Dear Readers

Dear readers,

you might have noticed, if you actually read this blog on the site and not just in your feed reader (which is cool, I do that all the time and I stopped caring how many people read this mess good while ago), that I'm currently toying with the design of the blog a bit.
Anyway, I got a question: Are you folks interested in the delicious link section on the right hand side (now called "In other news")? I'm not so sure whether anybody is interested, and I'm not that satisfied with that part of the design. So, if nobody clicks on the links anyway, I'd get rid of that bit.
Just vote in the poll on the upper right side and/or leave me a comment. Your input is always greatly appreciated.

And as a little bribe - a neat song by Dear Reader (get it?)

From the Mighty Halls of Albert-Ludwigs-University

00:41

Cutting caress of air on
late night sweat.
Tasteless foam on sweet lips
unlicked, unkissed.

Heavy cotton damp over
sleepless wonders.
Empty containers dust,
unreturned, unfilled.

Quick Thought... on Hate.

Nowadays, the word "hate" is pretty quick to cross 'our' lips. "XYZ is annoying/a mess, I hate him/her/it", when, really, XYZ is just, well, annoying. A bit nerve-wracking. Or we just have a perceived bad day.

Meanwhile, stuff like this happens:

"Man Puts In Headlock, Shoots, Kills 8-Year-Old Daughter of Estranged Wife's Boyfriend"

"Private club boots kids who might “change the complexion” of the pool"

"Conservative Free Republic blog in free speech flap after racial slurs directed at Obama children"

Etc. pp. You get the picture. That's the kind of thing (not necessarily person!) I hate. HATE.

Most people I know are just annoying or I disagree, sometimes even dislike them. But they really are not horrible enough to be hated.

I'm grateful for that.

And at the same time incredibly angry, that not everybody is in my lucky position.

American Heritage.

Like in any country - or even more so - the question of cultural foundation, identity and tradtion is a difficult one, a contested notion, up for interpretation and (re-)definition. By chance, I found two items on the net that examplify how odd and/or difficult this negotiation can be, especially when one tradition or definition of identity is preferred, for example (but not limited to) by people from the right wing.

First, TPM reports that Rep. Steve King (R-IA)says that he "opposed yet another bill to erect another monument to slavery," because Democrats had used it as a bargaining chip with Republicans who wanted to secure the depiction of the words "In God We Trust" in the Visitors Center -- that America's Judeo-Christian heritage was being held hostage."

Then there is this nice cartoon on immigration in the US:

The Importance of Being Idle.

I can't help it - every time I see a reference to Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, I immediately have to think of Oasis' The Importance of Being Idle. One of those (random) associations that's hardwired in my mind.

One of the more recent Oasis tunes I actually like. The video is pretty cool as well.

Enjoy your Monday.

One for the Night.

Norman Palm stumbled around Paris singing his nice rendition of Boys Don't Cry for La Blogotheque:

Norman Palm - "Boys don't cry" from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

As usual, the video features toy pianos and charming by-standers. I like those Take-Away Shows.

Al the Policy Wonk.

I used to be a fan of Al Franken. I enjoyed his "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them", his appearances on talk shows and even listened to his Air America show once in a while. (Air America is a good breeeding ground for intelligent commentary. If you haven't seen Rachel Maddow before, do so now) I liked his well-researched, intelligent and angry comedy. I did not think he had a real chance to win the Senate seat in Minnesota, but am quite pleased that he did win it. I would've preferred a clear, ealry decision on election day and not a month long battle through the courts, but hey. Anyway, I'm looking forward to his input in the Senate, and am not suprised at all by this comment from Paul Krugman:

Second, Al Franken’s dirty secret is that … he’s a big policy wonk.

I used to go on Franken’s radio show, all ready to be jocular — and what he wanted to talk about was the arithmetic of Social Security, or the structure of Medicare Part D.

In fact, the only elected official I know who’s wonkier than Al Franken is Rush Holt, my congressman — and he used to be the assistant director of Princeton’s plasma physics lab. (The campaign’s bumper stickers read, “My Congressman IS a rocket scientist.”)

So what will Franken do to the level of Senate discourse? He’ll raise it.

Feels like summer.

Funny thing happened to me the other day. I sat in the sweaty tram, listening to The Hold Steady's "Constructive Summer" and wondered what the summer hit of 2009 might be. Think for the general public it'll be Emilia Torrini's Jungle Drum. Nice, cheery, cute, pretty agreeable. Not a really bad song.. summer-y.
Still, I was looking for something more (and preferably something people by now do not associate with Heidi Klum and Germany's Next Topmodel) And I came home, opened my laptop and tada - a serious contestant for summer hit 2009: Johnny Foreigner - Feels like Summer.

Johnny Foreigner - Feels Like Summer from eds209 on Vimeo.

Really fits this summer in Freiburg. Hot, sweet and sweaty with a dash of thunderstorm. Plus, their EP including this song is available for free download. They sometimes remind me of The Wombats, You Say Party! We Say Die! and especially Los Campesinos!. By the way, Los Campesinos! just taped an amazing daytrotter session.

Runner-up for summer hit '09 so far is The XYZ Affair. Their "2 Summer Jams" are also available for free download and especially "No One That You Love Will Ever Die" is a feel good gem. (At least from my subjective position.)

Plus, stereogum.com compiled a pretty nice 4th of July "Independents Day 2009" compilation.

But the summer record of the year is just coming up: Portugal. the Man's The Satanic Satanist. See more and yeah - it leaked already. But do buy it when it comes out on July 17th - what I heard so far is amazing. Guaranteed sunshine during the thunderstorm.

Desire, Sex & Power in Music Video.

Any reader of this blog will have noticed that I'm slightly into music videos. I think they can be so much more than just promotional tools, they can stressor expand the artistic genius of the music or even make a mediocre song really interesting. Though that's mainly true for good, usually indie video.

There are also those other videos, that merely stuff as many scantily clad women and cars, bling and booze in a frame as possible, often degrading women and legitimizing sexual violence. Most they accompany (commercial) rap, but enough rock or electro, techno examples exist as well. Sud Jhally did a good documentary on this topic called "Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Sex & Power in Music Video". I have to say that though I was shocked, the events and circumstances shown sadly didn't really surprise me.

See the trailer here:



Hat tip to Anna.

Note: If you can't view the YouTube Video (my tip is because it used clips from Universal Rec. clips..) then go to the Media Education Foundation site. A full-length preview is also available for home use.

Young Boys.

Seems to turn into a Gaslight Anthem appreciation week. Don't worry, this won't turn into a fanboy blog (or at least to a greater extend), but this is just to great not to share

The Gaslight Anthem performed "The '59 Sound" with Bruce Springsteen. Yes, the Boss himself. At this year's Glastonbury.

via merely thinking.

Speaking of Springsteen references: Simon Indelicate of The Indelicates wrote a pretty interesting, and for the most part pretty good, article against anti-americanism or rather a defense of America.

An Ode to Indie Films

It's funny 'cause it's true.



(via a cup of jo)

"Not tonight, not tonight."

The Gaslight Anthem. One of the two reasons why I almost regret not going to the Southside festival.

It is great, all of this
Or just what might have been
Where we could take a seat at the bar with the other broken heroes

We can dance if we want to.

Wanted to post this wicked deep analysis today, to revive the reading journal category.

But that gotta wait until tomorrow, cause the inscrutable ways of the mighty internet have led me to Men Without Hat's "Saftey Dance" video. The opposite of deep. Or good taste. But screw that - it's fun!

Downturn.

Cars in their coral,
awaiting their last drive.
A storefront sale
of hopes and hoaxes.
Slashed prices
too big to fail.

Heavy Cross.

While I had an actual, non-music related reason to post The Gossip's Listen Up video last week, today I'm just going to post their new video because it's new. And cool.



A note on horrid commenting on the net: A Stereogum (where I got the video from inicially) commenter posted this gem:

All joking aside, would this girl be remotely popular if it weren't for her obesity and lesbian-ness?

To quote my girlfriend this weekend: Ah, the voice! Sadly enough, he was one of the nicer commenters, even when considering a certain tendency towards (odd) irony.

(Maybe I should introduce a "Gossip Monday" category..)

Show Some Street Sign Love

This is just to kitschig cute cool not to (re)post it:


(via i can read)

Don't Be A Fool Like the Rest of Us.

In class today this really cool video by the Gossip was referenced and it was completely appropriate and in context. Sometimes I really like my degree program.

It's shot in Portland, OR, by the way.

Hungry?

Then just take a look at how tabloids and other outlets of the old media (in this case the German media, but sadly I'm sure this is no different in other "developed" countries..) treat the victims of the recent airplane crash.

Die Opfer des Todesfluges at BILDblog

And this seems to be standard operating procedure, not an exception to otherwise spotless journalism. The coverage of the shooting in Winneden was even worse.
I kinda lost my appetite.

First Weekend in My Life.

This weekend, with all its highs and lows and mids, was pretty much perfect. And sometimes any given day can feel like the first day in your life.

First Day Of My Life By Bright Eyes from Rich Shook on Vimeo.