Archive for January, 2009

Modest Mouse will be at the Uptown in KC on March 2. Just announced. alupa: MM willll also be at an excellent venue in Austin if you’re in need of a road trip. And they’ll be in Albequerque, beth.

jb: Jessica Lea Mayfield will be at The Record Bar in KC that same night. It, too, is a great venue. Super intimate. Get there early. Also, dude, do you know the Canadian band Deep Dark Woods? Check out their MySpace, and if you like it, I’ll send you a mp3 or 2.

I’m also interested in this conglomeration of bands: Les Claypool, DeVotchKa, Saul Williams, and Secret Chiefs 3 at the Beaumont March 16. The bill is titled: “The Oddity Faire: A Mutated Mini Fest.” Odd indeed, but potentially mind blowing.

bstop: Umphrey’s McGee at Liberty Hall on March 26.

Has anyone tried this on their PC yet? What are your thoughts?

Several years ago (pre-Iraq war), I discovered Salon.com and started reading everything they had ever printed. Most significantly, I started reading about current events, something I hadn’t done previously. After about two years, though, I couldn’t read current events stories anymore. It was too depressing. It made me too angry. I couldn’t read another story about Bush’s policies or about how he couldn’t even read the teleprompter or use real English words in sentences. About all I could do was watch The Daily Show.

But I know some of you soldiered on. You kept reading the articles – from Salon and the NYT and lots of other media sources. So, now that Obama has already begun unraveling some of Bush’s heinous webs, I’m wondering how it feels to be reading the news these days. I find that I look forward to the news articles and even caught myself watching the news on ABC last night.

Is it terrible of me that when things were really bad, I couldn’t stomach it, but now that the news is reporting the actions of a president I agree with, I’m interested and connected to current events again?

I hate that people are serving lengthy prison sentences for petty, drug-related crimes. Yet they are. In some cases, such as a person being caught with magic mushrooms, they are serving longer sentences than people who commit murder. But now they may get a reprieve. Governors and state legislatures are considering releasing and de-paroling (?) thousands of inmates convicted of non-violent drug-related crimes due to state budget woes.

This really says something about our society. To me, it speaks of our misguided morality. Our morals are only as strong as our fiduciary means. If we can’t house “criminals” in times of budget constraints, then we really need to think about if we should be housing them at all. I can only hope that this act, if it happens, makes people really think about we are treating our non-violent “criminals.”

What’s new in your media consumption world? Movies, music, books, green living, bad TV shows?

The Coop needs some dialogue, so let ‘er fly. Snarky comments, fleeting obsessions, trivial drivel, and random movie quotes also welcome. Whooooo’s comin’ with me?

My contributions:

You can stream and/or download a new song from Dan Auerbach’s new solo stuff (he’s the guitarist/vocalist for The Black Keys).

Has anyone tried Encore Cafe at 10th and Mass? It looks amazing.

I’m soon ordering this surge protector that shuts off designated auxillary electronics when you power down a designated master electronic (say, your TV or your reciever). Be done with thee, vampire electricity suckers! This means you, Wii!