The Useless Critic 2.0

By total accident, I have discovered the British beauty "vlogger" Fleur de Force . Is she incredible? She's...addicting! It's weird; I swear on any grave that matters I NEVER watch vlogs. Really. But this girl and her dog sidekick (Woof) have sucked me in. Apparently, she is celebrating "Vlogust." Which mean she vlogs errday. That is some tenacity/willpower, right there. I don't blog everyday... or do I? Now I have made several vlogs and most of them- save in cases where Liz does the thing where she posts things of me online I'm not entirely comfortable with (haha)- have not seen the light of day. Granted though, I did go on a diatribe about my closet in one...some things are for the best! Mostly though- Fleur's stuff (she's really likable, too, which doesn't hurt her cause!) is useful because she has beauty tips and whatnot. But I'm really curious as to how/why someone is willing to put their self totally out there- via vlo

Song of the Day I have been listening to this song a lot lately; like in some respects it is still 2004 somewhere (ha). I think this song has moved past the stage where overkill ruined it...so now from a distance, what a gorgeous song. O  was a great album. Too bad him and Lisa Hannigan don't work together anymore. I still have yet to see Closer, for the record, starring Natalie Portman and Jude Law and Clive Owen and Julia Roberts, which heavily used this song. ... have a good weekend!

Oh wow, here's another new No Doubt song emerging. Remember:   Push and Shove  comes out next month. You can't make that shit up!  it features- HEAVILY- Diplo-created Major Lazer- in the mix. And it's sort of...dubstep cum reggae. Whatever...I mean I like it a lot because every No Doubt song is like candy to me. This album sounds like it's going to be pure fun, and as amazing as 2012 has been in terms of music (because the world is ending and all, musicians must feel compelled) everything has been so heavy and kind of rueful. Thus!  No Doubt, WELCOME BACK.  p.s. why Ryan Seacrest, WHY

Song of the Day I am really taken by this album; expect a review soon.

This duo is really a new thing!  Détective formed this year, put out 2 EPs and also released an album, However Strange , on cassette tape. The man and woman behind  Détective hail from two existent groups:  Guided  By Voices and Useless Keys. They are James Greer and Guylaine Vivarat. And their name comes from a Godard movie. Also:  they are on tour presently- they're based out of LA- and will be hitting Phoenix on September 14th at the Sail Inn .  I chatted with them rather briefly about...you know important things!  UC:  How did you two get together? D:   We met at a French film festival here in Los Angeles that Guylaine was at that time co-directing. Which in retrospect seems appropriate.   UC:  Are you both big fans of French new wave? D:   Yes! We like new waves of all kind. Mostly, we have a mild obsession with JL Godard. Guylaine can't help it since she's French, and James has spent a lot of time in France and also loves French film. But really,

Or is this a new thing: regardless, this girl is as stylish as she is talented. yes, that was silly. We are turning a new leaf; get ready. (or not) I mean see here, BFL knows how to channel neo-hippie very well: DAMN that is all.

Song of the Day So last night I had an audio date with this boy. And really I was worried he might be awful but he's surprisingly good, catchy and a decent rapper! which is really weird because he namedrops "Damien Rice" and also is palz with T-Swizzle. Plus he's part of the whole weird pseudo-Britpop-not-really movement going on (i.e. the Wanted and One Direction). Well don't write him off because THAT is a mistake! Way talented guy.

Episode 12: Save Yourself Wow, I’d call that a season finale, alright. Lots of blood, a bit of sexing, and more than a few “what the fuck did I just watch” moments. Oh, and an out-of-nowhere cliffhanger. I don’t use this word much, but it left me flabbergasted. Let’s get to it, shall we?

So what is it about TESLA? Why is he suddenly a huge deal again? Because old inventors are really not a big deal these days. At all. The end.  Well, check out this link to read a little more on the project  (sponsored by the creative geniuses at the Oatmeal ). that guarantees Nikola Tesla's place in history for future generations. It is called  Let's Build a Goddamn Tesla Museum !   And the best part is they've already EXCEEDED their goal, which the New York state government has promised to match. (New York state was the site of his last laboratory).  So consider making a donation, because Tesla was awesome and he died a broken man, defeated by unfortunate circumstances. Really, the loss of his reputation was a tragedy beyond all means.  question:  who is your favorite inventor? (mine is Britney Spears).  p.s. David Bowie played him in the Prestige! Badass! 

Jeep Comanche 29er Mountain Bike - Mountain & Hybrid Bikes (Google Affiliate Ad) I am just seeing how this works. lots of love bbs

Song of the Day Supergroup of Spoon, Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs. AWESOME

So, here we are, for this 19th cycle (aka season) of America's Next Top Model. In case you didn't know, Tyra in her infinite wisdom has fired Jay Manuel, Miss Jay Alexander and the steamy, dreamy Nigel Barker .  This season, Tyra, last season's lone survivor Kelly Cutrone and some other people who I haven't found the wherewithal to Google will serve as the judges. But wait! The audience has a say in the voting this time...or something. Apparently a few months ago, one could go onto the Top Model website and vote or upload videos or...you know what, I don't really know.  Here they are in a goddamn bed. Kelly is looking at her massive pile of money. In any case, this season is the "College Edition." Which, gauging from the main photo, will involve slutty co-eds wearing tiny tartan skirts and being photoshopped to death. So, same shit, different judges. There is really only one thing I can say about this new season, and I'll let a cert

Paul Ryan Cheated On His Wife! Here is the transcript from his interactions with Nigerian woman named Cary Kaitar. kaitar: August 22, 2012 9:07pm EDT Re: [no subject] nice . what i your name Paul ryan: August 22, 2012 9:08pm EDT Re: [no subject] paul ryan, and you? kaitar: August 22, 2012 9:09pm EDT Re: [no subject] cary . nice to meet u baby Paul ryan: August 22, 2012 9:09pm EDT Re: [no subject] cool Cary, so what are you doing today in nigeria? kaitar: August 22, 2012 9:13pm EDT Re: [no subject] i like movie of romantice ( sex and love ) Paul ryan: August 22, 2012 9:14pm EDT Re: [no subject] cool , sex and love haha ;) i like movies with sex and love too ;) kaitar: August 22, 2012 9:18pm EDT Re: [no subject] great say m pleae   some words of romantice . i likeeeeeeeeee romn Paul ryan: August 22, 2012 9:20pm EDT Re: [no subject] you look hot like fire. ;) k

Kevin Serra's dreamy musical project has been endorsed by Cocteau Twins. More here .

Hey, are things not ridiculousness enough? It turns out that zero percent of Black People want to vote for Mitt Romney. There is not a single black person in the entire country that supports the Republican for President in 2012.  Does that sound like a joke?  Well, read this excerpt from Daily Kos.  " Looking inside the numbers, Obama continues to lead Romney among key parts of his political base, including African Americans (94 percent to 0 percent) , Latinos (by a 2-to-1 margin), voters under 35-years-old (52 percent to 41 percent) and women (51 percent to 41 percent). Romney is ahead with whites (53 percent to 40 percent), rural voters (47 percent to 38 percent) and seniors (49 percent to 41 percent). Zero. For historical reference, George W. Bush received 11% of the black vote in 2004." The only black people that are supporting Mitt Romney and the Republican party for president are the margin of error.   Talk about unpopular. Questions for You:

Oh my gawd. Nope, it's not Robert Pattinson, but that would be awesome! It (he) is a screenwriter from Dear John and We Are Marshall . He is...a producer as well. He is...Jamie Lindon. I don't know who this dude is, but he seems cute in a dorky way and he is not Ben Gibbard, so there is that. Also:  I still wish this was Robert Pattinson. What can I say? I'm a romantic.

Episode 11: Sunset So it’s that time, when True Blood ramps everything up. Or, at least that's what usually happens. The one question on my mind is how they’re going to fit all of the crazy shit they’ve packed into this season into one more episode. In this installment we’ve got more faerie shenanigans, and a bit of werewolf action, but this episode was all about the vampires. Those silly, overacting vampires. Oh, and hey! We finally got confirmation: his name is spelled Warlow!

I love foreign films but I feel this would be 10000 times more effective.... SHOULD I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE SAYING!!!! Oui? Anyway:  it appears interesting. This is the French Big Chill, supposedly.

to everyone that participated in BE USEFUL Day- thank you! you all rock. I hope we can keep the spirit alive....and try to do at least one decent thing a day. small or big; whatever.  The point is (at least this is how I feel) it's easy to lose hope in this world that we can't make an actual change. Please don't ever lose hope. 

Flunk is a band I have enjoyed for years. They are Norwegian and electronic; two things I adore! Their music- dreamed out bliss- has appeared in several movies and shows through the years. With plenty of good reason, too- it casts a mood. Anyway, they just released a retrospective of their past ten years as a band. Read on to see what this means for this underrated and fabulous band, according to member  Ulf  Nygaard... UC:  You guys just released a musical retrospective. What made now a good time for that? Ulf: This spring marked ten years of Flunk records, so it seemed like a good idea.Also, we knew we would attack the new album in a different  manner than our earlier recordings, so the timing felt right. We picked the songs more or less ourselves, except maybe we compromised on  leaving out one or two of our less accessible tracks. And we had to leave out "True Faith," the New Order song. You just can't have TWO  cover songs by the same band on a bes

I've been watching news anchor Soledad O'Brien for years. Most Americans have probably seen her around somewhere on the cable news circuit. However, thanks to her morning show "Starting Point" on CNN, I just started to realize that she is hot. Like this: Oh, I am a dirty-wild-animal-when-it-comes-to-sex-look. Some people make dirty look so clean. This is when Sandra Bullock will play her in a movie. Soledad O'Brien is now 45, but who cares? If you are a human being, you've probably had a crush on someone much older.....if not, you're unhealthy and biased. #F*That   Look, it's one of those pics where she's naked.........yes. Questions for You: Who/what is the oldest crush you've had? Do Pony tails signal naughty sex? or was I way off on that one? And how do I edit that Obama sticker off of her forehead? 

Questions for You: Do you ever drink energy drinks and wish they could make your penis larger?  If you responded yes, or even if you responded no, you’re in luck. Extenze has now gone for the energy  drink salt lick and put a new shot-sized product that is identical in shape to 5 Hour Energy.  So what’s the real deal? Is this a thrill or a lame chill? What’s it taste like? Does it provide results? At first sip, the Extenze   Shot tastes rather strong, as do most in this size (giggles). It is like syrup, and it doesn’t taste as sweet as one can expect.  After two minutes, I began to wonder “Why is my face hot?” IT’S MAKING THE WRONG HEAD EXTEND. They failed to mention on the label that this drink includes paranoia, and it also leads to hyperactivity such as humming show tunes off key.  After three minutes, I began to wonder…why am I sweating? But only in my face? Like seriously, what is in this shit? My face is burning, and I am now sweating under my lip…..

We interviewed this band last year; they are a very upbeat indie rock band a la Oulu, Finland. And today is a huge day for these talented guys as it is a release of a new single andddd a load of free mp3s! Check out " Sirens :" or And here are remixes of said track! Slow Magic remix Soundcloud & mp3 http://soundcloud.com/ slowmagic/satellite-stories- sirens-slow http://tinyurl.com/bqb4k3u Christian Strobe remix Soundcloud & mp3: http://soundcloud.com/ christianstrobe/satellite- stories-sirens Somepoe remix Soundcloud & mp3: http://soundcloud.com/somepoe/ satellite-stories-sirens Either way enjoy! the album will be out September 21st.