Widespread critical acclaim always makes me duck for cover. I've still got a teenage music snob steak a mile wide running right through my critical faculties. Consequently, a few obvious hits aside, I'm almost entirely unfamiliar with the work of Beck. But offer me a funky Hammond cover of a Beck tune, and I'm all over it. You should be too.

Paper Tiger, from the 2003 album Boogaloo to Beck is a monster cut. At nine minutes in length, it's a greasy, heavy bottomed groove that knows how to tease its way to the inevitable climax. You want proof that funk is the sexiest of all musics? Well here it is.

Lonnie Smith - Paper Tiger
(alternate download)

Hey Guys,

Unfortunately with our last release, and its instability, we were forced to roll back releases. Unfortunately in doing so, it would seem that our notification system has been broken somehow. Our engineers are working on this issue as quickly as possible. We hope to have a patch within the next day, so we can deploy our code and fix the notification system at the same time. Please *bear* with us ;)

Currently all notifications are being queued up so they can be processed as soon as the fix is pushed and verified to be working correctly.

Thank you,

Tags: notification system
Current Location: Under a Rock
Current Mood: grumpy

freeskiers
While some of us long to escape the cold, dark stretch of winter for hot tropical beaches, for others, there's nothing quite like whoooooshing down those shimmering sugar alps. If you're fond of freestyle skiing, get ready to slide down the slippery slopes in good company. This passionate, international community shares travel/gear tips, anecdotes, photos, and videos for those who can't get enough of the sweet stuff.

Tags: freeskiers, skiing, snow, travel, winter sports

seasonal_icons
Need some extra twinkle to decorate your place? Check out these dazzling holiday-themed icons. If you're an artist, you can post your own creations, provided you abide by the simple rules (which is to say, all cheer and no politicking). Be sure to comment and give credit if you wish to borrow a little spirit (no direct links, please). If you're feeling a touch of humbug this season, this is an instant shot of festivity.

Tags: design, holiday icons, season_icons, userpics

handmade_gifts
High on creativity, but low on cash? You'll find tons of brilliant suggestions for do-it-yourself crafts sure to please everyone on your holiday gift list. Offering detailed instructions, photos, budgets, timelines, and active support, you'll soon turn spare remnants of fabric and time into cherished keepsakes. Be sure to search entries and read user guidelines before you post for help!

and, apparently, seven pounds heavier. This despite using the stairs all the time instead of the lift, and swimming or gymming every day.

Unlimited free food is not necessarily a good thing. It will probably take several weeks to get back to the weight I was two weeks ago.

Pictures of fishfeeding and the like later in the week. In the meantime... let me know in comments if I've missed anything super-fanatstic in ljworld!

After yesterday's blog entry, it's only fair to give you something a little closer to the unicorns and rainbows end of the musical scale. The Portico Quartet are lovely. The Portico Quartet are polite. This is mannered, Oregon-esque chamber jazz, and while Cittàgazze does little to surprise you, it does so delightfully.

Portico Quartet - Cittàgazze
(alternate download)

Hi there!

I'm new to canning, etc and new to this community! Yesterday I spent most of the day picking, peeling, and pickling what seemed like quite a more than a peck of pears. They were made with sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, as well as vinegar (of course). There was one jar whose lid was dented, so after it had been in the fridge for a while, I tried one. It was pretty tasty. More spicy and less sweet than I had anticipated, but quite still good.

The pear pickling recipe which I followed told me to put the whole cloves and allspice in a small cheesecloth. I didn't have one, and when I tried to recycle a teabag, it failed, so I just threw it all in there and cooked it up. As I was spooning the syrup into the jars at the end, I (mostly) tried to avoid the floating spices but didn't entirely. Does this mean that the pears will get spicier as they sit? Will they absorb the flavor more?

I have the same basic question about the chutney that I made. I made it with chipotle chiles and it's good, but pretty spicy. I'm somewhat concerned that it'll get even spicier as it sits, and am considering mixing it with a less-spicy batch and re-canning it. (Is that a feasible possibility?)

Please help a girl out!

Before you decide whether or not to listen to Purposeful Lady Slow Afternoon, take note. This is a particularly disturbing piece of music. It is narrated by a vulnerable-sounding, somewhat disassociated female voice, recounting the experience of a victim of rape. Bell-like sounds and electronic additions provide the distinctly unsettling musical accompaniment. It's not often that I found myself quite so unsure as to how I feel about a piece of music as I do with this. I honestly cannot tell whether this is crass or sensitive, thoughtful or exploitative. Ashley was a pioneer of early American electronic music, and this 1968 composition remains as provocative as ever.

Robert Ashley - Purposeful Lady Slow Afternoon

With all the re-issuing of '60s and '70s folk at the moment, every so often you're going to stumble across a real gem. That's the case with Peter Walker's City Pulse, originally recorded in 1970. It's a piece in the then-fashionable raga-folk style, and indeed is prone to a few of the excesses of that genre. I can live quite happily without hearing swooping, shrieking flutes ever again, thank you. But that's only a small part of City Pulse. What makes this is Walker's electric guitar and some fine, propulsive drumming from Maruga Booker. They give it an exhilarating urgency that you don't often get with this music. Taken from the album Long Lost Tapes 1970, this is definitely recommended.

Peter Walker - City Pulse
(alternate download)