Consumme 4.2.09

Americomedy. Slate offers up an elegant, suprisingly affecting 25-frame picture gallery of American comics, including portraits of everyone from Lucile Ball and Lenny Bruce to Woody Allen and John Stewart.

Duke boys. In the 1980s, British popsmiths XTC pretended to be psyschedelic dandies with names like Sir Johns Johns and Red Curtain, and released two amazing recordings under the name Dukes of Stratosphear. Pitchfork gives the new reissues their due.

Message placement? The New York Times writes about how the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation is using its money to influence storylines in popular shows in an effort to push healthy choices and education.

Everything’s dead but the Internet. The Ad Contrarian — funny, scathing and smart, like always.

Consumme 3.30.09

Not like Mike yet. This ESPN The Magazine article takes an in-depth look at rising Indiana Pacer star Danny Granger, arguing that although he has shown flashes of greatness, he hasn’t reached superstar status.

Insult to injury. As if the housing crisis wasn’t bad enough, now banks are beginning to refuse to take possession of foreclosed homes, leaving the costs of upkeep and maintenance up to the foreclosed owners.

Dead meat eaters. Would you participate in this study? It found that maggots help certain wounds heal faster, thanks to their appetite for dead tissue.

Consumme 3.27.09

‘Prince’ poses. Will Oldham — who just released a bombastic new country album, and who will visit Indianapolis soon — reveals himself to be just as idiosyncratic, odd and evasive as you’d imagine in this rare long-form profile published in the New Yorker a couple of months ago.

Sick state. Indy Star columnist Matt Tully writes a depressing, makes-you-wanna-move-elsewhere column about Indiana’s low rankings when it comes to the environment, health (of both the physical and emotional varieties) and work quality — and how little our state government is doing to correct the problems.

Take that Mac. Microsoft takes an overt slap at Mac users in this new commercial, which calls out both the exorbitant prices of Macs and the allegedly snobby culture that surrounds the brand.

Don’t give me what I want. “Made To Stick” authors Chip and Dan Heath explain why soon, customers may be willing to pay companies to keep them from buying stuff.

Consumme 3.16.09

Beer me. Lots of photographs of great vintage beer cans here. Props to Design Observer for the Tweet link.

Change-up. When Pitchfork launched its redesigned web site last week, it also introduced a newer, button-down version of its logo. Brand New breaks it down.

Don’t dream, it’s over. Citing a new MetLife study, Kimberly Palmer at U.S. News & World Report explains how the recession/depression has all but killed the American Dream.

Thick-cut and marbled. This video explains the Internet bacon meme in 60 seconds.

Consumme 3.10.09

Not Bard-looking. According to Shakespeare scholars, this newly unveiled painting is the only likeness of the bard created during his lifetime. From NY Times: “[It] shows a head-turner of a man…this Shakespeare has a fresh-faced complexion, a closely trimmed auburn beard, a long straight nose and a full, almost bouffant hairstyle.” Many have their doubts about its authenticity.

Bayh the way… Indiana congressman Evan Bayh, who recently penned a WSJ editorial urging Obama to veto the spending bill, is the least liberal of all Democratic senators according to a new study by the National Journal.

Poor Pacers. Literally. As the Indianapolis CIB announcee a $400,000 cut in grants to arts and tourism yestersday, CIB board VP also announced that the Indiana Pacers are losing about $30 million this season, and have lost money every year except two that the Simons have owned the team (It begs the question: What’s the big deal, then?). Early went to say that the Pacers would probably leave or shut down if the CIB didn’t assume those costs.

Bad paintings of Barack Obama. It is what it is.

Consumme 3.9.09

Pitchfork 2009 line-up. Just announced this morning: Yo La Tengo, Built To Spill, The Walkmen, The National and Grizzly Bear are among those who will play the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago this year. Also noteworthy: Friday night will no longer feature bands playing classic albums. Instead, those acts (Yo La Tengo, Built To Spill, Tortoise The Jesus Lizard) will play sets voted on by ticket-buyers.

Changing Facebook. New features are coming to the popular social media site this week, including a newsfeed that’s updated in real time (look out Twitter) and new company profiles that will let brands act more like individual people.

iPhone envy. This super-useful app that lets you track your mileage, speed, pace and elevation while you run — and uses GPS techonology to show you a map of the route you took — is enough to make Consumat just give in and get an iPhone already.

The Media Misery Index. These stats should convince even the most optimistic newsprint cheerleader to admit that a change is on the horizon, and that it’s coming soooner rather than later.

Consumme 3.6.09

I Am Goodbye. Drag City posts a video for a terrific new song from Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s soon-to-be-released album, Beware.

The Heidelberg Papers. I keep going back to this blog by an Indianapolis resident whose love affair with his hometown is captured in beautiful, poetic pictures, which he posts nearly every single day.

Twitter taken local. Pickylist is a beta version of a new site that, as far as I can tell, is trying to be a local Twitter for Indianapolis. Too early to tell if it’s going to catch on.

Meshugene Men. Fans of Mad Men will enjoy this Jewish spoof of the popular AMC show. Amy Sedaris makes an apperance.

Consumme 3.4.09

Death prattle. Reporter Nancy Mitchell writes a poignant (and at times, trenchant) love letter to the Rocky Mountain News, where she worked until it ceased publication for good last Friday. Muncie, Ind. natives should read it carefully.

Magnificent bangs. Impeached former Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois has parlayed his humiliating ouster into a 6-figure book deal, according to his publicist.

Arthousetube. Consumat just discovered Youtube’s terrific Screening Room, which showcases new short films every two weeks. Check out the super-weird, weirdly compelling Chonto.

A font of wisdom. For $15.95, YOU can own the president’s handwriting!

Consumme 3.2.09

Barack-en promise. Reason’s Steve Chapman points out what has quietly gone unnoticed by many Obama supporters (but not this one): The prez is backing off his original promise to withdraw from Iraq by May 2010.

No news here. Also at Reason, Cathy Young asks herself the hot-button question of the year: Can newspapers survive? Her answer to herself: Yes — if journalists “work harder” to deserve and retain the respect of readers.

File under “Fresh Out of Shame.” A certain Indianapolis writer discusses Obama’s “preternatural” authenticity, and why the marketing and PR people who so admire it would be wise not to imitate it.

Consumme 2.17.09

Morrissey Day. The A.V. Club swoons over “Years Of Refusal” by Morrissey, saying the singer “sounds vital, alive, and like he’s finding mid-life as rich in purposeful misery as any othe age.”

Spotless minds? A new study shows how a common blood pressure drug may be developed into a pill that can erase bad memories.

Sugar, sugar. “A sugar daddy arrangement can be a unique, enriching experience between people who understand, and value the meaning of reciprocity.”

Running from camera. “The rules are simple: I put the self-timer on 2 seconds, push the button and try to get as far from the camera as I can.“

Loser Hoosiers. As Indiana’s basketball team hits a record-breaking low, Deadspin’s Rick Chandler disses the program and the city of Bloomington.