January 6th, 2009

Astrophysics fans, take heart; today is your lucky day.

MUSIC:

One of the tracks from Merriweather Post Pavilion is streaming on Animal Collective's Myspace page. Rejoice! It's... it's really damn good. Good enough for me to loop it for the last hour.

I must give props to Pitchfork for letting the planet in on the streaming track. Also on Pitchfork today, three great music videos! M. Ward's video is just the right combination of quirky, unique, and fun; expect it to be ripped off soon. Fever Ray's video (Fever Ray = the girl from the Knife) is definitely creepy, although I feel like it's missing the bite of some of the other Andreas Nilsson videos. Finally, the video for the Very Best hits just the right spot: it's just Esau's family hanging out and having fun.

Here's a track that's been making its way through pretty much every website ever: the new Eminem. It's fun and it's party-ready and it's got Dre and 50 Cent, but to be honest, it depresses me how dated this all sounds. None of the verses are really memorable. But it's fun, I guess.

FILM:

Hey everybody, Baz Luhrmann is making a film that has failed in more talented hands. Well, for a book that's never been faithfully adapted, with Luhrmann maybe we can check that expectation at the door and just enjoy whatever gaudy spectacle he produces.

Broken Lizard's new movie looks like a lot of fun. As I often say, any movie in which Will Forte reads War and Peace is a picture I'm going to see.

/Film has a new japanese Watchmen trailer up, and - wait for it - there's new footage. I was expecting (and ready to appreciate) one or two new shots, but to my delight, there's a crapload of new stuff in this video. Nixon, doom clock, assassination, new dialogue, and more!

The descriptions for Objectified had me ready to fall asleep, but the trailer up on Gizmondo via BoingBoing looks oddly thrilling. It looks like the doc is taking its dry subject matter (the design of... objects) and rounding it out with wit, humanity, and a true respect for its subject matter. Them's the ingredients that make a good documentary, so I'll definitely be watching this one. It may even convince me to buy Helvetica.

Oh hell, Pop superstar Rain is finally training to take over the world. Wait, nevermind, that's just training footage from his upcoming Wachowski-produced action film, the somewhat vaguely titled Ninja Assassin. I have no idea what this film could be about, but judging from that footage, it looks like it'll be a lot of fun.

WEIRD:

The muppets have gone viral. Thank you, /Film, for blowing my mind.

Lil Wayne was on ESPN. Weezy sounds bored or tired, and a grown man who calls himself Skip rambles condescendingly and inanely about Tha Carter III. Also, props to user SLBAS4EVER for the casually unaffected remark, "ii Love 'LiL WayNE **".

I first heard of Neil DeGrasse Tyson in a chain bookstore on a rainy day when I encountered his book, "Death by Black Hole." I couldn't put it down. (It later came in handy in high school physics, when I inexplicably knew about Spaghettification) This interview up on BoingBoing is a tidy summary of why Tyson is one of my favorite people ever.

WORLD:

The crisis in Gaza continues; almost all reports suggest that the majority of casualties are civilians. The cost should not be ignored. The U.S. still blocks a ceasefire, claiming that an agreement now would be impermanent. Today's big story was the Israeli strike on a U.N.-run school, with at least 40 casualties. Israel claims to have acted in self-defense, and that Hamas militants had fired from the school. U.N. officials are seeking a thorough investigation.

President-elect Obama's pick to head the CIA, Leon Panetta, is making predictable waves; Panetta has minimal experience and is a full 180 ideologically from the way the CIA has been run under Bush. Much of the controversy amongst Democratic lawmakers involves a mishandling of the announcement; the news was leaked before key Democrats could be informed.

Oh, and nobody likes Burris.

PERSONAL:

Last Thanksgiving I cooked a Tofurkey in the microwave, and deemed it a success. As glorious as that moment was, today's oven-cooked Tofurkey was divine. It doesn't hurt that I coupled the Tofurkey with white grape juice, which I am convinced is made out of love and joy.

I'm a big Scrubs fan, so I was eager to watch tonight's premiere on the new network. Last season was bumpy, to say the least, which I would mostly blame on the strike that cut the season short. There were two episodes tonight. The first was a bit underwhelming - lots of clumsy setting-things-up fare, not nearly enough invading JD's mind, and a twist that - if true - is infuriatingly stupid. (Fans of Dr. Jan Itor, unite!) The second episode, however, was actually really good: lots of good Braff/Faison moments, some good fantasy sequences, and a genuinely touching core narrative. End it well, guys, end it well.

2009 FILMS SEEN: 0
2009 SONGS ON MY ITUNES: 3
Current Computer Situation: MacBook Pro, back on my desk for fear of overheating.