Just Browsing

A few things that have become unnecessary essentials lately:

The Moth podcast
Sound Opinions podcast (you were right, Robby, it’s great)
BetterWorld Books: great selection, free shipping, and they are very conscientious, even towards local libraries.
The Iconogram and Blog Networks Facebook apps: windows into heaven, and into the make-up of the communities behind your favorite blogs.
1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: I got to scan this before sending it off to a lucky winner. If you’re an optimist, there’s also 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
The Freecycle Network: Pass it around
Congresspedia: Real made up stuff about congress
phonezoo: Make your own dang ring tone

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Daft Manos (of Fate)

HT pendulous. If you start to suspect you’re wasting your time,* just stick it out until around :52.

*You are wasting your time. Thanks for doing it with me.

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Hardly education

Gabe wrote a Modest Mouse review, way back in the days when WWDBtSES first came out, where he mentioned not being familiar enough with Smiths’ guitarist Johnny Marr’s previous work to pick out his impact on the Mouse. (Hey. lay off Gabe! This man teaches other people to write. Also, he is an internationally renowned published author. You pretty much better shut your mouth.)

Anyway, so this got me interested in whether I’d be able to pick Marr out of the pack, and on my early listens I really couldn’t. Ever since, I’ve been meaning to go back to the Smiths for a refresher course, and just this week I was able to make the comparison. Of course, it all comes flooding back, like riding a bicycle. Into a swimming pool. Marr’s mark is all over WWDBtSES, that high, effortless, trancy current, that taut, crunchy siren wail, those sweet afterthoughtul rhythms. Of course, it could just be other people who play like Marr did. There’s no telling. I’m a fanatic, but no connoisseur.

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Hat Tips all around

A moment of joy for those of you who are more behind than I am: Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Teen Bless Her Sweet Heart. [Youtube]

Oh, to have rehearsed and rehearsed, and then it just doesn’t quite come out like you’d hoped. I know just how she feels. Except for the part about having just been seen in your swimsuit by millions of people. HT to MW, who posted this to facebook, and another to Mark Elrod’s Lame-O Weblog, a little corner of the S-C web that makes me feel like everything is going to be okay. He’s got a priceless line about Gonzales’ resignation.

One more thing (HT with a deep bow Wes): Zotero is totally changing my life.

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More Things I Don’t Have Time to Write About: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid

1) Two quotes of the week (miserably referenced): In an Dr.’s-office-old issue of Time, a pro baseball player says something like, “you can’t fall in love with a team” in response to a fan’s plea that he promise to never become a Yankee. Interesting that we’re never as interested in an actor or musician’s loyalty to a label (unless it’s the move from indie to major), but there’s something unAmerican about a major leaguer’s inability to commit to a franchise. I guess it’s a different ballgame (tadaa!). We want our artists to be mavericks, unbound by corporate restraints, and we celebrate their victories over sponsorship. We want our athletes to be team players. Although there is a Golden Globe for ensemble. I wonder if the Yankees have ever won that.

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