Only 24 songs this month, as allergies messed with my throat a bit.
Aenima - Tool
Changes - David Bowie
Cult of Personality - Living Color
Everlong - Foo Fighters (w/live band)
Fairytale of New York - Pogues w/Kirsty McColl (duet w/Kate Awesome)
Father & Son - Cat Stevens
I Was Wrong - Social Distortion
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
In Bloom - Nirvana
Lean On Me - Bill Withers
Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
Put a Little Love In Your Heart - Annie Lennox & Al Green (duet w/Tyla)
Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
Regular John - Queens of the Stone Age
She Caught the Katy - Blues Brothers
Silent All These Years - Tori Amos
Solisbury Hill (live 'Little Birdie' version) - Peter Gabriel
Starlight - Muse
Substitute - Who
Too Much Time On My Hands - Styx
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Virginia Plain - Roxy Music
Whole of the Moon - Waterboys
You'll Never Find - Lou Rawls
An Idea
This post at Volokh gives me an idea: adapt and update Dead Souls to set it in the crazy 21st century milieu of subprime mortgage-backed securities.
UPDATE: I see KevinM in the comments at Volokh had a similar thought...
UPDATE: I see KevinM in the comments at Volokh had a similar thought...
Welcome Aboard
With financial reform a-brewing and the Goldman Sachs suit moving forward, I've adding another voice to the chorus of the Damned over there on the left: Bank Lawyer's Blog, which has a relatively self-explanatory title.
I Give It Four Episodes
I just watched the premiere of Happy Town. Crazy cast: Sam Neill, Amy Acker, Steven Weber, Tom Friendly, the ex-member of the Canadian Ad Mafia who scored a sitcom, that guy who isn't Peter Krause, Parker Lewis' former nemesis... it's a heck of a cast.
Too bad they'll all be unemployed in about a month.
The show seems to be aiming for some kind of midpoint between Twin Peaks and Picket Fences, skewing a little bit more David Lynch's way than David E Kelley's, and based on the first episode it certainly seemed to have some possibilities. And I guess, with Lost winding down, now's as good a time as any to try and get that audience hooked on another cock-tease of a show that will never pay off its mysteries. But I just don't see Happy Town taking off.
For one thing, it's set in Minnesota, so the hotties on the show will be wearing parkas and not skimpy torn clothing and/or bikinis. For another, the writing is kind of silly, and not in a tongue-in-cheek way. It's hard to take a show seriously when the big bad is called The Magic Man. I kept waiting for a Wilson sister cameo.
I'll probably keep watching -- Neill's having fun being creepy, and Acker is still thecutest second-cutest woman (my apologies to Karen Gillan) on television, although hopefully they give her more to do down the road. But at this point, it doesn't look like the show will be anything special.
Too bad they'll all be unemployed in about a month.
The show seems to be aiming for some kind of midpoint between Twin Peaks and Picket Fences, skewing a little bit more David Lynch's way than David E Kelley's, and based on the first episode it certainly seemed to have some possibilities. And I guess, with Lost winding down, now's as good a time as any to try and get that audience hooked on another cock-tease of a show that will never pay off its mysteries. But I just don't see Happy Town taking off.
For one thing, it's set in Minnesota, so the hotties on the show will be wearing parkas and not skimpy torn clothing and/or bikinis. For another, the writing is kind of silly, and not in a tongue-in-cheek way. It's hard to take a show seriously when the big bad is called The Magic Man. I kept waiting for a Wilson sister cameo.
I'll probably keep watching -- Neill's having fun being creepy, and Acker is still the
Jeebus H, Crist
Whoops. Crist was supposed to be making an announcement tomorrow on what he planned to do going forward, but word apparently leaked out today that he was going to run as an independent, so now he has to deny that he's made a decision yet.
The fun bit:
So, he might be in a snit Thursday and decide he isn't going to run as an independent after all. Be warned.
The fun bit:
But two Crist confidantes say he told them in phone calls he planned to announce he is running as an independent. They requested anonymity because the announcement hasn't been made. One cautioned that Crist frequently changes his mind.
So, he might be in a snit Thursday and decide he isn't going to run as an independent after all. Be warned.
Raising the Stakes
Tom Schaller, one of Nate's new grunts over at 538, gives an indication of what the downside might be if the Dems don't make a serious push for immigration reform before the midterms.
The Arizona nonsense has pretty much forced the administration's hand anyway, but just in case there was some thought to trying to manage the situation and back-burner reform, the numbers Schaller lays out should decisively scotch those plans.
The Dems need to get Latino voters energized. It's their only chance to minimize the potential damage in 2010, and have a chance of retaining control of the House.
The Arizona nonsense has pretty much forced the administration's hand anyway, but just in case there was some thought to trying to manage the situation and back-burner reform, the numbers Schaller lays out should decisively scotch those plans.
The Dems need to get Latino voters energized. It's their only chance to minimize the potential damage in 2010, and have a chance of retaining control of the House.
Out of Her Weight Class
Fareed is having a round table right now about the Goldman Sachs lawsuit, with Eliot Spitzer, Martin Wolf of the Financial Times and Andrew Ross Sorkin of the NYT. They quickly get to the heart of the suit (what it's about, how much merit there is in the case) and also the broader implications for Wall Street and the economy. It's a great discussion.
Oh, yeah, Amity Shlaes is there too, and contributing nothing. Zakaria tossed her an easy one about how Ben Bernacke's actions in creating liquidity were informed by his study of the Great Depression, and she babbled something barely coherent about Bernacke thinking he's a cardiologist. The other three are making precise, informed statements of fact, and Shlaes keeps trying to talk in generalities and metaphor. It's embarrassing, frankly.
As for Goldman Sachs? Still hemorrhaging value. Their stock price has dropped about 15% since the SEC's announcement last Friday. As Spitzer said during the panel, the suit is an almost existential crisis for Goldman and Wall Street. It's finally starting to seep out to the public exactly what it is they do, and how completely superfluous it is to the economy.
Whether they win or lose the SEC's suit is almost irrelevant.
Oh, yeah, Amity Shlaes is there too, and contributing nothing. Zakaria tossed her an easy one about how Ben Bernacke's actions in creating liquidity were informed by his study of the Great Depression, and she babbled something barely coherent about Bernacke thinking he's a cardiologist. The other three are making precise, informed statements of fact, and Shlaes keeps trying to talk in generalities and metaphor. It's embarrassing, frankly.
As for Goldman Sachs? Still hemorrhaging value. Their stock price has dropped about 15% since the SEC's announcement last Friday. As Spitzer said during the panel, the suit is an almost existential crisis for Goldman and Wall Street. It's finally starting to seep out to the public exactly what it is they do, and how completely superfluous it is to the economy.
Whether they win or lose the SEC's suit is almost irrelevant.
That's Me All Over
My tentacles were apparently reaching everywhere today, as another of email of mine ended up on Sully. If I helped introduce the Presets to new people, then I have done some good.
I Iz Faymuz?
I've seen quotes from my reviews used before, but this is the first time they've actually used my "name", as opposed to just slapping a generic Ain't It Cool label on it. Sweet! (It's at about the 1:40 mark, if you want to jump ahead.)
Look at me, ma, I'm a real film critic now! Kinda.
(h/t my friend Dan, who spotted it first)
UPDATE: OK, now I have a dilemma.
I went back and re-read my review of the Good, the Bad & the Weird from the 2008 TIFF.
The words attributed to me in that trailer ("A pure piece of entertainment... a must-see!") do not appear anywhere in my review.
There's nothing even close.
Mind you, it's a pretty glowing review, and I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiment. But now I'm wondering if they took quotes from someone else's review and stuck my name to them, or just made it up out of whole cloth -- and either way, does my fake internet name really have that much cache that it was worth using to add some credibility to the quote?
Anton Sirius apparently has a critical reputation worth stealing. Which is fantastic, because if you click the link above you'll find that my review of GB&W got posted on AICN alongside my review of a terrible little indie horror film called Deadgirl. In said review I basically said the film wasn't sick enough, and proceeded to offer examples of various sick things I thought it should have included.
Frankly, I think this makes the whole thing even more awesomely amusing, in a very Robert Anton Wilson sort of way...
Look at me, ma, I'm a real film critic now! Kinda.
(h/t my friend Dan, who spotted it first)
UPDATE: OK, now I have a dilemma.
I went back and re-read my review of the Good, the Bad & the Weird from the 2008 TIFF.
The words attributed to me in that trailer ("A pure piece of entertainment... a must-see!") do not appear anywhere in my review.
There's nothing even close.
Mind you, it's a pretty glowing review, and I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiment. But now I'm wondering if they took quotes from someone else's review and stuck my name to them, or just made it up out of whole cloth -- and either way, does my fake internet name really have that much cache that it was worth using to add some credibility to the quote?
Anton Sirius apparently has a critical reputation worth stealing. Which is fantastic, because if you click the link above you'll find that my review of GB&W got posted on AICN alongside my review of a terrible little indie horror film called Deadgirl. In said review I basically said the film wasn't sick enough, and proceeded to offer examples of various sick things I thought it should have included.
Frankly, I think this makes the whole thing even more awesomely amusing, in a very Robert Anton Wilson sort of way...
NFL Draft First Round Thoughts
Because a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and there is nothing more spectacularly futile than analyzing draft picks before they've even taken the field:
St Louis - They were locked in on Bradford, and it almost doesn't matter who they take with the rest of their picks. I don't think he's worth a first overall pick though.
Detroit - Had a great day. Suh was a no-brainer, but jumping up to grab Jahvid Best at the end of the first round was a smart move.
Tampa Bay - again, no surprise with McCoy, who won't be Warren Sapp but should be good.
Washington - I'm not sure Trent Williams over Russell Okung was the right call, but you have to think Shanahan knows his blocking scheme well enough to recognize who will work in it and who won't.
Kansas City - Eric Berry will be very, very good, and that's not just the Knoxville in me talking.
Seattle - Okung dropping to them was a nice surprise for Pete Carroll, and adding Earl Thomas was solid too. People expecting sexy skill picks like Jimmy Clausen or Dez Bryant might have been disppointed, but those are two nice building blocks.
Cleveland - I'm not sure Joe Haden will be the shutdown corner the Browns need. Can't really put my finger on why... every time I've seen him I've just got the impression that he won't really stand out in the NFL.
Oakland - McClain's another guy I think is over-rated, simply because he's the best inside LB in the pool. Makes sense the Raiders would bite on him, but he's not top 10 value.
Buffalo - This is where the draft started to get crazy. Spiller's got some serious skills and home run potential, not unlike Felix Jones in Dallas (or, for that matter, Reggie Bush) and will look great in a RB tandem with Fred Jackson. Marshawn Lynch should probably start packing his bags though.
Jacksonville - Alualu looked like a strange pick at the time, and looked even worse after everyone behind them was able to trade down. Jared Odrick fell all the way to 28; it's hard to imagine the Jags couldn't have traded down to somewhere in the 20s, still gotten Alualu, and added some value later in the draft.
San Fran - Hello, new offensive line. Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati are Frank Gore's new best friends.
San Diego - They gave up way too much to jump up and take Ryan Mathews. I've heard the talk that Houston was looking at him at #20, and maybe the Chargers couldn't find a trading partner further down in the teens, but Mathews is not going to be a replacement for Tomlinson. He's solid and will be a good stopgap in a tandem with Sproles until they get a franchise guy, but I don't think he'll be a difference maker.
Philadelphia - Adding to the pass rush was a definite need, and if Graham was the guy they liked the best it's hard to argue too much with moving up to get him, especially with Morgan and Pierre-Paul going just a few picks later. Again, though, I think they gave up too much for the move up, in terms of pure value.
NY Giants - Pierre-Paul's a project, but it's one they can afford to wait on. Solid pick.
Tennessee - Morgan will have a more immediate impact than Pierre-Paul, although he doesn't have JPP's upside. Another solid pick, both for value and need.
Pittsburgh - No surprise here. Pouncey is a born Steeler.
Atlanta - I like Weatherspoon at 19 better than I like McClain at 8 in terms of value, but neither one is Patrick Willis.
Houston - There wasn't much to separate the corners behind Haden, so Kareen Jackson is as good a pick as any.
Cincinnati - Gresham was the pick predicted in most mocks, but I'm still not sure the Bengals will even know what to do with a real tight end.
Denver - Demaryius Thomas over Dez Bryant? Hell yes. They just chased Brandon Marshall out of town; character matters now for the Broncos. As witnessed by their next pick, Tim Tebow. This is the draft that will determine Josh McDainels' future in Denver - if the choir boys pan out, he's in for the long haul. If Tebow can't handle anything but the Wildcat and Thomas gets outperformed by Bryant, the team will be looking for a new coach in 2013 or so.
Green Bay - Bulaga is great value at this point, and fits a need. Score.
Dallas - Jerry Jones lives in the past too much. They jumped up a few picks to grab the best wide receiver in the draft, in an effort to redress the 'wrong' of passing on Randy Moss way back when. Bryant doesn't really fit a huge need though, and if they don't find )-line help (of which there was plenty still on the board) and a safety (granted, there's no one available I would have rated as worth picking at the end of the first round) this pick will end up being a big mistake.
Arizona - Dan Williams dropping to them was a nice gift.
New England - McCourty is a classic Belichick first round pick, a guy who will be on the field a lot and play both on defense (nickel corner at worst, but he could end up being better than that) and as a force on special teams.
Miami - Jared Odrick is another good value pick at this point, and a nice reward for Parcells for trading down.
NY Jets - Just what Rex Ryan needed, more toys on defense. I think Wilson could end up being just about as good as Haden.
Indianapolis - With Freeney and Mathis getting older, adding another pass rush specialist in the form of Jerry Hughes was a nice get.
New Orleans - Patrick Robinson may not be special, but he should be solid.
St Louis - They were locked in on Bradford, and it almost doesn't matter who they take with the rest of their picks. I don't think he's worth a first overall pick though.
Detroit - Had a great day. Suh was a no-brainer, but jumping up to grab Jahvid Best at the end of the first round was a smart move.
Tampa Bay - again, no surprise with McCoy, who won't be Warren Sapp but should be good.
Washington - I'm not sure Trent Williams over Russell Okung was the right call, but you have to think Shanahan knows his blocking scheme well enough to recognize who will work in it and who won't.
Kansas City - Eric Berry will be very, very good, and that's not just the Knoxville in me talking.
Seattle - Okung dropping to them was a nice surprise for Pete Carroll, and adding Earl Thomas was solid too. People expecting sexy skill picks like Jimmy Clausen or Dez Bryant might have been disppointed, but those are two nice building blocks.
Cleveland - I'm not sure Joe Haden will be the shutdown corner the Browns need. Can't really put my finger on why... every time I've seen him I've just got the impression that he won't really stand out in the NFL.
Oakland - McClain's another guy I think is over-rated, simply because he's the best inside LB in the pool. Makes sense the Raiders would bite on him, but he's not top 10 value.
Buffalo - This is where the draft started to get crazy. Spiller's got some serious skills and home run potential, not unlike Felix Jones in Dallas (or, for that matter, Reggie Bush) and will look great in a RB tandem with Fred Jackson. Marshawn Lynch should probably start packing his bags though.
Jacksonville - Alualu looked like a strange pick at the time, and looked even worse after everyone behind them was able to trade down. Jared Odrick fell all the way to 28; it's hard to imagine the Jags couldn't have traded down to somewhere in the 20s, still gotten Alualu, and added some value later in the draft.
San Fran - Hello, new offensive line. Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati are Frank Gore's new best friends.
San Diego - They gave up way too much to jump up and take Ryan Mathews. I've heard the talk that Houston was looking at him at #20, and maybe the Chargers couldn't find a trading partner further down in the teens, but Mathews is not going to be a replacement for Tomlinson. He's solid and will be a good stopgap in a tandem with Sproles until they get a franchise guy, but I don't think he'll be a difference maker.
Philadelphia - Adding to the pass rush was a definite need, and if Graham was the guy they liked the best it's hard to argue too much with moving up to get him, especially with Morgan and Pierre-Paul going just a few picks later. Again, though, I think they gave up too much for the move up, in terms of pure value.
NY Giants - Pierre-Paul's a project, but it's one they can afford to wait on. Solid pick.
Tennessee - Morgan will have a more immediate impact than Pierre-Paul, although he doesn't have JPP's upside. Another solid pick, both for value and need.
Pittsburgh - No surprise here. Pouncey is a born Steeler.
Atlanta - I like Weatherspoon at 19 better than I like McClain at 8 in terms of value, but neither one is Patrick Willis.
Houston - There wasn't much to separate the corners behind Haden, so Kareen Jackson is as good a pick as any.
Cincinnati - Gresham was the pick predicted in most mocks, but I'm still not sure the Bengals will even know what to do with a real tight end.
Denver - Demaryius Thomas over Dez Bryant? Hell yes. They just chased Brandon Marshall out of town; character matters now for the Broncos. As witnessed by their next pick, Tim Tebow. This is the draft that will determine Josh McDainels' future in Denver - if the choir boys pan out, he's in for the long haul. If Tebow can't handle anything but the Wildcat and Thomas gets outperformed by Bryant, the team will be looking for a new coach in 2013 or so.
Green Bay - Bulaga is great value at this point, and fits a need. Score.
Dallas - Jerry Jones lives in the past too much. They jumped up a few picks to grab the best wide receiver in the draft, in an effort to redress the 'wrong' of passing on Randy Moss way back when. Bryant doesn't really fit a huge need though, and if they don't find )-line help (of which there was plenty still on the board) and a safety (granted, there's no one available I would have rated as worth picking at the end of the first round) this pick will end up being a big mistake.
Arizona - Dan Williams dropping to them was a nice gift.
New England - McCourty is a classic Belichick first round pick, a guy who will be on the field a lot and play both on defense (nickel corner at worst, but he could end up being better than that) and as a force on special teams.
Miami - Jared Odrick is another good value pick at this point, and a nice reward for Parcells for trading down.
NY Jets - Just what Rex Ryan needed, more toys on defense. I think Wilson could end up being just about as good as Haden.
Indianapolis - With Freeney and Mathis getting older, adding another pass rush specialist in the form of Jerry Hughes was a nice get.
New Orleans - Patrick Robinson may not be special, but he should be solid.
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