Remotely scattered

Fried Rice Thoughts is doing the live remote thing from the Barnes & Noble cafe today. You think they'd let me do the same thing radio stations do? Ian will be typing LIVE from 2 to 4 p.m!

I'll set up a tent, give away some t-shirts, let you pose with the Fried Rice Foxes (their calendar will go on sale in October - in plenty of time for Christmas), and, uh... well, that'd be it. I could buy you an iced latte, maybe. (Especially if you've found me for the first time through Chris' blog. Thanks for stopping by.)

Since I usually like to do my writing without pants on, I won't be able to do my usual routine here in the cafe. In lieu of finding my muse while in boxers, it's quickies and links today.

▪ Over at Pub of Knowledge, Susannah has started such an intriguing discussion that I think as many people as possible should swing over there and join in. The more opinions, the better. What makes a book a "classic"? Is it the style of writing? The themes? The characters? The staying power of the book itself? And can those sorts of criteria apply to other works that are often tagged "classics," such as films and albums? Hell, what makes a particular sporting event "classic"?

▪ Further dap to Susannah for her frequent Literary Adventures, which make me feel like the total reading slacker that I am. (And what am I doing while in a bookstore? Typing. Sheesh.) The latest additions to the Summer 2005 Stack of Stuff I Hope to Read? Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett (love all the Iowa City references) and Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman (which I've been meaning to read for what seems like years; Klosterman already has another book out, for Christ's sake). If I could just read one of 'em by the end of July...

And I thought I was going to spend my money on the new Coldplay, White Stripes, and Fountains of Wayne CDs. Oh well.

▪ Sticking with music for one more bullet, I love Brendan Benson getting some love in the new Village Voice. Yes, he's local (Detroit!), but the man writes songs that should have already made him a superstar. If you have some music money itching to be spent, we here at Fried Rice Thoughts (the acronym "FRT" looks too much like "fart") recommend One Mississippi or The Alternative to Love. Great roll-down-the-windows-and-blast-it music for a summer road trip. What does his stuff sound like? I hate to marginalize it by saying "power pop," though that's not a bad description. The Voice calls it "good straightforward pop rock/roll." Good enough?

▪ Is anyone going to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Detroit next week? If so, I am totally envious of you. I've always wanted to attend an All-Star Game. Now, one's in my backyard, but I'd have to sell my house to afford tickets. I know this is nothing new about professional sports, but the exclusivity of such events turns me off a bit. But I can still soak up some All-Star flavor at all the surrounding events in town. I might just do that. (Possible future blog entry: I struck out against a pitching machine, got pissed off, and smashed the machine with my bat. The All-Star Fanfest is fun! Whee! Where's the bar?)

▪ Roger Ebert says Fantastic Four stinks like old cheese. (Okay, those are my words, not his.) Hey, you didn't have to twist my arm, Rog. I was planning on saving my money for a matinee showing. (Still have to feed the geek in me.) But comic book fans, such as Heidi McDonald and The Beat, aren't liking it much either. Ouch.

▪ Are the Red Wings really going to fire their coach? Well, I guess you could say he hasn't worked in a year. But that seems like some cold $#!+ to me (insert ice hockey pun here). Greg Eno has more to say on the subject at Out of Bounds.

▪ Speaking of coaches: If you're a Detroit Pistons fan, how sick are you of this will-he-or-won't-he bull$#!+ going on with Larry Brown? Would the Pistons find a better coach than Larry Brown if Detroit let him go? Probably not. But is it in the organization's best interests to make sure it has a coach that will demonstrate commitment and be around for a full season? I think so, though I realize we're talking about medical issues here, which complicates the matter. But what if the players have had it with Larry, as Terry Foster says? Keeping him around only makes things worse.

Time for another latte, folks. Stay cool.