I’ve been pleased to see this sweater set break out ever since writing some of their early press at WashingtonPost.com. Just escaping D.C. is an endorsement since it tends to be swampy, sticky musical terrain. Awhile ago, Spin also gave Middle Distance Runner this same dubious compliment of being the most likely local band to get mainstream success while likening them to The Strokes. Point is, they’re coming — see them.

Lately, Annie and I, agree they’ve been sounding more Arcade Firery, but in a more light-hearted way. And that’s mighty good considering you don’t want to be too heavy sitting on just one freshly produced album.

This is where I get more convincing to stir concert-spoiled East Coasters to do themselves a favor. MDR creates pop that doesn’t plod a catchy melody across three minutes, but freely crosses styles, tempos and sentiments. MDR remains tasteful while sort of unconsciously nerdy

11/29 - New York, NY - The Bowery Ballroom
11/30 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse Music Hall
12/02 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub
12/04 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
12/06 - Orlando, FL - Backbooth
12/07 - Tampa Bay, FL - The Crow Bar
12/08 - West Palm Beach, FL - Respectable Street
12/09 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbit’s
12/10 - Charleston, SC - The Map Room
12/11 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
12/12 - Norfolk, VA - The Boot
12/13 - Baltimore, MD - Lo-Fi Social Club
12/14 - Washington, DC! - The Rock & Roll Hotel
12/15 - Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar
*All w/ Mobius Band & The Epochs

Featured Song: “Man of The People” by Middle Distance Runner



Featured Song: “That’s A Lie” by Middle Distance Runner

Source
Middle Distance Runner MySpace
Official Site
Image courtesy of KingPhoto.com

This is probably the most rational explanation of human relationships I’ve ever heard:

In case you missed the best part towards second 32:

“I love you too, but I don’t like you all the time,” says baby.
“Ok, thanks,” says mom.

Also, is this kid destined to be a stock broker, or what? Seriously, this clip is like the pilot for the best reality TV series ever. He’s so cute I might have to forget to take my birth control this month.

Source:
Tashan Mistree, one hot biochemist!

He’s on the market, ladies.

If you think I’m sexy, and you want my ‘body politick,’ come on baby let me know, preferably by diplmatic pouch.

Foreign Policy just published the Who’s Who guide for wooing world leaders. We provide you with the list here with our commentary, of course, in italics:

1. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France
Authority never looked so good.

2. Condoleeza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State
We remember her dominatrix boots fondly.

3. Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, Dragon King of Bhutan
Make me the Dragon Queen of your medieval kingdom that while charming, will never appear in a Disney movie.

4. Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile
She´s been tortured in life and love.

5. Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela
Communism is the political system for lovers

Attaché yourself to these studs and studettes before the next coup, election, or personal scandal sinks them beyond your clutches.

Featured Song: “Hot Stuff” by The Rolling Stones


DOWNLOAD MP3

Source:
The List: World´s Most Eligible Leaders Foreign Policy

Drool Fest 2007! Ten military bloggers got a special briefing from the President after his prime-time speech Iraq last week.

In this meeting, Ward Carroll of Military.com said the president seemed more comfortable with his message than on TV. We’re led to believe Bush’s becomes articulate when surrounded by hand-picked pro-Bush and pro-war supporters probably because he can say “Scrabble-ma-jangles” without judgment.

Carrol described the President’s performance in front of the blogger round-table:

“No deer-in-the-headlights stuff here. Truly unwavering and passionate.”

Apparently, the standard for unwavering presidential passion has been boiled down to looking less like a fawn frozen before its slaughter than one usual does.

Facts on the ground notwithstanding, he believes the United States can win the Iraq War. And to be honest, being around him made me believe it at that moment too.”

I would hate for facts to withstand the thrall of the President’s most recent victory pep rally among the loyal.

Source: President Reaches Out to a Friendly Circle in New Media [WaPo]

Their love will go on.

It looks like the honeymoon is over for U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, according to the New York Times.

Awesomely enough, this news comes only two weeks after our pal Rove resigned, making August the best month ever. Gonzales followed Bush from Texas after serving as his personal attorney, but years of hard work paid off when John Ashcroft announced his resignation in 2004. The first Hispanic attorney general, Fredo was the token Hispanic climed the political ladder only to horribly fall from Republican grace when he seemed to be stuck in a permanent haze whenever he was asked any question actually relevant to his job.

Fare thee well, Fredo. We knew you all too well.

Featured Song: “Goodbye Stranger” by Supertramp

Sources:
“Embattled Attorney General Resigns” NY Times
“Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announces he has resigned” AP via Houston Chronicle

Previous entries:
“Dept. of Too Little, Too Late: Karl Rove avoids having his ass handed to him next year”
“Endgame Dept.:Scapegoat No. 2″
“That’s All She Wrote: Gonzo’s perjury problem”
“We prefer to think of it as a cock slap”

Some of the naughty clout behind the ‘g’ word may not be true… nationally, anyway. Ideas of displacement of local residents caused by gentrification doesn’t pan out when compared with census data in many cities. (Poor neighborhoods have high vacancy.) But in DC, the outflux is more than myth.

“So are ‘transitional’ homebuyers guilty of class warfare? It’s easy to talk about the downside of gentrification—high housing prices, evictions, and a creeping nimby-ism that elbows out social services. But there are benefits, too.”

Upside? Inside-the-beltway whiteys are renewing the tax base. It’s also supposedly more environmentally neutral since new low-density developments use more energy than packing more people into urban cores.

But when you live in a city, that clearly pushes people out in exchange for others, we’re just passing on these negatives.

Can anyone think of a way gentrification is beneficial in DC besides bringing us a Target on the Green Line?

Source:
Go Forth and Gentrify? MotherJones

In a pretty useless move, McRove has announced his departure from the White House as of August 31.

Don’t get us wrong; it’s great news. But the outgoing deputy chief of staff left only after he was essentially acquitted of any wrongdoing in the Valerie Plame case and unscathed after the firing of attorney generals, not to mention he’s leaving the mess that is George Bush behind him. Nonetheless, the evil mastermind believes that all will be well with the Bush league:

“Look, he’s a very competitive guy. None of us is indispensable or unreplaceable except (Bush) and Dick Cheney, and they ain’t going anywhere.”

Apparently, no one taught the man-devil to clean up after himself. Or proper grammar.

Featured Song: “Evil (Is Going On)” by Howlin’ Wolf