"Little Drummer Boy" by Low

A breath. A noise blast until :20. Reverb to end all reverb. Every breath a string quartet.

I think the "slowcore" label Low gets saddled with is unfair and inaccurate, but listening to their langid-but-still-somehow-incredibly-tense version of "Little Drummer Boy," I want to hit 'repeat one' and curl up under a blanket under my parents' aluminum Christmas tree and sleep until New Year's.

Edit: you can buy it from eMusic, if you've got an account. If you don't, and you want one, please let me know. We can all get free music if you do.

A live version, via Hype Machine: Low - Little Drummer Boy

I'd rather be in Tokyo, I'd rather listen to Thin Lizzy

Or watch the Sunday gang in Harajuku:

Seriously. Weird. (via Boing Boing, at that. Purveyors of weird.) I mean, I understand the desire to take care of a pretty wounded girl (wounded pretty girl)--but post-dance party Kerry feet never really did much for me. Apparently, the, ahem, "Lawrence Nightingale" effect does work for some people.

It's cold here. Really cold. (Not the coldest I've ever seen, not by a long shot, but the snow makes it wet, too. Which is not pleasant. I track snow into my apartment. and I can't just kick my shoes off at the door either; I'm wearing my four-year old Doc Martens for marginally better snow navigation (though the lack of traction allows some INCREDIBLE ice slides), and them shoes' a pain to get off.

So yeah. I'd rather be in Tokyo. Anywhere warmer or more interesting. I'd prefer Memphis. Or even the legitmate cold of more northerly climes. But I'd take Tokyo. I'm listening to podcasts. On the Media, currently, but I'd rather listen to Thin Lizzy:

Edit: There's something wrong with me--I'm a cuckoo.

Idea: Voter's Debates

I'd referenced this in my Twitter feed, but I think it would be a fantastic idea.

With the emphasis on the presidential election, it seems that the candidates (mostly) speak to a focus-grouped constituency.  So why not subvert the usual debate format and have moderators ask questions of selected voters?  Each response to a prompt would be broadcast as-is, unfiltered through the lens of statistical analysis, thus providing a more vital documentation of the wishes of the electorate in a specific area of the country.

The problem is, by the time Indiana' March primary rolls around, it's rendered meaningless by earlier primaries and Super Tuesday.  Perhaps a Voters' 'debate could focus as much on local issues as national/international issues.  It could also spark more interest among the electorate for local politics by making participation in local politics a truly visceral experience.

maybe.

correction

There will be an edit to the post that mentions this (when I can be bothered to edit it), but I'd said I bought Elizabeth the Found and/or Postsecret books.  She bought them herself.  I just thought they'd be a good present for her sister.  

Mea Culpa.