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Here's something you probably never even knew existed: music librarian humor.
Via my favorite cousin Miranda Anabelle.
John Atkinson sent me a link to Time's Rick Rubin interview. I can see why JA liked it—Rubin's production philosophy reminds me a lot of the way JA edits and records.
What they have in common is that they only work on projects they want to be involved in and, once they commit, they bring out the best in their collaborators by trusting them to work hard at being themselves.
I really dug Rubin saying that writing is a hard, painful slog, but that without it, you've got nothing.
On Saturday night, Don Fiorino, Mark Flynn, Chris Jones, and Stereophile’s Bob Reina came together, within the walls of Merkin Concert Hall, as Attention Screen. I sat in the audience, watching and listening as these four men exchanged ideas, made music. I'm not going to say it was beautiful. I'm not going to say it was interesting.
What do these words mean, anyway?
It certainly wasn't right, and it was the farthest thing from perfect. It was too loud, it was too long, they made too many mistakes. Sometimes the conversations went nowhere; sometimes the conversations didn'…
That's pretty much what David Hewlett said. As a result, he made A Dog's Breakfast for less than a million—it's a long tail thang.
Robert P. Crease's article on the importance of letters between scientists in helping us appreciate the evolution of ideas planted the thought, but Adam Kirsch's review of Robert Frost's notebooks really has me wondering: Now that we communicate so much through email—and revise our drafts without saving them—will future scholars have to judge us only on our published copy?
Ever since I posted "Interval Library" yesterday, people have been sending me more librarian humor. Today, we have an international contender, supplied by constant reader John Marks.
I usually go into the Grammy telecast with much cynicism already on edge and a large glass of some variety of fermented libation standing by for medicinal purposes.
I also admit that I get a perverse pleasure out of the pompous–assed music biz ego parade. Note to presenters and recipients: real stars do not feel compelled to get all giddy and cool when they're on stage. Actually most real music talents don't go anywhere near the Grammies.
But back to the telecast. This year, as pathetically depleted as the music biz talent pool is, I have to say that the Dixie Chicks sweep was…
Mapsofwar.com has posted a nifty animated map showing the imperial history of the Middle East: the rise and fall of empires and states in the region over 5000 years. There are other, similar maps at the website, showing, among other things,the ebb and flow of religions over the ages.