Listening Post

All the sound of early Smashing Pumpkins.

None of the arrogance of Billy Corgan.

Here's Silversun Pickups doing Little Lover's So Polite.

Master Shake

It's almost unfathomable that the death toll from yesterday's massive Chinese earthquake has hit 12,000; it truly is a tragedy of historic proportions.

On the plus side though, at least China finally managed to create a vastly superior knock-off of a product they've been making in California's Silicon Valley for years.

I Rest My Case

Anybody still wanna argue with me?

Come on -- I dare you.

Coupe Le Frommage

Best headline ever.

Listening Post

In the relatively short period of eight years, from 1996 to 2004, the Manchester duo Lamb managed to create some of the most gorgeous music in recent history. Those familiar with them likely understand exactly what I'm talking about -- just how prodigious the band's talent was when it came to writing achingly moving songs -- and probably need to read no further. For the uninitiated, however, it'll be a rare treat to be able to turn you on to something this special.

Here are Lamb's two biggest singles:

First up, from their 2001 album What Sound, this is a stunningly beautiful video, for an equally lovely song called Gabriel.



Next, no question, the most passionate song ever written, as far as I'm concerned. Read the lyrics here, and know that if you can love or be loved like this -- even for a short time -- you've seen the best that life has to offer.

Here's Gorecki.

Love, Mom

Sometimes words simply won't do.

Happy Mother's Day, Jaynie.

Family Units

In case you were lucky enough to miss it, the Duggar family took time out from its hectic overpopulation schedule to grace the Today show this morning, where they were treated to heaps of warm encomia on-camera (and were mercilessly joked about off-camera). For those who don't have a subscription to Procreation Weekly, the Duggars -- Jim Bob and Michelle -- are the lucky parents of 17 children. Michelle, who essentially has an assembly line that ends at her cervix, cranks out about a kid a year, and has since 1988.

It goes completely without saying that the Duggars are full-on fundamentalist Christians who live in Arkansas, don't believe in contraception, home-school their entire brood, and somehow find a way to joyfully drop the name of the Lord every fifteen seconds or so like there's a Skinner Box treat in it for them.

Think of the Flanders -- times nine.

Or maybe that polygamist cult in Texas, as dressed by the Gap.

All morning, Today hyped the appearance by America's favorite freakshow, teasing viewers with hints of a "big announcement" that mom Michelle was going to make live on the air.

If you couldn't see this one coming, you were probably home-schooled: That's right, they're having another baby -- number 18!

At least the show's producers had the cynical forethought not to tease that it was a "big surprise announcement."

I really don't have a joke here; this whole thing kind of makes its own gravy. I just needed somebody to laugh at and poke with a stick this morning and you know something, the Duggars are right -- the Lord does provide.

(Incidentally, yes, that's them in the picture)