McG's top 5 for May 30

5. The Cooler - William Macy gives another great performance in this neo-film noir. Mario Bello is super hot and sexy in her role as casino waitress who seduces Macy's character.

4. Mission of Burma - ONoffON - Excellent new studio album from this seminal post-punk group. Hopefully this will give guitarist/songwriter Roger Miller the recognition he deserves as one of the underground's best musicians.
MP3: Mission of Burma - "Wounded World"
MP3: Mission of Burma - "Dirt"

3. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse - I got a sneak preview of the new SY album and thought it sounds great. Many songs start off mellow, but then blossom into sonic maelstroms. The addition of Jim O'Rourke was a wise choice.
-->You can listen to the new album using the Sonic Nurse media player.

2. HBO's "Smashed: Toxic Tales of Teens and Alcohol" - A cross between "Trauma: Life in the ER" and a high-school anti-alcohol propaganda film. Harsh realities of drinking and driving exposed including kids who have head trauma from accidents. Intense.

1. "Slowing Down to the Speed of Life" - Effective self-help book that helps overdriven, anxious and irritable people mellow out and enjoy life. "You Can Feel Good Again" is also a good book in the same vein. The theories in these books are based on psychology of mind. Easy to use, definitely can help you get on with your life and not be so hard on other people and yourself.