The jpeg war: Levi Asher wrote this action poem, "What's Bothering Me," about our just-concluded (?) media war. Hey, and I just noticed that his novel, Summer of the Mets is finally out.... (Miscellany)

Towards participatory online democracy: Paul Ford thinks the Senate should have an RSS feed, and the House, and the Supreme Court, and the White House. I think he's right, and I like his approach to raising the subject.... (Weblog Concepts)

Earl King, R.I.P.: Speaking of New Orleans, I was sad to read this obituary for the legendary Earl King. (Times userid: mediajunkie, password: mediajunkie) Most famous outside of N.O. (and best compensated for) Jimi Hendrix's cover (as "Let the Good Times Roll") of his "Come On," and for the Mardi Gras standard "Big Chief,"... (Miscellany)

Synchronicity, synecdoche, Schenectady. So I: Synchronicity, synecdoche, Schenectady. So I make this new category for my last entry ("Television") and what should come up in my iTunes rotation? now playing:"Little Johnny Jewel" by Television [The Blow Up]... (Miscellany)

More conference retrospective coming: As always the actual face-to-face living of the Waterside conference a week or so ago overtook the electronic chronicling of same. Then I got sick. Now I'm about to head out on vacation. On return, though, I still plan to try to reassemble some of my other fond or striking memories... (Book News)

Synchronicity, synecdoche, Schenectady: So I make this new category in my X-POLLEN blog for an entry ("television") and what should come up in my iTunes rotation? now playing:"Little Johnny Jewel" by Television [The Blow Up]... (Miscellany)

Mr. Kott-air?: Jeff Green wonders what we were laughing at, when we were laughing at the Sweat Hogs. All I know is that there was a time "sport shirt on the iceburg" chanted to the beat of a conga line could crack up me and my sibs without fail. Around this time we... (Weblog Concepts)

Xeni is the cowgirl's stunt double this week: Xeni Jardin asks the musical question, "[W]hat do you blog about when you can be as explicit, as extreme, and as graphic as you want to be? How far will you go - at what point will you self-censor? Do you roll your sleeves up and turn up the shock, just... (Salon Bloggers)

Packing for New Orleans: Just checked the weather report for New Orleans today, sunny and dry. B and I have been to Jazz Fest something like eight times in the last decade, and I think we've made it there for the last five or six in a row (it gets hard to keep track after... (Miscellany)