Happy Face

I don't get the Kurt Vile album at all....his voice just annoys me. Sounds like a whiney teenager throughout. The screams on Shame Chamber were the only point on the album where the vocal appealed to me.

If my 21 year old kid laughed at my rules while living in my house I'd hoy them out.

Just turn the router off altogether and live without the internet for a few hours yourself. Buy a Guardian to fill the void. EDIT: Actually set up the guardian to download to your own tablet daily and you can read it offline.

Japan Times with some alternative choices http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2013/07/03/music/the-best-albums-of-2013-so-far/#.UdVkMTuvN8E NME... http://www.albumoftheyear.org/ratings/9-nme-highest-rated/2013/1 Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2013/jun/20/best-albums-2013-your-favourite AOTY http://www.albumoftheyear.org/ratings/6-highest-rated/2013/1 RYM http://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/2013 Metacritic http://www.metacritic.com/feature/best-albums-of-2013-so-far

The new Dodos and Run The Jewels albums were too late to be considered, expecting them to make a run for the year end list though.

Halfway through the year. What's people's thoughts? My top 13 for 2013 so far Colin Stetson - To See More Light Daft Punk - Random Access Memories David Bowie - The Next Day Disclosure - Settle Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus Ghosface Killah - Twelve Reasons To Die James Blake - Overgrown Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park Ludovicio Einaudi - In A Time Lapse Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of The City Villagers - {Awayland} Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito Was most surprised with Vampire Weekend. Thought I'd had enough of them after the last album. Was very satisfied with Villagers, Stetson and Einaudi, Blake, FBs and YYYs all maintaining quality which made their last albums great. Was delighted to see Ghostface, Bowie and Daft Punk back to their best after what could be considered lulls. ..and a few new artists to follow thanks to Chez and Meenzer. Cheers lads.

That's suggests the committee have access to and oversight of the NSA's efforts, which isn't the case at all. Wyden is on the same committee and has lamented it's impotence (during an interview where a lawyer had to sit alongside him and give permission to answer questions)... http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/index.ssf/2013/06/interview_journalist_jeremy_sc.html If Diane disclosed any of what she was told she'd have been done for leaking. If she asked for more info than she was provided it was at the discretion of the agency she was supposed to monitor. Like Wyden, who did feel the activities required challenging, if she wanted to object she had no mechanism for doing so. If questions were asked in congress, then the head of the security agencies would lie under oath (if only Snowden could apologise for his crime and have it forgotten, like Clapper).

Interesting article cheers Chez. Hadn't read it. She exemplifies how it's not in the least bit a left/right issue. The majority of congress are scared to fight for the constitution against fear-mongering. Her entire stance amounts to keeping Americans from harm no matter what the cost.... But by that logic America would be safer if law enforcement could enter any and every property at any time to perform searches, if they could stop and search any person or vehicle, imprison anyone indefinitely upon suspicion only. None of these things are a price worth paying, but saying you will do everything you can suggests you will stop at nothing. During the cold war there were nuclear warheads pointed at America, millions upon millions could have perished at any time, but freedoms weren't eroded to this degree. The most successful terrorist attack imaginable could kill what, tens of thousands? But law-makers are gutting the constitution to (they say) avoid that. Zazi being caught on the back of PRISM was debunked before it even got traction. Operation Pathway (London) unearthed the intelligence that nipped his plan in the bud... http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/06/nsas-only-terrorist-defense-prism-didnt-even-last-week/66143/

I'd read and disseminate information about the surveillance state....and make musical/video collages.

Embedded media seems to be having trouble in some apps/browsers then... Link

I wouldn't normally be arsed if it was just over hills or mountains somewhere or other, but I loved San Francisco so they got me a bit moist.

Recommend people watch these

It doesn't. That money isn't on the books at all. He could sell the club for a pound and all he would be owed is the £130m outstanding loans. People rightly assume he will not sell until he can recoup all that he has put in though.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/03/clapper-lying-snowden-eu-bolivia

Not sure I see the point in a dab radio anymore when your phone can stream basically any channel? Going the way of the Sat-nav, surely?

Amazed to be interested by an article in the chronicle on this... How much would it cost to buy out Mike Ashley?

I've just signed up to the new myspace. You can't just join as a person. You have to define yourself as a film-maker, a musician, a writer or whatever . As i am all those things I said I was an "artist" in the end

Kermode catching up with me in his latest blog... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n66GotwXN9I Wrong again CT

Nolan, a player with a decade of experience in England behind him, needed time to settle, but not the half a team we brought in from France in January.

You start to wonder about the reasons Ashley has to do stuff like this. The best I can come up with is that our 5th place finish was built on the back of poor performances, but the opposition were worse. We need the opposition to underestimate us as much as they did that season. Even then, anyone that turned up would knock three, four or five past us. Joe Kinnear is THE PERFECT man to bring in and have the opposition expecting total disarray at the club and a walk in the park on the pitch.

Wasn't there an announcement made that (as was the case last season) only Alan Pardew would be doing the public speaking for the club. Kinnear must have had a circumcision accident because he seems to be permanently half cocked.

Tell you what though, he's cheap.

No. His complete lack of experience in the role. His inability to communicate, his shortcomings when acting in a professional manner, his limited capacity to think before speaking, his proven track record of lying (or exaggerating to be kind). The fact he has not been involved in the game for 9 years now, outside of his short stint managing us. The fact he's never unearthed a player that's shown more ability than a cart horse. His stupidity, his aggression, his age, his health.......the combination of all those things (without thinking too deeply about other examples) mean he will not do well in the role.