Mardi Gras

1) I love this song but would it be a hit now? It is more than a little creepy.



Speaking of creepy in a violence against women way, did you see what Chris Brown's opening line on his Rihanna re-mix. Gawker has a post about it.

He is so very classy. His Twitter feed is awesome. His beef with Andy Levy is even better.

2) FAU has complained about The Hunger Games visibility in the past and I am going to complain about another pop culture phenomena that is over exposed: Downton Abbey.

Vulture (which I love) has a piece a day, and yesterday's piece was "Why It Doesn't Matter That the Second Season of Downton Abbey Was Mediocre" but they are still going to talk about why this soap opera (which I did try to embrace) is wonderful.

No. It is not. Objectively, it is bad art. I am not saying that the people who enjoy it are lesser for it (out loud) but I am saying that the people who wholeheartedly support it (loudly) are missing something. (Looking at you, Most Media Bloggers!)

This is not a cause for me, nor am I doing this as a way to slag the fans of the show...I just do not understand it and the love for it.

When even the Guardian was saying after the second series (and it is series, not season. STOP DOING THAT!) that it was awful, why did the nattering and chattering classes (especially here) still love this show?

3) It is a quite a week for birthdays. Yesterday would have been Kurdt Cobain's forty fifth birthday and today would have been David Foster Wallace's fiftieth.

In honor of DFW's 50th, The Awl has provided 46 Things to Read and See for DFW's 50th Birthday. I have read and seen most of these and I do have to make the suggestion that if you have not read DFW, you take the time to do it. He will, if not change your life, challenge your suppositions, which is what an author is supposed to do. (See what I did there?)

I think I may spend the evening listening to Nevermind and reading a collection of DFW's short non-fiction.

4) Did you watch Maddow last night?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Did you see the stuff about Frank VanderSloot? Amazing, was it not?

It does make me think of someone saying, "Pay no attention to the man behind the money curtain. Pay not attention! I will use my attorneys if you pay attention!"

5) It is Mardi Gras!

Here are your beads!

You know what to do!

(It's okay. It really is okay. You will have all of Lent to feel guilty about it.)

An aside:

Last week, I was on the bus headed east on Western Avenue, and the two high school aged people sitting behind me were having a loud conversation.

(Passing a Lutheran Church)

She: What is Ash Wednesday?
He: (Authoritatively) It has something to do with the Jews.
Me: (weeps silently)