Son of a Witch

White Oleander

The Da Vinci Code

Page-turner. I assume that by now everyone in America has already either read it or tried to get it banned from the school library.

In a Sunburned Country

Vivid and funny travel stories from Australia. I feel like I’ve been there! Thanks Dave and Jessi.

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

A whale rams and sinks a Nantucket whaling ship in the middle of the Pacific. The crew of 20 men takes to their whaling skiffs and makes for South America, where eight survivors finally are rescued after three months at sea. The sailors lived on barnacles, a tortoise they took with them, and their shipmates’ dead bodies. Philbrick writes a compelling narrative, but there are so few source documents that it seems like it would be more interesting to read the sailors’ own diaries and accounts of the tragedy.

Under The Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

A chilling illustration that given the right circumstances–religious fundamentalism, charismatic leaders, belief that they are the sole recipients of God’s truth–Americans are as capable of violence in God’s name as anyone.

[Update 2006-08-31]

From CNN: A Nevada Highway Patrolman named Eddie Dutchover nabbed Warren Jeffs, one of the primary creeps of “Under the Banner of Heaven”, Monday night.

The Truth (With Jokes)

Mostly truth, not many jokes. I sighed more than I laughed. Not nearly as much fun as Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot: And Other Observations, but worth reading.

Manage Hidden Mac Files

Mac OS X leaves invisible files on Windows shares, but the files are visible to Windows users. The files are harmless but irritating. Here’s a brief article explaining the matter: “Dealing with Resource Forks and .DS_Store Files on non-Mac Volumes”.

There are a couple of ways to suppress these guys:

Apple offers command line instructions to suppress these critters.

BlueHarvest is a $10 shareware control panel to selectively suppress and delete the files.

What the Manisfam is listening to

You know, people are constantly asking me “Doug, what recordings are the musical taste-making Manisfam listening to these days?” Well, here are the previous fifty or so sizzling tracks the Manisfam has auditioned and found to our liking.

Click a song title to launch iTunes and listen to a 30-second sample from the iTunes Music Store. iTunes seems to offer about half of the music we own, but the ratio is getting better as their catalog grows.

For a random sampling of the Manisfam music library, visit Big Daddy Dougo’s Manis Mojo Party Mix!

1. Cigarettes and Wine from the album “Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit” by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
2. Good from the album “Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit” by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
3. Sunstroke from the album “Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit” by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
4. Seven-Mile Island from the album “Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit” by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
5. Homage from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
6. Baudelaire from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
7. Another Morning Stoner from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
8. It Was There That I Saw You from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
9. Source Tags & Codes from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
10. After The Laughter from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
11. Relative Ways from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
12. Days Of Being Wild from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
13. Monsoon from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
14. Heart In The Hand Of The Matter from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
15. How Near How Far from the album “Source Tags & Codes” by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
16. I Believe from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
17. When You Wish Upon A Star from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
18. The Quiet Room from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
19. I Don’t Want To Grow Up from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
20. Yellow from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
21. Moon River from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
22. Ba•-Laa Ta•gam from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
23. Floaty from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
24. Satellite from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
25. Throughout from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
26. I’ve Got A Crush On You from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
27. John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man from the album “Petra Haden And Bill Frisell” by Bill Frisell & Petra Haden
28. Finger Snapping II from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
29. Donut Hole from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
30. That Ain’t True from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
31. Funny Things from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
32. Flip-O-Rama from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
33. Unknown from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
34. Tra-La-Laaaaa! from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
35. Happy Birthday! from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
36. Being Little Different from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
37. Just Wear Underwear from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
38. Good Friends from the album “Captain Underpants” by Captain Underpants
39. I Like to Fuss from the album “Philadelphia Chickens” by Philadelphia Chickens
40. The Bare Necessities (Reprise) from the album “Jungle Book” by Phil Harris
41. The Bare Necessities from the album “Jungle Book” by Phil Harris & Bruce Reitherman
42. It’s A Kick from the album “Jungle Book” by Phil Harris
43. Baloo’s Blues from the album “Jungle Book” by Phil Harris
44. Passin’ Me By from the album “The Hip Hop Box (Disc 3)” by The Pharcyde
45. Skaros from the album “Balkan Blues (Disc 2)” by Petro-Loukas Halkias & Kompania
46. Track Records from the album “The Who Sell Out” by Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
47. Rael from the album “The Who Sell Out” by Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
48. Sunrise from the album “The Who Sell Out” by Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
49. Silas Stingy from the album “The Who Sell Out” by Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
50. Relax from the album “The Who Sell Out” by Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out

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