A perk of running this site is receiving nice presents from readers / freebies from corporate shills—not that any of them sway my editorial judgment at all, as I sit here watching the Web on my Mitsubishi monitor, eating Bahlsen’s tasty Choco Leibniz.

Recently, in response to one of my posts here, the proprietor of this fine online dog biscuit emporium gave me a huge Lastolite photographic reflector with which I took this not-very-good picture of a very good Sunday afternoon at Richard and Kate’s delightful country residence. (It looks suspiciously like they and their guests are posing for a new thirtysomething US comedy series.)

Today someone sent me a copy of the latest album by the Flaming Lips. I don’t know who because there’s no accompanying note, but thank you. No collection of contemporary music is complete without this distinctive and magical collection of whimsy and harmony.