Pop Quiz I

Without looking at your notes (electronic or otherwise), please answer the following:

Pabst Blue Ribbon is currently owned and brewed by which company?

[Partial credit will not be offered for incomplete or illegible answers.]

The Dark Knight Returns (To The Box Office)

If box office predictions are accurate, The Dark Knight will end this weekend with an astonishing $313 million in the bank. After just 10 days.

To put that figure in perspective, The Fellowship of the Ring earned $314 million. In its entire run.

Batman is on pace to topple Star Wars for the #2 spot on the All Time Domestic Box Office list. At the top: Titanic, with an unfathomable $600 million.

To put that figure in perspective, the James Cameron juggernaut was #1 on the weekend box office charts for weeks. 15 weeks, to be exact. From December 15th to March 29th, when it lost the crown to Lost in Space. Ouch.

I bring up these boring industry numbers because all the talk of a posthumous oscar for Heath Ledger seems to overshadow the more obvious nominations for Best Director and Best Picture.

If Titanic and The Lord of the Rings can win Oscars, why not The Dark Knight?

The one hurdle, in my mind, is tone.

The two previous winners, The Departed and No Country For Old Men, share the same amoral commercial-cinematic space as The Dark Knight.

The fickle creatures that are Academy voters may need something lighter. Wall-E, for example.

If the The Dark Knight is nominated - or dare I say win - it might truly represent the apogee of the superhero/comic genre.

Until the Judge Dredd franchise relaunch, of course.

Tardy Is The New Timely

Back in early 2006, I decided to report on the upcoming albums from some of my favorite artists.

It was one of my weaker posts.

Two years later and a couple of those albums still haven't been released. As such, I thought it would be fun to catch up with some of those bands.

It will be another one of my weaker posts.

Radiohead - In Rainbows was released like a bolt from the blue and changed music forever. [Or something like that.] And everybody loved it. [Except Mark, but he is a bit of a contrarian.] It does seem a bit ridiculous that they are still touring on the same material two years later, but as I have learned, Radiohead fans can't get enough of their Thom Yorke. I guess we will have to wait and see if their new freedom will see them follow Trent Reznor's prolific footsteps. Somehow I doubt that.

Junior Boys - Junior Boys certainly know how to keep fans/me happy between albums. A few tours. A brilliant iTunes exclusive EP. A remix EP featuring some real top shelf remixers. A smooth DJ compilation. And now Greenspan has an extended cameo appearance on Morgan Geist's new album, Double Night Time. It is like a transmission from an alternative universe in which Geist stepped into Dark's shoes instead of Didemus. Expect an announcement for the new album in the next few months.

Annie - After four years of anticipation, it looks like the sequel to Anniemal is finally upon us. Not that it really matters, I guess. Good pop is good pop. Look at Robyn who is just hitting our airwaves after dropping the Knife produced "Who's That Girl" back in 2005 (speaking of which, she stills owes Portland a concert since she ditched out on us to appear on The View -- no seriously). Don't Stop sounds extraordinarily promising. Awesome new logo (taking cues from Goldfrapp), check. Ridiculous overhyping by online music journal, check. Duet with Fredrik Saroea of Datarock (best opening band of 2008), double check. There is a MP3 megamix sample floating around, but I have decided save myself for the entire album.

The Rapture - Not much to report except for the one-off Timbaland collaboration (!?), "No Sex For Ben", which appeared on the GTA IV soundtrack (!?!?). This is pure b-side material, but I welcome anything from the greatest band of all time.

Primal Scream - I hope we have all successfully purged Riot City Blues from our memories and iTunes libraries. It was the kind of miscalculated disaster from which most bands would never recover. Luckily, the principal virtue of Primal Scream's music has never been consistency, but variety. Thus, while Massive Attack and Annie are still working on the albums I talked about two years ago, Gillespie and crew (minus Shields) have already released a followup. I'll spare you the suspense: Beautiful Future is about on par with Evil Heat. The highlights, not coincidentally, were produced by Paul Epworth (aka. Phones, aka. Best British Producer). Sure I am disappointed, but this might be the perfect time to catch Primal Scream live, as their new material seems like a great jumping off point to revisit their back-catalogue (unlike the XTMNTR/Evil Heat era which re-invisioned everything in menacing gun-metal grey).

Dj Shadow - Despite saying two years ago that I would like to see Davis stateside, I am probably going to skip out on his concert with Cut Chemist tomorrow night. Sorry bro.

Massive Attack - Early word of mouth on the new live material has been fairly positive, but given the sheer amount of guest appearances and the extended incubation time, it is hard to imagine what the soon to be renamed The Weather Underground is going to sound like. I am disappointed that the early rumors of Sitek helping with production didn't come to fruition (Dear Science, will have to suffice), but this surely will be one of the most anticipated albums of whatever year (or decade) in which this is eventually released.

The lie and how I told it.

I have a problem.

I lie. To strangers. A lot.

When the person next to me on an airplane starts asking about my life, I lie.

Not deceptive un-truths, mind you. Or the jocose lies and polite dissembling you are probably accustomed from me.

Just simple half-truths. White lies that benefit nobody and expire at the end of a taxi cab ride.

I lie about where I am from. What I do. Anything.

It is a type of lie that finds no easy categorization in the Augustinian taxonomy. For what interest does it serve?

I take no pleasure in the act of lying. Nor is it some strategic charade.

Nietzsche wrote that we tell the truth only because lying is too difficult. It requires invention and a good memory. And we fear detection.

Maybe that is why it seems like such a bad habit. One I feel I should break.

But the more I profess about this problem to strangers, the more they confess to suffering from the same condition.

The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

Smashing Pumpkins + Zack Snyder = ;y=ｰ( ﾟдﾟ)･∵.

How the Marcus Camby trade went down

L.A.C. — Say Denver, would do we have to do to move Marcus Camby from your perpetually overrated team to our perpetually lousy team?

Denver — Do you have the White Album on vinyl?

L.A.C. — No just CDs.

Denver — How about a First Edition Bible?

L.A.C. — I don't think that exists.

Denver — A Michael Jackson rookie card?

L.A.C. — Is that a pedophile joke?

Denver — Well, how about you give us the option to trade you 2nd round draft picks in 2010. We probably won't even want to.

L.A.C. — That's all you want? For the 2006-2007 Defensive Player of the Year? The guy who led the league in blocks last year, and the year before, and the year before that?

Denver — Yeah, see, we need to make sure we have enough money to sign our controversial ball hog who recently had a DUI. And our other controversial ball hog who hasn't been as controversial over the last two years.

You wanna hear how I got my scars?

Thanks to Logan, I saw The Dark Knight last night. And it's good. (Albeit, ultraviolent for a PG-13, and a little long, but good.)

Overall, it's a fitting follow up to Batman Begins. Much like the first movie, it's a little bloated by character and procedural subplots. (Although it doesn't drag nearly as much.)

But then the Joker shows up. Every moment he's on the screen is dynamic and entertaining. And, yet, somewhat disturbing. Hedging elements from some of the better sociopaths in film history (A Clockwork Orange and Joker in the 1989 Batman, to name just two), Nolan creates what has to be the most creative villain I've seen in a movie in a long time. Creative in plot. Creative in character. Creative in execution.

What you end up with is a character that will not sit well with the average movie viewer. (No clear origin story. No motive. No clear ending. No clear begining.) But you'll love him anyway.

(Sidenote: Is it an Oscar worthy for the deceased Ledger? Perhaps. Although, I'm remiss to say I doubt he'd get the attention if he were still alive.)

E3: Singularization

Microsoft is still not ashamed to rip off other peoples' better ideas.

And the ability to stream movies from Netflix opens up a new flank in the living room arms race. The great technological convergence is at hand.

The Ethicist: Blogspot Edition

Is it ethical to purchase a product with the full intention of using it and then returning it for a full refund? Anonymous, Portland, OR.

Nostalgiarama Wāw

Less than "Super"

It isn't a good time to live in Seattle. At least, not if you're a sports fan.

Sure the Seahawks did alright last year, but they aren't winning a Super Bowl anytime soon. The Mariners are terrible, and have been for years now. And the Sonics. Well, if you haven't already heard, the Sonics are now the Oklahoma City TBAs.

For those of you who haven't been following, basically the NBA and the new team owner wanted the city of Seattle to pay for a brand new arena because the old one sucked so bad. And the largely liberal people of Seattle voted saying that their definition of socialism didn't include supporting a hugely profitable business in its efforts to become even more profitable.

As much as I hated the Seattle Sonics over the years, I still think its pretty sad. And it makes me wonder what when happen to the Jazz when the inevitable happens.

Can We Assume Kiefer is Playing Some Role in This?

In the latest Rasmussen poll Obama leads McCain by five points. In Montana.

While I am excited by this, it is not entirely surprising. Obama simply appeals to voters who have punched a hole in the card next to the Republican candidate every four years for their entire lives.

What is surprising, but less exciting, is the way Obama has apparently forgotten that people like him because he is different, because he represents change. Obama credits Hillary Clinton, or perhaps the fight for the nomination, for making him a "better candidate." If by better candidate he means abler to play the political games "necessary" to become President, then I disagree whole-heartedly.

If the election turns into a battle about who is the most hardened, who can best play the games, Obama will likely lose, or if he wins it will be because any Democrat (not named John Kerry) would have won. As such, Obama needs to stop trying to be all things to everyone. His campaigning should be like his books, clear, concise, and unapologetic; lately it just hasn't been. I mean, how hard does it have to be to find out where Obama stands on capital punishment? And does he take the position he does for the sole purpose of being electable? That sounds like something all the other politicians would do.

Anyway, hopefully Obama can wise up soon; don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm gonna vote for McCain. Barack's just been a little bit disappointing lately.

Nerd Alert 1111!!!11

Chrono Trigger is back!

Remade and to be rereleased on the Nintendo DS. Word is that it'll be out in the U.S. by the end of the year.