it's corgi time again.

click here to see the year's top 40 most influential corgis.

keekerz top 25 speakerz of 2012

last year my top 25 was 35 songs long, this year i got it down to 39.



top 10-ish albums to follow. enjoy!

nothing to be ashamed of.

look who made the top hunger-games-reading-cities list!

1. Sunnyvale, CA
2. Salt Lake City, UT
3. Tallahassee, FL
4. Seattle, WA
5. Orlando, FL
6. Pittsburgh, PA
7. St. Louis, MO
8. Provo, UT
9. San Francisco, CA
10. Naperville, IL
11. Washington, DC
12. Richmond, VA
13. Scottsdale, AZ
14. Wilmington, NC
15. Murfreesboro, TN
16. Vancouver, WA
17. Portland, OR
18. Tampa, FL
19. Overland Park, KS
20. Norman, OK

thx ktv!

look at this curious item

 Found on the floor in the middle school. Just practicing, I guess.

kylie's top 25 fave songs of 2011!!

happy pizza friday! here's that playlist i promised you.


good news, there's actually 35 songs, because i couldn't decide.

2Pz 2011 faves : kylie's top 10 albums

well it's december, so... time to roll out some of our end-of-the-year-favorites lists. i'm going to start us off by listing my top 10 favorite albums (+ favorite track). ready?!?!

10. twin sister - in heaven
"stop"

9. architecture in helsinki - moment bends

"contact high"

8. beyonce - 4

"i care"

7. the antlers - burst apart

"i don't want love

6. m83 - hurry up, we're dreaming

"midnight city"

5. st. vincent - strange mercy

"surgeon"

4. drake - take care

"take care" (feat. rihanna)

3. bon iver - bon iver

"holocene"

2. the weeknd - house of balloons

"high for this"

1. pj harvey - let england shake

"the words that maketh murder"

honorable mentions:
the drums - portamento
jay-z + kanye west - watch the throne
blood orange - coastal grooves
jamie woon - mirrorwriting
the rapture - in the grace of your love

on friday, i'll give you my "top 25 songs of 2011" spotify playlist. rest up.

tell me your favorites in the comments, plz!

winners!

the l magazine has put together a list of brooklyn neighborhood power rankings, and guess who's right up top.

Why You Should Move Here Greenpointers are under the misapprehension that their quiet, lovely (but not dull) post-industrial waterfront neighborhood is still some kind of secret—it is not. But some of its gorgeous, quiet blocks retain a marvelous hidden quality (we’re looking at you Oak Street) just steps from the old New York neighborhood-bustle of Manhattan Avenue or the mellow gentrified sheen of Franklin Street. Maybe it’s the stalwart presence of the longstanding Polish community (half of the hood’s approximately 40,000 residents), or the isolating “G” factor but, somehow, Greenpoint has managed to absorb the northward seep of Williamsburg’s consumer-driven “counterculture” without turning into a hipster mall. And that’s why it’s our number one neighborhood in Brooklyn. 

fyi, brooklyn magazine updates this list on a weekly basis. if you haven't subscribed yet, please do. it's gorgeous.

top 20 party schools

1. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
2. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
3. University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.
4. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
5. University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.
6. West Virginia University, Morgantown, W. Va.
7. Penn State University, University Park, Pa.
8. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.
9. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
10. University of Texas, Austin, Texas
11. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
12. Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
13. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La.
14. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis.
15. DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind.
16. Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
17. Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz.
18. University of Maryland, College Park, Md.
19. University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt.
20. University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

(via)

better luck next year, vols.

announcement!

penn state named #2 douchiest school in all of america, and maybe the world, by GQ.

also, florida came in at #10.

splashville!

forbes names nashville #3 in their list of the country's biggest boom towns!

The country music capital, with its low housing prices and pro-business environment, has experienced rapid growth in educated migrants, where it ranks an impressive fourth in terms of percentage growth. New ethnic groups, such as Latinos and Asians, have doubled in size over the past decade. A high quality of life, a vibrant cultural and music scene and a diverse population also make Nashville a desirable place to live. (via)

thx joel!

bk love

gothamist compiled a list of 100 reasons brooklyn is the bomb-dot-com. here are some of my favorites (this could get long):


98. Book Court: This is the bookstore that writers work for even after they have been published. Cobble Hill's literary gem hosts readings from some of New York's most celebrated authors —but they include out-of-towners, too. Book Court's Cousin Corinne is the shop's biennial publication, featuring fiction, photos, and graphic art.


96. Sahadi's: Since 1948, the Lebanese-owned Sahadi's has been an indispensable source for fine imported foods, nuts, dried fruits, and all sorts of delicacies that can't be found elsewhere on this stretch of Atlantic Avenue. Sahadi's hummus is arguably the best in the neighborhood, and up front there are open barrels of bulk grains and spices, an amazing array of olives, nuts, and dried fruits, coffee beans, and assorted spices. Much of the packaged fare is Middle Eastern, but there are plenty of other exotic foods on hand, plus a solid selection of cheeses. If you're on your way to a picnic in Brooklyn Bridge Park, or just on your way home to eat an entire tub of hummus in your underwear, Sahadi's is unbeatable.


95. Peter Pan Donuts: Fact: The old school Peter Pan Donuts at 727 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint still makes the tastiest (and cutest) donuts in all the land. That Peter Pan dominates the donut game is hardly a secret, especially since Tina Fey blabbed to the press about her favorite: the white-cream-filled powdered doughnut. In an interview, Fey revealed, "I really believe, when I first tried it, if I had a penis, I would put it in this doughnut. I finally understand what you guys are thinking about and what motivates you guys."


87. Prettiest Little Sewage Treatment Plant in Town: You can spot the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Greenpoint from miles around not just by its smell but also by its dramatic 145 feet high "digester eggs" which process tons of sewage into fertilizer in a complicated scientific process that we'll just call "magic." And if these four magnificent eggs weren't breathtaking enough, the DEP illuminates the eggs with a sensational blue sci-fi light. Take a tour of the eggs, which are also visible from the Newtown Creek Nature Walk, arguably one of the funniest (and surprisingly educational) parks in the five boroughs.


74. Kent Avenue Bike Lane: Hats off to the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, which spent years laboring to create a safe and pleasant way to connect north and south Brooklyn by bike. The DOT finally listened, and this dedicated bike lane now takes cyclists all the way from Greenpoint to the Brooklyn Navy Yards, where it continues on other streets to offer a safer route to the Manhattan Bridge, Park Slope and beyond. As an added bonus, it also doubles as great free parking!


61. The Brooklyn Flea: If you're looking for relaxed weekend activities, it's hard to beat a leisurely stroll through the Brooklyn Flea, where a wide array of clothes, jewelry, tchotchkes, furniture, and foodstuffs abound. In addition to its Fort Greene location, this summer the Flea expanded to the almost-idyllic Williamsburg Waterfront at the end of North Sixth Street on the east river, now accessible by ferry!


60. Bowling: Manhattan can keep their glitzy new bowling alleys; Williamsburg Brooklyn has them all beat with the one-two punch of The Gutter and Brooklyn Bowl. When the atavistic Gutter opened in 2007, it was the first new bowling alley to roll into Brooklyn in half a century. It's still our favorite, and besides the bowling (which is scored on vintage computer modules), they've got a pool table, a wide variety of craft beers, and a small music venue.


53. Smorgasburg: You can't beat this all-food Saturday market at the Williamsburg waterfront. Cheekily named Smorgasburg, it features over 100 local vendors selling everything from homemade mustard to banana-ricotta spring rolls.


50. McCarren Park: Though McCarren Park in Greenpoint/Williamsburg has developed a reputation as hipster central, in reality it's enjoyed by a wide range of New Yorkers. And for whatever reason, the Parks police just don't seem to care about the liberties many parkgoers take with impunity. Stop by on any given weekend, and you'll find families barbecuing right next to "No Grilling" signs, brazen beer and alcohol consumption, and the scent of reefer wafting in the air. Sadly, the pool is no longer for concerts (someday they're supposed to open an actual pool), but McCarren Park remains a great place to picnic, play tennis, softball, and kickball, dazzle the public at the piano, or just drink a beer and sunbathe in your bikini, which we can't advocate enough.


45. Low Riding: Unlike much of Manhattan, Brooklyn has an abundance of low-rise buildings, which means (fact!) Brooklyn gets more sun, which means Brooklyn's fauna is more lush, residents' souls are more buoyant, their sperm is more potent, and their children will one day rise up to rule the world!


43. Franklin Street: This quiet little corner of Greenpoint by the East River is one of Brooklyn's most charming commercial districts. Toward the north end there's TBD, Hayden-Harnett, and Permanent Records; at the bottom you've got the adorable bakery/coffeshop Cookie Road and Gothamist favorite The Diamond bar. In between, there's an ever-increasing number of cute boutiques, antique stores, restaurants, bars, and craft beer purveyors. Because this neighborhood has always been a little isolated from Manhattan (the G is the only subway), an atmosphere of small-town community friendliness prevails. With the new East River ferry service, we sure hope the city slickers don't move in and ruin it!


42. The Open Space Alliance: Formed in 2003, this successful organization partners with the city Parks Department to green up North Brooklyn, and they're damn good at getting it done. Among OSA's achievements: the concerts at the Williamsburg Waterfront, opening Greenpoint's Transmitter park, a kayak launch and mini park at the north end of Manhattan Avenue, a new skateboard park in McCarren, and much more.


28. Ferries: East River Ferry service has been restored to whisk you away to Manhattan, Governors Island, or—even better—points south and north in Brooklyn.


22. Spectacular Views: Obviously, one of the great things about being outside of Manhattan is that you can step back and take in the skyline from a removed vantage point. From the Red Hook piers to the Brooklyn Promenade to the end of India Street in Greenpoint, the stunning Manhattan skyline is right there, seemingly within arm's reach, day and night. It's not just the view from the Queensboro Bridge that, as F. Scott Fitzgerald put it, "is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world."


9. Brooklyn Beers: Local brewers Kelso, Sixpoint, and Brooklyn Brewery have happily become almost ubiquitous in Brooklyn, and even in parts of Manhattan. At the latter brewery in Williamsburg, they've expanded operations so that now most of their product is actually made in Brooklyn. They offer tours on weekends and weekdays, and a $4 Friday night happy hour that lasts until 11 p.m., with your pick of up to 8 draft beers and our growing number of Big Bottles.


8. Brooklyn Heights Promenade: It's not just a made-up place where Ed Norton went to brood in Spike Lee's 25th Hour; the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is real and it is breathtaking. "There may be finer views than this in the world, but I don't believe it," said President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 when he visited Brooklyn Heights. These views of the city skyline are so mesmerizing you'll totally forget you're sitting on a bench above the BQE.


4. Green-Wood Cemetery: Yet another urban oasis in Brooklyn, and this one the dead can enjoy, too! The dramatically sprawling Green-Wood Cemetery is a National Historic Landmark cemetery has been around 170 years, and continues to draw those who come to pay their respects and others who just want to savor its serenity... or its spookiness. The cemetery's website tells you all you need to know about visiting this extraordinary place, which is currently hosting an evening summer time musical theater performance called The Spoon River Project. Come to one of the midnight shows and get a private tour inside the cemetery’s Catacombs, built in the 1850s, normally not accessible to the public.

i hope you'll share some of yours!

the grizzlies are the tits.

ESPN the magazine ranked all of the major league professional sports teams in their Ultimate Standings, and the Memphis Grizzlies came in 9th overall.

The overall ranking is based on how much the organization gives back to fans for the time, money and emotion invested in its product, determined by eight categories – bang for the buck, players, fan relations, affordability, stadium experience, ownership, title track and coaching.

Memphis was ranked No. 1 overall in the “bang for the buck” category, gauged by wins over the past two seasons per dollar contributed directly by fans (adjusted for differences in league schedules).

Among NBA teams, the Grizzlies trailed only the San Antonio Spurs (No. 5) and Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 6).

The Grizzlies, the second-highest jumper on the overall list this year, clawed 66 spots higher than last season’s edition, trailing only the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, which moved from the No. 70 spot to the No. 2 position as the highest chart-climber in the Ultimate Standings.

Additionally, Memphis was rated the hottest team in sports in a separate survey by ESPN The Magazine, asking fans to rate recent changes in their commitment to their favorite team.

love the grizz.

something to get you in the baseball season mood

and proof that the yankees are the best.

alex rodriguez: jay-z - already home

a top 20 list of walk-out songs. thx starla!

::sexy whistle::

amazon compiled a list of america's 20 most romantic cities, based on a number of shopping-based criteria. and look whom rolled in at #8!

1. Alexandria, Va.
2. Knoxville, Tenn.
3. Orlando, Fla.
4. Miami Florida
5. Ann Arbor, Mich.
6. Columbia, S.C.
7. Cincinnati Ohio
8. Murfreesboro, Tenn.
9. Gainesville, Fla.
10. Tallahassee, Fla.
11. Vancouver, Wash.
12. Round Rock, Texas
13. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
14. Salt Lake City, Utah
15. Arlington, Va.
16. Las Vegas, Nevada
17. Clarksville, Tenn.
18. St. Louis
19. Dayton, Ohio
20. Frisco, Texas

#2 is quite noteworthy as well. happy valentimez!

30 Rock is funny. in order.

this blog ranked 30 characters from 30 Rock according to funniness. do you agree with the order? personally, jenna is higher on my list.

keekerz speakerz : top 10 albums of 2010

joel told you what his favorite albums of the year were. and now i'm going to to tell you mine (should work as a playlist). there is a bit of overlap, but not too much i don't think. here we go.

1. kanye west - my beautiful dark twisted fantasy
"monster"
2. arcade fire - the suburbs
"sprawl ii (mountains beyond mountains)"
3. morning benders - big ehco
"excuses"
4. beach house - teen dream
"take care"
5. phantogram - eyelid movies
"mouthful of diamonds"

6. big boi - sir lucious left foot: the son of chico dusty

"shutterbug"
7. twin shadow - forget
"shooting holes in the moon"
8. s. carey - all we grow
"in the dirt"
9. freelance whales - weathervanes
"the great estates"
10. toro y moi - causers of this
"talamak"

honorable mentions:
caribou - swim
drake - thank me later
gorillaz - plastic beach
local natives - gorilla manor
menomena - mines
sleigh bells - treats
villagers - becoming a jackal

tell us your favorites in the comments!

tweet power!

Twitter released a top ten list of the most "powerful" tweets of 2010 (click here). Included are tweets from @BPGlobalPR, @whitehouse, a woman who rescued herself when she tweeted her location when her phone wouldn't work, and various world governments.

But what was the most powerful tweet of 2010? That would be a tweet from @AnnCurry, host of the Today show that was credited with encouraging the US Air Force with clearing airspace so a plane full of doctors without borders could land in Haiti. All hail the great and powerful Ann Curry.

Good morning, good morning everybody, in the news this morning good morning. soup.

Joel's 2010 Music Roundup

There was plenty of good music this year. Some old favorites produced career best albums, and some new (to me) bands really took over my ipod. These are the ones that I loved, and my favorite song from each album. What were your favorites?

best of the year:
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Beach House - Teen Dream
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Mark Ronson and the Business Intl. - Record Collection
Yeasayer - Odd Blood


my other favorites:
Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
Jonsi - Go
Kelis - Flesh Tone
Maximum Balloon - Maximum Balloon
MGMT - Congratulations
Rihanna - Loud
Robyn - Body Talk
The Roots - How I Got Over

in UT arch news!

omg, some unknown publication ranked us in the top 20! and just BEARly!

#20 undergraduate program in all of america according to the "design futures council"!

auburn got #18. w2g, midge!

and look who finally retired!

drunk-drivin'-est cities.

c2e.

Cities with the most drunk driving offenders
1. San Diego
2. San Jose
3. Charlotte
4. Phoenix
5. Columbus
6. Indianapolis
7. Los Angeles
8. San Francisco
9. Austin
10. Jacksonville
11. San Antonio
12. Dallas
13. Houston
14. Fort Worth
15. Memphis
16. Philadelphia
17. New York
18. Baltimore
19. Chicago
20. Detroit

(via)