Humor
The Onion on movies
My favorite movie genre parodies from The Onion: "Tow-Truck Driver Has Great Idea for Tow-Truck Movie" "Dancer Risks Everything"
Steve Casburn
Books
The Anatomy of Melancholy
The New York Review of Books edition of The Anatomy of Melancholy is 1382 pages long. Here's the problem with that. If I'm feeling melancholy, then I'm in no condition to read a serious 1382-page book with a lot of Latin in it.
Tabling
The verb tabling means the opposite in British English from its meaning in American English. In the UK, to table an item means to begin discussing it. In the US, to table an item means to postpone discussing it.
Pets
Attention deficit disappointment
My housemate's cat, Beans, looks so sad when no one is paying attention to her. The only time I see her sadder is when someone is paying attention to her.
Music
Sex Pistols go Rasta
Imagine a mellow Caribbean beat slowly rising in volume. And then soft voices chanting: (God save the- God save the- God save the Queen) (God save the- God save the- God save the Queen) And, finally, a lead singer: God Save the Queen! And then let it go, mon, let
Music
Today's music video
Nick Cave is a bad, bad man who made a fine, fine video.
History
First as tragedy, then as farce
Many warbloggers and other assorted Iraq-war supporters fancy themselves to be followers of Winston Churchill. And one of the most widely read biographies of Churchill is the two-volume hagiography by William Manchester. (As a boy, I read the first volume. For boys, it's a good history.
Music
Favorite songs of ‘06
Of the songs I added to iTunes in 2006, here are the ones I played most often (many of these songs were not actually released in 2006): 1. "Are You With Me?" by Overnight 2. "Nature Anthem" by Grandaddy 3. "The Sun Shines Down on
Music
Recent iTunes purchases
* "If Anybody Had a Heart" by John Waite * "Palestine Texas" by T Bone Burnett * "Going Going Gone" by The Vestals * "You Didn't Have to be So Nice" by The Lovin' Spoonful * "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry
Me
Last trip to Tower
I flew down to the Bay Area to visit my sister this past weekend, and persuaded her to make a side trip to Tower Records on our way from Pleasant Hill BART to her house. The inventory was heavily depleted because the store has been going out of business for
Politics
You can't work with someone who won't work with you
An interesting post-midterm wrapup by Rolling Stone contained this questionable assertion by David Gergen: Voters don't want a whole series of confrontations over the next two years. […] Democrats have got to be willing to work with the administration […] That's going to be very hard for
Sports
Sports joy
It's been a great year for me as a college football fan. Ohio State is 12-0, Big Ten champions, and will play in the national championship game. California is 9-3 and Pac-Ten co-champions. San Jose State is 8-4 and will play in a