Say Hey

Even though he was nearly past his prime as a player by the time I was old enough to know who he was, I was still a huge Willie Mays fan.

Jon Stewart truly captures the reverence many of us from this age range had for Willie Mays. Nice.

He lives in a pineapple under the sea of oil

Perhaps someone might opine that an aquarium of this magnitude is The Deity's way of saying that Dubai has too much money.

More Devo

I found a clip of Devo's Wednesday performance from Whistler. It's okay. Always loved that pounding bass line in Gates Of Steel.



In other news, the G.O.P. has also announced their DEVO strategy. The ape regards his tail.

Friday Random Ten

We Both Go Down Together -- The Decemberists
Prove It -- Television
She Really Wants You -- Aimee Mann
The Return Of Jackie And Judy -- Tom Waits
Christians Inferno -- Green Day
Chicago At Night -- Spoon
Can't Buy Me Love -- The Beatles
What We Need -- Bon Savants
Why Don't You Love Me -- Hank Williams
Leave The Biker -- Fountains Of Wayne

Bloody fuckin' sick of Winter bonus cut:

Road Trippin' -- Red Hot Chili Peppers

Juan Cole

The good Doctor gives us some facts and figures as to why things don't, and frankly never will, add up for the ol' United States of Awesome.

Ted Med

This guy is kind of a horrible speaker and presenter but the topic is fascinating. My favorite term I had never heard was BAN...Body Area Network.

Matt Taibbi

I had to actually print this out and read it.

Online skimming was just too hard. It's a long and brutish piece, but well worth the time and brain power involved, that is, if you're at all interested in how we were all raped by the investment community last year.

Just sayin'.

And don't forget, Matt's blog also rules mightily.

Kid Dy-no-mite!

And in other news that will blow your mind.

WWDD

Go here to add your voice to the growing army of new spuds.

There's also downloads of the forthcoming single...

Cheney

Why is it that every time this piece of hate ends up in the hospital, the article reads that he's "resting comfortably".

Color me, yet again, disappointed. To quote Dickens; Dick, just do it and decrease the surplus population already.

Tiger, tiger, burning bright

Poetry aside...there's no Bill Blake on this blog.

Just Ted Rall.

Deposed Royalty

There's really nothing funnier than the Onion. Really.

Greed

Evidently, greed remains a good thing. I'm piqued to go see this but the trailer does render the remake potentially very cheesy.

Real Time

Bill is back with New Rules.

Al Haig

...not in control since 1981.

Well, it ain't Kissinger, but another one bites the dust for our team.

Asshole.

Gervais

Lying to Kids

When I first made my foray into digital downloads from the ITunes, I stumbled upon these podcasts by Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington. It's mostly just Gervais and Stephen screaming with glee and deriding the strident and frequently backward thinking of Karl Pilkington.

If you've never heard them do go find some samples and prepare to laugh, (if you can effectively decipher the accents).

I was once on a flight back from Amsterdam listening to the pod howling with laughter and realized that the dude across the aisle was looking at me as if I had gone mad. Perhaps I had.

Anyway, this is blisteringly funny stuff.

Friday Random Ten

War -- Mos Def
Pretty Words -- Elvis Costello
Substitute -- The Who
The Torture Never Stops -- Frank Zappa
Force Of Nature -- Pearl Jam
I Still Miss Someone -- John Doe and The Sadies
Uptown -- Robert Gordon
Army Dub -- Gomez
Broken Down Cowboy -- John Fogerty
Come On / Let's Go -- Paul Weller

Bonus Olympics Week Cut:

That's Entertainment -- The Jam

Guns in America

Again.

This broad's a one woman wrecking crew. She's also in custody which is not the traditional arc of the storyline for these types of scenes. It may produce something of value but I doubt it.

All kidding aside, I don't know if there's anything left to say about random shootings in this country. I guess it's enough to be happy that these killings don't happen a lot more often than they actually do.

I quit.

Are We Not 2010?

The Winter Games are having a party and DEVO is the house band.

In truth, I agree with much of MM has to say on the spirit of the games, but personally I have always felt that curling was far and away the most devolved of the Winter sports.

I also love this piece on the CNN where Jerry is quoted to say, "We're not trying to freak people out," he said. "We're here to be like the house band on the Titanic, to entertain everybody while we all go down together."

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro

Hunter S. Thompson and his relationship with the modern world.

The Frisbee

I love the Frisbee. Always have, always will.

Spent many a forgotten hour whipping a disc in fields, backyards and in front of University Hall at BGSU.

Who knew that the Fred Morrison, the inventor of the Frisbee who passed away this weekend, had such a great love story as the back drop to the most important recreational invention of our lifetimes.

R.I.P. Fred.

Doug Fieger

The Knack's frontman died this weekend. Too bad The Knack was so horribly popular with one main song making them the one hit wonder of the Summer of '79. They actually put out some great pop rock.

Detroit continues to amaze me. So many musicians of every stripe come outta that burg. Plus, Doug Fieger produced the only true Rubber City Rebels album so he's got that going for him.

In memorium, I'll bypass posting My Sharona and opt for this tune instead.

Fast Trains

The Chinese continue to kick ass while we just ride one.

Friday Random Ten

Dream At Tempo 119 -- Silversun Pickups
Hold On Tight -- T Bone Burnett
American Without Tears -- Elvis Costello
Giving Up The Gun -- Vampire Weekend
Orgasm Addict -- Buzzcocks
Ashes To Ashes -- David Bowie
The Club -- Nick Lowe
In My Pocket -- The Cat Empire
It Beats 4 U -- My Morning Jacket
Buffalo Soldier -- Bob Marley

Khalidascope

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Formidable Opponent - Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's Trial
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Skate Expectations

Stephen vs. Stephen rules. Now with more chiffarobe.

Hat tip to Heavy D.

Squirrelly

Something has been bugging me for a coiple weeks now and I just remembered what it was. I had meant to post something about Squirrel Appreciation Day back in January and plum forgot.

Better late than never I say.

N.A.S.A.

Spacious Thoughts from Anti Records on Vimeo.

No, not the Space Agency; the musical phenomenon. Now with more Tom Waits.

The Cleve

Nobody rules at sucking more than we do. Nobody.

Hold, please...

This is the one where Krugman tries to cheer me up and tell us that it's not as bad as it seems.

Envy

While never the most popular of the mortal sins, I've got a serious dose.

I'd love to go to Ted Active this week. Not only just to warm my bones in the California desert, but rubbing elbows with hundreds of the smartest folks going sounds about right to me.

Plus, Jill Sobule says on the Facebook that she has put together a band consisting of her, Don Was, John Doe, Sarah Watkins, Tom Morello and other music stand-outs that are playing a gig on Tuesday night. There's reason enough to go right there.

So, anybody got airfare and $4k for the week long ticket? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Kunstler

Yikes, Stripes! Jim's on fire this morning.

Super Sunday

I'm cheering for the Saints and this video* explains why. Geaux Saints!

*(hat tip to Watertiger)

Idiots

Yeah, um, these are the humans who report the "news" in America. It's as if we've become a nation of Ralph Wiggumses.

Friday Random Ten

I Gotta Move -- The Kinks
Seatbacks And Traytables -- Fountains Of Wayne
Can't Lose -- We Are Scientists
Over My Head -- Ray Davies
Failed Christian -- Nick Lowe
Red Hot -- Robert Gordon
One By One All Day -- The Shins
Travels in Nihilon -- XTC
Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy -- DEVO
David Watts -- The Jam

Nathaniel Ayres

I really disliked the film of this man's story with Jaime Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. Way too sacharine IMO.

Fortunately the original reporter has maintained his relationship with Ayres and the story continues to evolve.

Pee Wee

Pee-wee Gets An iPad! from Pee-wee Herman

Looks like PW is more a Pee-Cee dude rather than a Machead. Great little skit. Too bad several of the voices aren't the same as the originals. Several good laughs tho'.

Weezer

Here's a nice little ditty by Rivers and the boys from the Green album. A good time was had by all.

Boys and their toys

More pleas to bring rational thinking to the Pentagon.

Deficits

Until the US Govmint ceases its war mongering posture of the last 50 years, no one in D.C. has any right to be discussing budget deficits.

Prescient Ike was correct. That is all.

Phil speaks

I lurve it that the Beeb carries the adventures of PP so cavalierly on their website. Ha.

And speaking of the best team in the NBA, the game with the Grizzlies starts at 7:00

Pop Combo

It appears that ol' wacky Dave Thomas is finally loosening up his strangle hold on Pere Ubu videos going out on the inner tubes. Here's a cut from that always impressive David Sanborn show, "Night Music".

Nearly Ubu's most commercial "hit", here's their 1989 release, "Breath".

My favorite all-time quote, for which I don't have a reference is..."Pere Ubu will be looked back on as the most important group to have come out of America in the last decade and a half. Either that or they will be entirely forgotten".

Gil Scott-Heron

Let me be among the first to wish both of my readers a happy and healthy Groundhog Day. I'm also very excited about the first GSH album to appear in a long time that will undoubtedly help to get me through the next six weeks of winter.

The video ain't exactly a Chamber of Commerce welcome to NYC...

If it's Tuesday...

It must be Big Fat Whale.