This Internet radio station is a real find; it’s artist-to-artist CD swapping at its finest. Eclectic and fun.
CD Baby: THE POLYJESTERS: Kitchen Radio
Jason runs a radio station out of his home in Carstairs and internet station www.kitchenradio.ca that feature other indie artists they have met on the road. Some of whom are guest hosts. iTunes recently added Kitchen Radio as a station preset under two categories: Eclectic and International.
The Dandy Warhols – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dandy Warhols are a US rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, by Courtney Taylor-Taylor (vocals, guitar), Zia McCabe (keyboard), Peter Holmström (guitar), and Eric Hedford (drums), who left in 1998 to be replaced by Taylor-Taylor’s cousin Brent De Boer. The band’s name is a pun on the name of American pop artist Andy Warhol.
The Dandy Warhols are strongly influenced by The Velvet Underground, Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, The Shadows, and The Rolling Stones as well as including implicit musical references to My Bloody Valentine in some songs. Front man Courtney Taylor-Taylor describes the band beginning as a group of friends who “needed music to drink to.”[
With a pedigree like this, I really should like this CD better. I bought it in a Dublin music store on the strength of “name recognition,” as I’d heard something by them on WXRT. Ripped it to iTunes, but never actually got around to listening to it all the way through before now. I fell out of the iPod/iTunes habit because at work I was told I could no longer listen with headphones under my headset while waiting for a call.
Wait, whut? Yes, it’s not uncomfortable or difficult to switch with the right headphones, especially the iPhone ones with the built in pause/start clicker. I could hear the caller on the headset just fine. But a VP at work saw me while clients were visiting and didn’t think it was quite the thing. Only now am I getting back into music via iPhone. So I’ve climbed back into bed with laptop, iPhone, headphones, USB cable, and tea to rip a CD… but not in the way you think.
Pause for cough. Cough over. Here we go:
Musee D’Nougat 14:46
This song is fourteen minutes and forty-six seconds’ worth of self-indulgent musical wanking. Inconsequential, pleasant New Age instrumental with fake British or German nattering and airport-announcement “found sound.” Vaguely Pink Floydish, kind of relaxing, so I moved it to my “Sleep” playlist. There’s a little bit at the end that sounds like a really annoying ringtone; if it’s bad enough to wake me up (I really do use that playlist to help me fall asleep) I will delete this waste of a quarter of an hour.
Valerie Yum 7:01
The chorus sounds like “meow meow meow meow meow.” Listenable, but only if you like cats.
Beast Of All Saints 4:47
Don’t remember. That was 10 minutes ago. The title has a vaguely churchy, vaguely evil ring to it, though.
The Legend Of The Last Of The Outlaw Truckers AKA The Ballad Of Sheriff Shorty 3:44
This song is shorter than its title. Good, though, first one I liked.
Mis Amigos 4:31
Two good cuts in a row, hope this is a trend. Sounds like “Baby Elephant Walks After Dropping Acid” and includes percussion on oil drums (not tuned), a motorcycle, and (I think) a chain saw.
Now You Love Me 3:09
Straight ahead, propulsive requited-love song. Think this is one of the songs I heard on the radio, I like the break with the off-beat jangling guitar.
Love Song 3:48
Pretty, jangly. That’s about it.
Talk Radio 5:28
Slower rhythm. Really makes the lead singer’s rough “hey I’m a rock star singing a ballad” voice kind of repetitive. Does he ever come out of this sotto voce mutter? Oh, and that musical break is totally a shout-out to Led Zep’s patented “let’s play some weird-ass time signature that’s not divisible by two or three” trick.
And Then I Dreamt of Yes 4:42
Now THIS is the song I’d heard that made me want to buy this CD. Lead singer applies the “Taco” old-timey radio filter. Voice not perceptibly different from other songs on the CD, though.
Wasp In The Lotus 4:36
Oh, good, another whispering homage to Claudine Longet. Atmospheric, though. It’s clear that I really like the instrumentation and almost like the backup singing, but I’ve really taken against the lead’s breathy faux-drama. It’s as if Trent Reznor of NIN never broke into the primal screams. The backup singing is nothing special – these guys can hit the correct notes capably, but their real talent is in playing instruments, and layering found sounds.
Welcome To The Third World 5:50
Thank goodness, whispering disco a la “Miss You” era Rolling Stones. It’s about time. Ah, actually singing in head tones now… sounds a lot like Fee Waybill. Do they NEVER turn off the echo filter??
Mission Control 2:16
A funky electronic groove; we appear to be channeling Midnight Oil‘s Peter Garrett in a slightly less scary baritone, but it’s obviously an uncomfortable stretch.
The World The People Together (Come On) 4:42
Hurray! Last song! It’s different sounding than the rest! Yay! Still a big ol’ wall of jangly, but it’s in a higher key and what a relief it is. I notice this Courtney Taylor-Taylor, the lead singer, can’t seem to sustain a note comfortably without having to “do” something; either filter it, add fuzz, or deliberately fall off the note. He’s got no resonance, no tone; can sing a little, but not that well. Doesn’t have enough color in the voice to be ballsy about it, either; not everybody can pull off a raspy delivery and overcome it with great phrasing.
Frustratingly, the next song on iTunes was “Lift Thine Eyes” from Handel’s ‘Elijah,’ a piece I sang a month or two back as part of a trio. This damn cough has made me croaky as a frog, so I couldn’t sing along for shit as a kind of musical palate-cleanser.
I’m usually not so happy to get to the end of a CD. Taken individually, most of the songs are likable enough, but listening to the whole thing (especially without skipping that fourteen minute monster at the beginning) is trying my musical patience. And every song is frustratingly familiar; I don’t have the right kind of memory to be able to cite a specific group on every song, but they all sound a whole lot like somebody else’s hit, except slower and with more jangling.
A cook’s favorite, sturdy tool | csmonitor.com
Years later, my brother came to the rescue. He hollered at me for washing my skillet with soap, and sternly informed me that it should only be cleaned with water, coarse salt, and hot oil – never soap. He seized my trusty-but-iffy skillet, scrubbed it with handfuls of coarse salt, and snatched the canola oil, pouring in a very small amount onto the skillet. Next, he proceeded to quickly heat the skillet to a high temperature, spreading the oil with a paper towel. When he was finished, it was smooth and clean.
… for those on the wrong side of the “so-called gay rights struggle.”
Via The Friends of Jake: My Prayer AKA the beautiful and talented Padre Mickey
I can’t believe Blagojevich appointed Roland Burris to the Senate, I can’t believe Burris accepted after earlier saying he wouldn’t, and I can’t believe that Blago just said he’s enjoyed the limelight of the past few weeks. But he did, he did, and he did.
I don’t know if video of this news conference will stay up for long on most television news sites, but I’m listening to an unfiltered stream that WBEZ put up shortly after the end of the presser. I had to stop it just now to get my head together. At least the reporters had some facts and figures ready to shout out and they caught Burris flat-footed; he was surprised his lobbying firm or law practice had given at least $14,000 to Blago’s campaign fund, and he was unable to verify the rather large amount of IDOT contracts his firm(s) had been awarded (estimated at $290,000 by the Chicago Tribune). He completely lost the ability to speak as the press, sensing blood in the water, circled for the kill. You can hear the relief in his voice as he babbles “Oh, this one is for the Governor?” and Blago comes back on. That’s when our elected governor said he’d enjoyed the limelight of the past few weeks, but didn’t want to steal it from Burris on his big day.
ASSHOLE. UNBELIEVABLE.
Blago continues, then Burris ineffectually tries to take questions, but answers with a “we’ll have to take that under advisement” when asked what he’d do if the Senate refuses (as they’ve said) to seat him.
Chaos erupts; several reporters shout questions at the same time, wanting to know what Blagojevich will do if Secretary of State Jesse White refuses to certify the appointment (it’s required by state law) and whether he’ll take it to court. Burris can only laugh and keeps trying to point out that Bobby Rush would like to speak. Blago refuses to rise to the bait offered by one reporter; if the Congress has already stated they would refuse to seat ANY appointee made by Blagojevich, why is he even bothering to appoint anyone? Another points out that “your lawyer said two weeks ago you weren’t going to make an appointment.” A third says “Why make the appointment now?”
And then Rep. Bobby Rush steps to the podium. He starts calmly enough and thanks God for this decision by Gov. Blagojevich and says it’s a good decision, saying Burris is worthy. He speaks slowly enough that it’s almost dictation speed. He says of Burris:
He has not in 40 years of public service has had one iota of taint (there’s that word again) on his record as a public servant. He’s an esteemed member of this State and of this community. My prayers have been answered because I prayed fervently that the Governor would continue the legacy established by President-Elect Obama and that the governor would appoint an African-American to complete the term of President Obama.
Reminds us there’s presently no African-American in the US Senate. Reminds us that Illinois has sent 2 blacks to the Senate (the other was Carol Mosely-Braun, not a shining example). Attempts to say Roland Burris is worthy and insists that the appointee not be connected to the appointer as if in a bad light. Goes on at length to say that a black appointee is necessary. This is why some blogs like Gawker and others were saying “Blago plays race card: seat Burris or you hate black people.”
Rush will take his argument to the Congressional Black Caucus and lobby Durbin; it appears to be purely based on Burris’ race and years of service to the state party, not necessarily his ability (he appears to have been a fine AG, but he sure wasn’t ready to take the tough questions thrown at him).
At a news conference in Chicago, Gov. Blagojevich announced the appointment of former Attorney General Roland Burris to president-elect Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat. Burris says he has no connection to the charges against Blagojevich, who was arrested on Dec. 9 and accused of trying to profit from appointing Obama’s replacement.
Via City Roomâ„¢ – Unfiltered – Unfiltered: Burris Accepts Blagojevich’s Appointment to U.S. Senate
There’s also audio of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn reacting, quite strongly but fading at the end, in a chaotic sounding news conference.
Padre Mickey tells the thrilling tale of one memorable Christmas, when a flaming dessert burned itself into the memories of everyone present (also the carpet, furniture, the kitchen floor) before being kicked back into the kitchen). He promises 2 more visitations of this memory, as recalled by other, saner heads. It’s a Rashomon Christmas! You owe it to yourself to read the whole thing: I nearly coughed up a lung laughing at it.
We had a wonderful meal; lots of good food, and the children opened presents, and oh, what a wonderful Christmas it was! Gramma Connie had prepared a lovely Plum Pudding (Gramma Connie can bake like nobody’s bizness!). And, as is normal with any foody and creative cook, she wanted the presentation To Be Perfect (we were all unaware of Martha Stewart, and quite happy about it, I might add!). Grampa Jim splashed some clear rum on the pudding. Gramma Connie splashed some clear rum on the pudding. Aunt Sally splashed some clear rum on the plum pudding. I don’t think any of them had discussed this rum-splashing with the others. Then, Gramma Connie artistically placed the holly on the pudding, Grampa Jim lit the rum, and, with it all flaming, our hostess, Aunt Sally, slowly walked into the living room carrying the pudding-laden platter into the living room while we all sang, Now bring us some figgy pudding, now bring us some figgy pudding, now bring us some . . .OH MY GOD!!!!
I’m trying to think of a comparable Christmas Disaster from our own family’s collective memory; there’s photographic evidence somewhere of one from the last Christmas I spent “at home” with mom, before I got married. Mom was making a batch of “disappearing cookies,” which had to be started in a double boiler to melt butter and brown sugar together. She somehow bobbled the transfer of the stuff (I think she was bending down to retrieve something from the dishwasher, and knocked the bowl on herself from the counter) and was covered with warm, sticky, buttery goo. Fortunately, it wasn’t hot enough to burn, but it was in her hair, down her front, and all over the kitchen. She was laughing so hard she couldn’t talk. Scratch one batch of cookies.
GAH! I had Monday and Tuesday off this year between Christmas and New Year’s, and David has the whole week. I’ve been sick with a stupid sinus infection since Saturday. I was relying a little too much on the prescription antibiotic I got Saturday, and wasn’t using the home remedies I should have been. My doctor is usually not very forthcoming with this kind of information, so I had to go looking for it.
Now drinking ginger-lemon tea with honey, have taken Robitussin gelcaps and Ibuprofen (my cheeks and forehead hurt), just used a nasal decongestant, and inhaled a little steam as well. Hot shower is indicated later. I have one more day off, and I’m supposed to be at work on the 31st, with an early evening party that night. Then off New Year’s Day, with a family event that afternoon. Then work Friday, and the weekend of course is off. If there’s any week to be sick, I guess this is it, but I’d rather not miss out on the fun stuff.
Home care can help open the sinuses and alleviate their dryness.
- Promote drainage
- Drink plenty of water and hydrating beverages such as hot tea.
- Inhale steam two to four times per day by leaning over a bowl of hot water (not while the water is on the stove) or using a steam vaporizer. Inhale the steam for about 10 minutes. Taking a hot, steamy shower may also work. Mentholated preparations, such as Vicks Vapo-Rub, can be added to the water or vaporizer to aid in opening the passageways.
- Thin the mucus: Expectorants are drugs that help expel mucus from the lungs and respiratory passages. They help to thin mucous secretions, enhancing drainage from the sinuses. The most common is guaifenesin (contained in Robitussin and Mucinex, for example). Over- the-counter (OTC) liquid cough medications or prescription tablets can also combine decongestants and cough suppressants to reduce symptoms as well as to eliminate the need for the use of many medications. Read label ingredients to find the right combination of ingredients or ask the pharmacist for help.
- Relieve pain: Pain medication such as ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil are examples), aspirin, and naproxen (Aleve) can reduce pain and inflammation. These medications help to open the airways by reducing swelling. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be used for pain and fever but does not help with the inflammation.
Via Sinus Infection (Sinusitis) Information on eMedicineHealth.com
Supposedly, George Bush read 40 books this year to Karl Rove’s 64. I’ll believe it when I see the book reports. By all accounts, Bush 43 wasn’t born stupid – his supporters tout his degrees from Yale and Harvard Business School. But Slate had an article a few years back that dissed Bush’s grades as “gentlemen’s C’s” and posits that Bush’s stupidity is voluntary. He’s anti-intellectual and lazy, and simply can’t be bothered to think – and it’s supposedly a Freudian reaction to his father’s achievements.
Rove puffs nostalgically on his magic memory pipe, changing history before our very eyes. Did you know the President is actually a big reader! Yes, he’s read a whole lot of books since “The Pet Goat.”
A glutton for punishment, Mr. Bush insisted on another rematch in 2008. But it will be a three-peat for me: as of today, his total is 40 volumes to my 64. His reading this year included a heavy dose of history — including David Halberstam’s “The Coldest Winter,” Rick Atkinson’s “Day of Battle,” Hugh Thomas’s “Spanish Civil War,” Stephen W. Sears’s “Gettysburg” and David King’s “Vienna 1814.” There’s also plenty of biography — including U.S. Grant’s “Personal Memoirs”; Jon Meacham’s “American Lion”; James M. McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief” and Jacobo Timerman’s “Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number.”
Each year, the president also read the Bible from cover to cover, along with a daily devotional.
Via Karl Rove Says George W. Bush Is a Book Lover – WSJ.com
Meanwhile, Slate lays out the case for the President What Chose The Stupid:
But if “numskull” is an imprecise description of the president, it is not altogether inaccurate. Bush may not have been born stupid, but he has achieved stupidity, and now he wears it as a badge of honor. What makes mocking this president fair as well as funny is that Bush is, or at least once was, capable of learning, reading, and thinking. We know he has discipline and can work hard (at least when the goal is reducing his time for a three-mile run). Instead he chose to coast, for most of his life, on name, charm, good looks, and the easy access to capital afforded by family connections.
The most obvious expression of Bush’s choice of ignorance is that, at the age of 57, he knows nothing about policy or history. After years of working as his dad’s spear-chucker in Washington, he didn’t understand the difference between Medicare and Medicaid, the second- and third-largest federal programs. Well into his plans for invading Iraq, Bush still couldn’t get down the distinction between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, the key religious divide in a country he was about to occupy. Though he sometimes carries books for show, he either does not read them or doesn’t absorb anything from them. Bush’s ignorance is so transparent that many of his intimates do not bother to dispute it even in public.
…
A second, more damning aspect of Bush’s mind-set is that he doesn’t want to know anything in detail, however important. Since college, he has spilled with contempt for knowledge, equating learning with snobbery and making a joke of his own anti-intellectualism. (“[William F. Buckley] wrote a book at Yale; I read one,” he quipped at a black-tie event.) By O’Neill’s account, Bush could sit through an hourlong presentation about the state of the economy without asking a single question. (“I was bored as hell,” the president shot back, ostensibly in jest.)
Closely related to this aggressive ignorance is a third feature of Bush’s mentality: laziness. Again, this is a lifelong trait. Bush’s college grades were mostly Cs (including a 73 in Introduction to the American Political System). At the start of one term, the star of the Yale football team spotted him in the back row during the shopping period for courses. “Hey! George Bush is in this class!” Calvin Hill shouted to his teammates. “This is the one for us!” As governor of Texas, Bush would take a long break in the middle of his short workday for a run followed by a stretch of video golf or computer solitaire.
A fourth and final quality of Bush’s mind is that it does not think. The president can’t tolerate debate about issues. Offered an option, he makes up his mind quickly and never reconsiders. At an elementary school, a child once asked him whether it was hard to make decisions as president. “Most of the decisions come pretty easily for me, to be frank with you.” By leaping to conclusions based on what he “believes,” Bush avoids contemplating even the most obvious basic contradictions: between his policy of tax cuts and reducing the deficit; between his call for a humble foreign policy based on alliances and his unilateral assertion of American power; between his support for in-vitro fertilization (which destroys embryos) and his opposition to fetal stem-cell research (because it destroys embryos)
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What do I think? I think Bush has always been an “all hat, no cattle,” faux-Texan. I think he was a fair-weather flyboy in the Texas Air National Guard. He liked looking good in a uniform, but didn’t really bother showing up for drill when it was clear his failure to live up to the terms of his military service wouldn’t land him on a Vietnam-bound aircraft carrier. I think he’s always had a calculated genius for generating the right image at the right time; when being a politically connected playboy stopped paying dividends, he straightened up, flew right (literally), and became a Texan cowboy-oilman-baseball club owner. He’s always been an empty suit, or a floating soap bubble. He floated right to the top, and we’re all so much the worse for it.
I just can’t believe Rove thinks people are going to fall for this bullshit… but then Rove has such contempt for ordinary Americans. Only three more weeks and these assholes are GONE.
Don’t be fooled by the images of the portable heater with the “Amish-Made” mantle. You pay through the nose for something that puts out about as much heat as a $21 heater from Wal-mart. The photos showing Amish men wiping cabinets and driving away with them in the back of a horse-drawn buggy are likely Photoshopped. The heating element is made in China… need I say more?
And the same company has been linked to a scheme selling digital converter boxes that can be obtained for a fraction of the price with a government coupon.
Arlington, VA – June 20, 2008 – BBB is alerting consumers to beware of a misleading advertising campaign by an Ohio-based company called Universal TechTronics. Ads are running across the U.S. promising free television channels, services and digital TV converter boxes, but are really a bait and switch tactic that prey on consumers’ lack of knowledge about digital TV conversion requirements.
Ginny
I can has iPhone?
Via: Flickr Title: Garlic Galore By: GinnyRED57
Originally uploaded: 27 Dec ’08, 4.27pm CST PST
Ginny
I can has iPhone?