Dave Eggers is the editor of McSweeneys and the author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

This is a series of emails sent from Eggers to journalist David Kirkpatrick, and vice-versa. They concern Kirkpatrick’s hatchet job of an article, written about the release of the paperback version of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Though Eggers over-reacts slightly to the final piece (which appears in the New York Times), Kirkpatrick does pull a number of mean and unethical stunts.

Get Fuzzy is a comic starring a cat, a dog and a person. Not an orginial concept, but one well executed.

I recommend starting with these two strips.

After almost a year of switching record companies and redoing tracks and all those other things that rockstars do to delay album releases, I have discovered (I’m not sure when this was released) that Spacehog are about to release thier third album, “The Hogyssey” in April.

You can sample thier tune “I Want to Live”.

Go Spacehog!

Apparently Bill Gates’ house isn’t big enough. According to News.com:

“…some changes are needed to make it more livable. Gates representatives said the home was designed for a bachelor and the family has found that it ‘isn’t fitting as they expected it to’…”

It’s a classic example of why user testing is always necessary. Imagine, he’s been living in a Beta version all this time.

Behold the latest aov feature, über-experience: rock concerts remembered. The feature is comprised of a series of transcendent rock concert experiences remembered fondly but with varying degrees of accuracy.

Thanks to Kent, Peter, and Dennis for having lives more interesting than our own.

Enjoy über-experience: rock concerts remembered »

For those that missed the link last week, I encourage you, a confused Canadian (or a disenfranchised American looking north), to read Matt’s article for ForgetMagazine.com: How I Inadvertently Came to Understand the Appeal of Stompin’ Tom Connors, Canadian Icon.

It helped me to come grips with my inability to appropriately balance living in Canada with not liking hockey (the solution being to shut up about it).

First, a confession: I am a web stats junkie. I get some kind of power rush from knowing that people are visiting our website.

The stats I love so much include keywords from popular search engines that have led people to aov. Some make sense, others do not. Some are interesting, others disturbing.
I have posted keywords on aov before. However, here is a a more in-depth sampling of such keywords with my thoughts on each:

• “Mike Lecky”
  I guess search engines work. We did an interview with Mike.
   
• “Acts of Volition”
  Again, search engines appear to work.
   
• “music video women Hiphop rock”
  We have written each of these words independently. However, I don’t think they have ever been used in conjunction.
   
• “futureshop sucks”
  Yes, I agree.
   
• “holy shit”
  aov has never included either word (although we do like to use profanity here and there).
   
• “matt slocum pictures, leigh nash cute, leigh nash MP3 download”
  Matt and Leigh are from Sixpence None the Richer. Read why they don’t suck.
   
• “napster judgement 2001”
  Napster. It will erase your mind.
   
• “cute kitten photos”
  This is matt’s fault.
   
• “something about the moffats”
  Yes, there is something about those boys, isn?t there?
   
• “Porland”
  It’s sad when search stats point out spelling errors (on a semi-related note, Portland with a ‘t’ is a cool place).
   
• “what is volition?”
  Don’t ask us. Look it up.
   
• “I want hug card”
  Don’t we all? Here you go.
   
• “matthew dorrell”
  He claims not to search the web for himself. I’m sceptical. Prove me wrong. Show yourself!
   
• “microsoft office monopoly”
  I was never good at monopoly. Microsoft Office is a monopoly. It’s also smarter than I am.
   
• “I do not know nuthin about the money launderin”
  I’m afraid I do know about money launderin’.
   
• “lemony snicket”
  Like matt said, “Lemony Snicket – suddenly and inexplicably everywhere”.
   
• “Sex story grandmother”
  A classic case of looking for love in all the wrong places. However, matt did once use these three words in relatively close proximity.
   
• “morphine preperation”
  I have never had morphine. Apparently I am the only one in this situation here at aov. See the following posts for more info:
  • Monkeys and morphine
  • I rock hard (A Christmas Greeting).
  • I rock harder (A Valentine’s Day Greeting).

   

• “the most disturbing movie”
  You asked for it. It’s Babe: Pig in the City.
   
• “who killed biggie smalls?”
  Record companies have whole departments dedicated to faking celebrity deaths. I though I had already explained this.
   
• “Bluntside the Awning”
  How do you bluntside the awning?
  Simple: press Down + Down + Grind (8 on the Keypad). Confused? You should be.
  Let me explain.
   
• “The truth about advertising”
  Searching the web for truth can be very frustrating. However, there is a video called Truth in Advertising that is quite amusing.

I have secured tickets secured to U2‘s second Montreal show on the Elevation Tour.

You’re tired of Bono’s rock star preaching you say? What’s that? I can’t hear you. I’m too busy throwing my panties on the stage and weeping like a school-girl when they play songs from Joshua Tree.*