1)  I discovered a list of the top 10 artists in the UK with the most number 1 songs.  I began to read more.

2) First on the list was non other than Mr. Elvis Presley.  No surprise I thought.  He was a great man and an honest American.  Good work UK.

3) Upon reading further I came upon groups that I had never heard of before such as Westlife.  I began to question the name.  Westlife?  Like a life in the west?  But its one word.  Maybe they are talking about west lives.  But then shouldn’t it be Westlives?  I eventually came to the conclusion that it was stupid regardless and continued reading.

4)  Holding the number 6 spot with 11 number one songs in the UK was Take That.  Having no idea who they are or what they are like I opened a new tab and typed in www.youtube.com for further investigation.

5)  Choosing the song with over 2 million hits I leaned back and saw this:

Take That – If I let you go

No wonder this video has over 2 million hits.  Horses.  5 young men walking on a beach with the waves coming in.  The video is hilarious.  I had to rewind parts to make sure I actually saw what I thought I did.  Mind boggling.  God bless whoever did make this because I was laughing for a good 15-20 minutes.

(Wish I could embed it but youtube and the powers that be have disabled embedding of this video…. probably because of bloggers like us. Power up bloggers!!)

As /rupture admits, “Auto-Tune is culturally complicated”. Some of us may have heard of Shawn Corey Carter’s hate on Auto-Tune, but frankly, J.Z. hasn’t released worthy of a close listen (actually J.Z. only appears on The Jaz records, so the prior should actually read Jay-Z) – not to say that certain Clark Kent, Premier, 9th Wonder, The 45 King’s Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) and the Kev Brown Brown Album productions on Jay-Z’s albums aren’t not worth a listen – since the In My Lifetime/Can’t Get Wit Dat 12″ (1994). Orignal rap? A Rockafella neva sellin’ out, eh?:

Now, although the cleanliness, glory and occasional uplifting moments of Empire State of Mind is far from Nas’ Queensbridge project-born, dark realist masterpiece NY State of Mind – all Jay-Z’ll prolly do is squeal – and I do not necessarily disagree with Mr. Carter and Ms. Keys possible belief that New York is perhaps the city where dreams are made of, but I will judge both by the content of their character, as New Jacks masturbating on their wealth made in a culture industry that has exploited the creative potential of hip-hop as an artistic expression and emptied it of any artistic expression. Hip-hop lives, but Jay-Z has nothing to do with it: it is moving in directions founded on intelligent, creative, poetic expression, militant politics and a universal self-empowerment of the poor, and MPC, electronic and turntable experimentalism: misogyny, capital and social inequalities are and have always been its primary targets. From the looks of the Empire State of Mind, it seems Mr. Carter takes pride in becoming a billboard for MacDo, NYPD security cameras, pharmaceutical companies, Hershey’s, T.G.I. Fridays, the Nets, Knicks and Yankees…and that poverty no longer exists in Brooklyn or elsewhere around the Metropolis. Thanks Jay-Z! There is nothing you can’t do! If I move to New York for graduate school at least I’ll know that I can play out my fantasies there! Or at least I can play out my fantasies in fantasizing about that Empire elsewhere!

My criticism is not necessarily of Jay-Z, the man, as, since Proust, at least, one should not confuse the art with the artist. I find a strange joy whenever Canibus, Chino XL, Ras Kass and other battle rappers toss their (often violent) criticisms at Mr. Carter’s work. Nevertheless, how quickly one forgets how apparent is the robbery in Jay-Z’s lyricism, the sonority of which is nothing but a New Jack version of the machine-gun, stutter-stop-go lyricism of Das EFX, the only difference being that Skoob (bookS) and Krayzy Drayzy brought the style straight from the sewer and never came out. :

He says the craziest things! (link)

Nah, just kidding.  It’s Grace Coddington.  And actually, she isn’t even like… 1/8 the evil of Vigo the Carpathian.

9:01 PM:  Here come the Halloween jokes!  Get ready, America!

9:02 PM:  That Cliff Lee line went over great.  Good one, Jay.

9:02 PM: Okay, that Kevin guitar guy is still involved.  Thank God.  I was worried he’d get kicked to the curb.

9:03 PM: What is this show?  Who is this for?  The jokes aren’t even that horrible, really, he just seems mildly annoyed telling them.  Like he’s being put out.

9:05 PM: Great shot of an audience member looking around the room, confusedly.  Yes, sir, you’re looking in the right direction.  This is actually what this show is.

9:06 PM: Really, this is on five nights a week?  Did NBC lose a bet?

9:08 PM: Okay, the Bill Gates joke was pretty good.  He does have a funny haircut, and he is clearly rich enough to purchase a better one.  Fair enough, Leno.

9:10 PM: Is this Starbucks/Northwest Airline pilots sketch product placement for both?  That’s kind of brilliant, in a sick way.

9:12 PM: Oh, thank God, a commercial.  Thank you, Jesus.

9:13 PM: I want to give this Old Navy commercial with the mannequins (Ed.: supermodelquins) a nice stab in the throat.  Is that possible?  Can someone make that possible?

9:14 PM:  Haha, Pirate Radio!  Because it’s an illegal radio station, and it’s on a boat!  HAHA!  That movie looks terrible.

9:15 PM: Ah, a Kevin Federline joke.  Obviously, America still can’t get enough Kevin Federline material.

9:17 PM: Leno kinda reminds me of a manager/boss who’s sorta funny for a boss, but with that hint of creepy menace.  You know if you don’t laugh, he will hold it against you.

9:20 PM:  How long is this EBAY bit going to go on?  But wow, does the crowd love the penis-shaped chicken nugget.  Middle America has the same sense of humor as an 8-year-old

9:23 PM: Hey, L’Oreal.  The phrase “moisture filler” can probably be made less frightening.  Get your marketing department on that.

9:24 PM: “Activia definitely helped my occasional irregularity.”  Possibly the greatest sentence ever written.  And that’s a really catchy jingle for your fast poopin’ yogurt, advertising guys.  Nice job all around!

9:26 PM: It’s okay, baby lions.  One day you’ll be big enough to kill the awful talk show host that’s manhandling you.  With his filthy man hands.

9:28 PM:  Come on, lions.  Pee on him.  Pee.  On.  Him.

9:29 PM: Somehow, this feels rushed and protracted at the same time.  This show warps time.

9:29 PM: Oh my God, that otter is fucking adorable.  I want to eat that otter, it’s so fucking cute.  I hope it pees on him.

9:30 PM: Okay, now he just showed that YouTube video of two otters holding hands.  Jay Leno, you are the most pandering, awful man alive.

9:31 PM:  Lemur!  Pee on him.  Do it.  Pee on your handler, in case it might splash on Jay.  Please.

9:32 PM: God, this is only half over?  I think I’m going to cry.

9:33 PM: Oh my God, someone on Trauma has to save someone else they know!  There must be a lot of emotional layers to that show.

9:34 PM: I love that they show pictures of Jay Leno as a younger man during the commercial segues.  It makes me nostalgic for a time when I didn’t know who Jay Leno was.

9:37 PM: This animal wrangler seems alright, but I’d like him better if he was wearing a safari suit, and had a big bushy beard.  That’s how an animal wrangler should look, dammit.

9:38 PM: Leno looks so bored.  So, so bored.

9:39 PM: Sir!  Do not refer to your elephant as a “thing!”  Animals should always be referred to by a pronoun, as if they’re people.  For some reason.

9:43 PM: Wow, stores are doing layaway again.  Good, I’ve always wanted to live in 1934.

9:44 PM: I guarantee Conan’s gonna keep losing to Letterman as long as this pile is still on the air before him.  And as long as he refuses to bring back the PimpBot.

9:47 PM: Of course Jim Norton’s on this show.  And of course he’s doing bits about Twitter.  Ugh.

9:51 PM: Was there just an NBC ad bragging about Jay Leno’s 250 cars on his behalf?  Is NBC being programmed by an evil computer?

9:53 PM: Well, I’m really excited to see Tina Fey grit her teeth though this particular public appearance.  This’ll be great.

9:54 PM: Okay, so this bit Ten@Ten is just Leno asking celebrities ten different questions.  It’s like an interview, except without any pretense of spontaneity!  Innovative.

9:56 PM: Four more Tina Fey questions until my freedom!

9:57 PM: The delay in the video feed between Leno and Tina Fey is really enhancing the chemistry between them.

9:59 PM: Too many cars, Jay.  Tina Fey’s right.  More than one is like slapping the third world in the face.

you can find the article from Nightline this past thursday here

video for part 2 of the show here. It’s pretty disturbing.

my coworker is the bearded guy, Bruce Hines

if you want to know more about scientology, here is an article on scientology from Rolling Stone a few years back that does a great job of creeping people out about it.

In this, we see a lot of people trying to look cool and trying to sound cool. Some are older, some are younger. Fashion is important and on display. Some people are nervous. In fact, a general uneasiness and anxiety seems to control the room. Who is in on the jokes? Am I with Dylan? Am I in the know, a part of the scene?

Pretension can be described as vanity, and also “an allegation of doubtful value.” I think it can also be associated with in-authenticity. Authenticity in this sense can be described as acting “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.” I guess I find it interesting when people try to match with an externally defined or constructed identity or scene for the purpose of inclusion, especially in being perceived as “cool.” In this case, we see this exposed in the “art” world.

As I get older, I increasingly can see the value of “cool” as defined in a person’s identity and actions dedicated to their own, self-defined individuality. Sometimes this seems easy to sense in some people. Their passions and curiosities aren’t necessarily isolated from external influence, but instead seem to avoid being conformed to an arbitrary value system that confines  or even destroys. Maybe Dylan embodies these characteristics. Perhaps he does so unintentionally, as a product of his rushed celebrity identity and idolatry. In that mode, it seems reasonable to laugh and not take things all that seriously. Still, I’m not convinced. Nor am I convinced that this authentic “cool” is very common, without it being a show, an embrace of apathy or ‘giving up caring,’ or a convincing self-delusion. Pretending not to notice. Pretending not care about how others see you.

I’m fascinated by the constant pressure to look cool, and to feel like one looks cool. Do I think of the way I look to others when I am dancing at a concert? Do I want to say something refined and unique to impress a socially superior celebrity or social leader? We often forget that all people change their actions and appearance based on the circumstance they are in. In psychology its called fundamental attribution error, or “the tendency to over-value dispositional or personality-based explanations for the observed behaviors of others while under-valuing situational explanations for those behaviors.” I think that trying too hard to “stay” authentic at all times,  to always attempt to convey a specific image or predictable look/action, perhaps is much more inauthentic, or pretentious, than simply allowing the variety and flux of image, action, and personality, that naturally occurs in all of us.  We are complicated identities, in flux always, and this is probably ok.

Celebrity worship creates very strange human interactions. This interview and this period of time is fascinating to me, and obviously it leads me to reflect on the present and the way similar trends continue for each generation.

The rest after the bump.

If you aren’t already reading this every day, please add it to your Reader, Bloglines, or whatever other crazy internet reading service that technology has provided you with:

Happy Misquote That Movie “Tobey Maguire” Day!

Today you should misquote that Tom Cruise movie about the talent agent who wants to see money. So when you see someone with money, shout at them “Let me see your money!” When you love someone and you want them to know it, say to them, “I wasn’t done, but thanks to you, I’m all set. Ding!” And if you just want someone to shut up, say, “I was sick of you when we first met.” Finally, when you want someone to help you help them, say, “Hey, you need help. I need help. Let’s go find someone to help us, but let’s carpool.” Jonathan Kenicky is still alive, BTW.

From the always inspiring Bob Powers.

In the 2007 summer blockerbuster “Face Off!”, Supervillain Castor Troy (Nick Cedge) is in a coma after a big gun fight with supercop Sean Archer (Jon Travola), but the government decides to keep him alive so Archer can take Troy’s face and sneak into a prison to find where Castor’s brother Pollux had planted a bomb somewhere in LA because only they knew its location and how to disarm it. But then Castor Troy woke up without a face and took Sean Archer’s face for another mighty battle between the super pair!

Castor Troy, a Travola/Cedge super hybrid, comes in at number eight for best movies villains giving us the pleasure of two brilliant hollywoods playing the same evil killer who looks cool and is perfectly disguised and can give you chills and fights to the death.

Face/Off Drowning Pool ‘Step Up’ – Amazing videos are here