If there's one thing I love, it's parents who insist their children who can't even speak yet are "SO smart." This is a pretty widespread problem. I vow when I have kids that I'll go out of my way NOT to praise them, at least not until they can speak at the very least. Wouldn't want to hurt the little dude's/chick's feelings. I'll be nice to them obviously, but I think it would be funny to talk shit about your 14 month old to your friends. Of course, I won't be talking shit about my kid so much as I'll be subtly mocking everyone else's "smart" kids.

I feel my cunning plan has some holes. Hmm, time to regroup.

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If you don't have HBO or those types of channels, don't be fooled into thinking that if you did then you would watch a lot of good movies. You won't. They do show good movies, but I tend to watch really dumb shit instead. I've mastered the art of the half-assed movie viewing. Here's a sampling:

- last 3/4 of the original 1966 Batman movie. This was based on the old TV show. If you haven't seen the TV show, you should watch it sometime--just to experience how fucking corny it is. The movie is the same way. And "The Ambiguously Gay Duo" isn't nearly as loose an adaptation as you might think. This is some seriously gay shit, none more so than when Batman and Robin are climbing ladders together. It's amazing how intentionally corny everything is. Though it seems like Adam West is in on the joke, whereas Burt Ward thinks he's doing some Oscar-worthy stuff. For more trite crap, go here.

- last 20 minutes of Femme Fatale. I knew this was one of the worst movies of the year going in, but Rebecca Romijn is hot and cool, so why not check out the end? It was the most confusing, convoluted thing I've ever seen. I'm not even sure if it really happened.

- First 2/3 of View From the Top. This movie was also supposed to suck. But when you have nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon before the Elite Eight comes on, you tend to reach. Well, Gwyneth Paltrow is beautiful and Mike Myers is funny, and they're both in this (this is the one where she plays a flight attendant...that pretty much says it all). Kelly Preston is still hot but looked kinda old in this; I guess Jerry Maguire really was a while ago. Mark Ruffalo is the nice, humble yet vaguely intelligent guy who appreciates how great Gwyneth's character is. So of course you just want to punch him in the face when he starts blathering about how "smart" she is. Read: she's really nice, not offensively stupid, and ridiculously hot. I got bored and turned it off. Mike Myers does his "on account of the eye" routine the entire time he's in it, playing the director of the flight attendant training program who has a glass eye. Not too great.

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That '70s Show is fucking great. It's on at 6:30 and 7:30 every weeknight in Boston so I seem to be catching up lately. I think Eric is arguably the best character on TV. OK, no one would agree with that, but Topher Grace is hilarious.

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I think I missed the memo informing the world that Dennis Haysbert (the black dude from 24) was a good actor. What am I missing here?

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After reluctantly downloading iTunes to find that Beck's "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" wasn't there, I went to Tower and shelled out 14 bucks for the CD. So I got that going for me, which is nice. Sweet. Great fucking song.

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Wilco's new album, A Ghost is Born, comes out June 8. Pitchfork's got details here or get it straight from the source here. Mark that date down. Also next month The Killers' and Ratatat's albums will be "dropping." God do I hate that word. Yet I use it. Discuss.

And for more Ratatat, check out the mp3s they have on their website: "17 years" and "untitled." Or download a couple other ones (not as good) from Laprock.com.


Vocals? We don't need no stinkin' vocals.

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There are lots more good live performances to check out at KEXP. Just go to the archived audio live performances page. In the past while The Sleepy Jackson, British Sea Power, Pernice Brothers, and Nada Surf have put in appearances. The songs are great but I always click on the "interview" file because you get the music as well as--you guessed it--the interview. Interesting seeing what different bands are like. It's also fun hearing DJs be completely worthless. For instance, I enjoyed hearing the DJ ask the Sleepies about giving one of their guitarists the boot:

DJ: So has anything happened since you were last here?
Sleepies: Well, we do have a new guitarist.
DJ: I thought this room seemed more crowded.
Sleepies: Well, same number of people...
DJ: Oh...so is that something we can talk about or...?

Yeah, awkward. My fave interview is the Flaming Lips one--not only do they (especially Wayne Coyne) seem like great guys, but they also talk a lot about the background for Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Good times.