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A German church organ just started playing the first note of a John Cage composition called "As Slow As Possible." If all goes well, it should be finished in 639 years. Yow. (via the Sound Scavengers List) 
Toomorrow was an outer space-themed bubblegum rock musical, a big budget flop from 1970 that's been rarely seen since. It's best known for having a young Olivia Newton-John in the cast. I just thought the picture above was cute, don't ask me why. More pics here.
Two "actresses who played housekeepers in sitcoms" obits found via TV Tattle: this Nell Carter appreciation reads like an elaborate joke. Not very sincere, but funny nonetheless. And here's one for Nedra Volz, the tiny, white haired woman who replaced Charlotte Rae on 'Diff'rent Strokes'. I was surprised to find she lived not far from me in Mesa, AZ -- which can only mean that she was already dead before actually keeling over. Ba-dum-bump. Thank you, thank you, you've been a lovely audience.
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Tuesday, February 4 Today's 365 Days selection is "Creative Freakout" by the Hellers, a rare demo reel of various '60s advertising jingles tied together with narration by a gumshoe detective called Johnny Spots. I downloaded this two years ago when it was posted at Basic Hip's and it truly is a groovy time capsule.
Bad news for McMansion inhabitants with bare walls - the galleries of Thomas Kinkaide, Painter of Light (TM) are hitting hard times. Awww. (via ArtsJournal). Speaking of robots: look at Michael Cricton's Westworld site - cool clips and everything! (via Consumptive)
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All about Coyle and Sharpe, early masters of the put-on and street prank. Jennifer Sharpe did an outstanding job here, very thorough and crafted with an intimacy missing from most "fan" sites (in case you're wondering, Sharpe and Sharpe are father and daughter).
Sunday, February 2 What do I have to show for this weekend, where everything happened and nothing got done? A selection of TV Guide Ads from 1953-54.
Friday, January 31 Envy time: Mena of Dollar Short made a lovely travelogue of her trip to Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea . Apparently it was freezing cold and empty, which IMHO is the perfect way to go.
Thursday, January 30 100 Favorite Moments on Television. I assembled this page, but can't take full credit - it's copied from the March 1991 issue of the short-lived magazine 'Egg'. Some of their selections might seem a trifle dated today, but I can definitely see why I held onto it all this time - it's hilarious. (btw, I did this in PageSpinner, which is becoming my HTML editor of choice) Now I have a question for you - what are your memorable moments on television since 1991? Click the "TALK" button for my contributions.
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 The New York Times on John Garfield (thanks Christopher!). Turner Classic Movies is saluting the feisty actor next month with a new documentary and several of his movies. I'm planning to watch the doc and his final film, He Ran All the Way -- which is being recorded based solely on this killer publicity photo.
Wednesday, January 29 I've been digging Repeat, Pitchfork's latest daily feature. The idea is simple: short reviews of unjustly overlooked songs, old or new, obscure or not. Hey - someone else noticed the guitar solo in Hall & Oates' "Kiss On My List" is pretty sweet.
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Louise Fili's official site is a beaut. Fili's elegant, retro flavored designs have been an influence going back to her '80s tenure with Pantheon Books.
Tuesday, January 28 Proof that, yes, the U.S. government can do good, productive things: the National Recording Registry. In what promises to be an aural counterpoint to the National Film Registry, this organization will select fifty historically significant sound recordings a year for preservation. Their first fifty range from Edison wax cylinders to Grandmaster Flash's hip hop classic, "The Message". More info in this Hollywood Reporter story. Neat!
Sitting in the dentist's waiting room this morning, I picked up a copy of 'Smithsonian' and started idly reading this article on Frida Kahlo. Which is strange, since Kahlo affects me in the same way a Parkinson's-afflicted dentist using a rusty drill and no anesthesia would. I saw a couple of her paintings as part of a Mexican art exhibit two years ago, and was surprised at how unsubtle and lacking in technique they were. Perhaps her worst legacy is in inspiring untold numbers of lesser women artists with her self-obsessed "woe is me" shtick. She'd get, like, a paper cut, then paint a self portrait with her chest cavity ripped open, blood stains on her dress, beating heart surrounded with a yellow glow. Whatever. I'm still dying to see what Salma Hayek did to her, though.
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Salon.com has an article on Bollywood that's almost worth enduring a hundred Mercedes Benz ads to reach.
Sunday, January 26 "For 17 years, I have been finding slides ... " The people behind the Found Slide Foundation sent along a link to their found photo site after viewing my own. Strange images, all apparently "100% guaranteed found at random on city streets."
Saturday, January 25 Although my s.o. would disagree, this is not me.
Friday, January 24 
In the span of one day, my desk decor has gone from turn of the century cluttered to minimalist. My department at work is moving this weekend, for the fourth time in the last five years. At least we're going back to the seventh floor, home to the most excellent break room in the entire building. Anyhow, cleaning up my desk allowed me to revisit my favorite desk tchochke, a vintage postcard Christopher gave me shortly after our San Francisco trip in 1997. These old linen postcards are great - but they're infinitely better when they've been found used, dashed off to somebody somewhere then forgotten. Postcard messages (when you can decipher the handwriting) are usually a mix of bland salutations and cryptic remarks or in-jokes. This one's postmarked from Los Angeles July 6, 1949 and sent to one L.P. Range in Lincolnville, PA: Hello cousins one and all. Weather here is grand & tempered by fine ocean breezes. Times not any better yet. Tell Dad when he wants to please answer 1/2 my question or I will hold him responsible by past mail ha ha! Guess I will have to go fishing soon. Hope you are all OK. So long. Don't ans till you are in humor to ans! - Cous Mark RangeOdd that Mr. Range didn't mention how his postcard shows the Golden Gate Bridge, yet the description on the reverse says it's the Oakland Bay Bridge. I wonder if he was ever there in the first place?
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Thursday, January 23 The Year The Music Dies - concise Wired piece about where the music biz is heading. It ain't pretty.
 Twiggy: The Queen of Mod - beautifully designed showcase of Twiggy and her mod, mod world. The only thing missing is a soundtrack of Pizzicato Five's "Twiggy Twiggy".
Wednesday, January 22 Yeah, the world doesn't need another '100 Greatest Music Videos' list, but this one is especially articulate and well chosen. From the intro: "While MTV and VH1's own lists often seem to cater to populist opinion and favor controversy over artistry, Slant Magazine has sorted through the vaults (and we're not kidding when we say that) and compiled a list based on what we think will survive the networks' own expiration dates." (via I Love Everything)  In a related note, a lifetime music video mystery has been solved due to my vigilant watching of VH1 Classic. In Belinda Carlisle's video for "Mad About You" (unfortunately missing from Slant magazine's list), there's a scene where Belinda looks dreamily at an album cover, then dances around her house. Back in the '80s I could never identify that LP since it flashes by so quickly, but careful viewing as an adult reveals that it's Yma Sumac's Mambo! that Belinda's grooving to. Yep, she's a hipster!!
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Lou Rawls gets funky over detergent (large mp3). Via Sharpeworld.
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