Wes Phillips

"Don't download this song

Don't go pirating music all day long

Go buy the CD like you know you should

Oh don't download this song.

The Guardian has published some of the greatest interviews of the 20^th century on its site. Do not miss Frost/Nixon—and see the play, as well, if you get a chance. I saw it on Broadway with Frank Langella and Michael Sheen and it was one of those moments of theatrical greatness you'll remember in your dotage.

"Stuff that behaves a little bit outside the norm . . . ." Sounds like a pretty good description of my friends.

"Housed in the Agency's Headquarters Building in McLean, Virginia, this unique collection illustrates the history of US intelligence—which effectively began when this country was still 13 separate colonies—by showing some of the artifacts and tools used by men and women serving in various aspects of espionage."

Big Rock Candy Mountain ruminates on the immigration issue and posts MP3 files of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" and Billy Bragg's "Waiting For the Great Leap Forward." What a perfect post: Passion, good writin', and great polemics.

Wes went to the Forbidden City in December.

Scientists turn to information theory to analyze the complexity, redundency, and predictability of the songs of the Humpback whale. Their conclusion? Well, we need more research—but our lack of knowledge is now so much better informed.