from desert to district

Happy Holidays DC… “DON’T BRING GUNS… TO...

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:48:47 -0700

Happy Holidays DC… “DON’T BRING GUNS… TO SNOWBALL FIGHTS!”

via EverythingIsTerrible.com

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:05:39 -0700

via EverythingIsTerrible.com

My Favorite Books of 2009

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:59:00 -0700

(based on total enjoyment received)

10. - Flight: A Novel by Sherman Alexie

9. - Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman

8. - Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

7. - Naive. Super by Erlend Loe

6. - Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story by Chuck Klosterman

5. - Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

4. - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

3. - The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

2. - Netherland by Joseph O’Neill

1. - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

NOTE: I read these books in 2009. They were not all written in 2009.

My Favorite Live Shows of 2009

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:46:09 -0700

(based on total enjoyment received)

10. - St. Vincent

9. - Fleet Foxes

8. - Conor Oberst

7. - Animal Collective

6. - Santigold

5. - Grizzly Bear

4. - Bloc Party

3. - Dan Deacon

2. - GWAR

1. - Andrew Bird

CINEMA 2009 - 1 Year, 342 Movies, 12 Months of Production, 7...

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:38:12 -0700

CINEMA 2009 - 1 Year, 342 Movies, 12 Months of Production, 7 Minutes.

EXCERPTS FROM MY MOTHER'S EDITORIAL NOTES ON MY LETTERS TO SANTA, 1987-2000.

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:45:04 -0700

EXCERPTS FROM MY MOTHER'S EDITORIAL NOTES ON MY LETTERS TO SANTA, 1987-2000.:

Jen,

I think there’s some good stuff here. It’s too bad that it’s buried under a pile of holiday clichés and trite generalizations. You’ve been a “good girl?” What is the reader supposed to gather from that? Is that the author’s subjective opinion about her behavior over the past twelve months, or rather a more objective assessment based on society’s standards of what qualifies as a “good girl?” A little clarification would go a long way and most likely garner better results for what the author is trying to get, which, at the most superficial of levels, is apparently a Teddy Ruxpin doll.

With love,
Mom

PS. All your “J’s” are backwards.

Via McSweeneys.com

Animal Collective - My Girls (no. 1 track on...

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:14:00 -0700

Animal Collective - My Girls (no. 1 track on Pitchfork.com’s top 100 tracks of 2009)

The Best and Worst Identities of 2009

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:09:41 -0700

The Best and Worst Identities of 2009:

Some good (and bad) branding work on here. The winner might surprise you.

via BrandNew.com

Stereotyping People by Their Favorite Author

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:01:01 -0700

Stereotyping People by Their Favorite Author

My Favorite Albums of 2009

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:29:11 -0700

(based on total enjoyment received)

10. The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

9. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It’s Blitz!

7. Dan Deacon - Bromst

6. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

5. St. Vincent - Actor

4. Wilco - Wilco

3. Andrew Bird - Nobel Beast

2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

The Decade in Culture - GOOD Blog

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:56:15 -0700

The Decade in Culture - GOOD Blog

Photo

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:40:01 -0700

The Questions We Never Answered in 2009

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:27:44 -0700

The Questions We Never Answered in 2009:

These are the reader questions that Slate felt either ill-equipped or unwilling to answer in 2009…

How would the law punish Siamese twins if one of the twins committed murder without the other being involved? For instance, if the twins were walking down the street and one pulled out a knife and stabbed someone. It seems to me that you couldn’t punish one without the other suffering the same punishment.
In our culture when dealing with babies and little kids it’s always funny to put something on your head as a pretend hat. Is this the case in every culture? What about where they always wear turbans?
It’s 30 minutes till my bedtime and I want ice cream. I had a big dinner and a big glass of water and I’m not hungry. I thought to myself that it might be a waste to eat it now if I’m full. Then I wondered How about if I put some in my mouth, swirled it around to taste it, then spit it out? Then I will get to taste it but I won’t get uncomfortably full. But I instantly knew that would never work. I wouldn’t enjoy it at all if I couldn’t swallow it. Is that just me? Do you have to swallow food to enjoy it?

via Slate.com

hat-tip to Justin…

It’s the end of an era. Last weekend of races at the...

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:43:00 -0700

It’s the end of an era. Last weekend of races at the Phoenix Greyhound Track. Somewhat disappointed we only just now stumbled on to it…

Perfect first night back in the AZ.

The Antlers - Bear

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:19:30 -0700

The Antlers - Bear

Snowball Fight! 14th and U NW, 2 p.m. today.

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:15:43 -0700

Snowball Fight! 14th and U NW, 2 p.m. today.:

I’m really glad to be sitting in 74 degree sunshine back home in AZ, but kinda sad I’m missing this…

(via weliveindc)

The First Days of Spring - A Film by Noah and the...

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:50:57 -0700

The First Days of Spring - A Film by Noah and the Whale

Basically a long-form music video covering their entire new album. The cycling scene around 30 minutes in is fantastic…

The Best Music of the Decade

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:42:00 -0700

The Best Music of the Decade:

This list doesn’t feature Radiohead, Wilco, or Sufjan Stevens in the number one spot…

via AVClub.com

The Top 10 Stories You Missed in 2009

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:19:06 -0700

The Top 10 Stories You Missed in 2009:

A few ways the world changed while you weren’t looking.

via ForeignPolicy.com

Jay-Z/Verve Mashup - Bittersweet Dirt Off Your Shoulder

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:54:30 -0700

Jay-Z/Verve Mashup - Bittersweet Dirt Off Your Shoulder