Taxes

I don't know how many Facebook newsfeeds I've had to block since the Republicans decided to get all riled up about paying their 2008 taxes.

Daytrotter.com

I found a new addiction today in Daytrotter.com.
Based in Can You Dig It?'s Motherland, the Quad Cities, U.S.A, specifically located on the Illinois half in the Rock Island quadrant, Daytrotter is the best music site I've seen in a long time.
Somehow, they are able to recruit musicians to stop by their studio ("The Horseshack") and record live songs, then they give you the recordings for free.
As of today, they've done this 541 times, starting March 23, 2006, with the group Somebody Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, and have since recorded everybody from Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend and Rogue Wave to The Ting Tings, Spoon (covering "Peace Like a River" by Paul Simon), Aimee Mann and Black Kids.
If you like your independent rock 'n' roll, there'll be plenty for you to enjoy, but I found it because they posted a great session with R&B maestro Raphael Saadiq yesterday.
Their "About" page describes it best:
"We’re going to give you something that you truly have never heard. We are not giving you songs from someone you love’s record album, thereby stealing from someone you love. We’re giving you exclusive, re-worked, alternate versions of old songs and unreleased tracks by some of your favorite bands and by a lot of your next favorite bands...
"They use borrowed instruments, play with their touring mates, utilize an often unkempt toilet, eat some food and then cram back into their vans for the last half of the drive. What they leave behind is a pile of ashes, sometimes a forgotten stocking hat and four absolutely collectible songs that often impart on whomever listens to them the true intensity that these musicians put into their art, sometimes with more clarity than they do when they have months to tinker with overdubs and experiments. These songs are them as they are on that particular day, on that particular tour – dirty and alive."

They also do fun little portraits of each artist, like the one above.

Britain's Got Talent

This is Susan Boyle. She's a bonafide "internet sensation" because 5 million people have watched a clip of her singing nicely on "Britain's Got Talent."
When are we going to stop being surprised that ugly people can have talent, too?

The best part of the video is actually that round-headed British Ryan Seacrest hamming it up backstage.

The Informers

A glam, 1980s, Los Angeles, drugs and sex, Bret Easton Ellis movie with Winona Ryder, Kim Bassinger, Mickey Rourke and Billy Bob Thornton? This might be babysitter-worthy.
At least the soundtrack sounds good.
The Informers site.

The Roots and Public Enemy

Jimmy Fallon doesn't have to be funny if he has stuff like this on his show.

American Experience

PBS's American Experience aired the first episode last night of its new five-part series on Native American history, We Shall Remain.

None of us know as much as we should about native history. I don't think it's enough just to know that the white man murdered them for their land. Details are important.

Dedicating ourselves to five Monday nights of educational television is a chance to right the wrongs of our forefathers. If you can't even do that, the episodes are available online.

If you like your massacres a little more modern, American Experience did an amazing show on the life of crazy Jim Jones (of course, he's from Indiana), his church and the mass suicide at Jonestown. It's frightening.

Goodbye, Blockbuster. Hello, Netflix.

I've loathed you for so long, but you've finally ticked me off enough and increased my fee high enough that I feel nothing but great joy today as I cancel my online subscription.

We've been together so long, you probably thought you could do anything to me (like slowly take away all the perks you offered when we first got together) and I'd just keep paying whatever fee you arbitrarily imposed. Wrong. I hate you.

If you think I'm going to miss you and your "No Late Fees," forget it. I don't need to keep 27 Dresses forever, or even two weeks.
My new friend Netflix is a cheaper date ($8.99 vs. $11.99) and gives me everything you offer plus free, streaming movies online whenever I feel like it. If I want to watch Burt Reynolds direct and star in Hard Time at this very moment, I can.

Oh, what's that you say? I can't return Netflix movies to the store and get another right now? Well, you've imposed a twice-a-month limit on that perk, and if I can eliminate any interaction at all with your staff of know-nothing-know-it-alls who come into the store on their off days to play Guitar Hero, but lack any customer service skills unless they're trying to sell me a $3 20-ounce Coke, my life will be much, much happier.

Again, I hate you. Goodbye.

*A note to potential employers who've Googled my name and found me using questionable language in a doctored logo to express my disdain for an evil corporate entertainment giant: First of all, I'm not even sure it's an expletive anymore -- just a slightly naughty word now used widely on cable television. In fact, in South Carolina, there are thousands of otherwise completely conservative, highly-employable, church-going people driving around with "Go Cocks" on license plates and bumper stickers. Instead of focusing on a little word, take note of my mildly adept use of Photoshop and online media to communicate with a global audience. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.