Going Rogue

Marvel to the days when one can have a bestseller before the book actually exists, which is what has happened with Going Rogue, Sarah's somewhat premature memoir. But I say Fair's fair. If people are allowed to pay for a book that doesn't yet exist, we the people should be allowed to pay so that it will never exist. I'd pay $10 for that.

It's Not What You Say

The following post by Atrios (http://www.eschatonblog.com/) garnered 99 comments.

"Morning Thread
I'm sure I'll have something to say once I've had some coffee."

I wouldn't get any comments if I said this because it would mean something entirely different. I drink Maxwell House.

Marianne Faithfull

I'm tracking down as much Kurt Weill as I can these day, and making forays into German Caberet music, all as a result of hearing Maianne Faithfull's 20th Century Blues (originally released in 1997). Marianne's husk-smoked voice serenaded by the incomparable Paul Trueblood on piano and arrangements, introduces her interpretations of many classic Weill songs. I was thrilled to hear them, remembering the Three Penny Opera LP my parents owned and played when I was a child, versions of Mac the Knife that wouldn't leave my head, and the cover of Alabama Song by the Doors that could be mundane or insanely edgy depending on Morrison's psychotropic cocktail that particular night. Anyway, thought I'd share this rather good youtube of Marianne singing "I Want to Buy Some Illusions" There are several of the Weill songs on youtube as well but the imbed feature has been disabled. This will give you a taste however. Now onto the Berliner Requiem.

A New (to me) Chanteuse

Looking for that Perfect Gift Book?

Look no further. Awful Library Books has hundreds of ideas, from cat dissection to embalming fetal pigs in plastic to curing VD at home; books titled "Looking Forward to Being Attacked" (who can wait?) and "Nice Girls Do: Now You Can Too!" (I'll be looking at nice girls differently after this one.
Anyway, thanks to Elizabeth for the tip.

The Moon at Dawn

This morning while walking the dog I was, as Charles Olson once wrote, "seized by the moon." As contemporary cosmology has proven, the light of the moon is not merely reflected sunlight, but a remarkably altered light, with it's own mysterious qualities.
It's wondrous eye above the dark fir caught me in its gaze. Still holds me hours later.

Returns

Top Bellingham, to Rock!

After 2,000 plus miles on the road -- Montana, Idaho (Stanley!), Oregon, Washington with my 86 year old father who held up well, though befuddled and pained.
Read Treasure Island and Kidnapped by Stevenson for the first time since I was 8 or 9...what a treat! Long John Silver is as much an operator as anyone Elmore Leonard ever created (or knew) and I'd forgotten all about the Scottish sovereignty theme in Kidnapped.
But mostly wanted to share a live version of a song that's been looping through my brain for the last month or so. It's off Streetcore, the 3rd and final album from Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, actually released after he died (the version on the album is slightly different). This is such a powerful, terrific, eclectic band one can't help wondering where they would have taken themselves.