To avoid a quarrel is a setback for sin, for it is a hot temper that kindles quarrels.
A sinner sows trouble between friends and spreads scandal where before there was peace.
A fire is kept hot by stoking and a quarrel by persistence.
A man’s rage is in proportion to his strength, and his anger in proportion to his wealth.
A hasty argument kindles a fire, and a hasty quarrel leads to bloodshed.

Blow on a spark to make it glow, or spit on it to put it out.
Both results come from the one mouth.

–Ecclesiasticus 28:8-12

I’m an old-school Superchunk fan. I have the “Cool/Fishing” 7-inch. I also have the “Freed Seed” EP. (I also saw them play “Enter Sandman” at the WXYC Madonnathon, and if anyone knows what I’m talking about, congratulations you’ve just won the “MNFTIU Old-School Award.”)

Anyway, I really like Superchunk so it makes me excited to announce that I WILL BE ARTISANALLY SHARPENING PENCILS AT THE BOWERY BALLROOM SUPERCHUNK SHOW ON SATURDAY, 9/18.

I have no idea what this will be like. Oh wait, actually, I do: IT WILL BE AWESOME.

So if you have tickets to the show, please stop by the merch area (I think that’s where I’ll be) and order a pencil and I’ll sharpen it right then and there!!! While I’m sharpening your pencil we can discuss mid-90s Chapel Hill artisanal indie rock: Scuppernong, Evil Weiner, Zen Frisbee, Vanilla Trainwreck … bring it.

(PS: Thanks to reader JKD for letting me know that the farmers’ market in the video below is the Durham one, not the Carrboro one.)

Love this:

A would-be Koran-burner in Amarillo, Texas was foiled by a 23-year-old Texas skateboarder named Jacob Isom, who was among a group of people protesting a planned burning on Saturday. As Isom described it: “I snuck up behind him and took his Koran, he said something about burning the Koran, I said ‘Dude you have no Koran,’ and ran off.”

Reminds me of this:

“Dude you have no Koran.”

Sharpening a pencil for one of America’s premiere small business owners:

(Thanks to MH for the picture.)

If you like Minute to Win It, ie The Hottest TV Show In America, you should come to our comedy show on Saturday, 9/25 in Beacon NY. Just trust me.

BCRG Presents: Max Silvestri and Allison Silverman!
Hosted by Sam Anderson and David Rees
Hudson Valley Auctioneers
432 Main St.
Beacon, NY
8:00 PM / $5

Please, everyone come to this show. Max Silvestri is hilarious and Allison Silverman used to be the head writer for the Colbert Report. This show is gonna be off the hoof. Yes, that is a horse reference. I just found out that my friend bought a horse. “What a crazy world we live in.”

If anyone from Greenpoint/Williamsburg wants to come the comedy show in Beacon tomorrow night, one of our friends is renting a Zipcar and has extra room. Email davidhart.org “at” gmail.com for details …

Hope to see you at the show!

Thanks to everyone who came to last night’s comedy show. It was really fun. When our contestants got the ping-pong ball to stick to the peanut butter during “Imitation Minute to Win It,” I almost died from a joy overdose. Guy Fieri, I’m coming for your job so hard it’s not even funny.

Hello everyone!

Tomorrow afternoon they’re filming a talk show hosted by John Hodgman at the 168th St Armory in New York City. The guests will be Nick Mangold of the New York Jets and Sarah Vowell of the New York This-American-Lifes. Some amazing things are gonna happen that I can’t even talk about.

If you have tickets to this show I need to talk to you:

I’m doing an artisanal pencil sharpening demonstration as an audience warm-up. (I did a demo at a party on Friday night and sharpened over twenty pencils; it was intense with sweat flying every which way. Somebody almost spilled wine on my Dahle 166 premium sharpener.) I’d really appreciate it if one of you would bring a PENCIL WITH SENTIMENTAL VALUE AND AN INTERESTING BACKSTORY to the show. I want to arrange an authentic, emotional encounter between your pencil and my pencil sharpener; between your past and your future. I love sharpening pencils that have personal resonance for clients.

So, please, if you are coming to the show (and I should mention you need a ticket to come to the show), bring your favorite pencil!

Thanks,

David Rees
“Master Sharpener”