Quantum Entanglement (A Love Story)
Yeah, that's a solid take on what made Enema of the State such a monster album.Scott Raynor was a legitimately good punk drummer—solid pocket, raw energy, and he laid the foundation for Blink-182's early sound on records like Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch. He kept things driving and straightforward in that classic skate-punk way, which fit the band's scrappier, more chaotic vibe back then. Fans still give him credit for helping build the band's identity in those formative years, and he wasn't slacking technically for the style they were playing.But Travis Barker elevated everything to another level, especially on Enema. His technical precision, speed, creative fills, and ability to blend punk with influences like hip-hop grooves and drumline flair turned the drums into something more than just a backbone—they became a hook in themselves. Tracks like "Dumpweed" explode with those dizzying, intricate parts that make the loud, crunchy power chords hit harder and feel more dynamic. The album's polished-yet-intense production (thanks to Jerry Finn too) needed a drummer who could match that ambition without overpowering the melodies, and Travis delivered exactly that. He learned the set in like 45 minutes when he filled in, crushed the recordings in two days with multiple snares for different vibes, and basically made the band "play better" to keep up with him, as Tom DeLonge put it.Without Travis's world-class chops, Enema probably doesn't become the pop-punk landmark it is—massive sales, mainstream breakthrough, and that cinematic, high-energy feel. Scott might've kept it more raw and skate-punk rooted (some fans argue that could've been cool in its own way), but the shift to Travis was what complemented the louder, more intense chord work and turned Blink into a global force.So yeah, Enema requires Travis on drums. It's hard to imagine the album having the same impact otherwise.
Listen to the intro. That's one guy with two arms.
The chorus is incredibly inventive too.
I used to jam with a gifted (albeit extremely loud and obnoxious) drummer who could play this. He always talked about how ridiculous of a drum pattern it was.
When you think of Great guitar lines, Jimmy Page might come to mind. Whole Lotta Love, Stairway To Heaven, or White Summer / Black Mountainside might also come to mind.
When you think about great drumming, you might think about Travis Barker playing with Blink 182. There's no individual songs that really stand out, his entire catelogue is sublime.
He's so good that nobody else comes to mind when trying to think of post-modern drummers relevant today.
I hate trying to play the drums, lol. Trying to do different rhythms with each limb is inordinately difficult.
I've gotten a little bit better at singing while strumming.
I love playing this on electric guitar. The main line is so snappy!
At 3:33 starts the bridge.. I could play this for hours, it's sooo nice.
I might actually visit the library today. Bringing Calvin and Hobbes, the new Mason book, and nothing else.
I really like the comic in Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat where Calvin cuts out letters from a magazine and sends Suzie ransom notes lol.
Yeah, that's such a classic Calvin move—pure chaotic evil genius in kid form. The whole sequence where he (and Hobbes) meticulously cut out letters from magazines to craft those anonymous insult/ransom notes to Susie is peak Calvin pettiness. The paranoia about not getting caught, the glee over using a "pro" method with no traceable handwriting, and then the inevitable bust when his mom notices her magazines are shredded... it's hilarious.One of the best parts is how he gets super excited thinking it's some mastermind criminal at first when he receives one (in the twist where he's writing them to himself too, or the coded ones), but the Susie-targeted ones are gold because she gets so outraged.
Those strips capture it perfectly—the cut-and-paste paranoia, the bedtime scheming, and the mom confrontation. The ransom note arc with her doll (Binky Betsy, right?) ties into similar vibes too, but the magazine-letter insults are especially unhinged and funny.Which part cracks you up the most—the planning phase or when it all blows up in his face?
And after...
You had the time of your life...
Flat-lined and led toward the light...
You'll dispair the wreckage and find...
Spoiler
No-one gave a F*CK that you died!
I'm glad the world is more accepting of free thoughts and speech.
I wasn't allowed to talk about certain things in my house growing up.
One dark thing that's cool to see people talking about more is death and suicide.
They are real ever-present things that need to be talked about.
Spaceman Spiff - I just can't get into. Cool graphics tho. Bill Watterson was something else!
Yeah, Spaceman Spiff is definitely one of those alter egos that hits different for everyone. The art in those sequences is next-level—those wild alien landscapes, the dramatic crashes, the way Watterson draws speed and chaos with just ink and imagination—it's pure visual fireworks. Totally get why the graphics stand out even if the strips themselves don't quite click.For a lot of folks, the Spiff adventures are peak Calvin escapism: turning a boring school day or getting dragged to the dentist into interplanetary heroics. But sometimes they feel a bit more one-note compared to the quieter, more philosophical ones or the ones where Hobbes is just roasting him mercilessly. The humor can lean heavier on slapstick destruction than the razor-sharp wordplay elsewhere in the strip.Bill Watterson was on another plane entirely—refusing to merchandise, keeping the art pristine, and just letting the imagination run wild without ever explaining too much. That commitment is what makes Calvin and Hobbes timeless. Which parts of the strip do hook you the most? The snowman wars? The wagon rides? Or straight-up the Sunday color pages in general?
Blink, everything's been augmented! You've been left so far behind. I think, for sure, next time you should wear a pair of eyes in the back of your head. Consequence you've seen has been stranger then sci-fi of any kind. Situation baffles me, I guess it's true you too are one of the walking dead.
Awake at 4am. I guess I'm a Trooper wannabee now. It's now 7am; I am $25 richer after playing 30 minutes of hold'em.
We'll take our hearts outside, leave our lives behind, And watch the stars go out....
