Links of the Week

Link Tunes: The XX. These twenty year-olds from South London put out one of the best albums of 2009 and appear on the verge of international stardom, currently on a worldwide tour that will have them playing America's biggest festivals, including SXSW, Bonaroo, Sasquatch and Lollapalooza. Give them a listen, chances are you've already heard some of their music in commercials, anyway.

WAGS to Riches: The World Cup is as much a gift to the world as it is a coming out party for the WAGS (wives and girlfriends) of the world's most famous players. Speaking of soccer, it looks like Malcom Glazer's financial troubles will negatively affect Manchester United's ability to sign top level free agents after the World Cup.

Letterman....zing!: Tiger wasn't the only one getting mocked for his infidelities this past week.

The Upside of Video Games: Two links here. One about how video games provides professional athletes with a simulation of competition during down time. Another about a guy selling an old Atari game he had stored in his garage for over $31,000.

Bury Metal Bats at Wounded Knee: This video is one of the more spectacular baseball plays ever, especially considering that the pitcher left the game with a broken kneecap as a result. Why do college teams play with metal bats again?

Arcade Fire + Spike Jonze = crazy delicious: This short film will undoubtedly cause the indie blogosphere to stand on its asymmetrical haircut, lumberjack bearded head.

Treme: This new series from the creators of "The Wire" looks promising.

An Education: I haven't seen "The Blind Side," but I'd be shocked if Sandra Bullock's performance was somehow better than Carey Mulligan's in this movie. Here's a very interesting article written by the author of the memoir that the movie is based on.

I-gaga: I wonder how many iphones it would take to play "We are the World?"

The Taiwanese Susan Boyle: As a kid I never did figure out how David Copperfield moved Mt. Rushmore or re-aligned the Pyramids of Giza. As an adult, I'll never figure out how Whitney Houston's voice comes out of this kid's mouth when he sings: