tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41387515462756976472024-02-06T20:32:35.389-08:00Not Necessarily SomethingA Blog That May Be About NothingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger273125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-36872121452797246292013-07-09T10:22:00.002-07:002013-07-09T10:22:23.373-07:00Michigan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been back in the States for eight days now, and I am just now realizing how much I am recuperating from my stay in the Middle East. On the long list of changes that I have undergone in the last week, here are some of the most notable ones:<br />
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1. There is humidity in the air, which means<br />
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2. That my nose isn't perpetually caked with dry snot. I remember what a normal nose feels like. It feels fine.<br />
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3. I can go outside for longer than ten minutes during the daytime and not burst into flames, which means<br />
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4. I can exercise more! <br />
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5. I am reintroducing myself to foreign, colorful items known as <i>fresh vegetables</i>.<br />
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6. I can be inside without having to endure the constant hum of an air conditioner. Being indoors when it is quiet = relaxation.<br />
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7. Tacos!<br />
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8. Customer service!<br />
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9. I'm not completely isolated from humanity!<br />
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In return for those benefits--and many more--I have given up music and movie Internet piracy and a tax free income. It has been a good tradeoff thus far. After another week or so of relaxation, it will be time to make job-searching my new job. <br />
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Tomorrow I leave for South Dakota for a week. I look forward to playing some live poker.<br />
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Oh, and Chapter 40 of Quincy is finally available <a href="http://iamquincycapers.blogspot.com/2013/07/forty-room-service.html">here</a>. He'll soon either be dead, imprisoned, or playing in the Main Event. I'll let a three-sided coin make that decision for me.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-26937277421320879852013-06-29T13:49:00.001-07:002013-06-29T13:49:22.432-07:00Heading Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After one of the busiest months of my life, I'll be leaving back to the States on July first.<br />
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Contract is finished. Goal has been achieved.<br />
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I'd say it's really nice to be at this point . . . but it isn't, not yet. Not till I have my bags completely packed and loaded onto the plane, where I can buckle myself into my seat and realize that there is truly nothing left to do except watch movies until I arrive in Chicago.<br />
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I miss good pizza. I miss Mexican food.<br />
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I already know how Quincy finishes, yet I still have 11 chapters to go. I'll be working on that on the plane and after I arrive, when I should have tons of free time. <br />
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Quincy has been a real learning experience. It's difficult to sustain Quincy's brand of insanity for 50 mini chapters. Despite the lulls, I hope you've enjoyed it.<br />
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I hope there are good flights on the plane.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-65114562656826517352013-06-02T07:09:00.003-07:002013-06-02T07:10:20.455-07:00May Music<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Downloaded a bunch of albums in May. I just haven't had time to mention them here. So I figured I'd do a speed round version, thus shortening even further an album-capsule concept that was already ridiculously short to begin with. If you don't mind, I don't. This blog is turning out to be an excellent way for me to keep track of new music.<br />
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<b>Mikal Cronin</b></div>
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<b><i>MCII</i></b></div>
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Solid album by a guy who reminds me of a number of different dudes--Matthew Sweet especially. Retro sound to it. Standouts are "Turn Away" and "Peace of Mind." Excellent sounding guitar, with the slightest hint of Beach Boys melodies. It's the kind of album that invites multiple replays. The biggest weakness seems to be Cronin's singing on some of </div>
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<b>The National</b></div>
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<b><i>Trouble Will Find Me</i></b></div>
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If you love the National, like I do, then you'll be happy to hear that they haven't done a lot to change their musical formula, inspired in equal parts by Leonard Cohen and the Tindersticks. <i>Trouble Will Find Me </i>continues the band's excellent four-album streak of truly excellent music, from <i>Alligator </i>to <i>Boxer </i>to <i>High Violet</i>. No active band captures disillusionment and world weariness like this one, especially when it is carried by the darkly humorous baritone of Matt Berninger.</div>
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<b><i>Monomania</i></b></div>
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Deerhunter moves in a new direction with this album, with rougher production and harder rocking songs, each song a nod to a different influence. It'll strike the listener as off putting and a bit scatter shot on the first few listens, so it's not likely to gain a lot of new fans. But the album is solid. If you already like Deerhunter, then throw away any expectations you might have of dreampop fed by looping guitars. The band has moved in a new direction--actually a dozen new directions, all at once.</div>
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<b>Savages</b></div>
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<b>89/100</b></div>
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This is the most exciting, hardest rocking female band since Sleater Kinney. Others might be inclined to call them a female Joy Division. It's been a long time since I've heard such a forceful, assured first album. Lots of fun.</div>
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<b><i>American Kid</i></b></div>
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Good contemporary folk album. If you like Lucinda Williams or Nancy Griffith, you'll like this one. It's not an album that I'll play very often, because it's not one of my favorite styles, but it's beautiful Americana.</div>
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<b>Daft Punk</b></div>
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<b><i>Random Access Memories</i></b></div>
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<b>91/100</b></div>
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Unless you've been stuck in prison, you've probably heard "Get Lucky" a few hundred times by now. My favorite track from the album is "Lose Yourself to Dance." This is nothing short of an awesome tribute to disco. One of the best albums of the year. Even if you hate disco, you'll probably like it.</div>
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<b>John Grant</b></div>
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<b><i>Pale Green Ghosts</i></b></div>
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<b>81/100</b></div>
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Funniest yet saddest album I've heard so far this year. I offer as evidence these lyrics from "GMF" (linked below): "Half of the time I think I'm in some movie / I play the underdog of course / I wonder who they'll get to play me, maybe / They could dig up Richard Burton's corpse." These lines are soon followed by the chorus, in which Grant calls himself "the greatest motherfucker / That you're ever gonna meet." In other parts, he sings about contracting HIV. So it's a real rollercoaster. Grant's got an incredible voice. The only thing the album suffers from is sameness.</div>
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<b>Vampire Weekend</b></div>
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<b><i>Modern Vampires of the City</i></b></div>
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Vampire Weekend takes a mellower turn with this one, an album which the band calls an end to a trilogy starting with <i>Vampire Weekend </i>and continuing with <i>Contra</i>. This album has some excellent moments, in particular the end of "Hannah Hunt," the geeky funk of "Diane Young," and the gemlike "Step."</div>
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Eight down, eight to go. As if this post wasn't long enough, here's the update of 2013 music so far, with new additions in bold:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The Knife--<i>Shaking the Habitual </i>(94/100)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Daft Punk--<i>Random Access Memories </i>(91/100)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Savages--<i>Silence Yourself </i>(89/100)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vampire Weekend--<i>Modern Vampires of the City </i>(89/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Youth Lagoon--<i>Wondrous Bughouse </i>(88/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Foxygen--<i>We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic </i>(88/100)<br /><br />My Bloody Valentine--<i>MBV </i>(87/100)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The National--<i>Trouble Will Find Me </i>(87/100)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Deerhunter--<i>Monomania </i>(85/100)</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Kurt Vile--<i>Wakin' on a Pretty Daze </i>(84/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Atoms for Peace<i>--Amok </i>(84/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Devendra Banhart--<i>Mala </i>(83/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Matmos<i>--The Marriage of True Minds </i>(83/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i>Wooden Wand--<i>Blood Oaths of the New Blues </i>(83/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Waxahatchee--<i>Cerulean Salt </i>(83/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Rhye--<i>Woman </i>(82/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds<i>--Push the Sky Away </i>(82/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The Haxan Cloak--<i>Excavation </i>(82/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Autechre--<i>Exai </i>(82/100)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Patty Griffin--<i>American Kid </i>(82/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nosaj Thing--<i>Home </i>(81/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grouper--<i>The Man Who Died in His Boat </i>(81/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The James Hunter Six--<i>Minute by Minute </i>(81/100)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>John Grant--<i>Pale Green Ghosts </i>(81/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Bowie--<i>The Next Day </i>(81/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mogwai--<i>Les Revenants </i>(81/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parquet Courts--<i>Light Up Gold </i>(80/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve Mason--<i>Monkey Minds in the Devil's Time </i>(80/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jim James--<i>Regions of Light and Sound of God </i>(80/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iceage<i>--You're Nothing </i>(79/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indians--<i>Somewhere Else </i>(79/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Mountains--<i>Centralia </i>(78/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Bilal--<i>A Love Surreal </i>(78/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Local Natives--<i>Hummingbird </i>(78/100)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mikal Cronin--<i>MCII </i>(78/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Autre Ne Veut--<i>Anxiety </i>(77/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Phoenix--<i>Bankrupt! </i>(77/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Ex Cops--<i>True Hallucinations </i>(77/100)<br /><br />Toro Y Moi--<i>Anything in Return </i>(77/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Low--<i>The Invisible Way </i>(77/100)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>No Joy--</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Wait to Pleasur</i><b><i>e </i>(75/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Broadcast<i>--Berberian Sound Studio </i>(74/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Night Beds--<i>Country Sleep </i>(74/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Johnny Marr--<i>The Messenger </i>(73/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Josh Ritter--<i>The Beast in Its Tracks </i>(73/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Justin Timberlake--<i>The 20/20 Experience </i>(72/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The Men<i>--New Moon</i> (72/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Young Galaxy--<i>Ultramarine </i>(72/100)<br /><br />A$AP Rocky--<i>Long.Live.A$AP </i>(72/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">FIDLAR--<i>FIDLAR </i>(71/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Foals<i>--Holy Fire </i>(71/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">California X--<i>California X </i>(70/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Chvrches--<i>Recover EP </i>(70/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Bonobo--<i>The North Borders </i>(70/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Four Tet--<i>0181 </i>(70/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Suede--<i>Bloodsport </i>(69/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Phosphorescent--<i>Muchacho </i>(68/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The Flaming Lips--<i>The Terror </i>(68/100)<br /><br />Pantha du Prince & The Bell Laboratory--<i>Elements of Light </i>(67/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Widowspeak--<i>Almanac </i>(67/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Jacco Gardner--<i>Cabinet of Curiosities </i>(66/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Frightened Rabbit--<i>Pedestrian Verse </i>(66/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Yeah Yeah Yeahs--<i>Mosquito </i>(65/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Sally Shapiro--<i>Somewhere Else </i>(64/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">James Blake--<i>Overgrown </i>(64/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Suuns--<i>Images Du Futur </i>(64/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Chelsea Light Moving--<i>Chelsea Light Moving </i>(64/100)<br /><br />Brokeback--<i>Brokeback and the Black Rock </i>(57/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Various Artists--<i>Trance (Motion Picture Soundtrack) </i>(56/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Clinic--<i>Free Reign II </i>(48/100)<br /><br />Everything Everything--<i>Arc </i>(46/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Depeche Mode--<i>Delta Machine </i>(29/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Jamie Lindell<i>--Jamie Lindell</i> (16/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The Strokes--<i>Comedown Machine </i>(7/100)</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-7256408274040132462013-05-30T07:41:00.000-07:002013-05-30T07:42:35.278-07:00The Dark Side of National Bring Your Daughter to Work Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So I read online that the fourth Thursday in April is National Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, while other parts of the innertubes claim that the day has morphed into Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.<br />
<br />
When I think of this day, I can't help but think of the implications--or actually just one implication in particular.<br />
<br />
Imagine that you take your daughter to work on that day, and your boss asks you to step into his office. You do. He is there with his daughter, and he is frowning. His daughter is frowning as well. Take a seat, he says. You do. As he begins speaking, you quickly realize that this day is more special that you had imagined. Your daughter, a bit slow on the uptake, looks at you with inquiring eyes. <br />
<br />
"Are you being fired, Daddy?" she asks.<br />
<br />
Okay, this is strange, unfortunate, and morbid, but here's my real question, which is even more strange, unfortunate, and morbid: If the purpose of the day is to give your daughters--your daughter and your boss's daughter--the full experience of a day at work, then shouldn't <i>his</i> daughter fire <i>your</i> daughter too?<br />
<br />
A corollary to this implied rule is that if Daddy works at Micky D's, then his daughter better come home smelling like the Fry-o-Later.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-29425862664712684402013-05-28T06:43:00.001-07:002013-05-28T06:44:51.956-07:00Brief Post about How Busy I Am<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Things are insanely busy these days, which basically means that my days are busy, and I am insane.<br />
<br />
I am gearing up for my last month in the United Arab Emirates before the semester is finished. Near the end of June, I will be giving a two-day presentation on Business Law to some Emirati dudes for a nice chunk of change, in return for which I will have to endure another insanely busy month.<br />
<br />
After that, I will get to enjoy the benefit of being back in the States. I will also get to enjoy a long-deserved period of unemployment. I don't want to find a job immediately, but I also don't want to go a year without working. It is a porridge situation, but I forget which folk tale the porridge is in. Three bears? Did the big bad wolf come and blow their house in? No, those were pigs.<br />
<br />
Why are there so many instances of threes in folk tales anyway? Three pigs, three bears. Are they just trying to confuse us?<br />
<br />
A quick search leads to two <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)">wikipedia-based observations</a>, one of which says that the "Rule of Three is a writing principle that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, and more effective than other numbers of things."<br />
<br />
Huh. Never knew that. I guess that's why so many jokes start off with lines like "A priest, a nun, and a rabbi walk into a bar."<br />
<br />
The other thing I read was a phrase: "omne trium perfectum," which means that "everything that comes in threes is perfect, or, every set of three is complete."<br />
<br />
So, folklore and jokes use the rule of three . . . as do threesomes. Duh!<br />
<br />
Who knew that the number three was such a powerful number?<br />
<br />
Hugh Hefner, I suppose.<br />
<br />
In other news, the music releases for the month of May have been very, very good, from the National to Daft Punk to a variety of other good albums, I really can't wait to give them a listen. Without music, I don't think I could be anything but miserable.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-78775540243892957992013-05-22T00:29:00.001-07:002013-05-22T00:29:29.586-07:00The Name I Will Register Under If PokerStars Ever Comes Back<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Racisttweet.<br />
<br />
It's not especially excellent or funny; it's just the right choice.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-8150767951270123622013-05-19T05:36:00.000-07:002013-05-19T05:36:13.652-07:00Album Capsules--No Joy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Got a bunch of albums downloaded recently that I haven't had time to listen to, and today is the first day of relaxation that I've had in a while. Things get hectic when you're getting ready to stop working abroad and return home. The university's human resources department has a bunch of hurdles to leap through. Then you've got to sell all of your shit. Those things alone would make things busy enough, but now this semester has become my busiest, with by far the most work. But enough whining . . .<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn3.pitchfork.com/albums/19111/homepage_large.2d04c7b5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn3.pitchfork.com/albums/19111/homepage_large.2d04c7b5.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>No Joy</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><i>Wait to Pleasure</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
75/100<br />
<br />
If you're a fan of My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Lush, or any other major shoegaze band, or if you're a fan of noise pop, or if you like music that gives you a reason to feel miserable, or if you just like to weep for no reason at all--say, in the pasta aisle at the local grocery store--then you'll probably enjoy this album. Hello, reverb. Welcome, distortion. Atop this ocean of sound, you can occasionally try to make out a word or two of Jasamine White-Glutz and Laura Lloyd's vocals. "Prodigy," below, is the closest thing to a pop song that you'll find on this album. This is the kind of insecure, morose album that doesn't seem to mind being background music. I like it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/nBSeEF6UJqc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-8357682497715070422013-05-18T05:08:00.001-07:002013-05-18T05:08:22.539-07:00Field Trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been very busy these last couple weeks. Part of my busy-ness culminated in a field trip for female UAE students. The point of the field trip was to visit the Dubai Financial Market, which was the UAE equivalent of visiting the New York Stock Exchange. It turns out that the UAE version is far more boring and nothing at all like you'd think it would be--unless you imagine that it would involve a couple dozen Arabic dudes sitting on sofas and staring at stock quotes on a gigantic flat-screen TV.<br />
<br />
The part that took so much effort was getting the female students off of the university grounds in the first place. As you are probably aware, female students--even female university students--are kept on university grounds that are surrounded by walls. So that they can't escape. So naturally, these women look for any excuse they can to go on a field trip.<br />
<br />
These are the following steps that were required to allow the women to leave the campus:<br />
<br />
1. Get approval from Dubai Financial Market (DFM)<br />
<br />
2. Give DFM contact info to the university<br />
<br />
3. Request permission from the university to go on the field trip (the permission request involves a lot of information which basically boils things down to one question: "If things get screwed up, who is the university going to fire?" The answer: "Me. Fire me.")<br />
<br />
4. The university took two weeks to approve the field trip. During this period, I had to kiss major ass. Finally, the field trip was approved.<br />
<br />
5. Even though it has been approved, I now need to <i>convince the people at the gate </i>that the university has approved the field trip. This step has been known to kill many field trips.<br />
<br />
6. Once we are through the gate, we need to have a bus. This is more complicated than it sounds. We can order a bus. That's easy. The bus people can send an email that reads: "Bus confirmed." Neither of these steps has any meaning. All that matters is making enough phone calls and complaining to enough people so that a bus driver actually shows up, so that we can pile on board.<br />
<br />
7. The bus driver will have no clue where we are going. And because the women are never allowed to leave the campus, they have no clue where we are going either.<br />
<br />
Step 7 leads to the beginning of our field trip. The Club President, upon finding out that our bus driver--who was missing all of his upper teeth in the front--had no clue where he was going, called DFM, got a rep, and handed the phone to the driver. As the toothless driver took the Club President's phone, <i>his own phone </i>started ringing . . . <i>and he answered it</i>. We approached a roundabout in a bus being driven by a toothless guy with a phone on each ear and <i>steering with his elbows</i>.<br />
<br />
And of course, the ladies are so excited to be outside the university that they're making a ruckus on the bus, clapping their hands, singing, and laughing all at once, making me realize that I had 90 minutes of near-screaming static to look forward to.<br />
<br />
The rest of the trip was not quite as exciting or interesting. We arrived at DFM to sit through a 20 minute powerpoint presentation by a Low Talker. (Everyone kept leaning forward, straining to hear him.)<br />
<br />
After the presentation, we checked out the trading floor, which was boring.<br />
<br />
Then we had the following options for lunch. The university does not trust its students, so we had three options:<br />
<br />
1. Food from the local gas station, which I alone would collect the money and buy, while the students stayed behind in the bus.<br />
<br />
2. Go to Zayed University.<br />
<br />
3. Go to HCT University.<br />
<br />
Yes, the students were leaving their university on a field trip where they would eventually eat lunch . . . at another university. We chose Zayed.<br />
<br />
Zayed was fine. There were plenty of food options. But once again, these students were so excited about being on a field trip that they had a glazed look in their eyes. I would speak, but their ears were hearing absolutely nothing. <br />
<br />
Instead, they wandered around, having their pictures taken next to everything. Next to posters. Next to trees. <br />
<br />
Eventually, a student asked me, "Sir, may I take a picture with you?"<br />
<br />
And I made the mistake of saying, "Yes."<br />
<br />
How could I have made such a rookie maneuver? Soon they were all lined up and I was their newest photo prop.<br />
<br />
Anyhoo, once that was all finished, we were supposed to meet to get back on the bus, except one student was missing.<br />
<br />
The students all thought that this situation was no big deal, or else it was something to joke about.<br />
<br />
Finally, I said, "You know, this isn't important to you. I understand that. But if I leave our university with 19 female students, and then I return to our university with 18 female students, then I might as well just drive to the airport, because I am <i>fired</i>."<br />
<br />
Their eyes brightened at that realization. I could see the dots connecting behind their eyes. <i>Yes</i>, they were thinking, <i>he's right. If he loses one of us, he's finished.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
They all reached for their cell phones simultaneously and phone-flooded the missing student till she showed up.<br />
<br />
Back on the bus. Back to university. Then back home, whereupon I slept for 11 hours.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-26782374750980581272013-05-07T06:11:00.000-07:002013-05-07T06:11:26.913-07:002013 Music So Far<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just a quick update and summary. All new additions in the last month or so are in bold.<br />
<br />
I keep noticing music reviewers who are claiming that 2013 is the best year for music in quite a long time. I hope it keeps up.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>The Knife--<i>Shaking the Habitual </i>(94/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Koze--</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Amygdala </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">(90/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Youth Lagoon--<i>Wondrous Bughouse </i>(88/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Foxygen--<i>We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic </i>(88/100)<br /><br />My Bloody Valentine--<i>MBV </i>(87/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Yo La Tengo--<i>Fade </i>(85/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Kurt Vile--<i>Wakin' on a Pretty Daze </i>(84/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Atoms for Peace<i>--Amok </i>(84/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Devendra Banhart--<i>Mala </i>(83/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Matmos<i>--The Marriage of True Minds </i>(83/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i>Wooden Wand--<i>Blood Oaths of the New Blues </i>(83/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Waxahatchee--<i>Cerulean Salt </i>(83/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Rhye--<i>Woman </i>(82/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds<i>--Push the Sky Away </i>(82/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>The Haxan Cloak--<i>Excavation </i>(82/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Autechre--<i>Exai </i>(82/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nosaj Thing--<i>Home </i>(81/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grouper--<i>The Man Who Died in His Boat </i>(81/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The James Hunter Six--<i>Minute by Minute </i>(81/100)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Bowie--<i>The Next Day </i>(81/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mogwai--<i>Les Revenants </i>(81/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parquet Courts--<i>Light Up Gold </i>(80/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Steve Mason--<i>Monkey Minds in the Devil's Time </i>(80/100)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jim James--<i>Regions of Light and Sound of God </i>(80/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iceage<i>--You're Nothing </i>(79/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indians--<i>Somewhere Else </i>(79/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Mountains--<i>Centralia </i>(78/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Bilal--<i>A Love Surreal </i>(78/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Local Natives--<i>Hummingbird </i>(78/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Autre Ne Veut--<i>Anxiety </i>(77/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Phoenix--<i>Bankrupt! </i>(77/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Ex Cops--<i>True Hallucinations </i>(77/100)<br /><br />Toro Y Moi--<i>Anything in Return </i>(77/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Low--<i>The Invisible Way </i>(77/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Broadcast<i>--Berberian Sound Studio </i>(74/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Night Beds--<i>Country Sleep </i>(74/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Johnny Marr--<i>The Messenger </i>(73/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Josh Ritter--<i>The Beast in Its Tracks </i>(73/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Justin Timberlake--<i>The 20/20 Experience </i>(72/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">The Men<i>--New Moon</i> (72/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Young Galaxy--<i>Ultramarine </i>(72/100)</b><br /><br />A$AP Rocky--<i>Long.Live.A$AP </i>(72/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">FIDLAR--<i>FIDLAR </i>(71/100)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Foals<i>--Holy Fire </i>(71/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">California X--<i>California X </i>(70/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Chvrches--<i>Recover EP </i>(70/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Bonobo--<i>The North Borders </i>(70/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Four Tet--<i>0181 </i>(70/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Suede--<i>Bloodsport </i>(69/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Phosphorescent--<i>Muchacho </i>(68/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">The Flaming Lips--<i>The Terror </i>(68/100)<br /><br />Pantha du Prince & The Bell Laboratory--<i>Elements of Light </i>(67/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Widowspeak--<i>Almanac </i>(67/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Jacco Gardner--<i>Cabinet of Curiosities </i>(66/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Frightened Rabbit--<i>Pedestrian Verse </i>(66/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Yeah Yeah Yeahs--<i>Mosquito </i>(65/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Sally Shapiro--<i>Somewhere Else </i>(64/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>James Blake--<i>Overgrown </i>(64/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Suuns--<i>Images Du Futur </i>(64/100)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Chelsea Light Moving--<i>Chelsea Light Moving </i>(64/100)<br /><br />Brokeback--<i>Brokeback and the Black Rock </i>(57/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Various Artists--<i>Trance (Motion Picture Soundtrack) </i>(56/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Clinic--<i>Free Reign II </i>(48/100)<br /><br />Everything Everything--<i>Arc </i>(46/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Depeche Mode--<i>Delta Machine </i>(29/100)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Jamie Lindell<i>--Jamie Lindell</i> (16/100)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">The Strokes--<i>Comedown Machine </i>(7/100)</span></span><br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-27954287435595992402013-05-05T05:32:00.002-07:002013-05-05T05:32:30.155-07:00Album Capsules--Three More New Albums<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://cdn4.pitchfork.com/albums/19108/homepage_large.0d1969ff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn4.pitchfork.com/albums/19108/homepage_large.0d1969ff.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Phoenix</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><i>Bankrupt!</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
77/100<br />
<br />
This French band really took off with their last release, 2009's <i>Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. </i>After that kind of success, almost anything that Phoenix released afterwards was bound to be a bit of a letdown. There's nothing here as catchy, enthusiastic, or memorable as their last album, but the songs are still fairly solid. If you don't have anything by these guys, though, <i>Bankrupt! </i>is not the place to start. That would be like introducing yourself to Pink Floyd by listening to <i>A Momentary Lapse of Reason</i>. Here's "Entertainment."<br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQbWMZ4Z9QPVWnI5bzEEZ0DRkXbfjC7c-obdA1WInV9_qpdLA-r" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQbWMZ4Z9QPVWnI5bzEEZ0DRkXbfjC7c-obdA1WInV9_qpdLA-r" /></a></div>
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<b>The James Hunter Six</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><i>Minute by Minute</i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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81/100</div>
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<br /></div>
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This album is a fun collection of retro soul that evokes--as allmusic.com points out--Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and Bobby Bland. Really fun stuff. If you like "Drop on Me" (below), then I can't see how you won't like the album. I also like it because it adds a little more variety to my music collection.</div>
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<b>Young Galaxy</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><i>Ultramarine</i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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72/100</div>
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Slick, sunny electronic pop music. The album seems to be overwhelmed by the opening track, "Pretty Boy," which seems far superior the other tracks on the album. So even if you like that song--and I'm not sure that I do--you still might not like the album. It's a good collection of songs nevertheless. At its best, it creates a wistful, uplifting mood. At its worst, it's forgettable.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-42610002858096245882013-05-04T05:21:00.001-07:002013-05-04T05:21:17.278-07:00Why I Was Banned from 2+2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Grrouchie asked why I was banned from 2p2 once upon a time. <br />
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It's been a while, so I'm not <i>exactly </i>sure, but I'm pretty sure that this is the story:<br />
<br />
<br />
I was banned because some guy started a thread where he was basically asking for cash (without really asking for cash). Trying to inspire pity in a really ham-handed way, he said that he was on the verge of sticking his head in the oven. <br />
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I made a comment like: "Make sure it's a gas oven. Otherwise you'll just end up burning your ears."<br />
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Then I clicked "Send" with pride.<br />
<br />
Giving suicide advice = Lifetime ban<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-82160933585118376532013-05-03T11:02:00.005-07:002013-05-03T11:02:41.640-07:00Interesting Day for Quincy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you're interested in checking out some new music, I made a post earlier today--the post right before this one--where I mentioned four new albums, at least one of them worth checking out.<br />
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Also, because I finally had some free time, I figured I would check out the Quincy Capers blog and maybe add a chapter. <br />
<br />
I added that chapter, number 35, which basically means that there are 15 to go. This one is mostly about Quincy playing poker in the limit tournament at the WSOP.<br />
<br />
After I was done, I checked the stats for that blog. Basically, my stats for that blog amounted to about 1,000 total views since I started the thing in February.<br />
<br />
So it sort of blew my mind when I saw that the total view were 990.<br />
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That didn't seem right. After all, I was <i>sure </i>that I had more than a thousand views.<br />
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I don't know what happened next. Life intervened. Anyway, I was away from the computer for a few minutes. When I came back I saw that same number again . . . 990. And I knew it wasn't right.<br />
<br />
So I clicked refresh, and the new number was 1,074. <br />
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And that didn't seem right either. <br />
<br />
Then I realized that these were the page views for <i>today</i>.<br />
<br />
Somehow, today I got more page views on my Quincy Capers blog than I had received for the last three months <i>combined?</i><br />
<br />
It didn't take much effort to find the <a href="http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29/news-views-gossip/legend-quincy-capers-14-year-old-poker-prodigy-1328011/">culprit</a>. <br />
<br />
It's amazing how many people frequent that site.<br />
<br />
This has happened to me exactly two times in the past, yet never to this degree. What will happen tomorrow is that the page views will return to normal. And my blogger stats will forever remember the day of The Spike--where readers came, skimmed, and dismissed.<br />
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-90828838756887796912013-05-03T07:19:00.001-07:002013-05-03T07:19:23.194-07:00Album Capsules--Several New Albums<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This will be a longer post than usual. I've been pretty busy the last couple weeks, and I expect May to be even more busy, but luckily I have some relaxation time this weekend. I got so caught up in Constanza'ing basketball that the new albums had really started piling up. And some of them are quite good. Here are four of them.<br />
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<b>Kurt Vile</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><i>Wakin' on a Pretty Daze</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
84/100<br />
<br />
This mellow rock album is unexpectedly good. On first listen, you get the feeling that these songs were just tossed together. The more you play it, the more you notice how strong a mood he creates. An early April release date seems like a solid choice, because this is the perfect album to play on a lazy summer car ride. Kurt Vile doesn't restrict himself to typical 3-4 minute pop-song length either. You'll be surprised at how many songs feel a bit longer than usual--only to realize that they're almost touching on the ten-minute mark, like "Wakin' on a Pretty Day" (below). Really good album--the kind that you want to replay as soon as it has finished. <br />
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<b>The Haxan Cloak</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><i>Excavation</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
82/100<br />
<br />
How can I say this? This experimental album is an exploration into what happens to us after we die. If <i>Excavation </i>comes anywhere close to the truth, then our afterlife is going to be filled with anxiety, surprise, and random bursts of horror. The second track is carried along by an electronic heartbeat, but since we're already dead, this must be our mind thinking of it from habit's sake. Dark stuff. As allmusic.com puts it, "'Creeping' and 'funereal' [are terms that are] not just accurate, they're complimentary." Bobby Krlic, the man who is Haxan Cloak, wanted to make an album that would flip your shit, and he did just that. It's music that you'll only play a couple times a year, when you get into the weird mood that <i>Excavation </i>requires. You know, the weird mood that has forgotten just how horrible the afterlife might possibly be.<br />
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<b>Bonobo </b></div>
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<b><i>The North Borders</i></b></div>
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70/100</div>
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This is the fifth studio album by Simon Green as Bonobo. He's been making ambient downbeat electronica for twelve years now. His career reminds me of the law of diminishing returns. How many examples can you think of an artist who starts off with a so-so first album, improves on the second, makes his breakthrough on the third or fourth, and then by the fifth or sixth has either plateau'd or else has clearly declined? That's what I think of when I play <i>The North Borders</i>. It's a skilled album, without surprising or impressing the listener. If you like downtempo electronic music, you'll play it. But it'll rarely be your first--or second, or third--choice. Better albums by Bonono, if you're curious, are <i>Dial "M" for Monkey </i>and <i>Black Sands</i>. "Cirrus," probably the best song on <i>The North Borders</i>, is below.</div>
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<b>Yeah Yeah Yeahs</b></div>
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<b><i>Mosquito</i></b></div>
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65/100</div>
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The music is better than the album cover, which isn't saying much, considering the fact that this is the shittiest album cover I've seen in a long time. You know what I really miss from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Their earliest songs that sounded rough and edgy and gave you everything you wanted to hear from a garage punk band--songs like "Bang," which start off:</div>
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<i>Bang, bang, bang, the bigger the better</i></div>
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and led into this chorus:</div>
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<i>As a fuck, son, you sucked. As a fuck, son, you sucked. As a fuck, son, you sucked. As a fuck, son, you sucked. </i>The purpose of the song was nothing more or less than to insult the lead singer's former lover. It was thrilling to hear Karen O sing so <i>derisively</i>. Anyhoo, this album has 1/4th of their earlier energy, which happens to be just enough to create "Sacrilege," by far the best song on the album and just about the only one worth multiple replays. But no, this isn't a garage punk band anymore.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-41608563330599451022013-04-28T01:19:00.001-07:002013-04-28T01:19:50.941-07:00You're Rich<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm long overdue catching up on new music, an issue that I will be addressing in the next post. In this post, we celebrate your faith, your risk-taking skills, and your ability to Constanza.<br />
<br />
You were -$25,460.<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$30,000 on the Bulls -2 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. the Nets -- WIN</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$30,000 on the Grizzlies -3 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. the Clippers -- WIN</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$55,000 on the Pacers +2 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at Atlanta Hawks -- OOPS</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$110,000 on the Thunder -1 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at Houston -- WIN</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">After all of that, you have won $73,540.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">It turns out that the key to winning is the double-pronged strategy of (1) panicking and (2) rapidly increasing our bets as we chase our losses.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Who knew that sports betting could be such an easy game?</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-52167117870173945492013-04-27T08:07:00.002-07:002013-04-27T08:07:29.017-07:00And Now . . . We Strike!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Things have been going quite well lately in the world of basketball betting. Before last night's games, you were losing $8,960, if you were following my advice. After those games, you lost another $16,500--ouch--to leave you down a grand total of $25,460.<br />
<br />
Consider all of those bets a "trust-building exercise."<br />
<br />
Today is when you cash in! Congrats on making it this far.<br />
<br />
<b>$30,000 on the Bulls -2 1/2 </b>vs. the Nets. A lock. Guaranteed by the Lord God Himself <span style="font-size: xx-small;">who appeared to me in a vision after I facepunched myself a half-dozen times.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<b>$30,000 on the Grizzlies -3 1/2 </b>vs. the Clippers. <br />
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<b>$55,000 on the Pacers +2 1/2 </b>at Atlanta Hawks.<br />
<br />
<b>$110,000 on the Thunder -1 </b>at Houston.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-8884350923059143022013-04-26T08:56:00.001-07:002013-04-26T08:56:03.516-07:00Posterized<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before Last Night's Games: +$1,380<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$440 on Bulls -3 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. Brooklyn Nets</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$7700 on Clippers +4 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at Memphis Grizzlies</span><br />
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$2200 on Bucks +7 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. Miami Heat</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">You lost them all. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">After Last Night's Games: -$8,960</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">This loss amount is entirely satisfactory and part of your plan. You've got them right where you want them.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Ready? Sell your house and make these bets:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>$22,000 on Celtics -2 1/2 </b>vs. New York Knicks. Because the Knicks are likely to win.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>$11,000 on Nuggets PK </b>at Golden State Warriors. Because you have $11,000 to bet.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>$16,500 on San Antonio -5 </b>at Los Angeles Lakers. Because the sun came up today.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">If you miss with these--and you probably will--you'll inevitably have thoughts of throwing yourself from the top of the nearest tall building. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Don't do that yet! We've got a few more weeks of picks. You've got to get more money. Do it any way that you can.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">By the way, how did you get yourself into this? </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">It isn't wise to associate yourself with gamblers. They're nihilistic and morally bankrupt.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-91317650457422562362013-04-25T01:37:00.000-07:002013-04-25T01:55:17.646-07:00Constanza!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before Constanza: -$4,400<br />
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After Constanza: <b>+$1,380</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$220 on Oklahoma City -11 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. Houston Astros--Another Loser</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$5500 on Pacers -7 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. Atlanta Braves--Win $5k</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$1100 on Spurs -8 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. Los Angeles Lakers--Win $1k</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">After such a wildly successful night, I wondered: What would have happened if you had not Constanza'd?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Well, the Constanza method requires two things, (1) for you to pick the team that I think will lose (spread-wise), and (2) for you to bet a lot if I have zero faith and to bet a little if I have great faith in my pick.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">So, I would've picked the Houston Rockets, and you would've made my big bet on that game. So either way, no matter which strategy I pick, you're suddenly a winner? Odd.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">I had no faith in the Atlanta Hawks, but you would've picked them for a small amount. So once again, you lose my small bet.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">But I once again would have picked the Lakers with a medium-strength bet. There the difference lies. Instead of winning my $1,100 bet, you would've lost it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">* * * </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Now comes the real question: What do you do next? You got your money back, plus a little bit. You're welcome. The natural reaction is to want to be careful now, stinging from your recent losses, and therefore to place small, conservative bets on these next games after careful deliberation and a nearly scientific weighing of the strengths and weaknesses of each team.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Therefore, under the Constanza method, you make<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i><i>bigger </i>bets and I give my picks <i>less </i>thought.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">This will guarantee success for you, unless it fails. Then you will have no one but yourself to blame.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">But don't think about that. The point now is to <i>think less</i>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Without further ado, we move on to tonight's picks:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>$440 on Bulls -3 1/2 </b>vs. Brooklyn Nets. Analysis: Brooklyn is more talented--wait, think <i>less. </i>Pop Tarts is tasty.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>$7700 on Clippers +4 1/2 </b>at Memphis Grizzlies. Analysis: Memphis is a town in the South.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>$2200 on Bucks +7 1/2 </b>vs. Miami Heat. Analysis: Red beans gives me gas.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">If tonight's bets are successful, you will now be in GodKing Mode. Invisible to police, immune to all laws, invulnerable to illicit drugs--which means that you can enjoy them to your heart's content without worry of addiction--and wildly attractive to all women.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">However, due to the Constanza method, your best play is not to take advantage of any of these benefits. Instead of robbing banks and stealing a race car, which you will then launch onto the nearest yacht offshort and then proceed to bang all of the women aboard--oh cool, this is Mila Kunis's boat--while high on crack, you should sit at home and watch reruns of Barney Miller, a DVD that you paid a healthy sum for back in 2008 but which you could have downloaded for free with a decent internet connection. Wojo makes that show.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Co. Stanz. Uh.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-50839761958597310882013-04-24T06:29:00.000-07:002013-04-24T06:29:12.571-07:00Time to "Constanza"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before nightmare began: -$1,760<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$2,200 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Heat -14 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. Milwaukee Bucks--Oops</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$330 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Celtics +6 1/2</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> at. New York Knicks</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">--Faceplant</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$110 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Nuggets -8 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. Golden State Warriors--Another loss</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Yes, that's right, you have lost with every single pick over the last two days. Congrats.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">After nightmare: -$4,400</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Time to kidnap the small child of a rich family. Once you get the ransom, it's time to Constanza. That's right; I'm going to decide on the winning pick, and then I'm going to choose the opposite team. And if I intended to bet a lot, I will double-Constanza and bet a little. If I meant to bet a little, I will bet a lot.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">In this way, I will be risking the maximum money on the games in which I have the least faith. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>$220 on Oklahoma City -11 1/2 </b>vs. Houston Astros. I feel completely convinced that Houston is due for a big game. This is a lock, worth betting the value of an upper-end used car a lower-income small child. Instead, we double-Constanza by selecting Oklahoma City for a small amount.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>$5500 on Pacers -7 </b>vs. Atlanta Braves. I don't know what a Pacer is. I also feel--for no apparent reason--that Atlanta is due, but this is only a vague feeling. Therefore, because I feel that Atlanta will win with almost no confidence, I am confidently placing my highest bet so far on the Pacers, a team that I couldn't care less about.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>$1100 on Spurs -8 1/2 </b>vs. Los Angeles Lakers. I have a fair-to-middling feeling that the Lakers will finally get into this series, or that's what <i>they</i> will think until they lose by a point or two. Because this is what I honestly think will happen, I choose the Spurs in what is likely to be a blowout.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">If this doesn't work, we'll just reverse Martingale our money back . . . or go completely broke by the weekend.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-76504371902167707202013-04-23T08:02:00.000-07:002013-04-23T08:02:20.195-07:00Nightmare Time?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When things get bad, they get real bad. That's the first line of a book in the Bible. Forget which. But that book was written about you.<br />
<br />
First, instead of being down $693 before last night's games, you were actually down $753. (Forgot to count the vig.)<br />
<br />
Then last night happened. And may I say, last night you really shit the bed.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$1,002 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Nets -4 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. Chicago Bulls--LOSS</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$5 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Grizzlies +5 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at Los Angeles Clippers--LOSS</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">You shit the bed and didn't even bother to clean it up. Time to buy a new bed. You're down $1,760. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">How are you gonna get it back? </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Even if you knock over a 7-11, you aren't likely to make off with that kind of cash. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Well, if you can get the money for today's games, there is redemption for you. Here are the picks:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$2,200 on <b>Heat -14 1/2 </b>vs. Milwaukee Bucks. Because the Bucks are Canadian, and as Mudwig pointed out, this is basketball, not hockey.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$330 on <b>Celtics +6 1/2</b> at. New York Knicks. After the Boston Marathon bombing, the Celtics will have something to prove. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$110 on <b>Nuggets -8 </b>vs. Golden State Warriors. Some big dude on the Warriors got injured. Sometimes that kind of setback makes a team play harder. But this is the Warriors, who are looking for excuses to fail.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">It isn't nightmare time yet for you. If your teams lose, 7-11s and gas stations won't do it for you. You'll have to knock over a Walmart near dinner time. And let me tell you, I don't think that's a one-man job.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-73484637361348506492013-04-22T04:44:00.004-07:002013-04-22T04:44:47.687-07:00Oh Man You Did It This Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before last night's games, we were +595. Now look what you did.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$250 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Hawks +6 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at Indiana Pacers--YOU LOSE</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$412 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Lakers +8 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at San Antonio Spurs--YOU LOSE</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$5 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Heat -13 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. Milwaukee Bucks--WINNER (of five dollars)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$631 on</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> Rockets +10 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at Oklahoma City Thunder--YOU LOSE</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">So, you decided to win five bucks, and then you decided to lose $1,293. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Why did you do that?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Now, instead of winning $595, you are losing $693 overall.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Nothing to do but try to get it back. Good luck with that!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">There are only two games tonight. Here they are:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$1,002 on <b>Nets -4 1/2 </b>vs. Chicago Bulls. Because we are chasing our losses, the reasonable move it to increase our bet sizes until we reach a state of panic. You might have to knock over a liquor store. If so, I recommend one that is not near the police station. Also, Bulls are aggressive animals, prone to getting caught in nets. Easy game.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$5 on <b>Grizzlies +5 1/2 </b>at Los Angeles Clippers. In the past, the Clippers used to be a perennial loser. For this reason, I am pretending that the Clippers are terrible today. It just feels right. And while it is true that the Grizzlies also used to be perennial losers, bears are my favorite animal. I'm not sure what a Clipper is. A type of boat? That's goofy. Bears would totally destroy a boat, if it happened to be transporting honey. Even if it was not transporting honey, boats tend to transport people, and people are edible to grizzlies, if the grizzlies are hungry enough.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-19594284113381648722013-04-21T01:59:00.003-07:002013-04-21T05:16:57.833-07:00Total Failure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$1000 on</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> Celtics +7 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at New York Knicks -- PUSH</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$500 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Warriors +7 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at Denver Nuggets -- I WIN</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$100 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Nets -4 1/2 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">vs. Chicago Bulls -- I WIN</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$5 on </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Grizzlies +5 </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at Los Angeles Clippers -- YOU LOSE</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">My recommended bets for Saturday's games were above. The Celtics-Knicks game was a push. Denver failed to cover the spread, so our Warriors won. Our Nets covered, stomping Chicago. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">However, your Grizzlies got destroyed, and you lost five dollars.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">So far, we are +$595, which could have been +$1,605. I blame you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">* * * </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Predictions on Sunday's games:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$250 on <b>Hawks +6 1/2 </b>at Indiana Pacers. I don't know any players on the Hawks, except for Josh Smith. Their anonymity intrigues me. Therefore, I pick them.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$412 on <b>Lakers +8 1/2 </b>at San Antonio Spurs. I hate the Lakers more than any other team. I don't want them to get blown out, because it won't hurt them as much as a one-point loss. Therefore, I pick the Lakers because I want to intensify their suffering as they lose by a Tim Duncan free throw. Is Tim Duncan still on the Spurs? Fuck you, Lakers.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$5 on <b>Heat -13 </b>vs. Milwaukee Bucks. I can't name a single player on the Bucks. That would intrigue me, if the Bucks were the Hawks. Instead, the Bucks are the Bucks. That makes me uncomfortable, because the Bucks are from Milwaukee, and I'm not sure which state Milwaukee is in, or even if they are located in the United States. Because the Bucks might be Canadian, I pick the Heat.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">$631 on<b> Rockets +10 </b>at Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are going to win every playoff game they play in this series by four points. Therefore, I take the Rockets. Because of plus ten. Which leaves six. Which is good. If we pick the Rockets, that is. And we do. Logic!</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-3067323540433239932013-04-20T07:23:00.003-07:002013-04-20T07:23:26.029-07:00As the Semester Rolls Along<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I find myself getting busier and busier as the semester rolls along, and this semester seems worse than any of the previous ones. Perhaps that is only my imagination or my ability to forget how busy past semesters were.<br />
<br />
In any case, I find myself busy most of the time now, and it manifested itself, as it tends to do, in sickness. Illness is my body's way of telling me that I'm not being lazy enough. <br />
<br />
And so, instead of writing the next Quincy chapters, I spent my days off doing very little. Despite that, I remain sick. <br />
<br />
The busy semester looks like it will force me to reevaluate my Quincy schedule. Up until this month, I was able to add two or three new Quincy chapters every week. For April, it has taken me slightly longer than a week to put up one new chapter.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, I have already imagined the ending, and I have the plot mapped out, with a little bit of wiggle room in case I run into something more fun than what I had planned.<br />
<br />
On the movie front, I watched a flick last night called "Holy Smoke," which starred Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel. It is a movie by Jane Campion, of The Piano fame. Anyhoo, two notable moments occurred in the movie, and I can't decide which one of them is more disturbing. Maybe I should ask my students on their next quiz.<br />
<br />
Question: In the movie Holy Smokes, which you haven't seen, which is more disturbing: Kate Winslet, in a moment of full frontal nudity, urinating down her leg, or Harvey Keitel wearing a red dress, red lipstick, and cowboy boots and lusting after Kate Winslet, who has just pissed herself?<br />
<br />
(A) A naked Kate Winslet pissing herself<br />
(B) Harvey Keitel in a red dress lusting after a urine-covered Kate Winslet<br />
(C) They are equally disturbing<br />
(D) There is nothing disturbing about any of that</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-9504069560067748012013-04-19T12:31:00.002-07:002013-04-19T12:31:30.137-07:00If I Am Ever at the World Series<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If I am ever at the World Series . . . and then I suddenly wake up in a hospital bed with Bradley Cooper next to me and a photographer taking our picture, I will know that I am screwed.<br />
<br />
The over/under on my condition at that point will be "Lost 1 Leg."<br />
<br />
If instead of Bradley Cooper, it is Ashley Judd, then I'm good. I just lost a toe.<br />
<br />
If it's Tom Cruise, I've got nothing left under the hospital sheets.<br />
<br />
If it's Mila Kunis, then I've just got my head left. And how am I living with just a head?<br />
<br />
I guess my point is this: If I ever see a World Series game, I never want to wake up in a hospital bed with a celebrity standing next to me.<br />
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How could that ever be good?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-86589121557407325232013-04-19T02:01:00.000-07:002013-04-19T02:01:14.061-07:00Basketball Picks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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$1000 on<b> Celtics +7 </b>at New York Knicks<br />
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$500 on <b>Warriors +7 1/2 </b>at Denver Nuggets<br />
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$100 on <b>Nets -4 1/2 </b>vs. Chicago Bulls<br />
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$5 on <b>Grizzlies +5 </b>at Los Angeles Clippers<br />
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138751546275697647.post-82895223967954560842013-04-18T07:22:00.000-07:002013-04-18T07:22:52.200-07:00Basketball Predictions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you followed my last round of predictions, which took place during the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl, you bet it all on the 49ers and subsequently lost all of your money, a decision which was rash and foolish. What were you were doing getting advice from an anonymous dude on an Internet blog and then <i>betting money </i>on it?<br />
<br />
By now, you have likely saved a little bit of money. If you want to get rich, take the following advice:<br />
<br />
1. Don't think<br />
<br />
2. Obey everything I say<br />
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Bet half of your money on the Spurs to make it to the Finals. Right now, they're about 7 to 1.<br />
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Bet the other half of your money on the Heat to make it to the Finals. Right now, they're about 5 to 7.<br />
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In the meantime, you should be borrowing from friends in order to place bets on individual games, which I will be talking about in future posts.<br />
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By the way, I have not watched a single basketball game in its entirety all year. I saw part of one game last week. It was the first game that I had seen in over a year. I recognized only about four of the players combined on both teams.<br />
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All that trivia aside . . . let's get rich!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2