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All That Roadrunning

Alan In Victoria commented on a URL I posted about the Primedia Enthusiast sale: "I know Primedia through their two excellent car mags, Automobile and Motor Trend. Both have been recently spiffed up, especially the dramatically revitalised Motor Trend. I hope they are now in good hands..."

What the fudge?, as Stephen Mejias says. Not Stereophile? I'm shocked, shocked.

But when I went to Automobile and compulsively read the entries in "Great Drives," I discovered Erik B. Johnson's description of the six-barrel 1969.5 Plymouth Road Runner 440, a car I drove a lot between '69 and '76…

Thank God!

I'm not alone. As Blog of a Bookslut's Jessa Crispen says, "Another book they'll have to put me in a Clockwork Orange chair to get me to read: Falling Man by Don DeLillo. Thank you, Guardian, for justifying my judgmental reaction."

A Dream Lay Dying

Bill Maxwell always wanted to teach journalism at a historically black college, but after only two years, he quit, disillusioned. Judging from the comments of many of my professor friends, his story wouldn't have been all that different at any land grant university, either.

The Civil War in Four Minutes

"Perhaps blogworthy," writes John Marks. Indeed.

And Then They Want It

If I had perfect memory [God, I would love to have perfect memory!] and could type faster, I'd just transcribe the whole damn thing for you. But, alas, I don't. So, here, I've simply included a couple of the sassy bits, and I'll hope that you take the time to listen to the rest. What it is? It's a Real HT Info podcast — Episode 006 — featuring Michael Fremer.

Mikey and Marshall, the Real HT Info host, try to figure out why hi-fi continues to live on the fringe of consumer consciousness, while even your 80-year old grandma's got a hi-def plasma screen hanging on her bedroom wall…

Autism Unveiled

Anthropologist Roy Richard Grinker argues that the autism "epidemic"of autism is actually the result of doctors broadening the diagnosis to include more people—and society becoming more willing to see autism and other mental disorders.

To confirm his theory, he did research in India, South Africa, and South Korea to discover how the autistic are treated in other cultures.

Clara Rockmore Plays "The Swan"

One day in 1978, I discovered an LP by a woman I'd never heard in the returns bin of the record store I worked in. In theory, my job was to pack those unsold records in boxes and send them to our one-stop for credit, but frequently I ended up buying those unloved discs.

That's what happened with Art of the Theremin by Clara Rockmore. I noticed that Bob Moog had written the liner notes, which seemed pretty cool, but then I heard the lushly romantic sound of Ms. Rockmore's playing. Who knew there was such a thing as old-fashioned electronic music? I fell in love.

Tip of the hat to…

The Real Story of the Superheroes

I'd seen Dulce Pinzôn's superhero photographs before, but until I saw them at the Brooklyn Public Library's main branch today, I hadn't realized how moving they were. The exhibit includes Pinzôn's detailed costumes as well, which are surprisingly beautiful.

If you can't make it to Grand Army Plaza, this Internet gallery is a distant second, but worth your while.

Of Dancing Trees and Pigeon Dreams

Daniel Garcia directed this delightful video of dancing trees and pigeon dreams for TV On The Radio's "Me-I." The song is the first track of Adult Swim's new Warm & Scratchy compilation, also featuring new music from Les Savy Fav; Broken Social Scene; The Good, The Bad, and The Queen; and Asobi Seksu.

You can download the entire thing for absolutely free. Isn't that nice? Now, if only these were hi-rez downloads. Why, oh, why, can't these be hi-rez downloads?

Eliminate the Crap!

When I mentioned it in our Home Entertainment Show Report, I told readers that Red Wine Audio's iMod was only available to 4th Generation iPods. That was true, at the time. Now, Red Wine Audio also offers their audiophile hardware modification for the newer 5/5.5 Generation iPods. Vinnie Rossi must've been working OT. I hear he has trouble staying away from the office.

I'm only just getting to know Vinnie and his company. I should probably interview him — 10 Quick Questions for... Vinnie Rossi! — but getting to know a person in that manner is not my style. Wait. Saying that…