Things I learned today:

1. Never buy an album I have on CD-R instead of an album I have reason to believe is good, but haven't heard. Four years ago, I was in Best Buy holding a copy of 13 in one hand and Their Satanic Majesties Request by The Rolling Stones in the other. I only had enough money for one. I already had a burned copy of TSMR. This was the heyday of Napster, and I was getting everything by the Stones. Why? Because I had already gotten hardcore into The Beatles, and my Rolling Stone Album Guide from 1981 made the Stones look like an exotic, godlike, massively mindblowing, incredibly influential evil twin of The Beatles. Which, of course, they are. But oddly enough, it looked better on paper than it is in real life. Dave Marsh does some odd things with words.

Anyway, my copy of TSMR sounded a little . . . funny. I wasn't yet at the stage where I wanted to buy everything just for the packaging (although I was damn close even then), but I wanted to see if perhaps a store bought copy would sound more perfect than mine.

"Tender" was on the radio a little bit then, and I really liked it. Between that and "Song 2", I was ready to buy a Blur album.

I made the wrong choice, and listening to 13 now, I really wish I had picked it up all those years ago. I'd be a cooler man today.

2. John Darnielle is really fucked up! Yes, John Darnielle, the man who penned such fun, happy, light-hearted songs as "Golden Boy" and "The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton" has more free-floating angst and dementia than Frank Black and Thom Yorke put together. It took just one listen to The Coronor's Gambit to convince me of this.

3. Korean pop is awesome. Thank you, cute smiling woman in the Catonsville Asian supermarket, for letting me know what I was in for by saying, "You made a good choice," even if you were thinking, "What a couple of freaking weirdos. I wonder if they're gay?" John Darnielle will be very happy with his birthday gift. Now if we could only find a really big lolly pop. (N.B.: only two people in the world know what I'm talking about here.)

4. She goes, and now she knows she'll never be afraid to watch the morning paper blow into a hole where no one can escape.

5. Deeeeeeee de-dee-de-de, deeeee de-dee-de-de, deeeee de-de-dee de-de, deeeeee de-de-dee de-de.

6. There is a really cool bear on top of a hippie store on Main Street Ellicott City which eternally dips its plastic wand into an ever-flowing supply of soapy water, blowing bubbles into the chill spring air. No, seriously.

7. Cola and espresso combine to form a delicious foamy drink with a light taste of citrus. Great for walks down train tracks discussing post-modernism with Scott.