The Dilettante's Dilemma

My Ten Most Recent Posts at Tumblr

2008-11-08T08:55:00.002-05:00

Full Tumblblog here.

Downsizing

2008-11-03T11:21:00.002-05:00

I'm no longer possessed of the time or inclination to blog these days; I'm much more inclined to post something to Facebook or Twitter or the like. So, rather than sit here and feel guilty because I'm not posting anything, I've decided to embrace the micro-blogging (r)evolution and move the Dilettante's Dilemma to a Tumblr site:

The Downsized Dilettante's Dilemma

Please make a note of it.

You're Never Gonna Believe Who This Is

2008-10-14T15:37:00.003-04:00

Seriously. Listen to this cover of Radiohead's "Optimistic" and see if you can tell who it is. I happen to think it's a great cover, and was totally shocked when I found out who it was.

Optimistic.mp3

By the way, I heard this on Brian Ibbott's excellent Coverville podcast. So, if you listen to Coverville and heard it there too (or if by some unbelievable coincidence you own this album), no fair guessing. And if you didn't, well, you should be listening to Coverville.

In case you were wondering what to get the girls for Christmas

2008-10-11T12:10:00.002-04:00

You know things are bad when the English are piling on

2008-10-10T13:51:00.002-04:00

AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka on Racism and Obama

2008-10-09T16:11:00.001-04:00

This is a fantastic speech by the AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka, talking about racism, the election, and why it's the duty of every union member to vote for Barack Obama next month.

It's true righteous passion and it made me tear up a little, and also gave me a bit of hope for the future.

I Heartily Concur: John Cochrane

2008-10-03T12:00:00.005-04:00

Too depressed after last night, when the Cubs lost and Sarah Palin didn't, to write up either my evening watching Grant Achatz or the cool new piece of software I've been playing with. Hope to get to both of those next week.

(UPDATE: Friends have pointed out that, in fact, a consensus is forming that while Palin exceeded expectations, she didn't win. So that's good. I'm waiting for a similar article to appear about the Cubs game.)

In the meantime here's a long, involved, and well-written article arguing against the bailout. The money quote, from the conclusion (and by "money quote" I mean "quote that agrees with exactly what I think but haven't been able to articulate"):

"Yes, we need to do something. But 'doing something' that will not work � with potentially dire consequences � is not the right course, especially when sensible and well-understood options remain."

John Cochrane on Why the Bailout Plan Would Be a Disaster

"Is One Of Us Supposed to be a Dog in This Scenario?"

2008-09-23T09:53:00.005-04:00

The best metaphor I've come up with for the $700B bailout of the financial markets (and how the President is selling it to the American people) is that it's like the Iraq War "surge."

We shouldn't have been in Iraq in the first place, and if those in charge of the decision had not relied on incorrect and/or fabricated intelligence, we wouldn't have been. But we were, and given that, the President told us it would be irresponsible to pull out and just let Iraq sort itself out. Doing that would cause chaos that could destabilize the entire region, so we had to increase our presence in order to stabilize the country, despite the tremendously high cost.

Similarly, the financial markets shouldn't be this fucked up in the first place, and if those in charge of the markets hadn't relied on confusing and/or suspect investing techniques, they wouldn't be. But they are, and given that, the government is telling us it would be irresponsible to do nothing and just let the free market sort itself out. Doing that would cause chaos that could destabilize the entire world market, so we had to increase government control in order to stabilize the market, despite the tremendously high cost.

Two or More Dumb Questions About the Current Economic Crisis

2008-09-18T10:18:00.006-04:00

1. When it is announced that "the Fed" has loaned AIG $87B, where does that money come from? And as a related question, is the money being loaned by the Federal Reserve Bank, or the Federal Government (and is there any real difference)? Given that the U.S. government is in debt and is running a deficit, it's not like the money is just laying around, is it?

And yes, I know that no one cut a check, and no actual cash changed hands. It's all electronic. But still, what was that money doing last week? Was it just created (minted/printed), and if so, isn't that going to be problematic wrt inflation?

2. How can free-market, pro-deregulation Republicans (like, say, George Bush) be OK with this bailout? From my stand-point, I understand (and grudgingly agree with) the bailout, since I believe that one of the roles of government is to protect its citizens in times of crisis. But if you're a free-marketeer, aren't you supposed to just let the chips fall where they may? Some people win, some people lose; that's what happens in a free market.

And, if you believe that the government should stay out these sorts of things because the free market will sort itself out, but then the government has to step in in order to prevent the entire economy from collapsing, doesn't that sort of prove that your philosophy is flawed? After the last week, unfettered free-market capitalism has started to feel a little bit like Communism to me: interesting in theory, crappy in reality.

[UPDATE 12:20]: Slate's The Explainer answers many of the questions in #1.

Too Big To Fail?

2008-09-17T09:58:00.003-04:00

Apparently not...

Speaking Truth to Power, Power-Speaker Edition

2008-09-11T10:42:00.001-04:00

Matt Damon has some questions about Sarah Palin. Actually, a lot of us have a lot of these same questions, but because Matt Damon is Matt Damon, CBS News gives him a forum to express them:

Q: What's the Difference Between a Hockey Mom and a Pit Bull?

2008-09-09T09:50:00.003-04:00

A: A pit bull doesn't wear $600 eyeglasses.

(HT Lin B)

How 'Bout Those Bears?

2008-09-08T13:09:00.003-04:00

After yesterday's heart-ripper-outer of a game, the Cubs have lost 7 of 8 for the first time since last June. They still have a 4 game division lead and an 84.5% chance of winning the division, thanks to the Brewers losing five of their last seven, so things are not actually as bleak as they may seem. Still, with Zambrano and Harden in various levels of gimpitude, the collective angst here in Chicago is not unfounded. Harden is scheduled to pitch on Thursday, and Zambrano on Saturday, so we'll know more (and know just how freaked out to be) in a week or so.

In the meantime, maybe WXRT's Lin Brehmer is right and the Cubs are suffering under The Curse Of Jon Bon Jovi. Apparently the Cubs are playing "Living on a Prayer" during pitching changes. "Living on a Prayer"? Seriously?

It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not.
We've got each other and that's a lot for love
We'll give it a shot.
Whoah, we're half way there
Whoah, livin' on a prayer

I don't think "it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not" adequately captures the feelings of Cubs fans (not to mention players and management). The Cubs aren't "living on a prayer," either; they're living on strong pitching, solid defense, and the best offense in the National League.

And that doesn't touch on how crappy a band Bon Jovi is, or the fact that "Living on a Prayer" is a twenty-year old song. I wish I had a viable, recent, higher-quality alternative, because I'm all about solutions, but alas the last few weeks have reduced my brain's capacity for that sort of critical thinking to almost nil.

So instead of suggesting what should be played, I will merely add my voice to Lin Brehmer's: no more Jovi at Wrigley. Not now, not ever.

24-Hour Turnaround

2008-09-05T09:53:00.004-04:00

Yesterday's funk has passed...

1. I've got a bunch a houses to look at tomorrow.
2. Nothing to be done about this, but at least I'll get back to The HBG in a few weeks.
3. The pageantry is over, now the real battle begins.
4. "It's merely a flesh wound!"
5. Times of clouds and sun, high 71 degrees.

Plus the draft of the report is almost done, I've got good new music to listen to, and the office closes early today. I am, to quote Dan Wilson, feeling strangely fine.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Rough Day

2008-09-04T09:59:00.002-04:00

1. That house we thought we were going to buy? Not so much. There are good reasons why, but it still means we're back to square one. I'm looking at more houses in the same neighborhood on Saturday.

2. I'm here; my wife and children are here, 682 miles away; given #1, it's likely to stay that way for a while longer.

3. Turns out Sarah Palin can give a great speech (even filled, as it was, with distortions and half- and un-truths) and energize the base, making McCain's gamble pay off. It would have been so much easier over the next two months without an articulate, intelligent candidate in that slot.

4. Five losses in a row and an injured ace (or two). They're still a lock to make the playoffs and odds-on favorites to win the division, but after a season that was remarkably free of bumps in the road, this is a big one.

5. Two straight days without seeing the sun, with no end in sight.

Sarah, Bristol, and Trig Palin: Conspiracy Theory A Go-Go!

2008-09-02T13:01:00.004-04:00

You've all seen the conspiracy theory surrounding republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin's new baby, right? The nutshell version is that it isn't Sarah Palin's baby, it's her daughter Bristol's; here's the DailyKos diary where I first read about it.

I love this theory. Not in a "oh my god, it must be true" way, but in a "wow, there's an awful lot of circumstantial 'evidence' that feeds into liberal wish fulfillment in a fascinating way" way.

(I should clarify, however, that I don't believe it. If true it would be a cover-up of pretty massive proportions that implicated Palin, her doctor, her entire family, and potentially the McCain campaign. No matter how desperate the McCain people are, there's no way he picks Palin and hopes that something like this doesn't somehow come out. That's way too far on the wrong side of the risk-reward spectrum.)

Still, it's a great crackpot theory. Unfortunately, any possibility that it was true appears to have disappeared with the announcement that Bristol Palin is currently five months pregnant; that timing puts conception before the birth of Trig.

But why let the facts (or should I say "facts") get in the way of a perfectly good conspiracy theory? I laid out the whole theory to my Mom over the weekend, showing her the pictures of a supposedly seven-month pregnant Sarah Palin, the family pictures (my mom: "Sarah's not pregnant, but that girl is!"), etc., and then the story broke yesterday about Bristol's pregnancy. My mom's response? "Well, all they have to do now is announce that Bristol has lost that baby. If that happens, you'll know something was up."

If that were to happen, it would send the crackpot wing of the Democratic Party into a frenzy never before seen. It would be incredible.

Of course, it's not going to happen, and hopefully within a few days we can (as Daryl said to me last night) move past this and focus on the fact that she's completely unqualified to be Vice President.

What's Up?

2008-08-11T17:30:00.004-04:00

So what have you been up to the last six weeks? Me, I've been doing the usual -- buying a house, selling a house, starting a new job, moving halfway across the country, flying all over the place.

It's been difficult to find a topic to post about; typically, the best blog entries are ones that focus on something small and extrapolate some larger truth. With all the huge stuff going on, I worry that the opposite would happen, and whatever I posted would end being trite. Or, you know, triter than usual.

But as the weeks went by I started worrying about my dozens of loyal readers going elsewhere, so here's a post. The short version of events is that I'm ridiculously busy, so busy that I haven't had time to blog about any of the things I might otherwise have: my vacation, Joe Biden, the four-eared cat, the fact that Toby Keith is a Democrat, Zosia's 4th birthday, the Olympics, and any number of other things that have happened recently. But I promise I'll be back (semi-)regularly come next week, and your daily reading experience will be all the richer for it.

And The Wheel Goes Round

2008-07-16T12:34:00.000-04:00

Most of my regular readers already know this story, but I want to make sure I write it down for posterity. As I think I mentioned a few months ago, my tenure at Cutters Edge has come to an end. For a variety of reasons (not all of which I agreed with), the decision was made to close down the office I moved to Harrisburg to open three years ago. My dad offered me a different job within the company but it wasn't a job I was interested in, and I decided this would be a good time to get out of the fire rescue equipment field and back into something I had a better feel for, and got more enjoyment from.

I decided to try to get back into web project management, something I had done plenty of in the 90s before the .com bubble burst and sent me to Cutters Edge in the first place. I spent much of March & April looking for web producer jobs in the area without much success. I did get very close -- it was down to me & one other candidate -- at a company right here in Harrisburg which I would really have enjoyed working at. They regularly place on the "best places to work in Pennsylvania" survey and in the time I spent interviewing I could see why. It was a tight-knit group who seemed to work really hard and get along really well. I really enjoyed the vibe at the office and I was pretty crushed when I didn't get that job.

Once they published their press release showing who they had hired, I went and applied for that guy's old job, at another production company, this time in Lebanon. I went for multiple interviews there, including a half-day spent "shadowing" the PM staff, and once again was one of two finalists. Once again, I didn't get the job. Very demoralizing, especially since those were pretty much the only two leads I had (though in retrospect I think I wouldn't have been too happy at that second company -- the president seemed a bit hard to get along with). In each case, it took them about two months to come to a decision, which meant weeks of waiting and multiple interviews before I was told I wasn't wanted.

After I got turned down for that second job things looked pretty bleak. There just aren't a whole lot of web jobs in central PA for a guy who isn't a programmer, and I was starting to expand my search to project management jobs in industries that didn't really interest me all that much. I was certainly feeling the pressure to provide for my family, something that I hadn't had to deal with the last time I was on the job market.

In early June I re-connected with an old friend on Facebook. This is a guy I met on The Well back when I was living in Chicago -- we quickly became real-life friends as well but once I moved to the Bay Area and he quit The Well we drifted apart. The day I added him as a friend, he sent me a message telling me that his company was hiring, and was I by any chance looking for a job? Now, I have no market research experience but my buddy seemed to think that I would be good in the position, and when he sent over the job description, I had to agree. They were looking for people with good writing skills, strong analytical skills, and knowledge of, and interest in, a wide range of topics.

I spoke to my buddy on the phone a few times and he passed my resume and writing samples on to the VP in charge of hiring. All the while, he regaled me with stories of how tight-knit the office is, and what an awesome time he had working with a tremendous client list (including companies like MTV, MySpace, adidas, the NBA, Sony BMG, ESPN, Disney, Nokia, etc. etc. etc.).

I spoke to the VP a few times and things went well enough that the company flew me to Chicago for a half-day interview. I met with the VP, the president, and a few of the other research directors and managers, and everything went very well. I felt like not only would I be able to do a good job, but that I would enjoy working for the company.

A week later, they made me an offer, I accepted it, and in two weeks I start as a Research Director! I actually already have my first client and have my first business trip all planned for my second day, when I fly to Denver, then Sacramento, then Salt Lake City to do a series of ethnographic (in-home) research studies.

Throughout the process I pushed to allow them to let me stay in Harrisburg, but ultimately they wouldn't go for that, which means that we're moving to Chicago! (This is what is known in the business as "burying your lede.") That's a dream for me, to move back to my home city, but I know it's going to be tough for Daryl and will be a pretty big adjustment for Zosia as well (no big deal for Vivi, I'd say). So, in between business trips and learning not only a new job and company, but a whole new career, we have to sell this house, pack everything up, buy a house in Chicago, and move. All in the next 6-8 weeks.

It's daunting, and at times terrifying, but the end result is going to be really positive. After the multiple rejections it is really nice to be wanted by a company, and specifically to be appreciated not just for my skillset but for what I enjoy doing. The sorts of things this company does are the sorts of things I already did in my spare time -- the possibility of getting paid to talk about new products, product positioning, branding, etc., is almost too good to be true.

This is a job with a future, I think. I didn't have a future at Cutters Edge -- at least not one that was all that attractive. Now I have something to look forward to that could be rewarding not only professionally, but personally as well. All I have to do is get through the next few weeks of The Present to get to that future.

Memetics: The EW Music List

2008-07-02T12:43:00.001-04:00

Like the movie list, the music list ends up almost entirely bold-faced. More than movies or books, I love music, and there is very little of importance or "quality" (however defined) that I don't have -- at least when it comes to the rock spectrum that Entertainment Weekly chronicles.

Much of what I don't have, I used to have but lost in the fire and never managed/bothered to reacquire.

1. Purple Rain Prince and the Revolution (1984)
2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill (1998)
3. Achtung Baby U2 (1991)
4. The College Dropout Kanye West (2004)
5. Madonna Madonna (1983)
6. American Idiot Green Day (2004)
7. The Blueprint Jay-Z (2001)
8. Graceland Paul Simon (1986)
9. Back to Black Amy Winehouse (2007)
10. In Rainbows Radiohead (2007)
11. MTV Unplugged in New York Nirvana (1994)
12. Stankonia OutKast (2000)
13. You Are Free Cat Power (2003)
14. Disintegration The Cure (1989)
15. The Marshall Mathers LP Eminem (2000)
16. Rain Dogs Tom Waits (1985)
17. Odelay Beck (1996)
18. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm A Tribe Called Quest (1990)
19. Dangerously in Love Beyonc� (2003)
20. Tidal Fiona Apple (1996)
21. The Emancipation of Mimi Mariah Carey (2005)
22. 3 Feet High and Rising De La Soul (1989)
23. The Soft Bulletin The Flaming Lips (1999)
24. Come On Over Shania Twain (1997)
25. Turn On the Bright Lights Interpol (2002)
26. Time Out of Mind Bob Dylan (1997)
27. Funeral Arcade Fire (2004)
28. Illmatic Nas (1994)
29. Breakaway Kelly Clarkson (2004)
30. Appetite for Destruction Guns N' Roses (1987)
31. FutureSex/LoveSounds Justin Timberlake (2006)
32. Life's Rich Pageant R.E.M. (1985)
33. As I Am Alicia Keys (2007)
34. Is This It The Strokes (2001)
35. Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette (1995)
36. CrazySexyCool TLC (1994)
37. The Moon & Antarctica Modest Mouse (2000)
38. Raising Hell Run-DMC (1986)
39. Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow (1996)
40. Ready to Die The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
41. Legend Bob Marley and the Wailers (1984)
42. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Wu-Tang Clan (1993)
43. Paul's Boutique Beastie Boys (1989)
44. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Lucinda Williams (1998)
45. If You're Feeling Sinister Belle and Sebastian (1996)
46. Homogenic Bj�rk (1997)
47. Exile in Guyville Liz Phair (1993)
48. American IV: The Man Comes Around Johnny Cash (2002)
49. A Rush of Blood to the Head Coldplay (2002)
50. Sounds of Silver LCD Soundsystem (2007)
51. The Score Fugees (1996)
52. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Spoon (2007)
53. King of America Elvis Costello (1986)
54. Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 Janet Jackson (1989)
55. It Takes a Nation of Millions... Public Enemy (1988)
56. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Wilco (2002)
57. Harvest Moon Neil Young (1992)
58. Surfer Rosa The Pixies (1988)
59. Ray of Light Madonna (1998)
60. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain Pavement (1994)
61. Paid in Full Eric B. & Rakim (1987)
62. OK Computer Radiohead (1997)
63. The Joshua Tree U2 (1987)
64. Mama's Gun Erykah Badu (2000)
65. Elephant The White Stripes (2003)
66. The Chronic Dr. Dre (1992)
67. Metallica Metallica (1991)
68. Wrecking Ball Emmylou Harris (1995)
69. Give Up The Postal Service (2003)
70. My Life Mary J. Blige (1994)
71. Rock Steady No Doubt (2001)
72. 1984 Van Halen (1984)
73. The Queen is Dead Smiths (1986)
74. Play Moby (1999)
75. Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen (1984)
76. Heartbreaker Ryan Adams (2000)
77. Dummy Portishead (1994)
78. Vs. Pearl Jam (1991)
79. Let It Be The Replacements (1984)
80. Back to Basics Christina Aguilera (2006)
81. The Downward Spiral Nine Inch Nails (1994)
82. Grace Jeff Buckley (1994)
83. Learning to Crawl The Pretenders (1984)
84. Low-Life New Order (1985)
85. Home Dixie Chicks (2002)
86. Loveless My Bloody Valentine (1991)
87. All Eyez on Me 2Pac (1996)
88. So Peter Gabriel (1986)
89. Bachelor No. 2 Aimee Mann (2000)
90. Toxicity System of a Down (2001)
91. Siamese Dream Smashing Pumpkins (1993)
92. The Writing's on the Wall Destiny�s Child (1999)
93. Either/Or Elliott Smith (1997)
94. Synchronicity The Police (1983)
95. Trap Muzik T.I. (2003)
96. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea PJ Harvey (2000)
97. Britney Britney Spears (2001)
98. Transatlanticism Death Cab for Cutie (2003)
99. Live Through This Hole (1994)
100. Faith George Michael (1987)

After doing the book list I am not at all surprised that of the 28 albums I don't have, 19 are by female artists or bands fronted by women.

Memetics: The EW Movie List

2008-06-30T08:01:00.000-04:00

Another listicle from EW for us all to pore over -- the 100 best films from 1983-2008:

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)
3. Titanic (1997)
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
9. Die Hard (1988)
10. Moulin Rouge (2001)
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)
21. Schindler's List (1993)
22. Rushmore (1998)
23. Memento (2001)
24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988)
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
30. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
32. Fight Club (1999)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
34. Fargo (1996)
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990)
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
40. Speed (1994)
41. Dazed and Confused (1993)
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
45. Rain Man (1988)
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
50. The Piano (1993)
51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
53. The Truman Show (1998)
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There�s Something About Mary (1998)
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996)
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)
63. Big (1988)
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)
71. Unforgiven (1992)
72. Thelma & Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
80. Michael Clayton (2007)
81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003)
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
86. Y Tu Mam� Tambi�n (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
91. Back to the Future (1985)
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)

Unsurprisingly, I did better on this list than I did on the book list -- I've seen 95 of these 100 movies, and two of the five I haven't seen are on my to-watch list (There Will Be Blood and The Lives of Others). The other three are all chick flicks, more or less, though I'm actually surprised I never watched Hannah and Her Sisters, which is always at or near the top of any "Best Woody Allen Films" list, or Pretty Woman, which is on cable all the time. As far as Out of Africa goes, eh.

Music Friday: Crazy Cambodian Garage Rock

2008-06-27T12:07:00.003-04:00

Yes It Does

Wanna hear something really cool? Check this out:

Cambodian Rocks

My pal JoeyX mentioned this album on The Well the other day. It's a compilation of Cambodian psychedelic and garage rock from the late 60s and early 70s that was "compiled by an American tourist named Paul Wheeler from some cassettes he bought in Phnom Penh."

WFMU originally posted the tracks without any attribution (that's the way they are on the album) but thanks to the power of the Internet the song & artist information has been filled in. It's great stuff, full of fuzzy guitars and Farfisa licks that sound like they were lifted straight off the Nuggets record. Play it at your next party and I guarantee you'll have people asking about it once they stop dancing to it.

Memetics: The EW Book List

2008-06-26T08:37:00.003-04:00

I am a sucker for lists; I have been since I was a kid. Anytime a magazine spits out a listicle I am inclined to read it and see how many of the the albums/books/movies on the list I have seen/read.

So when Marjorie pointed me at the Entertainment Weekly list of the 100 Best Books Since 1983 (part of their New Classics series -- I'll blog the other lists later as well), I had to see how I did. The answer is: not very well. Here's the list, with the Books I've read in bold:

1. The Road, Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars' Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, Jos� Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garc�a M�rquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot D�az (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)
27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
47. World's Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)
56. The Night Manager, John le Carr� (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I�ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus� Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators' Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)

That's 33, which is not very good. But here's what's even worse:

There are 58 books written by men on that list; I've read 31.
There are 42 books written by women on that list; I've read 2.

I am: ashamed. A few of these books (Lovely Bones, Birds of America, Fun Home, Comfort Me With Apples) I remember bringing home from the library for Daryl to read; another bunch (Secret History, Lovely Bones, Kite Runner, Liar's Club, Joy Luck Club, Poisonwood Bible) are books that either Daryl or my mom have been telling me to read for years. I guess I really should read them.

Marjorie tells me I shouldn't be ashamed, that we read what we are drawn to, but still. Call it male guilt, but I feel like plenty of these books are books I should have read by now. Not all of them -- I'll probably never read Bridget Jones' Diary or The Stone Diaries, for (diametrically opposed) example -- but some of them, like Possession, A Thousand Acres, Gilead, and some of the non-fiction (Eat Pray Love, Nickle & Dimed) are going on my ever-growing book list.

What To Drink

2008-06-25T13:36:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Mark Bittman, I now have the entire menu for wht I'll be drinking this summer:

Be Your Own Mixologist

As Bittman points out in this article, just about any combination of liquor, a little sugar, and something sour is a named drink. So if you know how to make one, you can make any of them, depending on what you're in the mood for, and what's in the house. Here's his handy clip-and-save list:

GIMLET: Gin (traditionally) or vodka (more recently), with sugar and lime (or Rose�s Lime Juice).

TOM COLLINS: Gin with lemon instead of lime, sugar and club soda. There are also bourbon, rum, or vodka collinses.

SLOE GIN FIZZ: Tom Collins with sloe gin.

DAIQUIRI: Gimlet with rum, more or less.

MARGARITA: Gimlet with tequila, with triple sec instead of sugar.

KAMIKAZE: Margarita with vodka.

COSMO: Kamikaze with a splash of cranberry juice.

SIDECAR: Margarita with cognac and lemon instead of lime.

To this list I would of course add:

MIDTOWN: Kamikaze with pomegranate juice, more or less.

Drink up!

Must Watch: Lara Logan on The Daily Show

2008-06-20T11:53:00.003-04:00

I have become a member of the cult of Lara Logan, after this interview on The Daily Show earlier this week. Watch the whole thing, it's fantastic.

"If I were to watch the news that you're hearing here in the United States, I'd just blow my brains out, because it would just drive me nuts."

"You get in a Humvee with soldiers, they're all on their best behavior, they've been told not to swear about you, and you say, 'Yo, what's up, motherfuckers?' and then it's all done."

"You know, I was asked once, 'do you feel responsible for the American people having a bad view -� a negative view -� of the war in Iraq?' and I looked at the reporter, and I said, 'Tell me the last time you saw the body of a dead American soldier. What does that look like? Who in America knows what that looks like? 'Cause I know what that looks like, and I feel responsible for the fact that no one else does.'"

Candor from a MSM correspondent, anger, and a desire to get the real story out to the American people, with a feeling that if she doesn't she's failing us. Pretty damned impressive. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention her hottness.

According to Wikipedia, Logan has been in Iraq and Afghanistan ever since she essentially snuck in via Russia in November of 2001. Also, she pissed off Michelle Malkin, which is always a good thing. She's now Chief Foreign Correspondent for CBS News and her reports appear regularly on 60 Minutes, a show I will definitely need to start watching again.

Attacks In Midtown

2008-06-19T14:37:00.001-04:00

This weekend saw a couple of assaults in my neighborhood:

Attacks unnerve residents

The first was on a residential block about two blocks from my house; the second was in front of a bar about 7 blocks away (a quick aside: I wouldn't describe Shady's as "near the Broad Street Market." I'm sure the management of the Market was un-psyched to see it pop up in this article; they need all the help they can get attracting visitors).

The article I linked to is a typical nearly-useless Patriot-News article, but it does have an interesting quote from Mayor-For-Life Reed:

"We aren't going to tolerate that crap," Reed said. "If we find them, we will arrest and prosecute them."

I am of two minds about our tough-talking mayor. On the one hand, I wonder if he gets this upset when kids get shot in Allison Hill, or only when people get beat up in the one neighborhood that can be pointed to as a New Urbanist success? In general I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he gets upset anytime someone gets assaulted; it's just that the Patriot-News doesn't bother going to him for a quote because they figure assaults in black neighborhoods don't sell papers.

On the other hand, I'm glad he's upset, and publicly, because THIS IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD. There was a roving gang of eight to ten hooligans beating people up, just a few blocks from my house! That is fucking scary. So, yeah, Steve, glad you're pissed. Now let's see the HPD do something about it.

[UPDATE 6/20}: The Penn Street crew (of which I am an auxilliary member) was out in full force last night, with about a dozen of us hanging out on the block for about three hours. We've been doing this since long before these recent attacks, but it seemed like an opportune time to re-convene.

While we were out, a patrol car came down the street, followed a few hours later by an officer on foot with a police dog (who also made an appearance up on Susquehanna, according to some friends up there). Then, right after I went in, a couple plainclothes in a van stopped by and mentioned that they had caught two of the kids:

2 Juveniles Arrested In Midtown Robberies

So, right on. A little increased police presence and at least two of these guys are in custody. Let's hope the police attnetion doesn't fade away, not just in Mindtown but throught the city.