FPR just sent himself a care package as part of the Care Package Project.
I would send myself, 15 years old in 1983, the following:
Book: The Moon and Sixpence, because it will inspire me to start painting at a much younger age.
Album (on vinyl or cassette tape): The Velvet Underground and Nico, because it is simply the greatest rock and roll album ever made.
Movie: Dr. Strangelove, because it will turn me on to the work of Stanley Kubrick and perhaps inspire me to go into filmmaking.
I would find a VHS copy of Strangelove, if one exists, obviously, because DVD players, like CD players, will not exist.
The note I will send to myself:
"Fuck politics, pick up the paintbrush. You will be happier in the long run."
Friday, April 16, 2010
Elizabeth's Care Package
Gluten-Free Baking 101: Care Package to a Fifteen-Year-Old Me
Elizabeth wrote her letter to her fifteen year old self.
It is touching.
Elizabeth wrote her letter to her fifteen year old self.
It is touching.
As Bad As A Film Can Get
Last week, someone and I were talking about bad films and sexbots (yes, I had this conversation, and no, I do not remember with whom I had it) and I mentioned Cherry 2000, as it is one of my favorite bad films.
The person I was with had never heard of this film, and rightfully so...it is that bad...but...everyone should watch it at least once because it is decent art. (Much like Hell Comes to Frogtown.)
Anyway...
I check Hulu to see what is in my queue and guess what they added?
Cherry Frakin' 2000!!!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
For those of you who missed it.
This was my moment of Zen.
Rachel and Jon should have a show together. Maybe a stand-up tour.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Rachel Maddow | ||||
| ||||
Rachel and Jon should have a show together. Maybe a stand-up tour.
An Outside Observer's Top 5 Singles
So I am a little behind....(and as an aside, even with the prep that this was coming, when I saw "The Singles Project" I thought it was going to be some sort of dating endeavor.)
Indigo Girls - Left Me a Fool - I always liked the tune as just a standard backgroud-noise ballad. A couple years ago I was dating someone who thought our relationship should be a secret; I would cause him great embarassment. Several lines in the song caught me at the time as particularly relevant, and it was the first time that I found myself really identifying with a song. It described my life and feelings perfectly. I found it resonating again recently as I thought of people who seem to have so much on the surface, and when you reach inside them, you find they are completely hollow.
John Cafferty - Heart's On Fire - Because no matter how tired / bored / cranky / slow / fat / generally malcontent I am, a little burst of Rokcy picks up my workout. I want to write an iPhone app so that I can have a little bout of Rocky with one click when I need it.
Keb' Mo' - One Friend - It's a simple melody and a simple message, without being trite or predictable. I can sing along with every word and think of a different friend each time.
Aaron Tippin - Kiss This - It's trite and trashy and I love it.
Indigo Girls - I'll Change - Relatively new in the rotation. Just resonates with me and reminds me of an old friend that I haven't treated particularly well over the years. Never been purposely bad to him, but through my ups and downs in life I've dropped him and ignored him when I didn't want to admit to things. He's always there when I bounce back, and he's always deserved better.
Indigo Girls - Left Me a Fool - I always liked the tune as just a standard backgroud-noise ballad. A couple years ago I was dating someone who thought our relationship should be a secret; I would cause him great embarassment. Several lines in the song caught me at the time as particularly relevant, and it was the first time that I found myself really identifying with a song. It described my life and feelings perfectly. I found it resonating again recently as I thought of people who seem to have so much on the surface, and when you reach inside them, you find they are completely hollow.
John Cafferty - Heart's On Fire - Because no matter how tired / bored / cranky / slow / fat / generally malcontent I am, a little burst of Rokcy picks up my workout. I want to write an iPhone app so that I can have a little bout of Rocky with one click when I need it.
Keb' Mo' - One Friend - It's a simple melody and a simple message, without being trite or predictable. I can sing along with every word and think of a different friend each time.
Aaron Tippin - Kiss This - It's trite and trashy and I love it.
Indigo Girls - I'll Change - Relatively new in the rotation. Just resonates with me and reminds me of an old friend that I haven't treated particularly well over the years. Never been purposely bad to him, but through my ups and downs in life I've dropped him and ignored him when I didn't want to admit to things. He's always there when I bounce back, and he's always deserved better.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Double Down
The KFC Double Down
While at dinner last week with a fellow vegetarian (who is not nearly as bad as I am), I mentioned that I was curious about trying the above. She gave me a look as if it were made of babies.
Quickly, I came to my senses, but then while having lunch with a friend on Saturday, I mentioned it again, and he said, "Oh! Me too!" with a gleeful yet naughty look on his face.
I haven't tried it yet, and the likelihood that I will actually eat it is almost nil, but I am impressed by it. Something that is so bad for you has started conversations about well...American obesity in a way that Jamie Oliver is jealous of.
There are reviews popping up today (and yesterday) about people who tried this monstrosity.
Here are my two favorites:
The Awl: The Definitive Review
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me: We Eat The KFC Double Down and Live to Tell About It (But it's only been 15 minutes)
Clean Plate Charlie: "I Ate the KFC Double Down" and 25 Other Reasons to Hate Myself.
While at dinner last week with a fellow vegetarian (who is not nearly as bad as I am), I mentioned that I was curious about trying the above. She gave me a look as if it were made of babies.
Quickly, I came to my senses, but then while having lunch with a friend on Saturday, I mentioned it again, and he said, "Oh! Me too!" with a gleeful yet naughty look on his face.
I haven't tried it yet, and the likelihood that I will actually eat it is almost nil, but I am impressed by it. Something that is so bad for you has started conversations about well...American obesity in a way that Jamie Oliver is jealous of.
There are reviews popping up today (and yesterday) about people who tried this monstrosity.
Here are my two favorites:
The Awl: The Definitive Review
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me: We Eat The KFC Double Down and Live to Tell About It (But it's only been 15 minutes)
Clean Plate Charlie: "I Ate the KFC Double Down" and 25 Other Reasons to Hate Myself.
Dreams
I had an odd dream last night.
Odd for a couple of reasons; It was not erotic in any way and it was not terrifying. That's how my subconscious works, bouncing back and forth between sex and fear.
Anyway...
In this dream, I had conflated to women from my past and they (as one person) were living in suburban bliss (which is something that I would never wish on either of them) and talking about all things suburban. In the dream, while we were having coffee, I kept wanting to yell at them, "This isn't what you wanted," but I every time I tried, it just didn't work.
After that, I woke up, with music from RENT in my head, so...something happened.
Odd for a couple of reasons; It was not erotic in any way and it was not terrifying. That's how my subconscious works, bouncing back and forth between sex and fear.
Anyway...
In this dream, I had conflated to women from my past and they (as one person) were living in suburban bliss (which is something that I would never wish on either of them) and talking about all things suburban. In the dream, while we were having coffee, I kept wanting to yell at them, "This isn't what you wanted," but I every time I tried, it just didn't work.
After that, I woke up, with music from RENT in my head, so...something happened.
Tuesday's Earworm
Yes, it's sappy. Yes, it's from RENT. Yes, I kinda suck.
I have no clue why this song was in my head when I woke up, but it was...
The Economic Catastrophe in the Style of the Producers
Bet Against The American Dream from Planet Money on Vimeo.
Via NPR's Planet Money by way of This American Life.
Listening to TAL while doing chores this morning, led me to hear this and I laughed out loud.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Earworm Part Deux
As I saw @PVH1976 apply makeup while in the hospital, I had to start singing this song...to myself and out loud.
Something about a topical earworm that is awesome.
Cake or Death?
Yesterday because we were bored (I mean, what is there really to do in a hospital aside from playing cards and well...trying not to die), I introduced @PVH1976 to Eddie Izzard(Yes, I realize the joke of linking to his Wikipedia profile.). She did laugh, but I made the mistake of starting with Stripped and not his earlier shows. He is too self referential to come late to the party.
Sunday's (and Monday's) Earworm
Yes, specifically this version. @PVH1976 and I were watching this while just chilling at the hospital on Friday and for some odd and awful reason, it popped into my head yesterday morning. It had continued to haunt me...like three day old sushi.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Introducting the Care Package Project
The Care Package Project
Here is the deal…
You need to send a care package back through time to your fifteen year old self. Why fifteen? Because it is the first time when you are not quite a kid, but not quite an adult and it is an awful transition point for a lot of people. You would like to be able to help fifteen year old you, right?
In the care package, you have to put in a book, a CD and a DVD, and a brief note explaining why you are sending it back to younger you.
Here is the caveat: Because the way time travel works, only one copy of any object can exist in the past, meaning that if someone else chooses to send something back first, you can not send that back, but you can ask your former you to track down the other former person and ask to borrow the piece of media.
Without further ado:
Dear 15 Year Old Me,
Here are some gifts from the future. I cannot tell you about the future as that would violate the rules, but I can send you some things. I will give you a piece of advice though; the word Google will dominate your future.
It being 1989, let me tell you, stay away from acid washed jeans…just…yeah.
The Book: Sophie’s World
You, son, need a good mystery novel in your life, and at this point, you need a good primer in philosophy (you don’t need to know why now) and it will help you understand some of the choices that you will make going forward, as well as become one of your favorite books, and you will meet some amazing women who love this book as well. Yes, they are amazing, but they may or may not be sane.
The CD: Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
In the future, you will be quoted as saying that you want to live your life like an indie rock love song (you will figure out what indie rock is in about five years, don’t worry). One of the songs on this album is the reason for that quote. All the things you are looking for from music are on this album and…more importantly, girls will like it.
The DVD: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
You are going to make a lot of interesting choices regarding women. Frak that…you already have, and you will continue to do so. The point of this movie is that we need to own our choices, and I am not asking you to feel guilt about your future choices, because, I know you well enough to know that you don’t already feel much guilt (outwardly, you will still be dealing with the voices at 3 AM in the future) but understand that the choices that you make frame your future in a way that may be painful but is also amazing. Plus, it stars the white guy from “In Living Color”.
Anyway, 15 year old me, enjoy yourself, watch The Simpsons, and don’t stop running when you move to New York…trust me.
Love you, past me and you have an interesting future ahead of you,
Future Me.
Here is the deal…
You need to send a care package back through time to your fifteen year old self. Why fifteen? Because it is the first time when you are not quite a kid, but not quite an adult and it is an awful transition point for a lot of people. You would like to be able to help fifteen year old you, right?
In the care package, you have to put in a book, a CD and a DVD, and a brief note explaining why you are sending it back to younger you.
Here is the caveat: Because the way time travel works, only one copy of any object can exist in the past, meaning that if someone else chooses to send something back first, you can not send that back, but you can ask your former you to track down the other former person and ask to borrow the piece of media.
Without further ado:
Dear 15 Year Old Me,
Here are some gifts from the future. I cannot tell you about the future as that would violate the rules, but I can send you some things. I will give you a piece of advice though; the word Google will dominate your future.
It being 1989, let me tell you, stay away from acid washed jeans…just…yeah.
The Book: Sophie’s World
You, son, need a good mystery novel in your life, and at this point, you need a good primer in philosophy (you don’t need to know why now) and it will help you understand some of the choices that you will make going forward, as well as become one of your favorite books, and you will meet some amazing women who love this book as well. Yes, they are amazing, but they may or may not be sane.
The CD: Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
In the future, you will be quoted as saying that you want to live your life like an indie rock love song (you will figure out what indie rock is in about five years, don’t worry). One of the songs on this album is the reason for that quote. All the things you are looking for from music are on this album and…more importantly, girls will like it.
The DVD: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
You are going to make a lot of interesting choices regarding women. Frak that…you already have, and you will continue to do so. The point of this movie is that we need to own our choices, and I am not asking you to feel guilt about your future choices, because, I know you well enough to know that you don’t already feel much guilt (outwardly, you will still be dealing with the voices at 3 AM in the future) but understand that the choices that you make frame your future in a way that may be painful but is also amazing. Plus, it stars the white guy from “In Living Color”.
Anyway, 15 year old me, enjoy yourself, watch The Simpsons, and don’t stop running when you move to New York…trust me.
Love you, past me and you have an interesting future ahead of you,
Future Me.
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