Thursday, December 31, 2009

E-Book Article from NPR

How E-Books Will Change Reading And Writing

Kindle
Enlarge Ben Margot/AP

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos holds a Kindle e-book reader. Amazon reports that on Christmas Day, more customers bought Kindle e-books than physical books.


December 30, 2009

Ten years ago, few imagined that by decade's end, people would be reading novels on cell phones. A lot has changed in the book world.

"Over the last couple of years, I've really noticed if I sit down with a book, after a few paragraphs, I'll say, 'You know, where's the links? Where's the e-mail? Where's all the stuff going on?' " says writer Nicholas Carr. "And it's kind of sad."

Carr says he's thought of himself as a serious reader all his life, but in an article in The Atlantic, he argued that the Internet is training us to read in a distracted and disjointed way. But does that mean writers will have to change the way they write to capture the attention of an audience accustomed to this new way of reading? Carr thinks the answer is yes, and he looks to the past to make his point.

"When printed books first became popular, thanks to Gutenberg's press, you saw this great expansion of eloquence and experimentation," says Carr. "All of which came out of the fact that here was a technology that encouraged people to read deeply, with great concentration and focus. And as we move to the new technology of the screen ... it has a very different effect, an almost opposite effect, and you will see a retreat from the sophistication and eloquence that characterized the printed page."

As digital platforms proliferate, writers are trying to figure out how to use them. Novelist Rick Moody recently wrote a story on the social networking site Twitter. Moody says he got intrigued by the idea of writing in abbreviated form to fit within the 140-character limitations of each Twitter post.

"I began to see that trying to write within this tiny little frame, 140 characters, was kind of like trying to write haiku. It's very poetical in its compaction, and it kind of got under my skin, and I kept thinking, 'Wouldn't it be fun to try and work with this?' " Moody says.

His flirtation with Twitter was not entirely successful. The delivery of the story went awry, and some industry insiders were bombarded with repetitive tweets. Still, Moody doesn't regret the experiment. But he does have doubts about Twitter's literary potential.

"It forced me to try to imply more narrative than I could actually include in the piece, because I was so stuck in this little box. It's hard to have dialogue between characters in the confines of the Twitter box," Moody says. "That was all fun. Whether I think Twitter is going to be a great vehicle for fiction, I'd say no."

A lot of writers are trying their hand at Twitter books — both on the Web and in print — but Time magazine book reviewer Lev Grossman thinks it's a passing fad. Asked what might have some staying power, Grossman suggests the cell phone novel. Written on cell phones and meant to be read on them, many of these books are best-sellers in Japan. The authors are usually young women, and romance is the main theme.

"They tend to be narratively very propulsive, [and] not very interested in style and beautiful language," Grossman says. "There tends to be a lot of drama and melodrama, sex and violence. They grab your attention, and they don't really let it go."

Apart from Twitter books and cell phone novels, Grossman, who is also a novelist, says the real challenge for writers is electronic-book readers like the Kindle. He says the increasingly popular devices force people to read books in a different way.

"They scroll and scroll and scroll. You don't have this business of handling pages and turning them and savoring them." Grossman says that particular function of the e-book leads to a certain kind of reading and writing: "Very forward moving, very fast narrative ... and likewise you don't tend to linger on the language. When you are seeing a word or a sentence on the screen, you tend to go through it, you extract the data, and you move on."

Grossman thinks that tendency not to linger on the language also affects the way people react to a book when they are deciding whether to buy it: More purchases will be based on brief excerpts.

"It will be incumbent on novelists to hook readers right away," says Grossman. "You won't be allowed to do a kind of tone poem overture, you're going to want to have blood on the wall by the end of the second paragraph. And I think that's something writers will have to adapt to, and the challenge will be to use this powerfully narrative form, this pulpy kind of mode, to say important things."

Grossman, Moody and Carr all believe that traditional books will still be around for a long time, and that some of the changes that may occur in writing will be more evolutionary than revolutionary. But it's hard to know, says Carr, whether traditional books — and the people who read and write them — will have much influence on the culture in the future.

"The real question is," wonders Carr, "is that segment of the population going to just dwindle and be on the periphery of the culture rather than at the center, which is where printed books have stood for centuries now?"

Perhaps we'll have to wait another 10 years to find out.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Movie Delivery System

I have fully accepted the way in which I watch movies nowadays and it ain't through Netflix. I quit them two weeks ago. For the last few months I have been renting my movies via Xbox 360 and PS3. Both consoles stream movies in HD instantly. Gone are the days where I have to wait AN ENTIRE DAY for a DVD to arrive in the mail (I'm being sarcastic, but still). One more reason it's good to be a gamer.

BTW, which one of you jerks forgot to tell me Terminator Salvation was a cool movie? I watched it today. I also watched 9, which was also very good. And last week Lynette and I watched Julie and Julia, which was also pretty good.

Monday, December 28, 2009

AVATAR (It's True What They Say)

Avatar is amazing.
Avatar is visually stunning.
Avatar is magnificent.
Avatar is expertly formulaic.
Avatar is wonderfully cheesy.

Mr. Cameron has done it again. I had my doubts, but after hearing review after review from friends and bloggers I decided I had to see it for myself. And I was blown away. Avatar is like every movie you've ever seen, and like no other movie you've ever seen. Avatar is a game-changer. In my lifetime, there have been few movies that actually shake things up in Hollywood. Few movies become figurative guideposts for every movie that comes after. Avatar is one of those movies.

But, let me reiterate what everyone has been saying: The story is cheesy, the story is predictable, the story is not unique. But, when you saw Star Wars for the first time did you ever doubt that Luke would eventually defeat Darth Vader and the Empire?

Yes, I mentioned Star Wars in my humble review of Avatar. Go see it! In 3-D!

NOTE: It's three hours long. So make sure you tinkle before it starts.

Goal

I always thought that when I was old enough I'd surely be driving a motorcycle with a sidecar. Fortunately, I still want to. Someday I will.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

String Theory


"Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?"

"Almost."

I don't know what your problem is, but I am sad to see Christmas go. In this house, 2009 couldn't come to an end quicker. These last few days at home have been heavenly.

BTW, I got EVERYTHING I wanted for Christmas. And then some.

Top Things That Made My Christmas Kick Ass This Year:

1. Lynette (without her I'm nothing)
2. Snow (haven't had a white Christmas in these parts since we lived here)
3. Watching Leia open presents (as if she knows it's x-mas)
4. Homemade whipped cream (I made it)
5. Drinking coffee in the middle of the afternoon
6. Sorry (the board game)
7. Our Christmas tree (always stalwart and comforting)
8. Andes Candies (like a drug those things are)
9. Coffee (said twice on purpose)

Friday, December 25, 2009

She's With Santa Now

Lynette's ancient silver dollar fish died on Christmas Day. It was sad because this fish moved with us from Illinois in 2001. She had to have been over ten years old.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Kim Peek

The inspiration behind Rain Man died last week. Very sad news. Here is part of a wonderful documentary about his life:



The rest of the film: LINK

Mt. 15th Street

Slipped on some ice this morning, but didn't fall. That's when I realized that I wasn't impervious to being "Falling Man" on the street. Trust me when I say the rest of my walk to work was a cautious one. And then each intersection had fifteen foot high mountains of ice and snow on all four corners. Good thing I brought a grappling hook to work with me this morning. One man nearly fell, but I grabbed him with one hand just in time. And my beard was had those cool movie icicles hanging from it when I got to my cubicle.

A group is forming to leave the building and make their way out of the city, but I'm trying to convince them that it would be safer if we stayed put. Plus, there's wolves out there, I think. My dad Dennis Quaid will be here soon - I can feel it.

Under Great White Northern Lights

Pardon my swears, but I FUCKING LOVE the White Stripes. I can't wait to see this:

Monday, December 21, 2009

Ebert's List

Because I grew up reading and watching Roger Ebert and generally agree with him, here's his list of 2009's best films:
LINK

Sunday, December 20, 2009

The White Fluffy Mystery

Sixteen inches of snow.

As of right now the above ground Metro stations are closed. Will I be going to work tomorrow?

Friday, December 18, 2009

Mono vs. Stereo

I don't know who this guy is, but his review of the Beatles MONO box set is pretty funny.



NOTE: I bought the stereo version and it's amazing, so...

Thursday, December 17, 2009

That rocket science feels sooooo good!

Everyone's got simple pleasures. I know I do. I write about them often. But do any of us have complex pleasures?

Riding on an airplane is a complex pleasure, logistically speaking.

Juggling? Requires some coordination.

Witnessing a falling star? More coincidence than complexity, methinks.

I suppose sex can be complex. Depending on the context and number of people involved.

I guess video games work. Because it's fun, but not usually "easy." Because if a game is too easy then it ceases to be pleasurable.

And I HAVE to assume people who build ships in bottles are actually enjoying themselves. Right?

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Home

I don't know why, but this song almost made me cry. Perhaps I'm emotionally vulnerable right now, or perhaps it's a fuckin' good song. I don't know. Here's a live version from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros:

Some thanks

If God exists I'd like to thank her for

  • Coffee
  • Television
  • Hockey
  • Books
  • J.S. Bach
  • Golden Oreos
  • Christmas trees
  • Christmas lights
  • Christmas presents
  • Christmas movies
  • Bruce Willis in The 5th Element and Armageddon

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret

Will Arnett and David Cross in a new show being aired in the UK.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Merry F*cking Christmas

The Christmas Spirit is not coming easy this year. Lynette and I have been working like dogs. Nights. Weekends. The only thing that keeps us from running away screaming is the fact that we have jobs. (Thank God we have jobs.) We've had to decline a few Christmas parties this month and it took us a long ass time to get our tree up. And the money - well, money's tight. This economy is really starting to piss me off. (Flat tires and broken furnaces don't help.)

So, yesterday we had to make our annual pilgrimage to The Christmas Attic to buy our mothers the Official White House ornament when we decided to eat at one of our favorite restaurants and get some awesome crab soup. Then we took a stroll up King Street in Old Town and witnessed the Christmas lights strung up and down the street. It was breathtaking and I believe some Christmas Spirit is seeping into our lives. Our Christmas tree is completely assembled and Lynette strung some lights and garland in the kitchen.

We may not get around to baking cookies or buying everything we want to buy for our friends and family, but we're starting to look forward to Christmas Day.

I'm looking forward to the following things:
  • Sleeping.
  • Giving Lynette her presents.
  • Giving Leia her presents.
  • Hearing A Christmas Story play over and over throughout the house.
  • Cooking a turkey and all the fixins'.
  • Sleeping.

The Sparkle Players Jingle Jangle Jam!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Nights Our House Comes to Life

Some nights in midwinter when the creek clogs
With ice and the spines of fir trees stiffen
Under a blank, frozen sky,
On these nights our house comes to life.
It happens when you're half asleep:
A sudden crack, a fractured dream, you bolting
Upright – but all you can hear is the clock
Your great-grandfather found in 1860
And smuggled here from Dublin for his future bride,
A being as unknown to him then as she is now
To you, a being as distant as the strangers
Who built this house, and died in this room
Some cold, still night, like tonight,
When all that was heard were the rhythmic clicks
Of a pendulum, and something, barely audible,
Moving on the dark landing of the attic stairs.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Office Party Tonight!

Secret Santa gift giving + alcohol + animosity + folksy conversation.

This can only end one of two ways.

(Hint: Not with giant transforming fighting robots.)

Learning Shakespeare (from Brian Cox)

Searchers by Jim Harrison

Searchers

by Jim Harrison

At dawn Warren is on my bed,
a ragged lump of fur listening
to the birds as if deciding whether or not
to catch one. He has an old man's
mimsy delusion. A rabbit runs across
the yard and he walks after it
thinking he might close the widening distance
just as when I followed a lovely woman
on boulevard Montparnasse but couldn't equal
her rapid pace, the click-click of her shoes
moving into the distance, turning the final
corner, but when I turned the corner
she had disappeared and I looked up
into the trees thinking she might have climbed one.
When I was young a country girl would climb
a tree and throw apples down at my upturned face.
Warren and I are both searchers. He's looking
for his dead sister Shirley, and I'm wondering
about my brother John who left the earth
on this voyage all living creatures take.
Both cat and man are bathed in pleasant
insignificance, their eyes fixed on birds and stars.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

My UFO!

This is amazing! When I was in high school I saw this one night as I walking home from my friend's house at around 9:30 PM. For credibility, I did have a friend with me who saw the same thing. That was 18 years ago. Then I stumbled across this today:



This is the exact same thing I saw as a young Lil JC. And it scared the Hell out of me. I remember running for cover. Seriously.

Here's more footage of the thing! LINK

"I for one welcome our new alien overlords."

Things I want to do

...but never have time.

1. Draw. I have ideas, man, ideas!
2. Play Bach on my violin. I haven't played my violin in months.
3. Write a book. Again with the ideas.
4. Lose weight. But I don't want to exercise.
5. Take a picture everyday. Everyday!
6. Play more video games.

Hoo Hoo

I enjoy morning radio shock jocks. It started back in Chicago with The Loop and Johnny B. in the Eighties (Chicagoans know I'm talking about a radio station called The Loop and Jonathon Brandmeier). Then in the Nineties I worked as a graphic artist in a small office full of idiots who wanted to hear Mancow. (Mancow is/was/always will be a douche.) Then I switched to Howard Stern when got to college in mid-Nineties.

Upon our move to DC in 2001 I switched to Opie and Anthony because they were affiliated with XM Satellite Radio. If you're a frat boy and/or politically conservative and enjoy making fun of people because they're different than you, O and A is the show for you. In other words, it's not that good. If you're overly sensitive then steer clear. (Plus, Jimmy Norton's recent incident with Jesse Ventura really pissed me off.)

Within the last month, I have switched back to Stern (post-merger) and realized that he truly is the king. There's no denying Stern is a pro and his celebrity interviews are wonderful. I can go without the farting, but it's silly for silly's sake. And Robin's news is still awesome.

But the show that tops them all - Ron and Fez (11-3) on XM. Pure entertainment.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Music Appreciation: Nada Surf



I have always loved this song. It's where I got Johnny Football (and now you know).

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Ode to an Extra

Being that I once was an extra in a fairly popular, successful movie, I found this to be quite amazing.

Miranda July's Ode to an Extra

Saturday, December 5, 2009

"Have you checked our shitters, Honey?"



You've seen it - now Christmas can begin.

Things getting me through this weekend workday

  • Aaron Copeland
  • Pepperidge Farm Holiday Cookie Bites
  • Free Starbucks coffee
  • Adequate lighting
  • Lynette
  • Plans to eat chicken 'n dumplings later
  • The fear of getting fired if I don't do a good job

Skinnydip

I was thinking, what kind of person would I be if I had a big house with an indoor pool and a guest house? Just wondering because Lynette found one of those for sale for nearly as much as we paid for our condo and it made me sad. Here's the rub: it's an hour away without rush hour traffic. Typical commuting time would probably be 2 hours one way. I guess the real question is Would a two hour commute justify a pool and guest house? Sanity can be pretty expensive around here.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Brett Farve

I don't know. Maybe I'll stay here. I really like having my favorite links right there (pointing to the right).

Dammit.

Stay tuned.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

My Blog Has Moved!

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

This blog has moved! HERE

If you link to this blog please change your link.

Sorry for any inconvenience, but Blogger has been sucking lately because it's not updating my posts or some of my friends' posts. I did some research and found thousands of people with the same problem.

So, make sure you visit my new blog HERE

Friday, November 20, 2009

Broken Blog Blah

Ok, so if you're a regular here or you have linked to my blog from your blog you've probably noticed that my blog and blogroll isn't updating. According to the Blogger Team, something is amiss and they're investigating it.

I was this close to moving my blog to a different location, but I think I'll wait this one out a bit.

Or maybe not... I like Tumblr...

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Gamerdays

Rain and Modern Warfare 2... If only this were a Friday... I'd be drinking Mountain Dew and peeing in a Nalgene bottle in the living room... And eating pizza... And wearing whatever I wore yesterday...

(I think I just figured out what I'm doing this Friday!)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Pleasure Chest

1. Suburu as Zip Car.
2. CoD:MW2
3. Veteran's Day
4. Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash
5. The Office reruns
6. Sports Junkies

Friday, November 6, 2009

My OMG Moment

I picked up a copy of Band Hero today. Got home. Popped it in the ole Xbox and scrolled through the songs when I came across the best song ever written:

Every Rose Has It's Thorns by Poison.

Epic.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Soothy

Prediction: The Minnesota Vikings will be in the Super Bowl this year.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Monday vs. Smashed Pumkins

1. There was a destroyed jack-o-lantern sharing my bus stop space with me this morning.
2. Waking up was tons easier this morning due to the time-change, I'm sure.
3. Lynette and I are contemplating putting a television in the bedroom.
4. I screwed up the sweet potatoes last night, but the greens were superb.
5. Yankees should end this baseball season tonight. Thankfully. The playoffs were dullsville, man.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Dark Morning

I don't mean gloomy morning or disturbing morning, I mean literally it's a dark morning. Where the hell is the Sun?

The lack of guilt I will feel for playing video games all day will be sensational!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

There's a Hole in the Bucket

So I have ulcers. Who cares. It doesn't change anything.

Or does it?

I'm not giving up coffee. But I might give up beer. And don't get me angry - you won't like me when I'm angry.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Spines and Buttons

Barnes and Nobles (I pluralize all singular sounding businesses) have introduced their own version of an e-reader. It's called Nook (cute). Until now, the leader in the e-book arena was Amazon's Kindle. And up until now I had no (zero) interest in reading a book electronically.

But then I saw a picture (and video) of BN's Nook. And now my curiosity is piqued. For starters, it's a new, nifty piece of electronic joy. I love me some toys. Second, books can be purchased directly from the Nook wirelessly on a 3G network. Thirdly, books are only $9.99. Fourthly, this will save on shelf space in my house. Fifthly, I can potentially carry around my entire library in my bag.

Bad things:

First, what if I lose my entire library because someone steals my shiny piece of electronic joy? Are my "books" backed up somewhere? (Considering I don't have to use a computer to obtain said "books" I have to assume they are not.)

Second, Reading from a screen... I've never done it. At least not while sitting on the train or in my living room or in bed. Will I be as immersed in a "book" I'm reading from a screen? The act of reading words from a printed page seems more organic and ethereal. There's more interaction between reader and book when I'm physically turning a textured page.

Third, What of the book selection? Sure, Dan Brown's latest future Tom Hanks movie will be available. But what about some of the more obscure authors?

Fourth, What if there is suddenly a huge electronic book explosion similar to the likes of iPod usage in the early aughts and my dear friend Elizabeth loses her job slinging books? It's not an unreasonable prediction. Just look at any store's compact disc selection nowadays. Most music purchasers are buying their music online. And if I think about the people who sell books, what about the people who make them? How many people will be put out of work because some trendy hipster runs out and buys a Nook? (Maybe those people can go get jobs making Nooks. In China.)

BTW, have you heard? Walmarts is selling books for $9 now! Price war!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Karen O

Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs did the entire soundtrack for Where the Wild Things Are. I think she's the tops. And this photo is supreme.

Monday Versus Unpredictable Nutcrackers

I was never one to be a bus/train sleeper, but this morning I closed my eyes for a minute on the shuttle and it was good.

I wish I could buy a decent hot dog around here.

Thank the gods for my thermos. When not in use I place it upon a makeshift alter and worship it. My silver idol.

I like that word makeshift. Makeshift.

I started reading Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood. It is good. The language is near-poetic. Every sentence seems well thought out and purposefully constructed. I appreciate that in prose. This life needs more poetry.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Que?

I always wanted to know how to use sign language. I'm not sure why. Some part of me thinks that chicks find it sexy. Or is it because I find deaf chicks sexy?

I actually know a few signs due to my line of work:
  • pop (soda)
  • coffee
  • stop
  • toilet
  • yes
  • no
  • Lunch
  • John Belushi
(The last one is a long story.)

If I have any deaf readers, I apologize if this sounds offensive or discriminatory or belittling. I'm just saying I like sign language.

And French. French people sound rad.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Fear

I have a fear that only rears its ugly head in the rain:

I'm afraid someone's umbrella is going to catch me in the corner of my eye! As I walk down the sidewalk on a rainy day I bob and weave up and down and around everyone's umbrellas like it's a game.

The people with the giant umbrellas scare me the most because I question their ability to control those big rigs. Especially in the wind.

Safety goggles. I'm going to have to start wearing safety goggles in the rain. Great.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Video Games Get You Laid

1. For my gamer friends, I just finished Batman: Arkham Asylum and I say it was one of the best games I have ever played. I rank it up there with Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid, and Animal Crossing. If you're looking for one, it's a good reason to buy an Xbox 360 (or PS3).

2. I am now playing Dead Space which is beautifully scary and thrilling. The ambiance is outstanding and chilling. It's another reason to be playing video games. The cinematic experience alone is worth it. Its use of your fancy 5.1 surround sound system is awesome. It's a little on the creepy side, but well worth it - like spicy jerk chicken.

3. Also, I received my early copy of Guitar Hero: Van Halen. It is the best GH yet! Of course, I'm biased because I freakin' love Van Halen. (OLD Van Halen, none of that Sammy Hagar bullshit.)

4. Coming in November: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This will be the game everyone will be playing. Don't get left out! Buy a 360!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Auto-Reverse

I'm listening to New Order's album Technique. Suddenly, I'm back in my basement bedroom in Huntley, Illinois with big, thick hair on my head and a leaking 1979 Buick LeSabre in the driveway.

I'm driving... I have a cheap cassette player in my dash (I installed it myself and in the process blew out all my dashboard lights so that at night I have no idea how fast I'm driving... Huntley cops love me).

All my New Order tapes are worn thin.

This car is so big there could be someone else in here and I wouldn't know it. Often, my friend Tim would stow-away whenever I drove to Carpentersville to hang out with my girlfriend.

Me and three floppy-haired friends saw New Order in concert one summer night in 1989. Little did we know that night would become a turning point in all our lives.

It boggles the mind to imagine the amount of damage we could inflict if we could go back knowing what we know now.

Miracles

Today seems different...

What is it?

There was this tiny Asian woman on the train this morning singing with great volume a song that I did not understand. No one stopped her. Later she passed me on the sidewalk as I walked to work on 15th Street. She was still singing.

If I see her again during my commute home this afternoon I will start believing in miracles.

I lied. I kinda already do believe in miracles. Or at least things miraculous.

Miraculous. Things miraculous. Make a list.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Hump

Secret piece of chocolate left on my desk last night. Does someone on the cleaning crew have a crush on me? Do I have a coworker who thinks I'm a big, fat, pig in desperate need of candy?

Life's little mysteries are best blown up, not solved. Moving on...

Monday, October 5, 2009

Friday, October 2, 2009

Neat Nouns (and one adjective)

1. Sweaters
2. Coffee
3. Hockey
4. TV
5. Nick Twisp
6. Friday
7. Click-wheel
8. Lisbeth Salander
9. Coco Krispies
10. Spiral Notebook
11. Aziz Ansari

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Things that suck

1. The onset of a spontaneous headache.
2. No milk.
3. Sales tax causing my $2.99 egg sandwich to be $3.29 when I only have three singles.
4. The cursive Q (it looks like a friggin 2).
5. Anything manila.
6. Dave Matthews Band
7. Pickles.
8. Community (Chevy Chase is an asshole).
9. Redskins (the derogatory name, not the team).

Cubes

I work in a cubicle now. If I stretch my neck a bit I can see the tops of the heads of all my coworkers. Earlier today, I heard one guy eating something and I said, "Whatcha eating?" So there's the food thing.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Zippy!

I drove a Mini-Cooper today through the busy streets of DC. I use Zipcar for work and I luckily got a Mini. It's a fun car. I would recommend driving one, yes.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Instant Happy

Today I'm in a great mood. These two clips should help you catch up. If not then you're already dead inside.

(BTW, both take place in Chicago. Coincidence?)



Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Walk

I don't like walking behind people who are walking SLIGHTLY slower than me because when I attempt to pass the person there's usually a few moments where we're seemingly walking side-by-side.

Passing the REALLY slow people is a lot easier because I blow by them like they're standing still.

So here's my advice, America: Either walk like a fucking champion or walk like you just got fired.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Darkness Vs. Nothing

I am a fan of the early darkness. I like it when it gets dark early. I'm looking out my window now and it's getting dark and I'm still at work. I feel no pressure to get home and enjoy the daylight. Screw the Sun! That's what I say.

I like rain, too. It eliminates the pressure to "do something" with the day. Why do we always have to "do something"? Can't we just stay home and do nothing. Nothing. Nothing can be many things. Things done much better in the darkness or during rain.

Back

My upper back is killing me! WTF! I didn't do anything to bring this on! Lifting heavy things? No. Falling down the stairs? No. Sleeping on a pile of bricks? No. There's only one logical explanation: Someone created a voodoo doll in my image and has a knife jabbed into it.

Monday, September 21, 2009

One More Week

This Friday my office is moving BACK to 15th street. This is good news. After this week, I will no longer need to go to Metro Center and Union Station, two of the busiest Metro stations in DC. This is great news for my commute.

If you're familiar with the DC Metro system the next time you see me you'll prolly give me a hug.

Good Things This Morning

1. A Bears win.
2. Meatloaf.
3. New pens.
4. The Office (British version on Adult Swim)
5. The Office (US version on Fox every night)
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
7. Guitar Hero 5
8. Number 8

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Modern Warfare 2

This is multiplayer footage of the new game Modern Warfare 2:

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

More Swayze Awesomeness!

If you haven't seen Red Dawn then there is a hole in your heart that must be filled. Call in sick tomorrow and go buy Red Dawn.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Beatles Rock Band

So I've been spending my weekend playing Beatles Rock Band and listening to the entire Beatles catalog IN STEREO. (Yes, I spent some money this weekend.)

When I popped in Beatles Rock Band I was blown away by the animated intro to the game. It is beautiful. I am very impressed with the work Harmonix has done with such valuable material.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

I kick so much ass. Almost too much ass.



You have no idea - no idea - how good it is to be back at work. Paychecks are very good. Very, very good.

What? What is JC talking about?

Well, some of you were in the the know. The rest of you out in the cold. Here's the abridged version: They tried to get rid of me, but I was too quick for 'em and now I'm back.

That's a bit vague... I was "laid off."

Oh No!

But (some would call me a genius, others extremely lucky, me simply resourceful and aware) I applied for a different job within my unit a couple weeks prior. I saw it coming. And I tried to beat the clock. I didn't. I was off for about a week.

(Mom, Dad, if you're reading this I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. Chances are you won't read this and we can just move on with our lives as if it never happened.)

So, I'm an investigator now. I'd much rather be an inspector. I think girls prefer inspectors over investigators.

No, we like Program Analysts.

Shut up! Those days are over!

Anyway, Christmas is back on the menu, boys!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Good Things

1. Cod with fennel.
2. Chicago Bears.
3. Near empty shuttles.
4. Beatles in stereo.
5. Almond biscotti.
6. The new Batman video game.
7. 9
8. Ragdoll Blaster App on my iPhone.
9. Robes (I should get a robe - I like the look of a robe)
10. Lynette's new quilts.
11. Paychecks (I like getting 'em)
12. Understanding the point.
13. Choosing silence.
14. Giving Leia pieces of cheese.
15. The Magicians.
16. Taking.
17. Giving.
18. Ghost Hunters.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Book: The Magicians

I am currently reading this book:



Elizabeth didn't like it. So... let me take a look see...

Fat Girl?

Um, I heard about this yesterday. The hoopla over Glamour showing "nude" pictures of a "plus-size" model... well, here it is. Here's your "plus-sized" "model"... First of all, am I wrong to point out that this woman looks very, very, very normal?
Second, this chick is hot.
Third, why aren't women like this on magazine covers? This woman is a true representation of our society. The problem with this picture is that it shows how very much screwed up we are as a people because a photo like this is causing people like me to blog about it. Quick, let's get back to the emaciated, anorexic girls so I can get back to feeling "normal."

The following is from the blog Occasional Superherione:

So here we have a nude photo that ran in Glamour magazine of a woman with a modest belly. It is, as bellies go, not really that big. In fact, if we had a supermodel contest for elegant bellies, this would probably win.

Now, did women go apes**t and totally bash this woman on Glamour's website for being fat? Is "True Blood" about vampires?

You know, I'm out to lose weight but I don't even try to appeal some tired "justification" as to thin being awesome (I love the woman who commented that the pictured model encouraged diabetes). We are in a shallow, shallow society and these are unfortunately the things (losing weight) that women often get more kudos for than being kick-ass at their job or being a great mother. Seeking out extreme weight loss to fit those skinniest of skinny jeans is on par, in my estimation, with putting a metal bolt through your earlobe or some other form of body-modification. It's extreme. Supermodels are extreme. Celebrities are often extreme. This isn't reality or the norm.

But thank God we have other women to (if you excuse the expression) keep the herd in line when anybody tries to break into normality and sanity. If the point being made over and over again is that "people just want to look at perfect people, not stomach rolls" – that means that as a society, we are so out of touch that we have developed a natural craving for unreality. To me, it's the mental equivalent of diabetes. We've induced Type 2 Insanity on the female population.

That said, I really want to fit into my old skinny jeans. Not the size 0s or 2s. But just...you know, the size sixes. Maybe...four. Size four.

(Steamed veggie dumplings and Diet Coke for lunch...eying BF's greasy eggroll dangerously)

"Real Women Have Belly Fat"

Poem for today...

Admission Requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools

by Ron Koertge

Is your furniture in mint condition?
Has the loathing settled down?
Do you have many commemorative coins?
Do you know what the lighthouse stands for
in poetry?
Do you regard "uppers" and "lowers" as versions
of the class struggle?
If you could snow, would you?
Could you wear a red hunting shirt rather than
the traditional white smock?
When someone murmurs, "But my first love
is the oboe," are you disheartened?
If you were a bird. what would be your wingspan?
If someone said. his gums were clandestine, would
you look forward to the drilling?
Do you know what makes bipeds wild with joy?
Could you be specific?

"Admission Requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools" by Ron Koertge, from Making Love to Roget's Wife: Poems New and Selected. © University of Arkansas Press, 1997. Reprinted with permission. (buy now)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

To the man with the Kindle:

Dude, you're just ASKING to be jumped on the Metro. It looks expensive. And if it looks expensive then that means it'll be worth at least $50 at a pawn shop. You're an older gentleman and you look fairly defenseless. I'd hate to see you get punched in the face. You should do what I do and buy an actual book. Sure, you can't store thousands of them in one convenient location like you can a Kindle, but you'll also never get punched in the face for it.

Books = Not worth much in pawn shops = Not getting punched in the face.

(Living is easy if you do what I do.)

Monday, August 24, 2009

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Ten Things

1. Grape jelly kicks strawberry jelly's ass.
2. I'm hungry.
3. I wish I had Direct TV so I can watch Bears games this year.
4. It's been a while since I said anything poignant.
5. The transparent cover came off my iPhone and I don't care.
6. I secretly want to drive a bus.
7. The deli downstairs makes omelets. I may get one.
8. Corn on the cob is my food hero.
9. I will never read a book 'electronically.'
10. I like where I live.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Dark Jason


No, I'm in a great mood. GREAT mood. Honest.

It's just that lately I haven't felt like I've been acting like myself. I'm tired of being fake or congenial or whatever.

I feel like watching The Road Warrior. Love that friggin' movie.

Nice guys finish.

My days of being polite by default are over. For thirty-six years I have always been the smiling man. Always the first one to say hello to strangers in the hall. Always holding doors for people longer than necessary. Always worried about whether or people like me or are mad at me.

No more. Things that I actually care about are dwindling. The welfare of people around me is losing ground on my list of things I care about. Maybe I should make a prioritized list of things I care about...

Monday, August 10, 2009

Music Appreciation: Hoffs and Sweet

If you don't know who Matthew Sweet is I suggest you run out (or click) and get a copy of his album Girlfriend (Here's a song you may remember). And Suzanna Hoffs, well, if you don't know who she is then you need a swift kick in the pants. And I'll hum this song as I do it).

Head is Hot

There's a heat advisory today... so I guess it's going to be hot.

I shaved my head on my birthday and I keep telling people at work, "...heat advisory..."

This is a pretty good day so far... I haven't lost anything or injured myself in any way yet...

No one sat next to me on the train this morning. I friggin' love it when no one sits next to me on the train. Wait, maybe it's because of my hair! Genius!

Plans

This Friday is my day off. I plan on going to see District 9 and then picking up a copy of the new Madden 10. Anyone care to join me? Let me know.

Friday, August 7, 2009

"Score, A Direct Hit"

There's a scene in Sixteen Candles where 'The Geek' (the unnamed Anthony Michael Hall character) takes the passed out girl (Jake's girlfriend) over to his friends' house so that he can get a picture of him with the girl in the Rolls Royce. (What's that? You haven't seen the movie? First, smack yourself in the face. Second, fucking see it, jesus christ.)

I conjure up the images of this for one reason: Of all the John Hughes' movies that I grew up watching (and watching and watching) this scene is the one I most identified with. Sure, I wanted to be Ducky from Pretty in Pink, or Bender from Breakfast Club, but it's the guys in this scene that best described my adolescent life.

R.I.P. John Hughes

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Valentino's

We got a pizza from a place called Valentino's. Allegedly, it's New York style pizza. Very thin and flimsy. Good though. I liked it. We'll prolly get some more this weekend.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

I love cereal. (I would die for you, Cereal.)

I woke up early enough this morning to eat a bowl of Coco-Krispies. Those little bastards have been calling my name ever since we brought them home from the food store.

I began reading a new book (as recommended by my good friend Elizabeth)...

I'm only a few chapters in and I have already been frightened and heartbroken. I am engrossed.

High praise for multi-grain spaghetti. Had some last night. (Thumb is up.) I use sauce from a jar, but add 1/2 pound of turkey meat and sprinkle some fennel seeds throughout.

I haven't told her yet, but when my wife randomly picks up the guitar and plays for a few minutes in the living room, I imagine this is what it sounds like when an angel visits.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

White/Wheat

I got an egg sandwich from the little deli outside the CNN building and as usual the guy only cut my sandwich half-way through leaving the bottom piece of bread in tact forcing me to rip the sandwich in half like some sort of animal.

And I said white, not wheat. White. Wheat. White. Wheat. Then the lady at the cash register gave me attitude because I couldn't decipher her broken English.

I think for the rest of the day I will leave random consonants off random words as I speak.

And I'll do it in my kick-ass, awesome fake British accent.

Most likely, I'll not do any of that and just stay in my office with the door shut. (I need to drink some beer this Friday. Who's with me?)

Monday, July 27, 2009

I'm back.

Back from vacation. I went to Chicago to visit friends and family. Fun was had. Food was eaten. Beer drank. The drive was long. I'm pretty sick of Ohio. And Indiana. I did manage to smuggle home two cases of Old Style. I also reaffirmed my notion that people have no idea what pizza is here on the East side of the country.

The terrain was flat. Very flat. I forgot how flat it all is. It's nice to live among hills and curves.

It's nice to be home. Home being Alexandria, Virginia, with the hills and the crappy pizza.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Vacation

Sorry, folks. I'll be gone for a while driving half-way across the country in the family truckster.

See you when I get back in a couple weeks!
JC

Saturday, July 11, 2009

I saw a bigfoot!

I'm watching a day's full of Monster Quest. I wonder how people would perceive my 'eye witness account' of coming face to face with a Bigfoot. Would you believe me? I didn't think so. I hope I never see one because I'd hate to send my life trying to convince all you bastards that I saw one.

BTW, I saw a UFO once when I was in high school. No, really, I did.

Friday, July 10, 2009

You Will Never Be This Cool

Ever. (But we try.) I think I'm going to get a leather jacket in the Fall.

The Real

Nothing will ever be cooler or more awesome than this picture. Nothing.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

"Who is that man giving a thumbs up to?"

The escalators are fully operational at Union Station. Let that be a big thumbs up from the universe. I give it back, U. Yo.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Today I'm Good

Today I will not get on the wrong train.

Today I will not become impatient with people walking slow in front of me.

Today I will be thankful for:
  • Sliced cheese
  • Sunlight
  • Tiny devices that hold a bunch of music
  • Leia's indifference
  • Air conditioning
  • Love (so big we forget it's real - like the Earth)
Today I will not form an opinion regarding trivial things.

Today I will try to smell the cheap half-smokes as I walk past the hot dog stand.

Today I will look forward to driving home to Illinois next week.

Today I will write a story.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Independence Day and Stuff

1. Bought a Bocce set and played it. 2. Had Thai at Emily's house and she showed us a new game called Bananagrams. Get it at your local Target. (Think Scrabble w/o the board.) 3. Ate BBQ in the courtyard thanks to Chris. 4. Got a haircut. 5. Max forced us to play Jenga and I was responsible for toppling the tower. 6. Went to Shenandoah National Park to have a picnic where Leia stepped on a bee and got stung. 7. Stopped for a chocolate shake at Burgers N Things in Sperryville, Virginia. 8. Watched Blade Runner on the SciFi channel. 9. Wore the same outfit all weekend long. 10. Ate Butter Streusel cake. 11. Ate Ho Ho's. 12. Drank beer. 13. Chewed Big League Chew. 14. Watched the Cubs. 15. Had a dream about driving a motorcycle.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

porchlove

I'd rather be sitting on a porch.

Is there anything more romantic than the porch? Rocking chairs, tiny grills, iced tea.

What haven't I done on a porch?

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

No Obstacles

Things that happened during my commute home last night:

1. Terrible train wreck on the red line (I was going in the opposite direction).

2. Police wrestled a drunk man off the yellow line and I had a front row seat.

3. The shuttle carting me home from the Metro station broke down forcing me to walk home.

On any other Monday, this would give me the right to say I had a crappy Monday. But I didn't die. So that made it a sensational Monday. A beautiful Monday.

Also, my fellow yuppie neighbors impressed me and took to hiking home along busy Van Dorn Street. I was THIS close to wrapping my pants around my head for the heat! We made quite the pale, hipster caravan. The one soldier in the group naturally led the way over smoldering four-lanes highways and through shady plaza parking lots. We arrived at our condos and townhouses with a new sense of accomplishment. Too bad we didn't get to hunt for our food.
JC

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Rain

It's so awesome. No bright Sun shining in my eyes. Maybe I'll spend the weekend indoors reading a book. Or watching movies. Or hugging my wife. Or eating cereal.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Reasons to be happy, not sad

1. Bun-length hot dogs
2. Yogurt with no chunks
3. Almost always getting a seat on the Metro
4. Being married to a gorgeous person
5. and constantly wanting to touch and kiss that person
6. Coffee
7. A full box of paper clips and a stapler full of staples
8. Ron and Fez
9. Bocce

Monday, June 15, 2009

UP; Or, You Are Not Prepared For This Movie

So I went to the movies over the weekend. Or as my parents like to say, The Show. I took my beautiful bride to the show. We saw Up.

And for the roughly two hours that Pixar's Up appeared on the screen before us (in 3D) Lynette and I were a blubbering mess. I was not emotionally prepared for this movie.

First of all, do not be fooled by the Pixar brand. This IS NOT Finding Nemo or Ratatouille. Up is not intended for small children. Aside from the deep, heavy emotional subject matter, there are intense scenes with a nasty villain and scary chase scenes that would've kept me up for days if I were five years old. The little boy in front of me said aloud, "That man is mean, Mommy." I wanted to respond, "Fuckin' A."

Second, the creators of Up must have had a "special meeting" where all the writers brainstormed every possible situation that would cause level-headed adults to sob like we just got dumped by our high school sweetheart moments before our grandma's funeral.

There I was anticipating a light-hearted romp from trusty Pixar. In 3D! What I got was a heart-wrenching, painful emotional drubbing. In 3D. When the movie was over, I found myself exhausted.

In Pixar's defense, Up is beautiful. Up is great. Up is powerful. The message presented by Up is an important one and something many people need to hear. I just wish Pixar had warned me that this movie was going to punch me in the gut. Fortunately, the 3D glasses hid my reddened eyes.

RIP Harold Norse

Island of Giglio


we sailed into the harbor
all the church bells rang
the main street on the crescent shore
hung iridescent silks from windows
stucco housefronts gleamed
rose, pistachio, peach
and a procession sang
behind a surpliced priest
carrying a burnished Christ
when I set foot on shore
a youth emerged from the crowd
barefoot and olive-skinned
and we climbed up rocky slopes
till dusk fell and close to the moon
at the mouth of a cave we made love
as the sea broke wild beneath the cliff

Friday, June 12, 2009

Bad. Ass.


And he's wearing my pants.

Seriously, I have those pants.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Chicago Women

From Boner Party:


"nothing beats chicago women in the summertime. nothing. i dont care where you’re from, who you know, any other advice you’ve heard along the way, the uplifting quotes youve heard and thought “hey that defines me”, any words of wisdom spoken by an elder, a parent, a loved one, anything. chicago women in the summer have lived through the winter and still have a little bit of the winter-beer-gut and you can blow farts on it alllll through the summer. its fucking rad. and you get to sit out on the back porch and drink beers and listen to whatever the fuck twee album Drag City just put out and chill the fuuuuck ouuuut. you cant do that in LA - nobody really has “porches” so to speak - and you cant do it in New York - well, sort of, but its “because some guy wants to make a point about porches” or some shit.

so heres to porches and chicago women. its the best of both worlds. wooden structures and milkfed 8’s from Eau Claire who can cook a decent omelette. fucking win."

Boner Party

Boner Party!!

It's a new blog I discovered via Buzzfeed.
LINK

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Stephanie on Trapeze

I know a woman who has performed on a trapeze in front of a live audience. How frickin' cool is that! It's no lie. The video below is proof:

Be sure to check out Stephanie's web site HERE.

Ms. Ellison is a cherished friend from college. Lynette met her while working at WGLT and she stood up in our wedding. Every person who meets her instantly falls in love with her. In other words, she's great. Watch her video and ask yourself: When are you going to learn trapeze? (Yes, that's a metaphor.)

Alan Wake!

Um, yeah. I'll be playing this.

Thursday Things

I need a slightly larger thermos for coffee. To no one's surprise, the coffee at the nearest "cafe" tastes like sugared, rusty-brown water drank from an old tin can once used to hold nuts and bolts in your grandpa's old garage.

The rain that falls from the sky causes wetness. Write it down. It pleases me to watch people emerge from the depths of Union Station and act shocked and frightened at this strange liquid falling from the sky. Quietly, I walk past them and say, "This is your fault because you touch yourself."

Speaking of rain, if I were still driving to work instead of using Metro, I'd still be stuck in traffic. From last night's commute!

Speaking of public transportation, I'm currently reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Happy Ass

This week I moved to a new office on the other side of the city. To my dismay, my chair did not make it. None of our chairs made it. In this trivial office world of mine, it was a tragedy. A source of many speculations. Certainly, we had been spurned.

New, undeserving asses must be enjoying our old chairs. It's nothing less than a grand conspiracy to separate our asses from the cushions we had so grown accustomed.

Then suddenly, my old chair arrived to the new office. Two days late. Joy! Celebration! (Back to work.)

Top Sounds:
1. Tires upon gravel.
2. Ice skates upon ice.
3. A small child laughing at my joke.
4. Scissors at the barber shop.
5. Quiet moans from carnal pleasure.
6. Rain on the window.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Boys

Fridays are always the best days for commuting. Especially, publicly. The train was nearly empty this morning. Not only was I able to sit, I was also able to spread my knees apart more than three inches. (After taking the train deep into the heart of the city, the boys tend to get restless, if you know what I mean.)

And I know Monday is going to be good, too, because around here Tuesday is the new Monday. Apparently, I didn't get the memo, but everybody in these parts takes Friday and Monday off. Someday I hope to land one of these magical three-day workweek jobs.

You're still thinking about my boys, aren't you?

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Watch Glee


There's this new show on Fox called Glee and it's really good. Really good. The pilot episode is available on Hulu for a limited time. Watch it if you enjoy good things. If you don't enjoy good things then go back to whatever crap TV you were watching.

Kisses.
JC

BIGGIE!

OMG They just played a Biggie Smalls song on Ron and Fez (the best show on XM) and now I gotta get some Biggie on my iPod NOW.

Warning: Lame white guy dancing in his office.

Things I want to do this weekend.

1. Paint the bedroom.
2. Read a book.
3. See Star Trek.
4. Cook something requiring bbq sauce.
5. Kiss my wife and stuff.
6. Lay in a hammock.
7. Buy a new backpack.
8. Buy new sunglasses.
9. Drink beer.
10. Exercise.
11. Stay up late.
12. Watch Rachel Getting Married.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Animals Wearing Pants

Dot Com...

LINKIES

It's like yogurt.

Well, actually it is yogurt. Strawberry. My 10:30 AM yogurt intake meeting went off without a hitch.

MLIA

Ran

For the bus again this morning. I am now one of those bus runner guys you see frantically/awkwardly running for buses. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have a bag full of coffee and water sloshing around. I need a backpack.

You care.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Trains, Asses, and David Gergen.

We just had the "official" meeting where the bosses "informed" us that our office is moving temporarily. I say "informed" because this is information we all had for several weeks. (It's always sweet when the boss says they want to keep us informed.)

Now I'm feeling like that episode of The Office when Stamford moved into the office at Scranton because the space we're moving to is already occupied by a different governmental department. I'm sure someone will give me the stink eye when I try to jam my lunch into the refrigerator. Or when I make someone wait behind me while I fax.

By the way, the bets are in... "temporary" means one year or more. Always take the time-frame provided and multiply by 4.

Also, we'll be right next door to CNN, so maybe I'll run into Wolf Blitzer or John King or Roland Martin.


In other news, day two of my triumphant return to public transportation seems to be proving successful. My new hobby is sitting next to people who clearly don't want anyone sitting next to them. I used to yell at taxi drivers, now I press the side of my ass against the side of someone else's ass if they don't move over enough. In the side-ass showdown I always win.

Monday, May 18, 2009

From Dijon to Water Weight

1. The Storyville coffee experience is coming along swimmingly. I got the second shipment Friday. And it really is some of the best coffee I've made/drank.

2. Brats. Made some on Friday and ate them with Maille mustard. Perfect.

3. Finished reading Jurassic Park. I recommend it. 'Twas a page turner.

4. Brown paint. I'm leaning toward it.

5. Lynette made lemon cake Saturday. Tasty.

6. My bag is very heavy on the train with a Nalgene bottle full of water and a thermos full of Storyville coffee. I may sacrifice the water to save my shoulder.

7. Got another compliment about my hair this morning. Monday + Hair Compliment = OK Then.

The Cleveland Show

Friday, May 15, 2009

Embracing Change; Or, Whatevs; Or. Mmm, Chips

Today is the last day I will be driving my car to work. Starting Monday, I will be using the Metro (subway).

There are three reasons for this change:

1. Starting Monday, the 14th Street bridge will be under construction for two years and it will destroy the world.

2. No more free parking. I gave up violin lessons, DC government gave up giving me free parking.

3. My job is relocating to a place where parking is a fantasy.

The upside (because every sordid tale's got one):

Lynette will start using my car for her commute. And I will be getting a lot more reading done on the train. And I don't have to worry about stupid people pissing me off on the road. Everyone except me is a driving moron. Write it down.

Also, I could use a change of pace. Things were getting a little stale around here. But like chips, you eat 'em anyway because, hey, it's chips. And there isn't a fresh bag anywhere within grasp.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Making A Softer World

Here is a short film showing how my favorite web comic, A Softer World, is made. Enjoy it.


Find the link to A Softer World in my Blogs I Read area...

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Goonies Reunion Video


LINK

You're no Goonies fan if you don't watch this video.
JC

We Love You So Much

Spike Jonze has started a new blog HERE in anticipation of his upcoming film Where the Wild Things Are. According to Jonze, this blog encapsulates many of the small influences while creating the movie.
JC

My Name, by Mark Strand

My Name

Once when the lawn was a golden green
and the marbled moonlit trees rose like fresh memorials
in the scented air, and the whole countryside pulsed
with the chirr and murmur of insects, I lay in the grass,
feeling the great distances open above me, and wondered
what I would become and where I would find myself,
and though I barely existed, I felt for an instant
that the vast star-clustered sky was mine, and I heard
my name as if for the first time, heard it the way
one hears the wind or the rain, but faint and far off
as though it belonged not to me but to the silence
from which it had come and to which it would go.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Friday

I'm trying to plan my day tomorrow. I don't have to work. I was thinking about going to see the craptacular new Wolverine movie, but then realized that the new Star Trek opens tomorrow and I might be mistaken for one of those weird Trekkie nerds. (Notice the irony?)

So... what to do?

Maybe a list will help:
1. Play video games.
2. Watch TV or Vicky Christina Barcelona so I can send it back to Netflix.
3. Read a book outside with Leia if it doesn't rain.
4. Move all the crap out of the bedroom and start taping in prep for painting.
5. Find the burger joint President Obama ate at yesterday.
6. Buy something fun that I can't afford.
7. Clean the house, a.k.a. vacuum.
8. Go grocery shopping.
9. Make a new episode of my podcast.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Storyville

I just signed up to receive coffee in the mail from Storyville Coffee Company.

For the month of May, ALL money made (not just profits) will go to the International Justice Mission.

Supposedly, the coffee gets shipped the same day it gets roasted. And I will receive this coffee once per week.

As Lynette just said about me, I am constantly searching for the perfect cup of coffee.

Tuesday Stuff.

It's been rainy. I don't care. I like it.

Told myself to start reading more. I'm making a concerted effort to pick up a book rather than the TV remote. I used to read a lot when I was a Metro commuter.

I'm a hockey fan now. I never realized how exciting the games can be. So much anticipation. So little game stoppage. Plus, I like the sound of the skates on the ice and the clicking of puck on stick. It helps that our local team is doing very well, too.

I burned my hand last night while whisking a bachumel sauce. (Does that sound snooty?) Anyway, I did and it still hurts. You should see it. You'd pity me if you saw it.

Been listening to a lot of Deep Tracks on XM. It's old classic rock, but way deep into the genre. It transports me back to the late Sixties when crazy long-haired people were just getting their rock and roll sea legs. It's good music to paint the walls to.

My alarm is now set for 4:20 AM. I have to get the gym by 5:00 AM in order to give myself enough time to exercise before work. It's hard, but when it's over for the rest of the day I feel like I have an advantage over every one else in the world. Except for that distiguished, pipe-smoking, white mustachioed man who gave me a wink and nod as he crossed 14th Street. He must've got up earlier than me.
JC

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Leisure by William Henry Davies

Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

William Henry Davies

Ghostbusters!

Some information and footage of the development of the new Ghostbusters video game.