Beltmann

Not sure if this has been posted... The National is scheduled to appear on David Letterman's show on Thursday, May 13.

Perfect, too, for thematic reasons: The entire record is about the difficulties of communication.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is one of the great American movies in recent memory, I think. I actually just finished teaching the movie in a high school course called Film as Social Criticism; we studied it in terms of allegory and what it says about our modern cult of celebrity.

I had seen the other one many times, but never this one. Thanks!

I wasn't crazy about it either--too much pageantry, too little intrigue. It looked great, though, and I definitely felt that the last 45 minutes were better than the rest.

I haven't seen Hard-Boiled for more than a decade... I should re-visit that one soon. Chow Yun-Fat back when he was the coolest man alive. (I always liked The Killer a little bit more, though.) Speaking of John Woo action scenes, did anyone see Red Cliff?

Claire Denis' 35 Shots of Rum is one of her most accessible films. Definitely recommended. Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones, on the other hand, is junk. It doesn't even attempt to replicate the tone of the book, which I wouldn't mind at all--a film ought to be taken on its own terms--except that the new approach is asinine.

Definitely one of my favorite Wilco clips ever.

Nice to see a clip of Jay...

In the last few months, I have listened to this album more than any other. Love it.

The last game of that series was won 20-0. Last night the two teams met again for a second series, and the Brewers scored 17. Over four games, the Brewers have outscored the Pirates 53-4, and twice destroyed Zach Duke. After that ugly series against the Cubs, the Brewers must have been thrilled to see Pittsburgh again...

John, don't get my hopes up and then disappoint me...

My old high school, where I now teach, is in one of the most conservative counties in the entire nation (no kidding). If Obama was invited, I think the school administrators would receive multiple death threats (no kidding).

I had a similar experience with The National--although it was Boxer that won me over. I liked Alligator (and the earlier ones) just fine, but they didn't feel like a big deal. Then I heard and absolutely loved Boxer, which made all the others snap into focus, too.

That sounds very promising. I hope it turns out to be so.

I think Beeswax is Andrew Bujalski's best movie yet, and the first that can't be neatly described as mumblecore. Even though it's just a series of minor conversations--the story concerns twin sisters in Austin; one owns a used clothes-and-antiques shop, and the other is about to leave for a teaching stint in Nairobi--it benefits from a sculpted script and likable performances. When it was over, I was left wanting plenty more.

I am strong, and can carry both of you guys. Honestly, I find it easy to summon the will to be patient.

Hi Mart!

My wife and I DVR'd the program, so we didn't see it live. Both of us were pleasantly surprised--but not shocked--to see Wilco. (It made sense to include them among the musical highlights, didn't it?)

Not only that, she always manages to get butter all the way down the knife's handle. I think she uses it like a squeegee.

I hate when people open a cabinet, get what they need, and walk away without closing the cabinet. To me, closing the cabinet is part of the same task, not a second task that can be completed later. In a similar vein, I hate when my wife takes out the orange juice, pours herself a cup, and then leaves the juice on the counter. Somehow it becomes my job to put the cap on the bottle and return it to the fridge. I have to do this every damn morning, right after I close the bread bag that was also left open on the counter.

Exactly... I often go that route. I buy plenty of digital downloads, too--some iTunes, but mostly eMusic--and I back up all the new files to DVD-R about twice a year. If my digital library ever crashes, I'll only lose a few months worth of stuff (and eMusic lets you re-download at no additional cost).

Ha, I thought the same thing! They are coming to Milwaukee, but Stacy and I are going to pass--just not interested enough in Jakob. Plus, Neko will be back with the New Pornos in May, and we'll catch that for sure. (Speaking of unexciting pairings, did you see Sharon Jones join Michael Buble for one song on SNL? I was thrilled to see Sharon, but not so thrilled to see the company she keeps...)

Isn't that James release in April just UK... I think the US release is later. Am I wrong? (I hope I'm wrong.) Like the sound of the new Gaslight Anthem. That record is one of my most eagerly anticipated releases of the summer.

Definitely surprising news about leaving Nonesuch... could be exciting.