November 8, 2009
The new ClearBlue Easy pregnancy test – trusted product, questionable ad campaign.
This ad is hilarious. In no way is “hmm…” an expression of certainty. It’s also one of the strangest responses to a pregnancy test result I’ve ever seen.
In the least, it definitely doesn’t urge me to turn to this pregnancy test when I’m unsure. Also, why is that result in the forefront?
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October 7, 2009
As young children and reminiscent adults wait expectantly for the release of Where the Wild Things Are this October, music fans wait a bit less patiently for the soundtrack. For many, the music for this movie – done by “Karen O and the Kids,” with a slew of buzz-worthy contributors – is more exciting than the movie itself. Fans have only been given a small taste so far, just one song, but it’s been enough to gather some serious hype.
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July 28, 2009
Sorry for the long delay! It’s been tough to think about something to write about when I already have so much written up in Metro. My busy schedule has me too busy to think about blogging, but I have some interesting spillover stories that should be written up this week!
Look for a Girl Talk story and a Simian Mobile Disco piece to come out very soon!
June 14, 2009
I recently decided that there are some songs, some albums, and even some artists that have magic. This magic is infectious, and forces listeners into a happy trance. When critics hear a song with magic, therein ensues an explosion of positive press – this is what has happened with the latest Grizzly Bear album, in my opinion.
There may be some accidental event that injects magic into a chorus or a riff, or a pixie may give a lucky musician a bag full of magic. Some artists get a whole lot of magic (see John Vanderslice or John Darnielle), others get a very little bit that’s enough for one song or album. If there is any one album that has magic, it’s In an Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. I think Jeff Magnum may have spilled a giant bag of magic dust all over his work, and this album is what came out. Unfortunately, you aren’t supposed to spill the magic, and the pixies have been angry with him since (hence his disappearance and rare performance since). Keep reading →
Filed under Music
Tags: Neko Case, magic, mix tape, Electric LIght Orchestra, Mr. Blue Sky, St. VIncent, Annie Clark, Actor out of Work, Grizzly Bear, Two Weeks, Veckatimest, He War, Cat Power, Chan Marshall, SNL, You Are Free, 1234, Feist, The Reminder, Colbert Report, Attention All Pickpockets, The Mountain Goats, Flood Pt 1, The Acorn, Glory Hope Mountain, Lloyd I'm ready to be heartbroken, Camera Obscura, Let's Get Out of this Country, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, In the Night, Basia Bulat, Oh My Darling, M83, Kim & Jessie, Saturdays = Youth, Maybe Sparrow, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
May 5, 2009
I am just finishing my second semester of Chinese language study. I love the language, and commit a substantial amount of time each week to learning. Last semester, a combination of great teaching and a helpful study partner (Hao Hao) sent me leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of my class. Even though I missed a lot of class time due to illness, and laziness, I ended up on top of the language. Keep reading →
April 29, 2009
My daily pastime, when I just want white noise or need to decompress, is to watch shitty television. My most recent venture has been “The Real Housewives of New York City,” or one of it’s many iterations in Atlanta, Orange County, and now New Jersey. This show is probably the worst thing on television.
Obviously, all reality television has some sense of grotesqueness – it’s foundation is exploiting ridiculous scenarios and building stories from people who generally don’t have one. Real Housewives seems especially bad to me, because it has this guise of depicting the lifestyles of the upstanding, high class, rich, and famous of their respective cities. These women are petty, pathetic, lonely, and quite fake.
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April 27, 2009
Sorry I haven’t posted in a while – life is too much sometimes.
I realized today that being in debt has become easier and easier every day. Three years ago, I wouldn’t have qualified for a credit card, much less been pre-approved for one. Ever since my first line of credit opened, I feel like I need to walk the delicate line of debt just to stay afloat. Is it really so profitable to put people in debt? Just what do banks and credit card companies get from issuing credit to people like me?
I don’t think I’m alone either. I think that a large reason most Americans are in debt is because it’s so darn easy to do so! When you sign up for a magazine subscription, they continue your subscription the next year unless you tell them not to. There is a one year minimum for gym membership. Companies don’t do their own bills, the contract third parties to push you around until you give up your money. Even worse, education costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and families are forced to borrow to pay for their children’s futures. Keep reading →
Filed under Politics
Tags: bank, banking, credit, crisis, debt, economy, money, saving, savings, solution, spending, starbucks