OneAngryPossum

And the DS is just a couple of gameboys strapped together with a touch screen. It's like the DS in that while it's awkward, ungainly, and severely lacking in several technical aspects, a few unique features might be enough to make it a winner. Or it could fail miserably as any number of other Apple's products have. Nintendo was a bit more risky with their move

The thing about the various flu pandemics is that if they hadn't been treated so seriously they very easily could have been as bad as the media made it out to be. It's a really unfortunate situation for those working in disease control, because they're either viewed as a joke or a failure. With the masses of people deciding to abandon vaccines because they trust celebrities over scientists, I do not envy them the work they have ahead.

I stayed inside after the show to pay off my tab, then met up with some people outside about 15 minutes afterwards. One of the crew got the crowed to line up alongside the bus and Matt took the time to sign some things. Which was pretty incredible; it seemed like everybody who'd been at the show was outside waiting to say hi to him.

No Country for Old Men is great. The movie captured pretty much the entirety of the novel in a beautiful way, but McCarthy's writing is just so hard to beat. I don't think I really agree with the themes he's playing with, but I'm also not even 30. I'll give him another 20 years and see if I feel a bit different.

I got a Kindle as a gift a while back as well (far enough that it's the original version) and it took me forever to get warmed up to it. I like to take notes when I'm reading something I'm into, and nothings as handy as the actual book for that. The Kindle found it's role for reading mindless pulp though. Works incredible for newspapers too. As far as actual current iPad appeal, I'd love something I can use to watch movies and web browse with, and plug in if I need to get my typing on. I know Jobs claims not to be in competition with the netbook or some such, but it really is aiming for the exact same market in a radically different style. For some reason every netbook I've tried has just frustrated the hell out of me, but this thing has appeal.

Wish I could say otherwise, but yeah, I was a crowd follower too. Moon and Antarctica takes top spots though. And I have no idea what it is with Modest Mouse, but they seem to attract music snob assholes like me just as much as college frat types. All that narcissism just doesn't blend very well. I tried to find some news on an actual new album just before starting this thread, but not a peep. I figured since Arcade Fire and The New Pornographers and the other big scene bands that last put out albums around that time are putting out their new stuff in May that they wouldn't be far behind. No word yet though. They are re-releasing The Moon and Antarctica on vinyl though, which is tempting in a "Things I Have No Need For" kind of way. Oh, and I saw them live about a year and a half ago: Incredible what they do with their music. As grungy and dissonant as it can be on the album, it's nothing to the weird discord they bring to the stage.

Anything I'm unlikely to hear a person in uniform say is pretty damned attractive, actually, so I think you're correct. Bring me your cheese fetishists, your origami pornographers, your balloon popping nudists. I will embrace them all.

I think I'd take the cheese fanatic over the "not sexy" judgements any day. At least cheese is positive. I procrastinate, but this is the internet, who isn't wasting their time here.

Just realized it's been over three years since their last album release, which is kind of too long. We Were Dead was a little poppy for some's tastes, but I was really happy with the direction they were going. Any other fans?

That's outstanding generosity. Good on him. Ever pick up a record player?

I suppose I'll be that guy: Despite being a bit underwhelmed by the thing, I'm hoping it takes off in a big way. There hasn't been a major UI revolution in the computer market in decades really; the recent move to embrace multi-touch is nice, but not big enough to make waves. Functional as a mouse and keyboard are, I'm going to cheer for any company with the muscle to try and get rid of them. Weird as it might sound, I see this as being similar to Nintendo's introducing the DS years back. It's a weird fucking product that's still pretty familiar at the core, but if developers really embrace it things could get wild.

Maybe not the place for it, but I'm curious what you thought of Che. Soderbergh is one of my favorite directors, but I've been somewhat iffy on this one. I feel they downplayed some of Guevara's less noble traits a little too much, which is frustrating with how much else they got right.

Jonsi - Go Do It's a bit disconcerting to hear the lead singer of Sigur Ros singing in English, but it grew on me fast.

Not to discount the rest of it, but it almost feels like the whole album is summed up by Last Parade. It's probably the closest thing I've ever heard to a musical thesis statement. All the other songs really seem to exist just to flesh out the themes laid out right at the beginning.

Definitely. Blue Skies Over Bad Lands was always a favorite, but listening again recently I was really impressed by the albums consistency — ignoring Alert Status Red, which is kind of charming for its datedness. The album is especially notable considering it's basically a complete acoustic 180 from Avalanche.

They're Mermaid Ave. albums with Billy Bragg are really the only ones I can listen to over and over. Any other love?

Not to mention gmail tends to be accepted as a bit more professional in the real world.

I'm in the military. It provides a structure that is helpful if you can ignore the moral qualms. Edit: I should point out I actually can't so well, so. Keep that in mind!

Funny, and possibly feminist. Bears watching and even thinking about, which is a rarity in horror.

Adaptation, great as the movie is, could never live up to that awesome trailer.

Jackie Brown - The best movie Tarantino ever made that wasn't obviously a Tarantino movie.

Was at the Memphis show, was rather incredible. Opened with Giant and Great Whales of the Sea, but I'd be hard pressed to put the rest in order. I was pleased to hear Single Spark Explosion and Last Parade. Great show Matt, thanks.

The military, because life is never convoluted enough.

You know, I agree with Dawkins like 95% of the time, but him and Christopher Hitchens manage to be about as painfully annoying in their correctness as possible. I support his goals, but I feel like a little more evangelicalism and a little less smugness would get more people on his side. See, I never made it past the inherent hilarity of Humbert's character. Everything about him is so constantly ridiculous that it's hard to believe anybody but a 14 year old would be involved with him.

Interesting movie, and well made for the money it had on hand, but it's kind of off putting that a movie about how terribly the slum-dwellers are treated seemed to pander to the worst white stereotypes of what poor non-whites are like. And had the standard White Hero Saves The Day ending. Eh. It was solid, but I had hoped it'd have a bit more going on beneath the surface.