I've long thought Deborah Solomon was a terrible interviewer. Her short fluffy NYT Magazine interviews have a strangely aloof quality to them, as if there is a disconnect between what is asked and what is answered. As it turns out, that appears to be the case. This is ok for satirists like Colbert and the Daily Show guys, but it's not so great for the Grey Lady.

I also want to point out Phil Nugent's clear-eyed analysis of the Bush Administration's weird ethical gymnastics. It's a thing of truth and beauty.

Last, but definitely not least, the 33 1/3 blog has an excerpt from David Smay's upcoming book on Swordfishtrombones. Smay is not just a good friend and a hell of a writer; he's the guy who first gave me a break when he and Kim Cooper accepted my submissions to Lost In The Grooves. This excerpt excites me quite a bit. I think it's going to be a hell of a great book, and I'm looking forward to seeing any parallels between his work and my own.