The easiest way to make a cover version sound unique is to slow down a quick song. Dozens of artists use this trick on their own hits and on the hits of others (and some artists seem to specialize using this trick on all kinds of songs).
This week, I thought I'd feature a particulary good example of the “slow cover” by one of my favourite bands.
Because who wouldn't pay one grand for a single graphic of a red diamond that doesn't do anything else except prove that you have too much money?
I thought about posting a picture I snapped of what my foot looked like underneath the cast but it's kinda gross – still some bruising and a really ugly blister on my heel. Anyhow, I'm now into a walking cast for the next 2-4 weeks and then hopefully I'm walking like a normal person again. Next week, a photo of my new walking cast – I think you'll be impressed with my design choice!
AskMetaFilter's suggestions for great places to buy unique, cool gifts online. Ho-ho-holy cow, where did the year go?
Last night, Jon Stewart had some fun discussing the Master of Library Science's sister degree, the Master of Archival Studies. (Fast forward to 1:40).
Lots of good, thought-provoking stuff in this 2005 commencement speech by David Foster Wallace. The following section especially jumped out at me knowing how Wallace would eventually kill himself a few years later:
“It is not the least
bit coincidental that adults who commit suicide with firearms almost
always shoot themselves in: the head. They shoot the terrible master.
And the truth is that most of these suicides are actually dead long
before they pull the trigger.”
Does anybody know why a company would prevent embedding of their YouTube clips? Just to maintain control of how their content is presented I guess? (This is also the first YouTube clip I've seen with a short ad embedded in front of it as well – hmmm, is that a new Google initiative or did the record company put it in there?)
Anyhow, with today being the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I thought this song was appropriate.
In my quest to have a designated theme for every day of the week, maybe I should start a “Sappy Sunday” one if I keep finding touching articles like this one? Man, every librarian should have a story like this.
My best attempt so far was a failure – in my last job, I found out about a teen patron who'd been caught using the library phone to dial 1-900 numbers which charged back about fifty bucks to that line from the online game, Runescape. We suspended him for the summer but after handing down the suspension, I was feeling guilty about taking away the library privileges of a youngster, especially in the summer months and because he's protested so strongly that there was no way he could afford fifty bucks. So a few weeks later, I asked for and received permission from my Director to offer him a deal to have his suspension lifted if he would pay a portion of the fine, write a letter of apology to the local library board and pay off the rest by doing a few hours of volunteer work at the library.
I called his house to give him what I thought was the good news. “Oh, I paid off the fine already. I wanted to keep playing the game. But don't worry – I won't charge anything back the library anymore. Promise!” 
Tonight, the Riders clinched the CFL's Western Division for the first time in thirty-three years. (We won't spend time contemplating this level of futility in what has long been a four-team division – yikes!) Anyhow, since I used my most current Rider-themed photo last week, I thought I'd dig in the archives for one from 2007 when the Riders won the Grey Cup. Hopefully this is a good omen!
(Quick plug too – the Dunlop Art Gallery at RPL has a Rider themed exhibit coming up next fall as part of the team's 100th Anniversary Celebrations.)
