Count Me Out (*in):

Posted at 06:49 AM in Music | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Funny:

Posted at 05:59 AM in Humor, Politics, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A new Hubble image of the Antennae galaxies is the sharpest yet of this merging pair of galaxies. As the two galaxies smash together, billions of stars are born, mostly in groups and clusters of stars. The brightest and most compact of these are called super star clusters.

Credit: NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (Space Telescope Science Institute).
Acknowledgement: James Long (ESA/Hubble)
Larger version

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The Universe is an all-action arena for some of the largest, most slowly evolving dramas known to mankind. A new picture taken by the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), onboard the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the "sharpest ever" view of the Antennae galaxies - seemingly a violent clash between a pair of once isolated galaxies, but in reality a fertile marriage. As the two galaxies interact, billions of stars are born, mostly in groups and clusters of stars. The brightest and most compact of these are called super star clusters.

Source:
Colliding galaxies pictured in amazing Hubble picture
HUBBLE INFORMATION CENTRE NEWS RELEASE
October 17, 2006
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0610/17antennae/

Posted at 06:28 AM in Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Funny bit:

Posted at 06:13 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

I have lots of LIRR miscreants in the queue, but this LIRR customer couldn't wait. He was in such a hurry to park on 10/15/06, that he overshot the lot and ended up plowing into the stairway.

Hey dude, there's always another train coming!

How funny is this:

Posted at 05:54 AM in LIRR Commuter From Hell | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Bob Herbert wrote about this yesterday:

But Adrants was all over it months ago:   One Sort of Facial Promotes Another:

"this Clinique ad - currently appearing in People - comes to us today in an attachment called "Money Shot" along with wonderment regarding just what sort of facial is being eluded to. Really. How exactly does a glob of fluid on a woman's face promote moisturizing cream?"

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Source:
One Sort of Facial Promotes Another
Ad Rants
http://www.adrants.com/2006/08/one-sort-of-facial-promotes-another.php

Posted at 11:55 AM in Art & Design, Current Affairs, Philosophy, Shopping | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

What is going here?

Posted at 06:22 AM in Current Affairs, Politics, War/Defense | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

These are great:

Note the product:

Looks dangerous

And for you coffee drinkers:

Posted at 05:41 AM in Art & Design, Design, Humor, Shopping | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

There are very few artists who can pay homage to a musical influence, sprinkling melodic and stylistic references, yet remain fresh and original in their own right.

Vaughn Trapp manages to do just that.

The melodies are gorgeous, belying the bittersweet political anguish beneath. The retro influences provide a musical framework and historical reference point. But it is fresh enough not to be weighed down by the burden of that reference.

There is a clear lineage to The Beatles -- both middle year Lennon McCartney tunes and latter day George Harrison arrangements are a major influence on many of the cuts here. These beautifully written and arranged songs stand on their own, apart from their lineage and influences. It is impossible to listen to "Mr. Hurricane" and not think of George Harrison; "Almost Gone" is reminiscent of John Lennon on Revolver;  "Doin' the 911" channels Rubber Soul, complete with George Harrison on guitar. Its high praise indeed to say that some of these songs could have been penned by The Beatles in some alternative universe. 

Not only does the the work stand on its own musically, but it is relevant to today's current events.  Delve into the lyrics, and you discover an artist deeply moved by what has happened politically in the United States. Much of the musical community has been fairly low key, for instance, about the circumstances of the the Iraq war. At least, when compared to what happened during Viet Nam.

That's beginning to change now-- see Michael Franti and Spearhead's Yell Fire as a prime example.  Vaughn Trapp is another instance of musicians finding their muse in disappointment in political leadership. The incompetence and corruption produce a melancholy and sense of loss on Amerika that is palpable throughout the recording. 
My favorite cuts are:

Open Your Eyes
Almost Gone
Doin' the 911
Mr. Hurricane

You can sample the songs at My Space

Download the CD at iTunes

Posted at 11:56 PM in Music | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

I remember when this came out -- despite the obvious flaws -- we were so excited to hear anything new form John Lennon (after his death).

The remixed song, with Paul McCartney adding vocals:

Posted at 06:13 AM in Music | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack