SxSW

If any of you are in Austin for SxSW, here are two reviews for bands playing the TIG/Magic Marker Records Showcase...

The Faintest Ideas - What Goes Up Must Calm Down
The Manhattan Love Suicides - The Manhattan Love Suicides

Oh yeah, and today is the first official game of spring training for the Red Sox! Woo!

Wowzers

A few things today:

(1) I think last quarter was my "practice quarter". Or maybe "spring training quarter". Now, I'm really busy.
(2) The Boston Sports Media has jumped the shark. Just look at the transcript of the press conference today with Manny's agents. Honestly, someone asked Manny is 34 now. Do you think itís time for him to be more accountable instead of being babied like a 12-year-old? and Do you think since he is your meal ticket, you should try to help him grow up?. This is bordering on insanity. Total insanity. This isn't journalism, this is agenda-driven Sports-Talk-Radio garbage. Manny arrived at camp EARLY instead of LATE and they still act like he's just run over a busful of nuns and orphans. No wonder Manny wants to leave ... personally, I don't care what Manny does as long as he continues to hit .300, drive in over 120 runs and hit 30+ HRs. It's that simple, and I know what many, if not most, Sox fans would agree. It's only the blowhards at WEEI that care otherwise.

That's it!

Patrick Stewart loves nudity!

Now if that doesn't get your attention ...

Anyway, not much to say except that this clip is brilliant and explains my snappy title for today's post. Enjoy!

iPod Top 10 & another damn show to watch

So, I've somehow been sucked into watching Battlestar Galactica, the revived Sci-Fi Channel series that started back up a few years ago. I was honestly surprised how much I liked it (even if the general plot reminded me of the Macross Saga of Robotech and the effects were very Firefly.) We'll see how it goes, but it seems to have it all there: cool ships, mass destrucion, fun characters, etc. However, where are the robotic teddybears? Thats what I ask you folks? Where are the robotic teddybears?!

Here is my current iPod top 10. Enjoy!
10 Between the Moon & the Ocean - the Bon Savants
9 This Sentence Will Ruin/Save Your Life - Born Ruffians
8 Esther's - Amon Tobin
7 The Sons of Cain - Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
6 Rachel Says - Campaign for Real-Time
5 Scenic World - Beirut
4 Did I Step On Your Trumpet? - Danielson
3 The Prayer - Bloc Party
2 Rut! - B for Brontosaurus
1 Made of Steam - Dengue Fever

2007 Simulations and Predictions

Is it that time of year again?

I've run 160 simulations of the 2007 MLB season on Baseball Mogul and my predictions are out.

And who is my 2007 World Series Pick? The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim! Woo!

Some comments for your enjoyment:
- The Red Sox finish second in the AL East behind Toronto ... but miss the playoffs again
- Three teams have no Post Season appearances - Tampa and Chicago (AL) (all AL teams ...)
- The team with the great "Standard Deviation" Award? Pittsburgh, who finish below 5th place 61% of the time, yet still has 6% Post Season appearance (plus one WS win!)
- Most wide open division? NL West with 4 teams at >10% chance of winning the division (sorry Colorado).
- Least wide open? NL East ... Mets all the way.
- Kansas City wins the AL Central! (Well, once).
- Most out of the blue WS wins? Washington, Pittsburgh and Texas. Go figure.

Enjoy!

Another new review

Another day, another review of a follow-up album:

Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City

Busy busy!

Two new posts

Two new reviews, two new disappointments. Well, a bit of a disappointment for one, a bigger disappointment for the other.

Enjoy!

The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder

Chained to the bitch mistress again

Ah yes, another fine 3 day span with the MC-ICP-MS.

And a reward for anyone who can tell me what a "Bagnold Tube" is. Or a "Fluidisation Rig". Bah!

That's that

1 week until pitchers & catchers report. Woo!

My current iPod top 10
10 Rachel Says - Campaign for Real Time
9 Between the Moon & the Ocean - Bon Savants
8 The Prayer - Bloc Party
7 The Sons of Cain - Ted Leo/Pharmacists
6 Did I Step On Your Trumpet? - Danielson
5 Scenic World - Beirut
4 Bloodstone - Amon Tobin
3 This Sentence Will Ruin/Save Your Life - Born Ruffians
2 Made of Steam - Dengue Fever
1 Rut! - B for Brontosaurus

Captains of Industry

So, Americans have bad taste. Thats the conclusion that the music industry has come to apparently. Case in point, the new Bloc Party album, A Weekend in the City. Good, solid disc (a TIG review will likely follow soon). However, in the UK/Rest of the World, the first single from the album was very different than the one they chose for the USA. Mostly, the one for the USA kind of sucks - its bland and uninteresting - but thats what American radio will play.

So, make up your mind for yourself:
UK: The Prayer (It's been on Shuffles before, but I'll repost for this purpose.)
USA: I Still Remember

In other news, you can download the new Bright Eyes single Tourist Trap right here. It's from the new album Cassadaga, due 4/10.

Effective Use of Time

I had fun this morning take an ethics course from my current employer and boy, am I unethical. Ok, maybe not, but I guess unless I'm using every moment I'm here for solely my research, I'm misappropriating! Woo! Ah well.

Over the weekend, we went and saw the Kronos Quartet with Wu Man at the lovely Mondavi Center (however, don't get me started about how student tickets were $8 and non-student [e.g., postdoc] were $26). Kronos was a lot of bizarre fun, including an attempt to play paper and water in a rendition of Ghost Opera, but on the whole, it was a blast (if blasts can be had with a string quartet). However, Susan did inform me that I didn't appreciate their humorous moments involving stereotypical orchestra stuff (like conductors and tuning). Bah!

Not much else except pitchers and catchers report really really soon, so I'll be starting my 2007 simulations in the near future. Good times!

Indeed!

All Glory to the Hypnotoad!

New TIG Post and top 10

Not much except a new TIG review:

Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?.

And here is my iPod top 10:
10 God Knows (You Gotta Give to Get) - El Perro del Mar
9 Rachel Says - Campaign for Real Time
8 Between the Moon and the Ocean - the Bon Savants
7 Rut! - B for Brontosaurus
6 Did I Step On Your Trumpet? - Danielson
5 This Sentence Will Save/Ruin Your Life - Born Ruffians
4 Scenic World - Beirut
3 Bloodstone - Amon Tobin
2 The Sons of Cain - Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
1 Made of Steam - Dengue Fever

Enjoy!