Friday Random Ten

My Chemical Romance "Teenagers" from Logan Hefflefinger on Vimeo.

Blink And You'll Miss It -- Paul Weller
Modern Love -- David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust -- David Bowie
I'll Work For Your Love -- Bruce Springsteen
Come Back Jonee -- DEVO
Right Now -- Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris
Yesterday -- The Iguanas
Lose To Win -- Colin Hay
Teenagers -- My Chemical Romance
Outsiders -- Franz Ferdinand

Bonus muggy day cut...

Love At First Sight -- XTC

Paint It Black

A Nation turns out the lights...

Juan Cole

Dr. Cole "refudiates" the former Governor of Alaska. It's like shooting fish in a barrel.

Heathers

simpsons parody of mad men | izlesene.com

I've been reading Heather Havrilesky for a while now on Salon. She's an okay writer but her stuff really shines when she's decoding the mysteries of AMC's Mad Men.

Here's her guide for the beginning of Season 4...

Give 'em enough rope

Thankfully, Frank Rich is still on the payroll of the NYTs and can distill humor and insight from the dross that is Mel Gibson.

I distinctly recall Mel's hatred of Frank Rich during that whole Passion of The Christ shtick and it's great to see it bounce back hard on ol' Mad Max and his band of right wing goons.

Friday Random Ten

Problems -- Sex Pistols
Learnt My Lesson Well -- Kaiser Chiefs
Big Weenie -- Eminem
Punchlines -- Mates Of State
Wild Honey Pie -- The Beatles
The Bird That You Can't See -- Apples In Stereo
Vision Of Division -- Strokes
Dark As The Dungeon -- Johnny Cash
Sister Disco -- The Who
Tragedy By Definition -- John Doe

Harvey Pekar...American

My pal, Mike, over at Prospect Music, sent this to me this afternoon.

Funnily enough, Anthony Bourdain was among the first things I thought of when I heard that Harvey has passed yesterday. If you haven't seen the No Reservations episode where Bourdain visits Michael Ruhlman in Cleveland, you should, it's terrific. I can't find the whole thing online so here's a taste from the utoob.

I've always been a fan of the anti-hero. Kerouac, Bukowski, Tom Waits, Nelson Algren, Billy Bragg.

Harvey Pekar was among, if not at the top of that list.

I think I read my first American Splendor around '80 or '81 and have read most, if not all of his work and own several of the books. Harvey Pekar was a very funny man and as Bourdain says in his quite brilliant coda to Harvey's life, "He was famed as a "curmudgeon", a "crank" and a "misanthrope" yet found beauty and heroism where few others even bothered to look. In a post-ironic and post-Seinfeldian universe he was the last romantic--his work sincere, heartfelt, alternately dead serious and wryly affectionate. The last man standing to wonder out loud, "what happened here?"

So long, Harvey. Sniff.

Harvey

I'm crushed. Very sad day for the Cleve...

Why we will lose

No way the United States has this kind of foresight.

Dr. Juan Cole documents the intellectual muscle of the Germans and the continued slide of 'Murka into the abyss...

Matt Taibbi

Brother Dave hipped me to this blistering assessment of The Decision.

Wow. Taibbi nails it now and forever.

Bill Needle's Shoot for the Stars

I always loved me some Bill Needle...

Friday Random Ten

What Do I Get? -- Buzzcocks
Tweakers -- Spoon
To Hell With Poverty -- Gang Of Four
Half A Woman -- Fountains Of Wayne
Hands Open -- Snow Patrol
Rebel Music -- Wyclef Jean
I Just Want To Make Love To You -- Rolling Stones
No Lonesome Tune -- Townes Van Zandt
Blacklisted -- Neko Case
Ask Me Anything -- The Strokes

And a final video tribute to Lebron James from the one and only Lily Allen...

Moms just know...

I've been ranting about this for months, and yes, I'm aware that Andy Sullivan has been nearly obsessed with Palin since the get-go, but he's not kidding here and neither am I.

She will be the G.O.P. nominee in 2012.

People are just perfectly dumb enough to award this gash the keys to the kingdom. Watch and see.

LeBored

I'm pretty much in agreement with this piece from Deadspin. I'm tired of LeBron and sports at large. Don't really care anymore.

iPhone 4

This is very funny and very NSFW.

(hat tip to Sandy Underpants over at The Aristocrats)

The Apocolypse

I've no earthly idea as to who the zany Frenchman are that made this film, but it's breathtaking. Those Southern Californians in the audience may want to avert your gaze.

15 minutes well spent watching this clip...

Religiosity

Found this out on the tubes, thought I'd share it.

Gallagher

I always hated this dipshit. Even more so after reading this "review"...

4th of July

Here's one of the best songs ever crafted about the 4th featuring a very young Dave Alvin.

Friday Random Ten

This one goes out to Bev...and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Big Moon -- John Doe
People As Places As People -- Modest Mouse
Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt -- We Are Scientists
No Brakes -- The Bravery
Jah Is Mighty -- Bob Marley
And Your Bird Can Sing -- The Beatles
Antichrist Television Blues -- Arcade Fire
Rebel Rebel -- David Bowie
Parachutes -- Pearl Jam
Between The Sheets -- The Isley Brothers

Bonus Independence Day cut:

The Infanta -- The Decemberists