Listening to Johnny Cash cover Soundgarden at 7:30 AM is a bit of a shock to the system. Stark lyrics sung by a starker voice. Left me feeling a bit melancholy for both, I admit.

Now that the MP3 has become my preferred format (supplanting the CD), I want to download a few albums and several songs, and thought I’d do it through one of the pay sites. So far, it’s been a pretty frustrating experience. I tried eMusic, where I found two of the albums I was looking for, but none of the individual songs. I then tried Napster, and found precisely nothing. No albums (and these aren’t exactly obscure, mind you: they’re the newest releases from Bright Eyes, The Kills and Soundtrack Of Our Lives) and none of the ~25 songs in my P2P wishlist. Puretracks, the CRIA’s download site, doesn’t have any of the (admittedly, more obscure) wishlist songs, and I could find only one of the three albums: I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning by Bright Eyes. Sadly, I can’t download it, but I can order it for more than it costs at HMV. Hot dammit.

So what are my options? 1) keep buying CDs; 2) use iTunes; 3) download using P2P software. I’d prefer not to do #1 since it goes against my new music strategy, as it were. #2 may not even be a viable option, since the iTunes library may be no better than the others I’ve tried, and besides it uses a dumbass file format that I don’t like. #3, however, is simple and free. I would feel guilty about it, though only about 5% as guilty as the CRIA would like me to feel since that’s about how much the artist gets of my CD buying habit.

Anybody know of any better download sites?

For some reason, English Cut — a blog written by a Savile Row tailor — is completely mesmerizing. It could be that I so badly want a bespoke suit, or it could be that I’m fascinated to see a blog with a non-tech/music/politics subject.

Truer words were never spoken blogged.

I started a free two-week trial with eMusic last night, and downloaded a few albums that I had been planning to buy. I don’t think I can stay with eMusic, though, since they only had 2 of the six albums that I was looking for, and only one of the ~20 songs in my soulseek wishlist. I might try Napster next. I tried Puretracks, the CRIA’s site, but it blocks my browser. Idiots. Way to piss off the people trying to buy your music legally.

OK, as much as the idea of Carly Fiorina becoming head of the world bank doesn’t make sense, and as much as it terrifies me that Paul Wolfowitz has been mentioned for the job, that Bono’s name is being mentioned is just hilarious.

I had a nice relaxing evening while Nellie was at a friend’s wedding — got lots of work done, finished off some errands, ripped lots of CDs, watched a movie, blah blah etc. — and met G&C for breakfast this morning at the (so not kidding) Golden Griddle.

And now, my day will consist of an epic battle between my needing to study accounting and my wanting to watch both the Duke and Toronto basketball games on TV.

On T-Bone’s recommendation I watched Nowhere In Africa (imdb | rotten tomatoes). I’m glad I did. I’m just…too tired to write anything insightful right now.

It’s a nice day out there…almost resembles spring-ishness. I had to run a few errands today, so I revelled in the warm sun and absence of cold wind.

Also making it a good day: my wife’s new haircut is hot.

This article has been sitting in my ‘to read’ bin for so long that I’ve forgotten where I found it. If you’re a liberal, or an “outright screaming burn-down-the-goddam-country commie”, you should definitely give it a look.