The Watusies - Born Bad, Born Wild

This 80s Ann Arbor band recently played a reunion gig at The Blind Pig.

Clipsburgh

For all ya'll who aren't convinced by beautiful bridges, football fanatics, and plentiful pierogies, let this song sell you on how badass Pittsburgh is.

Lego Cat

I think I found my favorite lolcats:



For those unfortunate few of you who are not aware of lolcats, go to icanhascheezburger.com.

New Year's Eve 2008

It seems appropriate to begin discussing this on the blog as I've had conversations on the topic here as well as by phone.

It seems like we may not all be able to meet for New Year's this year. It will be good to take stock again in a few months, but how many people are planning to be in Michigan?

To me it seems a good idea to organize Midwest and East Coast S.C.S.F. New Year's parties in the absence of some middle-ground. I would be interested in getting out of NYC, but there may not be another city with enough accomodations, should there be substantial turnout. There has also been talk of hosting a party in Lansing, which has recently developed as a Super Friend enclave.

Does anyone have thoughts on the matter? Do either of these destinations hold appeal? How feasible is all of this? Should I develop a new batch of dearly-loved friends in the coming months so that I don't end up ringing in the new year with hobos under the Manhattan bridge overpass?

Further investigation reveals that this Showbiz pizza band is actually set up in this guy's home, and that he spends WEEKS at a time programming the songs. There are more on youtube.

I am totally ordering this!

The Almighty Dollar

I heard a clever quote on the radio this morning: "Capitalism without bankruptcy is like religion without hell."

OMFG

MF DOOM IS GOING TO BE AT THE BLIND PIG ON AUGUST 28TH. JESUS CHRIST, GOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As a birthday present to me, GO.

At Last

It has taken over a decade for me to track down this book. The last time I tried it was nowhere on the internet. Apparently all I had to do was wait.



You guys, Time Windows by Kathryn Reiss is one of the best books I've ever read in my life. Or at least it was the best book I had ever read when I was in 4th grade. It's about a girl (Miranda) who moves into a new house, and in the attic she finds a dollhouse replica of it. When she looks through the windows, she sees history playing out- live. Peering through the windows, the calendar says it is 1904. There is a really mean mom who locks her daughter in the attic. And it's sooooo creeepy. The creepy girl in the dollhouse helps Miranda to help solve a mystery...why is her own mother starting to get meaner and meaner, as if possessed by the same evilness as Lucinda 90 years prior?

The girl calls her mom "Mither." You know how it would be an insult to call your mom "Mommy Dearest" because of the movie? Well, I used to call my mom "Mither" when I wanted to cut straight to the bone.

Это елементарно Ватсон!

Mashing up

This is a mashup of the Corey Hart song "Sunglasses" with a recent Justin Timberlake song. The video mashing isn't that great, but the songs go surprisingly well together.

New Fundable Browsing Interface

I've spent the last 3 days working on a new interface for browsing
collections on Fundable. My co-worker tells me that it significantly
improves the site.

What it lets you do is skim collections really fast. The page design is rough, but it's completely functional.

Test it out here.

I originally designed Fundable for people who want to confirm consensus for parties, short films, ski trips, etc. People do still use it for that, but lately we've seen the site dominated by general fundraising projects.

Despite past partnership issues, lately I do enjoy working on Fundable. I was really burned out on Fundable a while ago because there wasn't any traction. I'm still figuring out what I'm going to do next.

World Leaders on Vacation

Article from the NY Times blog on the vacations of various world leaders, with a CHOICE picture of Putin.

Link!

A Step Away From Them

it's my lunch hour, so I go
for a walk among the hum-colored
cabs. First, down the sidewalk
where laborers feed their dirty
glistening torsos sandwiches
and Coca-Cola, with yellow helmets
on. They protect them from falling
bricks, I guess. Then onto the
avenue where skirts are flipping
above heels and blow up over
grates. The sun is hot, but the
cabs stir up the air. I look
at bargains in wristwatches. There
are cats playing in sawdust.

On
to Times Square, where the sign
blows smoke over my head, and higher
the waterfall pours lightly. A
Negro stands in a doorway with a
toothpick, languorously agitating
A blonde chorus girl clicks: he
smiles and rubs his chin. Everything
suddenly honks: it is 12:40 of
a Thursday.

Neon in daylight is a
great pleasure, as Edwin Denby would
write, as are light bulbs in daylight.
I stop for a cheeseburger at JULIET'S
CORNER. Giulietta Maina, wife of
Federico Fellini, é bell' attrice.
And chocolate malted. A lady in
foxes on such a day puts her poodle
in a cab.

There are several Puerto
Ricans on the avenue today, which
makes it beautiful and warm. First
Bunny died, then John Latouche,
then Jackson Pollock. But is the
earth as full of life was full, of them?
And one has eaten and one walks,
past the magazines with nudes
and the posters for BULLFIGHT and
the Manhatten Storage Warehouse,
which they'll soon tear down. I
used to think they had the Armory
Show there.

A glass of papaya juice
and back to work. My heart is in my
pocket, it is Poems by Pierre Reverdy.



O'Hara


(I'm envious of you New Yorkers...)

Frank O'Hara

This came up a few times this weekend and I couldn't get his name right, but the poet Frank O'HARA was the one about whom I was talking. He went to Michigan and received a Hopwood. I didn't know about that at all. He was from Boston.

Wikipedia here.

Turn and Face the Strain

It's hard to keep up with all the changes to this blog everyday, every second, different time zones, different people. I wanted to let everyone know that my parents will be relocating to the Maryland area in about 2 weeks. It just happened. That's where the work is.

There will be a house for sale in Dearborn soon.

Goodbye Michigan.

RC40: October 18th-21st

Is anyone else thinking of going? I have a dentist appointment the following Monday, so I'm planning on it.

View the schedule.

Venezuela's four-legged mobile libraries

"A university in Venezuela is using a novel method to take books into remote communities and encourage people to read. As James Ingham reports, the scheme is proving a great success."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6929404.stm

Zeal of a Challenger

Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is known for making strange and enigmatic statements in place of the usual completely unremarkable banter we've come to expect from most pro sports stars. (Rasheed Wallace is certainly another important exception.) In addition to explaining to the Japanese media that he re-signed with his team because his dog told him to, Ichiro said the following while preparing to face a high-profile Boston Red Sox pitcher a few months ago:

"I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul. I plan to face him with the zeal of a challenger."

That's awesome! I wish more athletes would watch old Kurosawa films and embrace dramatic ways of approaching their matches against fellow millionaires. I'm tired of them thanking their family and God for every stupid free throw or successfully turned double play. Face your challengers like men, pro athletes, and speak of your soul, your honor, and the brutal glory of battle!

Read more about Ichiro here.

Headlines: BMP's Last Show

Is on September 15.

Sarah singing Bear Mountain Picnic.

Morrissey Dance

http://www.morrisseydance.com/

i'm comin to ann arbor

so those of you who still live there, let me know what's up and where you are and where you will be so we can get together and have a good time like old times or maybe even better. i'm comin this saturday.

313 205 5127

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