Carlos D looks...different.

New Interpol track "The Heinrich Maneuver" has been ripped from the radio and can be heard at the bottom here. So far I like it, and yes, I realize the title makes no sense (haven't seen an explanation why it's called that). They played Coachella and Stereogum was there.

Interpol / "The Heinrich Maneuver"

******

Thoughts from the first democratic debate, by a political simpleton:

• Barack Obama looked disappointingly nervous, but seemed to get more comfortable as the night went on.
  
• Hillary Clinton is who we thought she was.
  
• John Edwards seemed serious, almost disinterested, but for some reason I liked him--I give him credit for actually having something resembling a plan on health care, but he also didn't seem desperate to ram anything down your throat. He left a lot of dead air on the moral leader question, but I would have LOVED to see Hillary answer that question after Edwards cited his wife as the "finest human being" he's ever known. He seemed a little too willing to take advantage of the fact that his dad was poor.
  
• I really like the idea of Bill Richardson--great background as a governor, UN ambassador, energy secretary, and congressman--but his presentation could have been better. His hands were all over the place. But it's tough when you need to use the debate to introduce yourself to voters. If elected he would have the most prominent jowls of any president since Nixon.
  
• Biden seems to be the token big name insider with no shot, but he won points for the best and most succinct answer of the night.
  
• Every debate needs a crazy old man like Mike Gravel. I might have to donate a couple bucks to his campaign just because he makes the debates so much more interesting. I don't know if there's been a performance like that in a major debate since Admiral Stockdale put his senility on display in '92 or whatever.
• I thought Kucinich did a pretty good job of picking on the big boys without appearing totally desperate, especially considering that he IS totally desperate. Of course, that's one of the interesting aspects of this election--most of the big-name candidates supported the war in Iraq, meaning the two biggest scrubs (Gravel and Kucinich) can now high-road the shit out of them for it.
• It was nice that halfway through the debate everyone started completely ignoring the questions and just started saying whatever they felt like (usually crap about Iraq).
• Did the debate organizers really think they could get one-word and one-sentence answers for some of the questions? Come on.
  

******


Random Linkage: anytime is a great time for T

• The campaign against diving soccer players gets more serious.
  
• Three cars, 34 cylinders, and about 1,900 horsepower. Giddyup.
• Should Audi make a baby R8? Hell yes.
• I've always liked CBS/Nets play-by-play guy Ian Eagle, and this does nothing to change that.
• Steal my car, shame on me. Try to sell me the car you just stole from me, shame on you.
• I hate to admit this, but I like Rasheed Wallace a little more after seeing this.
• Relive the Sox going back-to-back-to-back-to-back.
• Danica Patrick is now the second-hottest Indycar driver.
• How are Leeds? Not good.
• Our taxes aren't too high.