Beltmann

Neddie, if I made a list of the top five movies I'm most eager to see, Blancanieves would be on it. Can't wait for it to be available in Milwaukee. (Along the same lines, I'm dying to see Miguel Gomes' Tabu, which I've been anticipating for more than a year. Come on, distributors!)

My wife and I are public school teachers in Wisconsin, so we were hit double by Act 10. Whenever I see a "Stand With Walker" bumper sticker, I think, "There's a person who proudly stands with scapegoating and demonization." Fair? Surely not. But it's hard to think well of those who thought it appropriate to deprive my (already low) family finances of $12,000 per year--and write it into law that my salary, forevermore, cannot keep up with inflation--just so they could save, on average, $30 on their state taxes. Thanks, neighbors.

Overall it’s been a weak year. Still, while I don’t think I’ve encountered a bona fide masterpiece, I’ve seen a handful that I think are strong works: Upstream Color; Berberian Sound Studio; Lore; This Must Be the Place; Fruitvale Station; To the Wonder; Rust and Bone; Before Midnight; and Mud. There were patches of greatness in Starlet and Ginger & Rosa, even if they were ultimately uneven. Plus, there’s been some very good nonfiction: The House I Live In; How to Die in Oregon; Happy People: A Year In the Taiga; The Gatekeepers; and Side by Side. Some of those were released in major

My heart palpitated when I read your opening sentence, Tracy. I'm so very, very saddened to hear this.

Seeing a new twobobs post is almost as great as hearing "Cars Can't Escape."

When I was in college I had a summer job waxing floors. My supervisor once asked if I was Asian. My eyebrow rose as I replied no--I'm obviously a Midwestern white guy--and then she followed up with, "Then what religion are you?"

Equally important, perhaps more so.

Good advice, indy81. I listen to Okonokos more than anything else by MMJ (perhaps because it was the last thing they put out before my interest began to wane a little). The Okonokos DVD is also one of my favorite concert films. Shug, even though I had seen the episode previously, I had forgotten all about the Storytellers show until you posted the clip! Thanks. I had recorded it to DVD-R years ago, and your reminder prompted me to grab the old disc and press play this morning. MMJ plus donuts equals a fine Saturday morning.

Good to see you back around here, Derek!

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMIy_KiBpKU[/media]

Good to see you, awatt. Is it still All Wilco All The Time for you? Interesting that you bring up live webcasts and the old VC "streaming parties." Those were always terrific fun, and some of us revived the tradition a few weeks back. It was kind of surreal doing it here at VC like old times, while simultaneously doing it on Facebook--the latter actually provided far more lively interaction, and within multiple circles of friends, so that we were bouncing between the various strands that only occasionally intersected.

Well, your description fits the official Wilco page on Facebook, and that's surely no substitute for VC. But many of the posters here are friends with each other on FB, too, and that's where some good discussion often happens, between individuals or a small group of acquaintances. I suppose that's a narrowing of the circle, which has drawbacks. The FB vehicle isn't always conducive to the mass exchange of ideas, and yet I'm not sure FB is designed to serve as a substitute for larger forums. While VC is a large circle, FB isn't just a tinier version of that circle; rather, it creates concen

Perhaps I'd be less suspicious if it weren't for the simple fact that the late-Friday tactic--a common political strategy across the country and across the parties--has been a staple of the Scott Walker administration since he was sworn in. Few things in politics aren't theater or otherwise carefully orchestrated. It strikes me as naive to not assume that a political calculation was likely made.

I can't keep it all straight, either. Gave up trying some time ago. (I just discovered a few weeks ago which one of my FB friends is Big Perm, embarrassingly, after years of being connected there.)

Welcome! This is a great place.

Diane, have you seen The Bling Ring? I'd be interested in your take, especially in light of its surface similarities to Spring Breakers.

Reminds me of this guy, who made the Internet rounds years ago (and inspired a feature-length documentary).

I've always assumed that an artist would be pleased to know that some people love and appreciate his lesser-known stuff. If I was Jeff Tweedy, I think I'd much rather play "Blasting Fonda" for an unusually appreciative crowd than "I'm the Man Who Loves You" for the umpteenth time.

I had forgotten about that, but you're right. The board was down for some time (about a week?), and the timing couldn't have been worse: Much of the interaction had already started to migrate to other places such as Facebook, and the crash accelerated the exodus. By the time it returned, much of the discussion had migrated to social media and also a shadow board, and it never quite came back full force. (I'm guilty, too: I probably say more about Wilco on FB than here.) I'm hesitant to place blame anywhere. There are always manifold dynamics at play; ebb-and-flow is both natural and inevi

That 2003 Summerfest show was my first Wilco concert, too. A few years later Wilco played Summerfest again (2006?), and at that one both you and Rosie met me, which was, I assume, nearly as awesome as meeting the band.

I remember that, even though I wasn't a member then. I lurked for a long time before actually joining, post-crash. So I guess I've been frequenting this place for 10 years or more.

I just took a look, too, and you're right--after all this time, the top of that list is still dominated by old-timers. Huh.

I miss WildMercurySound a lot, too. One of my favorite VC'ers back in the day.

This made me laugh out loud, Lou. In terms of posting rate, Tweedy's Gurl was in a Camaro while the rest of us were on skateboards. I miss those old days, but I'm very happy that I've remained in contact with both of you over the years.