As is the case every year, there were some trends in 2009's music releases. This is just a brief summary and not exhaustive, and should not substitute for the actual "best of" that might or might not be coming soon. Heed:

Released Their Best Album in 7-11 Years:

Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey & The Groo Grux King
Rancid - Let The Dominoes Fall
Dinosaur Jr. - Farm (even though 2007's Beyond was perfectly good)
Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy

Always Great, but On Upswing in 2009:

Wilco - Wilco: The Album
Muse - The Resistance
Norah Jones - The Fall
The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
Lucero - 1372 Overton Park

Good, but Overrated:

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orce
The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

Somewhat Of A Let Down, But Still Solid:

The Swell Season - Strict Joy
Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
U2 - No Line On The Horizon

Major Let Downs:

Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen
Brand New - Daisy
Poison The Well - The Tropic Rot

The Return of Good Metal:

Mastodon - Crack The Skye
Converge - Axe To Fall
Baroness - The Blue Album
Isis - The Wavering Radiant

Usually Prolific Bands with Nothing Conclusive to Show For 2009:
Okkervil River
My Morning Jacket
Ryan Adams
Radiohead
Iron & Wine

It's mid-December, so several things are making their annual presence known. That includes Santa, bowl games, Salvation Army bell-ringers, mornings in the 20s and unsightly amounts of candy. More important than all of these, though, are end-of-year music lists. Since 2009 is also the end of a decade, there's the added bonus of end-of-decade lists as well.

Making these lists requires quite a bit of work and that work might not be worth it. People enjoy reading the lists, but 5 minutes later they've probably forgotten who ranked where and the only likely conversation it created was an examination of how wrong the author was. Then there's the whole matter of deciding if the author's opinion really matters in the first place. Would you read a list of some perfect stranger's favorite breakfast cereals? Ok, maybe that wouldn't be so bad, but digression...

Of course, the source of the ranking says a lot about the contents of the list before you even read number 10, 20, 50 or whatever the list starts at. If you're reading a jazz critic, you won't find much heavy metal, or vice versa. Regardless, everyone wants to feel like maybe, just maybe, their taste is similar to someone whose opinion has been deemed viable. This is such a strong pull of human nature that a presumably unintended (negative?) result often occurs.

A sense of group-think come about when all the critics polarize their opinions in similar fashions so that their opinion will still be "relevant" when the following year's best-of lists come out. As a result, a small music blog ends up thinking Merriweather Post Pavilion is this year's best, just like Pitchfork surely will. Although it's not guaranteed, probably the reason that small blog writer liked the album so much in the first place was that they read Pitchfork's review when it came out. It also helps when an album comes out in the first week of January to rave reviews and becomes the standard by which all subsequent releases that year are measured. Then again, it also gives plenty of time for the consuming public to forget about it. Never fear, though, that's where Pitchfork and its lesser-known contemporaries come in handy. In the case of Animal Collective, though, they just released an only slightly less-esteemed EP to bookend all of the inferior releases this year.

Ok, this is not an Animal Collective bash-fest. Both MPP and the new EP are good records and worthy of listening and appreciation if that's your thing. By now, some people have probably made "My Girls"* the anthem of their life, and maybe understandably so. Anyway, the point is, year end lists are great, but #1 isn't always better than #20, or even "honorable mention". It's all about how a particular album struck you and nothing about how a particular review, rating or ranking struck you.

With all of this in mind, keep an eye out for the humble opinions of this blog soon. Some of you have proven to be trusting souls previously, so you're welcome to extend the courtesy again...if that's your thing, of course.

*If you're unacquainted, give the song a couple of minutes. It gets better and ultimately burrows out a cozy place in your memory.

While spending many hours on interstate highways it is easy to imagine many different metaphors for what is going on around you. As everyone knows, there are times when there's only one lane of traffic and other times there are 6 or more. This should be an indication of how many people want to go where you're going. Depending on how you look at it, this can be either a good thing or a bad thing. If you want to feel like you're making a popular decision, the traffic is a good thing. You're normal, after all. Then again, given the volume of traffic, it may feel like your path as been determined for you. That road was built with you in mind. It's there because you're supposed to be there using it. That might be a little unsettling.

Even once you've decided you're on the right road, the observations don't cease. With all those lanes of traffic come a lot of choices. There are the perceived "fast" lanes and the perceived "slow" ones, then of course there's the lane you need to be in. Obviously, the human factor kicks in at some point. Everyone becomes "self aware" all of a sudden and decides if they're more "left lane" or "right lane". Then the real fun starts.

Once you're between exits and nobody is merging in or merging out, the lane-dancing begins. Everyone is jockeying for position and trying to get ahead or at least not fall behind. Everyone wants to get to their destination first, but the risks of driving dangerously and getting a speeding ticket, along with the limitations of your vehicle start to weigh in. Some cars are simply faster than others and some people are simply more willing to drive theirs faster than others. And there's life.

It becomes clear that not everyone can be in the fast lane at once. It quickly becomes the not-fast lane when everyone flocks to it. This is what happens with almost anything in life. The window of opportunity is only open for a limited time and the first-movers and quick-responders benefit, while those left trying to decide usually get left out. By the time they make the move, they've joined gridlock and have lots of company. Meanwhile, those who made the move first have either zoomed away or already moved to another lane. Either way, you're watching their taillights and they could care less about your situation.

So yeah, if this entry isn't evidence that a long commute is a dangerous thing, let it at least be another indication of how tough life can be. It seems like that's all this blog is about right now. That's no fun. Maybe it's time to change lanes. Hope it's not too late.

Through one quarter of play, Brady Quinn in on pace for the following statistics in today's game against Detroit:

32 completions
604 yards
12 touchdowns

Regardless, the Browns are still terrible and Notre Dame lost again yesterday. The universe hasn't imploded just yet.

It is often said to not go to the grocery store when you're hungry. The reason being, obviously, that you'll let your hunger dictate your buying and end up with far too much food bought. This seems plausible enough, but it seems that grocery shopping while hungry isn't the most likely way to buy a lot of groceries unexpectedly. No, it just may be that going to the grocery store at 7:30 on a Sunday morning is circumstance most conducive for overspending.

In a large Kroger in a densely populated area, it is customary to encounter jammed aisle, long waits for check-out and general chaos. This is simply not the case in the early morning on a Sunday, which creates a quite pleasant shopping experience. It is nice not dodging feral children, overhearing numerous "Oh no he didn't" cellphone conversations or fighting for position in the soup aisle. Such peaceful conditions even allows audible strains of the music being played throughout the store such as "Unchained Melody" and "These are a Few of My Favorite Things". That music might not ever be heard by customers during normal business, but it shines through nicely early on a Sunday morning.

For someone that does not spend a great deal of time in a grocery store, it's easy to miss some interesting things. When you're only there in the middle of the day on a weekend or after work during the week, it's basically like rush hour traffic. No peace, no quiet, no decency, no enjoyment. Being there in calm conditions seems to have an effect on everyone, customers and employees alike. There is actually room for everyone to do their business and everyone just seems to be in a better mood. It makes the experience almost enjoyable and encourages more time, and money, to be spent while navigating the aisles.

Something you'd never have the chance to know about by only shopping during busy times is that the frozen food cabinets are energy efficient. The lights in the insulated glass cases are controlled by motion sensors, which allow the lights to turn off when nobody is walking past. Then, as you walk down an empty aisle of cases, the lights illuminate your path. It's definitely a simple pleasure, but strangely pleasing and maybe even a little uplifting.

If none of this makes you want to be at the grocery store early on a Sunday morning, just imagine reenacting the video for Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees". Money.

Blogging is a fun thing, but it usually occupies a pretty low spot in the priority ranking for life activities. It's not intentional, but so many things just seem to get in the way. After all, as a great band once said, life gets in the way of living. For that matter, another great band once said life is what happens while you're busy making plans. Not to mention a band that once said you should be living.

Alright, enough of that. Leisure time seems to have been sucked into a black hole. If so, that black hole is known as work, overtime at work, feeble attempts at physical fitness, sleep, household cleaning, grocery shopping and other such luxuries. Gone are the afternoons of leaving work early, skipping the gym and going home to keep the sofa company while watching three movies in a row, episodes of Ken Burns' National Parks and TV on DVD seasons. Perhaps the greatest casualty has been the reading of books. That just does not happen anymore.

This gradual decline into the "no fun zone" of life has only been helped by what seemed like endless rain in September and October and Daylight Savings Time, which means a special effort is required to leave work before pitch black darkness. All in all, not a fun situation.

But as with the rain and the daylight, eventually things get better. Sometimes you don't realize it, but clouds part and days get longer. Then there might be time for something as inconsequential as committing thoughts to a permanent record that nobody really cared about anyway.

Daylight Savings Time came along at a good time this year. Halloween night. That way, all the kiddies out partying the night away can have an extra hour of revelry. You're partying until 2am and then, all of a sudden, it's 1am again. Brilliant!

The complete opposite of this viewpoint on Daylight Savings Time is to be in bed before 2am, thus gaining an hour of sleep. While being in bed before 2am is nothing to be ashamed of, there is something exciting about being able to make Halloween Night last an hour longer. However, if Halloween is not a big deal to you personally, that doesn't mean something scary can't result from the time change.

The scariness comes from knowing you're getting older when you awake around 8am on a Sunday and think it just might be time to get the day started. Then you realize it's an hour earlier and you could get back in bed for an hour and feel zero guilt for it. To look this opportunity in the eye and decide to not only stay up, but then do the following activities is completely ridiculous:

-Go for a 3-mile run
-Shower
-Eat a breakfast consisting of no pork or powdered sugar
-Watch a suitable amount of a blockbuster movie edited for TV
-Sweep the floors
-Clean the bathroom (including the under- and backside of the toilet)
-Wash hands with soap
-Cook lunch for two
-Watch NFL and obsess over fantasy football
-Visit the Lord's house
-Watch an independent film at a local not-for-profit theater
-Enjoy a pizza
-Be in bed at a reasonable hour of 11pm

Wow, with all this extra daylight, life can be so rewarding. You only have to be willing to take advantage of the daylight at 6am because there won't be any left by 5pm. This all begs the question, why can't daylight savings time occur during the work week? It seems like most people would appreciate the extra hour of sleep on a weeknight. Then again, people might undersleep, show up an hour early and the world would end.

So, ABC has this new comedy, Modern Family, and it is amazing. The lead is played by Ed O'Neill, best known as Al Bundy on Married With Children, and his character doesn't really seem like that much of a reach. He sorta plays the same character in everything he does. Even Little Giants. Regardless, he is the core of this show and not just because he is the father, stepfather, father-in-law, grandfather and husband of all the other characters.

The show works by somehow over-saturating and exploiting some of the easiest target demographics in modern society. All of the characters seem to embody a stereotype and no two characters seem to be like one another. Yet they're technically (and legally) a family and thus the premise of the show is born. The Modern Family.

It may be a bit of reach, but this is the kind of thing that might actually open some eyes and lead to more understanding in society. No effort is made to rub your nose into the message of the show. You're allowed to laugh at things that would normally conjure guilt. Yes, there are gay people. Yes, there are Latinos. Yes, there is a grouchy old man. Yes, there is a trophy wife. Yes, there is a teenage diva. Yes, there is a foil in the vein of Lisa Simpson. Yes, there is a geeky dad trying to be hip. Yes, there is a little boy that puts a box on his head and jumps on a trampoline in nothing but his underwear. The jokes are often very suggestive and the interactions are often very awkward. It really feels like watching a comedy on HBO or maybe Comedy Central, but it's ABC. On a Wednesday. At 8pm.

So basically, this show has the potential, based on it's first few episodes, to be the next big thing. It would be so refreshing to hear people standing around talking about how funny something was on primetime network TV the night before, not just how freaky Lost was or how lame American Idol was.

And the best part? No vampires.

Disclaimer: "Overrated" does not mean bad. Overrated just means that regardless of how great something is, people seem to think it's even better.

These things are overrated:

-The New York Yankees
-Animal Collective
-Bud Light
-Garden State
-Brooklyn
-H&M
-Summer
-The Boston Red Sox
-In N' Out Burgers
-The suburbs
-Clean-shaven faces
-Indian food
-Cats
-Nobel Peace Prizes

President Oprah and her friends Barry and Michelle couldn't quite squeeze the Olympics out of, uh, the Olympic committee. Those rude Olympics people should be ashamed of themselves for not indulging the most important person in the world, not to mention the President of the United States. It really shouldn't come as a surprise that a panel of foreign dignitaries weren't so impressed with Chicago's main endorser being a TV star. Isn't the idea of a TV star who is constantly linked to bizarre weight-loss schemes sorta the antithesis for the pure athletic competition the Olympics are supposed to embody? Sure, Oprah is an easily recognizable media personality in this country, but it's doubtful that Sydney rested their hopes in 2000 on Crocodile Dundee's influence. However, the Olympic committee had to be appreciative for the free juicer and Desperate Housewives DVD they got just for being in Oprah's audience in Copenhagen.

Wait, that last paragraph ended up being a jab at this country's self-imposed media monarchy. That can't be right. Or maybe it is. If a country relies more on coked-out musicians and reality-deprived actors for its political opinions, there is no reason to think that the same country wouldn't think a TV talk show host is clearly the best person to bring the Olympics to the city from where she just so happens to broadcast. Do you think there could have been some ulterior motive for Oprah in bringing the Olympics to Chicago? Maybe a week or two of special shows where she runs around in a USA tracksuit and eats those little gymnast girls?

Well, there's another paragraph about the failed bid for the Olympics. Remember, we lost. Just imagine if Chicago had finished third. Or second. Or, God forbid, won. It would be the ObamaOprahOlympic Games. Well, maybe not. The games aren't until 2016 and at the current rate, Obama will still be trying to convince members of his own party that he has all the answers for healthcare reform. That's also assuming he is reelected. The ever-influential medium of bumper stickers has already started playing a role in that once-believed foregone conclusion.

So, is Obama kinda like Prince now? Has it come to the point where the President of the United States has been branded by a logo? Of course, the last president was simplified to just a letter. Will future presidents be identified by just a color? A punctuation mark? An abstract thought? How will that translate to car bumpers?

So anyway, back to the Olympics. Since the summer of '16 will belong to Rio, the clever advertising people are left with only two choices for how to brand the last letter of "Chicago" for the time-being. Obviously the Olympics felt like they already had enough O's in their life.

Muse is a band that has never put out a bad record, but they have gotten a little silly on some of their records with the over-the-top bombast and production. Regardless, nobody can accuse Muse of a lack of talent, creativity and huge sound, which is to be commended. To summarize, they have roughly followed this career arc:

1999: Bashed for being Radiohead rip-offs
2001: Crazy prog-rock that is too crazy and too prog for an American record deal
2003: Reemergence as a stadium-worthy with some political leanings
2006: American relevance from an album that sounds forced, but attention-grabbing
2009: A much more focused effort with a well-deserved opening slot for U2

Then there's this. Muse recently appeared on what appears to be a completely ridiculous looking Italian TV show. Apparently they were told they must lip-sync their performance and they agreed. However, they made it interesting by switching roles. For your reference, in the video, the singer/guitarist plays drums, the drummer sings/plays bass and the bassist plays guitar/keyboard. The entire thing is one big joke and nobody seems to notice, or care.

It was strange doing the following last weekend:

-Flying on an airplane on September 11. Eight years after that date actually started meaning more than just another day, so much of life has changed. Certainly the increased security and scrutiny at airports is there, but even life on the ground has changed a lot. The price of oil, the White House administration and even tiny Mexican towns are a lot different now than 8 years ago.

-Visiting an NFL stadium on the opening weekend of the season, but not to watch a game. NFL stadiums have a different feel to them, especially one like Soldier Field that is visually interesting on its own, much less when something impressive is happening inside.

-Eating pork rinds at an honest-to-goodness high-end restaurant.

Ok, there had to be more to that last entry's train of thought than was demonstrated. Time is a weird thing, but hopefully that's not really of interest to anyone. It's just odd how time dictates so much, yet is so abstract. Time is told by atomic clocks and swiss watches, but also the ocean's tide, the moon and the earth itself floating in orbit. Kinda odd.

Once you grasp how and why time is told, there's the confounding matter of time moving fast and slow sometimes. Why is this? Of course a second is always just a second and a minute is always just a minute, but perception of time varies greatly. Eight hours of sleep feels a lot different than eight hours of ditch digging, just like a 5 minute massage feels a lot faster than 5 minutes of holding your breath. Is time actually slower? Well maybe, but most would assume these differences are just the result of how the brain and body respond to different stimuli. This begs, is time really that powerful or important if we can alter it with our simple minds? Time seems have a bit of an identity crisis. People want their week-long vacation to somehow last longer than a week, yet people can't count to ten accurately without saying a 4-syllable, 11-letter word ("Mississippi") in between each number.

Just to further over-analyze and bother, how is it that simultaneously one person could be having a "fast" day and another could be having a "slow" day? What is actually moving faster or slower? Well, it just "feels" longer or shorter, you know? That may be true, but does it mean anything? Is a busy day at work more likely to feel long or short? Some would say long because they were forced to do so many things and when you think about one thing, then another, then another, that implies a great deal of time passing. However, some people feel like staying busy makes time go by faster. For instance, this blog entry has taken about 20 minutes to write so far because SportsCenter is on, but it doesn't feel like its been that long. However, 20 minutes of just typing on this inane topic would seem like an eternity by comparison.

So, in some weird way, are some people moving in fast motion while others are moving in slow motion, but your brain just can't process the difference? Maybe, in some strange space-time continuum kind of way. Thing is, if you stop and think about it, it doesn't really matter if you think about it for 10 seconds if it feels like you think about it for 10 minutes. What is 10 seconds if it feels like 10 minutes and all you have to show for it is a headache. Right?

"Time" is the name of a song by many artists, including Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Ben Folds, Anthrax, Alan Parsons Project, Hootie and the Blowfish, Megadeth, Sarah McLachlan, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tom Waits. Clearly, time plays a pretty major role in whatever, be it music, sports, politics or life in general. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but some people still have a slight misunderstanding of how universal time is and how it is basically a constant in everyone's life, not just their own.

"Time is very important in my life"

These inspiring words were uttered by a client on TLC's highly-esteemed show LA Ink. The specifics of this client aren't really important, although it may have been the overweight stand-up comedienne. Regardless, she wanted to get a tattoo of a pocket watch because of how important time is to her.

It seems that time is one of those things that is kinda important to everyone. This may be nothing more than digging for something to complain about, but it fits the theme of this entry. Would it be silly if someone got a tattoo of money or gravity because of their importance? Why not oxygen or nitrogen?

All of the aforementioned musicians obviously thought time was important enough to write a song about it, so maybe there's something to this. Pink Floyd appropriately started their "Time" with a recording of an alarm clock and metronome, along with other time-keeping devices. Then again, they also have the song "Money" that starts with the sound of cash registers and coins clanking. So, there's the secret to making a historic album like Dark Side of the Moon: just record sounds and name the song after whatever sound is contained. Moving on...

Thank goodness for calendars!

Ok, this entry wouldn't be complete without some ranting about a Facebook status, but try to deal with it. Who says this (aside from the obvious)? In today's technologically-advanced world, is a calendar something that really needs to have its praises sung, as if somehow people might forget about its existence? Aren't calendars just one of those commodities that can taken for granted among anyone with the facilities to read Facebook? Would it be any better if someone expressed such admiration for modern marvels like indoor plumbing, newspapers or peanut butter and jelly in one jar? Clearly some people are just too easy to please.

While it is certainly old news to anyone that cared enough to pay attention to the story, the Henry Louis Gates fiasco bears discussion. The incident that led to all the mess was certainly unfortunate for everyone involved, but it did illustrate an important lesson: There doesn't always have to be a "right" and "wrong" side of an issue/argument.

A brief recap:

-Dr. Gates, an esteemed Harvard professor that is African-American returns to his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts after a trip overseas.
-Upon arrival, he and his driver struggle to get the door unlocked/open. It is apparently jammed.
-While they (both African-American) try to pry the house door open, a neighbor sees this happening and calls 911 in fear that the house is being robbed.
-Two police officers arrive on the scene and begin questioning Gates as if a robbery had been attempted. Gates explains the scenario and cause for confusion.
-Gates is highly agitated and becomes "disorderly" with the officers, so he's arrested and taken into custody by Officer Crowley (white), with assistance from Officer Lashley (black).
-Boom!

In the end, all charges were dropped and President Obama made a hasty remark about the police officer(s) responded "stupidly". (Incidentally, how that little faux pas hasn't been further scrutinized, the world may never know.) Regardless, it basically was portrayed as a clear-cut example of racial profiling since among the two men trying to open the door and the two police officers, three were black and one was white. If only it could have been all one race or another, this would have never been a story.

Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist or anything, but the media really has taken this story and made it into something it is not. This is easy to assess because the story was nothing to start with, so making it into anything is, by default, making it into something it is not. By presenting this as actual "news", it has made people think they have to have an opinion on it and ultimately take a side. Once everyone chooses sides, it is their duty to defend their position and spit vitriol at the opposing side. Then the media can report on that. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Could it possibly be that there is not a "right" or "wrong" side to this story? Maybe Dr. Gates is partially innocent and partially guilty? After all, he was never charged with breaking into his own house (obviously). He was charged with disorderly conduct because he became very aggressive and hostile toward the police officers, both white and black. That's usually what happens when you are aggressive and hostile toward a police officer, regardless of your race or theirs. Officer Crowley can also be held to blame for not being more rational, given the circumstances. He acknowledged that it was Dr. Gates' house during the proceedings, so he had a basis for why Dr. Gates would be so frustrated in such circumstance. Ultimately it doesn't really matter who did what first or to what extent. Among two grown men, one an internationally-esteemed scholar and the other a civil servant, it is sad that the outcome was what it was. It doesn't really say much for society, especially in the cradle of higher learning of this country.

Almost on cue in response to the actions of a couple of grown men that know better, President Obama made his now-famous offer to have a beer with Gates and Crowley. Of course, this was just what the media needed. Was this a new and exciting way to resolve conflict from the brilliant leader? Or was it a lame attempt at appearing harmonious and cool at the same time? Again, couldn't the answer be "neither" and it not really matter either way? Will the Obama/Gates/Crowley beer summit stop a violent act from happening? Will it make anyone legitimately feel better about themselves? Unfortunately, the answer has to be "no" to both questions. But did it give the media something to talk about once they were tired of talking about the incident that led to it? Absolutely.


Geez, hopefully nobody noticed that Gates' beer was darker than the others.

New favorite Facebook comment for anything:

WOW!...Just WOW!

Find new and fun ways to work it into your daily life...

-When you get cut off in morning traffic: WOW!...Just WOW!

-When you get a ridiculous assignment at work: WOW!...Just WOW!

-When you eat too much for lunch: WOW!...Just WOW!

-When you read a story in the newspaper: WOW!...Just WOW!

-When your obnoxious neighbors make highly inconsiderate noise all night: WOW!...Just WOW!

So yes, it's fairly odd that a video clip from CBS Sunday Morning would show up around here, but it meets the main criteria of inclusion in this blog. If you're unaware of said criteria, here's a reminder:

1. Involves something ridiculous/annoying
2. Involves people following something blindly
3. Involves boredom
4. Involves the Cleveland Indians
5. Involves Wilco

Aha! Number 5 it is!

a band doing band stuff
by AxYoung

Save your comments about how it's lame for a media outlet that targets old people with hip music. Given that the age range of Wilco's members is about 40 to 53, it's sort of a lost argument in this case.

Strange things:

-Michael Vick has been signed by a team that used to play in a stadium nicknamed "The Vet".

-Brett Favre has cried in public multiple times and now has worked so hard...to wear purple.

-There are still movies being made in the Final Destination and Fast and Furious series.

-After many long days at work, a box of Wheat Thins is the perfect accompaniment to couch-time.

-Bud Light is already making commercials that are blatant rip-offs of the Billy Mays ad man style. Too soon?

-Usain Bolt is a human.

-Man U lost to Burnley.

Cash for Clunkers is such a hit. Just like so many other big ideas. Of course the idea is nice and many people are doing everything they can to make the most of it. Why shouldn't they? They got to buy that land-barge several years back and burn tons of gasoline while oil was relatively cheap, which led to new highways being built and old highways being ruined. Since so many of these huge gas-guzzlers were American-made, it gave the domestic automobile industry a false sense of hope and security. Now all that's left are bailouts and the Hummer.

Think of Cash for Clunkers as a "bailout for the people". The benefit being that it will lead people to buy new cars that are more fuel-efficient than their previous models. Yes, that makes the environment happy, but it also encourages people drive a lot more and clog up highways more and get in wrecks more and demonstrate what terrible drivers they are more. Soon though, once everyone has a chance to take their new cars out to see the stimulus money in action, there will be some kind of hip, fun way to encourage people to leave their new cars in the garage and ride the subway. After all, isn't it supposed to be more "green" to use public transportation? What better spokesman to remind you of this than Joe Biden?

Proponents of CARS will argue that this plan is designed so that the poor, huddled masses that can't afford a new car can now experience the joy of a new car that also helps the environment. While some of these less-fortunate people drive old "clunkers" (it's so nice to potentially hear your Federal Government call your car a clunker), many drive small economy-size cars that are really terrible, but happen to be fuel-efficient enough not to qualify because it takes so little gas to power a 1.2-liter engine that only generates 110 horsepower. In the eyes of the government, your 1989 Toyota Tercel with a missing mirror, duct tape bumper and a stripped transmission is NOT a clunker. However, if a few years ago you insisted on a having a gigantic SUV to traverse the suburbs, you're in luck!

Sorry, to be repetitive, but it's just so nice for the tax-paying public to shoulder the cost of bailing out people that made selfish (not to mention, ultimately ill-advised) decisions. Many of the same people that were outraged about the actions of AIG and the sort are probably all to happy to get some easy money for their automobile that doesn't really have any market value in a world where gasoline costs more than $1.50 a gallon. It really does seem like politics is nothing more than an elaborate system of deciding who takes responsibility for whose actions. The answer is more and more becoming that everyone takes responsibility for everyone's actions because that's fair. Ask yourself what the definition of "fair" is and see if it aligns with everything that is going on. If it does and you're happy with the thought, then see how this definition applies to other aspects of your life. Eventually there's a disconnect.

Maybe this opinion on Cash for Clunkers is a little one-sided and the true benefits are being overlooked for the sake of a truly stirring blog entry. Also, maybe not everyone can meet the eligibility requirements, despite driving an 11-year old car built for performance, not fuel efficiency. What a load.

Ok, now something for the ladies...assuming all ladies are totally into Hollywood lead actors that look suspiciously alike. This was discussed a little last night at the cookout, but not to this extent. Is it really that hard to find a leading man that doesn't look like this? Apparently so. Go ahead and see if you can name these actors just at first glance. Of course, some are more distinct than others, but it really shouldn't be this hard. What happened to diversity in acting? There need to be more guys like Danny DeVito, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes and Lou Diamond Phillips these days.

Anyway, on with the little challenge, which probably won't be that hard for most of you...especially those of you that frequent Perez Hilton and TMZ (and you know who you are): )

Sometimes it's easy to "hide" someone on the Facebook newsfeed, but once those initial few people are seemingly gone forever, someone steps in and tries ever-so-hard to take their place. Just as a bit of a primer, here are some things that are almost guaranteed to earn a person a privileged spot on the "hidden" list:

-Status update once at least once an hour, even if just sitting at home or work doing nothing remarkable (this one is often combined with others below).

-Bragging. There's a fine line between being proud and this.

-Too much political/religious talk. Seriously, it's Facebook, not Meet The Press or The 700 Club. Some of the political talk has subsided since the presidential election and there may be several reasons for that, but since politics isn't so hip these days, it has started to fade. Then again, still once in a while, someone will make a completely blind statement about something like centralized healthcare or carbon emissions to restore a complete lack of hope in the Facebook generation's place in history. Who cares if the right decision is made, so long as you sound "informed" on your status update? You gotta do something to get those "likes this" thumbs up. Affirmation is very cathartic.

-Misspelled words. This is simply unacceptible for an adult.

- That whole "John Doe is." status update. OK, apparently this sometimes happens inadvertently when using Facebook Mobile or something along those lines, but it's still lame. Even lamer are the comments that say something like "how profound of you" or "how existential of you".

-People using Facebook as their sole means of social venting and self-analysis. This includes posing some serious emotions to Facebook. This would include stuff like "Jane Doe just doesn't know what to do with my life" or "John Doe is so tired of everyone thinking they can take advantage of me. I've had enough!" Then there's the ever-popular "Jane Doe is tired of all you haters. If you ever give the impression on Facebook that you potentially going to harm someone or yourself, the line has been crossed. It may be a cry for help, but it's also unfair to burden that kid you sorta knew in elementary school with your current issues.

-Booze talk. John Doe is Iam dronk. All this does is make people judge you...in a negative way.

-Excessive profanity. If you're actually taking the time to type it out, you probably need to exercise a little more restraint.

-Lots of CAPITALIZATION, as if to suggest that your status on Facebook is actually so important that it commands the full attention of anyone that reads it. Then once that person reads it, they're left only with the knowledge of what your cat is doing at the moment or how the rain makes to feel or what friend from college you're hanging out with tonight.

-Cheesiness (aka lameness, douchebaggery). This is hard to specifically define, but you definitely know it when you see it.

Ok, so that list got a little longer than planned, but it happens. A lot of other topics are potentially annoying, but you must consider the source. It's hard to fault a new mother for talking a lot about their baby, but there might should be an alternate Facebook for mommies to have mommy talk. That way they can have a place for uninterrupted sharing of projectile poop/puke stories, tips on teething, erratic sleep schedules and the general blessings of parenthood. Then there are newlyweds. It's so sweet that they are in love and excited about it, but nobody really cares about it being 243 days until your wedding if you told them yesterday it was 244 days. That is why you send out invitations to weddings. That way the right people know the right information and everyone else doesn't have to feel guilty for not caring in the least. The rest of the world is only interested in seeing the pictures after the fact so they can judge you and your wedding.

Facebook creates tough decisions inside your head about what you really think of someone. For the most part, you're friends with them on Facebook for a reason. Then you read some of their crap and you wish you weren't. Then you see them in person and you act happy and want to know what's going on. It's like you maintain an in-person relationship despite what's happening on Facebook. You would never say things like "nobody cares" or "you're so full of crap" to these peoples' faces, but on Facebook, you almost get a sense of satisfaction by clicking "Hide" on the newsfeed. It's like you can just make it all go away and in some small way, your own life is better, if for only a little while.

Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitched a perfect game today. It was only the 18th of those in...THE HISTORY OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. He didn't give up a hit, he didn't walk a batter and his defense didn't commit an error. That last bit is sort of a great aspect of a perfect game that is often overlooked. His defense also played a "perfect game" and their proficiency went a long way in ensuring Buehrle's accomplishment. They won't get quite the same amount of attention, though.

There is no better example than in the top of the 9th inning when Dewayne Wise caught a would-be homerun above the top of the fence, brought it back into the field of play before bobbling it momentarily and ultimately completing the catch. What makes this all the more remarkable is that he had just been brought in a few moments earlier as a defensive substitute. This catch was made against the first batter after his entrance. That's pretty crazy, but shows that Ozzie Guillen isn't completely crazy all of the time.

It must be nice to have a day at work summed up by the word "perfect". It also must be nice to make many thousands of dollars during that day at work. Buehrle had pitched a ho-hum run-of-the-mill no-hitter before, but nobody said he was perfect that day. Today he was. Nobody says an office worker was "perfect" sitting at a desk all day or a teacher delivered a "perfect" lecture. It's rare to find such a label for waiters, lawyers, spouses or friends, so thankfully Major League Baseball has only tossed the label around 18 times in 129 years.

Another way to fight the absence of any baseball on this "Black Wednesday" has been Carrie Brownstein's Monitor Mix blog at NPR. She was Sleater-Kinney, which were never a favorite band of this blog, but she's quite entertaining when featured on All Songs Considered and in her blog. This week she has taken on an interesting challenge, which while silly in premise, actually points out a fairly legitimate truth.

She's challenging herself to listen to Phish all week. Yes, this is one third of a formerly seminal indie/hip/fem-lib band listening to Phish for a week straight and not as a joke. She's doing it because she acknowledges that Phish have a very devout fanbase and a deep catalog of music, yet she doesn't really know anything about them, other than she can't really relate to those devout fans. The issue she is exploring rings very true, though. Phish is probably the band most reviled by some segments of the listening public simply because of who their fans are and what preconceived notions people have of a band, even if they've never heard a note of their music. Granted, not everyone can like Phish, just like not everyone can like any other act. But whereas most bands get some radio play or other mainstream outlet for people to base opinions on, Phish is judged pretty much on who wears their shirts and stickers, not to mention that one huge three-letter word: "jam".

It's sorta refreshing to read some of Carrie's posts so far, even though she hasn't really gotten around to talking about the music yet. This is a big of a let down since she is a musician and should be able to listen with a fairly discerning ear. She seems a bit hung up on what people will think or explaining for the 47th time that Phish are best known for their live concerts and live recordings, rather than studio albums. She did start a little bit of analysis in the most recent entry, but it'll be interesting to see if tomorrow yields a fair assessment of what she thinks of just humorous anecdotes about tonight's Phish listening party she's organized in Portland.

Well, the Major League Baseball All Star Game was last night. It appeared to be a decent game, well-played by both sides, ending at 4-3 in favor of the American League. None of that really matters, though. It didn't really accomplish what an All Star Game should. It definitely felt more like the NFL Pro Bowl than the NBA All Star Game. To clarify, the Pro Bowl is typically a very boring affair with the players that bothered to show up just ambling around the field in a basic haze of disinterest, while the NBA All Star Game is usually more of a spectacle with lots of scoring, excitement and demonstration of skills (other than defense, of course). The baseball All Star Game is pretty nice since it falls in the middle of the season (as it should) and features the Home Run Derby, along with some events that nobody really cares about.

The big problem with the All Star Game isn't really the game itself, it the fact that it falls in the middle of summer and is played on a Tuesday. As a result, Major League Baseball doesn't play games on the Monday before or Wednesday after, thus creating a three-day "All Star Break". The aforementioned Homerun Derby always takes place on Monday evening and the game is always on Tuesday, which leaves that Wednesday night (tonight, ehem) as a complete black hole. It's the middle of July and baseball is the only thing going (besides So You Think You Can Dance? and Harry Potter movies, of course.

The only other sports active right now are golf (the British Open starts tomorrow morning at about 4am local time), tennis (Wimbledon just ended), soccer (still soccer), cylcing (Tour de France currently happening) and auto racing (the biggest story in NASCAR right now is a driver on Meth). These aren't exactly suitable replacements for the sheer delight of spending a weeknight on the couch switching between the local broadcasts of multiple games via the MLB Extra Innings package.

This doesn't even address the matter of fantasy baseball. Three days of no games and no significant roster activity is a whole other nuisance and impetus for boredom. Let the record show that the 2009 version of "the worst day of the year in sports" resulted in a night full of Planet Earth watching.

Unfortunately a new (or maybe not so new) trend in behavior is taking over everyday life. Although it may sound like something out of Ghostbusters 2, there is an epidemic of negative emotions brought on by what can maybe only be labeled as "irresponsible adult behavior". For the sake of carpal tunnel prevention, you can just call it "IAD".

So yeah, IAD. What makes it unique? Well, the "A" is very important because it distinguishes this behavior from that of a child. Children are not physically, emotionally or intellectually developed, so there's a reason for irrational actions. Adults (for the most part) have lived life, had many varied experiences, been educated, interacted socially, etc. Therefore, it is only reasonable to assume that all of this has led to the cultivation of some amount of decency, consideration and responsibility. Sadly, such is not the case.

It may be too late. Dealing with people on an everyday basis might have very easily jaded many people to only expect the worst out of people and not really harbor any hope for a turnaround. It's not hard to see why this can happen. Basically, for whatever reason, some (most?) people have decided that the only way to be happy and have success in life is to intentionally disregard/disrespect/disparage others.

A typical day affords the opportunity to be the victim of the selfishness of others on many occasions. It can be anyone, from a careless coworker to the white trash in the next lane of traffic. It can be the mother of the uncontrollable child on an airplane or it can be the dude preparing your sandwich at Quizno's. It really doesn't matter and you never really know when someone is going to decide that they want to play the role at any given moment.

If more adults could actually take responsibility for their actions and their lives in general, IAD might not be such a problem. There's no reason it can't be better, but it'll take an unfair amount of humility on the part of those who choose to live up to the label of an adult. It's so hard to defer to the inmates running the asylum lately, but it's a good step toward actually making the situation better. However, that doesn't mean that transgressors should be excused for their actions. Laws still should be enforced (at least the important ones) and people should still be expected to uphold a certain standard of responsibility. So while there may not be a place for "eye for an eye" tactics, there is definitely a place making an example of offenders and pointing out when someone has carelessly failed to live up to their age, education and place in society.

So yes, honk those horns, roll those eyes and pass those judgments. Just be sure that you're right and there's a law or some basic tenet of decency to back you up. Don't turn it into you versus them, but rather them versus accountability.

By the way, there's no specific reason for this rant. Just something that has been coming to mind more than usual lately. That's probably not going to change anytime soon, though. Bummer.

It's been a pretty heavy past few weeks. The only escapes from talking about the sweltering heat and the poor economy have been the following:

-This rash of celebrity deaths. Nothing new really needs to be said about the lives and deaths of Michael Jackson, Farrah Faucett and Billy Mays. All deaths are tragic to someone somewhere and unfortunately millions of people dealt with the death of loved ones, coworkers, neighbors, etc. this week. It had to be hard to try and escape the sad realities of your own life and be confronted with nothing but idle chatter about the untimely passing of these celebrities.

-The weightiness of the all-too-similarly-named movies Revolutionary Road and Reservation Road. Just remember one is about Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet having a bad marriage and one is about Mark Ruffalo running over Joaquin Phoenix's child. Also, one is about bringing tragedy upon yourself and the other is about having it forced on you. Either way, stress makes people do strange things and often the result is unsettling.

-Then, of course, there's this. Why does this seem to happen roughly two out of every three years? It was still good to be there to witness some of the misery, though:


June 13, 2009

So 2009 is almost half over, it's really hot outside and this blog has been pretty dead lately. The remedy for all of this is a quick rundown of some of the best albums to be released so far in 2009. In case you're wondering and want to save some time, neither Animal Collective or Grizzly Bear are included. Both albums have their moments, but just don't do whatever that "thing" is that it takes to make this list. To be fair, the new Grizzly Bear album is quite good, but just sounds like another Grizzly Bear album. Maybe it'll differentiate itself by the time the second six months of the year roll past. Maybe Animal Collective will also get a second chance, but probably not. Their album and their sound as a whole just don't do it for some people. Thankfully, there are plenty other albums that do (in no particular order):

Dinosaur Jr. - Farm

This album kinda sounds like one really long song with really long J Mascis guitar solos interspersed throughout. In case you're unsure, this is a good thing. If nobody knew who Dinosaur Jr was and they heard this album, there'd be a groundswell of hype like they were Fleet Foxes with scads of distortion. As it is, they're a band almost 20 years into their career still making great albums.

White Rabbits - It's Frightening

Second album from these guys. Much more stripped-down than their debut, but still good, just for different reasons. It definitely doesn't sound like they tried to make the same album again, which is commendable. The obvious thing to say about this record is that is sounds like a Spoon record. The obvious reason for this is that it does sound like a Spoon record because Spoon's Britt Daniel produced it. So basically, if you wish White Rabbits' first album and Spoon had a baby, you'll like this.

Fanfarlo - Reservoir

Endorsed by Sigur Ros, but doesn't sound like Sigur Ros and aren't Icelandic. Get the whole album legally for $1 here. Offer good through July 4, by the way. For some reason, it kinda has a Arcade Fire/Coldplay-goes-indie folk sound. If you don't like that description, go pay a dollar, listen and comment with a better description.

The Kingsbury Manx - Ascenseur Ouvert!

This album is just really good. Just good indie rock with some gothic alt-country undertones. Ok, that's a really bad description and sounds like something from an annoying review. Maybe some Band of Horses and Wilco in this album and that is definitely a good thing, of course.

Sparklehorse/Danger Mouse - Dark Night of the Soul

Unfortunately, the music on this record will probably get lost behind the attention generated by David Lynch's involvement and the legal issues involving its release. Since there are so many different contributors on here, of course it's a little disjointed at times and doesn't necessarily flow like an album should. It's ok, though. You'll get over it.

Iron and Wine - Around the Well

This is a compilation of rarities and such, but it deserves complete attention because of the inclusion of "The Trapeze Swinger". In case you didn't rush out and buy the soundtrack to the movie In Good Company, now you can have this song on an official release. Appropriately enough, the title of this collection comes from this song, which is over nine minutes long and hides out as the very last track. Make sure you get to it, or just start with it.

Isis - Wavering Radiant

Isis doesn't make bad records. This one seems to fall into that whole "trying new things" or "exploring new sounds" kind of thing, but it doesn't fall flat doing so. Chances are if you never have liked Isis before, this album won't change much of your opinion, but there's no reason for you not to have liked Isis before, so whatever.

Mastodon - Crack the Skye

Go read this article, then ratchet back your excitement a few notches, then listen. That's about the only way the album will make any sense. If you're not interested in it making sense, then just listen. The vocals might give some people problems, but try to do that thing where you drown out the vocals by paying attention to the guitar and drum parts. If you can't do that, just turn it off.

Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing

This one came as a bit of a surprise, but surprises can be fun. If you liked their first full-length, this one somehow manages to be crisper, yet dirtier and darker, yet poppier. It just depends on what song you're listening to. Definitely some Sabbath-worthy guitar riffs and vocal yelps.

Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind

Kinda like Explosions In The Sky, but from Japan. That automatically makes it interesting enough to check out.

Wilco - Wilco: The Album

Ok, so this one's official release date isn't until June 30, which hasn't happened yet, but definitely falls in the first six months of 2009. While one might assume the album hasn't been heard yet (or at least legally), one would be wrong. Wilco has been so generous as to post the album streaming on their website and now NPR is doing the same. Even if you don't want to listen yet, you must concede that it is probably really good. Even though they may be drifting in some kind of adult-contemporary direction, they do it well. If you only like Wilco for Nels Cline's creative guitar parts, you might need to listen for someone else to like, but don't worry, there's enough there.

Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why Are There Mountains?

These guys do that whole NYC indie hipster thing but they do it well. The band name is strange and so is the album name, so all the key ingredients are there. Thankfully the music is there too and it doesn't suck.

Phosphorescent - To Willie

Phosphorescent is great, even when playing old Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard songs. It's one of those records you can just put on and listen to a few times in a row. Not bad for driving music either. There's probably a lot of things you could do while listening to these songs in their original form or as covers. Try it out.

Quick update:

Jimmy Fallon's show got much better last night, but he'll have to do something quite amazing to keep the momentum going. Actually, the worst part about the following clip from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is Jimmy Fallon. Oops.

Here's a pretty good little piece from New York Magazine about David Letterman and Conan O'Brien being peers now that Conan has taken over The Tonight Show. It's interesting and definitely redeeming for someone that has been pro-Letterman since childhood and pro-Conan since he came on the air.

It's just another indicator of how much life has been lived to think about staying up late in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL to watch David Letterman on Late Night on NBC. Having a mother that never enforced a bedtime was a blessing in that regard*. It was equally rewarding when E! Entertainment Television (as it was more-often referred to as before "The E! Network" would show reruns of NBC-era Letterman, even after he had made the move to CBS' Late Show. Even better were the days (usually holidays) when E! would run marathons of old Letterman episodes. Pure gold.

Echoing the sentiment of so many, there was never anything wrong with Jay Leno. He's a funny guy and, more importantly, seems to be a good person. As the article relates, he was very steady and smooth (in the non-edgy way), which worked as a counterpart to Letterman's edge or whatever you want to call it. Leno's "Headlines" and "Jay-Walking" are still pretty hilarious.

Conan is the prodigy. He manages to be extremely funny and sickeningly creative while not offending anyone or scaring off viewers. Anyone that doesn't like Conan's stuff could always just write it off as "Well, it is on at Midnight on a Tuesday". That's not the case anymore. The new Tonight Show has been pretty good so far. Granted, most viewing so far has taken place at work the following day via Hulu (since, you know, people that watched Letterman on NBC are so old they go to bed early or simply can't remember to turn the TV on at 10:30pm). There is definitely a sense of homogenization taking place with Conan, but it's not terrible. Terrible is Jimmy Fallon's effort to replace Conan on Late Night.



* The (assumed) purpose of this was to allow the freedom staying up (very) late and watch whatever happened to be on TV, but being held accountable for the consequences. This included being tired at school the next day and repeating the actions/language of the TV shows. Good job, mom.

The song of summer 2009 has arrived. Maybe it had already arrived, but it just made itself known around here.

Go ahead and try to resist:



For the original version, Myspace it. For a remix, Pitchfork it. Yes, they are called Das Racist.

Watching/listening to a Los Angeles Dodgers game called by Vin Scully is quite a treat. There is no washed-up mediocre player interjecting their two cents and no lame jokes. It's just baseball and talk about baseball. NON. STOP.

If you've never had the pleasure, here's a sampling of what kind of information you get:

-Jamie Moyer is not only the second oldest MLB pitcher to make his All Star Game debut, but he is also one of only two pitchers to be at least 23 games under .500 in his career and then become at least 23 games over .500 in the same career (duh). He is currently 60 games over .500 and has 250 career wins.

-Ryan Howard is from St. Louis and has an open stance that almost appears like he is sitting in a chair, but not quite.

-The Dodgers lead the league in innings of 3 or more runs. The Phillies are second in the same category.

-Raul Ibanez turned 37 last Tuesday and was born in New York City. His mom was pregnant with him when she, his dad and 2 brothers emigrated from Cuba.

-Shane Victorino was once in the Dodger organization, but has a bad hip, so Eric Bruntlett is starting in his place tonight.

-Chris Coste was just the third major leaguer to hit his first career homerun past the age of thirty. By the way he lives in Fargo, North Dakota (Vin says: "Did you see that movie?") and spells his name C-O-S-T-E.

-Eric Milton's dad was a professor at Penn State and he studied kiniesiology.

By the way, there is one out in the top of the 2nd inning. This game is about 15% complete and Vin has already dug deeper than most play-by-play announcer/color commentator duos could in an entire game. And he's 81 years old and in his 60th year of broadcasting Dodgers games. Awesome.

People who, upon reading about things like this, comment "Oh wow! That's great!" are pretty much useless in modern society.

-Wasabi mayonnaise is in strong contention for THE condiment of 2009

-The Honda Ridgeline has to be the most hideous vehicle ever seen on roads. Furthermore, it's a Honda. Has this been covered before?

-Denver is a place worth getting excited about.

-The Cleveland Indians seriously need to get better. Last place is no good.

-Work pretty much sucks.

-Spring lasted approximately 11 days.

-People don't talk about politics any more. It's easier to not talk about it than removing pesky bumper stickers.

-The Food Network in HD is completely addictive. Just like eating.

-Comcast really sucks.

-Buying a new pair of sunglasses is strangely uplifting.

-Buying a house sounds great. Except the process of finding a house, then paying for it.

Jay Bennett has passed away. This isn't huge news on a global level, but it is terrible news and of significance because it adds another (unfortunately sad) chapter to the story of Wilco (the band). Clearly this blog is a fan of Wilco, but Jay Bennett wasn't in Wilco anymore and hadn't been since 2001. The Wilco of today has very little in common with the Wilco of eight years ago, but Jay Bennett was always present, for better or worse.

A little background for the uninitiated. Jay Bennett was in Wilco when they recorded and released most of their earlier material, namely the albums Being There and Summerteeth. He wrote and recorded with the band during the creation of their critical breakthrough/career-defining album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Then he left/was forced to leave. All of this is documented in Sam Jones' excellent documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.

Since leaving the band, he continued making music and continued being at odds with Wilco and Jeff Tweedy specifically. Even as recently as a few weeks ago, he filed a lawsuit against Tweedy in hopes of recouping money he felt he was owed from royalties of Wilco's material, including the aforementioned documentary that climaxes with him leaving the band. These legal actions were probably tied to his financial troubles resulting from a combination of physical ailments and lacking health insurance. Maybe all would have been forgiven if Wilco's subsequent success could help pay for his hip replacement? The world will never know.

In the documentary, the viewer never gets any more of a negative impression of Bennett than they might of Jeff Tweedy, the obvious centerpiece/leader of the band. It is unfortunate that bands always seem to need a "frontman" and it is usually the singer, for better or worse. This is definitely the case for the Tweedy/Bennett era of Wilco. They made some amazing records, but ultimately the band just wasn't big enough for both of their egos. The same might be said for Tweedy and Jay Farrar in Uncle Tupelo. The problem isn't necessarily Tweedy, though. Since Bennett left Wilco, they have continued to make great records, although most would posit that the Being There/Summerteeth/Yankee Hotel Foxtrot trifecta far surpasses the subsequent A Ghost Is Born/Sky Blue Sky/Wilco (The Album) one. That may be true, but eight years have passed and the common members of the band (Tweedy and John Stirratt) are both eight years older and eight years further into their musical careers. Certainly it bears mentioning that Tweedy has also exorcised some of his addiction demons in that time and simply seems like a more grounded and happy (gasp!) person. The music was bound to change.

Regardless, this entry is about Bennett (for once). From a personal standpoint, he will always be a solid part of Wilco because he shared writing credits on the song "Can't Stand It", which is about as good as Wilco gets. The "personal" aspect becomes more glaring after waking up early this morning and spontaneously watching I Am Trying to Break Your Heart in full, without knowing anything of Bennett's demise. Being without cable television or internet service at the time meant that this viewing was made without any reaction from having heard the sad news. It was an unbiased observation of the dynamics of what went into the film, the record and the split. From a purely artistic standpoint, it also allowed for what is now an incredibly bittersweet viewing of Jay Bennett's solo rendition of "My Darling" from Summerteeth. If you have any chance to see this for yourself, please do. Today's news of Bennett's death will make it all the more poignant.

Perhaps even more poignant is the inclusion of a post-Bennett performance of "Outtasite (Outtamind)" at the end of I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. It almost seems a jagged send-off to Bennett, but if it makes people feel better, it could just as easily be giving the same farewell to Reprise Records and the difficulties examined in the film. Regardless, Jay Bennett will be missed by some more than others. However, unlike so many people, he created something that will continue to carry his legacy.


Other takes:
Bob Boilen
Greg Kot
Jim DeRogatis

How does this go unnoticed? Seriously, this is life-altering news and everyone just decided to keep it to themselves. Thank goodness the internet allows those who are behind the times to get their news 6 months late.

Ok, forget the link. You didn't click it anyway. Last season's winner of Survivor (which took place in Gabon) was...wait for it...Robert Crowley.

Nobody must watch this show anymore. Clearly they are too busy planning that week's Lost party. In related news, this season of Lost is almost over. Facebook executives are nervous because they're not sure if anyone will still find a use for their social networking website once people no longer need to use their Facebook status to do the following:

-Count down the seconds until the next Lost episode
-Compare their life to Lost
-Give a detailed breakdown of what they didn't do on a Wednesday night in order to watch Lost
-Complain about some other facet of life (including Presidential addresses) having the audacity to interfere with the broadcast of Lost
-Be the first person to post a spoiler from that night's episode of Lost
-Be the first to complain about other people posting spoilers from that night's episode of Lost
-Find a way to validate the results of a "Which Lost character are you?" quiz
-Express how great their friends are because they all enjoy Lost so much

Wilco is a great band. They make amazing albums. They sounds great live in concert. They tour regularly. They play cities like Meridian, Huntsville, Knoxville and Mobile...in addition to Birmingham, Nashville and Atlanta. They win Grammy Awards.

Perhaps more telling/important/respectable are things like the following statement from the band, in response to their upcoming album being leaked and their subsequent decision to stream the album for free on their website:

Well, we made it nearly a month with copies of Wilco (the album) floating around out there before it leaked. Pretty impressive restraint in this day and age. But the inevitable happened last night. Since we know you're curious and probably have better things to do than scour the internet for a download (though we do understand the attraction of the illicit), we've posted a stream of the full album at http://wilcoworld.net/records/thealbum/ . Feel free to refer to it as "wilco (the stream)" if you must.

We also have our usual guilt abatement plan for downloaders. If you have downloaded the record, we suggest you make a donation to one of the band's favorite charities, the Inspiration Corporation -- an organization we've supported in the past & who are doing great work in the city of Chicago. Information and donation button here: http://inspirationcorp.org/.

That's all. Enjoy the stream. Tickets for summer shows, etc. http://wilcoworld.net/tours/ Note that we'll be holding a free online midnight screening of the "Ashes of American Flags" film this Friday night (at both midnight US Central time and again at midnight Pacific). So get the popcorn or whatever together and be sure to log on and tune in on Friday.

Wilco HQ

So there it is. Further evidence that there is a right way to do things in life. As simple as that.

PS: Go listen. It's probably better than anything else you've heard today.

Oh internet, thank you for making life interesting and downright enjoyable for a moment, even on otherwise dull Mondays where a region-wide conference call is the day's highlight and this is lunch:

In another shocking sign of the difficulties being experienced by Detroit these days, Eminem has attempted to regain the momentum of his career by covering none other than Matchbox 20.

As told by Mr. Thomas:


As told by Mr. 'Nem (warning: sorta violent):

It is "May Day". Aside from proximity to a birthday, it just always has a certain feel to it. A feel of life being good and hope springing eternal. Maybe this is simply the result of something in elementary school called "The May Day Play Day", where basically there was no class and everyone walked from All Saints Episcopal Church/School to Homewood Park for a full day of fun and frivolity. There were inevitably water balloons and picnics, among much more. Yes, those were the simpler times.

If luck was truly shining down, the day would include a stop at the New Orleans Shaved Ice Company, which became Top Dog, which became Moneer's, which became Oasis (?), which is now Sam's Mediterranean Grill in the Edgewood shopping area. A similar kind of joy can be experienced these days right here in Nashville with the presence of Las Paletas popsicles. The only drawback is when Fido only has Pineapple and Honeydew in stock. Oh, if not for that pineapple popsicle, life would have been so much worse.

So yes, it is May Day, but it is certainly not a Play Day. To be more accurate to the 2009 version, it is May Day Sit At A Desk and Listen to the Torrential Rain Pelt the Aluminum Roof of Your Mid-Grade Suburban Office/Industrial Park Place of Employment Roof...Day.

Whenever you start thinking that you live in the wrong place or have the wrong friends, just remember, life is ALWAYS worse in Dull.


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This place must make Starkville look downright cosmopolitan.

You might want to get a pencil and take notes, because this will be the most important thing you read in a long time. This is the true value of blogs such as this one. The ability to share vital information that expands mental horizons and build perspective on life.

Ok, so as the beloved Cleveland Indians play on MLB Extra Innings, it comes to mind: why is their opponent the Minnesota Twins and not the Minneapolis Twins? This is not an isolated phenomenon as it relates to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Their NBA team is the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NFL team is the Minnesota Vikings and the NHL team (which actually plays in St. Paul) is the Minnesota Wild.

The immediately obvious reason for this is that the city name Minneapolis is not very marketable and might not fit so well on player uniforms. This seams reasonable enough, but are "Indianapolis", "Milwaukee" and "Philadelphia" really any different in this respect?

Then there's the possibility of wanting to be more inclusive of an entire state in order to develop a larger fan base. Again, this seems very plausible, but are people in Duluth or Moorhead really going to naturally cheer for anyone other than Minneapolis' teams? It seems very unlikely. About 70% of Minnesota's population reside in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, so it seems like those people wouldn't mind if their favorite team represented their hometown rather than their home state.

Minnesota is probably about the most extreme example of a large percentage of a state's population living in one metropolitan area. Many other states have more than one large city or don't have a city as large as Minneapolis-St. Paul. And yes, it is quite large. This notion is further magnified by the fact that Minnesota is a quite large state. Outside of Mpls-StP, there is about 80,000 square miles of Minnesota and about 1.5 million people. That is pretty sparse and definitely more sparse than the Georgia/Atlanta, Portland/Oregon, Seattle/Washington, or Denver/Colorado relationship.

Ok, so now that that's out of the way, you can go ahead and return to your regularly-scheduled lives.

It's so great when things like this come along. Regardless of what they say, people can't help but see you a little differently with this kind of thing providing some perspective.

Just to sum up, Bruce Dickinson (yes, the frontman of Iron Maiden) wrote a movie and this movie just so happened to be about a university professor that becomes the reincarnation of ol' Aleister. Joy.

Maybe some redemption will come later in 2009 when Harrison Ford stars in a new movie by the same name. That Harrison Ford, he's classy and children's struggles with genetic disorders is downright uplifting.

This has been a truly exceptional week in sports. Among the highlights:

-Major League Baseball has begun. This is a wonderful thing, in case you were not aware. The wonder is further perpetuated by such glorious things as fantasy baseball and the MLB Extra Innings package. The combination of high speed internet for tracking stats and Extra Innings to watch all those otherwise irrelevant game makes Comcast almost friend for once.

-The NCAA basketball tournament(s) came to a somewhat unceremonious end. Yeah, the women play one also, contrary to popular assumption, save ESPN. It's interesting how ESPN kinda advertises and hypes the women's tournament as if it's exactly the same thing as CBS's men's version. They've even started staggering the games to play a day later than the men's, as if they might lure some viewers in denial that the season is over. Regardless, the teams that started the season atop the men's and women's polls won their respective tournaments without much of a challenge. As it turns out, North Carolina's toughest game may have been the 2nd round matchup against LSU. Go figure. Regardless, UNC's ability to play to their potential allowed someone you know to rack up in tournament pool winnings. Well, if you consider $32.50 "racking up".

-The Masters is being played this weekend. Tiger Woods is playing and doing alright, but not winning. This means nobody really has anything to talk about. You can't talk about how he's dominating and you can't talk about how he's struggling. He's just playing and currently sits tied for 10th place. That's not an insurmountable deficit and actually sets himself up nicely for a dominating Sunday comeback win. Then everyone will have something to talk about.

-A huge shocker out of Springfield, Massachusetts, Michael Jordan has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Just stop for a minute and let that sink in.

-In less-significant news, unless this dude is on your (clears throat) fantasy football team in a "keeper" league, Marshawn Lynch has been suspended for the first 3 games of next NFL season. This is hardly surprising since this dude has an appearance that lends itself to mugshots. Even when he's posing for a media headshot, he can't help but look like he was just arrested for something in a haze of smoke and booze.

Once you've conquered the first set of 2009 traffic laws, you might be ready for Round 2. Proceed with caution...

-Every time you change lanes in moderate to heavy traffic, an angel gets its wings. In a perfect world, your steering wheel would never be left in the "straight" position. It should always be veering or jerked in one direction or another. This is a wonderful way to monitor steering and alignment responsiveness for all those times when you are best served by taking someone else's lane, whether you're entitled to it or not. This practice is vital when attempting to reach your destination 7 to 9 seconds faster than if you had just stayed put. Every little helps! Truly words to live by.

-Turn signals are purely cosmetic. The blinking of the light is just for nostalgia. The only reason these items are still included on cars is that people are so used to seeing the orange on each corner of a car. There is absolutely no purpose in notifying the cars around you of your intention. That is clearly a violation of personal liberty and downright intrusive. If those other people would pay better attention, they wouldn't need a blinking orange light in addition to the sudden flash of red when you slam on your brakes to make a last-second turn.

-The previous item may have been somewhat misleading. Turn signals do still play a very important role on roads with at least 2 lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. If you want to be in the other lane, by pulling up next to a car in that lane, then activating your turn signal, you will effectively make that car disappear and you can go ahead. The lane will be yours and that other car that was in the way is now an afterthought. By demonstrating your willingness to use the oft-neglected turn signal, you are maintaining the legacy of a bygone era.

-If you are unsure of where you are going or generally unfamiliar with the area in which you are driving, under no circumstances should you pull off the road and figure it out. The only suitable response to cluelessness is to stay on the road and attempt to figure it out as you go. This is most commonly accomplished by driving very slow and reading every single street sign at every single intersection. If that doesn't help, you can also drive erratically and veer into other lanes of traffic or off the road completely. This should adequately signal the other drivers that you are completely unaware of your surroundings and they should immediately stop what they are doing until you decide what you're doing. If someone attempts to pass you or honk their horn to remind you that you're about to get yourself/someone killed, you should give that person the worst look you can conjure. After all, they aren't the one from out of town and they should be better hosts.