bookofjoe

Pictures Reframed (Leif Ove Andsnes + Robin Rhode)

Andsnes performed Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" in a multimedia piano recital 80 minutes long without intermission last Friday night at Alice Tully Hall in New York City.

Anthony Tommasini's rave review appeared in the November 16, 2009 New York Times.

Help! Pen

Designed by Ankul Assavaviboonpan for Propaganda.

[via Milena]

BehindTheMedspeak: Google Flu Shot Finder

Timely, what?

"Just visit google.com/flushot and type in your address to see a list of nearby clinics, pharmacies and other places offering H1N1 vaccine, seasonal flu shots or both. In addition to a list of addresses and phone numbers to call ahead, the site often notes if the vaccine is temporarily out of stock."

[via J.D. Biersdorfer and the New York Times]

2-Tone Stick Lighter

$30 .

You say you don't like any of those color combinations?

Lucky for you my crack research team found seven more:

$30.

PAGE PROTECTED BY COPYSCAPE DO NOT COPY

Reminds me of the late, great Chick Hearn's "matador defense."

Wonder what this website is paying for Copyscape's service?

'Cause they're sure not getting their money's worth.

I mean, if a TechnoDolt™ can defeat it, well, it's not as if you have to be a rocket surgeon....

Wait a minute... that's not right.

Tree surgeon — yeah, that's it.

World's most expensive mobile phone: iPhone 3GS Supreme

A snip at $3,164,000.

From the website:

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

iPhone 3GS Supreme — Officially the world's most expensive mobile phone

This extraordinary handset was commissioned by an anonymous Australian businessman from the gold mining industry.

Designed by Stuart Hughes of Liverpool, England, it was 10 months in the making.

The case was created from 271 grams (9.7 ounces) of 22k gold.

The front bezel houses 136 flawless color F diamonds, which total 68 carats.

The rear logo has 53 flawless diamonds totaling 1 carat.

The front navigation button is home to one rare 7.1 carat diamond.

The chest which houses this unique handset is made from a single 7kg (15.4 lb.) block of Kashmir gold granite whose inside is lined with top grain leather.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Bonus: it's unlocked.

A Family Daughter — by Maile Meloy

Don't be misled by the "Little House on the Prairie"-like title: this book's for grown-ups.

Or those capable of pretending.

In any event, let me — having become a recent member of the Maile Meloy Marching & Chowder Society/Fan Club — go on the record here and state that this, her second novel, published in 2006, is every bit as absorbing, surprising, and addictive as the first ("Liars and Saints," reviewed in a July 24, 2009 post).

An August 18, 2009 post touched on her two collections of short stories, both superb.

I'm reading everything she writes from now on till one of us crumps.

Maybe if I go first and some people are right, I'll be able to keep reading should I depart this coil ahead of her.

But I digress.

The weirdly American Dysfunctional Santerre family stars in this story, with all manner of adjunct characters trying to get involved.

But don't take my word for it: read Janet Maslin's rave New York Times review.

Read the first six pages and/or browse the book here.

Read the first 10 pages (roughly) here.

2003 interview with the author here.

Trust me, you could do a lot worse for $4.40 than find yourself tucked in with this book.

What is it?

Answer here this time tomorrow.