Lawler's Rule

He is going to be a star. His music manages to sound fresh and, at the same time, completely familiar. My friend Will’s first question was “Is he playing covers?” And even though I knew they were originals, I had to briefly reconsider; the songs seem as if stolen from Ben Harper & Bob Dylan’s secret love child.

Get the album here.
Read this fairly bizarre account of how he became a musician.

Update: If you're going to download just one song illegally, download Trouble. If you're going to download just two more songs illegally, download How Come and Shelter.

This quote shoots towards the top of my list:

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Two more solid quotes:

"Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder." -George Washington

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." -Plato

Via WILTW

I've modified my blogroll a bit recently, culling some of the more boring sites and adding a few new ones. A new favorite is the Liberty Belles, five young women blogging on politics with a libertarian bent. Their motto is "We don't mind you holding the door for us - we just don't like the government doing it."
I love it.

the relevant link