neverending primary season

Open Left has an interesting analysis of why this primary season doesn't want to end - despite the near-mathematical impossibility of a Clinton victory - and proposes concrete steps that can be taken to move the process forward.

check out my new album!

So... actually I don't have a new album... I'm not a member of The Lost Patrol... yet... (if that is even a band).

Anyway, it's kind of a fun little game like putting the name of your first pet and the street you grew up on together to get your 'porn name' (Jake Woodside... no big deal). Anyway, here's how it works:

1) Use the wikipedia random article page, the title of the page (whatever it is) is your band name

2) Use the random quote generator and scroll to the last quote of the page. The last four words of that quote is your album title.

3) Use Flickr's cool photos from the last 7 days thingy. The third picture on the page is going to be the cover of your latest album!

4) Mash 'em all together and post on your blog, send to your friends, or record an album and release a CD (whatever... it's up to you!)

I made the picture above in about 45 seconds... fast, easy, and it's fun! What's not to like? (just like me!)

(I got the idea from The Yellow Stereo)

How to write a song - Andrew Bird style

So over at you ain't no picasso they've got the first look at Andrew Bird's new song "Oh No"... this is the same song that Bird described writing in a piece for the NYTimes a few weeks back. First check out the Times article - it's really interesting the process he uses - then check out the finished product over at YANP.

I can't wait to hear the new album!

A - MA - ZING... required viewing

It speaks for itself:

Last night I watched:

So I'm rolling out a new recurring section on the blog today... and it goes a little something like this... *wha-blam!*

Last night I watched: Reality Bites

So first let me say that I forgot just how much I love this movie. I mean, it played a big role in my adolescent development. My views on life, love, relationships, friendships, sexuality, and careers were all shaped by this film. It has been a few years since I've watched it and I have to say that I definitely came at it with a new perspective this time. I "got" a lot more of it - different aspects of the story, relationships, what have you that I hadn't fully appreciated until this watching.

I also realized that this movie still plays a part of my life (despite infrequent viewing) by the amount that I quote (or think of quoting) various lines from it, e.g.

"PFLAG, I'm beginning to like the sound of that"

Plus, do you remember when The Gap was all denim and kahki like this:

PLUS... a) they smoked a lot in this movie, b) there's a drinking game... and c) all I have to say is: Janeane Garofalo...

Okay, so it was a great movie and all, but I had this revelation while watching it last night: Reality Bites was the previous iteration of, and perhaps inspiration for, Garden State. Check out all of the similarities:

1) Both had casts packed with the young up-and-comers

RB: Winona Ryder, Janeane, Ethan Hawke, Ben Stiller (also bit parts for David Spade, Andy Dick, and - little known fact - Renée Zellweger)

GS: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard... Method Man

2) Both are coming of age stories where the main character (Ryder, Braff) discovers, with the help of someone who sees the world in an outside-the-box kind of perspective (Hawke, Portman) what is truly important to them.

3) Both feature groundbreaking (and memorable) soundtracks.

RB: Do you remember how you couldn't get away from that Lisa Loeb song after that movie came out? Also... My Sharona, All I Want is You (U2), Tempted (Squeeze), Lenny Kravitz... it was a who's who of indie music (or as indie as the early 90's got)!

GS: We have Zach Braff (and, I guess Natalie Portman) to thank for the popularity of the Shins today. Beyond that, the GS soundtrack was (arguably) a launching pad for Zero 7, Thievery Corporation, Iron & Wine, Alexi Murdoch (who wasn't even on the soundtrack), and Frou Frou.

4) The final point of comparison is this: Reality Bites was released in 1994, Garden State... 2004... oooooooohh.... creepy.

wanna see something cool?

of course you do!

It just happens to be one of the effing coolest locks around. It's in Falkirk Scotland and it's called (appropriately enough) the Falkirk Wheel.

Here it is in action:

mass attack

An awesome game... but a time suck - look out!

slow day on the blog...

as reparation, let me offer you this:

McCain on torture

I've always been a bit surprised by John McCain's stance on torture, given his personal history. Now comes this:

When asked at a press junket about whether we (as Americans) should endorse torture for terrorism detainees or whether we "stand for something better", John McCain had this to say:

I’ve made it very clear, I’ve made it very clear in my statements and in my support of the Detainee Treatment Act, the Geneva Conventions, etc., that there may be some additional techniques to be used, but none of those would violate the Geneva Conventions, the Detainee Treatment Act...And we cannot ever, in my view, torture any American, that includes waterboarding.

Well... it's quite comforting to know that John McCain is against the torture of American citizens. As for the rest of the world, I guess you're in the maybe column and we'll just inform you on a need-to-know basis.

We could always convene another panel of "The Principals" - Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, George Tenet, John Ashcroft and then NSA director Condoleza Rice - to decide who it is okay to torture and who it isn't. They met several times during the early days of the war on terror to discuss how terror suspects should be tortured with the approval of George W. Bush. At the time John Ascroft noted that "History will not judge this kindly". Hopefully by the time this is all over, this group of individuals will be tried for war crimes along with the Accessory in Chief. Sadly, they will most likely not see their day in court... (not in the same sense as the terror suspects being held at Gitmo, mind you)

That's good news for John McCain, though - he's already got a panel of experts ready to decide who (and how) it's okay to torture! What luck! I'm sure they'll do a heckuva job...

another Clinton attack line backfiring?

Let's play a little game of compare and contrast.

First Obama speaking today at the Aliance for American Manufacturing luncheon:

Now Clinton's reception at the same affair later in the day:


Discuss.

reap what ye sow

Apparently Alberto Gonzales (disgraced former US Attorney General... the guy responsible for firing all of those US Attorneys for political reasons... and for supporting the torture of US prisoners) is finding it difficult to obtain a job.

... cue sad music?...

Obama's blunder

Don't know if you all heard what Obama said last week...

Well, people are pretty up in arms about that one and the Hillary/McCain ticket is really hitting him hard on this one. Well, I don't think it was very eloquently put... but let's get into the way-back machine and see if we can't shed some light on this issue...

Ah! Here's an appearance that Barack Obama made on Charlie Rose back in 2004 in which he more elegantly explains his point... let's listen in:

So Hillary & McCain are hitting Obama on being elitist about this; they're saying that it points to his Harvard-law-school elitism, etc. etc. etc. Well it's that kind of branding of intelligent progressives as 'liberal elite' that has driven so many people from the Democratic party over that past 25 years. Ultimately this could be very damaging to the party as a whole when Obama (who is the inevitable nominee) is in the general election this November (the RNC should send Hillary some flowers or a fruit basket or something). But let's take another step back for a moment and consider this question: what is so bad about being elite? Bill Maher had an interesting take on that last year:

Ultimately, I think Obama can bounce back from this blunder - he's turning into the new teflon candidate. However this points to a bigger issue - one that Obama may want to think about addressing directly (a la the race issue) - and that is the silent class war that is ensuing right now in the U.S. Maher's rhetoric is the other end of the 'liberal elite' spectrum. Obama needs to lift up the Democratic party as the party that supports rural voters and their values; the party that will give them the best chance for success and a good life and put the values of the individual over the values of the corporation. It is that kind of populism that will draw people into the party and push that agenda over the top in November. Dean had his Nascar dads... Obama's got his bitter PA hunters... it's time for someone (hopefully Barack) to catch the tiger by the tail on this issue of liberal elitism and what it has to offer to all of the bitter people out there in rural (and urban, for that matter) America.

The curse...

... in reverse?

Construction worker buries Ortiz jersey under new Yankee stadium:


And, of course, once this was discovered (and reported to the press), they decided to tear up the new Yankee stadium - not knowing exactly where the jersey was burried - to exhume the paraphernalia:

This exemplifies the ridiculousness of this rivalry. It's fun, gets people into the games, crushes you when you lose, exhilarates you when you win... and is absolutely, 100%, certifiably nuts. You can't make this stuff up!

A Strong Bad game for the Wii?

This is happening... this really happens...

Bush's war on science - Episode X

Where Are The Dogs Humping.com

Friedrich Nietzsche + The Family Circus = HILLARITY!

What do you get when you combine quotes from Friedrich Nietzsche and images from the forever over-the-top innocence of The Family Circus cartoons? Awesomeness, innuendo, and a hearty time waster...

What is the seal of liberation? — No longer being ashamed in front of oneself.

Al Gore's got a new slideshow

and... it's pretty good. Check it out (when you've got a spare 20 min):

Awesome MTTS Comic

marriedtothesea.com

I had no idea who Uwe Boll was...

until I saw him defend himself from an anti-Uwe Boll internet petition:

"Look. I am not a f**king retard like Michael Bay."

His movie looks absolutely terrible - I'm totally not going to go see it - but he pwns Michael Bay and George Clooney in the same minute-long rant. Awesome.

two rings to rule them all

Sox home opener was yesterday (5-0 over the Tigers, N.B.D.) - the home opener is where they present the World Series rings to the champions from the prior October.

It was a pretty special day also in that Buckner threw out the first pitch... yes... that Buckner...

Time (and a couple of rings to weigh down your hands) will heal all wounds.

For the record: I agree with most that he had less to do with that loss than most people give him blame for.

Bumbershoot lineup (pt. 1) announced

Which begs the question... which lineup is better?

Bumbershoot or Sasquatch?


(poll time!)

Seattle in the fog

muffinfilms

you need to enjoy muffinfilms.com right now!

FYI:

nataliedee.com

Banana poll

If you're just tuning in... please note the poll regarding bananas to your left.

If you would take the time to consider and vote I would greatly appreciate it. I'm going to be blogging on this issue soon, but I wanted to do a little 'data collection' first.