Smokin' EOM

Aaron will be back soon. The Peace Mom here with a smoking "End of the Month" line up. What can I say as an intro to this first dose of jam? Send in the Adderall! Here’s Deep Purple and “Speed King.” I haven’t watched/heard such amped up music since my hippy days listening to Alvin Lee and Ten Years After… Here’s a young DP:



In the next dose of jam, some of the guys here look like they’re ready for the home. They seem to have slowed down from Speed King, but wow, not really! What a way to take out the mixed bag month of January 2009. So for January 31, here's Smoke on the Water.

I'll drink to that!

C'mon Aaron, you need to post!

I was watching this rather weird yet engrossing "Cigarettes and Coffee" B&W film that's cut into demi stories/vignettes. Then I start thinking about the jazz classic, "Black Coffee." Here's old school jazz: Ella Fitzgerald singing "Black Coffee." Lyrics are provided, but no pictures.



Another old school and very interesting jazz artist is pianist Thelonious Monk. This is probably his most well-known piece: "Staight, No Chaser." There might be some technical difficulties getting this to play. If that's the case, then fuhgedaboudit and get a coffee. straight. no chaser.

Jazz for the end of January

Aaron's mom again. One evening Aaron was at college from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., and yesterday he was at CLC and then went to work to help with inventory. He hasn't had much time to post, so I thought I'd help close out the end of the month of Jan as all working slobs and stiffs wait for the arrival of all those W2's... our family should start a collection since we all work multiple jobs.

Been meaning to recommend a great Public Radio station that you can stream live: It's broadcast from John Belushi's alma mater, College of DuPage. It is WDCB 90.9 FM. They play jazz all day, "All Things Jazz," and have some amazing programs ranging from Acid Jazz by moonlight, Blues Before Sunrise,Putumayo World Music Hour, Swing Shift, New Vintage Big Band, folk music, blue grass, reggae, Blues from the Red Roster Lounge, and for the celtic in you, Blarney on the Air. Check it out. http://www.cod.edu/wdcb/wdcb_online.htm

Today's jam goes out to all the dad's who help foot the college-and-then-some bills. Here's a jazz classic: "Song for My Father" by pianist Horace Silver. This was recorded in 1976, but I'm not sure at what outside venue/festival.

Mom's Meshugas (craziness)

Tough day at work today, and it's even tougher when you work more than one job! Sometimes my husband and I feel like Jake and Ellwood in this classic escape, "It’s 106 miles to Chicago…"



This goes out to BooBoo at Dominick's:

A Hard Day’s Night…in Yiddish?



Calling all couch potatoes: Is your TV ready for the big switch over? If it is, get up and dance with Yes! HD TV Chassidic commercial

Cold and Hot

Aaron’s mom again, worried that Aaron’s readers might get frostbite this weekend. Here’s a classic piece for aspiring gee-tarists to get your blood circulating and fend off hypothermia. Actually I selected this version of Jeff Beck's "Jeff's Boogie," because I’m a big fan of the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan. I almost went to that fateful Alpine Valley (WI) concert that proved to be SRV’s last night on earth.

For all the Men out there

Hello All this is Frankie trying to help my partner in crime Aaron. Aaron asked if I could post something for him today so here I am!

I have been given the task of helping Aaron's game and getting him street cred or Commanding a level of respect in an urban environment due to experience in or knowledge of issues affecting those environments to translate. And this song will help you get there Aaron, This is to show dear Aaron that all "Lil whatevers" are not all the same, and what man doesn't want these thing in life???:



This is by my fav Band Zero 7, the reason I picked these songs was because 1. I love 'em! And 2. I had a conversation with Aaron about male and female singers. He felt that with type of music it sounds better with a female singer, but feel that the singer Mozez held his own,so I'll let you guys choose. Mozez has the first song and Sia Furler has the second one:





This last Video is just to show which type of female men should be going for. And despite what You guys think not all women are the same. I'm trying to hold my own and I think that's what you guys need(Hint Hint!!!) A women who has her own:



And to check songs like these and more check out http://www.maestromaserati.blogspot.com and see the special choir I have on there, I'm about to check it out right now!

Back Home From Israel (Not so fast, Keenan)

Sorry it's taken so long to get back on. I recently purchased a new router and modem, so the days of internet trouble are over.

First and foremost, I just returned from one of the greatest, most life-changing trips of my short life. Don't listen to what you hear on the news, because Israel is not dangerous. You will not get blown up the second you get off the airport. It's safe. Provided that you stay away from the Gaza Strip (which isn't hard to do) you have nothing to worry about.

Here's a couple of pics I snagged during my trip.














From our Hostel in Jerusalem















Sunrise atop Mt. Masada















The Sea of Galilee in the early morning

I'll be uploading the rest of my pictures to Facebook and Photobucket this week. I also purchased some great CDs while I was there. Their music is pretty dank. Here's גולשים by אסף אמדורסקי which translates to Surfers by Assaf



Shalom!

BLOG STEAL! The Keenan Takeover

Hey Maass Media,

It's Jon Keenan again. I'm takin over happy's blog hell yeah! I am gonna rock your mind with some good music you've probably never heard before! or maybe you have but this stuff is def worth hearing again.

Sex on fire by kings of leon
For those who don't know I work at my colleges radio station (88.9 Wlnx Lincoln, IL). I am the music director which basically at this point means i'm the person everybody goes to for everything.... but that also means i get the control the music at the station.... which means i just change the music to reflect the top forty... and alternative top 40 doesn't change much... There has only been two different number one songs in the last 17 weeks! the first was your gonna go far kid by the off spring and the current no 1 song is sex on fire by the kings of leon. I've heard this song everyday i've been at the station (aka a freaking lot) and i'm still not sick of it. Only by the night which has only been out for a couple months now is simply a fantastic album. Here is the number one alternative song in America! and the kings of leon's second single off only by the night use somebody.



Ulysses by Franz Ferdinand
I love this song. It's just awesome. Franz Ferdinand are definetly the best thing to come out of Scottland ever! Just listen and I'm sure you will agree. I know I'd take this song over haggis any day. This is another song I hear almost every day and don't get sick of. it's currently number 21 on the r&r alternative charts and is still climbing.

Sometime Around Midnight by The Airbourne Toxic Event
If you listen to this song you'll notice it's not particularly deep. It's just about a dude who sees an ex and misses her. mikel jollet's voice is emotive enough to make this song as epic as it is, and it doesn't hurt to be backed by musicians with degrees. check out sometime around midnight which is currently at number 11 on the r and r charts. It might be a simple song but it is absolutly fantastic.

Spaceman by the killers
How ever you feel about the killers you really need to hear this song! I completly understand if you don't like the killers, I don't. Hot Fuss was ok,but certainly not relavatory by any means. When I first heard somebody told me it didn't seem like anything dance punk bands in the U.k never did. And Sam's Town was a rediculous failure! A poorly executed concept that just fell completly flat and never struck a chord with me musically. Day and Age however is awesome despite the two albums that came before it. It's as hooky and fun as hot fuss and is way more imediate and grandiose then sam's town even tried to be.The killers are a band I have always seen as having potential and this album, particularly this song shows them capitalizing on that potential. Day and Age seems to be a happy medium of the sounds they brought forth in their last two albums and it makes for some toe tapping and thought pervoking music. The killers currently have two songs on the r&r charts Spaceman is at number twenty and human is number twenty two.


holy cow that is a lot to read! thanks for sticking with it guys I hope you enjoyed the music. And I will leave you with one last tidbit of awesomness. We actually played this song on air at the station. yah I know but the company that we get music from sent it to us so we thought it would be good...lets just say the station manager and staff advisor for the station told us to turn it off after playing it for a minute.... Yes this is an actually band and the have an album out in early feb....let me introduce to you the lonely island with jizz in my pants!

1 Post; 2 Days; 2 Freaks

Sunday and Monday posts follow. On a dour note, unfortunately, we’re still having Internet issues at our house, so I'm posting for Aaron for two days in one post from my computer at work. Hope to have our technical difficulties resolved by Tuesday late afternoon when ComCast makes another haj to our house. Otherwise, we’ll be ready to take our router, etc., etc., and dump them down on old “Highway 61.” Here’s one of my favorite versions of Dylan’s song performed by Freaky Brother #1 Johnny Winter.



For Monday (MLK Day), we’ll turn it over to Freaky Brother #2 Edgar Winter and one of Aaron’s mom’s favorite piks: “Frankenstein.” The experimental antics are kind of screwy, and don’t quite match Hendrix torching his guitar, or obliterating his amplifiers (which I saw him do!). I guess I’ll close with the caveat, “Don’t try this at home in your parent’s basement”…(but maybe in their garage?)

Y Love? Y-Not! Hopping in the early morning

Happy should be landing today, not exactly flying into Los Angeleez, bringing in a coupla keez...

To warm things up on a very cold day, here's some stuff about Y Love (and Diwon?)...First, a brief interview.

Introducing Y-Love



This is titled "Introducing Y-Love with Afro-Semitic Experience – MLK Tribute." I thought this appropriate for our upcoming MLK Day and President Barak Obama's inauguration.



Finally, Happy's mom will step aside. Hope to visit again, especially during February when we'll feature lots of African-American artists. Da Peace Mom

3-Jam Mornin': Take your pick of the vine

One of my favorite picks from the Sixties is, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." I guess that still remains a reliable? way to communicate...though the vine is probably now dependent on the cell.

Take your pick: I want to start out with Gladys Knight & the Pips




This is really Marvin Gaye's song to begin with. This unusual version features MG a capella




Here is that somewhat scratchy, inimitable southern white boy voice of Creedence Clearwater Revival. (If they're not a southern band, they should be...) This is their longer version that is really b*tchn…(doubt if anyone uses that adjective anymore?) Is Creedence credible?

Today's Daily Dose of Jam

So, here I am, once again suckered into doing something for Happy/Aaron for absolutely no reason. I suppose that I should feel lucky to be one of his few friends that he entrusted with his blog, but damn, I have no idea what I'm doing, but here goes nothing.

My name is Jeremy Pohn, and I have the distinction of saying that I am the only guest blogger who was present when Aaron got the nickname of Happy. I will withhold the details, just in case he wants them to remain private (I have no idea why he would, but you never know). However, I will say that Mr. Chris Salituro was partially responsible for the nickname. If any of you readers are currently enrolled at the good ol' Stevenson High School, I would highly reccommend taking any one of the classes that he may be teaching. His classes were consistently the best part of my day.

Anyway, I think I can speak for all of us, and say that I am truly jealous that Happy is in Israel right now. I went over the summer, and it was truly a unique experience. Among other important things, the food was great. I highly reccommend anyone in the Northern suburbs of Chicago to go to Mizrahi Grill in Highland Park. They have the some of the best schwarma outside of Jerusalem. But in addition to the food, and culture, he gets to spend time in the warm desert, while we're stuck in blizzard and subzero conditions. As The Offspring would say, Stuff is Messed Up

Please note, that the name of this song is, in fact "Stuff is Messed Up." Keep that in mind when listening to the song.

Snow what? Aaron's mom's double dose of jam

I couldn’t resist the pun, especially with the Chicagoland weather forecast blizzard advisory. This Miles Davis’ piece is “So what?” taken from probably one of the greatest jazz sessions ever put to vinyl: “Kinda Blue.” Think of it as background music as you stare out the window into a white-out.



Happy will be home soon, so then I won’t be kinda blue. But you’ll all be heading out, and then Happy’ll be kinda blue.

To liven up things a bit, my second dose is classic hippie ca-ca jam from Canned Heat, “On the Road Again.”.



I'll miss all his friends stomping into the house, and the mountain of shoes left behind in our foyer. (A foyer? I mean the slab of tiles the size of a postage-stamp!) C'mon back soon: the door will be open. Be safe everyone! Peace and prayers,and a good semester to you all. Happy's mom.

Late Night Jam Dose

Hey there,
Matt Steinberg here reporting for duty. Sorry for making the post soooo late, I've been out all day and first came home at midnight. Anyways, not much to say, I hope everyone is having/had a great time with winter break, and a smooth transition back into school.

(I suck with technology and can't figure out how to attach a video, so just copy and paste the link below into your URL bar)

Everyone keep on truckin' :)
-This is Man Smart Women Smarter....A great old tune performed famously by Harry Belefonte, the Dead rock it out! Something to watch for....immediately following Brent Mydland, the keyboard player with all the facial hair, belting out his verse, Jerry has to turn away from the microphone and dance a bit. For anyone who knows Jerry, this a special moment in music. It's rare that anyone gets to see a musician truly fall in love with the music he plays, especially after having played it for so long. Anyways, hope someone enjoys it as much as I do!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUsjR4FSgSQ <----- copy & paste

Tim Tebow's Daily Dose of Jam

What up!

My name is Eric Myers and I will be captaining the Maass Media ship today. Hopefully I can do almost as good of a job as the "esteemed" Matt Kaplan.

Let me begin by stating that I really have no business posting for a music blog. In all honesty, I have absolutely no musical talent whatsoever. I don't know anything about music, and I certainly can't play any sort of musical instrument (unless you count pretending to play the tuba in 7th grade band). I do, however, enjoy listening to music - if by "music" you actually mean Alter Bridge, Hip Hop, and various drunken Irish songs.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that I initially had no clue what music to contribute to this wonderful little web log. Luckily, I soon realized that I own this post and I really don't care what anyone else wants to listen to. I am, after all, a self centered piece of sh*t. Not to mention I got blatantly shafted in Dedication December. So here is some drunken Irish music - The State Of Massachusetts by Dropkick Murphys.



I almost forgot I was dedicating this post to Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators - congratulations to the NCAA national champions.

Although 109 rushing yards, 231 passing yards, and 2 touchdowns are actually not all that spectacular numbers for Mr. Tebow, I think we can cut him some slack. After all, how many other star BCS quarterbacks do you know who have lived in a leper colony and circumcise impoverished children in the Philippines in their spare time?

Happy Maass, Haley Leibovitz, and Bryn Murphy's Daily Doses of Jam

Hey its Anna Graham, now I know that my post isn’t supposed to go up until the 8th but I am too excited to commander this website for the day, so I am justifying that it is the 8th already in Israel, so I should be allowed to post now!
The first song I am putting up is “Plane” By Jason Mraz. This is for Happy because it has a great piano part to it, and every time I Listen to this song I always think of Happy playing this in his basement.



Ok so when this post came out my best friend, Haley Leibovitz, told me she wanted more girls on this playlist, so the next song I am putting up goes out to her. I am putting up “Foundations” By Kate Nash. This song was actually given to me by the person I am dedicating my last song to, Bryn Murphy, and I put this song on my Imeem playlist for Autumn Rizzio, and Haley heard the song and put it on her CD. So I hope you guys enjoy this one.



Ok so the last song I am putting up is “Good Day” By The Dresden Dolls. Ok so I am dedicating this song to Bryn Murphy, who for those of you who don’t know her, she is pretty much my soul mate here at WMU. Bryn and I tend to bond with the same music taste, and we both happen to really enjoy this song. I am also putting this up because Bryn and I also share the fact that we have great boyfriends who love and care about us, but there are a few guys in our past that wont leave us alone. So this is also dedicated to a certain few d-bags out there…

I picked up the pieces of my broken ego, I have finally made my peace as far as you and me go, but I'd love to have you up to see the place, I'd like to do more than survive I’d like to rub it in your face. –Dresden Dolls

Ethiopia and Zion

I wanted to put up something by the Ethiopian-influenced Idan Raichel Project.
It’s a cool song...could someone find the English translation? Here’s “Mima’amakim.”



Aaron will be in Jerusalem tomorrow, which is probably already today...for him.
So I thought I’d send this out to him from Matisyahu: “Late Night in Zion” (live in Israel)...



Am Yisroel Chai! Love you, Aaron! emma vey abba

The Wonderful World of Odd

Hey guys! Natalie here today. I know you've probably been wondering who's the loser who hasn't posted a new song yet, but to be perfectly honest I've been thinking about it all day. As I was getting ready to call it a night, I walked into my bathroom and noticed a book laying on top of the toilet, "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader: Wonderful World of Odd." My curiosity got the best of me and I began to flip through it. As I read page after page of bizarre, yet hilarious facts I knew I'd have to share them with all of you. So without further ado, I present to you "The Bathroom Reader":

Classifieds:
Two wire-mesh butchering gloves, one 5-finger, one 3-finger. Pair: $15.
Dog for sale. Eats anything and is especially fond of children.
Our sofa seats the whole mob and it's made of 100% Italian leather.
Joining nudist colony, must sell washer and dryer. $300.
American flag, 60 stars, pole included: $100.
Free: Farm kittens. Ready to eat.
Wanted: 50 girls for stripping machine operators in factory.
Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.
Wanted: Widower with school-age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.
Wanted: Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.
Our experienced Mom will care for your child. Fenced yard, meals, and smacks included.

Weird China:
Divorce: In the autom of 2006, the Tongxing Centre Primary School suspended all classes. Local officials had planned to cut the number of teaching jobs, leaving them open only to teachers who were divorced or widdowed and had no other means of support. Result: All 40 of the school's teachers-all married women- filed for divorce... and got to keep their jobs.
Keep off the grass: In 2005, two Chinese men approached the China-Russia border at Slavyanka and attempted to cross into Russia on a lawnmower. Border guards refused to let them pass because they didn't have the proper documentation. So the men changed their story. Now they said they weren't trying to sneak into russia- they claimed they had been "mowing the lawn and got lost."

Weird America:
No Thanks, I'll get it Myself: In 2006, 3-year-old Robert Moore of Antigo , Wisconsin, spotted a Spongebob Squarepants doll in a grocery store's "claw" style vending machine. His grandmother, Fredricka Bierdemann, gave him a dollar to try to get the toy, but he failed. She turned her back to Robert, fishing through her purse for another dollar and when she turned back around, he was gone. Then she spotted him: He was inside the vending machine, surrounded by stuffed animals. He'd reached an arm through the bottom of the machine and then managed to crawl all the way in. The fire department got him out. "He was having a ball in there, hugging all the stuffed animals," Bierdemann said. "But I was shaking like a leaf."
A lot of Dough: Panera Bread, a sandwich store in the White City Shopping Center in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, has a clause in its lease that forbids the mall from renting to another sandwich shop. When Qdoba Mexican Grill opened in the mall, Panera tried to stop them, saying that Qdoba's most populare menu item- burritos- are actually sandwiches because they are made of bread (a tortilla) and filling (meat and beans). The dispute went to court. After testimony from a federal agriculture official and a professional chef, Qdoba won, with the judge ruling that a burrito is a burrito, and not a sandwich.
Now That's Using Your Head: In 1995, 37-year-old Peter Jonson of New York was shot in the head by a stray bullet from a gang dispute. He didn't go to the hospital because he didn't have insurance and feared having to pay off a massive medical bill. So he walked home, found a pair of pliers, and removed the bullet himself.

That's all for today. Now for something mildly educational yet pleasantly amusing =)



Hope you like Animaniacs as much as I do. Now for the real song of the day... The Beatles, I Wanna Hold Your Hand




Enjoy =)

Shangrila from the sands of imagination

Ironically, the Led Zeppelin classic, “Kashmir,” was not written in or particularly about Kashmir. In fact, none of the band had ever traveled to this disputed state that sits like a polished gem in a silver setting. This region, nestled among and outlined by pieces of the Indian, Pakistani, Afghani, and Chinese borders, has become a flashpoint in our increasingly violent world.

"Kashmir" was already in the minds of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, but the lyrics and music were firmed up and finalized as the two rode in a jeep venturing into African desert sands on a visit to Morocco. There is a mirage feel to this song. The way I look at it, you don't need to be in Kashmir to be in Kashmir.

I thought you might like to listen to the haunting, lilting, and powerful voice of Israel’s inimitable and unforgettable Ofra Haza. Unfortunately, she is no longer with us, which adds to the mystery and power of her interpretation of LZ's "Kashmir." Enjoy the journey into a mysterious place.

Herbie rides again!

Pardon the stoopid heading, but it works for today's featured artists, courtesy of Aaron's mom. Thought I'd bring a little jazz to liven up your January...this goes out to every longsuffering Chicagoan freezing off his/her tuchis.

Aaron is a big fan of Herbie Hancock. Thought you might like to travel south in your mind to a warmer climate… Enjoy a jazz fusion “Cantelope Island.”



Our second Herbie is Jewish jazz musician Herbie Mann. He’s a flautist (not to be confused with flatulence). Featured here is a short piece from the 1961 LP (“long playing” album) “The Family of Mann.” Here’s a good question we can all afford to ask ourselves every day, “Why Don’t You Do Right?” And a big thanks to Matt Kaplan for his great piece. My maass appeal is to keep themaassmedia in maass transit...keep it movin' and grovin'...

A Published Writer Joins The MaassMedia

Congratulations! We have made it to the second day of guest columnists without a huge hitch, aside from Jon Keenan’s atrocious spelling. This is none other than the esteemed Matthew Kaplan writing today. To be completely honest, ever since Aaron rejected a piece I wrote about the economy back in November, I have lost a lot of my drive to write lengthier pieces for the Maass Media. So instead, enjoy links!

FasterLouder – This is mostly a personal plug. I wrote for this website for two months. It does have really interesting features about lesser known artists plus everything you would ever want to know about Australia’s rock music scene.

32 Most Awesome Music Lists of 2008 – I found this through FasterLouder’s forums. If you have extensive free time, or if you are in a procrastinating mood, then check this site out. I personally enjoyed seeing classic album covers in Lego form.

Internet Archive – A longtime favorite of mine, it serves as a virtual library for public domain material. Check out old movies, live concert recordings and, my personal favorite, old blues and folk recordings. Last time I checked, the site had the original blues recordings of “When the Levee Breaks”.

AllMusic – Yes, I know, I picked another music-related website, but this is the Maass Media. This site has great information on just about anyone you might have ever heard of, plus spot on album reviews.

The Economist – Here is a non-music website to mix things up. A lot of news related websites provide up-to-date facts, but The Economist truly excels at providing nonbiased context and analysis on the news.

So, while working for a music website in Sydney, Australia, I discovered heaps of great new music. I could probably list loads of YouTube videos here, but I think I would like to keep this post on the briefer side. I have had this song stuck in my head ever since my neighbor introduced this one to me. Here is Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds with The Mercy Seat.



Enjoy!

A Mother of Invention? Not!

Aaron’s mom here. I already miss Happy–his flight to Madrid took off about three hours ago....but I don’t miss the messes he makes, especially in the basement. (I call the basement “the pit” or “the abyss”). I did slink down into the pit and took Happy’s bag of “Super Bubble.” We are both Bubble gum addicts.

If anyone cares to know anything about me (probably not worth knowing)...I have two claims to fame in my life: I saw Jimi Hendrix in concert at a funky little mob-run nightclub in Milwaukee in Feb 1968... and later I heard the Mothers of Invention at that same venue. Frank Zappa was a heavy smoker (Winston’s), and stopped by our table to ask if anyone had a match. I nearly knocked over a chair as I jumped up to oblige. Trying to recover my cool, I said nonchalantly in a smoky, husky voice, “Here, Frank.”

Okay. Back to planes. There’s the classic folk song by Peter, Paul, & Mary, “I’m leaving on a Jet Plane...” but it’s more of a wistful love song, not something a neurotic worrier mother would sing to her son, especially one trying to escape from her.

Then there’s Bennie & The Jets...oh yeah, in 1971, I saw Elton John get out of a limo stopped at the back stage door of the famous Finsbury Park/London music hall, “The Rainbow.” That was January 1971 when Eric Clapton did a come-back concert. I also saw Pete Townsend and Ringo Starr.

Okay. Back to planes. I’ll settle on the Steve Miller Band and their “Big Old Jet Airliner.” ...



That song was not my favorite by the SMB...but it sums up today’s top story in the narrow confines called my world.

I’m closing out this evening blog with one more song, courtesy of Israel’s hiphop band, Hadag Nachash...Let’s make this song a prayer...it’s already a wish, a yearning, a desire; but sadly, more like a pipe dream: Shalom, Salaam, Peace

The Takeover (Aaron Mass' Daily Dose of Jam)

What up maassmedia!
it's Jon Keenan and I am the first person to post for Happy(Aaron) while he is in Isreal. I know these are some bloody times in the Isreal/ Palastine conflict but as long as he doesn't go anywhere too close to the gaza strip i'm sure he will be fine. Enjoy your trip Happy!

There are some damn good movies out right now! There are also some pretty terrible ones( DO NOT SEE THE SPIRIT!! Run Away!!). Two movies that I have seen recently that I really liked are Milk and Slumdog Millionaire. Both of these movies are completly worth your time and money, and here is why.

Milk: I know what your thinking. Your probably thinking this movie is really gay... an you would be right.... this movie is really freaking gay. It is about Harvey Milk , the first openly homosexual man to be elected to public office and while there is a wee bit of man love (sean penn and james franco make out but its not graphic at all... if it were a man and a woman you wouldn't think twice about it) the story about homosexuals in the 70's is important and gripping. Milk is about a group of people fighting for their right to love who they want and to truly be free. Its really disgusting how ignorant people were of homosexuality back then and how quickly the rights of homosexuals were taken away. The story of milk is truly important as it shows real people using protests and campaigning to truly make change in America. Not to mention absolutly inspired performances from Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch and James Franco. I've never really been the biggest Sean Penn fan, but if he ever deserved an oscar for anything it would be this. SEE THIS MOVIE!!



Slumdog Millionaire: Before I went to see this movie all i heard about it was that it was good. . Directed by Danny Boyle ( Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) Slumdog Millionaire is good. Really freaking good. The story is about Jamal Malik, an orphan who goes on the indian version of who wants to be a millionaire and how his life experiences have led him to know the questions on the show. That's the gist of the plot and it might seem a little boring, but its not. Trust me, there is plenty of action in this movie. For example, someone gets shot in the face point blank. The story is cool and Danny Boyle definetly knows how to get the most out of a no name cast(Though Dev Patel definetly could have a future as an actor). This movie is as entertaining as it is moving. SEE THIS MOVIE TOO!



Though it may no longer be Happy's dedication month on the Maass Media, I think Happy deserves a daily dose of jam. Happy is a great guy who is always up for anything. He is endlessly entertaining and always makes me laugh. He is someone who you can have a real conversation with and that is a very awesome thing. So Happy, I know it's a little late but here is some music just for you!

take me home by brother ali



also sprach zarathustra by phish parts 1 and 2







Once again happy have a good trip and don't do anything i wouldn't do( aka have sex with ugly chicks).

On a final note i was bored so i typed the best youtube video ever into youtube and came up with this. Enjoy!

Israel, Baby

(Once again, my internet has been down :/ I'm making this post from my mom's computer at work)

I'm peacin' out to the Middle East tomorrow. It's scary what has been going on in the Gaza Strip lately - may our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected by this ongoing war.

Israel has every right to protect themselves from Hamas. Amidst all the anti-Israel propaganda, Honest Reporting has done a good job in presenting both sides of the story in this conflict. Israel deserves a fair hearing - not the blasphemous rhetoric of biased media.

While I'm out of the country, my friends will be making some posts for me on TheMaassMedia. Here's the tentative schedule:

• Jan 4 - Jon Keenan
• Jan 5 - Matt Kaplan
• Jan 6 - Natalie Voloshin
• Jan 7 - Ethan Kaplan
• Jan 8 - Anna Graham
• Jan 9 - Eric Myers
• Jan 10 - Matt Steinberg
• Jan 11 - Justin Sylvan
• Jan 12 - Francesca Lucas
• Jan 13 - Jeremy Pohn
• Jan 14 - Alan Dennison
• Jan 15 - Eric Preston

If you want to make a post, just send me a text.

I haven't put up any jazz in a while, so here's the Brad Mehldau Trio doing a cover of Radiohead's Exit Music (for a flim).

See you in 10 days!