she linked me, and it felt like a kiss

Yes, it’s another cut-price weblog entry, replete with links that you’ve either been bored with a month ago, or dull things that you’d never considering looking for. I live to serve.

First up: The Elvis. The finest in American sandwich-science. Is anybody game enough to try it?

More spectacular news about the all-new Top of The Pops. Ooh. Three weeks of Victoria Beckham, that'll give the show a shot in the arm. For those of you who aren't in the UK, it's difficult to explain quite how culturally important this show has been over the past thirty-five years (I suppose I could say it's a bit like MTV, only it isn't a channel, it only lasts for thirty minutes, and isn't backed to by a huge multinational conglomeration. So it's not much like MTV at all, really). Suffice to say, for every week since 1967, TOTP has provided a snapshot of the country's taste in music. Most of the time, it's pretty bad; in 1982, people actually went to shops and actually bought Renee and Rento's Save Your Love without being openly derided by right-thinking people (WARNING: if you click that link, I accept no responsibility for any ill effects it will cause. Your ears are precious. Anything, I mean ANYTHING else from 1982 is preferable). On the other hand, the programme records the moments of genius as well: Rod Stewart performing "Maggie May" with John Peel playing along, Dexy's Midnight Runners singing "Jackie Wilson Says" in front of a portrait of the Jock Wilson, famed darts player, the indie-dance episode that had both The Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays in the same studio, Nirvana's weird rendition of "Smells Like Street Spirit", and many more. When I was eight, we'd all come into school on Friday morning talking about last night's TOTP, about how good Salt-n-Pepa were, having fights over The Bangles' "Eternal Flame", and wondering just why Fuzzbox wanted the help of International Rescue.

Umm, there was a point here somewhere. Oh yes. Over the past few years, TOTP has been marginalised, shunted to a Friday night slot up against the most-watched programme in Britain, and yes, it's seen better days. I'm not sure whether extending the programme, cutting back on the music, and filling the time with fluff interviews is the way to go myself. But who knows? It could be good. Once Victoria Beckham's residency is over, naturally.

Next up, the people over at Suprnova. Normally, I can't complain; they make it easy for people to grab BitTorrent links of their favourite shows and pirate the latest cinema releases. My complaint at the moment, though is this: STOP RE-ENCODING KILL BILL AND DO THE FILMS I WANT TO DOWNLOAD! Thank you.

I haven't seen this but, apparently, the Swedish Chef attempts to eat Big Bird, and there's this exchange which officially makes it one of the Greatest Films Ever:

Kermit, Doc, Sprockett and The Count are looking outside at the raging blizzard

DOC: Boy, that storm sure is getting worse!

KERMIT: Yeah, I hope Miss Piggy will be OK.

DOC: (to the Count) That is one worried frog, I tell you.

COUNT: Aha! That's One...One worried frog!
(Robin enters)

ROBIN: And he's not the only one!

COUNT: That's two...two worried frogs! Aha-ha-ha-ha! (thunder and lightning outside)

It's genius, I tell you.

Did you ever want to know about the Zip Code and how it came to be? Well, then go here and satisfy that desire. We won't tell anybody. Honest.

Jimmy Has Fancy Plans, and Pants To Match.

And finally, a shaggy dog story from Raleigh, North Carolina.

currently playing: Belle & Sebastian — If She Wants Me

A Moment of Nerd.

Yes, I know I’ve said nasty things about Slashdot in the past few months, but…

DVD Authoring In Linux

Woo-hoo!

currently playing: Wilco — I am trying to break your heart

A Serious Moment

It has been brought to this website’s attention that America currently suffers from a lack of blackcurrant. This horrible state of affairs even appears to extend to their dictionaries, which currently refuse to consider the word’s existence. It is our opinion that many of America’s problems stem from the lack of this wholesome fruity drink, and, in these upcoming times of joy and good tidings, we’d like you to spend a moment of your time to think about the 260 million people who, every day, have to live without blackcurrant.

Please, help us to help them. Adopt an American today.

currently playing: Pet Shop Boys — Flamboyant

Santa's Got Himself A Posse

currently playing: The Beatles — Octopus Garden

4-Track Mind

  • BeckFeel Good Time

    Beck's original version of the song sung by Pink on the Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle soundtrack. This is a bit funkier than her version, sounding like it would sit happily on his Midnite Vultures album.


  • Tori AmosDo It Again

    It's Christmas time, so it's the point in the year when the music world is flooded with compilation releases. Tales of A Librarian is Tori's effort, with remixed versions of tracks from Little Earthquakes, Under The Pink, Boys For Pele, and From The Choirgirl Hotel. And two new songs to convince fans to buy the album, (happily, the iTunes Music Store allows you to pick and chose what you want, so you don't have to go out and buy the old tracks again). It also serves as the final album in a record deal that she hasn't been too happy with, which might explain why it's a fairly uninspired collection (nothing wrong with the songs - it's just that there's a stack of unreleased material sitting around which would have made an impressive box-set). Anyway, this is a Steely Dan cover, taken from the Spark single, and it's quite lovely. Yes.


  • Fountains of WayneSink To The Bottom With You

    Still a big hit in Connecticut, apparently.


  • GeneSave Me, I'm Yours

    Finally, another song from the Britpop days, a perky and bouncy number from Gene. (Note: actual contents may vary from description)

currently playing: The Clash — Ghetto Defendant

The Music Biz Shake Down

Michael Jackson arrested, Phil Spector charged with murder, the release of Let It Be…Naked. It’s been a tough couple of weeks for music…

currently playing: Tears For Fears — Mad World

Waiting on Tenterhooks

Not going to the protest tomorrow. As Matt rightly says, the march is going to be kept firmly away from the President and his entourage, so there’s little point. The niggling feeling that people are looking for an excuse to re-enact Chicago 1968 didn’t help, but the main reason I suppose I’m not going is because the protest itself seems flawed somehow. Is it just so people can say “Go away, we don’t like you”? Isn’t it a bit late to protest against the War in Iraq? Can’t we have something a little more constructive?

I also remembered that I didn't have the best of times at the protests in Raleigh or Washington DC (to clarify — the people and the marches themselves were fine, but most of the speakers decided that they'd rather indulge in conspiracy theories and outrageous claims than actually talking about the war itself), so I'd probably come back feeling depressed about my contribution to the world at large. Instead, I shall stay at home and work on my world domination plans… (I have a no-gnome policy already fleshed out)

currently playing: The Beatles - A Day In The Life

Fortress London!

See how long the traffic cams stay up!

currently playing: Sarah McLachlan — Ice Cream

It's Christmas on Mars!

The Flaming Lips could never be accused of being grounded, could they?

To celebrate President Bush's visit to the UK, here's a speech Al Gore made last week, lambasting the current Administration for un-American behaviour (I'm a dirty liberal hippie and proud of it, dagnamit!)

The Vatican has to go and spoil all the mystery.

Guys, I really think you're spending far too much time trying to explain away the flaws in a below-average sci-fi film 8-).

currently playing: Aimee Mann — High On Sunday 51

Oops

It’s been brought to my attention that I’d already posted that Cat Power version of Wonderwall. Apologies. To make up for it, have a Red House Painters song:

Red House Painters — Have You Forgotten?

The question for this week - as I'm a shiftless layabout who can make time, should I go to the Bush protest in London this Thursday, or should I just stay home and do something more useful instead? Leave your thoughts in the helpfully-provided comment section…

currently playing: Saint Etienne — Kiss and Make Up