In one verse of one song, Nelly manages to rhyme
ensemble
mambo
combo
Cabo
Tae-bo
Volvo
Diablo
Rhino
Is there a song that consists entirely of end-rhymes?
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
SXSW Interactive
One of the coolest events to occur in Austin every year is the SXSW film, music, and interactive festivals. This year's South by Southwest Interactive Festival features a keynote "conversation" between two of our favorite bloggers: dooce and kottke. The problem is, the rest of the festival doesn't really interest me and a single badge costs $275. So, for the wife and I to attend this one lecture it would cost us about $550. Now, I really like these bloggers, but I'm leaning towards saying no to the $550 cover charge.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Bibliomania, part 2
One of my New Year's resolutions is to consume less media in order to write/create more, but I appear to be failing (see Netflix mention below). Maybe I will post a short story soon.
Reading/recently read:
Black Hole by Charles Burns / This is the guy who draws the cover of The Believer every month. This is an awesome book, part teen horror comedy, part sci-fi thriller, part Daniel Clowes.
The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman / Former Professional Literary Agent and renowned smoking-jacket/Tolkien/attack-ad expert Hodgman takes us on a tour of Complete World Knowledge. For example:
Warlock by Oakley Hall
This is a New York Review of Books reissue of a classic western about a Tombstone-like town called Warlock. It's supposed to be this end-all, be-all Western myth, and I am so far very impressed with the writing style and plot.
Memories of a Catholic Girlhood by Mary McCarthy
I'm re-reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" and my favorite detail I'd forgotten is the way the country kid Walter Cunningham answers in the affirmative: "Yeb'm."
Also, we just subscribed to Netflix and our first two movies were "Broken Flowers" and the Johnny Depp "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." I really didn't want to like the Tim Burton "redoing" of a classic, but I have to admit that I really liked it. I thought "Broken Flowers" was OK--a lot of Jim Jarmusch trying to be unpredictable (which I like) and Bill Murray as his own sad clown (which was good the first couple of times, but felt kind of half-hearted here, like Murray was getting tired of it. I'd like to see Bill Murray team up with Harold Ramis and do "Stripes 2" or something like that. Any suggestions for the queue?
Reading/recently read:
Black Hole by Charles Burns / This is the guy who draws the cover of The Believer every month. This is an awesome book, part teen horror comedy, part sci-fi thriller, part Daniel Clowes.
The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman / Former Professional Literary Agent and renowned smoking-jacket/Tolkien/attack-ad expert Hodgman takes us on a tour of Complete World Knowledge. For example:
WERE YOU AWARE OF IT?
Jorge Luis Borges was editor-in-chief of Games magazine from 1980-81.
WERE YOU EVEN AWARE OF THIS FACT??!!?!?
There is the famous list of 700 hobo names and a study of the Lycanthropic cycles and their antidotes.
Warlock by Oakley Hall
This is a New York Review of Books reissue of a classic western about a Tombstone-like town called Warlock. It's supposed to be this end-all, be-all Western myth, and I am so far very impressed with the writing style and plot.
Memories of a Catholic Girlhood by Mary McCarthy
I'm re-reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" and my favorite detail I'd forgotten is the way the country kid Walter Cunningham answers in the affirmative: "Yeb'm."
Also, we just subscribed to Netflix and our first two movies were "Broken Flowers" and the Johnny Depp "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." I really didn't want to like the Tim Burton "redoing" of a classic, but I have to admit that I really liked it. I thought "Broken Flowers" was OK--a lot of Jim Jarmusch trying to be unpredictable (which I like) and Bill Murray as his own sad clown (which was good the first couple of times, but felt kind of half-hearted here, like Murray was getting tired of it. I'd like to see Bill Murray team up with Harold Ramis and do "Stripes 2" or something like that. Any suggestions for the queue?
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Friday, December 30, 2005
HIGH WINDOWS
When I see a couple of kids
And guess he's fucking her and she's
Taking pills or wearing a diaphragm,
I know this is paradise
Everyone old has dreamed all their lives---
Bonds and gestures pushed to one side
Like an outdated combine harvester,
And everyone young going down the long slide
To happiness, endlessly. I wonder if
Anyone looked at me, forty years back,
And thought, That'll be the life;
No God any more, or sweating in the dark
About hell and that, or having to hide
What you think of the priest. He
And his lot will all go down the long slide
Like free bloody birds. And immediately
Rather than words comes the thought of high windows:
The sun-comprehending glass,
And beyond it; the deep blue air, that shows
Nothing, and is nowhere, and is endless.
--Philip Larkin (1974)
And guess he's fucking her and she's
Taking pills or wearing a diaphragm,
I know this is paradise
Everyone old has dreamed all their lives---
Bonds and gestures pushed to one side
Like an outdated combine harvester,
And everyone young going down the long slide
To happiness, endlessly. I wonder if
Anyone looked at me, forty years back,
And thought, That'll be the life;
No God any more, or sweating in the dark
About hell and that, or having to hide
What you think of the priest. He
And his lot will all go down the long slide
Like free bloody birds. And immediately
Rather than words comes the thought of high windows:
The sun-comprehending glass,
And beyond it; the deep blue air, that shows
Nothing, and is nowhere, and is endless.
--Philip Larkin (1974)
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Trip to the antique store
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbb/sets/1672158/
Went to this cool antique store during the holidays and saw everything from a human skull to a Kenny Rogers photo montage.
Went to this cool antique store during the holidays and saw everything from a human skull to a Kenny Rogers photo montage.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
The Bird
For some reason, the Kansas City Star thought it necessary to give us a 1500-word piece on athletes flipping the bird. I can just picture the reporter pitching this to his editor: "Uhhh... I got this great idea about a pressing issue in the world of sports. Steroids? Salary Cap? No, sir. The Bird."
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Signed books
I don't have a scanner, but I do have a digital camera and this weekend I had some time on my hands so I decided to take shots of a few of my signed books. I discovered that many of the books I've had signed were not signed on the title page so that's difficult to communicate in a single photo and some of the signatures are pretty plain and unremarkable. I've got a funny Zadie Smith signature that I can't seem to upload right now, but hopefully soon.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbb/sets/1598639/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbb/sets/1598639/
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
The reading docket
1. I am slowly working my way through Volume 1 of Emma Goldman's "Living My Life," which is incredibly well written and informative. I'm going to start looking for volume 2 soon, but I am taking my time with this one, about one chapter per night.
2. Am also taking my time going through "The Good Earth." I read it a long time ago but had absolutely no perspective on it and couldn't even recall the plot, but now that I am re-reading it I am riveted. This is the Chinese Steinbeck. After I'm finished I might have to sit down and figure out what Buck is saying about contemporary American ethics, especially with respect to investing in real estate.
3. This weekend I passed up the chance to get the hardcover or Audio CD of DFW's "Consider the Lobster" in order to buy something I really wanted to read (for the first time): Jack Finney's sequel to "Time and Again" - "From Time to Time." Written 25 years after the first book, this one follows the adventures of Si Morley as he goes back to 1912 (or forward to 1912 since he is still living in the 1880s) to affect the sinking of the Titanic.
4. Next in the queue: James Magnuson's "The Hounds of Winter" and Steinbeck's "The Long Valley"
5. Books I'm looking to buy: Nathanael West's "The Dream Life of Balso Snell"; Upton Sinclair's "Oil!"; Leon Rooke's "The Beautiful Wife"; and John Hodgman's "The Areas of My Expertise."
2. Am also taking my time going through "The Good Earth." I read it a long time ago but had absolutely no perspective on it and couldn't even recall the plot, but now that I am re-reading it I am riveted. This is the Chinese Steinbeck. After I'm finished I might have to sit down and figure out what Buck is saying about contemporary American ethics, especially with respect to investing in real estate.
3. This weekend I passed up the chance to get the hardcover or Audio CD of DFW's "Consider the Lobster" in order to buy something I really wanted to read (for the first time): Jack Finney's sequel to "Time and Again" - "From Time to Time." Written 25 years after the first book, this one follows the adventures of Si Morley as he goes back to 1912 (or forward to 1912 since he is still living in the 1880s) to affect the sinking of the Titanic.
4. Next in the queue: James Magnuson's "The Hounds of Winter" and Steinbeck's "The Long Valley"
5. Books I'm looking to buy: Nathanael West's "The Dream Life of Balso Snell"; Upton Sinclair's "Oil!"; Leon Rooke's "The Beautiful Wife"; and John Hodgman's "The Areas of My Expertise."
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Wow, a million bucks
This guy who runs the Million Dollar Homepage is actually pretty close to his goal of raising a million bucks. As of right now he's at $828,200. Evidently he got a lot of press in November (including the Wall Street Journal) and the spillover should carry him over the $1M mark. It's obviously a fad marketing scheme, but it's still a pretty impressive accomplishment. What got him going was that the local media in England picked up on the story and he was able to shape that exposure into a snowball of publicity. Obvoius: any revolution in the world will have to use the media.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
new puppy
Here is a picture of our new puppy, Riley. She is a sheltie, eight weeks old, and still learning to pee outside.
All the pictures are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbb/sets/1459664/
Monday, November 21, 2005
finger gash (warning: gross)
I got this new super-sharp vegetable peeler with razorlike teeth and after about ten seconds of use, I promptly cut off a huge chunk of my left index finger. I couldn't get it to stop bleeding (a spouting geyser) so I had to go to the emergency room and have them apply this white goo (liquid stitches). The pain was so intense I nearly passed out, although they did give me a vicodin prescription. I'm having trouble typing today.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
new camera
I'll probably be directing your attention to Flickr a little more frequently since we just got a new Nikon Coolpix 4600.
Here are a few random pictures of the bookshelves:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbb/sets/1405706/
Here are a few random pictures of the bookshelves:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbb/sets/1405706/
Friday, November 11, 2005
On my mind
Books on the nightstand:
- Time and Again by Jack Finney (awesome book about a guy who's selected by a secret government agency to participate in a time-travel experiment which involves him living in the Dakota Apartment building like it's 1882 until suddenly he goes outside one day and it is 1882. Really, this is a cult novel that needs to be revived. Also, it's filled with pseudo-factual photos.)
- Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens (I want to re-read Bleak House, Hard Times, Dombey, Pickwick, everything dude)
- Steinbeck: East of Eden, Travels with Charley, Cannery Row, Cup of Gold all read recently. Next up: Sweet Thursday
- Vegas, by John Gregory Dunne
- Down and Out in Paris and London, by George Orwell
Songs on repeat (feel free to mock, I don't care):
- Telescope Eyes, Eisley (Tyler, Texas: Represent!)
- Sugar Boy, Beth Orton
- Joga, Bjork
- My Doorbell, White Stripes
- I figured you out, Elliott Smith
- generally, Arcade Fire
• Not much to talk about movie-wise. I did see Proof and thought it was OK, but lacked a little of the internal conflict that should be present in the Paltrow character.
• In baseball news, I'm disappointed that Dontrelle Willis didn't win the Cy Young Award. I hope the Yankees get Johnny Damon. They really need mo better pitchers, but Bernie's gone and they just cut Tino so I assume some money will go towards hitters, too.
• Also, as a result of the Orwell and Dickens books I've become mildly obssessed with Britain's pre-decimal currency system (and the slang terms thereof). 1 pound = 240 pennies or 20 shillings. Check out the pictures of the half-crowns, sovereigns, farthings, and florins here.
- Time and Again by Jack Finney (awesome book about a guy who's selected by a secret government agency to participate in a time-travel experiment which involves him living in the Dakota Apartment building like it's 1882 until suddenly he goes outside one day and it is 1882. Really, this is a cult novel that needs to be revived. Also, it's filled with pseudo-factual photos.)
- Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens (I want to re-read Bleak House, Hard Times, Dombey, Pickwick, everything dude)
- Steinbeck: East of Eden, Travels with Charley, Cannery Row, Cup of Gold all read recently. Next up: Sweet Thursday
- Vegas, by John Gregory Dunne
- Down and Out in Paris and London, by George Orwell
Songs on repeat (feel free to mock, I don't care):
- Telescope Eyes, Eisley (Tyler, Texas: Represent!)
- Sugar Boy, Beth Orton
- Joga, Bjork
- My Doorbell, White Stripes
- I figured you out, Elliott Smith
- generally, Arcade Fire
• Not much to talk about movie-wise. I did see Proof and thought it was OK, but lacked a little of the internal conflict that should be present in the Paltrow character.
• In baseball news, I'm disappointed that Dontrelle Willis didn't win the Cy Young Award. I hope the Yankees get Johnny Damon. They really need mo better pitchers, but Bernie's gone and they just cut Tino so I assume some money will go towards hitters, too.
• Also, as a result of the Orwell and Dickens books I've become mildly obssessed with Britain's pre-decimal currency system (and the slang terms thereof). 1 pound = 240 pennies or 20 shillings. Check out the pictures of the half-crowns, sovereigns, farthings, and florins here.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Riley and her littermates
Somewhere in this litter is our new puppy, Riley. We are going to pick her up in two weeks. Right now she lives in Stillwell, Oklahoma. One of the reasons we left New York is that we couldn't have a dog in our apartment building. All that's about to change...
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
1952 Topps
Perusing (part of) the baseball card collection.
the piece de resistance: 1955 Roberto Clemente RC
BOOKS
books recently bought (past 10 days)
Libra - Don Delillo (1st Edition at goodwill!)
East of Eden - John Steinbeck (love it)
Steps - Jerzy Kozinski (like eating razor blades)
The Lower Depths - Maxim Gorky (won't read it, but it was $2 and looks cool on the shelf)
The Journals of Kurt Cobain (interesting for about 15 minutes, also looks cool)
The Prentice Hall Reader (for work)
Leon Rooke - Shakespeare's Dog (I was looking for his new one, but haven't read this classic yet)
Vegas - John Gregory Dunne (really enjoyable, half fiction half non-, awesome cover, 1st ed for $12)
Number9Dream - David Mitchell (love it; reminds me of Murakami, set in Japan, fractured narrative)
In My Life (Vol. 1) - Emma Goldman (can't wait to start it, hope I can find vol 2 someday)
The Commissariat of Enlightenment - Ken Kalfus
Finnegan's Wake - James Joyce (how "difficult" can it be? try solving crossword puzzles blindfolded)
Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell (really great afternoon read, esp. if you like poverty worse than your own)
Jordan also bought some books I will likely read:
BUtterfield 8 - John O'Hara
A Million Little Pieces - James Frey
Wonder When You'll Miss Me - Amanda Davis
Dry - Augusten Burroughs
Also bought:
a new large bookcase (via craigslist)
Thank you, birthday money.
Libra - Don Delillo (1st Edition at goodwill!)
East of Eden - John Steinbeck (love it)
Steps - Jerzy Kozinski (like eating razor blades)
The Lower Depths - Maxim Gorky (won't read it, but it was $2 and looks cool on the shelf)
The Journals of Kurt Cobain (interesting for about 15 minutes, also looks cool)
The Prentice Hall Reader (for work)
Leon Rooke - Shakespeare's Dog (I was looking for his new one, but haven't read this classic yet)
Vegas - John Gregory Dunne (really enjoyable, half fiction half non-, awesome cover, 1st ed for $12)
Number9Dream - David Mitchell (love it; reminds me of Murakami, set in Japan, fractured narrative)
In My Life (Vol. 1) - Emma Goldman (can't wait to start it, hope I can find vol 2 someday)
The Commissariat of Enlightenment - Ken Kalfus
Finnegan's Wake - James Joyce (how "difficult" can it be? try solving crossword puzzles blindfolded)
Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell (really great afternoon read, esp. if you like poverty worse than your own)
Jordan also bought some books I will likely read:
BUtterfield 8 - John O'Hara
A Million Little Pieces - James Frey
Wonder When You'll Miss Me - Amanda Davis
Dry - Augusten Burroughs
Also bought:
a new large bookcase (via craigslist)
Thank you, birthday money.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Newseum
http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/
I love this site. It shows you the front page of about 500 newspapers worldwide, everyday. I look at it almost everyday and I find it to be a more efficient way of seeing what's going on (or what is considered Front Page News) in dozens of American cities than bookmarking individual news sites; and it's more visually appealing than any RSS or News Reader I've seen.
Here are a few observations:
- Europeans put Nobel Prize winners on the front page, Americans don't
- Everyday, somewhere in the world, there is a soccer star on the front page of a newspaper
- Peruvians love to see dead bodies and death and destruction on their front pages
- Finland and Sweden have awesome tabloids
- Japan still has major papers using only black and white ink
I love this site. It shows you the front page of about 500 newspapers worldwide, everyday. I look at it almost everyday and I find it to be a more efficient way of seeing what's going on (or what is considered Front Page News) in dozens of American cities than bookmarking individual news sites; and it's more visually appealing than any RSS or News Reader I've seen.
Here are a few observations:
- Europeans put Nobel Prize winners on the front page, Americans don't
- Everyday, somewhere in the world, there is a soccer star on the front page of a newspaper
- Peruvians love to see dead bodies and death and destruction on their front pages
- Finland and Sweden have awesome tabloids
- Japan still has major papers using only black and white ink
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