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Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2009
iPhone Users Beware! And An Unrelated Tale of Mistaken Identity
iPhones users! Goodchild informed me that there may be some crazy phone virus headed your way, check out this article on Forbes.com.
Yeah so Tim is my band mate slash room mate and Goodchild had a funny incident with a person whom he thought was Tim. Read the story below as if Tim is someone you know.
- Sonic
so ... the attached pic is of Tim, though not of tim:i walked to the 7th ave stop on the B/Q line on the way to work, as I do when it's not pouring rain.
I was waiting for the train underground, sweating my ass off, when I decided to take my glasses off a second and wipe my brow.
without my glasses, I saw someone come down the stairs to the platform, and the fuzzy out of focus shape had a familiar feel to it ...
I put my glasses on, and i saw Tim standing there, looking at me, wearing slacks, a button down shirt, a tie and a sport coat.
"Hey!" I said.
Tim stared at me a moment more, said nothing, then turned away ...
When I caught the profile, it occurred to me that it might not be Tim -
after all, what the fuck is Tim doing waiting for the B or Q train in park slope at 9am?
And - I hoped - wouldn't Tim have at least said "Hi" back to me before ignoring me?
I thought we were friends ...
I looked closer, and, yeah, it was Tim ...
So I took a few steps towards him, and saw that, No, No Way, it was NOT Tim.
Shit.
My bad.
The B train came, I hopped on ... and he hopped on the same car.
I got a seat, and he stood, almost facing me, and for a while I was staring at him ...
same height
same weight
same hair (though it was sweaty and matted down)
same mannerisms
same gait (is that the word for the way someone walks?)
and similar fashion, to a sense - As it was a workday, I totally believed Tim would wear this getup.
I realized I had to get a picture ... i kinda snapped one, it's not the best, and it doesn't do justice to how much this guy looks like -
no, how much this guy IS Tim...
Tim has a doppleganger in park slope, i swear it.
- Goodchild
Monday, July 27, 2009
Why The Japanese Are Way Cooler Than Us Americans
Perhaps a bit overstating there, but in many ways it seems true. For example, Americans created baseball, and it is our national pastime – but even though we have always been rather dominant in the sport, once an actual world championship was created (the World Baseball Classic), Japan showed the world who’s got game (they’ve won both tournaments so far). That’s just cool.
Know what else is cool? Studio Ghibli. I mean, these guys are just the absolute greatest at what they do – and what they do is make awesome animated films.
… I’m looking at that last sentence and it’s not doing it for me. “Awesome” is a word that simply gets bandied about too much, and has lost its punch. Ok, how about this: Studio Ghibli makes films that will instill a wholly childlike sense of awe and wonder in you, and make you wish that the film never ends so that you never have to go back to the real world. Alright, I like that better, but it still doesn’t do them justice. The films these guys put out there just exude a coolness on a level that no American animation even comes close to – not even our mighty Pixar.
Helmed by the masterful Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli has created some of the most wonderful films (and think about that word a minute – wonderful … FULL of WONDER) the world has ever seen. The films are so wildly successful in their native Japan, that Disney secured rights to dub them in English for North American release. If you’ve ever seen a Japanese movie dubbed in English, you might think this is a terrible idea – but in their defense, Disney does the right thing by Miyazaki’s films, hiring the right actors to get down the rightly translated dialogue. While I usually insist on watching anime in Japanese with English subtitles, Disney’s dubs of Miyazaki’s films are a pleasant exception, and are excellently done. They are even so well received here that Spirited Away won the Academy Award for best animated film in 2002.
Last year, Japanese audiences were treated to Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s newest film – and the slow process of properly translating the script, finding the right actors and redubbing it in English has finally come to fruition for Disney, who will be releasing Ponyo on August 14th. Check the trailer, then get the family together and tell them not to make plans for August 14th!
- Goodchild
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Portugal. The Man - New Album Out Today!
Portugal. The Man's new record The Satanic Satanist comes out today! They are also playing some gigs in our neck of the woods, August 4th at Union Pool (Brooklyn) and August 5th at Mercury Lounge (NYC). See you there!
- Sonic
Monday, July 20, 2009
As Tall As Lions - New Record Hits August 18th
It’s Been Fun, But Looks Like We’re All Doomed!
To quote the last line in the song Be Here Now, by the ridiculously cool band As Tall As Lions:
“It’s been a good life – I’ll be sad to see it go …”
Clicking this link will explain why and apparently how we’ll all die.
So, why not check out a sweet ass live version of the aforementioned As Tall As Lions song?
- Goodchild
Friday, July 17, 2009
Watch Out, SoCal!
Two weeks ago, I was on vacation visiting the folks in Las Vegas. Being huge baseball fans, we took a day to drive down to San Diego to watch our beloved Boys in Blue (still the best team in baseball!) beat up on the hometown Padres. Thankfully, they did beat up on them – then promptly blew the lead, and finally won the game in an exhausting 13 innings (hey, at least we got our money’s worth). We walked around downtown San Diego a bit before and after the game, and I simply couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful the city is. I mean, I just love it out there. The architecture, the people, the culture, the food …
Oh, and don’t forget the beaches. San Diego has some awesome beaches, with some great surfing. In fact, with the weather there being almost perfect year round, there’s really only one problem.
Humbolt squid – “aggressive 5-foot-long sea monsters with razor-sharp beaks and toothy tentacles”, to quote the article I just read – are invading the shallow waters off the coast in San Diego, and perhaps moving further north.
Click here to read about some of the experiences people have been having with the giant sea monsters.
Would you head into the sea to swim with them? They’re big … check this video for some being caught by fishermen earlier this year.
- Goodchild
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Julian Casablancas of The Strokes Releasing New Solo Album
Julian Casablancas of The Strokes will be releasing a solo record entitled Phrazes For The Young. All of the other members of The Strokes have released work on side projects but this will be the first for Casablancas. The record is due out in Fall of this year, but check out the preview video for now.
- Sonic
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
9th Annual Siren Music Festival
9th Annual SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL™ Saturday, July 18, 2009
Sphere: Related Content
BUILT TO SPILL, SPANK ROCK, THE RAVEONETTES, FRIGHTENED RABBIT, GRAND DUCHY, MONOTONIX, A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS,
THEE OH SEES, FUTURE OF THE LEFT, JAPANDROIDS, MICACHU & THE SHAPES, TINY MASTERS OF TODAY, BEAR HANDS, THE BLUE VAN, JUSTINE D. and DeadHeat DJs Play the Siren Festival this weekend!
SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL returns this Saturday, July 18, 2009 from noon — 9pm! This free, all ages festival features performances throughout the day on two outdoor stages in historic Coney Island, NYC.
- Sonic
Travel Tips - Las Vegas
Time for something a bit unusual for one of my posts, but something I nonetheless had to give some props to. I’m usually blathering about video games, movies, television, or other forms of media, but today I thought I’d talk about another form of gaming.
I am, of course, talking about gambling – and I thought I’d tip you off on a brand new spot to head off to.
A few years ago, my parents retired and moved away from the loving embrace of New York City, to the bright lights of fabulous Las Vegas. Since that time, I’ve gone out to visit quite a few times, and in many respects stopped considering myself a tourist while there. Now, if you know anything about Las Vegas, you know the strip – that long stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard where all the mega hotel/casinos are. Where you book a room at one hotel, but spend your vacation tooling up and down, visiting each of the others – and why not, it’s legal to walk on the strip with open alcoholic beverages!
My main problem is that I spend most of my time at home at work, and I work right near Times Square. Times Square is one of, if not the largest tourist destination in our country. Since I spend 5 days a week surrounded by the thickest flow of tourists imaginable, when I go away to relax and visit my folks, I try not to go near the strip – it’s like being at work when I’m 2,500 miles from home. There are plenty of really nice places off of the strip that offer everything the mega joints do – sometimes even more. For example, until my last trip, I’d say that my favorite place in Las Vegas was Red Rock Casino. The architecture of the building is incredibly cool, with long, low waterfalls and fire pits outside. The gaming floor has a very pretty red aesthetic, to match the nearby red rocks of the Nevada mountains. They have all the games you want to play – and with better table limits and less restrictions on rules than on the strip. There are a lot of food choices, ranging from good all the way to great. There’s a ton more than the casino, too – an amazing spa, a huge movie theater, the coolest bowling alley I’ve even been to (which is cheap as hell, too!!), and the sweetest pool area I’d seen yet. Oh, and it’s populated by really cool, mellow locals, all friendly and just looking for a good time – the exact opposite of the huge jostling crowds giving off heavy and bad vibes on the strip. All that, and if you’re free during the day, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is right nearby, with some breathtaking views, trails, and a great scenic drive. I recommend climbing to the top of the tallest peak there, Mt. Turtlehead – my brothers and I did it, and it was exhilarating, offering great views of all of Las Vegas.
So … what could be better than all that?
M.
That’s it. Just one letter and it says it all. M is the newest luxury joint in Las Vegas, and it sits just south of the strip, just off I-15. Inside, it offers all the amenities on its gaming floor that Red Rock does, but bigger, newer and nicer. I’ve never met a friendlier staff at a casino, with people always looking to help out and hook you up – anytime I saw anyone ask for any type of comp, they got it. Now, I can’t truly speak on what all those peoples gambling tendencies were, but I can say I’ve never seen pit bosses jump so energetically at the prospect of getting something for free for the customers.
And the free things seem to be everywhere. Simply for signing up for a comp card, I was treated to a free buffet. As good as that may sound, consider this: the family that runs the M owns their own farm where they raise the delicious beef used there. They own their own vineyards, and supply their own delicious wine. They own their own microbrewery and supply their own beer. And in the buffet, which featured probably the most amazing selection of gourmet international foods I’ve ever seen assembled in one room, all the wine and beer you want is included. How’s that for value?
My first day in town was July 4th, and my parents and I went to M, outside by the pool area to watch their fireworks show. I was fairly impressed by it, and I’ve seen the one they put on in Redbank, NJ. But what really impressed me was the sweet layout of the pool area itself, and how beautiful it was – and the fact that the strikingly gorgeous sunsets over the mountains around the M didn’t hurt at all. My last night in town, my ‘rents and I went to the Veloce Cibo, at the top of M. The impressive views of Las Vegas were almost as good as those from Mt. Turtlehead (though there wasn’t the I-just-climbed-a-mountain sense of accomplishment to heighten it), and the food there was flat out ridiculous. Seriously. No peppercorn sauce should be that good – that’s how people get addicted.
All this, supported by what is by far the most attractive wait staff I’ve ever seen (why, if I didn’t have my Norah Jones, I’d be in love with every woman there), and you’ve got my favorite destination spot in all of Nevada.
- Goodchild
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Brand New Brand New Song - Bed
As promised here is a live video of the song "Bed" which will be on Brand New's new record entitled Daisy coming out September 22nd 2009.
- Sonic
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