It might be a complete hoax but it sounds like one of these odd and funny stories...A Single with a French version of Sly and the Family Stone's Dance to the Music by none others than The French Fries...'Danse A La Musique'... Read The Review by The Seth Man...

If you can find this track, it could be the main attraction on the playlist of your Memorial Day Week-end if you are in the US.
For all my non-US readers, Memorial Day week-end marks the unofficial start of the Summer Season.

Behind the scenes notes:
How did I find out about this collector item?
It started with Coudal mentioning the trailer for 'Control', the movie on Joy Division (for whatever reason the trailer has French subtitles).
Coudal credited The Morning News as their source for the movie clip which in turn led me to Andrew Womack's Top 10 Albums of 1981 which mentioned Julian Cope move from musician to Music Critic and that's how I got a taste of these French Fries.

Yeh! I know, it started to look like the credits for some movies that keep rolling on and on and on but it is Friday after all so cut me some slack!

Recent music takes: Chickenpox and music, the AARP way

As a follow up to my previous story, I wanted to mention a fun story from Sommelier India which describes itself as the first and only wine magazine in India.

In Giving away your secrets with the wines you drink! (published on their blog), Sommelier India gives its take on how the wines you choose to drink reflect yours taste and personality.

Here's their take on Sauvignon Blanc which is popular here in the US during the Summer.

"Sauvignon Blanc – You are sweet natured, easy going and like things to be as uncomplicated as possible. You’re a hard worker but you still consider yourself a bit of a ‘hipster’ - you want to be young forever and tend to agonise over big life decisions longer than most. However, once the big decisions are made you sure can celebrate! Likely hangout: End of the bar lamenting how you suddenly became so old."

Also worth reading is India uncorks a thirst for wine on the same site.

As we tend to forget, especially here in the US, it's a big world out there.

Related story: Wine Consultant Michel Rolland puts his stamp on India

While visiting a design site, I noticed the mention of an Indian wine company, Grover Vineyards based outside Bangalore. The company was started in 1988.

I then found out that the famous  (and to others infamous) Bordeaux wine consultant Michel Rolland collaborated with the winery on their Sauvignon Blanc (at least the 2003 vintage).

If you have seen the documentary Mondovino and its scathing portrait of Michel Rolland, you understand why I say  some people consider him infamous.

Michel Rolland spreads the gospel of wine style according to Robert Parker and has some 100 client wineries around the world.

Also on India: Alphonso is here, the nuclear mango?

With his reminder for yesterday's Bit Literacy book party in New York City, Mark Hurst included a link to a very useful tool for directions, namely HoPStop.

They describe themselves as 'Your city transit guide' but since I was close enough, I got walking directions with the corresponding map.
The service is currently available in 5 US cities. Besides New York, they are Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco.
Besides Subway and Map Directions, they also offer Guides for each city, search for attractions, bars and clubs, beauty, hotel, restaurant, shopping either by location or by name.

I would give it a 9 for user friendliness and good design.

The service also works on mobile devices.

Get hopstopping!

Related story: How to deal with information overload? Bit Literacy, the book

I use many online services including the one I am using to write this, Typepad as well as my main web host 1 and 1 plus Lingo for my internet phone and add a few more. I can access and view bills going back to their first one, easily and at no cost.

It seems that Online Banking is a different animal altogether where customers are still considered as in many brick and mortar banks as Fee Generators.

It must be the case with Bank of America which launched their new and improved Online Banking Experience very recently. They happen to be my bank.

It allows you to view details of your accounts as far as 12 months back. Well not quite, I could not go further than mid-June 2006.

I watched the nice demo on the service and especially liked the fact that I could view and print checks front and back...The demo does not mention any time limit on check view...
The problem is it did not work for anything prior to February 2007 (even though their demo mentions a January Check).

So I called customer service which then transfered me to online banking support  where I was told that for any check older than 65 business days from today, I would have to pay a $3 Fee per Check Copy.
To add insult to injury when you go to the order check copy page, the Fee is not listed.
It suggests you call an 800 number to find out.

Stop making sense! as David Byrne said.

How is your bank treating you?
Time to switch?

Visit This is Broken for more bad customer experience.

More on Bank and Fees: Tired of ATM Fees in the US and abroad

Darn, too bad I just found out about this today.

The Japan Society of New York invites us to explore how "Improvisation, Creativity, Collaboration: Fueling Innovation in the 21st Century".

No need for me to try to improve on their event description so here it is:

"What can jazz and "right brain" qualities like empathy and playfulness teach us about improvisation, collaboration and innovation? In today's competitive world, premiums are being placed on people with the ability to reframe problems, improvise and incorporate joy into their work. This event brings together multidisciplinary leaders--from business, and the arts, as well as social entrepreneurs--from Japan and the U.S., who participated in a series of retreats as part of the U.S.-Japan Innovators Project, for a provocative exploration in conversation and music on the themes of collaboration, joy and creative problem-solving in the 21st century."

This is part of the Japan Society Centennial.
The event takes place tomorrow in New York at 6:00 pm and features amongst others Marty Ashby (jazz musician, producer, community activist) and his trio, Alan Webber (one of Fast Company's founders), Keith Yamashita and by satellite from Japan my friend Dan Pink.

Tickets are only $10 for general public and $5 for students.

Since I will not be able to attend, share you impressions with us if you do.

Thanks to Good Magazine for bringing this to my attention.

Recent posts on Japan: Joyous 'Kanda Matsuri' Festival in Tokyo

Continuing my exploration of uncommon career paths, I stumbled upon Job Idea Number 3 which happens to be Master Tea Taster.

Not being a tea aficionado myself, the best way I could describe this job is somehow close to being a Sommelier in the world of wine.

Stephane Erler shares his learning curve on becoming a tea 'expert' in Taipei through the aptly named Tea Masters (written both in English and French).
I used his photo (May 3rd, 2005) as an illustration.

In Plantation to Cup (Australia), find out how Larry Brown got on the tea path.

In South Africa, Your Cup of Tea tells us how Hlengiwe Gcabashe became last year the first black woman tea taster.

Are you now a convert to the idea of becoming the next great Master Tea Taster. Are you one already? Let us know.

In the same series: Job Idea Number 2: Webinar Master of Ceremonies

After customized bikes, cars, kitchen, stereos and the rest, here come customized teas.

Feeling limited by the tea flavors and blends on the market, Master Tea Taster Alex Probyn started to experiment by creating new blends that would match the personalities and tastes of family and friends.

After a while he decided to share his experiment with the world and voila Blends for Friends was born.

Next time a friend's birthday comes up and you are looking for a special gift, Blends for Friends could be the thing.
They have to like tea obviously.

The company is based in Kent (England) but ships worldwide.

Besides friends blends, you can also have them create your own company blend.

I discovered Blends for Friends on Springwise.

Previous tea stories: On Japanese Green Tea

After writing my previous piece, I did a short read of various topics and Web Worker Daily was offering their own Job Idea which is Webinar Emcee or Online Seminar Master of Ceremonies in common terms.
You must obviously be clear, concise and able to stay on topic and on schedule.

Some skilled MC's can fetch in the $1000 to $1500 range according to Web Worker Daily.

According to Wikipedia, the Original MC's could be found at the Vatican as far back as the 15th century.
Everything old is new again at some point.

This was Job Idea number 2 for today.

Read Job Idea Number 1: Wanna be a Media Escort

On her current US book tour Clotilde of Chocolate & Zucchini gets the star treatment as she relates in Notes from the Book Tour with a Media Escort in every city.
She did not know there was such a job.

For some of you who itch for a career change, it could be the perfect fit!

One of the companies in that field is Bookfame which covers the Washington DC/ Baltimore Area.

Today Clotilde is promoting her book in Seattle.