Category: Odds & Endz

On my mind and in the reading queue this week.

*Webzine is back! (via Matt Haughey).

*Berkeley Rep. Theatre has a play running called "The People’s Temple", an oral history of Jonestown. It’s just been extended through JUne 5. 

Steven Johnson recommends Devon Think, a software tool for book-length research projects. I’m thinking of getting it for book #2.

*When in Baltimore, I highly recommend a trip to the American Visionary Art Museum (what is visionary art?).

*The trailer for A Scanner Darkly sure looks cool.

*How NBC went from a first to last place network in one season.

*Reinventing NPR for the 21st century.

*Book comes out in 16 days. It barely seems real.

While Tom DeLay turns on a spit, back in his home state of Texas, the legislature has introduced a bill banning “overtly sexually suggestive cheerleading.” Texas, of course, is the home of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, the National Cheerleaders Association and is such a cash cow for the state economy that it makes proposing this bill a little like Idaho trying to legislate the size of potatoes. But welcome to the right’s view of female sexuality. They want it on display and seemingly available, just not to, ya know, everybody.

No wonder Molly Ivins had this to say about her sense of humor: “I’m not a very funny person. It’s all in the material.”

On my mind and in the reading queue this week.

*Today is May Day. Take a moment to thank the workers in your life.

*According to the Justice Policy Institute, jail populations are soaring across America. Super (via Jeff Chang).

*Thomas Frank asks "What the hell is the matter with liberals?"

*Clear Channnel dips its toe in "indie radio" in Los Angeles. Rival behemoth Infinity Broadcasting is trying an all-podcast radio station in San Francisco (via Largehearted Boy).

*Why we do or don’t go to literary readings.

*My friend George Kelly is interviewed in SFist this week (via Anil Dash).
 
*The National Recording Preservation Board has released its 2004 additions to the The National Recording Registry, a list of "cultural siginifcant" recordings preserved for eternity by the Library of Congress. Nirvana’s "Nevermind" and Public Enemy’s "Fear of a Black Planet" make the cut (via Librarian.net).

*My ten year college reunion is next week. Baltimore, here I come!

So my Del.icio.us file is stuffed to the point of bursting. If you are lacking in reading material, please take what you like. I’ll be cleaning it out this weekend.

On my mind and in the reading queue this week. The "crusty" edition.

*I’m intrigued by The One Campaign which I heard about at a U2 concert last week but it’s mission seems curiously broad. I’ve signed but I’m adopting a wait-and-see attitude beyond that.

*Coverage of the The Lit Blog Co-op continues. Stories are now posted at the Associated Press and Inside Higher Ed.com.

*New version of All Consuming has been released which I’m eager to use to update my book lists, if I could only find the time.

*Sepulculture is a new blog from an employee at a major publishing house whose sole job is to discover and deploy new technologies for the promotion of books. More than overdue (via Buzz, Balls & Hype).

*When I was in Toronto, My buddy Rannie was kind enough to show me the famed Secret Swing.

*Several of the Toronto Bloggers (including my friends James, Brent and Neil) indicated they might be willing to come down to Ann Arbor to see me at the Ann Arbor Book Festival. That would rock way hard.

*Ten Mistakes Apple has made since the return of Steve Jobs (via Matt Haughey).

*Book is T-minus six weeks and counting.

On my mind and in the reading queue this week: The “Post-U2” Edition:

*Had by first official conversation (with my friend Amy) about my second book which will be about the marketing of the arts.

*The Bodeans are a fantastic live band. Catch them in Seattle, Aspen or Boulder over the next two weeks.

*Jason Kottke updates his readers on his fundraising attempt to do his blog full time.

*Dailysonic is a simply awesome podcast. Picture Morning Edition for our generation (via Large Hearted Boy).

*Still trying out Audio Hijack Pro. Results are spotty thus far.

*Annual Report on the State of American Journalism (via Susan Mernit).

*Can hip-hop be feminist? (via blackfeminism.org).

*Prepping like mad for my speech this week in Toronto. Still feeling insecure.

This American Life this week features a New York City-based group called Improv Everywhere which creates scenes of ranndomness in public places. Its not Flash Mobbing per se because everyone knows each other and the events last longer than a few minutes.

Some of these “missions” are genius. Creating a luxurious restroom in a McDonalds. Positioning dancers in the windows of a skyscraper.

What great ideas. I might have to do something like this for my book. Although listen to the story on TAL. Some of the ideas go terribly wrong.

On my mind and in the reading queue this week. The "headache" edition.

*The New York Times has devoted special coverage to the death of Pope John Paul II.

*Dot Com 2.0? The money continues to flow. Del.icio.us has taken an investment. Local city blog SFist has been bought by Metroblogging which has been purchased by Yahoo.

*Posterwire is a neat idea for a weblog on the art and effectiveness of movie posters (via Torrez).

*Radio Time has released an updated Mac client. It still sucks. I’m going to try Audio Hijack.

*Are colleges an endangered species?

*Determine your ecological footprint.

*I really like this trailer. And have surrendered my masculinity entirely.

*I’m speaking next week at The New Face of Publishing Workshop at Humber College in Toronto. While I’m super-excited about the gig, I’m equally juiced about seeing my friends James, Bret and Neil so soon after our time together in Austin.

In case you always wanted your own Wu-Tang Clan name (via my buddy Justin).

You may now refer to me as “Foolish Worlock.”