Courtesy in modern society is dead. Face it, everybody's pissed off at each other, and few people treat one another with even the slightest degree of civility or respect. Wondering why the world treats you like dirt? Confused why nobody wants to help you at the local Megalo-Mart? Can't understand why nobody'll let you merge into that left lane in traffic?

Well, fear not. I've come to enlighten you. By following a few simple rules, you can learn to improve your interpersonal skills and possibly gain a certain smidgeon of respect from your fellow man.
Rule …

12k is one of those rare labels that manages to stay in business despite the fact that they fly completely under commercial radar and that they've been quietly hosting some of the best electronic music out there for a couple of years now. I stumbled across their roster purely by accident, and come to think of it, I've never heard a whisper about them from the mainstream press. Many of their artists cross-pollinate with German minimalist label Mille Plateaux, and there's a shared style between the two labels, but where Mille Plateaux tends to trade in dry academics, 12k works …