Friday, February 29, 2008

furry balls of anxiety


Sherbie: this is what gmail's target ad for me was today
thats made for you and (redacted) esp (redacted)
its like they Photoshop in extra-sad eyes
Sherbie: yeah I'll send it to her
GPB: definitely biggest laff of the day
there are so many of them and they are nearly identical
Sherbie: I know!
they're lil clones
GPB: new gchat pic
god i cant even pick which one looks the most dejected
they are literally on the brink of puppy suicide

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

It's been done, and done again, part 2

Nina ran a tight ship.



At first I didn't like this cover on general principle, and the majority of Feist's work sounds like E-Z listenin' for hipsters to me, but there's no denying this remix.

Feist - Sea Lion Woman (Chromeo rmx)

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Moonshine


Last weekend I watched Danny Boyle's "Sunshine." I really wish I had seen it in theaters as it's one of the most visually stunning movies I've seen in a long time. It more or less completely falls apart in the third act, but it sure was preety.

The film reminded me of a conversation I had with someone last December about the lunar-landing conspiracy. I floated the idea, which I am by no means particularly attached to, that the landing or at the very least the documentation of such was a hoax. As proof to the contrary I was introduced to "Full Moon," the collection of NASA's master Apollo negatives and transparencies acquired and rescanned by photographer Michael Light in 1999. The resulting prints do arguably offer incontrovertible proof of the mission (would the government spend the time and mind-boggling expense on creating thousands of "production stills," the majority of which had never been previously available to the public? Possibly, yes, but it seems doubtful). It's impossible to look at the photographs and not automatically associate them with the hundreds of sci-fi representations you've seen of the exact same thing. What's more, Light's perception is likely just as informed by "2001" and its ilk as ours is, and the restoration process required many aesthetic choices on the his part:

Because of the scientific and documentary survey nature of the Apollo images, I have been especially careful in my use of powerful digital tools to not alter them beyond what any good printer might do in making a fine exhibition print. Naturally even this required a host of aesthetic decisions for each image -- for which I am solely responsible -- but in each case I let the information on the film lead me, not vice versa. Color was the most demanding challenge. As explained in the book's essays, the physics of human color perception on the Moon are more complex and subjective than on Earth. Film itself adds its own peculiar characteristics to a recorded image, and the type of film used and processing methods also varied from mission to mission. Color accuracy is further complicated by the fact that in the process of duplication, NASA's masters often gained a blue, green, cyan or yellow cast that simply is not present on the original film. My guide has been the fact that lunar soil, when held in the hand on the Moon's surface, appears as lighter and darker shades of gray.

I guess I just find it kind of remarkable that space travel is such a huge concept to wrap one's head around, given the enormity of the cosmos and how rife with possibilities the exploration of it is, and yet the visual lexicon of space travel — both real and fake— has been so incredibly consistent. Which I suppose is partly why some people don't find it credible at all.

Questions of scientific verity aside, these pictures are fascinating and I believe them. You can see twelve of them here.

William Safire - In Case of Moon Disaster
(more info)

Air - Kelly Watch the Stars

The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Sheeeeiiiit

So I finished the Wire Season 4 last night, and it was definitely my favorite despite being entirely Avon and Stringer-free. Everything the show sets out to do in terms of portraying the ailing city of Baltimore and its unwieldy infrastructure completely works this time around. The school system stuff, the mayoral race, and the drug war plots all interwove seamlessly. Amazing. Now I just have to wait 18 years until the final season comes out on DVD and hope certain friends of mine can finally grasp the fact that I don't like it when they tell me about major happenings/deaths on episodes I haven't seen yet. Sshh!

I've been listening to "Roc Boys" a lot at work lately and I watched the video the other day, which costars 'big paws on a puppy' Michael. This made me curious about how many other hip-hop videos Wire cast members have been in and it turns out someone did a roundup a few years ago (the answer is many, many videos and this list isn't even current). Also looked up the dude who plays Slim Charles, wondering if he's a rapper because his voice is such gravelly goodness. Not only is he a disc jockey in DC, he's a singer in a go-go band! DC go-go is something I'd never heard until I visited a DC native I was dating in college, and one of the few musical genres in which every song sounds exactly, exactly the same to me. Except for this one, obviously:

E.U. - Da Butt (2008 mix)

Watch the "Roc Boys" video here.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Daft Valentine

Someone named 'tb' left an mp3 called "Love" in the comments section of Palms Out Sounds for Valentine's Day. No confirmation on whether it's actually Thomas Bangalter yet but it sounds perfectly Daft Punk to me...listen for yourself here.

Update: No seriously, listen. I don't care if it's him or not (although it really sounds like it), this shit is flawless.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

It's early afternoon in America

Will.I.Am's Obama video makes me be all "please ScarJo and dude from "October Road," don't 'help'," but this parody response is solid gold.

(via Lindsaysim)

Candy Raver Retro


I can't ignore this song any longer. It brings out my inner gay man and brings back fond memories of my old friend Cosmo from parties back in the day who totally had a "PLUR" tattoo. Hee.

Muscles - Sweaty


If we're already getting sweaty:
Gameboy/Gamegirl - Sweaty Wet/Dirty Damp (G.L.O.V.E.S. rmx)

Friday, February 8, 2008

Worst/Best

Oh hey. I didn't see you there! How are you? That's cool...what's that? My last Old School Friday has got you wanting more of that New Jack Swing (hate me) and you want to hear the worst/best song of the era, one that's been embedded deep in the very core of your being by so many high school dances? Sure!

click here for an old friend.

"It's like a long, sharp sword" did nothing to dissuade whatever nascent feelings of apprehension I had about losing my virginity as a teen.

Completely unrelatedly, I spotted this book at B&N today: "Snoop was born a three-pound cross-eyed crack baby in East Baltimore." It's like the saying goes — art imitates life, it just offers a scarier version involving a nail gun.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Miles to Go. Miles.

Tuesday seems to have been something of a draw, but if Hillary scoops up delegates the way she did last night she just might win this thing. By "this thing," I mean the primary — I am nowhere near convinced she could ever get elected President. Put aside all the vitriol the Republican party still has in reserve for all things Clintonian or the fact that she's arguably too centrist for the liberals and too liberal for the Independents, and the elephant in the room is still the most salient point to me: She's a gaddam woman. The U.S somewhat mystifyingly remains way behind other governments it likes to feel superior to when it comes to letting a female run things, and I'm incredibly skeptical that HRC will be the one to turn this around.

This NYT op-ed is from a month ago, but I heartily recommend it. There is, in my opinion, no way to put too fine a point on this, and the issue hasn't at all been rendered obsolete by this week's events. When I picked up "Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions" in high school, Gloria Steinem's voice was a revelation to me. It flew in the face of every stupid cliche I'd been told about feminists; she wasn't humorless, she was bemused and often amused. She didn't sound angry, she sounded simply determined and above all clear as a bell. In short, she dodged all of the asinine minefields that were created to prevent people from taking her seriously. If Hillary makes it to November, I want to believe that she can do the same, and that America's response will surprise me.

Women Are Never Front Runners - Gloria Steinem (login required)

The Slits - Typical Girls
(buy)

A.C. Newman - The Town Halo
(buy)

Monday, February 4, 2008

Clean Teen Dreams


The Postmarks - Goodbye
(buy)

Shudder to Think feat. Low - Just Really Wanna See You

A very nice boy, whom I treated very poorly and did not deserve at all, put this on a mix for me back in college. Sentimental value aside, it's a sweet song from a band/dude that never got enough play. The entire "First Love, Last Rites" soundtrack is well worth purchasing.
Craig WedrenSpace

Aislers Set - Melody Not Malaise
(buy)

Friday, February 1, 2008

Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph (and Johnny)

Last night while trying to fall asleep I was thinking about how awesome the New Kids On the Block "True Hollywood Story" was, and how I bet the New Edition one is pretty great too. Which also made me remember that NKOTB had a cartoon, and that I even watched it sometimes despite not even being into them (FINE, Donnie if I had to pick).

I haven't done Old School Friday in a long time, so here. If anyone's got an mp3 of "Sensitivity", gimme. And without having seen the "THS," I think Michael Bivins wins the Michael Nesmith Award for Most Successful Boy Bander. Bobby's lost too many dignity points.
This is one of my favorite down-low rumors, second only to Mike Piazza/Sam Champion. Smoke, fire, etc.

New Edition - Candy Girl

New Edition - If It Isn't Love

Bell Biv Devoe - Poison


Johnny Gill - Rub You the Right Way