A nice little illustration, courtesy of Good Magazine, of what Senators Hillary Clinton and Rick Santorum would look like if they had to wear logos of their corporate sponsors, NASCAR-style.

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Bob Dylan, at 65, has become the oldest artist to hit #1 on the Billboard chart. It’s his first #1 in 30 years.

I bought the album the day it came out, and if you haven’t heard it, it’s stellar.

What I loved in the BBC’s story, though, was the caption on the photo:

USA Today praised Dylan for his “pointed political commentary”

USA Today? That’s sort of like Ronald McDonald praising someone for their wardrobe, quality nutritional choices and overall lack of creepiness.

But no matter. Like a stopped clock, even USA Today can be right once in a while. Get on the Billboard bandwagon and buy this record. I’m really looking forward to the concert in November.

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Great post on eGullet forums about eating meat in Montreal. Bonus points for anyone who can identify the inspiration for her closing statement:

If you must have something’s flesh, head to Montreal where they don’t fuck around with their meat.

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Downtown Toronto has gone wireless. As of yesterday, Toronto Hydro is offering free wireless Internet access for six months throughout the downtown core. It’s the largest project of its kind in North America. Dig it.

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The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, a government entity, has reportedly paid upwards of $4 million for a “rebranding” that, by all appearances, seems to have entailed lopping the C off the company’s logo. The rub? The rebranding was done by the same advertising agency that created Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty’s election campaign.

Working in the industry as I do, I know that rebranding can cost more than one might think, and can involve more than meets the eye. I also know that the Conservative Party, which has raised the hue and cry on this issue, has major credibility issues, and is hardly in a position to take a moral high ground when it comes to pork.

But $4 million? Outrageous.

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Circa 1983, it’s “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts” by one of LA’s more underrated bands of the 80’s  X.

Have a listen here.

I haven’t even thought about it in fifteen years, let alone heard it, but I was mighty chuffed to rediscover it. Sort of an odd, jazzy opening that crescendoes to a kickass chorus. A Reagan-era masterpiece.

I’m not sure how or why, but my commenting is acting squirelly again. If you’re trying to leave one, stay tuned. I’ll have it fixed shortly.

UPDATE: The massively awesome folks at Laughing Squid have resolved this problem, which, as it turns out, was of the id10t/PICNIC variety on my part. Comment away.

Via Newsvine:

Pope Benedict XVI’s chief exorcist, Rev. Gabriele Amorth, has called fictional wizard-in-training Harry Potter the “king of darkness, the devil.”

I thought Satan himself was only the Prince of Darkness, so it’s pretty awesome that a pimply little British kid — a fictional pimply little British kid, mind — is the frickin’ KING.

More interestingly, though: the Pope has a Chief Exorcist? How do you get that gig? Do you have to be top of the class at exorcism school? Is it a seniority (monsignority?) thing? Does he have a resume or some case studies I could have a look at? I’m wondering who he’s worked on.

Chief exorcist? What year is it?

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Here’s a snapshot of what the world cares about today, as opposed to what they should be caring about:

Happy Labour Day.

Bristol-based grafitti artist and general crap-disturber Banksy has repackaged and remixed Paris Hilton’s album, then stuck his new version back on the shelves. He’s well worth a look for some of his hilarious graphic work, but this is the kind of thing that gets him major attention:

Banksy has replaced Hilton’s CD with his own remixes and given them titles such as Why am I Famous?, What Have I Done? and What Am I For?He has also doctored pictures of her on the CD sleeve to show the US socialite topless and with a dog’s head.

A spokeswoman for Banksy said he had doctored 500 copies of her debut album Paris in 48 record shops across the UK.

She told the BBC News website: “He switched the CDs in store, so he took the old ones out and put his version in.”

But he left the original barcode so people could buy the CD without realising it had been interfered with.

OK. Attacking Paris Hilton for her lack of talent or relevance is about as controversial or edgy as saying Robert Mugabe is, like, a total jerk. It’s fish in a barrel.

As well, I’d venture to say that anyone who actually goes and purchases a Paris Hilton album isn’t likely to blink awake from their cultural coma because some prat from Bristol screwed with the latest zombie slut pablum they suddenly found themselves buying. The true Paris Hilton fan likely has no recollection of, say, waking up, getting to the store, buying the capri pants and ironic Von Dutch hat they’re wearing, or the last time they ate something other than pills.

But never mind that Banksy picked an easy target, or that the victims of his prank likely have no idea what it’s all about. It’s still, in the words of the walking waste of carbon that is Paris Hilton, hot.

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