I saw that.

Random vignettes from today.
1. The man in the snack machine corner by himself talking to the vending machines, “Just remember that! That’s what I thought. . . Just remember that!”

2. A different man. I forget how he even knows my name, but he almost always says, “Hi, Yorick!” when he’s coming in or going out. Today he told me it was his birthday yesterday--but his family was out for the weekend--so they were going to take him to a steakhouse today.
Then he mentioned that he had seen some commercials for a particular steakhouse over the weekend while watching ball games on TV. His brother said that the place was way too high end so he wasn’t taking him there. And he said how he felt that most steak places were the same anyway—just take a steak and cook it over open flame, after all. He said he did like to eat at The Mug Steakhouse better than at The HugMug Steakhouse (names are changed so that this isn’t a commercial). Then he said he guessed there was some difference in steakhouses after all.
I smiled and nodded and told him happy birthday late, and have a good dinner.
He smiled and said thanks and went out and I still don’t know him as well as he seems to think he knows me.

Imaginary Book

Twilight of the A-Pooh-Calypse-Oh!

A Story of the End of the World and Latin Dancing
For the Very Young!
By Timothy Sparrow.

Book Choice

If you read only one book this year...




What? Are you insane? Where are your priorities??!!! You should read at least two. They don't have to be long, but really--at least two!

A Provocative Juxtaposition

On the New & Interesting shelf, Cuffed by Candlelight : an erotic romance anthology, three stories published by Parker Publishing LLC, was sitting next to and slightly on the top of another book, 7 Steps to Bonding with Your Stepchild by Suzen J. Ziegahn.

Coincidence or conspiracy?

Pointless, self-referent quiz here

Which Author's Fiction are You?

William Gibson wrote your book. Technology terrifies and delights you.
Take this quiz!








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Modest Mouse

It is a disappointment to have bad taste sometimes.

I just watched Modest Mouse on PBS's Austin City Limits. I'm not a regular viewer, but I was surfing the channels to see what might catch my eye or ear and I came on this in the middle of a song. It was like a train wreck and I couldn't look away.

I know a number of people like the group, and I tried to see why. I think the rhythm & percussion are catchy. The pump organ one of them played added an interesting element to the total sound. Last night I watched the DVD of PBS's American Experience episode about the Original Carter Family, and I think the short phrases and repeated words of the Modest Mouse songs are distantly related to Old Timey folk lyrics.

In that sense, Modest Mouse is like extremely painful modern classical music: it's more intellectual/technical than pleasant. One is more likely to "understand" it or understand what they are doing than to enjoy it.

That's what I mean about bad taste: after I thought about it, I could see a number of things Modest Mouse was doing, and I could see the folk music connection with their lyrics, but even though I know some people enjoy MM, I just can't make that next step myself.

On the other hand, Guided By Voices, the second band in the Austin City Limits show moved me to change the channel.