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Well, I'd like to get right to the Friday Random Ten today, but first I have to make sure the yellow ribbon magnet on my car is straight, and then I have to put on the CD from that good ol' boy Keith Toby, and finally I have to make sure I have all of the little American flag pins on that my lapel can hold without threatening its structural integrity. (While there is no "minimum" per se, if you want to wear more than 15 pieces of flair, the government encourages you to do so.)

While I take care of all these patrotic "honey-dos", please enjoy this feature from America's finest news source, once again with a finger on the pulse of our nation:




OK, I slapped on a new bumper sticker double-dog daring anyone to try and burn this flag, and I yelled at no fewer than three people to "start talking American"...let's get down to business.

1)Fiona Apple - Paperbag.

My favorite song from When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing Fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You'll Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You Know That You're Right.

Yeah, she's a little wordy. Unamerican, I know, but I'll allow it.

2)Radiohead - Pyramid Song.

I still haven't downloaded In Rainbows yet...still debating what price to pay. This could go on for weeks.

3)Beck - Satan Gave Me a Taco.

Speaking of tacos, everyone gets a free one at Taco Bell from 2-5PM this Tuesday, as part of a World Series promotion. Tim McCarver supposed, rightly I think, that Taco Bell would probably give away far more tacos if the promotion ran from 2-5AM.

4)Candlebox - You.

Apparently, these guys reformed earlier this year after being defunct since 2000.

Yeah, I don't care either.

5)Gallows - Black Heart Queen.

Not bad at all for a free iTunes download.

6)Morphine - Whisper.

This is perhaps the most aptly named band ever. I feel a little high and a little strung out just listening to this.

7)Pixies - Hey.

I wish the Muppet show was still on when the Pixies were big, just so I could've seen them Muppetize this song. How awesome would that have been?

8)Silverchair - Lie To Me.

A hard-charging, minute-and-a-half grungefest.

9)Matisyahu - King Without a Crown.

I love it when disparate posts of this blog come together.

10)PJ Harvey - Man-size.

Speaking of PJ, I cannot wait to get her new CD, White Chalk. Yes, even in this age of intenet tubes and downloads, with some music I just have to have some sort of tangible talisman that I can hold and drool all over. Mmmmm....possessions!