Awww...

Praise continues to knock on the door of Central Booking after SF Station featured us this week. My buddy Ev sent a nice note as did Meg from Megnut after I ran into her at the bus stop. Davvy Rothbart, the genius behind Found Magazine also had a few nice things to say. As did plenty of friends and lovers with no web sites, but just as sweet.

Dead and Dying Languages:

Did you know that another language dies every two weeks?

The Webbys, which are tonight,

The Webbys, which are tonight, got an afterthought mention in the San Francisco Chronicle. Very sad.

Doo?

I didn't think it was possible but Scooby Doo was the #1 film at the box office this weekend taking in $56.4 million in ticket sales. Hell has offically frozen over.

I'm ready to duck, ready to dive:

Central Booking was featured this week at SFSTATION.COM, an city guide alternative to the mostly useless Citysearch. The author Tamar Love runs the Literary Arts section and is both a talent and super person, should you find yourself in need of an editor.

I'd also be interested in hearing if your city had this kind of alternative city guides. If you'd be so inclined:

Swing Loh:

It hasn't been easy the last few weeks so I've been taking solace in the hilarious commentaries of Sandra Tsing Loh, a great writer and very very funny lady.

About Time:

Major music labels Sony and Universal Music have significantly relaxed their stance on digital music distribution, allowing customers the right to burn music on to blank CD's and lowering the price of songs to 99 cents a pop. This a very big victory for consumers, music lovers and those who knew all along that policing demand instead of embracing it and treating your customers like the enemy is very poor business practise. Hopefully the others will follow suit.

Though I've been known to engager in an occassional music download myself (*wink*), I don't want to give the impression that it should be one giant free-for-all with no one having to pay for anything. Artists need compensation and independent record stores are in many cases the last guardians of musical diversity in an increasingly consolidated music world. But it's too late to go back to the way it was. Shouldn't this titanic shift in the way music is distributed be seen as an opportunity instead of the end of the world?

Extra Extra!

If you're a San Franciscan, or the next time you're out here, I highly recommend checking out the Extra Action Marching Band, a rediculously motley crew of trumpeters, drummers, flag twirlers and cheerleaders, most in poor taste and very states of undress. I was fortunate enough to be a party last night where they made a grand entrance by jumping on the furniture, lighting fireworks and molesting the guests.

Jeez, I love this town.

Suit yourself:

No, I don't have World Cup Fever. But my whole neighborhood does.

Here comes that girl...

My buddy Mena did a schtick about her favorite Pixies Album over at The Morning News that I rather liked. Suddenly, several people I know, are contributing to this publication. Can anyone? Or do you have to be special?