If it's true, I hope he nails 'em.
One of the joys of spec creative - not getting the account, then seeing your idea implemented by someone else. Grrrr.
Goetz claims he sent a written proposal to an American Express executive on July 30, 2004, with the slogan in bold letters. American Express says the Ogilvy agency developed the campaign, which was introduced in November 2004, prior to that.
Goetz claims that he filed a 'My Life, My Card' trademark application with the patent office on September 8. American Express says it, independently, applied a week later to use 'My life. My card.'
Media Buyer Planner :: American Express Sued For Stealing 'My Life. My Card.'
Friday, July 29, 2005
It was bound to happen.
Good for a quick laugh - a counterpoint to the wildly successful anti-terrorism We're Not Afraid web site.
I Am Fucking Terrified
(via foundontheweb.org)
Good for a quick laugh - a counterpoint to the wildly successful anti-terrorism We're Not Afraid web site.
I Am Fucking Terrified
(via foundontheweb.org)
It's Don Marquis' b'day today.
I've always loved Archy and Mehitabel poems.
THEY ARE THE MOST UNLIKELY OF FRIENDS: Archy is a cockroach with the soul of a poet, and Mehitabel is an alley cat with a celebrated past -- she claims she was Cleopatra in a previous life. Together, cockroach and cat are the foundation of one of the most engaging collections of light poetry to come out of the twentieth century.
DonMarquis.com :: Archy and Mehitabel
This one's my favorite: the lesson of the moth
I've always loved Archy and Mehitabel poems.
THEY ARE THE MOST UNLIKELY OF FRIENDS: Archy is a cockroach with the soul of a poet, and Mehitabel is an alley cat with a celebrated past -- she claims she was Cleopatra in a previous life. Together, cockroach and cat are the foundation of one of the most engaging collections of light poetry to come out of the twentieth century.
DonMarquis.com :: Archy and Mehitabel
This one's my favorite: the lesson of the moth
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Fifth graders write a J. Peterman Catalog.
Ms. Beckstead's Class :: The J. Peterman Catalog for Spring 2003
Ms. Beckstead's Class :: The J. Peterman Catalog for Spring 2003
I don't know how effective it is
...but I like the colors and simplicity of the new Court TV brand campaign.
Trollback + Company :: Court TV Redesign
...but I like the colors and simplicity of the new Court TV brand campaign.
Trollback + Company :: Court TV Redesign
My favorite Bulwer-Lytton contest winner this year.
Wet leaves stuck to the spinning wagon wheels like feathers to a freshly tarred heretic, reminding those who watched them of the endless movement of the leafy earth-or so they would have, if only those fifteenth-century onlookers had believed that the earth actually rotated, which they didn't, which is why it was heretical to say that it did - and which is the reason why the wagon held a freshly tarred heretic in the first place.
2005 Results
Wet leaves stuck to the spinning wagon wheels like feathers to a freshly tarred heretic, reminding those who watched them of the endless movement of the leafy earth-or so they would have, if only those fifteenth-century onlookers had believed that the earth actually rotated, which they didn't, which is why it was heretical to say that it did - and which is the reason why the wagon held a freshly tarred heretic in the first place.
2005 Results
Broken Flowers
I love Jim Jarmusch movies. I may actually get off my couch and see this in a theatre.
Apple :: Broken Flowers trailer
I love Jim Jarmusch movies. I may actually get off my couch and see this in a theatre.
Apple :: Broken Flowers trailer
FYI - This is a great sale.
I love Garnet Hill. If I wasn't going on vacation, I'd be consoling myself for my lack of vacation with some major purchases. Just as well.
Garnet Hill Sale
p.s. Loads of beautiful flannel sheets, monk. LOADS of them.
I love Garnet Hill. If I wasn't going on vacation, I'd be consoling myself for my lack of vacation with some major purchases. Just as well.
Garnet Hill Sale
p.s. Loads of beautiful flannel sheets, monk. LOADS of them.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Be sure to wear safety glasses in case of backfire.
This gun can not stay loaded for a long time. The Mauly 19 loses some of its stored energy due to metal fatigue. Always carry a couple of virgin Mauly 19s.
OfficeGuns :: TEC Maul
(via foundontheweb.org)
This gun can not stay loaded for a long time. The Mauly 19 loses some of its stored energy due to metal fatigue. Always carry a couple of virgin Mauly 19s.
OfficeGuns :: TEC Maul
(via foundontheweb.org)
"Family's dark humor revealed in death notice."
My niece, Jen, sent this to me last week, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head. It's fantastic.
First, the death notice, as it appeared in the newspaper:
On June 3, 2005 at 10:45 p.m. in Memphis, Tenn., Dorothy Gibson Cully, 86, died peacefully, while in the loving care of her two favorite children, Barbara and David. All of her breath leaked out. The mother of four children, grandmother to 11, great-grandmother to nine, devoted wife for 56 years to the late Ralph Chester Cully and a true friend to many, Dot had been active as a volunteer in the Catholic Church and other community charities for much of the past 25 years.
She was born the second child of six in 1919 as Frances Dorothy Gibson, daughter to Kathleen Heard Gibson and Calvin Hooper Gibson, an inventor best known as the first person since the Middle Ages to calculate the arcane lead-to-gold formula. Unable to actually prove this complex theory scientifically, and frustrated by the cruel conspiracy of the so-called "scientific community" working against his efforts, he ultimately stuck his head in a heated gas oven with a golden delicious apple propped in his mouth. Miraculously, the apple was saved for the evening dessert. Calvin was not.
Native Marylanders and longtime Baltimore, Kent Island and Ocean City residents, Ralph and Dot later resided in Lakeland, Fla., and Virginia Beach, Va.. Several years after Ralph's death, Dot moved to Raleigh in 2001, where she lived with her son David.
At the time of her death, Dot was visiting her daughter Carol in Memphis. Carol and her husband, Ron, away from home attending a "very important conference" at a posh Florida resort, rushed home 10 days later after learning of the death. Dot's other children, dutifully at their mother's side helping with the normal last-minute arrangements -- hospice notification, funeral parlor notice, revising the will, etc. -- happily picked up the considerable slack of the absent former heiress.
Dot is warmly remembered as a generous, spiritually strong, resourceful, tolerant and smart woman, who was always ready to help and never judged others or their shortcomings. Dot always found time to knit sweaters, sew quilts and send written notes to the family children, all while working a full-time job, volunteering as Girl Scout leader and donating considerable time to local charities and the neighborhood Catholic Church.
Dot graduated from Eastern High School at 15, worked in Baltimore full time from 1934 to 1979, beginning as a factory worker at Cross & Blackwell and retiring after 30 years as property manager and controller for a Baltimore conglomerate, Housing Engineering Company, all while raising four children, two of who are fairly normal.
An Irishwoman proud of and curious about her heritage, she was a voracious reader of historical novels, particularly those about the glories and trials of Ireland. Dot also loved to travel, her favorite destination being Eire's auld sod, where she dreamed of the magic, mystery and legend of the Emerald Isle.
Dot Cully is survived by her sisters, Ginny Torrico in Virginia, Marian Lee in Florida and Eileen Adams in Baltimore; her brother, Russell Gibson of Fallston, Md.; her children, Barbara Frost of Ocean City, Md., Carol Meroney of Memphis, Tenn., David Cully of Raleigh, N.C. and Stephen Cully of Baltimore, Md. Contributions to the Wake County (N.C.) Hospice Services are welcomed. Opinions about the details of this obit are not, since Mom would have liked it this way.
Then my favorite part of the Chicago Tribune story about it:
As you will see, [David] writes about his sister Carol being away at "a posh Florida resort" while their mother was dying. But Carol's version, he said, is that "Mom was fine when she left her in my and [sister] Barbara's care, and we killed her."
----------
cstorch@tribune.com
Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune :: Family's dark humor revealed in death notice.
My niece, Jen, sent this to me last week, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head. It's fantastic.
First, the death notice, as it appeared in the newspaper:
On June 3, 2005 at 10:45 p.m. in Memphis, Tenn., Dorothy Gibson Cully, 86, died peacefully, while in the loving care of her two favorite children, Barbara and David. All of her breath leaked out. The mother of four children, grandmother to 11, great-grandmother to nine, devoted wife for 56 years to the late Ralph Chester Cully and a true friend to many, Dot had been active as a volunteer in the Catholic Church and other community charities for much of the past 25 years.
She was born the second child of six in 1919 as Frances Dorothy Gibson, daughter to Kathleen Heard Gibson and Calvin Hooper Gibson, an inventor best known as the first person since the Middle Ages to calculate the arcane lead-to-gold formula. Unable to actually prove this complex theory scientifically, and frustrated by the cruel conspiracy of the so-called "scientific community" working against his efforts, he ultimately stuck his head in a heated gas oven with a golden delicious apple propped in his mouth. Miraculously, the apple was saved for the evening dessert. Calvin was not.
Native Marylanders and longtime Baltimore, Kent Island and Ocean City residents, Ralph and Dot later resided in Lakeland, Fla., and Virginia Beach, Va.. Several years after Ralph's death, Dot moved to Raleigh in 2001, where she lived with her son David.
At the time of her death, Dot was visiting her daughter Carol in Memphis. Carol and her husband, Ron, away from home attending a "very important conference" at a posh Florida resort, rushed home 10 days later after learning of the death. Dot's other children, dutifully at their mother's side helping with the normal last-minute arrangements -- hospice notification, funeral parlor notice, revising the will, etc. -- happily picked up the considerable slack of the absent former heiress.
Dot is warmly remembered as a generous, spiritually strong, resourceful, tolerant and smart woman, who was always ready to help and never judged others or their shortcomings. Dot always found time to knit sweaters, sew quilts and send written notes to the family children, all while working a full-time job, volunteering as Girl Scout leader and donating considerable time to local charities and the neighborhood Catholic Church.
Dot graduated from Eastern High School at 15, worked in Baltimore full time from 1934 to 1979, beginning as a factory worker at Cross & Blackwell and retiring after 30 years as property manager and controller for a Baltimore conglomerate, Housing Engineering Company, all while raising four children, two of who are fairly normal.
An Irishwoman proud of and curious about her heritage, she was a voracious reader of historical novels, particularly those about the glories and trials of Ireland. Dot also loved to travel, her favorite destination being Eire's auld sod, where she dreamed of the magic, mystery and legend of the Emerald Isle.
Dot Cully is survived by her sisters, Ginny Torrico in Virginia, Marian Lee in Florida and Eileen Adams in Baltimore; her brother, Russell Gibson of Fallston, Md.; her children, Barbara Frost of Ocean City, Md., Carol Meroney of Memphis, Tenn., David Cully of Raleigh, N.C. and Stephen Cully of Baltimore, Md. Contributions to the Wake County (N.C.) Hospice Services are welcomed. Opinions about the details of this obit are not, since Mom would have liked it this way.
Then my favorite part of the Chicago Tribune story about it:
As you will see, [David] writes about his sister Carol being away at "a posh Florida resort" while their mother was dying. But Carol's version, he said, is that "Mom was fine when she left her in my and [sister] Barbara's care, and we killed her."
----------
cstorch@tribune.com
Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune :: Family's dark humor revealed in death notice.
Always good to get the Defamer.com perspective.
Look, when you’ve got $600 million of Passion of the Christ fuck-you money, you can make a black-and-white documentary about nymphomaniac donkeys overdubbed in Klingon if you feel like it. If anything, Mel Gibson’s choice to go Mayan feels a little bit safe.
CNN.com :: New Mel Gibson film to be in Mayan
Look, when you’ve got $600 million of Passion of the Christ fuck-you money, you can make a black-and-white documentary about nymphomaniac donkeys overdubbed in Klingon if you feel like it. If anything, Mel Gibson’s choice to go Mayan feels a little bit safe.
CNN.com :: New Mel Gibson film to be in Mayan
We'll have a new restaurant in the area in September.
Sounds fab.
Yaffa will feature a tapas/mesas menu, traditional entrees with a rotating menu and non-traditional dishes like venison and ostrich. Variety will be key, according to Chitko. Paella, seafood, salads, couscous, rice, spreads and hummus will be on the menu.
OnMilwaukee.com Dining :: Yaffa restaurant to bring exotic flavors to Riverwalk
Sounds fab.
Yaffa will feature a tapas/mesas menu, traditional entrees with a rotating menu and non-traditional dishes like venison and ostrich. Variety will be key, according to Chitko. Paella, seafood, salads, couscous, rice, spreads and hummus will be on the menu.
OnMilwaukee.com Dining :: Yaffa restaurant to bring exotic flavors to Riverwalk
This is so weird.
...the Committee of Advertising Practice declared: “We would advise that the man in the picture should be unattractive — overweight, middle-aged, balding etc.”
The ruling continued: “We consider that the advert is in danger of implying that the drink may bring sexual/social success, because the man in question looks quite attractive and desirable to the girls. If the man was clearly unattractive, we think that this implication would be removed.”
Times Online :: Sorry, girls. The hunks are banned
...the Committee of Advertising Practice declared: “We would advise that the man in the picture should be unattractive — overweight, middle-aged, balding etc.”
The ruling continued: “We consider that the advert is in danger of implying that the drink may bring sexual/social success, because the man in question looks quite attractive and desirable to the girls. If the man was clearly unattractive, we think that this implication would be removed.”
Times Online :: Sorry, girls. The hunks are banned
"Have Some Cannelloni, Tony!"
Various media titles deemed admissable or prohibited by Canadian customs officials.
More than half of the prospective imports were stopped at the border, including 'Teenage Transsexual Nurses 4,' 'What a Pisser,' 'Bi Bi Daddy,' and many works produced by one Tom 'Ropes' McGurk. Included among the admissible titles were 'Have Some Cannelloni, Tony!' and 'Frank and Beans' from the Angry Young Man series, and 'Bondage Ahoy!'
the smoking gun :: Border xxx-ings
Various media titles deemed admissable or prohibited by Canadian customs officials.
More than half of the prospective imports were stopped at the border, including 'Teenage Transsexual Nurses 4,' 'What a Pisser,' 'Bi Bi Daddy,' and many works produced by one Tom 'Ropes' McGurk. Included among the admissible titles were 'Have Some Cannelloni, Tony!' and 'Frank and Beans' from the Angry Young Man series, and 'Bondage Ahoy!'
the smoking gun :: Border xxx-ings
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
This is so Fight Club.
BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) — Perhaps the oddest piece of work at Art Basel is a bar of soap, displayed on a square of black velvet, purportedly made from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's fat, removed during liposuction.
USATODAY.com :: Bar of soap sells for $18,000 at frenzied Art Basel
(again via thinkbacon.blogspot.com)
BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) — Perhaps the oddest piece of work at Art Basel is a bar of soap, displayed on a square of black velvet, purportedly made from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's fat, removed during liposuction.
USATODAY.com :: Bar of soap sells for $18,000 at frenzied Art Basel
(again via thinkbacon.blogspot.com)
For my sci-fi fanatical family.
Technovelgy.com :: Inventions and Ideas from Science Fiction Books and Movies
(via thinkbacon.blogspot.com)
Technovelgy.com :: Inventions and Ideas from Science Fiction Books and Movies
(via thinkbacon.blogspot.com)
My brother rocks.
Inspired by insomnia and my previous post of soup blurbs, my bro, Patrick, sent me this absolute masterpiece.
He calls it 'soup noir.'
What was this? Where did it come from? Just a thermos, no note. Placed carefully in the center of my desk in the middle of the night during the worst storm of the century. Who would bother? It had to be the dame. She saw me hide the key when we left last night. There was no question whether I was going to taste it. A guy like me, in this business, you had to take risks. Eighty years and then a pine box is no reward if those years are spent spineless and simpering like a lost cat. Besides, my olfactory savvy told me this was no gastrological gassing. The voluptuous redolence that filled my office wasn't the by-product of one of my usual low-rent cases. No, this stuff smelled like class. Me and posh ain't lived in the same neighborhood for a long time, but I still drive by from time to time, and this had that dandified feel to it that you don't find in this part of town.
I took a healthy swig.
Yep, it was soup.
He concluded with props to Mickey Spillane.
Inspired by insomnia and my previous post of soup blurbs, my bro, Patrick, sent me this absolute masterpiece.
He calls it 'soup noir.'
What was this? Where did it come from? Just a thermos, no note. Placed carefully in the center of my desk in the middle of the night during the worst storm of the century. Who would bother? It had to be the dame. She saw me hide the key when we left last night. There was no question whether I was going to taste it. A guy like me, in this business, you had to take risks. Eighty years and then a pine box is no reward if those years are spent spineless and simpering like a lost cat. Besides, my olfactory savvy told me this was no gastrological gassing. The voluptuous redolence that filled my office wasn't the by-product of one of my usual low-rent cases. No, this stuff smelled like class. Me and posh ain't lived in the same neighborhood for a long time, but I still drive by from time to time, and this had that dandified feel to it that you don't find in this part of town.
I took a healthy swig.
Yep, it was soup.
He concluded with props to Mickey Spillane.
Oh, come ON...
How is a real design firm supposed to compete against Lenny Kravitz in a bid for work?!
(Even worse - I think - is that his design firm's web site has no content. "I don't need a web site. I don't need content. I'm Lenny Kravitz!")
Archinect :: Lenny Kravitz design firm? Who would have guessed.
(Yes, Lorraine. This one's for you. I thought you'd appreciate a little Lenny Kravitz tirade. You haven't had one from me in awhile...)
How is a real design firm supposed to compete against Lenny Kravitz in a bid for work?!
(Even worse - I think - is that his design firm's web site has no content. "I don't need a web site. I don't need content. I'm Lenny Kravitz!")
Archinect :: Lenny Kravitz design firm? Who would have guessed.
(Yes, Lorraine. This one's for you. I thought you'd appreciate a little Lenny Kravitz tirade. You haven't had one from me in awhile...)
I think this guy may be my new hero.
Troy James Hurtubise (b. November 23, 1963 - Scarborough, Ontario) is an inventor and conservationist from North Bay, Ontario noted for his bizarre, yet functional, protective creations that he tests on himself in incredible and at times dangerous ways.
Wikipedia :: Troy Hurtubise
Troy James Hurtubise (b. November 23, 1963 - Scarborough, Ontario) is an inventor and conservationist from North Bay, Ontario noted for his bizarre, yet functional, protective creations that he tests on himself in incredible and at times dangerous ways.
Wikipedia :: Troy Hurtubise
Monday, July 25, 2005
Quizzes for grammar geeks.
At least a few people I know will enjoy these. The rest of you, move along. Nothing to see here.
List of Interactive Quizzes
At least a few people I know will enjoy these. The rest of you, move along. Nothing to see here.
List of Interactive Quizzes
Oh, no.
Just... no.
Yahoo! News :: Pigs tattooed with the Louis Vuitton logo
And more info here.
(via the delightful Molly Blogs.)
Just... no.
Yahoo! News :: Pigs tattooed with the Louis Vuitton logo
And more info here.
(via the delightful Molly Blogs.)
I'll take 15 of The Cheadle, please.
Be sure to scroll down for the full selection.
Eleni's NYC :: Celebrity Cookies
Be sure to scroll down for the full selection.
Eleni's NYC :: Celebrity Cookies
Hmm.
Dunno that I'd ever send my DNA to a company with no privacy policy on their site.
dna 11 :: Our Art - From Life Comes Art
Dunno that I'd ever send my DNA to a company with no privacy policy on their site.
dna 11 :: Our Art - From Life Comes Art
Thought for the day.
Or "Why It's Bad To Hire One Man To Play All the Oompa Loompas In Your Movie":
"Oompas, trolls, elves, cupids are just going to disappear en masse."
The New Yorker :: One-Man Show
Or "Why It's Bad To Hire One Man To Play All the Oompa Loompas In Your Movie":
"Oompas, trolls, elves, cupids are just going to disappear en masse."
The New Yorker :: One-Man Show
I really shouldn't find this funny...but I do.
JULY 21--Meet Patrick Tribett. The Ohio man was nabbed yesterday morning for "abusing harmful intoxicants" as he attempted to make a purchase at Bellaire's Dollar General Store. The 41-year-old Tribett, it seems, had been huffing spray paint and needed a refill. According to a Bellaire Police Department report, Tribett's pupils were constricted and he replied slowly to their questions. Oh, and "officers observed the paint on face and hands," as can be seen in the below mug shot.
The Smoking Gun :: It Ain't Just Paint
JULY 21--Meet Patrick Tribett. The Ohio man was nabbed yesterday morning for "abusing harmful intoxicants" as he attempted to make a purchase at Bellaire's Dollar General Store. The 41-year-old Tribett, it seems, had been huffing spray paint and needed a refill. According to a Bellaire Police Department report, Tribett's pupils were constricted and he replied slowly to their questions. Oh, and "officers observed the paint on face and hands," as can be seen in the below mug shot.
The Smoking Gun :: It Ain't Just Paint
Friday, July 22, 2005
I love this guy.
Dave Zabriskie of Team CSC interviews other (internationally renowned) cyclists, asking them completely crap questions.
7/14/05
DZ: Stuart O’Grady can I ask you a question?
S.O: Yes.
DZ: Have you ever done any Kangaroo Boxing?
S.O: Negative
(another rider tells him, "you know that is going on his website?")
S.O: In that case I have done a little pub boxing.
DZ: Thanks.
5/27/05
I rolled up to Alessandro Pettachi and this is what went down.
DZ: Could I ask you a question?
AP: Yes.
DZ: Do you like Star Wars?
AP: Star Wars?
DZ: The movies.
AP: Yes.
DZ: Thank you.
davezabriskie.com
p.s. FYI - Ivan Basso is my new pretend boyfriend. That crazy little grimace/grin thing he does... nngh.
Dave Zabriskie of Team CSC interviews other (internationally renowned) cyclists, asking them completely crap questions.
7/14/05
DZ: Stuart O’Grady can I ask you a question?
S.O: Yes.
DZ: Have you ever done any Kangaroo Boxing?
S.O: Negative
(another rider tells him, "you know that is going on his website?")
S.O: In that case I have done a little pub boxing.
DZ: Thanks.
5/27/05
I rolled up to Alessandro Pettachi and this is what went down.
DZ: Could I ask you a question?
AP: Yes.
DZ: Do you like Star Wars?
AP: Star Wars?
DZ: The movies.
AP: Yes.
DZ: Thank you.
davezabriskie.com
p.s. FYI - Ivan Basso is my new pretend boyfriend. That crazy little grimace/grin thing he does... nngh.
Happy birthday, Czeltic Girl!
Yes, your cubicle is a mere 10 feet from mine. Yet I cannot seem to get away from my desk long enough to wish you many happy returns. So I'm doing it from over here. Happy Birthday!
Czeltic Girl
Yes, your cubicle is a mere 10 feet from mine. Yet I cannot seem to get away from my desk long enough to wish you many happy returns. So I'm doing it from over here. Happy Birthday!
Czeltic Girl
Bloggity tip from toothpastefordinner.com
The intro to it in drew's newsletter is a gem:
... the best part of this story is not that this man gave me bad haircuts or razor burn on my neck, but that the man who bought the hair is john reznikoff. john reznikoff is "the world's largest celebrity hair collector".
just roll that idea over in your mind and slowly digest it, like a
piece of hard candy. the world's largest celebrity hair collector.
celebrity hair collector. hair collector. the world's largest. three
thousand dollars. sausagey hair collector. the world's largest.
Barber Sold Neil Armstrong's Hair
The intro to it in drew's newsletter is a gem:
... the best part of this story is not that this man gave me bad haircuts or razor burn on my neck, but that the man who bought the hair is john reznikoff. john reznikoff is "the world's largest celebrity hair collector".
just roll that idea over in your mind and slowly digest it, like a
piece of hard candy. the world's largest celebrity hair collector.
celebrity hair collector. hair collector. the world's largest. three
thousand dollars. sausagey hair collector. the world's largest.
Barber Sold Neil Armstrong's Hair
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
A scary bit of history.
On July 20, 1875, the largest recorded swarm of locusts in American history descended upon the Great Plains.
People said the locusts descended like a driving snow in winter. They covered everything in their path. They sounded like thunder or a train and blanketed the ground, nearly a foot deep. Trees bent over with the weight of them. They ate nearly every living piece of vegetation in their path. They ate harnesses off horses and the bark of trees, curtains, clothing that was hung out on laundry lines. They chewed on the handles of farm tools and fence posts and railings. Some farmers tried to scare away the locusts by running into the swarm, and they had their clothes eaten right off their bodies.
The Writer's Almanac :: July 20, 2005
On July 20, 1875, the largest recorded swarm of locusts in American history descended upon the Great Plains.
People said the locusts descended like a driving snow in winter. They covered everything in their path. They sounded like thunder or a train and blanketed the ground, nearly a foot deep. Trees bent over with the weight of them. They ate nearly every living piece of vegetation in their path. They ate harnesses off horses and the bark of trees, curtains, clothing that was hung out on laundry lines. They chewed on the handles of farm tools and fence posts and railings. Some farmers tried to scare away the locusts by running into the swarm, and they had their clothes eaten right off their bodies.
The Writer's Almanac :: July 20, 2005
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
My Proust Questionnaire
Your most marked characteristic? | adventurous, emulative |
| The quality you most like in a man? | intellegence |
| The quality you most like in a woman? | kindness |
| What do you most value in your friends? | honesty |
| What is your principle defect? | pride |
| What is your favorite occupation? | one that can make full use of my talents |
| What is your dream of happiness? | watching people hand in hand with each other, despite of all difference |
| What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes? | freedom suppressed |
| What would you like to be? | myself |
| In what country would you like to live? | I'm afraid I'll never be satisfied with living in the same place, whereever. |
| What is your favorite color? | transparent, that shows the true color of everything |
| What is your favorite flower? | all |
| What is your favorite bird? | all that sing, if don't, then all that fly, if don't, then all that have feathers |
| Who are your favorite prose writers? | At the time, Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Who are your favorite poets? | Percy Bysshe Shelley |
| Who is your favorite hero of fiction? | Hamlet |
| Who are your favorite heroines of fiction? | Scarlett O’Hara |
| Who are your favorite composers? | Mozart, Gustav Mahler |
| Who are your favorite painters? | Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Peter Paul Rubens, Théodore Géricault, Caspar David Friedrich, Gustave Courbet, Winslow Homer, Manet, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Jackson Pollock |
| Who are your heroes in real life? | Chris |
| What is it you most dislike? | betrayal |
| What natural gift would you most like to possess? | No thanks, I don't want to be perfect |
| How would you like to die? | heroicly |
| What is your present state of mind? | annoyed by so many questions |
| To what faults do you feel most indulgent? | being blind by love |
| What is your motto? | can't think of any right now |
| Ella Chou |
McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Re: Hardy Boys Manuscript Submission.
"Page 50: Colorful banter between the brothers is, of course, to be expected. Please reconsider, however, whether Joe would tell Frank to 'grow a pair.' Further, Joe would not dismiss Frank's suggestion to call for help with, 'Step off, bitch. I know what I'm doing.'"
"Page 50: Colorful banter between the brothers is, of course, to be expected. Please reconsider, however, whether Joe would tell Frank to 'grow a pair.' Further, Joe would not dismiss Frank's suggestion to call for help with, 'Step off, bitch. I know what I'm doing.'"
I don't know which is better.
The headline or the concluding sentence:
He said he's not sure what the Fortis power utility company might do to prevent squirrel fires in the future.
Flaming squirrel falls from power line, starts fire
The headline or the concluding sentence:
He said he's not sure what the Fortis power utility company might do to prevent squirrel fires in the future.
Flaming squirrel falls from power line, starts fire
Thank god.
The Federal Aviation Administration yesterday announced that it will decline the FCC proposal, put forward in December of last year, of lifting the ban on the use of wireless devices while in flight.
mobileburn.com :: The FAA will retain its ban on wireless use in-flight, regardless of an FCC reversal
The Federal Aviation Administration yesterday announced that it will decline the FCC proposal, put forward in December of last year, of lifting the ban on the use of wireless devices while in flight.
mobileburn.com :: The FAA will retain its ban on wireless use in-flight, regardless of an FCC reversal
Speaking of phones...
Mobile phone users who have ring tones from pop music will, however, not find themselves reaching for their phones in error when a bird calls. The birds cannot imitate these complex melodies, only the simpler ring tones.
Indo-Asian News Service :: Birds imitate mobile phone ring tones
Mobile phone users who have ring tones from pop music will, however, not find themselves reaching for their phones in error when a bird calls. The birds cannot imitate these complex melodies, only the simpler ring tones.
Indo-Asian News Service :: Birds imitate mobile phone ring tones
Can you still be a power player if you've got a squirrel answering your phone?
Stefan Marti :: Executive Squirrel
Check out the videos here:
Stefan Marti :: Videos
(I like the bunny vid.)
Stefan Marti :: Executive Squirrel
Check out the videos here:
Stefan Marti :: Videos
(I like the bunny vid.)
I saw this on the sidelinks of a site today. Incredibly, I actually have one his albums, Port Said. (My friend Carol bought it for me. She knows I love weird album covers. Unfortunately I simply cannot bring myself to display it...)
Mohammed El Bakkar :: The Man, The Myth, The Legend?
Mohammed El Bakkar :: The Man, The Myth, The Legend?
Monday, July 18, 2005
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Friday, July 15, 2005
Hmm.
Live and learn. I didn't realize there were only 7 prisoners in the Bastille when it was stormed.
Wikipedia :: Bastille Day
Live and learn. I didn't realize there were only 7 prisoners in the Bastille when it was stormed.
Wikipedia :: Bastille Day
It begs the question
...why would someone pay $45 for a bottle of perfume that smells like skunk? Or a doll's head? I can't decide if I love or hate this guy.
He clearly likes to shock. One scent, Doll Head, is a dead-on olfactory copy of the vinyl used to make dolls. Roast Beef smells like beef. He unscrewed the top of a bottle called You Know This and held it under my nose. I closed my eyes. I was in kindergarten. The plastic scissors on the table were so blunt I couldn't cut the construction paper. That cute David Carmody was sitting next to me. We were fighting over - Play-Doh!
New York Times :: Try Some Play-Doh Behind Your Ears
...why would someone pay $45 for a bottle of perfume that smells like skunk? Or a doll's head? I can't decide if I love or hate this guy.
He clearly likes to shock. One scent, Doll Head, is a dead-on olfactory copy of the vinyl used to make dolls. Roast Beef smells like beef. He unscrewed the top of a bottle called You Know This and held it under my nose. I closed my eyes. I was in kindergarten. The plastic scissors on the table were so blunt I couldn't cut the construction paper. That cute David Carmody was sitting next to me. We were fighting over - Play-Doh!
New York Times :: Try Some Play-Doh Behind Your Ears
The Ryugyong Hotel [in Pyongyang, North Korea] is, in my opinion, the single most unsettling structure ever erected by the hand of man. It's 1,082 feet tall, has 105 floors, and encloses 3.9 million square feet of floor space.
And it is completely empty. It doesn't even have windows.
[...} Work was halted in 1992, and nobody knows exactly why.
The Shape of Days :: The Ryugyong Hotel
And it is completely empty. It doesn't even have windows.
[...} Work was halted in 1992, and nobody knows exactly why.
The Shape of Days :: The Ryugyong Hotel
Stunning.
I usually don't get too excited about photography sites, but the photography on this one is so beautiful...
Starr Ockenga
I usually don't get too excited about photography sites, but the photography on this one is so beautiful...
Starr Ockenga
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Damn. This rocks my world.
I knew Google (U.S.) had an SMS service that would text directory info to your phone. I *didn't* know that it would also text word definitions to you.
To get a definition:
- Enter ‘d’ or 'define' followed by a space and the word/phrase
(Example: d ubiquitous)
- Send to the phone number: 46645
You get a text msg with the definition of the word in a matter of seconds.
Google SMS :: Definitions
I knew Google (U.S.) had an SMS service that would text directory info to your phone. I *didn't* know that it would also text word definitions to you.
To get a definition:
- Enter ‘d’ or 'define' followed by a space and the word/phrase
(Example: d ubiquitous)
- Send to the phone number: 46645
You get a text msg with the definition of the word in a matter of seconds.
Google SMS :: Definitions
I wish companies would let copywriters go nuts.
I would buy every one of these, if they truly existed.
McSweeney's Internet Tendency :: Soup Blurbs
I would buy every one of these, if they truly existed.
McSweeney's Internet Tendency :: Soup Blurbs
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Oh, no!
In a previous post, I mentioned this exhibition. Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned.
Bummer. It looked so fun...
IOL: Art project binned after robots misbehave
In a previous post, I mentioned this exhibition. Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned.
Bummer. It looked so fun...
IOL: Art project binned after robots misbehave
Russian (faux) roulette as performance art.
On the evening of Nov. 29, 2004, Deutch stood before his classmates in a suit, instead of his usual T-shirt and jeans. He knew that what he would do next could have consequences for his grade from instructor Ron Athey, himself known for body-cutting performance art so extreme that he became part of the 1990s 'culture wars.' [...]
Standing in front of the class, Deutch pulled out a real-looking gun he had carved from wood. To make it seem genuine, Price said, Deutch had bought a .357 Magnum to use as a model — then returned it to the gun dealer. He inserted what appeared to be a bullet, spun the cylinder and put the barrel against his head.
Deutch pulled the trigger, producing a click. Then he dashed into an adjoining hall. His lawyer said that he had pre-positioned "a big firecracker" in a can there and that he set it off, producing a bang. Then Deutch returned to the room, where normally a discussion and critique would have followed. Instead, "it was pandemonium," Deutch said in a telephone interview. "The idea of a class structure or any critical thinking was blown out of the water."
calendarlive.com :: The 'shot' heard 'round UCLA
On the evening of Nov. 29, 2004, Deutch stood before his classmates in a suit, instead of his usual T-shirt and jeans. He knew that what he would do next could have consequences for his grade from instructor Ron Athey, himself known for body-cutting performance art so extreme that he became part of the 1990s 'culture wars.' [...]
Standing in front of the class, Deutch pulled out a real-looking gun he had carved from wood. To make it seem genuine, Price said, Deutch had bought a .357 Magnum to use as a model — then returned it to the gun dealer. He inserted what appeared to be a bullet, spun the cylinder and put the barrel against his head.
Deutch pulled the trigger, producing a click. Then he dashed into an adjoining hall. His lawyer said that he had pre-positioned "a big firecracker" in a can there and that he set it off, producing a bang. Then Deutch returned to the room, where normally a discussion and critique would have followed. Instead, "it was pandemonium," Deutch said in a telephone interview. "The idea of a class structure or any critical thinking was blown out of the water."
calendarlive.com :: The 'shot' heard 'round UCLA
Pic-a-tures
Pix from my lovely weekend in NY.
(Vivien and Sam - where are yours? I want to see them!)
Flickr :: Girls' Weekend (BB)
Flickr :: Girls' Weekend (swissmiss)
Pix from my lovely weekend in NY.
(Vivien and Sam - where are yours? I want to see them!)
Flickr :: Girls' Weekend (BB)
Flickr :: Girls' Weekend (swissmiss)
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Well, thank heavens.
Mystery of Empty Chicken Sex Solved
(How can you NOT read an article with that headline?)
Mystery of Empty Chicken Sex Solved
(How can you NOT read an article with that headline?)
Japanese architecture.
Sometimes it's nice not to be distracted by descriptions.
miru-kenchiku :: Tomihiro Art Museum
miru-kenchiku :: gallery
(bonus: check out the burger truck in front of the Hara Museum Arc)
Sometimes it's nice not to be distracted by descriptions.
miru-kenchiku :: Tomihiro Art Museum
miru-kenchiku :: gallery
(bonus: check out the burger truck in front of the Hara Museum Arc)
There's just something wrong with this morning's Chicago Tribune screaming headline.
It's much more impressive in the print edition that I just saw in the lobby.
p.s. I had no idea that the Chicago Zoo housed an animal called "Wankie the Elephant."
Chicago Tribune :: Shrub poisoned zoo monkeys
It's much more impressive in the print edition that I just saw in the lobby.
p.s. I had no idea that the Chicago Zoo housed an animal called "Wankie the Elephant."
Chicago Tribune :: Shrub poisoned zoo monkeys
Monday, July 11, 2005
A personal note
...to Doreen & Chris:
It was SO good to see you last Thursday. As always, the visit was much too short. Remember - the BB hotel is available and complimentary for you, any time.
(For everyone else, I took this when we went to check out their old apartment in Riverwest. We were shocked to discover a tree that Doreen planted is now taller than the house they lived in...)
I'm not sure whether to admonish or admire the tone of her suicide note.
'Goodbye cruel world and all that,' said the note...
azcentral.com :: Woman drops suicide note, then jumps to her death
'Goodbye cruel world and all that,' said the note...
azcentral.com :: Woman drops suicide note, then jumps to her death
Two (among many) things I didn't know about Bela Lugosi.
1) "In 1909, among his many roles, Bela was chosen to play Jesus Christ in a passion play. It appears that this role was of special importance to the young Lugosi, as he had a number of pictures taken of himself in the role. They also illustrate the remarkable resemblance that Bela bore to the traditional images of Christ."
2) He was buried in his full Dracula costume, per a request in his will. (wikipedia.com)
1) "In 1909, among his many roles, Bela was chosen to play Jesus Christ in a passion play. It appears that this role was of special importance to the young Lugosi, as he had a number of pictures taken of himself in the role. They also illustrate the remarkable resemblance that Bela bore to the traditional images of Christ."
2) He was buried in his full Dracula costume, per a request in his will. (wikipedia.com)
Finger puppets are hot.
Sara and T - you'll appreciate this tip from today's Trendcentral newsletter:
PLAY/DECORATE
Peruvian finger puppets: A street vendor near our office sells these colorful characters and we can’t get enough of them. We’ve also spotted them at various flea markets and import shops and every time we see a table of them, we have to add to our knit menagerie.
Finger Puppets - Toysnotjustforkids.com
swissmiss :: finger puppet fun
Sara and T - you'll appreciate this tip from today's Trendcentral newsletter:
PLAY/DECORATE
Peruvian finger puppets: A street vendor near our office sells these colorful characters and we can’t get enough of them. We’ve also spotted them at various flea markets and import shops and every time we see a table of them, we have to add to our knit menagerie.
Finger Puppets - Toysnotjustforkids.com
swissmiss :: finger puppet fun
Thursday, July 7, 2005
In case anyone's interested...
This is a good deal for two quite-good magazines.
Budget Living and Organic Style for only $20
This is a good deal for two quite-good magazines.
Budget Living and Organic Style for only $20
I've got fortune cookies on the brain today.
(I've been eating Chinese food a lot lately.)
Excellent links at the bottom of this lovely Wikipedia entry.
wikipedia :: fortune cookie
(I've been eating Chinese food a lot lately.)
Excellent links at the bottom of this lovely Wikipedia entry.
wikipedia :: fortune cookie
I think I need one of these.
I found Jesus! He was behind the couch the whole time.
[bumper sticker]
Fortune Cookies, Sayings, And Random Quotes
I found Jesus! He was behind the couch the whole time.
[bumper sticker]
Fortune Cookies, Sayings, And Random Quotes
Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Oh, my god.
T - you HAVE to get one of these. It's like the Golden Globe Awards in icing form...
Wedding Cakes :: Fairy Tale Wedding
T - you HAVE to get one of these. It's like the Golden Globe Awards in icing form...
Wedding Cakes :: Fairy Tale Wedding
Paris predicts the future.
I'm, like, SO never going to, like, use the white pages and yellow pages again. They're, like, so lame and so, like, over?
GoYellow.de :: Paris Hilton Video
I'm, like, SO never going to, like, use the white pages and yellow pages again. They're, like, so lame and so, like, over?
GoYellow.de :: Paris Hilton Video
Blessed are the peacemakers.
In a bizarre twist of fate, today is the birthday of both the Dalai Lama and George W. Bush.
The Dalai Lama:
I pray for a more friendly, more caring, and more understanding human family on this planet. To all who dislike suffering, who cherish lasting happiness—this is my heartfelt appeal.
George W. Bush:
The benefits of helping somebody is beneficial.
In a bizarre twist of fate, today is the birthday of both the Dalai Lama and George W. Bush.
The Dalai Lama:
I pray for a more friendly, more caring, and more understanding human family on this planet. To all who dislike suffering, who cherish lasting happiness—this is my heartfelt appeal.
George W. Bush:
The benefits of helping somebody is beneficial.
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
You have to admire the effort.
Even if you don't like limericks.
OEDILF :: The Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form
Even if you don't like limericks.
OEDILF :: The Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form
It's all a matter of perspective.
Let me get this straight. You're saying they shot a freakin' rocket 83 million miles into space, straight into a relatively tiny comet that was ripping through the galaxy at 23,000 freakin' miles per hour? And they freakin' hit it? Is that right? We're searching for the origin of the universe in bitchin' meteoric space dust via some truly mind-boggling technologies and meanwhile, we still can't make a goddamn full-sized sports sedan that gets more than 25 mile per gallon? I am hearing you correctly? We can nail a rock 83 million miles away, but we still can't find a cure for male pattern baldness?
SFGate.com :: Eat My Space Dust
Let me get this straight. You're saying they shot a freakin' rocket 83 million miles into space, straight into a relatively tiny comet that was ripping through the galaxy at 23,000 freakin' miles per hour? And they freakin' hit it? Is that right? We're searching for the origin of the universe in bitchin' meteoric space dust via some truly mind-boggling technologies and meanwhile, we still can't make a goddamn full-sized sports sedan that gets more than 25 mile per gallon? I am hearing you correctly? We can nail a rock 83 million miles away, but we still can't find a cure for male pattern baldness?
SFGate.com :: Eat My Space Dust
Taking it back old-school.
Man. I hadn't thought of Jack Handey in years...
The Quote Cache :: Jack Handey and Practically Everything Else
Man. I hadn't thought of Jack Handey in years...
The Quote Cache :: Jack Handey and Practically Everything Else
Interesting concept. Nice site.
Adrants :: Nike Teams With Graffiti Writer For Lance Armstrong Promotion
Adrants :: Nike Teams With Graffiti Writer For Lance Armstrong Promotion
Monday, July 4, 2005
Cool or depressing? You decide.
'Haridwar is like the Mecca for Hindus,' Sagar said. 'Every Hindu will go to Haridwar at least once every year.'
According to him, the spiritual aura of Haridwar will entice visitors to the park.
'Most tourists take a dip in the Ganga, eat vegetarian food when they are in Haridwar,' he said. 'When they are already in that spiritual frame of mind, they are more likely to spend a whole day and immerse themselves in educating themselves and their children about the story of Ganga and Indian mythology.'
The entrance ticket is priced to make it affordable for an average Indian family, at about 35 Indian rupees, which is less than one dollar.
Once inside the park, the visitors will have the option of purchasing spiritual merchandize and hopping on high tech rides for an extra charge, said Sagar.
'We are targeting the ticket price at someone who earns about 1,500 rupees (about $30) a month,' said Sagar. 'Some of the more expensive rides are priced separately, but you get most of the stuff in the 35 rupees ticket.'
NRI Money :: Hindu mythical theme park has practical base
Sagar Arts :: Ganga Dham
'Haridwar is like the Mecca for Hindus,' Sagar said. 'Every Hindu will go to Haridwar at least once every year.'
According to him, the spiritual aura of Haridwar will entice visitors to the park.
'Most tourists take a dip in the Ganga, eat vegetarian food when they are in Haridwar,' he said. 'When they are already in that spiritual frame of mind, they are more likely to spend a whole day and immerse themselves in educating themselves and their children about the story of Ganga and Indian mythology.'
The entrance ticket is priced to make it affordable for an average Indian family, at about 35 Indian rupees, which is less than one dollar.
Once inside the park, the visitors will have the option of purchasing spiritual merchandize and hopping on high tech rides for an extra charge, said Sagar.
'We are targeting the ticket price at someone who earns about 1,500 rupees (about $30) a month,' said Sagar. 'Some of the more expensive rides are priced separately, but you get most of the stuff in the 35 rupees ticket.'
NRI Money :: Hindu mythical theme park has practical base
Sagar Arts :: Ganga Dham
Friday, July 1, 2005
Damn. Stella's got a snark on.
Irresistable. It reads like a soap opera.
the smoking gun :: Terry McMillan's Divorce - June 30, 2005
Irresistable. It reads like a soap opera.
the smoking gun :: Terry McMillan's Divorce - June 30, 2005
Ooooh.
Great for working on huge site maps and task flows. Terrible for reading personal email.
Siemens AG :: Remote Expert Center for Power Plants
Great for working on huge site maps and task flows. Terrible for reading personal email.
Siemens AG :: Remote Expert Center for Power Plants
The only reason I'll ever watch the Outdoor Life Network.
www.cyclingnews.com :: the 92nd Tour de France
www.cyclingnews.com :: the 92nd Tour de France
Prefabulous.
Damn, I love these crazy prefabs. Especially the Luminhaus.
fabprefab :: fabnewsletter 10
Damn, I love these crazy prefabs. Especially the Luminhaus.
fabprefab :: fabnewsletter 10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
