Arabic verbs

Just thought I'd share a moment of frustration with my Arabic training. The hardest thing to get my head around to this point -- depending on how you look at it, roughly 3 years into my study -- is the use of verbs. I still for the most part structure sentences around their English translations. When I'm writing or composing, I'll try to adapt this to how Arabic is actually constructed and review my errors. But when speaking, it's hard. Arabic verbs work on forms. Let's take a really basic form that most learn pretty early: to study, or darasa. Its root is a standard three letters (d-r-s). If you want to say I studied, you use the first, most basic form. But if you want to say "I made myself study," you don't say "I" "made" "me" "study". There's a specific form for the self-reflexive form, and another one that means you did it with some considerable effort. In other words, if you wanted to say "I really forced myself to appreciate...", that has its own single word. And I'm terrible at this. If any Arabic students are out there who have a strategy for this one, let me know. I'm clueless.

In defense of the Strokes

Working on some Arabic and was using Albert Hammond, Jr.'s first solo album, Yours to Keep, as background music. I was really enjoying it and decided to head back to the Strokes back catalog. Part of the inspiration was an overheard conversation between two housemates here in Fes, one a British student asserting that they usually liked "indie" but "not like Strokes-indie". I tried to defend them. Kings of Leon they are not.

Maybe this video is a good indication of what people don't like. It's so saturated with classic rock and roll cool that it nearly drowns itself. The video has nothing to do with the song, but rather just perpetuating the idea that the Strokes spend most of their time in dive bars drinking long necks and smoking cigarettes. Nevermind that there's hardly a place where smoking inside is legal these days.



Still though, do I wish that I could spend a late afternoon watching soccer and playing pinball at a dingy pub with Slash and the guys from Guided by Voices? As a matter of fact, I do. The Strokes have always been, were from the outset, too cool for school. I'm not sure I would've liked them any other way.

Illegal hits

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5706132

I just read this article and watched this video. I know I intended to blog mostly about Morocco, etc., but this caught my attention and I think is worth mentioning.

Schlereth Sounds Off here about 'illegal hits' in the NFL. He seems mostly right. You've got to protect the players to some extent, and it's tough because the game has gotten pretty damn fast and physical. So often the defensive player is charged, but the extremity of the impact seems to me -- amateur physics alert here -- to be caused equally by how fast the offensive player is moving. Granted, unsuspecting, stationary offensive players get smashed and injured and concussed, but these are collisions, right?

Second thing, Schlereth -- or "Stink" -- makes an analogy here to soccer. He suggests that if we don't allow these kinds of smashing hits, then what we have is soccer. Pretty inaccurate. It's more like rugby, where you have to wrap your arms around the ball carrier when tackling and can't go high. I'm not advocating an NFL rule change, but I will say that rugby fans aren't left wanting for more high impact collisions. There's still plenty of smashing and violence on the rugby pitch.

Also, I generally think the "soccer is for wussies and therefore un-American" is a little played out. It's a pretty worn analogy and was pretty thin to begin with. Is there a single soccer player who could survive the entire 11 minutes of an NFL game when the ball is actually in play? Maybe a very, very small few (excepting of course the kicking positions). But the lack of violence isn't THEE reason Americans "don't like" soccer (which they increasingly do). It may definitely be what we love about football, but violence is absent from baseball, for example, and it's still loved. For very different reasons.

I do fear for the future of soccer -- and not just in America -- because of the "wussiness". It's not the diving so much that's a problem, because drawing fouls is a part of the sport just as much as it is basketball. Is the grimace on the face of a driving small forward as he gets hand checked really necessary? What sets soccer apart, unquestionably, is the feigning of injuries, which is an abomination, in my opinion. Fair game to go down with a slight shove and try to get a penalty to tie the game in the last minute. Officials should be able to tell the difference. But why roll around on the ground and try to get another guy tossed? It's too much. It ruins it for me, and there are a handful of highly talented players who I will never appreciate because of this.

As for the NFL, they've got to seriously consider this issue in the offseason. They need major rule changes if they're going to keep dealing out the fines they are. I'm not advocating either way at the moment, but I don't think the fines are justified. Frankly, as a fan to whom 50k is a massive chunk of money, it's actually kind of insulting that a guy gets docked that kind of pay for a hit that the league, its TV coverage, and its merchandise all wholeheartedly endorse.

Indiana Jones and the Medina of Fes

Just kidding. But seriously, some station on the satellite is playing an Indy marathon this week. We're on day 2. Just wanted to make a few notes:

- You'd think, after all these years, that Indy might've found a slightly less high-maintenance, slightly more adventurous female companion.

- All Indiana Jones movies must contain at least one scene featuring parallel moving vehicles, going at high speed, in which the passengers switch places during a skirmish between the two. Last Crusade has at least two such scenes. Also on this note, I'm not sure there's a character in the history of film better at running his adversaries off the road in a variety of vehicles.

- When Indy beats someone up and takes their costume/uniform, that person will not die, but they will not wake up for some time. They will never be heard from again, however.

All for now. Fes is good. Missing home a lot but it's going well over here.

New P***ographers cancelled at Calvin College

You may have read about how Calvin College in Michigan cancelled an upcoming New Pornographers show on campus because of the band's name.

I have to say, I was hoping to be more entertained by their reasoning and official statements (the school's, I mean), but really, it sounds like they basically said, "Listen, we know their music is inoffensive, we tried to tell our influential faculty/boosters/parents/whomever that same thing, but they were unwilling or unable to listen. We apologize for their ignorance."

Check it out here: http://pitchfork.com/news/40053-christian-college-cancels-new-pornographers-concert-because-of-the-bands-name/

Live from Fes

I promised several folks I'd update from Fes, Morocco, where I'll be for the better part of three months. I'll be studying Arabic at ALIF (www.alif-fes.com) and hopefully doing a little research to help with PhD applications.

I arrived on Saturday night and lugged a truly massive backpack -- there should've been a picture -- across the Ville Nouvelle from the train station to the Hotel Savoy. I rinsed out my shirt in the sink, changed into some shorts, and went for a stroll before settling down to eat tajine kefta at Cafe 24/24, which lured me in with promises of La Liga games being broadcast in Arabic.

The next day, Sunday, I decided to take on the infamous Fes medina, the old walled city. I've toured the medina four times, by my count, and each time had literally no idea where I was going. Each time was with a guide, however, which makes life quite easy but also means you inevitably end up stuck in a few rug shops on the way. This time I had the Rough Guide map, and it more or less got me to the spectacular blue-tiled Bab Boujeloud in relatively short order ("bab" = door or gate in Arabic). Its the most famous bab in Fes, and the most common medina entrance. I walked one of the two main drags for a while before setting off down a side street. Once you commit to turning off, you have to accept that you will most likely not find your way back. Streets make odd turns, and ones that appear to go due south, for example, will inexplicably turn east and continue. It's also quite hilly so you can't always see what happens at the top of the crest or where the street goes.

It is, however, truly spectacular and in all my medina walks there is nothing like it at all. I eventually was dumped out on the far south side of time, well beyond the Bab Ftouh and made my way around the city, eventually ending up under the Borj Sud, a watchtower where guides take tourists to get a full grasp of the size and scope of the medina. I ate a picnic lunch in a small cafe before leaving the medina. It was packed with men of all ages glued to the TV, watching the C movie "Drive" (seen it, anyone?), drinking sodas and smoking kif in the back corners.

I'm finally settled in to what is basically a dorm: an old late 19th century villa converted to 14 rooms with shared showers and a kitchen, filled with students at my language school. I have a double but no roommate as of yet. Its quite nice though -- we have wireless so Judy and I have been able to skype regularly, the kitchen is stocked with cookware, and there's a TV with literally 300 channels including Tamazight (Berber) TV, TV Chad, and a bazillion from Egypt and the Gulf. MTV Lebanon. Dubai Horse Racing. You name it. All in Arabic (save BBC World and a couple French ones).

Off to class today. I'm the only person in my section, we'll see how that goes. Looking forward to getting to work.

And I can't close without a Skins mention. Yes, I saw the highlights on ESPN.com and Judy filled me in on everything. Unbelievable. I wore my hat with pride yesterday.

Superchunk doing "In Between Days"

Still following the AV Club's Undercover series? You oughta be. Not a bad one in the bunch that I've seen.

Superchunk doing the Cure's "In Between Days" might be one of the best. Check it out, and one little chunk of food for thought I never picked up on: Wilco kinda rip the intro, just before the first verse, on "Pot Kettle Black".


Superchunk covers The Cure

Wouldn't mind if I could find a little electrocution

It is just under 90 degrees here on historic Capitol Hill. Eastern Market's full of tomatoes sure to make Coach Rich Brooks envious, and here's a song for the occasion: Nada Surf's cover of the Bill Fox song "Electrocution."

It's breezy, got just enough guitar drive below the thick harmonies, a propulsive beat that owes a hat tip to the great Jody Stephens.

Enjoy:

Nada Surf - "Electrocution" (Bill Fox cover)

Baltic-ization

related to balkanization, but not really:

Baltic-ization: when one regularly confuses a group of adjacent countries that one has great difficulty telling apart.

This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

an oldie, but a classic, especially this time of year:

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Live blog of a taped Germany-Spain game

This game has long since ended, but I'm watching at home for the first time and happy to say that I've managed for the second day in a row to have no knowledge of the result whatsoever. A difficult task but I've survived.

Minute 7 - An innocuous looking pass slips behind all the Germans and Villa gets there first but shoots right at Neuer. Does Germany want the ball? They've barely had it for thirty seconds so far.

9 - "still at the sparring stage of this semifinal". Martin Tyler's excellence is still striking, deep into the tournament. Let's hope he gets the final and we don't have to listen to Harkes.

11 - Alonso nearly had the assist of the tournament trying to split the center backs for Villa there. Just missed, Iniesta nearly cleaned up the scraps with some quick footwork.

13 - What a chance for Puyol. Driven cross from Iniesta was perfect, diving header from the well-coiffed defender flew over the top.

15 - Pique needlessly gave up a corner, and Casillas barely flapped at it. Germany got a second and his punch was more decisive that time around. Germany's first real attack.

25 - Pedro played a ball to Villa in the box. He was well defended but his movement so far has looked as sharp as usual. Good runs from him. Germany haven't really come into the game yet.

30 - I liked Alonso's strike from distance there. A good effort. You've got to try.

31 - Did Schweinsteiger always play such a holding role? Admittedly I've been tuned out, but didn't he used to be more of an attacking mid?

32 - ooh, a blast from Trochowski just tipped wide by Casillas. Spain look kinda shaky defending set pieces, but otherwise they've been well organized.

44 - game gotten a little chippy but on the whole its been very well played, very clean, not a lot of gamesmanship. Thank goodness.

45 - Some quick moves in the box from Pedro but he can't quite lose his defenders. Should've just ripped it. Kinda typical Spain there.

45 - whoa whoa should that have been a penalty? The ref was on the spot. Lets see the replay. A busy last minute - a Spain counter attack and a rip from Pedro, right at Neuer who held on. Halftime.

SECOND HALF
53 - Villa fired a lame side footed shot just wide. Best real chance for him so far.

57 - Amazing work from Spain. A couple shots fired in and Iniesta gets to the goal line and laid it across but no one could reach it.

59 - Oh Pedro with a grass cutter to the right corner and just wide. Spain are on top of them now.

60 - Pique cuts out a good low cross, the end of a sharp counter from Germany. They attacked quickly there. A cross finally materializes and Klose volleys over, awkwardly. Still a half chance and not a bad one. The game opening up a little.

61 - Trochowski off for Toni Kroos ("another of the kids in the squad").

62 - What a run by Ramos and what a ball from Alonso, just a few inches too far. Podolski tracked him pretty well too.

63 - What's with the turf? It looks thick, clumpy, and soft. Not ideal for a World Cup semifinal.

67 - Mertesacker has defended very well. No crosses are getting by the lanky central defender.

69 - Terrific move, maybe the game's best chance. Podolski lobs to the back post, Kroos the sub volleys with his side foot and Casillas saves. He kind of scuffed it and it wasn't too difficult for the Spanish keeper, but he should've done better. Kroos back on the ball for a FK but its cleared.

73 - GOAL. Puyol. Who would've thought? Xavi's corner was inch perfect and Puyol flew in like only he can and smashed it into the net. A great run and a smashing finish. A deserved one-nil lead. An interesting last 15. Let's see what happens. Don't count out the Germans. Course you already know what happened because this is three hours later.

90 - FINAL. 1-0 Spain. Sorry, got overwhelmed with the game and couldn't comment. A very good, very tactical game. In the end, Germany perhaps didn't play as well tactically against Spain as other, less talented teams. You have to think its partially because of their talent -- that they thought they could play their game and not have to 'park the bus' -- that Spain could impose. No one is going to out-possess Spain.

Requiem for a World Cup campaign

It was a tough ending to a good tournament for the United States. My biggest fear going into the Ghana game was that, with all the hype and excitement of the England game, the Slovenia comeback, and the Algeria drama, the casual American fan would tune in to today's game, see us lose, and say, "Wait, we lost to Ghana? Ghana? Seriously?" I worried casual fans wouldn't quite understand that 1) Ghana is a quality team and 2) simply making it to the Round of 16 is an accomplishment for the USA, no matter how easy their draw may have been.

Ghana is good, just as good as the US if not better. The fact that they were missing their best player (by far), Michael Essien of Chelsea, speaks to the fact that they've got a lot of talent to choose from. They're also quick, fast, and strong. But most important of all, each and every one of their major players plies his trade in a top European league, some with the very best clubs on the continent. Like some of our guys (Dempsey, Howard, Bocanegra, Bradley, Cherundolo), they are all accustomed to the speed of play of the World Cup.

I'm not saying I was incredibly impressed with Ghana - I wasn't. After a flying start, they never really pressed their advantage. It did seem they had their tactics right in the first half. Their five man midfield meant they could both crowd Bradley and Clark (witness the first goal) with a two on three in the center while also keeping incredible width on the flanks. Each time they switched the ball from one side to the other, Donovan and Dempsey, who had been trying to help defend the three central midfielders, had to sprint back out to the sideline to help defend the flank. All this running early on certainly didn't help keep them fresh when extra time rolled around.

As for the US, again with the early goals. Maddening, truly maddening. You would think Bradley would emphasize this to the point of scaring his players into not making mistakes. After such serious lapses in the first three games, I would personally send my team out with the express goal of keeping a clean sheet for twenty minutes. Don't take too many chances, smash it upfield when necessary, get behind the ball, whatever. Just make sure that it is 0-0 after 20 or 30 minutes pass.

But no. Ricardo Clark, poor guy, decided to try to beat a man at midfield with very little defensive cover, coughed it up to Kevin-Prince Boateng, who carried upfield with a lot of confidence and speed. His low shot was good, but Howard should always have his near post and he knows that. Not totally his fault, but he should've done better. It still took the US another twenty minutes to really start playing, and from then on out we had the better of the chances if not the possession. Bradley again covered all kinds of ground, but his final pass was just a few inches off. We deserved the penalty and then had three golden opportunities to take the lead, but wasted all of them. We don't have a great finisher. We don't really even have a very good one, and we paid for that.

So what's the final verdict? It's a respectable showing, a deserved 2nd round berth but no more. I thought the quality of soccer, on the whole, was good. They passed better than they had in previous tournaments and created their own opportunities in a way they usually don't. I think we are one of the sixteen best teams in this tournament, but just barely. Certainly no better than Ghana.

I do hope fans stick with the Cup, with the national team, and with the MLS. What we're seeing now is the fruits of the MLS - basically every one of these players grew up in the league and cut their teeth there. It may not be the English Premier League, and it may be boring as hell to watch a 1-0 game between Kansas City and Dallas on a Thursday night in front of 4,000 fans at Pizza Hut Park. But the quality is always improving, and the young players you see now will get a chance with the national team.

I live on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, where there are literally a dozen pubs and sports bars within a five or ten minute walk. Each and every one of them was packed to the gills for every game the US played. Anyone who watched the Algeria or Slovenia game in a bar or restaurant will tell you what an incredible atmosphere it was. Soccer may never pass the big three (or four) in this country, but can't question its growth. I just hope it carries on and that people take a chance on the MLS and our national team over the coming years.

Goal of the World Cup So Far

The Round of 16 is shaping up, with two pairings set: Uruguay vs. South Korea, Argentina vs. Mexico. The latter's a reprise of 2006's overtime Round of 16 matchup ending with Maxi Rodriguez's stunning volley:



Anyway, no definite choice for thee goal of the World Cup so far, but I sure did like David Villa's solo effort to open the scoring against Honduras in a vital 2-0 win for the Spanish. Villa later scored a deflected second and then missed a penalty (wide with the goal gaping) that actually could end up being pretty huge for if/where Spain end up in the next round. Without further delay, enjoy:

When Alexi Lalas speaks...

...do you all wonder what Ruud Gullit, Juergen Klinsmann, and Steve McManaman think?

Do they think to themselves, "Who the hell is this guy?" or "Should I know you from somewhere?"

In his career, Lalas was a player of considerable heart and limited ability, known to be "good in the air" but little else. He was indeed the first American to play in the Serie A for Padova -- at the time, quite a feat despite the club's lowly stature. He scored an infamous goal to beat England 2-1 in a friendly, though, if memory serves, he scored with the back of his head. And by that I mean he had literally turned around backwards to head the ball.

On TV, I find him to be terribly annoying. He speaks with authority but doesn't really have any. His off-the-field expertise has been proven by basically running a highly talented LA Galaxy team -- a club that gets the MLS does every possible favor to help succeed -- into the ground with bad signings and poor coaching.

Gullit's kind of an agreeable guy, but McManaman is pretty opinionated. Lalas' opinion of the English isn't very high -- perhaps he's not over getting snubbed after a tryout with Arsenal way back when -- and they're always on the verge of clashing. Still, he's the only one of the analysts who never analyzes and he's completely bought into the hype that the US team are poised to do huge things.

Anyway, an open-ended question but one I'm curious about: what do the guys in the studio with a pretty tremendous soccer pedigree think of Lalas? And would anyone else rather be listening to Wynalda? I miss him, and we don't get Fox Soccer Channel anymore either.

Brazil - Ivory Coast

About sixty minutes through the DVR of Brazil vs. Ivory Coast, a game I had marked a few months ago as one to watch in the first round.

The Ivory Coast (I'd do "Cote d'Ivoire", but I can't find the circonflex on blogger) started well but were undone by one of the better goals of the tournament from Luis Fabiano. Kaka set it up, and it was one of the few positive things he did for the entire first half. For the first 20 minutes it seemed like every time he touched the ball, a CIV defender flew in and stuck him. But his pass was nice and simple and put Fabiano through.

Minute 66, Brazil up 3-0, and Elano gets raked in the shins and pulled off -- for Dani Alves, who has to be the best player not starting in this tournament. Can you think of another better? Given that, it's hard to see how Brazil won't make it at least to the final. Dunga's brought a new focus on defense and "efficiency". Lucio is a great center back, Juan does a good job too, and Julio Cesar is apparently the best goalkeeper in the world though I'd personally rather have Tim Howard or Casillas and I think probably still Friedel too. Biased, maybe. So Brazil can sit back, stroke the ball around, stay organized, and then rely on the tournament's most skillful front three in Kaka, Robinho, and Fabiano to counterattack and get a goal. Score that first one -- as with against the Ivory Coast -- and the opponent's plan changes, the game opens up, and Brazil can go be Brazil.

We'll see what happens against Portugal, but my guess is that they rest a few guys and still come away with at least a tie.

As for the Ivory Coast, they've really done themselves a lot of harm with such a heavy loss. As with South Korea or South Africa, a one goal loss would've been acceptable. Allowing so many goals though is likely to come back and bite them.

USA-Slovenia, England-Algeria

Had the pleasure of watching both Group C matches in full today. My thoughts:

- The phantom foul on the goal was on Bocanegra. I'm not saying it was right -- it wasn't -- but I'm nearly positive that's what the ref saw. He hooked his arm around the defender and I think from the ref's angle it looked like Bocanegra was the aggressor.

- The inflated expectations for this game, the size of Slovenia (the nation-state), and the fact that no one could name a single Slovenian player are what have us disappointed in not getting the W today. The fact is that Slovenia is not that bad and we're not that good. Most of their players play in top European leagues. They made it through a tough qualifying process. Not the toughest qualifying group, but would the US have picked up 20 points against Poland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and San Marino? Somehow I doubt it.

- The US is not that good. Our backline is slow and prone to really bad position play, especially Gooch and Demerit. We've gotten better at keeping the ball, but we make so little out of our possession. Not enough shots on goal. Slow starters. Tactically naive. Not sure what Bradley was thinking with the Clark for Torres switch. I like Torres, but it really underestimated our opponent to think we'd just own the ball all game.

- I thought Edu was awful in his time on the field. Very shaky on the ball.

- McNamaman was wrong and Lalas was right: England just aren't that good. The English game suits these players, and when they play with their clubs in Europe, they're surrounded by more talent, more sophistication, more creativity. I do think Gerrard is really trying to push them, to make those surging runs, but it hasn't happened for him (beyond the 5th minute of the US game). Lampard and Rooney have been worthless and, frankly, look kind of disinterested. Carragher's yellow was a blessing in disguise, as he has looked a little out of his element (which pains me to say as a 'pool fan); he'll sit the third game and I think Upson would be a better option (I'm not the only one).

- Algeria will be every bit as difficult as Slovenia was. If I'm not mistaken, if Algeria win and England and Slovenia draw, Algeria go through. I'm not sure, but if England win I don't think Algeria can advance, even if they win (they'd be tied with Slovenia, who beat them head-to-head).

More later. Gonna be a wild final day in this group.

Best Goal of the World Cup So Far (Day 5)

Who would've guessed that after 5 days of matches, we'd have seen only two goals from outside the penalty area and both of those (Slovenia's winner against Algeria and Dempsey's now-infamous shot that England keeper Robert Green spilled in the USA's 1-1 draw) were pretty ugly. Sure, they all count, but everyone wants to see a blast from thirty yards fly into the net beyond a diving goalkeeper.

Worse still is the lack of goals. Those who know me know that I love defense. In football, in basketball, and in soccer, I appreciate a tactical chess match where two sides punch each other in the face a few times in a low-scoring, intense affair. I thought the Mexico-South Africa game was a fine game - not high scoring, but with plenty of attacking and great last ditch tackles by defenders. All these complaints about the ball being used, the playing surface, and the vuvuzelas in the crowd add up to one thing: quality is down. The quality has been poor. Of the big teams to play so far, only Germany has truly impressed. England and France were downright disappointing, and the Netherlands were unusually dull yesterday despite the attacking talent they have to offer.

I'd still take South Africa's opening goal as the tournament's finest, simply because of the sheer perfection of the far upper corner ("upper V", as we used to say) finish. But for the sake of posting some new material, I'm posting my runners-up below:

Cacau - Germany 4, Australia 0


Alcarez - Italy 1, Paraguay 1

US - England prediction

Writing this just minutes before they kick off.

Alexi Lalas is nuts and predicted the awful Greeks to advance to the second round. He just called 2-1 to the Yanks. I wish. I'd love to see a draw, but I think England is too talented. Remember, this is a team that didn't seem to have any chemistry problems as they coasted through qualifying. Capello is about as tactically shrewd as they come, and England will be ready to exploit US weaknesses, of which there are many (3/4 of the backline, holding midfield, possession play in the final third).

England 2, USA 0. I don't want to see it happen but I think it will.

The key is for the US to make it to the thirty minute mark scoreless. No early goals allowed. I'll also wager that Bradley gets second guessed on this Onyewu-DeMerit partnership, but we'll see.

Goal of the World Cup (so far)

Not too much to choose from, thanks to a lame French team and an even lamer Greek team.

But the best of the bunch so far is, beyond doubt, Tshabalala's opener for the host South African team. A wonderful past and an inch perfect finish, the kind of finish kids dream about.

Have I done this before?

I'm finally done with the semester and back to blogging, which I've been looking forward to. I hope the coming months involve a lot of posts, particularly with the World Cup on the way and some interesting road trips ahead for JGC and I.

Here's a little video for you loyal readers out there. I pose the question: is this the most joyous moment in the history of pop music the twenty seconds that Ed Sullivan spends introducing the band? You can hear the audience just waiting to go freaking nuts. The anxiety of anticipation is palpable.

Now the Beatles actual set is really good, though not great. "Til There Was You"? Absolutely not a rock and roll choice, but these guys were pop stars at heart, and they were playing their way into the hearts of millions of Americans who had previously listened exclusively to Pat Boone. Also, "She Loves You" is one of the most roaring singles of the entire decade -- they kinda hide it in the third slot. "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" lags too, unfortunately. In short, they'd play better and sharper, but there's just nothing like this for pure enthusiasm and joy. I'd advise anyone down in the dumps to watch it daily and tell me with a straight face they don't feel better.

There's even great irony in the performance, when Sullivan shares the telegram from Elvis and Colonel Tom Parker -- as Elvis began to lose it, the Fab Four reported that Elvis later tried to get the Beatles kicked out of the country.

Enjoy, and maybe I'll post their second night on Sullivan later.

There's a room where the lights won't find you

I have mixed feelings about Ted Leo. Blasphemy in DC, I know, but I just don't really love him that much. Seen him twice, both were good, not great performances. I like maybe a half dozen of his songs, but in fairness to him, haven't really heard either of his last two discs. Does seem like both a really funny and really nice guy though, so right on to that.

So Ted Leo covering Tears for Fears? Well, actually I've always had a soft spot for Tears for Fears. My dad, who has excellent taste in music on the whole, used to be a big fan of theirs, and once claimed that "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" was one of his favorite songs of all-time. I'm not kidding about this. He also would probably tell you that "Neon Rainbow" by the Box Tops is his favorite Alex Chilton song, but hey, to each his own. I shouldn't judge. After all, he's the man I owe for all most of my important, lasting allegiances anyway. For those keeping score at home that includes the Redskins, the Beatles over the Stones which is really a no brainer in my opinion, and pork, rather than beef, when it comes to barbecue.

A long-winded introduction, but anyway...here's Ted Leo and the Pharmacists very ably doing "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" on this cool new thing AV Club is doing called "Undercover". Check 'er out:

Ted%20Leo%20and%20the%20Pharmacists%20cover%20Tears%20for%20Fears'%20%22Everybody%20Wants%20to%20Rule%20the%20World%22

Degree of Separation: Antoine Walker and Neil Young

If I asked you how many degrees of separation there were between rock and roll legend Neil Young and Kentucky hoops great Antoine Walker, what would you say? Much like that Kevin Bacon game from way back when, but better -- I can connect them in one move. Ready?

Kentucky Wildcats basketball fans may remember this name: Geno Ford. Back when 'Toine was a highly-touted but unproven freshman, Ford was the Ohio University point guard. Ohio, led by Gary Trent, were expected to have a great year and the Cats brought them to Rupp for an early season nonconference game.

At some point in the second half, Walker was defending Ford man-to-man at the top of the key. He pounded the floor to signal his dedication to the cause, and then Ford promptly blew by him, scored, and got fouled for the old-fashioned three point play. We cruised to victory -- that was the OU team that had Gary Trent, I believe -- but that was a memorable moment and kinda put the freshman (who would go on to dominate most others who crossed his path over the next two years) in his place.

So anyhow, Geno Ford is the Kent State head basketball coach now. Who knew?

So if someone asks you how many degrees of separation there are between 'Toine and Neil Young, the answer is one:

Antoine Walker > schooled by Geno Ford, who is currently the coach at Kent State > site of 1970 protest and shooting, immortalized in Neil Young tune "Ohio"

Dear Sir or Madam wouldya read my book?

New video for The High Dials' "Killer of Dragons"

Big fan of the High Dials, the great psych-pop group out of Montreal. Put on a very good show last fall at the Velvet Lounge here in DC and I did a little interview with them beforehand.

They just put out a new video for the lead single from Moon Country, a really strong album that just came out in the States last year. Check it out:

The Swell Season - "Levitate Me"

One of my all-time favorite Pixies tunes, covered by the Swell Season. Had the pleasure of seeing them a few years back in Richmond, VA and they did this one and it blew me away. Here's them covering it at Bonnaroo:



And the original:

The Pixies - "Levitate Me" (live in Madrid)

*thanks to Captain's Dead for the song.

digger dagger

Cats lose to South Carolina. We played poorly, John Wall in particular. Bledsoe was not good, Patterson was absent, and for a team with such great height, we were totally outmanned on the boards. Downey for the Gamecocks was tremendous, though he did only shoot 9-29 (which speaks to 2 things: his ability to get to the line and just how badly Kentucky played on offense).

But what really drives me nuts is that with Kentucky's first loss -- as the last undefeated team -- Digger Phelps now gets more screen time because of his theory that all teams need a loss going into the tournament. From a player standpoint, I could see where the pressure of continuing to win might eventually build to an unmanageable level, but from a practical standpoint, what is a coach or team really to do? Shouldn't teams aspire to greatness (not suggesting Kentucky is anywhere close yet)? Instead, we have to listen to Digger who parlayed his one-Final Four-career into a cushy ESPN "analyst" job on the back of ending UCLA's 88 game win streak.

Moral of the story: when previously undefeated teams go down, Digger Phelps wins, and that in itself is enough reason to always pull for the favorites.

The Redskins vs. the Colts

Watching the Colts-Jets game now. Just had a quick thought that was probably too long for Twitter, so I figured I'd throw it up here. The Colts right now are on the verge of clinching a Super Bowl berth on the back of two remarkable games by Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. To me, that says two things. First, Peyton Manning can make anyone look like a great receiver. Second, as great as Manning is, he can't do it all, which means Collie and Garcon have to be fairly good on their own. And Indianapolis has the front office know-how and scouting set-up to draft two rookies out of virtually nowhere (Collie, a fourth rounder out of BYU, and Garcon, a sixth rounder out of D3 Mount Union College in Ohio).

I'm sure other teams had these guys on their radar -- at least Collie -- but without moving beyond the wide receiver position we've already pinpointed two big-time impact guys the Colts plucked from anonymity and inserted into the starting lineup. In the past five years or so, I can really only think of two 'Skins rookies who had a significant impact: Brian Orakpo, who was great but also a no-brainer first round pick, and Chris Horton, who was a genuine find but still has developing to do. The next couple months are huge for Bruce Allen. There's the saying that Washington always wins the offseason, free agent sweepstakes, but can they make the transition to sustainable development, a la building through the draft with shrewd picks like these? I'm not holding my breath.

Haiti: Racism and How To Actually Help

Did everyone see David Brooks' column in the NYT the other day about the ongoing disaster in Haiti? If not, I would recommend reading it -- though I wish somehow we could get around linking to it, I don't want the editors thinking this kind of race-baiting gets hits -- and really taking a moment to consider what he's saying. He tries to point blame for Haiti's lack of development somewhere (anywhere but here, actually), and decides its the backwards culture that's to blame. He notes, "There are high levels of social mistrust. Responsibility is often not internalized." Now he doesn't say where this comes from (time spent in the field, perhaps?), nor does he really explain what he means by social mistrust. He points to US ideas for fighting poverty like No Excuse schools, arguing for a sort of "no excuses" approach. That can be all well and good too, but 1) it never helps to gloss over real, lived historical experiences as processes experienced within a monolithic, unchanging culture, 2) it's (as Sam Martinez writes here) a little tactless at this particular moment, 3) using Mr. Clash of Civs himself, Samuel Huntington, ("cultures do change after major traumas) to make his point doesn't exactly strengthen the case, and, finally, 4) asserting the need for Haitian leaders with "middle class assumptions" to take ownership of these programs also means asking these potential leaders what they hope to achieve. What does "progress" and "development" mean to Haitians? Does they mean exactly the same thing to David Brooks? For this last point expressed eloquently, in detail, and with evidence, check out the AnthroWorks blog here.

I'd encourage everyone to get out there and read what's being written about Haiti. It's a sad, all too frequently occurring realization we have when we "discover" (or maybe "re-discover") a desperate part of the world (or our own city or town) only in the aftermath of a great tragedy or disaster. In the past week, tons of writers and scholars and students have been outspoken "experts" on Haiti, and while it might be a knee-jerk reaction to dismiss them, I do think this is the time and place to consider our place in the world and the actions we choose to take in relation to the myriad of other cultures, peoples, and places that share the Earth with us. Not everything written about Haiti has been groundbreaking or insightful, but, like I've done here, I think it's an important moment to bring more people into the fold, to let more people know about what's going on.

*On a somewhat biased note, my beloved Kentucky Wildcats put together a "Hoops for Haiti" fundraiser today that pulled in half a million dollars. Yeah, Kentuckians are wacky about basketball -- some might say "unbalanced" -- but think about how many Kentuckians that became aware and took action to help out Haitians simply because their favorite coach turned them onto it. That's a good thing.

Photo from Flickr user UNDP, Creative Commons.

WSJ on the length of football games

If you haven't read this article in today's Wall Street Journal Style section -- don't lie, you know WSJ Style is essential pre-lunchtime work-comp reading every morning -- then you ought to.

The basic thrust: for every NFL game you watch on television, you see, on average, 10 minutes and 43 seconds of actual football being played. 60% of what you watch is football players milling around and waiting: huddles, sidelines, Peyton flapping his arms and yelling nonsense word-number combos ad nauseum.

I love football, I love to watch it on television. Going back to school has meant my schedule over the past two years has limited this, pretty much keeping me to the Kentucky Wildcats and the Redskins. My wife can tell you that if I am at home studying on Saturday or Sunday, I will get nothing done. I have to leave the house. HOWEVER, she can also tell you that I have, rather unscientifically, been claiming this very thing for a couple years now. We frequently DVR football games, because it lets me condense 4 hours of viewing time into about 45 minutes. And to think that is still 4 times too long!

Is there another sport where the clock runs without the ball actually in play? Is there another sport where the point of at least one-fourth of the game is to actually have the ball in play as little as possible? I've never played a down of organized tackle football in my life, so I'm not going to comment too much, but I'd love to hear what a football player had to say. How might they feel about the fact that your sport's games entail less than 11 minutes of real action? I imagine they really don't care at all.