…I have a new story, "Greener Gardens" up at The Momo Reader and here under "Words In Print."

…The USA TODAY reported yesterday that last week's top six selling books were all bought as electronic formats via things like Kindle. I wonder how this shift will play out. At least people are paying for books versus stealing them the way they do music. It's just hard to imagine not having that visceral reaction, that sensate response to a literal book, holding the binding in your hands, smelling the corn-stalk scent of the pages.
But, yeah, I'm still old school that way. I'm also one of those guys that used to love having an album in my hands, even if the thing was as big as a pizza box. And cd's as well, replete with their obnoxious security tape that took five minutes to peel off, were to me worth it just to get the extra packing materials inside, which typically included a lyric sheet and then, hopefully, some other random information about the artists and their influences. But those were the old days when you could browse double decker Tower or Virgin Record stores. Soon, we'll be saying that about Borders and Barnes and Noble.

…I was going to watch "The People's Choice Awards" last night but then Queen Latifa came out, singing some lame Black Eyed Peas-type song, strutting down the aisle with a troop behind her and, well, it was all just so awful. It was reminiscent of something you'd see a high school choir attempt. I had to resist the urge of badly wanting to throw something heavy and blunt through the flat screen. I know Queen Latifa was good in "Chicago." She was. I'm not sure how, but it's true. However, everything else I've ever seen her in makes me want to jump off a high place.

…I've been introducing my fourteen year old son to Dylan. That's a tricky prospect in a climate where Eminem, Taylor Swift and Kayne West all vie for Album of the Year Honors. But he's getting it, or at least I think so. He's a bright kid, yet opinated like me. I played him the first live version of "Like a Rolling Stone" when Dylan, halfway through the set at Monterey, totally reversed the accoustic folk he'd been playing, and went…electric! A few thousand folkies are seated on the floor, legs crossed, nodding their head to yarns about old John Brown and old John Smith and they're thrilled because they're getting what they want, the precise product they'd paid to hear. But then, Dylan turns things on their head and, well, people in attendance are not happy. Right before "Rolling Stone" begins you hear someone in the crowd yell, "Judas!!" In a retort, Bob says, in a slow, deliberate drawl, "I don't believe you." There are more taunts. Then Bob leans into the mike and says, "You're a liar." More jeers. Then you hear Bob talking off to the side, likely to the keyboardist, saying, "Play it really F*&^%ing loud!" and they rip into the opening chords. Brilliant stuff.

…I wanted to name our son Dylan, but I got out-voted.