Archive for November, 2008
« Older Entries |Pitchfork Media Top 50 of 2008
[ 1 Comment ]Posted on November 30, 2008 by admin in Music
Sunday, November 30th, 2008Yet more end of year best of lists
[UPDATED: The list is out!]
What ever will I do with myself until the Pitchfork Media Top 50 list comes out? Although I only agree with their reviews about half the time, I must confess that a lot of my listening of the last couple of years was heavily influenced by their last two lists. I might have encountered, but not slowed down and listen to, any of the following this year without the Pitchfork top 50 list (these are all Amazon links): Okkervil River – The Stage Names; Panda Bear – Person Pitch; Arcade Fire – Neon Bible; Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga; Feist – Reminder; Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam; Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer; Stars of the Lid – And Their Refinement of the Decline; The Field – From Here We Go Sublime…and others, actually. Anyone have ideas on how I can ease my dependency on Pitchfork without having to “put on the waders” and trudge through the crap that they call music distribution these days? By “crap that they call music distribution” I mean the commercial sites with the unbearably slow, ad-infested page loads, and glitchy audio players. Bring it on people, my ears are hungry, and the best recommendations always come from other listeners.
Top 10 List of Best of 2008 Lists
[ Comments Off ]Posted on November 30, 2008 by admin in Editorial & Opinion
Sunday, November 30th, 2008Time for the annual list of best of lists…
George Bush Could’ve Benefited From Better List-making Skills |
I like a good list. If I’m going to the store, I make a list. If I have problems, I make a list. Years ago though, a Chinese fellow I worked with said to me “You know, you Americans are funny. Everything has to have a numbered list. Who are the top five teams, what is the best music? Why is this?” I made up some answer about how prioritizing things makes us the most productive country on Earth. He ironically countered with a list of things China invented that makes them great. The Internet is toxic with lists. Why, for instance, are there 22 Most Sensational Midgets ? Why not 10 or 20? The most annoying top-whatever lists are on sites like Wired.com, where they put one item on each page to generate ad revenue from extra page views. But I digress. It’s that time of year again. Fimoculous will do a decent job of rounding up the top lists of best things in 2008, but their list is a little thin right now. Any suggestions? I’m partial to the longer, larger view, things like The 100 Most Influential Taglines Since 1948 or the Top 10 Reasons Why Sex At The Speed Of Light Is Not An Advisable Form Of Procreation. But I’m open to ideas. Help me out.
Sympathy For The Devil
[ Comments Off ]Posted on November 29, 2008 by admin in Lifestyle & Culture
Saturday, November 29th, 2008Bankers are people too, you know.
As you float along in a mild state of panic, slashing your food budget and wondering what will happen with your mortgage and your kids’ futures, have a heart and take a moment to think about the gold diggers and the men whose money they love, won’t you? It’s bad enough those poor Wall Street bankers are having to cut back on their mistresses, now their wives are turning on them too. Apparently, the heart-wrenching story in that last link could have been avoided by taking a cue from other cultures. See this how to beat your wife clip on YouTube (someone please verify the authenticity of the subtitles; that is downright creepy). Yes, divorces are on the rise on Wall Street. But don’t judge these people as materialistic and vain; according to Psychology Today, love has NEVER been a good reason to marry. Maybe these guys should have spent less time looking at their financial calculators and more time looking at their divorce calculators. As a male, things could be worse though. Just ask a Redback Spider.
Three Reasons To Skip Christmas This Year
[ Comments Off ]Posted on November 28, 2008 by admin in Holidays
Friday, November 28th, 2008Have a Chappy Chanukkah, a Frisky Festivus, and a Dope Kwanzaa
During the holiday season, it’s important to remember that Christmas isn’t the ONLY holy day celebrated in the month of December. First of all, on December 21 it’s time to celebrate Hannukah, which (much like modern western culture) is a celebration of the miraculous endurance of oil as a fuel. I usually celebrate by burning a fatty and playing Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah Song repeatedly. Also on the 21st this year, we have Global Orgasm Day. I think you can figure out how to celebrate that one. When you’ve recovered from your afterglow, get ready for Festivus, “a holiday for the rest-of-us”. I honor this very special day by hiring a stripper and updating my interpretation of the festivus pole. After all the blunt smoking, orgasms, and pole dancing you’ll probably be too wiped out for Christmas, so on the 26th, have a dope Kwanzaa. Did I miss anyone? How do YOU celebrate during the holidays?
Post-Palin Depression
[ 5 Comments ]Posted on November 27, 2008 by admin in Politics
Thursday, November 27th, 2008Election afterbirth and turkicide
Like a lot of pseudo-intellectuals, I’ve been submerged in a deep depression since the election. How are we going to talk about fixing the world’s problems if one of us is actually working on them? How could life be worth living without Sarah Palin to make fun of, and nut-jobs (okay, let’s show a little sensitivity, she has a disorder,after all) like Ann Coulter to whine about? And although some suggest only science fiction could save us from our economic woes, this Obama guy might surprise us. Fortunately, just when I thought my liberal intellectual angst had been rendered a relic, Ann Coulter did something we’ve all prayed for for ages, and got her mouth wired shut. And just in time for the holidays, the grizzly, Thanksgiving-themed Sarah Palin clip featured here showed up. Watch the guy in the background while she calmly rambles on in her repetitious, sound-bitey, youbetcha way.