Dear Patrick,

Thank you for your registration.

Sorry, we regret to inform you that your registration to attend the Public Memorial Service for Michael Jackson was not selected.

Hundreds of thousands registered, but only a few can be in attendance.

Sincerely,

The Staples Center

I got a new computer today.  It’s really small.

*Patrick

FOA (Friend of adverb.) Steve presented me w/ a Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat for my birthday.  It is currently my favorite beer.  Thanks Steve!

*Michael

Just in case you’re not from MA, our world looks like this.

*Michael

The Obamas are coming to Martha’s Vineyard.

*Michael

June 2009 was a seriously bizarre month.

Notable Passings:

Michael Jackson - (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

Farah Fawcett - (February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009)

Billy Mays - (July 20, 1958 – June 28, 2009)

French People on Airplanes:

Air France - On June 1, an Air France Airbus A330 with 228 passengers seemingly disappears off the coast of Brazil. A day later search and rescue finds a debris field, but it has nothing to do with the missing plane. It is revealed that in the moments before the crash, the plane sent out a series of conflicting error messages. The black box is not located and a cause for the accident has yet to be determined.

Yemenia Airways - The month ends as it begins, with a bizarre Airbus crash. This time, an A310 carrying 153 passengers and crew goes down in the Indian Ocean. One passenger, a teenage girl from France, is the lone survivor.

World Politics:

Iran “votes” to re-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Honduran government is overthrown, the governor of South Carolina disappears for a few days with his mistress in Argentina, and Al Franken of SNL’s “Stuart Smalley” fame officially wins a Senate seat.

*Michael

Today, finally, Wilco’s “Wilco: The album” has dropped.  Here’s the quick track-by-track review:

Track 1: Wilco – The Song (7.5/10)
It’s kind of a throwaway opening track, but fun…lots of fun actually.

Track 2: Deeper Down (6.5 /10)
I really can’t decide whether I like this song or hate it.

Track 3: One Wing (8/10)
Great summer-pop that could have used another dose or two of Nels Cline.

Track 4: Bull Black Nova (9/10)
The immediate standout track featuring a choppy piano line, anxious drums, dualing guitars, and a screaming Jeff Tweedy – obviously going to painfully awesome to hear live.

Track 5: You and I (ft. Feist) (9/10)
A perfect summer pop song that will undoubtedly be co-opted for somebody’s marketing campaign.

Track 6: You Never Know (7.5/10)
“Come on children, you’re acting like children. Every generation thinks it’s the end of the world.” This is one of the Tweediest Jeff Tweedy songs on the album.

Track 7: Country Disappeared (7/10)
Beautiful harmonies, a couple good lyrical ideas.

Track 8: Solitaire (8.5/10)
I’d like to imagine that at some point in the studio Wilco made a conscious production decision to make this song sound like a countryfied Elliott Smith. This is a good thing.

Track 9: I’ll Fight (8/10)
Guaranteed to be a live staple, this song has a great melody, ripe for festival sing-a-longs.

Track 10: Sunny Feeling (1 /10)
I really f—king hate this song.  It should not exist.        

Track 11: Everlasting Everything (7.5 /10)
Already starting to grow on me, it’s one of if not the best written songs on the album.

Album Cover (10/10) - Seriously, look at it.

Overall: (8/10) - Not their most creative, but never disappointing.

*Michael