I posted an updated Web page of my MP3s on my Web site, which includes loads of new stuff.

Enjoy.

I completed the MAT last night with about seven minutes to spare. And to be honest, I think I did rather well! The practice tests I took this past week were hard. Very hard. I’ll admit, I was a little worried. (OK, a lot worried.) But, the questions on the MAT last night were fairly easy and straightforward. I wasn’t required to have a great knowledge of any specific topic, mainly the ability to identify the relationship of the four words and locate the correct answer. Piece of cake! (Mmm. Cake sounds good right now. Chocolate cake, to be more specific.) My gut says I did well; I’ll know for sure when I receive my results in the mail in about two weeks.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN—In a turn of events the 30-year-old characterized as “horrifying,” Kevin Widmar announced Tuesday that his mother Lillian has discovered his weblog.

“Apparently, Mom typed [Widmar’s employer] Dean Healthcare into Google along with my name and, lo and behold, PlanetKevin popped up,” Widmar said. “I’m so fucked.”

In an e-mail sent to Widmar Monday, Lillian reported in large purple letters that she was “VERY EXCITED :)!!!” to find his “computer diary,” but was perplexed that he hadn’t mentioned it to her.

Get the rest of the story.

‘Twas the night before my big exam
And all through my house
Not a creature was stirring
Except for Josh Rouse
Whose CD I was ripping
When I should be hitting the books
But there’s so much music here
The Flaming Lips, The Smiths and The Strokes
My results tomorrow remain so unsure
So instead I won’t worry, but rip more of The Cure
My eyes are tired and so is my head
It’s 10:15 already, I should be getting to bed
But tomorrow is a new day, my quasi-beginning of school
And with my new tunes from Jason Keese, I’ll appear quite cool
Quite hip, quite deck, quite savvy, quite wise
I can thank Conor Oberst and his band, Bright Eyes
And Nick Drake and Travis
Azure Ray and Mayday
But now, I must rest and prepare for what’s already known
For my academic future, in many ways, is already set in stone
I just have to find that damn rock

Time Magazine named Apple’s iTunes Music Store as the Coolest Invention of 2003. Yeah, Apple! Here’s the story.

The 99¢ Solution
When Steve Jobs holds forth in public, it’s usually to a mob of fawning Apple-ites—the true believers who still develop software and accessories for Apple products. Not so last month at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. This crowd was more mack daddy than Macworld. Bono, Mick Jagger and Dr. Dre made video appearances. Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart was in the audience. Sarah McLachlan sang her latest hits live. What was pulling these musical supernovas into Jobs’ magnetic field? A software product that just might save their free-falling industry: the iTunes Music Store.

Read the rest of the story at Time.com.

I find no other way to express my feelings than this.

To All Boys
If you decide to grab my attention in a public place because you find me attractive and whatnot, don’t be a pussy and just yell from your car rolling through the parking lot at 4 mph with the bass thumping and your windows rolled down half-way. The young lad today at Target decided to yell across the parking lot, “Damn, girl. You fine.”
Then, the bastard just drove off.
Do me a favor. Grow a set of balls and approach me. Ask me my name. Or, don’t. If you can read, you’d see that my name is on my license plates. WENDY T it reads. That first step is out of the way, assuming you can read. I’ve done half the work for you. It’s just as well it worked out this way. He probably couldn’t even read.

CNN planted Mac vs. PC question at debate, says student
By Peter Cohen
MacCentral
November 11, 2003

The Boston Globe reports that CNN planted a question asking Democratic Presidential candidates about their preference for Macs or PCs. The debate occurred last week in Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall, and was sponsored by the Rock the Vote organization.

Brown University student Alexandra Trustman said in an online forum that she was handed the question by CNN producers who, she claims, “wanted to modulate the event with various types of questions.” CNN did not respond to requests for comment.

For the record, Carol Moseley Braun indicated that she uses a PC, while her son prefers the Mac. Howard Dean is a PC user; the Reverend Al Sharpton uses a Mac; Rep. Dennis Kucinich has a PC; Sen. Joseph Lieberman indicates that he uses “hand-held wireless.” Wesley Clark, Sen. John Edwards and Sen. John F. Kerry did not respond. (Rep. Richard Gephardt was not present.)

Family Unsure What To Do With Dead Hipster’s Possessions

LOUISVILLE, KY—Five weeks after the death of her 26-year-old hipster son Kent, Enid Lowery announced that the family faces a difficult task in figuring out what to do with his many unusual possessions.

“I just can’t believe how much stuff Kent collected over the years,” said Lowery Tuesday. “There’s a poster for some movie called Urgh!, stacks of empty Quisp cereal boxes, at least five old lamps that don’t work, and a slew of little plastic toys. Obviously, all these things meant something to Kent— but what? And why?”

Read more…

I saw “School of Rock” last night with a few friends. Fantastic! Besides having a crush on Jack Black, I’ve also become more and more interested in music as of the past few years. The movie, besides being hilariously funny and smart, offers a great history lesson on rock music. Go see it.

***

“Wendy Townley really likes the new single by Outkast.” There. I said it. You happy now? Driving around the past few days, I’ve heard their new single on two very different radio stations: The River (local college indie station) and Sweet 98 (corporate pop so sweet it’ll give you cavities). I also caught the song during a commercial for college football on ABC over the weekend. I think it’s following me. At any rate, I’m on the lookout for the album, or at least a few tracks. I’m going to hit up the iTunes Music Store and plunk down 99¢ for that song. (I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t even know the name of “that song.”) So there.

***

Speaking of music, there are a few concerts I’m attending before 2003 comes to a close: The Jayhawks Nov. 20 at Sokol; and Bright Eyes Dec. 27 at The Rose. Both should be fantastic.

***

Last post about music (I promise): For whatever reason, an easy listening station played Christmas tunes by Manheim Steamroller Friday night. Weird, huh? What’s even more weird is that I listened to the song until it was over. It made me smile a little. I think I may be getting into the Christmas spirit a little early this year.

Yes, Virigina, there is a Santa Claus, and I’m excited for his arrival.

I’ve hit “that wall” you hear about. That immovable, immobile slab of life that decided to pay you a visit when you least expected. The only thing it has impacted is my writing. Writing good pieces has become increasingly difficult in the past weeks, and I have nothing to attribute it to but “the wall.” I can’t get motived or excited about my work. I sit in front of my computer — either my Mac at home or my PC at the newspaper — and…nothing. Not a damn thing. Not an exciting thought or rush of adrenaline, not a delicious series of words or clever lead. Nothing. It’s kind of scary, actually. How long will this dry spell last? What do I do until it passes?

Help.