Wednesday, December 29, 2010

F U, autocorrect!

gah this site is hilarious, i've been cracking up reading these.....
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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Monday, September 27, 2010

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Why am I just learning about this?

Well, after perusing the NY Times main page and moving my mouse towards the little red dot in the corner of the window in an effort to finally move towards bed, I was drawn in by this catchy tag line: "When Capitalism meets Cannabis".

Yes, I am opening this can of worms.

Well, la-di-freakin-da, pot is legal in Colorado(?). Obama decided that national law enforcers will not bother people who comply with their state drug laws, and Colorado has decided to legalize and regulate after witnessing a massive response to making medicinal marijuana legal.

Anyway, you can read the article for yourself here.

I will certainly say that legality brings a whole new level to this age old discussion, and I want to hear some opinions.

Perhaps this has all already been read and discussed. If so, my question is why the hell didn't anyone tell me?

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Axis of Awesome

If you can make it through the first part, the whole video is quite worth watching.

watch this

Monday, April 26, 2010

Target Blogging

Hey guys, if you frequent my facebook page, which would be weird if you did, you may have noticed my new blog "The Brew Review," but if you haven't you should check it out by clicking there. Also, if you would like to contribute to it, I would be honored. I know its no wigsphere, but I think we could have a pretty cool thing going with a blog specifically targeted toward good beer. Let me know what you think of the blog and let me know if you have a cool beer, beer recipe, bar, brewery etc. I should review, or one that you want to review.

Cheers.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Monday, April 12, 2010

'Nuf Said.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1320253/

Conan Going to TBS...???

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/conan-obrien-will-do-a-late-night-show-on-tbs/?hp

This is a very strange move for Conan. Seemingly, it would have made much more sense for him to go to FOX, another major network. But he's definitely moving to TBS, a cable channel known for reruns, Braves baseball, and George Lopez. One thing is certain--going to cable puts Conan in an almost unique position, because he won't be dealing with other star programs in TBS's lineup. He's their guy now. He's all they've got. No more Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, late night news, or even Carson Daily. TBS will give him everything he wants. With that in mind, this just seems odd, and I hope he knows what he's doing. Long live Conan.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

News Update: BS

im sorry i know im posting a lot of S&%^
but i thought this was hilarious. one of my favorite onion videos so far

Breaking News: Some Bullshit Happening Somewhere

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Tolkien fiend


Well as you all know, I am a nerd. I like to read tolkien, even though I have not in a couple of years... it is still great. I enjoyed this.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Micro-Dreams


So I know you guys are probably sick of "Ole Miller with his lofty dreams," but I think I've finally found something that is feasible, involves brew, and just might help some people. Sounds like my cup of tea. Or beer. So please if you care about stuff like this read on, if not feel free to move along.

Anyways, most of you have heard my plans of starting a Micro-Brewery, (one akin to Yazoo, Terrapin, and New Belgium). Now I won't get into uber-logistics, but in the past decade or so the Micro-Brewery/Craft Brewery has taken off in America. Think about the impact that it must have on the beer market if a company like Anheuser-Busch feels compelled to release a "better tasting, well crafted," type of beer like Bud Light Wheat.

Seriously, if twenty years ago you told people that college students in 2010 would be spending $10 on a six pack, or 4 to 5 bucks on a draft they would slap you in the ball-sack and call you a commie (and yes I know what inflation is Gorman, but you get the point). If you don't believe me, (Monger) take a look at this article, from I dunno the WALL STREET JOURNAL? its somewhat dated but is interesting nonetheless. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123733628873664181.html

I love Natty as much as the next guy, but I will take good beer over tasteless stuff any day of the week, and I think a large portion of America agrees with me. Don't misunderstand me though, the Microbrewery isn't something super new or something I invented. There are micros all over the place out west and up north, it has recently started to emerge in the southeast, but for the most part its an "untapped" (boom) market around these parts. And If you didnt read the article, which you should, seriously go back and read it, basically it says that beer is a steady business even in tough times "Sales of craft beer, the industry's fastest-growing segment, rose 6% by volume, and dollar sales jumped 10.5% to $6.3 billion, according to the Brewers Association"

Now I know most of you tried my beer and probably thought to yourself, "Mmm, this tastes weird but its OK for a beer made by a jerk, but I better say its awesome." which is ok, and I understand, I would do the same.

Here's the exciting part though; I'm hopefully going to purchase a CO2 apparatus soon, so I can make a batch a week (as opposed to a month), keg it (in smaller kegs called corny kegs), and get ahold of a mini-fridge so have it available for you guys ice cold on draft. Plus I will hopefully have a Pale Ale recipe perfected soon that will taste as good as Yazoo Amarillo or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale etc.

Again, I know most of you have heard this and are yawning by now, but I kinda wanted to flesh out my thoughts in print, so sorry if this seems selfish or self promoting. BTW House is already in on all this with me and having good input and we're pretty serious (as serious as two guys who suck at school and are good at Call of Duty can be) and its not like I'm king and you guys should join my great plan, its more of a communist society, but yeah I'm really hoping for some great political debates on the comments you guys leave on this post. not really. Although I do admire yalls political/ecomonic knowledge so no offense (Bing Gorman Wise).

Back to the plan, after a few years or whatever of this I would get a business license etc. so I could actually sell it, while still doing it somewhat small scale (smaller than micro, like I wouldnt have big tanks like DTGandB or Yazoo), basically catering for events 'cept just beer.

After a few months/years of perfecting a few beers, maybe getting a brewmasters degree, building a reputation, making some contacts, and scratching my balls House and I would put together a real business proposal and aim to get some loans, (scary I know, but all great entrepreneurial conquests don't happen without money and many are started by people who don't have the money themselves, so its more than possible). A successful brewery that has taken off in England, "BrewDog" (Click it) was started by two 24 year old douches who took out a shit ton of loans.

Why are they successful you ask? Well because they presented a product with a new twist that has the x-factor, the steve jobs factor. They're big thing is super high alcoholic content, (41% to be exact) ridiculous I know, but it worked. So many of these breweries see immense success and they're run by a bunch of old farts who don't know what people want, if we could release a new cool beer that had "it," the sky is the limit, just ask Steve Jobs.

I would never dream of making a beer with 41% alcoholic content and that's not my big secret plan. But I have other ideas that I think can work and haven't really been fully taken advantage of by anyone yet. You probably already know most of what my plan is but if you don't or if you want to know more just ask me, seriously I love talkin about this shit.

Anyways at this point in if all goes according to plan in a perfect world we would have a small warehouse in a southeastern city, Nashville, Boone, Brevard, Knoxville, Oxford, ???, and basically be like Yazoo but better and cooler, and Farley could lead the tours and be funnier, jollier, drunker, and beardier than the Yazoo guy. And we'd live happily ever after enjoying free tasty beer and having rockin, fun, philanthropic events all the time.

The whole reason I tell you guys all this is because I love and depend on you as brothers and if you want to help at all, want to tell me I'm a dumbass who is wasting my time, or just want some free beer - I'm cool with any of that. Really though, if you have an idea for a beer name, brewery name, type of beer I should make, weird ingredient I should put in beer (metamucil? bologna? crab cakes?), some skill to offer, I would greatly appreciate it. I look forward to serving you all beer as soon as possible.

Monday, February 22, 2010

I know I'm a complete nerd about architecture and that's probably why I like this so much, but I thought it was a pretty amazing video and worth sharing:

http://vimeo.com/7809605

Also, apparently it is all completely CGI, all the buildings exist but i guess this guy made it all digital? Beats me, i just think its cool.

Friday, February 19, 2010


I didn't know until very recently that Roger Ebert is dying of cancer. It's sad, but the man himself wouldn't want anyone to feel sorry for him.
Without realizing it, I've grown up idolizing Ebert as a journalist and intellectual, and there's a strong possibility that I've read his work more than I've read anyone else's.
Amazingly, a dying man is less embittered and calloused than most film critics. He simply loves movies, and reading him makes me excited about seeing the movies he's seen.

Here's a link to his interview with esquire http://www.esquire.com/features/roger-ebert-0310

And here's his review of Shutter Island http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100217/REVIEWS/100219980

Friday, February 12, 2010

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Dudes in their 20's

Ok, so we are all guys in out 20's and we are all ready to rock and roll. I read this today seeing as it pertains to most of our lives with valentines day coming up and women being farther away than ever. It does not really all apply to us, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/nashvillecream/2010/02/pointcounterpoint_dudes_in_the.php#more

Monday, February 8, 2010

Sunday, February 7, 2010

The Who (Before they got much older)

It was strange watching The Who at the super bowl, as it's strange watching any band of near-legend-status getting on stage in their 60's. Even so, I loved it and thought they did well, playing a few of everyone's favorites.
The thing I really love about The Who, what makes me place them above almost any other rock band, is the spirit of youthful rage, joy, and passion which they captured perfectly in their music and is pretty much timeless. Think about their biggest songs: My Generation, Baba O'Riley, Won't Get Fooled Again. They all embody that spirit, and after forty years, young people and old continue to love these songs.
Roger Daltry is, as I see it, one of the truly great rock vocalists, in with the likes of Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Al Green, and so on. It was clear tonight that he still has the pipes, and so does Pete Townshend for that matter.
So, here's a video from when Keith Moon was still alive, and it gives a better impression of the showmanship and all-around dickery that made The Who such a unique band.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

aliens rap

watch the whole thing, it is worth it.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

I should be working on architecture...

...but instead I just watched Lost. Don't worry no spoilers. But I do commend to you the insanity of Doc Jensen at Entertainment Weekly's website, if you've never read him before. And should anyone disagree with Brent's decision to move RUF to accommodate Lost, then they've never seen it before (correct me if I'm worng but would anyone on this blog argue with Brent's decision?).

BTW if you didn't know I'm obsessive and beyond help at this point in my love for this show. I don't care what questions it does or doesn't answer in its final season; I'm just along for the ride to witness the end to the most beautiful show on television (in my opinion).

Here's the link to Doc Jensen's recap/review of the premiere: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20313460_20341211,00.html

Monday, February 1, 2010

Another Edition of Support Your Local Scene

Hey y'all. As I sit in this banal class learning about Gestalt theory I figured that it would be a good time for a blog post seeing as there are some fun things coming up.

Wed. Night the Third: Neil Hamburger at the Pilot Light


Hamburger is insane comedian who will shock and awe with his comedic timing and off color humor. It is at 10 pm and $10. I will most likely be there laughing.

Thursday Night the Fourth: The Royal Bangs and The Whigs at the Bijou


I have blogged a few times about the Bangs. If you have not seen them GO TO THIS SHOW. It will blow you away. They kick serious ass. They are leaving for europe in the next couple of days so go to the show because they won't be back for a while. They are also working on a new ep with which to shop around for a new label so new music hopefully. The other band that is playing is The Whigs. I remember when will mooney let me borrow Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip. It blew my mind. Then seeing them live twice at the world grotto (RIP) was amazing. Their last album Mission Control was another great album. They have a new one coming out in early march so it looks like we may here some new stuff there as well. It is at The Bijou at 8pm and $16.50 at the door. I will be at this one with whoever wants to come with me.

Friday Night The Fifth: First Friday

As some of you may know, the first friday of every month is a fun night because all of the art galleries downtown are open and have FREE wine. The wine is a way to get you there. The best part is to be able to see all of the great visual art that is taking place in knoxville. There are also shows that night. You should go. It is a good time, and free wine.

Saturday Night the Thirteenth: Slick at The Pilot Light


This is BJ Barbee. He kicks some serious ass. I met him a couple of nights over christmas break and had a great time because, come on, just look at him. He is the best. He is also the lead singer of a band called slick. They are fierce 70's cock rock with some new flair. It is going to be wild. I can't wait. I am going to leave the link to their music so that you can see if you are man enough to join. It is at the Pilot Light at 10pm and is $5

http://www.myspace.com/slickhitsrockbottom

Sunday Night the Twenty Eighth: Akron Family at The Pilot Light


Akron Family is a great band that came out with one of my favorite albums of last year Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free. They are playing at the pilot light on the last night of the month. What better way to start our last week of school before spring break than at the pilot light? It is at the Pilot Light at 10pm and is $10.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

10 albums of the past decade

I've seen a lot of these lists over the past month, and I wanted to do one. It was really fun looking back at all the music that acted as the soundtrack to my many failures over the past 10 years.

1. My Morning Jacket – Z

Great band. Terrible band name. I definitely can’t take credit for listening to My Morning Jacket first, but I know I can take credit for introducing Farley to MMJ. Maybe the only time I can say that. I had started listening to Z religiously and was in Borders with Farley looking to buy At Dawn. I said, “Have you listened to My Morning Jacket?” And he laughed and mocked me, saying, “Dude, I don’t listen to emo.” The mistake was understandable. My Morning Jacket is dangerously close to My Chemical Romance. Regardless, I straightened him out and now he’s enjoying the fruits of Jim James’ loin.

My entrance into MMJ was very backwards. People who had listened to them through their previous 3 albums probably saw Z as a completely unexpected step forward. For me Z represents the archetypal MMJ sound. I personally was introduced to Z a year after it was released, and the first song I heard was “Wordless Chorus.” It just sounded like demented dance-electro music to me, but after hearing the album entirely, I was amazed by how completely different each song on the album was stylistically. There’s “Gideon”’s slow-building progression into an orchestral epic, “What a Wonderful Man” and its ridiculous falsetto, sing-along melody, the Brit-rock of “Off The Record,” the dark imagery and the slightly frightening Russian vocal ensemble at the end of “Into The Woods,” the keyboard, power-chord thumping “Anytime,” on into dueling Skynyrd guitar on “Lay Low.”

Every song is nearly perfect and unique in the set. And this is where Jim James first revealed his true insanity and brilliance, and as his first attempt as an eclectic musician he kept his unbalanced tendencies in check. So, the result is surprising and strange but very balanced, unlike the sprawling madness of Evil Urges (which I still think is awesome). After wearing Z out in my car, I moved backwards through their catalogue and fell in love with the reverby sound they perfected on It Still Moves and At Dawn. But this will probably remain my favorite, unless they prove me wrong and release something better.

2. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

I remember riding around in Josh Floyd’s car listening to “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt. 2” on repeat while he drummed incessantly on his steering wheel. And I remember the senior guys singing the “She’s a black belt in karate, HEY HEY!” of “Pt. 1” in the hallway during my freshman year. This is one the first albums I can associate with my coming into the world of big-guy music. It was cool, it was something I could wrap my brain around, it was different than anything I’d ever heard before. Yoshimi also marks the beginning of my nerdy passion for concept albums. Music about little Asian girls fighting gigantic robots is just plain cool. And beyond / underneath the concept and electronic padding is Wayne Coyne’s wonderful song writing. “Fight Test” is still one of the top 3 songs I go to when I need encouragement or inspiration to keep “fighting.” When he sings, “I don’t know how a man decides what’s right for his own life, and it’s all a mystery,” I choke up a little bit, sneeze, and then fart.

3. Kings of Leon – Because Of The Times

I wikipedia’d this—apparently there is a Pentecostal church ministers’ conference in Louisiana held annually called “Because of the Times". Wouldn’t you know it, the Followills have attended it regularly in the past. There is a deep religiousness in Kings of Leon that, placed within the larger context of the debaucherous themes of their music, makes them all the more interesting and enigmatic to me. This dual nature is very apparent in Because Of The Times., and more importantly, the album represents the most important moment for a great band. Sonically, in songwriting, and in sheer weight, the album is exceedingly greater than the two that came before. Youth And Young Manhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak are good albums, but hardly unique in their sound. Aha Shake was a response to the dance-oriented European music the band was introduced to while touring their debut. Because Of The Times, on the other hand, is simply a band reaching for something huge. And they succeed completely, exchanging simple guitar rock for arena-sized anthems and pounds and pounds more vulnerability. Every moment of it is strong. “True Love Way” is probably my favorite Kings of Leon song, but it is no better than “On Call,” “McFearless,” or “Arizona.” And finally, Caleb Followill started singing about things other than loose women, even though he still sings about that in good measure. I would compare his songwriting on this album to making love with a beautiful woman, while his previous writing was something like a cold crotch-grab.


4. Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond

What attracted me to buying this album in the first place was the story behind it. J Mascis, supposedly one of the greatest guitarists on the planet, formed the band in the late 80’s with two of his best friends. They released three great albums and then Mascis, feeling his creative control needed to be absolute, kicked the other two out of the band, continuing to release albums under the Dinosaur name. However, the music that followed was forgettable and faded the band’s legacy. In 2007, Mascis approached the old members and convinced them to reform to release another album after nearly 20 years of separation. The result is absolutely amazing. Beyond is anything but rusty, and it may in fact be their greatest album. Dinosaur Jr. takes the credit for restoring the guitar solo in respectable rock music at a time when punk and grunge bands were turning their noses up at it. Dinosaur is also in my opinion the “warmest” band to come out of the grunge movement. The music is heavy, distorted, loud, but sweet to its core. Listening to this album makes me want to put on ripped up, faded jeans and throw a really expensive guitar off the roof of a building onto concrete.

5. Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast

This was one of the first CD’s I ever bought, right after Jesus Freak, Baha Men, and Eifel 65. I have no idea why I liked Badly Drawn Boy even then, but when I heard “Something To Talk About” from the About a Boy soundtrack, I was hooked. And looking back, I can probably thank this album for getting me into The Beatles. Obviously, the influence is there for every band, but something within this album really entranced me, something immediate and catchy and beautiful that is at the heart of most Beatles’ songs. Damon Gough, the ugly face behind BDB, put his best foot forward here, and unfortunately, he hasn’t and most likely will not do this good again.


6. U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind / How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

I’m constantly growing as a U2 fan, but I’m not up to the level of U2 idolization held by the likes of Monger or Matt Graves. Thus, I still combine the best moments of these two albums in my head into one super-album. Those best moments include “Beautiful Day,” “Walk On,” “Miracle Drug,” and “City Of Blinding Lights.” Yes, the two albums are very different, but I appreciate them equally, just as Bono equally appreciates attention and good deeds.

7. Foo Fighters – In Your Honor

Dave Grohl’s scream can heal wounds. I’m certain of this fact. He screams, and there is something in my soul that just responds. It’s impossible to explain, but this is the ultimate goal of music or any art. Foo Fighters were never intended to be a cool rock band. They are not Interpol and they aren’t Spoon. They are ballsy, nerdy Rock giants, fronted by a man who seems to be capable of pretty much anything.
After One By One, it seemed the Foo’s were going nowhere, having not progressed much in their style or found a solid identity. So, they pulled out every trick they could muster.

New studio. Guest musicians. Double album (and the novel concept of an album that divided the band’s sound into heavy and soft). In Your Honor proved to be exactly what the band needed. Not only did they progress, they also landed on a sound and style that went deeper and seemed to finally represent their talents. “Times Like These” proved that the Foo Fighters could write an arena song with political (or at least current) implications, and it was used by both parties during the 2004 campaign. They delved into similar territory again with “Best Of You.”

Foo Fighters are often underappreciated and labeled a conventional rock band, but listen to “Best Of You” again. It’s arrangement, composition, whatever you want to call it, is just confusing. Verse, chorus, and bridge overlap into one song that builds on itself and maintains throat-wrenching power for 4 minutes. When I first heard, I didn’t get it at all. It just sounded like a jumble of screaming and pounding drums. But after time, it starts to impress itself into your consciousness, and then you get it. Its power. Its universality that allows it to mean something different to everyone who hears it. There is no other song quite like it. “Were you born to resist or be abused?”

8. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

I stayed far away from Arcade Fire for three years, but when Neon Bible came out I had to give in. I may never be able to fully enjoy “Wake Up,” but I was able to dig into this album almost immediately. It’s dark, compelling, strange, and heavy without ever hitting the distortion pedal. “No Cars Go” is the track that really grabbed me, and it scrapes the heavenly realms with its orchestral climax. The album art says it all—this album is like 95 theses being tacked onto a church door, protesting the religious hypocrisy of whoever. Wynn Butler really captures pained spirituality in his lyrics, and never better than on “My Body Is A Cage.”

9. Modest Mouse – Good News For People Who Love Bad News

“I know that starting over is not what life is about,” sings Isaac Brock on “The World At Large.” The Moon & Antarctica was a hard album to follow up, and instead of straining to reinvent themselves, Modest Mouse simply moved forward. Expanding and polishing their sound, they recorded their best album to date. “Float On” has lost most of its original luster, but “Ocean Breathes Salty” and “The Good Times Are Killing Me” have aged well over the past five years. “Bury Me With It” and “Black Cadillacs” balance the album with the appropriate amount of angst, and “Blame It On The Tetons” shows Brock’s singularity as a songwriter, able to question the ultimate meaning of the universe while injecting his own twisted sense of humor into the mix. I know Farley can testify to how satisfying it is to shout “WE WERE DONE DONE DONE WITH ALL THE FUCK FUCK FUCKIN’ AROUND!” in the car at full volume.


10. The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan

It was only a matter of time before Jack White got bored with guitar-drum pounding. Even with the occasional slide guitar thrown in, it couldn’t last forever. “Blue Orchid” is at once similar to what they had done before and ultimately unique in their catalogue. It is little more than a riff, an octave pedal, a kick drum, and a falsetto Jack White. However, it’s hypnotizing and bizarre in the best way possible, in my opinion the definitive White Stripes track. “Orchid” passes in just under three minutes, and then things get really strange. It’s as if they recorded “Blue Orchid” in a hurry, getting their single out of the way so that they could spend their time messing around with a whole assortment of new toys—marimbas, bells, mandolins, and an actual bass! It’s not what you would expect from a world renowned band in the 21st century. It sounds like it was recorded in the 1960’s, and Jack combines AM radio (“My Doorbell”), knee-thumping country (“Little Ghost”), and beyond-category rock (“Red Rain”). Get Behind Me is the most eclectic thing the duo has done, it’s the most risky, it’s the strangest, and it’s my favorite. I don’t know what the hell “The Nurse” is about, but I still like it.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

What you should really do with your money

Thanks for the advice Gorman, but I'd rather...

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Mint

I don't know about you guys but I'm horrible at tracking my money I spend and my brother showed me this site: mint.com. It's secure and it will look at your account and breakdown the percentages of where your spending your money. I'm sorry theres no cool video in this post.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010