Ali G meets the Beckhams...gotta say they're pretty good sports

So the big news this week is David Beckham officially signing to play for the LA Galaxy starting in August (or earlier, given he's been benched in light of his signing), but don't overlook the importance of USA Soccer Player of the Year Clint Dempsey moving across the Atlantic to play for Fulham in England. Some might say it's bad when the league has to lose its promising youngsters while bringing in expensive, aging stars, but ironically US soccer at this point depends on players like Dempsey competing in better leagues abroad. Fulham's a good choice for Dempsey, given he'll actually have a shot at winning a place in their midfield, while he'll have fellow Americans Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra there to keep him company. And of course the most important thing will be playing against the top competition of the Premiership.

As for Beckham, I used to like him at Manchester United, but I don't root for anyone wearing a Real Madrid jersey. Still, as a fan of soccer in America, I'm hoping he does well and wins the league some more attention. He has never had much in the way of dazzling moves, so hopefully he buries his share of free kicks, since that's really the only way the average American will be impressed by his game. And as far as the reported $250 million he's supposed to get, you can't really compare it to the standard sports contract. Supposedly "only" $10 million per year is salary, while $35 million is tied to endorsements and merchandising, and a final $5 million to profit-sharing with the Galaxy's owner. And for those wondering how a lowly MLS team can afford to pay Beckham that sort of coin, keep in mind the owner of the Galaxy is billionaire Phil Anschutz. With about $8 billion to his name, Anschutz ranks only behind Paul Allen (Seahawks/Blazers) in terms of US individuals that run teams. I don't expect Beckham to turn the big four sports into the big five, but considering how a non-sport like NASCAR has become such a big deal, it doesn't seem out of question that soccer could become significantly more popular in the next five to ten years.

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Cloud Cult: these dorks are dressed for winter

Stereogum profiled Cloud Cult and I like 'em.

Cloud Cult / "Outside of Your Skin"

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If you're the type of person who relies on the people that sell you oil changes to tell you when you actually need to change your oil, then you might want to read this.

Many decades ago, when metallurgy, tolerances, manufacturing precision and various aspects of engine controls (as well as the oil itself) were profoundly more primitive, the 3k mile oil change interval had a logical basis. Crude carburetor chokes caused overly rich mixtures, dumping raw gas onto cylinder walls that worked its way down into the crankcase. Poorly fitted rings caused blow-by, which had the same effect with nasty combustion byproducts. And poor tolerances created rapid wear, which released and circulated metal particles throughout the engine. People drove shorter distances, and cars often didn’t warm up enough to burn off contaminants. To travel 100k miles without an engine rebuild was a genuine accomplishment.

By the sixties, improvements in all of these mission critical areas led manufacturers to adopt an industry standard 6k mile oil change interval. Since then, recommended oil change intervals have risen as high as 10k miles. At the same time, many high end cars ECU’s (e.g. BMW, Porsche) now monitor engine and environmental operating conditions and calculate the ideal interval for an oil change– sometimes well into the teens.

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I began warning people weeks ago that the new Bloc Party album is a steaming pile of meh, and have been steeling myself for the Coldplay-ization of BP. And now bassist Gordie Moakes has further trampled my remaining hopes that the band can be salvaged:

"It's got everything that makes a Coldplay song, plus more," bassist Gordon Moakes says of the band's more introspective material. "It has a lush sound without being too syrupy."

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Boy Scouts: destroying America, one fire at a time.

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Fact: my favorite German crossover phrase is Schadenfreude. Note however, that it's impossible to apply this phrase to Florida QB Tim Tebow. Ridiculous, Tim. Just ridiculous.

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Check out my new website.

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With Leather shows us another example of why life isn't fair. Hint: it involves NFL cheerleaders and John Popper.

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Two old men tried their hardest and came up with another reason to make fun of the state of Alabama. As for the obvious question, the first thing I found on the internet said he was 5'6".

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Louie CK on the Daily Show. Nice.

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Michael Strahan has been ordered to pay more than half his net worth--$15.3 million--to his ex-wife. The sad part is that the dude had a pre-nup.