Is there anything cooler than finding new music? Yeah . . . finding out someone you admire also digs some of the coolest music in the world.

Warren Ellis writes comic books, graphic novels, books. Yeah, get over yourself. A new media master, among his latest works are:

• a free webcomic called FreakAngels

• a brilliant comic series called Fell that sells for the low, low price of a buck ninety-nine. That's about half the price of many comics. It's also about twice as brilliant. Maybe thrice. You can read the entire first issue for free online.

• an alternate-futre graphic novel coming in July about a PI investigating an alien invasion, called Aetheric Mechanics.

Ellis frequently posts music on his blog, usually without any explanation as to why. Recently he put up a video by electronic artist Philip Jeck, someone I was woefully ignorant about. Shame on me!

Jeck's latest release on Touch is called Sand, and he recently released a 7" with Christian Fennesz, an artist I have recently becoming obsessed about, and Charles Matthews.

I realize electronic squarks, washes and glicks is not for everyone. For those who are intrigued, here's some Jeck:

Here's Jeck with Fennesz, live in October 2006:

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When you've got a dream like mine
Nobody can take you down
When you've got a dream like mine
Nobody can push you around. . .

Four years ago I embarked on a journey, and tonight I find out if that journey will be fruitful. At six p.m. EST , I will give my final presentation in front of the Technical Communication faculty at NC State for the Master's degree.

Today I dream of how it used to be
Things were different before
The picture shifts to how it's going to be
Balance restored

When you know even for a moment
That it's your time
Then you can walk with the power
Of a thousand generations.

I am nervous of course, but mostly, I feel pretty confident. I have a very high GPA and have been impressive in all my classes (not arrogance, just the truth). To be quite frank, I have worked my tail off for four years, balancing a very demanding job against a very demanding graduate program, where the faculty is comprised of some of the most well-respected, most published academics in the field. I did not mess around. I wasn't perfect every moment, but I did pretty good. I'm proud of my accomplishments, and I'll be proud to stand in that little room tonight, in the basement of Tompkins Hall off Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, and make my case.

Anybody here can do the same. All it takes is one strong thought, held inside you. Your dream. All the other dreamers will walk with you.

Bruce Cockburn tells the story behind this song, and all the rest, at this website.

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