Mail Call!

Reader "Crallspace" responded to the list in "Cornu" (way back on March 23) with an item of his own:

"5. Microstoria is a great minimal electronics project, containing half of Mouse on Mars and half of Oval. Their tones and buzzes are likened to groups like TV POW and their following has everyone from scientists to junkies.

---just adding my number to the list. Found you via a similar "favorite music" in the profile. Microstoria is awesome!"

I'm afraid you're on the wrong track. I'm not talking about "Microstoria" the band (they sound interesting, though!), but the work of Italian composers Piero Calpini, Barbara Turcoletti, Ambrosio Scherma, et al. Their works, for the most part short, flowery art songs paired with enigmatic quasi-fictional spoken texts, were theorized in the early part of the Twentieth Century as a sort of romantic leftist rejoinder to the Futurists. Such works are commonly referred to as..."microstoria".

Thanks for reading, Dan!

On a more serious note, reader Mr. Chop writes:

"Actually, I remember the center fielder fell down catching a fly ball and someone popped up a bunt. So much for fundamentals. I realize now that when I made the comment, I was simply repeating what people say about the WNBA: it's more of a team game than what you find in the thuggish NBA, etc. But women softball players definitely hustle. And group huddle."

Mr. Chop is referring, of course, to April 2's "Fast-Pitch". It's true: when men deign to take notice of women's sport at all, it is either to essentialize it as an ideal "other" that remediates the failures of men's sport through "feminine" modes of being (collaboration vs. show-offing, polite striving vs. self-satisfied entitlement), or to sexualize it sub rosa through the surreptitious operations of the male gaze.

I apologize for any errors in this regard and wish to simply state my support for any and all efforts to fully enforce Title IX.

Moving along, reader "Jen X" writes in regard to April 5's "Chapulines" post:

"wait, what does that mean? and if you blog less how will i pass the boring moments at work?"

Jen, me and "the boys" are still working this all out. It's important to do what's right for all of us.

If I have been prevented from posting on a given day, I would recommend that you:

1. Draw a picture
2. Chew a stick of gum
3. Sing a song
4. Look out the window for a while

These activities will occupy the same amount of time and prove equally diverting.

In regard to the same post, reader Elizabeth has this to say:

"Yay for eating grasshoppers!!! But honestly, I hope they're not still in your GI tract...."

I hope by now it's clear that they are. It's not all bad, really. Elizabeth also notes:

"Why so much security on your comments!?! I don't know if it posted my first comment or not! I'm going to keep using exclamation points until I find out!!!! [shaking fist]"

I want you all to know that this level of security is, in fact, strictly necessary. I wonder if you have any idea what that's like.


...In any case, your continued support is appreciated.