The only thing he's got in this barn is...

...one HELL of a spaceship!!!

Saw this today, check it out:

The Matrix Box Set

Who gives a crap, you say? Well, that's what I said too, then I saw this:

There will be two audio commentaries for each film - one from philosophers Ken Wilber and Cornel West (who analyze the meanings behind the films), and one from three professional critics who hated all three films (no names given). According to Andy Wachowski, "It's the best idea we've ever had. It's hilarious. They just sit there and rip the shit out of us for six hours."

Ask a question, get an answer.

I don't think there's anything to worry about--mp3 blogs post one or two songs a day (i.e., never anything close to whole albums), and they are only available for a week or so. It's great promotion for artists, as labels are already acknowledging. Here's a roundtable discussion with a bunch of mp3bloggers that touches on the issues at hand; it should take care of your concerns.

I made it back; was no big deal.

Guided by Voices - Bulldog Skin

Well, here it is, the first experimental post of what I hope will become a permanent feature at updog. I of course was drawn to the idea of doing an mp3 blog [for good examples, see Fluxblog, Said the Gramophone, or Mp3Blogs.org, which is an hourly-updated site that keeps track of what's posted on a large number of mp3 blogs]. In their best manifestations, they offer you the easiest way to learn about new music that you might like. Basically, an mp3 blogger posts a song or two every day, with an accompanying blurb/essay/explanation/etc.

So anyway, the problem with making use of updog for similar purposes has been that no one here has anywhere online to store the files (like a .mac account). But I've recently discovered this site called YouSendIt, which is a service that 'sends' files that are bigger than your attachment limit. Except it doesn't actually send the file; it stores it, and sends a url to the file to your recipient. I trust you've already figured out how that serves our purposes. Anyway.

Bulldog Skin is by no means some new musical discovery. It's on GBV's 1997 album Mag Earwhig!, and I think I bought it from HMV, burned it, and returned it in my second year at McGill. Anyway, I was walking yesterday, listening to my iPod (which must remain forever in shuffle mode due to my screen problem), and this song came on. For some reason I became immensely happy and really got into it. I was mouthing the words, sorta bopping down the street, even doing a little drumming on my hip. It's just a really good, exuberant, straight-ahead rock song, perhaps one of the most straightforwardly written and produced songs GBV released before they jumped to TVT.

Left-clicky doesn't work; right-clicky and then you can download. Download it, listen to it, let me know if there are any problems. And let me know what you think of the song. This could make things a bit more interesting around here.

P.S. Speaking of Said the Gramophone, there's a couple of good tracks up there now, one from the new Devendra Banhart album and a wicked-awesome 8 1/2 minute Can track.

Boom boomer zoomer loomer.

The weather here is like a perpetual motion machine, always moving, but never really getting anywhere. It moves in a seemingly endless progression, with both thick grey cloud cover and humidity steadily increasing, as if building up to a thunderstorm that would break the humidity and leave us with a clear, sunny day. But, just when it seems it can't get any more humid or overcast, it rains (pours) for about ten minutes, then, as if kicked back down a few notches by a divine foot, goes back to the beginning of the cycle--the gathering thunderstorm. It is perpetually approaching a climax that it never quite reaches.

I guess, in that way, London weather is more like tantric sex. Like Sting calmly building up towards an orgasm before somehow allowing all of the built up energy to recede, then climbing almost to the peak once again. And, much like it must be to have sex with Sting, the weather here is miserable.


Sweet: the strange thing about that article is that it doesn't really make me mad--which is an even worse sign. It's just that this administration has committed so many underhanded, secretive, and downright evil acts for their own interests that "agreeing to appear on a talk show that refuses to license on a neutral basis the content he contributed" seems pretty mild. Everyone knows (or should) that the media in the u.s. has a vested interest in whoever's in power; not just so they can get access again, but so their giant parent companies stay friends with the people who count.

"Is vigorous debate over matters as important as going to war less important than protecting his image?" Yeah, this president has gone out of his way to ensure 'vigorous debate' over going to war. You know what? That does make me mad. But mostly at the naivete of the reporter who thinks this is even worth asking at this point.

In related news, check your inbox, because John Ashcroft needs your help to Let the Eagle Soar (scroll to the top).


I think I've stumbled on a way to allow us to use this as an mp3 blog, and post songs for each other to download. I'll do a test run later this evening. As for now, I'm making salsa to go with the carnitas I'm also making, in what I hope will be tasty, tasty, tacos.