Judging from your comments whenever we post about this Williamsburg post-Wesleyan crew, folks are sharply divided on Amazing Baby. The Lenny Tso-directed video for Infinite Fucking Cross's "Head Dress" isn't likely to sway hardliners in either direction, but its waterside frolic, smoke machine, designer threads, and sexy girls who can dance for real (kind of) will make the MGMT comparisons easier. To be fair, it's less Amazing Baby-like than the "Pump Your Brakes" clip, so maybe it'ill soften a few hearts.

The Cure's very busy year (brought to you by the number 13) essentially wound up last night with a stop by Jimmy Kimmel's music stage (brought to you by the Pontiac logo). The singles and videos and etc. are too numerous to link, so just click their tag to get caught up, but know that 4:13 Dream saw the band in revitalized form. And apparently the ensuing months on the road have helped them learn to finesse the lesser points of their studio effort. Case in point: This take on "Freakshow," which sees Robert and band tone down the hokey cowbell funk for a more propulsive, urgent, steamrolling groove.

On we go with the Best of 2008 series! Being a geek and being crafty seem to go hand in hand; both take ingenuity. Even if you're a big-time techie but can't sew, glue, or cook to save your life, everyone still appreciates a rad geeky DIY project.

I've narrowed it down to my fave projects: the Mario Star Nano Case, my Halloween Rick-Roll costume, the papercraft phenomena of Cubeecrafts, frosted Tetris brownies, the embroidered motherboard dish towel, and lastly, the embroidered text message.

Which one was your fave?

Surely you can't frown on Ikea in a time such as this, when a recession is at hand? (Not that I ever frown on Ikea, for shame!)

The $150 Gustav Laptop Table isn't merely a petite table that could accommodate your laptop — though it does that with an extendable panel, so you can type or rest it on the leaf or the main surface.

What's great about the Gustav is that the drawer is the perfect size for laptop storage, and inside you'll also find a cable outlet so you can organize or hide the laptop's cords and cables. Plus, it's simple and sturdy and looks fabulous. But you already noticed that.

I just came across these adorable and wacky family portraits by photographer Akihiro Furuta, and couldn't help but share one. Since it's the holidays, I'm sure family portraits are on a lot of your minds, and you may have already sent out a holiday card with one.My family only successfully mailed three holiday portrait cards, and they were the cliché kind: matching smock dresses and little red mary janes one year, in full ski gear the next, and turtlenecks and "seasonal" sweaters on an ice skating rink another year. I wish we'd gotten a bit more inventive with our portraits like Furuta has done. This photo celebrates his dog's birthday, and I think that the cheekiness of this family's costume attire is much more festive. Source

With all the mud, snow, and slush that enter our homes during the Winter, a doormat is a must. But when holiday party season is in full swing (along with the drinks!), you can't count on your guests to be mindful of the mud. So, you can give them a little nudge by putting a second door mat inside the door, in addition to the exterior welcome mat. If they miss both mats, they must have reeeally long legs. Just make sure to use a thinner doormat inside, or even a low pile rug remnant, and test it to be sure that the door will open smoothly!
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As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to move into the White House, President Bush has picked up some new property for his life post-1600 Penn, when he leaves office in January. George and Laura have ponied up for a 8,501-square-foot, four-bedroom, ranch-style home in Preston Hollow, a wealthy North Dallas neighborhood where they lived before he became governor of Texas in 1995. I guess George is saying goodbye to the Georgian style.Preston Hollow counts some other prominent residents, including Dallas mayor Tom Leppert, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, former Dallas Cowboys Roger Staubach and Chuck Howley, and billionaire investors Harold Simmons and T. Boone Pickens, among others, so the Bush family should feel right at home, and perhaps their new neighbors won't be starstruck. The word on the sale price is that the property sold for "considerably more" than its $2.1 million appraisal price. There's also rumor that the couple is under contract to purchase an adjacent home, which they may tear down, use for an office, or for secret service. To see photos of that property,

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What do I need these for? I have no idea. But the Star Wars Stack 'Ems have an irresistible pull on me either way. They're $10 each and blind-boxed, so you don't know which character you'll get, and they're not totally useless — you can use them as key chains or just get really bored and stack them up as intended.

What do you think? Pointless or pretty awesome?

Holidays are on my mind lately, and I love seeing all the creative ways others decorate their homes at this time of year. I'm always looking for inspiration to try new things in my own home. We each have our own traditions for the holidays and the seasons, and personalizing our homes is often a large part of those rituals. For example, TeamSugar member Peggasus decided to add some holiday cheer to this Marlin (which she caught herself — it took her two hours to reel it in) by topping its fin with a Santa hat. So, for this Su Casa challenge, I'd like you to share photos of your own holiday decorating with the rest of us in the Su Casa Group. You have all month to get your photos in, and feel free to add a caption, talking about how you achieved your festive look, where your accents are from, or what your holiday traditions are when it comes to decking the halls! Two lucky participants will win the CasaSugar swag of their choice, so it's definitely worth taking a snapshot or two of your home! I'm looking forward to seeing all of your inspired decor!
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Tellingly, when Fujiya & Mijagi remixed Mercury Rev, they made the dramatic flourishes less fiery, more leveled. The Brighton boys like to keep it steady. That in mind, "Sore Thumb"'s F&M formula didn't come as a surprise when we first posted it. A couple months later, it's still funky, full of synths, and as Amrit mentioned, vaguely sexy and nonsensical. The video doesn't really help matters one way or the other as far as meaning goes, but it does make it a tad less sexy. Well, unless you fancy Dieter and the Tron revival.

NAME: Giant Drag
PROGRESS REPORT: Completing work on the Swan Song EP, recorded at Sunset Lodge Recording in Los Angeles; beginning work on untitled full-length album.

Nothing bums out Giant Drag mainwoman Annie Hardy. She hunts out the upsides everywhere--"You Fuck Like My Dad" excluded, maybe. Hardy's applying that same dark humor from her albums to her current condition. Right now the formidable frontwoman is stuck at home a lot with a lot of pain and "overall bummerness" that makes it hard to move. Hardy thought the aches were tour injuries, caused by loading and unloading equipment, but it didn't go away even after Giant Drag wrapped up their tour. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that can make you feel sore and aching all over. "Basically I'm in dull to gnarly pain all the time, and I'm supposed to be doing physical therapy three times a week but can't afford it," Hardy says. "But it's not terminal cancer so I try not to bitch about it too much."