Old Friends

by MCQ

Susan’s post on the 70s got me thinking about old music and the songs I used to listen to back then and I ran across old Billy Joel videos that reminded me of his album “Songs In The Attic,” which is a really great album, even if you don’t like Billy Joel much. I used to listen to that album constantly in the 80s, but the songs were mostly from the 70s. The album’s concept was essentially that it was these songs that Joel loved most, especially when he was playing live, and he kept going back to them, like old friends, so he recorded them live to reintroduce them to his audience.

I think we all have songs or albums or bands like that. They’re old, but we keep going back to them and getting them out every few years and reintroducing them to ourselves and our friends and our family, because knowing them is a way of knowing us. What are your old friends?

Here’s one of mine:

LeBron

by Rusty

Yesterday afternoon I was chatting with a friend of mine about the prospect of LeBron James moving to the Miami Heat (at this time he hadn’t made his announcement, though all signs were pointing there) and we both had conflicted feelings. After watching the spectacle last night that was him making us all feel stupid for being sports fans, I’m less conflicted. LeBron James should never be considered one of the greatest. (more…)

Unaccompanied Vocals

by HP

The recent thread on best opening tracks reminded me of one of my favorite albums and its opening track.


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Idol: Pick Yer Winner

by Rusty

Last night’s performances:
2) Lee
1) Crystal

Overall:
2) Crystal
1) Lee

I don’t know what was up with Lee last night but he sure seemed nervous or something, especially that last song. And not a good song for him to sing, by the way. Beautiful Day? Come on. And Crystal’s final performance was beautiful, one of her best. I thought it was pretty clear the judges last night liked Crystal more. Over the course of the show I think Lee has been a better performer, though Crystal has been more consistent. But you have to know at this point it doesn’t matter one bit who wins. They both have to know it as well, they’re both on their way to success in the industry. And I really believe that too, Crystal has the potential to carve out her own niche and Lee has the potential to take advantage of his very commercial talent and appeal. Tonight’s final vote is a crapshoot. Who knows who will win, but who cares. I know there are those who would prefer their favorite to NOT win, which is understandable. But I’m cheering for Lee.

Movie Review: MACGRUBER

by Supergenius

I’m typing this review on my mobile phone; it takes forever to type and I make lots of spelling errors. Perhaps it’s just as well – I suspect that a long review of MACGRUBER would be besides the point. It’s a silly movie, pre-pubescent in its nature. In that respect, it delivers pretty much exactly what you’d suspect. (more…)

Idol: Rank ‘Em 1-to-3

by Rusty

3) Casey
2) Crystal
1) Lee

Okay, was this even in question? Casey’s first was bad, second was not bad. His cheesiness still drives me nuts. Crystal’s first was bad, second was pretty good, though not as good as the judges said. In fact, some of it sounded like screeching. Lee toasted them. It wasn’t even close. The dude has chops, both songs were pretty awesome. Genius song choice on the first, and I was disappointed in Simon’s choice for the second one, though I thought Lee pulled it off brilliantly. When the back-up singers came out I started to groan, but it turned out pretty dang good, not what I was expecting at all.

Seriously, do we even need to go through with the charade next week? We know who should win, though that’s not necessarily who will.

Portal for Free

by a random John

If any of you play video games and are very cheap you might be interested in knowing that Portal is free until May 24th. The reason is to promote the launch of Steam for Mac, but it is free for both Mac and PC. Here’s the link. That is all.

Idol: Rank ‘Em 1-to-5

by Rusty

4) Michael
3) Lee
2) Crystal
1) Casey

Last week America made the right choice getting rid of Aaron and this week they will make the right choice and get rid of Mike. Lee had an off week, didn’t really do anything different with the song, but he’ll definitely be back next week. Crystal was fine, her voice sounded great, but it wasn’t a performance I’m going to remember. And Casey kind of wins by default. I liked what he did with the songs, even if the judges didn’t.

As a side note, I think this is going to be my last year of Idol. It can barely hold my interest now, especially with Simon going out next year, I just don’t think it can hold my interest for another full season.

Jeff Buckley’s Best Cover…

by Tim J

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Idol: Rank ‘Em 1-to-5

by Rusty

5) Aaron
4) Casey
3) Mike
2) Crystal
1) Lee

Okay, can we just get rid of everyone but Crystal and Lee yet? This week I didn’t have time to listen to the judges feedback, so my rank might be completely off of what people are expecting, but I don’t think so. Aaron was bad. Casey was cheese, but not as bad as Aaron. Mike was meh, as always, but sounded better than the other two. Crystal was good, but not great. And Lee once again stole the show as the only person that had any semblance of personality. It is Lee’s to lose at this point. And how can anyone not like Harry Connick?

Band of Horses + Pearl Jam = Awesomeness

by Tim J

Pearl Jam kicked off what might be their last nationwide tour in Kansas City last night. I gladly made the two-and-half hour trip to go see them for the first time. Oh, and having Band of Horses open was quite the bonus. Two birds with one stone and all. (more…)

Idol: Rank ‘Em 1-to-6

by Rusty

6) Siobhan
5) Aaron
4) Mike
3) Crystal
2) Casey
1) Lee
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Something new for you to watch

by Supergenius

First off, if you haven’t been watching Stargate Universe, you might want to think about it. It’s pretty good stuff — not BSG, but leaps above any prior Stargate series. Good acting and some compelling storylines. Highly recommended. I may consider recapping it, if there’s a critical mass (e.g. 3 people) who are interested.

Also on the new front, try out “Justified.” It’s a new series on F/X about a southern U.S. Marshal, based on an Elmore Leonard character. The characters have been interesting so far and the dialogue is great. I don’t think it is getting much buzz, but frankly it’s one of the better shows on TV right now (no offense to you Parenthood fans). You can watch all the eps so far on Hulu (at least for the next few days).

The Best Show On Television Right Now Is Not Lost…

by Rusty

It’s Parenthood. Not that they are really comparable, but I’m now consistently finding myself looking more forward to the realistic interactions between siblings on Parenthood than the ridiculous, over-dramatized conversations between the crazy characters on Lost. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lost, I’ve always been a Lost evangelist, but this season my suspension of disbelief is getting so thin it’s about to snap. I’m glad it’s ending soon.

But this post isn’t about Lost (more…)

Idol: Rank ‘Em 1-to-9 (again)

by Rusty

9) Aaron
8 ) Andrew
7) Siobhan
6) Casey
5) Mike
4) Crystal
3) Katie
2) Lee
1) Tim
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Idol: Rank ‘Em 1-to-9

by Rusty

9) Andrew
8 ) Aaron
7) Siobhan
6) Mike
5) Tim
4) Katie
3) Crystal
2) Lee
1) Casey
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Idol: Rank ‘Em 1-to-10

by Rusty

10) Tim
9) Siobhan
8 ) Aaron
7) Didi
6) Katie
5) Mike
4) Crystal
3) Casey
2) Lee
1) Andrew
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Best Elmore Leonard Adaptations

by Clark

So I’m kind of digging the new FX series, Justified. About my only complaint is that Dish only carries it isn SD rather than HD. There have been a ton of fantastic movies and TV shows from Elmore Leonard over the years. Most are adaptations of his novels or spinoffs from the same. He’s definitely one of the bigger influences on the style of cinema from folks like Tarantino. But he’s also had some real stinkers of adaptations. (The Big Bounce and Be Cool immediately leap to mind) So here’s my list of adaptations I dig. (more…)

Idol: Rank ‘Em 1-to-11

by Rusty

11) Paige
10) Tim
9) Andrew
8 ) Siobhan
7) Casey
6) Katie
5) Mike
4) Aaron
3) Lee
2) Didi
1) Crystal
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Idol: Rank ‘Em 1-to-12

by Rusty

12) Paige
11) Tim
10) Mike
9) Casey
8 ) Andrew
7) Lacey
6) Siobhan
5) Lee
4) Aaron
3) Crystal
2) Katie
1) Didi
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LOST: “Dr. Linus”"

by BTD Greg

An interesting and unexpected episode involving Ben Linus, a study in contrasts.

Spoilers from tonight’s episode and more after the break.

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Kulturblog Thrifting: What’s your greatest find?

by Bret

Ok, so this is mostly so I can brag, but also because I thought it would make an interesting conversation.

Last Friday I did my weekly run to the local Thrift Store and found the greatest treasure trove I have ever seen and perhaps ever will see. I walked down the aisle full of puzzles and boardgames (What did you expect? I’m the board game geek around here!) and found a neatly stacked row of old Avalon Hill games in pristine condition, just sitting there, all by themselves with no one to care for them. (Avalon Hill was the premiere game publisher for decades before the current renaissance instigated by the advent of the all powerful Internets) Being the cautious cheapskate that I am I quickly snapped a photo and sent it off to two of my gaming buddies. One of them promptly called me back and told me to grab them all quickly and without hesitation. I obeyed. Two games are missing some key components but otherwise they’re complete and in excellent shape.

Total price for 10 games–$30.

Total approximate value–$200-$250

Needless to say, I’ve been ecstatic even if a little unnerved that I have turned into my mother in a way I most hated as a child. However, what I want to know is what all of YOU think or have experienced with thrift shopping.

What’s your greatest find?

Is thrifting part of your lifestyle? Why or why not?

What’s the deal with our cultural obsession with finding a great deal?

Other thoughts?

Rube OK Go-ldberg

by BTD Greg

A Brief Book Review: The Battlestar Galactica Trilogy.

by Ivan

Actually, this isn’t a true “trilogy.” It’s more like “Omnibus edition of the only three licensed books that were ever released.”

I needed a BSG fix, and someone got me this for my birthday, so I read through it. Interesting, but hardly essential. The three books in this omnibus edition are:
* The Cylons’ Secret, by Craig Shaw Gardner
* Sagittarius Is Bleeding, by Peter David
* Unity, by Steven Harper

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Review: The Crazies

by Aaron Brown

Meh.

Don’t get me wrong … this remake of George A. Romero’s 1973 flick of the same name (which I haven’t seen) is actually pretty good.  By which I mean, I enjoyed myself well enough while watching it.  No unforgiveably crappy dialogue, no egregious plot flaws, no interminable stretches of boredom, punctuated by zombie attacks.  And best of all, there is plenty of suspense, a good helping of crazed zombie attacks, and lots of genuine scares.  I actually put my hands to my eyes a couple times, which is embarrassing to admit, but usually a sign that the film is working as intended.  And there are some pretty memorable gore scenes — the attack at the carwash is decent, the pitchfork attack in the hospital is quite well-done, and I felt like I hadn’t seen these scenes 1,000 times before.  The film is gory at times, but it isn’t going to set any records, and I appreciated both of these facts.

That said, my problem with the film is that it seems entirely derivative of other zombie movies.  This was 28 Days Later in a lot of ways, with a hefty dose of Outbreak for good measure.  It wasn’t horribly dark like Evil Dead, nor was it rip-roaringly funny like Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland or Evil Dead II, but it does have its comedic moments.  With few exceptions, you won’t see anything new, and you’ll find yourself saying “This is like X, but not quite as memorable.”  Also, the zombies themselves aren’t that interesting.  But that’s OK.  The film still mostly works, as it does what it needs to do competently and effectively.

If you need a zombie fix this weekend, you won’t go wrong if you catch this flick.  But when your friends ask you next month what you thought of the movie, you won’t remember, and you’ll have to tell them that.  You’ll still be thinking about 28 Days Later, or Zombieland.

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