The “Tea Party” movement is a loosely organised, libertarian political party in the USA that has garnered huge support from conversatives disillusioned with the Republican party. This podcast from NPR contains a fascinating interview with David Weigel, who covered the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), and is a great primer for anyone interested in learning why this right-wing organisation has gathered such momentum.
From Sussex Safer Roads: a stunning reminder that you should wear your seatbelt.
Sound up, fullscreen is best.
I’ve long believed that teachers aren’t accorded the respect – and compensation – they deserve. Here’s slam poet Taylor Mali eloquently illustrating why.
Charlie Brooker nails it.
“Down The Line” is a radio programme that aired on BBC Radio 4. It parodied the talkback genre, which had the traditional listeners spluttering in protest, unaware that it was all just a laugh. Now the creators have reinvented it for TV:
[Charlie] Higson, who, in partnership with [Paul] Whitehouse, has also been responsible for one of the finest BBC2 sketch-programmes of recent years, The Fast Show, admits that much of Down the Line’s comic charm could have been lost in translation. “Obviously doing a radio phone-in on TV would have been daft. So we had to think, ‘Down the Line has been perfectly designed for radio - what’s the TV equivalent?’”
And then Higson and Whitehouse - with the rapidity of a “Suits You” tailor whipping out an innuendo - had a “eureka” moment. “We realised that all these programmes with celebrities driving round the country meeting people and saying ‘isn’t Britain brilliant?’ would be ideal for us to parody,” continues the 51-year-old Higson, who has carved out a very successful second career as the writer of novels about young James Bond.
Here’s the quoted article*, from the UK’s Independent. I’m obliged to warn you, however, that the subs got a bit carried away with the exclamation marks! In the article! Which is quite irritating!
Bellamy’s People begins screening on BBC2 from 21 January. So if you’re in Australia you can set your DVR to record it in approximately six years.
* While you’re there, try clicking the “enlarge” button next to the picture and see how much bigger it gets.
These are the albums that defined the decade for me. I reserve the right to suddenly remember an amazing album I’ve overlooked and hastily include it. Or drastically back peddle on one of these choices, claiming I was concussed.
In no particular order:
Arcade Fire: Funeral
There are so many members of Arcade Fire - how do they fit on the stage, let alone play their instruments? Cirque du Soleil meets angst rock.
Tour bus DVD: the collected works of Krzysztof Kieslowski.
The White Stripes: White Blood Cells
These guys make a lot of noise considering there are only two of them, and they’re made entirely from Lego.
Tour bus magazine: The Lancet.
Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand
Urgent, charging Scottish rock that makes you want to grab a pitchfork and overthrow the Czar. In a nice suit.
Tour bus drink: Stolichnaya. And moloko.
Fujiya & Miyagi: Transparent Things
They whisper their witty, tongue-in-cheek lyrics over mechanical Krautrock beats, all while flicking through architecture magazines on fixed gear bikes. Sock it to me, uh!
Tour bus snacks: Edamame and Pocky.
M.I.A.: Kala
Best debut of the decade. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that she’s, um, hot. And her videos make my eyes bleed; I didn’t know some of those colours existed.
Tour bus DVD: In The Night Garden.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
You’ve got to be pretty fucking good to release a double album - stuffed with classical references - with that haircut. Gospel singers, harps, and the fire and brimstone we all know and love.
Tour bus air freshener fragrance: Mountain Glade.
Portishead: Third
These layabouts finally got around to releasing another album after an 11 year hiatus. And it’s amazing. Dark, tortured, and beautiful, it’s like drowning in a spirulina smoothie.
Tour bus entertainment: The Bumper Book of Sudoku.
Radiohead: In Rainbows
“Hey everyone, pay whatever you want! We’re already rich!”
Tour bus DVD: The Best of Benny Hill.
The Streets: A Grand Don’t Come For Free
A UK Garage concept album? Jesus; I’m trapped in Fabric and can’t find the exit. This album already sounds dated, but that’s what Zeitgeists do, y’know?
Tour bus entertainment: a suitcase full of drugs, à la Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
The Veils: Nux Vomica
Frightening folk music. The lead singer, Finn Andrews, throws himself into the role with such terrifying conviction you’re afraid he’s somehow poisoned your pet rabbit. Like being punched in the eye by a leprechaun.
Tour bus board game: Cluedo.
… and there you have it. If nothing else, this should prove entertaining when I look at it in another ten years, incredulous that nothing by Michael Bublé made it on there.
Happy new year.
Air travel is miserable at the best of times: crazy passengers, crazy staff, crazy weather causing crazy delays, and now some crazy would-be terrorist tries to blow himself up on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. The guy shouldn’t have been allowed on the plane in the first place, yet now countless travellers will suffer extremely inconvenient extra security measures.
Throw into that the rubbery eggs and anaemic sausages you get for breakfast, and I feel particularly glad to be remaining on terra firma this holiday season.
Update: The Economist’s “Gulliver” on why the new security measures are insane (via our London correspondent, Andrew Potter).
The NBC rebrand, by Capacity, is fresh and vibrant. Here’s a great case study of the thinking behind the project. They only use this phrase:
We wanted to tap into the essence of the brand and leverage the qualities that are ownable
… once.
Via Motionworks.
Magnificent mo’s, all the way from Rajasthan, India. From the Big Picture.
Seems the guy in pic #12 would rather be doing anything else.
47 seconds of nail biting intensity – Man! Versus! Toddler!
