Jack your body

Jack your body, by Steve 'Silk' Hurley. Happy weekend!

Obsidian

Obsidian, by Banco de Gaia.

This is my best video find. Amazing song.

Non m'annoio

Non m'annoio, by Jovanotti.

Some guy makes an observation

Some guy:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has talked to more American news reporters than Sarah Palin. Not just in his lifetime. I mean, in this year.

Doomsday

In 1983, a computer glitch nearly killed the world.

Ubik

Ubik, by Timo Maas.

A new taste sensation

Woman drinks coffee à la bat.

Blues Power

Blues Power, by Albert King.

Journey of Time

Journey of Time, by DJ Krush.

Crazy Talk

I thought McCain's 'League of Democracies' was crazy talk. Apparently it is a conservative plan to kill the UN.

Babylon Sisters

Babylon Sisters, by Steely Dan.

Power of Love

Power of Love, by DeeLite. Have a groovy weekend!

Lovestory

Lovestory, by Layo and Bushwacka! Freaky video.

Tal Zamaan

Tal Zamaan, by Transglobal Underground. A bit glitchy in the middle, but worth it.

A-Punk

A-Punk, by Vampire Weekend.

Born Under a Bad Sign

Born Under a Bad Sign, by Albert King.

You Have God

You Have God, by Banco de Gaia.

Black Friday

Black Friday, by Steely Dan.

Pose

Pose, by Daddy Yankee.

Unfettered capitalism

Apparently even capitalists don't believe in it any more.

No more...

Please, no more Tolkien books, no more Dune books, and no more Hitchhiker's books... Nooooooooooooo...

/sigh

Jeffrey Lewis's Complete History of Punk

The Complete History of Punk, by Jeffrey Lewis.

AIG now owned by the USA

U.S. Seizes Control of AIG With $85 Billion Emergency Loan

I guess we should change Manchester United jerseys...

The Boobs Song

The Boobs Song, performed live by Piscilla Ahn. 99% safe for work.

Posters

Posters, by Jeffrey Lewis.

More B.B.!

B. B. King, on Ralph Gleason's Jazz Casual. From 1968, Part 2.

Free

Another song named Free. This one by Towa Tei... in a much less abstract mood.

Kid Charlemagne

Kid Charlemagne, by Steely Dan.

Followed

Followed, by Ian Pooley.

America First

America First, by Woodie Guthrie.

Taken for Granted

Taken For Granted, by Sia

In the waiting line

In the waiting line, a moody, chill tune from Zero 7.

B.B. King

B.B. King, on Ralph Gleason's Jazz Casual. From 1968.

A.O.R.

More abstractions, this time A.O.R., from Towa Tei.

I just saw this

Geoffrey Perkins killed

Well boo.

The changing face of bloggage

I've been blogging off and on since January 2001--the stolen election was a pivotal moment for me, I stopped yelling at the TV to an audience of one (my girlfriend at the time also liked to vent) and I started yelling on the internet to an audience of one (or two).

The first Vlogs I saw were annoying. I still do not like talkingheads.

But I think it is quite normal now to post video on blogs. That has changed.

And it is amazing.

International Polar Year

International Polar Year:

The International Polar Year is a large scientific programme focused on the Arctic and the Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009.

IPY, organized through the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), is actually the fourth polar year, following those in 1882-3, 1932-3, and 1957-8. In order to have full and equal coverage of both the Arctic and the Antarctic, IPY 2007-8 covers two full annual cycles from March 2007 to March 2009 and will involve over 200 projects, with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a wide range of physical, biological and social research topics. It is also an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate, follow, and get involved with, cutting edge science in real-time.

Rikki Don't Lose that Number

A jazzed up Rikki Don't Lose that Number, performed live by Steely Dan in 1996.

Die Hard

Die Hard, by Guyz Nite. Language NSFW.

Momma's Boy

Momma's Boy, by Chromeo.

The composition decomposed

the first few sentences
     jotted notes
the pearl of an idea
          the motif
          a seduction
     a letter of introduction to a grand theme
if one believes in those sorts of things

But in all matters of ambition
there is awkwardness and uncertainty
     until there is flight—
my heart flutters
     my voice quivers
          my chest shakes
struggling to keep this nakedness from my face.

In a dream once
I was the boy I once was
     singing high and pure
     a clarion made of man
     a soul uncomplexed and pure—
and this is the voice I would sing to you with—
     not as a boy, but with that purity,
          that unseeing love.

We forget though
that all things are made and are made to decay—
     even tears
should be left out in the rain.
The last few sentences
are reminders
of all we have learned.
The theme finished
     recapitulated as a caress
a few lines more. . .

Aprés moi

Aprés moi, by Regina Spektor.

Fancy Footwork

Fancy Footwork, by Chromeo. The video is intriguing, working, as it does, on many different levels. The song itself is a lot of fun.

Boo and hiss...

Tonight's Middleman likely to be the last. What a fun series. A crying shame it was on Monday nights at ten o'clock on ABC Family...

Dream

Dream, by Priscella Ahn.

German Bold Italic

German Bold Italic, by Towa Tei and Kylie Minogue. This abstract piece was something of a hit in Japan.

Reelin' in the years

Reelin in the Years, performed live in 1973 by Steely Dan.

Deep Inside These Walls

Deep Inside These Walls, by JJ Flores and Steve Smooth. Warning: may be NSFW. Your mileage may vary.

Adding value

Here's an angry diary at dKos about television coverage on the liberally-beloved MSNBC.

There's a reason why I don't watch TV anymore; actually, there are a bunch of reasons. First, commercials suck. 15-20 minutes of every hour of programming is commercials. Second, a lot of the programming sucks. And third, the programming that doesn't suck is available through other means: good shows end up on the iTunes store or come out on DVD. (Alternatively, you can get a Tivo).

But news shows are particularly bad because of three factors. First, news shows hire commentators who have agendas. To make up for this they tend to have multiple people on with agendas, as if an increased volume of opinion will actually create insight. Instead it creates rather boring TV where the emotional drama is about ideology and not about a story or a recognizable human relationship. Second, these pundits tend to obsess about process and ignore objectives. It may have been funny to watch cable TV news channels twitter about madly trying to guess Obama's VP choice, but it actually makes for uninformative TV. And third, cable TV shows have bought into the mistaken idea that their job is to provide value above and beyond reporting the news: which is why every cable TV channel provides extensive commentary. The reality is, the power of TV is its ability to show the news, in real time, in pictures. Anything beyond that tends to distract from its true value.

Obama's speech

Obama's speech tonight was awesome and awe-inspiring.

Can McCain draw a crowd?

Josh Marshall notes:

If you're bummed about not getting a ticket to watch the Obama speech at the Invesco Center, you'll be happy to know they're still giving away tickets for John McCain's veep announcement tomorrow at the aptly-named 12,000 seat Nutter Cente

Update: Mile High Stadium is packed. Amazing.

ECC groups announced

Man Utd and Liverpool look to be in the most interesting groups. I'm sure the Celtic-Man Utd games will be spectacular.

More info here.

Goodbye arctic ice

This animation in Google Earth shows satellite data of Arctic sea ice concentration from May 25 to August 21, 2008. Note how the decline rate speeds up during August, with strong losses north of Siberia. For more details, visit http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/.

(h/t Juan Cole)

Groove is in the heart

Groove is in the heart, by Deee-Lite.

Distractions

Distractions, by Zero 7. I love this song, but the video actually, ahem, distracts from how good it is.

Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror

Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror, by Jeffrey Lewis. This song made me laugh.

Bicycle kicks

One of the hardest and dangerous types of kicks to make in football. Here are two examples by Ronaldinho.

This first example has English commentary, from a game against Villareal in 2006.



This second example is a better example of a bicycle kick, from a game against Athletico Madrid.

More like this please

Sebelius, Rendell, Jackson on Face the Nation.

Turn the Party Out

Turn the Party Out, an old school track by Biz Markie.

Oxford Comma

Oxford Comma, by Vampire Weekend. Done all in one shot.

Pretzel Logic

Pretzel Logic, the classic Steely Dan song performed by the New York Rock and Soul Revue.

Market realities

So does free-market capitalism work or not?

The Big 3 Detroit-based automakers are seeking about $25 billion in federal loans as they struggle to ride out a steep downturn in U.S. auto sales, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

I mean, if we as a nation truly believe in deregulation and free-market capitalism then we should just stand by and let these venerable companies fail. Right? We can't be held responsible for the incompetence of their corporate officers who pursued policies of short term profits without an eye on long term realities... [/snark]

Without a doubt, however, look to Republican free-market politicians to be among the loudest voices in favor of this corporate bailout, just as they have applauded the Federal Reserve's interference with Bears-Stearns, while blaming the mortgage crisis on a lack of personal morality and our economic problems on being a bunch of whiners.

Laughing at Real Madrid

I'm laughing at Real Madrid after reading that star striker Robinho is desperate to leave Spain to play for Chelsea in the English Premier League. The soccer world was a bit gaga this summer with a fantastic Euro2008, but also with Real Madrid's inpolitic and public pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United's star winger, and one of the best footballers currently playing the game.

Real Madrid's pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo fizzled, and Cristiano Ronaldo is currently rehabilitating from an ankle injury and will be playing for Man Utd in early October. The Red Devils are going to need his talent, since Chelsea will likely be the team to beat this season.

Schadenfreude! (With some heartfelt wine advice.)

The news that Wine Spectator magazine was scammed into giving an Award of Excellence to a non-existent restaurant has been greeted with guffaws by schadenfreude fans and with fury by the magazine’s editor.

Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine, not a wine magazine. If you don't understand what I mean, then take a look at Wine Spectator one day when you are checking out at the liquor store and pay attention to the ads.

The key thing to remember about Wine Spectator scores is that it is not a scale from 0-100, as you might imagine when you see a score of 87 or 79. Rather it is a scale from 51-100. So when a wine has a score of 90, it is really an 80, and when a wine is 75 it is really a 70.

The best way to buy wine is to find a store that consistently stocks good wine, whose owners and managers are dedicated to carrying and selling good product. If you find such a store in your area, patronize it religiously. Then you don't need Wine Spectator or other guides, only a willingness to explore and find hidden delights (One of the joys of wine is that it varies from year to year, from field to field, from winemaker to winemaker. It is ephemeral. Most wines cannot be cellared. It is meant to be drunk and enjoyed, preferably shared with friends.).

Finally

Pundits And Writers Start Hitting McCain For Non-Stop P.O.W. References

Party People

Party People by Alex Gopher. Funny video.

The Demo Unleashed

Been playing and replaying the recently released demo for The Force Unleashed.

Joystiq has posted a hefty chunk of the upcoming book The Art and Making of The Force Unleashed. Contains spoilers, insight into the corporate creative process (like seeing sausage being made, ugh), and lots of cool art.

Religulous

Religulous trailer. Looks like it could be an interesting movie.

Us

Us, by Regina Spektor.

Little Man

Little Man, by Sia.

Use Me

Use Me, by Alex Gopher.

Retirees return to FDIC

F.D.I.C. Retirees Ride to Rescue in New Era of Bank Failures (h/t Calculated Risk)

Coracao Tambor

Coracao Tambor, by Ian Pooley.

Heartbreaker

Heartbreaker by Dread Zeppelin.

Century's End

Century's End, by Donald Fagan.

Groovejet

Groovejet (If This Ain't Love), by Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis Bextor.

Bonafide Lovin'

Bonafide Lovin', by Chromeo. I think I might be late to an internet meme somewhere. Cool (note, not cuil) video though.

Quotable

"No one should have to beg another person for his or her life. It's a soul-crushing experience." -- Sarah Gliege, rape victim.

Strolling in Baghdad

Strolling in Baghdad, an unrehearsed performance by Hamell on Trial.

Losing the younger demographic?

Teens Totally Not Into Olympics

Only 46 percent of teens surveyed by Harris Interactive showed any interest in watching the Olympics. And if teens are indeed abstaining, it's not because they think that the Olympics are a crass, greedy commercial enterprise -- in fact, 71 percent of those polled "were likely to agree that the games are about more than merely medals and marketing," according to Harris Interactive. So why won't they watch? Because it's not convenient for them.

"Teens want quick-hitting videos," says Bill Carter, a partner at youth marketing agency Fuse Marketing. "They don't want the lead-up and they don't want the analysis. They just want the video. And I'm optimistic that NBC is doing delivering this better than they have before. Although, to watch the [mens freestyle swimming] relay this morning, I still had to download 11 minutes of video, and fast forward through the first 6 minutes to get to the race."

Its hard to know what's going on without actually talking to a lot of teens and getting some real data. But at first glance, it could be that NBC's crappy coverage (its need to talk about only Americans, its need to do heart-wrenching bios of every athlete (He stubbed his toe last week, but he's determined to come back and win for his country.), and its general need to blather mindlessly) could be the nail that kills the Olympics for the media savvy.

Or maybe I'm just projecting?

Destroy Everything You Touch

Destroy Everything You Touch, by Ladytron.

The end of civilization becomes a non-event?

11,000 couples later, gay marriage largely a nonevent in Massachusetts

n.b.: My headline was snark.

The original Maverick

In fact, the original maverick was Maury Maverick, the grandson of Samuel Maverick, from whom the name maverick first entered the American lexicon.

There you go.

Don't Go

Don't Go, by Yaz (Yazoo).

I've never been to [barf]

I've never been to me is everything a song shouldn't be: pompous, condescending, patronizing, saccharine, and insincere. Proof positive that singing about the joys of being a kept woman is one way to make it big.

No music video for today

I must be a bad blogger...

Beautiful and cool

Whirring Blender weekly design challenge

Carly Monardo

Snowbound

Snowbound, by Donald Fagan.

Well Boo

Edwards admits to affair, lied as candidate.

In an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 44-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her.

Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter's baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test.

Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby's birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father.

Well, this story certainly continues the Democrats have penises narrative that the press so eagerly salivates over (i.e.: Never mind the fact that McCain had an affair with Cindy before they were married.). It also shows a degree of hubris that is unbecoming: had Edwards been the one to secure the nomination, this could have been the October surprise that would have doomed the U.S. to four more years of Republican rule.

In other news, married people have affairs.

Freq'd

Freq'd by JJ Flores and Steve Smooth, from DJ Bad Boy Bill.

Destiny

Destiny, by Zero 7.

The Chad Mitchell Trio

The Chad Mitchell Trio live on the Bell Telephone Hour. Fast-forward to the 1:25 mark. The banjo player is Roger McGuinn, who would later go on to found The Byrds. From 1963.

Boten Ana

Boten Ana, by Basshunter. Scandinavian bubble-gum music.

Get Over You

Get Over You, by Sophie Ellis Bextor.

Quality Snark Watch

Jesse Taylor on Barack Obama as the black messiah.

Journalists, confidential sources, and irresponsibility

Glenn Greenwald today:

That is really the critical point here. Source confidentiality is premised on a model of journalism where the media is adversarial to the Government, and safeguarding the anonymity of sources is the only way to find out what the Government is doing. But these days, so frequently, the media serves as an arm of the Government -- the Government uses the establishment media to disseminate propaganda and outright lies to the public (Jessica Lynch, Pat Tillman, Saddam's aluminum tubes) or even uses leaks to the media to commit crimes (as it did in the Plame case). When the journalists who are used to spread these lies or commit these crimes then conceal who it is who has done such things, they are complicit in the Government wrongdoing, key enablers of it.

By endorsing the sanctity of that Government-media relationship through shield laws and the like (which I've always supported in the past), it's actually -- perversely -- bestowing the Government with yet another tool to shield its misconduct from the public. Because the establishment media so frequently now serves as a tool used by the Government to amplify its false claims and promote its agenda, rather than as a watchdog against it, increasing the Government and media's power to keep that relationship secret is to empower the Government even further -- the exact opposite of what source confidentiality is intended to achieve [and, indeed, proposed federal shield laws provide large exceptions for national security leaks, which means that such a law would still allow the Governments to try to invade, and courts to destroy, the good kind of confidentiality (e.g., the CIA black sites and NSA leaks) while protecting the bad kind (where the Government uses the media to spread lies and other disinformation)].

Floating Chamber

Floating Chamber by Vince Watson.

From the Dept. of Unintended Consequences

Why is crime rising in so many American cities? The answer implicates one of the most celebrated antipoverty programs of recent decades.

New Frontier

New Frontier, by Donald Fagan.

Get your war on...

Get your War On is now animated. Go now.