Five Particular Things In No Particular Order

1. Song I Didn’t Want To Like But I Do
I really, really did not want to like Mutya Buena’s cover of Fast Car. For one thing, it's Fast Car and for one another thing, she was a Sugababe. But I like it. I think it is a good cover and she has a great voice. And the reason why it's not like the Tracy Chapman version is because the Tracy Chapman version is like the Tracy Chapman version.

2. Song I Thought I Would Like But I Don’t
I was totally ready to like this one. If this song had been on Facebook, I was ready to hit the Like button and add a comment that said LIKE!!!! This was not to be. I thought Coal War by Joshua James was catchy but the lyrics…

I ain't cutting my hair till the good lord comes
Arrive upon the mountain just to see what we have done,
I ain't cutting my hair, cutting till the good lord comes.

I originally thought he was saying ain’t cutting my hair till the girl don’t come, which I think is way better. He also says he ain't open his eyes 'til we all walk free and he ain't pickin' up a paper 'til the wild wind blows. Which is just as well, it would probably be hard to read the paper if you aren't into opening your eyes.

3. Journal Interestingness
Rakesh Khanna put me on to Words without Borders, specifically this story that was translated from Náhuatl. Now they have a new issue that features International Science Fiction with work from Stanisław Lem, Tomasz Kołodziejczak, Olga Slavnikova, Zoran Živković, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Machado de Assis, Liu Cixin, Pablo A. Castro, and Muhammad Husain Jah.


4. Speaking of Science Fiction
From a Blaft tweet- 'Convicted pornographer Dr. L Prakash has written a science fiction "graphic novel" from jail. ZOMG.' ZOMG indeed! Who knew that the Indian penal system was conducive to writing science fiction graphic novels! I foresee a lot of press linking his porno past to the word 'graphic'. I also foresee many people trying to get a hold of this book in the hopes of seeing boobies.


5. Upcoming Excitementness
All full excitements for Blaft's new blog, which should be honoring us with its mellifluous presence sometime in the near future. In the meantime, you can kindly enjoy this fast binding blaftness.

okbai.

k