old enough to know better

As a public service to the my-blog-reading community, let me tell you: For those of you who aren't yet 28 years old, in case you thought that when you turn 28 you're old enough not to get hungover anymore? Yeah, you're way off about that one. Trust me. Waaaaaay off.

Anyway, this post is really about Justin Timberlake. I don't know how many candles are on J-Tim's cake, but certainly he's....ok, wait, I just looked it up. Hey, he's got the same birthday as my mom! Internet, you rule. Ok, so Justin is 26. But in the song "Sexyback" from his new album, he commands the listener to "Get yo sexy on." I have other problems with this song. Like, for one, did sexy ever really go out of style, such that Justin has to bring it back? And can't we pick someone without a giant freakish head to do so? It's possible that the song eminates from some near-future sexyless dystopia (I blame John Ashcroft), where Justin triumphantly leads the people back to a sexyful existence. I mean, it's possible; I don't know, I haven't seen the video. But if that's indeed the case, it would also go a long way towards explaining why he saw fit to include the phrase "Get yo sexy on" in the song. Because nobody in the present time says things like "Get yo _____ on" anymore. I guess that's what they mean by "retro-future." And anyway, "sexy" is an adjective, which makes it sound really strange in context. Can I get on with other adjectives? Can I get my punctual on? Can I get my hungover on? Or is it "hangedover"? I'll admit, and this may be a function of my embarassingly advanced age, but I'll admit that when he says "Get yo sexy on," I have no idea what to do. Do I strike some sort of pose? Dance? Do I take my pants off? What if I'm driving?

I expect some answers out of you, so get yo responsive on, Timberlake. You have to do what I tell you, because I'm older than you.

the film actors guild

They hit all the predictable checkpoints: Bono, Clooney, Sean Penn, Steve Earle. More predictably, they come down in favor of Hollywood hippie activism. Noticably absent, though, is their take on the political prostheletizing of folks like Toby Keith. Is it really fair to only look at half of the message? If Angelina Jolie started agitating in favor of bombing Iran, or made a movie about a death row inmate who actually deserved to die, I have to imagine this article comes out very, very differently.

Ok, but, "blah, blah, liberal media, blah, blah...", right? Well, when you keep seeing one-sided dreck like this... It's not a conspiracy, it's a culture. And it's a culture that has to change. Although, yesterday I saw something in the NYT that I've never seen before: the term "left-wing." It was applied to Chomsky, which, if anyone ever deserved it... But still, baby steps, I guess.

the only radio worth hearing

NEW SHIT IN THE BLOG RADIO

• Cocteau Twins- Tranquil Eye. I've been obsessed with this band for a while now. I think it started when I picked up The Hope Blister's "...Smile's OK" album, which lead me to kind of rediscover This Mortal Coil's "Blood" album. Yes, yes, they're basically the same thing, but in reading up on them, they kept mentioning Cocteau Twins as being the real inspiration for the "4AD sound." I had heard "Heaven or Las Vegas" in college, and didn't think much of it at the time. But in the intervening years, I came to appreciate more etheral, less structured pop music, and going through an enormous Slowdive phase didn't hurt either. So, anyway, I picked up the box set, and just keep being amazed at the quality of songs throughout the 4 discs. Lyrically, yeah, I've really got no idea. But it doesn't really seem like anyone else does, either.
  

• M. Ward- Magic Trick. M. Ward is awesome. You should own his last three albums at a minimum. It was tough to pick one song from the new one to put up, but this one won out in the end for it's sudden jauntiness and the faux-live background cheers. Clever lyrics, too. And that's it!
  

• Golden Smog- Listen Joe. Golden Smog is a supergroup made up of some dudes from the Jayhawks, Wilco, Big Star, and some other bands. I think Jeff Tweedy sings backup on this one. I really dig the acoustic guitar solo outro. I'm not really sure what it's about, but the chorus goes "Surprise, surprise, everyone dies." Which, that's hilarious, because it's like he just ruined the ending of "Life: The Movie" for us. Dick.

• Jens Lenkman- Black Cab. I've been geeking out over this guy's cd for months now. He's like Sweedish or something, and he writes fantastic songs, with some funniness in the lyrics for those of us who sometimes remember to pay attention to lyrics. The beginning of this song reminds me of this one song by The Left Banke ("I Haven't Got the Nerve") on account of it's harpsichorditude. So, basically, the song is about how he's moody and that kills the party. ROCK.

Zune hotness

So, I'm pretty much a huge iPod fanboy, but I've been reading about Microsoft's new Zune player, and I gotta say... it sounds kinda hot. Stereogum and this other blog have reviews of it. It doesn't seem to be a typical Microsoft product in that a.) it's not completely hideous looking, b.) it doesn't just rip off an Apple idea, but actually adds to it, and c.) has colors. Plus, it runs music in my favorite format (MP4/AAC [non-DRM, snatch]), which, I don't know of another player besides the iPod that does that. Plus, this thing apparently has wi-fi. Oh, and a huge screen. John Adams' Zune? Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, though.

Borat creates international incident

I'm pretty lukewarm on Ali G, but Borat, the other main character on the show, is fantastic. There is a Borat movie coming out in the US in November, called "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." The trailer is hilarious. But apparently, the Kazakhstan government does not take kindly to the fictional character's portrayl of life in their country. Borat responds:

"Baron Cohen responded to Ashykbayev in character by posting a video on the Official Borat website.

In the video, Borat said, "In response to Mr. Ashykbayev's comments, I'd like to state I have no connection with Mr. Cohen and fully support my Government's decision to sue this Jew.

"Since the 2003 Tuleyakiv reforms, Kazakhstan is as civilized as any other country in the world.

"Women can now travel on inside of bus, homosexuals no longer have to wear blue hats, and age of consent has been raised to eight years old."

Read the whole article, though, because the way Sascha Baron Cohen is handling this is just perfect. President Bush is so concerned that he's hosting a Borat summit to smooth things over with the Kazakhs. Even though the guy playing Borat is British. Hey, nobody here claims Bush is the brightest crayon in the box.

nope, cos he's not a neo-con

No one is interested in the case of the "outed spook" and her "outer" any longer. And that is because we now know who exposed the lady to Robert Novak, and he isn't and never was part of the Cheney White House. He was part of the anti-Cheney State Department, liberal heroes, sort of. That man is Richard Armitage, latterly deputy secretary of state and multi-lateralist par excellence. He has now expressed his soulful contrition for the leak. One thing everybody in Washington knows about Armitage is that he doesn't take another kind of a leak without asking Colin Powell first. So there is now added to this weird case the question of what were Armitage's--and Powell's--motives in this exposure. And they should also be asking about Lawrence B. Wilkerson, Powell's chief of staff at State, and his possible role in this affair. None of these men were especially taken with the Bush administration's war in Iraq. So they are, so to speak, off the hook with the anti-war folk with regard to the leak. The fact is that neither Armitage nor his associates ever told the president who was responsible for the leak. If I were George W. Bush, I'd be ripshit. And, since Armitage two weeks ago unambiguously admitted to being the culprit, should he not now face charges?*

I was in Athens, GA over the weekend, visiting some old friends and the UGA law school (photos hopefully to follow). We crashed some art gallery opening at one point, which appeared to be titled "America On the Brink." On the brink of what, I'm not sure, because the most prominent installation (art isn't hung anymore, apparently, it's installed, like a stereo) was a mound of dirt dotted with lillies, flags, tvs looping clips of Bush administration officials on Fox News (which, oooooh! scary!), and headstone declaring the death of America (on Jan. 20, 2005, snatch). Anyhooters, there was a "painting" on the wall (and I use that word quite loosely, since in form and technique it was, even to my criminally untrained eyes, wholly childish) that looked more like an Abercrombie vintage t-shirt. It had Karl Rove's head on a Pez dispenser, and read "SEZ," with some pithy tag line about leaking classified information. When I saw it, I inadvertently laughed out loud, and when some silk-shirted d-bag turned to glare at me for breaking gallery protocol of not openly mocking featured artwork, I pointed at the painting and said, "Whoops." Not that art has to be factually correct or anything. Just, I mean, jeez guys, pay attention at least.

the straight talk express

"Think about it again: it is a crime, punishable under the law, to air an advertisement that criticizes a member of Congress during election season."

Bu$h and Ashkkkroft are totally crushing my dissent. This is totally all about Hallibur.... wait, what? Really? Him?

Matt, at noon, every day

Shit yeah

Hang on, I've had this dream.

disgraceful

Nevertheless, it now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame's CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously. *

People like those in the press? Yeah, gee whiz, it's almost like they have an agenda or something...