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The Combat Jack Show - Ebro Darden Interview Jack n ‘em sit down with Hot 97 program director Ebro Darden, who proceeds to drop absolute knowledge for an hour. This should be required listening for anyone who wants to bitch about what’s wrong with radio

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like father like son...

Patrick Moran, the son of Democratic Virginia Rep. Jim Moran, is having a bad year. First, undercover video operative James O’Keefe caught him on tapehalf-heartedly discussing how to commit voter fraud…while acting as the field director for his dad’s campaign. Now Moran’s taken a more...

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Killer Mike — R.A.P. Music

(Animated by Mr. GIF)

Vote for your album of the year in the 2012 Music Blog Zeitgeist!

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“The stories you tell yourself to fall asleep, those fantasies, those are a good place to start when looking for a metaphor for a personal issue. Also, the first moment you’re awake, that’s a great time for ideas to just pop into your head. In this almost-awake state, inspiration and clean connections just seem to happen. Mid-day, you might try taking a shower. That’s always good for relaxing your mind to a near dream-state. Great ideas happen while washing dishes, too. Stephen King writes in the shower. Katherine Dunn writes while swimming laps. Like sleeping, these tasks seem to allow… something… to happen. So it helps to keep a notepad beside the bed, and in the bathroom. Also, long, boring car drives – without the radio playing – are good for creating this same kind of “trance” that allows ideas to form.”

- Chuck Palahniuk  (via bbook)

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Dominic West "Random Roles" Interview on avclub.com

Dominic West talks (briefly) to AV Club about a bunch of roles he’s played, including McNulty, of course.

My favorite was that he wanted to meet George Lucas and somehow got himself into Phantom Menace playing Palace Guard. It’s exquisite work:

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Atta Kwami, Chapuchi, 2010. Acrylic on canvas board, 40 x 30 cm

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This would be awkward if it wasn’t so obvious…

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We will find neither national purpose nor personal satisfaction in a mere continuation of economic progress, in an endless amassing of worldly goods. We cannot measure national spirit by the Dow Jones Average, nor national achievement by the Gross National Product. For the Gross National Product includes air pollution, and ambulances to clear our highways from carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and jails for the people who break them. The Gross National Product includes the destruction of the redwoods and the death of Lake Superior. It grows with the production of napalm and missiles and nuclear warheads. … It includes … the broadcasting of television programs, which glorify violence to sell goods to our children.And if the Gross National Product includes all this, there is much that it does not comprehend. It does not allow for the health of our families, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It is indifferent to the decency of our factories and the safety of our streets alike. It does not include the beauty of our poetry, or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials … the Gross National Product measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country. It measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile, and it can tell us everything about America—except whether we are proud to be Americans.

Robert F. Kennedy, 1968 Presidential Campaign (via poortaste)

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Finn & Jake Pencil Carving 

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Today was a day that we’ll never forget.  We started it out feeling kinda nervous about whether or not we’d reach our goal.  Not only did we pass our $3500 target but things kept going and we’re already over $4,000!!  We’re completely amazed, and there are no words to describe how much it means to us.

This thing feels pretty unstoppable.  We’ve still got 21 hours to go, any additional funding we get will give help us with some really valuable resources in spreading our music as far and wide as possible.  If you’d still like to pre-order through our Kickstarter, you can do so here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/648896607/new-beat-radio-album-hard-times-go

We’ve got some pretty fun backer rewards.  Also, we’re recording a special alternate acoustic version of the entire album that will only be available to our Kickstarter backers. 

Again, for everyone who has helped us out with this, we love you and we’re honored to be a part of this with you.  We’ve got lots more great news coming, and we’ll keep you posted each step of the way.

cheers, beat radio

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I just wanted to highlight an interview from Bullseye that I think was/is really cool. A conversation with W. Kamau Bell about race as it’s experienced in Chicago, the Bay and Brooklyn, about gentrification, about staying away from Hollywood, and all kinds of other stuff. Kamau is a smart, funny, thoughtful guy, and I’m so happy he’s got an excellent show on FX (and Fox, by the way).

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watermelon soda float.

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Dinah Fried entered the fictional worlds of popular novels and recreated meals from the books! 

Fictitious Dishes - Meals From Novels by Dinah Fried

via Reddit

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Meet the Dude Who Inspired ‘The Dude’ in the Coen Brothers’ ‘The Big Lebowski’

Since its release in 1998, The Big Lebowski has become a cult classic, spawning fan conventions (Lebowski Fests) across the U.S. There, superfans might have a chance to meet the guy Jeff Bridges’s character, Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski, is based on: Jeff Dowd. This documentary portrait by Jeff Feuerzeig tracks him down and tells his life story, from sixties anti-war radical (he was one of the Seattle Seven) to indie film promoter (he helped Joel and Ethan Coen distribute their first film, Blood Simple). 

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This week's most blogged artists

➊ El Perro Del Mar

➋ Les Sins

➌ Bon Iver

➍ Southern Shores

➎ Future Islands

➏ AlunaGeorge

➐ How To Dress Well

➑ Chad Valley

➒ Bondax

➓ Ombre