Saturday, February 26, 2011
Young the Giant - My Body
I saw this video on Fuse the other day - fun song.
They will be playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 14. Maybe I'll check them out.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Yann Tiersen at Highline Ballroom
Last Friday, I saw Yann Tiersen at Highline Ballroom.
I saw the listing a while before but saw that he had two shows and did not worry about being able to get tickets. The shows sold out a few days before the actual concerts. I walked down to the Highline Ballroom just in case they released more tickets, and they did.
The venue was packed with Europeans, hippies, and hipsters. The acoustics and the sound system were not great, plus some annoying loud people.
It was enjoyable even though a concert like that is enjoyed most sitting down. The night I saw him, he and his band played with an orchestra. It suited the music, but seeing this Take Away show, maybe it would have been funkier seeing the regular band.
I saw the listing a while before but saw that he had two shows and did not worry about being able to get tickets. The shows sold out a few days before the actual concerts. I walked down to the Highline Ballroom just in case they released more tickets, and they did.
The venue was packed with Europeans, hippies, and hipsters. The acoustics and the sound system were not great, plus some annoying loud people.
It was enjoyable even though a concert like that is enjoyed most sitting down. The night I saw him, he and his band played with an orchestra. It suited the music, but seeing this Take Away show, maybe it would have been funkier seeing the regular band.
Yann Tiersen | A Take Away Show #2 | Palestine | Amy from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.
Dog Day Afternoon
My boss recently adopted Chibi, a rat terrier, and brought him to the office several times.
A coworker has two dogs, Rigby and Yoda, and has brought them to the office several times.
On the fifth floor, there is a Yorkshire terrier named Gizmo and an adopted stray named Jojo.
On Wednesday, I figured I would take Romeo to the office. I love this pooch, but what a nightmare. He peed in the office and in the hallway. He pooped in the hall. He must have peed about twenty times outside. He followed me around the office and he did not get a wink of sleep, and I, in turn, did not get too much work done.
I put him on my desk to see if he could help, but no dice.
Romeo is so freaking cute, but he smells like a swamp and has stinky breath...
The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio + Fake Empire (Live)
That guy with hands and fingers flailing - that would have been me if I had been there.
When I first heard The National, I thought they were a bit boring, but I did love Fake Empire. I think it's still their best song. Bloodbuzz Ohio is the best song from their latest album.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
On Glasses
Last night, I had a dream that I had just had Lasik. As I was walking, I blinked and the cornea flap popped open and my vision got all blurry. I was not fazed; I just blinked and it popped back in place.
I started wearing glasses in second grade - I would stand and squint to see the chalkboard. Every year, I would have to get new, stronger glasses... my vision deteriorated every year, but every year I got the same style of glasses: huge tortoise shell glasses. Sure, now they are super cool, but damn, it was not cool being a dorky, rotund, and veritably squat kid with a lopsided haircut and huge Sally Jesse Raphael glasses with thick lenses. To make it worse, some years I even had transitions. No matter what the commercials say about transitions being the future of glasses and show really attractive people wearing them, they are really for dorks...
Guess which one is me. I'm that dork with the cool adidas shirt and the bomb transition glasses. Oh you mad cuz I'm stylin' on you? This is a picture from eighth grade trip to D.C.
Wearing glasses sucks. Now my prescription is so bad that the lenses are way thick and distort my face. Sigh.
I don't know if I'll end up getting Lasik or tough it out with contacts, but I'm so glad I have options.
I started wearing glasses in second grade - I would stand and squint to see the chalkboard. Every year, I would have to get new, stronger glasses... my vision deteriorated every year, but every year I got the same style of glasses: huge tortoise shell glasses. Sure, now they are super cool, but damn, it was not cool being a dorky, rotund, and veritably squat kid with a lopsided haircut and huge Sally Jesse Raphael glasses with thick lenses. To make it worse, some years I even had transitions. No matter what the commercials say about transitions being the future of glasses and show really attractive people wearing them, they are really for dorks...
Guess which one is me. I'm that dork with the cool adidas shirt and the bomb transition glasses. Oh you mad cuz I'm stylin' on you? This is a picture from eighth grade trip to D.C.
Wearing glasses sucks. Now my prescription is so bad that the lenses are way thick and distort my face. Sigh.
I don't know if I'll end up getting Lasik or tough it out with contacts, but I'm so glad I have options.
Monday, February 14, 2011
MSNBC - Hardwired
MSNBC's Lean Forward campaign is great. Their commercials are a positive dot on the sea of negativity of skewed journalism.
This piece is a short argument that human kind is overall good and that the path of history is a slow march of progress.
I really do think that throughout history, we are progressing to be a better world. Little by little, we improve - but just like waves, we ebb and flow, progress and digress, but the end is certain.
I still think that the end of evolution is some sort of utopia - a post-materialistic and post-government world.
How Did the Moon Get There?
I was sad to see Keith Olbermann leave MSNBC. I think he's funny, intelligent, and definitely ballsy.
Lawrence O'Donnell has taken over his time slot. He's kind of funny too.
Tonight, he called out Bill O'Reilly for playing a character - 'I see dozens of guys I grew up with whoa re just like him - overbearing, argumentative Irish guy who think they now everything and can back up nothing... he is just a joke to me... most of the time... Billy boy, I know real Irish tough guys they don't look and sound like you and none of them come from Long Island like you, and none of them go to work in make up like you.' LOL
The Best Dream Ever
Last week, I had a dream that I was at a secret show for Tegan and Sara. I'm not a huge fan or anything, so I don't know why they were in it. I looked at the set list and saw that they were going to play 'Arrow.' Again, not a huge fan and that song is okay, but in the dream, I was stoked.
The best part was when some promo team came on stage and started throwing out tons of free snack cakes! I was like a woman at a wedding trying to catch the bouquet - pushing kids outta my way, elbowing mofos left and right. I NEED THAT CUPCAKE!
I obviously have a problem.
The best part was when some promo team came on stage and started throwing out tons of free snack cakes! I was like a woman at a wedding trying to catch the bouquet - pushing kids outta my way, elbowing mofos left and right. I NEED THAT CUPCAKE!
I obviously have a problem.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream
This is excellent. I like his style. The multiple layers of sound have almost a scary sound and remind me of Commitment #4 by Robi Draco Rosa.
He will be performing at Music Hall of Williamsburg on March 14!
The video is perfect for the song... it's a haziness and confusion created by the sounds. It reminds me of the drawing classes and drawings I used to do at Harvard.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Mexico
Mexico is in a terrible state at the moment. Aside from its normal problems of high unemployment and a stagnant economy, the last few years have seen a powerful rise of violence due to drug cartels.
It is incredible how much Mexico resembles a war zone... the thing is that this is a war with an unknown number of fronts and infinite supplies of soldiers, at least for the cartels and will continue to exist until the demand for drugs is present. How can a war like this continue, when it is a war of terror wreaked upon the nation and all of its citizens?
The state has to fight against the fire power, man power, and intelligence that all of this drug money can buy. The cartels will continue with this violence.
What is to be done? What is a realistic solution? Legalizing drugs in Mexico is a possibility. If this happens, the state can regulate production and sales in Mexico. This might give an incentive for these narcos to go legitimate... but then of course, the largest problem is that drugs would continue to be illegal in the US and so illegal outfits would still exist to smuggle the drugs into this country.
The most satisfying solution would be to wage a total war. The government would need to invest more money and recruit more soldiers and show zero mercy. Shoot to kill, arrest to kill, question to kill. The problem with this is that, without due process of law, innocent people would be killed by the states' arm.
Equally satisfying would be branding the narcos and all their henchmen so that they can feel the scorn and abuse from the populace that they have been tormenting for years. These people are sick - just sick. They recruit children. They kill innocent people, including children. Sick.
Really, what is the best solution? I really don't know. Decrease demand and prices to remove the incentive. Make the business to dangerous to be worth the risk. I don't know what else can be done.
El Blog del Narco documents this violence and shows the horrible nature of murders. You can see it here (warning: very graphic images).
It is incredible how much Mexico resembles a war zone... the thing is that this is a war with an unknown number of fronts and infinite supplies of soldiers, at least for the cartels and will continue to exist until the demand for drugs is present. How can a war like this continue, when it is a war of terror wreaked upon the nation and all of its citizens?
The state has to fight against the fire power, man power, and intelligence that all of this drug money can buy. The cartels will continue with this violence.
What is to be done? What is a realistic solution? Legalizing drugs in Mexico is a possibility. If this happens, the state can regulate production and sales in Mexico. This might give an incentive for these narcos to go legitimate... but then of course, the largest problem is that drugs would continue to be illegal in the US and so illegal outfits would still exist to smuggle the drugs into this country.
The most satisfying solution would be to wage a total war. The government would need to invest more money and recruit more soldiers and show zero mercy. Shoot to kill, arrest to kill, question to kill. The problem with this is that, without due process of law, innocent people would be killed by the states' arm.
Equally satisfying would be branding the narcos and all their henchmen so that they can feel the scorn and abuse from the populace that they have been tormenting for years. These people are sick - just sick. They recruit children. They kill innocent people, including children. Sick.
Really, what is the best solution? I really don't know. Decrease demand and prices to remove the incentive. Make the business to dangerous to be worth the risk. I don't know what else can be done.
El Blog del Narco documents this violence and shows the horrible nature of murders. You can see it here (warning: very graphic images).
Distant Relatives - Patience
A hot video for the best song on the Distant Relatives album. It's sad to see that Damian's verses are hotter than Nas'. It's actually a huge disappointment since Nas was the best rapper at one point.
Yeasayer - O.N.E.
I didn't even know they had a video until this morning when I saw this playing on MTV. The crazy colors and eighties dance moves are great.
They definitely have the best album of 2010. They recently released a live recording that can be downloaded on a pay-what-you-wish basis: Download
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