Have a happy and safe New Years Eve, everyone.  Hope 2007 was awesome and 2008 is even more so.

‘Skins beat Dallas by 21 and are on their way to the playoffs!  If the ‘Skins keep playing the way they’ve played the last few weeks they’re going to be tough to beat.  If Dallas hopes to win in two weeks they have to find their offense.  Here’s hoping they don’t.

10. The Good, The Bad, And The Queen - The Good, The Bad, And The Queen (Virgin)

Coming out earlier this year, The Good, The Bad, and The Queen took producer Danger Mouse and Blur’s Damon Albarn out of their Gorillas work and into something mellower. When you toss in Simon Tong from The Verve, Paul Simonon from The Clash and the Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen you have the makings of one hell of a supergroup. The music is fairly easy going and well put together, no one element overpowering and no one showing off as an individual as something like this easily could. Start to finish, it’s a strong album for just relaxing to or setting as background music.

Official Website

MySpace

9. Grinderman- Grinderman (Anti-)

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds minus a couple seeds churned out one hell of an album. A late addition to my personal collection this year, I’ve been listening to this CD non-stop for the last week. As Amazon.co.uk said, “Grinderman is the sound of indie rock legends growing old disgracefully, and that is by no means a criticism.”

Official Website

MySpace

8. We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank - Modest Mouse (Sony)

Modest Mouse’s first album since their breakthrough “Good News For People Who Love Bad News” fails to disappoint. The addition of Johnny Marr from The Smiths gives the band a fuller sound and helps the album take the harder, darker elements from “Good News” and really make them shine for a full album. It’s a stronger outing with two potential singles starting the album off and the rest holding steady. Never a dull moment.

Official Website

MySpace

7. Cease To Begin - Band Of Horses (Sub Pop)

A late pick up this year but one I’ve been meaning to get for a while. Last year’s “Everything All The Time” made many “best of lists” and put the buzz in my ear to give them a listen. Still didn’t do it (because I suck) but now I’m in the Band Of Horses camp. Light music and echoing vocals give the album and soft indy pop feel that sticks with ya.

Official Website

MySpace 

6. Drums And Guns - Low (Sub Pop)

Minimalist, dark, and soothing, “Drums and Guns” is unlike anything else you’ll hear this year.

Official Website

MySpace

5. The Shepard’s Dog - Iron & Wine (Sub Pop)

I didn’t quite give Iron & Wine’s new outing a fair shake when I started listening to it. Now that I’ve had time to really sit back and digest it, it’s a really good album. More produced than previous albums, Sam Beam fleshes out the sound (perhaps picking up a bit from working with Calexico in last year’s “In The Reigns”). Fun, acoustic based work with plenty of energy from the music and Beam’s vocals.

Official Website

MySpace

4. Golden Daze- Wildbirds (Republic)

Not only can these guys rock on an album but they can put on one hell of a show, too. With a sound a bit of Petty, a bit of Stones, some Black Crowes and a lot of awesome, this is probably the most rockin’ album I’ve heard this year.

Official Website

MySpace

3. In Rainbows- Radiohead (Ato Records)

A lot of talk about “In Rainbows” has been all about Radiohead’s internet-first pay-what-you-will method of release. But beyond that one realized that, wow, they’re practically giving away what is a fan-damn-tastic album. While not their best outing (I’m a huge fan of “OK Computer”), Radiohead continues to tweak their sound and deliver something different from what they’ve done before. Hands down one of the best bands out there that continues to deliver.

Official Website

MySpace

2. Wincing The Night Away - The Shins (Sub Pop)

The third full length outing from The Shins and their best. “Wincing” shows a development and maturity that really works. While a bit more produced than their previous albums, it tightens the sound and really makes for a great album start to finish.

Official Website

MySpace

1. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon (Merge)

The moment it came out I felt that this was the album of the year. I haven’t looked back since. Spoon’s newest album builds off of their previous outing “Gimmie Fiction” and knocks it off as the best Spoon album yet. Great album start to finish, opening with the strong “Don’t Make Me A Target”, holding you with the first single “The Underdog” in the middle and closing properly with a lighter fare from “Black Like Me”. If you buy any album on this list, buy this one. You won’t regret it.

Official Website

MySpace

Let Tony Romo know his gal Jess is in the stands and watch your team win.  Let’s go, ‘Skins!

That’s a map of E8:

Mathematicians have mapped the inner workings of one of the most complicated structures ever studied: the object known as the exceptional Lie group E₈. This achievement is significant both as an advance in basic knowledge and because of the many connections between E₈ and other areas, including string theory and geometry. The magnitude of the calculation is staggering: the answer, if written out in tiny print, would cover an area the size of Manhattan. Mathematicians are known for their solitary work style, but the assault on E₈ is part of a large project bringing together 18 mathematicians from the U.S. and Europe for an intensive four-year collaboration.

Honestly, I have no clue what this all means. But I’m fascinated by things that require me to pay a bit more attention to get my mind around. Especially when it looks like this.  Time to remember all that math I used to be good at.

  And who’s going to argue with the dictionary? Check out all the blogs in all the assorted categories for the Richmond 2k7 Blog Awards and be sure to give J’s Notes the biggest vote you possibly can for Best Political Blog. Because, really, is this not the best blog on politics in this fine city? Do not deny the dictionary!

See the list of all nominees in all categories here or just go vote here.

See more on my awesome campaign for the Best Political Blog In Richmond here and here.

The Improbable Research Institute, best known for presenting the Ig Nobel Prizes, is now making their journal “The Annals of Improbable Research” available free online.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated today in a suicide attack that also killed at least twenty others. There are reports that are saying Bhutto may have been shot by a gunman who then blew up or was shot by another gunman after the fact. This is a terrible setback for democracy in Pakistan.

Update: Rick Sincere remembers Bhutto.

12:00pm Update: DJ McGuire has some thoughts on the impact of Bhutto’s life and death.

4:30pm Update:  Parade’s January 8tn, 2007 cover story is going to be an interview with Bhutto.  They’ve released the story early online.

Happy Boxing Day!  (And a Merry belated Christmas.)

Bring a ham on out to Poe’s Pub tonight or tomorrow night starting at 9pm to help out the homeless and have an awesome time.  Who could say no to all that music, people and Dirt Woman happenings?  For more info, give Style Weekly a call at 358-0825 or check out the Facebook group.  If you plan on heading out either day keep an eye open for my ugly mug.

J. Russell Coffey, one of only three living American veterans of World War One, passed away yesterday at the age of 109.  Related: NYT: Over There - and Gone Forever

Being a Facebook friend-whore makes you look insecure!

What exactly is (MONOGAMY)^100 supposed to mean?  And does it even work as an advertising slogan?

Judge Judy’s court isn’t real!

Contact an entire Congressional committee with Committee Caller.  Simply put in your phone number, tell it what committee you want to call, and the system will then call you back and patch you through to each committe member’s office.  You can even rate the call after the fact.  They’re also working on a system to call state level committees.  While this is a great concept now, could this make phone calls on par with form letters Congressional offices receive?  Let’s hope not.