Brix, Inland Empire, coconut for cats, South Park
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Here are a few random notes to round out what’s been a busy month of August:
Check out this cell phone concept, called Brix, courtesy of Yanko Design. Brix modular cell phone can expand into a large-screen display. It’s cool, but probably unrealistic for the mainstream. SciFi.com published a related article this week: “Top 10 Tech Toys for the Filthy Rich.”
There is so much good new music out lately. I can’t keep up. Some choice ones include Rilo Kiley‘s Under the Blacklight, the Is Is EP by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the new Tegan & Sara album, the Beastie Boys instrumental album, and so on.
I purchased David Lynch’s Inland Empire when the DVD was released earlier this month. I have spent many hours watching and deciphering the three-hour film, which was shot entirely on digital video. I enjoy it very much. A major emphasis of the story seems to be that we’re all prostitutes in how we each compromise our lives, and that Hollywood in particular forces infidelity to artistic vision. Sometimes life can mimic the movies. It’s curious that Lynch included his 2002 series Rabbits in this film about “a woman in trouble.” It is also interesting how Inland Empire (AKA Axxon N.) grew out of an idea that Lynch (and Laura Dern) had for a DavidLynch.com website feature in 2002.
A coworker of mine has a younger brother who has self-identified with Bay Area hip-hop culture, specifically the music and dance, known as Hyphy. Thus, I have been made aware of some of the lingo. For instance, my car is my “whip” and my oversized sunglasses are my “stunna shades.” (And yes, my coworker’s kid brother is very white. And he enjoys recording his own rap songs. He’s about to enter OSU as a freshman.)
In 2003, I created some of my family members as South Park characters, but now there’s an even better Flash character creator. Create yourself and everyone you know at South Park Studio v2.1. And let the countdown begin: There’s only one month until South Park’s Season 11 resumes on October 3.
We bought and ate a coconut last week (it’s always fun to smash them open) and guess what? My cat Eli likes the taste of coconut. (After a bit of reading, it appears that coconut is safe for cats to eat.) He has also been interested in eating strands of cornsilk whenever I shuck corn on the cob. Though Eli also chews up tissues and nibbles on the corners of office paper, so maybe this isn’t really about food.
In other Eli news, the recent suicide attempt by Owen Wilson has some curious parallels to his Eli Cash character from the The Royal Tenenbaums as well as his roles in other recent films. The whole situation is disturbing and sad.
In other pet news, the goldfish I’d had since February 2002 died last week. Jezebel had a burial at sea . . . well, in pond, really. I tossed her into the duck pond near where we live.
I can’t believe the college football season is already starting tomorrow. Oregon State plays Utah at Reser Stadium in Corvallis. Ah, let the drunken revelry and orange & black flag waving begin. Again. I need to make sure I don’t drive anywhere in Corvallis on Thursday evening.
Also, I’m pretty sure we should help the Iraq from Miss Teen South Carolina. And eat crushed pineapple sundaes with Will Forte’s grandma.