The Sad Bear

Police Reporter: Right Man, Wrong Look

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:44:00 +0000

Check out this piece by David Simon on The Baltimore Sun night editor, David Ettlin.

"His great sin is that he never looked the part:

The ruddy complexion and the insubordinate hair and that godawful mustache that should never have belonged to anyone with more solemnity and poise than an East Baltimore Street pimp, drunk and luckless, down to his last working girl.

The wardrobe was disastrous. He made the rest of the slumming metro veterans look almost plausible. His laugh was a cackle, employed liberally against the farts and foibles of the important and famous. From humanity, he expected farce and scandal at all points, adoring an absurd, senseless murder most of all. He never lost at Scrabble, he had 10 different ways of saying anything in print, and yeah, if he acted as if he'd seen it all without ever leaving a newsroom, it was only because he had.

David Michael Ettlin taught me to be a reporter at The Baltimore Sun, which is to say, I love the man for everything he is, and everything he isn't."

Read the story here.

A Thursday in May

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:11:00 +0000

I'll be working a few night shifts this upcoming week, an altogether different pace when it comes to newsrooms. But aside from leaving late at night to check warrants at the jail before returning home, these shifts mean I have a good portion of my afternoons free. Such was the case this afternoon. This playlist was a result:

A Thursday in May by Chase on Grooveshark

01. "I'm Yours and I'm Hers" - Johnny Winter, Johnny Winter
02. "Turtles Have Short Legs" - Can, Cannibalism 2
03. "Anything Could Happen" - The Clean, Anthology
04. "Sour Times - Portishead, Dummy
05. "Paranoid - Black Sabbath, Paranoid
06. "Panda" - Dungen, Ta det Lugnt
07. "This Will Be Our Year" - The Zombies, Odessey and Oracle

Inside the New York Times’ Photo Morgue

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

WNYC recently reported on The New York Times morgue, which has gained much notoriety via the popularization of the Times' new Tumblr called The Lively Morgue. I presume a lot of people have already run across this gem. If not, you should add it to your RSS reader and/or bookmark it. The content is almost always fascinating. The article, and particularly the video that accompanied the article, stood out to me, in part, because they feature the morgue's caretaker, Jeffrey Roth.

I really liked the commentary provided by the Times photography and reporting staff, especially this:

"I don't know that I would say the morgue is a diamond in the rough, I might say it is a rough in the rough. It is as unpolished as the world we inhabit now, that's what makes it invaluable. It is a reminder that we are not leading a life for the first time. We've been here before."
- David W. Dunlap, New York Times reporter.

Mint condition

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Gonzalez) — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

It took a Michael Chabon essay from Manhood for Amateurs to remind me just how much baseball card minutiae I packed into my brain between 1993 and 2000. I got my start on my seventh birthday, when my parents decided to give me the collecting bug. Instead of buying me the complete set of that year's Topps set, they bought me a whole bunch of packs. Up on my bunk bed, I spread them out and began tearing at the wrappers. It didn't take much to get me hooked, especially since that year included my favorite player, Frank Thomas, holding three big black bats.

I didn't know then, but the three bats were sort of the thing for The Big Hurt, a la Babe Ruth and all the other boppers, and had actually been featured in the oddly illustrated Fleer set of the year before (top).

But the first card that really enchanted me was for an as-of-yet not hated Chicago Cubs player. I was OK with the Cubs at that point, so when my dad came home with the Ryne Sandberg rookie card, which was the first card of value to come into our home, I started to get a feeling that might be equated with Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. It was part loving the card, part feeling lucky to have it, and part possessiveness. We had it, and nobody else.

Later, through "bidding" at the local card store, my dad would make almost weekly purchases of famous cards. As odd as it is to describe now, the bidding was just the real-life early-90s version of eBay, where cards would be put up on the wall with a bid sheet, and my dad would stop in periodically to check on the cards he wanted. One of my favorites he got was Harmon Killebrew's 1955 rookie card, which besides the really old cards, came out in the first five years of Topps' modern batches cards.

The Killebrew card, at least a little bit, also reminds me of one of the "biggest pickles" I ever got myself into with trading cards. Really, it was more of a screwup than a pickle. It had to do with this card, the Derek Jeter rookie card:

Because my parents bought me packs in my first year of collecting, that brought me many, many duplicates of the same card. We called them "doubles." I had doubles of just about everyone, except for, in a way impossible for me to grasp then, those cards that were by intentionally produced to be more elusive than all the rest. (I never did collect the full set this way, but I came damn close.)

Jeter, overrated superstar that he is now, was not elusive in 1992 card collecting. I had like eight Derek Jeter rookie cards. As you can see, it wasn't a card with a lot going for it. Some scrawny guy standing kind of goofy over a clip art baseball diamond ...

I put my doubles into a special box dedicated purely to doubles (card boxes are special as it is, with their terrific shape and lids). A couple years later, I didn't want those doubles. I wanted more Eric Karros and Carl Pavano cards. I did collect legit players too, like Manny Ramirez and most badassedly nicknamed "Crime Dog" Fred McGriff (that swing!).

Anyway, I offered up a box of about 500 doubles in exchange for a few embossed and faceted (I assume) specialty cards. That day, I probably lost my heirs a few hundred dollars. But looking back on the deal, I'm glad to know that, even as a child, I wanted nothing to do with the Yankees.

Documentary: "Under African Skies"

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:51:00 +0000

There was a small op-ed in today's New York Times about a forthcoming documentary entitled Under African Skies, which looks into the making of Paul Simon's Graceland 25 years after its release. I've shared, albeit briefly, here before my love for this album and the impact it made on my childhood. It is, I think, my all-time favorite album because of its abstract themes, poeticism, and its placement as one of the singular musical works I muse upon when I think about my youth and my mother. It's a perfect summertime album as well. I look forward to seeing this documentary.

Catchy, disagreeable lyrics (with playlist)

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Gonzalez) — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:30:00 +0000

If I'd ever gone on a first date with Vampire Weekend's "Oxford Comma," we never would have made it to a second meeting. The central lyrical thesis, "Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?" would have been the deal breaker. Because it's me. I am the one who cares about the Oxford (serial) comma. Strunk & White do too, and I side with them often.

Despite the disagreement, I still sing along with that song. So I started thinking about lyrics that I love and hate, or that I find disagreeable and catchy. I turned to the Sadbear beacon, called out for more ideas, and we came up with this playlist, leaving out the obvious M.I.A. shoot-you-for-cash and other crack-dealing songs that we hold so dear. Thoughts follow below.

Troublesome Lyrics by Tony G on Grooveshark

Mark says: "Most of the music I listen to is a contradiction. I should probably be more concerned about this," and he lists Okkervil River's The Black Sheep Boy album, the song "Bukowski" by Modest Mouse, and most of Control by Pedro the Lion, as examples. He too called attention to Vampire Weekend.

"But above, before, beyond all: The Mountain Goats," Mark said. "I love them. I sing them, passionately. I identify with and get emotionally worked up over them. Even though, you know ..."

It took all the coke in town to bring down Dennis Brown // on the day my lung collapses we'll see just how much it takes

Hail, Satan

I hope that our few remaining friends give up on trying to save us // I hope we come up with a fail-safe plot to piss off the dumb few that forgave us // I hope the fences we mended fall down beneath their own weight...

Jack says he finds some Wilco and Elvis Costello lyrics to be well-stated and sincere while espousing ideas he doesn't necessarily agree with.

"The one I thought of immediately was 'Passenger Side' by Wilco. Seeing as how it's about Jeff Tweedy's DUIs, I don't think it's a song that even he would agree with — something of a cautionary tale." That song includes the lines:

You're gonna make me spill my beer // If you don't learn how to steer

Can you take me to the store, then the bank? // I've got five dollars we can put in the tank // I've got a court date coming this June // I'll be driving soon // Passenger side // I don't like riding on the passenger side

The second song from Jack is Elvis Costello's "Accidents Will Happen," including:

There's so many people to see // So many people you can check up on // And add to your collection // But they keep you hanging on // Until you're well hung // Your mouth is made up but your mind is undone

Finally, Jack said, the entire Joy Division catalog is "pretty nihilistic, and I pretty much agree with none of what they are actually saying. But I still love moments like 'Transmission,' in which Ian Curtis encourages the listener to dance to the silence of the void of humanity of the radio."

Chase went deep, so I'll stay out of the way and let him handle this:

"No apologies ever need be made // I know you better than you fake it to see"
- "1979" by The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins came into my life at the perfect time, as I came into my own as a teenager and began to grapple with ideas of growing up, being my own person, and, at times, pushing back at certain authority. Every time I sit down and think about it, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was the first album that I was ever, truly, obsessed with, and the themes that lace through the album are terrific. I connect to it a good deal, but to claim my feelings mirror Corgan's own "farewell to youth" ideas would be a lie. I wish they did, but I think there's a line I cannot cross when it comes to rebuffing authority to a strong degree, especially out of boredom. It's just not me. Put simply, Billy Corgan's idea of how he would have cured teenage boredom was way more hardcore than my own. As exhibited in the (I feel safe saying) iconic "1979" music video, teens are depicted pissing off neighbors and wreaking havoc at an LA convenience store, all set to the (amazing) song about a youth gone by. I totally get caught up in the spirit, but no. The fact of the matter is that I do apologize, I probably cared too much about what people thought of me, and I kept in line because of it.

Kyle says he had trouble thinking of a single song because entire albums can be troubling. But he chose "Repatriated" by the Handsome Furs. "I hate to harp on the Furs again (no I don't), but their latest album made a significant impression on me," he said. "The album is extremely coherent, so I'll choose these lyrics out of a hat (a handsome, furry hat):"

I've seen the future and its comin' in low/ I've seen the future, I will never be repatriated

"The album expresses a kind of underground romantic revival based on a global experience of humanity. I like to think of this sentiment as a kind of vertigo-shot: two conflicting camera movements using imbalance to create a sensation of perpetual motion. Thus, the Handsome Furs seem to exist in a sort of constant flight (related to global air travel), having no "homeland" to land in. This is why Vanessa's word for their musical quality is "soaring." But it's imbalance, whereas the Furs seem to want to believe one can stop and abide there, as though it were the next level of human maturity.

"It's a winning myth, which is why I'm so attracted to the album. Soaring is good. Furthermore, I think its just the kind of fiction that should be present in art, but as fiction. To treat it as reality seems to me contrary to everything we humans seek and build around ourselves; and it doesn't account for the purpose and presence of fiction in art."

Tony says: In addition to the Vampire Weekend line, which is not a particularly soul-testing item, there are a number of lyrics from Modest Mouse that I find beautiful and disturbing. For example, I'm not a downer, but I still like: "I'm trying to drink away the part of the day I cannot sleep away," in "Polar Opposites."

I'm also put off, and drawn to, the of Montreal song, "One of a very few of a kind," which includes:

I doubt that you're the only one like you that I'll find // But for sure you're one of a very few of a kind

And how about some second-guessing after a few rounds of singing along with The Toadies on their 1990s mega-hit "Possum Kingdom"? Yeah, that line repeated over and over is: "Do you wanna die?"

We've written about lyrics quite a bit, by the way. Click here to see those posts.

I'm sorry but FYI

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:26:00 +0000

So. This exists.

Simplicity as rebuttal to wasteful Kickstarter

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Gonzalez) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:12:00 +0000

Do you want to see a really wasteful piece of "technology" that managed to attract $1.4 million on Kickstarter? Look right here: Elevation Dock.

Luckily, you don't have to spend more than $100 on a hunk of heavy metal created by resource-intensive manufacturing processes. Instead, you can spend about $4 on the most high-tech "sticker" I've ever seen. It's not actually a sticker, it's micro suction cups, and it's designed by my buddy Will: Seta dock.

Twins Territory

noreply@blogger.com (JHitts) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 06:09:00 +0000

Like most members of the Sad Bear, I hate the Twins (I haven't gotten over this yet). But my impending move to Minnesota has gotten me very excited for the fact that the Twins at least have hilarious television commercials.

Exhibit A:

(Alas, Jim Thome has departed the AL Central altogether. But I still love me some JI.... JIM THOME!)

Exhibit B:

(Danny Valencia is lame.)

Exhibit C:

(The Dude Abides.)

Exhibit D:

(I don't even understand this. The Most Interesting Man in Minnesota?)

Anyway, I'll be moving to a place that boasts a giant statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Giant Blue Ox, where I will be covering Division I hockey. The only drawback (aside from the fact that it is nearly as close to Winnipeg as it is to Minneapolis) is that it's in Twins Territory.

I guess I will have to learn to handle it. Begrudgingly.

Sleepwalk mix

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Gonzalez) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:51:00 +0000

This mix is a work in progress. Suggestions welcome (add or subtract).

Sleepwalkin' by Tony G on Grooveshark

Cosmic Quadruplet: Helium balloons

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Gonzalez) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:31:00 +0000

I've always been a "believer" in Cosmic Triplets, because a friend once told me that miraculous things come in threes. Typically, the triplet theory goes, the miraculous thing is hearing a new or interesting word. Then you hear it again and again.

So over the weekend we watched The White Diamond, a solid Werner Herzog documentary about an imprecise adventurer trying to fly a helium balloon over a rainforest canopy.

On Sunday, I learned that the local Occupy group had ... re-banded ... to float a tent in the air with helium balloons. They took a picture. As I drove to work Monday morning, I saw a pickup truck approaching with numerous helium balloons trailing off the back. Some slipped into the sky.

Then I got to work and read that Jack White released his new single via helium balloons.

Need I say more?

Stupid Slipper Face

noreply@blogger.com (K. Harvey) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:59:00 +0000

So, I've been working away at my master's thesis. I've been outlining, writing, and reading for hours on end. I have to admit, it gets to making one feel pretty smart. And it's a necessary feeling in order to give my thoughts and arguments that intellectual weight which keeps them going. But it's sad times when I'm mocked in my brilliance by my slippers.
I always wear my slippers in the house. My feet get too cold just socked. When I read, I like to stretch out my legs and prop my feet up on a little ottoman. When I get a brilliant, earth-and-academy-shattering inspiration, I look up from my book and down at my slippers, where my idea is immediately belittled by Stupid Slipper Face.
I worked up a little drawing in Microsoft Paint to show what I mean (please forgive the wonky technology, but then again, don't knock Paint). On the left is a crude rendition of my slipper. On the right, Stupid Slipper Face:
In conclusion, I'm never going to get this thesis done.

This Post Is Not About Lent

noreply@blogger.com (Porter Perkins) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 23:46:00 +0000

Three notes and then a thought:

1. I don't want to steal anyone's thunder, but I am pretty thrilled about one of us moving.
2. In related news, I'm getting excited about the Shoebox Tour coming here.
3. I think many of you would like this song Sean shared.

This Lent I gave up watching TV, movies, or just about any video by myself (living alone = hours of Law & Order reruns on Netflix = pathetic life). An unanticipated consequence was my discovery of podcasts.

I spent some time listening around, but I've settled on a favorite: Hang Up and Listen, Slate's sport podcast. The contributors offer insightful and funny commentary, and they are, generally speaking, professionals in a genre of amateurs. Their afterball segments are especially enjoyable--a few three-minute featurettes on, well, whatever struck each contributor.

Podcast mania has segued into a rediscovery of This American Life. Chase and I used to listen to the occasional episode on the way to bed in the apartment, but I haven't made a point to listen to it since college. I am now thoroughly hooked again. I just bought the app yesterday so I could listen to it while biking to the gym--which marks the first time I've paid money for an iPhone app.

Many of you are probably already aware of the most recent episode--the retraction of Mike Daisey's Apple/Foxconn episode. If you aren't, you should go listen to it. I have most loved the Middle School episode, where Ira Glass interviews a 14-year-old girl about her experience in middle school. She thoughtfully articulates exactly what I've been observing as teacher these last few months. Hearing it come from her mouth, however, lends those thoughts a great deal of poignancy--and reinvigorated my flagging enthusiasm for this semester.

Recently on the Ogden's porch, we had a low-grade argument about the value of This American Life. Sean thinks it rather nihilistically revolves around sad things for the sake of sadness, rather than actually seeking to tell American stories. I'm not so sure.

Hockey, as directed by Tarantino

noreply@blogger.com (JHitts) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 04:46:00 +0000

I've been a fan of this animated GIF for quite some time.

The question that everyone is asking, of course: Is this the best sports GIF ever?

I say yes. But you can see for yourself over here. Apparently March Madness warrants a bracket for everything. That's fine with me. Especially if animated GIFs are involved. I love me some animated GIFs.

March Madness Bracket Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:23:00 +0000

It's March again, and time for The Sad Bear's second annual March Madness challenge.

Followers of the blog, like last year, are invited to get in on the action and challenge our brackets.

If you think you can beat us, join our group on the NCAA's "official bracket challenge" (trademark, probably). Even if you don't think you can beat us (you probably will) and know nothing about basketball (really, you have a good chance), you're invited.

Send me an email at cppurdy [at] gmail [dot] com by Wednesday and I will officially invite you to the group.

Underground New York Public Library

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:29:00 +0000

-“The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution”, by C. L. R. James

Tough to find the words to describe how thrilled I am this Tumblr exists.

The Guardian Commercial

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:25:00 +0000

Thanks to a co-worker, I had the distinct pleasure of running into this video, which serves as an advertisement for The Guardian newspaper over in England. Enjoy.

Academy Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 04:18:00 +0000

Not because I plan to watch The Oscars this year, but more because it's been on my mind ever since the movie was released, but I really hope Tree of Life snags the award for best picture on Sunday.

It was the one movie I watched this year -- and I've watched a good many -- that really affected me as a viewer. I'm not claiming to be a worthy film critic. In fact, in the case of this movie by Terrence Malick, I'd have to recuse myself from reviewing based on the emotional response I felt as a result of watching it. Saying I felt connected with the story or characters truly is an understatement. I even hesitate about writing anything here because there's no way I'd do the movie or my own response any justice. But still, some brief notes.

Here's the list of nominees for the award for best picture (bolded are the ones I've seen):

The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, and War Horse

Commence my amateur musings on the following films:

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: I was intrigued with this movie the first time I saw the trailer (ignore the U2 song). The premise behind its message -- which really set on display the wonders of human inter-connection -- seemed akin to my favorite aspects of This American Life, so there was no trouble getting me into the theater. And while I enjoyed the film, the main character blossomed into a rather intolerable subject, ultimately sapping any emotional connection I might have felt for him. The movie is framed around Sept. 11, which is well-positioned for the ultimate emotional response from viewers. I cried. Several times. But at the same time I couldn't help but consider a passage from the review I'd read in The New York Times by Manohla Dargis (who I've grown to appreciate over time):

In truth, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" isn’t about Sept. 11. It’s about the impulse to drain that day of its specificity and turn it into yet another wellspring of generic emotions: sadness, loneliness, happiness. This is how kitsch works. It exploits familiar images, be they puppies or babies — or, as in the case of this movie, the twin towers — and tries to make us feel good, even virtuous, simply about feeling. And, yes, you may cry, but when tears are milked as they are here, the truer response should be rage.

I didn't trust the movie or the motives behind it, and I didn't really like the main character. It wasn't until the very end, when a fairly revelatory moment passes, that it drew me back into the folds of the story (which was a bit far-fetched to begin with).

Midnight in Paris: I appreciated this film for all the same reasons I feel like I always appreciate Woody Allen's work. And while I walked in expecting a good amount of novelty, it was ultimately lathered on a bit to thick. The idea of time travel, of Paris (in general), and even Owen Wilson as the lead character, didn't click with me. It was a fun film (at best) but kind of, maybe a waste of my time (at worst). I definitely don't regret seeing it, but do I think it should be stacked up against some of the other nominees? Nah. See the trailer here.

Moneyball: It's been awhile since I've seen the movie, so I'm going largely on memory here. Walking away it was an enjoyable film, but one I felt like I'd seen before. Another sports movie with a leading man who tussles against the odds (literally), sticks with what he believes in, wins, gets a big!wonderful job offer (akin to selling out) and chooses to turn down the offer to remain his own man. Eh.

Yes, I realize this is an adaptation of the Michael Lewis book. Yes, I realize it is regarded, among many circles, as a well done adaptation. However, there is an award for that -- and it shouldn't be best picture.

The film was long, and as it meandered along, I couldn't help but keep track of the time as the entire lower half of my body fell asleep. Brad Pitt had a good performance, I'll say that. Good story, decent movie, but stacked against Tree of Life? I just don't see this one meriting the prize. See the trailer.

Tree of Life: I could go on and on about how much this film floored me. I drove an hour to Orlando just to see it at the charming Enzian Theater. I accidentally left my phone at the cinema, and drove back the next day only to see the movie for a second time. Both occasions practically had me on my knees.

On two occasions, the director, Terrence Malick, left me feeling like I might need to step outside to catch my breath. The way he opted to tell this story, abandoning a traditional narrative structure to embrace what I'd consider to be a well organized series of raw imagery, scenes and feelings, left me with a sensation I'm not used to feeling. Scenes that otherwise would have been dulled by dialogue were instead sharp and visceral in silence. There's no doubt, when it comes to showing rather than telling, Malick went to an extreme, but it worked wonders ... and left me rattled.

The film's protagonist, a young boy named Jack (played well by Hunter McCracken), shared a relationship with his siblings that I found to be incredibly realistic, with notes that hearkened back to my own upbringing. His story revealed the relationships between brothers, sons and fathers, and sons and mothers with undertones that reflect a very deep reality.

Malick got the family dynamics down so accurately, I think. All those moments that are so quiet or short or unaccented in real life -- things you feel in the moment, but easily forget within seconds. Malick found those lost moments, and under his microscope, you really get an idea for how raw and meaningful they can be.

This passage, again from The New York Times review (by A.O. Scott), really resonated with me:

"There are very few films I can think of that convey the changing interior weather of a child's mind with such fidelity and sensitivity. Nor are there many that penetrate so deeply into the currents of feeling that bind and separate the members of a family. So much is conveyed — about the tension and tenderness within the O'Brien marriage, about the frustrations that dent their happiness, about the volatility of the bonds between siblings — but without any of the usual architecture of dramatic exposition."

The film is hyper-introspective, and I loved that about it.

By the same token, it isn't just that Malick put his characters under a microscope, after all, the film does tackle macro subject matter -- things like God, the beginning of time, and the universe. It sounds silly, and it's true that the viewers watch as major archetypes collide on screen -- and tiny emotional moments weaving into a massive and epic story. But it works, and maybe it's because the film is so rooted into Malick's own past, his own imagination. Sometimes huge and dreamy subject matter -- not always straightforward -- will make sense because the themes dip so deep into a sense of humanity we all share. Malick tapped this area of our imaginations, I think, and pulled out a truly deserving film. I really think it's something special, and it deserves further recognition.

I'll stop gushing. It's the clear winner in my book, at least when placed up against the other films I did see. Some viewers criticized Malick (with much vitriol) and accused him of being self-indulgent. The ones that didn't feel that way seemed to love it without reservation. It was one of those divisive films this year, but I agree, at least halfway, with the last line of New York magazine reviewer David Edelstein's NPR piece: "You might find it ridiculously sublime or sublimely ridiculous — or, like me, both. But it's a hell of a trip."

See the trailer here.

I won't wax on the films I've not seen, that wouldn't be fair, but for the sake of full disclosure (and because it seems to be the favorite), I remain dubious about the kitsch factor of The Artist, with its black and white style and throwback regard to the silent film era. It kept me from seeing it, but that's also a reflection of my own close-mindedness.

Anyone else have any thoughts about this year's contenders?

The Economist Style Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:34:00 +0000

NERD ALERT!

It would seem that The Economist has decided to post online the entirety of its style guide. This excites me. They even open with a substantial reference to Orwell's "Politics and the English Language."

See it here.

Soul finger

noreply@blogger.com (JHitts) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:55:00 +0000

I never knew what this song was called. They always used it as bumpers during the late innings of Cardinals games, and I thought it was groovy. Except I never knew who did it, or what it was called.

(*cue "as seen on TV" announcer voice*)

"Until now...!!!!!!"

OK, it's not like the iPhone needs any free advertising. But I got my iPhone less than two weeks ago and... well, this sounds dramatic, but it literally has changed my life already.

I used Shazam to figure out that the Bar-Kays sang that song.

(The best part is the canned party sounds in the background... I always imagined that the song would be used to soundtrack a 60s beach movie. For some reason those horns are, to me, the aural equivalent of running through the sprinkler. They ripple while they're employed, then dissapear, then make two or three more passes. I want to keep getting wet.)

I have also, in a span of 10 days:

1) Upped my tweeting for work ten-fold. (Our work account, which I started and is finally starting to catch on, is @EDNSports. The kids love us!)
2) Done lots of photo tweets. (Well, not lots, but more than before.)
3) Set up the NHL Gamecenter app to make a loud goal-horn noise whenever the Red Wings do anything. This, obviously, was very important.
4) Used the Maps feature to find my way to Hume, Illinois. Apparently the high school there does not exist on any other GPS-enabled divice. But the iPhone... it KNOWS! (Just for fun, this was my route. Now imagine taking that route — especially the 25-mile jaunt from Tuscola to Hume, which is a two-lane highway — in four inches of snow. I still filed my story afterwards though. NBD.)
5) Sent an email from a mobile device. Another first for me.
6) Had a FaceTime chat.
7) Tried to figure out how to properly use Instagram (Tony's post was very time-appropriate for me.)

So as you can see, getting the iPhone has been a very formative experience in my young life.

I realize that this is a very sad thing to say about how much our culture uses technology as a crutch.

But you know what? It's awesome. If I can be in the middle of nowhere in Illinois in a tiny school gym that is literally adjacent to a pig smokehouse yet still receive up-to-the-second updates on the Red Wings/Dallas Stars hockey game, I won't complain.

Jeff Mangum in Chicago, "How huge are his lungs?"

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Gonzalez) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:57:00 +0000

That question, "how huge are his lungs?" was just one shred floating out there in Twitterland after Jeff Mangum completely blew away all expectations during his first show in Chicago, Feb. 6, at The Athenaeum Theatre.

Reviews from earlier shows said he's better than ever before, and I agree. His voice was less reedy and his melodic dee dee dees and moans stronger than comes across on the records. Said another way, I went in wondering how the show would be without a backing band and was quickly glad no one else was around -- for most of the show -- to distract from Mangum. There was superb cello accompaniment on "Naomi," and the merry group that marched on stage for "The Fool" seemed to be exactly how that song should be played (rag tag, one big thumping drum, and so on).

Mangum encouraged sing alongs and shouted questions, and for most of the evening, the Chicago crowd offered up sincere, sharp questions. And we hung on every answer.

Quotes approximated:

What's he been doing?
"Living with the love of my life."
[Cheers and woots.]

What's he reading?
"The memoirs of (trailing off...) [barely a laugh or peep] ... A popular title, I can tell."

What are your thoughts on reincarnation?
"I'm doing it right now."

Who would win, Spider Man or Batman?
[with the most seriousness he showed all night] "I do not know."

Are you writing new material?
"No."

Do you like hot air balloons?
"Yes!"

What's your favorite song to play?
"That last one, actually ["Oh, Comely"]

Will you play "Little Sister?"
[second-most seriousness] "Probably not."

It's hard to describe how happy he seemed. I'll try. At one point near the end of the show, he announced "Engine" and there was some applause and such, and someone right behind me said loudly, "Wait, what?" Another nearby man answered, "Engine," as everyone was listening, and amid the hubbub Mangum peered right back toward us and smiled with a sharp: "Engine."

When Mangum left the stage, it was my brother's friend with the gloomy-but-somehow-satisfied statement of the night: "And that's the last time we'll ever see Jeff Mangum."

Here's what the Tribune writer said about it, including a quote that he initially put out incorrectly via Twitter and which I may or may not have helped correct before the print version: review.

Set list:
Two Headed Boy Pt. 2
Holland, 1945
Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone
Song Against Sex
Little Birds
The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1
The King of Carrot Flowers, Pts. 2 & 3
Ghost
Naomi
April 8th
Oh Comely
Two-Headed Boy
The Fool

Encore:
Engine
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Psalm 40:2 by the Mountain Goats

noreply@blogger.com (Porter Perkins) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 18:18:00 +0000

Thoughts about Instagram

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Gonzalez) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:55:00 +0000

For today's paper I wrote about the local Instagram community, and in a couple hours I'll be meeting many of these hobby photographers face to face for the first time. It was that thought — the transition from digital to real life friendship — that seemed intriguing enough to warrant the story.

My most interesting Instagram stories:

1) I once saw a photo with a unique perspective of the Nashville skyline. I realized which apartment building would yield the view, and noticed that someone commented on the photo, wondering where that place was. I guessed, and the photographer confirmed it.

2) While on the road trip through N.C. and Virginia earlier this month, I would search the next day's city for photos of signature landmarks and buildings. Almost always, I could find a great shot of my favorite building. (In part, this prevented me from needing to stop to take my own.)

3) I look at a lot of #bullmastiff tagged photos. A lot.

Here is my Instagram photo feed, run through Embedagram. Otherwise, I usually search and browse (when not on my phone) with Gramfeed.

#054

noreply@blogger.com (JHitts) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:00:00 +0000

A weekly sampler of what we're listening to (new and old), and what we think you might like, too.

MWM 54 by Jack Hittinger on Grooveshark

JACK: "Serpents" by Sharon Van Etten
I heard this on NPR the other day. It was on "All Things Considered" (I know, I know) and I was immediately drawn to it. She's got this lovelorn and exasperated croon that stands out over the (admittedly) pretty standard indie rock-out going on in the background (although I'm digging the propulsive drumbeat). I heard the rest of the album and she's a gifted songwriter. Unfortunately most of it is less PJ Harvey than I expected. ("I am a badass, I am going to turn this motherfucking amp up to 11 just to prove to you that I am totally not writing this song about you. At all.") It's a little more understated. Not as many electric guitars. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing... this song is also really good. I just really like "Serpents."

TONY: "Fluid," The Gerbils
This song is really weird and oddly beautiful. It cropped up during the opening act for Jeff Mangum, with the round and bearded Scott Spillane giving his nasally best. I can't believe this voice comes from that man.

CHASE: "I'm Not Ready" by Surfer Blood
There is only reason I'm submitting this song, and that is because I'm obsessed with Surfer Blood. Everything about them, from their music to their Twitter account. I'm adding them to my unabashed fanboy list.

ECON: "Season's Trees," Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi
It's hard to pluck a single song apart from the whole of Donuts, because the tracks just fit together so perfectly. But "Lightworks" is a flashy number that stands well on its own, even if it's not necessarily representative of the album, which is all over the place (in a good way). In an interview not long after J Dilla's death, his mother put it this way: "'Lightworks', oh yes, that was something! That's one of the special ones. It was so different. It blended classical music (way out there classical), commercial and underground at the same time."

EVAN: "On a Good Day," Joanna Newsom

OATESS: "1979," Smashing Pumpkins
Beers and this video had me surfing old '90s videos the other weekend. It reminded me that the Smashing Pumpkins exist, and that I like this song.

JON: Benny Goodman, “Jumping at the Woodside”

MARK: "Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod?" by the Mountain Goats
Here's a song from one of my favorite albums. This song, though, is was not one of my favorites until this past weekend when Tom and I drove the three-and-a-half hours to Greensboro to see the Mountain Goats. It was one of the best shows I've ever seen--possibly the best. John Darnielle played this during the encore, and it was the most moving song I've ever heard at a concert.

#053

noreply@blogger.com (Chase) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:41:00 +0000

A weekly sampler of what we're listening to (new and old), and what we think you might like, too.

MWM 053 by Chase on Grooveshark

JACK: "Gazzillion Ear" by MF Doom
I've been listening to a lot of rap, specifically MF Doom, these days. I like this song because it has two kickass beats back-to-back. Doom's never been big on hooks or choruses, so there's nothing really that hooks the two beats together — the first beat disappears then comes back to bookend the second one. But in reality, they could very well be two separate tracks. Instead the listener gets a treat: Two songs for the price of one, all essentially one long verse about why Doom is the most villainous villain (naturally).

TONY: "Hell of a Season" by The Black Keys
Amid the rave reviews for the new Black Keys record, critics have liked to write about how it's a badass rock record. I'd argue it's more than that (as well as arguing it's their best effort since "Rubber Factory"). I chose "Hell of a Season" to illustrate the more-than-rock part: It's got the bells and whistles on the production side — as well as Dan's vocals — to give it a richer and more urgent feel. I think they aimed for this on "Attack & Release" but overshot it as they made their first efforts with, er, flutes ... and eery production noises and voices. So I think they've dialed it in correctly this time around, and I've been obsessively spinning this disc since it came out.

CHASE: "Cameras" by Matt and Kim
I was wavering between Matt and Kim and Crystal Fighters this week, but wound up going with the former because I've been listening to them non-stop at work for the past several days. A lot of people have pointed out the optimistic, live-your-life lyrics of this song: No time for cameras / We'll use our eyes instead / No time for cameras / We'll be gone when we're dead. Even as someone who basically photographs his own life at every turn, I like the sentiment.

ECON: "Lightworks" by Jay Dee (J. Dilla)
It's hard to pluck a single song apart from the whole of Donuts, because the tracks just fit together so perfectly. But "Lightworks" is a flashy number that stands well on its own, even if it's not necessarily representative of the album, which is all over the place (in a good way). In an interview not long after J Dilla's death, his mother put it this way: "'Lightworks', oh yes, that was something! That's one of the special ones. It was so different. It blended classical music (way out there classical), commercial and underground at the same time."

EVAN: "Caravan" by Van Morrison

MARK: "Bizness" by Tune-Yards
After Jack pointed out to the lead singer's guest list on Pitchfork, I decided I wasn't going to put effort into tracking down the new tune-yards album.

Fortunately I didn't have to, as my brother shared it with me and convinced me to give it a go. Glad I did. They've got a pretty sweet Dirty-Projectors-by-way-of-Yeasayer thing going on, and that drum-beat reminds me of the Dodos' second album in all the best ways.

SPECIAL GUEST: Jake Davis, who chose "This Sporting Life" by The Decemberists.
EXPLANATION: Not only have I recently listened to nothing else but this band in the past month, but this incredibly catchy song leaves me grinning like an idiot. It's upbeat tune, and overall poppy feel is belied by rather depressing and apathetic lyrics. It also describes all forays of mine into any sort of athletic activity. Long story short, I shouldn't do it. With Super Bowl Weekend coming up and all, I can't see a better song for this upcoming American obsession. And the crushing defeat a team will have to swallow. Enjoy the ads.

QUICK HIT: Jake is one of several bloggers that contribute to Nevermind the Posers, an online spot for music and book reviews. Much of the content there explores music in the Northeast.

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE

My good friend Jane has a few thoughts of her own to contribute, specifically regarding pop music. It is worth noting here that I 90 percent endorse this list. I too am a sucker for this stuff. (You'll find a playlist at the bottom).

JANE SAYS:

I'm not sure when it started, but it seems these days 'pop music' is synonymous with 'shitty music'. My experience has been that if you tell someone (especially a music snob) you like pop music, they're like, "Oh! That's.....cool," and make a mental note that you are vapid and have no taste. When Chase asked me to write a guest post, I tried to think of anyone "cool" I've been listening to recently, until I realized I'm totally not cool and I've only been listening to radio hits lately. I'm a grad student, which means I spend a lot of time thinking, writing, or thinking about how I should be thinking or writing. Sometimes I simply don't have the cognitive resources to listen to something that requires attention and thought, and pop music is like brain candy.

Here are some songs I really love, but that I would still totally judge other people for liking:

Jane's Picks by Chase on Grooveshark

01. Katy Perry - "Teenage Dream"
NO REGRETS, JUST LOVE. What makes a great pop song is its relate-ability. As lame as it is, my dream date in high school would have been something like getting drunk on the beach in California and making a fort out of sheets. Katy and I have the same vocal range so this is the perfect song to belt out in my car while people stare at me. (2nd favorite: War Pigs by Black Sabbath, because people are always really confused by an Asian girl listening to Black Sabbath.)

02. Mariah Carey - "Always Be My Baby"
Listen to the first 30 seconds of this song. If you don't get into it when the drum machine comes in, you are not human. In fact, this song is so catchy that I'm able to ignore how creepy Mariah is in telling her baby "you can't escape me" and "no way, you're never gonna shake me". People in the 90s were totally blinded by Mariah's adorableness to realize that she is the textbook crazy girlfriend. I also really like how the word "inevitably" sounds out of place with the rest of the lyrics.

03. Ke$ha - "Dinosaur"
Unpopular opinion time: I think Ke$ha is a more transparent version of Lady Gaga. Gaga fans like to think that Gaga is in on the joke, that she knows she's just playing into the "fame monster," she's just trolling the system. But so is Ke$ha. Word on the street is that she got a 1500 on her SATs, and started out wanting to be a country singer, not a pop star. She did some ad-lib rapping on a tape she sent to a music exec, which that exec described as "god-awful," but it caught his attention and she ended up getting signed to be a white-girl rapper who sings shit like, "Don't be a little bitch with your chit chat / I just wanna know where your dick's at." If someone gave me a record deal to do what Ke$ha does, I would not still be in grad school.

04. R. Kelly - "Ignition [Remix]"
The remix part is really important, because the original Ignition really sucks. This song has a really simple, steady, slow grind-y beat that always has me dancing in my seat. R. Kelly is a bizarre man, from Trapped In the Closet (people don't talk about that enough anymore) to this song, where he compares his sex skills to Murder, She Wrote. Bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce.

05. Taylor Swift - "Forever and Always"
I already have mad respect for any girl who writes her own songs, but I am even more impressed by people who put their vulnerabilities out there. I would be hesitant to write a blog post about any of my ex-boyfriends, let alone songs that become massively popular. "Forever and Always" is about Joe Jonas, who broke up with Taylor in a phone call that was immediately posted like everywhere on the internet. "Dear John" is about her relationship with John Mayer, and I just love imagining that maybe Jennifer Aniston or Jessica Simpson have heard that song and have thought, "Right on, Taylor! That dude is a total dick." I know this makes me sound like Kelly Kapoor but I am so excited for Taylor's next album, which is apparently about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Honorable Mentions: anything by Nelly (esp. "Grillz"), Miley Cyrus's "Party in the USA"

So fess up. What are your guilty pleasure songs?