Elana Levin

Oh So Near: The Cars’ Deep (and Deeply Underrated) Influence on the Future of Music A new biography on the New Wave crew underlines their unsung importance—everyone from the Strokes to the Killers to Nirvana took lessons out of Ric Ocasek’s playbook. So why are the Cars rarely mentio...

Hey, I wrote a big thing about The Cars, a great American band, in conjunction with a new biography.
www.theringer.com/2025/10/01/m...

Musicians are allowed to rehash krautrock and post-punk and adding "a dance element" and psych over and over again no matter how rote and boring it is but the only thing punished discursively is rock and roll traditionalism. Then the traditionalism gets quarantined and pressure cooks into Nickelback

I'm just saying that we've never even tasted what the Joker is trying to add to the water supply, okay? Make up your own minds!

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

“What if we did the Civilian Conservation Corps, but for arming men who aren’t allowed to see their kids”

It's been raining for three hours and despite the gloves you can't feel your fingers. Your ballistic vest chafes. You think of autumn back home in Texas.

The news cameras roll. Reporters are looking at you. No one smiles. You begin to suspect that signing bonus will end up being bullshit.

You head out. Tired. Wet. Angry. You're ready to crack some heads. The protesters across the street are wearing big, inflatable animal costumes. Cute ones. You immediately picture what the TikTok of you beating on one of these people would look like. You miss your wife.

Get his Bat-ass!

Thank you for digging around. That’s kinda what I’d expected.

With advice from a zookeeping friend and the help of family and Airborne Warriors, Talsarnau, Cowlyd was successfully released during the last stretch of balmy weather at the tail end of September.

Yes, that’s me almost being knocked sideways by the sheer force of him bursting out of his cage.

Tawny owl

Six weeks ago, I picked up a year-old tawny owl with a broken leg off the main road near our home and dropped him off at our nearest vet.

After a few days, I received one of the most bizarre phone calls I’ve ever had, asking “So when are you coming to pick up your owl?” 🧵

We now have the privilege once more of being serenaded nightly by his hoots from the nest he shares with his mate in the oak tree outside our house. One of the most surreal yet worthwhile commitments I’ve ever made.

If this folklore malarky ever falls through, I think I might have found my calling…

VERY chill out here tonight at ICE processing facility south of downtown Portland. Federal Judge (Immergut, appointed by Trump) just made ruling from the bench no federalized Guard to Portland from anywhere period.

there is no reason we should engage in negotiations over a budget while this is happening

i know it's generally neither helpful nor realistic to expect others to share our own priorities. but i am astounded that these are the kinds of fights the leaders of this site seem to be picking in 2025. i mean LOOK at the world. LOOK at what we're facing. this doesn't help.

real talk: this site is an absolutely key place for organizing against authoritarianism. the leadership of this site damage that functionality if they make a habit of arbitrarily banning people for opaque reasons.

i resent that during a time of rising fascism, i have to ALSO worry about whether the owners of this website are going to tank it out of peeve

Fantastic!

I remember when New Yorkers put up posters in a desperate attempt to locate loved ones after 9/11.

Now they are desperately looking for loved ones disappeared by the government of this country.

I struggle with the use of the word tickle. I couldn’t believe that’s what it was…
Great song tho

Trump’s deployment of troops to Portland is a dangerous escalation of authoritarianism. Now is the time to find our own ways of standing up and fighting back to preserve our democracy. Fellow vets: we need you to muster. And those serving: you can refuse an unlawful order as you may receive it.

but I was promised the city was burning

Israeli drone footage shows the destruction in Gaza:

Van Jones was born a fraud.

YouTube video by Ghost Ghost - Mary On A Cross (Official Music Video)

#TheTwen2ie5
Day 6
"Mary on a Cross" by Ghost (rel. as b-side in 2019, moderate global hit in 2022; I reckon this is sort of a "Cruel Summer" situation wrt eligibility), 12 pts. bonus
NKC: 👎
ISC: 👍

I'd put ten Ghost songs on here if I were allowed to. How bout that, other rock bands: songs!

I’ve been wondering what the ghost picks would be. Yesterday I did a search to see if any had been posted yet and nope! None! Then today? One! Yeah I think we have to include one of the biggest rock bands of the era. Even if their debut album is my fave haha. Sigh. Of course

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 6
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Taking a fine song from a…less than fine LP, fleshing it out and adding some trademark psychedelic touches all his own - baby you got an upgrade goin!

45. Mickey Dolenz - “Leaving New York” (USA; November 2023)

youtu.be/IOS1e_AoEME?...

“How can Portland POSSIBLY stand against the might of the federal government?!”

“Let me introduce you to our frog.”

"I've tasted spicier, I'm Mexican."

Lol, you absolute beast.

Never stop.

I mean hell, they can't even get Kimmel to stay fired.

So the fact that they are doing this right now is a pretty solid indicator that they don't actually expect to be in a stronger place down the road.

Trying to provoke a war with blue states this early is a sign of desperation.