Bush does not rock: I stumbled across this awe-inspiring link while perusing Fighting Against Making the Pie Higher! I think it's a convincing argument for electing an eloquent man as President (or, at bare minimum, lucid). Where's John McCain when you need him?

Venus rocks: I've been glued to Wimbledon updates for the past week and a half. I'm extremely excited about the women's final; Justine Henin vs. Venus Williams is gonna be FUN to watch. On the men's side, I have no idea who's gonna end up in the final. The match I'd like to see would be Goran Ivanisevic vs. Andre Agassi, but really any of the four could win and I'd be happy. (I'd be happiest if Ivanisevic won, though, because he's crazy.)

By the way, I bought Rooty the other day. It's even better than Tim said it was. That second track ("Breakaway") is GODLIKE.

Aphex Twin announces details of first album in five years: He's given it the deeply silly title Drukqs, possibly because he has spy cameras set up at record stores around the globe and wants to compile amusing footage of confused fans attempting pronounce the title of his new album. The double CD format is really a mixed blessing; you do get a lot more music, but you pay accordingly for it. Also, ninety-five percent of the time you wind up with a mediocre double album that judicious editing could have made into a fantastic single album (see Kid A and Amnesiac as recent examples of why artists should consider spreading out the wealth rather than lumping it all into one big package).

Still, it is Aphex Twin. The man has the disconcerting habit of making songs that sound like a flushing toilet into monstrously catchy jams. Yet another release to put on the calendar...

The grind continues... You'd think that memorizing an hour's worth of music wouldn't be that hard, particularly if it was music you'd sung before. Oh no. Memorizing "Carmina Burana" may put me into the insane asylum.

How many words are actually in this thing? As an example, here are the lyrics to the drinking song that the men sing in the middle "In Taberna Quando Sumus", complete with English translation (taken from this helpful site):

In taberna quando sumus	When we are in the tavern,
non curamus quid sit humus,	we do not think how we will go to dust,
sed ad ludum properamus,	but we hurry to gamble,
cui semper insudamus.	which always makes us sweat.
Quid agatur in taberna	What happens in the tavern,
ubi nummus est pincerna,	where money is host,
hoc est opus ut queratur,	you may well ask,
si quid loquar, audiatur.	and hear what I say.
Quidam ludunt, quidam bibunt,	Some gamble, some drink,
quidam indiscrete vivunt.	some behave loosely.
Sed in ludo qui morantur,	But of those who gamble,
ex his quidam denudantur	some are stripped bare,
quidam ibi vestiuntur,	some win their clothes here,
quidam saccis induuntur.	some are dressed in sacks.
Ibi nullus timet mortem	Here no-one fears death,
sed pro Baccho mittunt sortem:	but they throw the dice in the name of Bacchus.
Primo pro nummata vini,	First of all it is to the wine-merchant
ex hac bibunt libertini;	then the libertines drink,
semel bibunt pro captivis,	one for the prisoners,
post hec bibunt ter pro vivis,	three for the living,
quater pro Christianis cunctis	four for all Christians,
quinquies pro fidelibus defunctis,	five for the faithful dead,
sexies pro sororibus vanis,	six for the loose sisters,
septies pro militibus silvanis.	seven for the footpads in the wood,
Octies pro fratribus perversis,	Eight for the errant brethren,
nonies pro monachis dispersis,	nine for the dispersed monks,
decies pro navigantibus	ten for the seamen,
undecies pro discordantibus,	eleven for the squabblers,
duodecies pro penitentibus,	twelve for the penitent,
tredecies pro iter agentibus.	thirteen for the wayfarers.
Tam pro papa quam pro rege	To the Pope as to the king
bibunt omnes sine lege.	they all drink without restraint.
Bibit hera, bibit herus,	The mistress drinks, the master drinks,
bibit miles, bibit clerus,	the soldier drinks, the priest drinks,
bibit ille, bibit illa,	the man drinks, the woman drinks,
bibit servis cum ancilla,	the servant drinks with the maid,
bibit velox, bibit piger,	the swift man drinks, the lazy man drinks,
bibit albus, bibit niger,	the white man drinks, the black man drinks,
bibit constans, bibit vagus,	the settled man drinks, the wanderer drinks,
bibit rudis, bibit magnus.	the stupid man drinks, the wise man drinks,
Bibit pauper et egrotus,	The poor man drinks, the sick man drinks,
bibit exul et ignotus,	the exile drinks, and the stranger,
bibit puer, bibit canus,	the boy drinks, the old man drinks,
bibit presul et decanus,	the bishop drinks, and the deacon,
bibit soror, bibit frater,	the sister drinks, the brother drinks,
bibit anus, bibit mater,	the old lady drinks, the mother drinks,
bibit ista, bibit ille,	this man drinks, that man drinks,
bibunt centum, bibunt mille.	a hundred drink, a thousand drink.
Parum sexcente nummate	Six hundred pennies would hardly
durant, cum immoderate	suffice, if everyone
bibunt omnes sine meta.	drinks immoderately and immeasurably.
Quamvis bibant mente leta,	However much they cheerfully drink
sic nos rodunt omnes gentes	we are the ones whom everyone scolds,
et sic erimus egentes.	and thus we are destitute.
Qui nos rodunt confundantur	May those who slander us be cursed
et cum iustis non scribantur.	and may their names not be written in the book of the righteous.

This is 3 minutes of the piece. I am so DEAD.