Hobson’s Choice: Footwear of the Dammned

Posted by cdm

Jul 312013

BirkenCrocs.

A large part of Rock ‘n Roll has always been the aesthetics of it. There are innumerable takes on what makes for a cool Look, but seldom are those looks based on things like “comfort” or “utility.” That’s not to say that a cool look can’t be comfortable, but rather that comfort is a secondary concern. Even “anti-Looks,” like that of Neil Young are still making a statement. To paraphrase noted Canadian philosopher Geddy Lee, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”

As the father of 2 young kids, I spend a fair amount of time at playgrounds and get-togethers and such with other parents who may not have the same priorities when choosing what to wear. Plenty are well dressed, even fashionable, but there is a certain pragmatism that take hold when you are getting dressed for a day to be spent hanging out on the sidelines of a little league field or at the playground.

Which brings me to my question: Which is the most style-free, utilitarian, and therefore least “rock and roll” footwear, Birkenstock or Crocs? If forced to wear one or the other, which would you choose? I recognize this is very much a Hobson’s Choice so rest assured, your answer will not be interpreted as an endorsement of one type of footwear, rather it will be seen and an indictment of the other.

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Morton’s Entire Silverware Set

Posted by cdm

Oct 022012

Please rank the following in the order of most tolerable to least tolerable:

Free free to use any criteria that you like, but make sure that you show your work.

And please don’t just say that you hate them all, because we all do for the most part (except for Jungleland and one other guy, maybe Konajinx?).

Catfight With Morton’s Fork!

Posted by cherguevara

Jan 182012

Choose your fighter:

vs

Who still pays attention to Saturday Night Live? For me, the mainstream is largely off of my radar, so I’m not so sure how this Lana Del Ray thing came to my attention, or why I find it fascinating—but I do.

To summarize, Lana Del Ray co-wrote and sings this song called “Video Games.” She performed on SNL and suddenly the Internet was flaming about what a train-wreck it was. I’m not defending this performance—it’s not great and it’s not comfortable to watch, but it’s not the biggest mess I’ve ever seen on SNL or other TV shows.

But what sparked this uproar? One of the most notable sources was a tweet from actress/”musician” Juliette Lewis, who wrote, “Wow, watching this ‘singer’ on SNL is like watching a 12-year-old in their bedroom when they’re pretending to sing and perform #signofourtimes.” Lewis has since deleted her tweet and said some nicer things about Del Ray. Maybe she realized she was standing on shaky ground herself?

I dare you to watch both of these videos. Do you choose the pot or the kettle?

The Opposite of a Morton’s Fork

Posted by cdm

Sep 022010

If you were in a band, which of the following guys would you rather have on rhythm guitar based on their Look and stage presence alone?

First, please check out Hiram Bullock making sweet, sweet love to his sunburst Strat at the 1:00 mark in the following clip:

Then, check out that guy in the back with the two-toned acoustic guitar and the colossal hat at the 00:12 mark in this next clip:

This is the opposite of a Morton’s Fork, a choice between two equally unpleasant alternatives. I don’t this there is a wrong choice here, but that should not prevent you from choosing.