WRAPPED UP IN BOOKS (2010 EDITION)

The Hong Kong Book Fair will be wrapping up today. The bridal unit and I went last night. Report follows.

For those of you who’ve signed on with this blog within the last 12 months, some brief exposition: the HK Book Fair is where every book store and book publisher in Greater China gather in the Convention Centre and form one giant book store for a week that sells books at discounts and charges you a modest entry fee to shop there.

( And O how I do go on about it )

Result: I bought ten (10) books for an average of HK$50 (around US$6.50).

Specifically, these ten.



You may envy me now.

On the downside, I just increased the size of my “to read” pile by 45%.

DISCLAIMER: A couple of those books are there mainly to fulfill a “Four for HK$100” deal – namely the Harry Dresden book. I’m not that big on urban fantasy, or faerie lore of any persuasion, but some people have recommended the series, and I needed that fourth book, so for US$3.00, why not?

And so much for the HK Book Fair. Now we celebrate with shelf-arranging and foot massages.

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HOW TO WHIP IT, AND WHEN

Via Def Agent puffdoggydaddy :



For more information, see this instructional video.

It’s not too late,

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LISTEN TO IT #14: MORE TALES OF DE-EVOLUTION

Speaking of Devo ...

They send me press releases sometimes, you know. Like this one:



This was, of course, part of an elaborate campaign by Devo to promote their new album (and first album in 20 years) by incorporating scientific demographic market research to determine what should be on the album ... which of course was their way of mocking record companies (and people like Simon Cowell) who really do make artistic decisions that way.

Clever. But for people like me who grew up watching Devo on Saturday Night Live and wore out their first four albums on the turntable, the important questions are: Are they still good, and can they possibly live up to their classic past?

The answer is: (1) yes and (2) no. At least not right away.

I went through this before with the B-52s comeback album Funplex – it was okay, but just didn’t hold up to their classic stuff. And yet quite a few of the songs from that album grew on me after awhile.

The same could happen with Something For Everybody. Trying it out on the listening station, it’s not bad, and they still have more to say about modern life than most bands, but I can’t say it’s essential Devo.

On the other hand, I can see songs like this taking root in my head after a few listens.

So we’ll see. In any case, it’s nice to have them back.

Are we not men,

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BEER + DEAD ANIMALS = NOT FUNNY

ITEM: Brewdog releases a new novelty beer called The End Of History, which (1) is 55% alcohol by volume, (2) goes for $765 and (3) comes with a free dead animal wrapped around the bottle.



I might find this funny if they weren’t using real dead animals. I’m not particularly against taxidermy per se – and I’m informed all of the animals used are roadkill, so it’s not like they have cages of squirrels and stoats out back.

Still, I find this more creepy than funny. And given the cost, it doesn’t make me think any better of the kind of people who could afford it.

Let’s put it this way: I'm assuming Dick Cheney has ordered a case by now. 

Say when,

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