Again, Mumford & Sons.

One of the most unlikely success stories of the past year has been the rise of Mumford and Sons, an English folk-rock band that includes an accordionist, a mandolin player and a banjo player.  They’ve only been around for a couple of years after being formed within the folk scene that sprung up in London in the middle of the decade.

They’re also quite literary.  The title of the song “Timshel” is a reference to the John Steinbeck novel, East of Eden.  But you’d have to really pay attention in English class to recognize that the single, “Sigh No More” lifts lines directly from the Shakespearean play, Much Ado About Nothing.

Yeah, that’s a little plagiaristic, but as leader Marcus Mumford says “You can rip off Shakespeare all you like; no lawyer’s going to call you up on that one.”  He does have a point.

Smart ass, Mr. Mumford.

I can't stop talking about, and listening to, these guys. Their album is probably the most played album (and I mean all songs not just the singles) in my digital music archive (all 35 GB of goodness).

JL421 Badonkadonk Tank. A great amazon.com buy.

I love the internets.  It's just full of stuff you never know existed.  In this case, (1) a tank you can buy at amazon.com and (2) really, REALLY, wicked sarcasm.

Exhibit #1: JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank for sale in amazon.com.  Looks, awesome, don't you think?

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The lights are probably optional that you can arrange with the designers.  Or you can do DIY.

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Artsy-creative shot of the tank.

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And here it is in action, should you choose to operate in standing-mode.

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Exhibit #2: Here's the product description given by the seller of this gem.

The JL421 Badonkadonk is a completely unique, extremely rare land vehicle and battle tank.  Designed with versatility in mind, the Donk can transport cargo or a crew of five internally or on the roof, and can be piloted from within the armored shell or from an exposed standing position through the hatch, thanks to special one-way steel mesh armor windows and a control stick that pivots up and down to allow piloting from the standing or seated positions.  

The interior is fully carpeted and cozy, with accent lighting and room for up to five people.  A 400 watt premium sound system with PA is mounted to project sound both into the cabin and outward from behind the windows.  The exterior is a steel shell with a rust patina, and features head and tail lights, turn signal lights, trim lighting, underbody lighting, fixed slats protecting the windows, and a unique industrial-strength rubberized flexible skirt that shields and protects the wheels to within an inch of the ground, while still allowing for enough flex to give clearance over bumpy and uneven terrain.  

Master power, ignition, all lighting, and stereo features are controlled from a single switchboard to the left of the driver, again accessible from either the seated or standing position. Standard drive is an air-cooled, 6hp Tecumseh gasoline (unleaded only) engine, with centrifugal clutch, giving the Donk a top speed of 40 mph.

This vehicle is not licensed for use on public roads, and is intended as a recreational vehicle only. Badonkadonks are produced on an order-by-order basis, with each one having it's own unique set of features. With your order is included unlimited consultations with the designer and manufacturer concerning all relevant options (a representative from NAO will contact you shortly after your order).  Price does not include shipping and handling.

And lastly, the best one, Exhibit #3.  A supposed review from a person who supposedly owns one.

I'll admit it.  Shopping for a personal tank can be a bit daunting.  Many times in the past I've purchased overpriced, so-called "battle tanks", then driven them into battle only to be wrecked in ten minutes by the first blow off of some insurgents home-made morter. 

But not this baby, no way. 

This tank R-O-C-K-S! Literally- the 400-watt sound-system keeps me rockin like a crazy man as I'm dishing out justice commando style.  Wow.  I just can't say enough.  And the kids love it, too- imagine the look of terror in the eyes of the enemy as I'm dropping off my kid's team to their soccer game.  Shock and awe, my friends, SHOCK AND AWE!

I had NAO install the optional GPS-guided white phosphorus missile system, and talk about *SWEET*! Burn baby burn!!! 

Oh, it also has plenty of room for groceries, and if you need to like move a loveseat or something it'll fit if you use a little bungee cord. 

The only real negative with this tank is that it shows up on radar a little more than I like (although there is a polyresin graphite stealth model available). Also, the included spare isn't full size. 

Overall, a great tank.

True story.  If you want to see the actual for-sale entry in Amazon and the several hilarious reviews and comments, go here.

 

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. - "Hey Boy"

Mark Ronson is a highly-acclaimed DJ and producer.  Look him up in Wikipedia and you'll be surprised by the hits he has created for himself and for other artists.  He has a new album this year with the band The Business International.

And I can't get enough of one of the songs.

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I'm not sure if it's because of the catchy chorus or the lady singer and her accent.

In short, primetime TV is making us dumber than everrr

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Ever since Shalani’s entry to the dizzying world of entertainment last November 8, “Willing Willie” (WW) overtook ABS-CBN’s flagship newscast, “TV Patrol” (TVP). Looking at AGB Nielsen Mega Manila figures, WW spiked from 9.2% on Friday to 11.6% that memorable Monday. For the five-day workweek (November 8-12), however, it averaged ratings of 11% compared to “24 Oras’s” 11.84% and TVP’s 9.8%.

In the previous workweek (November 1-5, before Shalani), “24 Oras” averaged 12.26%, followed by TVP with 9.96%, and WW with 8.7%.

A scrutiny of the Mega Manila ratings (see graph) which these three programs registered from the time WW was launched on October 23 to the entry of Shalani on November 8, all the way to November 16, Tuesday, tells us the following:

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• All things being considered, “24 Oras” has managed to stave off the encroachment of entertainment on its weekday evening primetime. In fact, even after the launch of WW, the newscasts of both GMA7 and ABS-CBN kept their loyal audiences and maintained their lead over this commercial game show masquerading as a public affairs show.

•  On Saturdays, when most viewers want to unwind and relax after a grueling workweek, WW reigns and grabs the lead from both newscasts (WW does not air on Sundays).

• WW is an exciting and innovative experiment insofar as programming is concerned. It is eating into the ratings of TVP during evening primetime and is challenging the supremacy of “24 Oras.” Question is, will it work over the long-term?

• Pre-Shalani, depending on how one wants to interpret the numbers, Willie Revillame was already a gadfly to his former network, hovering close by TVP but never quite able to overtake it. Until Shalani came along.

• Those expecting WW to continually zoom up after gaining momentum from Shalani’s entry were in for a disappointment as the show did not pull away dramatically and was instead hobbled by occasional dips.

• ABS-CBN is being adversely affected by Shalani in WW, and not by WW per se. Besides strengthening its newscast, it will have to wait for the Shalani magic to wear off. Whether bringing back Noli de Castro and Korina Sanchez was a great idea is debatable, given the ratings we’re seeing thus far. Only the benefit of hindsight will determine this, as some would argue that the network’s ratings could have been further marginalized without the tandem’s entry, while others would insist that the two brought with them not much capital.

In a very weird sense, the public could benefit from “Willing Willie.”

Nice analysis coming from our friendly neighborhood indie journalists.

The way I see it, whether you tune it to GMA7's 24 Oras, ABS-CBN's TV Patrol or, god, TV5's Willing Willie, you are sure to lose a good percentage of your brain cells in each trying minute.

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Ppip Cimafranca

Ppip Cimafranca

I look forward to the day when all I need to make things happen is a mobile device, the cloud, some rock music and a foul mouth.