O-Qua Tangin Wann

Uhhh... listen here. I am sharing with you this beautiful symbol created by Riley Martin with the help of Tan. I'm sure many of you already know of Riley Martin and his adventures aboard the Biaviian mothership near Saturn. This symbol was recently sent to me via electronic communication by a good friend named Rug. I do not believe Rug has ever had an encounter with the Biaviians himself, although I fear he may be a Targzissian, as he is clearly a malevolent reptilian. I fear that Rug's tendencies toward fishing may indicate some unconscious desire to find and destroy Nyptonians. Nonetheless, I would encourage you to listen to Riley's radio program on Howard 100 and Howard 101... and things of this nature.

Not About Love

Also be sure to check out the same comedian, Zach Galifianakis, doing his best Kanye impression: http://www.kanyewest.com/?content=video_cant_tell_alt

Come Waste Your Time With Me

If you do not have time to waste, then do not click on this link. Gravity Pods will destroy your productivity in all other aspects of life. I, unfortunately, made this mistake because I did not receive a similar warning. Who knew physics could be so addictive? Sorry this post is so short, but I gotta go play Gravity Pods.

Beastie Boys - Shake Your Rump

Best...Party Song...Ever.

Playboy's Drink of the Summer

An interesting feature appeared in the July issue of Playboy magazine entitled "A Century on Ice". What a great concept: 100 years of summer drinks. They are separated by decade with some history and a recipe for each concoction. Since I know many of you out there are boozehounds like me (and many of you are not fortunate enough to have your wife buy you a subscription to this fine publication), I have included each recipe. Drink up the sun:

1907-1916: Mamie Taylor - Squeeze half a lime into a tall glass three quarters full of ice, drop in the lime shell, add two ounces of blended scotch and top off with chilled ginger ale. Stir briefly. Feel free to sing.

1917-1926: French 75 - Squeeze half a lemon into a cocktail shaker, add a teaspoon of superfine sugar, stir briefly and add one and a half ounces of gin. Shake well with plenty of ice, strain into a tall glass three quarters full of cracked ice and top off with chilled champagne.

1927-1936: Tequila Sunrise - Fill a tall glass three quarters of the way with ice, squeeze half a lime into it, add two bar spoons of grenadine, one bar spoon of creme de cassis and two ounces of white 100% agave tequila. Top off with club soda.

1937-1946: Singapore Sling - Fill a tall glass three quarters of the way with ice, squeeze half a lime into it, add two ounces of gin, half an ouce of Benedictine and half an ounce of Cherry Heering. Top it off with chilled club soda, stir briefly and garnish with a marashino cherry.

1947-1956: Salty Dog - Rub a piece of lemon around the rim of a tall glass and dip it in kosher salt. Fill the glass three quarters of the way with ice, add two ounces of vodka and top it off with grapefruit juice (the yellow, sweeter kind, not the pink stuff).

1957-1966: Mai Tai - Squeeze a lime into a cocktail shaker and add one ounce of dark Jamaican rum, one ounce of aged rum from Martinique, half an ounce of orange curacao and half an ounce of orgeat (almond) syrup. Fill the shaker with cracked ice, shake well and pour into a large rocks glass. Add one of the squeezed-out lime halves and a sprig of mint.

1967-1976: Harvey Wallbanger - Fill a tall glass three quarters of the way with ice, adding one and a half ounces of vodka and four ounces of chilled orange juice. Stir, then float one ounce of Galliano on top.

1977-1986: Miller Lite - Open can (or, if feeling sophisticated, bottle). Drink.

1987-1996: Vodka Tonic - Fill a tall glass three quarters of the way with ice, add two ounces of vodka, fill with chilled tonic water and perch a lime wedge on the rim of the glass. Have fun at Betty Ford.

1997-2006: Mojito - Put one teaspoon of superfine sugar in the bottom of a tall glass. Add six to eight mint leaves, muddle lightly, squeeze in the juice of half a lime, add two ounces of white rum and stir. Add ice and top off with chilled club soda and a straw.

2007: Paloma - Squeeze half a lime into a tall glass full of ice and drop in the squeezed-out shell. Add two ounces of reposado tequila and a pinch of kosher salt. Fill with grapefruit soda, stir and add a straw. Ahhhh....

The Zen of Exercise

For less than $40, you can't beat the Zen Stone made by Creative. I'ts a 1 Gig mp3 player for half the price of the Ipod Shuffle. The software is incredible, allowing for easy drag & drop of folders or albums. It weighs next to nothing and is easy to carry while jogging or exercising. The only negative is the earphones. I found the sound quality to be inferior and far less comfortable than the Ipod earphones. But they are easily interchangable, so no big deal. I have stored 6 albums on my Zen Stone, and it's only about half full. If this is all it takes to make me get out of the computer chair and run around the neighborhood, then I'm sold.

The List on Left of Center

Every Sunday morning at 11am, Sirius channel 26 Left of Center counts down the top 10 albums of the week. The countdown is based on listener call-in votes. Just minutes ago, this week's winner was announced to be Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. One of my favorite aspects of The List is that you get not one but two tracks from each of the albums. So, in this case, we got to hear both "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" and "The Underdog". If you don't have Sirius, go directly to your local electronics store and do not leave until you do. You could order online, but that would take too long. Go get it now. If you do have Sirius, then turn on channel 26 and throw away your remote.

Man's Best Friend

Is it wrong for me to get so much amusement from dogs dressed up in funny outfits? If so, then I don't want to be right. Just try to tell me that this little fella on the left isn't the funniest thing you've seen all day. Then stop on over to Dogs in Duds where you will find countless pictures of canines just like this one. From there you can follow the link to the blogger's myspace page. It turns out he is also a fan of Sirius radio's channel 26, Left of Center. What a small world we live in!

The Bees - Who Cares What The Question Is?

The Bees(UK)-also known as Band of Bees on this side of the pond- are not to be confused with The Bees(US). I just can't get enough of these dudes.

The Bees - Listening Man

This is one of the greatest music videos ever made.

Forties

Rolling Stone has published its list of the 40 Essential Albums of 1967. The quantity and quality of albums that were released during those 365 days is mind-blowing. Think about it: two from the Doors, two from the Stones, two from the Beatles, two from Jimi, two from the Beach Boys, the Dead, Cream, Big Brother, Floyd, Van Morrison, Buffalo Springfield, Dylan, etc. So here we are 40 years later, and much of the music from that fateful year is still as relevant today. What will people say about 2007 in 40 years? I know Gus, they will say "that's the year The National released Boxer". And Gus will tell his kids the story of how some blonde bombshell sold him a ticket at face value outside the 9:30 Club that June evening...

Memories of my Y2K

The greatest concert ever? That would not be an exaggeration. We were somewhere beneath all those brightly colored balloons. Remember the hysteria that went along with the beginning of the new millenium? For the 100,000 of us on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation that night, the world could have ended and we wouldn't have noticed or cared. Take the ten minutes to watch this video even if you're not a Phish fan. Talk about total sensory overload...

Penn State Football 2007

2007 Penn State Football Schedule
Sat., Sept. 1 Florida International TBA Home
Sat., Sept. 8 Notre Dame 6:00 p.m. Home (ESPN)
Sat., Sept. 15 Buffalo TBA Home
Sat., Sept. 22 Michigan TBA Away
Sat., Sept. 29 Illinois TBA Away
Sat., Oct. 6 Iowa TBA Home
Sat., Oct. 13
Homecoming 2007 Wisconsin 3:30 p.m. Home (ABC)
Sat., Oct. 20 Indiana TBA Away
Sat., Oct. 27 Ohio State 8:00 p.m. Home (ABC, ESPN
or ESPN2)
Sat., Nov. 3 Purdue TBA Home
Sat., Nov. 10 Temple TBA Away
Sat., Nov. 17 Michigan St. TBA Away

Pants N'at

Good clothes at good prices. Buy any pair of polyesters and get the second pair for free.

The Underdog

Great song from an even better album. Spoon is secheduled to play the Electric Factory on October 19 in Philly. Be there or be square! All the kids are doing it.

You Can't Be Cereal

It has very recently come to my attention that one of my favorite websites of all time, HCwDB, has been identified as a "Net Offender". Due to violations of the Internet Acceptable Use Policy, it is now considered to be strongly offensive and not suitable for anyone. The most convenient part of this whole debacle is the searchable database on Net Authority's website that can be used to find other enjoyable (yet unsuitable) content.

Tastings Gone Wild

Check out this article in the New York Times about the new "problem" wineries are facing these days. Is anyone surprised by this? I can't believe this hasn't happened sooner. Actually, I'm pretty sure it did, but nobody cared enough to write an article about it. Well, pack the van - let's head back to wine country.

Daft Punk is Playing at My House

Those of you who don't believe this is at my house are just jealous because you can't come. I hate you guys. Robot Rock is kewl.

A Sad Day for the Moai

On Saturday, the New 7 Wonders of the World were announced during a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal. Unfortunately for the Moai of Easter Island, they did not make the final cut. This, once again, proves my theory that you can't have a top seven list. It's not that I don't agree with the chosen seven, but what about The Acropolis? What about Stonehenge? Let's just make it another Top Ten list, and everyone is happy. Especially me, and the Moai.

I Don't Know Butchie Instead

There are some things I know and some things I don't know. I don't know who John is, or why he is in Imperial Beach. I don't know how Mitch levitates. I don't know why Zippy is alive, or how Zippy brought Shaun back to life. But I do know that I am looking forward to another episode of John From Cincinnatti. I got my eye on you.

Top Ten

You can't write a top seven list. I tried, and therein lies the proof. It's supposed to be a top ten list. The whole 7/7/07 thing had me all messed up. Not only did I forget Amy Winehouse, I forgot about DJ Dangermouse's newest project. So here is the real list of the ten best albums of 2007 so far:

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
Clutch - From Beale Street to Oblivion
The Good, The Bad, and The Queen
Lifesavas - Gutterfly
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
The White Stripes - Icky Thump
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

You Know I'm No Good

It's true. I accidentally left Amy off my top seven list for 2007. I assure you it was just an oversight, but that doesn't make it okay. Amy, I want to make it up to you. Stop over and I'll mix you a drink. Amy's sound is like a 60's girl group singing in a speakeasy. It's what I was looking for in Joss Stone, but never found. Very bold and different from the rest of this decade's scene. And hot.

Lucky Number Seven

So here they are: the seven best albums of 2007, seven months into the year. Alphabetized for your reading pleasure.

Bright Eyes - Cassadaga

Clutch - From Beale Street to Oblivion

Lifesavas - Gutterfly

Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

The White Stripes - Icky Thump

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

Just wait until Gus finds out I omitted his precious Boxer by The National. I hope he doesn't have internet access in Greece. Overall, I was kind of disappointed by the Arctic Monkeys new album, even though they are still one of my favorite bands. If seven isn't enough for you, check out The Nightwatchman, Maximo Park, Panda Bear, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, The Apples in Stereo, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bloc Party, Dinosaur Jr., Fountains of Wayne, and Kaiser Chiefs. And check out The National if you get a chance.

Lets Build a Home

Jack White is a rock star. Anyone who can bowl during a gig is okay by me. This recent series of surprise performances for our neighbors to the north adds even more credibility to a band who is already near the top of my list. This video is not from years ago, it is from Sunday, July 1, 2007. Yes, this is after releasing the most awaited album of the summer (the year maybe?). What a way to give back to the fans! I've got to get tickets to see this live on stage, since I probably won't be lucky enough to be sitting on some random bus when they decide to break into "Hotel Yorba".

The Dude Abides

Throughout the course of history, there have been many great dudes. In their own way, they have each reminded us of Lao Tzu's ancient teachings: "He who gently yeilds is the disciple of life." Instead of arguing and becoming offended or maybe even going to war over opposing philosophies, The Dude simply states, "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man." Whether you call it Taoism or Dudeism, I hope you are able to find The Way to your own inner peace and become like flowing water.

Soul Coughing

There's a time and a place for everything. It's called college. At some point during that period of very late nights, my friends and I became huge fans of this peculiar band. Now to this day, any time I hear Soul Coughing, I can almost smell stale beer and smoke from a semester's worth of parties.

A Case of Mistaken Identity?

Don't get me wrong, peacocks kind of piss me off. The way they strut around acting like they own the place. "Ooh, look at me. I'm iridescent!" However, I don't believe I've ever mistaken one for a bloodsucking creature of the night. And even if I did, I probably wouldn't just run over and beat up on the thing. I generally don't come across peacocks (or vampires) in my normal day-to-day routine. My advice to either one of these creatures would definitely be to stay away from the fast food. As for the attacker, I think we may have some aggression issues. Somebody should probably find this person rather quickly. If in fact there is a correlation between peacocks and Nosferatu, this may finally answer some questions humans have struggled with for centuries. Staten Island may have been saved from great danger that day in the Burger King parking lot...

Flight of the Conchords- Business Time

My new favorite television show is HBO's Flight of the Conchords. I can watch each episode over and over again. HBO On Demand also has this live stand-up comedy routine from a few years ago. "You know when I'm down to just my socks it's time for business. That's why they're called business socks." Why does my wife find this song so amusing? Should that bother me?

Thank you, Come again

Does art imitate life or does life imitate art? In yet another grand marketing scheme, we now officially have Kwik E Marts in this great country of ours! For those of you interested in making a pilgrimage to all 11 this summer, here is a list of each location with travel directions. Will the Simpsons movie live up to the highest of expectations? I can't wait to find out. Until then, let's just bask in television's warm, glowing, warming glow.

Who Moved My Cheese?

Prince has always been an artist who is not afraid to push the envelope. Whether you are a fan of his music or not, you have got to admit his talent and artistic ability is amazing. By giving his new album away for free weeks before its release date, he has taken profits away from music retailers. Instead of complaining and badmouthing Prince, they need to read the book "Who Moved My Cheese". Stop whining and find new cheese. No cheese lasts forever. And the retailers are mad because they supported him throughout the years? By support, do they mean made millions of dollars because of him? I think he was the one supporting them all along. The real story is that Prince is his birth name! And Stephen Miron is a great businessman. Maybe the music industry needs to find and hire people like him... There's still a great deal of value in recorded music, the profits are just not going to the same people.

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part 1

Do You Realize??

Maybe you do, but I wasn't sure until recently. The Flaming Lips are incredible geniuses. I was lucky enough to DVR an episode of Austin City Limits about a month ago because the Shins were scheduled to perform. It turned out the first half of the episode was Wayne Coyne and his band. As soon as I saw a live performance of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1, I was converted.It's one of those things where I think I was always a fan, I just didn't know it yet.

I have since had the opportunity to experience some of their music and videos from the last two decades. Was I living in an underground cave? Was this some kind of secret plot that everyone else in the world conspired to make sure I didn't get to appreciate The Flaming Lips. Well, ha ha, but your efforts have since failed. Now I know the truth.

Don't you know how to fish?

Although I may be the worst fisherman in the world, my friends are just as bad. Each year when we head out into the great outdoors, it's never surprising if someone forgets the bait, or the motor, or their fishing rod.
But nothing tops Bill Dance.
I don't know who he is or if he's for real, but I would definitely enjoy a fishing trip with him. Bill Dance clearly knows how to fish.

http://www.break.com/index/billdance.html
http://www.break.com/index/more_bill_dance_fishing_outtakes.html

Since I don't have anything else to do...

I must need a blog. This should take up hours of time so I don't go outside or actually interact with any other humans. But I guess all the kids are doing it, so here we go.