SMALL THINGS

Two really great new Tiny Desk Concerts

Wilco
Lisa Hannigan

Six Famous Novels penned in under a month (in honor of National Novel Month!)

Super excited to try Scrivener out for a ride.

Last year I read all but two of the Publisher's Weekly's best Yong Adult books of 2010. I think I'll do it again for 2011's best. Here is what they got so far. Most looking forward to Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck, the Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler collaboration The Future of Us, also The Apothecary, The Girl Who Circumvented Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making (which I started already and wow!) and The Flint Heart, the latter of which I will read with my daughter.

Speaking of reading with my daughter, I bought this book for $1. Should arrive tomorrow. Damn, looks like the price jumped back up to $8.

I wanna take the hat class at Home Ec Studios. But it's $85 and spending that on me right now seems rather selfish.

That said, I think I am gonna splurge and buy myself this Pendelton bag on UrbanOutfitters.com - it's half off, as is a lot of the Pendelton collection. Damn, I want it all.

A very long list of the writers who support Occupy Wall Street.

Five interesting food politics stories that made news this week.

Lips Official State Song?

Flaming Lips "Do You Realize" was voted down as Oklahoma's state song, BUT Governor Brad Henry says he's gonna sign an Executive Order to make it so tomorrow.

Read the article, if you like.

Flaming Lips, "Do You Realize?" Live on KCRW, 2004

Inauguration Concerts:

--Kids' Inaugural: We Are The Future will air tonight, Monday, January 19th @ 8PM ET/PT on Disney Channel. You know it includes the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, and Demi Lovato, it is on the Disney Channel after all. Also Bow Wow, Corbin Bleu, Billy Ray, Keke Palmer and Usher will be on hand. But wait, there is more: Queen Latifah, Rosario Dawson, George Lopez, Jaime Foxx and Lucy Liu, will be there, not to mention the new first family, girls and all. 13 year old Perry Rubin, the daughter of entertainment reporter Sam Rubin will be talking to the people.

--The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration’, which will air live on ABC (8:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, Tuesday, January 20 and will feature Beyonce, Faith Hill, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, JAY-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira and Stevie Wonder. Nick Cannon will DJ the event. I'm sure there are others involved.

-- Tonight the Beastie Boys headline the "Hey, America Feels Kinda Cool Again" Inaugural Gala at the 9:30 Club.

-- Jay-Z with be at the Warner Theatre tonight.

-- In Chicago the political organization Interchange will present the "Big Shoulders Ball" at the Black Cat with Ted Leo, Andrew Bird, Tortoise, and the Waco Brothers.

-- The Hip Hop Inaugural Ball features Russell Simmons, T.I., Young Jeezy, and LL Cool J and will be at the Harman Center for the Arts.

--Tuesday night the Creative Colaition's Ball features Elvis Costello, Sting and Sam Moore.

--The We Are One Celebration already occurred and was written about in People with pictures!

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More in Music and Politics—

Change Is Now is a CD and DVD, the latter of which which features nine iconic Obama speeches, starting with the campaign announcement in Springfield and ending with the election night victory speech in Chicago. The whole shebang to $30 and you can get it here. Here is the rundown/tracklist...

Change Is Now: Renewing America's Promise:
01 will.i.am: "It's a New Day" *
02 The Tony Rich Project: "The Dream is Real"
03 Stevie Wonder: "All About the Love Again"
04 Ozomatli: "Can't Stop"
05 Sheryl Crow: "Peace Be Upon Us"
06 India.Arie: "There's Hope"
07 Melissa Etheridge: "God Is in the People" *
08 Lenny Kravitz: "Change"
09 Robin Thicke: "Dreamworld"
10 Maroon 5: "Pure Imagination (2009 Version)" *
11 Usher: "Hush" *
12 BeBe Winans: "Born for This"
13 Wilco: "What Light"
14 James Taylor: "Shed a Little Light"
15 Jennifer Hudson: "The Star-Spangled Banner"

Bonus tracks:
16 Lionel Richie: "Eternity (David Foster Live Strings Mix)" *
17 Death Cab for Cutie: "Grapevine Fires"
18 Common: "Changes"

* includes excerpts from Barack Obama speeches

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Even more Music + Politics:

-- Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 U.S. Presidencies is a recent three-disc boxed set featuring 43 songs dedicated to America's 43 presidents. There is a brand new Obama song, "Someone to Wake", which is sung by Centro-matic's Will Johnson. It's available as a free download on the project's website.

Sherpard's showing in the Smthsonian



In front of senators, congressmen and governors, Shepard Fairy's iconic portrait of President Elect Obama was unveiled at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., alongside considerably more traditional paintings of other presidents such as Washington, Lincoln and Reagan.

"The whole idea that 'underground is good and government is bad' is a very one-dimensional idea," Fairey said, standing in front of a brand-new, 16-by-6 painting of the soon-to-be-president at his traveling "Manifest Hope: DC Gallery" in Georgetown.

"It's really about taking the opportunity to make the system what we can make it — as progressive, forward-thinking people — and raising the bar for everyone."

For more on the event, Shepard and the indelible portrait, check out the article on MTV.com

Do I even need to spell out why this clip is bizarre, hilarious and frightening? I wish I had come up with this, but alas, it's from Andrew Sullivan at the Atlantic via Mother Reader.