Blogcritic of the Month: May 2006
Published May 01, 2006
Honestly, I don't know how things will turn out. Many people predict that music will only be sold digitally in the future. No actual stores. That may well come to pass, but don't expect me to be a part of it. I like actually objects in my hands. For as much as I enjoy being able to click on a link to order something, it does not beat the experience of being at a store and flipping through bins of the "great unknown."
BC: Aside from BC, where do you go to read stuff these days? Do you have any favorite sites for music writing in particular?
Mark: My favorite non-BC music site is Perfect Sound Forever. Great writing, interesting stuff. A feature about Captain Beefheart here, an article about turntables there...what's not to love?!
BC: And one last question, because I couldn't resist: Why is Mark cranky?
Mark: Now this is funny. When I first put my website together, I struggled to come up with a name. I had this idea to go with "Mark Is...", but couldn't come up with anything. Then, me and TheWife are on vacation on the coast of Maine. We're driving through the little town of Bass Harbor and see a sign on a post in front of a small, nondescript ranch house: "Rue Cottage Books. For Luddites, Greens, and like-minded readers". Oh yeah, we are definitely stopping back there the next day. It turns out to be a very small (as in: it's her living room!) store of new and used books leaning toward the themes referenced on the sign. The owner, author Nichols Fox, has written several books. One of them, which should be next to everybody's copy of Fast Food Nation, is Spoiled: The Dangerous Truth about a Food Chain Gone Haywire. "Cranky" came from Fox's book on the history of the Luddite movement, Against The Machine. In that book Fox describes the "resistors," those who resist many modern technological advances...and that they're usually thought of as "cranks at best."
Yep, that would be me.
Q & A (The Fun Stuff)
BC: What book/CD/DVD do you have more than one copy of, in case something happens to the original one?
Mark: Kerouac's On The Road.
BC: Would you like to tell us who/what do you share your life with?
Mark: You all know TheWife. Her real name is Linda. Not only does she put up with me, she also teaches at a shelter for troubled teen girls. A real job. I respect the hell out of her for it. We have a little competition going on: to see who can buy the most books before we run out of shelf space...though it's getting closer to: see who can make the most piles of books before running out of floor space.
- Blogcritic of the Month: May 2006
- Published: May 01, 2006
- Type: Interview
- Section: Sci/Tech
- Filed Under: Sci/Tech: Blogging, Interviews, Culture: Media, Culture: Arts, Culture: Administrative
- Part of a feature: Blogcritic of the Month
- Writer: Lisa McKay
- Lisa McKay's BC Writer page
- Lisa McKay's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
Splendiferous - thanks Lisa and congrats Mark! We're certainly glad you read Dawn four years ago - thanks for being such a core of the site all this time Mark - we wouldn't be what we are without you!!
I'm with Joanie. That's the last nice thing I say about Saleski. My revenge shall be terrible.
Great job, Lisa!
I now realize that everyone else appreciates music on a much deeper level than me. Maybe that's for the best.
I think the greatest tribute would be for the word "Saleski" to become a verb here at Blogcritics. Any nominations on what it should mean? And please use examples.
Joanie - I'm with ya.
Known this dude for a while, and all I got so far was some damn coffee.
Seriously -
This is beyond cool Mark, you cranky bastage you.
Outstandingness -- great to see the Great Saleski behind the curtain, and a photo no less !
Congrats, Mark. Now when are you going to get the collected "FML" published as a book?
Great job again, Lisa. I'm already looking forward to next month.
For those BCers who feel slighted at being left off Mark's favorites, I suggest you get him in trouble with TheWife by pointing out that on the desert island he wants a picture of TheWife and not TheWife.
For those BCers who feel slighted at being left off Mark's favorites, I suggest you get him in trouble with TheWife by pointing out that on the desert island he wants a picture of TheWife and not TheWife
I am SO dialing that number right now - "Hello Linda...?"
: )~
hey, at least i didn't say "a picture of katherine heigl"
Well, must be that head cold, you're off your game.
Nothing that wasn't overdue, and Lisa did a fantastic job. Keep up the good work Sir Saleski!
Saleski: Even if I don't know 75% of the musical references you make in your posts, the 25% that I do know are always tactfully written and enjoyable. The BOTM nod is well deserved. Cheers.
I am a Mark Saleski lover from WAY back in the day - glad the world has caught up to my excellent taste!
Cheers to Mark!
- BC: What do you think you'd learn if you could swap to the opposite sex?
Mark: It might be nice to know, once and for all, if size really matters.
I can answer that for you, size does matter.
But only in the brain, everywhere else it's subjective.
Seriously, Lisa, great job, great subject, great read!!!
I'd like to thank everyone for their comments on this piece. These are a huge amount of fun for me to do, and as nice as it is to take credit for it, most of the actual work gets done by the honoree, so it's an easy gig :-)
A great side benefit of doing this (for me personally) is to get to know each writer a bit better as we go through the process of putting it together. Thanks to everyone for reading and enjoying!
Conrats Mark.
I still want IN on that Seeger Sessions pow-wow you and Lisa and DJ Radiohead have planned though.
Pretty please?
Glen
oops..
That was "Congrats Mark", not "conrats"...LOL
Damned butter fingers.
Mark Saleski is a giant among giants, and his Friday Morning Listen should be on everybody's weekly schedule.
Thanks, Mark, for being awesome!
I'll add my congrats here. FML rules the school! We need a book then a movie starring George Wendt as Saleski and John Ratzenburger as DJradiohead.
Sounds like a good movie! Friday Morning Listen: You Won't Know Any of These Obscure Artists' Names - But After Hearing Them, You Just Might Want To!
Kinda long title though.
ah, who cares?! as long as they have car chases and stuff exploding and all...
If you'll let me do just one Charlies Angel pose - I'll do it for union scale.
Well, the short hair precludes the cute 'flipping', but I got those hand gestures down pretty good.
I was going to say "congrats" like I usually do because I'm never quite sure about the spelling of the whole "congratulations" word and besides its a little too polysyllabic but luckily Jackie here had the whole things down pat with all the polysyllalababbles intact and so I must say:
Congrats, Mark!
Car chases, explosions...and don't forget the gratuitous nudity. You've got to have gratuitous nudity. I mean this is about Saleski's life and all.
Congratulations, Mark. A testament to both you and Lisa, I enjoyed the interview as much as I do your articles and the FML.
Sir Salski, if anyone deserves this spotlight, it's you. bask in that glory! you earned it, and continue to earn it, one glorious syllable at a time. and for that honour you laid 'pon my shoulders, a million thank yous. a million. or a million love songs if you'd prefer. it IS a very fetching beard...
Congrats,Mark.
Mark,
Men who are not going bald should not wear their hair short. Please let yours grow in again, it will enhance your metalicity.
brick, i used to have my hair drawn back in a ponytail...it went about 3/4 down my back. just got sick of it. sorry.
good ta hear from ya man. just where the hell have you been?!
Congrats, Mark, you deserve this - I return to BC time and again for your contributions!
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Damn that Mark! I thought I'd paid him to say I was his favorite Blogcritic. (Note to self: stop payment on check to Saleski.)
Lisa, did you bother to find out if the man has a single brother who might be interested in work as a cabana boy?