Mmmm, muuusic.
I know that it's very, very wrong of me to want to have Jeepster's It's a Cool Cool Christmas. Is that knowledge a deterrent? Not really. Look at that tasty, tasty line up: Belle & Sebastian, Saint Etienne, Eels, El Vez, Low, Flaming Lips, and many, many more, singing all your favourite holiday tunes! Plus, some you've never heard of. Thanks to Catherine for further enabling my acquisitiveness.
Friday, December 1, 2000 08:52 a.m.

Mystery Date
Matt has been splendidly on form ever since he moved Scrubbles over to his new domain. This one link is really just the tip of his flawless iceberg of kitsch & good taste. So get on over there after you check out the greatness of this one-woman compendium of the best of "old sex and dating manuals, etiquette and self-help books, and health, beauty and fashion guides."
Friday, December 1, 2000 08:47 a.m.

Bowie Quiz
I haven't taken this quiz yet, but Alex vouches for it, which is enough for me. Apparently, you get 9 lives when you take this quiz, so you can afford to make a few mistakes here & there. Rock on with the Thin White Duke!
Friday, December 1, 2000 08:45 a.m.

A Very Smashing Pumpkin
What is the true meaning of Music? Find out with Billy Corgan & friends. Link courtesy of Marcus.
Friday, December 1, 2000 08:32 a.m.

Just Say Out of Master P's Way, OK?
Death Row Records is offering Snoop Dogg's latest album for download, in its entirety, on their website. Ouch! I would not want to be the industry spy who enabled that little transaction.
Wednesday, November 29, 2000 02:42 p.m.

Up With The Man
This completely cracked me up. Maybe I'm just easily amused.
Wednesday, November 29, 2000 09:36 a.m.

Millie's Modest Proposal
We're all steamed about the recent MTV/Rolling Stone travesty of pop justice that is their 100 Top Pop Songs Of All Time. Millie, mulletrock goddess, proposes that we do something about it - make our own damn list thing. Pick your top 15 pop songs from the Beatles to the Backstreet Boys (does this mean I can't vote for NSYNC?) and email them to her by December 12. That gives you two weeks to come up with some righteous shit.
Wednesday, November 29, 2000 09:34 a.m.

Salon's new TV Diary
My quickie verdict: not as good as MBTV. But I agree with their assessment of Chris Matthews, of Hardball on CNBC and MSNBC - he rules! I just discovered him this week, thanks to his witty punditry on the Today show, and he is my new brain crush. He's so smart & sassy & clearly having a ball with the whole Gore-Dubya disaster. Really, all we can do at this point is sit back and laugh at it all. Which he does very well, while managing to inject some worthwhile observations & commentary into his relentless skewering of the whole mess. And none of the other commentators that they get on Today seem to have nearly as much fun as Chris does with it. Matt & Katie seem in awe of him, actually. Which is totally their loss. Keep up, people! I'd love to see Chris & Jon Stewart get together for some political bantering. Uh, but yeah, Salon's TV Diary feature has potential, but it hasn't hit it's stride yet. I'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, November 29, 2000 09:33 a.m.

Buffy Early-Bird Review
Damn, this show is getting dark. And I'm not referring to the wardrobe.
Tuesday, November 28, 2000 04:55 p.m.

ODB Arrested in Philly
Not only was he arrested in Philly, but he was arrested in a McDonald's which I think I have eaten in. The manager of the McD's where he was dining got nervous when the ODB was surrounded by a bunch of autograph-seekers. Somehow all of Ol' Dirty's post-rehab prison break escapades have escaped my notice, but this one really stuck out.
Tuesday, November 28, 2000 04:48 p.m.

Somebody Hand Me a Kleenex, Please
If your eyes don't well up with tears and you don't say, "awwwww!" after reading this, well, they should.
Monday, November 27, 2000 09:52 p.m.

Is it Julia Roberts' Year?
For an Oscar(TM), I mean? As you may have noticed, this year has bitten the wax tadpole, in terms of movie-quality. But sometimes a narrow field can make for a very tight race. This EW article suggests some other candidates for best-of lists, but I haven't seen most of them yet. I would be delighted if Michelle Yeoh got a nod for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but it doesn't seem likely, especially when Bjork might squeak in there for her portrayal of Selma in Dancer In The Dark. The Academy wouldn't have two non-native speakers of English in the same acting category, would they? In any event, I think Julia Roberts is a reasonable pick. She was really great in Erin Brockovich, and the Oscars(TM) aren't really about acting so much as recognizing who and what is good for The Industry, which she certainly is. So, maybe. Then again, if Cate Blanchett is nominated, I'll retract all of what I said above, because she is just so amazing.
Monday, November 27, 2000 07:27 p.m.

Let Off Election Steam. . .
. . .with this fun thing. You can warp the bejeezus out of either Gore or Bush, or both! Bi-partisan, stress-relieving fun for the whole family. Thanks, Marcus!
Monday, November 27, 2000 07:26 p.m.

So Kathleen wondered what I think about all the Canadian election brouhaha. Here's what I think: Michael Valpy loves me. In fact, he loves every single resident of the Trinity/Spadina riding sooooo much that he just can't get enough of us. He, and his representatives can't stay out of our building, our hallway, our faces. Every day for the last week, I have returned home to find friendly & cheerful pro-Valpy propaganda slid under my door. I think we've got at least 2 of each of his brochures and flyers. We should start a little archive. I have been stopped by Valpy supporters at least twice in my building, patiently & nicely explained that, in fact, I'm an American and have my own election woes to ignore, and then met with "yeah, we've heard that one before" looks. Hello?! I would probably be voting NDP (Americans: think way liberal party) if I were enfranchised here, but I. Can't. Vote. Here. I only just learned what a riding was last week, for crying out loud!

In class this afternoon, I learned that Stockwell Day (Americans: the raging & surfin' conservative) wants to cut off funding for the collaborative program I'm doing in book history & print culture. In fact, the program is #2 on the Canadian Alliance's hit list for spending cuts. I am clearly in the right field.
Monday, November 27, 2000 07:11 p.m.

Big, Big Doings!

Well, I know I've been waiting on baited breath to read all the news of the great meeting of grim and outbox. Grim's entry today is nothing short of beautiful. I'm sure Kate's will be equally fantastic, once she gets off the plane and maybe de-jet lags a bit.

Today is also the day that Tom gets phone service, so NYLPM and his new journal should be back to updating at a more frenzied pace. Though I really shouldn't complain about NYLPM, as I ampart of of the lack of posting problem. Yes, friends, I joined Team Freaky! Not that I've actually heard any new music in ages, but that's never prevented me from offering an opinion before.
Monday, November 27, 2000 08:15 a.m.

David Greenberger on the Duplex Planet
The Duplex Planet is a zine that's been in production for years and years and has been anthologized, as well. David Greenberger was working at a retirement community in upstate New York and started asking the elderly folks there a bunch of questions about life, questions like "what was your first kiss like?" "what's with hippies?" "would you like to travel to outer space?" and recorded their answers. One of the original Duplex Planeteers, Ernest Noyes Brookings, started writing poetry in his late 70s. A bunch of groovy artists (Young Fresh Fellows, XTC, Superchunk) set some of those poems to music and released them as a compilation called Place of General Happiness. Matt Groening Loves Duplex Planet. I bet you will, too.

Hey, guess what? David Greenberger is also the curator of the Robyn Hitchcock Museum. Which makes perfect sense.
Monday, November 27, 2000 08:13 a.m.

Who Becomes a Nun These Days, Anyway?
When I was little, I wanted to be a nun. There was this great movie, The Trouble With Angels, that made being a nun seem like an endless series of mad capers and dormitory fun and elegant habits. Also, it had a very young Hayley Mills in it, and I thought she was just the coolest, with her plummy accent and good hair. My hopes were dashed when I was informed that becoming a Bride of Christ just about topped the list of Career Choices Nice Jewish Girls Simply Do Not Make. Still, I have a little fascination with nun-hood. What drives women to give up life on the outside? What is so tempting about a life of obedience, poverty, and chastity? This article gives us a little glimpse into the thought process of one young novice.
Monday, November 27, 2000 08:07 a.m.