Owls

These dudes are pretty cool. I think it's funny how they look persnickety and annoyed and all like "pardon me, I'm sure*." Fun fact: these traits are why they're known as "Nature's Pedants," and frequently outfitted with mortarboards in graphic representation. If you're interested in other depictions of owls, then look over here. It's my favorite site about owls that does not use the letter "w."

*Or if you will, "motherfucker, what the fuck?"

Shooting Stars

Yesterday I saw five shooting stars in the middle of the afternoon. I think so. It looked exactly like this.

I'd like to take it as a good omen, but after this week...hoo. I don't know. I'm inclined to believe the opposite.

-WANT! The Yo, Let's Tangoes is one of my favorite bands, and I've wanted to go to their Hanukkah shows for years.

-Delia's started sending me catalogs again. ??? Wouldn't I be too old for Delia's? On the other hand, I do look very young. The other day a butcher at Harris Teeter's advised me to "stay in school;" I am probably older than he is.

-I finished reading Infinite Jest yesterday. Here's how goddamn bananas this book is: there is no scene in which the two most prominent characters (Hal and Don) meet, or even move in the same circles, but it's offhandedly referenced in the first ten pages (the book is 1000+ pages long) that sometime before the brief first section (which is chronologically the last scene) and the rest of the book that they meet, join up, and try to resolve the central conflict*. And you HAVE to realize this to figure out what happens, plot-wise. BUH???

*This is terrible, terrible writing, I know, but I don't want to spoil anything.

My Favorite Simpsons Joke

(after all these years)

Christmas

(more coming later)

Hm.

Is it just me, or does this seem to be going in reverse order? Aren't the most recent things usually at the top of the minifeed?

Poolesville Grinches!

DEAR PRESIDENT BUSH

I understand that you're rather concerned about your legacy these days. Well, Baz Luhrmann might make The Great Gatsby. If you can stop this happening, I guarantee this will totally rehabilitate your image. Even the torture parts.

Lol wtf

Barack Obama adds to flickr's nom nom nom pool.

"THE LEONARD LOPATE SHOW" TODAY

I'm sure you'll agree that it as almost absurdly tailored to my interests.

GET APPRISED

Wikipedia's list of common misconceptions.

(via Cynical-C Blog)

"INHERENT VICE"-GATE ROLLS ON

Pynchon himself to blame for that cover.

(via Conversational Reading)

Thank You, Internet

I am so glad I am alive right now. Any other time in the past and this probably never would have reached me.

(that's pac-man, by the way)

The Year-End Approval Matrix Is Out

Guess which thing I REALLY disagree with?

(it's not the puppycam)

Here's What Is Going On

If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger, There'd Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats

Puppystalker

WONDERGLEN

Impossible Cool

The IT Crowd is BACK!

TOP CHEF IS ON TONIGHT

I might be live-twittering this. I need to use my twitter more. Anyway, check at 10 to see!

DC Sniping

I have a largely half-assed theory that DC is culturally closer to Maryland than it is to Virginia (possibly because MD never dick-moved DC by retrocessing land). Well, here I've gone and got myself some proof, sort-of: a search for "DC" on StateStats has Maryland leading Virginia by a wide margin. Likewise, DC bests Virginia by a significant amount in searches for "Maryland."

EMBARRASSING

Every single one of these missed connections is about me. I always thought it would be sort of sweet to have a missed connection about me but twenty-seven makes me feel hot and ashamed.

More Text Conversations Between My Brother and I

Joe: Colbert called out kanye, omg nice
Me: Kanye West is the Stephen Colbert of hip hop
Joe: Stephen Colbert is the Stephen Colbert of hip hop. R u forgetting about his debut album The Colbert Rapport?

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Glory at Sea. Directed by Benh Zeitlin. It's a half hour long but holy hell is it worth it.