Moving to Tumblr...

Image via WikipediaChange can be a good thing, right? I'm kicking off my 2009 by changing over to a Tumblr blog. First, I like to change things up every now and then, and Tumblr feels like a fun way to bring some different functionality to my blogging. Second, I've got too many pseudonyms.... I'm going back to my Kellogg base as Papi. I think you know him well.

http://papilicious.tumblr.com

Please join me at my new link, and spread the word.

Aural Fixation 2008 (Papi's Best Of)

I've enjoyed putting together my list of favorite songs of 2008, as it's a nice reflection on a year of many changes. Some people like to put togher best albums of the year lists, but I find those a little tiring (both the lists and some of the albums). There are SO many great tunes out there, but there are much fewer albums that merit purchase. And if the entire album isn't worth purchasing, why diminish the due respect for an awesome song?

Anyway, my only rule for putting together this list is that the song must have been released in 2008. Also, let me issue a disclaimer... This list is completely of my own making, and not of any influence of a list from NPR, Rolling Stone, or any other great music publication. It just so happens that we share the same opinion on several of these groups.

And while this list may not have the cohesive playback as one of Orn's "Sunday Morning" compilations, here are the songs that got me through the year (in no particular order)...

Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened. Me gusta the outro.
Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss A Beat. Blend the Ramones and Interpol, and you have this song.
Drive By Truckers - That Man I Shot. A modern day, yet darker, "I shot the sheriff."
Bound Stems - Clear Water and Concrete. The song sounds like a waterfall and I'm not sure how they accomplished that.
Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood. Difficult choice here, because the whole album is phenomenal. If you don't own it yet, you know what to do.
She & Him - This Is Not A Test. Did you hear Zooey is engaged to Death Cab's Ben Gibbard (who amazingly looks like Dwight Schrute's contemplative older brother)? Maybe he'll start writing happy songs again.
Bon Iver - Skinny Love. Again, tough choice, as I love the entire album.
Thievery Corporation - Hare Krishna. A recent pickup, but a keeper. I haven't heard electronic music that I like as much as these guys.
Los Campesinos! - You, Me, Dancing! Exclamation points!
DeVotchKa - The Clockwise Witness. Kind of whiney, but a good tune.
My Morning Jacket - Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Part 2. Like Beth, I opted for this one as one of my favorites. Long, yes, but well worth it.
David Holmes - I Heard Wonders. Cruisin music.
The Walkmen - Four Provinces. May I recommend these guys for an upcoming Friday Chill Music?
The Raconteurs - Salute Your Solution. Jack White does it again.
Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof. Perfect summertime chilling music.
Death Cab For Cutie - Bixby Canyon Bridge. Moody and dark, but Death Cab at its best.
Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook. Flism flasm.

PS: For those of you who made a request, your CDs are on their way.

My computer is broken and hates me.

OK, so much for my promises of sending my 2008 best of to people. I can't even burn a single CD. I'm getting the "4450 error," which, to no avail, I haven't solved yet. Sorry peeps. I'll tell you my list when I get back from Xmas travels. All the best!

Aural Fixation 2008 (Papi's Best Of)

It's on its way soon. Would anyone like a mailed copy? If so, please email me.

Fair Dogs

Image via WikipediaNow we've proven that even dogs have a concept of fairness. Fascinating stuff.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/12/08/dogs.jealousy/index.html

Bear Grylls Injured!

Image via WikipediaLet's see if you can guess how Bear was hurt. Was it:

(a) Tongue burnt after Earl Grey sipped too soon after steeping;

(b) Ankle twisted after slipping on luxury bathsoap;

(c) Shoulder broken after fall on 9,000 Antarctic peak;

(d) Neck strained after Les Stroud choke slam.

See the answer after the jump... http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2014278.ece

This guy is awesome...

Great track from David Holmes

David Holmes may not be a household name, but the movies he's scored - Out of Sight, Oceans 11-13 - were arguably made better by his very music. Please listen to this track... Again, it's another one of those songs that should have warnings about pending speeding tickets.

http://hypem.com/track/648800/David+Holmes-I+Heard+Wonders

The Plague of Happiness

Image via WikipediaWe've all had experience with these types of people...

You know, the over enthusiastic, always happy, never ruffled, good-natured, cheery, chirpy, model citizens? Whether you've consciously realized it or not, these individuals may be spreading their happiness in an epidemiological fashion to others. And, this has now been scientifically proven, people.

What, you ask, is the effect of the converse, Debbie Downer? The study, detailed in New Scientist, also states that dour sentiments spread slower than happiness.

So take stock... Your mood has a larger ripple effect on those around you than you know.

Do us all a favor, and . . .

. . . fire this brand manager NOW.

"Santa! I know him!"

You will get a kick out of these.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-scared-santa-sm-081202-pg,0,52957.photogallery

The Fail Bubble

The fail business is in full growth. First, FailDogs. Next, Lolcats, and the list goes on.

Our next new bubble perhaps? Or, the best time time waster since solitaire?

One of the more entertaining fail blogs out there is, appropriately URL'd, failblog.org.

More great new music

Cover of The Family Afloat
Bound Stems - Happens To Us All Otherwise: These guys are serious cerebral musicians, sometimes to their detriment. Most of the tracks on their new album, The Family Afloat, stray from traditional song patterns, which produces the effect of wondering where the song is going. Regardless, they are an awesome band, reminiscent of Bright Eyes (though less whiney) and Arcade Fire (though much less epic from my standpoint).

Apse - From the North. These Cape Codders churn out some great modern instrumental psychedelia. They share some musical similarities to Deerhunter, another great new band I'm enjoying right now. I had a hard time finding this tune in particular, so check out Shade of the Moor.

Sigur Ros - Gobbeldegook. I had the pleasure of seeing Sigor Ros this past fall, and it was one of the most enjoyable concerts of the year for me. They closed with this song, full of energy and emotion. Great way to finish a concert. And, if you're like me, you won't care that you have no figgin' idea what they're talking about.

Wireless Electricity

Image via WikipediaVery cool developing technology with so many applications...

http://multimedia.boston.com/pub/tn/100/innovation_economy.htm?bctid=2942411001

Good Jobs vs. Good Work

Book cover via AmazonAs always, I imbibed in my weekly Sunday New York Times reading at Starbucks. I read this article in the business section, and I liked it because it's a common struggle for many people I know. The author, prefacing some groundbreaking work by the renowned Harvard University psychologist, Howard Gardner, elucidates on the question of what makes a good work, not just a good job.

"There are, Mr. Gardner said, three questions people can ask about their jobs to evaluate their good-work level: Does it fit your values? Does it evoke excellence; are you highly competent and effective at what you do? Does it bring you that subjective barometer of engagement, joy?"

More great new music...

Check out these tunes... More to come in a week...

Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss A Beat. This is a great song off their new album, Off With Their Heads. Watch out for cops - this song will make you want to drive fast.

Raphael Saadiq - 100 Yard Dash. Believe it or not, I found this song from a Starbucks free iTunes download. Raphael Saadiq is great - his sound is a throwback to days when R&B musicians used to play instruments.

Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened. I haven't heard much of these guys on the radio, but I think it's only a matter of time. Make sure you listen the whole way through, as it gets pretty interesting after 2:30 when the lyrics stop and the song morphs into a sweet instrumental jam.

Google helps you fill in the blank...

http://upload.gaiatools.com/files/googlesuggest_1.png

Makes for hours of good fun.

More amazing photos...

... that I didn't take.

http://www.noupe.com/inspiration/nature-scenic-photos-30-angry-soft-masterpieces.html

New Dutch Music

You may be wondering about the radio silence from D.E. in regards to new music selections. Quite honestly, my StinkPad is on its death bed, and cannot handle, on most days, iTunes and the internet at the same time. Makes it kinda hard to sample new songs when the old laptop refuses to type sometimes.

Anyway, here are a few long overdue fun songs to get your mood over the sour economy.

Flobots - No Handlebars. 'Cause I can ride my bike with no handlebars. Enuff said.

Benji Hughes - Tee Shirt. From the man who brought you "Let's Duet" from Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story comes some more serious tunes. Not that serious though.

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive. Just because.

DIY Seinfeld Moments

Image by Zesmerelda via FlickrThe DIY ("do it yourself") movement has empowered many consumers to build their own additions. fix their own plumbing, and pimp their own rides. A little known subset of the DIY movement is what I call "DIY Seinfeld Moments." Read on for this free, exclusive tutorial.

Bill of Materials:
Kindly midwest girlfriend - Check
Active/aggressive east coast boyfriend - Check (that's me)
Pizza joint hopping with busy suburban uber-moms - Check
Uber toddlers, wearing Crocks (Crox?) - Check

Instructions:
Sit down to enjoy pizza on a nice Friday eveneing with your lovely girlfriend. Locate seat near busy aisle of traffic. Initiate consumption.

As the uber-mom (with uber-toddler on hip) walks past your table, notice how the uber-mom stops at your table to ensure her flock of other uber-toddlers are following. When uber-mom pivots, see how uber-toddler's Crock foot lands in the middle of your pizza. (read that again).

As uber-toddler Crock, now covered in mozzarella and tomato sauce leaves pizza, promptly inform uber-mom about said pizza crockprint.

Raise volume of voice to uber-mom to get her attention as she tries to leave scene. Casually ignore kindly midwest girlfriend giving you "stare of death."

Upon uber-mom's return, decribe said crockprint. Describe again, then again until understood.

Kindly refuse answer to uber-mom's question of , "What do you want me to do?" and wish her a pleasant evening.

Avoid sleeping on the couch by accepting kindly midwestern girlfriend's barbs of inappropriateness.

Rinse and repeat.

Thank You, Gmail

Image via CrunchBaseI get the feeling that Google is really looking after me nowadays. First, they create a Gmail feature which attempts to thwart drunk emailing. (Nice.) Next, they add an intelligent calendar feature that allows you to simply describe the event, date, and time in order to get it on your calendar. I repeat - describe.

For a guy who is frequently in trouble for forgetting commitments to his girlfriend, thank you. You have significantly reduced the reason for stupid relationship fights in my life - with both innovations.

Irony

Image via WikipediaDoes anyone consider the irony of the current financial crisis? Specifically, how free market, anti-regulation geniuses (i.e. Greenspan) could accidentally engineer a crisis that may push the US to become a much more socialist state.

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My Favorite Campaign Ad

The race between Al Franken and Norm Coleman for US Senate (MN) has been one of the most widely followed in the country. It's actually proved for some interesting political theater, and you can't change the channel without seeing a campaign ad. This one is my fave...

File Under Bad Idea

Image via WikipediaSomeone had the bright idea to combine the convenience of a Roomba with the sharp spinning blades of a lawnmower. This sounds like a recipe for missing digits and/or pets.



Link source: Endgadget

Unexpected Rap Battle

This commercial is great for many reasons, including the fact that it's hilarious.

Update: Yellow Pages / Getting Greener

Image by GDStinx via FlickrUPDATE: I posted back in June about the abhorrent stacks of yellow pages distributed to my apartment building.

Turns out that I was not alone in my ire for this blatant misuse of trees. One non-profit is finally taking some steps to clean up the industry's act.

Thanks to Siegs for sending on this link -

http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/ - which allows you to opt out of receiving these relics of the paper age.

Like my post in June, I'm sure this will irk the PR guy who buzzed me about the continuing relevance of this relic of the paper age.

-----------------------------------

My foyer was littered this weekend with stacks upon stacks of phonebooks. In today's internet led world, few people need these relics of information. (E.g. My grandmother.) I don't see why people who do genuinely need these books can't simply opt in (or vice versa). I think many of us would prefer that to the paper and fuel wasted by this dying advertising model.

It only takes a few meatheads...

Image via Wikipedia... to tarnish a reputation. Looks like Dean Jain will have some work to do about this. Can you imagine sitting in the OLC reviewing a party gone bad? Urgh. Makes me sick.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1239841,CST-NWS-field24.article

Billy Beane, Newt Gingrich, and John Kerry walk into a bar...

No, really... Then they wrote an article about evidence based medicine.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/opinion/24beane.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Reblog: Innovating Through Recession

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeSo, Orn beat me to the punch in highlighting a new article by one of my favorite Kellogg profs, Andrew Razeghi. He's a great professor, both the type of person who is both extremely intelligent in his many areas of expertise - growth, strategy, creativity and innovation - and an all around solid guy who is happy to hear new ideas.

Here's Andrew's latest article, specifically on how to innovate during a recessionary environment. If you're running a business, Andrew's piece should be a good guidepost for these tough times. I would also recommend John Quelch's piece on marketing during a recession.

Multiplication

I've been ecstatic to hear that Beth Stevens, John Hamilton, and Todd Melby have joined the ranks of the blogging community. Glad to see some very smart and interesting people share their thoughts on a really wide variety of topics.

Congrats to former college roomy Chris Goldberg for his first appearances on Huffington Post. Chris and I only attended the same college for one year, but he had a knack for good movie taste, good music taste, and very strong political opinions. He's a really funny guy and it shows in his writing. Of course, I'm a sucker for a good Spinal Tap reference any time.

Communal Branding

Image via WikipediaExcellent article I stumbled upon in Adweek about companies using online community-focused business practices (Zappos, Threadless, Yelp).

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3i5e732e045deaaba3f3762d92cf386637?pn=1

Amazing Nasa Photos

Image via Wikipediahttp://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html

The site is VERY low tech, but the photos of the day are amazing.

The Red Sox are NOT the new Yankees...

The new Yankees are the old Yankees in terms of spending, though not in terms of winning.

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/salaries

(That post is for you Siegs!)

Presidential Economics

Unsurprising results, given that McCain has stated he doesn't understand economics as well as he should, and the economic brain trust and Chicago School familiarity among Obama and his camp.

If only I had some more free time...

... I'd read each of these books.

Independent Rock The Vote

Image by daniel arnold! via FlickrWilco w/ Fleet Foxes served up a tasty cover of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" today. Awesome.

Greetings all,

Such tumultuous times. And in the spirit of giveaways that seem to be sweeping the nation, we've got something free for you. No it's not a pile of cash (sorry) but rather an audio postcard of sorts from a summer's night in Oregon with our friends the Fleet Foxes & a lovely Bob Dylan tune. All we ask is you go to http://wilcoworld.net/vote/ and click the "I pledge to vote in the 2008 Election" button. If you can spare it, we also encourage you to consider a donation to Feeding America http://www.feedingamerica.org/ . Happy listening (and please feel free to pass this email along to friends, family members, etc.).

The Wilco HQ Distribution Dept.
http://wilcoworld.net/

Stat of the day (9/19/08)

Image via Wikipedia"97% of teens ages 12-17 play computer, web, portable, or console games."

Source: Pew Internet Life, Teen Games and Civics Report

I Heart Neko

Image by JasonBechtel via FlickrThe previous concert I attended (Rage) could not have a more different atmosphere than the one I attended last night. Neko Case, the scarlet-haired crooner formerly of the New Pornographers, is touring in advance of her March 2009 album release. She's building support for the forthcoming album, titled (I think I head this right) Middle Cycle, and she's testing out new material. Her voice is amazing in person, and the band sounded great . . . especially their lap guitarist, who is responsible for the eerie slide guitar sounds you hear in her songs. The major difference between a Neko album and a Neko show? Way more goosebumps.

If you're a Neko neophyte, check out these tunes for a taste:

Neko Case - Deep Red Bells

Neko Case - Hold On, Hold On

A Retail Model To Rival WalMart

Image by Getty Images via Daylife German low cost/low price grocers Aldi are getting a lot of buzz within the business sections these days...

NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/business/07feed.html?ref=business

Business Week: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_17/b3880010.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories

WSJ (Consumerist.com): http://consumerist.com/tag/recession-watch/?i=5023316&t=broke-consumers-turn-to-deep-discount-stores-like-aldi

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Best Homemade Coffee Ever.

Image via Wikipedia I was recently on a search for a coffee/espresso maker, and I came upon the Aerobee AeroPress on one of my favorite sites, Wize.com. The user reviews were 100% correct - the coffee/espresso made on this simple contraption is remarkable. The best part? It's only $26! If you don't already own an espresso machine, be sure to grab one of these.

Stat of the day (9/6/08)

Image via Wikipedia According to the Economist, 1/3 of all leveraged buy-outs EVER (in inflation equated enterprise value) occured between 2006 and 2007.