Sillybean

I’m in research mode for my current novel-in-progress. Do you know of any autobiographies or online journals/accounts written by people who became legal guardians of younger siblings after their parents died? Let me know!

CD Baby tells us how iTunes works from an indie industry-insider perspective. Fascinating.

I accidentally bought Patty Griffin’s Flaming Red over the weekend. (I was thinking of Patty Larkin. Argh.) It’s one of those happy accidents, because I love the second song, ”One Big Love.” (You can hear a clip at Amazon’s page.) The thing is, I already know it, and can sing along. Where the hell could [...]

Radio Buffy is amusing this afternoon. As usual, there are some songs you’d recognize from the show and some random bits of score and dialogue and such. Here’s a selection of today’s playlist:

”Rest in Peace” – James Marsters

caveman grunts and shrieks from ”Beer Bad”

Suite from ”Restless”

Suite from ”Hush”

”Blue” – Angie Hart (of Splendid)

”Charge” – [...]

That’s it, I must own an iPod. The new ones have built-in recording features, although they aren’t activated in the current software. If I can plug this thing into my car, play hours of my favorite music without changing CDs, and use it as a voice recorder for story ideas that hit me on the [...]

We got the latest issue of Time in the mail today. I was sort of idly flipping through it when I found a lengthy article on online piracy that was so one-sided and accusatory that I couldn’t help it… I wrote them a letter. This is nothing you guys haven’t heard before, but what the [...]

I know I’m not the only one who’s noticed that radio sucks lately. Salon has done several fine pieces on Clear Channel’s bully tactics. But for those of you who listen to the rock/alternative stations: have you noticed a distinct lack of women lately? I’m not talking about the DJs; I don’t care about their [...]

I need to figure out how to make iTunes play Six Underground for me at least once a day. I don’t know why it cheers me up, but it does.

Orbital’s ”Halcyon and On and On” is excellent at dispelling post-meeting anger and promoting writing productivity. Play -> infinite repeat -> happiness.

Twice today, I’ve turned on iTunes and set it to play random songs from my top-rated list only to have it start with the song that was already running through my head. (At the moment, it’s K’s Choice, Virgin State of Mind. Not exactly a ubiquitous track.) This is freaking me out a little, but [...]

Hilary Rosen, Wicked Witch of the West RIAA, is resigning.

My 5-star iTunes list includes a lot of stuff that isn’t (as far as I know) available on CD. A quick sampling:

Angie Hart, Blue [1]

Sheryl Crow, Ode to Billy Joe (from VH1 Storytellers)

Lilith Fair (various), Closer to Fine

Now if only I could find Patty Griffin’s version of Tenderness on the Block, featured in Sliding [...]

Journalists have been busily reporting that Aimee Mann and the Breeders are making appearances on Buffy this month, but the biggest news is the act that’s sandwiched between the two. Angie Hart’s haunting ”Blue” stole the show last night (even though ”Conversations With Dead People” was hands-down the best Buffy all season). I cannot wait [...]

From the depths of rec.arts.sf.fandom, I bring you…. LOTR filk to the tune of ”Istanbul.” Even old Mirkwood was once the Greenwood Great.
Why it changed, I dare not say.
[Evil One liked it better that way.] All rights and privileges due to Kip Williams.

The RIAA tries to pull an Enron, and fails: they’re bitching that CD sales are down, when the decline is in CD-single sales – which the RIAA is no longer pushing – not the full-length discs. It’s like shipping half as many books this year as you did last year and then blaming the sales [...]