Monthly Archives: April 2006
Playlist Thunderdome, Week 47 (of 52)
Interesting results last week, with Aimee Mann and Joni Mitchell tying for a quarter of the votes each, and Tracy Chapman winning with 50%.
This week: Definitive punk, post-punk, and new wave bands
Remember: T-dome ends in 5 weeks.
Great Insults in Pop Culture
Slate (yes, I read there often) has an article highlighting some of the all-time great expressions of personal dislike in poetry. From the Roman poet Martial, translated into English in 1608 by Frances Davison, comes my favorite (of course it’s potty humor):
I muse not that your Dog turds oft doth eat;
To a tongue that licks your lips, a turd’s sweet meat.
This has me thinking about great put-downs in pop culture. What are the elements of a great insult? Read the rest of this entry
Definitive bands
My husband is a big fan of thrash and power metal. You know, the fast stuff. With the high-pitched vocals and the speedy guitar work. He calls it “The Metal.” Like it’s a living, breathing thing. I’m also a big fan of metal, but the metal I prefer is the opposite. It’s slow, dark, low…HEAVY. Doom metal. I call it Pure Audio Sunshine.
We debate sometimes over the definition of heavy. To me, the slow, down-tuned stuff is heavy. To him, the speedy, screamy stuff is heavy.
But there was one band early on for me who defined what heavy music was: Soundgarden.
TV: The Reason for the Season
Via Pop Candy I learned that today is the first day of TV Turnoff Week. In commemoration, I’d like to share my list of shows that I always, without fail, make a point of setting my DVR to record on a weekly basis. Here’s my Must-Record List:
- 24 – Fox, Tuesday, 9/8 Eastern/Central
- House – Fox, Tuesday, 9/8 Eastern/Central
- Lost – ABC, Wednesday, 9/8 Eastern/Central
- The Office – NBC, Thursday 9:30/8:30 Eastern/Central
- Veronica Mars – UPN, Tuesday 9/8 Eastern/Central (recorded during the Saturday re-broadcastâ€â€Âcheck your local listingsâ€â€Âas it always conflicts with either Lost or House)
- Avatar: The Last Airbender – Nickelodeon, Friday 8/7 Eastern/Central
That’s itâ€â€Âfive hours of can’t-miss weekly programming, including commercials (which I flip past). I’ll catch other shows now and then, but these are the shows I queue up on my DVR for regular viewing.
What shows are you going to make a point of watching in an act of quiet rebellion against the officious sanctimony of others?
Calculating the value of pi, part III
x = (Pi+3)/2
2x = Pi+3
2x(Pi-3) = (Pi+3)(Pi-3)
2Pix-6x = Pi^2-9
9-6x = Pi^2-2Pix
9-6x+x^2 = Pi^2-2Pix+x^2
(3-x)^2 = (Pi-x)^2
3-x = Pi-x
Pi = 3
Pies: Part II
New York is the greatest city in the world for pizza. Even the worst street pizza is better than Pizza Hut. There is something so delicious and wonderful about getting a slice of cheese, folding it (because we like our crusts thin here), and feeling the grease drip down our throats. MMMmmmmmm…
Grimaldi’s and Lombardi’s always get the most ink, for good reason (delicious pizza and quaint location), but there are better. My personal favorite is the focaccia de nona from La Villa (right down the street here in Brooklyn). Amazing. We also like grandma’s pizza for its crushed tomatoes and garlic/oil/basil combo from Pizza By The Park a couple blocks further away.
I’ve never been to Chicago and had the deep dish there so I can’t really compare it, but I’m having a difficult time imagining it better than my de nona. And Supergenius, please don’t try to tell me that the super ultimate stuffed-crust cheese explosion from Dominoes is a contender.
Calculating the Value of Pie
Last week I returned home from the grocery store with some rhubarb that I had purchased as an impulse buy. I saw those dark red stalks clustered there in a display near the front of the produce section and decided that I had to have it. I figured I could decide what to make out of my rhubarb once I got it home. Today I washed it and put it together with some recently purchased strawberries and made pie.
Playlist Thunderdome, Week 46 (of 52)
Tepid voting last week leaves Sufjan Stevens’ “To Be Alone With You” at the top. You guys just don’t like Jesus.
This week: acoustic female performers
Remember: T-dome ends in 6 weeks. Read the rest of this entry
Steve Evans
RJH
Scott B.
John C.
Susan M
Aaron Brown
ninemoons
John Harrison
kulturblogadmin
Kyle M
Brad
KulturBlogGuest
MCQ
Wm
Rebecca
Ivan
Geoff J
btdgreg
Clark Goble
Aaron R.
Tim J
Ben
Marcus
Brad Williams
gibsonbn
