Amazon's got a real shot at dethroning iTunes when it comes to selling major-label music online. They just announced they'll be selling Warner Music too without any kind of DRM, and they're doing it cheaper than iTunes. The ability to purchase music cheaply, legally, without strings and to play it on any player, including iPod and iPhone, is the only way ANYONE could compete with Apple in this market and it's taken Amazon's clout to make it happen. And it's not just music. They're also selling e-books with the Kindle which was pretty well-reviewed and movies that can be downloaded directly to the TiVo. We've done the movies a few times and have been moderately happy with the results. Once they work out a few kinks, it'll be great. They'll often have deals on relatively new rentals. We paid only a buck each to rent The Lives of Others, Hot Fuzz, Zodiac, and Ocean's Thirteen. Four movies for what it would cost us to rent one movie from Blockbuster and no trip to the store.
The DRM is a real pain though. If I start watching a movie at 8pm on tuesday night and my son wakes up and I can't finish the film that night, there's a 24 hour countdown 'til it disappears from the TiVo. It'll take a few years of competition before the restrictions are loosened for film rentals and books, but it's a trend, and I'm sure we'll get there eventually. Just don't expect to get there without some kicking and screaming.

Hulu Testing

This is a test of Hulu's embed capabilities. This SHOULD be a Kings of Leon performance from The Tonight Show. If it is, enjoy.

Consumed

Great conversation last night on Bill Moyers Journal with Benjamin Barber about consumerism and democracy. The best part? There's no commercials. Enjoy. You can watch video or read the transcript here.

I saw this on Boing Boing.
You'll see it eventually. Might as well be here.

"Extras", like "The Office", gone too soon

I just watched the Extras series finale that I recorded the other night. It played like a feature film. More serious than the regular episodes, I thought, and rightfully so. It's an odd series that way. Definitely a comedy, but comfortable being more. The show at times felt a diatribe about our fascination with celebrities. And yet Gervais himself seems to have an obsession with the idea of fame. Take a look at his most recent stand-up DVD. I love his talent and his integrity and can't wait to see what he does next. Apparently a film called Ghost Town will be released this summer also starring the very funny Kristen Wiig and Cameron Frye himself, Alan Ruck.

One More Drifter...

Aimee Mann released One More Drifter in the Snow last year.
It's a great Christmas album. If you're looking for new tunes to stir that holiday spirit in the coming weeks, you could do a lot worse.

New "Lost" content online

I didn't hear about these 'til today so I assume others may have missed them as well. Go to http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/missingpieces to watch. Here's the official description:

Lost: Missing Pieces are 13 two- to three-minute stories of compelling, new, never-before-seen moments from the hit television show LOST. These newly-created scenes (not deleted scenes from previous episodes) reveal answers and new details about your favorite characters. For each story, we leave it up to the fans to figure out where these pieces fit into the overall mythology. The new stories are from the same creative team responsible for the series and feature the show's main actors in stories that have all the compelling values that make LOST one of the most popular dramas on television around the world.

I'm not sure if there's a contest for "most rockin' Thanksgiving photo", but if there is, I think we've got it won, hands down.

(I just hope we're not brought up on charges by the SMC)

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Matthew was watching sesame street on my ipod at the airport and he turned it over and saw the logo on the back and looked up at me and said "apple!". you have to start 'em young.

How cool is this?

Strike or No Strike, for a Select Few, Saturday Night Was Live

Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains

I'm really excited about the new documentary from one of my favorite filmmakers, Jonathan Demme. It's about one of my favorite people.
Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains should be out soon.



Here's a pic of me and my sister at the Carter headquarters a (very) long time ago.

Kite

Erin, Matthew, and I had a great time flying a kite on monday

THIS IS NOT ME

Here's the funny thing. This picture IS NOT ME.
I've had THREE people now tell me that I have a Doppelgänger.
His name is Matt McCarthy and he's a comedian/actor from New York.
You can see more pics here at his myspace page. Now, some photos are closer than others, but a few are just uncanny. I've spoken to my mother about this and she assures me Heather and I don't have a hidden triplet.

24

new season of 24 coming soon. thanks Taj for the heads-up.

Jimmy Carter

This quote is in response to a question from Bob Edwards on whether our "image problem" around the world is fixable.

CARTER: In my opinion, the next president could make major repairs the first day in office, the first 30 minutes in office. In the inaugural address, if the next president would announce:

The United States of America is rejecting pre-emptive war as a policy, and we will not attack another nation unless our own security is in danger, as has been the policy of every president since, since uh, George Washington until recently.

The United States will observe every nuclear arms control agreement that has been negotiated since Eisenhower, and we’ll comply with a non-proliferation treaty by working to bring the nuclear arsenals to zero.

The United States will never torture another prisoner, and we will comply with the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of those who are incarcerated. We’ll make sure that they have knowledge of their own crimes and that they have legal counsel and they have a right to outside contact with their families.

The United States will be at the forefront of controlling global warming, and will work with other nations persistently and enthusiastically to reduce the threat to the environment.

The United States will raise high the banner of human rights. From now on, we’ll be the champions of human rights.

The United States will take a balanced position in the Middle East and negotiate without ceasing to bring peace between Israel and Israel’s neighbors with justice to both sides.

Those kind of statements, which I think are rational and defensible and would be very unequivocal, I think, would arouse the admiration of Americans, and would also help to alleviate the concerns that are now so patently obvious in other people’s attitude toward us.

Mad Men

I've got about five episodes backed up on the TiVo of this show on AMC called Mad Men. If you don't know anything about it, check out the short video above. The season finale aired tonight but of course I won't watch it 'til I catch up. I've been watching since the premiere and think it's uncommonly good. I'm sure they'll do a marathon at some point. If so, be sure to watch. I'm never quite sure where it's headed. There are some terrific performances, so don't be surprised if you hear more about it come Emmy time.

In my dreams...my fingers are made of butter

Some thoughts about Gore

Speculation is again rampant that Al Gore might enter the presidential race now that he's won the Nobel Peace Prize. While I'm not sure he's interested, I've got an idea for the next president (Democrat or Republican). Cabinet positions are rarely coveted but there is potential for real policy influence (see Rumsfeld). Of course, cabinet members don't usually get much credit but they often take the blame when things go wrong (again...see Rumsfeld). Nevertheless, I think Al Gore would be a brilliant choice for the next Secretary of Energy. He's got the momentum and the passion to affect real change.

Everybody's Got Something To Hide...

Now Steve Jobs is just toying with us. Take a look at this screen-shot from iTunes. I think it's inevitable at this point that the Beatles catalog on iTunes gets announced at the launch of the "Leopard" OS later this month. But then, doesn't everyone already have all the Beatles tunes on vinyl, cassette, CD, and ripped MP3s?

A thought about the radiohead record. It really is an exercise in trust. Fans trust the band enough to buy a record without hearing a note of it. Band trusts the fans to pay enough for it so that this becomes a viable distribution method. I like that.

Anyone else think this is odd?

I took this photo this weekend with my cell phone.
Anyone else concerned that this "non-dairy creamer" contains...dairy?

It's Up To You

I'm sure you've heard, but if you haven't, Radiohead has decided to release their new album without the help (read hindrance) of a label. It's available through their website, radiohead.com, and with four simple words, they may have single-handedly changed the way we buy music.

When you go to purchase the album, you'll see a blank box where the price would normally be. Click the question mark next to it and you'll see
"It's Up To You" staring back at you.




You wanna pay a nickel? Go ahead. 9.99? Go ahead.
How cool is that?

(a note. Radiohead isn't the first to do this sort of thing. They're just the best.)

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It's a common mistake to misspell caesar but it's usually misspelled differently. Did i misspell misspell?

The Seeker???

I can't ever remember seeing this happen before...
I saw a trailer in the theater for The Dark is Rising, a film based on a book of the same name by Susan Cooper. It's been about 20 years since I read the book, but I remember really enjoying it. The movie looks like it'll be fun for 12 year olds and possibly even for an older audience.

Anyway, I see the commercial today on television and they've changed the title to the very generic-sounding The Seeker. Now, I've heard of title changes before the marketing really begins, but how confusing is it to show people a trailer for a film with one name, then show them a commercial with a lot of the same content with a different title?

At some point I think they decided on "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising" because I've seen it that way too. But now it seems it's just "The Seeker".

Halo 3

Erin's list for things to pick up at wal-mart is: milk, halo 3

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Sweet Tea

One of the things I really missed while I was living up north is sweet tea. I've ordered it at every opportunity since moving back in June (and my tendency towards drinking five or more glasses in one sitting amuses my co-workers to no end). I recommend this great article from Slate.com on sweet tea that I saw posted on a bulletin board at Two Squares A Day restaurant in Chattanooga. Also, on the same subject, check out this study.

Tuesday...

Halo 3 comes out Tuesday. I first blogged about this back in May and the day is fast approaching. I'm really excited...and I'm 30. No judgments, please.

NY Times is now free & complete online

The New York Times has offered a subscription to their "Times Select" content for a while now. It's always a bummer to know that there's something interesting that I'd like to read but that it isn't easily accessible to me because I can't afford to pay for it. As of a day or so ago, "Select" is no more. You may still have to register, I'm not sure, but read on folks.
Here's a couple of good articles from the Times from the last couple months:
The Music Man
Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less

Sub Pop...Free MP3s

I think I've posted about the Sub Pop Records site in the past as a place to check for great free music. Well, I checked today and there are at least four free tracks here that are worth your time. A great band called Band of Horses has a new record coming soon and you can download one of the tracks. The very funny Patton Oswalt compares our commander in chief to a Duke boy in a track from his comedy album Werewolves and Lollipops. Iron and Wine's new album (with an awesome cover, by the by) drops on the 25th of September. Download "Boy with a Coin".
And last but not least...it's Business Time.

Lookout

Great day today with the in-laws. We went up to Point Park and got some great photos of downtown Chattanooga and then to the Chickamauga battlefield & the museum there. It's been years since I've done that.

"The War" Preview / Honoring Local Veterans

I don't usually blog about work here, but I'm making an exception for this. For all of you folks in the area, I'd like to invite you to a special free screening at the Tivoli in Chattanooga on Tuesday, Sept. 18th at 6:30pm. You'll see an hour-long preview of the new seven-part Ken Burns documentary, The War, which begins airing on WTCI on Sept. 23rd.

In addition, I've produced five short pieces honoring some incredible World War II veterans that live right here in the Tennessee Valley. These will precede the preview of The War. Be sure to tell friends & family to join us. We want a packed house!

Papa John's has a Korean website.
And I think they have a different 'papa' judging from the little video that loops on the site. Great jingle at the end too.

We just got done watching the amazing documentary Be Here To Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt on Sundance Channel. You don't have to know a thing about Townes to enjoy this film. But you'll sure feel like you know a lot when it's over.

New episodes of Frisky Dingo just started on Adult Swim.
If you missed the first one, you can watch here.

One of the oddest collaborations I can recall and yet I'm anxious to hear how this one turns out. T-Bone produced. It's out October 23rd.

Photosynth

Once in a blue moon, Microsoft comes through with some technology that's just indescribably cool. The latest? Their Photosynth online demo. Just go play around with it. And apparently there's now a plug-in so you can use this with Firefox.

Great Commercial

This commercial's been around for a long time. Just saw it again tonight by chance and had to post it.

You learn something new every day. For instance, did you know that there is a National Toothpick Holder Collector's Society? Their convention is in Chattanooga this weekend and we ran into a fraction of the organization's 700 members on a cruise aboard the Southern Belle. Friday was our fifth anniversary so we stepped out on the town (and on a watercraft on the river adjacent to the town).

A Love Supreme

Two things led me to this post. The first is a lunch spot I've been to a few times in the last month. Every time I go in there, they're playing John Coltrane.

Second is iTunes and their 'blue note' sale. Now, part of this sale is Coltrane's "Blue Train", which is a great record and you should probably get that one too, if you have the means. But...if you don't have "A Love Supreme" (I know, not a Blue Note recording but it's still on sale) and you have any interest at all in jazz, you need to just go ahead and pay the $8 at iTunes and get it now. Listen to the whole thing through the first time, then listen as you like. And if you can find the record at a used store, even better.

Wow...I never thought I'd say this, but Dick Cheney was
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.



*thanks to Boing Boing.

If you have HBO and you've decided not to watch Flight of the Conchords, you should know that you're wasting your money. The clip below is from a couple episodes back. Jemaine appears to Brett in a dream as David Bowie. Enjoy.

I don't know what to say...just watch.
(thanks Taj)

...then, in case you missed it... watch this.

As I took this photo on the way back from Alabama today, I imagined myself playing The 25,000 Pyramid.

Nipsey Russell: "Alcohol...Gasoline...Explosives..."

Shaun Townley: Uh...things that should never be sold together?

(DING, APPLAUSE)

Nipsey Russell: Yes!

Two videos you've probably already seen

Without the internet, we would miss so much in this world that we're now privileged enough to experience. I submit two very odd, yet very compelling videos for your viewing pleasure. If you haven't seen them already, I predict you will...everywhere. Thanks to Canon and Boing Boing for introducing them to me.


"Thriller" performed by inmates at a prison in the Philippines


A young man named Martin Leung playing the entire score of Super Mario Brothers on the piano

Ryan Adams was included on my 'best of 2004' list. I'm a fan. His latest record, Easy Tiger, is quite good as well. If you're a fan too or you're interested in hearing more, try this live show from just last week. You can download the whole thing or select a few tracks from the internet archive.

Extras & Rescue Me

I know I'm late to the game on this one, but we JUST got HBO for the first time and I'm really enjoying catching up with Extras. I'd seen most of the first season and I'm thrilled with the second. The CPMs are way up. Oh, sorry, that's cringes per minute.

Also, this season of Rescue Me started a few weeks ago and it's as good as ever. Unbelievably funny scene this week with Tommy & Janet seeing a marriage counselor.

Transformers...ROLL OUT!

I'm planning to see Transformers this weekend. If you've got a notion to do the same, be sure to read John Swansburg's article over on Slate.com about the original animated Transformers movie which also includes a link to the music video for Stan Bush's "The Touch" video. Is it me or does he look a bit like Viggo Mortenson with a wig?

For those of you in the know, be sure to do a forward roll for old time's sake as you listen to this one.

Erin and i just figured out why the week seemed so long. Wednesday was a tease.

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Who is in line for an iphone right now? Anyone? Anyone?

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30 Years

I'm thirty today. Which means my sister Heather is thirty today as well. I know there's that whole thing about how you're not supposed to tell a lady's age or ask a lady about her age or something along those lines, but hey...too late.

Too many memories to recount, too many stories to tell so I'll just say this: There are very few people that I love and respect as much as my older sister.

Happy birthday Heather Shea.

Don't Stop Believin'...Ever

There's been a dim chatter in the media recently about the use of the song "Don't Stop Believin'" as the last thing you'll ever associate with The Sopranos. If I'm not mistaken, the same song was the 'theme' of "Monster", that film I didn't see with Charlize Theron in makeup where she won the Oscar but the person who did her makeup didn't even get nominated. Maybe it was another Journey song they used, I'm not sure.


There was a time years ago, when I'd be riding in a car with someone I didn't know very well and a Journey song would come on the radio and I'd chuckle and say "Journey" in a tone often associated with Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan. Journey was an automatic subject of ridicule, despite the context. And I played along, like a sheep.

These days, I find my confidence in my musical appreciation is much stronger and I'm proud to admit that I like Journey. I'm not sure if it's pure nostalgia or if it's simple pleasure centers in my brain interacting with the irony neurons strengthened during my college years. Perhaps, it's just good music from a bygone era that my heart will no longer allow my mind to ridicule. Whatever it is...it rocks. So don't be surprised if you're in the car with me, you hear that bass line that I taught myself to play a few years back, and you hear me confidently ask "would you mind if I turn this up?".

I'm not sure WHY this is as funny as it is, but I can't stop watching it OVER and OVER and OVER again.

Do Not Taunt Föm

Micro-bead-filled Föm pillows have unusually large tags filled with warnings. Reminded me of SNL's Happy Fun Ball, a classic.

On the Road

Hello there. This is a truly mobile blog post. I'm cruising down 81 South through Virginia as I type this. It's Dad's turn at the wheel of the 22 ft. rental truck. I'm not sure if we'll make it all the way through to Georgia tonight. It'll be pretty late. Erin and Matthew are safe and sound at my folks' house waiting for all their stuff to arrive. It's been a very strange fortnight and I've been continually reminded of the love and support that's helped me and my family through so much over the years and for that, I'm grateful beyond expression.

directed by Mikael Håfström!!!

I was just watching TV and an ad came on for the new film 1408 starring Sam Jackson and John Cusack. At the end, you hear the disembodied trailer voice say: "directed by Mikael Håfström". Can ANYONE tell me why they make a point to tell you that this fellow directed the film? Has ANYONE ever heard of Mikael Håfström??

I can understand "directed by Martin Scorsese" at the end of an ad for The Departed. That could certainly persuade a person to see the film, but Mikael Håfström? My only conclusion is that the studio's trying to build name recognition for the guy because they believe he has potential to be the next Scorsese. I think it's a fairly new phenomenon. I've noticed it over the last five years or so, I guess. Does anyone else have a theory about why this is done?

Obama on Faith & Politics

I just finished listening to Barack Obama's keynote address on faith and politics at a Call to Renewal conference in June of '06. It's worth a listen, no matter your political beliefs or faith. If you'd prefer to read it, click here.

This is fun...and nerve-wracking.
I thought I'd get 'em all no problem.
I missed THREE.
**Erin only missed two.
Add a comment. Let me know how YOU did.

Head

If you're my age, you're familiar with The Monkees from the incessant re-runs that plagued Nickelodeon in the 1980s. What was I supposed to do? Play outside?

Anyway, TCM played their film oddity, Head, in the middle of the night. Curiosity won and I TiVo'd it. A few fun facts: Terri Garr is in it, but her name's spelled Terry. Also, Zappa's in it for like 15 seconds. Very odd. The film was co-written by Jack Nicholson with director Bob Rafelson. The two made Five Easy Pieces together a couple years later. Toni Basil (Hey Mickey!) choreographed the thing, and there's a section of the credits where the names and roles are spelled backwards.

How was the movie? Well, I watched it primarily in fast-foward and I'm pretty sure I didn't miss much.

Knocked Up

If you enjoyed The 40 Year-Old Virgin, you'll probably love Knocked Up as much as I did. It's a very funny comedy from the same director, Judd Apatow, and actors Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, and other funny folks. I just looked at the box office numbers for Friday night and it looks like it's doing very well. About three quarters as many screens as Shrek and it's grossing more so far. There's an abundance of memorable scenes & supporting characters. Let's just say I'm really glad our obstetrician wasn't at a bar mitzvah in San Francisco when Erin gave birth to Matthew.

Converting Sugars into Hydrogen

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Sounds promising, no?

Here's the full report on the research at the Public Library of Science.

Doc, can I get a prescription for oxycodone? I have island withdrawal.

If you didn't see the Lost finale, that headline ain't gonna make much sense. Stop reading now.

The wife can confirm that I called the flash-forward within the first hour. So many answers and even more questions. Who died? Who's waiting for Kate? Who else made it off the island besides these two? Why was Jack's beard graying on the island and jet black in the future?

Unbelievably good television, folks. And let's take a moment to mourn our favorite washed-up (on the beach) rockstar, Charlie.
Honestly, I almost shed a tear.

Cell phones

I've got a pretty normal cell phone, I think. It takes pictures & video. It didn't cost anything when we got it because we renewed our contract with Cingular (sorry...the new AT&T). I've been hearing for years that cell phones are the future and I'm just starting to believe it. I'm discovering new things I can do with it all the time. I recently downloaded the mobile Gmail application which has been working pretty well. I can check my email just about anywhere and my phone doesn't notify (annoy) me with emails when I don't want them like an expensive Blackberry would. I can twitter and blog text from my cell, which I had never done before. I've gotta test whether I can take a picture with my phone, then post it to the blog. Maybe this weekend.

Studio 60 isn't coming back next season. I'm bummed.

This is pretty cool. I was in the subway station at Forest Hills in Queens this morning and snapped this picture on my phone. It's remnants of a poster for Three Kings that have been there presumably since the film's release in 1999, buried under other posters.

Rating Reasons

Every now and again, the NY Times runs clever little explanations of the ratings of some theatrical releases. Check out this one:
"28 Weeks Later" is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Rabid zombies feast on living flesh, which causes their potential victims to utter an occasional obscenity.

St*@k in a box!

I debated even posting this because I think giving Donald Trump any more screen-time is a morally questionable enterprise, but I passed this giant display poster at the mall today and had to bring your attention to Trump Steaks. Apparently he found something that he owned that he hadn't put his name on yet. Something he thought he could sell that he had yet to declare "the world's greatest".

You walk into Sharper Image and they have one of these "distinctive" black and gold "presentation" boxes that they ship the steaks in. These are the colors that let you know you're receiving elite beef. The prices are ridonkulous. Anyone buying these steaks is paying $200 to say "hey, you know, Donald Trump eats these steaks!".

online photo editing with Picnik

I've been using a site called Picnik for a month or so to make some simple edits to photos. They've just added some nice features and I think it's going to start catching on. Read their blog here and give it a try here.

Love the Colbert. Love the "better know..." series of interviews. This is one of the funnier ones I've seen. Guam.

If you have your own brand of beef jerky...you might be a redneck

I've been trying to place Kristen Wiig since I first saw her on SNL. I think she's one of the great underrated talents on the program. She was extremely funny in a Michelle Dison sketch this weekend.
I checked IMDB and found out she was on the Joe Schmo Show, an extremely odd and addictive show that I watched a few years back.

**Note: the link to the SNL video has been removed, so don't bother trying to see it.

Efficiency

I'm starting to believe that as the last century was obsessed with excess, in this century, we will only benefit from a dedication to efficiency. Wanna take some small steps that can make a big difference in your home? Home Depot has devoted a portion of their site to Eco Options. Some good suggestions here for conserving energy, water, and more.

The boy listens

Matthew's now fourteen months old and he reached what, for me, was a huge milestone on his fourteen month birthday. He was holding his toy fish. It's mouth opens wide to swallow another fish. I suggested to him that the fish should eat the small soccer ball he got recently. I said 'get the ball. put it in the fish'. He listened, turned, grabbed the ball, opened the fish's mouth, put the ball in, and closed the fish's mouth. Such a dream come true. You tell the boy something specific and he understands enough of the words and what you're asking and does it. Later I told him 'put the book back in the box' and he did that too. You have no idea how thrilled I am. 14 months of feeling like I'm talking to myself are finally over.

Influences

I was telling my friend Taj about the new Kings of Leon record last week. It's a good record. I'm convinced the second half is better than the first, but I told him I thought it sounds like they've been listening to the Pixies and U2 quite a bit since they made the last one. It's still got that Kings sound, but they're expanding what they're doing in very specific ways. Well I got a chuckle this evening when I came across their "artist playlist" on iTunes. Among the "many songs that have influenced us over the past 2 years while writing and recording our new record" are a couple of Pixies tracks and, you guessed it...a song by U2.

Vonnegut

Heard at the office today that Kurt Vonnegut died. Cat's Cradle was one of my favorite books when I was in high school. He was a great writer and a fascinating guy. Pick up one of his books if you've never read him. The story collection Welcome to the Monkey House is great too.

Memory is a funny thing...

The internet's ability to spark nostalgia never ceases to amaze me. Check out this video. I want a show of hands (comments will do fine, thanks)...who else remembers this?

The Battlestar Galactica season finale was kind of crazy. Did anyone else see it?
I can't decide whether it was a "wow that was awesome" kind of crazy or a "did Colonel Tigh just quote Dylan?" kind of crazy. Crazy, nevertheless.

Watching a bit of Sesame Street this morning with Matthew.
Who did they cast as Snow White?

Amy Sedaris.

A woman best known for playing Jerri Blank on Strangers With Candy.

I knew there was a reason I loved Sesame Street.

Just a reminder for all you commuters out there. If you're not subscribed to the This American Life podcast, you're missing great radio. www.thisamericanlife.org

Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971

If you're like me and you adore "After the Goldrush" & "Harvest", you're going to love the immaculately recorded "Live at Massey Hall 1971". It's just Neil, a guitar, a piano, and some of his best songs: Helpless, Old Man, Tell Me Why, Cowgirl, Needle, and much more.

For my money, the most notable track is #7, a "suite" that includes A Man Needs a Maid and Heart of Gold. The relationship between the two songs was never clear in my mind, but I'm now convinced their proximity on "Harvest" is not coincidental. Keep in mind, this performance is before the release of "Harvest", so these songs change a bit by the time they hit vinyl for the first time and Neil makes a point at the beginning of saying he's got a few new songs for the crowd. Little did they know they would be hearing classics for the first time, revisited over thirty five years later on this incredible recording.

Some Thoughts on Downloading Movies

Anyone who knows me knows I love TiVo. It's changed the way I watch television 100%.
It may be changing the way I rent & buy movies as well. TiVo has teamed up with Amazon.com to provide a way for movies to be rented or purchased online and watched on the TV in your living room.

Movies are bought online at Amazon.com and then sent to your TiVo where the film appears in your "now playing" lineup just like the shows you tape. It takes a while to download to the TiVo, but I'd say about as long as it takes for me to go the video store, so what's the difference, right?

Video quality isn't quite as good as a DVD and there are no extra features. My copy of Talladega Nights cost $14.99 but as part of a promotion for the service, I actually paid nothing for it. Mickey got his DVD copy of Talladega Nights for a couple bucks cheaper so the prices obviously have to come down a bit for the service to really catch on. The selection isn't great at this point either, but I expect it will improve rapidly. It's amazing how quickly the film download market has filled out.

I was also pretty satisfied with downloading movies from iTunes (two actually, Rattle & Hum & Errol Morris's amazing documentary, The Thin Blue Line) and from xbox360's online marketplace (Nacho Libre...I think I fell asleep?). All three of these services have pluses and minuses, but I fear Apple's attempt to link the Mac and the TV will fall flat for those of us who already have two TV bridges (TiVo & xbox).

To sum up...the services are pretty good but it comes down to three things:
1) Ease of use
2) Quality of Content
3) Cost

Snowshoeing

I grew up in Georgia so I've never had any need for snowshoes. Until this weekend I had a vague notion that they only really existed in black and white photographs and that they were worn by men with huge mustaches. We hiked near lake Mohonk in New York and it was quite beautiful. This photo is from the top.

Crazy Idea? Apparently not.

Years ago I had an idea that must have sounded crazy at the time. If we're looking for renewable energy, why don't we harness the energy we exert every day just by walking down the street? I figured some genius out there could design a system beneath the world's sidewalks that could channel the energy exerted from foot traffic to power grids all over the world.

Well, I don't know how I missed this, but apparently there are folks working on a very similar project right now. It's called the Pacesetter's Project and it's happening in the UK. You can read more about it here and here.

Super Freak

All you folks out there with CMT are really lucky. You'll get a chance to see the entire episode of Crossroads featuring Bruce Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs on Saturday night at 9pm.

Because I live in New Jersey and have a subscription to a cable system that doesn't believe that anyone in New Jersey would be caught dead watching country music on television, I've got to settle for this AWESOME video of the duo performing Super Freak. Yes. The Rick James song. Don't miss it.

Pan's Labyrinth

We saw Pan's Labyrinth this weekend. It was fantastic.

Further evidence that I know absolutely nothing...

Ghost Rider made over 44 million this weekend.

Free Music

I was telling someone the other day about free content to fill up their iPod.
There's plenty of it out there if you know where to look. Here's a few places to try:

1) iTunes always has free tracks. They change them periodically. Some are good. Some are not. But hey, they're free. And it's not just music. There's often free television shows and short films as well. Just poke around. What do you have to lose?

2) archive.org
The live music archive has some great artists, both widely and slightly known
including Jack Johnson, Los Lonely Boys, & Infradig. These are bands that are known as "tape friendly". They don't tend to get upset (or litigious) if you record live shows and pass 'em around. Just beware the sound quality varies GREATLY from recording to recording.

3) Subpop Records is doing something pretty amazing. They're giving away a few unrestricted MP3 files for most of their artists. And these aren't the filler you'd expect. They're the choice tracks from some of their most well-known artists like The Shins. You like their new single, Phantom Limb? Don't buy it on iTunes. Download it for free. Other artists include Sleater-Kinney, The Postal Service, Wolf Parade, & Iron and Wine. I recommend The Great Salt Lake by Band of Horses.

4) KEXP Song of the Day podcast gives you a new song each day from some artists you'll know: Death Cab for Cutie, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and some you've never heard of. Who knows....maybe you'll find your new favorite band.

5) Even better, in my opinion, is the KEXP Live performances podcast. You get up to 40 minutes of live music from acts like Beirut, M. Ward, Jose Gonzalez, Billy Bragg, and one of my favorites, Drive-By Truckers.

6) Myspace is another place to go. Some artists, like Jason Harrod, offer free downloads of a few of their songs.

7) Finally, go to the pages of the artists themselves or their labels. Great bands like R.E.M. and Sigur Ros make free MP3s available on their sites. If you go to Anti, you can download SEVEN Tom Waits MP3s absolutely free, including three great tracks from his latest, the amazing three-disc set, Orphans.

Musical Boy

Love this video of Matthew. He's watching tv and wants to play along with the music so he picks up the ukelele and gives it a try.

Steve Jobs on selling music online

Remember about a week ago when I posted about how the record companies build restrictions into the music files they sell online, yet their biggest money-maker in history, the CD, was an unrestricted digital format?

Well, Steve Jobs (Apple's CEO) released a very interesting letter today along those lines. Here it is.

Frisky Dingo

I mentioned the adult swim show Frisky Dingo back in November after I saw two episodes and noted how funny it was. Well, the season's ended (13 episodes) and althought it's certainly not for everyone, I have to recommend it.
Watch a few interview snippets with the main character, Killface, for an idea of what this show is like.
Episodes are on iTunes, xbox live marketplace, and youtube for all you webbed kids out there. Enjoy.

Unrestricted Digital Music Sales = $

I read a story in the New York Times a couple of days ago that said some of the major labels are considering selling unrestricted MP3s online.

Seems to me it's a no-brainer. The major labels had unbelievable success the last time they decided to sell digital music without a padlock. They're called CDs.

You never know who you'll meet on the subway

If you keep your eyes peeled in New York, you're sure to meet some really interesting people. I was half-way to the office Tuesday morning and noticed Jack McBrayer sitting across the way. He plays Kenneth the page on 30 Rock. He's an actor that a few of us have really been enjoying in recent years. He was also in Talladega Nights.

I introduced myself and told him how much I enjoy the program and that judging from IMDB we were both born in Macon, Georgia. We had a quick chat before my stop came. He was very nice and patient with me. Turns out he's got family near mine in Georgia. Such a small world.

Castle In The Clouds

The long-awaited Ash Valley record is now available!

I'd heard bits and pieces before now but listening front to back is the way to experience the album. It's a thematically articulate, sonically complex record. Mortality, family, passion, regret, faith, sin & redemption.
This ain't Fergalicious, folks.


You can order it online at www.myspace.com/ashvalley. Just scroll down a bit 'til you see the album cover. The great thing is you're given two options to purchase. Order a physical CD using PayPal (it's easy), or download your tracks at Digstation if you just can't wait to hear it.

Runnin'

Every once in a while I get the urge to do something about my weight. I've tried excercising, eating sensibly, all the things people do, but nothing extreme. Each time, I trail off. Once I got injured and couldn't run for a while and once I healed I didn't start up again. Little things can really get a person off-track.

So, here I am, turning 30 in June, and I'd really like to get healthy. So, I've started eating better and I'm running in the mornings. I really enjoy running. I used to run every morning before high school, I think my sophomore year. It's great. I just got the nike+ system and I'm excited to use that to keep track of my running.

I've also found a couple of free websites that folks might find helpful. I know people have made resolutions and sometimes the smallest things can really help.

The first is fitday.com. You can track your activity and diet online there for free. It'll let you know how many calories you've consumed and how many you've burned in a day. You can also work toward a goal weight over a period of time and it'll track that too.

The second is mapmyrun.com. You enter a starting point on a google map and then mark the points in your run and it calculates the distance for you down to a tenth of a mile. I ran today and came back and mapped it and found out it was 1.8 miles. I had no idea I'd gone that far! I'll use the nike plus in the next couple days and probably post a brief review of that technology.