July 2010
14 posts
1 tag
June 2010 top ten
1. Youssou N’Dour, “I Bring What I Love”: With a thirty-year discography behind him, how far up the list of greatest male singers? I have him at four, with a small chance of overtaking Armstrong but none of surpassing Green and Sinatra. At this rate he might as well run for president. 2. Mark E, “You” (full vocal mix): Diana Ross’s “You Were the One”...
June 2010
15 posts
Spain 1-0 Portugal: Villa eventually finds a way... →
Letting Xavi run was Portugal’s first mistake, but the move didn’t seem overtly dangerous at that point. Ricardo Costa had to come into the middle, but Iniesta didn’t have the angle to play something Villa could run on to, and if he played it straight to him, Costa would’ve had time to make a challenge. (This doesn’t excuse Simao, who should’ve come back.)
Still, the real threat didn’t start...
1 tag
PNAS jumps the shark
Zero surprise that the “my citation count is bigger than yours” methodology of the paper assessing expert credibility on climate change is shit, and less than zero surprise that old and new media are misinterpreting it. And I know that much scientific advancement has emerged from the tenured equivalent of bar fights. But what’s the point of the paper if it’s not a smear...
1 tag
NZ vs Paraguay most important day in national...
Barrios on the bench. NZ should be happy with that.
Yeah, not a lot happening.
And now NZ mathematically need to score. Doesn’t look likely the way things have gone, but does it ever for the All Whites?
Paraguay have even less incentive to make anything happen now. It’s showing.
Reid is the only one being kept busy in defence.
Half-time: Paraguay are throwing numbers at the ball...
2 tags
England 1-0 Slovenia: England more balanced and... →
The bookies have England as very slight favourites over Germany, which sounds about right. Shockingly, despite the presence of Carragher or Upson in the starting line-up, I think England’s back four has defended together pretty well over the last two games, whereas Germany are giving away a few too many chances in the area for their comfort. On the flip side, James hasn’t really been tested...
1 tag
““He has got no good red blood in his body,” said Sir James.
...”
1 tag
Italy vs NZ LiveTumbl
OMG
OMFG
That was a mile offside, right? Even if it rebounded off Cannavaro?
Cannavaro is playing old man’s football. Might work if he gets an All White sent off.
Penalty! Yeah, you can’t give the Italians any chance to milk a foul. And we’re tied.
You can’t give the Italians this much possession and expect them not to score again.
Half-time: Man, Paston always looks...
1 tag
DVDs I've watched this month, not quite in order...
Inglourious Basterds: Tarantinoisms in four languages! Though Christoph Waltz gets most of the good ones. Fantastic Mr. Fox: The first Wes Anderson movie that sustained my interest all the way through, unless Hotel Chevalier counts. The Blind Side: As far as actors’ movies skirting the line between compassionate conservatism and racism go, it’s a hell of a lot more fun than Precious....
1 tag
Mexico vs France second half LiveTumbl
Spent the first half trying to work out how Mexico gets away with playing only two real backs. They do get a lot of help from the wingbacks.
Funny that Anelka gets subbed off just after getting his first shot on target in four games.
Not sure what Marquez’s job is, but dude is busy.
GOAL HERNANDEZ! Looked offside at first glance, but seemed OK on the replay.
Lloris looked very...
1 tag
June 2010 reading log
Finished:
Marilyn Hacker, Names — Heart the vocab, but no one has yet made the ghazal work in English. She comes up with Shady-worthy (OK, Porter-worthy) rhymes, then the repeated word kills them.
The Brothers Karamazov — Quite good.
Jan Kjaerstad, The Discoverer — “A curving shot skimming under the crossbar from twenty metres out, that they could have stomached, a ...
1 tag
NZ vs Slovakia: half-asleep blog
Huh, this isn’t bad. The All Whites are doing a good job of keeping the ball away from the dangerous Slovakians (Hamsik, Sestak).
Despite dominating possession so far, NZ aren’t going to keep a clean sheet. They’re crowding the ball too much, leaving blue shirts unmarked.
Paston no doubt knows that no one remembers ‘keepers’ foul-ups when they don’t cost a...
1 tag
England vs USA LiveTumbl or something
Lampard and Gerrard as the central midfield. People never learn.
England 1 - USA 0: Not that it’s going to matter if the USA aren’t going to mark. Kind of a hesitant goal, as if England only realised at the last moment that the USA weren’t too interested in defending.
Milner yellow-carded, off for SWP. The US should be relieved as they were getting outclassed on their right...
The Singles Jukebox » Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg –... →
1. Even though the motivation is maximum demographic appeal, it’s kind of sweet how Katy, Luke et al. make their lyrics racially neutral (“sun-kissed skin”, nice). Snoop doesn’t join in, making his object of desire Katy (or girls like Katy), which is his right.
2. At least Jay-Z made it to the majority of the boroughs. Snoop’s the only one here who realises parts of California are outside...
1 tag
Anonymous asked: Dear Uncle Brad,
My friend is dating a tight-jeaned dance party promoter. She thinks he's a rebel but he's just putting on a tough guy act, while dropping in these ridiculous "sensitive" moments. He's even passing off "All in all is all we are" as his line! I've tried to tell her than he's a poser but she won't listen. How can I convince her...
My friend is dating a tight-jeaned dance party promoter. She thinks he's a rebel but he's just putting on a tough guy act, while dropping in these ridiculous "sensitive" moments. He's even passing off "All in all is all we are" as his line! I've tried to tell her than he's a poser but she won't listen. How can I convince her...
1 tag
May 2010 top ten, #1: Playboy Tre, "Liquor Store... →
The great problem of late American modernity is not the tension between society and the individual, but that most people believe in it. Johnny Cash knew it was used by vested interests to set us against each other. Tre’s statement of purpose isn’t as developed as “Man in Black”, but it’s more intellectually contentious. That enjoying oneself is a community service I...
