Books, For Reading

So here are some books I've been reading lately. Between trips to Atomic Books and ordering several little-somethings-for-myself while xmas shopping last year, I amassed quite a pile of reading material. I still haven't made it through everything. I've been kind of jumping from book to book, mostly because many of them are the kind of books you can put down and come back to later. Yeah, a lot of great bathroom reading here. There's not much fiction though, is there? Well, guess what: Fiction is so 20th Century, it's not even funny. <-- Haha.

[Click the covers for related online content.]

Vice Do's & Don'ts: 10 Years of Vice Magazine's Street Fashion Critiques
by Suroosh Alvi/Gavin McInnes/Shane Smith

The hipsters at Vice compile my favorite part of their dumb magazine into a one hilarious book. What, you don't know about the Vice Do's and Don'ts?! Basically, they take these photos of people on the streets in New York (or elsewhere) and comment on what they're wearing or what style they're trying convey. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's just bizarre nonsense. This one's been a big hit around the house. Perfect for the toilet!

Found
by Davy Rothbart

This book compiles the best of Found Magazine's scraps of orphaned what-have-you from across the country: lost notes, to-do lists, scribbled drawings, and photographs. The contents are often hilarious, usually at least curious, but occasionally just mundane. Overall, a fun book which offers us a rare, voyeuristic look into the unspoken (and often candid) communications of the American everyman. Speaking of voyeurism, I've also been enjoying Issue #1 of Dirty Found, a new sister magazine which focuses on only the most sordid and unsavory of found items.

Eightball #23: The Death-Ray
by Daniel Clowes

From the creator of Ghost World comes the newest in a series of oddball genius comics. This one features yet another great anti-hero, Andy, who discovers he gains incredible strength from smoking cigarettes. Cool new large format, too.


Minipops
by Craig Robinson

A book of tiny pixel portraits of famous people, including bands (indie and not), actors, film characters, and political figures. It's fun to try to guess who each one represents, but there's an index in the back in case you're stumped. Be sure to check out his site; there's lots more neat shit there.

McSweeny's Quarterly #13
edited by Chris Ware

A special issue of McSweeny's featuring comics compiled by comics genius Chris Ware (author of Jimmy Corrigan). Cool stuff from some of the big names in underground comics (e.g. Crumb, Clowes) as well as a bunch of comics from people my inexperienced comic-reading self has never heard of.

The Future Dictionary of America
by Jonathan Safran Foer (Editor), et al

Another one from McSweeny's. This was published last year to benefit progressive causes in the 2004 election. It contains creative, politcally-conscious definitions of modern buzzwords (many of which are completely made up) by over 170 writers and artists. The book also includes a 22 track CD with tracks from David Byrne, Elliot Smith, Tom Waits, the Flaming Lips, the Long Winters, and others.

33 1/3:Meat Is Murder
by Joe Pernice
33 1/3:Unknown Pleasures
by Chris Ott

These two quick reads are a part of an entire series of books, each focusing on a single great album. Both were kindly lent to me by my housemate, Tim (see this link for a further review, among others , of each of these books). The first one I read is by Joe Pernice of the Pernice Brothers and focuses on The Smiths' 1985 album (wow...almost exactly 20 years ago, today) Meat Is Murder. Pernice takes a different approach than most in the 33 1/3 series. His is a work of fiction, albeit undoubtedly heavily autobiograhical, in which he tells a tale of teenage love and budding music geekery. The story is cute, but let's just say Pernice is a much better muscian and lyricist. Chris Ott (former writer for Pitchforkmedia.com) takes much more straight forward approach with his look at Joy Division's classic first album, Unknown Pleasures. Though I find his writing here occasionally somewhat ostentatious (it reads as almost clinical at times), it offers some insight into the history of the band and their rise to cult status in the late 70s, as well as some interesting details about producer Martin Hannett's often amusing recording techniques.

Love All the People
by Bill Hicks

A posthumous collection of letters, routines, and other writings from one of America's best comics. Hicks is one of my favorites, not only as a comedian (he's was much bigger than that), but as a modern day philospher. There's lots of great material here, though I have yet to make my way through most of it (guess I've been kind of savoring this one). The foreword by John Lahr contains the profile he wrote for the New Yorker just before Hicks' untimely death in 1994. The book also includes scores of interviews and articles, letters to people like David Letterman, and bits of his stand-up transcribed from actual performances. Though perhaps not the best introduction to this lost hero (I'd recommend seeing the recently-released DVD, Bill Hicks: Live or listening to my favorite Hicks album, Rant In E-Minor, first), this book is must-have for any fan. There's really no one like Bill Hicks around these days. It's a shame—we could use him now more than ever. See also: billhicks.com and Sacred Cow Productions

St. Valentine Was a Saint

St. Valentine was beaten and beheaded. That's interesting. I wonder if it was for making out with his girlfriend in front of everyone else on the train on his way to work. [I know, I know...he was a priest. So what does he know about love? Maybe it was an altar boy; who knows.] In addition to being the patron saint of love (and greeting card manufacturers!), he is also a patron saint of bee keepers. Bee keepers? Yes, bee keepers. He is also one of seventeen patron saints of epilpsy. Apparently, those poor folks need all the help they can get.

Oh yeah: I promised myself I wouldn't be bitter this Valentine's Day. So how am I doing?

You know, it's a phony holiday and it doesn't really matter, but I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't be nice to have someone to share it with. The same could be said about any day of the year, I suppose. This weekend, for example, I'll be in the mountains of western Maryland with some of my family. I'm looking forward to it and it should be lots of fun. But, I can't help but think it would be at least slightly better if I had someone to make out with.

Rainbows and Puppy Dogs

Noam Chomsky Speech [DN!] - I know I said I wouldn't post political stuff, but this one's a doozy. Besides, it's the commentary that gets me a riled up. So none of that here. Just friggin' listen to it.

Rove Is Promoted To Deputy Staff Chief [W. Post] - again, no comment. But check this other Post article for more info.

Hey, everyone's favorite keytar-rockin' nu gaze band M83 is coming to DC. They'll be playing the Black Cat April 14th. Pitchfork has the full tour schedule. [Ok, I don't know if they actually use a keytar, but they're definitely NU-GAZE.]

Baby Name Wizard [via Lifehacker] - Sounds like a shitty band name or something, but it's really pretty neat. Look up your name and chart its popularity over time. (requires Java)

Podcasting Part 1

Have you heard about podcasting? It's likely you have, if you spend much time online, even if you don't quite remember what it's all about. The term (about a year old now) is a bit of a recent buzz word and has been cropping up more and more lately.

Podcasts are audio files, most often in the form of MP3, delivered to the user's computer via special RSS feeds which use enclosures (basically the same idea as email attachments). That's where the big deal of podcasting is—in their delivery. Using specialized aggregator software, these audio files are automatically downloaded to the listener's computer (and subsequently, a portable mp3 player) for listening at a later time. You subscribe to these feeds like you would an XML feed of someone's blog or of a news website, and instead of being delivered and experienced in realtime (such as a streaming broadcast, for example), they are downloaded and saved for listening at your convenience. Though the technology for podcasting is obviously much different, the end result is akin to what a Tivo does for video.

I won't get into the specifics of the technology at work here. You can read more about enclosures and the RSS 2.0 format elsewhere. I'd rather talk about the bigger picture.

As I mentioned earlier, the cool part of podcasting is in its delivery. That's what distinguishes it from the Internet broadcasting you are used to. Rather than streaming content (which we all know is often low quality and glitchy without a super fast connection), podcasting captilizes on the always-on-ness of broadband Internet access. Instead of clicking a link and waiting for it to queue up into a buffer and/or having to suffer through the often jumpy experience of streaming media, podcasts are downloaded when you are away from you computer, when your bandwidth is just going unused. The speed of delivery then becomes relatively unimportant. The aggregator software checks for new podcasts and downloads them when you are away. When you return, you have the entire file sitting locally on your computer ready to go. Sure, you could find a way to do this manually, but the magic comes in the elegance of the system.

The more I read about this stuff, the easier it is to see how podcasting fits into this bigger picture of emerging media technology. It's completely in line with the whole on-demand idea we're seeing in digital cable television and ever-increasing prevalence of DVRs. I think pretty much everything is going to move in that direction sooner or later.

Well, as you can see, this is hardly a comprehensive discussion. I suggest you check out the following links if you'd like to read more about podcasting and the ever-growing number of podcasts currently online.

In Part 2 of this post: A brief look at some of the more popular podcasts and my selfish reasons for caring about podcasting.

Podcasting Resources:

• ipodder.org - maintained by Adam Curry (yes, the former MTV VJ), co-creator of podcasting. Good info on the history and background of the phenomenon, as well as podcast listings and resources.
  
• Wikipedia entry - a decent overview of podcasting.
  
• iPodder 1.1 - one of the aforementioned aggregator programs used to get podcasts. Open source.
  
• PodcastAlley.com - a comprehensive site with podcast listings, reviews, links to relevant software, and user forums.
  
• audio.weblogs.com - the latest 100 podcasts.
  
• 'Podcasting' Lets Masses Do Radio Shows - a recent AP article on Yahoo News.
  
• howtopodcast.org - read how you can create your own podcasts.
  

The Soft News

Wanted: Just About Everything [Wired] - a look at the film 24 Hours On Craigslist, a documentary now showing at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival which “chronicles the outcome of more than 80 Craigslist postings from a single day.”

Google Maps [via BoingBoing, + many sites] - another new "beta" service from Google. Guess what it does.

Lifehacker is a new(ish) addition to the Gawker blog/media empire (which also includes big name blogs like Wonkette). They offer daily tips and how-to's on anything from importing album art into iTunes to the different ways to tie a shoe.

Do-It-Yourself Smart Radio Station [via Lifehacker] - here's a good one I found through Lifehacker. This guy details a fairly intricate system of Smart Playlists he has set up in iTunes and on his iPod in order to serve up a rotation of new and old songs, in effect creating something like a personalized portable radio station.

**I've decided to keep away from the political and real-world news, at least for a while. It makes me ANGRY.

Pernice Bros DVD

Just a quick one: If it wasn't for today's Pitchfork review of this Pernice Brothers tour DVD, Nobody's Listening/Nobody's Watching, I wouldn't have known that one of my favorite bands of 2003 had even released such a thing. Where's my head at these days? This thing has been out since December and I've neither heard nor seen anything about it. Thanks, Pitchfork! [I still like you despite what everyone else says.]

If you haven't yet heard Joe Pernice & Co's most recent album, Yours, Mine & Ours, I hiiiighly recommend it. It's one of those front-to-back pop records you'll just wear the hell out of once it's sunken in. I was lucky enough to catch them playing at the Ottobar up in Baltimore (12.20.03), so I can faithfully recommend their live show as well.

I just went on over to their official site to order myself a copy of the DVD and accidentally purchased the reissue of their 2002 tour EP as well. Whoops. Oh well, it's always nice to buy direct.

Sunday Listener

Seeing Kings of Convenience last night was not to be. Thanks to equal parts of me running late and the club's malevolent ticket policies, I arrived to find that the show had already sold out. And I knew I'd have to get there early to get stamped—it just didn't come together. Yes, another notch in my belt for shows missed due to this shitty venue. Thanks again, Iota Club and Cafe. I hate you more than ever. Ya know, the $16 cover was a bit steep anyway. Not to mention all the goofy couples likely to be inside, swaying to the gentle folky sounds of these S & G wannabes. Eff 'em. I walked back home the long way and listened to bands I like better.

What's the consenus on the new M83 record, Before the Dawn Heals Us? I, for one, am not feeling it, Frenchy. No sir, monsieur. I really enjoyed M83's 2nd album, the critically acclaimed Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, but even that record already had the band teetering on the edge of retro cheese. In fact, it came so dangerously close to cornball, I was almost afraid of where they'd go next. Now that the new album is out, my fears have been confirmed as it now seems that maybe Nicolas Fromageau (formerly half of the duo, which is now just uno) was keeping them from falling into this vat of fondue. All the heavy synth leads and those phony 80's toms, which in the context of Dead Cities often made me smile, now make my ears angry. To be fair, I'll give it a few more listens. I suppose the first single, “Don't Save Us From the Flames,” isn't actually that bad.

The new Prefuse 73 album, Surrounded By Silence (due out in March), sounds pretty good so far. Pitchfork has the tracklist. As you can see, it's almost all collaborations with guest MCs and other bands. First impressions: I tend to like the non-MC collaborations better. Maybe I'm just too white, but “Hideyaface” which features El-P and Ghostface Killah (posted on Monday at Music For Robots) falls a little flat to these ears. On the other hand, “Now You're Leaving” (with Camu) is pretty wicked. The Books(!) remix/collab “Pagina Dos” and the closer “And I'm Gone” (which has something to do with Broadcast and upcoming Prefuse side project Piano Overlord) hit my sweet spot just like that. This is another one to grow on, however, and I'm sure my thoughts on this album will settle a bit with repeated listening.

Song of the week (file under nostalgia): Ride “Decay” [go there]

Next up: A post about podcasting will appear here soon. Plus, a little something about what I've been reading lately.

Hiatus

I had some more news items lined up for you today, but then I just said fuck it and deleted that piece.

I won't be updating this blog for a while. I'm going to focus on some other stuff. As far as this site goes, I'm maybe going to try to add more non-blog content (music stuff, etc.) and maybe play with the design of the site a little.

See you when I see you,
Jeff

Collapse Can't Wait

I don't see much future for the United States, and I put it on economic grounds. Forget moral grounds. We're far beyond any known morality, and we are embarked upon a kind of war against the rest of the world....We are going to go broke. The dollar loses value every day....We are a declining power economically in the world, and the future now clearly belongs to China, Japan, and India. They have the population, they have the educational systems. They have the will. And they will win.
-- Gore Vidal [interview, DN!]

I like the cut of your jib, Mr. Vidal. Wake the fuck up, America, and pull your heads out of your asses. And you will, once you're completely broke. That's what they're saying it might have to come to, you know, the only thing we seem to understand or truly appreciate in this corporate-owned country of ours: our money. Maybe then, amidst the Fourth Campaign of Operation: Take Over the Middle East, when our economy has fallen and a wheelbarrow of dollars fills up your gas can, and you're hungry and cold—maybe then you will realize how wrong you were to be so unwavering and steadfast in your idiocy.

Ah, but I'm getting off on a rant. Sorry. Most of the interview centers on his reaction to Bush's inaugural address. He picks out some interesting Christian imagery and some almost eerie language (eerie to godless heathens such as myself, anyway) he says can be compared pretty closely to certain biblical passages.

“We've Been Taken Over by a Cult” - Seymour Hersh [DN!]

This is the guy who wrote the New Yorker piece that broke the Abu Ghraib scandal last April. You may have caught him on the Daily Show last night. Anyway, they have a transcript of a speech he gave last month. [Or maybe it's just an excerpt, I'm not sure.] If you have any interest in knowing something about what's really going on, I urge you to read it. They also have an MP3 (and various RM streams) of the entire show available to download if you prefer. I watched most of the speech tonight after work. I actually find it a little hard to read, because the guy is basically just talking (as opposed to reading a rehearsed speech), but it's important so check it out.

Mr. Hersh also wrote this article in the new issue of The New Yorker about US plans and operations regarding Iran. You might remember my mentioning this a few days ago. I won't even go into it now; for one, I haven't yet had a chance to read the article, and two, even if I had, I'm already worked up enough as it is.

I'm a little late on some of this stuff. Work has been hell lately and I'm pretty busy all day. I've also been pretty much consciously avoiding the news recently (this kind of news, I mean. The Post doesn't really count), because I just don't need anything else to feel bad about.

That said, I really wish I could communicate to you how important this shit is. [I think my self-medication has dulled my ability to do so effectively.] You have to understand that these aren't reports from some conspiracy theorist nutjobs. Both of those guys are award-winning writers and thinkers and they're not making this stuff up.

I said it before, and I'm saying it now: our darkest days are yet to come. The future is bleak, my friends, and no one is looking out for us and no one can help it. Maybe it's better to carry on in denial and pretend it's not so bad. Is that what well-adjusted folks do? I, for one, obviously have a hard time ignoring it. Lately, I feel more and more like an open wound, one that is walking and talking and going to work, disconnected and limbless.

There's no witty end to this post, nothing to wrap it all up; it just ends.

Dear Monday

Why must you be such an unruly bitch? You anger me. Why can't you be more like Friday? You're a pain in my ass, Monday, and I'm through with you. FUCK OFFFFFFFF.

Upcoming content on glueslabs.org:

new photos
a post about podcasting
actual record "reviews"
more whining