chad(dq)

Amazon’s recent letter to shareholders is Kindle-centric and worth a read. Here’s my favorite quote:

We humans co-evolve with our tools. We change our tools, and then our tools change us. Writing, invented thousands of years ago, is a grand whopper of a tool, and I have no doubt that it changed us dramatically…Kindle is purpose-built for long-form reading. We hope Kindle and its successors may gradually and incrementally move us over years into a world with longer spans of attention, providing a counterbalance to the recent proliferation of info-snacking tools.

Besides the fact that the letter is a bit tooly, goobery, and overdramatic, Bezos makes sense. I’m all for a devise/gadget that’s going to move us back toward long-form reading. I don’t think the current version of the Kindle has the mojo to convert us, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Kindle 2.0 makes significant progress towards Bezos’ goals.

One of my favorite podcasts is KCRW’s Good Food, and the last episode was great. My favorite segment was about kopi luwak, coffee brewed with beans collected from the feces of the Paradoxurus (an animal that’s part of the civet family). In Santa Monica, the place to go for kopi luwak is Funnel Mill Rare Coffee and Tea. Visit the site; it has more information on how the beans for kopi luwak are gathered and brewed AND a hilarious picture of of a Paradoxurus reading a newspaper and doing its business right into a coffee mug (bottom of the ‘coffee’ page).

I’m not a coffee drinker, but I’ll say this — I love my diet coke and, if I thought the taste of diet coke could be enhanced by feces or urine or vomit or bile, I’d pour myself a glass without hesitation.

Cheers!

We watched Ellen Page’s Hard Candy tonight. It was disturbing, but not nearly as clever as it thought itself to be. I won’t spoil the movie, but I’ll say this — I think it took the easy way out when it came to Page’s character. Were we to have been given a bit of backstory or a hint of her motivation, I would have been much more engaged.

If it’s excellent Hard Candy you’re looking for, try the Counting Crows:

I’m not so pleased with the latest release by the Counting Crows, but the Hard Candy album is outstanding. I’m tickled by this user review from the Amazon:

I thought I knew what music was, man. That’s all I ahve to say. I thought I knew what music was.

I remember feeling that same way when I took the time to listen to the entire Laid album by James. It’s funny, I rarely sit back and listen to music just to listen to music, but when I do (and it’s music I care about), it’s always a refreshing experience. I think I’ll ask my Chumby (I’ve named him Lil’ Chef, by the way) to play some music while I fall asleep tonight.

Don’t be embarrassed, just start singing along. No one will tell!

Yeah…I like it when the girls stop by.. In the summer
Do you remember, Do you remember?
…when we met..That summer??

[Chorus]

New Kids On The block,had a bunch of hits
Chinese food makes me sick.
And I think it’s fly when girls stop by for the summer,for the summer
I like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch,
I’d take her if I had one wish,
But she’s been gone since that summer..
Since that summer

[Verse 1]

Hip Hop Marmalade spic And span,
Met you one summer and it all began
Your the best girl that I ever did see,
The great Larry Bird Jersey 33
When you take a sip you buzz like a hornet
Billy Shakespere wrote a whole bunch of sonnets
Call me Willy Whistle cause I can’t speak baby
Sumthin in your eyes went and drove me crazy
Now I can’t forget you and it makes me mad,
Left one day and never came back
Stayed all summer then went back home,
Macauly Culkin wasn’t Home Alone
Fell deep in love,but now we ain’t speakin
Michael J Fox was Alex P Keaton
When I met you I said my name was Rich
You look like a girl from Abercrombie and Fitch

[Chorus]

New Kids On The block,had a bunch of hits
Chinese food makes me sick.
And I think it’s fly when girls stop by for the summer,for the summer
I like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch,
I’d take her if I had one wish,
But she’s been gone since that summer..
Since that summer

[Verse 2]

Cheery Pez,cold crush,rock star boogie
Used to hate school so I had to play hookie,
Always been hip to the B-boY Style
Known to act wild and make girls smile,
Love New Edition and the Candy Girl
Remind me of you because you rock my world
You come from Georgia where the peaches grow
They drink lemonade and speak real slow
You love hip hop and rock n roll
Dad took off when you were 4 years old
There was a good man named Paul Revere
I feel much better baby when you’re near
You love fun dip and cherry Coke,
I like the way you laugh when I tell a joke
When I met you I said my name was Rich
You look like a girl from Abercrombie and Fitch

[Repeat Chorus]

Bridge In the summertime girls got it goin on,
Shake and wigle to a hip hop song
Summertime girls are the kind I like,
I’ll steal your honey like I stole your bike

[Verse 3]

Bugaloo shrimp and pogo sticks
My mind takes me back there oh so quick
Let you off the hook like my man Mr. Lipit
Think about that summer and I bug,cause I miss it
Like the color purple,macaroni and cheese,
Ruby red slippers and a bunch of trees
Call you up but whats the use
I like Kevin Bacon,but I hate Footloose
Came in the door said it before,I think I’m over you
but I’m really not sure
When I met you I said my name was Rich
You look like a girl from Abercrombie and Fitch
repeat Chorus

[Bridge]

In the summer girls come and summer girls go
Some are worth while and some are so so,
Summer girls come and summer girls go
Some are worth while and some are so so,
Summertime girls got it goin on
Shake and wiggle to a hip hop song
Summertime girls are the kind I like
I’ll steal your honey like I stole your bike

[Repeat Chorus]

We’re about 3 episodes into the new season of Battlestar Galactica, and I’m pleased; it’s good television. So good, in fact, that I’ve begun listening to the Galactica Watercooler podcast to see what the avid fans think.

I’m not one who regularly contributes to message boards or forums, but since I have no one to talk to about Battlestar, I may make myself an avatar and contribute to some online discussion. Battlestar is just that good.

If you’re quick, you can catch the latest episode here (no torrent literacy needed):

Nike+ going WiFi and 3G, headed to iPhone - Engadget: “”

Sweet!!!

Lip Dub - Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger from amandalynferri on Vimeo.