Archive for December, 2011

GW: Favorite Albums of 2011

Posted by Matt on Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

I listened to some good music this year. This is a list I made. The list relates to the initial observation.


25.  White Denim – D: Keep Austin stonewashed.  They’ll be with Wilco for the next couple months. pan flute, meister ?

24.  Radiohead - King of Limbs: Fred Armisen’s Thom Yorke on last week’s SNL pretty much made up for years of laughless Obama sketches.

23.  The Weather Station – All of it was Mine:  Canadian warmth. Like crock pot caribou.

22.  Wooden Shijps – West: Take me to the drone.

21. Destroyer – Kaputt:  It’s really transfixing…Then I want to kill myself…. Good album though!  In my music library, Destroyer’s final song “Bay of Pigs” is followed by Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come on Eileen” in a very hilarious + disorienting juxtaposition.  FYI, everyone.

20.  The Decembrists – The King Is Dead:  And The Decembrists are back.

19.  Roadside Graves – We Can Take Care Of Ourselves:  Not a bad follow-up to My Son’s Home.

18.  Cut Copy – Zonoscope

17.  Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch The Throne: *slams fist* *begrudgingly shakes head in approving credit to Chicago’s biggest megalomaniacal asshat* *formulates qualifier* *types words*

But let’s be honest, Jay-Z carries the indulgent album. He’s good.

16.  Strange Arrangement – Polygraph:  Definitely in my top-5 for “most listened to” albums.

15.  Feist – Metals: Probably Shia LeBouf’shadowboxing soundtrack. Shadow won most recent match with 4th round knockout.

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Holy Shit, James Brown

Posted by Matt on Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

This is something. Please, Please, Please is my favorite JB song.
I think the crowd enjoyed it as well. If only the dude had some stage presence.

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Happy Boxing Day!

Posted by Matt on Monday, December 26th, 2011

I’m regifting a substandard video of an excellent tune. enjoy. happy holidays. don’t go ice fishing without gloves.

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This Interesting Article About The Purpose Of Body Hair Is Not An Endorsement Of 70′s Bush

Posted by Matt on Saturday, December 24th, 2011

That co-worker with the distracting peach-fuzz on her upper lip? Yeah, she’s less susceptible to insects. So there.

Lifted from The Economist:

MUCH ink and many electrons have been spilled on the question of human hairlessness: why, as Desmond Morris put it in the title of a book published in 1967, Homo sapiens is “The Naked Ape”. This lack of hair has been attributed to everything from a putative aquatic period in the species’s past to the advantages of displaying a healthy skin to members of the opposite sex.

Less attention has been paid, though, to the fact that humans are not really hairless at all. Per square centimetre, human skin has as many hair follicles as that of other great apes. The difference is not in the number, but in the fineness of the hair that grows from those follicles. These fine human hairs do not seem to be performing any of the functions of their counterparts in more hirsute species (insulation and, through colouration, either signalling or camouflage). So what are they for?

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Scott Walker Invokes Birth Of Jesus In Attempt To Save His Own Ass

Posted by Matt on Saturday, December 24th, 2011

This guy is unreal.  I will paraphrase the narration.

“Hi, I’m Mrs. Scott Walker.  I’m speaking because our handlers thought any message of ‘unity’ from my husband would appear totally disingenuous.”

“And Christmas.”

“To say my husband is a benevolent leader is like saying he looks natural wrapping these christmas gifts.”

“Oh, you’re the daughter of a correctional officer? That’s nice.  What do we have for you? Oh look, it’s a random phone charger someone left at our campaign office. Maybe your dad can use it to subdue someone at his terrifying job.  We can’t possibly let him bargain for working conditions that include such things as hand-cuffs. You understand. Like my husband says, too many entitlements.”

“However…Happy Holidays.”

“Also, we in Wisconsin have a history of helping our neighbors.  Like when my husband threatened to call the National Guard to turn on their neighbors who teach their children because he so despised the thought of moving on “together” via negotiation, compromise and honoring contracts. He probably won’t be recalled, but it is getting too close for the Walker family to really enjoy our Mannheim Steamroller.”

“Let’s move forward together.  And by that, I mean please don’t add your name to the 500,000 who have signed the petition to recall my husband.”

“We will serve food to the homeless (on camera).  In the Spirit of Giving, they’ll pay a poll tax in any upcoming elections. Say, for instance, a recall meaningless election you shouldn’t bother with anyway.  They’re homeless – just like Jesus! Isn’t that enough? Don’t worry, I’ll be back next campaign season. Merry Christmas…”

“Hi. I’m Scott Walker. You don’t have to like me. Just let me stay as the plutocrat puppet for you, the People. Wisconsin. Jesus. Cheese. Koch Industries. Bless you.”

“Happy Holidays”

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Chicago’s Very Own Joe Paterno Compares Gay Rights To White Supremacy

Posted by Matt on Friday, December 23rd, 2011

"you're more evil.." "No, you are!" "You are!" "hahaha - okok, i am"

On Christmas Day, Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George will say Mass at Holy Name Cathedral, and then visit Cook County Jail, where he belongs. (Just google Fr. Daniel McCormack. Or Fr. Kenneth Martin. Or Father Norbert Maday. etc.) Frankly, the guy is a monster shrouded in the illusion of piety that exemplifies the Catholic Church.  He also has problems with certain homosexuals.

Chicago Cardinal Francis George was asked during an interview on WFLD-TV what he thought about a local priest’s concerns that the city’s annual gay pride parade might interrupt morning Mass at his church.George replied that he was concerned the gay rights movement might “morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism.”

He says the rhetoric of the KKK and some in the gay rights movement involving the Catholic Church was similar.

On Thursday, a coalition of Catholic groups that work for LGBT rights called George’s comments “crude” and “demagogic.”

Organizers of the June parade agreed Wednesday to start later to avoid disrupting church services.

I’ve been to the Pride Parade and have always thought it reminiscent of a Klan Rally – except with less clothing, more diversity, and less sexual experimentation.

Some Church officials echoed the Cardinal’s comments, but promised to meet up with the paraders at the after parties.

There will be no “Joy To The World” this year. It’s the gayest Christmas song.

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This Week In The Shared Sacrifice Of “Job Creators”

Posted by Matt on Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Seriously everyone. We need to continue sounding the Drudge Alarm about our deficit without honestly addressing revenue concerns and the tiny fraction of Americans who have reaped the benefit of the last 30+ years of corporate rule (The Ricky Stratton Era). Millionaire surtax? That shit Kray. Roll back the Bush tax cuts? watch yo’ mouth! Too many jobs are at stake.

We need to keep the middle class beat down so that our consumer-based economy has less viable consumers.  I mean, I’m no economist…but as long as our patriotic job creators are protected.  Forget the growth + deficit reduction that coincided with top marginal tax rates supported by pinkos such as Eisenhower (to name just one economic terrorist).

Just don’t call it “class warfare.” That only rolls one way.  t.r.i.c.k.l.e d.r.o.w.n

The colors of the graph are Green and Red – like Christmas! Green for the money the Koch Brothers use as kindling for their human sacrifices. Red for the plasma their ex-employees have to sell in order to buy school supplies for their kids.

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What Is A Panic Attack? By Sara Benincasa

Posted by Matt on Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

One of my favorite young writers/commediens…And it’s animated! 

Gourmet Cheese-related anxiety?  I believe I’ve been there, back, and then medicated.

 

Benincasa’s book  Agorafabulous  comes out early next year…

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Gratuitous Balls! 2011-12 NBA Preview

Posted by Matt on Monday, December 19th, 2011

Play Like A Champion Yesterday

Hey, so belated congrats to the Dallas Mavericks on championing one of the best league sports’ seasons in recent memory. I’ll never forget those late evening Clippers/Warriors games I watched on NBATV after rationalizing i needed to crack a 2nd bottle of wine.  Who couldn’t resist seeing whether the Clips could guard the perimeter against Curry and Ellis? This guy.

The hatred for LeBron was on display throughout the season, and the playoffs didn’t disappoint (though I could’ve used his disappearance 1 series earlier). The storyline played out perfectly for the league. The Heat played in the last game, but would need to turn the page to 2011-12 in order to fulfill expectations.  Amazing young talent such as Rose, Griffin, and a third of the OKC roster ushered in a new Golden Age for the NBA. Don’t forget guys like Eric Gordon, John Wall & Tyreke Evans – just to name a few.  Going deeper, there’s even more intrigue. Jonas Jerebko, did you think I forgot about you? Highly unlikely.

So building on this momentum, it was of course the perfect time for a lockout. And so on and so on.  David Stern carries the water for the owners, and agreement is reached: owners’ get billions, structurally, nothing much is different.  Also, when is Derrick Fischer going to retire? Jesus.

Anyway, “Congrats” NBA. Your labor strife was certainly irritating.

However, one thing is certain – after watching a few weeks of what now passes for college basketball, I can’t wait for XMas day. And neither should you.  Here are some things to think about when you cash out that 401K and head to the window:

Gratuitous Balls:  Pre-Season NBA Rankings

30. Toronto Raptors:  There’s just something about this te- zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….

29. Cleveland Caveliers:  Kyrie Irving should be pretty solid.  Owner Dan Gilbert should be pretty annoying.

28. Washington Wizards:  John Wall projects as a DRose-type: a perennial all-star and dynamic PG for many years. Unfortunately, he’s surrounded by weirdos and question marks.  Maybe they can generate some interest via their seemingly annual uniform change.

27.  Minnesota Timberwolves: I’m not sure if anyone from a 17 win team has ever received as much positive attention as Kevin Love.  Kids, the thing to take away from this is that great rebounding and outlet passing do not guarantee victories. Ricky Rubio is signed for 2011-12, but it’s still surprising they didn’t draft another PG at #2. Drafting point guards is what they do. At the very least, there’s a glimmer of hope and entertainment present in the T’Wolves’ young talent.

26.  Charlotte Bobcats:  Contraction bait.  MJ was hard-lining (gotta earn!), but this team could disappear and no one would know the difference. The people of North Carolina want & deserve their despotic college basketball monarchs, so we might as well let them focus their attention on those sanctimonious jags.

25.  Detroit Pistons: No one is interested in the Pistons – even draft pick Kyle Singler, who decided to spend the next year being Spain’s Palest Man. I’ll be interested to watch Brandon Knight, but this team is saddled with more bad money than Bear Stearns (Finance joke!). On top of that, the bad money is spent on some terribly infuriating chuckers.  As of this writing, they just extended Tayshaun Prince for 4 years. Wha? Free Jerebko! Lawrence Frank is a good coach and doesn’t deserve this punishment.

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Heady Indie – Trey With The National

Posted by Matt on Saturday, December 17th, 2011

Here’s Trey getting together with a band who writes some gorgeous music, but I’ve never enjoyed live. Apparently, Trey and members of The National and Mates of States are recording Anastasio’s next studio album. So there ya go. Just a taste from the other night – letting you know it really happened. Don’t text and drive. Have a blessed day.

 

 

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