"The madness of our financial system cries out for comic demolition - it needs Preston Sturges. But the glimpses of the big 2009 films gathered at the end of the Oscar show looked old-hat already, before they've even opened..."--David Thomson on the Oscars. The big routine around this house was Stiller as the Unabomber, but Steve and Tina got all the ink. (Is she more famous than him now?) … [Read more...]

Asked what punishment he would like to see for Mr. Madoff, Mr. Wiesel said: "I would like him to be in a solitary cell with only a screen, and on that screen for at least five years of his life, every day and every night, there should be pictures of his victims, one after the other after the other, all the time a voice saying, 'Look what you have done to this old lady, look what you have done to that child, look what you have done,' nothing else."--Elie Wiesel in the NYTImes. Sounds like a good prescription for Bush-Cheney crowd: strap them to … [Read more...]

but check it Redoubtable mashable runs best music tumblelogs, so crank it. [for "dandelions" read: "deadlines"] … [Read more...]

MISSED OPPORTUNITY In the current issue of the Atlantic, James Parker wonders: "Has rock history ended, its glorious teleology exhausted?" Unpack and expand please. Some quotes from Harmonix principals and history of the game's evolution from Japanese models, there are many more, and far bigger questions than asked here. For example: Is Aerosmith (or Metallica or Your Band Here) exploiting the game or does the game exploit the band? What are the revenue shares like? When will a new band BREAK across the game sector? Who will Rock Band's Nirvana … [Read more...]

A Sound Check SMACKDOWN where Morrissey pushes the boulder of camp (Years of Refusal) up the mountain of art, artlessly. … [Read more...]

FILE UNDER: Why didn't I think of this? … [Read more...]

Jon Nelson hosts "Some Assembly Required," which specializes in underground sound collage and mashups. As "Escape Mechanism," he's released an album of his own, "Emphasis Added." This ON POINT interview includes music from Nelson, Eno and Byrne, Eric B and Rakim, Girl Talk, People Like Us, Wobbly, Turnstylz, and DJ callers who argue for a new musicianship. Broadcast on Thursday, February 5, 2009. (mp3) … [Read more...]