02/11/04 WED:
---Readied a new set of package insert sheets this morning. Making printouts from websites of books featured besides the paperback listings worked out very well, even if it ended up being a bit more time-consuming. The art pen set I picked up at the Dick Blick Outlet Store on the way home from Urbana-Champaign after dropping Neil off worked nice for the writing in of member-discount prices. I wish I had some artistic or creative ability: those pens would be great for cartooning or even doodling.

---Sent out an email update to people on my list giving catalog listings for books that came in since the last one I sent back in November. The thing seemed to be a bit long for one emailing, so I divided it into three parts. I plan to send Part 2 on Thursday and Part 3 on Friday.

---Always nice to see a new Village Voice Pazz & Jop, with Christgau’s essay and dean’s list, plus all the comments from his hipster critics panel. I only count four of his Dean’s List choices in the consensus top fifteen, but a few of them were probably B Pluses or Honorable Mentions. This means that as an Xgau acolyte I leave unheard the latest by such crowd favorites as 50 Cent, Radiohead and Jay-Z, but not necessarily these artists’ earlier (or subsequent) efforts. I do not feel deprived because I think I have more than replaced the consensus choices with some fine but sometimes not easy choices I have here stockpiled, trying to get a chance to listen to them all under my ironclad regimen of playing firsttime, secondtime and thirdtime successively--unfortunately leaving for later the umpteen-timers I would really like to play.