Five-Hundred Collabs.

-  At least 50 people are dead in the latest batch of violence in Iraq.  The attacks targeted mostly Shia neighborhoods, particularly police in those towns and cities.  Dictators suck ass.  But the lesson might be: democracy and freedom are not as important as tolerance and liberty (in this case, as they pertain to religion).

-  I’m watching the Simpsons’ 500th episode right now.  It’s pretty awesome so far.  One of the better episodes I’ve seen in some time.  I like the exchange between Lisa and Homer that goes:

Homer: Jeez, Lisa… why don’t you pick up a book once and a while?

Lisa:  I pickup books like you pickup beers!

Homer:  Then you’ve got a serious reading problem.

The opening couch gag was great, a summation of all their couch gags.  I wish Fox allowed that kinda thing on YouTube, I’d post it.  And here’s all of Bart’s blackboard writings.

-  That new Gorillaz song with Andre-3000 and James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem is just okay.  It’s the only way a Gorillaz track could possibly sound with the likes of those two collaborators, and on an LP it would probably have it’s place and serve the album well.  In this case, though, as a stand alone track, it’s just alright.  [Not really digging the Gorillaz Chuck Taylor's either; for which the track is a promotional tool.]  However, I did only recently get into “The Fall” (for whatever reason) which is wonderful.  I can’t believe it was recorded exclusively by Damon during touring.  That’s using your tools (in this case his iPad) to the best of your abilities.

-  WHAT THE FUCK?!?  I just got done talking about how awesome this Simpsons episode has been and what do those bastards do??  They put this at the end of the show (and, it’s super quick so it’s hard to read):

THANKS FOR 500 SHOWS.

[smaller print]  All we ask is that you go out and get some fresh air before logging on the internet and saying how much this sucked.

That’s… I dunno.  It’s off-putting to say the least.  Especially when you’re logging onto the internet to praise it (and you live in MN, where going outside in February isn’t exactly fun).

-  I went and saw Atmosphere at their one and only First Ave. show of this brief tour.  It was great: excellent and varied setlist, cool re-workings of songs, Sean was in a great mood.  I’m waiting for some kind of review so I can see the official setlist.  Atmosphere fans are really, really strange though.  Some of them don’t even pay attention to the music.  At all.  There was two girls and two guys next to me who were more interested in hooking up than anything.  If that’s why you’re going out, maybe just go to a bar?  So that people who LOVE that band (and there are a lot of them), who will actually go and pay attention, can have an opportunity to go?  Also, it saddens me a ton that no one really cares about Kill The Vultures, cause they are boss.  And that was probably one of the more clean-cut concert crowds I’ve been amongst in some time.  Those people last night made me feel like a dirtball. Which I’m fine with!

-  Pretty eye-opening article from The Onion’s “AV Club” on the Academy Award nominees for Best Picture.  The title?  “How All 9 Best Picture Nominees Reassure Us About the Scary Future”.  I thought it was a pretty weak year for movies.  If anything, the Best Pic noms this year just aren’t as varied as they have been for the past 4 or 5 years.

-Sonny