New Sufjan Material: now less elusive than Bigfoot

Forget the 2008 presidential election, this is teaching me how to hope again.
As is true of most Sufjan, the first three and half minutes or so are stronger than the second, but diehard fans will love the whole damn thing.

 

Sometimes Success is Just a Can Away

Some days I just can’t just jumpstart my brain, so I grab a Vault soda, and somewhere between the 50 grams of sugar and who knows how much caffeine OH MY GOD I CAN DO ANYTHING. It’s high risk, but high reward. Oh caffeinated beverages, when it comes time to turn in this thesis and [...]

I was going to make coffee, but then I saw “The Kingdom”

Actual analysis forthcoming, “The Kingdom” was a pretty awesome movie. You say racist?–let me rephrase that–Jack Shaheen says racist? Well doesn’t he always?
I actually think its a not insignificant thing to have a positive portrayal of both Arabs and muslims in a commercial and exciting political thriller, the genre where they are the most lacking. Plus, [...]

Fierce.

Storefront in Chatby district, Alexandria, Egypt (2008).

“I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders”

Every few months, I re-fall in love with The National. This is one of those times.
This particular song was used in the Obama campaign, I believe… a surprisingly angsty choice, but I suppose you’ve gotta have something to cut all that hope with.

(fade to black)

“Etiquette,” Tunnel City, Williamstown

The Way We Were: Pre-Iraq Invasion

Stepped into a time warp today listening to a 12/20/02 episode of This American Life, “Why We Fight.” Broadcast exactly four months before the American invasion of Iraq, it’s a portrait of American consciousness that feels unnervingly distance.
Back then, we were still undecided about whether or not they thought Iraq posed a legitimate enough threat [...]