Writer, musician, and professional copywriter Aaron Poehler
March 10th, 2012 — copywriting, music, pictures, professional, writing
From Computer Music magazine: a poll of CM readers indicates that 25% of respondents identified good documentation as their #1 deciding factor when purchasing software. Makes you wonder how many sales are lost every day due to lack of effective documentation?
September 13th, 2011 — comics, copywriting, music, pictures, professional, uncategorized, video, writing
From http://twitter.com/aaronpoehler. Looking at the amount of stuff built up I should probably do this more often. Or maybe you should just follow me because even this isn’t exhaustive, there were some twitter-only posts that have been excised here and oh geez don’t you feel like you missed out now?
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It’s got to suck working on bonus CD-ROM materials for music CDs knowing full well your audience is: (people who read liner notes)/20 |
Tue Sep 13 17:23:51 +0000 2011 |
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“Augmented Reality Experience” is the most ridiculously overblown BS marketing euphemism imaginable for “We threw in some bonus CDROM shit” |
Tue Sep 13 17:20:34 +0000 2011 |
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Funniest thing I’ve seen so far today: comment section full of people lamenting the death of the CD by complaining ‘digital music sucks’ |
Tue Sep 13 15:24:21 +0000 2011 |
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Mostly though these New 52 #1 review columns all read the same: staid & lacking Sterling’s insight. 6 months in, then they’ll have a point. |
Mon Sep 12 16:30:22 +0000 2011 |
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Not writing on DC’s New52 #1s because there’s more than enough of that already but Giffen’s OMAC is pure Kirby goodness http://t.co/R8AZqpb |
Mon Sep 12 16:25:33 +0000 2011 |
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Catch-22: if you take Esquire’s How To Be A Man feature remotely seriously you are precluded from being one |
Sun Sep 11 16:54:49 +0000 2011 |
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Hey, Spider-Island: Avengers was actually quite good, don’t miss it in the sea of samey-looking tie-ins with generic names on the stands |
Sat Sep 10 19:18:55 +0000 2011 |
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Whenever something actually happens on which one might want current news updates I’m struck by the uselessness of all local SD news websites |
Fri Sep 09 19:01:31 +0000 2011 |
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At this point New Order w/o Peter Hook isn’t Queen w/o Freddie Mercury, it’s Dream Theater w/o Mike Portnoy–both badly need to STFU ASAP |
Fri Sep 09 18:23:05 +0000 2011 |
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How is it possible every month’s Zenescope covers are more cringe-inducingly mortifying than the last? |
Fri Sep 09 16:24:08 +0000 2011 |
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“San Diego: I SURVIVED being slightly uncomfortable for just under 12 hours” t-shirts would probably have a limited sale window |
Fri Sep 09 14:17:18 +0000 2011 |
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If you bought an ipad 2 case that doesn’t make use of the smart cover auto wake/sleep feature you oughtta take that shit back tout suite |
Wed Sep 07 21:28:08 +0000 2011 |
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Everything about Marvel’s Season 1 OGN covers from art to trade dress is awful unless “remainder-bin knockoffs” is what they were going for |
Wed Sep 07 19:42:02 +0000 2011 |
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I enjoy the work of PJ Harvey including her newest album but as an American I must disavow any knowledge of what the Mercury Prize is |
Tue Sep 06 21:39:40 +0000 2011 |
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Does your band have a ‘clever’ name? Man is that going to get old fast. |
Tue Sep 06 21:36:31 +0000 2011 |
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I never thought I’d be okay with a Hookless New Order but then I never thought Hook would be so blatantly exploitative of Joy Division music |
Tue Sep 06 16:34:33 +0000 2011 |
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I kinda think all instagram/hipstamatic processed photos look shitty now and will look moreso as time continues to pass |
Sun Sep 04 17:53:11 +0000 2011 |
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Guess I know what I’ll be listening to/watching over the wkend when I’m not doing acoustic treatment on the garage http://t.co/uvVjFTt |
Fri Sep 02 02:19:21 +0000 2011 |
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Who are the dumbfucks buying these licensed versions of Monopoly? It’s the same game with different tokens and street names. It’s also sad. |
Thu Sep 01 23:18:28 +0000 2011 |
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Oscar Jiminez could have been an A-list comic book artist if he’d ever delivered work in a remotely timely fashion. Great stuff but so late. |
Thu Sep 01 05:27:23 +0000 2011 |
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Was down for the concept of Ghost but not finding the music on Opus Eponymous as good as I’d hoped |
Tue Aug 30 16:32:09 +0000 2011 |
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Man I loves me some Thin Lizzy but the guitar solo on “The Rocker” is total ass |
Tue Aug 30 01:12:36 +0000 2011 |
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If I enjoy someone’s creative output it doesn’t mean I want to be harangued to help promote it as if that’s somehow my responsibility. |
Mon Aug 29 18:44:35 +0000 2011 |
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It must be tough to work up the enthusiasm to pretend anyone’s cared in the slightest about the Video Music Awards in decades |
Mon Aug 29 16:24:52 +0000 2011 |
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There can never be enough Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire comics (but they don’t all have to be Justice League related–maybe creator-owned next?) |
Sun Aug 28 19:29:40 +0000 2011 |
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Hey awesome, reverse sexism. Thanks Bounce/Procter & Gamble, and fuck you too http://t.co/GavTMeP |
Sat Aug 27 00:14:35 +0000 2011 |
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Absolutely the most mind-melting @RiffTrax short yet: “What Is Nothing?” http://t.co/xQyO7rg |
Fri Aug 26 21:40:01 +0000 2011 |
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Reality check: The Dark Knight Rises is still like a year away argh |
Thu Aug 25 21:33:34 +0000 2011 |
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I wonder how often that Static-X guy catches his reflection in the dressing room mirror & sighs deeply & mournfully before going onstage |
Tue Aug 23 16:58:09 +0000 2011 |
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All of these “Who’s Who at DC Comics-The New 52″ creator profiles are staggeringly dull. Done in the least imaginative way possible. |
Mon Aug 22 19:17:10 +0000 2011 |
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I guess it’s safe to take my Borders Rewards and Blockbuster Video cards out of my wallet now |
Mon Aug 22 17:30:59 +0000 2011 |
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Admittedly the blacklight room already breaks the Corvette Diner 50s theme but the Insane Clown Posse Bizarre Bazaar poster is going too far |
Fri Aug 19 21:09:10 +0000 2011 |
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Watched Blur – T in the Park last night. Do they get better or is singing shittily & out of key just Damon Albarn’s ‘thing’? |
Thu Aug 18 15:29:38 +0000 2011 |
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Keep thinking agency on Mad Men is named Sterling Archer Associates, then get distracted thinking about how awesome that premise would be |
Wed Aug 17 23:01:02 +0000 2011 |
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A writer writing to other writers about writing does not seem like worthwhile networking unless one’s aim is to be a writing teacher. |
Wed Aug 17 20:55:08 +0000 2011 |
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Though I too mourn the loss of canvas for visual art and text in albums, digital booklets are a waste of time for creator & listener alike |
Wed Aug 17 15:40:14 +0000 2011 |
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I got an offer claiming $15 for Harmony Balance-Bands is “a $40 value”, rather than the more accurate “$15 for a worthless scam product” |
Tue Aug 16 19:35:38 +0000 2011 |
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Caption this picture: what is melancholy devo fan thinking right now? (Photo from http://t.co/mrjTKsF) http://t.co/DrsoAAI |
Thu Aug 11 20:57:27 +0000 2011 |
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Kirby: Genesis is all the crazy superheroic action you crave without the bitter aftertaste of corporate indifference #trythisindycomic |
Thu Aug 11 17:56:00 +0000 2011 |
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God T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents is awesome. I hope it doesn’t get completely buried and forgotten in the New 52 push. |
Thu Aug 11 02:33:49 +0000 2011 |
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Tip of the hat to Scott Snyder for a stellar scripting job on his Detective Comics run–looking forward to Batman run starting next month. |
Thu Aug 11 02:15:02 +0000 2011 |
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I like few bands enough to bother listening to a remix collection and I’m afraid Radiohead’s music hasn’t been rewarding enough for years |
Wed Aug 10 20:58:09 +0000 2011 |
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Watched the Horrors’ Glastonbury set last night: not bad, not great. Lyrics too simplistic and repetitive, songs a bit flimsy. 3 stars |
Wed Aug 10 17:12:40 +0000 2011 |
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Lord knows I loves me some metal but the whole “No really look how EEEEVIL I am” act some people in the genre pull is painfully corny |
Mon Aug 08 22:06:46 +0000 2011 |
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I’m fine with Lorne not changing out any SNL cast but I better not see any Deep House Dish, Target Lady, or What’s Up With That next season |
Sat Aug 06 00:46:35 +0000 2011 |
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Musical considerations aside, bands that dress up to look “old-timey” give me shudders of revulsion |
Fri Aug 05 19:55:20 +0000 2011 |
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You know what’s hot? Someone who knows the difference between ‘discrete’/'discreet’ and ‘reign’/'rein’ |
Fri Aug 05 17:34:10 +0000 2011 |
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…kids of today should defend themselves against false nostalgia for Ten and Nevermind. |
Tue Aug 02 21:44:50 +0000 2011 |
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Speaking out against false nostalgia in 1994, Eddie Vedder sang “Kids of today should defend themselves against the 70s”… |
Tue Aug 02 21:44:37 +0000 2011 |
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I wonder if they anticipated the line “You’re the fucked-up version of Amy Winehouse” playing the way it does now http://t.co/xkuqwO4 |
Tue Aug 02 16:28:43 +0000 2011 |
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Capitalizing the W in ‘Wanna’ really sells the desperate yearning and insecurity underpinning this pitch http://t.co/v7Z3ktA |
Mon Aug 01 18:21:33 +0000 2011 |
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Any album that’s reissued and hasn’t been out of print for at least five years is just a lame cashgrab *koff* ArcadeFireLadyGaga |
Fri Jul 29 21:58:15 +0000 2011 |
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Tineye would be useful if it worked better or at all, seems like there’s a space in the online spectrum for that if someone wants to step up |
Wed Jul 27 15:46:37 +0000 2011 |
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No device of mine is truly set up until its background is set to earthlights.jpg |
Tue Jul 26 01:35:49 +0000 2011 |
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J genuinely offended at my suggestion it will be awesome when the Starship Enterprise shows up in Game Of Thrones book 6 |
Sun Jul 24 21:08:00 +0000 2011 |
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This Katie MacAlister seems to be a prime offender, title after title and each one a worse groaner than the last |
Thu Jul 21 23:12:28 +0000 2011 |
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Wow, there sure are a lot of shitty-looking chicklit vampire books |
Thu Jul 21 23:02:44 +0000 2011 |
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There’s a lesson regarding the efficacy of legislation here somewhere http://t.co/aXzYM2g |
Thu Jul 21 19:27:54 +0000 2011 |
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@venturajm Nope, live stuff, 2 full hours of it. Bored me stiff, kept thinking surely they’d would play something interesting anytime but no |
Wed Jul 20 02:28:53 +0000 2011 |
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Bobby Fuller: Never to be forgotten. http://t.co/teGDJUX |
Tue Jul 19 17:44:15 +0000 2011 |
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I’d like to say I’ll miss Borders, but I haven’t found shopping at one enjoyable in quite awhile. Still, it was good when it was good. |
Mon Jul 18 22:38:03 +0000 2011 |
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Checked out some Widespread Panic music this weekend, found it all fairly tepid & unambitious. Decided I don’t really like Widespread Panic. |
Mon Jul 18 21:09:18 +0000 2011 |
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Every article on Battles for the past several months, summarized: “There sure are three guys in the band now instead of four” |
Sun Jul 17 17:45:34 +0000 2011 |
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The entirety of Broken Lizard Standup summarized: “Hey, you guys have all seen Super Troopers and are TOTALLY HIGH, right? Right?” |
Sun Jul 17 16:03:42 +0000 2011 |
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Thinking this might be a good candidate for the cover photo of album #2 http://t.co/oflpoBN |
Sat Jul 16 00:34:12 +0000 2011 |
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@laurensnuggles Jiffy Lube blows and several have been fined for unnecessary services. Hop on Yelp and find a good nonchain auto shop |
Fri Jul 15 21:30:16 +0000 2011 |
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See, everyone knows Palin is a joke except Newsweek http://t.co/ENEbaUt |
Fri Jul 15 18:52:17 +0000 2011 |
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Also Hooky’s Joy Division rerecordings are embarrassing and cringeworthy so well done on burning bridges there |
Fri Jul 15 17:14:23 +0000 2011 |
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“I know that our all bickering physically hurts the fans and destroys what they loved” Don’t worry Hooky it does neither http://t.co/pQfWUPE |
Fri Jul 15 17:09:57 +0000 2011 |
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I like how people are suddenly stricken by the breakup of a band that has done fuck-all for 4 years despite never noticing their absence |
Wed Jul 13 21:53:31 +0000 2011 |
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Landmark Forum seminars: far better experienced vicariously via entertaining stream of tweets. http://t.co/5daXMJl |
Wed Jul 13 18:20:57 +0000 2011 |
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Spotted some twit driving a Saab eating a bowl of cereal from his lap–milk, fruit and all. Just one tap on the brakes could ruin his day… |
Tue Jul 12 19:29:57 +0000 2011 |
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Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), classic Eno for Saturday morning – China My China by Brian Eno, from #SoundHound http://bit.ly/qnsfM6 |
Sat Jul 09 17:57:48 +0000 2011 |
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You know, every time I hear Pearl Jam I think “Maybe this will be the awesome thing that knocks me out” and it just never happens. |
Mon Jul 04 06:38:28 +0000 2011 |
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Finding it really hard to care about any of Marvel’s Fear Itself. At least we know Flashpoint is going somewhere; this doesn’t seem to be. |
Sun Jul 03 16:57:26 +0000 2011 |
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Wow, seriously, Newsweek? In what way is this ridiculous bullshit remotely news? What an awful publication. http://t.co/N2VuMzl |
Wed Jun 29 00:11:50 +0000 2011 |
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Prince and Morrissey are making themselves relics by refusing to adapt: http://t.co/Sc6qtkp |
Tue Jun 28 19:25:55 +0000 2011 |
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Tried to watch This Movie Is Broken, had to turn off 10 minutes in due to dire acting and awful cliche-ridden script. Wow, so bad |
Fri Jun 24 03:30:58 +0000 2011 |
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I bet parts of this sound unlikely to many. Not me, or anyone else ever paid to write. http://t.co/BpT6SWj |
Wed Jun 22 05:42:51 +0000 2011 |
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Also, how did I miss that Kathleen Hanna and Ad-Rock are married? That’s totally the kind of thing I tend to know despite myself. |
Mon Jun 20 20:49:30 +0000 2011 |
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I think it’s funny that grasping for an example of a terrible male performer, Jason Mraz is the first to pop to mind. http://t.co/KRLhYmQ |
Mon Jun 20 20:43:31 +0000 2011 |
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“My Game of Thrones app isn’t loading fast enough!” #firstworldproblems |
Sun Jun 19 16:40:56 +0000 2011 |
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Wow, Single White Spenny is incredibly clumsy and amateurish. Embarrassingly obvious wish-fulfilment fantasy, unfunny, hard to get through. |
Sat Jun 18 02:48:05 +0000 2011 |
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Watching Rifftrax Star Trek Generations, may god have mercy on us. I swear it wasn’t even me who picked it. |
Sat Jun 18 00:49:04 +0000 2011 |
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@karmiclife just put the folder on shuffle |
Fri Jun 17 06:34:48 +0000 2011 |
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Just watching a whole bunch of Rifftrax shorts |
Fri Jun 17 04:17:46 +0000 2011 |
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Pt. 3 of my #SunsetSessions Rock 2011 recap is up now, ft. 1 Less Reason, Unwritten Law, Evan Watson, The Wedding & more http://t.co/TRVshkr |
Wed Jun 15 21:36:45 +0000 2011 |
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A comedian’s site should have samples of comedy, not commercial acting work. Unconvincing ALL CAPS blurb doesn’t cut it http://t.co/Ad69VVU |
Wed Jun 15 18:35:35 +0000 2011 |
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Now that Game of Thrones is getting down to it we finally get answers to the important questions:they’re called ‘gingers’ in this world too |
Mon Jun 13 23:21:23 +0000 2011 |
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Aaron goes to #SunsetSessions Rock 2011 pt 2 up now: GIVERS, Ali Handal, Dead Sara, Drive A, Kopek, Shakti Tribe http://t.co/6AgUmTx |
Mon Jun 13 17:30:47 +0000 2011 |
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Watching Take Me Home Tonight. Have been on the verge of turning it off the whole time, it’s kind of a POS. |
Sun Jun 12 05:19:41 +0000 2011 |
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It’s hard to deny that a good number of DC’s 52 relaunch series feel like the ‘DC Explosion’ titles of the late 70s #quicklycanceled |
Sat Jun 11 17:34:28 +0000 2011 |
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Conversely, I’d have bet good money there was no way DC could possibly make a Stormwatch series interesting but with @Paul_Cornell, it is. |
Thu Jun 09 18:29:36 +0000 2011 |
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Marvel had better step up its PR game. Yet another obnoxiously obvious X-Men relaunch coupled with terrible Greg Land art ain’t cutting it. |
Thu Jun 09 18:22:56 +0000 2011 |
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On Invincible #80: Well if that wasn’t the most Kirkmany Kirkman comic that ever Kirkmaned I don’t know what is. Coast City/The Pitt anyone? |
Thu Jun 09 15:35:20 +0000 2011 |
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The worst part about seeing Robert Plant is all the people who really just want a sad echo of something they saw 35 years ago. |
Thu Jun 09 06:10:02 +0000 2011 |
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I don’t understand why it takes longer to get a drink at Copley Symphony Hall than anywhere else in the world |
Thu Jun 09 03:42:53 +0000 2011 |
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Creepy Creeps’ show doesn’t really work in a theater setting but they seem like they’d tear up the right club. |
Thu Jun 09 03:27:41 +0000 2011 |
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Really glad Paul Levitz’ LSH book isn’t going away but honestly surprised to find DC still thinks the market can support 2 Legion books. |
Wed Jun 08 17:24:49 +0000 2011 |
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I went to #SunsetSessions Rock 2011 and wrote about it. In this post: Transfer, AWOLNATION, and Deep Dark Robot. http://bit.ly/mrRtOT |
Tue Jun 07 17:15:11 +0000 2011 |
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Godspeed to producer Martin Rushent — I hope in death he is confused with Martin Hannett far less often. |
Mon Jun 06 22:44:59 +0000 2011 |
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Whatever happened to Argyle from Die Hard |
Mon Jun 06 03:23:31 +0000 2011 |
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Bends’ Moon Knight series really not doing it for me. And seriously, Echo again? Reads like the cliche of BMB talktalktalk empty writing. |
Sat Jun 04 19:31:33 +0000 2011 |
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Avengers Academy 14/14.1: continues to surprise me as one of the most consistent titles Marvel currently releases. Gage gets it–good stuff. |
Sat Jun 04 19:16:29 +0000 2011 |
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Amazing Spider-man now reads like Slott trying to get out all his stuff other guys vetoed during the multiwriter era. Get on with it, man. |
Sat Jun 04 18:11:52 +0000 2011 |
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Stuart Immonen is one of the best artists working today but man is Fear Itself ever terrible. Just bad writing all around, senseless crap. |
Sat Jun 04 17:57:05 +0000 2011 |
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Why does all food served in catering trays smell exactly the same |
Fri Jun 03 04:14:56 +0000 2011 |
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Movie Memorial Day: Pootie Tang, Rifftrax X-Men, In the Loop, Limitless |
Tue May 31 01:23:02 +0000 2011 |
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The new manners: when a person uses a cellphone in a movie theater, it is considered proper to throw popcorn at them until it is put away. |
Sat May 28 21:56:17 +0000 2011 |
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All I can say is Grant Morrison better be writing some Flash here or I’m gonna be pissed |
Sat May 28 06:08:58 +0000 2011 |
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I was all pissed off at the UPS guy for taking all day to deliver my package but then he showed up blasting the Misfits |
Sat May 28 01:54:15 +0000 2011 |
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Watched about 10 mins of Protest the Hero – Gallop Meets the Earth Live and just couldn’t take it seriously. |
Fri May 27 04:10:29 +0000 2011 |
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The Jesus Lizard albums Albini didn’t record sound so weird. |
Fri May 27 00:47:00 +0000 2011 |
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I don’t know or care who Ryan Giggs and Imogen Thomas are but I do know UK law doesn’t apply to me and I support unconditionally free speech |
Mon May 23 22:27:35 +0000 2011 |
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I guess this is the day everyone says something terribly unfunny about the supposed Rapture so let this stand as my contribution. |
Sat May 21 15:42:39 +0000 2011 |
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Bank of America, call me to push your pointless identity theft protection product just once more & I’ll see how fast I can switch banks |
Fri May 20 01:37:13 +0000 2011 |
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Hmm, mayhap Obama has been revisiting Slanted & Enchanted of late–let’s see if he says 40 million daggers must be sheathed to achieve peace |
Thu May 19 17:44:21 +0000 2011 |
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Whoa WordPress looks totally different for me now. I guess that’s what happens when you upgrade versions from 2.3.3 (3 years old) to 3.1.2 |
Thu May 19 16:02:13 +0000 2011 |
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“Velvet Revolver’s music isn’t very good and it was all about the money,” well duh. Music tell-all revelations aren’t what they used to be |
Wed May 18 20:50:23 +0000 2011 |
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Yuck is a lot better as far as not-entirely-original recentish UK wannabe-US-sounding bands with debut LPs out go |
Wed May 18 02:20:44 +0000 2011 |
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This Vaccines album kind of sucks and is boring |
Wed May 18 01:28:34 +0000 2011 |
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Flash Fact: I outnerded the internet with comic book knowledge http://bit.ly/lqNuYu |
Tue May 17 16:37:49 +0000 2011 |
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Recently finished Jeffrey Brown books Little Things & Any Easy Intimacy http://twitpic.com/4yhray |
Mon May 16 15:38:52 +0000 2011 |
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You can tell Waters helped select the new Floyd best-of: he’s the only person in the world who thinks “Fletcher Memorial Home” belongs there |
Tue May 10 22:48:48 +0000 2011 |
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Starting to think that not only am I completely done playing any cover songs, I may also be done listening to cover material. It’s boring. |
Mon May 09 21:16:38 +0000 2011 |
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Marvel’s Fear Itself is sort of incomprehensible and lacking any kind of actual story but man Stuart Immonen sure can draw. |
Sat May 07 20:36:16 +0000 2011 |
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The short story in this issue kind of sucked too. |
Thu May 05 02:43:25 +0000 2011 |
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George Jones article in Playboy reads like the author did an interview, got nothing out of him, and made up some personal BS to fill it out |
Thu May 05 01:56:19 +0000 2011 |
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About 20 mins in on Foo Fighters: Back And Forth and it seems really well-done. http://t.co/KzSTpOO |
Wed May 04 03:33:07 +0000 2011 |
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You know what’s a good feeling? Being completely caught up on one’s work. Enjoy it while it lasts. |
Tue May 03 17:42:53 +0000 2011 |
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Reading Beginners I pretty much think Gordon Lish’s editing job on What We Talk About When We Talk About Love amounts to criminal vandalism |
Sun May 01 20:08:43 +0000 2011 |
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Up early for Saturday. Listening to Smog. Going to read Carver. |
Sat Apr 30 15:03:07 +0000 2011 |
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While Donald Glover’s concert was mediocre, I’m surprised more media celebs don’t do similar tours to milk it while they have the chance |
Wed Apr 27 22:25:38 +0000 2011 |
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The properties of art aren’t additive–cf. Donald Glover @ Belly Up, a 2 star comedy set + a 2 star rap set = a 2 star show. |
Wed Apr 27 06:28:56 +0000 2011 |
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I feel like I just paid to finance Donald Glover’s fantasy of being an actual musician. |
Wed Apr 27 06:21:35 +0000 2011 |
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Painting a peace sign and flowers on the spare tire cover of one’s vintage VW Microbus seems more than a bit on the nose |
Tue Apr 26 20:19:45 +0000 2011 |
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No sympathy for anyone complaining the internet is boring. If you can’t guide your own entertainment don’t expect the world to cater to you. |
Mon Apr 25 22:41:40 +0000 2011 |
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Haha, “We’re DFA 1979, stick around for Duran Duran”. Sorry DD, you have been replaced with Kanye |
Fri Apr 22 03:27:39 +0000 2011 |
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Living room Coachella continues tonight with Cold War Kids and Death From Above 1979 |
Fri Apr 22 02:31:59 +0000 2011 |
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The Swell Season is going off, in an unexpectedly uptempo way |
Thu Apr 21 05:12:58 +0000 2011 |
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PJ Harvey’s set is mesmerizing. |
Thu Apr 21 04:43:52 +0000 2011 |
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Well the National’s Coachella set was better than the Strokes’ but then they had the advantage of being a better band playing better music |
Thu Apr 21 04:09:42 +0000 2011 |
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For some it was last weekend but tonight is my Coachella, here in my living room. The Strokes on now, the National up next, followed by…? |
Thu Apr 21 01:54:38 +0000 2011 |
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Two months ago I’d never heard of Odd Future and now I’m completely sick of hearing about them. Such are the risks of instant overexposure |
Thu Apr 21 00:57:45 +0000 2011 |
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Wow, Angelfire is totally a thing that still actually exists. Worth taking the time to excavate antediluvian logon/delete ancient website(s) |
Wed Apr 20 15:54:23 +0000 2011 |
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Just watchin’ a bunch of Rifftrax shorts in a row |
Wed Apr 20 02:27:48 +0000 2011 |
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Apple does a lot of things right but: the most ubiquitous Apple product is Itunes, and it’s a horrible POS that everyone hates and resents |
Tue Apr 19 21:23:24 +0000 2011 |
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There is and always has been something fundamentally uninteresting about the Smithereens, despite a few catchy tunes. Too formalist/retro? |
Tue Apr 19 19:40:36 +0000 2011 |
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I’m almost sorry to have to give up my weekend of saying “No, we can’t watch Game Of Thrones, the New York Times says women won’t like it” |
Mon Apr 18 04:40:11 +0000 2011 |
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Kitchen Nightmares US is such a fluffy reality-show POS compared to the original UK show, especially now |
Sun Apr 17 19:49:59 +0000 2011 |
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A little Emitt Rhodes goes a long way. Too much McCartney, not enough Beefheart |
Sun Apr 17 17:06:59 +0000 2011 |
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Anthony Michael Hall definitely should have been Jimmy Olsen at some point |
Sun Apr 17 01:55:19 +0000 2011 |
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The computer networking in Weird Science is bizarrely fascinating. |
Sun Apr 17 00:44:28 +0000 2011 |
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The Daytrotter downloader reeks of “Well, we spent all this money to develop this useless POS interface so we’re damn well gonna use it” |
Sat Apr 16 18:31:21 +0000 2011 |
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“There’s nothing to do in the midwest but dream” ~ @josepharthur. Yeah, that’s pretty much right on–dream about getting the hell OUT! |
Wed Apr 13 22:52:42 +0000 2011 |
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Finally updated the music info page of my site at http://aaronpoehler.com/music.html with both up-to-date info and stuff about old projects |
Wed Apr 13 19:26:18 +0000 2011 |
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Also bands, really: don’t do the ‘everybody wearing sunglasses in the picture’ thing. You don’t look like the Blues Brothers, you look dumb. |
Wed Apr 13 15:55:04 +0000 2011 |
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Seriously people stop naming your band The Black _____s. NOBODY CAN TELL YOU APART |
Wed Apr 13 15:40:35 +0000 2011 |
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Daytrotter sessions sure have the potential to be cool if they didn’t sound like 128kbps crap. The downloader is ridiculously awful as well. |
Tue Apr 12 00:57:16 +0000 2011 |
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Peter Tomasi, everyone thinks it’s incredibly pretentious that your credit is “story & words” instead of just “writer” or “scripter,” FYI |
Sat Apr 09 16:53:59 +0000 2011 |
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Man Brian Bendis sure thinks the Hood is an interesting character. Too bad he doesn’t convey that in his writing for shit |
Sat Apr 09 16:30:47 +0000 2011 |
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Definitely been laughing a lot as I catch up on Community but with s01e23 “Modern Warfare” the show takes a place as one of my favorites. |
Wed Apr 06 18:44:13 +0000 2011 |
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In 50 yrs no one will be able to parse any qualitative difference between “Friday” and “Born This Way” |
Tue Apr 05 00:24:11 +0000 2011 |
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Can’t get this Raymond Carver line read 2 days ago out of my head: “He never knew what Jerry wanted. But it started and ended with a rock.” |
Sat Apr 02 16:15:54 +0000 2011 |
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The Flash episode “Twin Streaks” features a guy from Twin Peaks. Just got that, 20 years after the fact. |
Sat Apr 02 05:22:29 +0000 2011 |
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FX chain http://twitpic.com/4fwhme |
Sat Apr 02 02:53:10 +0000 2011 |
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So apparently there’s someone I know who has never seen DIE HARD. What has happened to America’s educational system?? |
Fri Apr 01 22:57:06 +0000 2011 |
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Just finished Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits. Amazon reviews pretty much tell the story here. |
Thu Mar 31 06:34:45 +0000 2011 |
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“This class is like a redhead who drinks Scotch and loves Die Hard. I suggest you all get her number.” |
Thu Mar 31 04:49:42 +0000 2011 |
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I see now Paypal is integrating its own credit card upsell. Oh Paypal, you never disappoint in finding new ways to be awful and crappy |
Tue Mar 29 17:30:54 +0000 2011 |
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And now: Rifftrax Reign Of Fire |
Sun Mar 27 04:37:16 +0000 2011 |
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Books finished this week http://twitpic.com/4cxoqv |
Fri Mar 25 00:45:39 +0000 2011 |
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Two things I don’t do: 1. Read the Huffington Post 2. Work for free |
Thu Mar 24 19:59:57 +0000 2011 |
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What did you mean when you said, “Feel my skills, donkey donkey donkey, donkey donkey?” |
Wed Mar 23 17:52:22 +0000 2011 |
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Hey @chrisbrown do us all a favor and go away forever; failing that at least stop hitting things to express your limited range of emotion |
Tue Mar 22 21:00:33 +0000 2011 |
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I’m sure tired of listening to this album but as soon as I decide not to double-check everything then bang, there’ll be a massive glitch |
Mon Mar 21 21:38:32 +0000 2011 |
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Finally unsubscribing from Borders Rewards email after years–too little signal-to-noise, too little reward, and of late, too many untruths. |
Thu Mar 17 21:15:06 +0000 2011 |
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Dude begging at intersection wearing “Class of 2010 — WE RUN THIS” t-shirt |
Mon Mar 14 23:50:24 +0000 2011 |
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…but I have to admit I laughed a lot more at tonight’s Bob’s Burgers |
Mon Mar 14 04:00:41 +0000 2011 |
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After all this time I’m still happy to see a new episode of The Simpsons. |
Mon Mar 14 03:32:21 +0000 2011 |
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These Jessie J musical performances are almost fascinatingly terrible. |
Sun Mar 13 09:38:31 +0000 2011 |
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This Jessie J on SNL: so who canceled last minute? Not ready for prime time or late night |
Sun Mar 13 09:18:09 +0000 2011 |
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If you don’t know what playing “in the pocket” means go see The Bellrays |
Sun Mar 13 07:24:29 +0000 2011 |
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Firethorn’s standard riff rock with cowbell is leaving me unmoved, but the bass is solid |
Sun Mar 13 05:46:24 +0000 2011 |
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Opening band at Casbah has those weird clear drums |
Sun Mar 13 05:25:56 +0000 2011 |
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Food was decent but if 8PM Sat is dead at Fat City Steakhouse when do they make money? |
Sun Mar 13 04:55:07 +0000 2011 |
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The sound on the new REM album kind of sucks. Hypercompressed, can’t get into it. |
Sat Mar 12 21:09:45 +0000 2011 |
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It’s not a “supergroup” if you have to explain who all the band members are |
Sat Mar 12 18:24:00 +0000 2011 |
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Tangled could really use some Machete-style ultraviolence |
Sat Mar 12 06:14:40 +0000 2011 |
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Baffling mysteries of the iPhone: why on earth can’t you adjust the alarm snooze time? |
Fri Mar 11 15:04:45 +0000 2011 |
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The Kids Are All Right was really well made bar only that I felt naming the kid “Laser” out of nowhere slightly violated Chekhov’s gun rule. |
Wed Mar 09 23:06:37 +0000 2011 |
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Borders, no one with a functioning brain is signing up for your Rewards Plus program right now so please just stop spamming about it |
Wed Mar 09 19:11:24 +0000 2011 |
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Well I can see one reason why not http://twitpic.com/47l4m4 |
Tue Mar 08 22:21:27 +0000 2011 |
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Scrobbling no more: shut down and deleted the last.fm account I had for five years because really who cares |
Tue Mar 08 21:39:22 +0000 2011 |
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Tue Sep 13 17:23:51 +0000 2011 |
It’s got to suck working on bonus CD-ROM materials for music CDs knowing full well your audience is: (people who read liner notes)/20 |
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Tue Sep 13 17:20:34 +0000 2011 |
“Augmented Reality Experience” is the most ridiculously overblown BS marketing euphemism imaginable for “We threw in some bonus CDROM shit” |
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Tue Sep 13 15:24:21 +0000 2011 |
Funniest thing I’ve seen so far today: comment section full of people lamenting the death of the CD by complaining ‘digital music sucks’ |
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Mon Sep 12 16:30:22 +0000 2011 |
Mostly though these New 52 #1 review columns all read the same: staid & lacking Sterling’s insight. 6 months in, then they’ll have a point. |
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Mon Sep 12 16:25:33 +0000 2011 |
Not writing on DC’s New52 #1s because there’s more than enough of that already but Giffen’s OMAC is pure Kirby goodness http://t.co/R8AZqpb |
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Sun Sep 11 16:54:49 +0000 2011 |
Catch-22: if you take Esquire’s How To Be A Man feature remotely seriously you are precluded from being one |
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Sat Sep 10 19:18:55 +0000 2011 |
Hey, Spider-Island: Avengers was actually quite good, don’t miss it in the sea of samey-looking tie-ins with generic names on the stands |
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Fri Sep 09 19:01:31 +0000 2011 |
Whenever something actually happens on which one might want current news updates I’m struck by the uselessness of all local SD news websites |
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Fri Sep 09 18:23:05 +0000 2011 |
At this point New Order w/o Peter Hook isn’t Queen w/o Freddie Mercury, it’s Dream Theater w/o Mike Portnoy–both badly need to STFU ASAP |
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Fri Sep 09 16:24:08 +0000 2011 |
How is it possible every month’s Zenescope covers are more cringe-inducingly mortifying than the last? |
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Fri Sep 09 14:17:18 +0000 2011 |
“San Diego: I SURVIVED being slightly uncomfortable for just under 12 hours” t-shirts would probably have a limited sale window |
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Wed Sep 07 21:28:08 +0000 2011 |
If you bought an ipad 2 case that doesn’t make use of the smart cover auto wake/sleep feature you oughtta take that shit back tout suite |
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Wed Sep 07 19:42:02 +0000 2011 |
Everything about Marvel’s Season 1 OGN covers from art to trade dress is awful unless “remainder-bin knockoffs” is what they were going for |
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Tue Sep 06 21:39:40 +0000 2011 |
I enjoy the work of PJ Harvey including her newest album but as an American I must disavow any knowledge of what the Mercury Prize is |
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Tue Sep 06 21:36:31 +0000 2011 |
Does your band have a ‘clever’ name? Man is that going to get old fast. |
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Tue Sep 06 16:34:33 +0000 2011 |
I never thought I’d be okay with a Hookless New Order but then I never thought Hook would be so blatantly exploitative of Joy Division music |
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Sun Sep 04 17:53:11 +0000 2011 |
I kinda think all instagram/hipstamatic processed photos look shitty now and will look moreso as time continues to pass |
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Fri Sep 02 02:19:21 +0000 2011 |
Guess I know what I’ll be listening to/watching over the wkend when I’m not doing acoustic treatment on the garage http://t.co/uvVjFTt |
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Thu Sep 01 23:18:28 +0000 2011 |
Who are the dumbfucks buying these licensed versions of Monopoly? It’s the same game with different tokens and street names. It’s also sad. |
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Thu Sep 01 05:27:23 +0000 2011 |
Oscar Jiminez could have been an A-list comic book artist if he’d ever delivered work in a remotely timely fashion. Great stuff but so late. |
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Tue Aug 30 16:32:09 +0000 2011 |
Was down for the concept of Ghost but not finding the music on Opus Eponymous as good as I’d hoped |
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Tue Aug 30 01:12:36 +0000 2011 |
Man I loves me some Thin Lizzy but the guitar solo on “The Rocker” is total ass |
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Mon Aug 29 18:44:35 +0000 2011 |
If I enjoy someone’s creative output it doesn’t mean I want to be harangued to help promote it as if that’s somehow my responsibility. |
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Mon Aug 29 16:24:52 +0000 2011 |
It must be tough to work up the enthusiasm to pretend anyone’s cared in the slightest about the Video Music Awards in decades |
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Sun Aug 28 19:29:40 +0000 2011 |
There can never be enough Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire comics (but they don’t all have to be Justice League related–maybe creator-owned next?) |
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Sat Aug 27 00:14:35 +0000 2011 |
Hey awesome, reverse sexism. Thanks Bounce/Procter & Gamble, and fuck you too http://t.co/GavTMeP |
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Fri Aug 26 21:40:01 +0000 2011 |
Absolutely the most mind-melting @RiffTrax short yet: “What Is Nothing?” http://t.co/xQyO7rg |
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Thu Aug 25 21:33:34 +0000 2011 |
Reality check: The Dark Knight Rises is still like a year away argh |
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Tue Aug 23 16:58:09 +0000 2011 |
I wonder how often that Static-X guy catches his reflection in the dressing room mirror & sighs deeply & mournfully before going onstage |
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Mon Aug 22 19:17:10 +0000 2011 |
All of these “Who’s Who at DC Comics-The New 52″ creator profiles are staggeringly dull. Done in the least imaginative way possible. |
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Mon Aug 22 17:30:59 +0000 2011 |
I guess it’s safe to take my Borders Rewards and Blockbuster Video cards out of my wallet now |
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Fri Aug 19 21:09:10 +0000 2011 |
Admittedly the blacklight room already breaks the Corvette Diner 50s theme but the Insane Clown Posse Bizarre Bazaar poster is going too far |
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Thu Aug 18 15:29:38 +0000 2011 |
Watched Blur – T in the Park last night. Do they get better or is singing shittily & out of key just Damon Albarn’s ‘thing’? |
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Wed Aug 17 23:01:02 +0000 2011 |
Keep thinking agency on Mad Men is named Sterling Archer Associates, then get distracted thinking about how awesome that premise would be |
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Wed Aug 17 20:55:08 +0000 2011 |
A writer writing to other writers about writing does not seem like worthwhile networking unless one’s aim is to be a writing teacher. |
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Wed Aug 17 15:40:14 +0000 2011 |
Though I too mourn the loss of canvas for visual art and text in albums, digital booklets are a waste of time for creator & listener alike |
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Tue Aug 16 19:35:38 +0000 2011 |
I got an offer claiming $15 for Harmony Balance-Bands is “a $40 value”, rather than the more accurate “$15 for a worthless scam product” |
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Thu Aug 11 20:57:27 +0000 2011 |
Caption this picture: what is melancholy devo fan thinking right now? (Photo from http://t.co/mrjTKsF) http://t.co/DrsoAAI |
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Thu Aug 11 17:56:00 +0000 2011 |
Kirby: Genesis is all the crazy superheroic action you crave without the bitter aftertaste of corporate indifference #trythisindycomic |
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Thu Aug 11 02:33:49 +0000 2011 |
God T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents is awesome. I hope it doesn’t get completely buried and forgotten in the New 52 push. |
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Thu Aug 11 02:15:02 +0000 2011 |
Tip of the hat to Scott Snyder for a stellar scripting job on his Detective Comics run–looking forward to Batman run starting next month. |
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Wed Aug 10 20:58:09 +0000 2011 |
I like few bands enough to bother listening to a remix collection and I’m afraid Radiohead’s music hasn’t been rewarding enough for years |
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Wed Aug 10 17:12:40 +0000 2011 |
Watched the Horrors’ Glastonbury set last night: not bad, not great. Lyrics too simplistic and repetitive, songs a bit flimsy. 3 stars |
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Mon Aug 08 22:06:46 +0000 2011 |
Lord knows I loves me some metal but the whole “No really look how EEEEVIL I am” act some people in the genre pull is painfully corny |
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Sat Aug 06 00:46:35 +0000 2011 |
I’m fine with Lorne not changing out any SNL cast but I better not see any Deep House Dish, Target Lady, or What’s Up With That next season |
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Fri Aug 05 19:55:20 +0000 2011 |
Musical considerations aside, bands that dress up to look “old-timey” give me shudders of revulsion |
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Fri Aug 05 17:34:10 +0000 2011 |
You know what’s hot? Someone who knows the difference between ‘discrete’/'discreet’ and ‘reign’/'rein’ |
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Tue Aug 02 21:44:50 +0000 2011 |
…kids of today should defend themselves against false nostalgia for Ten and Nevermind. |
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Tue Aug 02 21:44:37 +0000 2011 |
Speaking out against false nostalgia in 1994, Eddie Vedder sang “Kids of today should defend themselves against the 70s”… |
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Tue Aug 02 16:28:43 +0000 2011 |
I wonder if they anticipated the line “You’re the fucked-up version of Amy Winehouse” playing the way it does now http://t.co/xkuqwO4 |
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Mon Aug 01 18:21:33 +0000 2011 |
Capitalizing the W in ‘Wanna’ really sells the desperate yearning and insecurity underpinning this pitch http://t.co/v7Z3ktA |
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Fri Jul 29 21:58:15 +0000 2011 |
Any album that’s reissued and hasn’t been out of print for at least five years is just a lame cashgrab *koff* ArcadeFireLadyGaga |
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Wed Jul 27 15:46:37 +0000 2011 |
Tineye would be useful if it worked better or at all, seems like there’s a space in the online spectrum for that if someone wants to step up |
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Tue Jul 26 01:35:49 +0000 2011 |
No device of mine is truly set up until its background is set to earthlights.jpg |
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Sun Jul 24 21:08:00 +0000 2011 |
J genuinely offended at my suggestion it will be awesome when the Starship Enterprise shows up in Game Of Thrones book 6 |
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Thu Jul 21 23:12:28 +0000 2011 |
This Katie MacAlister seems to be a prime offender, title after title and each one a worse groaner than the last |
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Thu Jul 21 23:02:44 +0000 2011 |
Wow, there sure are a lot of shitty-looking chicklit vampire books |
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Thu Jul 21 19:27:54 +0000 2011 |
There’s a lesson regarding the efficacy of legislation here somewhere http://t.co/aXzYM2g |
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Wed Jul 20 02:28:53 +0000 2011 |
@venturajm Nope, live stuff, 2 full hours of it. Bored me stiff, kept thinking surely they’d would play something interesting anytime but no |
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Tue Jul 19 17:44:15 +0000 2011 |
Bobby Fuller: Never to be forgotten. http://t.co/teGDJUX |
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Mon Jul 18 22:38:03 +0000 2011 |
I’d like to say I’ll miss Borders, but I haven’t found shopping at one enjoyable in quite awhile. Still, it was good when it was good. |
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Mon Jul 18 21:09:18 +0000 2011 |
Checked out some Widespread Panic music this weekend, found it all fairly tepid & unambitious. Decided I don’t really like Widespread Panic. |
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Sun Jul 17 17:45:34 +0000 2011 |
Every article on Battles for the past several months, summarized: “There sure are three guys in the band now instead of four” |
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Sun Jul 17 16:03:42 +0000 2011 |
The entirety of Broken Lizard Standup summarized: “Hey, you guys have all seen Super Troopers and are TOTALLY HIGH, right? Right?” |
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Sat Jul 16 00:34:12 +0000 2011 |
Thinking this might be a good candidate for the cover photo of album #2 http://t.co/oflpoBN |
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Fri Jul 15 21:30:16 +0000 2011 |
@laurensnuggles Jiffy Lube blows and several have been fined for unnecessary services. Hop on Yelp and find a good nonchain auto shop |
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Fri Jul 15 18:52:17 +0000 2011 |
See, everyone knows Palin is a joke except Newsweek http://t.co/ENEbaUt |
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Fri Jul 15 17:14:23 +0000 2011 |
Also Hooky’s Joy Division rerecordings are embarrassing and cringeworthy so well done on burning bridges there |
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Fri Jul 15 17:09:57 +0000 2011 |
“I know that our all bickering physically hurts the fans and destroys what they loved” Don’t worry Hooky it does neither http://t.co/pQfWUPE |
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Wed Jul 13 21:53:31 +0000 2011 |
I like how people are suddenly stricken by the breakup of a band that has done fuck-all for 4 years despite never noticing their absence |
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Wed Jul 13 18:20:57 +0000 2011 |
Landmark Forum seminars: far better experienced vicariously via entertaining stream of tweets. http://t.co/5daXMJl |
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Tue Jul 12 19:29:57 +0000 2011 |
Spotted some twit driving a Saab eating a bowl of cereal from his lap–milk, fruit and all. Just one tap on the brakes could ruin his day… |
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Sat Jul 09 17:57:48 +0000 2011 |
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), classic Eno for Saturday morning – China My China by Brian Eno, from #SoundHound http://bit.ly/qnsfM6 |
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Mon Jul 04 06:38:28 +0000 2011 |
You know, every time I hear Pearl Jam I think “Maybe this will be the awesome thing that knocks me out” and it just never happens. |
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Sun Jul 03 16:57:26 +0000 2011 |
Finding it really hard to care about any of Marvel’s Fear Itself. At least we know Flashpoint is going somewhere; this doesn’t seem to be. |
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Wed Jun 29 00:11:50 +0000 2011 |
Wow, seriously, Newsweek? In what way is this ridiculous bullshit remotely news? What an awful publication. http://t.co/N2VuMzl |
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Tue Jun 28 19:25:55 +0000 2011 |
Prince and Morrissey are making themselves relics by refusing to adapt: http://t.co/Sc6qtkp |
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Fri Jun 24 03:30:58 +0000 2011 |
Tried to watch This Movie Is Broken, had to turn off 10 minutes in due to dire acting and awful cliche-ridden script. Wow, so bad |
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Wed Jun 22 05:42:51 +0000 2011 |
I bet parts of this sound unlikely to many. Not me, or anyone else ever paid to write. http://t.co/BpT6SWj |
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Mon Jun 20 20:49:30 +0000 2011 |
Also, how did I miss that Kathleen Hanna and Ad-Rock are married? That’s totally the kind of thing I tend to know despite myself. |
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Mon Jun 20 20:43:31 +0000 2011 |
I think it’s funny that grasping for an example of a terrible male performer, Jason Mraz is the first to pop to mind. http://t.co/KRLhYmQ |
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Sun Jun 19 16:40:56 +0000 2011 |
“My Game of Thrones app isn’t loading fast enough!” #firstworldproblems |
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Sat Jun 18 02:48:05 +0000 2011 |
Wow, Single White Spenny is incredibly clumsy and amateurish. Embarrassingly obvious wish-fulfilment fantasy, unfunny, hard to get through. |
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Sat Jun 18 00:49:04 +0000 2011 |
Watching Rifftrax Star Trek Generations, may god have mercy on us. I swear it wasn’t even me who picked it. |
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Fri Jun 17 06:34:48 +0000 2011 |
@karmiclife just put the folder on shuffle |
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Fri Jun 17 04:17:46 +0000 2011 |
Just watching a whole bunch of Rifftrax shorts |
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Wed Jun 15 21:36:45 +0000 2011 |
Pt. 3 of my #SunsetSessions Rock 2011 recap is up now, ft. 1 Less Reason, Unwritten Law, Evan Watson, The Wedding & more http://t.co/TRVshkr |
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Wed Jun 15 18:35:35 +0000 2011 |
A comedian’s site should have samples of comedy, not commercial acting work. Unconvincing ALL CAPS blurb doesn’t cut it http://t.co/Ad69VVU |
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Mon Jun 13 23:21:23 +0000 2011 |
Now that Game of Thrones is getting down to it we finally get answers to the important questions:they’re called ‘gingers’ in this world too |
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Mon Jun 13 17:30:47 +0000 2011 |
Aaron goes to #SunsetSessions Rock 2011 pt 2 up now: GIVERS, Ali Handal, Dead Sara, Drive A, Kopek, Shakti Tribe http://t.co/6AgUmTx |
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Sun Jun 12 05:19:41 +0000 2011 |
Watching Take Me Home Tonight. Have been on the verge of turning it off the whole time, it’s kind of a POS. |
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Sat Jun 11 17:34:28 +0000 2011 |
It’s hard to deny that a good number of DC’s 52 relaunch series feel like the ‘DC Explosion’ titles of the late 70s #quicklycanceled |
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Thu Jun 09 18:29:36 +0000 2011 |
Conversely, I’d have bet good money there was no way DC could possibly make a Stormwatch series interesting but with @Paul_Cornell, it is. |
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Thu Jun 09 18:22:56 +0000 2011 |
Marvel had better step up its PR game. Yet another obnoxiously obvious X-Men relaunch coupled with terrible Greg Land art ain’t cutting it. |
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Thu Jun 09 15:35:20 +0000 2011 |
On Invincible #80: Well if that wasn’t the most Kirkmany Kirkman comic that ever Kirkmaned I don’t know what is. Coast City/The Pitt anyone? |
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Thu Jun 09 06:10:02 +0000 2011 |
The worst part about seeing Robert Plant is all the people who really just want a sad echo of something they saw 35 years ago. |
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Thu Jun 09 03:42:53 +0000 2011 |
I don’t understand why it takes longer to get a drink at Copley Symphony Hall than anywhere else in the world |
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Thu Jun 09 03:27:41 +0000 2011 |
Creepy Creeps’ show doesn’t really work in a theater setting but they seem like they’d tear up the right club. |
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Wed Jun 08 17:24:49 +0000 2011 |
Really glad Paul Levitz’ LSH book isn’t going away but honestly surprised to find DC still thinks the market can support 2 Legion books. |
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Tue Jun 07 17:15:11 +0000 2011 |
I went to #SunsetSessions Rock 2011 and wrote about it. In this post: Transfer, AWOLNATION, and Deep Dark Robot. http://bit.ly/mrRtOT |
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Mon Jun 06 22:44:59 +0000 2011 |
Godspeed to producer Martin Rushent — I hope in death he is confused with Martin Hannett far less often. |
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Mon Jun 06 03:23:31 +0000 2011 |
Whatever happened to Argyle from Die Hard |
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Sat Jun 04 19:31:33 +0000 2011 |
Bends’ Moon Knight series really not doing it for me. And seriously, Echo again? Reads like the cliche of BMB talktalktalk empty writing. |
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Sat Jun 04 19:16:29 +0000 2011 |
Avengers Academy 14/14.1: continues to surprise me as one of the most consistent titles Marvel currently releases. Gage gets it–good stuff. |
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Sat Jun 04 18:11:52 +0000 2011 |
Amazing Spider-man now reads like Slott trying to get out all his stuff other guys vetoed during the multiwriter era. Get on with it, man. |
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Sat Jun 04 17:57:05 +0000 2011 |
Stuart Immonen is one of the best artists working today but man is Fear Itself ever terrible. Just bad writing all around, senseless crap. |
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Fri Jun 03 04:14:56 +0000 2011 |
Why does all food served in catering trays smell exactly the same |
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Tue May 31 03:59:20 +0000 2011 |
Closing it out with The Infidel |
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Tue May 31 01:23:02 +0000 2011 |
Movie Memorial Day: Pootie Tang, Rifftrax X-Men, In the Loop, Limitless |
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Sat May 28 21:56:17 +0000 2011 |
The new manners: when a person uses a cellphone in a movie theater, it is considered proper to throw popcorn at them until it is put away. |
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Sat May 28 06:08:58 +0000 2011 |
All I can say is Grant Morrison better be writing some Flash here or I’m gonna be pissed |
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Sat May 28 01:54:15 +0000 2011 |
I was all pissed off at the UPS guy for taking all day to deliver my package but then he showed up blasting the Misfits |
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Fri May 27 04:10:29 +0000 2011 |
Watched about 10 mins of Protest the Hero – Gallop Meets the Earth Live and just couldn’t take it seriously. |
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Fri May 27 00:47:00 +0000 2011 |
The Jesus Lizard albums Albini didn’t record sound so weird. |
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Mon May 23 22:27:35 +0000 2011 |
I don’t know or care who Ryan Giggs and Imogen Thomas are but I do know UK law doesn’t apply to me and I support unconditionally free speech |
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Sat May 21 15:42:39 +0000 2011 |
I guess this is the day everyone says something terribly unfunny about the supposed Rapture so let this stand as my contribution. |
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Fri May 20 01:37:13 +0000 2011 |
Bank of America, call me to push your pointless identity theft protection product just once more & I’ll see how fast I can switch banks |
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Thu May 19 17:44:21 +0000 2011 |
Hmm, mayhap Obama has been revisiting Slanted & Enchanted of late–let’s see if he says 40 million daggers must be sheathed to achieve peace |
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Thu May 19 16:02:13 +0000 2011 |
Whoa WordPress looks totally different for me now. I guess that’s what happens when you upgrade versions from 2.3.3 (3 years old) to 3.1.2 |
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Wed May 18 20:50:23 +0000 2011 |
“Velvet Revolver’s music isn’t very good and it was all about the money,” well duh. Music tell-all revelations aren’t what they used to be |
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Wed May 18 02:20:44 +0000 2011 |
Yuck is a lot better as far as not-entirely-original recentish UK wannabe-US-sounding bands with debut LPs out go |
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Wed May 18 01:28:34 +0000 2011 |
This Vaccines album kind of sucks and is boring |
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Tue May 17 16:37:49 +0000 2011 |
Flash Fact: I outnerded the internet with comic book knowledge http://bit.ly/lqNuYu |
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Mon May 16 15:38:52 +0000 2011 |
Recently finished Jeffrey Brown books Little Things & Any Easy Intimacy http://twitpic.com/4yhray |
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Tue May 10 22:48:48 +0000 2011 |
You can tell Waters helped select the new Floyd best-of: he’s the only person in the world who thinks “Fletcher Memorial Home” belongs there |
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Mon May 09 21:16:38 +0000 2011 |
Starting to think that not only am I completely done playing any cover songs, I may also be done listening to cover material. It’s boring. |
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Sat May 07 20:36:16 +0000 2011 |
Marvel’s Fear Itself is sort of incomprehensible and lacking any kind of actual story but man Stuart Immonen sure can draw. |
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Thu May 05 02:43:25 +0000 2011 |
The short story in this issue kind of sucked too. |
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Thu May 05 01:56:19 +0000 2011 |
George Jones article in Playboy reads like the author did an interview, got nothing out of him, and made up some personal BS to fill it out |
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Wed May 04 03:33:07 +0000 2011 |
About 20 mins in on Foo Fighters: Back And Forth and it seems really well-done. http://t.co/KzSTpOO |
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Tue May 03 17:42:53 +0000 2011 |
You know what’s a good feeling? Being completely caught up on one’s work. Enjoy it while it lasts. |
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Sun May 01 20:08:43 +0000 2011 |
Reading Beginners I pretty much think Gordon Lish’s editing job on What We Talk About When We Talk About Love amounts to criminal vandalism |
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Sat Apr 30 15:03:07 +0000 2011 |
Up early for Saturday. Listening to Smog. Going to read Carver. |
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Wed Apr 27 22:25:38 +0000 2011 |
While Donald Glover’s concert was mediocre, I’m surprised more media celebs don’t do similar tours to milk it while they have the chance |
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Wed Apr 27 06:28:56 +0000 2011 |
The properties of art aren’t additive–cf. Donald Glover @ Belly Up, a 2 star comedy set + a 2 star rap set = a 2 star show. |
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Wed Apr 27 06:21:35 +0000 2011 |
I feel like I just paid to finance Donald Glover’s fantasy of being an actual musician. |
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Tue Apr 26 20:19:45 +0000 2011 |
Painting a peace sign and flowers on the spare tire cover of one’s vintage VW Microbus seems more than a bit on the nose |
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Mon Apr 25 22:41:40 +0000 2011 |
No sympathy for anyone complaining the internet is boring. If you can’t guide your own entertainment don’t expect the world to cater to you. |
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Fri Apr 22 03:27:39 +0000 2011 |
Haha, “We’re DFA 1979, stick around for Duran Duran”. Sorry DD, you have been replaced with Kanye |
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Fri Apr 22 02:31:59 +0000 2011 |
Living room Coachella continues tonight with Cold War Kids and Death From Above 1979 |
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Thu Apr 21 05:12:58 +0000 2011 |
The Swell Season is going off, in an unexpectedly uptempo way |
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Thu Apr 21 04:43:52 +0000 2011 |
PJ Harvey’s set is mesmerizing. |
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Thu Apr 21 04:09:42 +0000 2011 |
Well the National’s Coachella set was better than the Strokes’ but then they had the advantage of being a better band playing better music |
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Thu Apr 21 01:54:38 +0000 2011 |
For some it was last weekend but tonight is my Coachella, here in my living room. The Strokes on now, the National up next, followed by…? |
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Thu Apr 21 00:57:45 +0000 2011 |
Two months ago I’d never heard of Odd Future and now I’m completely sick of hearing about them. Such are the risks of instant overexposure |
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Wed Apr 20 15:54:23 +0000 2011 |
Wow, Angelfire is totally a thing that still actually exists. Worth taking the time to excavate antediluvian logon/delete ancient website(s) |
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Wed Apr 20 02:27:48 +0000 2011 |
Just watchin’ a bunch of Rifftrax shorts in a row |
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Tue Apr 19 21:23:24 +0000 2011 |
Apple does a lot of things right but: the most ubiquitous Apple product is Itunes, and it’s a horrible POS that everyone hates and resents |
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Tue Apr 19 19:40:36 +0000 2011 |
There is and always has been something fundamentally uninteresting about the Smithereens, despite a few catchy tunes. Too formalist/retro? |
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Mon Apr 18 04:40:11 +0000 2011 |
I’m almost sorry to have to give up my weekend of saying “No, we can’t watch Game Of Thrones, the New York Times says women won’t like it” |
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Sun Apr 17 19:49:59 +0000 2011 |
Kitchen Nightmares US is such a fluffy reality-show POS compared to the original UK show, especially now |
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Sun Apr 17 17:06:59 +0000 2011 |
A little Emitt Rhodes goes a long way. Too much McCartney, not enough Beefheart |
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Sun Apr 17 01:55:19 +0000 2011 |
Anthony Michael Hall definitely should have been Jimmy Olsen at some point |
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Sun Apr 17 00:44:28 +0000 2011 |
The computer networking in Weird Science is bizarrely fascinating. |
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Sat Apr 16 18:31:21 +0000 2011 |
The Daytrotter downloader reeks of “Well, we spent all this money to develop this useless POS interface so we’re damn well gonna use it” |
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Wed Apr 13 22:52:42 +0000 2011 |
“There’s nothing to do in the midwest but dream” ~ @josepharthur. Yeah, that’s pretty much right on–dream about getting the hell OUT! |
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Wed Apr 13 19:26:18 +0000 2011 |
Finally updated the music info page of my site at http://aaronpoehler.com/music.html with both up-to-date info and stuff about old projects |
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Wed Apr 13 15:55:04 +0000 2011 |
Also bands, really: don’t do the ‘everybody wearing sunglasses in the picture’ thing. You don’t look like the Blues Brothers, you look dumb. |
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Wed Apr 13 15:40:35 +0000 2011 |
Seriously people stop naming your band The Black _____s. NOBODY CAN TELL YOU APART |
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Tue Apr 12 00:57:16 +0000 2011 |
Daytrotter sessions sure have the potential to be cool if they didn’t sound like 128kbps crap. The downloader is ridiculously awful as well. |
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Sat Apr 09 16:53:59 +0000 2011 |
Peter Tomasi, everyone thinks it’s incredibly pretentious that your credit is “story & words” instead of just “writer” or “scripter,” FYI |
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Sat Apr 09 16:30:47 +0000 2011 |
Man Brian Bendis sure thinks the Hood is an interesting character. Too bad he doesn’t convey that in his writing for shit |
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Wed Apr 06 18:44:13 +0000 2011 |
Definitely been laughing a lot as I catch up on Community but with s01e23 “Modern Warfare” the show takes a place as one of my favorites. |
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Tue Apr 05 00:24:11 +0000 2011 |
In 50 yrs no one will be able to parse any qualitative difference between “Friday” and “Born This Way” |
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Sat Apr 02 16:15:54 +0000 2011 |
Can’t get this Raymond Carver line read 2 days ago out of my head: “He never knew what Jerry wanted. But it started and ended with a rock.” |
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Sat Apr 02 05:22:29 +0000 2011 |
The Flash episode “Twin Streaks” features a guy from Twin Peaks. Just got that, 20 years after the fact. |
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Sat Apr 02 02:53:10 +0000 2011 |
FX chain http://twitpic.com/4fwhme |
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Fri Apr 01 22:57:06 +0000 2011 |
So apparently there’s someone I know who has never seen DIE HARD. What has happened to America’s educational system?? |
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Thu Mar 31 06:34:45 +0000 2011 |
Just finished Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits. Amazon reviews pretty much tell the story here. |
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Thu Mar 31 04:49:42 +0000 2011 |
“This class is like a redhead who drinks Scotch and loves Die Hard. I suggest you all get her number.” |
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Tue Mar 29 17:30:54 +0000 2011 |
I see now Paypal is integrating its own credit card upsell. Oh Paypal, you never disappoint in finding new ways to be awful and crappy |
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Sun Mar 27 04:37:16 +0000 2011 |
And now: Rifftrax Reign Of Fire |
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Fri Mar 25 00:45:39 +0000 2011 |
Books finished this week http://twitpic.com/4cxoqv |
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Thu Mar 24 19:59:57 +0000 2011 |
Two things I don’t do: 1. Read the Huffington Post 2. Work for free |
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Wed Mar 23 17:52:22 +0000 2011 |
What did you mean when you said, “Feel my skills, donkey donkey donkey, donkey donkey?” |
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Tue Mar 22 21:00:33 +0000 2011 |
Hey @chrisbrown do us all a favor and go away forever; failing that at least stop hitting things to express your limited range of emotion |
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Mon Mar 21 21:38:32 +0000 2011 |
I’m sure tired of listening to this album but as soon as I decide not to double-check everything then bang, there’ll be a massive glitch |
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Thu Mar 17 21:15:06 +0000 2011 |
Finally unsubscribing from Borders Rewards email after years–too little signal-to-noise, too little reward, and of late, too many untruths. |
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Mon Mar 14 23:50:24 +0000 2011 |
Dude begging at intersection wearing “Class of 2010 — WE RUN THIS” t-shirt |
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Mon Mar 14 04:00:41 +0000 2011 |
…but I have to admit I laughed a lot more at tonight’s Bob’s Burgers |
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Mon Mar 14 03:32:21 +0000 2011 |
After all this time I’m still happy to see a new episode of The Simpsons. |
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Sun Mar 13 09:38:31 +0000 2011 |
These Jessie J musical performances are almost fascinatingly terrible. |
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Sun Mar 13 09:18:09 +0000 2011 |
This Jessie J on SNL: so who canceled last minute? Not ready for prime time or late night |
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Sun Mar 13 07:24:29 +0000 2011 |
If you don’t know what playing “in the pocket” means go see The Bellrays |
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Sun Mar 13 05:46:24 +0000 2011 |
Firethorn’s standard riff rock with cowbell is leaving me unmoved, but the bass is solid |
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Sun Mar 13 05:25:56 +0000 2011 |
Opening band at Casbah has those weird clear drums |
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Sun Mar 13 04:55:07 +0000 2011 |
Food was decent but if 8PM Sat is dead at Fat City Steakhouse when do they make money? |
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Sat Mar 12 21:09:45 +0000 2011 |
The sound on the new REM album kind of sucks. Hypercompressed, can’t get into it. |
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Sat Mar 12 18:24:00 +0000 2011 |
It’s not a “supergroup” if you have to explain who all the band members are |
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Sat Mar 12 06:16:44 +0000 2011 |
…and about ten fewer songs |
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Sat Mar 12 06:14:40 +0000 2011 |
Tangled could really use some Machete-style ultraviolence |
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Fri Mar 11 15:04:45 +0000 2011 |
Baffling mysteries of the iPhone: why on earth can’t you adjust the alarm snooze time? |
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Wed Mar 09 23:06:37 +0000 2011 |
The Kids Are All Right was really well made bar only that I felt naming the kid “Laser” out of nowhere slightly violated Chekhov’s gun rule. |
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Wed Mar 09 19:11:24 +0000 2011 |
Borders, no one with a functioning brain is signing up for your Rewards Plus program right now so please just stop spamming about it |
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Tue Mar 08 22:21:27 +0000 2011 |
Well I can see one reason why not http://twitpic.com/47l4m4 |
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Tue Mar 08 21:39:22 +0000 2011 |
Scrobbling no more: shut down and deleted the last.fm account I had for five years because really who cares |
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September 6th, 2011 — copywriting, music, professional, writing
To be honest I haven’t really been enjoying a lot of Matt Fraction’s recent Marvel writing and I never did get around to reading Casanova (the return of which is this interview’s putative subject) but I thought he encapsulated something here I’ve never really seen expressed before this well and this concisely.
No one ever talks about how the heartbreak of independent comics is that all your friends let you down. We never say that out loud. We never come out and say, “You know what’s bullsh*t? How my best friend didn’t produce work on time.” That’s the thing. It’s a hurtful, painful thing. No one ever talks about that. What happens when you ruin your relationships with all your friends because life gets in the way and you fumble, because doing this much work for free is a motherf*cker. No one comes out and says, “Doing this much work for free is a motherf*cker.”
If you’ve ever wondered why your town — every town — doesn’t have dozens of cool bands putting out new music all the time; a wide variety of blogs, zines, books, and other publications microfocused on the concerns and issues of the community; and a supportive, collaborative environment in which people of all kinds produce and share the fruits of their creativity freely and without fear: this is why.
August 1st, 2011 — copywriting, pictures, writing
From Skymall catalog:
Poorly-edited copy aside, I find it difficult to believe that either hypothetical character in this paranoiac scenario could ever manage to send the message depicted without tacking some sort of emoticon on at the end — most likely, the ever-salacious winking smiley face. Going out of the way to capitalize the W in ‘Wanna’ really sells the desperate yearning and insecurity underpinning this pitch though, and for that I doff my hat to you, ad mockup graphic designers who have apparently never actually seen a working BlackBerry.
July 7th, 2011 — copywriting, pictures
I’m not even sure what the service I received this from is supposed to do, but something tells me that whatever it is, they don’t quite have it together yet. Call it a hunch.
(click to enlarge)
October 21st, 2010 — copywriting, music, professional, writing
From the ol’ inbox:
Hi Aaron. I came across your blog while trying to do a bit of research on band/musician PR. I’m wondering if you can answer a question for me.
I work for a niche digital music store that focuses on aggressive electronic genres. In addition to a variety of labels, we have a rather large roster of independent musicians who sell their music through our store. Several of them have begun asking me to write album descriptions, bios, and other press for them, based on some that I’ve done for friends in the store.
My question is: what do I charge? I have no idea what the “going rate” is for an album one sheet or anything similar. Do you have any insight, or any resources I can peruse?
Brenton R. Nichol
FiXT Store Distribution Manager
For any freelance writer, the only meaningful answer to “what do I charge” is a question: “What can you get?”
The trick is finding where that level is, and keeping track of it as you career progresses. A skilled writer who’s been working in a certain field for years obviously charges more than a neophyte, but the product of his/her efforts will most likely (not always) be superior. On the flip side, dozens of freelance sites offer cheap outsourced labor providing copy of any sort imaginable, but the quality produced is frankly hardly even worth the pennies on the dollar they charge for such substandard work. Most people reading this fall somewhere in between, I’d imagine.
So in your case, it depends on many factors I have no way of knowing: how good are you? How experienced are you? How much do you value your free time? How badly do you need money? Do you need to build up your writing samples? Do you really just want to help these people out, or do you really just want a way to make them stop asking you for free/cheap work? (I find simply sending a quote to be a great way to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.)
The most important thing to remember when setting your freelance fees is to charge what you think is a fair price for your labor, not what other people think, or what some website claims is a typical price (they’re pulling those numbers out of their rear ends 99% of the time) and never less. (The exception here is to do some pro bono work or a freebie for a friend now and again, but only once to a customer.) If you go below your bottom line, you’re going to be angry at yourself and annoyed with the client, and most likely produce substandard work in response. This doesn’t help anyone.
I would caution against setting your fees outrageously high out of unreasonable appraisal of your own abilities (“I’m just as good as the top copywriters in the business! I should get what they get!”) but in my experience only real no-hope amateurs and wannabes tend to make this mistake and stick to it against the evidence of reality — in fact, I find most writers tend to undervalue their own work and time, setting their fees too low either out of lack of confidence, or empathy with a client, or endlessly repeated headlines about the state of the economy.
Finally, in your specific case, I’d go out of my way to make sure there are no conflicts of interest with your current employer. It doesn’t sound like you’re interested in jumping into fulltime copywriting anytime soon, so before you go crazy with this thing take a few minutes to ensure you won’t be jeopardizing your regular gig chasing after a few extra bucks.
May 27th, 2010 — copywriting, music, professional, writing
This About.com piece contains some extremely basic, solid ground rules for musicians attempting to handle their own music press PR — occasionally to the degree that certain points might seem blatantly obvious (“Don’t be annoying”), but the common fatal flaw of the self-promoter is a complete lack of perspective. There are a couple of real groaner sentences in the piece that indicate the writer knows all too well the type of person most in need of her advice, particularly: “Stay professional in all emails and phone calls with the press, even if you don’t like what you’re hearing. You’ll get your revenge when you’re big and famous and they’re scrambling to get on the guest list for your show!” Anyone with half a lick of sense can see how ludicrous that second sentence is, but there are many, many musicians who are utterly convinced of that reality. All would do well to disabuse themselves of that notion (and all similarly delusional ideas) immediately.
For this reason, I’d generally advise skilled musicians who are inexperienced writers against attempting their own music copywriting, although the piece does contain links to some basic press release and bio templates for those who either want to give it shot or simply lack the resources to hire a proper music copywriter. In either case, having a professional music copywriter edit the work before release would be highly recommended (if not absolutely paramount) as well as significantly cheaper than hiring a copywriter to draft professional press release copy from scratch — probably less than half the cost.
May 10th, 2010 — copywriting, professional, writing
This is an excellent article lamenting an unfortunately all-too-common problem: terrible business writing. Sure, I’m a writer, I’m keyed in to notice this stuff — but you are too, and so is every single reader/consumer/customer out there: when you encounter it, you get bored and stop reading. That’s it. And when that happens, business writing has failed.
Author Jason Fried correctly identifies a few of the common hallmarks of awful copywriting, nailing “buzzwords, jargon, and vapid expressions” as pervasive copy problems — managerial types, take note: the rest of the world is not as impressed with Lean Six Sigma catchphrases and alphabet soup acronyms as you are. While Fried seems slightly overenamored with the “quirky and personal”approach — which works well for some businesses but applied indiscriminately can be disastrous — in general his article makes an excellent case for the value good professional copywriting can provide. In fact, after reading and digesting Fried’s points, I’d suggest taking a look at your own business or organization’s promotional materials and considering these three questions: If I knew absolutely nothing about this and was encountering it for the first time, what would I think? Would I keep reading, or would I zone out? And finally, and most importantly, is this conveying the message I need it to convey? If the answer to that last question is no, well…that’s a problem.
April 6th, 2010 — copywriting, music, video, writing
This 4:34 clip from the Making of Sacrament feature on the Lamb of God Walk With Me In Hell 2xDVD is one of the most real representations of the creative process in an actual rock band–and the ridiculous tensions and passive-aggressive manipulations often present within–that I have ever seen.
March 3rd, 2010 — copywriting, music, professional, writing
Good, practical advice about writing music press releases is in short supply. As someone who’s both written and received many, many press releases, I can tell you Michele Wilson-Morris’ article “Seven Mistakes To Avoid When Writing A Press Release” is sound. Particularly on-target is #2: “Don’t Believe The Hype? Don’t Write the Hype”:
Your objective is not to make people laugh. You may state factual details about your event, but saying that your upcoming performance is “going to be the bomb” or using adjectives and/or phrases that actually infer how great it will be is taking it a little bit too far…Bragging is not professional, and it is actually quite a turnoff.
Hear hear! However, considering the number of delusional characters I’ve run into making music, I’d amend that to “Don’t write the hype — even if you truly, truly believe it with all your heart. Because you’re wrong.”
Also, as someone who has also written more than his fair share of search-optimized copy, I wouldn’t advise one to spend too much time on #6: “Keywords: A Press Release’s Best Friend”, as there’s little more painful to read than amateur attempts at search optimization — just make sure you state clearly what the release is for and include all relevant information, and let the search engines work it out for themselves. Alternately, I’d recommend hiring a search-optimization expert to do the work if that’s really a major concern for your project, or at the very least doing some serious reading about proper SEO tactics before awkwardly wedging “hottest rock band San Diego” into every other sentence.
Aaron Poehler, founder and
ruler-for-life of aaronpoehler.com.
read more >
(Photo credit: Robert Carrier)
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