we’ve featured them before singing this:

and still find them endearing.

those scandanavians.

what can i say.  i have a weakness.

College wine tastings can prevent alcoholism among pupils, believe French advisers

the theory being that controlled wine tastings can prevent binge drinking.

no.

so, for the good of our community, it is your duty to attend the wine tastings each week.

yes.

5-7p tonight!

if macrock is is scheduled to happen april 2-3, and only 20 bands have been announced/alerted that they are officially on the bill, how do the organizers expect this thing to fly?

are bands expected to hold the weekend “just in case”?

seems like most bands plan ahead – like more than 3 weeks ahead – for a major event.

i bet that back in the day, you didn’t wait around to inform fugazi, elliot smith, and sufjan stevens that they were invited to perform.

what’s up, macrock?

we really look forward to feeling like harrisonburg is cool like austin once a year.  it’s been good times in years past…

here’s to hoping that it’s just your website that is a little slow this year…

including the realization of a special request from a very pregnant woman desperate for a grown-up alternative to cranberry gingerale:

jason,

you rock.

the $2.00 bottle deposit may be offputting to some, but not only do i believe it to be worth it, but the bottle return cash i get at the front desk leads me & my 3-year-old across the parking lot to goodwill.  with a few milk bucks in my pocket, we’re set to score some toys & books.  today’s crop included:

two mini coopers, one eric carle book about cats,

a recycled frisbee,

and some amazing books.

(today, i believe the Lord would gather his flock around the water cooler.)

i was thinking of using the latter as freebie giveaways for preacher’s show on wxjm live this thursday night (streaming here). 

but we’ll see if i can bear to part with them…

i can’t decide if this proves or disproves my theories (that the specialization, in terms of developmental-appropriateness, etc., along with the evolving purposes of kids’ tv time, have led to a present-day situation where most grown-ups wouldn’t want to bother actually spending time with their kids enjoying a program; not to mention the escapist hell of vanilla, straight-edge, politically-correct subject content), but it’s my 3 year-old’s new favorite:

and, there’s pingu:

bob mcdonnell believes in the campsite rule (just like dan savage!), and pledges to leave this darn commonwealth a nicer, cleaner spot than he found it, which evidently means stopping tax adjustments, as suggested by outgoing tim kaine,

McDonnell, who will succeed Kaine on Jan. 16, promised to work “in a bipartisan fashion” with House and Senate money committee leaders to make the cuts necessary to balance the budget, but he added that “it is bad economic policy to increase taxes on Virginians” during a recession.

in favor of cutting program funds (i.e. local teachers, etc.).

the state of oregon has a different idea: raise taxes on the wealty, & large corporations:

Oregon voters bucked decades of anti-tax and anti-Salem sentiment Tuesday, raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy to prevent further erosion of public schools and other state services.

The tax measures passed easily, with late returns showing a 54 percent to 46 percent ratio. Measure 66 raises taxes on households with taxable income above $250,000, and Measure 67 sets higher minimum taxes on corporations and increases the tax rate on upper-level profits.

The results triggered waves of relief from educators and legislative leaders, who were facing an estimated $727 million shortfall in the current two-year budget if the measures failed.

so, bob mcdonnell, can we clean up our campsites just like those oregonians?

or will moderate “democrats” give you another pass on your pseudo-populist hypocrisy?

“Bunch of Phonies Mourn J.D. Salinger”

but the news made me think of this gem:

“Search For Self Called Off After 38 Years”

The search initially showed great promise, with Speth’s early discovery of his uncle’s old Doors records and a copy of The Catcher In The Rye. Over the next two decades, however, the “leads just petered out.”

r.i.p.

(we’re hosting one for Friendly City Co-Op in Feb…)

so, i was particularly keen on this:

sounds a hell of a lot better than cuchi guidos to me…