If you thought droopy eyed, smirky Jake Gyllenhaal would be charming in this bad-boy-gone-good by falling in love with a quirky, arty, ailing woman-child movie, you’ve never seen Dying Young, Sweet November, Pieces of April, or A Walk to Remember. Hathaway’s performance relied entirely on eye rolls and ironic “heh-heh” guffaws that were supposed to stand in for actual emotions. L&OD is the worst kind of lame because it wastes the entire cast – including the wonderful Jill Clayburgh in one of her last roles – with terrible dialog and clumsy, clunky scenes cobbled together from finer comedies, dramas and love stories.
I took a road trip back to Texas to see my family. I hauled ass along the 10 through Arizona and New Mexico. But once I cleared El Paso, I took the scenic route and swung down through Ft. Davis, Marfa, Terlingua, and the top of Big Bend, then back up to Junction and on to Austin.
I really miss road trips. I had forgotten how much you can see, even from the big highways. But the real pleasure comes from taking the smaller back roads. Sometimes it’s fun to take a little road, just see where you might end up.
Even when speeding along one of these county roads, you can still see a ton of wildlife. I saw deer, rabbits, turkeys, javelina, tons of different birds. But the highlight was seeing this red-tailed hawk and badger.
Mine, all mine. Muahahaha!
I was headed out of Big Bend and I saw some roadkill—no big deal, there’d been plenty of it on this trip. After all, I’m pretty much in the middle of nowhere. But then I noticed a hawk, on the ground. This is really unusual so I made a u-turn and went back to check it out.
When I got back, I saw that the hawk was actually a red-tailed hawk and was happily sitting on the roadkill. That bird was not going to move for anything! He’d rather have faced me down in my car than give up his meals for the next few days. It was only when I took out my camera and started to take pictures that I noticed the roadkill was a badger!
I’m going to geek out here for a minute and tell you guys that I have this sort of unofficial list of wildlife in my mind that I want to see, so when I see something new it’s a really big deal. I kind of freaked out and got really excited.
The other thing that was interesting is that hawks are birds of prey and don’t usually eat roadkill. They prefer to hunt and catch their prey live, which leads me to believe (along with the state of the entrails) that this must have been a very fresh kill that the hawk stumbled upon.
Several times, the hawk tried to fly away with his prize, but the badger was just too heavy and the poor guy (or girl) couldn’t really get off the ground. Didn’t keep him from trying though. Eventually he gave up and just started chowing down.
I took a few more photos, made another u-turn and snapped a few more, and drove away. Once I got to my hotel, I did a little research and found out that badgers are actually somewhat common in Texas, especially in desert scrubland like Big Bend. I’ve never seen one and neither has anyone in my family, including my grandmother (who grew up on a farm/ranch). But according to what I read, they are solitary creatures and tend toward being nocturnal. They are also burrowers (check out those long claws) so I guess that explains it.
Must. Get. It. Up. (Sadly, not the first time I have heard this)
Anyway, I thought you guys might find these photos interesting. The hawk is just gorgeous (the badger a little less so in this state). It’s nature in action!
If you’re like me, there are just some days when you have to throw up your hands and shout, “THAT’S IT, AMERICA. I AM FUCKING DONE WITH YOU.” It’s a tempting emotion.
Here’s my solution: In times like this, I like to remember some of the mind-explodingly awesome shit that America produces. I defy anyone to ride around the streets of any American city in an old Cadillac while blasting these tunes and not feel pretty goddamn good about the U.S.A. Look, I love other countries. I love the French. They make delicious foods with goose livers, and they gave us Zinedine Zidane. But there’s just something special about the soul, funk and R&B music that came out of Memphis, Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis and other depressing/awesome places in the 60s and 70s.
Here are some vintage tunes from my secret stash. I tried to pick stuff that’s a bit more obscure, since by now everyone has heard the Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind and Fire. Take a listen.
And OLDY with that great Memphis beat. Every band ever should be forced at gunpoint to have a brass section. Also, the “horse” dance looks a lot like some of the Soul Train Line dances you saw in the 70s. Ahead of their time!
This song appeared in a slightly different version (without the handclaps, I think) on Herbie’s 1976 album “Secrets,” which is fucking amazing by the way. This song spends what feels like half an hour building upward in intensity before breaking into a disco-y, robotic space music with a talk box. Herbie is my hero.
“Don’t Take My Kindness for Weakness” by The Soul Children. The singing on this cut is just so great and full of soul. I love soul songs that come with that edge.
Fuck the cowbell. Hammond organ. Needs more Hammond B3 organ. Also, this song has one of those 70s bass lines that sounds like it wants to stab a baby dolphin in the eye.
“A Possibility Back Home” by Wanda Robinson. Another vicious cut with some nice jazz flute and great Afro-centric poetry spoken over top. You can tell Erykah Badu was down for this joint.
Albert King is really known for being a blues virtuoso but he made a great foray into funk. Also, the relationship between a blues musician and his instrument is fascinating so I love this stomping little love song for his guitar.
Baby Huey, a singer from St. Louis, died after releasing only one album but it was a really great album that is well-remembered by the old school cats. I don’t know what it is about this jam, but his voice just cuts through me like a knife.
The Dramatics were a huge name in the 60s and 70s but for some reason they haven’t stayed on the radar like some other bands have (Earth, Wind and Fire; Kool and the Gang, etc.). This song was used at the very beginning of “Wattstax,” the great concert film.
Some young hippity-hopper named Doctor Dre (or something) sampled this jam from Leon Haywood. When the tempo picks up at the 1:00 mark, and then mellows out again 30 seconds later, you know you’re in for a ride. If Beethoven lived in Memphis in 1972, this is probably the music he would make.
Are the D’Alessio brothers done? Will Arnold Rothstein flee the country? Is Margaret ever coming back? What will Eli do now that he is no longer the Sheriff? What’s up with Nucky and Chalky? Will the Commodore take revenge on Gillian? What’s Jimmy going to do about Angela’s betrayal? How will Agent Van Alden deal with Sebso’s death? What will happen to Annabelle now that her “fella” is dead broke? What’s going on with Lucky? How will the elections turn out? What’s Capone going to do from Chicago? So many questions! Can’t wait for the season finale. Anyone else tuning in?
Numbers stations are short wave radio broadcasts that have unexplained origins and meanings. They are often associated with intelligence and espionage activities and were a staple of Cold War intrigue. Since I made a radio post earlier I thought I would put up some information about a couple of the more interesting numbers stations.
Numbers stations get there name from the encoded messages they would broadcast. Usually a station would have a signon tone, song, or phrase. This was usually followed by a series of numbers, letters, or phrases. The numbers were generally believed to be code that would be deciphered by recipients using a one-time pad to decode the messages. No government has ever admitted to using numbers stations, but the US has accused Cuba of using numbers stations.
The stations have been picked up all over the globe, but they are difficult to track because they broadcast in short bursts. The stations have been around since WWI making them one of the earliest forms of radio communication. While it is assumed most stations are connected with governments there is also speculation that some stations may be connected with drug smuggling or other types of organized crime.
Here are a couple of sound samples from the more famous stations. If you want a more comprehensive list, visit the Conet Project archive where you can hear 150 different stations.
Atencion: A Cuban station that has been involved in US espionage cases:
The Lincolnshire Poacher is a station that is believed to be connected to British intelligence. I broadcasts from Cyprus and has an apparent sister station (called Cherry Ripe) in Australia that broadcasts the same material.
UVB-76: A Russian station nicknamed The Buzzer because it runs a buzzing noise between broadcasts (it also uses snippets of Swan Lake). It was dormant for a number of years, but began broadcasting again earlier this year.
If you have a shortwave radio, you can listen for yourself . It doesn’t take any fancy equipment and you can feel like you are on a secret spy mission behind enemy lines. Certainly more fun than listening to your average drive time DJ.
So I have looked into the logistical issues and I think we are good to go for a CrassTalk podcast. For those of you who missed the original post in Cross Talk, I am going to try and put together a podcast with some of the other CrassTalk authors. Anyone who wants to join in is most welcome and encouraged. If you want to participate please let me know by replying here even if you responded to the other post so we have a central list. To participate you just need to download Skype and have a headphone and microphone combination (SiS, you need this). I have all the equipment to do the mixing and editing, and a friend has kindly agreed to allow us use his really great music. All we need to do is have a Skype conference call and I can just record it through my laptop.
So, what do we want to talk about? We should probably pick a few topics ahead of time so we all know what to expect and can prepare. Post your ideas here and we can decide what might be fun. If it works out I can do these on a semi-regular basis and we will have our own little radio station because if we want to win the internet we will need a strong propaganda unit. Cool.
I’m sure you noticed that we have a new commenting system. We’re now using IntenseDebate, which is a fairly popular blog commenting system that a lot of other sites are already using. (Wonkette is one of them.)
There are a few really nice things about this comment system:
– You can now reply to another commenter and have your comment appear directly underneath.
– It’s now much easier to see who made which comment.
– You can post images in the comments. To do that, all you have to do is use the [img src=”URL”] tag, (with the html brackets of course.)
I am lucky enough to live in a city with a thriving & vibrant “Little India” chock full of inspiration and eye-candy. There is something about walking through the shops looking at all of the silver and gold, running my finger along the stacks of silks and voiles that makes me want to change my entire scheme to hot pink & orange. And ride off on an elephant with my Bollywood lover.
Thankfully, the world wibe web provides a little India to shopper’s everywhere.
*If you click on the image, it will take you directly to the site! Learning as I go…
Papier mache boxes & ribbon from Niki Jones http://www.niki-jones.co.uk/Papier mache Christmas balls from Niki Jones http://www.niki-jones.co.uk/Mendhi feet, your secret winter treat?Tamak gold cuff bracelet from Rosena Sammi http://rosenasammi.com/Sanskrit 'Beautiful' necklace by Rosena Sammi www.rosenasammi.comMendhi cookies by the UK bakeshop sugar sugar http://sugarsugarcreations.com
Mendhi Hand Spice cookies ~ A handmade gift! How pretty to gift these with some beautiful boxed tea. Recipe & instructions at sprinkle bakes http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2010/02/mehndi-inspired-spice-cookies.html
Williamson Fine Teas Elephant Tins from Mark T. Wendell Tea Company https://marktwendell.com/Elephants.htmHand Printed wallpaper IVM Prints http//:www.ivmprints.comOiseau Wallpaper from Kate Ridder, Carrie & Big's apartment SATC2Leaf fabric & wallpaper from Kate Ridder http://www.katieridder.com/Nizam Lights Viya Home http://www.viyahome.com/Hundred Petal Lotus Table, Viya Home http://www.viyahome.com/Indigo Ikat by Les Indiennes, http://www.lesindiennesshop.com/The Red Bed Les Indiennes http://www.lesindiennesshop.com/Bollywood movie pillow from Urban Barn http://www.urbanbarn.comIndigo Chair from Urban Outfitters http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/index.jspIndia's Unending Journey by Mark Tulley http//:www.amazon.comBeing Indian by Pavan Varma www.amazon.caWool scarves from Niki Jones www.nikijones.comTea Light holders Niki Jones http://www.niki-jones.co.uk/Mommy & Baby kurtas from Rikshaw design http://www.rikshawdesign.com
Gawkward is Crasstalk’s regular feature where we point out the most insane bullshit that gets posted to Gawker.
Today’s Gawkward is actually from Gawker’s fratty younger brother, Deadspin. Here’s the backstory:
1. On Monday Night Football, the Arizona Cardinals continued their season of general suckery by getting smoked by the fairly-sucky-themselves San Francisco 49ers.
2. During the fourth quarter of that game, long after the Cardinals’ general suckery had become obvious and the game was no longer in question, Cardinals QB Derek “Moose Balls” Anderson was briefly caught sitting on the bench cracking a smile after a teammate said something to him. No, he was not caught sucking a clown’s dick. He was not caught buying jenkem from a Malaysian tranny-boy. He was not caught murdering kittens with a blow torch. He was caught smiling.
3. After the game, some enterprising cockhole of a reporter blind-sided Moose Balls with a gotcha question about “the smile.” Moose Balls, understandably, did not take it well when some Dockers-wearing asshole questioned his competitive drive. Moose Balls stomped out.
4. The aforementioned smile, combined with the press conference temper tantrum caused an ESPN-fueled Jetstream of Bullshit from the sports media.
5. Deadspin smartly asked the awesome former NFL tight end Nate Jackson to write an essay about the incident. He defended Moose Balls. Go read it. It’s really well written. It turns out all professional athletes are not actually completely worthless to society when not performing on the field.
This article is fucking outrageous. The people who think its ok to laugh when you’re getting blown out in MNF, when a loss in this game ends the 2010 season are the same people who probably think its ok to not keep score in little league games so little johnny’s feelings don’t get hurt because his team lost. Magic Johnson is right, Anderson should get cut from Arizona. Like Magic said, Anderson is suppossed to be the team leader, hes the QB, and players will follow Anderson’s actions. I know I don;t want a team that can laugh on the sidelines when they are getting disgraced. When the Giants lost to the Colts, all the fucking Giants looked like they wanted to fucking die. That shows to me as a fan they are into the game and that they care. Not one person should stick up for this piece of trash. Lets not forget he lost his starting job this year because he sucked so bad. There’s no coincidence here, his shitty attitude does have a correlation to his shitty play.
Make sure you go and read all the replies because it goes on from there, and turns into a general pile-on with shady37 continuing to replay… which just makes it worse (better for the rest of us). Sometimes you dig a hole, and then just keep on digging deeper…
@blogsarefun: Get a fucking clue? I’ve played sports my entire life. I ain’t laughing if I’m getting smoke whether I’m playing football, baseball or handball. If you are totally vested in the game, the game feels like 10 minutes long, not 3 hours. When the game is about to end, a vested player feels like it just started.
I didn’t watch the giants sideline the entire time. But i know Giants leaders like Tuck, Osi, Eli were never laughing, not for one second. If a bench warmer, a backup kicker, someone who never gets in the game is laughing on the sidelines, I can understand that, because backups who don’t play can’t be nearly as invested in the game as a starter. Anderson is no backup, although he should be a 4th stringer or practice squad QB. He was the starting qb, the supposed leader of the team. It’s unacceptable for him to be laughing and sitting on the bench. And who the fuck is Nate. Never heard of him. I think I’ll listen to Magic Johnson, someone who knows what it takes to be a champion, to be one of the best all-times in his sport, and knows the kind of mental attitude it takes to be a champion and a winner. Oh yea, and I’ll listen to Gruden too. A blowhard, how about a Super Bowl Winning Coach.
This is a live blog of the war between Anonymous and those Anonymous believes have violated the rights of Wikileaks Editor in-Chief Julian Assange.Continue reading →
I’m sure you noticed that we have a new commenting system. We’re now using IntenseDebate, which is a fairly popular blog commenting system that a lot of other sites are already using. (Wonkette is one of them.)
