12.31.2009

top 10 albums/ep's of 2009

I don't listen to nearly as much new music as I used to, so I'm obviously missing a ton of stuff. Always looking to check more out, though. Here is a list of my favorite from 2009.

  1. Dear Landlord - Dream Homes
  2. The Arrivals - Sister Series, Vol 2 EP
  3. Propagandhi - Supporting Caste
  4. The Thermals - Now We Can See
  5. Extortion - Split w/ Septic Surge
  6. NoFX - Coaster
  7. Built To Spill - There Is No Enemy
  8. Voivod - Infini
  9. Coke Bust - Lines In The Sand
  10. Peaches - I Feel Cream
And that's an end to my 2009 lists. Happy New Year!

movies 2009

Here are all the movies released in 2009 that I've seen. Ranked from best to worst.

  1. In The Loop
  2. Anvil: The Story Of Anvil
  3. The Hangover
  4. Inglourious Basterds
  5. Brothers
  6. Moon
  7. I Love You Man
  8. Away We Go
  9. Funny People
  10. Bad Lieutenant
  11. Collapse
  12. Where The Wild Things Are
  13. The Invention Of Lying
  14. Drag Me To Hell
  15. Trick R Treat
  16. Paranormal Activity

It should be noted that I really liked everything up until Where The Wild Things Are. And there's no movie that I absolutely hated. Paranormal Activity came close, but that had more to due with the hype than the actual movie, which was bad, but not bad bad. But In The Loop and Anvil were the only standout movies. Everything else falls into the very good category. So all in all, I had a pretty good year at the movies.

happy new year!!!!

12.30.2009

girogino's

Chimichurri cheesesteak from Girogino's in Golden Hill. I forgot to add pepporoni. :( Still effin good though.

the muffs - big mouth (1993 sympathy for the music industry)



A list of my top 5 bands of all time would include The Muffs. A list of my top 5 Muffs songs would include "Big Mouth." Do the math.

  1. Big Mouth
  2. Do The Robot 



last.fm
myspace
facebook
twitter
band site

DL 'BIG MOUTH'

12.29.2009

top 7 30 for 30 episodes of 2009

Top 7 is misleading, as there were only seven episodes total. Still, 30 For 30 is the best thing ESPN has ever done. Seven documentaries, only two clunkers. Here they are, from best to worst.


1. The U


Stylewise, this reminded me of another fantastic documentary on Miami, Cocaine Cowboys. Sure enough, they are directed by the same person, Billy Corben. The rise of Miami from college football also-rans to contenders to arrogant champions is quite amazing, and makes a great story. I've always hated Miami, but The U makes me realize I'd rather have heels like Miami around than not have them at all.

2. Small Potatoes: Who Killed The USFL


I remember just enough about the USFL to recognize its teams and stars. I didn't realize the influence it had on today's NFL. Instant replay and two-point conversions being the two most obvious.

3. Muhammed And Larry 


A documentary on Ali's legendary fights would been easy and redundant. This documentary focuses on the hard-to-watch end of the Ali legend, and my emotions were all over the place. Happiness at just seeing Ali. Sadness at seeing his decline. Anger at the people who allowed this fight to happen. When I was a little kid, I (and a lot of other people) hated Larry Holmes because of this fight. After watching this, I realize that Holmes was a good man and a great fighter, and shouldn't have been punished by other people's greedy decisions.

4. The Band That Wouldn't Die


Documents the exit (and return) of NFL football in Baltimore through the view of the Baltimore Colts Band, who did not move to Indy, did not disband, and vowed to continue playing until the NFL returned to Baltimore.

5. Without Bias

Explores the ramifications of the Len Bias overdose.  From drug testing to a wholesale expansion of  federal drug laws, the impact of Bias' death extended far beyond his family and friends.

6. The Legend Of Jimmy The Greek

This was the first 30 For 30 I didn't care for. There's an interesting story here, but the way the director chose to tell it, with a Jimmy The Greek's impersonator doing the narration from a first-person perspective, was a bad decision I could never quite get past. Still, loved the archival NFL Today footage.

7. King's Ransom


The story of Wayne Gretzky being traded from Edmonton to Los Angeles is documentary worthy, even to a non-hockey fan like myself. But this just didn't work. Why is director Peter Berg playing golf with Gretzky? Why is Berg, who I kept getting confused with Kevin Dillon from Entourage, in the movie at all? Does he have a crush on Gretzky? The Chris Farley Show had harder-hitting interviews. Berg here did more non-interview filming than probably any other director in the series, and most of it is meaningless and cheesy. For instance, the opening scene of Gretzky's luxury SUV being driven into a gigantic garage. Yeah, that happened.

awww

no empathy - ashland ave (1995 beer city)



Beer City Records plus Chicago. How can you go wrong?

Previous No Empathy releases found here, here, and here
  1. Ashland Ave.
  2. Pablo Escobar.
DL 'ASHLAND AVE'

labor unions: worse than terrorism

Crikey.

An alleged attempt to blow up a transatlantic flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas would be all-consuming for the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration -- if there were one.
Instead, the post remains vacant because Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has held up President Obama's nominee in an effort to prevent TSA workers from joining a labor union.


 If that's not bad enough, he's digging his heels in.

DeMint, in a statement, said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's alleged attempted attack in Detroit "is a perfect example of why the Obama administration should not unionize the TSA." 

Yes, because a union-free TSA totally prevented Abdulmutallab from getting explosives on a plane. When he tries to explain what the fudge he's talking about, we get this meaningless blubbering.

For now, DeMint said, the TSA has "flexibility to make real-time decisions that allowed it to quickly improve security measures in response to this attempted attack." He said that if organized labor were involved, union bosses would have the power "to veto or delay future security improvements at our airports." 

Oooooohkay. Whatever that means.

South Carolina, you continue to make America proud.

10 best firefox extensions of 2009

There's a pretty good chance that Chrome will become my primary browser in 2010. But I will always have love for Firefox. Here are some of the reasons why: 
  1. Lastpass - Save all your passwords across computers/browsers.
  2. X-Marks - Save all your bookmarks across computers/browsers.
  3. SkipScreen - Makes sites like Megaupload & Rapidshare bearable.
  4. Woot! Watcher - Know what's currently being sold at Woot.com.
  5. Adblock Plus - Block ads!
  6. DownThemAll! - Download multiple files with one click.
  7. TabMixPlus - Firefox tends to adopt many of their innovations in each new release. 
  8. Greasemonkey - allows you to tweak almost any webpage. 
  9. Download Statusbar - Replaces the clunky FF download manager. 
  10. Foxytunes - Play your music within FF.

5 worst commercials of 2009

1. Charmin: If A Bear Shits In The Woods...



Sorry, do not need to see toilet paper dingleberries, I don't care how cute the bear they are attached to is.  Also, BEARS DON'T WIPE THEIR ASSES!!

2. iPod Nano



As much as I like the Mac and iPhone commercials, the iPod commericals remind me why I hate Apple. Idiotic dancing by hipster dufii combined with the lamest, most annoying indie-pop imaginable. Makes me a proud, crotchety Zune owner.

3. Progressive 



I don't understand the concept behind these commercials. Why are they in a store? What is on the shelves? And the saleswoman in them is annoying to such an extreme that her annoyingness doubles back and enters a zone in which she kinda turns me on. 

4. Levi's: Walt Whitman



Fucking pretentious as all shit. Pitchfork would give this a 10, fo sho.

5. Chevy: Howie Long 



If you drive a Dodge Ram, you're a big ol' fagpuss. Ain't that America?

Honorable mention: Miracle Whip 



This ad campaign took a sarcastic turn after Stephen Colbert just destroyed it. There's a chance that this may have been tongue-in-cheek all along. I don't know. But if it was originally meant to be sincere, this would have been number one on the list. Tone it down, Miracle Whip.

12.28.2009

5 best commercials of 2009

1. American Express


This commercial does not make me want to get an American Express card. So, for its intended purpose, it's an absolute failure. But, it does make me very happy. Except for actually getting me to buy their product, it's a perfect commercial.

2. Bank Of America: Keep The Change 

You know this one. Whatever amount you spend on your debit card, B of A will round the total up to the next dollar and transfer the difference to your savings account. It's not a new commercial, and definitely not an exciting commercial, but it does have me continually checking with my bank to see if they offer a similar program.

3. Apple: iPhone, There's An App For That



I hate Apple with a passion, but when these commercials come out, I consistently find my self in a state of iPhone envy.


4. AT&T U-Verse: Standoff



Every time I see this I am reminded of Reservoir Dogs and True Romance, and that;s a good thing. Plus, it also reminds me of those times where I am trapped by DirecTV's two at a time recording limitation. 

5. Apple: Mac Vs. PC



Weird that a company I detest has my favorite commercials. The thing is, in these commercials, I always find John Hodgeman's PC to be much more lovable than the douche-y Mac guy. And then Apple decides to team David Puddy with the PC? Sold. These Mac commercials make me so very to be a PC.

Honorable Mention: AT&T Rollover



The first time I saw this commercial, I was pretty meh. But upon subsequent viewings it bcame clear that the mom in this commercial deserves an Oscar for that death stare.

What did I miss? Comment.

n.o.t.a. - hell hole (1995 unclean)



Legendary Tulsa, OK punk rock. BUT Jeff Klein was the only original member playing on this 1995 release. BUT it's still really good. SO you should download it.

  1. Hell Hole
  2. Basket Case
  3. No Chance

last.fm
myspace

DL 'HELL HOLE' 

12.27.2009

march of the crabs

If, as Joe Leiberman seems to think (I do not believe "somebody in our government" refers to the Obama administration, actually I think Joe is speaking of himself), the fact that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was prepped for his failed potential terrorist act in Yemen means we need a preemptive war on Yemen, then why haven't we invaded Germany, where the 9-11 plot was hatched? Or why haven't we invaded The United States of America, where the attackers received the training and weapons used to carry out the attack?

12.25.2009

positive state / the twenty-two's split (1997 submit)





Positive State were a spastic HC/punk band from DC, (previous post here), while The Twenty-Two', also from DC, featured members of The Goons and played a more straightforward HC/punk, but with conga drum breakdowns thrown in for some reason I cannot explain. They do a Scream cover for good measure.  

  1. PS - Song 1
  2. PS - Song 2
  3. 22's - Moment Of Truth
  4. 22's - New Song (Scream)

DL 'POSITIVE STATE / THE TWENTY TWO'S'

six to eight black men IV: the dream master

One-Sided War wishes you a Very Merry Christmas by presenting our annual tradition: David Sedaris' "Six To Eight Black Men". Now with bonus video for the lazy!







SIX TO EIGHT BLACK MEN
by Davis Sedaris

I've never been much for guidebooks, so when trying to get my
bearings in a strange American city, I normally start by asking the
cabdriver or hotel clerk some silly question regarding the latest
census figures. I say silly because I don't really care how many
people live in Olympia, Washington, or Columbus, Ohio. They're
nice enough places, but the numbers mean nothing to me. My second
question might have to do with average annual rainfall, which,
again, doesn't tell me anything about the people who have chosen
to call this place home.

What really interests me are the local gun laws. Can I carry a
concealed weapon, and if so, under what circumstances? What's the
waiting period for a tommy gun? Could I buy a Glock 17 if I were
recently divorced or fired from my job? I've learned from
experience that it's best to lead into this subject as delicately
as possible, especially if you and the local citizen are alone and
enclosed in a relatively small space. Bide your time, though, and
you can walk away with some excellent stories. I've heard, for
example, that the blind can legally hunt in both Texas and
Michigan. They must be accompanied by a sighted companion, but
still, it seems a bit risky. You wouldn't want a blind person
driving a car or piloting a plane, so why hand him a rifle? What
sense does that make? I ask about guns not because I want one of
my own but because the answers vary so widely from state to state.
In a country that's become so homogenous, I'm reassured by these
last touches of regionalism.

Guns aren't really an issue in Europe, so when I'm traveling
abroad, my first question usually relates to barnyard animals.
"What do your roosters say?" is a good icebreaker, as every country
has its own unique interpretation. In Germany, where dogs bark "vow
vow" and both the frog and the duck say "quack," the rooster greets
the dawn with a hearty "kik-a-ricki." Greek roosters crow "kiri-a-
kee," and in France they scream "coco-rico," which sounds like one
of those horrible premixed cocktails with a pirate on the label.
When told that an American rooster says "cock-a-doodle-doo," my
hosts look at me with disbelief and pity.

"When do you open your Christmas presents?" is another good
conversation starter as it explains a lot about national character.
People who traditionally open gifts on Christmas Eve seem a bit
more pious and family oriented than those who wait until Christmas
morning. They go to mass, open presents, eat a late meal, return
to church the following morning, and devote the rest of the day to
eating another big meal. Gifts are generally reserved for
children, and the parents tend not to go overboard. It's nothing
I'd want for myself, but I suppose it's fine for those who prefer
food and family to things of real value.

In France and Germany, gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve, while
in Holland the children receive presents on December 5, in
celebration of Saint Nicholas Day. It sounded sort of quaint until
I spoke to a man named Oscar, who filled me in on a few of the
details as we walked from my hotel to the Amsterdam train station.

Unlike the jolly, obese American Santa, Saint Nicholas is painfully
thin and dresses not unlike the pope, topping his robes with a tall
hat resembling an embroidered tea cozy. The outfit, I was told, is
a carryover from his former career, when he served as a bishop in
Turkey.

One doesn't want to be too much of a cultural chauvinist, but this
seemed completely wrong to me. For starters, Santa didn't use to
do anything. He's not retired, and, more important, he has
nothing to do with Turkey. The climate's all wrong, and people
wouldn't appreciate him. When asked how he got from Turkey to the
North Pole, Oscar told me with complete conviction that Saint
Nicholas currently resides in Spain, which again is simply not
true. While he could probably live wherever he wanted, Santa chose
the North Pole specifically because it is harsh and isolated. No
one can spy on him, and he doesn't have to worry about people
coming to the door. Anyone can come to the door in Spain, and in
that outfit, he'd most certainly be recognized. On top of that,
aside from a few pleasantries, Santa doesn't speak Spanish. He
knows enough to get by, but he's not fluent, and he certainly
doesn't eat tapas.

While our Santa flies on a sled, Saint Nicholas arrives by boat
and then transfers to a white horse. The event is televised, and
great crowds gather at the waterfront to greet him. I'm not sure
if there's a set date, but he generally docks in late November and
spends a few weeks hanging out and asking people what they want.

"Is it just him alone?" I asked. "Or does he come with backup?"

Oscar's English was close to perfect, but he seemed thrown by a
term normally reserved for police reinforcement.

"Helpers," I said. "Does he have any elves?"

Maybe I'm just overly sensitive, but I couldn't help but feel
personally insulted when Oscar denounced the very idea as grotesque
and unrealistic. "Elves," he said. "They're just so silly."

The words silly and unrealistic were redefined when I learned that
Saint Nicholas travels with what was consistently described as "six
to eight black men." I asked several Dutch people to narrow it
down, but none of them could give me an exact number. It was always
"six to eight," which seems strange, seeing as they've had hundreds
of years to get a decent count.

The six to eight black men were characterized as personal slaves
until the mid-fifties, when the political climate changed and it
was decided that instead of being slaves they were just good
friends. I think history has proven that something usually comes
between slavery and friendship, a period of time marked not by
cookies and quiet times beside the fire but by bloodshed and
mutual hostility. They have such violence in Holland, but rather
than duking it out among themselves, Santa and his former slaves
decided to take it out on the public. In the early years, if a
child was naughty, Saint Nicholas and the six to eight black men
would beat him with what Oscar described as "the small branch of
a tree."

"A switch?"

"Yes," he said. "That's it. They'd kick him and beat him with a
switch. Then, if the youngster was really bad, they'd put him in
a sack and take him back to Spain."

"Saint Nicholas would kick you?"

"Well, not anymore," Oscar said. "Now he just pretends to kick
you."

"And the six to eight black men?"

"Them, too."

He considered this to be progressive, but in a way I think it's
almost more perverse than the original punishment. "I'm going to
hurt you, but not really." How many times have we fallen for that
line? The fake slap invariably makes contact, adding the elements
of shock and betrayal to what had previously been plain, old-
fashioned fear. What kind of Santa spends his time pretending to
kick people before stuffing them into a canvas sack? Then, of
course, you've got the six to eight former slaves who could
potentially go off at any moment. This, I think, is the greatest
difference between us and the Dutch. While a certain segment of
our population might be perfectly happy with the arrangement, if
you told the average white American that six to eight nameless
black men would be sneaking into his house in the middle of the
night, he would barricade the doors and arm himself with whatever
he could get his hands on.

"Six to eight, did you say?"

In the years before central heating, Dutch children would leave
their shoes by the fireplace, the promise being that unless they
planned to beat you, kick you, or stuff you into a sack, Saint
Nicholas and the six to eight black men would fill your clogs
with presents. Aside from the threats of violence and kidnapping,
it's not much different from hanging your stockings from the
mantel. Now that so few people have a working fireplace, Dutch
children are instructed to leave their shoes beside the radiator,
furnace, or space heater. Saint Nicholas and the six to eight black
men arrive on horses, which jump from the yard onto the roof. At
this point, I guess, they either jump back down and use the door,
or they stay put and vaporize through the pipes and electrical
wires. Oscar wasn't too clear about the particulars, but, really,
who can blame him? We have the same problem with our Santa. He's
supposed to use the chimney, but if you don't have one, he still
manages to come through. It's best not to think about it too hard.

While eight flying reindeer are a hard pill to swallow, our
Christmas story remains relatively simple. Santa lives with his
wife in a remote polar village and spends one night a year
traveling around the world. If you're bad, he leaves you coal. If
you're good and live in America, he'll give you just about anything
you want. We tell our children to be good and send them off to bed,
where they lie awake, anticipating their great bounty. A Dutch
parent has a decidedly hairier story to relate, telling his
children, "Listen, you might want to pack a few of your things
together before you go to bed. The former bishop from Turkey will
be coming along with six to eight black men. They might put some
candy in your shoes, they might stuff you in a sack and take you
to Spain, or they might just pretend to kick you. We don't know
for sure, but we want you to be prepared."

This is the reward for living in Holland. As a child you get to
hear this story, and as an adult you get to turn around and repeat
it. As an added bonus, the government has thrown in legalized drugs
and prostitution-so what's not to love about being Dutch?

Oscar finished his story just as we arrived at the station. He was
a polite and interesting guy-very good company-but when he offered
to wait until my train arrived, I begged off, saying I had some
calls to make. Sitting alone in the vast terminal, surrounded by
other polite, seemingly interesting Dutch people, I couldn't help
but feel second-rate. Yes, it was a small country, but it had six
to eight black men and a really good bedtime story. Being a fairly
competitive person, I felt jealous, then bitter, and was edging
toward hostile when I remembered the blind hunter tramping off
into the Michigan forest. He might bag a deer, or he might happily
shoot his sighted companion in the stomach. He may find his way
back to the car, or he may wander around for a week or two before
stumbling through your front door. We don't know for sure, but in
pinning that license to his chest, he inspires the sort of
narrative that ultimately makes me proud to be an American.

it's a wonderful life revenge fantasy

12.23.2009

santarchy 2009

The annual punk Christmas tradition.

do i need to start tivoing sesame street?

merry christmas

get out the way

2010 is already looking awesome

Ricky Gervais Gets HBO Show: "Funnyman Ricky Gervais of The Office and Extras fame is getting set to star in a 13-episode animated comedy series on HBO. The Ricky Gervais Show will be based on Gervais' popular podcast series, and will feature the voices of longtime Gervais..."

the neighbors - i'm no gentleman (1995 delux)



Back in the day I drove down to Bakersfield from Fresno to see The Queers play a pizza shop. There was a band from San Diego playing, Flounder (they later evolved into Spazboy, I believe). I was chatting to one of the Flounder dudes about San Diego, and he keeps emphasizing that I must check out The Neighbors, who he insists is the best band in San Diego. So I picked up the Punk Sucks comp, and I'll be damned if didn't have the best song on that damned comp (FYP & Everready come in 2nd & 3rd). And from that day I was a fan of The Neighbors. Moving to San Diego, I got to see them a lot, and was sad when they broke up.

The Neighbors were one of the more under appreciated bands in San Diego. The GSL and Che Cafe crowds never seemed to acknowledge them (I could very well be wrong about this, apologies if so), but they didn't fit into the Blink 182/Unwritten Law scene that was going on either. 

This 7-inch is very good, but it's much, much tamer than the stuff they would later release (all these songs were rerecorded, and appear on the first LP). Each Neighbors release becomes more and more brutal. So if you like this, you will like everything else they did. If you don't like this, you will still probably like everything else they did.
  1. Thanks
  2. Poor Country
  3. Stuck Up Bands
  4. Shut Up
  5. I'm No Gentleman
  6. Nothing Has Changed
  7. Soul
DL 'GENTLEMAN'

dominick the donkey

scooby don't - better than the last (1993 squished booger)



I'm going to have to insist that you download this. Erik from Dillinnger Four was once in this band. Their basement hosted legendary shows. They do a cover of the theme to Simon In the Land Of Chalk Drawings (which we know better from Mike Myer's Saturday Night Live sketch). Why haven't you downloaded this yet, dick?

  1. Love, Diane
  2. Old School
  3. Dischordant
  4. Trenches
  5. Trailer Park Queen
  6. Simon 





DL 'BETTER THAN THE LAST'

12.18.2009

zeke you

socialist farmers

Someone should blacklist these commies!

Local milk producers found out Thursday that they'll be getting checks from the federal government for losses incurred during a major dairy downturn this year. The money will come from a $290 million pot approved by Congress earlier this year....

Having grown up in the Central Valley, I can pretty much gaurantee you that a large percentage of farmers getting this money hold anti-government, Tea Party-type views. They will scream all day about Obama and socialism, but they never make the connection that direct payments from the government is just about the purest form of socialism.

I should be clear that I absolutely support this sort of socialism.  I just wonder how the farmers taking the money square their idealistic Rand-ian vision with reality.

a brief history of om nom nom

lynyrd's innards - sissy (1995 off time)



Fucking great, uh....pop-punk? Power-pop? I don't care what you call it. It's fucking great. Greater than a Ding Dong King Kong Sing Song Burger, in fact.  

Of course they are from Chicago. 


The recently departed Mat Arluck of Horace Pinker sometimes sang cover songs for Lynyrd's Innards. RIP.


  1. Si
  2. Target

band site
myspace
last.fm
facebook

DL 'SISSY'

12.17.2009

the decade in movies

Slate posted a list of the movies critics have commonly cited as being the best of the 00's. Instead of trying to remember all of the movies I've seen, I'm going to cherry pick their list for the ones I have seen. They are: 

  • Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
  • There Will Be Blood
  • No Country For Old Men
  • Grizzly Man
  • The Royal Tenanbaums
  • Lost In Translation
  • Slumdog Millionaire
  • Borat
  • Lives Of Others
  • Children Of Men
  • Pan's Labrynth
  • The Dark Knight
  • The Queen
  • Knocked Up
  • Capturing The Friedmans
  • Punch Drunk Love
  • L'Enfant
  • American Psycho
  • Man On Wire
  • Farenheit 911
  • Bourne Supremecy
  • Donnie Darko
  • Kill Bill Vol 1 
  • Kill Bill Vol 2 
  • Oldboy
  • A History Of Violence
  • Juno
  • Half Nelson
  • Traffic
  • Squid And The Whale
  • Capote
  • In The Loop
  • Good Night And Good Luck
  • I Heart Huckabees
  • Inglorious Basterds
  • Sideways
  • Being John Malcovich
  • Irreversible
  • Little Miss Sunshine
  • Waking Life
  • An Inconvenient Truth
  • The Departed
  • Moulin Rouge
  • Syriana
  • Hotel Rwanda
  • Audition
  • High Fidelity
  • 40-Year Old Virgin

10 Awesomest Movies They Forgot:
  1. King Of Kong
  2. Sexy Beast
  3. House Of Sand And  Fog
  4. Anvil: The Story Of Anvil
  5. Little Miss Sunshine
  6. The Wind That Shakes The Barley
  7. Monster
  8. Catch Me If You Can
  9. The Hangover
  10. The Wrestler
The 3 Worst Movies Listed:
  1. The Dark Night 
  2. Waking Life
  3. Moulin Rouge

7 Good Movies, But Terribly Overrated:
  1. Eternal Sunshine
  2. Juno
  3. Donnie Darko
  4. Half Nelson
  5. Slumdog Millionaire
  6. Lost In Translation
  7. Sideways

2 Most Disturbing Movies:
  1. Irreversible
  2. The Audition

10 Best Performances Of The Decade:

  1. Daniel Day-Lewis - Gangs Of New York
  2. Peter Capaldi - In The Loop
  3. Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
  4. Ben Kingsley - Sexy Beast
  5. Charlize Theron - Monster
  6. Jeff Daniels - Squid And The Whale
  7. Helen Mirren - The Queen
  8. Christian Bale - The Machinest
  9. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
  10. Christian Bale - American Psycho 
And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for, The Ten Best Movies Of The Decade:
  1. The Departed
  2. Kill Bill (1&2)
  3. No Country For Old Men
  4. The Squid And The Whale
  5. There Will Be Blood
  6. The King Of Kong
  7. In The Loop
  8. Sexy Beast
  9. 40-Year Old Virgin
  10. Anvil: The Story Of Anvil 
 Feel free to disagree in the comments. What did I miss?

daily beast, part infinity

I didn't realize that all of Facebook was my friend.
Facebook researchers have found that 11 percent of the approximately 100 American users are African-American, 9 percent are Latino, and 6 percent are Asian.
That this happens so often on a high-trafficked site is inexcusable.

todd margaret



This is not one of those "England has all the good shows" posts, because I don't think that's true. What country came up with Jersey Shore? Nuf said. But, I do find it sad that “The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret” is going to be aired on the UK's Channel 4, and not in the US. Will Arnet? David Cross? Somebody needs to step up and carry this in the States. I'm looking at you, HBO.

i need to move to nyc


The way everyone is just chilling, I assume this is par for the course in a NY subway.

[barstoolNY]

oblivion - product (1993 johanns face)



Oblivion is rad. That is all you need to know.
  1. Theodore
  2. Fester
  3. Yellow #5 

DL 'PRODUCT'

really?



This is who the Chargers are battling for the second seed? San Diego better win by 300.

yes, the bcs sucks, but so does the entire bowl system



Fresno State went 8-4. Not the greatest season, but not a bad one either. And when you look at who they lost to, the season looks a littel better.

Wisconsin. At Wisconsin. Lost in overtime.

Cincinnati. Undefeated Cincinnati. Lost by 8, but had a chance to tie before a late interception.

Boise State. Undefeated Boise State. Lost in a track meet.

Nevada. They got blown out. This was the only true "bad" loss of the year.

Throw in a win against Illinois in what may have been the best college football game of the season, and I thought things would be looking pretty good heading into bowl season.

Nope.

The New Mexico Bowl to play a 6-6 Wyoming team. Tickets still available!

I'm not slagging Wyoming or the New Mexico Bowl. But we've played Wyoming lots of times when they were in the WAC. Last season we had to play former WAC Colorado State. in 1999 & 2000 they played former WAC teams Utah and Air Force in bowl games.

It's not like Fresno State is not competitive against BCS teams. They have bowl wins over Georgia Tech (twice), Virginia, UCLA and USC. So while I'm glad Fresno State is  going to any bowl, it sucks that the bowl system couldn't produce a more imaginative matchup. I know, conference tie-ins. blah blah blah. It still sucks.

Then you have the Heisman. I'm not going to argue that Ryan Matthews should have won, or even should have been invited to New York. But Ryam Matthews may be the best running back in the country, and his name wasn't even mentioned as a possibility. Dude was the second leading rusher in the country, ahile missing almost two games with a concussion. I've seen a lot of great running backs at Fresno State - Lorenzo Neal, Michael Pittman, Derrick Ward - and none holds a candle to Ryan Matthews.

Watching ESPN's 30 For 30 movie on the University Of Miami, it's crazy to think that a school went from nothing to National Champions in such a short matter of time. They had the advantage of being in a major conference. In a BCS conference, all you have to do is win to get respect. If you're not in a BC conference? Well, you don't have to ask a Fresno State fan. Ask a Boise State, Utah, or TCU fan.

There's nothing you can do.

lebensreform - licht, luft, leben (1996 per koro)



This is German straightedge hardcore. Normally, those words make me think this is gonna blow. Not this time. This sucker rips. More in common with ugly hardcore like Fuckface and Artimus Pyle than any generic straightedge band. I cannot stress how much this surprised me when I first heard it. Rumor has it that that just might be the guitarist's actual blood constituting the X on the cover, but it looks like a marker to me. 

  1. Feel
  2. Für Dich!
  3. A Cry
  4. Prolog
  5. Cheesy
  6. Inner City


last.fm
myspace

DL 'LICHT LUFT LEBEN'

12.16.2009

la mesa's finest

While joining a bunch of nerds on their trinket quest, also known as "geocache-ing", I discovered that La Mesa has a corridor of murals. There are many, uh, interesting things hidden in these murals, but none as, uh, interesting as this one.

Sleep well!

snoopeez tapeworm - s/t (1996 will e survive)



Relatively obscure Chicago hardcore. This was released in 1996, but was recorded sometime in the late 80's, I believe. There are no song titles listed, no band members listed, nothing. Any info, please post in the comments.
  1. Song 1
  2. Song 2
  3. Song 3
  4. Song 4
  5. Song 5
  6. Song 6
DL 'SNOOPEEZ TAPEWORM'

12.15.2009

hi-standard - california dreamin' (1996 fat wreck chords)



A lot of people are into Japanese hardcore. I am not one of those people. Just never appealed to me. Japanese pop-punk, however, is right up my alley. And Hi-Standard is one the best Japanese pop-punk bands to have ever existed.

  1. California Dreamin' 
  2. Lonely
  3. Wait For The Sun

DL 'CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

12.14.2009

babies, corners, get it?


the face of evil

I don't think I could name five people in the world I loathe more than this guy:



I really can't explain it, but every time I see him on Iron Chef America, I want to punch the screen.

12.11.2009

relapse - s/t (1990? progression)




Same band as yesterday. I haven't learned anything new overnight. It's still Michigan straightedge. Release year is listed nowhere, so if someone can confirm, it would be appreciated.
  1. Realize
  2. Friends
  3. Wrecking Ball
  4. Playground
  5. Remember
DL 'RELAPSE'

12.10.2009

relapse - if this is right (1991 conversion)



Michigan straightedge. That's about all I can tell you.
  1. Wordless
  2. If This Is Right
  3. Maintained
  4. Gray Eminence
DL 'IF THIS IS RIGHT'

12.09.2009

jon cougar concentration camp - victoria's secret sauce (1996 mutant pop)



San Diego punk rock. IMHO, their best 7". I posted the Punk Explosion EP earlier this year; it can be found here.
  1. Victoria's Secret Sauce
  2. Don't Call Me A Spartan
  3. I'll Be Where I'm At
  4. Cooper Teen-O
DL 'VICTORIA'S SECRET SAUCE'

th' downer boys - werken men und pirates (eye 95



I posted an EP of this DC band earlier this year. Everything I wrote there applies here.

  1. Fuck This City...Phil Lives
  2. Vitus
  3. 2nd Punk
  4. 'downer 'downer
  5. Gregg Ginn
  6. Void
  7. Rick Derringer You're Dead
  8. Rob Roskopp
DL 'WERKEN MEN UND PIRATES'

12.08.2009

inherent vice soundtrack



I recently read Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice. It's a very fun read, and name drops a plethora of bands and musical artists from the 60's and earlier. Some of the stuff everyone knows (The Beatles, Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, etc). Some of it is quite obscure (Bonzo Dog Band?). And some of it just strange (Tiny Tim). I thought it would be cool to somehow compile a soundtrack to the book. So as I read, I would write down mentions of bands and songs that I would later obtain. But, once I finished the book and went online to research, I found that it wasn't exactly an original idea. A lot of people did the same thing. Even Pynchon himself.

But no one did as thorough of a job as the mystery man who posted the entire soundtrack in a zip file here.  I'm pretty sure he got every song. In order, to boot. Man, someone should really thank that guy for all of his hard work. If he had a girlfriend or fiance, I'm sure he drove her nuts. If it's even a guy. How would I know?

Download it!

EDIT: Links were bad. Now fixed. Be warned, this is a huge file. Over 100 songs, and about 400mb. 

12.07.2009

masochistic slavechildren - culture shock (1994 air bladder)



There's pretty much no information on this band anywhere. All I know id that they were from Monaca, Pennsylvania. Slowed down punk, kind of metal-ish at times, played with humor. 
  1. I Can't
  2. Mood Swing
  3. 7 Flava
  4. Hard To Tell
DL 'CULTURE SHOCK'

la torta

Adobada quesadilla.

12.04.2009

i'm having a weird dream right now, right?

I have to be. There's no way this headline can be true.


What the what?

THIS Shane MacGowan?



I didn't realize you could grow Irish Whiskey.

"So, Shane, what kind of fertilizer do you recommend?"

"SHMTTUE  SSJJJDDYYYS  SJD  SRTUYKS  LHSKEM "

planet ed - listen and understand, earthlings (1991 planet records)



A little known gem of early 90's Dayton, Ohio rock-punk. Information on the band can be found here.
1. Hollywood Erotic
2. Feelings Turn Colors
3. Tension Kid
DL 'EARTHLINGS'

12.03.2009

beta minus mechanic - '69 camaro (1996 crisis)



Gotta be honest: this is not my cup o' tea. Way, way too emo for my tastes. But I do own it, and I do not discriminate when it comes to this whole "ripping my records" project.

Beta Minus Mechanic features Erick Edwards (Earth Crisis), and
Tony Tornabene & Jason DeRose of Another Victim.

  1. Stay True
  2. '69 Camaro
  3. Missing
last.fm


DL '69 CAMARO'

12.02.2009

wwidrwd?

Here are a couple of excerpts from Ugandas proposed "Anti-Homosexuality" law (the entire bill can be read here):

2. The offence of homosexuality.

(1) A person commits the offence of homosexuality if-

(a) he penetrates the anus or mouth of another person of the same sex with his penis or any other sexual contraption;
(b) he or she uses any object or sexual contraption to penetrate or stimulate sexual organ of a person of the same sex;
(e) he or she touches another person with the intention of committing the act of homosexuality.
(2) A person who commits an offence under this section shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for life. 

3. Aggravated homosexuality.
(1) A person commits the offense of aggravated homosexuality where the...

        (f) offender is a serial offender
(2) A person who commits the offence of aggravated homosexuality shall be liable on conviction to suffer death.
I'm guessing most gays are of the serial type, not a "one-time-only-experimented-in-college" type, so that's a pretty clear case of "the government will kill you for being gay."

I'm pretty sure I know What Jesus Would Do, but What Would Influential Douche Rick Warren Do?

Warren won't go so far as to condemn the legislation itself. A request for a broader reaction to the proposed Ugandan antihomosexual laws generated this response: "The fundamental dignity of every person, our right to be free, and the freedom to make moral choices are gifts endowed by God, our creator. However, it is not my personal calling as a pastor in America to comment or interfere in the political process of other nations." On Meet the Press this morning, he reiterated this neutral stance in a different context: "As a pastor, my job is to encourage, to support. I never take sides."
Yes, Rick Warren would never, ever take sides.



Oh, but that's in America. He's talking about taking sides in other countries.  Countries like Uganda.
Days later, Warren emerged so enthusiastic after a meeting with First Lady Museveni, he announced a plan to make Uganda a “Purpose Driven Nation.” “The future of Christianity is not Europe or North America, but Africa, Asia, and Latin America,” he told a cheering throng at Makerere University. Then, Ugandan Archbishop Henry Orombi rose and predicted, “Someday, we will have a purpose driven continent!

Rick Warren has been actively been palling around with Ugandan homphobes and pushing an anti-gay agenda in Uganda for a long time.  For him to act like an uninvolved party on this is rank hypocrisy.

Like I should expect anything else.

Also, Max Blumenthal is a national treasure.

1000 mona lisas - in the red (1995 sugar fix)



1000 Mona Lisas were around at a time when I was leery of anything that even hinted of a major label affiliation. Occasionally a band like Hagfish or Wax would slip through my screening system and be thoroughly enjoyed, but generally I was pretty naive and stuck to the whole anti-major label thing. With age comes perspective, and I'm starting to realize that I probably deprived myself of a lot of good music. 1000 Mona Lisas included.  This is pretty straight ahead rock-punk, reminding me a lot of My Name or Wretch Like Me.

  1. In The Red
  2. What's The Line?
last.fm
myspace


DL 'IN THE RED'

12.01.2009

this week's "i don't care" list

1. Tiger Woods
2. White House "party crashers"

white kaps - wooly bully (1995 fearless)



SoCal skate punk, laced with a sense of humor. Ray Stinnett, who played guitar for Sam The Sham and the Pharoahs, who's major hit was "Wooly Bully" back in 1965, plays guitar on this version as well.


  1. Wooly Bully
  2. Singles
  3. Kids Song
last.fm
myspace

DL 'WOOLY BULLY'