Once again... compiled to post Thursday, didn't actually post.
Guided by Voices "Echos Myron"
The New Pornographers "Three or Four"
The Legends "Right On"
They Might Be Giants "With the Dark"
Bomb the Bass "Bug Powder Dust"
Mos Def "Twilight Speedball"
Elastica "2-1"
Joseph Arthur "Can't Exist"
Friendly Fires "Jump in the Pool"
R.E.M. "Gardening at Night" (Eponymous version)
The Herbaliser "Twice Around"
Tricky "Feed Me"
The Specials "Racist Friend"
Calexico/Iron & Wine "He Lays in the Reins"
The Hold Steady "You Can Make Him Like You"
Grade-A awesomeness: Homeowner is getting jerked around by Wells Fargo on his mortgage. Homeowner tries to contact Wells Fargo to discuss; they ignore him. Homeowner takes very specific legal steps to get their attention; they still ignore him. Homeowner then has local sherriff seize a Wells Fargo branch and announce it will be put up for auction to pay him. THAT got their attention.
One of the better ads during the Super Bowl was the NFL spot making a bunch of sitcom characters look like fans of particular teams. I thought briefly about seeking it out online to try to confirm the characters and teams, but quickly decided I had better things to do. Fortunately, we have Deadspin to do it for us.
GeekDad article questioning the continuing relevance of the Boy Scouts. I found it interesting, because while I was a Boy Scout, any enjoyment I got out of it was because it was an activity I did with my friends, not necessarily because of Scouting itself. If my friends and I had been, I don't know, hockey players instead of Boy Scouts, I would have like that just as much if not more. I learned to enjoy the camping aspect, but our troop tried to impose some quasi-military discipline and chain of command that I wasn't keen on. If I had sons, I don't know that I would push them that hard toward Scouting. But that's just my opinion.
I have never been to U Street Music Hall, but I like the cut of their jib.
Will Sheff on the Grammy and the Arcade Fire: "I read pages and pages of people shouting in all caps 'I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THEM!' as if that's a valid musical critique, as if that's anything but a braying declaration of proud ignorance."
I concur, Bugles are frickin' awesome.
See, I have hidden the political stuff down here. Let's cut the budget! It'll be awesome! Matt Taibbi continues to wonder why more Wall Street fat cats haven't been locked up. August on goings-on in Wisconsin: "A bunch of people who are completely opposed to democracy unless they win."
I was going to post this Thursday, and... didn't. I am continuing to copy my CDs to the new hard drive, so these lists will continue to improve.
Southern Culture on the Skids "Firefly"
Michael Franti & Spearhead "I Know I'm Not Alone"
They Might Be Giants "The Mesopotamians"
Prince "When You Were Mine"
R.E.M. "Finest Worksong"
The Avett Brothers "Pretty Girl from Feltre"
The Stone Roses "Daybreak"
The Roots "Radio Daze"
Buffalo Tom "Stymied"
Pinback "Bloods on Fire"
Bel Auburn "Lullaby in A"
Iron & Wine "Such Great Heights"
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings "The Collection Song"
Dwight Yoakam "Loco Motion"
Animal Collective "Graze"
Just a few today. You know I have to link to the Baseball Player Name Hall of Fame.
I am glad that I haven't seen this poster in my neighborhood.
Lastly, h/t Jeem for excellent image switcheroo pulled on the National Organization for Marriage.
Driving home this week, I heard a PSA on WTOP. Two "regular moms" discuss the high cost of groceries. "And can you believe they want to put additional taxes on things we buy every day, like juice and soda!" Cue the stirring music and voice-over. "Big government wants to tell you what to eat! You'll have to pay more for groceries! Who knows what they'll do next! Call your representative and tell them to stick it!" Sponsored by "Americans Against Food Taxes."
Not to belabor the obvious, but guess who are members of Americans Against Food taxes? Every single corporation with a vested interest in selling you sugar- and fat-laden crap. Coke, Pepsi, 7-11, Domino's, the Corn Refiners Association, McDonald's, Hardees, Wendy's, Burger King, the list goes on and on. It's like a who's who of what's wrong with the American diet. Unfortunately, far too many Americans will hear this PSA and shout "Taxes BAD!" without stopping to think about who is pushing this viewpoint and why.
On the other hand, Mark Bittman has an op-ed in the NYT, so there's that.