A Maki Catta lemur at Parc de Lunaret

A weekend with a mysteriously non-operational internet connection was both frustrating and liberating.  An excuse to read another book and do some extra homework. On Sunday I even went to the zoo and took photos of lemurs.

But it is a relief to get the DSL working again, and to celebrate it seems a good moment to indulge in one of those mindless  internet memes that makes cyberspace a joyful, if occasionally vacuous, place to hang out.

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Stolen from Benjaminbrum:

1. Put your iPod or iTunes on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the “next” button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing the meme as well as the person you got the note from.

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
Drums of Death (DJ Shadow)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Daystar Nightlight (Dewey Redman)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Rising Falling Rising (SJD)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Crucifixo (Jose and Moises Kafala)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Catsongs III (Tom Milsom)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Your Man, My Man (Betty Davis)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
How Beautiful are the Feet of Them That Preach the Gospel of Peace (G.F. Handel – New College Choir)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Antiphon (William Walton)

WHAT IS 2+2?
Come on Eileen (Dexy’s Midnight Runners)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Manhattan Island (Herbie Hancock)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
So Amazin’ (GTA)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
In Paradisum (G. Fauré)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Chet Bhogassa (Tinariwen)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Shala Shala Twist (Dark City Sisters)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Squiglies (Kenny Wheeler/John Taylor)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
A Change is Going to Come (Baby Huey)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing (Minutemen)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Too Young to Die (Jamiroquai)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Harlem River Drive Theme (Eddie Palmieri & Harlem River Drive)

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
You Don’t Know What You Mean To a Lover Like Me (Lee Fields)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Lambs (The Phoenix Foundation)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Trench Town Rock (Bob Marley & the Wailers)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on my Shoulder) (The Beach Boys)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Bamabaraka Tunga (Ray Barretto)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Illusion (Andrew Hill)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Ether Sings (Laura Veirs)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Baby Don’t Go Home (OdESSA)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Right on for the Darkness (Curtis Mayfield)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Time is on Your Side (Recloose)

WHAT WILL YOU CALL THIS POST?
1972.1.21 Alto 1 (Kaoru Abe)

This is cool news: ECM Records has partnered with HDTracks.  It seems to be a partnership that makes sense – ECM’s particular production values (reconstituted echo, Nordic precision and ice-clear mixes) kinda get lost in low bitrate mp3 format. Hi-res digital is definitely a good move for ECM.

Currently the ECM selection in the HDTracks store is relatively limited, mainly focusing on a few of the grandes classiques from the back catalogue: the usual Keith Jarrett albums, Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Fall, Chick Corea’s Return to Forever and some of Jan Garbarek’s stuff.  Hopefully we’ll see a lot more of the catalogue available  soon. Some older ECM titles (like Steve Reich’s work) are a bitch to get hold of these days, either on vinyl or CD. An easy download option for these hard-to-find albums would rock.

HDTracks offer offers music both as AIFF and FLAC lossless files, as well as 320kbps mp3 files.  However I’m not sure how long this distinctiveness is going to last. Storage and bandwidth keeps getting cheaper and larger, so I’m guessing that more digital download stores are going to be offering lossless and much higher bitrates.  Just this week Apple announced it was starting to dropp DRM from iTunes and moving to higher bitrates…

Meanwhile, the 45 rpm vinyl disc is still going strong. Please somebody tell me, why do I still have 400 CDs sitting in boxes?