Antidisingenuousmentarianism

Yes, it's after the fact, but Hanna Rosin's New Yorker piece on Patrick Henry College, the conservative Christian school that draws largely on a home-schooled field of applicants and is training the politicians and political operatives of the future, is indeed a fine one. What she evokes so beautifully is how sheltered these kids are, and willfully so. And while she doesn't judge them for it (and mentions, at the end, the ways in which they are likely to change after graduation, when they'll have to enter the world again) and makes clear how academically rigorous the school is, she seems to include all the stuff on debate as Patrick Henry's equivalent of football to point to the lack of debate in other ways.

As a child, Elisa lived on Army bases in Italy and Alaska. Then, when she was twelve, her parents left the military and moved the family to the ranch. They worried about the local public schools’ test scores and “social atmosphere.” So they ordered textbooks and videos from a Christian publisher, and taught Elisa and her brother and sister themselves. The Muenches told Elisa that she could go to the public high school, but she thought her education was better at home and, she told me, “I liked having a Christian curriculum. I knew if I was in a biology class or something I’d just start debating them on evolution.”

I would link, as well, to the Coetzee fiction piece in the same issue if it were online, since it's also excellent (about a bicyclist who loses a leg in an accident), but it is not as of yet.

What? Slacks britches sounded too Cletus?

1) Haven't really been commenting on the whole Dean of J-School sexual harrassment story, but now the ABH has some details, and seriously, that's it? No "nice cooter," no "do you know what quid pro quo means"? It's possible sexual advances were made, but don't you need to cover the other end of it, i.e., the consequences of refusing such? I can see a bit why he's ticked. AJC says comments were made about eyes and dress on separate occasions. UGA's policy doesn't, apparently, require any sort of evidence at all or allow the accused to defend himself.

A letter Wednesday from Georgia said there was evidence Soloski behaved in a way that violated the university's Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment policy. Georgia's policy is defined as unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that can create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, among other things.

Presumably there has got to be a bit more to it than that, right, especially the first one? He'll also continue to be paid $196K per year while not being dean. And people are a bit weirded out by his resignation.

2) More meth. The ring extends to Little Italy. Man, I knew they were bad people when I saw all those Pepsi products.

3) Best/probably last chance to keep Navy School open is today. Chambliss, Isakson, and Perdue "write" a piece saying exactly this and that they will try.

4) Chasteen. Hat. Ring. He'll focus on jobs. Says he's the same as States, but with different style.

5) Chamber of Commerce gets in on the Starbucks railing act, unsurprisingly, since they've been looking to pick a fight for a while now.

6) Heidi will grand marshall the Green Acres 4th of July parade in my neighborhood this weekend. Tiniest parade on record, so you know, y'all. Starts at 6 p.m. Ends at 6:15. It will be shocking if it fills that full 15 minutes.

7) ABH editorial tells Barrow County to give it a rest on the 10 Commandments thing.

As of late last week, Barrow County has spent $264,747.54 in legal fees on the lawsuit, recouping all but $52,311.40 through private donations.

Because $52K is a small amount of money? I'm sure it's a pretty significant chunk of the county's budget.

8) One letter accuses the Commission of, indeed, relishing telling people what to do. Another is disappointed with the lack of approval for bike lanes on Hawthorne.

9) R&B warns you: no nekkid fireworks this weekend.

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

Last night's Cooking Under Fire ended up chucking the right person, but for god's sake, keeping Katie was such a cop-out considering the circumstances and is just because they love her (not that they don't have reason to; she has both personality and skills). A highlight of last night was English telling the camera that he thought Katsuji was shy at first and cocky because of that. Sure. It's not just that he figured out how to play the game. Many awkward moments of chefs all stressed out trying to explain their dishes and being talked about in the third person by the judges despite standing right there. More than usual. Next? NYC.

So I finally set aside some time to sit down and listen to Get Behind Me Satan, having too much respect for the band just to pop the CD on at work while fielding calls about political science textbooks and the like. It needed to be headphoned and paid attention to. And having listened to the thing, I can finally go and read Gardner's thoughts, which I skipped before in paranoid-of-spoilers fashion--not as though an album has a plot, but still, if anyone's capable of throwing in a twist or two, it's Jack White. I'd say about half the songs are immediate stomach punchers, which is about how Elephant hit me the first time out (maybe a bit more from the earlier album). The middle lags a little. But there is great change, and if anything, the reversion to earlier methods is what causes the lags. By this I don't mean guitar riffs; the songs built around those ("Blue Orchid," "Red Rain") are solid and, to me, do have a different sound from previous ones you could file in the same very broad category. When I said "My Doorbell" was the "There's No Home for You Here", though, I was misguided and inexperienced. Substitute "The Nurse" for the first part of that analogy, and it will read correctly. I was watching the baseball game while listening, and that song came on as Rafael Furcal twisted his knee fielding a ball, and the camera just kept showing the play over and over while Jeff Porter massaged and tweaked and Furcal looked to be in tremendous pain. This seemed fitting. It's possible that, even though it's a mess, and the whole album is kind of a mess, "The Nurse" is maybe the best song on it. I don't think I can rank GBMS career-wise yet. I will need more time. But wherever it stacks up, it's an impressive evocation of chaos, sort of an angry balloon barely tethered. This balance is something that I think SFJ's New Yorker piece doesn't quite get, looking at the contrivances themselves instead of why they exist, which is to provide limitations. Meg may not be a genius on the drums, but that beat is a link to the earth and to the knowledge that perfection is not achievable. Humility v. ambition is sort of the theme one can boil the band down to, and the thread continues in the new one.

Belatedly reported because I forgot. When Hassiotis and I hit Ru San's yesterday, we saw Herbie, driving through the parking lot at first and then up into the promenade part of Beechwood and down the sidewalk (word choice?) to set up in front of the theater. Much weirdness. You heard it here first. Herbie lives in Athens. And he looked like he'd had some work done.

To this. I've been suggested some tracks in the comments that I hadn't heard, so I'll cover those here.

Mike Jones, "Still Tippin" and Back Then" -- I just hadn't gotten around to checking him out yet, but there's definitely something to it. He trips verbally over his own ridiculous teeth a bit much, but it's got style. I think I probably prefer "Back Then" a little because it's bouncier, but both tracks are good, and it's nice to hear something new and Houstony. Might make my year-end list of 100. We'll see. ["Still Tippin'" video here; "Back Then" video here]

Kasabian, "Club Foot" -- Oh no. Not me. I don't hate it, but it would never make my list. I'm not opposed to whooshing in theory, but I don't like it here. [listen here]

Bo Bice, "Inside Your Heaven" -- Ew. "Imagine" meets "More Than Words." I presume now this was not a serious suggestion? I'm really surprised at how not good his voice sounds on this. Maybe it's just a whole different level of competition when you go up against real country-rock stars. [listen at AOL Music]

Shooter Jennings, "4th of July" -- I listened to a little of this dude's stuff a month or so ago when I was hearing his name, and it didn't stick with me. It's pretty uneventful but solid, more traditionally country than some stuff being made right now, but he also doesn't have a great voice. Meh. He's no Alan Jackson. Hell, he's no his daddy. [listen here]

Feist, "Inside and Out" -- I could assess this a lot better if the site didn't keep pausing the song to buffer, which is making me crazy. She does have a very pretty voice. I suspect it could grow on me (it's surprisingly funky), but it's not hitting me immediately with its greatness. [you can watch the video/listen at the official site]

Out Hud, "One Life to Leave" -- This does at least have a beat one could theoretically dance to, but it's too high-pitched. That is, there's a drumline, but I need way, way more bass. It's taken just enough from disco and from punk to be neither, and so I'm not crazy about it although I like both those genres separately a lot. Scratch that, it's disco-post-punk if it's anything. And it's way over 5 minutes long. How much patience do I have? [get the song here]

Ashanti, "Only U" -- I did think about putting this one on the list for a long time. I liked it decently when it came out. And you know what? I screwed up on this one. It'll replace the Helen Love, since, as pointed out, that's kind of 2004. But it'd probably go farther down the list than that slot, and I don't want to reorganize the whole thing. So just imagine. Man. That guitar is pretty awesome on this. [listen at AOL Music]

Lee Ann Womack, "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" -- Hey! This is really good, Josh. Ms. Womack could also show Shooter Jennings a thing or two (even though it's a completely different genre of throwback country she's working in). Very Patsy Cline. I'll try to keep this one in mind for year-end lists. [video here]

1) Holy shnikes. Major meth bust. Are these dealers students? Or not? There's another article on the meth problem in Loganville (and hamburger eating methods).

2) I'm really not getting the gratuitous pop culture comparison here. Do people shoot each other in the neck on Friday Night Fights?

3) NASA will no doubt check what the ABH has to say on the topic before launching the shuttle.

4) Shipp talks about history of eminent domain in Georgia, some of it pretty darn recent.

5) This guy cares so much about eliminating your right to kill yourself with tobacco that he wrote in from Texas.

[bugmenot ABH]

1) Which is a better name for a kid: Hobart Welder Brown or Miller Welder Brown?

2) Please check out these snack machines. Scroll to the right to the last one and read the sign taped to it, which is mysterious (Why would anyone need to?) and definitely has a found-art quality.

King Kong is coming, and it looks pretty definite that despite much better dinosaurs, this new one will not hold a candle to the original. The trailer is up, and there's just something thoroughly off about it, from the casting of Jack Black (who looks like someone from the 1930s, but doesn't act like it) to the overemphasis on running and throwing cars. Yes, yes. The ape looks good. It's obviously more realistic than the jerky puppets of both older versions. But I'm not believing a minute of this, while the old one somehow manages to have that in spite of ridiculous plot, corny acting, extremely dated special effects, etc. For one thing, Naomi Watts just seems to be doing "vulnerable," while Fay Wray had spunk and fire. Maybe it's just the trailer gremlins doing their thing, but it strikes me that PJ is ripe for a fall. Watch and opine, here.

Quiet week again, but there is this, featuring our fave deputy:

Arrest: On June 26, deputy Laura Teet was working a license check point at U.S. Highway 441 near Friendship Circle shortly after 3 a.m. when a black Yukon pulled up and she smelled alcohol on the driver, Blake Whitesell Callaway, 43, of Tulipwood Lane, Athens. He admitted having a few drinks, but Teet noticed his mouth full and told him to spit it out. He had stuffed tobacco, mints, chewing gum and cough drops in his mouth. Outside his car, he could not perform the one-leg standing test or any of the other tests she gave him. Callaway was charged with DUI. At the same location and date, deputy David Burchett approached the driver of a 1996 Saturn and smelled alcohol on the driver, Rodney Eugene Harris, 39, of Eatonton. He read .09 on a breath test and was taken to jail on a DUI charge.

The rest here.

You can say for those fuckers: they are organized.

Even at lunch today, I swore there would be no Bloc Party on this list, but that was my bad. I was just picking them as an example, and it slipped my mind entirely that that one song is god damn good, okay? Anyway. No further ado.

My top singles of 2005 so far
1. Amerie, "1 Thing"
2. Luda feat. Bobby Valentino, "Pimpin' All Over the World"
3. Missy Elliott feat. Ciara and Fatman Scoop, "Lose Control"
4. Of Montreal “Wraith Pinned to the Mist”
5. Akon, "Lonely"
6. The Futureheads, "Decent Days and Nights"
7. Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl"
8. Brooke Valentine, “Girlfight”
9. Kelly Clarkson, "Behind These Hazel Eyes"
10. Bloc Party, "Banquet"
11. Backstreet Boys, "Incomplete"
12. R. Kelly - "Sex In The Kitchen"
13. The Killers “Mr. Brightside”
14. MC Lars, "Signing Emo"
15. Kanye West, "Diamonds"
16. Helen Love, "Debbie Loves Joey"
17. Will Smith, "Switch"
18. 112 feat. Foxy Brown, "U Already Know"
19. Baby Bash feat. Akon, "Baby, I'm Back"
20. R. Kelly “Trapped in the Closet (Parts 1-5)
21. Tegan & Sara, "Walking with a Ghost"
22. Nivea f/ Youngbloodz and Lil Jon, "Okay"
23. T.I., "U Don't Know Me”
24. Squeak E. Clean feat. Karen O., "Hello Tomorrow"
25. Bobby Valentino, "Slow Down"
25. Cowboy Troy, "I Play Chicken with the Train"
26. Regina Spektor, “Us”
27. Usher, “Caught Up”
28. Black-Eyed Peas, "Don't Phunk with My Heart"
29. Basement Jaxx, "U Don't Know Me"
30. Ashlee Simpson, “La La”
31. John Legend, "Ordinary People"
32. Snoop/Justin, "Signs"
33. Trick Daddy, "Sugar"
34. Lindsay Lohan, "Over"
35. Ben Adams, "Sorry"
36. Daft Punk, "Robot Rock"
37. The Bravery, "Fearless"
38. White Stripes, "Blue Orchid"
39. Bobby Valentino, "Slow Down"
40. Jojo, “Not That Kind of Girl”
41. Rob Thomas, "Lonely No More"
42. Stevie Wonder feat. En Vogue and Prince, "So What the Fuss"
43. The Game feat. 50 Cent, "Hate It or Love It"
44. Eminem, "Mockingbird"
45. Pretty Ricky, “Grind with Me”
46. Mario, "Here I Go Again"
47. Teedra Moses, "Be Your Girl"
48. Pitbull feat. Lil' Jon, "Toma"
49. Ciara, "1, 2 Step"
50. NIN, "The Hand That Feeds"

I'm sure the order is imperfect, and that many of you will swallow your gum when you say, e.g., "Mockingbird" on there, but that's what these things are for, innit? Bitch away and tell me what I missed.

1) UGA transportation fee going up because bus fare is too. No word on whether HOPE will cover that increase or not, despite all the debate over the Tate 2 fees not being covered.

2) No, not John, the county. Barrow still wasting its citizens' money fighting the ACLU's suit against the Ten Commandments display there. Thanks for clearing all that up, Supreme Court. ABH opines that the mess of a decision was adequate because:

In effect, the court's rulings have sent a message to local and state governments across the country that some Ten Commandments displays might survive a court challenge, but governments facing such challenges must be prepared to offer an ironclad argument that the purpose of those displays is more historical than religious. Thus, it will be up to those governments facing challenges to existing Ten Commandments displays, or contemplating the installation of new displays, to decide whether they want to commit public money to defending such displays in court.

Such pocketbook-based decisions are likely to prompt truly careful local review of existing or planned displays, and those careful reviews could result in limits on Ten Commandments displays that make them acceptable to an entire community. In that sense, the Supreme Court's Monday rulings may have sufficiently addressed the issue of Ten Commandments displays.

Hard hitting...

3) Kablooie! Oh wait, no. Twinkle twinkle.

"The only thing I wish they would have made legal are those mortar balls you could shoot out of an old pipe," said Guy Allen, an Athens man browsing for fireworks Monday. "They were just like the professional fireworks but smaller. It's the people who operate fireworks who are the problem. It's not the fireworks; it's just their poor judgment."

4) One retired sergeant has letter saying it's the administration that's the problem at the jail.

5) Community Tree Council wants ACC to take control of Prince/Milledge from DOT because the latter sucks at protecting trees. And the former?

6) There's a beaver in almost every pond in Georgia. No really. Also, there's a paragraph about a skunk that is bringing tears to my eyes. Tears. This column is classic Loran Smith.

[bugmenot ABH]

1) Towers of London, "Fuck It Up" -- This is way more slowed-down UK Andrew WK than Sex Pistols-esque. That is, it's more traditional rock than punk per se, just as the hairdos are totally metal. The instrumentation is much bigger (listen to that drum sound, for example). The only thing I can think of is that the accent is English, leading to the comparison. It's only 2.5 minutes long, and therefore can't be that annoying, even though it's certainly not that creative either. Howevs, I can see this being played in stadia across the land in a few decades, when we've descended further into decadence and don't mind four-letter expletives being boomed into the night. I can't believe this ended up with a 0.80 rating. 4. [video and audio at their official site]

2) Mystery Jets, "On My Feet" -- All I could find was a live version, but from what I read, the sloppiness is part of the aesthetic. You know who's good at switching tempos completely? Murder Beach. These guys a lot less so. I might like parts of this, and I don't mind eclecticism in a song, but does this really count as a "song"? And will I be able to tell when they shift to playing the next one? Urg. 2. [music and video here]

3) Alkaline Trio, "Time to Waste" -- Successful emotive rock, making the necessary transition from sensitive tinkly piano intro to the guitars that are implied by the speakers they're setting up in the video. Howevs, once you've had "Incomplete," everything else is just that, and really, they could've gone bigger or louder or faster or added more vocals. 3. [Quicktime video here, and I believe you can also get the song on their site]

4) Mario, "Here I Go Again" -- Lesser Timberlake, i.e., imitation Michael Jackson, but with production I'd say is inferior to both. It is very dancy, and he gets credit for that (plus for doing an up-tempo track). However. That bridge is gorgeous and unexpected, esp when combined with the rest of the song. Joe Macare's comments are most apt in that it's easy to be spoiled by better stuff, and (though I hate to admit it) the lyrics are slightly distractingly bad (that "kissing and hugging" bit is a real stretch). Still, a solid 5 on the whole. The bridge gets an 8. [You can get the video on his site by clicking on "media" then "video"]

5) Backstreet Boys, "Incomplete" -- Y'all already know I love this and have covered and rated and covered again. Am officially rerating as a 7, since it's been more than two months and I'm not tired of it yet. [still streaming on their site]

6) Royksopp, "Only This Moment" -- It's a duck. Pretty Euro-disco that seems appropriate for smooching to. Probably not excitable enough for me, but pleasant enough to listen to. 4. [video here]

7) The Tears, "Lovers" -- Gosh but that's a weird metallic tone to this whole thing, which otherwise is fairly conventional guitar pop. It's like it was run through a tambourine somehow. And it makes me like it more than I might otherwise. It's odd and noisy but unmistakeably melodic too. It's not poking me in the heart exactly, but I am reacting in a "hmm" and head nodding way. 5. [listen here]

8) The Faders, "Jump" -- Perhaps there are too many songs with similar titles that encourage one's audience to do the same (not off anything, just in place), but that gunshot/drum noise/depth charge is a nice touch and it is fast-paced and pretty cute. They're reaching the lower level Donnas stuff, I'd say. 5. [video here with registration]

9) Charlotte Church, "Crazy Chick" -- This should've been Geri Halliwell's song, if she could only sing it. Church obviously can, but I'd like to see her stretch her voice a lot more. It veers into "Walking on Sunshine" helpless pop abandon here and there, but I think a lot of the love this is receiving is novelty based. It's really solid, but those horns are pretty boring by this point in time. If we choose to go Charlotte v. Kelly in the battle of formerly squeaky clean now toughening up all-star little gals with big voices, who do you think comes out on top easily? 5. [video at her site]

Exclamation points demoted this time around, but still somewhat present. Mez Ecl Ext has finally put up the Trey Songz response song to "Trapped in the Closet." Please note that it came out after Part 1 but before any other part (so I believe). If you wanted to know more about Rufus and his Febreze habits, here's your chance.

Those of you not yet familiar with the strange, cranky thing that is Anthony Miccio (in the sidebar) might want to check out his list of the top 50 singles of 05 so far. Permalinks seem to be weird right now, but 1-10 is still high up on the page. There are obvs some I disagree with (Fitty), but I'm happy Nivea's "Okay" charted at 27 since it's mostly been under the radar. I suppose I should do this at some point too. Harrass me and I'll get around to it.

So, I received the following a few hours ago:

Hello Hillary,

Please check out our indie rock broadband radio station http://www.Radio-Indie-Pop.com.

If you like it, could you please mention it at your site? If you really like it, would you please place a link too?

We are currently playing over 1,500 songs from around 500 artists who do not receive airplay on commercial radio. Some of the music you'll hear are from The Arcade Fire, The Raveonettes, Bright Eyes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Longwave, Interpol, Steven Malkmus, Grandaddy, The Shins, and The Dandy Warhols.....

We accept no advertising so word-of-mouth means everything...

Thank you for your help in building interest in our station.

I mean, who loves indie pop more than me? Ludacris? Totally the equivalent of The Arcade Fire, right? That said, I have been listening, and they pick pretty good stuff. Today is devoted to "introspective and acoustic" stuff, and while it is making me jot down a few extra items on my shopping list (note to self: buy testicles for self, others), I actually have a bit of a weakness for the folky type of this thing. Now if I could just get this and songs about bitches on the same channel...

Remember this? It was successful in its aim.

Oh Shit I Saw John Barrow his own bad self at Athfest this weekend, chatting with a lady on the sidewalk and decidedly not dressed down for the weather or the relaxed atmosphere. Not being the type to go up to people and yell at them or interrupt conversations, I didn't say anything, but I kinda gave him the mild stink-eye, and I'm sure a lot of you did too.

1) UGA Foundation fills its slots, pledges to shift support more toward academics and away from athletics and general. This is one of the areas to watch:

Some UGA Foundation budget items still might change, Knox said, as the foundation works with the university and the newly formed Arch Foundation to determine who will provide discretionary funds for senior vice presidents and UGA President Michael Adams.

The budget the foundation approved Friday includes a $800,000 lump sum to pay for those discretionary funds - which pay for travel, memberships and other expenses - and for UGA External Affairs expenses. But, Knox said, if the UGA Foundation determines that those expenses can be paid from another fund, it will use the saved money to pay for more scholarships, fellowships and faculty supplements.

Also, vice chair says "The relationship between the university and the foundation is better than it has been in years." To which it is hard to do more in response than snort. Update: Especially when there's this article, headlined "Animosity lingers at Georgia." Sadly, it can be summarized thusly: Dooley Dooley Dooley athletics Adams and more Dooley. There is a mention that boosters are irked at the constant painting of the issue as entirely based on Dooley, but that doesn't seem to alter the Dooley-vision of the article itself.

2) Looks like the smoking ban won't include patios. (ABH gets pretty pissy about even the possibility of it doing so in a tough op-ed.) Three-laning of Hawthorne being postponed for now.

3) Don's on the Puerta del Sol story. But neighborhood association heads still seem to be stonewalling a little. At least McCarter finally says something that would indicate why he opposes it (there are other locations it could be built without rezoning). And, after the open house this weekend, things seem to be going much better.

4) Who looks like the bad guy in this situation? The multinational coffee chain that wants to stick to ADA standards or the little city government that decided everyone had to have inflexible barriers for their sidewalk cafes?

5) This article does seem to come down on the side of not letting the public into the university libraries, or at least restricting their access, despite the fact that they, in fact, fund the libraries through paying taxes.

6) Longer article on Giese that reminds one of how tense the debate over qol ordinances can be:

Green, the man who Giese found not guilty of leaving a junked car in front of his East Athens house in April, said the county pays far more attention to wealthier areas like Cobbham than to his neighborhood. Important issues like violent crime and education are ignored while commissioners debate the latest way to keep yards neat, he said. Walking down Peter and East Broad streets recently, he pointed out piles of tires and rusty cars in a vacant lot, along with houses where he says parties and fistfights keep him up at night.

On the other hand, when you read something like this, all reasonable expectations of rationality in local government priorities kind of go out the window.

7) Ooh! Winders calls Barrow "an eroding your rights for your own good kind of guy."

8) I think this column is a misstep on Shipp's part. Telling people just to get over it hasn't worked real well so far.

9) HOPE will be talked about in governor's race. Also, sun will come up tomorrow.

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

I do, y'all.

Your burning Popfest question is now answered.

Also, when Team Brown took the "Which Gilmore Girls character are you?" quiz last week (Are you mocking the obsession? You totally can), we didn't know how to answer that one question that was all: "Jess or Dean?"

Well, being two episodes from the end of season 2, we do now. Or I do, at any rate, and it is not so much of a competition, although ASP is doing a great job with the heart-ripping.

This is really a marvelous idea. In my wanderings online, trying to hear this and that so I can bring you the music news in enthusiastic Jimmy Olsen (Olson?) style, I find that most bands truly suck as far as the amount of stuff they put up for your listening pleasure, even little indie bands that aren't signed or playing arenas. So here is this, from Thunderegg (and a friend): a song per week. The equation is simple: if you let me listen to your songs, you have a much better chance of catching my interest. The stuff itself is soft and a little folky. Touch of country in Wilco fashion. Mix the vocals higher though, yo.

Land of the Dead: Note that I'm not one of the people who has been anticipating this for years. I hadn't even seen a trailer before heading to the theater. But I'm of a mind to disagree firmly with Clint & Jeremy. There are tons of flaws one can point out in it, but there is something about the pacing and the confidence with which it's done that reminds me of Carpenter's stuff. I've never been a huge Romero fan (more through absence than experience), but it is nice to see the guy who invented this shit doing it. He's much more relaxed than all the more recent zombie auteurs. He's not trying to impress you constantly. And yet, the innovation he does throw in is genuinely creative stuff, such as real sympathy for the hordes of the dead and a social conscience much deeper than the "Pepsi is evil" one of 28 Days Later. Romero gets the whole "stick it to the man" spirit, and he clearly takes real pleasure in filming scenes of rich folk being attacked and eaten by zombies. Heh. Edelstein's review is much more on the mark for me, in that he's fair in assessing the movie's weaknesses but appreciates it plenty for what it is.

  That is my new title for Athfest, as it seems to be a virtual-CH experience in many ways. Wandering from club to club, running into people you know, feeling you can check out any band playing on a whim (since it's all covered). It is good stuff, although it would be difficult to do it all the time.

So on Friday, after work, there was hanging out by the main outdoor stage and a brief wander up to the smaller one. There was Garbage Island and Jack Logan and Nikki Sudden and Pylon headlining, with thousands of pink balloons handed out to the audience. There was a teeny bit of Elf Power overheard covering "Needle in Camel's Eye." There were dudes enthusiastically handing out Coke Zero (confirmation: it is indeed foul). There was a bit of Dubconscious as we sat on the patio at Room 13. Then there were The Gaskets (see photo), a little I Am the World Trade Center (too hot), Psychic Hearts, and Contraband. There was much pain in the feet, too. And general exhaustion.

Saturday was quieter, mostly consisting of an excursion to see Murder Beach at the Caledonia, who were as cute and rock-ass as ever. Best stage banter in Athens? This is a category that, if added to the music awards, they would win pretty regularly.

It was fun, and it was tiring, and Team Brown is admittedly collectively an ass for not ever going before. Happy Athfest indeed, all. (Lots more pictures here)

That I don't get sick of "Pimpin' All Over the World" by 4:30 when I cut out of here? I am soooo holding back from giving this song a 10, but I want to very very much.

You know what else I want? To hear Of Montreal do a cover of this. Someone should get the band the sheet music, and fast. I may have said I wouldn't pay $32 to see them alone at Popfest, but I'd consider it if they'd do this song.

Yay! Old format returns.

1) Audioslave, "Your Time Has Come" -- Kravitzy? This doesn't annoy me as much as I expected it would. There is not an original thing about it, but it does make gestures in the direction of melody, and the guitar is hilarious. Fake Zeppelin riff is still a riff. Whatshisface's voice is standard rock in the boring way. Pace is upbeat though. 3, but edging toward 4. [aolmusic has it]

2) Destiny's Child, "Cater 2 U" -- Where do you go when girl power is already all over the radio, when you helped create that situation, and when you kind of want to do something different? You do a sweet, smooth R&B tune about wanting to cater to your man. This has nothing to do with caving in and far more to do with wanting something new. The song is about on the same level as "Girl," which has grown in my esteem a little with time (covered here originally), in that it's not bad, but I also know they're capable of much more than this. I like that they each get to do their own verse, but the chorus is where it's at. The video deserves a whole other set of meditations. Why are they being laser-scanned while nude at the beginning? Is this some kind of statement that the characters they're portraying are robotic commodities of some sort? Or do they just look hot when hit with a green line? I say 5 on this and update "Girl" to a 5 as well (but a higher one). [video here]

3) T.I., "A.S.A.P." -- Man, T.I., you can do better than this. At four minutes long, it's a little slow, and though the backing track is lush and layered, with actual good use of flutes, this isn't as creative as either "Bring 'Em Out" or "U Don't Know Me." Am I spoiled by the bounce of his previous tracks? Maybe, but this doesn't exploit his flow well enough. A 4 doesn't seem fair if I'm judging it against other tracks, but it does if I think about the standards he's set. [video at iFilm]

4) Luda feat. Bobby Valentino, "Pimpin' All Over the World" -- Hottttness. And not just because of that bit in the video when the cheetah turns to look at the camera like "What, motherfucker?" (which provoked much laughter the first time it was caught). Luda, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say at any point that you'd really taken a turn for the worse. You gotta believe me. I always had faith. How is this beat both smooth and crunchy? Both chocolate and peanut-butter? Slow dance and ass-shakeable? Super-up-there for the whole summer. Please to ignore people who says things like "Afro-centric misogyny." See here for rationale. Should anyone even think about listening to the lyrics? Caviar? The title alone is ridiculousness at 11. But the song? The song is a beaut. 9. [streams at Luda's site, where you can also watch the video]

5) Hawthorne Heights, "Ohio is for Lovers" -- I'd like this better if the production weren't crap. I also feel like I've heard it somewhere before, especially at the beginning, when that gentle beginning sounds so like something I own (but what I'm not sure). Lyrics and screaminess are dumb, but pro-tooled chorus vocals aren't bad. Again, though, MC Lars has trumped all this stuff. 3. [listen here]

6) Webbie feat. Bun B/Lil' Boosie, "Give Me That" -- Video apparently has Lil' Boosie instead of Bun B, and what I've heard of the latter is better than this, my first experience with Lil' Boosie. There are good aspects of this (Webbie's occasional going off the beat, the "woo-oo" keyboard in the background), but it's really not grabbing me. 4? [video streaming here]

Stylus, you have made me very happy today. I forgot that Shanice's "I Love Your Smile" existed. But now I remember, and I have, as you suggest, put all serious thinking on hold for a while. The question of the day is: Do I have the power to take it off repeat?

1) Foundation replacing trustees who have resigned/had terms end. Some are clearly moving on to the Arch Foundation, and some will be reappointed.

2) College of Education fux0red administratively. Sure, all that stuff about the "healing process" sounds ridiculous, but panties are thoroughly bunched over there. There is much conflict between the five-year review, which is created by a nine-person committee and apparently faults faculty members, and the (um) faculty members themselves. Key chunk:

A faculty survey administered by the college's Faculty Senate early this year tells a different story.

More than half of the faculty members who responded to the survey rated Castenell's performance "very poor" or "poor." About 18 percent rated his performance "very satisfactory."

And more than 60 percent of the faculty said they were "not at all confident" or "somewhat confident" in Castenell's ability "to provide quality administration for the College for the next five years."

In more than 30 pages of typed, anonymous comments obtained by the Athens Banner-Herald through an open records request, some faculty members said Castenell mismanaged the college's reorganization, "destroying the morale of the college faculty" and creating a "climate of divisiveness."

But other faculty members lauded Castenell for his efforts and for having the "guts and persistence" to push the reorganization forward.

The anonymous comments carry some weight, but Mace said he puts "a lot more credence in the fifth-year review team," partly because the way the comments are presented makes it impossible to tell how many of the comments came from the same person.

Hoo boy.

3) Perdue proposes amendment to protect HOPE scholarship, or at least that's how it's being marketed, despite the fact that there seem to be ways to get around its restrictions (as with his money-wasting website). Kemp goes smoochy-smoochy, and Taylor mentions that if there's so much extra money floating around, maybe some scholarship recipients should have the cuts restored.

4) Albany Herald has opinion column agreeing with Adams that HOPE is in some ways a disincentive to higher standards in education because suburbanites are spoiled by the low cost and buck any time someone suggests raising tuition. Maybe it's not HOPE so much as it is the entitlement of that class. Am I a broken record here? Means testing. Salary cap. Means testing. Salary cap.

5) Another article on the resurgence of Baxter Street, but with nuance. e.g., Older businesses thought it was mismanaged and more advantageous to new businesses than existing ones; whether or not there was ever a crime problem is in question; some people are uptight about Chelsea's (though not Kathy Hoard, apparently; high five!).

6) Full indoor smoking ban likely to pass with or without patio exception. Carl Jordan doesn't give a fuck about scientific evidence. Also, whether or not the cruising ordinance is working, it'll probably be renewed. Yay!

7) ABH editorial reiterates earlier points about Giese and the Commission.

8) Anti-donut man eats prunes?

9) Who won this and that at the awards last night.

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

Halliwell's has jumped on the listy thing, with a book of the 1,000 bestest movies ever. Snagged from dvdfile, here's their top 50 (with directors in parens, a couple of translations, and asterisks by those I need to see).

1. Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu)*
2. La Regle du Jeu (Jean Renoir)
3. Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean)
4. The Godfather Trilogy (Francis Ford Coppola)* (haven't seen 3)
5. Shichinin no Samurai (Akira Kurusawa)
6. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)
7. Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese)
8. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock)
9. Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder)
10. 8 ½ (Federico Fellini)
11. Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick)
12. Singin' in the Rain (Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly)
13. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese)
14. The Searchers (John Ford)
15. Det Sjunde Inseglet (The Seventh Seal) (Ingmar Bergman) *
16. Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick)
17. Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder)
18. The Third Man (Carol Reed)
19. The Apu Trilogy (Satyajit Ray) *
20. Les Enfants du Paradis (Marcel Carne)
21. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Bunuel)
22. Andrey Rublyov (Andrei Tarkovsky) *
23. La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer) *
24. Viridiana (Luis Bunuel) *
25. Toy Story (John Lasseter)
26. Rashomon (Akira Kurusawa) *
27. Smultronstallet (Wild Strawberries) (Ingmar Bergman) *
28. To Be or Not To Be (Ernst Lubitsch)
29. Sunrise : A Song of Two Humans (F.W. Murnau) *
30. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Peter Jackson) * (again, need to see 3)
31. 2001: A Space Odyssey ( Stanley Kubrick)
32. La Battaglia di Algeri (Gillo Pontecorvo) * (haven't seen all of it)
33. Alexandr Nevskiy (Sergei Eisenstein) *
34. Belle de Jour (Luis Bunuel)
35. Casablanca (Michael Curtiz)
36. GoodFellas (Martin Scorsese)
37. Tristana (Luis Bunuel) *
38. The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles)
39. Breaking the Waves (Lars von Trier)
40. Sullivan's Travels (Preston Sturges)
41. Frankenstein (James Whale)
42. Bronenosets Potyomkin (Sergei Eisenstein)
43. Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder)
44. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman)
45. Weekend (Jean-Luc Godard) *
46. Jules et Jim (Francois Truffaut)
47. A Bout de Souffle (Jean-Luc Godard) *
48. Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn)
49. Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders) *
50. Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog)

This really is a pretty darn good list as far as these things go, and while I might quibble a little here and there with inclusions and deletions and order, I gotta give big ups to Halliwell's for finding a good balance between film geek and popular fare.

Mike/Eppy has done a pretty nice job here of expressing my general frustration with those who dismiss entire genres of music. Props. I like this bit especially:

I've always hated this, as you perhaps know--it's porting morality onto art, and the results are never pretty. The two are not in any way, shape, or form compatible, because art is explicitly not life, in its essence unreal and therefore more free, in many ways. To take away this freedom is to take away a big part of why we have art itself.

Cf. the whole "Whisper Song" debate. Occasionally, when all one hears is discussion about morality in relationship to art, one starts to think they really are closely related, but stand strong oh ye aesthetes. I am newly reconvinced. Keep your morality off my art, and I'll try to do vice versa.

That opposition was the title card for the evening last night. First, the Flagpole Music Awards thing, which, while waiting to get in we joked around about, wondering if it was like the Oscars. But then it actually was, in many ways. The interstitial music was slightly overenthusiastic, the winners sometimes couldn't extricate themselves from their seats, people wandered off the stage instead of being neatly escorted into the wings, and there were awkward dance numbers (okay, one). It was an excellent illustration of all the things I love about Athens and also sometimes the things I hate, such as everyone's need to demonstrate his/her coolness and difference from the mainstream. And there was lameness too, in a way that wavered back and forth between "I can't bear this" and "this is awesome." Also musical performances, which were fun, including Bob Hay (sometime commenter) and the Jolly Beggars doing the folk/Robert Burns thing and Hope for Agoldensummer, who lived up to the hype and probably someday will be huge and play arena shows that last for hours but that people adore anyway in Springsteen fashion. Oh, and Kevin Barnes? Still a total rock star.

Parte the seconde consisted of Popperfest outside the Caledonia, in which I summoned all my steely resolve and managed to a) show up for and b) get the words "Day Jobs?" out of my mouth despite feeling lame and antisocial. And it all worked out for the best, with the exception of my desire to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. There were indeed Robo-poppers, which lived up to their reputation, and there were super-nice, friendly day jobby people. I have made it through my first blogger meet-up and survived. Cheers, all.

Picture of Brangelina and/or julienned potato > a thousand words

#20? Really? Two notches above Country Living? And where is Black Tail? I am outraged.

[bugmenot]

1) You knew it was coming, didn't you? ACC due to revisit total smoking ban, one that is actually, amazingly, not as insane as it could be. I mean, private homes are an exception. Also, the street. And patios. You laugh, but

In a work session Tuesday, commissioners agreed to kill a couple of proposals by the tobacco prevention coalition. They include banning smoking in outdoor places of employment, in private and military clubs, within 20 feet of an entrance and on outdoor patios.

They also struck that bit about being able to kick smokers in the ass with impunity.

The ban from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. passed the commission 5-5 with Davison casting the tie-breaking vote. Since then, two new commissioners, Dodson and Alice Kinman, joined the commission. They replaced John Barrow, who voted for the full ban, and Cardee Kilpatrick, who voted for the partial ban. Both Dodson and Kinman favor a full ban, so unless Davison vetoes it, a stronger ban is likely to pass.

Heidi, if you veto it, I will vote for you for mayor again. Coincidentally, or possibly not, Drek Davis's column this week is about employers testing their employees for nicotine.

2) Giant, brightly lit, freezing at all times Student Learning Center contributing to UGA's huge electric bills. If they could even keep it above about 50 degrees in most UGA buildings, imagine what that would save.

3) The brain produces its own natural marijuana, minus munchies and, oh, getting high.

4) Barrow kisses more ass.

5) ABH hates mandatory minimums for sentencing. High five!

6) Donut reactions. The conclusion to the second one is particularly heartfelt:

Doughnuts are sweet, they are not rude, they don't spread negative thoughts and most people love them.

As evidenced by your article, this world could use a lot more people like that.

Donut people!

7) Editor in chief of R&B really has it in for Nelms.

8) R&B editorial opposes naked trespassing, or at least cautions those who decide to try it maybe to wait until sundown.

9) At least UGA doesn't have it this bad.

10) School funding suit receives first hearing in Superior Court today.

The lawsuit does not explain how to determine what constitutes an "adequate" education. It also does not propose that money be shifted from wealthier school systems to poorer ones, but many metro Atlanta systems fear that will be the result.

No metro school system joined the consortium. And many superintendents worry their districts will be hurt if the lawsuit progresses, said Herb Garrett, executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association. "The large and I think more wealthy districts perceive the solution to this dilemma might be a Robin Hood solution," Garrett said, referring to the legendary hero who stole from the rich to give to the poor. "That makes them very, very nervous about it."

...The state argues the rural school systems have done little to help themselves, because they have set relatively low property tax rates. Although the state generally allows districts to levy up to $20 for each $1,000 of assessed property value, consortium systems often charge less, such as $15.50 for schools in Murray County, and $16.90 for Elbert County.

See? It's their own fault.

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

The ridiculousness that is Cooking Under Fire is back on the air after a two-week break, and decisions are becoming more arbitrary and Trumpian by the second. You say one thing slightly wrong, even if you're a good cook, and you might be getting that 86 pan. You make an effort to follow the rules you are given (work in teams, paying attention to and following your leader), and the rules are changed (ignore how actual restaurants work; take initiative instead of doing what you're told). The summary of episode 8 isn't up yet, but John Paul Abernathy is now history and it is clearer and clearer that the show is very much a part of the reality genre. Yay for the new randomness paradigm!

Update: Abernathy's reaction sums it up pretty well.

I may have mentioned how very much I love our staff listserv. Here is another example of why, not modified in any way:

Wow so now sparklers have been pushed to include bottle rockets and the like...good! I was sorely upset by the illegalization of any fireworks, took alot out of our celebrations all over the US. The fireworks just didn't have the umph they used to. Although I do say that they still should'nt be sold to minors and that all minors should have adult supervision when handing the fireworks to minor and while they are shooting them off (right then) not to be carried around where they could shoot them off later somewhere unsafe or around animals. We when kids used to be at our campground when the 4th came around and could shoot any kind that our parents bought and let us. It was fantastic fun....but some years ago my oldest brother some 48 years old, me and my son got stopped by the police for lighting a couple firecrackers into the air in a parking lot at night well away from any cars as it was very late and we were returning from the movies. It was ridiculous to us, we are reliable adult and know where its safe to light them....Should they stop watching out for people lighting them? No but if they're adult supervised and doing it in a safe area then by all means......leave them alone I say! I haven't bought fireworks outside of regular sparklers, or smoking things in years since my son was nearly born, as we didn't want to waste the money on fireworks that weren't worth watching, and didn't want son getting a hold of them when he and friends go snooping looking for them. Now he fusses to take him to the parks to see the fireworks and fight the awful crowds for 2 hours and having to pay 20 dollars to park in a parking area (I was so appalled to see that Athens areas charge to park for things like this or games...they don't charge in the big cities where parking is hard to find!) to get a place to watch 15 mins of fireworks from 100's of yards away only to have to ramrod our way through the same crowds to go right back home. It really takes away the joy we had once in celebrating the 4th of July. Been years since we've celebrated it because of issues like these. I don't believe when we were kids we burned anyones house down or forests from lighting them, thought thats what people said happened. Hmmmm watched the bottle rockets and other bursting types, flying through the sky to shed their beautiful sparks and lights over the air and trees, and can't ever recall one tree around the campground on land we owned in the country ever catching fire.... Wonder if thats just another old wives tale like "If you run with that stick in your hand you're going to end up poking your eye out." Anyone ever seen that happen either?

Your congressman, John Barrow.

For Immediate Release: June 22, 2005

Rep. John Barrow Votes to Ban Flag Burning

Georgia Congressman calls the flag a "symbol of our nation's strength, history, and heritage"; says the proposed amendment "is long overdue"

Washington, DC - Along with a solid bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives, 12th District Congressman John Barrow (D-GA) today voted in favor of a constitutional amendment that would ban the desecration of the American flag. Following the vote, Barrow issued the following statement:

"Old Glory is much more than just a piece of cloth. It's a symbol of our nation's strength, history, and heritage - representing freedom and democracy throughout the world. For well over 200 years, American men and women have given their lives to keep the flag flying and to keep our nation united. It's our responsibility to honor their sacrifices by protecting the flag.

"If we have the right to protect national treasures like the Washington Monument and the Liberty Bell, then we ought to have the right to protect the American flag as well.

"This constitutional amendment is long overdue. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have passed resolutions calling on Congress to protect the flag from physical desecration. Today's vote marks the sixth consecutive time that the House of Representatives has passed this resolution by a two-third's majority."

House Joint Resolution 10, proposing an amendment to the Constitution authorizing the Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the American flag, passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 286 - 130. The bill now heads to the United States Senate for consideration.

Pledge shouter! You suck.

Update: Hey, I sent him an email expressing my displeasure. And it didn't even use the word motherfucker, which is pretty good for me. I also checked the box saying I want a response.

Spin's 100 best from 1985-present is being talked about here and there, but I'm not sure the full list is available online anywhere, except the place I'm Ctrl-V/Ctrl-C-ing it from. Here you go. Talk amongst yourselves.

100. Strokes - Is This It
99. Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
98. Cornershop - When I Was Born For The 7th Time
97. Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
96. The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & The Lash
95. Elastica - s/t
94. Slint - Spiderland
93. Pearl Jam - Ten
92. Big Black - Atomizer
91. XTC - Skylarking
90. Sonic Youth - Sister
89. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
88. Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup
87. Blur - Parklife
86. Meat Puppets - Up On The Sun
85. REM - Automatic For The People
84. Soundgarden - Superunknown
83. At The Drive-In - Relationship Of Command
82. Jeff Buckley - Grace
81. Beck - Mellow Gold
80. D'Angelo - Voodoo
79. Moby - Everything Is Wrong
78. The Stone Roses - s/t
77. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
76. Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
75. Le Tigre - s/t
74. Portishead - Dummy
73. Pulp - Different Class
72. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
71. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy
70. Jay-Z - The Blueprint
69. DJ Shadow - Entroducing...
68. Tricky - Maxinquaye
67. Slayer - Reign In Blood
66. Outkast - Aquemini
65. Basement Jaxx - Remedy
64. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
63. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
62. Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly
61. Weezer - Pinkerton
60. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead
59. Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West
58. Metallica - Master Of Puppets
57. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
56. PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
55. The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole
54. The Breeders - Last Splash
53. Rage Against The Machine - The Battle Of Los Angeles
52. Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill
51. Nirvana - In Utero
50. New Order - Low Life
49. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of...
48. Radiohead - Kid A
47. Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full
46. The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace
45. Kanye West - College Dropout
44. Green Day - Dookie
43. B.D.P. - Criminal Minded
42. Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
41. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
40. Run D.M.C. - Raising Hell
39. Lucinda Williams - s/t
38. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
37. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
36. Pixies - Doolittle
35. Dr. Dre - The Chronic
34. Elliott Smith - Either/Or
33. Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
32. The Replacements - Tim
31. Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me
30. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
29. Fugazi - 13 Songs
28. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
27. The Cure - The Head On The Door
26. Bjork - Post
25. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
24. Sleater Kinney - Dig Me Out
23. Outkast - Stankonia
22. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
21. Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet
20. Wu Tang Clan - Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)
19. Hole - Live Through This
18. Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction
17. Nas - Illmatic
16. Beck - Odelay
15. Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville
14. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
13. Husker Du - New Day Rising
12. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
11. U2 - Achtung Baby
10. N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
9. PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me
8. Prince - Sign O The Times
7. De La Soul - 3 Ft. High And Rising
6. Pixies - Surfer Rosa
5. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
4. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted
3. Nirvana - Nevermind
2. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation...
1. Radiohead - OK Computer

Hey. At least there are black people on it. But it sure does make the past 20 years seem kind of boring.

24) "Les Noces" here is mildly sexy: the women appear first, wearing Pilar Limosner's satin black-and-white bras and panties; the men don white cotton briefs. On the stage are eight folding chairs, which the dancers straddle, stand on and grope. At times, the movement looks a bit "Flashdance," but Mr. Rioult's angular, unison vocabulary mirrors the aggressive score with a handsome, formal attack. [from "A Choreographer Employs Past Ballets as Prologue," a dance review by Gia Kourlas, 06/16/05; nothing gratuitous here]

25) "People think in my country everybody so sad, crying, terrorism," Vijay said. "We not terrorism, we dancing. Not dancing like panties falling down .... What is this panties falling down" the buttocks? And so on. [from "I Want My Hyphenated-Identity MTV," by Deborah Sontag, 06/19/05; article is about introduction of MTV Desi, MTV Chi, and MTV K]

[previously] [bugmenot NYT] [WTF?]

1) Winn-Dixies across the state are closing. This article is actually a pretty decent brief covering of why that sucks. It's also relevant here in Athens, as the two located here are among those closing.

2) There's leftover money from SPLOST 2000. Article includes a list of possible places the extra $1.1 million could go. Hey, you know what I hear needs money and was cited repeatedly as a definite and serious concern? Public transit.

3) Darius Goes West project more than halfway there funds-wise.

4) ABH editorial acts as though people actually live in those Gameday condos, as opposed to maintaining them just for 6 weekends a year. I'm not necessarily opposed to giving downtown residents a voice, but it's not as though all recent discussions haven't trended toward making the area safer and more family friendly and less about nightlife.

5) Shipp sez: "There may have been some hesitancy about coming out against lynching. But not one of our lawmakers has flinched in the battle to stop public spending on sex medicines." Meow.

6) What does a veterinarian costume look like, you ask?

7) A little more on three-laning and bike lanes in Flagpole.

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

Please. Anyone but Reagan.

Top 5 are up. I believe I am asking you to rock the vote.

Spenser and me. The whole Guyon book is more, shall we say, uptight than previously, and though it makes a lot of good points about continence/temperance, it's also very wary of pleasure. See, e.g., Canto VI, Stanza 1:

A harder lesson, to learne Continence
In ioyous pleasure, then in grieuous paine:
For sweetnesse doth allure the weaker sence
So strongly, that vneathes it can refraine
From that, which feeble nature couets faine;
But griefe and wrath, that be her enemies,
And foes of life, she better can restraine;
Yet vertue vauntes in both their victories,
And Guyon in them all shewes goodly maisteries.

Where the poem locates itself wrt appropriate levels of mirth and joy is in a different place than I am, but the idea of there being appropriate levels is something that I at least want to agree with. I just don't want anyone else determining those levels for me.

There is much theorizing going on here as to who that surprise guest will be at Popfest, complete with parsing of possible clues (this link is apparently the latest one). It is both entertaining (sheesh, these kids are young) and possibly informative.

Did you think "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games" could not get better? You were wrong, my friend, as it now has a video that is both insanely cute and full of death and pain. Yay! Only at AOL Music for now, maybe more later.

1) Tell me again why HOPE cuts were being discussed. So, uh, does an extra $400 million mean any more money for schools? Or does it just mean the legislature will shut up about cuts for a while?

2) Chief Lumpkin is saying the anti-cruising ordinance has worked as far as reducing downtown traffic, to which I cock a seriously raised eyebrow.

The amount of traffic on Friday nights dropped 14.7 percent, and the amount of traffic on Saturday nights dropped 17.8 percent, according to the results of studies Lumpkin will present to commissioners. The studies compared a non-football weekend in the fall with an April weekend.

So, who picked these weekends? Are there only two in the study? Is that statistically significant? It sure sounds like a load.

3) Shit blows up in Arcade.

4) EPD holding local meetings on pollution permits for CertainTeed and Nakanishi--the latter isn't asking for an increase, while the former is.

5) ABH has editorial reaction to their own story on working conditions at the jail.

Edwards pins blame for the jail's staffing ills squarely on a lack of funding. If the county set aside money to hire more deputies and increase pay, it would lessen the hardships on existing workers and, therefore, improve morale.

However, this dollar sign defense falls flat in light of comments former employees made during their exit interviews with the Athens-Clarke Human Resources Department.

Of 13 former employees who completed the surveys, more than two thirds of them said pay was not a major factor in their decisions to leave. In fact, some former workers told the newspaper they left the jail for lower-paying jobs with other counties.

A majority of workers who resigned from jobs at the jail in the past year cited low morale, overwork and lack of opportunity for advancement as reasons for leaving their positions at the Clarke County jail.

Wouldn't, um, overwork be a reason to "hire more deputies" and "lessen the hardships on existing workers"? It still doesn't sound to me like Edwards is completely nuts here, although there probably are management problems. The conclusion is maybe a little hyperbolic though:

We cannot reasonably expect our good fortune to continue by maintaining the status quo. Make no mistake, if the situation does not change, the pages of this newspaper will be filled with accounts of tragedies at the jail that should have been avoided.

Although it's not exactly undermined by today's police blotter report of rape and assault at the jail.

6) OMG! Children eating donuts? Lock that woman up!

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

1) Bizarre, "Rockstar" -- This isn't so terrible. Of course, I didn't mind "My Band" either. This isn't as catchy as that and it covers a lot of the same territory, but dudes rapping about sandwiches is something I like, and I'm semi-amused by his making fun of Usher etc. That is, I like Bizarre's persona and sloppy vocal style. The song itself is a minor novelty, but not one I hate listening to. 3. [video here]

2) Stereophonics, "Superman" -- Pretty much inferior to every other song called "Superman" ever written. Those vocals are pathetic. This is madly boring and very, very UK. 2. [there is a video on their site, under "media"]

3) Michael Woods and Judge Jules, "So Special" -- See remarks on Groove Coverage, "Poison." This is maybe a 4 though. [clip here]

4) Gavin DeGraw, "I Don't Want to Be" -- So Gavin DeGraw is like the male Avril? Only sans Butch Walker's gorgeous hooks. It's a bit concerned with seriousness and sincerity (rule of thumb: songs about the need for such have the opposite effect), but the chorus is okay. This could be countried up nicely and turned into a better song, perhaps by Shania or someone of the type, as they could sell that "bay-buh" better. 4. [boring video here]

5) Armand Van Helden, "Into Your Eyes" -- The song is standard repetitive disco. It's okay, but not more than that. The video, however, takes They Live and substitutes dancing for mind control and hot chicks for evil aliens. It's one of the best of the year. Song = 3. Video = 9. [watch here]

6) Hard-Fi, "Hard to Beat" -- There is something so not clicky for me about these guys. In theory, none of it is bad, because at least it has a beat and it's not too meditative or loud or anything, but it doesn't do a damn thing to make me like it either. 3, which is an improvement on their last single. [video here]

7) Erasure, "Here I Go Impossible Again" -- You know, when people put their stuff up on iTunes, they make it damn impossible to listen to elsewhere. I have heard about two seconds of this, on VH1's site, and it sounds like lovely, shiny Erasure. Maybe not their best, but very pretty. It doesn't feel like I can assign a rating based on practically nothing in this case though. [VH1's site]

8) Bobby Valentino, "Slow Down" -- Covered and rated. But now maybe upgraded to a 6, since it hasn't started to annoy me yet.

9) Ladytron, "Sugar" -- Not enough of a melody here, though it's among the better things in this vein of 90s swirl-rock that I've heard. Stylish, but not stylish enough to compensate for the squooshed range of pitches. 4. [video here with registration]

10) The Juan MacLean, "Tito's Way" -- Again, can only hear a bleep bleep here and a bloop bloop there. Sounds vaguely interesting but repetitive. Not gonna rate it. [clip here]

11) M.I.A., "Bucky Done Gun" -- As usual, I would like to be part of the club and love this stuff, but it doesn't quite grab me. I like her voice plenty, but there is magic missing that is clearly present for others. 5. [little clip here]

12) Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, "Come Up and See Me" -- Have located the original (very 1970s, with bits of Pete Townshend but much inferior, yet still, on the whole, all right) but not this new re-recording, if that's what it is. I may be wrong. Original gets a 5. [original here in Real]

zig4925: Holy fuck!
maggsandwich: holy fuck what?
zig4925: Harry Dawg's walkin' through the fuckin' SLC. How's that for "Oh Shit I saw?"
maggsandwich: awesomeness!
maggsandwich: what's he doing?
zig4925: Shit, he's walking towards me.
zig4925: I think that he wants me to shake his hand or something.
maggsandwich: do it!!
zig4925: I just col' dissed Harry Dawg!
zig4925: Fuck yeah.
maggsandwich: burn!
zig4925: I just kept looking at the comp screen furiously typing away, pretending not to notice.

Orientation is an awesome time of year.

It's all very well and good to try to be nice and even to understand the fanboy thing to some extent. I mean, I went to the fancy late-night sneak screening of Kill Bill and dragged myself to work on no sleep. It's the rare person who has not a drop of that aspect in him-/herself. But even when you share a common interest, there are moments when the snarky laughter cannot be suppressed. And in this article, that moment comes at "and a cheesecake."

Oh shit, I think I saw Vince Dooley this morning, while changing buses. He was driving down Sanford in a red new T-Bird with the top down and not wearing a hat or sunglasses. It was early, and I'm not positive, but that beak is pretty unmistakeable. On the pro side, the car was very much Georgia red, but on the con, the license plate had no telltale G (I'm not even sure it was state of Georgia).

Kells + Game = "Playas Only," which is actually sadly lacking, considering the contributors. This sounds way more like the latter than the former, and quite a bit like tons of stuff out there, with the flutey bits and the vaguely ethnic trills. Kells can do much better than this.

However. There are several things that make the video worth your time.

1) Does he seriously just get bored of that one car? Does he do this a lot? It must require quite a fleet. He also seems to change his clothes.

2) Um. There's a card.

If the whole thing consisted of Kells and the girls in the speedboat, I think I would prefer that. It looks like they're rushing to the rescue, and it looks also a little like many an Elvis waterskiing scene. (Two format options at his official site, but Quicktime doesn't seem to be working.)

Finally, after a day of trying, it works. Purpology says things about the new Missy video (and links it; last one mentioned in this entry). I can't say 'em any better. Matthew Barney is pretty good, but Missy might be superior (?!?).

Salon's series of people reading classics they've never read and then writing about them is at least an interesting idea. For one thing, it's nice to see a focus on classics that isn't all "people should just read these because they should read them" and is far more about the actual experience of reading. But the reactions are too short and, in some ways, one tends to get annoyed with people for not having read this stuff. This week's is Jane Eyre, and all the comparisons to modern literature and TV feel bizarre and lifestyley.

More distracting to my concentration was the sound of the first season of "Sex and the City" playing on DVD in the next room. Although I maintain the show is little more than dolled-up porn, my daughter and her visiting friend see it as the pinnacle of urban sophistication, and I'd have needed to summon a serious level of hypocrisy to issue a ban. So Carrie and her friends provided background noise to my reading, chattering about their sexual entanglements just as Jane was confronted with the stark choice of taking on Rochester's dark past or assuming a missionary position with the sanctimonious young rector St. John Rivers. Once again, I was struck by how easily "Jane Eyre" can be seen as providing a touchstone for a popular contemporary work, though in Carrie's case the mercurial, mysterious forty-something is Mr. Big, and the boyish alternative has a stud in his tongue.

Couldn't you make this comparison to any work where your heroine is choosing between two boys (Bridget Jones's Diary, for example)? And it's not as though St. John is really a romantic choice in any way. There is a later paragraph I won't cut and paste, so as not to spoil anything for those who haven't read the novel, but it begins "My favorite moment in the novel," and it bothers me in its contemporary reading, which I think is mostly off, at least in the way that it pushes Jane's religious feeling to the side.

1) Smaller/subsidiary foundations (alumni, research, athletic) that used the UGA Foundation to manage some of their money will have to decide which foundation the $$ go to. I'm sure the university isn't strongly nudging in a particular direction.

2) Colleges and universities want new buildings. Because they always do. And sometimes they are more necessary than other times.

"I would like to see it increase, considering what we're facing in the way of growth that's going to be coming into the system in the next 10, 15 years," said state Sen. Brian Kemp, R-Athens and chairman of the higher education subcommittee on the Senate's budget-writing panel.

Do you mean soon-no-longer-to-be-state-Sen. Brian Kemp? Who can now say whatever he wants since he most likely won't be responsible for following through on it? At any rate, buildings are part of what's needed when enrollment increases, but people to teach classes might be more important, to give one example.

3) Chamber, Commission fighting over 3-laning of Hawthorne, zoning. Charlie Maddox might run for mayor (and be more pro-active, oy), and Heidi wants downtown residents to have more of a say on ADDA. Chamber is also still trying to figure out what impact Navy School closing would have on Athens.

4) Normally, "modernizing" would seem to imply fixing something that is broken, or modifying something that already exists. Bulldozing something completely and building a new thing on that site is not modernizing.

5) Even though toll roads are no longer an option, private developers still want in on some of that 316 action. There's still cashola there. ABH editorial says they've screwed themselves by doing what's popular and cutting off a lot of options.

6) Our ethical governor.

7) Giese reappointed. Is this a good thing (i.e., she did strike down that one definition of family thingie)? Or a bad thing (she's still Heidi's gal; the decision was the only logical one that could be made)? Mixed, no doubt.

8) Smaller cities appear to be getting screwed by stormwater requirements.

9) More in-depth report on staffing issues at jail. Word "hell-hole" used.

10) This article does do a decent job explaining why Clarke County spends more than the average per student in the school system, but it doesn't really explain why there's a potential property-tax increase in the works. Why does the school district need the money? And the lack of that explanation will no doubt lead to people being hostile to the increase.

11) How much does "Hillcrest" look like "Pennsylvania"?

12) Jim thinks NPUs might help solve the qol ordinance problem, since they'd be able to determine what was appropriate in a given area. The thing here is that they'll need to have some actual power.

[bugmenot ABH]

I will not blame you. But there came a point a week or so ago when I realized that Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke with Splenda were not, in fact, the same item. And though Coke admits on its site that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Diet Coke and that it is the number-one diet beverage in the U.S., it is hard not to feel freaked by the sheer range of options now offered:

• Diet Coke
• Diet Coke with Lime
• Diet Coke with Lemon
• Caffeine-Free Diet Coke
• Diet Vanilla Coke
• Diet Cherry Coke
• Diet Coke with Splenda
• Coca-Cola Zero

If this does not seem like a problem (eight zero- or one-calorie options, all basically Diet Coke), consider the difficulty that will result when the inevitable Caffeine-Free Vanilla Coca-Cola Zero appears? What will happen with shelf space? Surely it will not be expanded, at least not to the extent Coke is sure to want. What will happen is that Diet Coke the original, possibly the best beverage known to man, will be squeezed in terms of physical space and market share, and of this, I cannot approve. You are messing with a good thing, Coca-Cola, and though I will not abandon you (What would I drink? Pepsi?), I might recommend you read a little Barry Schwartz.

Emily and Richard Gilmore and the parents of Jared and Hillary Brown would like to request your presence at your convenience to witness the union of their love.

Yay! Better late than never. We laughed. We cried (well, a few instances of welling, at any rate). We decided that we will name our hypothetical daughter Rorelai Brown. And so on and so forth. Amy Sherman-Palladino, where did you buy that set of x-ray glasses that see into the human heart? And what did you pay for them?

1) Letter from Associate VP for Development takes issue with ABH's chart of donations to the university. I didn't think it was unclear. I thought the point the ABH was making was not that 10 months = 12 months, but that judging from the 10 months of this year, its eventual 12 months would not equal the previous 12 months' total. We shall what proves to be the case.

2) Colorado State University thinks it's comparable to UGA? Not that the US News rankings are end-all be-all, but they're at 117 and we're at 58.

3) Ralph Reed is the kindest, warmest, gentlest, most wonderful man I've ever known. His grandma grew up on a farm. A farm!

4) Really? Cracking's not good? At long, long, long last, Animal Health Research Center will open next year. Supposedly.

5) Georgia's economy chugging ahead! Doing awesome! Except for that part that includes people having jobs!

6) ACTION will sell its building, but not just to anyone or for any price. Also:

Despite the building's historic significance, it has no official or legal designation that could protect it from being torn down to make way for new construction, Wilson said.

Yeah. Let's plop some luxury condos on that spot in a hurry, bitch.

7) Debate over crime and lighting continues in Commission.

Lights shining down on buildings will stop crime, but floodlights and spotlights that the ordinance would ban would not, according to supporters of the proposed ordinance.

Ahem. How about granting that most lighting would help, but that there is a way to do it without blocking out the entire night sky?

8) No fondling allowed in nonexistent Winder adult businesses.

9) Look, we know it's hot, but keep your clothes on, please, and stay hydrated the proper way, by utilizing water internally.

10) Eh... What're you gonna do?

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

If you go to Earl Campbell's site, you will be interested in his story even without this aspect, but this paragraph does tend to stand out:

Since retiring from football, Earl is now a prominent businessman in Austin, Texas and still actively participates in University of Texas Athletics. Earl Campbell currently serves as President of Earl Campbell Meat Products, Inc. which proudly manufactures and sells Earl Campbell's ® Smoked Sausage and other wonderful food products and barbeque sauce.

Leaving alone the fact that "Earl Campbell Meat Products, Inc." is one of the greatest names ever for a company (is it a band name? is it a porno movie? it's whatever you want it to be), the sausage itself is god damn tasty. This dude is trying to spread the word. It is available here in town at Jot 'Em Down on Thursdays, but I wish I could buy it elsewhere. Texas, I salute you. You know how to make some fucking sausage.

Gardner's list of the best movies from 2000-2004, modified (and alphabetized). And I'm being generous. Some of the ones with no strikethroughs probably should have 'em.

2000
Almost Famous
Battle Royale
Bring It On
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (maybe)
Ghost World
Gladiator
High Fidelity
Memento
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (maybe)
Requiem for a Dream (EW!)
Traffic
Wonder Boys
You Can Count on Me

2001
AI
Best in Show
Donnie Darko
Ghost World (moved up to 2000)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Man Who Wasn’t There
Memento (moved up to 2000)
Monsters, Inc.
Mulholland Dr.
The Others (maybe)
The Pledge (haven't seen it)
The Royal Tenenbaums
Sexy Beast
Spirited Away

2002
About a Boy
About Schmidt
Adaptation
Catch Me If You Can
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Minority Report
The Pianist (haven't seen it)
Punch-Drunk Love
Secretary
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (haven't seen it)
To Be and To Have (?)
Y Tu Mama Tambien

2003
American Splendor
Bad Santa
Capturing the Friedmans
City of God
Dogville
Finding Nemo
Kill Bill Vol. 1
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Master and Commander
X2

2004
Anchorman
Collateral (am leaving for now)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Friday Night Lights
The Incredibles
Kill Bill Vol. 2
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (haven't seen it)
Shaun of the Dead (?)
Sideways (haven't seen it)
Spider-Man 2

Dan is right. I will link to the new video from Gwen Stefani, this one for "What You Waiting For?" and making it clear through extended story that the song is indeed about having some artistic balls, something she's certainly proved she has with her album. I love the idea (a clinic for writer's block) and the further extension of the Alice in Wonderland imagery, plus this is one of my more preferred songs off the album, being so good Madonna, esp on the verse vocals. She's done a better job translating song into video with this than with "Hollaback Girl," though if the songs fought, HG would still knock WYWF the fuck out.

1) Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: Hey! This didn't suck! It's actually kind of cute and does the homage to older stuff (Lost Horizon, old sci-fi, adventure flicks) pretty well. I'd go so far as to say it's quite a bit like the first Star Wars in terms of that, minus the portentousness that crept into later installments. It is a romp, and it is very funny to me the way Conran constructs transparent plot situations just to heighten tension. He doesn't give a damn about realism, and that is as it should be in a 1940s-mock-up-giant-robot movie. I think the boy-girl bickering works decently, and the robots are cool. The way everything moves in a kind of dreamlike, unheavy state reminds me much of Sin City and clearly results from the CGI almost-everything, but I don't mind that either. It just gives it something new in effect.

2) Batman Begins: Yay! Batman is cool again. And thank god. This did keep my streak alive of having seen every modern Batman (not counting animated) in the theater, but it really is a reinvigoration of the franchise. The origin story bit at the beginning could've been cut time-wise, but inclusion of ninjas is certainly welcome. Christian Bale is a creepy looking guy (his whole face looks like a mask, including his teeth, which seem false), but he fills out a bat suit nicely. Action scenes are shot with too much camera movement, but this is the case with 99% of the movies that come out not starring Jet Li or someone else who can actually do the stuff required. Nice emphasis on the making of the suit and mask and toys and so on. And, most especially, much appreciation for the film's plot, which is indeed more considered and rational than most superhero flicks', with an endorsement at least more in the direction of due process than vigilantism and a belief that justice is a complex thing not to be enforced by one man, but by a society. It's a Batman movie that believes in the social contract.

1) Arch Foundation is Regents' bitch. In appearances, at any rate.

The memorandum of understanding agreement approved Wednesday by the Arch Foundation takes into consideration that the regents could decide to cut off this foundation as well - ensuring that the Arch Foundation could continue to exist and continue to invest and manage its funds even if the agreement is terminated by the regents.

Also:

Newly named Chairman John Spalding asked each of the trustees to donate some money to the foundation by June 30 "as a sign of unity and commitment."

You know, so it looks like it has some. R&B article has Steve Wrigley saying we're screwed for 10 years at least on state funding. ABH and R&B just say Adams is giving money, while AJC says it's Adams and his wife.

2) Just because he was acquitted doesn't mean he's a smart fella.

3) Onion testing. I was gonna go, but I forgot.

4) The dialogue at least seems accurate.

5) There are potentially civilian jobs to be lost from base closings, including the Navy School. Really? Why not covered before?

6) People aren't taking advantage of Oconee's solicitation of names for new park as a chance to make stupid jokes. Come on! Get with the program.

7) Bike lanes technically in long-range transportation plan, but only in the second-tier, reserved for "it'll happen if something magically intervenes and funds it."

8) Roy Barnes asking ACC Commission to approve bonds to fund Dept of Labor building on North Ave. Also, won't take sides between Taylor and Cox.

9) ABH looks at the parental control over afterschool activities decision in a different light, seeing it as the support of local control over state-wide requirements, but most of the editorial instead seems to oppose the proposed rule on the basis of thinking it's wrong, not because it's coming from the top down.

10) Who here thought they'd ever see a comparison of Diane Arbus's work to Meet the Fockers?

11) Take this warning seriously.

Added:
12) Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports that Adams says UGA's doing great. From the opening sentence ("Most university presidents stay in their Ivory Towers, away from the masses and far from the headlines."), you know this one's gonna be a doozy. ALso:

"Personally, some of this has been tough," Adams said. "At the same time the vital signs of the University of Georgia are good. I want everybody to love me, but at a place this diverse that isn't possible."

Awww... no wuv for mike-mike.

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

Aww... It's Kenny Boy Smoker, too, so I think I have to do this one.

Total number of books I own:
Enough to require alphabetization, as is the case with most media I own. That is, fiction and nonfiction other than reference books, art books, anthologies, and some history is all alphabetized by last name of author, and fills a wall. A large wall. From floor to ceiling. Plus, there are two other shelves in the kitchen, one with art and film books, mostly, consisting of six largish boxes, and one small shelf of cookbooks. Then there's the one in the back bedroom, which has mostly history (Will & Ariel Durant's History of Civilization, for example, some practical stuff (Get Clark Smart, Consumer Reports things, and lots of language-oriented stuff, like style manuals and grammar books and textbooks and dictionaries. And finally, there is one more smallish shelf in the office that has only Modern Library books on it, because the shelves are pretty small and because those books are special. Answer? Too many.

Five books that had a big influence on me:

A People's History of the United States, Howard Zinn -- I don't care if you think it's corny or poorly researched or Commie propaganda. I read it in high school, and it changed the way I thought about things. At very least, Zinn's real passion for human rights is something to aspire to. Plus, it's just a good read.

Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace -- Yep. It's a conspiracy all right. I have two copies, and I don't really think that's enough. If you talk shit about it, we will start a fight. If a brain and a heart had a baby, it might be this book.

The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster -- Here the things I learned at a young age: 1) Life is full of games. 2) Words, in particular, are fun. 3) Rhyme and Reason are good things.

Paradise Lost, John Milton -- You do not have to agree with every word of something to recognize it as superlative artistic achievement. Also, grammar can be beautiful. And often, classics are classics for a reason.

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Marcella Hazan -- A lot of times, there is a right way to do things. Good eats will make your life better. Don't rinse your spaghetti.

Last book I bought:
Dan Magill's Bull-Doggerel: Fifty Years of Anecdotes from the Greatest Bulldog Ever, now signed and personalized. Dan Magill is awesome.

Last book I read for the first time:
T.C. Boyle's Water Music. Him doing what he does really well: parody of a classic style in a non-totally-mocking way, full of action and dirt.

Five other bloggers to tag with this meme:
LD (get back to blogging; I don't care if you have a job)
Barthel (because you don't usually do these things)
Al (tit for tat)
All of Mez Eclipse (you boys don't talk enough about books; also there are more than two of you, so this allows me to say I've hit five)

 
I mean, what says Apocalypse Now more than a fucking silkscreened collectible wine bottle with a dvd slot in it?

Oh. Wait. Redux. Maybe it changed a lot from the first version. Maybe there is much drinking of Cabernet Sauvignon in the added six hours or whatever it is.

The other one available, for One from the Heart, seems less jarring.

No but really. Her new video (downloadable here, thanks to Britney Unleashed) is very much so, with pretty black-and-white semi-slo-mo and lots of her stroking her enlarged belly while singing about her baby. Plus, feet. The song isn't much, just kind of ballady and unexciting, but it's going to be interesting for her kid to watch this in 10 or 20 years because it is so weirdly personal. Plus, though she's gone a bit heavy on the lip gloss, the lady looks byoot. The whole thing's kind of maternal Madonna, but not as "look-at-how-toned-my-arms-are."

Class, please open your books to Karen Russell's debut fiction short story in the current issue of the New Yorker, titled "Haunting Olivia." Not that it is ever a competition when they run these things, but it really is, and her hand is held aloft in victory. It is a creepy little work, but also beautiful and unsentimental and a bit like George Saunders somehow in its combination of these elements. Also, it contains the combination of words "dubious booty."

There is also, in the same issue, a piece by Adam Gopnik on William Dean Howells that contains the following marvelous sentence:

Once we have concluded that we live in a world governed by chance and hazard, we can react either by extending our circle of compassion to include people who have been less lucky than we are or by attempting to protect ourselves against the next roll of the dice by enclosing ourselves in a fortress of fear.

Goppers can be quite irritatingly UMC and froofy when he writes about Paris or his precocious kiddies, but this is a neat summation of the way things are, and I give him full credit for it.

Been wondering what ol' Mario Lopez has been up to of late, I have an answer for you. Hmm, plus mascot and new rules? It was already pretty enjoyable.

Though not quite as much so as my current fave gameshow thing in syndication. Most awkward host ever? I think so. When the Survivor alums were on, there was a positively painful moment between Karn and Hatch, in which the former seemed not to know how darn gay the latter is.

David Foster Wallace's commencement speech at Kenyon is up for you to read. This is most amazing bit to me:

The point is that petty, frustrating crap like this is exactly where the work of choosing is gonna come in. Because the traffic jams and crowded aisles and long checkout lines give me time to think, and if I don't make a conscious decision about how to think and what to pay attention to, I'm gonna be pissed and miserable every time I have to shop. Because my natural default setting is the certainty that situations like this are really all about me. About MY hungriness and MY fatigue and MY desire to just get home, and it's going to seem for all the world like everybody else is just in my way. And who are all these people in my way? And look at how repulsive most of them are, and how stupid and cow-like and dead-eyed and nonhuman they seem in the checkout line, or at how annoying and rude it is that people are talking loudly on cell phones in the middle of the line. And look at how deeply and personally unfair this is.

Or, of course, if I'm in a more socially conscious liberal arts form of my default setting, I can spend time in the end-of-the-day traffic being disgusted about all the huge, stupid, lane-blocking SUV's and Hummers and V-12 pickup trucks, burning their wasteful, selfish, forty-gallon tanks of gas, and I can dwell on the fact that the patriotic or religious bumper-stickers always seem to be on the biggest, most disgustingly selfish vehicles, driven by the ugliest [responding here to loud applause] (this is an example of how NOT to think, though) most disgustingly selfish vehicles, driven by the ugliest, most inconsiderate and aggressive drivers. And I can think about how our children's children will despise us for wasting all the future's fuel, and probably screwing up the climate, and how spoiled and stupid and selfish and disgusting we all are, and how modern consumer society just sucks, and so forth and so on.

You get the idea.

If I choose to think this way in a store and on the freeway, fine. Lots of us do. Except thinking this way tends to be so easy and automatic that it doesn't have to be a choice. It is my natural default setting. It's the automatic way that I experience the boring, frustrating, crowded parts of adult life when I'm operating on the automatic, unconscious belief that I am the center of the world, and that my immediate needs and feelings are what should determine the world's priorities.
The thing is that, of course, there are totally different ways to think about these kinds of situations. In this traffic, all these vehicles stopped and idling in my way, it's not impossible that some of these people in SUV's have been in horrible auto accidents in the past, and now find driving so terrifying that their therapist has all but ordered them to get a huge, heavy SUV so they can feel safe enough to drive. Or that the Hummer that just cut me off is maybe being driven by a father whose little child is hurt or sick in the seat next to him, and he's trying to get this kid to the hospital, and he's in a bigger, more legitimate hurry than I am: it is actually I who am in HIS way.

Or I can choose to force myself to consider the likelihood that everyone else in the supermarket's checkout line is just as bored and frustrated as I am, and that some of these people probably have harder, more tedious and painful lives than I do.
Again, please don't think that I'm giving you moral advice, or that I'm saying you are supposed to think this way, or that anyone expects you to just automatically do it. Because it's hard. It takes will and effort, and if you are like me, some days you won't be able to do it, or you just flat out won't want to.

But most days, if you're aware enough to give yourself a choice, you can choose to look differently at this fat, dead-eyed, over-made-up lady who just screamed at her kid in the checkout line. Maybe she's not usually like this. Maybe she's been up three straight nights holding the hand of a husband who is dying of bone cancer. Or maybe this very lady is the low-wage clerk at the motor vehicle department, who just yesterday helped your spouse resolve a horrific, infuriating, red-tape problem through some small act of bureaucratic kindness. Of course, none of this is likely, but it's also not impossible. It just depends what you what to consider. If you're automatically sure that you know what reality is, and you are operating on your default setting, then you, like me, probably won't consider possibilities that aren't annoying and miserable. But if you really learn how to pay attention, then you will know there are other options. It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer-hell type situation as not only meaningful, but sacred, on fire with the same force that made the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down.

Not that that mystical stuff is necessarily true. The only thing that's capital-T True is that you get to decide how you're gonna try to see it.

1) ABH says gifts to academic programs lower, those to athletics higher.

Donations to athletics had reached $29.9 million by April 30, exceeding last year's totals by more than $7 million. Some of the jump - about $1.3 million - was in donations to the Georgia Educational Enhancement Fund, which secures football ticket priority. The minimum donation amount to GEEF increased this year, so football fans had to donate more to keep their seats.

But the real growth this year was in other donations to athletic programs, such as endowed scholarships, support funds for sports and the athletic general fund. Those non-GEEF athletic donations have been erratic, jumping from $6.3 million in 2002 to $14.7 million in 2003, then dropping to less than $3 million in 2004.

eGa Morning notes that both athletic and academic gifts are on pace for a record-setting year, even though academics is going to have to jump $3 million by the end of the month (the numbers aren't from yesterday, but a few months back, I believe).

2) The report is in, and yes, more erosion inspectors are needed, just as seemed to be the case initially. Commission now gets to decide whether to hire two more or give up its ability to enforce these laws.

3) Apparently, developers aren't interested in conservation. Shocker.

4) No parental permission required for joining clubs in school, rules state school board. Seems like a lot of local boards don't mind notification, but have a problem with permission. Howevs,

Some supporters of the permission requirement then voted against writing a rule that would just require notification; that idea failed on a 7-6 tally.

The board's vote was not expected to end the issue. While Cox said she had long considered such a rule, she actually proposed the regulation when state lawmakers were weighing a law requiring parental permission.

5) Letter says ABH has a double standard about q-o-l ordinances, but I'm not sure they do. It's not that none of these ordinances should exist, but more that enforcement should be based on complaint rather than roving ticketers.

6) Watkinsville more ghetto-fab than you think.

[bugmenot ABH]

You may be recruited to review the new DMB album, meaning you do actually have to listen to it. More than once. Even as you twitch in irritation and pain. You also have to find some way to say something other than "suckage."

This must've slipped my mind at the time, but the trailer for Rize was before Mad Hot Ballroom, and it looks amaaazing. Sure, everyone's been making fun of the concept of krump and clown dancing for a few months now, after it went around the film festival route, but watch the trailer and you will not be laughing (unless it is in exhilaration or you are a jerkface). The one on the official site, linked at the name of the movie above, is unfortunately narrated (is that you, LaFontaine?), but the verbal ain't the point. The visuals are as gorgeous as anything I've seen. LaChappelle has done quite a job translating his photographs into motion, and the aggressiveness of the dancing takes it beyond just the South Park "It's on" stage of mockery. When that one girl literally rips off her own shirt? It is scary and fierce and incredibly cool.

You would think this might be more effort than it is worth. Then again, it is apparently worth $800.

Theft: On June 6, a resident of the 1900 block of Malcom Bridge Road reported that someone stole a granite boulder that was placed on his property near the roadway. The rock was a landmark for the property and valued at $800. The victim's wife said she heard heavy equipment running and another man called the victim and said he observed someone loading the rock on a truck.

It's all about the quote:

Arrest: On June 8, deputy Laura Teet was dispatched to a home where a couple said that Kelli Michelle Thornton, 32, of Aycock Road had come to the home and began "raising Cain.'' She took her child who was placed in the home by the State Department of Family and Children Services and left. Later, deputy Shane Partain and a DFACS worker went to a home on Hebron Church Road where they located Thornton. She became loud and obscene and was handcuffed. She began kicking and screaming and was warned to stop or the taser gun would be used to subdue her. As she continued to fight, the taser was used, after which she was placed in the patrol car. In the car, she continued to curse and kick. She was charged with felony obstruction and disorderly conduct.

Count the uses. We come up with 7.

Theft: On June 10, a female resident of Lane Creek Road reported the disappearance of two turkeys from a pen at her home. She learned later that another woman had the turkeys and after contacting this woman, she learned that a man had brought the turkeys over there. That man said another man had ordered him to take the turkeys. Deputy Marvin Williams called the man who supposedly ordered the theft and he denied having anything to do with the turkeys nor did he issue the order to have the turkeys taken. When the woman went to the home to reclaim the turkeys, Williams met her there and the man who allegedly ordered the theft had also driven to the location. This man again proclaimed his innocence. Williams told him to stay away from the victim's house and her turkeys.

The rest here.

For definition of "non sequitur," please find attached the following link, which will lead you to a site where you can watch the Jessica Simpson "These Boots Are Made for Walking" video.

Perhaps it is true that my being a girl on the hetero side of things leaves me unable to appreciate such fully, but my reaction to this is much along the same lines as it was to Paris's burger-eating turn (coincidentally with car washing also): that is, I am distracted by randomness and fail to see how any of it is sexy. With Paris, it's her holding that burger in one hand. The tomato is gonna fall out, girl! That is a two-handed hamburger, and my impression of Carls Jr. is that that is exactly the point. They make large hamburgers. This marketing is undermined by a skinny girl's being able to hold one with only one hand. With Jessica, it's that it all seems more like a workout than anything else. She's so gosh-darn enthused about washing that car. And it's not like anyone's watching, other than us. And why is it her job to wash the General Lee, anyway? Can't Luke and Bo afford a few quarters to run 'er through the wash at the gas station?

But only because I've been tagged for it.

Total volume of music files on my computer: 578 MB, I believe. Not a ton of songs (200-ish?). I tend to listen and delete as much as possible, since I'm making use of departmental space. I'd rather bring stuff home and not keep clutter around. Most of these I'm trying to decide whether to burn or just keep listening to or what. I only have a very few that are actually also at home in more concrete format.

Last CD I bought was: The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan, which is still in media mail on its way to me.

Song playing right now: Apparently, it's Sugarland's "Something More," not because I like it but because it happened to be up a couple of songs after the Big & Rich version of "Like a Virgin" I was checking out (and then got distracted by this thing).

Five songs I listen to a lot these days: Jonathan Coulton's "Skullcrusher Mountain," The White Stripes' "My Doorbell," Pretty Ricky's "Playhouse," Architecture in Helsinki's "It's 5," and Sufjan Stevens's "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." I could just be listening to The Sunlandic Twins all day, but I am trying to wean myself of it.

Yay. It is kind of fun to be tagged. If anyone else hasn't filled this out yet, feel free.

1) This would be why some kind of pooling of property-tax revenue is needed. Should those who flee the urban environment end up being rewarded for doing so with increasingly better schools?

The now-traditional annual increase in the county's tax base has provided the county government and Oconee County School System with a steadily rising flow of tax revenue to spend on services without regular increases in the county's property tax millage rate.

Compare to

In some school districts, any of those poverty rates would earn a school a share of federal money designed to improve educational programs for students who live in impoverished areas - but in Clarke County, where two-thirds of all students are poor and administrators are trying to stretch resources, educators say there isn't enough money to go around.

from yesterday.

2) EDF president in Athens doesn't seem that interested in multi-use or residential uses for Navy School property. (Also, there's a conference on college town economies upcoming.) And the ACC govt is showing a webcast addressing concerns about such, but only from 2-3:30 p.m. in a certain building.

3) Discussions about who will replace Giese in judge position held behind closed doors.

The commission is allowed by law, but not required, to interview job candidates behind closed doors.

...The commission also will meet in executive session Wednesday, according to Mayor Heidi Davison, who refused to describe whether the matter involves the Municipal Court post or what steps elected officials have made to find a permanent judge.

Again, appearances do count for at least a little in politics.

4) The Methodists are in town again, if you're wondering what's with the influx of old dudes.

5) Is this where the Coca-Cola bears come from?

Added:
6) The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on the friendliness existing between crazy, liberal public schools (like UGA) and conservative politicians.

It helps that some of the university's leaders are themselves prominent Republicans. Among them is the president, Michael F. Adams, who served as chief of staff to U.S. Senator Howard Baker and as an aide to Gov. Lamar Alexander, both of Tennessee, and has a close personal relationship with Georgia's Republican governor, Sonny Perdue.

Ya think? The beginning is annoying, but the article does tease out more subtlety as it goes along.

[bugmenot ABH]

And it is brief. Just to say that Team Brown was very amused to see The Nighthawks show up in it. We saw them open for someone (NRBQ?) years and years ago and spent their entire set making fun of their extreme seriousness. They were pretty darn Blueshammer. That shirt with the flames on it is unmistakeable.

Remember this? For one thing, I was right. Reagan remains, while Twain is apparently gone. What I would like to do is encourage you to vote for Oprah. A lot. You can't do it until June 19, I believe, but try to keep it in your mind. The only thing to do in a survey of this sort, when W and Clinton both appear in the top 25, is rally to the side of silliness. Vote Oprah! The only candidate ever to use the phrase "You go, girl."

1) Finished up The Wire, season 2. Gardner's comments seem to be pretty on the mark as far as what people like about the show. Team Brown really tried to get to the bottom of this last night, and came up with, basically a) realism and b) structure. And when "a" isn't the most important thing to you (I mean, why not just watch a documentary, right?), a show that strives for it might not get a ton of credit with you for doing so. The structure of the thing, which resembles a miniseries much more than it does your standard one-hour drama (in that it's not only super-arc-y, but pretty much doesn't have stand-alone episodes and if the episodes do contain their own graph of highs and lows, it is hard to see a pattern, other than something generally facilitating development or surprising near the end of each), is one of the few things that sets it apart, but that seems to be a result of the writers no doubt getting to do the whole season in advance and the seasons consisting of only 13 and 12 episodes each (1 and 2, respectively). Anyway, the question is: what marks the leap from like to love? Because Team Brown likes the show and respects its competence, but there are things that are possibly more flawed that we want to force people to watch, that have a crack-like effect on us. We are not getting exclamation-pointy over The Wire. Maybe it's just not completely our thing. Also, prefer season 1 to season 2, despite greater complexity of the latter.

2) On the Waterfront: Interesting combination, no? Watching this will indeed make one think, "hmm... The Wire is pretty good." I'm agreeing with LD on it, though Brando being "weird-looking" isn't the reason. It's just so overbearing and bombastic. Brando's one of the few things about it that I actually like (especially that thing he does with Eva Marie Saint's glove). But, jeezum, does everyone have to yell? All the damn time? And the score, despite its vaunted pedigree, is fucking awful. If they'd just turn down the volume a few notches, it might be bearable. The whole thing isn't terrible, but it doesn't deserve its reputation, and I say this as a huge fan of old movies, many of which are melodramatic or cornily uplifting. Compare 12 Angry Men for similar staginess, but consider how much better that film is, down to Lee J. Cobb's role. I'm starting to think Kazan's really not all that as a director. (Note: See how good I'm being? I'm not even mentioning the whole "I'm justifying myself as a government informer" aspect. Until now.)

Is there anyone out there at all who actually believes chopped bbq is preferable to pulled? Or are there just people who don't know the difference?

This is why Sonny's, as far as bbq chains go, is preferable to a lot of other bbq chains, because at least they offer it pulled.

Bunny, please, make another set to go with this news story posted today on IMDB:

A-Listers Join Forces To Fight "Aggressive" Paparazzi

Hollywood stars including Cameron Diaz, Lindsay Lohan, Halle Berry and Reese Witherspoon are joining forces with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to act against "aggressive" paparazzi. While the actors accept media attention is part of their job, they want authorities to take further measures to prevent photographers who "overstep the line" by ambushing the celebrities, risking physical injury to the stars or the public. Last week photographer Gaio Ramirez was charged with assault for allegedly ramming into teen actress Lohan's vehicle on purpose to create a photo opportunity for other snappers. The Mean Girls star suffered minor injuries. The Los Angeles Times newspaper says, "The investigation centers on whether celebrity photographers are being instructed on how to obscure their identities, block license plates, appear in the same place at the same time, or work together to force celebrities off the road and out of their vehicles."

1) Parts of university that go together now put together. If there are gonna be kids all over campus, they might as well be here as part of a minority recruitment effort.

2) Technical colleges are apparently being held accountable for ethical lapses. Because they're not buddies with the governor or something.

3) You don't have to go home, but you can't stay at the Classic Center.

Cramer's letter also cited "Brewfest patrons mixing with our many other pieces of business within and around the facility" as a reason not to continue hosting the event.

A group of Jehovah's Witnesses held a conference there the weekend of the Brewfest, according to Classic Center records, and "were pretty upset," Ogletree said.

4) This combined with the state voting ID law that passed earlier this year makes things even harder.

5) Two local Democrats on bipartisanship (or lack of it). Isn't it illustrated at least a little by the fact that the two Republicans invited didn't bother to show up? The other conclusion that can be drawn is that Keith Heard's district is more secure than Jane Kidd's. (Also, at this same link, Jordan and Chasteen fightin' and Jordan's light-pollution stuff sent back for revision because of fears about crime.)

6) This fetishization of the death penalty creeps me the hell out. This one too.

"I just think the punishment should fit the crime," said Susan Mingledorff of Athens, a neighbor of the murdered Bennett, who she called "a good family friend."

In "horrific" crimes, prosecutors should seek the death penalty, Mingledorff says. In Bennett's case, Mingledorff's only reservation is whether the punishment is severe enough.

"I think the death penalty is not at all like the death George had to suffer," Mingledorff said. "It's too good for them. If it's lethal injection - that's so humane."

7) Means. Testing. Bitches.

8) More poor people? You are sadly mistaken if you think that means more money.

9) ABH likes affordable housing (though, as Mr. Brown pointed out, $805 a month ain't cheap), utilities for doing the right thing by ACTION beneficiaries.

10) Jim picks up the gauntlet again, this time wrt quality-of-life ordinances. He says, basically, that the Athens community tends to define itself too often in terms of what developments it's against, and not so much by what it's for. Howevs, he glosses over the mess that was made of the Barnett Shoals widening. Fella has not had to cross the street there, clearly.

11) Shipp lists the things Perdue could be addressing, but isn't.

12) Ugh. Stupid, giant Publix coming to Georgetown Square after all. What we really need on the East side is more traffic in this area of Barnett Shoals, right?

[bugmenot ABH]

1) Fightstar, "Paint Your Target" -- Jesus H. Wouldja sing on the beat? Yuck. Screaming plus bad vocals plus lack of rocking out despite attempts to. Minor, minor points for fat drummer, but this sucks quite amazingly much. People are mentioning Green Day, but that is not fair in the slightest to that band's catchy, fun pop. This is not fun and it is also awful. 1. [weak-ass video here]

2) Shakin' Stevens, "This Ole House" -- England, you are a weird place. I think that we Americans, despite our love of nostalgia, do not often resurrect old songs like this to the point of them charting and such. Is that what is happening here? It seems okay, sort of weak Carl Perkins imitation rockabilly stuff that would indeed have been popular in the 80s. 4? All I'm managing to hear is a clip, though I do feel that I know this song from back in the day. [clip in real]

3) DJ Sammy, "Why" -- Remix of the Annie Lennox song, so's you know, and yes, not very adventurous in terms of where it takes things (add faster beat, pretty much), but it's a good faster beat, and I like the original fairly well to begin with. I could theoretically dance to this. 5. (video here if you have or want to register)

4) Jem, "Just a Ride" -- Ignore the philosophizing, for sure, but even minus that, I don't think this track holds up. It should be like "A Thousand Miles" or something, but the melody's not there. At least it keeps moving forward, but I would expect better and poppier. 3. [video here]

5) Death from Above 1979, "Black History Month" -- Too slow and a bit droning (also, do not tell me that is a frigging cowbell) and over-emoted vocally, but I am surprised I don't hate this indierama. I am mildly annoyed by the aspect of the video that has them playing pianos when there are no pianos in the song, but I can deal with that. Appropriate for the soundtrack of something. 5. [video here]

6) Do Me Bad Things, "Move in Stereo" -- Their last single was covered here, if you don't remember the schtick. Very retro. I think this is maybe less good than that last track. It feels longer, for one thing. There are these little moments of liking the song, but it's less bass-heavy and riffy than the last one, so we'll bump this down to a 4. [video here]

7) The Long Blondes, "Appropriation (By Any Other Name)" -- No luck finding this, though it sounds like something I might like.

8) Patrick Wolf, "Wind in the Wires" -- Also difficult to find, though this at least I got a couple of tastes of. Seems to be located between Morrissey and Jamie Stewart, but not as interesting as either of them. Admittedly, the latter can drive one up the wall, but the weirdness, when it works, is pretty magical. This is less weird, but less pretty than Mozzer's stuff. I'm not going to rate it though, as it seems like the sort of thing that really develops over the course of the song. [video clip here and audio clip of how the song begins here]

9) Basement Jaxx, "U Don't Know Me" -- Talked about the video, but didn't rate anything. Umm... 6? Maybe a 7? Not best-of Basement Jaxx, but very, very dancy.

10) Kano, "Remember Me" -- Grime with a pretty grooveable beat behind it. The appeal kind of comes and goes, with the chorus being the high point for me. As far as flow is concerned, I can be very picky about when it's allowable to go off the beat (and I usually prefer on). Not that I have rules set up (though maybe I should). Anyway, certainly fun enough and worth a solid 5. [video here]

11) Bark Psychosis, "400 Winters" -- I think this is probably one of those hushed but with a slight beat kind of sensitive things that people put on to do it to, you know, if they have roommates, as was explained to me some time back. I don't have roommates. And I am easily bored by stuff of this sort. 3. [clip here and here]

12) Missy Elliott feat. Ciara and Fatman Scoop, "Lose Control" -- [raising Missy's hand high] Winner! En Vogue meets Kraftwerk with dose of Bad-era MJ (that is to say, soundtracky). Fucking nuts. And leaves you wanting more. 9 because I am very excited about it right now. [listen here]

Profundity? Um. Maybe if you're 15.

1) Eulogy: Picked up because, hey, what the hell, even though memories of its actually coming out in theaters are thin at best. Team Brown likes Ray Romano, and if you don't, you can suck it. Yes, his stand-up can be a bit "men are like this . . . while women . . . are like this," but his comic timing is really good, and his whining is totally amusing. So this movie is not something super-special, and it has awful, groan-worthy parts, but it also has parts that are pretty funny and a cast that's worth the rental fee, including the sweet-faced Jesse Bradford, who seems destined to hang around the edges of movies forever, never hitting it as big as he did in Bring It On (note: he is just awesome in Soderbergh's King of the Hill, but despite the recent fame of that director, that early movie of his remains almost unseen). It kind of tries too hard and the plot is forced, but if you're not expecting much of anything and you don't hate slapstick being shoehorned in, it is thoroughly all right.

2) National Treasure: Oh, yay! Not disappointing. Just as much fun and competence as I expected from the initial trailers. Not slow, allows for Nic Cage weirdness, and borrows perfectly from all its sources (most esp Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). Treasure hunt movies are apparently pleasurable in the same way heist and escape movies are, i.e., they involve figuring things out. Movies where people figure things out = good. Also, movies with lots of running = good. Combining the two is the right thing to do. Plus: nerd-fest not only in terms of the figuring but the admiration for and valuing of history. Yay, history!

3) So much more of The Wire: Am now almost through season 2 (just finished episode 10 of 12 last night). What I feel is respect, mostly, although there are a lot of things I enjoy about it. But the repeated affirmations of lots of folks that this is the best show ever receive a look from me that says "Are you from Mars? How much TV have you watched?" It's not that it's not a smart show, but merely that it isn't exactly head and shoulders above a lot of other things--more like an inch of two. What it reminds me of more than anything else, in a lot of ways, is The Practice (while it was still good and I was still watching, minus David E. Kelley's penchant for micro-skirts and ridiculousness). It would probably remind me of Homicide had I watched that. People are going about, doing their jobs. Some of them get involved more than others. Things get fucked up. Small victories are sort of a good thing to take. Everyone is morally ambiguous in some way. So, is it the morally ambiguous thing that makes people think it's the smartest thing ever? Or the plot that's certainly no more complicated than that of 24? The combination of the two? The addition of penis? What?

Maybe add a couple of these. As back-up dancers.

Seriously, I presume this is old, but she actually gets some kind of coolness in my mind from it.

Point #6: Their first song pulls a Sex Pistols trick, being called "Playhouse" but not a noun. Rather, it is treated as two words and an action, not a thing.

Point #7: They sample the guitar from Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" on "Never Let You Go."

Point #8: Sometimes the R&B component of the vocals sounds almost Vocodery.

Point #9: Did I mention I love crunk-n-B?

Point #10: The customer reviews on amazon.

1) Undergrad programs being phased out in Gwinnett, while grad programs are being stepped up.

2) Grant for minority recruitment in the sciences.

3) Those who would normally get money from ACTION to pay power bills get a break.

4) More affordable housing for Athens, but East side-located.

5) Budget hearings for school system have not been well-attended.

Attendees pointed to the amount the school district spends per student - about $8,900 a year - and compared it both to the cost per student in other districts and to educational outcomes in Clarke County, including a graduation rate that hovers around 50 percent.

You mean, you want to know what those other districts spend? Fat chance. All you will know is that they were compared.

6) Taylor endorsed by one union.

7) ABH praises Perdue's Leadership Institute, with some good reasons, but one might want to be slightly nervous at the fact that google brings up this as the number-one link for "leadership institute."

8) Ponsoldt writes in again, suggesting UGA might take a page from Harvard's no-confidence vote in its president.

[bugmenot ABH]

I have not been working on movies, despite the TV season being over. What I have been working on is The Wire, which Team Brown has just finished Episode 10 (I think) on. The question here is why I'm not that emotionally involved with this show. They just probably killed one of my favorite characters at the end of this last episode, and am I choking back the man tears (or the girl tears, for that matter) on the couch? I am not, really. Maybe it's just that it takes really a considerable amount of time and investment for me to commit my emotions to something, as I certainly did with Buffy et al. Or maybe it's that I do see the men behind the curtain on this show. But then, it's not like that's not just as obvious on Buffy, when you can start the countdown on romantic disaster at time of first smoochy. Maybe it is that it begins full-bore dramatic, so there are fewer places to go. It's not that it doesn't have moments of comedy, but it is very clearly a drama from the beginning. Theories? All the rest of you are probably reaching for the Kleenex constantly.

Maybe if I have a catchy name for discussions about The Faerie Queene, folks will participate. Because that is so darn likely.

At any rate, part of the reason I am reading the thing is vague research for my potential thesis on how the view of entertainment has developed since the Renaissance. Newest thing to spring to mind, upon reading Book II, Canto 2, is that perhaps the more negative view of entertainment prevalent among contemporary intellectuals results from lack of faith in the Golden Mean, something that seemed to be everywhere in Spenser's day (and earlier). Because it's not that Spenser and his ilk advocate going wild and stuffing yourself with entertaining things. There are a lot of stanzas that present a fairly stringent outlook on such. 2.3.45, for example, features Medina (the embodiment of the Golden Mean) asking Guyon to tell his story so "That we may pitty such unhappy bale,/And learne from pleasures poyson to abstaine." Perhaps it is just my desire to resolve my own like of being entertained with the Renaissance view (i.e., in favor of temperance), but I can't think that Spenser is as anti-popular-entertainment as a lot of ivory tower people are today.

Pretty Ricky has now captured my affections.

Point #1: Rhyming "We can play house" with "Lay you on the couch."

Point #2: Examining the liner notes and seeing sections for Spectacular, Pleasure, Diamond, and Slick.

Point #3: Realizing these are their NAMES.

Point #4: The prose on their label site.

At a time when the music marketplace is flooded with carbon copy rappers rhyming over recycled hip-hop beats, a new generation of talent is poised on the cusp of the come-up. Not since the Jackson 5 has the world witnessed a band of musical brothers whose high energy and artistic ability epitomize the phrase blood is thicker than water. That is, until this quartet of Miami-bred kinfolk appeared. Pleasure, Slick 'Em, Baby Blue, and Spectacular comprise the hip-hop ensemble known as Pretty Ricky, and they have emerged with a unique flair, coupled with the discipline and tenacity that breeds chart-topping success.

Can I just write that for my review?

Point #5: More of the same:

"We want to be trendsetters. Everything somebody is doing, we try and go against the grain and do something else just to be different," declares Baby Blue, the serious, business-minded member of the group. Becoming known for their onstage dance ability, the fellas also began to express their unique style with their attire. Donning themselves in sparkling head-to-toe outfits, they became known as "those glitter boys," notes Slick 'Em. As a result, the brothers even developed their own clothing line, Marco De Bleu.

...And with songs like "Girlfriend," "Age Ain't Nothing," and "Would You Be Mine," it's clear whom Pretty Ricky intends to impress. Plain and simple, "we are the sex symbols of the South," asserts Spectacular. "It's like a team full of Jordans where everybody is a star." And that's Pretty Ricky.

On the availability of this, at any rate. If it gets delayed again, there will be much gnashing of teeth and rending of something. Among the more thoroughly nutso movies I have ever seen and full of energy along with its weirdness. It beats both Crowe and Cruise hands down in both categories.

Oh, staff listserv, I love you so.

I have 4 Emu to give away to good, loving home. Raised from babies (right out of the egg). Very sweet 4 year olds. Looking for Good Home. Please contact me for more infomation. They now reside in Ila, GA. Relocating is not a problem. Will help to relocate to new home at no cost to new parents.

Update: The emu have already found a home! Hooray!

With the other half of Team Brown, upon PTI posing the question "Who is crazier right now: Tom Cruise or Russell Crowe?"

Be it resolved: There are really two questions here.

1. Who is more batshit insane?

2. Who would you rather have as a houseguest?*

And they have, quite possibly, the same answer.

*This not including possibilities of molestation in the middle of the night, naturally, but merely being a paraphrase of "Who seems less likely to beat you with a phone?"

1) Un. Bee. Leave. A. Bull. Also note this:

Next year, Adams' entire compensation package will be paid from the state budget, said Hank Huckaby, senior vice president for finance and administration.

The UGA Foundation could still give the university money to pay for a portion of the salary, but since the foundation will split from the university on July 19, Huckaby said he doesn't expect any large contributions.

The Arch Foundation, which was founded to replace the UGA Foundation as the official fund-raising and money-managing organization for the university, has not yet raised any money and therefore could not contribute to the salary fund.

11 Alive's article calls the raise about in line with that received by other employees of University System. Right. Except that my raise buys me an extra Wendy's #1 combo or two a month. And Adams's raise is a bit more than that. Yoculan looks to do well too.

2) Stuff on new Georgia Perimeter College. Amazingly, not as prestigious as a degree from UGA, but manages to outrank Life University, no doubt.

3) Perdue picks his own legal advisor as next Supreme Court justice.

Perdue said he looked for a justice who will defer to the laws passed by the Legislature, not circumvent the democratic process.

You know. Do what I say, not what I do. State Democratic Party chair Bobby Kahn had a few things to say too:

"Certainly the governor has the right to appoint anyone he wants to," Kahn said. "I'm not sure why he put those other folks through the charade of the judicial nominating process. It was clear he was going to appoint his lawyer. It's also clear his motive is to undo the damage that was done to him and his administration when the Supreme Court rejected their power grab."

He has a few more choice statements in the ABH coverage.

4) McCarter to run for mayor! Conclusion of article:

Community activist Keith Johnson, another possible candidate, said he is more likely to run now that McCarter may enter race.

"It would probably bring me closer to the pot," he said.

McCarter is too anti-growth and too concerned with quality-of-life ordinances, Johnson said.

"We would be the ultimate dictatorship if he were mayor," he said.

Not just a regular dictatorship... the ultimate one.

5) Hope for ACTION? Some reasonable cost-cutting measures and recognition of how the hole got dug.

6) I suppose some tree ordinance is better than no tree ordinance, but, for example, if it's dependent on owners whether or not to designate a tree as a landmark and uncuttable, what good does that do?

7) Your robot. In action.

8) ABH opposes parental notification of afterschool activities, esp the end-run fashion the GOP is trying to get it passed in.

9) Kids under 13 can't see no artistic vision.

10) Nope. It's just you.

11) EEP! Danger Diabolik is out on DVD? Pardon me while I take a five-minute break.

12) So most of you consistently obey traffic laws? I beg to differ, UGA student.

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

As is often the case, it began at Fluxblog. I saw you across a crowded room and was amused and intrigued. And then I forgot about you for a few weeks until you suddenly were recalled to my mind by Windows Media Player. I followed up. I fell anew.

All, Jonathan Coulton is a marvelous songwriter. Whether you like novelty songs (I do! I do!) or merely good, solid melodies and vocals (he can even be a bit Andy Partridge) or you have been craving a cover of Destiny's Child's "Bills," your jones for all such will be satisfied in fab fashion. Matthew's choice of "Skullcrusher Mountain" was a good one, as that may yet be my favorite song of his, but "Ikea" is very beltable and "Christmas Is Interesting" is a fucking heartbreaker (while still being funny).

You know how I say lyrics don't matter? I was lying. Sometimes they do, and that is when they make me laugh. Please do go and listen. All of you.

When I was at my dear mama's house this past weekend, sorting through papers of all kinds and throwing most everything away, I did come upon a set of my grades from junior high, back when I was a fuck-up. Here presented for your amusement...

Junior High Design (Art): An incredibly meticulous worker. Hillary always puts a lot of thought into her work and spent a lot of time making decisions. She needs to be careful that she doesn't get so preoccupied with making "the right decision" that she has trouble finishing things. I was a little disappointed that she did not complete the final project. Overall, she produced some really nice things in the class. [Grades mostly "good" with one "superior" for attention to detail and craftsmanship]

7th & 8th grade Jazz Ensemble: Great job, Hillary! [Excellent on everything]

French 1: Hillary is a very intelligent student. She grasps new grammatical concepts at ease, performs well on grammar quizzes and tests. She speaks beautifully. It seems to me that it is quite a problem for her to finish her homework on time. I hope that we could manage to solve this problem as soon as possible. Overall, it is a pleasure to have Hillary in our class. [A-]

American Government: Hillary is doing very well in every facet of our class activity. She is a pleasure to teach and I encourage her to finish the year on a strong note. [Average of 98]

Algebra I: Behavior: Pleasant, low-key. Speaks passionately of her intention to get her work done, but rarely does her work.
Attentiveness: Does not stay busy in class. Works on other subjects.
Quality of written work: Skips steps. Writing in margins adds to messy appearance.
Effort: Hillary is very talented in math, yet can't get around to doing her homework. She seems very upset with herself, but can go for long periods of time without producing anything. Notes home have little effect. Something must be done. Hillary will not make it through high school with these work habits. [Final grade? A 9. Yes, out of 100.]

8th grade Science: Hillary must improve her notebook grade. A well-maintained notebook displays the skills necessary to organize well. This is critical because the high school looms on the horizon with a vastly greater number of demands. [Notebook grades were D-, D-, A, and F]

PE: Hillary is doing very well in PE. She displays a positive attitude towards cooperation and teamwork.

Creative Writing: Lowest grade in class. Doesn't put in the effort. Last-minute hand-ins. Failed to turn in 2nd story, so failed it. [F for quantity, F for quality]

Grammar/Punctuation: Absent for last test on verbals. [A-]

Literature: Hillary, you have really come into focus in this class. You are a substantial and insightful student. Don't relax. Keep it going!

Obviously, things have changed, but I did make it to my second year of high school with those awful work habits.

Tofu Hut has, I have discovered late, the new Bonecrusher version of the Gilligan's Island theme up, at the bottom of this post. It will make you giggle and write things with exclamation points. Is this the way the reality show opens? I may have to tune in briefly just to find out.

1) Another what? It's great that UGA is promoting black administrators from within, but the way this article puts it kind of gets under my skin a bit.

Bennett's and Daniels' promotions are part of a movement by the university, which has been criticized for its low minority numbers among students and faculty, to increase the number of minorities in administrative positions.

It makes it sound a bit as though they're not qualified, I think.

2) New vet school construction to be proposed to general assembly for funding.

Historically, projects spend five to seven years on the list before receiving the necessary dollars from the state.

...The lag between when projects are added to the list and when they are funded means the University System is constantly behind, said Martin NeSmith, chairman of the regents' Real Estate and Facilities Committee.

"We have to find a better way," he said. "One way is to get more funding from the state."

The question regents must ask the state, NeSmith said, is "Do we have the funds to educate everyone in the state of Georgia ... or do we not?"

AJC talks to NeSmith about whether the vote to approve was influenced by Perdue's being a graduate of the Vet School (answer is officially no).

3) No sidewalk signs. It's official. 4) Again, strangeness in the headline for this story on an individual affected by ACTION's problems.

5) Navy School closure also really won't affect Clarke County School District budget, in addition to all the other things it won't affect.

6) Ow. And ew.

7) ABH editorial says Giese's ruling may at least point the way to crafting better ordinances.

8) Hee. Shipp's making the pop culture references again. Bulldog survival. I would watch this show.

On another front, Dooley is said to be ready to release a book describing his 40 years of service to UGA. The tome reportedly includes a tell-all chapter on what really went on between him and Adams. The UGA prez does not emerge a hero.

Reeeeaaallly...

9) Bla bla. Tax revenues still up. Have heard that song before.

10) Josh Brock can eat a 10-lb smoked turkey by himself?

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

The 4 day passes are $40 and will give you acces to all days of the Popfest as well as guaranteed passage into the shows being held at Little Kings in the afternoons. The 3 day passes are $32 dollars and will grant you access to all the shows held at the 40 Watt and, space permitting, the afternoon shows at Little Kings (Due to the limited space at the Little Kings Venue we will be granting 4 day pass holders preferred entrance to the Little Kings shows). We accept Paypal, credit card, personal checks, and money order. The 4 day passes will gain you access to all 5 days and will come with an information packet filled with useful information on restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, Athens sights as well as a schedule of events. Use the paypal link below to purchase your tickets.

What? You say 4 doesn't equal 5? There is no fucking spoon, bitches. (from here)

So far, at Book II, Canto I of The Faerie Queene, this here is the key half stanza, the one that you might be able to get by with reading and skipping the rest, since it seems to me to sum up quite a lot of the work:

Palmer, (him answered the Redcrosse knight)
His be the praise, that this atchieu'ment wrought,
Who made my hand the organ of his might;
More then goodwill to me attribute nought:
For all I did, I did but as I ought.

It is rather exactly the opposite of what you might expect if you thought you were just in for tales of gallant knights. Redcrosse/Holiness does nothing in the first book but fuck up and stray from the path of righteousness. Guyon/Temperance is off to a fine start doing the same. It is exactly the opposite of the Trumpian worldview in its surrender to the greater will. I think, sometimes, that it is more this yielding that makes both Spenser and Milton difficult for contemporary audiences (all questions of language aside) than the explicitly Christian content.

Worthy of arrest?

Arrest: On May 27, deputies were dispatched to Wal-Mart where security had arrested an employee, Crystal Reid, 22, of Hull Road, Athens, on a charge of shoplifting. She had taken a bottle of Yoo-Hoo and some potato wedges from the deli without paying for the items.

Is that a quote?

Assault: On May 29, Deputy David Burchett met with a 23-year-old man who said he was headed down High Shoals Road in Bishop when he saw a man, he knew, driving toward him. The man said he pulled his car over and the other man pulled a gun and fired a shot in his direction. Later, Deputy Laura Teet met with the suspect in that case and he said he found four tires on his car had been flattened and he thinks the other man may be responsible. He said they had an altercation earlier in the day at a rodeo on Colham Ferry Road.

There is not a ton to do around this area:

Damage: On May 26, police were called to Whitehall Road near Katie Lane where someone was throwing objects at passing cars. The offender fled into the woods.

All the rest here.

 Pure fucking class. To order for your dear papa, go here.

Wasn't the point of this that it was a step toward redefining the image of the Republican Party, much the same way the Republican Party has been successful in defining Democrats as elitists. Are we saying we don't want to play that game and just chug along happily the way things are right now?

1) This headline ("University, former foundation reach agreement") sounds like a lot more has been accomplished than actually has. The agreement is that the foundation will pay the university for the use of its employees, not exactly the dissolution of the foundation the university's seeking, especially since the function of those employees includes processing donation checks. Note: "In a statement on May 17, Morton said there was no discussion of transferring UGA Foundation funds to the new Arch Foundation." AJC article adds that foundation will not attempt to fundraise actively, but will accept donations. Ponsoldt says in letter that ABH is not taking a good look at the audit of Adams's spending commissioned by the foundation, concludes:

Among people with rudimentary knowledge of the audit report and the regents' capriciousness and attempts to promote secrecy, you are quickly losing all credibility. The university and the regents have their own substantial propaganda machines - they don't need Morris Communications as well.

Dude, you are certainly getting my vote if I have the opportunity.

2) Six new board members for ACTION, but still pretty financially screwed. Dispute about amount they're in the red.

3) County officials will not contest Giese's ruling that says multiple families can live together in neighborhoods zoned multi-family.

4) Well, this is something new.

5) Idiots continue not to get over the fact that this tree has already been cut down. Do you think throwing a rock through the window of Hodgson's will make its owners more sympathetic to your cause? Or turn back time?

6) Clearly somebody liked this place's bbq.

7) Editor and publisher of Georgia Trend says we should restore education funding somehow. He suggests a 1-cent sales tax increase, which, again seems to turn to the lower-income population in the state for moneys that could be obtained better elsewhere.

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot AJC]

What I wanted to show was a picture of the thing I saw by the convenience store register yesterday: namely, one of those magnetic yellow ribbon dealies for your car, but with "Git-R-Done" emblazoned on it. Am not sure if this was to be taken seriously (i.e., git that war done with, but in a satisfactory way) or not (i.e., is this not ridiculous that I am combining my love of lowbrow comedy with what is ordinarily a serious symbol?), but, point is, I have been to the Larry the Cable Guy official site and I have seen the best category of merchandise available.

We edge ever closer to the answer that will piss everyone off.

Criterion Collection, are you aware that I'm really trying not to buy dvds? Apparently, either you did not get the memo, or you are evil and trying to undermine my resolve.

Witness: I have a very difficult time resisting

a) Lubitsch

b) Sturges

c) a beard like this

Are long silent sequences in movies characteristically French? This is what my sister asked after we got out of Le Cercle Rouge, which is obviously one example. Rififi is another one. Both of these make sense, being heist flicks. I believe that Le Trou also has several. So is it a function of the time? Or the genres (heist/escape)? Or the country's interpretation of such? Other examples? 2001 sort of counts, but not really.

1) Audioslave, "Be Yourself" -- Covered and rated, but can't remember for the life of me what it sounds like.

2) Jamiroquai, "Feels Just Like It Should" -- The first 10 seconds are pretty cool, with fuzzed up what sounds like mad beatboxing. And then that fades to the background and begins to sound less interesting, and the rest of it... meh. So Kravitzy. Bump the weirdness up, kids. The video is also pretty terrible. 3. [video is here]

3) The Ordinary Boys, "Boys Will Be Boys" -- This would be the place to admit that I'm a bit biased against ska because of its place during my high school years. It's not all awful, but I don't go, "ooh! Reggae rhythms" much. If I were to like it, it would need to increase the rollicking factor considerably. And actually have a hook. 2. [video here]

4) T Raumschmiere, "Sick Like Me" -- Not completely awful, but then, not actually good either. It is a faint compliment indeed to say someone's no Mortiis. 2. [clip listenable here]

5) John Legend, "Ordinary People" -- It's a little too classy, but at the same time, it's nicely done. I certainly find myself humming the tune often enough. Best o' VH1, most definitely, but a solid 5, too, because I like piano tons and he has a sweet voice. [video is on his site, under "media"]

6) JoJo, "Not That Kind of Girl" -- Covered and rated. Not the best song on the album (it's so no "Baby It's You"), but still totally hooky and listenable.

7) Bon Garcon, "Freek U" -- Week by week, doing this, I am realizing more what kinds of dance music I like and what kinds I don't. The pace is good, but the song doesn't have anything interesting about it. Too high pitched? I am judging all this from a brief clip, though, so grains of salt are recommended. Sassy and sexy, my ass. 3. [clip here]

8) Saint Etienne, "Side Streets" -- Might be a touch laid back on the whole, but really very Bardot with a bit of Petula Clark (minus belting). It is also precisely the reason I wussed on Belle & Sebastian for so long. It seems almost too pretty. But I decided to suppress the Ramones side of my brain to like the former, so I don't see why I can't do that here. Not quite as good as B&S, though. 6. [video here]

9) The Raveonettes, "Love in a Trashcan" -- 1950s twist meets 1990s vaguely goth, but it kinda works. It's got a beat, at least. The guitar breaks are too long (so is the whole thing), and the video too kitschy, but it's kinda fun and enough like The Cramps for me to be happy with it. 5. [video on their site under "the videos"]

10) LCD Soundsystem, "Disco Infiltrator" -- Blow your fucking nose. Please. I would like to do the dances depicted in the video, but maybe not to this song, which has the beat, but is still missing something. Minimalism, you are so annoying sometimes. 5. [video here on official site]

11) M83, "Teen Angst" -- Too slow, I think. Too much of this building to a crescendo, during which you must be standing in the rain and at an emotional peak. I might like it if I were indeed still full of its title, but I am not these days. I am past that. 4. [here's a little sample]

12) Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band, "L.I.P.S.T.I.C.K." -- See #8 indeed. No, this is a bit more fun. The vocal is less good (too whispery?), but the bongos and jazz piano bits and strings make the chorus much better. Still, if that was a low 6, this clocks in at a high 6, making them the same ranking. I just don't think it's catchy enough to be bumped up to a 7, and both of them belong to a movie soundtrack more than in my CD player. [stream on their record label's site]

From Hassiotis comes this latest development in Athens's skyline. Hoo-fucking-ray.

1) Arch Foundation changes. Those who vote have the power. Those who do not are there to pretty things up. And so it goes. ABH article on Adams gives him too much credit for the university's rise in academic rankings (did he invent the HOPE scholarship?), doesn't mention fiscal issues and kissing up to the state government instead of standing up for the university. Regents to determine what construction will go ahead and distribution of operating funds. AJC has Q&A with Adams on athletics.

2) Possible new private convention center to be built downtown. I think part of what Art Jackson's saying must've been cut out.

If a new convention center is built downtown, it could hurt downtown businesses, especially restaurants, which since the Classic Center opened in 1995 have come to cater more to businessmen than students, said Art Jackson, executive director of the Athens Downtown Development Authority.

Surely what is implied here but not stated is the convention center having its own restaurants? Because otherwise, I don't see the logic.

3) ABH disses zero-tolerance policies, kill switch, UGA Foundation's continued backbone.

4) School funding lawsuit coming up.

5) MACORTS still divided on bike lanes. First paragraph does nothing to dispell idea discussed later, that "bicycle commuters are a small, vocal minority." What is the important part of this sentence? "Residents of Clarke, Oconee and Madison counties - at least the ones who sent comments to transportation officials - favor bicycle lanes in Athens by more than 4-1."

6) Some of the programs threatened by the shake-up at ACTION, which desperately needs a board.

7) Whether or not it's as a toll road, 316 does need to be fixed and, therefore, that project is moving ahead.

8) Jim suggests that ordinance enforcement revert to previous complaint-only basis, with complainer having to show up, rather than just make nasty phone calls. I don't think this is such an awful idea, but it could probably use some modification. I mean, if I live across the street from Bill Goldberg, and he's junking up his yard, I might be a bit intimidated as far as facing him in court. You know?

9) Shipp says one year only for Meredith, mentions that Perdue may have Republican opposition as well.

10) This fella says what hardly anyone else dares to: elimination of means-testing for HOPE turned the scholarship into a wealth transfer from poor to rich. And that ain't cool. Along the same lines, here's what instituting lottery funding for education allows state governments to do.

11) Derrick White off the team. Also, Happy Dicks.

[bugmenot ABH, bugmenot AJC, bugmenot AC-T]

22) A lot of the photographs in the lower Broadway store, the New York flagship, are come-on shots of young people, mostly women. In one photograph, a woman's sandy buttocks peep out from panties as she walks upstairs. In another, the model wears only socks. There's a girl spread out across a rumpled sheet, the flash too brightly lighting her face, her smile vulnerable. [from "Part Cotton, Part Virtue, Part Come-On," Critical Shopper column from Alex Kuczynski, on American Apparel, 06/02/05; she is creeped out by the company's advertising, but appreciates their product]

23) Bruce Dern and Debra Monk excel as taciturn losers tiresomely at odds with each other over Albert's best interests, and Josh Brolin arrives in what look to be crotchless women's panties, driving the film's quirk factor ever higher. [review of Milwaukee, Minnesota, by Ned Martel, 06/03/05]

[previously] [bugmenot is dead?]

Phase 1 complete. World domination in 3, 2, 1.

Part 5. Indeed a bit of a let-down, but this is how Kells works. He does tend to get ahead of himself and not know how to finish things. Still, 5 is superior to 3, and it does have the best method of bleeping expletives ever. Plot holes? Um... Quick! Look over there!

1) Mad Hot Ballroom: Very similar to Spellbound in a lot of ways, i.e., sort of directed rooting for the poor and generally disenfranchised, who happen to kick major ass in this case, and also cute kids. But man are they ever cute. And you do root for them insanely. Warning: may provoke brief man tears. (Query: Can man tears even be provoked by ballroom dancing, technically?) The interviews with the kids are great. I want all of them to be my very own, especially mini-Giamatti. So, does teaching ballroom dancing in public school promote tolerance? Or at least help socialization along? Methinks maybe so, in the same way as sports, but more so because of the negotiation of gender roles or whatnot. Short story? Totally charming.

2) Le Cercle Rouge: Merveilloso. Have seen two other Melvilles, but like this one the best, partially because it is so laid back and amused at itself. Argument with family over whether it is intentionally funny or not, but I think absolutely so. Who says you can't be both an existentialist and make jokes? Gian Maria Volonté is hysterical whenever onscreen. It also moves along beautifully, with bursts of energy, such as the car fucking tearing around Place Vendome. Would like very much to see a good print, as the colors were amazing enough even with a bad one, and to watch again to see if my impression holds up.

I will open myself to public ridicule if I am wrong, but when "Trapped in Closet (Part 5 of 5)" hits, I will be god damned if there is not a dude in R's closet (who's been fucking R's wife), bringing the whole thing full circle in a way that has its own logic. Will he have a gun too? Possibly, but the gun and the gayness and all that is all side material.

You. Me. Outside. Now.

This should go on your shopping list, pronto, despite release date three months from now.

Posting light today, as I am outta here at noon to the Greyhound station for to make my way to the big city (tha ATL).

Yes, I'm busy. It happens sometimes. But kids, this is something that's been boiling and bubbling in me brain for a while now. Can we go ahead and officially christen the 2000s the decade of the pirate?

1) Pirates almost universally seen as cool. Witness: Pirates of the Carribbean acclaimed by many, "Talk Like a Pirate Day" observed online, McSweeney's pirate store, decoration of Flicker Bar in Athens as pirate ship for Halloween, etc. etc.

2) Pirating of music, movies, software, and more rampant. IMDB headlines almost daily about pirated this and that, leading to thoughts about swashbuckling before realization of actual geeky dudes in basements with fancy computers. Everybody's doin' it.

3) Pirate fashion everywhere. Note: popularity of capri pants, which are right at the length of many pirates' trousers, especially when loose and flowing; also, knickers; pants tucked into knee-high boots, very piratical; blousey tops, often combined with one or more of the following (cf here); Gwen Stefani actually dressed as pirate in "Rich Girl" video; presence of blinged out jewelry.

4) Dudes getting limbs blown off in Iraq. Will the peg-leg make a comeback? Or perhaps the hook hand? (Note: Not likely.)

[Deja vu. Did I write about this before? Or just think about it so long I think I already have?]

So chicks can now drive tractors. Except when they can't. And farming is about nurturing, or not. Is it that you've come a long way baby? Or that the industry has changed to fit what you're stereotypically good at? And is an increase from 5% to 15% in almost 30 years really something to be hugely proud of, considering the advances that have most likely been made in other fields? It all sounds good, unless you think about it a little. [bugmenot NYT]

1) Ralph Powell, county solicitor, to retire from his position at end of August. He says it's not politics. Does "politics" include large chunks of one's job being phased out? Because that strikes me as a pretty good reason to quit. Perdue will appoint a new solicitor, "not necessarily" a Republican, i.e., a Republican.

2) It'll be Burns v Barrow again next year, but with a better shot for Burns in the reconfigured district. Meow, meow, back and forth from the campaigns.

3) Either people in ACC think the school district should be funded by a small property tax raise or the weather was just that gross last night.

4) Commuter rail from Athens to Atlanta isn't completely dead, just delayed and delayed again. Funding, of course, is key:

Whether the train will be funded is anyone's guess, though. Gov. Sonny Perdue has generally favored express buses over trains. For example, he provided money last year for express buses to run down Interstate 75 in new high-occupancy lanes from Cobb County to Atlanta.

...Perdue is "open to the (commuter rail) project" but has no official position, spokeswoman Heather Hedrick said.

The guess is that 8,000 people would ride it every day.

5) ABH ponders whether Felt/Deep Throat is a hero or not.

6) Ooh! Preemptive strike. Outdoor lighting restrictions will increase safety. Did not see that one coming.

7) Julie keeps it going as though there's a real debate about the quality of the current Athens music scene, but concludes that nostalgia is the driving force behind those who think it sucks.

8) Neutral site to remain unneutral.

[bugmenot ABH]

The video for "Trapped in the Closet (Part 1 of 5)" is up at the man's own personal site. How does he put it? "The Pied Piper Radio Hour broadcasting direct from the Chocolate Factory presents." It's all pretty literal (though he doesn't actually look under the dresser, since that line's ridiculous). What I find interesting is to see who mimes singing what and when. For one thing, there's one R. Kelly in the closet sort of narrating and another R. Kelly outside the closet, acting out what's happening, until he gets shoved into the closet, at which point they merge. Some lines are clearly thought and therefore not mimed. I have no idea if there's a rationale. Watch and enjoy.

1) SMN sees the retention of Meredith for another year as a vote for education over ego. Eh... keeping someone around for a brief period of time after it gets out that you wanted to fire him is more an ass-covering than a vote in favor of anything.

2) First step taken in death penalty case in Athens.

In a court filing, Western Judicial Circuit District Attorney Ken Mauldin said he is seeking the death penalty for both defendants because they killed Bennett while committing two other felonies (burglary and armed robbery); because the murder was committed for the purpose of receiving money or other valuables; and because the murder "was outrageously and wantonly vile, horrible and inhuman in that it involved torture, depravity of mind or an aggravated battery."

Also, "fuck, I need to do something to seem tough on crime. I need to get reelected at some point and maybe this'll distract people from thinking about that courthouse bullshit."

3) This situation seems ridiculous.

4) Public transit, dammit!

5) Shipp says higher education in Georgia is all about the cashola.

6) Relatively context-free. We like it like that.

[bugmenot ABH; bugmenot SMN]

Oh the specificity:

Damage: On May 24, a resident of Cole Springs Road reported someone threw a large rock and damaged his mailbox. He said this is the sixth time in 20 years this has happened.

Is this not an acceptable reason?

Arrest: On May 24, Deputy Byron Smith stopped a car at the Oconee Connector after radar showed it traveling at 82 mph. The man, Steven James Connors, 18, of Alpharetta, said he was having a bad day. He said he had one drink in Athens, but it could have been more. He was charged with speeding and DUI.

Wait for it...

Arrest: On May 24, Deputy Byron Smith was patrolling Branch Road in Bishop shortly after 11 p.m. when he saw a man walking down the road. The man tossed an object in the ditch. Smith asked where he was going in the middle of the night and the man replied he was going to meet some friends. Smith smelled marijuana smoke, so he cuffed the man, identified as James T. Wood, 24, of Branch Road, and placed him in his patrol unit. Upon checking the ditch he found a pipe with a small amount of marijuana inside. Smith drove Wood to his father's house located nearby. Deputy David Burchett arrived and they went inside and talked to the father. When they returned to the patrol car, they discovered the door open and Wood gone. They searched the area but could not find the man. The next day, Smith returned to the house and found Wood inside still wearing the handcuffs. He was charged with possessing marijuana and escape.

The rest here.

Mothereffer. I wasn't even making fun of eppy this time around. So, things crashed. Here we go again.

Note that Stylus tries to include links to video or whatnot for all the songs now. If they don't and I can find it, I'll do so.

1) The Noise Next Door, "She Might" -- New rule: no more videos set on a bus, unless that bus is the bus from David Lee Roth's "California Girls." This is not built around a strong hook, the strings have no purpose (and don't add anything), and it sounds like Shania but emptier. Not even a whole lotta nothing. Just nothing. 2.

2) Geri Halliwell, "Desire" -- I got no beef with Ginger. I liked "Look at Me" or whatever it was called, her last thing that was a hit in the U.S. I don't mind her obvious and not polished voice. But this song is really meh. Thin and unsexy. 2.

3) Moby, "Spiders" -- What did I just fucking say about videos on a bus, Moby? If you like Coldplay, but you're worried they're a little too hard-edged for you, you will like this song. 2. [video here]

4) James Blunt, "You're Beautiful" -- Thank you for not being on a bus. The comparison to Tracy Chapman vocally is apt. It's too much of one thing though. And I am heartily disappointed that he does not take his pants off in the video. That's all it seems to be leading up to, the only thing that kept me watching, and then he just goes and jumps in the sea? You tease. 3.

4) Foo Fighters, "Best of You" -- Covered and rated.

5) Funeral for a Friend, "Streetcar" -- This is metal now? Kinda like My Chemical Romance minus makeup and some fun. Not awful. Not much. 3.

6) Faithless feat. Estelle, "Why Go" -- Uninspired club stuff. A couple of moments of Cornelius-esque production on the acoustic guitar break, but ultimately uninteresting. 2.

7) Embrace, "Glorious Day" -- Augh. Ballady. I don't hate the "ooh"s on the chorus completely, but this is not my thing. It's slow and meaningful, I think. 3. [here's the specific link to the page with the video]

8) Teenage Fanclub, "Fallen Leaves" -- Can't find more than a long sample, which I don't mind. It's a little lush, but it's also sort of bouncy. I hate this less than I am hating most of the other stuff this week so far. 4. [sample here]

9) White Stripes, "Blue Orchid" -- Covered and rated.

10) MC Lars, "Signing Emo" -- Hee! MC Lars makes it to the charts? Loved it when Poptext posted the link back in February. Both parts are really well done and mesh too. God, if only most emo were as good as this dude making fun of it. Novelty, but that has a good meaning as well. 7.

11) Groove Coverage, "Poison" -- Did I hear this before? Is my memory so short? I could swear I have, but can't find thoughts on it. Anyway. This is the kind of disco club crap that does it for me. Not too antiseptic, full of chick vocals, thumpy thumpy. Yeah. 5.

12) Ben Adams, "Sorry" -- Ooh! Boy bandy. Boy bandy in a way that says "I used to be in a boy band but now I'm trying to cut those ties and move out on my own." Which it seems like he is. It's pretty snappy and pop, with some neat stuff in the production, but ultimately a teeny bit too repetitive to be "Toxic" or like Timberlake's better songs. Not bad though, and a good note to go out on. 6. [video here; sound is not great]

The only thing that I do not like about this is that it would seem there is only one part left. Sigh.

Fine. I'll add my take.

1) The song isn't that great. I don't mind the concept of the sound, but I haven't generally been big on super-minimalist hip hop. I will say that it sounds awesome coming out of a car cruising down the street (with a little doppler thrown in). This is probably one reason it's done really well.

2) If we're going to talk about the lyrics and misogyny and bla bla bla, why the fuck is no one making the analogy to songs about shooting people? I mean, that used to get discussed a lot, before people either agreed not to care so much and/or realized it's more a convention of the genre than an expression of future plans. What people do with it isn't all that relevant, unless you're the type who thinks Marilyn Manson is responsible for the shootings at Columbine. Mike asks, "Can you have a different opinion on 'The Whisper Song' than Jessica and Julianne while also having a clear understanding of the realities of sexual violence?" The answer is "Yes. It's called understanding the difference between art and reality." Is that so weird?

Suggestion #1: For "like a fat kid loves cake," substitute "like a fat kid (who is also paranoid) loves his Ben & Jerry's."

Suggestion #2: Do you promise to love, honor, obey, and protect your spouse in much the same fashion as an obsessive and poor weirdo protects his pint of Chunky Monkey.

A couple more record reviews, linked on the sidebar: Matisyahu and The High Speed Scene.

Busy busy now. Posty later.