Give me skirt-length restrictions or give me death

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.

Great moments in marketing

What? Slacks britches sounded too Cletus?

Hobbyhorse

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]

Again, no rules here

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.

Dancing in Chains

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.

OSIS

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.

Additive Notes

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]

Hobbyhorse

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]

Surplus

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.

Sigh

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.

Police Blotter

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.

There is one thing

You can say for those fuckers: they are organized.

I lied, okay?

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.

Hobbyhorse

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]

Average It Up (U.K.)

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.

Listy

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.

Solicitation

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...

Update

Remember this? It was successful in its aim.

OSIS (BTW)

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.

Hobbyhorse

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]

Who's got the scoop?

I do, y'all.

Your burning Popfest question is now answered.

Knowledge gained

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.

Bands, meet Internets. Internets, meet bands.

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.

Movie Diary (done right)

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.

Being Chris Hassiotis

  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)

Who wants to bet

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.

Average It Up (U.S.)

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]

Smoochies

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?

Hobbyhorse

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]

Listy

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.

Nutshell

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.

Awkward v. Nice

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.

Math

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]

Hobbyhorse

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]

Kitchens, heat, etc.

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.

The joys of incoherence

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?

Douchitude

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.

Listy

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.

Panty-watch

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?]

Hobbyhorse

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]

In the name of God

Please. Anyone but Reagan.

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

This is where we start to be in a fight

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.

Thinky thinky

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.

Eep!

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.

Hobbyhorse

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]

Average It Up (U.K.)

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]

OSIS 2 (the live transcript)

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.

Mean Girl

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."

OSIS

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).

Viddy 2

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.)

Viddy

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 (?!?).

Summer school

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.

Hobbyhorse

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.

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Call me a communist if you must

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.

To let you all know

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?

Hobbyhorse

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?

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In praise of

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.

Compulsion

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