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I've mentioned my continued respect for John Hodgman on here once or twice before, and it has been reminded to me today as I read this interview with Peter Hyman.
I was shocked and delighted to read that Hodgman is actually the editor for my absolute favorite part of the New York Times Sunday Magazine (and almost certainly my favorite article of the week in any magazine or newspaper) True Life Tales. The interview primarily focuses on balancing the fiction he delivers in his book (soon to be books) and on The Daily Show with the facts he delivers in The New York Times.

There's also a slightly more broad interview with Hodgman over at the Pheonix in which he discusses mole men, eels, and portraying a PC on those Mac ads.

"Mac has always gotten the design and the interface down pat. They just know it. PC’s efforts to emulate this, and its constant failing, and its self-satisfied arrogance about it being the most used platform in the world, all of that made it very easy to craft a character who, while he is a boob, and often concerned about how he comes off, at his core really feels bad for the Mac. Is really so delusional to believe he’s much cooler than the Mac. The whole reason they’re standing in that white room is because he’s trying to help the Mac out."

so i'm totally excited for the CMJ Music Marathon, which takes place Oct 31st-Nov 4th. the past few years i've been forced to miss it due to residence way down in florida, but with the initial lineup announced, i'm already super happy.

Looks like there might be a Hush Records showcase, which is exciting because I love those guys, but they never come to New York. Hush artists listed in the CMJ lineup include Toothfairy, Laura Gibson, Jeff London, Super XX Man, Shelley Short and Casey Dienel.

Local faves French Kiss Records could also have a kickass showcase lined up, with The Big Sleep, The Plastic Constellations, Rahim and Thunderbirds Are Now! all confirmed.

Random other exciting bands listed: Architecture In Helsinki, Tapes n' Tapes, The Knife, Blonde Redhead, Medeski Martin & Wood, Candei De Ser Sexy, Madlib, Hot Chip, George Clinton, The Thermals and Mixel Pixel.

too late to apologize

i tried watching the news this morning. i thought it'd be fun if i played a game, trying to count how many times i heard the words "terror", "attack" or "violence". i was surprised to hear the word "closure" more than the other three combined in the first half hour and became generally horribly depressed watching it all.

it was really fun being detached from here for four years, living in florida and hating it there and being surrounded by people crying and whining about how drastically 9/11 affected their lives, knowing that a vast majority of the people making these claims were never in any danger, never anywhere near anything that could potentially be a target, whereas I disbelievingly watched the skyline crumble from my high school cafeteria window. it was really fucking fun being a cynic all that time, even before leaving New York. the night of September 11th, 2001, i started writing a humorous and utterly tasteless song about it all, a song that every guy I sang it to laughed out loud and every girl I ever sang it to slapped me in the face by the end of the second line. that night, my friends and I each watched George W. Bush make absurd threats on television and could barely contain our laughter and outrage. it was eerily soothing the past four September Elevenths, when memorial services were held at my school for reasons beyond my comprehension, to sit in my room and loudly blast They Might Be Giants' classic b-side "I'll Sink Manhattan"

but watching the memorial and such on the news this morning was just damn unsettling. maybe all those years in the south made me softer than I used to be. it was easy to not care in high school, when i barely cared about anything. it was easy to not care in Florida, where all i saw was fakers and cry-baby republicans. i still don't feel like i care, but the news was just damn shaking. it wasn't even news! it was just testimonial and the like.

anyway, yesterday I wanted to write a long rant to the media to shut up about it all because they're not helping anything, and they're not even being informative so much as opportunistic, but i don't have that anger in me right now.


I’ll sink Manhattan
Right under the sea
I’ll find the sweetest spot to watch as it flows away

You were so happy
With the things that you said
Like “he’s my lower half,” you laugh, but you’re gonna find

A river of tiny tears flow from your crocodile eyes
“Too late to apologize,” I say, as floodwater dries

I’ll sink Manhattan
I’ll sacrifice friends
I think they’d understand my plan, I’ll never be sure

I’ve got a message
So before I get through
I’ll find your answering machine and I’ll sink it first

Burn your forget-me-nots, admit that true love can die
No I won’t apologize, my love, just kiss me goodbye

gah, finally. I tried updating this blog after I got back from Philly, but they wouldn't let me log in. now I forgot what I was going to write about. some other time, i suppose.