I've been reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, which I got at the local used bookstore. (I think the woman who owns it gets a little bored by herself, because we had about a forty-minute conversation on various topics like the Iran elections, Twitter, and Kafka. In addition, try explaining how the free streaming movies on an XBox 360 from Netflix work to someone over fifty-five. I'll wait.)

Anyhow, the book mentioned that Sesame Street was interested in Jim Henson's muppets almost entirely because of his work on commercials in the 50's and 60's. Small, magazine-style segments based on the appeal of commercials is apparantely what they were going for.

This made me want to look up some of his commercials. Courtesy of Youtube, here are some links.



Just a smidge darker than Sesame Street, eh?

And the flag marked with blood, with the blood of our hands
And our hands marked with death, with the blood of a man
And a man on the cross, and the cross on our hearts
Has it done nothing more, than to drive us apart?

Sufjan's rendition of the national anthem is now officially my absolute favorite version of the song. Altered melody, minor key, and the addition of subversive lyrics? Count me in.

Because Sarah Palin, Empress of the World!, will sound so much snappier in 2012. She's scheming something. Plenty of things to scheme.

Hope everyone has a good fourth of July!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Nicholas Kristof
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum

If you can't see it embedded, Watch It Here.

Nik Kristof appears on The Colbert Report and talks about pollution in our water, and how it's effecting the wildlife and us. In parts of the Potomac River (you know, in my city), 100% of Small Mouth Bass males also carry eggs. That is not normal. And it's not just the fish and the amphibians, they're seeing it in humans now too.

Nik Kristof is an especially intelligent and talented writer for the New York Times. He writes some of the best articles on Sudan and on the status of women in developing countries. He wrote a really great series about women in Haiti. He also writes a lot on health issues. Check out his twitter and his webpage for the New York Times. I cannot recommend reading this guy's work enough. He's smart, funny, and writes on really important topics.

Now for something a little more light hearted. New Hey Monday pictures!

( brought to our attention by Mike making references to pole dancing and private rooms. )

Maybe I shouldn't be as excited over this film series as I am, but dude. DUDE. Ghostbusters! Wrath of Khan! Buckaroo Banzai! Who Framed Roger Rabbit! I am totally using this as an excuse to catch up on all of the 80s touchstones I missed the first time around -- or the ones I saw, but didn't get due to being so ickle and wee. (Like Roger Rabbit, which was nothing but, "Cartoons! Yay! :D" to my six-year-old self.)

...Well, okay, I'll use it as an excuse time and finances permitting, of course, but I am definitely seeing Wrath of Khan if nothing else.

(Local folks: any of you want to come with me? Non-local: want to come with me and crash on my floor afterwards? *innocent*)

I admit it!  I stole the meme from librarian_byday!  The insomnia drove me to it!


( Me! Me! )

So at tazira's birthday party, I demonstrated my characteristic wit and dazzling conversational skills by asking where the nearest computer was so I should show people crap on the internet.

No, wait, this was important! I needed to show these people in particular the photoshop work of MightyGodKing.com. So here, for those who wanted to bookmark those pages and for the rest who need to see these, are the links with example images.

It all started with a box of old Steve Jackson/Ian Livingstone FIGHTING FANTASY gamebooks, which such new, improved covers as:





Followed by his epic three part series of Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels, both famous and infamous:





And part two:





Aaaaaaand part the third:





But wait wait wait, he wasn't done yet. There was one more topic left to be covered. A... FINAL frontier, if you will...





It was hard to choose one from each to post here. I laugh my ass off at most of them, even if I only get about 40% of the material they reference. That's comedy excellence right there.

Because more traveling is exactly what I want and need right now.

Meantime, there's a family friend asking to see some of my poetry, and I thought I should run the one new thing I've written in the past year or so by people I know a little better before I start sending it off to anyone else.  Life's been weird lately, and I've been reading Wallace Stevens again, and I think that shows quite a lot.  Take that as you will.

( Read if you'd like; C&C appreciated )

Today is soooooo long. Plus, I have a surprise meeting this afternoon with a furniture manufacturer. Woo. Fun stuff.

In the ongoing hassle that is my life, I ordered some clothes from Forever 21 last week, expecting to receive them sometime this week, but now it seems like my order hasn't even been processed yet. I tried to call their customer service and was told the number was inactive. So I've sent them an email, but of course have yet to hear anything.  I'm doubly annoyed at all of this because I ordered a blue and white polka dot top that I thought would be super cute to wear for Fourth of July and now I have find something new to wear. Grrr.

I've decided to try this '50 Books in a Year' deal (a bit late, I know) so I've been trying to remember what I've read so far this year. So far, I've listed about 20 books - unsurprisingly, it's a list mainly comprised of romance novels. I figure, with my reactivated booksfree account and the dearth of new summer tv, I shouldn't have much problem hitting 50 before the year ends.

Anyway, I will hopefully be too busy chilling by the pool, eating too much grilled food, drinking frozen drinks, and watching fireworks to post again until Monday. Have a happy 4th of July everyone (or just a good weekend if you're not American, I guess) and try to avoid any unfortunate firework accidents.


----------------
Listening to: Metallica - Whiskey In The Jar
via FoxyTunes   

What is it about Keith David that demands he be cast as craggy-browed, pointy-eared purple dudes?  And I like how J'onn went all Gelth on us.  Well, something between the Gelth and the "Planet of Evil"/the "villain" in "42."  I was definitely reminded of Hexxus there at the end.  Hexxus and the bit in Good Omens set in Brazil.

Dear Sir,

Admittedly, I have never made a film. But I know somethings about story telling, and moving a plot forward. Taking a 15 minute detour to suck the american military's cock is not a part of it.

sincerely,
Butch

P.S. ROBOT HEAVEN? WHAT THE FUCK?

I actually care more about this one than McMahon, Fawcett, Jackson, and Mays. Combined. Dude was 97, so he had a good, full life. But still.

July 1st. So begins a new budget year at work, with new headaches and problems to deal with. Happily though, it appears I will in fact be working from home again on Friday, which is somewhat like being off. Plus, I anticipate it being a quiet day since my boss is off and many people are on vacation. I hope.

I broke down and sent an email inquiring whether a decision had been on the APG position, because this not knowing business is making me insane and pretty cranky. Apparently, they had been just about to email me to say that no decision has been made but I should definitely know something by the end of next week. So, there's that. I just... really hope I get this, for a myriad of reasons, but also because I don't want to have to go through this again for quite a while.


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Listening to: The Spill Canvas - Hush Hush
via FoxyTunes   

I'm so happy I was a punk and not a goth.

I have a very comfy little bead on things right now and a very specific concept of home and am begging to work on the concept that my concept of home is very soon to begin altering in permanent ways.

Any one with a mind for business want to open a deli with me should the econonmy ever recover?

SING TO ME, SPENCER KRUG!

In the past week, my dog has eaten:

A roll of toilet paper.
A used tampon.
A pound of roast beef (She opened the fridge!)
Half a donut
A Build-A-Bear

I didn't discover this until I took her for her walk and her poo was full of random objects. Jaki's living the glamorous life. Be jealous.

And a bowl of squee for afters.

Thank you, something*positive, for the amazingness that extends even to your ads.

Now excuse me while I go dig for my copies of the first four.