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Link log
8.12.2004
God I Love Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, always one of my favorite writers, has another excellent essay in In These Times, I Love You, Madame Librarian
8.6.2004
Nuts! Bunghole
Here is yet another reason why LBJ is my favorite modern president (via)
Lemons! For Everyone!
Harper has a really well-written post up over at Lemons.
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[LEMONS]
7.22.2004
The Problem With iChat Status
Several of my friends use a plugin called iChat Status that displays the song currently playing in iTunes as your AIM status. So do I. It's a good way to find out what bands people are listening to, and, hopefully, find some music that you otherwise might not have been into.
For example, today I saw that Matt had a track playing by The Hives. Now, I've seen The Hives on a lot of magazine covers, heard the buzz, and bought the soda. But I haven't ever heard a single song by them. Not one. I just assumed that I wouldn't like them, largely because of the hair. And the whole European thing. And the European hair thing. But, I also know that I like a lot of the same bands Matt does, so I logged onto the iTunes Music store and bought a track (as far as you know). And guess what? I liked it. It was great. It made me want to dance and punch things, which is generally what I look for in a song.
But there's a flipside as well.
When I logged into iChat this afternoon, I noticed that Andre was listening to "99 Luftballons." So, of course, I began to mock him. To poke fun and act generally smug. He later denied listening to Linda Ronstadt, but I know what I saw.
And that's the thing. A lot of times I don't really want anyone to know what I'm listening to. I mean, does everyone really need to know about my secret love for Collins-era Genesis*? Or that I really fucking dig Nelly*? Or that when the dawn is breaking, I just like to sit at my desk with a cup of herbal tea and enjoy the soft, sweet, sounds of Bread*?
I have a reputation to keep up, you know? Or, rather, a front to maintain, at least. It can't all be Melt Banana, Lightning Bolt, and The Assterhoids all day long. All Deerhoof and no Donovan* might make me hip, but it don't make me happy. Sometimes, I get a hankering to hear Stairway to Heaven, word?
And so what are you going to do? Log off? Not that I typically do, but I have. When it's time for the Joni Mitchell*, and I don't feel like having Rob mock me, you betcha I've logged off. Goodbye. Seeya. I'm not online right now. Um, and I'm definitely not listening to Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Experience**. No sir. Not me.
Interestingly, as I finish this post, Andre just messaged me to ask what my deal is with Iron & Wine (probably in heavier rotation than anything else in my iTunes playlist).
It's the beard, Andre***. It's the beard.
*Names changed to protect my fragile, fragile self-esteem.
**Okay, so I am, I am. My mom gave me this album, and Dennis is the grooviest cat this side of a Dr. Seuss book. Go figure.
***Upon it being pointed out to me, I should point out that Andre was also listening to Helmet.
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