The Useless Critic 2.0

OH SHIT IT HAS HAPPENED. The new Oh Land album, "Wishbone," is streaming. Streaming! And not like MTV's website or some punk's blog (cough) but ON THE NEW YORK FUCKING TIMES . That is BADASS. And it features appearances by Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio), Sia and Dan Carey. All in all: This is fantastic. Expect a review soon; especially since we've started our Tweeting again. AHHHH I'M SO EXCITED HERE'S ANOTHER PICTURE

I have to admit, first of all, I have been half-paying attention to the escalating situation in Syria. A lot of foreign affairs are far beyond my grasp (for whatever reason, I'm a reasonably intelligent girl) so I just don't even try to follow them. I are American. I shop at Wal-Mart sometimes (sometimes).  But it's been getting enough exposure on the news- whatever news pond I choose to drink from*,  that it's really become impossible for me to ignore. And it should be impossible for you- or anyone checking this website from whatever cushy pad they happen to be in- to ignore, as well. YES, gas prices are going up. YES, Whitney Houston is very dead ( :/ ). Yes, every Republican candidate is....WELL LET'S NOT OPEN THAT CAN OF WARMS (Sarah Palin:  why aren't you running? you were, at best, gently alarming...or naturally amusing!) But Syria has as every right to be as important as any of these topics, possibly even moreso. In a nutshell:  as has been happ...

Chris Bell will be playing at the Crooked I on February 26th, opening for popular local Erie band Shotgun Jubilee. You shouldn't miss this show if you're in the area- he's an up-and-coming folkish musician with a lot going for him in this upcoming year. He was chronicled by the New York Times for the fact he did a tour of the Erie Canal by canoe a few years back. Well this time there is no canoe involved, but that doesn't make things any less interesting. But first things first. Bell was born "a month early" in Springville, NY but brought up in Frewsburg. "I was an only child out in the country, in the summer I could go a week or two without seeing another child my age," he remembered about growing up. These formative years would shape who he was about to become, as an artist and person. "I loved playing in the woods, building strange electronic creations, and watched a lot of TV. I loved television as a kid, I’ve always, always been drawn to ...

I love this . best part of whole article: And the video for Katy Perry’s new single, “Firework,” a song from her album “Teenage Dream,” features a scene in which two boys passionately kiss as pyrotechnics burst from the singer’s bust.

so I was searching through my bookshelves to find some books to read, as opposed to buying more or going to the library, where they hate me. I found a few books, but then I decided, I have a long ass flight ahead of, LET'S DO THIS UP. LET'S GET THE BIGGEST BOOK I CAN FIND THAT'S NOT THE BIBLE. lo and behold, I grabbed my father's weathered copy of the World is Flat by New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman. He has won the Pulitzer three times. that's more than me! my father loves nonfiction, which is where we differ. well we differ in a lot more areas but I'll focus here. I like well-written, captivating nonfiction. it seems rare to find something that keeps my interest in that area, though, that's not a celebrity biography. my father (recommending me a book): Brittany, this book is about real people. me: are you implying the Animorphs aren't real? my father: Brittany, this book is about a real person who lived and breathed and died just like we al...