Matt Taibbi lights into the Catholic Church hierarchy and their continued rationalization and deflection surrounding the massive sexual abuse of children.
SXSW 2010 Recap
My thoughts on the 22 bands I listened to at this year’s South By Southwest Music Festival.
Even better than last year. This British duo practices a perfect mixture of stomping rhythms and gorgeous harmonized vocals. Rebecca Taylor is a powerhouse singer, projecting a lovable blend of brashness and glee.
Another killer live act, this Spanish quintet oozes good times. They shake like the Stones of your imagination, held forever in youth and small-venue fever. Their tunes aren’t the most ambitious, but the guitar rock is tight, and it’ll make you move.
Respect My Authoritay!
It’s hard not to despair when you read stories like this:
Three Seattle police officers were justified when they used a stun gun on a pregnant mother who refused to sign a traffic ticket, a federal appeals court ruled Friday in a case that prompted an incredulous dissent.
As Taser use is normalized, the police seem more and more happy to forcibly shock you for inconveniencing them. Chicago recently extended Tasers to all of their squad cars. I e-mailed the department to inquire about the terms of their use; I haven’t heard back nor do I expect to.
Affordability Index
The Center for Neighborhood Technology has put out a pretty cool interactive map comparing housing affordability in 330 metro areas with and without transportation costs mixed in. Unsurprisingly, the results show that seemingly affordable areas away from urban centers become more unaffordable when commuting costs are factored in.
I’m surprised to see that my childhood home in Indiana is rendered unaffordable by transportation while houses just on the other side of the St. Joseph River (seemingly in the same transit space) are unaffected. Our old place in Pasadena falls under the same categorization, while our current apartment in Chicago is affordable under both measures (but just barely!). Same for our old places in Wrigleyville (public transit must really factor in).
Ralph Gamelli in The Morning News
FLYMF alum Ralph Gamelli has had a story, “Go Climb a Tree,” published in The Morning News.
Ralph’s story, Rocky Balboa Launches Into Inspirational Speeches Too Frequently, was published in FLYMF’s Greatest Hits. He also contributed How Long Before I Use My Ejector Seat? and Twilight Zone Episodes For the Internet Age.