Draws at Kazan

The FIDE Candidates Matches are taking place in Russia this month. Grischuk-Kramnik played only one hour and agreed to a draw after White's 16th move. Did the players have somewhere they had to be? Early tee time?

Meta Music

I don't know why, but recently I started noticing my own negative reaction to songs that themselves mention music or performing music. I've broken this down into several categories:

Whiny meta-music. This is my least favorite kind, when a musician or group complain about how hard it is to travel and perform. If it's that bad, stop doing it! Some examples:

• "Turn The Page", Bob Seger. Look, if touring is so exhausting, don't!
• "Come Monday", Jimmy Buffet. Not egregious, but there's an implicit complaint that touring is taking him away from his loved one.

Self-congratulatory meta-music. This can also be annoying. Examples:

• "We're an American Band", Grand Funk Railroad. OK, so you get Sweet Sweet Connie and some chiquitas in Omaha. Do you have to brag about it to us?
• "The Load Out/Stay", Jackson Browne. Manages to be both whiny and self-congratulatory in the same song. "Oh, poor me, I would keep performing for you because I'm so wonderful, but I have this grueling tour that I need to continue."
• "We Built This City" by Starship.

Moderate meta-music. This mentions music or performing, but in such a way that isn't annoying.

• "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits kind of fits here. Elements of self-congratulation, perhaps, but the lyrics about music styles serve as introductions to the various riffs.
• "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits is refreshingly self-deprecating.
• "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney and Wings. While the song is annoying, the references to music aren't particularly obnoxious.

Benign meta-music. The exception, where the mention of music actually adds to the quality or meaning of the song. A major class of song that fits here are hymms about singing praise to God. In the secular world, there are a few examples:

Any other nominations?

• "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", the Beatles