Flannel Enigma

My Year in Cities 2011

2011-12-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

Hartford, CT*
Boston, MA
St. Louis, MO
Raphine, VA*
Charlotte, NC
Miami, FL

The rules: one or more nights had to be spent in a city. Those cities marked with an asterisk (*) were visited multiple times. While the number of cities is similar to last year, the amount of travel was much greater due to seven months working in Hartford every other week.

My Favorite Albums of 2011

2011-12-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again--the time for lists! As usual, I've put together a list of my favorite albums of the year. This list is by no means comprehensive--I don't have the resources of Paste of Pitchfork. This is merely the list of the 25 albums I enjoyed the most this year. But before I get to the list, I have a few honorable mentions that I'd like to call out even though the albums didn't quite make the favorites list.

First, I'd like to mention R.E.M for their last album, Collapse Into Now. Call this one the lifetime achievement award. I'd also like to give honorable mentions to The Feelies and Gang of Four for outstanding albums after a long time away: Here Before and Content, respectively. Both of these almost made the list, but just missed. But they deserve extra recognition, well, because of who they are.

With that out of the way, here's the list of my favorite 25 albums of 2011:

25. Yuck – Yuck
24. The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar
23. Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean
22. The Antlers – Burst Apart
21. Wye Oak – Civilian
20. TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light
19. The Pains of Being Pure of Heart – Belong
18. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
17. Cults – Cults
16. Dum Dum Girls – Only in Dreams
15. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
14. My Morning Jacket – Circuital
13. Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
12. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Departing
11. Wilco – The Whole Love
10. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
9. Radiohead – King of Limbs
8. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
7. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
6. The Decemberists – The King is Dead
5. Beirut – The Rip Tide
4. Wild Flag – Wild Flag
3. Florence + the Machine – Ceremonials
2. The Black Keys – El Camino
1. Atlas Sound – Parallax

For those of you who know me, there won't be many surprises here. One of my big surprises was the return to form of Wilco after two albums that really kind of disappointed me. You may also be surprised at how high Florence + the Machine rated. Well, you're not alone. I'm surprised that I enjoyed this album so much.

I have a feeling that if I were to revisit this list three months down the line, The Black Keys may fall a bit, but I am seriously loving El Camino right now. I don't see that happening with Wild Flag though (maybe I just miss Sleater-Kinney that much). Beirut never ceases to amaze me. I challenge you to listen to the song "Santa Fe" and not hum it the rest of the day.

Finally, my favorite album: what can you say about Bradford Cox of Atlas Sound and Deerhunter that hasn't already been said. They guy is an incredible talent, and that ain't just Atlanta homer-ism. Parallax was easily the album I returned to the most over the course of the year, or paused on while scanning XM radio. It may be my favorite Atlas Sound or Deerhunter record yet. And that's saying something.

My Year in Cities 2010

2010-12-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

Minneapolis, MN*
Chicago, IL
Greenville, SC*
Raphine, VA*
Fenton, MI*

The rules: one or more nights had to be spent in a city. Those cities marked with an asterisk (*) were visited multiple times. Not nearly as much travel this year as last.

My Favorite Albums of 2010

2010-12-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again--the time for lists and overthinking what has gone on in the year past. Naturally, I turn to music. So here is a list of my favorite albums of 2010. I'm not saying these are the best albums, since there are some obvious omissions in genres I don't listen much to (I'm looking at you Kanye west), and there are others where I just didn't have time to really digest the album before getting to this list (The Tallest Man on Earth). This was a hard year to do this because there was a lot of great music released. Some of the omissions were particularly painful. If you had asked me in June whether Crazy for You by Best Coast would be on the list, I would have assured you it would definitely be. Unfortunately, it was the last cut.

25. American Slang - The Gaslight Anthem: I've heard the Springsteen comparison, and they are apt. But the fact of the matter is that this is a very good album, conventional rock and roll or not.

24. Brothers - The Black Keys: It amazes me how much sound these guys can get out of an electric guitar and drum set, and each album still feels fresh and new.

23. ODD BLOOD - Yeasayer: "Ambling Alp" may be my song of the year, even though I have a hard time thinking in those terms. Released early in the year, this one may have been a bit overshadowed by what came later.

22. Carnavas - The Silversun Pickups: I have no idea how I haven't discovered this band before this year. This was one of my most played albums.

21. Astro Coast - Surfer Blood: Another album and band that caught me totally by surprise. Like many other albums this year, this one brings a garage sensibility without being muddy and murky.

20. The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night - The Besnard Lakes: Soaring, operatic, but ultimately, uneven. If the whole album was as good as the first half, this would easily be in the top 10.

19. Together - The New Pornographers: The most true to form New Pornographers record in a while, it's probably their best since Twin Cinema. They've finally found a way to mix in orchestral elements with their pure pop.

18. Cloak & Cipher - Land of Talk: This is definitely a step away from their earlier albums. The music, to its benefit, is not as raw and noisy, allowing vocalist's Elizabeth Powell's newly recovered voice to really shine.

17. The Monitor - Titus Andronicus: I'm not one for concept albums most of the time, but when it works as well as this one does, you have to give credit where credit is due. Most of the music trods rather traditional paths musically, but it all hangs together.

16. Harlem River Blues - Justin Townes Earle: You can almost hear him stepping out from under his father's shadow on this release. It's easily his most consistent to date.

15. The Age of Adz, All Delighted People EP - Sufjan Stevens: After five years of side projects and threats never to record an album again, Sufjan Stevens returned with not one, but two fantastic releases this year (the EP is almost album length). These albums show Stevens moving in a less precious direction, exploring new sounds.

14. Root for Ruin - Les Savy Fav: Loud guitar rock descended directly from Nirvana and the punk scene, only a helluva lot more fun.

13. Expo 86 - Wolf Parade: Their third album is the first where you can truly see the prodigious talents of Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner (of Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs respectively) coalescing into a single sound rather than moving back and forth between two variant, but equally good sounds.

12. Majesty Shredding - Superchunk: When did I wake up back in the mid 90s? Superchunk returned to their loud, infectious best after a long hiatus.

11. Gorilla Manor - Local Natives: One of the catchiest albums of the year. This one would probably be my wife's favorite based on the number of times she said "I really like this song". The album is just that--a solid collection of great, catchy songs.

10. Broken Bells - Broken Bells: I'm not a huge Shins fan and some of Danger Mouse's projects have left me cold, but teaming James Mercer up with him turned out to be absolutely brilliant.The album is surprisingly dark at times given Mercer's voice. I hope this is more than just a project record and they return with more releases in the future.

9. Lisbon - The Walkman: Lisbon is even more stripped down than your usual Walkmen release. A hauntingly beautiful mood is sustained on each of the songs on the record.

8. This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem: James Murphy at his Bowie-esque best. There's really nothing more to add.

7. Forgiveness Rock Record - Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene scaled their membership back for this record, and this allowed the music to have more room in it and retain a tighter focus than previous BSS albums. This is probably my favorite album of theirs since You Forgot It in People.

6. The Winter of Mixed Drinks - Frightened Rabbit: This Scottish band's follow up to 2008's Midnight Organ Fight scaled back the tempo of the previous release, but elevated the mood to new heights. While it may not have the stand out songs as it's predecessor, the album as a whole feels tighter and more complete.

5. Go - Jonsi: I'm only just now really starting to get my head into and around this album, since I've only been listening to it for a month or two, but I can see myself returning to it again and again, much like I do with the best albums by Sigur Ros. If I were to revisit this list next year and the year after that, I could definitely see Go rising a few steps on the ladder.

4. High Violet - The National: There's never going to be another Boxer. But that's just fine, I'll take High Violet just as it is. The songs on this album start to explore the end of youth and the problems of adulthood, and it's refreshing to see a band with such a distinctive voice addressing some of the things that are relevant to what's going on as I too begin to realize that somehow I became an adult.

3. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire: I was entirely prepared not to like this album too much based on the two tracks they released early. They seemed so different from one another and from the Arcade Fire. Once placed in context, however, it all came together for me. This could easily have been my album of the year except for some decidedly straw like factors detailed below.

2. Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter: Why higher than The Suburbs? They're hometown Atlanta boys. On Halcyon Digest Brandon Cox and Deerhunter are at their lush, dreamy best. This is quite the departure from the noisy guitar of Microcastle and most of the songs on Cryptogram. Halcyon Digest finds Deerhunter emphasizing their dreampop sensibilities. This simply is a beautiful record that provides not only great background music, but great foreground music as well.

1. Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons. Why the album of the year? 1) I'm a sucker for banjos. 2) I listened to this album the most of any album on these list. 3) I don't think I forwarded a single of the songs when they came up on shuffle. Seemingly from nowhere, Sigh No More hit me like a bullet. Most of you know, I'm a sucker for incorporating country and old time music riffs into upbeat modern rock or pop songs. So this was an album made just for me. Not only that, I'd imagine that it turns up on a lot of end of year lists across the board. I defy anyone to listen to "The Cave" and not be hooked.

So there we have it. Feel free to point out any omissions, because if we really think about it, all this list making isn't about what I liked. It's about discovering new music from other music lovers because even though I've listened to a lot of new music this year, there's always new, great music waiting to be discovered. So have at it in the comments!

2010-01-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

The Village Voice publishes it's 2009 Pazz and Jop list. Our top seven albums align pretty closely.

The 50 Albums of the Decade

2009-12-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

As promised, I’ve compiled my favorite albums of the “noughties” or whatever the powers that be have decided to call this decade. The original compact I had with my friends specified that each of us come up with a top 20 of the decade. Really, this was an incredibly hard exercise, so I had to start somewhere. So, obviously, I’ve erred on the side of caution, mostly because leaving so many worthy albums out just felt wrong to me. Thus, I’ve listed my top 50 for the decade by year, leaving aside the rankings of the top 10 or 20 for another post, which I hope to post with some reasoning behind my selections in the coming days (providing thoughts on 50 albums is even to time consuming for someone currently on stay-cation).

In retrospect, this last decade has been an incredibly fertile one for the type of music that I enjoy most. I know that this list should probably have some hip hop on it, notably Kanye West and Outkast (among others), but as I’m only a casual listener to the genre, I don’t feel qualified to judge.

2000
Kid A – Radiohead
Heartbreaker – Ryan Adams

2001
Is This It? – The Strokes
White Blood Cells – White Stripes
The Tyranny of Distance – Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Microphones – The Glow Pt 2
Gorillaz – Gorillaz

2002
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco
Turn on the Bright Lights – Interpol
Kill the Moonlight – Spoon
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots – The Flaming Lips
Source Tags and Codes – …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

2003
Transcendentalism – Death Cab for Cutie
You Forgot It in People – Broken Social Scene
Meadowlands – The Wrens
Give Up – The Postal Service
Mass Romantic – The New Pornographers
Decoration Day – Drive-by Truckers
Fever to Tell – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Chutes to Narrow – The Shins

2004
Funeral – Arcade Fire
Bows & Arrows – The Walkmen
Our Endless Numbered Days – Iron & Wine
The Tigers Have Spoken – Neko Case

2005
Set Yourself On Fire – Stars
The Decline of British Sea Power – British Sea Power
Separation Sunday – The Hold Steady
Silent Alarm – Bloc Party
Takk – Sigur Ros
Apologies to the Queen Mary – Wolf Parade
C’mon Feel the Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens
The Woods – Sleater Kinney
Z – My Morning Jacket
Picaresque – The Decemberists

2006
Alligator – The National
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not – Arctic Monkeys
Return to Cookie Mountain – TV on the Radio
Boys and Girls in America – The Hold Steady

2007
Person Pitch – Panda Bear
Sound of Silver – LCD Soundsystem
The Flying Club Cup – Beirut
Boxer – The National
Neon Bible – Arcade Fire
All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone – Explosions in the Sky

2008
In Rainbows – Radiohead
For Emma, Forever Ago – Bon Iver

2009
Middle Cyclone – Neko Case
Meriwether Post Pavilion – Animal Collective
Vecktamist – Grizzly Bear
Rated O – Oneida

Once I had dropped each album into yearly buckets, some patterns began to emerge. Some confirmed some ideas I had before I came into this exercise (2005 and 2009 were great years for music). Others surprised me (I didn’t think 2003 and 2007 would stack up so well).

The sharp-eyed among you will notice quite a bit of jostling from my original yearly rankings, which I’ve been doing for half of the decade. All I can say to that is, well, things change at every moment you think of things in this way. Looking at it now, I seriously underestimated Neko Case’s album from this year(!), not to mention my original ranking of In Rainbows.

Well the base list is out there. While you're waiting with baited breath on the actual rankings of the top 10 or 20, what do you think? What have I gotten totally wrong? What albums have I missed?

2009-12-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

America at the Bat: thoughts on baseball and culture. (via Sportsfilter)

My Year in Cities 2009

2009-12-29T11:30:00.000-08:00

I'm shamelessly stealing this idea from kottke.org. Here are the cities/places I visited in 2009:

Moline, IL*
Davenport, IA*
San Francisco, CA
Fenton, MI
Minneapolis, MN*
Raphine, VA

The rules: one or more nights had to be spent in each place. Those cities marked with an asterisk (*) were visited multiple times. It feels like I did a lot more travelling than that this year, but working on the road will do that to you.

Top 20 Albums of 2009

2009-12-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

It's the end of the year again--the end of a fabulous year in music. While I think the lower end of this list probably could stand some tweaking, time is running out. There are five more albums that I think could fit on this list; particularly the albums put out by The Low Anthem, St. Vincent, Passion Pit, Micachu & the Shapes, and Bat for Lashes. [Ed. Note: That was a sneaky way of getting them in there anyway.]

But the deal this year was 20 albums, so here goes. The write-ups this year will be briefer than normal, since I'm also spending a good bit of time ranking the best 40 albums of the noughties, which is a tremendously difficult task. Look for a post or a series of posts to drop sometime next week on that one.

Obviously, this list reflects my own personal tastes and opinions. For example, I don't listen to a lot of hip hop, so it naturally wouldn't make it into this list (though it has in the past).

When the Animal Collective album came out in January, I said then that it would probably be my album of the year, and lo and behold, that distinction held. There's not a weak track on the album, and "My Girls" could be a candidate for song of the year.

Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective
Veckatamist – Grizzly Bear
Rated O – Oneida
Hospice – The Antlers
Logos – Atlas Sound
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – Phoenix
Post Nothing – Japandroids
Wind’s Poem – Mount Eerie
The xx – The xx
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Bitte Orca – Dirty Projectors
Dark Was the Night – Various Artists
A Brief History of Love – The Big Pink
Dragonslayer – Sunset Rubdown
Middle Cyclone – Neko Case
It’s Blitz! – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Fever Ray – Fever Ray
Blood Bank – Bon Iver
Know Better Learn Faster– Thao with the Get Down Stay Down
Hometowns – The Rural Alberta Advantage

Update: Massive senior moment alert. I totally forgot Reservoir by Fanfarlo. This would certainly make my top 20, but at which album's expense? Let's just say I'll call it tied at 19th or 20th.

2010 looks to be a good year as well, with new albums from Arcade Fire, Spoon, Liars, TV on the Radio, Interpol, Wolf Parade, and Magnetic Fields all in the works.

2009-03-31T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Facebook Aeneid. Pure awesome.

Do Republicans Think We're Stupid?

2009-02-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

Bobby Jindal just invoked hurricane Katrina as an example of when government got in the way.

Really?

Really!

That is all.

Village Voice 2008 Pazz and Jop List Now Online

2009-01-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

The 2008 version of Pazz and Jop, the annual best-of list produced by The Village Voice has been published. In this version, they continue their love of the Drive-by-Truckers, and surprisingly place R.E.M. at #25. So I guess this means I wasn't crazy listing Accelerate in my own honorable mentions. Nice to have the guys from Athens sounding relevant (and rocking) again.

My own number one? It came in at #8.

My Hope on an Historic Day

2009-01-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

2009-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Top 25 Bushisms.

2009-01-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

Photographs of abandoned London (Christmas morning).
(Hat tip to Kottke).

My Top 20 Albums of 2008

2008-12-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

No real introduction, but just the list:

Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago
This definitely reflects my predilections this year: a preference for mellow, low-key recordings. The songs are gentle and reflective, and I kept returning to the album again and again throughout the year.
Shearwater: Rook
OK, so I’m in the tank for these guys. Something about music from Austin right now really speaks to me (see #9). I’m sure an Explosions in the Sky album would have ranked quite highly this year as well. This album is perfect for commuting on the train.
Frightened Rabbit: Midnight Organ Fight
Departing from the norm a bit here, in that its harder edged than my other top picks. This one has been rocking my iPod since it came out.
Wolf Parade: At Mount Zoomer
This album took a couple of listens, but when I got it, I dug it. Perhaps the concert helped (Thanks for finally coming to Atlanta!). “Kissing the Beehive” alone is worth the price of admission.
TV on the Radio: Dear Science
The more I think of it, the more TV on the Radio are charting the course for the next great rock band for the new millennium. Consistently smart and catchy at the same time, these guys can seemingly do no wrong.
The Walkmen: You & Me
The surprise of the year for me. I didn’t expect this album to be this good. I expected a middling effort, but this is the best they’ve sounded in years. The only thing keeping this outside of the top 5 is the absence of a song like “The Rat.”
Sigur Rós: Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Wow. Their most commercial sounding effort to date, they didn’t skimp on the beauty and majesty one would expect from Sigur Rós. If I had any musical talent, I think I would like to live in Iceland since it seems such fertile musical ground.
Okkervil River: The Stand Ins
Last year’s The Stage Names raced up my list, and Will Sheff and company followed it up well with what sounds a lot like a companion album. It’s almost the reverse side of the sentiments expressed in The Stage Names.
Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes
A lot of people had this as their best album of the year. It was good. Really good. “White Winter Hymnal” may be in my top two or three songs of the year. Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn’t fit to that standard, even as good as it is.
Silver Jews: Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Another new find. This album evokes Nick Cave and Johnny Cash in equal regards.
Elbow: The Seldom Seen Kid
The Mountain Goats: Heretic Pride
Deerhunter: Microcastle
Ra Ra Riot: Rhumb Line
The Raveonettes: Lust Lust Lust
My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges
The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
The Dodos – Visiter
She and Him: Volume One
Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend

Honorable mentions: R.E.M. - Accelerate (the fact that I'd even consider an R.E.M. album speaks volumes), Yeahsayer - All Hours Cymbals, Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel.

2008-12-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

More good music news. The Stone Roses are set to re-form.

2008-12-18T18:40:00.000-08:00

The periodic table of awesomeness.

2008-12-16T10:54:00.000-08:00

Project management lingo. Unfortunately, I hear a lot of these every day. UPDATE: Now with Bingo!

2008-11-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

Blur are reforming for rehearsals, and Graham Coxon is included.

“It’s All Gonna Break”: Broken Social Scene + Land of Talk

2008-11-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Variety Playhouse, November 19, 2008

It seems like it’s been far too long since I attended a show of any sort, but what a perfect occasion to get back in the habit—Broken Social Scene at the Variety Playhouse. (The tickets may have been the most creative wedding gift we received.)

We arrived shortly after the opening act, Land of Talk, took the stage. I had heard of Land of Talk, a three-piece from Montreal, from a sample song played on the “All Songs Considered” podcast. I liked what I heard then, but was unable to locate the album on e-music (and it’s still not there as of today). So, when I got to the show and saw they were the opening act, I was pleasantly surprised.

I definitely enjoyed their set. The music at times was reminiscent of Guided by Voices, while the vocals reminded me a bit of Bettie Serveert, though both these comparisons are based on an immediate gut check—I have no idea how valid they actually are. I’d need to spend more time with the band’s music first. And that’s something I intend to do, as soon as I can get my hands on a copy of their latest (I did pick up their EP, which was available on e-music, today). I’d say that’s pretty high praise for an opening band coming from me.

After a quick smoke and short wait, Broken Social Scene, in all their masses took the stage. I had not seen them play live before, so I had no idea exactly what to expect, but I was definitely looking forward to the show. For last night’s show, the band consisted of anywhere between three and eight members at various times.

For the first few songs, the entire group took the stage (without Feist who is a little busy with other things I’d imagine—like the Colbert Christmas Special). Elizabeth Powell, the singer/guitarist from Land of Talk, however, picked up the slack quite nicely. To be honest, I was a bit concerned during the first song. With so many members on stage, they seemed to have a hard time getting in sync. This didn’t last though. By mid-way through the second song, just when they would have to really get together, they did. And how. And it was like this for the rest of the night. They were a beautiful, shambolic, chaotic, creative, powerful mess. Therein lies the power of their music. Though it was interesting to see as many as seven people looking as if they were wandering aimlessly about the stage, even though, in retrospect, it was a highly choreographed exercise, since they barely put one note wrong the entire night.

This was also a learning experience. Many times I wondered when listening to their songs, just where something had come from—seemingly from the blue as I listened. Well, now I know. At various points last night, during the middle of a song, another band member would wander out from backstage, grab an instrument, and seamlessly bring a whole new sound to the party.
I’m really terrible about remembering and dictating set lists, but I heard everything song I could think of by them that I really wanted to hear, from “Place=Time” , to “Stars and Sons”, to an incredibly energetic and, at times, frenetic “It’s All Gonna Break”.

What else can I say? This has to be one of the more memorable shows I’ve seen in the last few years.

UPDATE: Now with links!

David Foster Wallace

2008-09-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Rest in peace. Why is it that the brilliant ones are taken so soon. Damnit.

I will be reading Infinite Jest again.

So yeah, I'm shattered.

101 20-Minute Dishes for Picnics

2008-07-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

From the source of 101 20-Minute Appetizers and 101 10-Minute Meals (from which I have used a number of recipes), comes 101 20-Minute Picnic Dishes. Of the dishes he lists (and many of them are quite tasty sounding), I definitely think this one may enter the repertoire:

8 COLD PEANUT NOODLES Cook Chinese egg noodles or regular spaghetti. Drain and rinse. Toss with sesame oil, peanut butter (or tahini), sugar, soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, black pepper (lots) and chili oil (optional). Pack shredded seeded cucumber, cooked shrimp and chopped scallions separately.

Yeah, I Did That

2008-06-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the poems and such for those that aren't interested, but I just had an urge. Of course this is going to look a bit silly and backwards to those without an RSS reader, but oh well. I thought long and not so hard about how to post this since the sequential nature of a blog gives you the latest first, even though there is a clear sequence (in my head). But, in the end, I decided to get another beer instead of worrying about it since everyone's emotional lives have their own map and sequence.

Interstate: Notes

2008-06-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Apology
In addition to Bartram’s Travels, I had many other works in mind when writing this section. One other is Henry David Thoreau, especially his essay, “Walking.” On the highway today, one is certainly a saunterer in one of the senses that Thoreau delineated in his essay “Walking.” All travelers upon the interstate are at the very least saunterers insofar as they are sans terre while traveling—the interstates rarely inspire a sense of place. But it is possible to drive the highways, any highways, as a Saint Terrer, driving in search of a holy land, using the drive not only as transit, but as re-creation.

“Although I was still miles from the ocean, a heavy sea fog came in to muffle the obscure the obscure and lie over the land like a sheet of dirty muslin. I saw no cars or people, few lights in the houses. The windshield wipers, brushing at the fog, switched back and forth like cats’ tails. I lost myself to the monotonous rhythm and darkness past and present fused and dims things came and went in a staccato of moments separated by miles of darkness. On the road, where change is continuous and visible, time is not; rather it is something the rider only infers. Time is not the fourth dimension to the traveler—change is.” (William Least Heat-Moon, Blue Highways p. 343)

"A Destination is not a place, but a new way of looking at things" (Henry Miller, cf WLHM)

Only in looking back, can one look forward. My memory of I-81 was a window on the world. I counted license plates from elsewhere (something I still do), places I’ll never see, people I’ll never know, but act as proof of its existence.

I.
“If at each instant the flying arrow is at rest, when does it move?” --Zeno of Elea

My summer job in college was working for the Virginia Department of Transportation on a road crew. One of my duties, performed almost every Friday, was to ride the extent of the Interstate system in our district and collect the larger pieces of trash, mostly scraps of blown out tires.

II.
Interstate as a road map for the human heart.

III.
A journey viewed by one who wants at once to take part and sit on the sidelines.

In addition to the poem cited below, I also had in mind a posthumously published lecture (or the notes thereof) by Randall Jarrell, “Levels and Opposites: Structures in Poetry.” Specifically, “But the poem is completely temporal, about as static as an explosion; there are no things in a poem, only processes.”

“The saris go by me from the embassies.
Cloth from the moon. Cloth from another planet.
They look back at the leopard like the leopard.

And I....
this print of mine, that has kept its color
Alive through so many cleanings; this dull null
Navy I wear to work, and wear from work, and so
To my bed, so to my grave, with no
Complaints, no comment: neither from my chief,
The Deputy Chief Assistant, nor his chief--
Only I complain. . . .”
--from “The Woman at the Washington Zoo,” by Randall Jarrell

IV.
Zeno’s paradox of the arrow redux.

“Our two souls, therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to airy thinness beat.”
--From “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning,” by John Donne

V.
New Market battlefield hugs closely the banks of the Shenandoah River as it pushes north to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. New Market has oft been referred to as the Thermopylae of the Confederacy and Harper’s Ferry was where some of the first shots were fired over slavery.

The New River, oddly enough, is one of the oldest rivers in the United States geologically. It also has the distinction of being one of the few rivers, along with the Shenandoah, that flows north. To leave the great valley of Virginia, one must cross this river not once, but twice. The second crossing on I-77 occurs right before you climb the mountain to exit the valley and move into the Piedmont.

A refreshing sight: a man standing at the intersection of Techwood Avenue and 10th Street in Atlanta, Georgia, held a sign saying just that, instead of the usual, “will work for food.”

The mountain at Fancy Gap, Virginia, lies right on the line between Virginia and North Carolina. The road here is often treacherous because of the dense fog, and it also receives much snowfall and has been often closed because of the drifting. Despite all this, it is quite an imposing sight when it suddenly bursts into view driving north.

VI.

“You cannot step into the same river twice
For other waters are ever flowing on.”
--Heraclitus

VII.
It’s amazing how brightly a baseball diamond shines in the night. The lights can be seen for miles and miles.

Epilogue
Written in a rare blizzard in western Virginia. Although the road where I lived took 5 days to become passable, the interstate was cleared in less than a day.

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
--”Dust of Snow,” by Robert Frost

Interstate: EpilogueVirginia, I-81: Mile 205

2008-06-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

Muting snow blankets the ground save
the still warm pavement; melting in small
puddles, it gathers, reflects opacity.

Still, only one sound can be heard.
A distant highway shears through night's
sound-proofing batting, now less pressing:

poor conditions inevitably
slow the endless careen of trucks some.
I miss the silence's totality

that past greeted those in snowstorms:
birds did not fly; livestock, except
the seldom bleat of newborn lambs,

too young to know better, sit quietly
in their pens, waiting for snow or wind
to drive the absorbing silence past

the next hill. Life then continued.
Now, nothing stops the path of progress
pushing through the snow, leaving long

snakes, too slowly filled, on the asphalt,
salted for a good roasting, never shuts.
Snowshoes are a long forgotten ware.

Save dreams here, near the endless whine—
Interstate rumbling on—children still
romp, their glee ringing off the hills and streets.

Interstate VII: North Carolina, I-77 South

2008-06-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

Driving a darkened highway, deserted
though before midnight, only the broken
lines, jumping into the headlamps’ halo,
as if on a dare, and sprinting past,
regularly relieve a landscape
painted too heavily in shades of black.
Save for the distant red wink of brake lights,
those ravenous eyes leering from trucks whose
drivers incessantly chat on radios
with others whom they have never met,
and lit billboards, stars on this minor stage,
no sign of life joyously greets weary eyes.
Silence sits in the cabin, reaching its
tendrils out to drown even the tires' flap
and whine against the asphalt—friction
now palpable—and despair lurks beyond
the extent of headlights' reaching vision.

Then, on the horizon past the bulldozed
valley's wall, a bubble of light rises
in the liquid night, shooting its brilliance
against the highway’s desolate black stripe.
A sphere of light and life emanating from
human activity—perhaps a late
little league baseball game with children
happy only to stand on the greening
field in the glow of the lamps,
way past their bedtime, and parents attend
to every action—all bathed in the glow
of artificial sun's noon in new moon's
onyx blanket that smothers all other
sight, even the headlights that no longer
blindingly glare off of sign's reflective tape.

Though this stretch of highway be deserted,
that globe of light shines on in the rearview
sending beams of warmth bouncing through a car's
cockpit, lightening the omnipresent
dimness and a heart that will move forward
with the sound of that glee to heaven
rising high just minutes away: only
a chosen exit and a short mile's drive.

Interstate VI: Tennessee, I-40 East

2008-06-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

Returning is a skill not forgotten;
the road itself knows the way; sights long seen
the eye notices but still does not see,
as they slide past on the road's side,
flattening themselves as those who glide
to and from the bar on a Friday night.
Against window's and mirror's screen
we play our lives, each unfolding scene
subsumed by the foreground as it scrolls past,
seen but not heard. Does a river notice
its banks in its headlong rush to the sea?
No, the journey itself is a device
toward an ever identical end.

Then, the journey is effortlessly done.
A still shot now, stasis returns again—
images projected into nothingness,
transparent in Memory's light.

Interstate V: Virginia, I-77 South

2008-06-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

The old feeling returns again, rising
in the throat, like mountains
crawling slow over the horizon
and erupting into the realm of sight;
nostalgia riding shotgun beside,
traveling Interstate down from the hills,
nausea—memories sit heavy
on the stomach, coming unbidden.
The lighted barrels point the way--bridge work
ahead. They highlight lost destinations:
the dining room cluttered with collapsed boxes,
a recently scattered house of cards
one short moment after breath's chilling breeze.

Forsaking home to return home,
leaving that land too crowded with ghosts,
my own and the land's own, where no River
Lethe flows to bring placid amnesia
to those who plod shoulder to shoulder
with the past; the names regurgitate
past glories and follies to the present—
nostalgia crowded too tight in the gut,
cramped, metallic Nausea in the mouth.
Its counterpoint, looping though that valley
nestled between inscrutable mountains,
where the winds seem to whisper her name,
the witnesses to that tumult, the old
blood of which Shenandoah still pushes
north as if precursor to the events
that put its name in every living mouth.
Where the wheeling constellations above
pulled my soul along their pre-cut paths,
Orion hounding me at every step.

The road flows downhill, now crossing that bridge.
Is it the Rubicon? No, merely the New.
Leaving the valley, adopting a home,
where the mountains of glass and steel erupt
skyward, pointing guilty fingers upward
to only capricious stars that, when seen,
move at random, planes in neon-washed dusk,
going to and from Hartsfield, which pulses
and sends its stream to other cities' hearts;
where the only ghosts yet live, crawling the streets
carrying cardboard placards—omens
of Armageddon: "Why lie, I need a beer."

To anonymity and forgetfulness,
all roads will soon lead—a new home
370, then later, 92.
But for now, the car heads southward
and Fancy Gap Mountain fades from my view.

Interstate IV: Virginia, I-64 West

2008-06-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

The roadside signs sidle by—skulking past
on vision's edge, flattening themselves against
sight's blurred wall, letting cars hurtle on, lest
something disturb endless monotony
by becoming noticeable—unlike
the white lines that crash forever forward
into speeding cars only to dwindle
into the nonexistence of passed
horizons. The rearview mirror paints
an ever changing portrait of a life
in the slow lane beyond that backwards look.
Zeno's arrows unerringly fly to that point
to find the heart of all journeys,
where they now irrecoverable lie.

Life lies battered and bleeding on this
Interstate, untended and unloved to all,
especially to that one beyond
the horizon's dim singularity.
That gold wire now stretched far above ductile
strength has broken, each end speeding apart,
much faster than the speed of a thought
sent alone into the void, searching
for its twin, or at least a reasonable
likeness—will it ever be discovered?

Bored faces pass by and merely glance
sidelong—too intent on their own problems
to notice the images that play
at the corners of their eyes; others, noses
pressed against the glass, stare from their own worlds.
The white lines, still below the car where all
movement rests, continue to hurtle on
from a future without meaning, lurking
hid from sight, and a past that now is gone.
Here, rests both the future and the past caught up
in the cabins of single cars cruising
out their lives on the unscrolling highway.

Interstate III: Florida, I-75 North

2008-06-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

The highway lies just there, unseen, unheard,
and remote, though only bottle-rocket
distance from my desk, one island amid
a well-carpeted archipelago.
Here, muzak cannot replace the music
of cars in motion: engines harmonize
and tires play their riffs upon the road below.
Each one moves on constrained on that narrow
ribbon, where such potential
becomes energy fully kinetic
as, when realized, journeys’ ends approach:
weekend escapes, lovers that think only
of their reaching arms, fathers, mothers
completing a day-end commute to hearth
and home, and families on holiday
already looking forward to their home.

Their destinations are invisible
from this office, where I pass from cube
to cube, from coffee room to copy room—
endless circles through walls that shift monthly
and no minotaur lurks to lend the maze
meaning. Even the last end is denied.

And I . . .
I live in this fluorescent flicker
with an endless blank hum within the ears.
In wan light, I sift through the proposals
weighing merits, questioning potential
gains, just like yesterday, just like tomorrow,
and by my silence they are declined
one by one for want of principle yields.

I think of movement in straight lines
there, where sun bounces from many windshields
imparting a glare to the humid air
that goes unnoticed behind the lenses
tinted and focused merely on the road
ahead. Everyone needs a hope, only
if one so small and near as
an expected destination yields,
but I sit still, and doubt usurps belief.

Interstate II: South Carolina, I-85 South

2008-06-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

The interstate highway, a long time foe,
stretching out lives behind until they bend
and break, now acts as my closest friend,
bearing upon its back my whole life.
She rushes through green valleys with black floors
toward me to the rhythm of broken lines
that running by, are reflected in the
windshield and, receding, are seen no more.
Arteries of this new long-distance land,
the highways quicken that sadistic thief,
Time, and make Him rush before.
They burn a path to my heart that I cannot
forget—a path, though thronged with feet so thick,
that brings my love and life unto my door.

Interstate I: Georgia, I-75 North

2008-06-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

The creases in the pavement mark the time
for a race of white lines: marathons
that are never complete but unheeded
by spectators in box seats stuck between
the horizons—start line and finish tape.
The cars, each a penny-ante Eden,
are traveling wombs made for insularity
and comfort: rarefied air and clinking
beer bottles container-cooled just behind,
a movie continuously playing
upon the windshield's ever changing screen.
Every need is accounted for, save
human contact; glass walls, penetrated
only by occasional casual glance
that then turns quickly away, embarrassed,
separate one from the other—a gap
too wide for comfortable navigation.

Drivers' eyes wander not—intent on that
point never reached, halfway to the
far horizon—they peripherally
see only a montage of the mundane:
the same signs in an endless progression,
hills painted in muted browns and blank greens
easing by with little relief to break
their endless crawl along the roadside,
and scattered rubber on the shoulder,
remnants of journeys interrupted or
arcadias lost in the summer's heat.
Over those confining ridges, just past
eye's reach, lie gems a mere walk away
shining brightly against monotony,
easily reached should the climate control
be vacated for a only moment or two.
Occasionally though, beauty sneaks past
the hills and creeps to the gray right of way:
children playing soccer on a converted
baseball diamond, their delight dying at
windows barrier, lost to those in close
comfort of endless motion, or a flock
of geese wheeling from a pond, flying
into the past, lost in the rearview mirror.

Interstate: An Apology

2008-06-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

I remember growing up in the valley of Virginia, on the hills that formed the divide between the watersheds of the Shenandoah River to the north and the James River to the south—one of the highest points in the valley proper. On all sides were long limestone ridges, the valleys bottoming out to carry the water on its long course to the Chesapeake Bay, some 200 miles to the east. I could not imagine these rivers’ journeys; the small matter of blue mountains on either side of my world formed a quite palpable impediment to that imaginative journey. To the east, the Blue Ridge Mountains, Big and Little Spy, Cellar, and Cold Springs Mountains, and to the west, the first line of the Alleghenies, Shenandoah, North, and Jump Mountains. These same mountains made it, historically, impossible for river navigation. The rivers snaked their way through the mountains, here and there finding a pass where they could cut through.

With such natural barriers (barriers that kept the valley relatively safe until union troops began to chase one of its native sons, Thomas Jackson from Lexington, up and down it), it would be easy to imagine a childhood there as being relatively insular. What small window to the greater world, aside from the omnipresence of television, did such topography offer? I lived in the world of roads between the mountains, starting with the old Wilderness Road (now U.S. 11), which led settlers, including Daniel Boone and Sam Houston, down the valley to the Cumberland Gap and the frontier land beyond. Through a small cut in the ridges to the east, toward the Blue Ridge Mountains, I could see a small stretch of Interstate 81. Interstate 81, which parallels the older Highway 11, carried cars from the Canadian border in upstate New York south along the mountains to finally cross them and peter out just east of Knoxville, Tennessee. The break in the ridge was only large enough to admit a small creek, Walnut Creek, though it is not really large enough to be worthy of a name. It is one of the many heads of the James River, though its water is not known as such until the Maury’s confluence with the James at the town of Glasgow, in Rockbridge County, Virginia, some 40 miles south of where I lived.

It would be easy to write a tract damning the Interstate system. Undoubtedly, the extra convenience and mobility that the interstate highway system affords is not without a price. It has chained us all to our vehicles, moving the centers of commerce from local focus points to large coagulations of businesses, strip malls, and fast food restaurants. The increased freedom of travel has also done nothing to help the great environmental problems the world now faces. More cars and travel mean more pollution, ozone, and smog. But, as much as we may hate the fact, the interstate highways have become the circulatory system for this country: arteries that push the vitality of its citizenry out from the heart of their homes to the farthest extremities of our nation, journeys that may have been unthinkable mere decades ago, and the veins that return them home again. Look at a map of the United States. These highways are the concrete stitches that bind the patch work of the 48 conterminous states together, not only physically, but culturally. So little does each seem a different nation now, the definition of “state” is lost. This is, at once, a positive and negative effect. Certainly, the loss of distinctive regional cultures is missed and should be celebrated before even the memory of them fades. But, how much has the increased mobility done to decrease misunderstanding and mistrust?

Without knowing any of this at the time, I gazed many times through the break in the hills that afforded a glimpse of the endless movement of I-81. A small flutter to the eyes accompanied by the endless flap and rumble of traffic, especially at night when the rest of the world’s sounds subsided. To me then, this brief glimpse showed me a life of movement--cars always moved upon I-81, regardless of the time, more and more as the years passed and this stretch of highway became an alternate route to the more heavily traveled and widely know I-95. It is no longer the road less traveled. Riding the highways with my parents, and later on my own, it offered glimpses into places I had not visited, and probably will not visit. Many times, I wiled away the long hours on the road by noticing the license plates of the cars that traveled along with us. Each new state plate offered a chance to the imagination, a speculation to the occupants of that car, people I would never truly meet, with their own lives, concerns, cares. And it was this interstate that took me on all my journeys: from my home to college, then from my home again to start the long journey south to Atlanta. That small visible stretch of highway, tiny as it was, was a kinetic focal point in the shadows of the mountains, which so dominate the scene through which I-81 runs.

I have written often of the interstate highways, and I think it a worthy subject for many reasons, over and above my personal history. Many of us spend a great deal of time on the highway, whether for a daily commute or for a long anticipated vacation. The highways, despite their problems, are the most cost-efficient way of getting from point A to point B, without leaving out miniature pieces of home, traveling houses, islands of home we can take wherever we go. While traveling interstate highways my not be as romantic as driving the back roads, the number of cars from all over the continent that can be seen every day, even on the shortest trip, attests that these highways are the route of choice for many people. Indeed, the freeways are a symbol of transit in our time. They can be viewed as cold and impersonal, offering little human interaction as each person clings to his or her own traveling island (isn’t this a symbol of the world where we find ourselves in and of itself?); but travelers, even on such a engineered marvel as the freeway system, can see many aspects of the natural world, if they only look. First, think of the sheer numbers of people. Think of the wide range of humanity that can be viewed on a trip, each person within a fishbowl of sorts, all looking, noses pressed against the glass, out into the world. What a variety of humanity! Lexuses and F150 Ford trucks can both be viewed with flat tires. Such prospects also included the environment surrounding the driver. As I drive the interstate, especially during the early fall or spring, I find myself looking for where along my journey the line of the season change occurs. Or, later in the year, where the winter rains begins to freeze on the side of the road, and later on the windshield and car itself, turning from wet sheets to hard ice and driving snow. Views from the interstate highways can also be surprising in the prospects they offer to a traveling driver. A driver, no matter what time of day or night, can witness sights that are unexpected in the drone of tires on asphalt and that are sometimes surprisingly beautiful. Life does not stop on the shoulders. Instead, life surrounds us all the time, even though we withdraw as much as possible behind closed windows into the solipsistic silence of the cabins of our automobiles.

As William Bartram states in his Travels: “The attention of a traveller should be particularly drawn, in the first place, to the various works of Nature, to mark the distinctions of the climates he may explore, and to offer such useful observations of the different productions as may occur.” All this can be viewed as easily from a vehicle as from horseback. These changes, still continuous and visible, are the stuff that makes a journey, not time or distance. On the road, time loses its meaning, one minute slipping seamlessly into the next hour, and the earth’s surface curves every 23 miles, so distance cannot be observed without such changes. Such a change can be merely physical, the difference of flora and fauna between home and your destination, or it can be something more nebulous. As Henry Miller said, a destination is not place but a new way of looking at things. Travelers are recreated as they, their outlook changed by the surrounding sights and sounds. Every moment and every experience, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant, shapes one’s outlook. I do not see the same tree today as I saw yesterday, just as I cannot step into the same river twice.

Poetry grows from and follows such roadbeds. Merely the act of writing a poem can be a journey, from point A (the initial conception) to point B (the crafted final product). This trip is full of many twists, turns, detours, and unexpected surprises. Whether they be the shape of a poem, its form or lack thereof, and even subject. Many times, I have found that upon completing a poem that the subject of the finished work (if any poem is ever finished!) differs greatly from that initially conceived. A poem can take many detours, can zip easily to its destination, will respond to various road conditions as they occur, or be stuck in traffic for years—how many times have poets found themselves on treacherous and slippery conditions as a poem progresses, only to shift speeds or take an alternate route providing more purchase for the tires of their ideas and imagination upon the roadway of language and its limitations. This traveling aspect to writing should not be bemoaned but celebrated, for it brings us the readers, poems of such diverse scope and tone.

They also follow the paths, paved or unpaved, demonstrating the same movement and tensions of any journey. No poem is a single static artifact; it is a different animal altogether. Poems spring the kinetic energy of contradictions that are generated within it: much like the contrast between movement and stasis of interstate travel. At once, driving from point A to point B, the road signs and scenery tear past on the periphery to fast, almost, for the eyes to focus upon them, while, within the cabin, it seems that you are hardly moving at all. Both journeys and reading or writing poems are exercises in the transient world. Nothing within a poem separates it from time: the time of writing, the time of reading, the transience of the words for their own sake. Things change and are subject to various processes, road conditions if you will. These processes drive the poem from beginning to end, and it is the conflict within a poem (and the road a poem steers between such obstacles) that lend it its power. For me, the interstate highway, with all of the contradictions that are inherent in such travel, offers a find subject and metaphor for poetry. What more basic contradictions can one imagine than the difference between movement and stasis, between kinetic and potential energy? I think that a poem should leap into the world, not fully formed, but in a process of genesis, a genesis that is not complete until the poem is. Fill the poem with kinetic energy and you will fill it with interest and power.

I have written much about Interstate Highways. My attraction to these highways continues because of their reality to the modern world, the world in which we all live. I fully expect a century from now that some ambitious poet will begin writing about the realities of his or her generation, whatever they may be. This is not an “on the road” cycle; instead it aims much higher. My ambition in these poems is nothing less than to offer a glimpse into the modern world: our world, in all of its despair, anomie, apathy and hope, as seen from the highways—not the backroads, which have been already celebrated justly. Instead, I hope to look at the roads actually driven by people, my audience—a familiar subject to all.

The interstate rumbles on. . .

How Blogs Die

2008-06-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

Frozen Toothpaste identifies two warning signs:

There are two general signs that a blog is heading toward extinction. The first is a declining frequency of posting, and the second is a proportional rise in the number of posts about the blog itself.

All in all, the post is a pretty astute observation about blogging in general.

To be a bit self-referential here, sometimes they just go into hibernation.

Dancing 2008

2008-06-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

Long-time readers of this blog will recognize Matt Harding, the proprietor of Wherethehellismatt.com. His latest goofy dance moves are featured in a new video.

Previous videos: 2005, 2006.

Stately, plump Buck Mulligan...

2008-06-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Bloomsday everyone.

St. Mary's is on Fire

2008-03-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

While most of the world focuses on other, dire news from my original stomping grounds, my parents can actually see St. Mary's Wilderness Area burning. And for those of you who know me well, you can guess my feelings here. I know it's a natural part of the ecosystem, but I'm still gutted by it.

We're OK

2008-03-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all that have e-mailed, blogged, called, etc. We're OK even though the tornado passed within 50 or so yards of our loft. For some pictures of the damage in my 'hood, here's a link to Flickr images tagged "Atlanta" and "Tornado". Oh yeah, that Loft they showed on the news all day Saturday? It's just on the other side of the cemetery. And yes, it is as bad as it looks.

2008-03-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

Kottke.org is 10 years old today.

2008-03-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Google Sky. Like Google Earth for Stars. I could probably waste hours with this.

2008-03-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

The 100 best last lines from novels.

2008-03-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Spinner ranks the 25 best band logos.

Common People Comic

2008-03-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

This is so right on so many differently levels. Pulp's "Common People" as a Archie comic.

Archie in a different class... Indeed. (via Information Leafblower).

Falcons Release Warrick Dunn

2008-03-03T18:38:00.000-08:00

File this under I don't believe it. Warrick Dunn has joined a long list of other fan favorites. Dunn was released by the Falcons today.

Long time readers know I don't pay much attention to American Football, but the major moves being made by the Falcons lately have attracted even my attention. Sure, Dunn may be past his prime a bit, but the guy has been such a pillar of the community here in Atlanta, I'm still wrapping my head around it a bit. Don't they think he could hang around and mentor some of the running backs at least. To me, this looks like housecleaning going a bit too far. This is not a move the Braves would have made. (Though, the Patriots on the other hand....) So there goes a little bit more goodwill for the team in the community. And I can guarantee the interest in the Falcons will return to almost nil once again. Thank God for the EPL.

New Project

2008-02-27T21:09:00.000-08:00

I doubt you've noticed it, but I've added a couple of new blogs to my sidebar. Also, I've started a new project that's much more work focused: Contented: a weblog dedicated to content strategy and web copywriting. I don't know how far I'll get with it alone, but I felt the need to write about some of the things I deal with on a day-to-day basis at work. Hopefully, I can expand the authorship over there as well. In any case, that stuff really didn't really seem to fit here. So, if you're interested, click on over. If not, nothing to see there, please move along.

Brand Obama

2008-02-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

A Newsweek blog has an interesting post describing how Obama's branding efforts are more thorough and complete than any campaign thus far, and certainly more so than his rival. It explores something I've been thinking about as well. Obama's "brand" looks way more Apple or Target than Hillary's or McCain's (Dell and Wal-Mart/Army circa 2003).

Also, his "O" logo scales much better online than Hillary's.

From a copy perspective, Obama definitely has a tagline, whereas Hillary doesn't that I can find. "Ready from day one" just doesn't cut the mustard. While "Change I can believe in" isn't great (is that a preposition I see at the end of that sentence?), at least it's an attempt.

What does this mean. Not a heck of a lot, but I still think it's interesting. Could something like this influence those of us that work in such matters? Perhaps, but we were probably pre-disposed to support him anyway.

[Cross posted sort of at Contented]

UPDATE: Now, the Obama logo has been goat.se'd... It must be all Web 2.0.

This Is My Career on Drugs...

2008-02-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

Here is the full text of a legitimate business e-mail I just sent in response to a request for helping out with a couple of hours of content work for a project I'm not assigned to:

I'm pretty busy helping out with Don't Ask, or I Don't Know (I can't keep them straight), but I may have some time at the end of the week. I'll try and catch up with you on IM tomorrow to try and figure something out.

I think I miss the buzzwords.

Any questions?

The Flannel Enigma Endorsemet

2008-02-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

I know you all were waiting for this with baited breath, but I voted for, and will endorse, Barack Obama for President of the United States.

I'm the whitest of the white, but I still like Obama. My parents both like Obama. Even my Republican brother would consider voting for Obama. That's enough isn't it. That covers the entire spectrum. Strangely, my Gingrinch-Republican brother and I started off as Edwards supporters. Go progressive brother (not meant in any racial-cultural way).

Don't get me wrong. I like Hillary. I like the Clintons a lot. But that's a subject for another post (closer to something that matters like the PA primary).

Obama '08!

So yeah, I'm Back.

2008-02-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

Lots to see here, so clicky those linky's to move on along.

Reducing My Carbon Footprint

2008-02-13T20:03:00.000-08:00

I haven't driven my car in almost two months. Imagine that if you can. I've been without my own little piece of the American dream for almost two months. I still own a car, but it hasn't moved. Heck, for much longer than that, the main purpose for my car was to get me to the Brewhouse at early hours of Saturdays and Sundays to watch the Arsenal on TV.

So, how am I getting along? Perfectly fine, thank you very much! I take MARTA to work every day without fail (I'm lucky that my employer and my client both live within easy walks of a train station). The time on the train actually works much better than time in a car in getting me ready for my workday. It gets my head right in the same way as reading the paper worked for my Dad. I listen to various podcasts and music on my iPod, and boy, is the people watching ever fun.

Anyone else ready to make the leap?

A Generation X President?

2008-02-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama was born in 1961 (eight years before your host for those that are counting). Would that make him the first Gex-X candidate? The sources are mixed. According to Wikipedia, the number ranges from 1961 to 1964. In any case, I'm not a baby boomer and nor is he really; I'm much closer in age to Obama than Clinton (or McCain or Huckabee for that matter). My Mother, on the other hand, born in the first year of the baby boom, is closer to the rest. Make you own call.

We built the damn Internet as you know it (Amazon et al.), why can't a gen-x'er be president?

Holy Cow

2008-02-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

Never mind defeating Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama received more votes in Virginia in his primary win than all the Republican candidates combined (approximately 560,000 to 445,000 with 94% reporting).

In Virginia! A state that hasn't voted for a Democratic candidate in my memory (Jimmy Carter may have won there, but I'm too arsed to do the actual research). In Virginia even!

I've refrained from posting on politics this cycle, but I suppose that this post will show you all where my loyalties lie.

Looking Back at 2006: My Favorite Albums

2007-12-31T08:06:00.000-08:00

While I'm in the musical mood, I thought it would be interesting to look back at the albums I rated highly last year at this time and see how they've held up over a year of listening. I fully expect to be red-faced on some of these, so here goes (I've only commented on those that I would beg to differ with myself):

Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood - I probably wouldn't rate this album as highly today. It is still a great album, but I found myself listening to it less and less.
TV on the Radio: Return to Cookie Mountain - This probably should have been number one, but since I still listen to Boys and Girls in America so much, we can call it a tie.
Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere - Boy, did I fall for the hype here. I don't think I've listened to this album at all in the last four or five months.
Snowden: Anti-Anti -I would rate this one much higher today, moving it out of the honorable mention category and into the top 10 "Like Bullets".

All in all, I don't think I did too badly.
NP: "Skyscapers" - Close Lobsters

2007 Music Review: My Favorite Album

2007-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

1. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

After all the thought and the effort put into this year's list, there really could be only one album that would occupy this slot. Sure, various drafts had other albums here, but at the end of the day (or year), I simply listened to this album more than any other album, and that has to count for something, right? This was one of the most anticipated albums of the year, and to deliver so well on it's promise so well (even more so than The National and Arcade Fire) made it a dead lock. On Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon departs from it's usually sparse arrangements to incredible effect on "I've Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" and "The Underdog", while retaining it to great effect on songs like "My Little Japanese Cigarette Case". I've been a fan of Britt Daniel and company for quite a while, but this may be their finest effort yet.

NP: "Heaven's Gate" - Ian McCulloch

2007 Music Review: Favorite Albums 2 - 4

2007-12-31T07:50:00.000-08:00

4. Okkervil River - The Stage Names

Various versions of this list had this album at the number one spot. I didn't expect this level of excellence from this album, even as much as I liked Black Sheep Boy. Okkervil River made "the leap" this year, stepping it up to another level. Not a note goes astray on this album. While they lost some of the twang (and Lord knows I like me some twang), the album is better for it. "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe" would also have to be in contention for song of the year if I were detail oriented enough to make such a list.

3. Panda Bear - Person Pitch

To quote my friend Craig, Panda Bear changed the way I listen to music. Person Pitch was so different, so genre deconstructing that I'm still not even sure how to categorize it. Jumping off from Brian Wilson, this album went places that I didn't even know existed. It's no surprise that it's ranked so highly on so many year-end lists.

2. Battles - Mirrored

The perfect commute album. Again, an album that a couple of years ago I would have been surprised if I'd rated it so highly. "Atlas" would have to be considered in any song of the year lists. The craftsmanship of the artists here is masterful, but that doesn't take away from the actual songs. They are at once catchy and challenging, leading to a very rewarding experience during listening.

NP: "Animal or Vegetable" - Stereolab

2007 Music Review: Favorite Albums 5 - 8

2007-12-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

8. Deerhunter - Cryptograms / Fluorescent Gray

You just knew an Atlanta band would have to show up somewhere in the list--and this year I didn't have to stretch even. This year saw Deerhunter release a fantastic full length CD, Cryptograms, as well as a very underrated EP, Fluorescent Gray, which essentially represents a third side to Cryptograms, evoking the traditional LP structure. It's been an eventful year for Deerhunter, including garnering critical acclaim and suffering an armed robbery (in my own neighborhood no less). Never straightforward, the tracks on Cryptograms veer from ambient interludes that served to separate the most disparate tracks to seamlessly move into songs that are both addictive while challenging to the listener. Not to mention, this album may have one of the best covers of the year.

7. Radiohead - In Rainbows

I have a confession to make. I've never really understood the whole fascination with Radiohead. Don't get me wrong, The Bends and OK Computer are both fantastic albums that I totally appreciate, but that I've never been able to love. So this may be a surprise entrant, even though many critics probably have this as their top album of the year. So with this entry, that old impasse may finally have been broached with In Rainbows. I love this album. I can't get its songs out of my head after listening, something I've never been able to say before. Equally interesting is how Radiohead saw fit to deliver this album, as a pay-as-much-as-you-want download from their website. I have no idea how much money they actually received per copy on average, but we know that money goes directly to the artists, not some set of suits, and anything that turns the RIAA on its ear gets kudos from me.

6. Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone

When talking about Explosions in the Sky, I must first give a considerable tip of the cap to Dilettante in Distress, who first alerted me to this incredible Austin band. Listening to All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone is equally evocative of the wide, desolate landscapes of Texas (her words again) as it is of a mundane train commute to work. What the band lacks in lyrics is more than made up by inspired instrumentation and haunting sounds. More often than not at work, I find myself playing this album to metaphorically get outside and wander around.

5. The National - Boxer

The last we heard from The National, there were landing at the number 2 spot on my 2005 list with Alligator. So, what's changed since then? Very little in terms of quality. In fact, I've seen Boxer listed more often at the top spot across the music blogs than probably any other album. That's not to say Matt Berninger and company didn't evolve. Boxer is a much more introspective album than Alligator, and the sound suits them. They eschew the harder edged rockers that I found so distinctive on Alligator ("Mr. November, "Abel") for a much quieter sound that paints a vivid picture of the malaise of 21st century life (though much differently than Bloc Party's Weekend in the City or The Good the Bad and the Queen approach a similar subject).

Next up, albums 2, 3, and 4.

NP: "Joyless, Joyless" - Minus Story

My Office

2007-12-27T20:15:00.000-08:00

Is finally starting to take shape and become a center for productivity:

Keen eyes, however, may discern one of my chief productivity sucks as well (and I'm not talking about the TV or the Xbox that's hidden below it).

Doesn't everyone just have duct tape just lying around?

NP: "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above" - CSS

2007 Music Review: Favorite Albums 9 - 13

2007-12-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

Now that I've returned from my holiday travels, the list of my favorite albums can continue. In this installment, I'll countdown albums 13 through 9, with the top eight coming in future posts. (Hey, I still have four days yet!)

From this point on, any of these are worthy of that top spot on a given day--there is really that little separating them. It's been a great year for music as these selections will attest.

Now, on with the countdown!

13. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

The Arcade Fire's second album may have been one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year, mainly because of the quality of Funeral. Since its release, the critical mood has been all over the map--from disappointment to praise to backlash and back again. I may be a heretic here, but on the whole, I think Neon Bible actually works a bit better as a whole than Funeral. It never truly reaches the highs of their first effort, but there is not a bad song on Neon Bible, maybe the reaction is a bit of familiarity breeding a slight bit of contempt (not that it's that strong mind you). In a lot of years, this could easily have been my top pick (heck, ask me in a month and it may be yet).

12. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam

This album is just fun. Sometimes those of us who listen to a lot of music and think about it about it even more tend to overthink things and forget to just enjoy it for what it is. I'm not really sure what else draws me to Strawberry Jam, aside from this sense of fun. I could point out the obvious things like how well the music, even with the unconventional arrangements, is made and how everything fits just so, even though you might think it would totally miss, but wouldn't that be overthinking it all over again. I certainly wasn't surprised to see this on a lot of year end lists (including my own).

11. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

A dance part for adults. I can't recall where I read that (and I don't intend to steal anyone's thunder), but I think that perfectly encapsulates LCD Soundsystem. Adding incredibly infectious sounds and energy to highly articulate and clever lyrics, The Sound of Silver is a recipe for success. Just listening to "North American Scum" or "New York, I Love You, but You're Brining Me Down," is an exercise in itself in leaving preconceptions at the door (since I don't usually like anything that has a whiff of dance music about it).

10. Menomena - Friend and Foe

This year's list is quickly becoming an exercise in seeing how my musical tastes are expanding. Of course, I can't take too much credit for that. Instead, I'll credit the amount of good music that is recommended to me (by reading blogs, by friends, what have you). I doubt anyone who knows me well would have expected to find Menomena on this list, since I usually go for the tighter melodies and more straightforward sounds. Friend and Foe, however, is a great ride from start to finish, mixing moods and expectations more often than James Bond's bartender mixed martinis.

9. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup/Lon Gisland

"A Sunday Smile," the third track on The Flying Club Cup, along would merit this album's inclusion on this list. Even beyond that, this album is one that I could see myself living with for years to come. Add an excellent January EP (Lon Gisland) to Beirut's output this year, and it becomes certainty. I love the inclusions of the Balkan rhythms in Beirut's sounds. The inclusion of these sounds definitely does not make the music seem provincial, or worse, like world music. Instead, they meld seamlessly into an overall aesthetic that has a lot in common with many Elephant 6 acts. At times, the music on The Flying Club Cup eerily reminds me of Neutral Milk Hotel, without ever sounding like it or evoking it directly. It's just a feeling I get.

More of my favorites to come in the coming days. And I promise that this list will be finished by New Year's Eve.

NP: "Line of Best Fit" - Death Cab for Cutie

2007 Music Review: Favorite Albums 14 - 25

2007-12-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

Now on to my favorites. I'll be counting down from 25 to my favorite album of the year over a series of posts in the coming days. Some of these will merit more description than others (meaning that I have reasons for inclusion over and above listening to something a helluva lot).

25. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City

I know that I'll probably get some flack for this one, since Bloc Party is no longer the critics' darling, but you know what, this is a damn fine album. True. It didn't hit me in the gut quite as immediately as Silent Alarm. However, if they made that same album again, I'd been very disappointed (see Interpol). This album shows growth, and even though I wasn't intially all that excited about this effort, time has been very kind. "Waiting for the 7:18" especially captures something that resonates with me.

24. Grizzly Bear - Friend

I don't know anyone that knows me that would think I would enjoy music best, or most famously categorized as psychedelic folk, but what do you know, I really enjoyed this album (or EP depending on the review). While this wasn't on my sought after music as often as other albums on this list, it's appearance on shuffle on the train ride to work was never unwelcome (which is high praise indeed).

23. The Good The Bad and the Queen - The Good The Bad and the Queen

Paul Simonen meets Damon Albarn? Clash meets Blur meets Gorillaz? 'Nuff said. Really, those opening questions pretty much characterize it. Does this sound the least bit like The Clash. No. But to see Paul Simonen return to making music is something to get a bit excited about. I actually found this album a bit more accessible than the previous Gorillaz efforts, even though I enjoyed them a lot as well. And hey, they play live!

22. José González - In Our Nature

hile nothing on this album stands out quite as much as his cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart", nothing could be said to be so derivative. For better or better, there's no coat-tails here. I don't know that I could sing a single verse off this album, but then again, it's not that kind of album. I often find myself looking for this one when I'm working.

21. Iron and Wine - The Shepard’s Dog

Wow, so much of what I said about Jose Gonzalez could be said about this. Only I'd have to add drums for once. You'd think their presence would seem odd on an Iron & Wine album. You'd be wrong. That collaboration with Calexico is starting to bear unexpected but delicious fruit.

20. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse

It's been a very good year for the Besnard Lakes. They go from being nobodies to being on a lot of top 20 lists for the year. So does this make me a bandwagon jumper. Perhaps. I did enjoy this album quite a bit though, and listened to it a bit more than anything that goes before except maybe the Bloc Party (which dropped early in the year).

19. Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation

I'll admit it, this is a late addition to the list. My first listens to Blitzen Trapper (through some dubiously obtained samples) didn't really get me too excited. It was only upon hearing them featured on All Songs Considered recently that I actually sought out this album. I wish I had before then. While it's not my usual taste, it is incredibly "interesting" (in a good way). I don't get all halfway comparisons to the Grateful Dead either (that would be a non-starter in my mind).

18. Feist - The Reminder

Two Feist albums. Two appearances on my end of year lists. And the first one was even before I found out I worked (albeit remotely) with her brother (Hi Ben, if you ever read this!). And you know what? This ranking is even more appropriate than they last. Of course, a little help from Apple never hurt anyone (and in this case, it was deserved), so hopefully she'll make more of these lists this year.

17. The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters

This album caught me totally by surprise. It was the first time I had even heard of The Twilight Sad to be honest (hey, something always slips through the cracks). I especially like how some of their songs seamlessly navigate the space between quiet and loud, and they build in such a way that when they do reach their full sound, it takes you by surprise.

16. Handsome Furs - Plague Park

A side project of one of the dynamic duo from Wolf Parade, Dan Boeckner, Handsome Furs has often been compared to Bruce Springsteen, and I think that comparison is somewhat relevant. The music here is much more direct than that of Wolf Parade, and I like its earnest straightforwardness quite a bit.

15. Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara

I've know about Great Lake Swimmers for some time. I think I discovered them last year some time (a song here, a song there), and while I enjoyed their music, I would never have thought that they would make a end of year list I was preparing. Even though the band is from Canada, their music has an essentially American feel to it, almost like some alt-country acts, though I would never put them in that category directly. Their MySpace page describes their sound as ambient folk, but I don't think that label applies either--I find my toe tapping or head bobbing to their music way too much for it to be ambient in any way.

14. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover

It's been a good year for the members of Wolf Parade (see Handsome Furs above). The other half of that dynamic duo is Spencer Krug, who forms the core of Sunset Rubdown. Unlike Handsome Furs, however, Sunset Rubdown captures the pure energy that inhabits most Wolf Parade tunes, but with a verve and urgency that sometimes gets lost in the pure driving force of Wolf Parade. It doesn't hurt that two of the best live shows I've seen over the last 14 months were Sunset Rubdown shows.

NP: "Skin Deep" - The Stranglers

2007 Music Review: Honorable Mentions and Disappointments

2007-12-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

I know it's been rather quiet around here lately (looking around sheepishly), but it's that time of the year--the time for me to foist my barely-coherent opinions upon the Interweb at large and decree my favorite albums of the year.

Even though I haven't been around all that much, I would like to document these, if for no other reason than to expose myself to ridicule right now by the public at large and at some yet-to-be determined point in the future when I will probably view some of these with shock and incredulity.

First, there were a number of recordings that I'd like to mention in one way or the other, even though they didn't merit inclusion in the main list. Here are the honorable mentions:

Shearwater - Palo Santo: Extended Edition
I loved this album, but since it's a reissue of a 2006 recording, I couldn't bring myself to put it on the list proper (given different criteria, it would have made it with a bullet). However, it is a fantastic album, and the bonus materials and re-mastering really take the album to the next level.

The Afghan Whigs - Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990-2006
One new song. A whole bunch more that should remind you just how much of an awesome, kick-ass band The Afghan Whigs were. Everyone needs a reminder now and then--not that these guys were ever very far from my radar (as evidenced by my Last.fm listening stats).

Vampire Weekend - Various
No full album, but great promise indeed! Here's a very promising newcomer. I wouldn't put a collection of heard songs (maybe an EP worth) on my list, and I've only just started listening to them, but boy-howdy, am I listening to their songs a helluva lot lately. Put them down as one to watch in 2008.

Next up, the disappointments:

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
I love Wilco, I do. I'm usually among their most tenacious defenders and I proselytize for them among non fans repeated, taking peach-heads to the Fox to enjoy a live show. But you know what, they lost me on this one. While Pitchfork's description of the album as "Dad Rock" seems a bit harsh to me, I certainly think the album is too introspective, too lacking in that Wilco-ish quality to be anything other than a disappointment to me. There are good songs here though ("Impossible Germany"), but the whole does not cohere.

Interpol - Our Love to Admire
Where do I start with Interpol? First album, top 1o of the year (loved it). Second album? mildly disappointed. I thought Editors debut sounded like what Antics should have. And now a third. And no growth. No change. The only positive is the improvement of the cover art. Are there good songs here. Perhaps. But my disappointment is grounded in what Interpol could have, no should have, been. Instead they've stagnated. Every band deserves an off note. But two in a row show that they've not insinuating themselves into my ear for much longer.

I'll be counting down my favorites in succeeding posts in the coming days.

NP: "Rock and Roll" - Spiritualized

The NFL Has Lost Me

2007-09-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

So, it's the beginning of the NFL season, and you know what? I watched about 5 minutes of the Falcons game on Sunday. That's it. I have zero interest anymore.

Flash back 25 years. I was crazy for the NFL. The Redskins (horrible name and all) in particular. So what happened? The most obvious culprit is my increasing appreciation of a football game where they actually use their feet (soccer of course). I was definitely more interested in the results of the Euro qualifiers this week than any NFL game, and I'll definitely be at the Brewhouse on Saturday at 8:00 a.m. for the North London Derby.

But there's something more to it than that. Living in Atlanta, this summer was Vick 24/7. Honestly, I had been pulling for Vick since he was a college player at Virginia Tech, and now I just feel incredibly let down. Add to that the off-field shenanigans of so many of players, and I'm just officially done with the lot of them. There's Pac-Man Jones, Mark Chmura, Ray Lewis, and Rae Carruth. I just can't in good pull for a league that has such unsavory elements any more.

So, to hell with American football. Viva football. And go Gunners just for good measure.

UPDATE: On publishing this, I see that Google is running ads for Arsenal jerseys. I encourage all six readers of my blog to buy one and follow me to the dark side.

Hey Look! It's 9/12!

2007-09-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

Not to take away from that horrible day, I just thought it would be nice to fast-forward a day (and years) into the future. Now, lets set about fixing the problems we can control!

I'm Back

2007-09-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

After the most intense six weeks of consulting of my entire career (almost as bad as the launch of the Huge Corporate Entity site), my workload seems to have returned to normal. So, posting should return to normal. And there's a lot to talk about. On the football front, Arsenal have had a great start to the season, and Wenger has signed a new deal (their biggest signing of the summer). In baseball, the Red Sox are still holding off the evil empire. I've also been listening to a lot of music lately as well. So, start checking back again, I'm sure I'll have something to say.

NP: "Football Weekly" - Guardian Unlimited

Time Out

2007-08-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

Vacation. Whatever. Due to some upcoming travel and continuing insanity at work (three projects all peaking at once), I'll be taking some time off from updating the site. I should return much rested after Labor Day.

In the meantime, take some time to peruse the site's on my sidebar, as I've found them endlessly diverting.

Jozy Altidore has a Blog

2007-08-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

Regular readers who pay attention to my various musings on sports know that I've been quite impressed with U.S. U-20 striker and Red Bull New York player, Jozy Altidore. Now I find out that the "kid" not only can play, he can also write. Today marks the launch of Jozy Altidore's blog on the New York Times website. Today, he writes about facing David Beckham for the first time on the field this weekend. Good timing on his part since Beckham scored his first goal for the Galaxy last night (on a free kick natch).

I'm sure I'll check in on his thoughts from time to time.

NP: "Football Weekly Extra" - Guardian Unlimited

Weekly Music Report

2007-08-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

I listened to the following artists the most last week:

LCD Soundsystem - 11 tracks
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - 8 tracks
The Smiths - 8 tracks
Spoon - 8 tracks
The Arcade Fire - 4 tracks
Sufjan Stevens - 4 tracks
The Clash - 4 tracks
The Charlatans - 4 tracks
The Clientele - 4 tracks
Sleater-Kinney - 4 tracks

As usual, you can head over to my Last.fm profile to see what I'm currently listening to.

NP: "Spent (Peel Session)" - Wire

Premiership Preview and Predictions

2007-08-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

Happy new year, football-wise (tomorrow anyway). With that in mind, I thought I would offer up from preview thoughts and predictions.

All predictions guaranteed to be 100% wrong on your money back. I'll offer up my thoughts on each team alphabetically, along with my predicted order of finish in the table.

Arsenal - 2nd
Arsenal is a team with a huge number of questions heading into the beginning of the season. How can they replace Henry? They can't. Can they cope with life without the best striker in the world? They can, perhaps. While Arsenal haven't made a lot of noise in the transfer market, they have addresses a number of their needs: goalkeeper (check), right back (check), striker (check). There are some questions, however, remaining: left winger (not so check). I expect that there will be another signing to the Arse, and, with the team spirit they've been showing and behind van Persie's goal tally, they'll just pip Liverpool for third. Challenging for the title isn't out of the question, but its may be just a little unrealistic. At the very worst, they finish fourth again.

Aston Villa - 7th
The second season of the Randy Learner regime, and Aston Villa will out-perform the Cleveland Browns. They won't set the world on fire, but will continue to show improvement, earning a place in Europe this season.

Birmingham -18th
Welcome back Mr. Short Leash, Steve Bruce. He may be gone by Boxing Day. All kidding aside, I expect Birmingham to be in the relegation fight until the last game of the season. Unfortunately, I think they will fall just short of staying up. They'll be gamers and pick off an upset here and there, and Muamba will look like a very smart transfer come Christmas, when bigger teams will be sniffing around for him.

Blackburn - 5th
Mark Hughes will continue the renaissance at Blackburn, leading them to Europe, if not to the heights he hopes for (though I'm sure the fans will be happy). Brad Friedel, unlike his former rival Kasey Keller, isn't past it quite yet, and he should keep them in a few games they shouldn't be in. They can knick some points and potentially be looking at Europe. I expect this to be Hughes' last season with the Rovers. I'm guessing he'll replace Mourinho at Chelsea after this season.

Bolton - 11th
Ahh, my least favorite team. Losing Sam Allardyce will hurt them greatly. As much as I loathe him, he made them successful. They really haven't lost anyone other than their manager, but I expect them to struggle. They'll pull it together at the last because they still have some quality players, and the fact that are teams that are in much worse shape than they are.

Chelsea - 4th
Why so low? The African Cup of Nations when they'll lose their spark plugs. On talent alone, they win the league every time. But the niggling injuries are already adding up for the start of the season. With Didier Drogba our in January, I see them losing any hope of the league in the winter when he is away. Shevchecko and Ballack will be much improved, but without Robben to provide the late spark (assuming he is off to Real Madrid), it won't quite be enough. Mourinho will likely leave after this season.

Derby County - 20th
Straight relegation. No hope for them at all. At best, expect a finish of nineteenth. I am looking forward to seeing Benny Feilhauber play in the league though,

Everton - 9th
I'll say it for the record. David Moyes is a fantastic manager. Does he have enough to improve Everton's place on the table though? I don't think so. Everton usually falls back when they have a European campaign to worry about. They won't fall as far this season as in seasons past though..

Fulham - 10th
Here's my gamble. Smart money has Fulham barely escaping the drop once again. Lawrie Sanchez has spent lots of money on journeymen though. About mid-season, I expect Clint Dempsey to emerge as a chief playmaker, whether he is feeding McBride or no, and fire them to respectability. Healy will impress as well. Of couse, I could be full of beans.

Liverpool - 3rd
Probably a very contentious choice (and the choice that's worth a bottle of single malt for me). Two scouser friends will likely call foul here, but I call them like I see them. Sure, your team has addressed some needs. But, Torres and Voronin have yet to adjust to the English game, so you can't expect that much from them (I remember Reyes). Gerrard is still the best man in his position in the English game, so they won't fall too far, but I see Liverpool as more of a cup team (and that includes the Champions League, where they may get their sixth). In any case, second through fourth should be a dogfight this year).

Manchester City - 13th
It's Sven-a-po-looza! Transfer madness. Who are these guys again? I don't think even the manager has seen some of them play. City will definitely improve on its play, if not much on its position. How could they not? But seriously, Sven is a proven club manager, and he's now freed of using English players exclusively. They could be laying good groundwork for next season.

Manchester United - 1st
The best team in the premiership just got better. Hargreaves, Tevez, Nani, and Anderson. Who did they lose? No one of note. Their only question marks are whether Giggs and Scholes can continue their late season renaissance (and in preseason, it looks like that's the case). Until proven differently, Ronaldo is the best player in England (especially now that Henry is gone). The top of the table will be tighter than last year, but I can't see them losing.

Middlesbrough - 16th
Eh. Who cares. They stay up, in an especially unexciting manner. Missed out on Alan Smith. See immediately below. They'll be in the relegation fight for sure.

Newcastle United - 12th
I'll be honest. I'm not sure what to make of Newcastle. Allardyce isn't know for playing the type of football that Newcastle's fans like. They have lots of new defenders, and if Owen gets hurt and Martins, transfer (both very likely), I'm not sure who will score the goals. They could challenge for a UEFA Cup spot. They could sink into a relegation fight. I really have no idea.

Portsmouth - 6th
Portsmouth will continue to improve. I think fifth position may come down to the last couple of matches of the season. Look for David Nugent to get better as the season progress, as he'll watch Kanu very closely.

Reading - 14th
Reading won't have the cinderella season they had last season, but they won't every be seriously threatened with relegation either. They'll consolidate a bit this year, even though they'll slip a few spots. This team could become a fixture in the middle of the table for the next few years. Of course, losing players to injuries received while stretching in bed is never a good sign.

Sunderland - 15th
Of the new teams this year, Sunderland are the best bet to stay in the top flight. Roy Keane does not accept losing, so it will be interesting to see how he reacts to losses this season. I do look forward to watching the Black Cats play though.

Tottenham - 8th
There's too much expectation for Spurs to challenge for the top four. And every time they have expectations, the team always seems to find someway to fall short. I'm sure a lot of folks will think I'm crazy, but I see them disappointing their fans again this year. Sure, they've spent a lot of money, but they still haven't addressed their main needs. Berbatov can't do it alone, but Darren Bent isn't the answer to anyone's prayers (certainly not 18 million's worth).

West Ham United - 17th
Same place as last year. A whole lot less controversy. Losing Tevez is going to hurt, and Bellamy is no replacement. How long until there are fights at Upton Park?

Wigan Athletic - 19th
Paul Jewell resigns. Why? Wigan are going to be dreadful. They'd be a lock for the bottom is Derby weren't in the league.

Weekly Music Report

2007-08-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

Last week was another week of light listening for me, so I can't do a proper top 10. With that in mind, here's the abbreviated list of artists I heard more than twice last week:

Bloc Party - 15 tracks
Arcade Fire - 12 tracks
Spoon - 11 tracks
Ride - 4 tracks
The National - 3 tracks
R.E.M., The Killing Joke, and The Beastie Boys - 2 tracks each

As always, you can keep tabs on my listening over time (at least when I'm connected to the Interweb) over at my Last.fm profile.

NP: World Soccer Daily

Tom Glavine Wins His 300th Game

2007-08-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

In all the hype surrounding that other baseball milestone, Tom Glavine became the 23rd pitcher to win 300 games last night against the Cubs. He know has joined the ranks of Cy Young, Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, and Steve Carlton as a mortal lock for a first-ballot election to the Hall of Fame. And he may be the last man to join that list. Only Randy Johnson seems to have a shot to win 300 games among active pitchers. Reduced pitching work loads today make it unlikely that any young pitcher will be able to put in enough innings a year to achieve this.

Even though he attained the milestone while playing for the Mets, one of my least favorite major league teams, I was happy to have been able to witness it (on television). I have many fond memories of watching him ply his trade over the years here in Atlanta, and he turned in some of the greatest pitching performances that I've witnessed live, including the one that may be most remembered and rightly celebrated: his one-hit performance in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series, which earned him MVP honors.

Elsewhere, the AJC has a nice photo essay of Glavine through the years. Also, I proved my abilities as a baseball prognosticator only missing the milestone date by two days (ignore some of the other predictions)

Congratulations Tom!

There Once Was a Man from Garageland

2007-08-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this, but rebelmachine has remade the entirety of London Calling in limerick form. Here's a taste:

I.
A nuke fell on fair London town
I'd like it if you could come down
Fake Fab Fours have vanished
The grain is all famished
And I really don't want to drown.

Some of them are quite inspired. Anyone up for Sandinista?

Braves Go Crazy at Trade Deadline

2007-07-31T12:37:00.000-07:00

First, they landed the biggest bat available in Mark Texeira (along with a lefty for the bullpen). Now, they've upgraded their bullpen even more, acquiring Octavio Dotel from the Royals. Next, Bronson Arroyo for Jo-Jo Reyes or Yunel Escobar? The cost thus far Jarrod Saltalamacchia, five prospects, and Kyle Davies. While the number of prospects seems a little high, I think the Braves will be ranked as overall winners for the trade deadline. This is the first time they've been this aggressive since going out to get McGriff in the early 90s.

Dotel will be a definite upgrade over Wickman in the closer role (even if they share closing duties). Wickman worries me every time he comes in with a game on the line. Heck, the way today is going for the Braves, he could be on his way shortly.

Texeira? What can you say. As someone who follows the Braves, I hated to see Saltalamacchia go, but let's face it, he was stuck behind another very good, young catcher in McCann. Now, the Braves have a gold-glove first baseman with about twice as much batting ability than any Braves first baseman since Andres Galarraga.

The last rumor also looks like it would be a good deal for the Braves. In any case, the NL East just got even more interesting than it already was with Phillies and Mets making moves of their own.

UPDATE: So the Arroyo deal didn't come to pass, but one more trade did occur: Will Ledezma, who had been designated for assignment, for Royce Ring, adding yet another lefty to their bullpen.

I can't remember a trade deadline where the Braves have been this active. Is this a final push to try to win it this year before Schuerholz retires? I don't know, but I think their chances to win the east, or the wild card, just improved quite a bit.

NP: World Soccer Daily

Weekly Music Report

2007-07-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my schedule allowing my car to stay at home last week while I rode the train to work, I listened to more music last week in quite a while. I listened to the following artists the most:

Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - 26 tracks
Elf Power - 16 tracks
Bloc Party - 14 tracks
Editors - 11 tracks
Arcade Fire - 10 tracks
The 101er's - 4 tracks
Bettie Serveert - 3 tracks
Death Cab for Cutie - 3 tracks
The Delgados - 3 tracks
Matt Pond PA - 3 tracks

Why all that Joe Strummer you may ask? I received a copy of Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer for my birthday, and reading it influenced my listening choices a bit. Thus far, it's a good read, though at this point in the story, the cracks are just starting to appear in the Clash. I'll write up my full reaction when I finish the book.

As usual, you can follow my listening habits day to day by visiting my Last.fm profile.

Iraq Wins First Asian Cup

2007-07-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

Despite being massive underdogs in the tournament, today Iraq beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 to claim the Asian Cup for the first time in the country's history. In stark contrast to the nightmare that their country is becoming (or is), this team is made up of Sunni, Shia, and Kurd. While soccer is only a game, it hopefully will provide some comfort to Iraqis of all stripes, especially since is emblematic of a Iraq that could be. Hearing this news actually made me smile, the first smile upon hearing the word Iraq in a long, long time.

NP: "Where is Home?" - Bloc Party

Weekly Music Report

2007-07-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

There's not enough data this week for a full top ten. The only artist I listened a lot last week was Spoon (20 tracks, or twice through Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga). Based on this, I can heartily recommend it.

In fact the only other artists I heard more than twice last week were Elvis Costello (4) and The Arcade Fire (3).

NP: "Story in a Nutshell" - Bettie Serveert

2007-07-23T05:36:00.000-07:00

Could you hit a major-league fastball?

My EPL Fantasy Football Team

2007-07-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

I just made my selections for the SportsFilter fantasy EPL league:

That doesn't look too shabby to me.

Another Trip Around the Rock

2007-07-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Yep. That's right. It's my birthday. Here's a list of people I share it with. I have to say, I'm underwhelmed--I mean, c'mon, Phyllis Diller? David Hasselhoff? Camilla Parker Bowles?

Jimmy Cagney is cool though.

Weekly Music Report

2007-07-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

I listened to the following music the most over the last week:

Spoon - 12 tracks
50 Foot Wave - 9 tracks
The Wedding Present - 5 tracks
Pulp - 4 tracks
Let's Active - 4 tracks
Swervedriver - 4 tracks
Pavement - 4 tracks
The Mekons - 4 tracks
Shout Out Louds - 3 tracks
Bettie Serveert - 3 tracks
The Mekons - 3 tracks

Yes, that's Let's Active in the list. Perhaps I was feeling a bit nostalgic for the 80s. In any case, you can keep up with my current listening at my Last.fm profile page.

On a side note, the new Spoon album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, is very good, despite the silly name.

Copa America Final

2007-07-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

It's the dream final. Argentina versus Brazil in a little less than an hour.

For the record, I think Argentina ends its 14-year trophy drought in style by winning 3-1 in regulation.

Who scores the winner. Most folks would say Messi, but I'm going with Tevez.

UPDATE: Boy did I get that one wrong. And I never would have guessed that Arsenal flop Julio Baptista would score the winner.

Assessing the State of U.S. Soccer

2007-07-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Last month, I wrote that this summer was vital in looking forward to the U.S. begin qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. Now that all the men's teams are done with their summer after the under-20 team was eliminated from the U-20 World Cup yesterday, losing 2-1 to Austria, I think it's only fair that I look back at what I wrote then, and assess where the teams stand today.

This summer of soccer was a drama (only occasionally comedic) in four acts.

Act 1: Winning the Gold Cup in Style
The first act was CONCACAF's regional tournament, the Gold Cup. The U.S. won the Gold Cup handily. They were easily the most consistent team in the tournament, and in the final came from behind to defeat Mexico 2-1. In the end, the U.S. cemented its status as the big dog in CONCACAF.

Coach Bradley fielded a very experienced group of players who play in both the U.S. and in Europe. All in all, they acquitted themselves very well. Landon Donovan continued to model his newly rediscovered form and Clint Dempsey took his opportunity to emerge from Donovan's shadow to show that he is penciled in for all qualifiers, barring injuring and club commitments.

Of all the competitions this summer, this was the one that was most important to the team, as it is our region's major tournament and it guarantees that the U.S. will be participating in the Confederations Cup in South Africa in 2009, a crucial pre-World Cup warmup.

Act 2: Fizzling in Venezuela
The second act was Copa America. The U.S. sent a less-experienced side to Venezuela for this competition, and it showed in the results. The U.S. lost all three of their group matches and came home quickly. On paper, that looks like a disaster, but I don't view it so dimly. The U.S. held their own against Argentina in the opener for 70 minutes. They outplayed Paraguay but were plagued by poor finishing. Once they got to Colombia, both teams knew they were going home and played like it.

I always thought that the Copa America would be a chance for Coach Bradley to really begin evaluating the more fringe players on the national scene. His "experimental" line up proved that was indeed the case. However, we can learn some valuable lessons from the performance. All the players involved, mostly new to the national scene, gained valuable lessons playing quality opponents away from home, experience that will serve them well in the future.

What did we specifically learn from failing in South America? First, Taylor Twellman just cannot play at this level. He's just too slow. He shouldn't feature in the qualification battle that begins next year. Second, Benny Feilhaber is the real deal. He should be integral to the coming qualification campaign. The jury is still out on Eddie Johnson, but he'd better begin producing or else he may lose his spot to Jozy Altidore (more on that below). Finally, the U.S. has more quality options at defense than ever before. Farewell Frankie Hejduk, thanks for the memories.

Act 3: The Future is Bright
Although it ended perhaps prematurely yesterday against Austria, the U.S. kids provided an astonishing run at the U-20 World Cup in Canada. Along the way, they played beautiful, attacking football and a number of the participants have surely sparked interest across the pond (and more than likely in Coach Bradley's office).

Freddy Adu showed why everyone knows his name, even though he's mostly been a non-entity for his club lately. Of all the games I watched, he was easily the player of the tournament. He absolutely controlled the games from his attacking midfield role, setting up many of the goals he didn't score himself. Jozy Altidore appears to be the real deal as well. Finally, a forward who can score goals. Michael Bradley and Danny Szetela also cemented their status a part of the future of the U.S. midfield alongside Benny Feilhaber.

In the end, the 120 gritty minutes against Uruguay, which forced the team to come behind for a thrilling win showed yesterday against Austria, a very disciplined if not pretty side. This performance is still one they can be proud of and it shows that the future is still bright for the U.S. Soccer team.

Act 4: That Beckham Fellow
Yeah, that guy was introduced Friday as the newest member of the Los Angeles Galaxy. I don't have any idea what the long-term impact of his arrival means for the sport in the U.S., but despite the usual bleating from the British press about MLS, it's telling that Beckham still has a lot left in his tank, and his commitment to the Galaxy has opened the door for others that have a lot of game left in them: Blanco, Angel, and Xavier for example.

Also, his arrival will probably make many people who are just curious about all the hubbub tune into MLS games. Even now, ticket demand is up throughout the league. If MLS can convert even some of the curious to fans, then Beckham's arrival will indeed have left its mark.

NP: "I Can't Sleep Tonight" - The La's

Weekly Music Report

2007-07-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

I listened to the following artists the most last week:

50 Foot Wave - 9 tracks
Echo & the Bunnymen - 9 tracks
Interpol - 9 tracks
Neko Case - 7 tracks
Neutral Milk Hotel - 6 tracks
16 Horsepower - 5 tracks
The Jesus and Mary Chain - 5 tracks
Game Theory - 5 tracks
Pulp -4 tracks
The Charlatans - 4 tracks

As usual, you can head over to my Last.fm profile to see what I'm currently listening to.

Samurai Scotch and Other Expressions

2007-07-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

I'm very late with this wrap-up (March), but we recently had yet another Scotch tasting a couple of weeks ago, so I have to catch up before sharing the results (and catching up entirely on the whisky front as far as this blog is concerned anyway)

Proceeding from clarity to increasing blurriness and from lightness to full on Island flavor, eere are my thoughts on each of the expressions we tasted in March.

12 year-old Suntory "Yamakazi" – Japan
While not what someone would consider a Scotch whisky since it hails from Japan, this expression is still a single-malt whisky, which qualifies it according to admittedly flexible rules. In fact, most participants were pretty excited to try this (must be the Lost in Translation effect), and since the local package store has recently begun carrying it stock, I quickly grabbed a bottle for the festivities. When I opened the bottle though, I discovered a huge warning sign. The bottle had a plastic screw cap instead of the traditional cork. I know that great advances have been made in this area, and that some good wines now use screw caps, but it was still unsettling. That didn't stop it from being poured though.

Once the Suntory had poured, it had a slightly sweet smell, with hints of sherry and fruit. The first taste matched the initial nose, as it was slightly sweet and fruity taste. Once water had been added to "Baptize" the whisky, an oak finish became apparent. Overall, everyone agreed that this expression was remarkably one-dimensional and that it didn't linger as much as anyone would like.

12-year old Tormore - Speyside
The bottle calls it "the Pearl of Speyside." Who could resist marketing like that? After the Suntory, it was nice to move on to a proper scotch. It had a nice dark color and a very oaky nose (someone even thought of maple syrup). Upon the first taste, the whisky was quite smooth, with hardly any bite at all, and the oakiness gave the impression of syrup all the way through.

Once a bit of water had been added, the full flavor of the whisky really came out, bringing out hints of saltiness and a very smooth and round flavor: "Nutty with a honeyish sweetness". The taste was consistent throughout.

Ledaig Sherry Finish - Island, No age given
All the literature indicated that the age of this Ledaig was less than 10 years. No wonder it's not placed on the label since age probably means more marketability. A whisky's relative youth has never held us back before though.

The nose on this expression was very oaky--almost green oak in fact. Upon first taste, the most immediate note was the smoke. This was followed with a smoky, woody finish. The peat taste didn't fully emerge until after some water was added. One thing we noticed, it gets smokier the longer you drink it. All in all a nice scotch, even it could be considered Laguvalin Light.

12 year-old Caol Isla - Islay
Islay scotches, especially those that we have not yet tried, always are eagerly anticipated. Once the scotch was poured though, I thought someone was pulling my leg. The color was very light--lighter than any Islay scotch I have ever seen. The nose, however, belied its island origins, smelling as one participant called it, "candied peat." Overall the smell was a lovely mix of smoke and peat, and the oak from the cask smell almost like hickory.

Upon tasting, the Caol Isla is a very easy to drink expression. Most of the flavors explode toward the finish, and they then linger nicely. This is one of the few scotches we've tasted that water does very little to improve.

12 year-old Bunahabhain - Islay
Two Islay's in a row. Happy, happy. This one smelled more like a typical Islay (and looked the part too). As for taste (and my notes are getting much here), it had a slightly medicine taste to go along with a mild peatiness. It's a lighter-drinking expression than most Islay scotches.

Adding water really brought out the peat and a bit of saltiness, which is to be expected due to its origin. Even though the taste could be a bit mediciny at times, it had a very long finish. Disconcertingly, however, the nose and taste were a bit inconguent.

Note to self, taste this one earlier in the festivities at some point in the future. Extra points go the website, which is one of the more sophisticated experiences I've seen from a distillery.

10 - 15 year-old Aberlour a'Bunadh Cask Strength - Speyside
This was the last (and strongest) expression tasted. This scotch had a very rich, peppery nose. The first taste was overwhelming (as is usually the case with a cask strength), but with a lot of spicy overtones. Once the water was added (more than usual), honey moving toward spiciness toward the finish, all th while being smooth, buttery, and nutty. Funny, my notes stop just there. Maybe I'd had a bit too much? Nah.

Aberlour is always a favorite, and this one was no different. But a cask strength is not the one to drink at the end of a long day of drinking.

Look out next week for the results of the most recent tasting.

NP: "Mile End" -Pulp

Bush Commutes Scooter's Jail Time

2007-07-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

And I'm not surprised. Really. I mean, what exactly does Bush have to lose? He's already tap dancing near Nixon-esque approval levels. Apparently all that talk about accountability when he was elected was a Maine-sized load of bull. And somewhere this afternoon, my friend Senior's head exploded.

NP: "Springfield" - Sufjan Stevens

Weekly Music Report

2007-07-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

This should be the last week where I totally rely on my Last.fm profile for this report. I replaced my iPod so we should return to normal next week. According to Last.fm, I listened to the following music the most last week:

Stereophonics
The Arcade Fire
Interpol
Moes Haven
Air
Stereolab
The Cure
Badly Drawn Boy
The Strokes
The Charlatans U.K.
Hot Hot Heat
The National
Bloc Party

NP: "Lightning" - Simple Minds

Arsenal after Henry

2007-06-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

I've had a few days to absorb the news that Arsenal's talisman is leaving--and never did the word "talismanic" seem more apropos than when speaking of Henry. I would like to think the shock of the move (although it was long suspected) has worn off, but I may regret these words midway through the 2008-2009 season. Yes you heard me right. A whole season away.

In short, I think this move may be in the best interest of the club in the long term. Of course, it may hurt Arsenal's title chances in the coming season missing his goals, but then again, the team seemed to perform better with Robin van Persie healthy than it did with Henry healthy. So, in the short term, missing a healthy Henry will hurt the club. I'm not sure it totally hamstrings their title chances next season, but that depends on whom Wenger buys in the remainder of the transfer window. After that, I think the absence of Henry will only be a bonus.

Think about it. Thierry Henry was Arsenal football. Everyone on the club deferred to him. And that is dangerous. In the short term, the club will miss his goals, but not his ego (though ego is never a bad thing in a footballer to a certain extent). This will make the team Cesc's and Kolo's, and to a certain extent, van Persie's--all players playing in the shadow of number 14.

All of this assumes of course that Wenger stays after next season, that Arsenal spend some money (which is obviously now available) this offseason, and that the ownership situation stabilizes. If Kroenke splashes a lot of cash about August, all the better (even though I'd prefer the club's ownership to remain stable).

Right now, I expect numbers 11 and 5 to take much of the burden, even if it is not quite enough this season. Last season showed that Arsenal is capable of going toe to toe with the other three of the top four (best record in round robin), now all they need to do is take care of the lesser opposition. I think that exposing them to the bright light outside of Henry's shadow can only do them good. They won't look to him first anymore. Instead, they'll begin to make their own luck, and van Persie has proven what he can do with that.

So, I'm not expecting them to win the league, but its not absolutely out of the question without Henry. Chelsea still looks somewhat vulnerable, and no one played Man U better last season.

What do I expect? Arsenal finish in the top four again without too much trouble (sorry spurs, you haven't proven anything despite how good Berbatov is); qualify for the Champion's League; advance to the knockout stages to face Barcelona (you just know this will happen); and make a run to at least he semifinals in the FA Cup. And yes, I expect Silverware still.

What do I want? Arsenal challenge for the league fighting Man U and Liverpool tooth and nail to the finish; win the FA cup; Robin van Persie nets a hat trick and Lehmann notches a shutout against Barcelona in the first leg of the knockout stages of the Champion's League (sorry Titi, all bets are off); Henry gets a brace in the return leg and is the best player on the pitch to no avail as Arsenal advance behind some fabulous saves from Fabianski (Lehmann being suspended yet again due to an accumulation of yellow cards).

C'mon you Gunners!

Henry Completes Move to Barcelona

2007-06-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

I really don't have anything to add. I recently guaranteed a friend that he'd return to Arsenal, but as soon as I sent the e-mail, I knew I'd probably made a mistake.

I'll always remember those goals. Best of luck in Spain Titi.

UPDATE: Of course I'm gutted by this move, but I won't let it get me down on the man's enormous contributions to the club. For eight years, he was the best striker the Premiership had ever seen.

Weekly Music Report

2007-06-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

Alas, this week I have to rely on my Last.fm profile to report which music I listened to the most last week, even though it doesn't count those songs that were played while I wasn't connected to the Interweb. Why do you ask? My iPod gave up the ghost on Saturday (though it has a appointment in the shop today). In any case, here are the most played artists recorded last week by Last.fm:

Snowden
The National
Simple Minds
Beulah
Afghan Whigs
The Hold Steady
Echo & the Bunnymen
Superchunk
Pavement
Garbage

With any luck, the regular, more accurate music report will return next week--either with a fixed iPod or a new one (even though I'm not really ready to drop that kind of cash, it has become almost indispensable).

2007-06-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

The American Film Institute has updated their contentious list of the 100 best movies ever. Edward Copeland compares the new list with the original 1998 version.

Free Fonts to Spruce up Your Resume

2007-06-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: It appears that the site with these fonts is not Peter Saville's official site (you can find that here--definitely have a look around). So these fonts probably don't have any connection to Mr. Saville, but they're still neat fonts, even without the connection. And that certainly looks like the font used on Closer.

Peter Saville, a designer famous for his work on record sleeves for Factory Records, is now offering free downloads of the fonts he used for some of his most famous record sleeves.

What would that on your resume say about you? (hat tip to Kottke)

NP: "Going Home" - Luna

The Sad State of U.S. Soccer Uniforms

2007-06-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

Slate has the details (with pictures). Some of these are just abysmal, including the blue pinstripey number the team will be wearing in the Copa America next month.

While I disagree with the article concerning the white kits the U.S. wore in the World Cup last year (I liked them), I've long been an advocate of using a style of uniform similar to the 50s kit that brought the U.S. what may be its greatest triumph to date (2002 notwithstanding)--upsetting England in the World Cup.

A red sash on a white kit works for River Plate, why not the U.S?

NP: "Beware" - Afghan Whigs

Intown Living

2007-06-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

I've never noticed it before, but when I'm outside my loft, I can actually hear the whistles of the traffic cops directing shepherding traffic out of the Turner Field lots.

NP: Baseball Tonight

Weekly Music Report

2007-06-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

During the last week, I listened to the following music the most (ending Sunday):

The National - 7 tracks
Camera Obscura - 6 tracks
Echo & the Bunnymen - 6 tracks
Arcade Fire - 5 tracks
...And You Will Now Us by the Trail of Dead - 5 Tracks
British Sea Power - 4 tracks
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - 4 tracks
Afghan Whigs - 4 tracks
The Futureheads - 4 tracks
4 artists with 3 tracks (Hüsker Dü, Kasabian, Sparklehorse, Stephen Malkmus)

I've had a relatively light listening week as I only listened to 254 unique songs. As always, you can keep up with my current listening habits over at my Last.fm profile.

NP: "Delicious" - The Catherine Wheel

Happy Bloomsday!

2007-06-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

James Joyce's Ulysses, which many consider to be the best novel of the 20th century, took place 103 years ago today.

Yes I said yes I will Yes

.

NP: "Declare Independence" - Bjork

More on the War Against Science

2007-06-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

A recent Gallup poll show that a majority of Republicans in the U.S. do not believe the theory of evolution. This is just more evidence that reason and many of the powers that be in this country are not compatible. It's funny that other theories that are just as established aren't under fire such as gravity and the fact that the earth orbits the sun (oh wait). Wherever science doesn't match a strict world view (whether it is religion-based or greed-based), it's alway seems to be the Republicans fighting reason and science. This anti-intellectualism quite worries me.

NP: "Porcupine" - Echo & the Bunnymen

Not M.I.A.

2007-06-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

Maybe the folks who put together the class of '91 newsletter read this blog. I'm no longer M.I.A. as I received said newsletter today. I do notice that my freshman year roommate is among the missing though.

It must be time for them to start asking about money.

2007-06-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

100 words every high-school graduate should know. I have to admit, there were a couple I didn't know, and there are words that I've never used, even though writing is my trade.

2007-06-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

Graph of public opinion of presidents throughout their terms since 1946. Bill did pretty good.

Apple Moves onto Microsoft's Turf

2007-06-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Safari is now available for Windows. I've long been a proponent of Firefox, but the introduction of Safari for the PC is yet another reason to ditch Internet Explorer. I'll probably install it and give it a go since so many of my Apple loving friends swear by it. Download Safari.

NP: "Fake Empire" - The National

Weekly Music Report

2007-06-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

I listened to a lot a music last week, 599 songs to be exact. Here are the top 10 artists for the last seven days:

Blur - 10 tracks
Game Theory - 10 tracks
Husker Du - 10 tracks
R.E.M. - 10 tracks
Echo & the Bunnymen - 8 tracks
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - 8 tracks
Toenut - 8 tracks
The Charlatans U.K. - 7 tracks
Catherine Wheel - 6 tracks
Neko Case - 6 tracks
The Church - 6 tracks
Death Cab for Cutie - 6 tracks
Explosions in the Sky - 6 tracks
Idlewild - 6 tracks
Iron & Wine - 6 tracks
Lush - 6 tracks
The Pixies - 6 tracks
The Pogues - 6 tracks
Pulp - 6 tracks
Wilco - 6 tracks

To see more realtime information on what I'm listening, visit my Last.fm profile page.

NP: "Natural's Not in It" - Gang of Four

Flannel Enigma

My Year in Cities 2011

My Favorite Albums of 2011

My Year in Cities 2010

My Favorite Albums of 2010

The 50 Albums of the Decade

My Year in Cities 2009

Top 20 Albums of 2009

Do Republicans Think We're Stupid?

Village Voice 2008 Pazz and Jop List Now Online

My Hope on an Historic Day

My Top 20 Albums of 2008

“It’s All Gonna Break”: Broken Social Scene + Land of Talk

David Foster Wallace

101 20-Minute Dishes for Picnics

Yeah, I Did That

Interstate: Notes

Interstate: EpilogueVirginia, I-81: Mile 205

Interstate VII: North Carolina, I-77 South

Interstate VI: Tennessee, I-40 East

Interstate V: Virginia, I-77 South

Interstate IV: Virginia, I-64 West

Interstate III: Florida, I-75 North

Interstate II: South Carolina, I-85 South

Interstate I: Georgia, I-75 North

Interstate: An Apology

How Blogs Die

Dancing 2008

Stately, plump Buck Mulligan...

St. Mary's is on Fire

We're OK

Common People Comic

Falcons Release Warrick Dunn

New Project

Brand Obama

This Is My Career on Drugs...

The Flannel Enigma Endorsemet

So yeah, I'm Back.

Reducing My Carbon Footprint

A Generation X President?

Holy Cow

Looking Back at 2006: My Favorite Albums

2007 Music Review: My Favorite Album

2007 Music Review: Favorite Albums 2 - 4

2007 Music Review: Favorite Albums 5 - 8

My Office

2007 Music Review: Favorite Albums 9 - 13

2007 Music Review: Favorite Albums 14 - 25

2007 Music Review: Honorable Mentions and Disappointments

The NFL Has Lost Me

Hey Look! It's 9/12!

I'm Back

Time Out

Jozy Altidore has a Blog

Weekly Music Report

Premiership Preview and Predictions

Weekly Music Report

Tom Glavine Wins His 300th Game

There Once Was a Man from Garageland

Braves Go Crazy at Trade Deadline

Weekly Music Report

Iraq Wins First Asian Cup

Weekly Music Report

My EPL Fantasy Football Team

Another Trip Around the Rock

Weekly Music Report

Copa America Final

Assessing the State of U.S. Soccer

Weekly Music Report

Samurai Scotch and Other Expressions

Bush Commutes Scooter's Jail Time

Weekly Music Report

Arsenal after Henry

Henry Completes Move to Barcelona

Weekly Music Report

Free Fonts to Spruce up Your Resume

The Sad State of U.S. Soccer Uniforms

Intown Living

Weekly Music Report

Happy Bloomsday!

Interstate: EpilogueVirginia, I-81: Mile 205