First In Flight

Flight Control is the first and only game I have paid for on the iPhone. It's by far the best game I've played on the iPhone too. I can already envision cool updates and improvements like having different runways for different levels, turn radii for the various planes, weather disturbances and even different altitudes for the planes. I think the guys at Firemint should pay me for these ideas (and for promoting their product. It's only $0.99 right now, so cop that!!!).

Borderline Schizo

Mos Def talks about (MF) DOOM.

Incredible Like Ichiro

I'm a couple days late and it looks like I missed out on a good game. Blown saves are never a good thing but Ichiro is the man.

Long Way To Go

This shot is amazing but let's face it, Lebron got lucky. Obviously being one of the top two or three basketball players in the world helps a bit but nine out of ten times, he'd probably miss. That's not to take anything away from the guy... I'm just saying that to make a one-off, prayer of a shot during a TV interview it takes luck so the Internet might could calm down.

P.S. Steve Kroft kind of looks like this guy.

I Guess We'll Just Have To Adjust!

So excited for this movie.

UPDATE: Apparently this trailer premiered on Ellen's show? Holy crap, first Kanye, now Where The Wild Things Are. Ellen is getting all the exclusives.

Arguably The Greatest Of All Time

Amazon's music blog has been doing these Top 100 lists this year. So far they've done four: 100 Greatest Debut Albums, 100 Greatest Romantic Albums, 100 Greatest Singer-Songwriter Albums and 100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums of All Time. I haven't poured over them all just yet but I'm sure as with any so-called "definitive" album list, there will be no shortage of debate over the rankings, inclusions and exclusions. Without delving too deeply, here are a few quick thoughts:

- How can Elliott Smith's Either/Or rank significantly above both Liz Phair's Exile In Guyville and Neutral Milk Hotel's In An Aeroplane Over The Sea on the Singer-Songwriter list but on the Indie Rock list it gets edged out by those two albums? It doesn't make much sense. I can understand how The Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs might be less romantic than the Postal Service's Give Up, despite 69 being a better Indie Rock (or overall) album because great albums aren't always romantic. But I don't get the disparity between the Singer-Songwriter category and Indie Rock category. Do you see what I'm getting at?

- My quick scan didn't pick up on any albums that were featured on all four lists. A few albums and/or artists were featured on three lists though. Postal Service, Liz Phair, um, maybe that's it.

- Several albums on the Romantic list have multiple songs that aren't very romantic. Are those albums really among the 100 Greatest? When trying to set the mood I don't think Usher's "Yeah!" or "Throwback" would be a good choice. Am I alone here?

- The Debut list has a decent number of hip hop albums, which is nice. The funny thing is that for all the declarations of Notorious B.I.G. as the greatest rapper of all time, and one who has only two proper albums to his name, Ready To Die sits beneath Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, Kanye's College Dropout, and Eric B. & Rakim's Paid In Full.

- Speaking of Kanye, the writers/editors took a nice little jab at 808's & Heartbreak by claiming it was eligible for the Singer-Songwriter category had it been a better album.

All in all, whatever. I love lists and music and these are semi-interesting, conversation-worthy pieces. I'm just glad Tha Carter III didn't sneak it's way into all four lists somehow.

HAA!!!

Okay, this video is kind of mean but in defense of whoever made it, the Ying Yang Twins are essentially cartoons. Sure, those guys are somewhat difficult to understand but at the same time, do we need funny subtitles to make this any funnier than it already is? I think no. I remember seeing this Cribs episode back when it aired. At first, I thought it was weird and hilarious. After the show was finished, I had the unexpected urge to walk around saying, "haa!!! and "ahh!!!" all the time. With or without the subtitles, just watch, laugh, and generally be confused. HAAA!!!

1nce Again

And another post of my favorite songs at the moment:

Beirut - My Night With A Prostitute From Marseille


The-Dream - Rockin' That Thang Remix (feat. Fabolous, Juelz Santana, Rick Ross & Ludacris)


Neko Case - People Got A Lotta Nerve

Sound Off

Here are the highlights and analysis from last night's MLS season opening game. I don't normally watch MLS games but it seems that every year, people are trying to hype the league (rightly so) and entice fans. I've been reading most of the league previews over the past week or so and it seems like this is a big year for the MLS even with Beckham on a year-round timeshare. Some interesting things about Seattle in particular (I think):

- The expansion team, Seattle Sounders, without their designated player (ex-Gunner/
Swedish superstar/male model Freddie Ljundburg) beat last year's MLS Cup runner-up on opening day. Yes, it's only one game, it's still Week 1 and anything can happen in soccer, but a 3-0 victory is saying something. With a proven winner and last season's coach of the year, Sigi Schmid at the helm, this team could be going places.

- The Sounders are co-owned by Drew Carey. I remember seeing him in interviews and on ESPN a while ago, talking about how he was drawn to soccer and about the MLS' popularity. It doesn't surprise me that he grew interested enough to purchase a team. What is a bit surprising is that he has big plans for the club. Well, it's not surprising that he has "big plans" part but the actual plans are ambitious. He wants to run the team based on how some top flight European clubs are run, with Presidential elections and more fan input on how the club is managed. I think this is a good thing. It may be new and different for Americans, myself included, but the sooner the MLS embraces certain aspects of European football, the sooner the MLS will become a more respected league. That will lead to an increase in the level of play, and high profile players might come to the league while they still have plenty of gas left in the tank. Speaking of which...

- I admit, it is a little exciting that 21 year-old Fredy Montero is in the MLS. Sure, he is only in Seattle on loan but this marks one of, if not the first time that a young, foreign player has chosen to come to the MLS in his prime. (Just take a look, most of the foreign-born MLS stars are in their 30s and while they can dominate this league, they aren't in their primes anymore). Montero supposedly had interest from bigger clubs in La Liga but he ended up on The Sounders, which is a definitely a good thing. Last year, he co-led the Colombian league in goals and judging from last night's performance and his 9 goals in pre-season, I don't think he's letting up.

- The MLS seems to be taking a very smart approach to league expansion. Already, I would say The Sounders are a success. There is clearly a market for soccer in Seattle and after losing the Sonics, there is definitely a hole in Seattle sports that The Sounders can attempt to patch up. They have already sold more season tickets than most MLS teams average in total attendance. On top of that, the league is "starting" traditions for the club and for the league itself with the Heritage Cup (which celebrates the NASL) and future rivalries with Vancouver (co-owned by Steve Nash!) and possibly Portland.

Ah, so there's that. It's all mildly exciting, something worth noting. The MLS is growing and it's gotten to the point where I care to watch and read about it every so often. This could very well be due to my renewed and growing love for soccer but it's also a testament to how much the league has developed over the years. There is still no way I will support the MLS in the same manner as I follow the EPL, La Liga and more recently Serie A, but staying in tune peripherally is better than nothing.

In Your Face, Just For Kicks

Follow me on Twitter.

Duel Of The Iron Mic

I kind of want to see this, even though there's a real possibility that it might make me crazy.

Finally!

Dip Dip Dive

This is one of the main reasons Americans think soccer players aren't tough and why they think the sport is ridiculous. At least Pedersen didn't get the call but he should have been booked and more importantly, he should be ashamed of himself.

A few more quick points:

- Diving, running into slide tackles, creating contact and then falling down, rolling around in agony only to pop right up if the whistle doesn't blow, these things happen often. I understand that they are just part of the game but these theatrics are a big problem that FIFA hasn't properly addressed. Sure, they have called for harsher consequences to these actions but really, it hasn't helped. In my mind, a possible solution is video replay/review.

The discussion of adding instant replay comes up every once and a while with all the usual pros (correcting poor goal/no goal decisions) and cons (disrupting the flow of the game). Maybe instant replay isn't right for soccer but I think diving is a perfect way to get video replay implemented. For starters, it'd be best to avoid NFL-style coaching challenges and any other stoppages of play during the game for obvious reasons. Video replay should be used at half-times and after games to allow officials (the match referees or better yet, separate officials) to specifically review for unsportsmanlike conduct. Based on the reviews, bookings (and fines?) could be doled out and/or rescinded. Sure, this brings up a whole host of other issues but something like this could be a good first step in cleaning up the game. And as a secondary benefit, it could help hold refs accountable for their performances as well.

(I should note that I'm not sure if they already have something like this in place or not. I don't think they do because I've never read or heard anything about players being suspended or fined for any blatant dive that wasn't dealt with during the game.)

- It's funny how players don't want refs to ruin matches by making too many calls but at the same time, many of them blatantly try to put the refs in position to call fouls that could significantly alter the course of a game. The best referees are the ones that fans, players and coaches don't even notice, so why do players constantly put refs on center stage?

- When it comes down to it, the diving issue is only an issue because at times, it has gotten out of hand. I mean, every single sport has problems with athletes bending the rules and when it gets to a certain point, they should be dealt with accordingly. The NBA has flopping. The NFL has holding. MLB has corked bats and pine tar. Soccer has diving. Problems like these are never, ever, ever going to go away. That's not to say that they should be accepted but it'd be stupid to think that once addressed the sports will have perfect, clean competition. If it's not one thing, it's another. I just think that FIFA should try a little harder to make these diving problems just a little bit better now, and worry about the next thing when it comes.

I Wonder...

This is part of some viral marketing campaign for Valencia and Unibet. When they show Españeta, he's knocking the ball into the goal post similar to the Joga Bonito ad where Ronaldinho also used the goal to pass it to himself. I'm not saying they blatantly stole the idea but they kind of did.

There's something really cute about the tiny Japanese woman from Tokyo Sport speaking Spanish to Joaquin. Before being interrupted, she asks him about food and about playing football in Japan. He says how he likes paella and gazpacho over sushi, and that it's possible that he could play football in Japan in the future. I think.

This reminded me of when I helped a Mexican lady buy the right train tickets in Tokyo during my Japan trip. My Spanish is pretty terrible and my Japanese is even worse, but somehow I got her to Kobe or where ever she was going. At least I hope...

Shenanigans

The conclusion?

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Intro - Brawl Street: Get Ready to Buy Low! And Sell Die

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 1

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 2

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 3

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

So there's that. It went down just about how I thought it would go down. As I've said before, Jon Stewart is clearly funny and intelligent, and he can talk off the cuff with the best of them. Obviously, he was up to the task of taking on Cramer. It being his show, he was able to dominate the discussion with his arguments and have video clips at his disposal. In addition to the stuff he had prepared, he was passionate and honest without being too condescending.

I thought Cramer came off pretty well too, considering he went on The Daily Show knowing he might get straight lectured for an entire interview. It's not surprising but he was a different character than the guy who made the talk show rounds saying Stewart was "a comedian". He might have been lying through his teeth but at least he seemed understanding and wasn't overly defensive. He didn't hurt himself anyway. And he did have a good point that he simply tries to be entertaining while giving out boring stock tips. My response would be that "boing" noises, rubber toys and yelling aren't entertainment but I'm probably not his target audience. Aside from that, the stupid antics aren't what Stewart took issue with, as he pointed out.

It's pretty amazing how The Daily Show and Jon Stewart have created such a following over the years (something that Cramer obviously realized) and it'll be interesting to see if this has the same impact as his ranting on Crossfire. Some people want Stewart to raise these issues in a different way, one that tones down the jokes but I disagree. He does what he does in a manner that gets a younger audience (albeit a primarily liberal-leaning one) interested in issues that they might normally ignore. He's not hiding behind comedy, so much as using comedy to bring these issues to our attention. I say, let him tell his jokes and make his faces if every-so-often we get discussions like this one. We'll see if it actually gets CNBC and Cramer to think a little bit differently and change their ways, but it was informative and entertaining at the very least.

When's It Comin' Out?

Look at ultra-stylish Kanye doing his best Denim Dan impression and listen to Aziz Ansari be hilarious. If paparazzi followed one of my friends around all the time, you know I'd be yelling out the most random things when the cameras were rolling. I wouldn't even need to be promoting something. I'd just holler out things like I was playing Catchphrase or something. It'd get old but I'd have some fun with it, I think. Anyway, I'm kind of looking forward to Ansari's new show with Amy Poehler and I'm glad it's not a spin-off of The Office.

Follow Me!

This video is about Twitter and it's kind of interesting in an entirely pointless way, like Twitter. As this experiment unfolds, it'll be difficult to assess whether or not that guy's "popularity" can be attributed to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's huuuge audience or the massive, virus-like reach of Twitter. Also, will all of his new Twitter friends actually read and care about what he has to say? Is he an NBC intern or something? When will he be cast in Weezer's next video? Is he going to make the talk show circuit or just fade into obscurity? Did Twitter pay for this marketing plug? Did Apple? The more I think about it, this was pretty pointless, maybe even more so than my usual posts. I don't know, whatever. Watch it. Like I said, it's kind of interesting. Anyway, I'll have something better next time (or not) and in the meantime, follow me on Twitter.

D-D-D-Dora!!!

I suppose it says something about me, my generation, the media, news/talk shows, the economy, the Internet, the world in general, etc, etc, that I had never heard of Jim Cramer before all this John Stewart business, but I'm glad I hadn't. Then again, it probably says something equally, if not more important about all those things that a guy like Cramer has a show like that in the first place, but I digress. Anyway, he's feuding with John Stewart now which is a bad thing for him (and an entertaining thing for most Daily Show viewers). Hasn't he heard of Tucker Carlson?

In short, Stewart said some jokes, Cramer took them personally and can't manage to see the forest for the trees. On top of that, he's clearly taking this opportunity to raise his profile by refusing to let this thing go. He could have easily ignored it but he's "rap beefin'" the whole thing, if you will. In any case, Cramer better be ready to get cross-fired because he's going on the Daily Show tomorrow. Hopefully, John Stewart splits the jokes with some real discussion and shows Cramer how ridiculous he is being about all this. I mean, it's easy for Stewart to use the "I do comedy" defense but, as with the Crossfire drama, he does have some legitimate points to make.

This'll bring you up to speed with this feud, which I have been tracking on videogum, of course.

I'm Anomie. I, Mon Ami

Demetri Martin's DVD and new show are both very funny. However, it wouldn't shock me at all to find someone who didn't think he was funny. I'm guessing he could get at least a chuckle out of most people but his stuff is subtle and nerdy, in a way. It reminds me a bit of FOTC in that it's quirky and cheeky. He blends drawings, charts, figures, diagrams, skits, songs and multi-instrumentation with your basic stand-up comedy. And on top of that, I just found this gem:

'"Dammit I'm Mad"

Dammit I’m mad.

Evil is a deed as I live.

God, am I reviled? I rise, my bed on a sun, I melt.

To be not one man emanating is sad. I piss.

Alas, it is so late. Who stops to help?

Man, it is hot. I’m in it. I tell.

I am not a devil. I level “Mad Dog”.

Ah, say burning is, as a deified gulp,

In my halo of a mired rum tin.

I erase many men. Oh, to be man, a sin.

Is evil in a clam? In a trap?

No. It is open. On it I was stuck.

Rats peed on hope. Elsewhere dips a web.

Be still if I fill its ebb.

Ew, a spider… eh?

We sleep. Oh no!

Deep, stark cuts saw it in one position.

Part animal, can I live? Sin is a name.

Both, one… my names are in it.

Murder? I’m a fool.

A hymn I plug, deified as a sign in ruby ash,

A Goddam level I lived at.

On mail let it in. I’m it.

Oh, sit in ample hot spots. Oh wet!

A loss it is alas (sip). I’d assign it a name.

Name not one bottle minus an ode by me:

“Sir, I deliver. I’m a dog”

Evil is a deed as I live.

Dammit I’m mad.'

See what I mean? He's funny and creative but maybe not for everyone. Don't get it? Read about it at Paste Magazine.

Pull The Trigger

I had just about forgotten how awesome this show was when I stumbled upon the clip above. This wiki entry helps to explain why Trigger Happy TV was so awesome and why it didn't suck like 99% of hidden camera television shows:

"The humour in the programme is derived mainly through observation of the public’s reactions to Joly’s shenanigans. This signalled a departure from the usual hidden camera format, where members of the public are themselves pranked or "stitched-up" by show producers. The comedy is also known for its contrastingly sombre musical soundtrack, which was released commercially."

The Sweetest Thing

Obviously, I'm a little biased but this has to be one of the goals of the year and/or season. Not many players can casually slice a side volley with their heel on an over-the-top through ball. I think this is what announcers means when they use the term "clinical."

What makes this goal even sweeter is that it happened in Eduardo's second game back in action after sitting for over a year due to injury. He suffered a broken fibula and an open dislocation in his ankle early last year as the result a horrific tackle -- one that several news shows chose not to replay. He came back a few games ago, scoring two goals in that return, only to injure his hamstring in the second half. He missed a game or two and returned (again) to captain the side yesterday, in a 3-0 win over Burnley in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

What makes this goal even more sweet(er) is that with Eduardo's form and the contribution of others, Arsenal is finally scoring goals. Their unbeaten run has stretched to 17 games and they're turning what used to be 0-0 draws into clean sheet victories. It's only been a couple of strong games and admittedly, they were against weaker teams, but those are the teams that Arsenal have struggled with this season. I don't want to get my hopes up but the Champions League qualification for next year, the Champions League trophy and the FA Cup trophy suddenly don't seem quite so far away...

The Hardest Part

Just a few more days...

Family Of Trees

Not much to say about this but it's kind of nerdy and cheeky. The best thing is that the band's youtube user name is "mentalistsuk" which reminds me of the Suck Cut. I don't think bands with names that end with an "s" should put the "uk" in there. Also, videogum thinks they're cougars.

Super Intelligent

This study by Virgil Griffith has been floating around the Internet the past couple days. I read the blurbs at Pitchfork and The Wall Street Journal and I'm sure that's just the tip of the iceberg. He has a study using books too but I haven't checked it out yet. Anyway, I thought I would post this even though it's pointless and not entirely surprising. Based on a number of factors, it makes sense that Lil Wayne fans might have lower SAT scores than people who listen to Beethoven. It's mildly interesting in a conversation piece way, but there are obvious "flaws" in the study which I won't get into because it's not important and Griffith is aware of them anyway.

Not to be too judgmental but the guy comes off as a "douche nerd." I guess that's to be expected because he's a hacker and hackers are attention-starved, egomaniacs in general. Beyond that, he's "actually a little embarrassed" by his 1370 SAT score(!) and when addressing the whole "correlation is not causation" issue with this study, he concluded with the word, "duh." I don't mean to be harsh or hypocritical, but smart people can be very smug.