it’s the time for tying up loose ends, setting projects on the shelf, letting bygones be bygones and preparing to go meet the world. school’s out, but not forever — who’d want that? the promise of this escape relies on being s[…]

With the biting winds of PUNK ROCK beginning to blow through the Popular comments boxes it’s time to examine the ways in which punk has become institutionalised as a metaphor – starting with Richard Williams on the Guardian football blog:[…]

Marathon is back! Back!! BACK!! : Mars have cashed in one of their longer-standing “free goodwill” chips by restoring – however briefly – 70s/80s icon Marathon to its brand portfolio (whether it’ll completely replace Sni[…]

Ken Hollings joins Mark Sinker and Elisha Sessions to talk about “The Tactful Saboteur”, a tale of civil servants and their multi-phase sexual life cycles. Written by Frank Herbert in 1964, it’s read by Elisha at the front of the pr[…]

Of all the records this admittedly sluggish Top 100 could have stalled on for its longest period, it is odd that it was Teenage Kicks. After all everyone loves Teenage Kicks, right? Tom was toying with writing about it as an adjunct to this Pitchfork[…]

Switzerland take on Portugal and the Czechs battle Turkey in the last two Group A games. Click below the cut for managerial comment, analysis, match reports and previews.

How to vote: Pick the track you prefer from each pairing and vote – thes[…]

For my next go at manga I decided to try one that isn’t famous – Addicted To Curry in fact hasn’t been licensed for publication in English-speaking countries, so I was reliant on online “scanlations” – fan transla[…]

I decided last year it was time I read some manga, so I set myself a project: read 10 different ones – at least a “book” of each title. Manga have monstered the US comics market: they sell huge amounts, and they sell them to the peo[…]

Spain and Sweden both got off to shaky starts in Europop 2008: who will take the points here? Listen to the tracks, vote in the poll, and look below the cut for managerial comment, analysis, match reports and previews.
http://freakytrigger.s3.amazona[…]

chaiten with lightning: i can’t get the pictures to embed, i guess they want you to click through — it’s well worth it (cf esp 12/35)[…]