No, on this one your instincts are correct, teo.
1: It's on right after 60 Minutes, so: yes, of course. Also, Gaga got robbed.
4: You've made fun of me before for doing so.
In my life, I think I have spent more time watching movies about 60 Minutes than watching 60 Minutes.
teo gets it exactly right in 1. The thread could have ended right there.
You people hate pop culture too much. Where's heebie? She's got my back, I bet, somewhere out there. Unless that was her poker face.
Did The Offspring win for lifetime achievement again ?
My exciting plans to do a bunch of laundry tonight have been derailed by my washing machine breaking, so I suppose I could watch the Grammys instead. They're similarly exciting.
I am planning on watching them, Stanley.* I've got your back.
*Though, I should note, I am planning to do so because I have an epic hang over and am not capable of doing much beyond sitting.
You people hate pop culture too much.
I'm all about pop culture! So why aren't the Grammys recognizing the great albums of 2009 by Neko Case, The Dirty Projectors, and Andrew Bird? And why don't I recognize any of these people on my TV screen?
Neko Case is at least there. I saw a picture of her in the red carpet line up.
15: Oh, what do you know. Apparently Middle Cyclone was nominated for Best Contemporary Folk Album. I'm... not sure "contemporary folk" is the right categorization for this album, but ok. I can live with that.
Well, is there a militarization theme or isn't there?
I couldn't say, it just started for me. But Beyonce very often has a martial theme to her performances.
From the NYT live-blog coverage: "The theme of this Beyonce performance: Rhythm Nation goes totalitarian?" Now I'm really looking forward to seeing the costumes.
I have the Grammys on now. Sadly, I missed Lady Gaga's performance which was all that I really wanted to see. (Was that Gwen Stefani in the gold lamé dress? I was only half paying attention. The act had a real Squirrel Nut Zippers vibe going on.)
Tonight's xckd fails for not listing Botticelli.
I'm increasingly beginning to think nosflow's right about xkcd.
Was that Gwen Stefani in the gold lamé dress?
No, that was Ke$ha.
I'd really like to make fun of 14, but can't think of an angle, so just consider it already done.
I didn't watch the Grammies, but I like that Tic Tock song she has.
I'd really like to make fun of 14, but can't think of an angle, so just consider it already done.
It was deserved.
I like that Tic Tock song she has
I suppose you probably brush your teeth with a bottle of Jack too. (I am not a fan of the song - but it is such an ear worm, so I must give her some credit.)
Why is it so hard to find out who's already won? I know someone nominated in one of the more effete categories.
28: Basically, if it isn't really catchy or on the radio constantly, I've only heard of it if it is from before 1995 or so.
I'm pretty much stuck with Top 40 music or silence when I drive, and since I like to pretend to be more in touch with pop culture than essear, I tend to choose the radio. This is a fairly recent development, but now I recognize almost everyone at the Grammy's. I'm sure this is not an accomplishment.
Ah. That the winners are named on the nominee list isn't evident from the home page. Anyway, she didn't win, but the Grammys suck anyway, so whatever.
29: best shanty performed in a colorful, blousy pirate shirt?
32: What, there's no station named "Jack" or "Bob" or "Ted" where you live?
34: Not effete enough. Actually, it was Best Small Ensemble.
Actually, it was Best Small Ensemble.
Laydeez!
21: also for pretending the Conway's Game of Life is a game with players and a victor.
35: Um, no. What do those sort of stations play?
(My antenna is broken - I only get the strongest stations. I can listen to classic rock with a lot of static!)
39: I like the pseudo-folksy corporate-back Bob. It's the only station that every plays that "One Night in Bangkok" song.
s/b "corporate-backed". I'm pretty sure it is owned by Clear Channel or somebody bigger.
Teo, nosflow is right about nothing. Keep the faith.
The NYTimes had an article on 20 January about body armor becoming a fashion statement. Here's the last para:
'Similarly subversive styles are being marketed as novelties. The Web teems with protective gear, including bulletproof sunglasses and brassieres (designed for German policewomen) and child-size mock bulletproof vests made for little girls with an aversion to all things sugar and spice. At Tactical Corset, a multi-strapped and pocketed body cincher is offered unlined for between $300 and $500, and armored for $1,000. Alex Peake, its designer, is selling the corset to rock stars and other high profile personalities quick to adopt its steely look as a brash stylistic signature. "We see this as a high-tech, high-powered fashion item," Mr. Peake said, "and as fashion, it has a future."'
Neb, first, the strip is about what one finds on google and makes no assertions about whether Conway's life is a contest with a victor, and second, any hot geek of the sort Munroe fantasizes about should have no trouble constructing a stripping game based on it; use some fucking imagination, willya?
Weird, all the above - today is the first time I've been really amused by xkcd this year. Mainly at the idea of strip Conway's life.
Weird. In Boston it's Mike fm. They say they play everything. But do they ever play The Incredible String Band? No.
That's a little weird. "Steve" is our local station-bot. But I didn't know he had friends. If that's so, I'm going to encourage my friend to call his pirate station "Aloysius FM."
It's impressive that this radio format has been around for so long and people are still amazed that it is not unique to their local station. A masterpiece of branding.
Now that "classic rock" is just too elderly, we have a new format that consists of the Top 40 of the past 25 years, minus all the music for black people.
I didn't think it was local, I just thought the name was derived from the call letters (which I don't remember ever hearing). I didn't know the 1-syllable man's name was a Thing.
"Programmers hope the looser Jack format will show just how edgy and fresh they can be"
Trust me, guys. The Jack format is neither "edgy" or "fresh."
#48. The only time I hear commercially broadcast radio is when it's playing in a store. So it's only been a year or so since I even noticed that the radio was calling itself "Steve" now.
I just thought the name was derived from the call letters
I think I thought the same thing.
We have a tv channel called Dave. But no radio stations like that, I don't think. I only listen to Radio 4 though.
51: Bristol's Local Radio Station! (not quite plausible for a .com address, I would think)
re: 51
Oxford has a local station called 'Jack', funnily enough.
[FWIW, I'd rather undergo some kind of physical torture than listen to commercial radio stations.]
Yes, Bristol and Oxford are the two places where Jack has spread to the UK. Its website also lists a station in Vienna though there is no link. I imagine that one is called "Horst".
I didn't realize that there were so many called "Jack" before. The Pittsburgh one is Bob and the Philadelphia one is Ben, so I thought the company used different names in different places. No, there are a few dozen Jacks that are all part of the same brand, and any other male-named station is a knockoff.
46: That's the second Incredible String Band reference I've hit (one real-life, one here) in the last 24 hours. All my dreams are coming true!
I'd known about the Jack stations having national ownership, but I didn't know there were so many different names. I think the appeal was supposed to be that since they're basically preprogrammed there's no overhead being spent on djs, but I could be wrong.
Now that "classic rock" is just too elderly
I was reading about some local radio reshuffling and they said the 80s station had an "adult contemporary" format. Which really pissed me off because that's James Taylor and stuff like that from the 70s.
The Pittsburgh one is Bob the Philadelphia one is Ben
I knew it was always only a matter of time before McManus's and Nosflow's tastes went mainstream.
While we're talking about music, I'd been feeling recently like I was in a musical rut and decided to go find some new and different music. So for the past few days, I've been listening to Johnny Dowd, Jim White, and 16 Horsepower. On the one hand, I've been enjoying it a lot. On the other, I'm starting to feel like I should go kill somebody and store the body in my attic.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.