Lil' Wayne Makes You Dumb: Why Phish will get you into Brown

Virgil Griffith (aka hacker and all around smart computer guy) just released this snazzy study correlating high SAT scores with the music tastes of college kids. Basically if you like Lil' Wayne, forget Harvard. If you like Phish or Counting Crows, you're going to Brown. Or you can bring sexy back at community college with Mr. Timberlake. This could be total BS but I like it.

Here's the chart. *click it to view

Music: The Antlers

*click image to play

The Antlers

Geek: Steampunk

If you get laid off in the next few months, pick up this hobby. All you need is some scrap copper pipe, a soldering iron, a few gauges and some Lederhosen. Now, go get your Steampunk on.

The term (steampunk) denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date.

It's clear I wasted my youth.

The Russell Simmons Stimulus Package

Not that I really care but I've got wealth discrepancy on the mind. So Mr. Simmons, who started Def Jam with Rick Rubin way back when and has since gone on to make mad cash slingin' all things hip hop, split with his wife. So what, right? Well he's cutting a $40,000 check/month in child support until they're 19 1/2. His kids are 8 and 5 respectively, so around $850,000 total. What recession, eh Mr. Simmons?

Communist Smurfs and Obama's Budget: Why Gargamel was a capitalist

I found this hot tidbit written by someone named Dave Morgan. I thought it relevant considering the current bank nationalism fears and Obama's $3+ trillzo budget. Is Gargamel now running a hedge fund capitalized by melted down Smurfs? Is Obama looking to buy a red hat and grow a white beard? Read the budget yourself.



The Smurfs Were Communists!

Okay, I know it sounds crazy. I didn't believe it myself at first. Then I started thinking about it, and it starts getting scary.

First of all, you must put aside all the media-programmed, propaganda-driven thoughts or irrational fears you might already have about communists. Forget all that big bad Russian stuff that the 80's taught us, that doesn't exist anymore. Think of communism as just a way of life, a social order, an economic standpoint, a lifestyle choice. Take all the visions of sickles and hammers and tanks out of your head for awhile, and then you will be able to see it clearly.

First of all, the Smurfs shared everything. The food in the Smurf village was stored away in those mushrooms the minute it was harvested and then equally distributed to all the Smurfs throughout the year. No one "farmer Smurf" sold his crop to a "consumer Smurf," or saw his labor exploited by another. It was understood that the crop was for the entire Smurf population, not for the sale or profit of one Smurf alone.

Then there were those jobs each Smurf held. There was Handy Smurf, and Painter Smurf, and Brainy Smurf, etc... Each Smurf had his own specific job and was not allowed to try his hand at any other Smurf's assigned task. There actually was an episode where each Smurf tried to do another one's job, and failed. The moral of the story was apparently "Stick to what you do Best" or to put it another way, stick to what the society has chosen for you, or maybe just "You'll get what you get and like it!" Handy Smurf was always building. Painter Smurf was always painting. Everyone accepted what they were and didn't ask questions.

Some other evidence I've gathered may strain the limits of credibility. Decide for yourself: Papa Smurf wore a red cap. All the Smurfs were the same color and sang the same song everywhere they went - stressing their Smurfy unity. Didn't you catch yourself singing that song as a kid? I know you did. Everyone did. Everyone.

The most compelling evidence that the Smurfs were communists comes from their relationship to the arch-villian Gargamel. If you remember, the only thing that Gargamel wanted the Smurfs for was for his own profit. In the first four or five seasons, Gargamel's master plan was to catch the Smurfs, boil them, and turn them into gold. For some reason, in the later years when the show was dying, they started saying that he wanted to eat the poor blue creatures, but for the most part he wanted to turn them into gold. He didn't care about the Smurfs themselves, their culture, or their well-being. All he cared about was getting gold. His only interest in how to get rich, and nothing, nothing would get in his way.

Gargamel was a capitalist.

The evil antagonist of the Smurfs was the ultimate capitalist, terrorizing the peaceful good little communist Smurf community. It all starts to fit together doesn't it?

It makes you wonder why somebody didn't speak up about this before, especially during the 80's with Reagan in the Whitehouse

I guess nobody thought it worth their time.

Visit Michael Stipe's Loft

More celebrity voyeurism for you. While not a raging REM fan, I do like a cool NYC loft. Mr. Stipe and partner Thomas Dozal put up some pics of their new place in NYC. It's a good time killer.

Michael Jackson Auction Catalog

Wow. I seriously spent way to much time looking at this thing today. Get your hands on some of Mike J's, "Amusements, Arcade Games and Entertainment" such as a Pinocchio Diorama, the car from Driving Miss Daisy, SEGA flight simulator, or a "life sized seated woman" (pg. 169)...you know, whatever.



Get your Neverland on.

Do Hipsters Need to Lose Weight?

Apparently so...



"Chaos, our favorite certified personal trainer who hardens the cores of rockstars throughout Hollywood, is back with a brand-new hardcore workout focusing on strength and endurance that will help you burn fat and tone muscle while you rock out to some of the coolest new music."

And if doing a little cardio isn't your thing you can also get all limber for that PBR soaked basement show doing some yoga and pilates.

Float On the Dasani Trash Raft: Why you don't buy bottled water.

Amazing. Watch and then go buy a metal water bottle.

It's called art, Dad

"Red Meat Nation" by Nigel Holmes

Resistance Is Futile

One more. The music is annoying, so turn it down but the information is amazing. Somewhere an army of robots is being built to replace us and I suspect Cheney is their leader.

The Geek Hierarchy

I little choice cut for the morning time.

P.O.S. Kills in Chi-town

A new record ("Never Better"). A whole lotta touring. P.O.S. is unleashing the beast worldwide. Pick it up below, straight from Chi-Town.



Don't miss it. Hand Over Fist is also killing it on the same tour.

The Bad Plus Make A Bad Move

I like The Bad Plus. I like Dave King. I like it when they do covers of popular tunes. I don't like it when they add a vocalist. I don't like it when they ONLY do covers. I don't really like the new record. Maybe it's all in its title though, For All I Care.

Bummer. 5 for 6 then...here's lookin' to record 7.


EPK Yo.

Touch and Go...Going, Going, Gone

Touch and Go will to stop distributing about 20 smaller labels and is laying off 20 of their 25 employees. Wow. Read more >

Get a Piece of Michael Jackson - It's auction time!

It looks like the house in Dubai and mounting legal fees surrounding his distribution of "Jesus Juice" to minors has led to a liquidation of Neverland Valley Ranch.



You can get a piece of the the house of Jackson right here. Hurry, proxy bidding started February 15th. I call the used tubes of skin bleach cream!

12 FT of alley oop...take that Vince Carter

Is this even possible?

David Beckham Does The Deep-V

How low can you go? The fashion police of IRTJ are issuing citations about town for this fashion fault. It may be last season but that just means it's finally cool in the Midwest.

For reference...




Mr. Beckham, Does Posh Spice know about this?



Ewww....




"Is anyone from Pitchfork out there?"




I will sigh, slightly, after you ask me to pour you a beer that's not a Pabst.

Saying A Lot or Nothing At All?

Watching this clip made me realize 3 things.

1. I am very white.

2. I am old.

3. Lil Wayne is from Neptune.

Lil Wayne & Nu Jerzey Devil Beyond the Beat of DIFFERENT GIRLS

Joaquin Phoenix I Presume?

Hey kids! Aspire to become this.

The Greatest American Heroes

Sesame Street Gangsta

So unfortunate...

How do you get to 'Sesame Street'?

New Arcade Fire

Outside Art: Mark Jenkins

From Mark Jenkins

Hollywood Maniac/Remixed...

Hollywood Maniac

Listen to Christian Bale go haywire on the set of Terminator 8.45.

Listen