Free Music Day

Today was free music day around here – Emma was listening to the Fratellis, and so I started surfing. Levi’s, of all companies, is offering a bunch of free mp3 downloads from people you’ve actually heard of. I got them all, and these were the ones I like:

The Swell Season (Glen Hansard from the Commitments and Once, both of which I loved. They have one of the Amazon $5 albums this month, which I also grabbed.)
Jason Mraz
The Shins
She & Him

You have to sign up, but that’s why we have a junk email addresses.

I also poked around in the Amazon MP3 store. My favorite so far reminds me a lot of Paul Simon - Josh Roushe's I will Live on Islands.

Total spent today: $1.98. Number of songs added to iTunes: 76. I stick them all in my “New Tunz” playlist, listen a few times, and then figure out which "real" playlist they belong in, if any.

Must admit my fav so far was one of the $0.99 songs – Michael Buble singing the Spider-Man theme.

The More Things Change . . .

Whenever any of the 3 P's (politicians, pastors and parents) mount their moral soapbox and start talking about the moral decline of today's youth, etc., I have to bite my tongue to keep from from laughing. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are something new, eh? Now I don't have to quote anyone in response, I can just whip out my phone and show them this:



Apparently, current thinking is that Botticelli portrayed Mars on an acid trip - all the way back in 1483.

It's a Whole 'Nother Country

I've lived in Texas or Louisiana half my life, with a family heavily involved in the oil industry. Now, I am to my family as Austin is to Texas: a lonely dot of liberalism in a sea of red conservatives. While I don't think anyone out there deliberately caused the spill - there was just too much at stake - it's turning into a surreal, dark comedy. So I love this post by Terry Border entitled "Black Gold, Texas Tea":


It's a clever little piece of art and political commentary.

Trying to look on the bright side, I think the graft from this disaster might just be enough to finish rebuilding New Orleans.

Aww, Nuts

I recently sent a quick email to a friend to ask, "Am I a bad person if I want this t-shirt?"



Her immediate reply: "No dear - you are just married . . . "

Kaleido Construction

Backwoods Texas miles from anywhere and I still manage to get stuck in traffic.


-- Post From My iPhone

Elton John at UT Frank Erwin Center

Waiting for the show to start.





Youngest shows the most enthusiasm she'll have all night.





Crowd warms up by Rocket Man.





Elton is warm and friendly and the whole stadium is on it's feet by Benny and the Jets.





Encore: Circle of Life



Hint for next concert: park nose out.





Great fun!

Post From My iPhone

Outlook on the Desktop

This is really cool. I've got dual monitors, and I love the ability to display my calendar on one of the screens without launching Outlook. Now if only I could figure out the best way to create a family calendar that will sync across multiples iPhones and Outlook installations . .