Duckwalk

in between sneezes, i'm watching Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, a live special on Chuck Berry with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, and a surprisingly powerful Linda Ronstadt. damn, Chuck and Keith Richards can play some snarling kick-ass guitar together. and Chuck's piano player, Johnnie Johnson, just blows the boogie out of the water...

FYI

i finally registered a domain - so now you can now type in www.lastsecondthoughts.com when you want to come to this blog, and it'll come here. the old address will still also work, by the way.

Label Me

food labels are gonna be bigger, longer, and uncut come the start of the new year...

The presence of eight major allergens and the amount of trans fat in a product will have to be disclosed on labels as of Jan. 1. But that's just the start. Among the other changes on the horizon, the Food and Drug Administration, which oversees most food labels, is considering giving calories more prominence on the food label -- by increasing the type size of the calorie listing, for example -- and requiring that nutrition information be spelled out for an entire package, not just for "servings." Also in 2006, the FDA will likely update dietary intake references for nutrients like vitamins to reflect new scientific reports from the National Academy of Sciences.

so make sure you read your labels!

Morning Television Is Wonderful. Really.

and it even comes with a free blacklight for "detective work"

A Whole Bunch

if you look to the right, i've just posted new MP3 Bunch for January 2006. and while i'm typing, i'm guiltily rocking out The Darkness.

No Work, All Play

Here’s two mp3s to take with you into the new year. I’m really liking The Strohs’ new album, Bardo. It’s filled with rollicking rhythms topped with clever arrangements and interesting (but in a good way) lyrics. And it’s catchy, too. Have a taste...

* Got A Girl She's A Woman - The Strohs
* Elizabeth - The Strohs

What Could Have Been...

Don Banks of SI.com goes over what could have been and re-picks the 2005 NFL Draft, with 20-20 hindsight. i'm pretty happy with how the Cowboys' draft picks have performed this year.

Mmmmm.....Car Dealership Ice Cream

On The Way

driving back from the doctor's office, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl," by Jet, came on the radio. and i then realized that it would sound pretty cool mashed up with The Bangles' "Walk Like An Egyptian." and you could even throw in Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way." and if only i could actually make mashups, i'd call it "Are You Gonna Be My Egyptian." alas.

Get Some Ass!

it's the holidays, and you can't figure out what to get that special someone? buy 'em a baby donkey!

Height

this chart compares the tallest structures in the world. very cool.

Zach's Back

i got Season Two of Scrubs on DVD for Christmas (among other cool things), and cc and i have gotten through one of the three discs so far. i can't wait to watch the other two!

and...the new season of Scrubs starts Tuesday, January 3rd! two back-to-back episodes beginning at 9:00. what better way to kick off the new year! and here's a couple of tracks off the Scrubs soundtrack as my present to y'all.

* Superman (Scrubs Theme) - Lazlo Bane
* Hold On Hope - Guided By Voices

Shhhhh!!!!!!

professional chefs reveal their secret shortcuts in this interesting little article on slate.com

Get Some Panda

go see the baby panda at the National Zoo in DC without leaving your living room using the live "pandacam."

thanks to Lady Brett for the tip...

It's Like The Cell Phone Oscars

an Ithaca College dean has set up a movie contest with a $5,000 prize in which film students and faculty will be the judges. however, all of the submissions will be 30-second movies shot entirely with a cell phone. hello, moto?

Diamonds Are Forever

Kanye West has been on many "Best Albums of 2005" lists, so here's a remix of "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," featuring Jay-Z.

* Diamonds From Sierra Leone (remix) - Kanye West, f/ Jay-Z

Shady Gift?

$300 - stipend that 275 Rutgers students will receive to finance trips to watch the school play in the Insight Bowl in Phoenix; the money is from alumni donations and a state grant.

...from this week's Sports Illustrated

New Jersey & You

if you didn't know, New Jersey is having a contest to come up with a new tourist slogan. and the potential slogans are...

*"New Jersey: Expect the Unexpected"
*"New Jersey: Love at First Sight"
*"New Jersey: Come See for Yourself"
*"New Jersey: The Real Deal"
*"New Jersey: The Best Kept Secret"

they all have potential. potential to suck, that is.

WTF?

my office management wants us to do our accounting month-end closing process faster. i just found out that for the next 15 weeks, every Friday we now have to go to a 1.5 hour "improving customer service seminar." gee, nothing to speed up processes like wasting 1.5 hours every Friday, right? genius. pure genius.

I'm Expensive!

$52 million for this man? because the yanks don't have enough hitting? how about some wiser spending, georgie?

Coming To A City Near You?

David Gilmour will be doing a solo tour of the US and Canada this March (alas, no Nick, Rick and Roger) in support of his upcoming album, "On An Island." unfortunately, the closest he'll be coming to DC is Radio City Music Hall in NYC.

thanks to FFE for the tip

List-Mania

no picture on this post. but there is a link to another list. this time it's Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2005. might you lose some indie cred by viewing a list that doesn't include Bloc Party, The Decemberists, or Spoon, while including Mariah Carey? maybe. but i won't tell anyone. it'll be our secret.

Strong Enough

looks like i won't have to take steroids for now.

The Miz

tonight at the National Theatre

And Even Without A DeLorean...

did you ever wonder what it would be like to write a letter to your future self - or perhaps wonder what it would be like to read a letter from your past self?

if so, FutureMe.org might be able to help you. the site is one of a handful that let people send e-mails to themselves and others years in the future. kind of like a little time machine that doesn't even need plutonium to make it go.

They're Coming Back...

mark your effin' calendars! my favorite band to see live, Marah, is coming back to Arlington - Saturday, January 14th they'll be playing IOTA. don't miss this shiznit.

Weekend Pics From Crystal City

trashy collage

hole in my wall

swing

building backside

Weekend MP3

here's a little hip-hop for your listening pleasure, one of the "greatest MCs of all-time."

"It's Been A Long Time" - Rakim

So Make A List About It

it's almost the end of the year, so it's time for people's "best albums of 2005" lists. i don't have one. i don't remember when i bought CDs, and i don't remember what year they were released. but i like reading other people's lists and listening to new music. here's a few lists to check out...

* Badminton Stamps
* Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good
* Everybody Cares

Can't Resist
Namaste has this pic on his blog, and i just couldn't resist...

On My Watch

continuing the guitar trend - here's a ripping version of "All Along the Watchtower" by the Paul Rose Band. the guy tears up the song with some eighties-style pyrotechnics.

"All Along the Watchtower" - The Paul Rose Band

thanks to Indie Launchpad for the tip...

From The Country...

they're not orange...

Mashed

can anyone really resist a mash-up of "My Humps" and AC/DC? especially one called "You Humped Me All Night Long?" most definitely not. go check it out over at Work For It.

Breed

slate.com had an interesting little article on dog breeding - here's an excerpt...

In the course of engineering dogs to look, feel, and act as we wanted, we ruined millions of them. We gave them legs so short they couldn't run, noses so flat they couldn't breathe, tempers so hostile they couldn't function in society. Even our best intentions backfired. Nature invented sexual reproduction to diversify gene pools and dilute bad variants. By forcing dogs into incest (which we ban among humans, in part for biological reasons), we defied nature. We concentrated each bad gene in a breed, magnifying its damage: epilepsy for springer spaniels, diabetes for Samoyeds, bone cancer for Rottweilers. That's why the dog genome is so nifty: We can find disease genes just by comparing one breed's DNA to another's.

And Him, Too...

though Carlos Santana isn't in my Mount Rushmore of guitarists, he's still pretty damn good. check out the searing guitar on this live cut from the Sacred Fire album...

"Toussaint L'Overture" - Santana

My Mount Rushmore of Guitarists

1. David Gilmour
my favorite guitarist in my favorite band. Gilmour gets an amazing tone out of his Strat (and he also plays a mean lap steel). intensely melodic, and yes, he recorded the greatest solo of all time – “Comfortably Numb.”

2. Dave Matthews
he’s not your typical “lead” guitarist, but that’s part of his charm. his spider-fingered, jittery hybrid rhythm/lead acoustic guitar work is amazing, as well as the soundtrack to my college years.

3. Eric Clapton
he’s kind of mellowed over the years, but Clapton was my first guitar hero. his fiery work with Derek & the Dominos drew me into the blues right away, and I was hooked.

4. Stevie Ray Vaughan
his thick Texas guitar sound is unmistakable - tough, raw and bluesy.

The Mount Rushmore of _______

the sports talk radio station where i grew up used to do a segment called "Gimme Your Mount Rushmore." the host would come up with some sort of category (like quarterbacks), and the callers provided their top four, or Mount Rushmore, for of the category. i think i'll do a Mount Rushmore post for different categories every so often. and y'all can chime in, too!

Which Would You Chose?

a city wall in Arlington, VA

Let Us Bask In The Warm Glow

Pink Floyd's Pulse should be coming out on DVD very shortly - but in the meantime, here's some live Floyd from the 1994 Division Bell Tour, Giants Stadium show...

"Comfortably Numb" - Pink Floyd (live)

Can You Keep A Secret?

postsecret.com will be taking their postcard confessionals on tour, with exhibitions in different cities. check the DC show beginning December 15th at the "former Georgetown Staples store."

thanks to Lady Brett for the tip...

Sit On It

if you work in an office environment, you inevitably want a more comfortable desk chair. and unless you're up high on the chain of command, you ain't gettin' one of these bad boys...sitting is such sweet sorrow.

Don't Forget Andy

the andy warhol exhibit is only at the Corcoran Gallery until February 20th. i must get off my lazy ass and go see it.

WHEN ERIC CLAPTON RULED THE WORLD


eric clapton used to rock. really. and there's evidence...

check this sweet live jam - eric clapton and carlos santana going at it live back in 1975 on "eyesight to the blind/why does love got to be so sad." it's 24 minutes, but it effin' kicks ass.

Mo Music

it's damn cold outside, and the week is finally almost over. so here's an mp3 to celebrate - the shimmering Samples-esque track, “Pure,” by Paul Kamran. flowing and melodic, it's perfect for a drive through the country with the windows down...but just make sure the snow doesn't blow in. if you like what you hear, Paul Kamran and his band will be playing at DC9 this Sunday with Supercade and Boxcar Collision.

Don't Fuck With The Marshals

Moral of the story: If one is bipolar and requires medication - DON'T BOARD A FLIGHT WITHOUT TAKING IT!

Rock Stuff

the rock memorbilia market is gettin' hot. and there's a lot of guys with a lot of money looking to buy pieces of music history. check out this cool article in Rolling Stone.

No More Of This In DC?

the DC City Council has approved a smoking ban (12-1), but Mayor Anthony Williams isn't on the smoke-free train. however, a final vote is still needed to seal the deal.

Gift Potential

if you're still on the lookout for cool little holiday gifts that are music-related, check out these customizable magnets. i liked 'em so much i bought two orders...

Feed Me Advil Or Something


if i was a woman and resembled Bea Arthur, i would probably look like this right now.

For The Rest Of Us

is the holiday spirit weighing you down? then buy your aluminum pole now and start training for the Feats of Strength, cus Festivus is rapidly approaching. and keep December 23rd clear on your calendar...

Riding Giants

i was watching "How I Met Your Mother," but i kept getting sucked back to "Riding Giants," a documentary on surfing that largely focuses on the big wave variety. very cool - the stuff those surfers can do is truly amazing. i wonder how it would feel to ride a 30-foot wall of water...

Do You Like To Party?

the Jackass Box Set comes out on DVD tomorrow, december 6th!

i'm most definitely watching the optional "drunken audio commentary" featuring Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Bam Margera, and the rest of the crew. and now i'll be able to watch Party Boy any time i want!

Drink Liquor and Stay Thin!

at least that's what the researchers say!

Coffee, Tea, Or...

that's not lemonade in the jug...

Stay Warm