Off Topic

This looks totally predictable and lame except for my totally loving both Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds and wanting to see them fall in love, no matter how preposterous the situation that makes it happen. And really, isn't that what lame, predictable romantic comedies are all about?

After hearing Jack White's shot at it, I still think this should've been the new Bond song.

I'd watch it.

So awesome.

Getting my inspiration from Will Pfeiffer, I thought it would be fun to start listing my favorite album for every year since I was born.

1967

The Doors: The Doors



I was tempted to list a Beach Boys album because I really, really liked the Beach Boys as a kid. But let's face it, whatever I chose was going to reflect a retroactive taste anyway. Any music I was listening to at less than a year old I don't remember. And though I didn't discover the Doors until the '90s (thanks, Val Kilmer!), they're the band - and especially this album - that I still like the best.

Runners up:

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour
Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
The Beach Boys: The Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 2

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.

Via Kelly Sue.

The rules:
Using fd’s Flickr Toys,

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Tag yourself if you want to play!

David's into superheroes now. Especially ones with animal themes.

And if they fight bad guys who also have animal themes (like the Lizard, Killer Croc, Doctor Octopus, etc.), that's even better.

Thanks for rubbing it in, pal.

Having got up close and personal with Keira, (McAvoy) is quick to shoot down rumours she has an eating disorder. “She’s really not anorexic,” he insisted. “I’ve felt every part of her in many scenes in Atonement and she is fine. There’s meat on those bones, I guarantee you.”

 
Totally ripped off from RD.

Oh, man, I want one of these.

Via.

I have no idea what this website is for, but it sure is clever and a lot of fun. It looks like a standard online store when you first open it, but don't click on anything and don't scroll down. Just give it ten seconds and watch what happens. It's more fun with the sound turned on too.

Ever since I saw Hotel Rwanda I've been especially sensitive to the subject of violence in Africa. It was heartbreaking to watch the story of all these people dying and their only recourse was to hope that the US and the rest of the world could be distracted from Jerry Springer long enough to jump in and do something about it. 

It made me ashamed, which is why I've been trying to do what I can about the similar events that are going on right now in Darfur. But I realize I haven't been trying hard enough. So, while I'm not starting a blog dedicated to following the Darfur situation, don't be surprised if I post about it here whenever I learn about specific things we can do to help. 

The first thing is to learn more about what's going on over there and a good way to do that would be to watch the documentary Facing Sudan. It may not have Don Cheadle in it, but it promises to be just as compelling and even more challenging.

I was going to try to convert this into a generic quote, but I think it works so much better in its context.

A woman wrote to Garrison Keillor to ask him about a particular kind of lutefisk she'd seen. "As an honorary Minnesotan (my Mom's from here)," she began, "visiting Stillwater (on the St. Croix) for our annual New Year's family gathering, I am wondering — What is 'fresh' lutefisk? This question arose as we shopped at Brine's Meat Market (a Stillwater institution — check it out) yesterday, and saw the sign advertising it. I didn't want to show my ignorance at the local store (I could pass as a Minnesotan most days, with my heavy coat and snow boots). Isn't lutefisk by definition, not fresh? I would hate to see/taste/smell less than fresh lutefisk. Any help on solving this mystery appreciated!"

Keillor's answer was beautiful.

"Ah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. 'I didn't want to show my ignorance' — that's the wrong road for an intelligent young woman to travel. Showing ignorance is how we learn, it's how we get strangers to tell us their stories, it's how we experience the world fully. False sophistication — putting on a front of cool knowingness — is the road to ignorance. You should never ever be afraid to say, "What is that?" No need to preface it with an apology.

"I say this from bitter experience, Sarah. I wasted some of the best years of my life in pretending to a worldly sophistication that stopped my education right in its tracks. Even today, people looking at me imagine that I know all sorts of things that in fact I'm stupid about. Such as fresh lutefisk.

I imagine it means that Brine's makes their own lutefisk and isn't selling stuff in plastic bags that was manufactured a year ago in China. I know Brine's Meat Market well. I used to shop there almost thirty years ago, before you were born (I assume, though I don't want to ask), before our radio show was broadcast in Newcastle, before Brine's was selling lutefisk, when they were mainly selling lean ground round and enormous pastrami sandwiches. Bud Brine would've been thrilled if a young woman from California had asked him about fresh lutefisk. He'd have invited her back behind the counter and offered her a taste of it and told her the whole story.

"Remember this little life lesson, Sarah. Some of the great journalists of our time have found that nothing works so well in gathering information as a display of ignorance."

I was reading this to David tonight.



In it, Batman takes Robin to a concert. But it's not some pop star arena show. Oh no...



If you're not from the Twin Cities (like Batman Strikes artist Christopher Jones is) you may not recognize it, but it's clearly based on one of the coolest places on Earth to see a concert.



Bruce's street cred it totally safe.

Oh my God, this is going to be so awesome.

And now, a Public Service Announcement


Tusken Raiders at the Office

And another...


Don t Make Fun of Boba Fett