Throwing down the gauntlet

Since no one responded to my previous post about creating a logo for this blog, I have thrown down the gauntlet.  We’ll keep this ugly (?) new look until someone creates a cool logo.  How about you??

Ben’s sick day links

 
If I’m going to be home with the flu, I might as well post some interesting links.  And BTW, all hail our new contributor FiestaRed…let’s hear more!
1- If you’re afraid of the big bad record companies prosecuting you (read this article about Doug Morris if you really don’t realize how out of touch the big labels are), there are [...]

Kid Nation’s Sophia Stands Up For Libraries/Librarians Everywhere

 
Sophia does the ALA/SLA etc proud on tonight’s Kid Nation…the town chooses an arcade over a library as their reward, and while everyone is zoned out on video games in the arcade, Sophia buys up the town’s books and opens a town public library…I’m sure this one might make the librarian blog rounds in the [...]

Major Stars and Dark Fog–best bands ever!

Major Stars and Magic Hour have been two of my favorite bands since like forever. Best guitar solos ever, I mean it. Imagine Mahavishnu Orchestra, John McLaughlin, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, mixed with Sonic Youth, Brian Eno, Nice Strong Arm, Polvo, Dinosaur Jr., Swervedriver, Fucking Champs. The best of gentle psych rock mixed [...]

Kool Keith

“I gotta put the baboon back in the zoo”
Every few years I check up on what Kool Keith is doing musically. He is truly a genius musician in the purest sense of the term–he just does his thing, and does it well–well, like any genius, he has his amazing songs, and a few questionable [...]

The Styx-Mr. Roboto video/movie exists!

I can’t embed this, but here’s the YouTube link: Mr. Roboto.
Awesome, but those grinning robot faces are kind of…Japanophobic, no? It was the early 80s, Russia was the big enemy, and Japan was going to take over the world and replace us all with robots…
Visit the Center For Roboto Research And Preservation

Fun With Classic Rock

Amazing proto-punk garage video from 1967: Blue Magoos, We Ain’t Got Nothing Yet. Very pre-Violent Femmes, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, etc.
I finally looked up the lyrics to Mannfred Man’s “Blinded by the Light.” You will undoubtedly ascend another rung on the galactic ladder once their cryptic words are etched into your brain. [...]

I’d rather go to work than go to Bonnaroo

I have absolutely no desire to go to  Bonnaroo.  I just can’t be a hippie whatsoever.  I’m sorry If I like to bathe and that I don’t really dig VW buses.  I do like that one kinda disco song by Grateful Dead, but that’s about it.  OK I do have Ummagumma from Pink Floyd but [...]

Criminal Minds

Good grief, a network crime show I actually like???It’s no Wire, but… Criminal Minds

Happiness and Public Policy

Now, it would be extra special had this been published in the WSJ!
From the NY Times: All They Are Saying is Give Happiness a Chance. Excerpts:
“The era of laissez-faire happiness might be coming to an end. Some prominent economists and psychologists are looking into ways to measure happiness to draw it into the public [...]