Mock Modesty

Dave Matthews is so 1997

2005-09-06T22:24:00.000-04:00

We here at Mock Modesty are Dave Matthews fans. We have been to 20+ DMB shows since 1997 and have enjoyed most. But we have to say we agree with most of this expose about the band's frontman:

Matthews even feels isolated from fans with whom he once felt a strong bond, disparaging them as "lame." He also admits that the older he gets, the more out of place he feels around "kids in their Dave Matthews phase."

"I used to talk for hours about my music or spend a whole night in a DMB chatroom," Matthews said. "But now, the people at the shows seem like such geeks, standing there with their elaborate taping equipment. They're really, really young, too. What do I have in common with them? They're just a bunch of kids who need someone to look up to. Why would I look up to me? I'm so 1997."

Read the whole thing.

Long term impact of Katrina

2005-09-03T18:59:00.000-04:00

For a different take on the longer term issues around New Orleans' destruction, read this scary, yet seemingly correct, analysis at Stratfor by George Friedman.

Will Junior, Harvick and Gordon make it to the Chase?

2005-08-04T22:30:00.000-04:00

We here at MM are big Harvick fans, medium Junior fans and slight Gordon fans. So seeing lame-os like Mark Martin and Greg Biffle (we hate Biffle) in the top 10 of the standings after 20 races causes us distress.

Indianapolis on Sunday could change everything. And the fantasy handicapping shows that All of our drivers should be (based on recent Indy performances) in the hunt this weekend. Let's hope so. Because after only 6 more races they'll be out of the Chase for good.

Boogity boogity boogity, let's go racin' boys!

Politcal nerds take note

2005-08-04T22:27:00.000-04:00

Michael Barone, political history genius, has a great new blog over at the US News site.

Check it out. Warning: It's very wonky.

Smug? Nah, just enjoying the little Jacky show

2005-07-20T23:32:00.000-04:00

Did you see Pres. Bush smirking while introducing his pick (Judge John G. Roberts) for the open US Supreme Court seat? We at MM do not believe he was tipping his hand and 'telling' us that he expects an 'easy' confirmation.

Rather, he was watching the nominee's son, Jack, dancing/ misbehaving in front of the podium (and off-camera for most network feeds, but apparently shown on C-SPAN2).

Click here for video of Jack being a four year-old at The Political Teen. [Def check it out]

Hat tip: GOP Vixen - Why Bush Smirked

[Photo from AFP]

Procrastination across the nation

2005-07-20T22:57:00.000-04:00

We are supposed to be doing summer reading and summer work for b-school, but procrastination has allowed some non-school summer reading to occur.

So far two of the best books were Sunday Money (MacGregor) and Stranger Than Fiction (Palahniuk).

Sunday Money: Speed! Lust! Madness! Death! A Hot Lap Around America with Nascar was hard to put down. We read it in just a few days and enjoyed nearly every bit. MacGregor follows the 2002 Nascar Winston Cup with his wife by buying an RV and criss-crossing the country to each race. If you are a newer Nascar fan (as we at MM are), this book combines a bit of racing history with the more recent (and hilarious) anecdotes and scenes. MacGregor is a gripping writer and this book is highly recommended. Rating: 5 (out of 5).

Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories was another non-fiction book. Our favorite author, satirist Chuck Palahniuk's first attempt at essays is not as interesting as his sometime gross, nihilistic, often anarchist fiction. And some of the essays are just straight boring (most of the 'celebrity' interviews). While others are interesting (most of the personal accounts from his childhood or about his family; naval submarine; festival in Missouri). Rating: 3.5

We're halfway done reading: Old School (Wolff); Haunted (Palahniuk). Both are excellent (5 rating potential) thus far.

Old School is different. Wolff is a prof at Stanford and the book is a bit literary, in the sense that some of the info about the historical writers seems a bit inside-baseball-ish to us non-engligh-major folks. But it is excellent writing and a great (semi-?) autobiographical story to boot.

Haunted is very very dark, disturbing and not a book for your mother, but good and very Palahniuk (he wrote Fight Club, use your imagination; supposedly people were getting physically ill at his bookstore readings of this book).

iTunes update - mostly country

2005-07-20T22:46:00.000-04:00

Most played iTunes albums as of tonight

Kenny Chesney's "Be As You Are"
Jack Johnson's "In Between Dreams"
Keith Urban's "Be Here"
Bright Eyes's "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning"

Good stuff. Check 'em out.

Our favorite track lately is "Boston" on the new Kenny album

She wears a Red Sox cap to hide her baby dreads
The girl she was in New England is different now and dead
In all the local bars, she flirts and tells the boys while they're talkin'
She's from Boston

Bizarre: Willy Wonka meets Childsplay meets a Circus

2005-07-20T22:28:00.000-04:00

Two weeks back we trekked to Madison, Wisconsin to visit some close friends and experienced a weird adventure. The House on the Rock.

It is about an hour from Madison and is worth the $20 admission.

From the world's largest carousel (with not one horse on it) to the freaky dolls room to the Infinity Room (pictured left) that is and unsupported glass room that supports you but shakes a little too much.

Very weird and even more difficult to describe.

BB6 = addiction

2005-07-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

We at MM are now addicted to another reality program. Big Brother 6 (CBS) is on like a bazillion times a week (and an hour-long program each time at that), but it is worth watching. It seems so much less scripted than other MM favorites Real World or even Hell's Kitchen, which is a good thing. So set the TiVo and check it out.

And we highly recommend the commentary on TVGasm about BB6 and other reality shows. [Note: Usually not safe for work]

Earth to Brint. Earth to Meekus.

2005-07-20T21:08:00.000-04:00

If you havne't checked out Google Earth yet, go download it now (it's free).

We love it. And it's scary too.

#8 and DEI back in victory lane, FINALLY

2005-07-11T11:10:00.000-04:00

Junior won his first race of the 2005 Nextel Cup Series. More than 20 races since his last victory, Junior drove his way to the checkered flag in front of a few faster cars. Tire strategy (2 vs. 4) and, as a result, track position paid off and DEI was once again in victory lane last night.

Let's keep it up. Updated points standings will put Junior in 13th place with only 8 races left before the Chase for the Cup (final 10 races).

"In the criminal justice system the People are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups..."

2005-07-06T15:01:00.000-04:00

Worlds colliding, again.

Fred Thompson plans to help the POTUS with the forthcoming US Supreme Court nomination.

We're hoping for some witty, posthumous Lennie Briscoe puns.

New TiVO shows

2005-06-23T11:35:00.000-04:00

New shows we plan to try out this summer/early fall include

Cowboy U: Texas CMT 7/1
The '70s House MTV 7/5
Welcome to the Neighborhood ABC 7/10
Princes of Malibu FOX 7/10
Brat Camp ABC 7/13
The Law Firm NBC 7/28
Prison Break FOX 8/29
Reunion FOX 9/1 (?)

We're most excited about Reunion & Prison Break. But The Law Firm has serious potential. Some of the shows listed will most definitely be lame, but we're giving all eight of these a try.

Just off the Baghdad wire

2005-06-18T11:32:00.000-04:00

From Andy Borowitz:

SADDAM REQUESTS JACKSON’S JURY Asks Accuser’s Mom to Testify Against Him
Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein startled the international legal community today by requesting that the jury in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial be empanelled to sit in judgment of him when his trial gets underway in Baghdad.

The Iraqi dictator made the extraordinary request in a special hearing today, telling the judge in his case, “There is no jury in the world better qualified to hear my case than those twelve people who just let Michael Jackson walk.”

In addition to requesting the Jackson jury, Saddam also requested that the mother of Mr. Jackson’s accuser be called upon to testify against him in his trial.

Indeed.

One sweet world/ Around a star is spinning

2005-06-17T12:18:00.000-04:00

We were lucky enough to experience the Dave Matthews Band show in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on Wednesday (6/15/05) [Setlist] from the 3rd row, center. Overall an OK show, it probably ranks around 20th or 21st of our 24 DMB shows attended (the 6/27/97 show, our first show, was the best concert we've ever experienced live, despite lawn seats).

Highlights

Superb opening band (Robert Randolph and the family band, including their Billie Jean (MJ) cover with two women from the audience guesting on vocals)
Dancing Nancies in the middle of the set (one of our top five DMB songs, ever)
Robert Randolph guesting on multiple songs (including Bayou; he made Stand Up bearable)
Dave's passion at the end of certain songs (Hello Again, Bartender, Grey Street, Stand Up)
Observing the band's interaction with their hardcore fans in the front few rows (see our superfan comments below). E.g. Carter flirting with the same woman in the front row year-after-year at the Cleveland shows (she has, by our unofficial count, at least 4 drumsticks from the Beauford beats master). And Fonzy (aka Stefan Lessard, bassist) comparing hippy necklaces with the superfan in the front row wearing the Jamaican soccer jersey (they were identical).
Louisiana Bayou closer. What a great surprise! When we saw Robert coming out for the second time, we predicted All Along the Watchtower, and made noises of disgust when they began to play Bayou as the final encore song. BUT....it was excellent live -- eons better than the album version (and as you see from our Stand Up album review, we enjoyed it on the album to boot). Robert Randolph was just insane on it (dancing from his seat at his 'guitar.') And his Bernie Kosar jersey garnered a roar from the lawn monsters when shown from behind on the screens.

Lowlights

Opening song was Dreamgirl
Too many new songs; not enough old favorites
Waiting over two hours to leave the venue; Blossom is the worst venue ever in terms of accessability
No real surprises (One Sweet World somewhat-excluded)
Only show we are going to see this tour

Hilarity

So, we were seated directly behind superfan, Ms. DH (second picture on the linked page; of gifting Boyd Tinsley a "Find some inspiration, it's down deep inside of you" gym bag embroidery fame; peace, love and jammin to DMB 4-evah silliness), her husband, and (presumably) her mother and father. Her constant gospel-choir-ish hand movements to Dave were highlarious. Too bad Mr. Matthews acknowledged them with a wink and a nod. He must remember those alleged phonecalls from the late 1990s.

In line with preconceived notions/rumors/expectations about her, she proved them true. While complaining ceaselessly about the "radio songs" that kept appearing in the setlists, she was "tired of all that radio s--t." And when we predicted that Grey Street would be the eleventh song played in the set, she said, "well, duh!" and sneered. Clearly, her DMB genius was unparalleled in her mind's eye. DH even sat (in protest?) during the jam session on Two Step ("radio song" to her, despite not being seen on radio playlists in years) to request a back massage from her family members. Notions validated, indeed.

We believe that only person in our immediate vicinity (the first three rows) more hilarious than her was the drunken waif who continually flirted with the security guards on the other side of the front row barriers and with other front row males. She waifily and suddenly stole DH's mother's eyeglasses (rose-colored, no less) and wore them until they were stolen back by DH's father. Subsequently (and rightfully), said waif was duly removed from the venue by two security guards (literally carrying her like a mental patient from the front row). Highlarity, indeed.

A-p-p-o-g-g-i-a-t-u-r-a

2005-06-14T11:06:00.000-04:00

Interesting commentary from Tunku Varadarajan of the WSJ on the Indian kids winning the National Spelling Bee five of the last seven years running (and all of the top three this year were Indians).

Indian pedagogy relies heavily on rote memorization--the result of a fusion of Victorian teaching methods imposed by the British and ancient Hindu practice, in which the guru (or teacher) imparted his learning to pupils via an oral tradition.

Indeed. But we think, based on our viewing of the hit documentary "Spellbound" and observing our friends' parents' actions, that the relentless Indian-American parents are more the reason for such lopsided success.

At least he got a C in French

2005-06-07T12:21:00.000-04:00

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA) finally agreed to release his military records.

They include his Yale transcripts and they are, let's be fair here, lackluster (at best). Freshman year includes four Ds. Highest grade that year was French (79 = C).

At least he was within one point (76) of the President's average (77). Will Al Franken now write an article about how dumb Senator Kerry is?

Just say no to more jobs and cheaper goods!

2005-06-07T12:16:00.000-04:00

Maybe they can hold out for the return of the manufacturing jobs too. They don't call it the Rust Belt for nothin'.

WalMart wants to put in a SuperCenter in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, OH) and the 'liberal' groups are opposing it. "People who don't shop at Wal-Mart oppose new Cleveland Wal-Mart"

"The public will be confused at first, and then feel hoodwinked and betrayed"

2005-06-07T12:12:00.000-04:00

Must-read WSJ editorial on the Ground Zero Plans in Manhattan. [Note: online subscription necessary to read the entire article, but the excerpts are posted via The Corner at NRO.]

Most popular iPod playlists

2005-05-25T22:18:00.000-04:00

Currently most played on our iPod

1. Garden State sound track
2. Jack Johnson's In Between Dreams
3. Kenny Chesney's When the Sun Goes Down
4. Kenny Chesney's No Shoes No Shirt No Problem
5. Counting Crows' Greatest Hits Films About Ghosts

And a mix with various singles including Modest Mouse, Ben Folds and Dashboard.

Reality starved?

2005-05-25T22:11:00.000-04:00

Now that Survivor and The Amazing Race are over for the season, are you jonesing for new reality TV fare as much as we are?

Check out the new show on Bravo, Sports Kids Moms & Dads (from the Bravo website):

Bravo took viewers backstage for Showbiz Moms & Dads, then dove into the dog show arena for Showdog Moms & Dads and now Bravo is headed to the rinks, fields, courts, and sidelines of America's young, aspiring athletes in Sports Kids Moms & Dads. This new series follows five families' daily struggles and conflicts as their child athletes strive to excel in the highly stressful, competitive, "win at all costs" world of sports. Tracy Austin, the youngest player ever inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame, will narrate the series and lend her own perspective as a former child sports star.

We think that Showdogs was hilarious (a la Best in Show) and at times seems less real than the Christopher Guest film.

We strongly recommend the new effort. Check it out June 1st at 10pm

It's about time...

2005-05-25T22:05:00.000-04:00

Jr. tries to shake up his luck and fires his crew chief.

Rondeau out, Hmiel in.

Maybe now the #8 Bud Chevy can bring home the checkered flag this season...since he's only led a total of 5 LAPS all year.

Coca-Cola Preview

2005-05-25T21:53:00.000-04:00

Jimmie Johnson is the obvious favorite for this weekend's race, considering his recent performance at the Charlotte track.

Mock Modest prediction: Tony Stewart #20

Maybe it's a good deal if every side is complaining

2005-05-25T21:44:00.000-04:00

The deal made by the gang of 14 (7 each Repubs and Demos) to avoid the so-called 'nuclear option' in the US Senate is being called a bad deal by both sides.

Maybe that means it was a good compromise? Who knows...

Apparently it's about being in the right place at the right time

2005-05-17T23:16:00.000-04:00

Had it happened in Manhattan, on the US government's 'creativity' ear-marked dollar, it would have been celebrated as 'art' by those in-the-know, no?

But even if it did not happen in Cuba, on the US government's military ear-marked dollar, Newsweak will still report it as scandalous truth without fact-checking its sources.

Eh, it's only 17 dead and scores more injured. Why should a few casualties get in the way of using unsourced (inaccurate) information if it can help sully a Republican administration and its so-called war?

Urine-soaked crucifix; Koran in the toilet: Which one is 'art'? Which one may not have happened? Which one incites violence? Which one is celebrated as courageous?

Confabulation across the nation

2005-05-17T23:07:00.000-04:00

A reader sends this appropriate news article related to non-words.

They clearly forgot facetiate (fah-see-shah-TAY), among others.

Mock Modest Clarification

2005-05-17T11:54:00.000-04:00

Some of our readers seem to believe that we are explicitly referencing Aristotle's The Nichomachean Ethics, as evidenced by excerpted passage below.

While this fits nicely with our intent, it was unknown at the time; as we are neither students of Aristotle nor ethics. The first instance we had heard of the phrase is referenced in the inaugural post of this blog, an AP news article about NFL players at HBS for a special business program.

The boastful man, then, is thought to be apt to claim the things that bring glory, when he has not got them, or to claim more of them than he has, and the mock-modest man on the other hand to disclaim what he has or belittle it, while the man who observes the mean is one who calls a thing by its own name, being truthful both in life and in word, owning to what he has, and neither more nor less. [Book IV, Chapter 7]

Freakonomics blog

2005-05-17T08:56:00.000-04:00

The authors of one of the books we are currently reading have a blog.

So that's when they'll allow an up or down vote on judges...

2005-05-17T08:41:00.000-04:00

Heh.

Reading list

2005-05-16T15:43:00.000-04:00

We are currently reading:

Freakonomics (Levitt)
Sunday Money (MacGregor)
Snapshots from Hell (Robinson)
Privilege (Douthat)
Trading Up (Silverstein & Fiske)

We hope to be reading soon:

Haunted (Palahniuk)
Stranger Than Fiction (Palahniuk)
Year One (Reid)
The Normals (Gilbert)
Competitive Strategy (Porter)

TiVo love

2005-05-16T15:35:00.000-04:00

Top 10 of our Season Pass list as of today...

Fox and Friends First (FNC)
Six Feet Under (HBO)
The Wonder Years (FAM)
NASCAR Drivers 360 (FX) - new ones
NASCAR Drivers 360 (FSN) - re-runs
The Apprentice (NBC)
The O.C. (Fox)
Lost (ABC)
Jack & Bobby (WB)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

2008: HRC v. George Allen

2005-05-16T15:08:00.000-04:00

Bob Novak reports the pulse of insiders for the 2008 Whitehouse race, despite the 'darkhorse' weekend musings...

GOSH!

2005-05-15T19:32:00.000-04:00

Check out the Napoleon Dynamite sounds page on albino blacksheep.

IDIOT!

GROSS!

Best reality show on TV

2005-05-15T19:14:00.000-04:00

We are huge fans of reality TV here at Mock Modesty. Survivor (CBS), The Apprentice (NBC), and other 'reality' shows are by far more popular than NASCAR Drivers 360 (FX), but ratings don't equal quality.

The most entertaining and interesting TV show on today, in its second season, follows multiple NASCAR Nextel Cup (and some Busch Series) drivers throughout a week of their lives both at the track and relaxing with family and friends. Every week the drivers change slightly -- the most entertaining being Kenny Wallace (all-around goof embarrassing his children in the St. Louis suburbs) and Kevin Harvick (highlights include his young nieces putting make-up on his face).

The first episode of season 2 (premiering this past week) featured Kasey Kahne (by chance the same week he secured his first Cup win), Rusty Wallace (in his final Cup season) and Kurt Busch (coming off of the 2004 Cup Championship). Look for it on re-runs, as well as the entirety of Season 1 re-runs on the Fox Sports Network.

#9 reels in #1

2005-05-15T18:57:00.000-04:00

Kasey Kahne in the #9 Dodge Charger reeled in his first NNC victory under the lights Saturday night in Richmond, VA. Riding from the pole, he traded the lead a few times with Tony Stewart, but ulitmately led the majority of laps and brought home the most important one -- the last one -- and the checkered flag.

Now Kahne qualifies to race next weekend in the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge in Concord, NC, and should move up in points from the 19th to at least the 16th spot overall in Cup standing.

O how we long for ten years hence

2005-05-13T20:32:00.000-04:00

Don't you find it the least bit ironic that the latest offering from Dave Matthews Band was released on 5-10-05 -- precisely ten years after one of their best (short) performances ever (at Yoshi's in SanFran). Check that bootleg out for the best version of song #40 ever recorded.

We were unimpressed by Stand Up, the new studio album. You know it is sad when the b-side CD has received more airplay (on our iPod) than the main release.

We enjoy the second half tracks much more than the first. For the "bombing" track is the fourth (of fifteen total). As if the lyrics of "American Baby" weren't blatant enough, the quintuple from Virginia must supplement them with the sounds of gunfire, explosions and other morbid war 'noise' as intro to the song that reminds us "Nobody's laughing now/ God's grace lost and the devil is proud." Thanks for the reinforcement.

A few of the tracks are redundantly repetitive. Even more than a typical chorus-refrain framework. The title track repeats the phrase "stand up" a mere 67 times in 4:13. And we thought "Stay" was repetitive! It reminds us of a revival of english as a second language christians on public television. Repeating a phrase over and over doesn't make it any more clever, Dave. "Everybody Wake Up," three tracks after the lyrical masterpiece "Stand Up" reminds us of another 'up' action. Waking up. A Pulitzer Prize these lyrics shall not win.

The highlight of the album for us is track 10, "Louisiana Bayou." A very catchy tune that we hope to hear at Blossom on June 15th. The following cut, an ambling, reminiscent of "Little Thing" from the Dave & Tim shows of the past effort is "Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd."

Be sure purchase the dual disc and enjoy the b-sides (a mesmerizing "Joyride") as well as the live cuts from the 2004 tour including a chilling "Typical Situation."

If only we could hear Carter's tom toms and a younger, undamaged Dave voice a la 1995. But, alas, we are stuck with a few bearable tunes interspersed with repetitive bombs (literally & figuratively).

2.5 stars (out of 5)

Vegas, baby.

2005-05-13T07:20:00.000-04:00

We're heading to las vegas next Thursday (5/19) for a friend's wedding. Should be a raucuous good time. Staying at Bally's and partying at Hard Rock Hotel.

Not big blackjack fans here, mostly pai gow poker and cheapskate roulette (quarter chips). And an occasional game of 'let it ride.'

Photos and post-trip recaps sure to come, be on the lookout....

'Insurgents' elected as Dartmouth Trustees

2005-05-13T06:43:00.000-04:00

Great news from the College on the Hill. Peter Robinson '79 and Todd Zywicki '88 have been elected to serve as Alumni Trustees at Dartmouth College.

The two were deemed 'insurgents' since they were petition candidates and were not nominated by the 'all-powerful' alumni council. We congratulate them both and wish them luck in steering the Big Green ship in the right (yes, pun intended) direction.

Lauren Elizabeth

2005-04-28T07:31:00.000-04:00

Lauren Elizabeth Clark was born on April 27th at 5:18PM (Central). She weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. and was 19.25 inches long.

Congratulations to Tina & David on their second beautiful daughter.

Mock Modesty

2005-04-20T04:20:00.000-04:00

"[he] said with all the mock modesty of a Harvard student..."

AP, 04/08/2005