Anglophiles Anonymous - The Electronica Show

Another week of wonderful British music DJ'ed by yours truly can be downloaded here or listened do in-page here. The first link is today's show. We started out with some elementary school kids who were visiting with College for kids. Here was the play list.

Happy Mondays - Rave On (Club Mix)
Underworld - Born Slippy
Squarepusher - Planetarium
Stereolab - Olv 26
Mylo - Rikki
New Order - The Village
Asian Dub Foundation - Change a Gonna Come
Massive Attack - Exchange
Chemical Brothers - The Boxer
Basement Jaxx - Red Alert
Orbital - Forever
and... a hint of next week...
Wire - Three Girl Rhumba

Next week is all British Punk. Tune in Fridays at 10am on WSUM 91.7 FM.

SCOTUS 5-4 against race-based school decisions

That's the ruling from the Supreme Court - K-12 public schools can't use race to determine placement. I wouldn't be surprised if businesses and universities start having their I'll be the first to agree that affirmative action is flawed, but this line kills me every time I read it.

The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.

Oh, if only it were that easy. It's the classic "color-blindness" argument. We're all equal so we must treat each other as equals. I know a good deal of people who'd disagree with that argument. Perhaps some people screwed over by the Racine Unified School District - my home district.

RUSD used to have a policy against segregation that tried to spread out the minority student population in all schools. It stipulated that no school may have a minority population below 10 percent or above 15 percent of the district wide population.

However, they got rid of that because it wasn't really happening. So, now you have hyper-discrimination at schools like Julian Thomas, which has the highest minority rate (82.5% of students) and second highest poverty rate in Racine. Click on Julian Thomas. Note how it has the LOWEST test scores in Racine. Looking at other elementary schools in the area, schools with high rates of economic disadvantaged have the lower test scores.

They were thinking of implementing a version of the desegregation law last year - until they found out that 2/3 of RUSD schools wouldn't meet the standards. Woops.

What really kills me is that almost all comments on the Journal Times were in favor of the ruling. It's not suprising. After looking through the JT blog, I saw this post imploring readers not to leave racist comments.

although the RUSD was featured in an article shrugging off the ruling, Racine School Board Member Brian Dey, voiced his approval for the ruling and vehement opposition to RUSD re-redistricting plans.

One thing caught my eye in his press release, however:

Under the term “socio-economic status”, the district stated it would use this, not race, as the determining factor. “Socio-economic Status” in the district is identical to race, and by stating that race would not be a determining factor, is simply false and discriminatory.

You just shot yourself in the foot there. If race runs along socio-economic lines - in short, minorities are disadvantaged - doesn't that hint at internal discrimination inherent in Racine, if not the country? Adhering to the status-quo is just another way of green lighting discrimination.

Basing these decisions solely on race is a hard case to make, I understand that. It shouldn't be that way, as not every minority is at a disadvantage. However, many are. Many fall into poverty and find it quite hard to climb out. Segregated education only compounds that.

As of right now, Madison Metropolitan School District and the RUSD are planning on continuing on with their own deciding factors - mainly based on factors like poverty. MPS is having more of a struggle, because this would likely pose a threat to Chapter 220, which provides statewide financial support for racial integration in schools.

Chapter 220 may go down in flames. Maybe it should. I say: let school districts try to replace race with socio-economic status. Only use that as a factor in school transfers and busing. When someone tries to attack that as racial discrimination, maybe we'll finally see the institutional racism that lies beneath the state and country.

And maybe we can start to change that. Still, we're a long way off. Wouldn't you agree, Democrats?

And now the pressure starts.

BBC is reporting a "possibly viable explosive device" has been taken care of in London. More on this as details become available.
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For those who are up around 10am, tune into WSUM 91.7 FM. My show, Anglophiles Anonymous, will dedicate a full-hour to British electronica, house, dance and anything that uses a moog or vocoder. I'll post those here afterwards.

I'm still waiting back for word on when the Badger Herald radio show will start, but we're pulling for Wednesday at 8pm. Whether or not that happens, we'll see.
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The Steepwater Band is coming to the terrace tomorrow at 9/9:30 pm. Rythym and Booms is Saturday and Yawo, a world music artist who is hard to catagorize, will be playing at the Terrace that night. Reviews, will follow.
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UW-Whitewater student Kelly K. Nolan is missing. Her friends and loved ones took to State St, passing out flyers after they held a candlelight vigil last night. Any information? Call 608-266-6014.

There are already two facebook groups for her. However, as her sister's wall posts make clear, they're not releasing where exactly she was that night. Just "downtown Madison." I'm sure they have their reasons. Whether the media will respect the tight-lipped nature of the investigation is another story. One would hope.
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Well, it looks like people pick up quick. Thanks to the Critical Badger and Letters In Bottles for the mention.

And the Daily Page provided links to the last few posts I had. Great stuff, I say.

Dad would be proud.

The audience of around 500 people obviously didn't know what to expect. They awkwardly shifted in the theatre seats to the infectious beat pumping from the African Conga drums and Funk-filled bass riffs. The brass section flourished with jazz embellishments and solos, stretching the opening song into a 15-minute blur, with Showboy inserting his lyrics: attacks on Nigerian soldiers political use. No one really knew if they should sit or stand.

After a few minutes, four spectators in front of me jumped out of their chair and started dancing. Everyone gasped and gave looks at first, as if this outburst of youthful exuberance was a faux pas for this usually reserved Union Theatre crowd. They didn't sit down. Others jumped up. Loosened up and felt the beat. Eventually, the throbbing funk fusion rhythm proved too hard to resist. From the allure of the female dancers, to the full-force punch of the horns section to the two human metronomes that flanked the stage, it was designed for a continuous groove. The crowd started down the ramps and crowding the front of the stage.

Limbs were flailing, the crowd was swaying and Egypt 80 spun a web of sound bigger than the theatre that held it.

All this, without the main attraction.

It was understandable that Seun Kuti would take his time getting to the stage. After nearly being confined to his native Nigeria due to passport issues and political unrest caused by an oil strike, Seun arrived in Madison, by way of Montreal, by way of Paris. Seun got no sleep during the 3-day journey to Madison. Therefore, it was necessary to save up every bit of energy for the Afrobeat heir's first-ever US concert.

Sleep deprived or not, Seun was - to say the least - explosive.

Sauntering onto the stage with his tenor sax and fitting 70's style attire, Seun shouted a "Yah Yah!" to his audience, something that would take some practice before being returned. From there, Kuti performed one of his father's songs with as much power and showmanship as Fela. As soon as Seun puts down his Sax, he shakes and twists about the stage with a dancing style reminiscent of a young Mick Jagger. He knows how to work the crowd and isn't afraid to strut.

What's more is the passion with which he performs. Every syllable of his lyrics are pounded into the senses as he shakes, twists and bends backwards with his mic gripped tightly. His internal struggle is visible as he runs about the stage with such urgency, but always moving to the beat. Clearly, he doesn't just sing the plight of Africa, he lives it. He wants you to, as well.

"After the Kososvo War, they gave them 600 dollars for each person in aid," Seun mused to the audience. "In Africa, in Darfur, we can't even get 10 dollars a person."

He then raises a middle finger. "That is for the G8 leaders."

It wouldn't be Afrobeat without the blunt infusion of a distinct political message. With songs such as "Think Africa", "Many Things", and "Na Oil," the thunderous African groove is fueled as much by the message as the 20 person band.

That message was one of awareness and need for reform. Starvation, Malaria and AIDS were all topics for awareness during song intros. During one introduction, Seun decried a bridge constructed in Nigeria as a sign of progress. "The bridge is only a connection of servants to their masters."

Yet, Seun understands why Africa isn't able to stop the vicious cycle. "Africans don't have room in their lives to think about all these problems. They only think about how to survive." As he insisted with his song, perhaps his music will force others to "Think Africa."

This blitz of high energy big-band African funk and impassioned political pleas awed the crowd. It fueled the dancing frenzy for nearly two straight hours. Audience participation was in such abundance throughout that Seun invited four Madison women onstage to compare dance skills with Seun's sister, Moturayo. Despite their best attempts to match her skill, it must be said bluntly: She knows how to shake it. Even Shakira should take notes.

As for Seun, his brand of Afrobeat activism was a landmark event for Madison. There were only 500 people to see Seun's American debut. Tomorrow, Chicago shares the pleasure of his company with 15,000 people at Millennium Park. Looking at his schedule, it is obvious - this performance was a rare musical coup for Madison.

He'll be coming out with an album in the next week or so and his myspace offers a few singles, but don't rely on recordings. Youtube might provide a glimpse at his amazing stage performance, but only the real thing will do. If you're in Chicago tomorrow - GO SEE THIS MAN. You owe it yourself to see a 24-year old legend in the making.

Party in the...err...Terrace?

After a meeting with WUD music committee, it looks like WSUM might be closing down shop at James Madison Park and holding their annual music festival at the Terrace. This comes a week after Pepsi decided to pull out of the event because they didn't feel their product was being pushed enough. I'm not sure what they wanted, but that loss of a sponsor may have actually given the event some wings, for once.

The good news about this arrangement - if it happens - is that the headliner for the revamped concert would be MUCH bigger than last year's Drazy Hoops since WSUM wouldn't have to spend an absurd amount of money on operations costs and could devote more funds to talent.

I think it's a fantastic idea. Frankly, I love anything that involves the terrace and it would certainly give WSUM some solid publicity and draw in the Freshmen like no other location would. It also would be nice to have a decent headliner. Let us not forget, PITP once hosted the likes of Andrew WK, Trail of Dead and the White Stripes (although I have a bone to pick with their new album. More on that later.)

The tentative date is Sept. 8th. Anyone know some good bands coming through the Milwaukee/Chicago area during that time?

If you're up for some music tonight...

Why not jet down to the Union Theatre? Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 are coming from Nigeria to wallop Madison with a torrent of political afrobeat. It should be a good show. Reviews to follow afterwards.

And while we're on the subject of Afrobeat, I just noticed that another one of Fela's sons, Femi Kuti, will be performing opposite LCD Soundsystem at Lollapalooza. That might be one of the harder decisions of the festival, for me. More on that when we come to it.

Healthy Wisconsin - the debate begins...

The Democrats unveiled their plan for Universal Health Care for Wisconsin. And Republicans are outraged. Not only are they calling it one of the most outrageous tax increases in Wisconsin history, they're incensed that the Democrats completely cut them out of the discussion before they made this proposal. The details:

The basics of the 59-page proposal include a 14.5 percent payroll tax as the funding backbone, broken down into a 10.5 percent tax paid by employers and a 4 percent tax on wages subject to Social Security, paid by employees.

In exchange, the plan promises health coverage to all Wisconsin residents and employees under 65, with the choice of a public or private plan and price tag of about $370 per month for the average employer and $140 for the average employee.

The tax would generate approximately $15 billion annually to start with - something that opponents find disturbing.

I suppose that much money in the government's hands is a frightening subject for those who rail against bigger government.
Yet, it might save companies a great deal of money, depending on how this all breaks down. At least, that's the claim.

What worries me are posts like Mike Hahn's over at the usually well-thought out Letters in Bottles:

Here's what they don't mention: "Social Security wages" are gross wages up to $97,500 per year. That's right, unless you have one heck of a good job, 14.5% of every dollar you make is going to go to the state to pay for everyone in the state to have health care. Sounds like a good deal, doesn't it.

So, not only do state Democrats want to increase taxes on cigarettes, hospitals, gasoline, selling a home or real estate, iPod/iTunes sales online, and a myriad of fee increases - but they also want to take another 14.5% from every employee and employer in the state. Do they honestly think that we pay too little in taxes in this state?

Let's add it up:

Average state income tax rate: 6.5%
Average federal income tax rate: 25%
Social Security contribution*: 12.4%
Healthy Wisconsin contribution**: 14.5%
Total taxes: 58.4%

Bravo for over-stating things. First off, the asterisk means those figures include employer's pay-in as well. Mike says this should be included in the figure as it takes away from the employee's Health Car the employer already provides. Obviously, he has overstated this, neglecting that these fees are meant to replace the money employers already spend on Health Care Coverage for employees. This gives employees a choice while possibly saving employers money.

Take those numbers off and the new total is around 41% percent. Still high.

Second off, I understand throwing the Fed tax bracket number in there is the only way to make those rates sound concrete, but it should be clear to any taxpayer that including that rate is just slightly misleading.

It's easy to come up with a percentage of income that's ridiculously high if you press the numbers enough. Still, I understand a tax hike is not done with a casual flip of the wrist. If the savings are there, then it could be worth it.

This subject could benefit from a little more research and debate on both sides. I'll be looking at this a little closer throughout the week and get back with whatever I come up with. As of right now, I'm just not sure about the plan.

Day of Silence - show your support.

Internet Radio is being taken down a peg - after congress decided to pass a bill increasing royalties on internet radio. This is sure to kill most of the internet radio station. Well, today, they're not having it:

On June 26, major webcasters such as Live365.com, Pandora.com, AccuRadio.com, and popular Santa Monica, California-based KCRW are among those who will silence their feeds for 24 hours in a show of solidarity against the upcoming July 15 rate hike on net radio royalties. Though regular programming will indeed be interrupted, the broadcasters won't simply be broadcasting silence; many stations will run intermittent PSAs detailing the current plight of net radio interspersed with ambient noise to give listeners an idea of what they'll be hearing should the royalty increases stand. KCRW is producing an hour-long program pleading the case of net radio entitled "D-Day for Webcasters," which they plan to loop all day Tuesday. Additional broadcasters will continue to be added to the roster of supporters for this day of silence.

WSUM 91.7 FM isn't silencing their web-feed due to the horrendous reception of their terrestrial signal. If the new U-square wasn't causing such problems for the signal, WSUM might have participated. However, they are playing PSA's all day to raise awareness. For those who don't know the specifics of the charges, here is the damage.

Why does the RIAA insist on a self-defeating business model?

"It's a Win-Win situation."

Those of you who read the Badger Herald might have seen an article I wrote, which criticized SLAC's methods for being too extreme. There was a brief comment near the end that took issue with the Campus Anti-War Network as well, but labeled their tactics as necessary. Despite the necessity of protest, I found the occupation of Herb Kohl's office to be a bit over-the-top, if not an expertly crafted publicity stunt.

Well, today, I decided to see where CAN is going now. It looks a bit more promising, but I can see flaws on the horizon.

CAN is planning on switching it's attack and message. Instead of standing their ground on the broad campaign to bring an end to the war, they're focusing on the most indefensible tactics of the war - torture. Since the abuses of Abu Ghraib and the administration's defense of interrogation tactics, the left has touted these offenses as the most egregious example of a failed war. Now that members of the American Psychological Association have come out against the APA's involvement in torture tactics, CAN has decided this issue is one that is completely indefensible and a good striking point for the war. (Side Note: the APA has come out against torture before, but recent reports show psychologists may have been involved in some of the government's interrogation tactics after all.)

The basis for this change is definitive local action. By focusing on the issue of torture, they're taking a portion of the war that the vast majority of the public rejects and forcing the University to take a position on it. Of course, administration officials will do no such thing. Yet, they're attempting to circulate a petition rejecting the use of torture amongst the faculty, through Prof. David Rosenthal.
CAN is taking aim at what they call "Campus complicity" in the Iraq War by remaining silent.

However, they made clear the approach is not going to be one of antagonism. They simply ask the university to condemn torture - albeit, with certain political strings and riders hidden beneath such a proclamation. When the university doesn't respond, CAN points to the university as refusing to abide by a moral decision that many of us would easily make.

They're hoping this will get more people on-board. I'm skeptical, as usual.

Campus complicity is good place to start, this I agree with. Certainly, there is probably enough research going on at this university or others tied to the war. If it's made public, it could become a very public sticking point for the local media and raise publicity and awareness.

That is, if this sort of research actually is happening. It is a big "if". Someone at the meeting mentioned research on sleep deprivation that may be tied to interrogation methods. If it's true, I'd like to see it. Otherwise, don't spread half-truths. Research the research.

The problem lies in the aspect of torture as their campaign "theme." In terms of a public discourse, the subject is pretty well under CAN's belt. Yet, in terms of recruiting others, torture is an unattractive topic. If CAN comes out and assails the Gonzales position and cites a bunch of memos, it may bore onlookers. If they stage symbolic recreations of Abu Ghraib and flash depictions of torture, people will look away. The majority of the country doesn't want out of Iraq because of what we're doing to their people, they want out because of what we're doing to our soldiers. The abuses are just more sad facts of war the public would rather not see anymore.

Also, the logic behind the torture focus is a bit faulty. They're operating under the idea that occupation is a form of torture and inevitably leads to such practices. They plan to pound home this idea by showing the Battle of Algiers and maybe getting Professor McCoy to speak. It works on college campuses, but if you reaching into the general Madison community, I'm not sure how the academia approach will play with normal residents. People will make the connections between Algeria and Iraq, I'm just not sure they'll accept them.

It becomes a balance of awareness and action. If CAN finds ties to Defense Dept. tactics through this university and take serious issue with it, they might actually get the ball rolling on a national outcry. Otherwise, they might remain just another group of college students with big ideas.

One of the members of CAN turned to me during the meeting and said, "The problem with leftist groups is there is all this division, while the conservatives stand united." While I think the conservatives are in similar disarray, he has a point. It all sounds so united at first - US out now! Then you hear the chorus of united voices break down into separate cries: "End Imperialism!" "Give Peace a Chance!" "What would Jesus do?"

CAN has promise if they can hold those cries back and unite their voices throughout the country. It's hard, but it has been done before - and without facebook.

So what do you think? Comments, please: what are your opinions on the Campus Anti-War Network?

I would like to hear the conservative opinion on this though.

It's a Bit Complicated - Review

When I grew up as a kid, I reveled in the geekiest sort of music possible - Weird Al Yankovic, mainly. Despite the fact Amish Paradise only works as a parody while Gangsta's Paradise is popular, I loved the genius nature of the songs. Sure, he may steal melodies, but it's usually to make fun of the rest of society. It's silly, but it's still commentary of SOME substance.

That's the same thing I thought when listening to "Formed a Band," by Art Brut. Then I listened to "Bang Bang Rock and Roll." Now it wasn't just commentary, it wasn't just parody, it was all scathing satire. For me, it was the perfect dismantling of the indie subculture. "Modern Art" got far too excited about Matisse for the listener to keep a straight face, "Bang Bang Rock and Roll" finally echoed my groans over the Velvet Underground's indie deification, and Bad Weekend gave the most accurate a tragic summation of the culture with one line: "Popular Culture No Longer Applies to Me." The album was like a punk rebirth in itself. At the same time, the series of stories as told through Eddie Argos' eyes seemed closer to a modern Quadrophenia: Jimmy had the Mods, Eddie had the indie kids.

After awhile, this grand illusion wore off. The album was still great, but it is not the indictment of the music scene as I (or, Pitchfork) thought. Yet, critics still hailed Argos as a new lyrical genius. One reviewer posited him as a modern day Elvis Costello (as Mr. Costello dabbles more in Jazz, these days?).

Well, he's not Elvis Costello, he's not Mark E. Smith, he's not even Ian Brown. He's just Eddie Argos. If he had expanded on the new album, perhaps we could start plotting out the direction of his greatness amongst British rock legends.

Unfortunately, that have to wait.

It's a Bit Complicated starts off with a punch of guitar that was somewhat subdued in BBR&R, probably thanks to the Jasper, the replacement for Chris Chinchilla, who left the band after their first album. With the treble turned up to 11 on "Pump Up the Volume," Argos starts the theme of awkward romantic experiences by singing about a lover torn between his girlfriend and the pop song on the radio.

"Pump up the Volume" and "Direct Hit" may be radio-friendly for it's catchy chorus and head-bopping guitar licks, but Argos isn't talking to the kids about anything all that groundbreaking: "Move your feet like your shoes don't fit/get on the dance floor/ it's a direct hit!" It may get you dancing, but the laughter doesn't last like it used to.

The lyrical genius of Argos is ready for digestion on a few tracks such as "Post Soothing Out", "Sound of Summer" and "Nag Nag Nag Nag." The first two tracks tread the same kind of lovesick lamentations Argos has reflected on so brilliantly ever since he wrote "These Animal Menswe@r" at 15. The blunt semi-spoken delivery mixed with the pointed reactions to traditional pop music mix perfectly here. Yet, Nag Nag Nag Nag has the most promise for the future. It's the only track where Argos takes the aim at his adolescence: "Is it the sound of a man wrestling with emotion/ or the sound of him losing/and causing commotion?"

The rest of the album is a mixed bag - St. Pauli bounces along on an uninspired delivery by Argos and a back-to-basics bass line that sounds tired and repetitive. Late Sunday Evening takes a nice instrumental turn by adding a section of horns to cap the song off, but the lyrics don't resonate with the same unique subject matter as other efforts. The same goes for Blame it On the Trains, which is probably the lowest point on this album.

The appeal of Art Brut isn't that they're "Just talking...to the kids" but being brutally honest and personal. Anyone can write a love song, but only Argos can write a song about going flaccid with sincere emotion. That's what made them dynamic; the breakneck punk rock backing was always just a bonus. Here, it sounds like they've spent more time on the latter, which has allowed the subject matter to become average stuff.

One can only hope Argos will speak volumes louder than he does here, or Art Brut may become the novelty I feared they'd become. Still enjoyable, but silly.

blown out of proportion? Why not have a class on it?

The Cap Times is reporting that UW-Madison is considering offering a Hmong studies program, although they don't seem to have much of an idea what that would entail.
The options sound wide open:

"One would be to offer Hmong language instruction in the next school year using university resources. In the past we have done this with outside funds."

Another option would be to develop a certificate program using existing courses already being offered on campus. Still another possibility would be the creation of a center that would pull together people already on campus who are interested in and involved with research in the Hmong community.

Finally, another option is a full-fledged Hmong studies program involving hiring new faculty.

"We are looking at these different options and considering which, or which combination, to pursue," [Dean of L&S] Sandefur said.

Now, considering the Wisconsin has the third highest settlement of Hmong individuals in the United States, this sounds like a good idea. With the Gen. Vang Pao controversy recently being added to Wisconsin's continuing misunderstandings of the Hmong community, a little more education is certainly in order. But do we have the resources for a serious dedication to this field of study? After all, our own professors are jumping ship because of the low-pay rate.

Now, if you want to set-up a certificate or a set of classes dealing with Hmong, that sounds fine and dandy. However, a discussion of further resources is unnerving. We're already losing professors at a prodigious rate. The engineering and business schools already raised tuition to try and lure more. With Doyle trying desperately to keep our professors from jumping ship with this $10 million retention package, should we really be thinking about hiring more professors for a department we haven't even created yet?

Stick to the simple stuff for now, methinks. If you want to teach more classes centered around Hmong culture, make sure you're sincere about it. Our reputation is tanking. It can be rebuilt with a stronger faculty, but adding on more weight to a system that's already straining doesn't work. It will only introduce a half-hearted ethnic studies program that adds even more problems to Wisconsin's relationship with the Hmong community.

A Fitting Start

Blogs frighten me. I'll put that out right now. With the imminent downfall of traditional media, everyone has already loaded up the blogging bandwagon and decided to head out to the metaphorical West - wherever that might be.

Meanwhile, I've felt left behind. Despite the fact that I've been a part of the blogging world since 2003.

Let's make it clear: Livejournal is not a blog. It is a repository of desires, high-school drama and wasted lives. Everyone I know who is of any significance in my life has stopped posting there or imported blog posts to their Livejournal accounts. The design of LJ pages is enough to induce claustrophoiba. Defined links are usually near the top, with any options for escape presented at the forefront. Then the page descends into mindless ramblings about love life, isolation and that little button to offer alms - register and comment, but only if you're a friend.

Then there is the devious nature of "friends only" and "private" posts. Anyone who posts a friends only post apart from others is entering a hallway of demarcations that cut the real and digital world into any number seperate social circles, dividing themselves in the process. Why do people post privately, anyway? Instead of writing it on paper, on Microsoft Word, on the cells of their own mind, they put it on a rinky-dink do-it-yourself internet website only they can see. Maybe they can reveal it those around them eventually, but with a single misstep they might reveal it to everyone. This not only risks personal grief, arguments between friends and hurt feelings, but, if you're a Washington call-girl, a few lawsuits.

Livejournal is a memory dump. It's like the file cabinet in a home office. You start out thinking you're organized and efficient, but eventually you get frustrated and can't figure out which way to arrange everything. Then you start throwing anything you don't have a place for in there - CDs, pictures, receipts you have no use for It keeps piling up until one day you decide to arrange that messy cabinet for good. That is, until you mess it up again, inevitably.

I can keep my bedroom that way, but not my thoughts. That's why I stopped posting in the LJ and have started here.

However, the subject matter leaves something to be desired. For those who are fans of British Comedy, the title may be familiar. If it is, you'll understand how this directionless this blog is. For everyone else, watch Alan Partridge.

This blog will likely find a few posts throughout the summer. It will really get going when the college exile ends in late August.
Until then, I'll post commentary on events around Madison, the music community and anything of political pertinance that doesn't come off with complete ignorance.