The Ecstasy of Influence: life, the remix

Daring Fireball: Obsession Times Voice. “The verb is writing. The format and medium are new, but the craft is ancient. Obsession times voice is a pretty good stab at a simple formula for doing it right.”

Iron Chef Boyardee. Villiage Voice reporter Robert Sietsema on the fakery that is Iron Chef America: “Iron Chef America is more bogus than even I had imagined.”

3quarksdaily: Yes, you read that right: I am demanding more bad art. Should a great artist ride out an artistic lull in silence or keep on producing, even if the results are sub-par?

Sasha Frere-Jones: “Recordings have become advertisements for shows.”

Albums plus apps. Great ideas for how iTunes can improve.

The Sizzling Sound of Music. Are we beginning to prefer the hissing sound of MP3s?

A History of the Past: ‘Life Reeked With Joy’. The former teacher in me loves this — the best of the worst from one professor’s archive of student papers.

The ruins of Detroit. Sad and haunting.

A/V Geeks. Amazing collection of old 16mm education films

The Stuffed Monster Gallery. 48 stuffed monsters based on children’s drawings. Just wonderful.