Company - Vishal Machine Tools

VMT power chuck rotates at high speed, Suitable for modern turning center. These power chuck have a large through bore and are suitable for bar work compact in design and less weight.

Technical Feature Equipment

Gripping force transmission wedge hook.

Case hardened & body assure long chuck life.

2 Jaw Start from dia 100 mm to 315 mm.

3 Jaw chuck available in all dia.

4 Jaw Chuck start from dia 165 mm.

[ramtracking]

US, China, Great Britain, Japan and France Lead Gracenote Virtual Medal Table forecast for 2024 Paris Olympic Games [ China ]

US, China, Great Britain, Japan and France Lead Gracenote Virtual Medal Table forecast for 2024 Paris Olympic Games [Highlights] Gracenote releases its first Virtual Medal Table (VMT) forecast for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games including gold, silver and bronze medal count predications. … and to finish 1-2 as they did at the previous Olympics in Tokyo; The forecast was by Gracenote Sports, which…

[laedicion]

Gobierno efectúa control al transporte de carga en carretera Panamericana

Cortesía El Gobierno priorizando la seguridad vial de las familias salvadoreñas; efectúa diferentes acciones que van encaminadas al cumplimiento de este importante objetivo.   En razón de lo anterior, a tempranas horas de este lunes los equipos del Viceministerio de Transporte (VMT) se trasladaron al kilómetro 28 1/2 de la carretera Panamericana, en donde desarrolló un control al transporte de…

[misscocoarouss]

¡Buenas tardes a todos! 🤗🥰 PEDIDO PARA #VMT TORTA TEMÁTICA ONE PIECE ⚓ FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS BERKLINN. 🥳🥳

Torta en queque vainilla, relleno de manjar blanco, pre forrado en buttercream americano, cubierto y decorado en fondant, %100 comestible. 🎂🤤 El barco lo hicimos con una base de tecnopor para que aguante el peso del resto de detalles en fondant. Regalo: 2 velas simples. Rinde para 20 porciones.

*RECUERDEN QUE LA DECORACIÓN VARÍA DE ACUERDO AL TAMAÑO DE SU TORTA.🤗

Separa tu pedido con tiempo (4 días) o consulta si tenemos agenda libre vía WhatsApp 950 383 969

¡Llegamos a toda Lima Metropolitana! 😊

Tambien aceptamos pedidos desde el extranjero 🌎🌏🌍 para que sorprendan a un ser querido que se encuentre dentro de nuestro alcance de entrega 🛵

¡Muchas gracias por su preferencia!

No olviden pedir nuestro catálogo "Miss Cocoa" donde encontrarán todos nuestros postres desde queques hasta packs cumpleañeros 🤗

#MissCocoa #Pastelería #ByRouss

[vietnammotorcy]

Vietnam by motorbike 2023

This North Vietnam to Ha Giang excursion is more demanding than the final one since you expend six full days on your own exploration. Additionally, We are going to provide considerably less assistance alongside the way inside the hope that you choose to actively grip the trip at your disposal. Having said that, you can often ask for our assistance on desire.

The water in the lake is blue and clear, and imprinted While using the reflections with the bordering historical forest. It know as Yet another Halong bay in Vietnam and perfect destination to rest and also have rest just after offroad motorbike tours in Vietnam.

See more at: Vietnam Motorbike Tours

VMT tours are designed for riders trying to get the last word adventure and Checking out a number of the greatest again roads in Vietnam. 

Lastly, your motorcycle is The most crucial matter that establishes a long journey Some travelers decide to rent a more dependable bike, others opt for the allure of shopping for their own and after that offering it at journey’s conclude. There’s very little Completely wrong with possibly option, just be ready to quit much more frequently for repairs if you purchase second-hand.

At an altitude of 1200m, we discovered a panoramic view on the Dong Van plateau and Nho Que river, which unfolded a contrasting picture from the stable limestone mountains plus the Light jade-eco-friendly move.

Be sure to Get hold of us for the appropriate value, or you can look at the sample value underneath for your standard tours North Vietnam by 125cc – 150cc bikes:

HI Wherever did you go diving and was it good? expenses? greatest area? - did you go into Laos or Cambodia on moto? Any more paperwork necessary? Pondering if i lease a Honda from Tigit if a challenge with entering The 2 other international locations and with repairs if wanted? - many thanks for the information.

Get out within your standard way and get it done the way in which you want. Nothing at all is prepared forward and there shall be lots of new routes right after each tour. As That is a flexible decision, there is not any prohibit on times, men and women, or employing hrs daily.

Vietnam Motorbike Tours have usually been a must-have working experience for almost any wanderlust soul. They are much like registered certificates, acknowledging your amassed accomplishment in direction of a fulfilled Vietnam Motorbike Tours lifestyle journey.

It is possible to cease on the orchards and enjoy the fresh fruits. It's extremely lush with paddy fields and various mangroves!

It’s similar to a foggy town in which you can sense the floating clouds all over you. The staggering mountain views are picturesque, and they'll impress you a large number. Also, it truly is an acceptable put if you wish to expertise the life of our nation’s ethnic minorities much like the Giay, Hmong, and Purple Dzao men and women.

In case you are running small with your spending budget, this Mai Chau – Thac Ba lake vacation need to be the just one for you personally. However, Remember that a minimal-cost excursion just isn't any less interesting than other luxurious counterparts.

It was never ever tricky for us to locate accommodation, we have been two so we stayed in personal rooms, sharing it is vitally cheap. Larger towns and metropolitan areas have hostels with shared dormitories and that is magnificent for Conference other travelers.

This tour has received the large amount! It really is perfectly and genuinely packed jam packed with adventure. But you will find also lots of time to prevent and admire the sights, chat to hospitable locals, and dine around the area’s well-known clean food.

[imoim36news]

Oto va va cùng với xe pháo máy rồi tông vào cột năng lượng điện thực hiện 2 người thương vong (PLO)- Sau va va, xe pháo máy bị xe pháo ô-tô kéo một quãng khá xa và tông vào trụ năng lượng điện bên mép lối rồi tạm dừng, kết quả thực hiện một người tử vong và một người bị thương nặng trĩu. Ngày 24-12, Công an TP Phú Quốc (tỉnh Kiên Giang) mang lại hoặc vẫn ngừng công tác làm việc nhà giam nghiệm hiện tại ngôi trường vụ tai nàn khiến cho nhị người thương vong. Thông tin lúc đầu, tối 23-12, ông VMT tinh chỉnh và điều khiển xe pháo máy chở một phụ nữ giới di chuyển làn phân cách kể từ phường Dương Đông về xã An Thới. Hiện ngôi trường vụ tai nàn thực hiện nhị người thương vong diễn ra vào tối 23-12 trên TP Phú Quốc, tỉnh Kiên Giang. Hình họa: TUẤN THY Khi tới nơi té bố Suối Mây (nằm trong ấp Suối Mây, xã Dương Tơ) xe pháo máy với triệu chứng đưa làn sang trọng trái. Do đột ngột và ko xử lý kịp, nên xe pháo ô-tô bảy nơi BKS 84A-027... đang được lưu thông đàng sau vẫn va va cùng với xe pháo máy. Sau va va, xe pháo máy bị xe pháo ô-tô kéo một quãng khá xa và tông vào trụ năng lượng điện bên mép lối rồi tạm dừng. Kết quả vụ tai nàn thực hiện người phụ nữ giới ngồi sau xe pháo máy tử vong, riêng biệt ông T bị thương nặng trĩu đang rất được cấp cho cứu giúp trên Trung tâm Y tế TP Phú Quốc. Ngoài ra, vụ tai nàn cũng làm gãy nhị trụ năng lượng điện, khiến cho quắp năng lượng điện kéo lâu năm hàng tá giờ. Bắt vụ vận đưa dung dịch lá lậu khoảng tầm 1,5 tỷ vnđ (PLO)- Khai cùng với công an, Tuấn mang lại...

[versatileer]

Daily Giveaway Roll & Freebies– December 2nd 2022

Daily Giveaway Roll & Freebies– December 2nd 2022

The @Versatileer Daily 🎁 Giveaway Roll & Freebies 🎄 December 2nd Welcome to the Versatileer “Daily Giveaway Roll” A daily listing of giveaways, ending daily midnight Pacific Time. Brought to you by Versatileer: Daily Giveaway Roll – 12/02/22  Expiring 12/02 – 2 a.m. until 8 a.m. Gate.io Spot Game: Play, Trade & Win $1,000 Rewards in $VMT GameBoy × Fractal Giveaway V-Bucks Giveaway MAD…

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

Once you become president/military dictator, how do you plan on acquiring enough revenue for your goals, given that we already lack sufficient revenue most of the time?

well, i tend to (weakly) believe in modern monetary theory. it's a bit complicated and counter-intuitive if you're not familiar with the theory. but basically it posits that sovereign governments, by virtue of being the issuer of their own currency, don't require taxes to fund their programs. according to mmters that's not what taxes are for. the government can just issue whatever money they need to get their projects done. and taxes are really just there to (1) create demand for our the dollar, (2) control inflation, (3) keep the distribution of money in the nation as equitable as possible, (4) and influence the economy. so we aren't really limited by our tax revenue. but this doesn't mean we can just issue infinite money. it means we are limited only the real resources we have available to us.

but let's assume mmt is wrong. it doesn't really matter because my tax policy would probably be more or less the same either way. whether mmt is right or wrong about taxation i think they're absolutely correct with regard to debt and deficit spending. so i wouldn't actually be too worried about not having enough revenue because i don't necessarily see deficit spending itself as an issue.

so what would my tax policy be? reduce income tax. reduce corporate tax. replace sales tax with a progressive value-added tax. replace property tax with a land-value tax. increase severance taxes. introduce or increase lots of pigouvian taxes (carbon, sugar, fat, recreational drug use where legal, luxury goods, childlessness, bachelor, severance, fast food, porn, gambling, etc). replace gas tax with vmt tax. introduce congestion pricing. lower threshold for estate taxes. increase targeted protective & environmental tariffs.

obviously, the precise rates and proportions would vary.

[betterdaysareatoenailaway]

Random Review #3: Sleepwalkers (1992) and “Sleep Walk” (1959)

I. Sleepwalkers (1992) I couldn’t sleep last night so I started watching a trashy B-movie penned by Stephen King specifically for the screen called Sleepwalkers (1992). Simply put, the film is an unmitigated disaster. A piece of shit. But it didn’t need to be. That’s what’s so annoying about it. By 1992 King was a grizzled veteran of the silver screen, with more adaptations under his belt than any other author of his cohort. Puzo had the Godfather films (1972 and 1974, respectively), sure, but nothing else. Leonard Gardner had Fat City (1972), a movie I love, but Gardner got sucked into the Hollywood scene of cocaine and hot tub parties and never published another novel, focusing instead on screenplays for shitty TV shows like NYPD Blue. After Demon Seed (1977), a movie I have seen and disliked, nobody would touch Dean Koontz’s stuff with a ten foot pole, which is too bad because The Voice of the Night, a 1980 novel about two young pals, one of whom is a psychopath trying to convince the other to help him commit murder, would make a terrific movie. But Koontz’s adaptations have been uniformly awful. The made-for-TV film starring John C McGinley, 1997′s Intensity, is especially bad. There are exceptions, but Stephen King has been lucky enough to avoid the fate of his peers. Big name directors have tackled his work, from Stanley Kubrick to Brian De Palma. King even does a decent job of acting in Pet Semetary (1989), in his own Maximum Overdrive (1986) and in George Romero’s Creepshow (1982), where he plays a yokel named Jordy Verril who gets infected by a meteorite that causes green weeds to grow all over his body. Many have criticized King’s over-the-top performance in that flick, but for me King perfectly nails the campy and comical tone that Romero was going for. The dissolves in Creepshow literally come right off the pages of comics, so people expecting a subtle Ordinary People-style turn from King had clearly walked into the wrong theatre. Undoubtedly Creepshow succeeds at what it set out to do. I’m not sure Sleepwalkers succeeds though, unless the film’s goal was to get me to like cats even more than I already do. But I already love cats a great deal. Here’s my cat Cookie watching me edit this very blog post. 

And here’s one of my other cats, Church, named after the cat that reanimates and creeps out Louis and Ellie in Pet Sematary. Photo by @ScareAlex.

SPOILER ALERT: Do not keep reading if you plan on watching Sleepwalkers and want to find out for yourself what happens.

Stephen King saw many of his novels get adapted in the late 1970s and 80s: Carrie, The Shining, Firestarter, Christine, Cujo, and the movie that spawned the 1950s nostalgia industrial complex, Stand By Me, but Sleepwalkers was the first time he wrote a script specifically for the screen rather than adapting a novel that already existed. Maybe that’s why it’s so fucking bad. Stephen King is a novelist, gifted with a novelist’s rich imagination. He’s prone to giving backstories to even the most peripheral characters - think of Joe Chamber’s alcoholic neighbour Gary Pervier in the novel Cujo, who King follows for an unbelievable number of pages as the man stumbles drunkenly around his house spouting his catch phrase “I don’t give a shit,” drills a hole through his phone book so he can hang it from a string beside his phone, complains about his hemorrhoids getting “as big as golfballs” (I’m not joking), and just generally acts like an asshole until a rabid Cujo bounds over, rips his throat out, and he bleeds to death. In the novel Pervier’s death takes more than a few pages, but it makes for fun reading. You hate the man so fucking much that watching him die feels oddly satisfying. In the movie, though, his death occurs pretty quickly, and in a darkened hallway, so it’s hard to see what’s going on aside from Gary’s foot trembling. And Pervier’s “I don’t give a shit” makes sense when he’s drilling a hole in the phone book, not when he’s about to be savagely attacked by a rabid St Bernard. There’s just less room for back story in movies. In a medium that demands pruning and chiseling and the “less is more” dictum, King’s writing takes a marked turn for the worse. King is a prose maximalist, who freely admits to “writing to outrageous lengths” in his novels, listing It, The Stand, and The Tommyknockers as particularly egregious examples of literary logorrhea. He is not especially equipped to write concisely. This weakness is most apparent in Sleepwalkers’ dialogue, which sounds like it was supposed to be snappy and smart, like something Aaron Sorkin would write, but instead comes off like an even worse Tango & Cash, all bad jokes and shitty puns. More on those bad jokes later. First, the plot.

Sleepwalkers is about a boy named Charles and his mother Mary who travel around the United States killing and feeding off the lifeforce of various unfortunate people (if this sounds a little like The True Knot in Doctor Sleep, you’re not wrong. But self-plagiarism is not a crime). Charles and Mary are shapeshifting werewolf-type creatures called werecats, a species with its very own Wikipedia page. Wikipedia confers legitimacy dont’cha know, so lets assume werecats are real beings. According to said page, a werecat, “also written in a hyphenated form as were-cat) is an analogy to ‘werewolf’ for a feline therianthropic creature.” I’m gonna spell it with the hyphen from now on because “werecats” just looks like a typo. Okay? Okay.

Oddly enough, the were-cats in Sleepwalkers are terrified of cats. Actual cats. For the were-cats, cute kittens = kryptonite. When they see a cat or cats plural, this happens to them:

^ That is literally a scene from the movie. Charles is speeding when a cop pulls alongside him and bellows at him to pull over. Ever the rebel, Charles flips the cop the finger. But the cop has a cat named Clovis in his car, and when the cat pops up to have a look at the kid (see below), Charles shapeshifts first into a younger boy, then into whatever the fuck that is in the above screenshot.

Now, the were-cats aversion to normal cats is confusing because one would assume a were-cat to be a more evolved (or perhaps devolved?) version of the typical house kitty. The fact that these were-cats are bipedal alone suggests an advantage over our furry four-legged friends, no? Kinda like if humans were afraid of fucking gorillas. Wait...we are scared of gorillas. And chimpanzees. And all apes really. Okay, maybe the conceit of the film isn’t so silly after all. The film itself, however, is about as silly as a bad horror movie can get. When the policeman gets back to precinct and describes the incident above (”his face turned into a blur”) he is roundly ridiculed because in movies involving the supernatural nobody believes in the supernatural until it confronts them. It’s the law, sorry. Things don’t end well for the cop. Or for the guy who gets murdered when the mom stabs him with...an ear of corn. Yes, an ear of corn. Somehow, the mother is able to jam corn on the cob through a man’s body, without crushing the vegetable or turning it into yellow mash. It’s pretty amazing. Here is a sample of dialog from that scene: Cop About To Die On The Phone to Precinct: There’s blood everywhere! *STAB* Murderous Mother: No vegetables, no dessert. That is actually a line in the movie. “No vegetables, no dessert.” It’s no “let off some steam, Bennett” but it’s close. Told ya I’d get back to the bad jokes. See, Mary and Charles are new in town and therefore seeking to ingratiate themselves by killing everyone who suspects them of being weird, all while avoiding cats as best they can. At one point Charles yanks a man’s hand off and tells him to "keep [his] hands to [him]self," giving the man back his severed bloody hand. Later on Charles starts dating a girl who will gradually - and I do mean gradually - come to realize her boyfriend is not a real person but in fact a were-cat. Eventually our spunky young protagonist - Madchen Amick, who fans of Twin Peaks will recognize as Shelly - and a team of cats led by the adorable Clovis- kill the were-cat shapeshifting things and the sleepy small town (which is named Travis for some reason) goes back to normal, albeit with a slightly diminished population. For those keeping score, that’s Human/Cat Alliance 1, Shapeshifting Were-cats 0. It is clear triumph for the felis catus/people team! Unless we’re going by kill count, in which case it is closer to Human/Cat Alliance 2, Were-cats 26. I arrived at this figure through my own notes but also through a helpful video that takes a comprehensive and complete “carnage count” of all kills in Sleepwalkers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmt-DroK6uA

II. Santo & Johnny “Sleep Walk” (1959) Because Sleepwalkers is decidedly not known for its good acting or its well-written screenplay, it is perhaps best known for its liberal and sometimes contrapuntal use of Santo & Johnny’s classic steel guitar song “Sleep Walk,” possibly the most famous (and therefore best) instrumental of the 20th century. Some might say “Sleep Walk” is tied for the #1 spot with “Green Onions” by Booker T & the M.G.’s and/or “Wipe Out” by The Surfaris, but I disagree. The Santo & Johnny song is #1 because of its incalculable influence on all subsequent popular music. 

I’m not saying “Wipe Out” didn't inspire a million imitators, both contemporaneously and even decades later…for example here’s a surf rock instrumental from 1999 called “Giant Cow" by a Toronto band called The Urban Surf Kings. The video was one of the first to be animated using Flash (and it shows):

So there are no shortage of surf rock bands, even now, decades after its emergence from the shores of California to the jukeboxes of Middle America. My old band Sleep for the Nightlife used to regularly play Rancho Relaxo with a surf rock band called the Dildonics, who I liked a great deal. There's even a Danish surf rock band called Baby Woodrose, whose debut album is a favourite of mine. They apparently compete for the title of Denmark’s biggest surf pop band with a group called The Setting Son. When a country that has no surfing culture and no beaches has multiple surf rock bands, it is safe to say the genre has attained international reach. As far as I can tell, there aren’t many bands out there playing Booker T & the M.G.’s inspired instrumental rock. Link Wray’s “Rumble” was released four years before “Green Onions.” But the influence of Santo and Johnny’s “Sleep Walk” is so ubiquitous as to be almost immeasurable. The reason for this is the sheer popularity of the song’s chord progression. If Santo and Johnny hadn’t written it first, somebody else would have, simply because the progression is so beautiful and easy on the ears and resolvable in a satisfying way. Have a listen to “Sleep Walk” first and then let’s check out some songs it directly inspired. 

The chords are C, A minor, F and G. Minor variations sometimes reverse the last two chords, but if it begins with C to A minor, you can bet it’s following the “Sleep Walk” formula, almost as if musicians influenced by the song are in the titular trance. When it comes to playing guitar, Tom Waits once said “your hands are like dogs, going to the same places they’ve been. You have to be careful when playing is no longer in the mind but in the fingers, going to happy places. You have to break them of their habits or you don’t explore; you only play what is confident and pleasing.” Not only is it comforting to play and/or hear what we already know, studies have shown that our brains actively resist new music, because it takes work to understand the new information and assimilate it into a pattern we are cogent of. It isn’t until the brain recognizes the pattern that it gives us a dopamine rush. I’m not much for Pitchfork anymore, but a recent article they posted does a fine job of discussing this phenomenon in greater detail.

Led Zeppelin’s “D’Yer Maker” uses the “Sleep Walk” riff prominently, anchored by John Bonham and John Paul Jones’ white-boy reggae beat: 

Here it is again with Del Shannon’s classic “Little Town Flirt.” I love Shannon’s falsetto at the end when he goes “you better run and hide now bo-o-oy.”

The Beatles “Happiness is a Warm Gun” uses the Sleep Walk progression, though not for the whole song. It goes into the progression at the bridge at 1:34: 

Tumblr won’t let me embed any more videos, so you’ll to travel to another tab to hear these songs, but Neil Young gets in on the act with his overlooked classic “Winterlong:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV6r66n3TFI On their 1996 EP Interstate 8 Modest Mouse pay direct homage by singing over their own rendition of the original Santo & Johnny version, right down to the weeping steel guitar part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT_PwXjCqqs The vocals are typical wispy whispered indie rock vocals, but I think they work, particularly the two different voices. They titled their version “Sleepwalking (Couples Only Dance Prom Night).”

Dwight Yoakam’s “Thousand Miles From Nowhere” makes cinematic use of it. This song plays over the credits of one of my all-time favourite movies, 1993′s Red Rock West feat. Nicolas Cage, Lara Flynn Boyle, Dennis Hopper, and J.T. Walsh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu3ypuKq8WE

“39″ is my favourite Queen song. I guess now I know why. It uses my fav chord progression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE8kGMfXaFU 

Blink 182 scored their first hit “Dammit” with a minor variation on the Sleep Walk chord progression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT0g16_LQaQ

Midwest beer drinkin bar rockers Connections scored a shoulda-been-a-hit with the fist-pumping “Beat the Sky:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSNRq0n_WYA You’d be hard pressed to find a weaker lead singer than this guy (save for me, natch), but they make it work. This one’s an anthem.

Spoon, who have made a career out of deconstructing rock n’ roll, so that their songs sometimes sound needlessly sparse (especially “The Ghost of You Lingers,” which takes minimalism to its most extreme...just a piano being bashed on staccato-style for four minutes), so it should surprise nobody that they re-arrange the Sleep Walk chords on their classic from Gimme Fiction, “I Summon You:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teXA8N3aF9M I love that opening line: remember the weight of the world was a sound that we used to buy? I think songwriter Britt Daniel is talking about buying albums from the likes of Pearl Jam or Smashing Pumpkins, any of those grunge bands with pessimistic worldviews. There are a million more examples. I remember seeing some YouTube video where a trio of gross douchebros keep playing the same progression while singing a bunch of hits over it. I don’t like the smarmy way they do it, making it seem like artists are lazy and deliberately stealing. I don’t think it’s plagiarism to use this progression. And furthermore, tempo and production make all the difference. Take “This Magic Moment” for example. There's a version by Jay & the Americans and one by Ben E King & the Drifters. I’ve never been a fan of those shrieking violins or fiddles that open the latter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bacBKKgc4Uo The Jay & the Americans version puts the guitar riff way in the forefront, which I like a lot more. The guitar plays the entire progression once before the singing starts and the band joins in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKfASw6qoag

Each version has its own distinctive feel. They are pretty much two different songs. Perhaps the most famous use of the Sleep Walk progression is “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers, which is one of my favourite songs ever. The guy who chose to let Bobby Hatfield sing this one by himself must have kicked himself afterwards when it became a hit, much bigger than "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiiyq2xrSI0

What can you say about “Unchained Melody” that hasn’t already been said? God, that miraculously strong vocal, the way the strings (and later on, brass horns) are panned way over to the furthest reaches the left speaker while the drums and guitar are way over in the right, with the singing smack dab in the middle creates a kind of distance and sharp clarity that has never been reproduced in popular music, like seeing the skyscrapers of some distant city after an endless stretch of highway. After listening to “Unchained Melody,” one has to wonder: can that progression ever be improved upon? Can any artist write something more haunting, more beautiful, more uplifting than that? The “need your love” crescendo hits so fucking hard, as both the emotional and the sonic climax of the song, which of course is no accident...the strings descending and crashing like a waterfall of sound, it gets me every fucking time. Legend has it that King George II was so moved by the “Hallelujah” section of Handel’s “Messiah” that he stood up, he couldn't help himself, couldn't believe what he was hearing. I get that feeling with all my favourite songs. "1979." "Unchained Melody." "In The Still of the Night." "Digital Bath." "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" "Interstate." "Liar's Tale." “Gimme Shelter.” The list goes on and on. Music is supposed to move us.

King George II stood because he was moved to do so. Music may be our creation, but it isn't our subordinate. All those sci-fi stories warning about technology growing beyond our control aren’t that far-fetched. Music is our creation but its power lies beyond our control. We are subordinate to music, helpless against its power and might, its urgency and vitality and beauty. There have been many times in my life when I have been so obsessed with a particular song that I pretty much want to live inside of it forever. A house of sound. I remember detoxing from heroin and listening to Grimes “Realiti” on repeat for twelve hours. Detoxing from OxyContin and listening to The Beach Boys “Dont Worry Baby” over and over. Or just being young and listening to “Tonight Tonight” over and over and over, tears streaming from my eyes in that way you cry when you’re a kid because you just feel so much and you don’t know what to do with the intensity of those feelings. It is precisely because we are so moved by music that we keep creating it. And in the act of that creation we are free. There are no limits to that freedom, which is why bands time and time again return to the well-worn Sleep Walk chord progression and try to make something new from it. Back in 2006, soon after buying what was then the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, I found myself playing the album’s closing track over and over. I loved the chorus and I loved the way it collapses into a lo-fi demo at the very end, stripping away the studio sheen and...not to be too punny, showing its bones (the album title is Show Your Bones). Later on I would realize that the song, called “Turn Into,” uses the Sleep Walk chord progression. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exqCFoPiwpk

It’s just like, what Waits said, our hands goes to where we are familiar. And so do our ears, which is why jazz often sounds so unpleasant to us upon first listen. Or Captain Beefheart. But it’s worth the effort to discover new stuff, just as it’s worth the effort to try and write it. I recently lamented on this blog that music to me now is more about remembrance than discovery, but I’m still only 35 years old. I’m middle-aged right now (I don’t expect to live past 70, not with the lifestyle I’ve been living). There’s still a whole other half life to find new music and love and leave it for still newer stuff. It’s worth the challenge, that moment of inner resistance we feel when confronted with something new and challenging and strange sounding. The austere demands of adult life, rent and routine, take so much of our time. I still make time for creative pursuits, but I don’t really have much time for discovery, for seeking out new music. But I’ve resolved to start making more time. A few years ago I tried to listen to and like Trout Mask Replica but I couldn’t. I just didn’t get what was going on. It sounded like a bunch of mistakes piled on top of each other. But then a few days ago I was writing while listening to music, as I always do, and YouTube somehow landed on Lick My Decals Off, Baby. I didn’t love what I was hearing but I was intrigued enough to keep going. And now I really like this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMnd9dvb3sA&pbjreload=101 Another example I’ll give is the rare Robert Pollard gem “Prom Is Coming.” The first time I heard this song, it sounded like someone who can’t play guitar messing around, but the more I heard it the more I realized there’s a song there. It’s weird and strange, but it’s there. The lyrics are classic Pollard: Disregard injury and race madly out of the universe by sundown. Pollard obviously has a special place in his heart for this track. He named one of his many record labels Prom Is Coming Records and he titled the Boston Spaceships best-of collection Out of the Universe By Sundown. I don’t know if I’ll ever become a Captain Beefheart megafan but I can hear that the man was doing something very strange and, at times, beautiful. And anyway, why should everything be easy? Aren’t some challenges worth meeting for the experience waiting on the other side of comprehension or acceptance? I try to remember this now whenever I’m first confronted with new music, instead of vetoing it right away. Most of my favourite bands I was initially resistant to when I first heard them. Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Guided by Voices, Spoon, Heavy Times. All bands I didn’t like at first.  I don’t wanna sleepwalk through life, surrounding myself only with things I have already experienced. I need to stay awake. Because soon enough I’ll be asleep forever. We need to try everything we can before the Big Sleep comes to take us back to the great blankness, the terrible question mark that bookends our lives.