Shit and/or shinola

My Steely-Dan-obsessed high school journalism teacher gave me a...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:07:00 -0500

My Steely-Dan-obsessed high school journalism teacher gave me a “flat” with this picture on it for a graduation gift and I hung it in a position of due respect in my dorm room—at eye level near the entrance. There it remained through countless puzzled looks and at least one blatant accusation of implied pedophilia and/or incest (“Are those your perverted uncles or something?”). The point here is that dorms drool, Becker and Fagen rule.

(via Aquarium Drunkard, who posted this snapshot alongside a fine compilation of Steely Dan live cuts)

"There is no denying that Javier Bardem cuts a singular figure. For one thing, he currently has the..."

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:41:59 -0500

““There is no denying that Javier Bardem cuts a singular figure. For one thing, he currently has the biggest, noblest, and most sculpted head of anyone in movies (previous titleholders include John Huston), and I can never quite suppress the thought, watching him onscreen, that he must have flown straight to the set from Easter Island.””

- Why I love Anthony Lane, pt. 1,896. (from his No Country for Old Men review in The New Yorker)

"…people who speak in whispers are almost always insane. They want to draw you near so they can..."

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:42:57 -0500

““…people who speak in whispers are almost always insane. They want to draw you near so they can kill you.””

- From Wake Up, Sir! by Jonathan Ames. Sweet holy Moses, it’s hilarious! And apparently on its way to the silver screen.

The Smiths - “Oscillate Wildly” Originally released...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:54:41 -0500

The Smiths - “Oscillate Wildly”

Originally released as a B-side for “How Soon Is Now?” …but you know i got that jam off Louder Than Bombs. It’d be nice to have on vinyl, though. This is an instrumental, yet how many search results do you get for “oscillate wildly lyrics”? Here’s a hint: not zero.

(Also, I’ve been watching the Quantum Leap, too, on the...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:04:42 -0500

(Also, I’ve been watching the Quantum Leap, too, on the Hulu…)

I blew some mind particles when they theorized in the pilot episode that Sam’s predicament was something similar to the recent idea about the Higgs boson supposedly going back in time and “sabotag[ing] … its own future.”

This one’s for you, E! When the going gets tough, just...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:52:01 -0500

This one’s for you, E! When the going gets tough, just say, “Oh boy,” and all will be well in a little less than an hour. It’s amazing, this time-bending business! Plus, Ziggy could totally help with the paper-grading.

I will never understand Twitter

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:04:38 -0500

barthel:

You can get live updates of who’s getting arrested at the Clackamas County Jail in Oregon! Along with links to each person’s jail profile, complete with picture (sometimes)! 98 people are following them, hopefully all local journalists! I feel 50% creeped out and 50% fascinated!

Skinny bespectacled boys covering Wham!, part 2: Erlend Øye -...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:24:21 -0500

Skinny bespectacled boys covering Wham!, part 2:

Erlend Øye - “Last Christmas”

Skinny bespectacled boys covering Wham!, part 1: PAS/CAL -...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:23:24 -0500

Skinny bespectacled boys covering Wham!, part 1:

PAS/CAL - “Last Christmas”

Here’s to 25 more years of this Georgie gem…

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:13:06 -0500

Here’s to 25 more years of this Georgie gem…

Craig Finn at Bonnaroo ‘07 (photo by elizabeth...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:57:00 -0500

Craig Finn at Bonnaroo ‘07 (photo by elizabeth weinberg)

Pondering Bonnaroo and how fun it is and was and has been and will be. Weekend music festivals migrating to America: best live music trend of the ’00s?

Of Montreal - “So Begins Our Alabee” The aria is...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:00:17 -0500

Of Montreal - “So Begins Our Alabee”

The aria is bleeding! Remember when Kevin Barnes’ dick was all the rage (there is nudity here, at this link!) over at P4K? I SURE DO. The superego’s waking!

The National - “Karen” Karen, put me in a chair/Fuck...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:16:59 -0500

The National - “Karen”

Karen, put me in a chair/Fuck me and make me a drink/I’ve lost direction and I’m past my peak

33 1/3: Song and Circumstance

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:13:42 -0500

33 1/3: Song and Circumstance:

“Here’s what David Byrne has to say about Song and Circumstance: The Work of David Byrne from the Talking Heads to the Present, by Sytze Steenstra…

‘If I ever need to remind myself what I was reading or mulling over at various points in my life I have only to look in this scrupulously researched and uncannily on-the-money book. Would that we all had references like this! It is for me a beautiful and narcissistically bizarre experience to re-experience my life through the series of ideas and the flow of connections I have made as they are reported and interpreted by Sytze Steenstra. The book is delightfully and unusually free of gossip and psychological assumptions and explanations (not that those don’t also contain some truth); instead it focuses almost exclusively on what I’ve done, said or written—and comes to some conclusions that are (to me) surprising and unexpected. Sytze finds connections I wasn’t aware of, and continuity and patterns where initially one might see randomness and chaos. This book makes me seem both smarter than I am and possibly stranger than I am.’”

—From the 33 1/3 blog… uh, fuck, this sounds amazing. I can’t imagine the gratification/sheer joy that would stem from getting a radiant review like this from the person you wrote an entire book about. It’s like when Michael Stipe answered all those questions on Pop Songs!

Bobby Stardust at the Upper Deck! He’s a total blam-blam.

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:12:08 -0500

Bobby Stardust at the Upper Deck! He’s a total blam-blam.

Lifter Puller - “Nice Nice” A few weeks ago I bought...

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:32:25 -0500

Lifter Puller - “Nice Nice”

A few weeks ago I bought some white tights to wear to a wedding reception and now whenever I don them, wash them, touch ~~my stuff~~ them, look at them, or think about any element of the wedding, Craig Finn’s voice starts cruising through my brain. This is not a complaint!

cf. “Candy’s Room”

I had a conversation with David Lynch and I mentioned, “We...

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:30:39 -0500

I had a conversation with David Lynch and I mentioned, “We should make films—real fine feature films—but not for more than $2 million, and we’ll still use the best actors and a great story. It’s possible,” I said, “and that should be the answer to the financial crisis.” And he said, “Do you have something in mind?” I said, “Yes.” And he said, “Well, I’d love to be on board as an executive producer.” I started to work on it a few days later. (via WERNER HERZOG - Vice Magazine)

Sudoku is the crack cocaine of time-wasting.

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:55:54 -0500

Sudoku is the crack cocaine of time-wasting.

“Rickyisms” from Trailer Park Boys Indianapolis...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:22:28 -0500

“Rickyisms” from Trailer Park Boys

Indianapolis Jones!!!

Well, since you asked… My BRAT-titude says, “Who...

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:31:34 -0500

Well, since you asked…

My BRAT-titude says, “Who greenlit this ad campaign and/or Playtex slogan—neither of which make sense to women who can pronounce words, use question marks, and have support systems that don’t include major multinational corporations—and what can I do to get him fired (for surely a ‘him’ is behind this)?”

Meanwhile, my BRAH-ttitude says, “Ooh, side-smoothing!”