The Haldeman Diaries taught me more about politics than anything else I've ever read.
I've never heard anyone else mention it, or seen it on a bookshelf.

Bob Haldeman was Nixon's chief of staff. ie. he was the figure in the administration most loyal to the president, in terms of conflicts within the administration. He took the time to write extensive diaries entries every day of his 4+ years in the White House.

As an insider's account, they demistify the actual powers of the presidency and their limits, and how the personal impacts the political.

The question is, why were they ever published? They're shockingly candid - they don't paint a flattering portrait of anyone, including Haldeman, unless you prize unswerving loyalty.

I wonder, how realistic is my understanding of the political process? If I ever might have entertained conspiracies theories, thinking of this book would sober me up. Follow the Nixon administration's daily struggles dispells any fantasies of omnipotence.

The book is full of juicy bits: it is shocking how racist, arrogant, petty, corrupt and clueless the Nixon people were. But isn't that how any diary would appear, if we were all as honest as Haldeman?

Blogs at their best get you excited about things. Ideally, they interest you in things that you already knew about, but whose first impression didn't grab you.

caterina, whose blog has gotten me enthused about some books, turned me on to Russell Hoban's RIDDLEY WALKER. That passage she quotes from the first chapter is thrilling. The entire opening is "hot fire." But the book is ultimately a disappointment. If a book invokes mythology and religious texts as it's subject (and genre) - the resolution has got to pay off. There has to be meaning, or at least some good questions raised.

I think rule one of blogging is: don't hate.
more specifically, never criticize another blogger.
more specifically, since preferences and matters of taste predominate in blog content, never impugn another blogger's taste.

You know, one favorite book that I've never seen anyone discuss is Stith Thompson's "Motif-Index of Folk literature." It's a comprehesive (six-volume) concordance of themes from fairy tales. Even better is the index of the index which is two volumes (1200+ pages) itself. Read it as found-art poetry if you like. Here's an example, the entry for the word "prayers."

Prayers

for cruel tyrant
adulteress pretends going to say
animal tamed by saint's
ceremonies and used at unearthing of treasure
church spared in flood because of
control of weather by saint's
dead grateful for
devil appers among youths who jest while they say their evening
loud reproofs during
magic spells mixed with Christian
monk's weave garment for Virgin
origin of
resuscitation by holy man's
reward for saying
seven of saint
sinner saved through of confessor
wife's save usurer

I feel sad listening to recent techno. It seems terribly limited. Please turn me on to better techno.

The best record I have discovered lately is Andy Kershaw's "More Great Moments of Vinyl History," his sequel to "Great Moments of Vinyl History" (Does anyone have a copy?). It's the testament of a lifelong music lover. It is unconcerned with genre. It radiates personality and affection. It's human.

Many of the blog writers that I read have recently mentioned in passing that they consider themselves punk. How strange! I never would have guessed. Which goes to show how fluid a concept punk really is...

I don't understand punk. Or, I don't understand why it becomes an identity rather than an attitude - like a sense of irony. Punk is something absolute, right? An absolute rejection, a permanent rebellion.

I always liked punk music & fashion, but somehow I just never took to that type of alienation. I gots me own alterity.

Listening to often (some of these I've mentioned before):

Electronica:
Blaze - Lovelee Dae (Isolee Mix) Not very good.
Isolee - Schrapnell Being touted as the track from this much-talked about album.
Language Lab - Burning Disaster (Groove Armada Mix) Not very good.
Losoul - You Know (Supermayer Remix) Not very good.
M83 - Don'T Save Us From The Flames (Superpitcher Remix) Okay.
M83 - Run Into Flowers (Midnight Fuck Remix By Jackson) Very good.
M83 - Teen Angst (Luciano Mix) Very good.
The Mfa - The Difference It Makes (Superpitcher Mix) Very good.
Tim Wright - Thirst (Luciano'S Dancehall Remix) Not very good.
Dj Hell Ft Billy Ray Martin - A Je Regrette (Superpitcher Mix) Not very good.

Brian Eno & Robert Fripp - Swastika Girls

An excellent article on Paul C by Dave Tompkins led me to some great tracks:
Common - Resurrection (Large Professor Remix)
Gang Starr - Gotta Get Over (Large Professor Remix)
Slick Rick - Its A Boy (Large Professor Remix)

Feist - Gatekeeper (John Kong Remix)
Feist - Inside And Out (Pearson And Usher Elektronischer Dub)
Feist - Lover'S Spit (Live) Love it.

Galoppierende Zuversicht - Linguini Al Denta
Jay-Z - Sittin Sideways
Jem - They (Cut Chemist Vocal Mix)
Juelz Santana - Dipset (Santana's Town) Feat Camron hell yes.
Juelz Santana - What's It Gon' Be (Feat. Fabolous) hell yes.
M.A.N.D.Y. - Put Put Put oh hell yes.

Musical Mobb - Pulse X
I would totally offer this up to anyone who was skeptical about (ie. unfamiliar with) techno/electronica as an entire genre. Not because it represents a particular high point but because it accomplishes so much with so little and has so many of the attribute which tend to turn off people coming from a, say, rock, background. If they appreciated this, they'd have widened their palates.

Pepe Deluxe - Big Muff Utter cheez.
Romanowski - Strudel Strut
Space Cowboy - I Would Die 4 U Utter cheez.
Squeak E. Clean (Sam Spiegel) & Karen O. - Hello Tomorrow (Adidas Ad) Pleasant pop.
The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) I'm the last one to catch on.
The Killers - Somebody Told Me (The Glimmers Remix)

The Tamlins - Baltimore
Classic Sly & Robbie reggae production. Demolition City, the dub of the same is great too. In fact, Sly & Robbie - Reggae Greats; A Dub Experience is a great album that I've never heard anyone mention before. It's all dubs of their productions. I don't know whether they dubbed them all, but they are very consistent in style. I think it draws mainly from productions for their own Taxi label, a narrow subset of their long careers.

San Francisco First Thursdays:
Catharine Clark Gallery had some fascinating drawings, as they often do. I (finally) met a gallery employee who comes across as genuine, sensitive, etc. I recommend chatting with Kimberley, who works the various Weinstein galleries.

I resolve to start taking photos on the gallery walk, starting next month. In the meantime, here is an excellent resources:

Art business: I don't know if this is just one person, but they go to tons of SF Bay area openings and document them with photos. Comments range from pithy to catty.