Societal Decay

I don't really care what you think about Britney, what happened last night is disgusting. I don't even want to link to the pictures taken by paparazzi.

That we as a society feel driven to observe the failings of others makes me really upset.

"Thirteen Cities" - Richmond Fontaine

One of my new favorite albums is called "Thirteen Cities" by Richmond Fontaine. Each successive record builds on the one prior, but they each stand alone just fine, too.

The instrumentation is more complex, but never annoyingly so - just these really nice layers of pedal steel, effected guitar, harmonicas, and so on.

The lyrics are pretty disturbing, too:

Driving down 25 towards Las Cruces
We saw a flipped over semi
We pushed in the windshield and pulled the guy out
Left him laying on the side of the road
Then my friend said we gotta leave
Before the cops show

The name of that track is "$87 and a guilty conscience that gets worse the longer I go".

The only track that detracts from the album is "Lost in this World" which, lyrically fits in with the rest, but musically does not. I've given it several listens, but each time I come away thinking of "Lick My Love Pump", Nigel Tufnel's piano ballad.

That's as much as you're gonna get for a review.

The Future Of America

A verbal exchange in a chain restaurant's bar between Jennifer, the bartender, and myself.

Jennifer: "Where's your drink menu?"

This restaurant is known for creative mixed drinks in funky glassware.

Bartender: "We don't have a drink menu anymore 'cause we went corporate. Sorry."

I can't figure out what one has to do with the other, so I ask, "What does going 'corporate' have to do with a drink menu?"

Bartender: "I have no idea. It's what they told us."