Blended iPhone, Smashing Pumpkins, carbon fiber blades
As you may have gathered from the title, I have three things to write about today: 1. Blended iPhone Excited about the iPhone? Of course you are! Not excited about AT&T exclusivity through 2009 (or maybe even 2012)? Of course you’re not! Nevermind battery life, my only question about the iPhone is: Will it Blend? […]
Transformers, Zeitgeist, music festivals, Wimbledon
Today I have eight random things to mention: 1. I went to see Transformers on Thursday night, hoping to reengage with one of my favorite childhood cartoons. I’m not even sure how to articulate the live-action movie experience. I did write a 15-word review for Filmometer, but it doesn’t really capture how hilarious (both unintentional […]
125-year-old whale killed (plus personal watermelon)
My favorite story this week is the one about the 19th century bomb lance fragment found lodged in a recently killed bowhead whale’s neck and shoulder blade. Here’s a quote regarding the weapon found in the 50-ton bowhead whale (which is a conservation dependent species) that was killed by an Eskimo in May: An old […]
A Fair(y) Use Tale, Smashing Pumpkins, NBA lottery
Today I have five things to mention: 1. Eric Faden, an assistant professor of English and film studies at Bucknell University, created a 10-minute video called “A Fair(y) Use Tale” using 400 cuts from 27 different Disney films to mock copyright law (and Disney). It’s certainly worth checking out. As you may know, Disney has […]
Pink bats, Pink Martini, and Pink Floyd
I have three pink-related stories for you at this ridiculously early morning hour: 1. Yesterday, on Mother’s Day, over 200 Major League Baseball players used bright pink bats during their games. And many more wore pink sweatbands and wristbands. This is the second straight Mother’s Day that MLB and the Susan G. Komen foundation have […]
Paging Dr. Mario with an electrolarynx
I had to miss a couple of days of work this week because I’ve been sick since last Sunday morning. I suppose I deem this worth mentioning because I don’t get sick very often, and I certainly haven’t been this ill in a long time (maybe 15 years). This fair-weather plague started out with a […]
Death and taxes (plus NIN and Nintendo)
Today is Tax Day 2007. This year the government decided to give procrastinators an extra day to procrastinate (except for the state of Montana, who, when reached for comment, said, “Screw you guys,” and shot a rifle into the air like a crazy cowboy). I, of course, took the opportunity to wait one more day […]
The death of Kurt Vonnegut (and Madame)
My favorite novelist Kurt Vonnegut Jr. died Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at the age of 84. This makes one less hero in a world of great need. I assume there will be many compelling articles written about his life and works in the next couple of weeks, before our national attention span gets distracted by […]
Easter Special: “You Were Right”
Today I was talking to a friend of mine, who, after mentioning her unusual mood swings of late, asked, “What does manic depression feel like?” Well, I said, smiling, “Manic depression’s a frustrating mess.” “Wait a second,” she said. “Who sings that? Led Zeppelin?” “Nope,” I said. “Right era, wrong rock legend. Jimi Hendrix.” “Oh, […]
Alanis Morissette’s “My Humps” parody video
You should definitely watch the YouTube video of Alanis Morissette covering “My Humps.” But be sure to watch the Black Eyed Peas video for “My Humps” first, if you haven’t seen it, so that you can fully appreciate the greatness of the parody. The lyrics to “My Humps” have to be among the stupidest and […]