fun review of the new Al

NPR: Meet 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Stealth Pop Musicologist:

That goes far beyond simply knowing what instruments to use on the song. It's also about understanding dynamics and delivery, which chords to use and in what order, what melodies to sing and what words to hit. It requires that Yankovic be a diligent student of the thing he's parodying so that he can properly deconstruct his source material and rebuild it into something recognizable but still new.

He gets it right on "Craigslist." [...]

Obviously, Yankovic's not unique in this regard. There's an argument to be made that the same thing happens any time a Walk Hard, Music And Lyrics or That Thing You Do! comes out.

The difference is that Yankovic has made a career of it. And for a guy who's usually talked about as though he has nothing more to offer than wacky karaoke, it's always a pleasure to be reminded of the stealth musicologist lurking underneath, figuring out what makes pop music tick. And then singing about nuclear annihilation on top of it.

I know they lie and are full of it...

...but still, how the hell can anybody, nevermind the current Religious Right, possibly call John Calvin the "Father of Modern Liberty" with a straight face?

Ascending into Yosemite

The ascent from the nothingness of Golden Valley through the low hills, to the tunnel at the main entrance of Yosemite Valley, on a day that was getting increasingly rainy and having us worry that Yosemite would be a complete washout...

So was the day a washout? We'll soon find out...