Dr. Phil Plait gets own TV show on Discovery
July 23, 2010
Pardon me while I totally nerd-out for a minute… but I must share some news that made me very happy this morning. I first saw this in a tweet from Dr. Neil de Grasse-Tyson. Dr. Phil Plait- astronomer, author, blogger, and relentless promoter of real science and reality in general- is getting his very own show on the Discovery Channel. I’ve been a big fan of his ever since discovering his blog Bad Astronomy. He’s been mentioning a so-called “sooper seekrit project” in his posts for about a year now, and this must be what he was referring to. I get the feeling that there was some sort of miscommunication between him and the powers-that-be at Discovery, because all the tweets and mentions about this new show lead back to this YouTube video, which is basically a promo commercial/sneak-peek at the new series. However, he hasn’t yet mentioned it on his blog or even tweeted about it *update: he finally mentioned it on his blog here. Turns out it will only be a 3-part series… :(* . This doesn’t surprise me given the fact that he’s currently at Comic-Con. It looks like the show is going to take on a Mythbusters-esque vibe but mostly focusing on all the myths and junk science surrounding various doomsday/disaster scenarios such as asteroid impacts, comet impacts, gamma-ray bursts, and hopefully the ridiculous 2012 Mayan calendar myth. I honestly wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised if Jamie and Adam of Mythbusters are producers of this show… or somehow otherwise involved with it.
No idea when this show will air, *the show will probably air this fall* but I’m definitely looking forward to it. Congrats, Phil!
Senate and House pass bills for future of NASA
July 22, 2010
The Senate and the House of Representatives have both passed their own versions of Obama’s proposed budget for NASA. As I’ve mentioned here before, Obama’s plan to abandon the Constellation program and leave American access to low earth orbit in the hands of the private sector was met with a good bit of criticism, both from Republicans and Democrats alike. Though I supported (and still support) his initial plan, I figured we would end up with some sort of compromise in the end. Not surprisingly, that’s where we’re headed now that the Senate and House versions have come out. I don’t have the time nor the willpower to type out the gritty details of the differences, but in a nutshell, the Senate wants to extend the space shuttle by another mission or two, slash funding for commercial space companies in half, accelerate the development of a heavy-lift rocket based on current shuttle booster technology, and slash funding of research into advanced technologies. For a more detailed comparison between Obama’s plan and the Senate plan, check out this article on Universe Today.
The House plan, which was issue by the House Science and Technology Committee (chaired by TN’s own Bart Gordon) is even worse. They want to slash funding for development of commercial access to low earth orbit by MUCH more than the Senate version, and like the Senate they want to speed up development of a heavy-lift rocket. The biggest problem is that the House version essentially brings back Constellation. For more detailed info on the House version, check out this article on Space.com.
I’m by no means a politician or an economics expert, but I’m firm in my belief that if NASA keeps focusing money and effort on access to LEO/the ISS, then we are spinning our wheels and making no progress. NASA cannot keep funding and worrying about getting our astronauts to and from the ISS AND worry about/fund our exploration into the rest of the solar system at the same time.
Review: Caitlin Rose’s “Own Side Now”
July 15, 2010
Caitlin Rose is quickly becoming a well-known name not only in the US, but also in the UK. In fact, her debut album Own Side Now is actually hitting shelves over there (on Aug. 9th via Names Records) before it comes out stateside. As of right now I haven’t heard any specific details on the US release, but it will no doubt be on Theory 8. This girl is headed for the stars and I have no doubt she will eventually make a sizeable impact on both country and indie music. I say that because she has purposely beaten her own path into the jungle that is the music industry, and avoided anything and everything to do with Nashville’s music row, home of modern pop-country. I must lay down a disclaimer that I’ve known Caitlin for a good 2 years now, and know about her for at least 4, if memory serves. My first encounter with her was when she tagged along with Joel J. Dahl (of De Novo Dahl) to perform with him on my radio show Fascination Street on 88.3 WMTS (MTSU’s college station). She went under the name “Save Macaulay” at that time, and played early versions of “One Speed Confessional” and “Shotgun Wedding.” (I think) To remember that and then listen to this album is pretty overwhelming. It’s not the comparison of then to now that overwhelms me, but that her performance then was nothing short of awesome, and she was only about 17 at the time! Furthermore, the track “Song for Rabbits” on the new album was actually written when she was 16!
Enough silliness. This album does her songs a lot of justice. The production plants her new “full band” sound firmly in that alt-country, indie-folk gray area. I think that’s right where she needs to be, at least for now, and it seems to be where she’s comfortable. She selected a group of session players to fill out the songs with strings, pedal steel, etc… and they nailed it. The album was recorded and produced by Mark Nevers (of Lambchop), who’s done studio work with the likes of Clem Snide, Silver Jews, and Bonnie “Prince” Billy. It was a perfect match of style, and with so many of Caitlin’s main influences being 70’s era Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, Loretta Lynn, etc… his vintage analog recording gear created some very satiating sounds that fit her songs perfectly. I only have a digital copy, but I can’t wait to give this thing a listen on vinyl. Caitlin’s voice and amazing storytelling ability still remains the focus of the album, even though it’s filled with expansive instrumental performances, which is a testament to Nevers’ production skills. The placement of harmonies and guest vocals always complements the melodic aspects of the songs without stepping on the story being told. If there’s anything I could wish for on the next album, it would be to maybe hear her cut loose and really belt it out a little more on the rockin’ songs like “Shanghai Cigarettes.” But that’s just me forcing myself to be critical and nit-picky. This is a damn fine record by a girl who’s got more talent in her little finger than most of us have in our whole body. Grab the track “Sinful Wishing Well” from the new album below.
Caitlin Rose-Sinful Wishing Well
And now watch this video of an early demo of “Shanghai Cigarettes.” Then compare it to the album version when you buy it, and prepare to have your mind blown.
*FYI- I’m about to be in NYC for 5 days, so don’t expect any posting before next Wednesday.*
Higgs Boson rumor/awesomeness
July 13, 2010
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about possible evidence of the elusive Higgs Boson, the so-called “God particle” being discovered at Fermilab’s Tevatron collider. Apparently some of the physicists have entertained the idea that an unexpected result from a recent particle collision experiment might possibly be evidence of the Higgs Boson, while others dismiss the idea. So, don’t go thinking that we’ve finally found the Higgs Boson (and not even at the LHC nonetheless) just yet. An official statement on the matter has not been released yet, and we have no clue what they found until that happens. So everyone just chill out for a minute until some official findings are released. All we know for sure now is there was an “unexpected result.” (Via Discovery News)
Now I must simply share a few things I’ve run across the past couple of days that are simply awesome:
–What the Fuck Should I Make for Dinner? Perfect for those “I don’t know what I want, what do you want?” times.
-Yazoo Brewing Co. may be switching to cans, but they want your input first. Weigh all the options before making your choice.
-Sam Kean of Slate is blogging the entire periodic table of elements. Nerd-out!
-And if this doesn’t make your day (and even week) infinitely better, then you are beyond help:
This weekend: Brendan Benson/Sleigh Bells/etc…
July 9, 2010
This weekend has a lot going on show-wise. Here are a few highlights:
TONIGHT:
At the 5 Spot, The Whole Fantastic World will transform into their alter-ego “Friends of Lizzy: A Tribute to Thin Lizzy.” They’ll be joined by the awesome Heartbeater and Gentlemen Divers. 9pm, $5.
Or if you wanna get SMOOTH, check out Space Capone and Yacht Rock Revue at Mercy Lounge. It will be the SMOOTHEST thing you’ve ever seen. $10 advance, and … a little more at the door… doors at 8pm. And Drew will no doubt be sporting his Yacht Rock hat: 
Also, the Silver Seas are at the Basement. It’s their album release show- $7, 9pm.
SATURDAY:
Frontier Ruckus will be invading The End, along with the Kopecky Family Band. 9pm, $5.
I will most likely be attending the Brendan Benson show at the Basement. The tix are available at Grimey’s and are $12, but expected to sell out by Sat. afternoon or earlier. What can I say? I really dug his new album!
SUNDAY:
I will be taking pics at the Sleigh Bells show at The End. Nerve City and PO PO round out that bill. Apparently it’s already sold out… I really had no idea they were such a big deal. Cool?
Also, Happy Birthday Jack White.
Have a great weekend!
Infinity Cat invades NYC/Columbia “Viper” is famous
July 7, 2010
Infinity Cat staples Heavy Cream and Jeff the Brotherhood both got some serious love yesterday on Brooklyn Vegan. They’re about to embark on a tour together, and will be invading NYC next weekend, though oddly they’re not actually on any of the NYC bills together. Coincidentally I’ll be in NYC visiting my girlfriend who is currently there for a month taking a class at SVA. We’ll probably drop by one of those shows and surprise them. It seems like NYC has had a bit of a crush on Nashville’s rock scene, especially since Be Your Own Pet exposed them to the Infinity Cat roster. Awesome.
If you’ve been under a rock, you may not have heard about Columbia, TN’s real-life spandex-clad superhero “The Viper,” but some national media outlets have taken notice. The most interesting place this story popped up is on the sci-fi/tv/nerd blog i09. The part I don’t really get is why the hell you can’t wear a mask in public in Columbia. Seriously? It seems like the local lawmakers got bored and decided to find an excuse to arrest everyone on Halloween…
This has to be one of the best posts in Hipster Runoff history…
More science posts coming soon, I promise…
I’ve put together a little post-July 4th show for you tonight. The folks at Exit/In asked me to host another Rock the Block sometime this summer, and this is it. It’s FREE, and there’s nothing else going on, so come out for this awesome lineup. You partied hard over the weekend. You probably had yesterday off to recover. Now you’re ready to party again. This is not chillwave, this is rock and fucking roll.
Best video EVER
July 3, 2010
I don’t normally post on weekends, but my friend John sent me this and I nearly died. So I had to post it… just be patient with it, it gets really good about a minute in…
National blow-shit-up weekend stuff/more WTF
July 2, 2010
The official national “blow shit up” holiday weekend is about to commence, and I’m sure you’ve already made plans of how/when/where you’re going to blow shit up. So here’s a list of good shows to attend when you’re not blowing shit up this weekend:
TONIGHT- I’ll be at the Comfies EP release show at the End, which also features Tristen and probably another band, but that band hasn’t been listed anywhere that I can find. Regardless, this will be a good show.
Also if you’re in Murfreesboro tonight, Chris Freeman is back in town for the summer and is playing a show at Liquid Smoke, while just down the block Henry Daggs is playing at Wallstreet. You could probably dash back & forth if you really wanted to…
SATURDAY- Break out your old flannel and ripped jeans from high school and wear them to My So-Called Band: the Ultimate 90’s Experience at Mercy Lounge. Or check out Henry Rollins at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. Or check out Dave Cloud, Diet Blood, Marj!, Square People, and Deluxin’ at Open Lot.
For the 4th, there’s really no excuse to not be at Mercy Lounge for the Nashville Cream/Vienna Beef sponsored “National Hot Dog Month Kickoff Party.” I’ll be doing a photobooth, you can watch the always-awesome downtown fireworks from Mercy’s kickass balcony, AND be treated to the sounds of Ghostfinger, Heartbeater, Alcohol Stuntband, and the Armed Forces, all MC-ed by Chris Crofton. And one more thing- everyone gets a free hot dog. All this for the patriotic price of $5. ($8 if you’re 18-20.) Doors open at 7pm so be sure to get there early, because everyone will be elbowing for a good spot to watch the fireworks from on the patio, and the fireworks generally start around 9 or 930pm. The bands will start immediately after the fireworks.
Last but not least, I must mention this “WTF” moment… since I posted a bunch “WTFs” yesterday. Here’s a video from Beck’s Record Club, featuring Beck, Thurston Moore, and Tortoise covering Yanni. YES, YANNI. Yanni’s Live at the Acropolis to be exact. I’m speechless. (Via You Ain’t No Picasso)
steve cross loves music and science 