pets

we have a pet. his name is benjamin. he's very demanding. he likes to drink water out of the bathroom sink. he likes to be petted constantly, unless he's asleep, then he wants you to leave him alone. he also throws up quite a bit. this is kind of what he looks like. that's not him, but it's pretty damn close. and in spite of all these things, i really him. he lays on my stomach when i watch tv. and when he wants me to pet him, he'll start petting my face, usually around my chin. other times, he'll be walking and just plop down next to me. and other times, he'll do something out of the ordinary, like get up on the dining room table or answer the phone. he doesn't answer the phone, but i like to think he could.

here's a building that is alive.

tesla (not the band, or the man) has a new electric car.

i create lists all the time. i'm a list guy. one of my favorite lists is of the astros: best, worst. all that. so this guy has a list of recent (post-2000) draft flame-outs. check it out.

all my thoughts

i'm always amazed by what i'm thinking about when i'm driving. it's rarely about driving. it's usually about late nights in huntsville. or early mornings when i was a in high school. or outside fox sports at 4 in the morning. or mostly about where i think i'll be in five years/ten years. or about diet soda. it's usually one of those.

coconut records is so good. they're on the border of almost cloying annoyingness, but they walk that line so smoothly, that i love it. they're great. schwartzman is great. i have to thank tboyd on that one. that was his call.

anyway, good talking to you.

sunshine superman

this could be the coolest thing i've ever seen/read.

can we still be friends?

i'm having a change of heart on the new u2 album. not a total change of the heart, but i'm listening without my mind made up already. there seems to be two u2's on this album. that's a difficult sentence to type and think. the first two tracks are incredible. the title track and "magnificent" have this yearning, pushing feel to them, that they might be break apart or speed off into nothing. the next two tracks are pretty good. but then the change happens. all of a sudden we get languid melodies and fill-in-the-blank lyrics. then comes "get on your boots" which i still think is a terrible song. the album then tries to turn back into the first part again.

it's somewhat of a shame because it seems they had some serious ideas about where to go, but sacrificed just enough to water down the album.

rolling stone looks at 45 new albums coming out this spring. wilco and the avetts are there.

lucky old sun

i did the bike ride yesterday. i rode 60 miles. and today i feel great. except for being burned to a crisp on my arms and legs. i put sunscreen on my face because my nose always burns, but i neglected my arms and legs and i am paying for it today. i'm going to take an oatmeal bath tonight and soak out of the heat. this is intense. but the ride was great. i had a blast and i think i did pretty well considering how little i actually ride. it was seriously a tour of houston. i mean we went back and forth and saw the same area like two/three times. there's another ride coming up out at nasa that i think i might participate in also. i love bike-riding. plus the bike i used was pretty sweet. i was clocked around 20 mph, at some points a little faster. the wind man. i was like the wind.

all things to do with the bank bailout today. first, what the hell was TARP? we basically gave the banks $700 billion and now we have to buy their toxic assets for $1 trillion? what is going on here?

breakdown of the plan.

analysis from businessweek.

mish's take.

krugman's take.

frontline will air a program entitled "ten trillion and counting" this tuesday. check local listings for airtime.

here is a quick history of the federal reserve. check it out.