Kung Fu Baby!

I don't know why I haven't posted this before, since it's my number one favorite youtube video. I think I've watched this 50 or more times, and I always laugh.

Japanese Cuteness.

The Japanese are way ahead of the U.S. in cuteness technology. Here's a recent example from their top cute scientists.

Great Men Doing Important Things.

While you abuse prescription drugs and play Wii Golf games, heroes out there are doing cool things that you could only dream about, and then posting them on the web.

From the Wooster Collective comes this collection- ever growing- of customized Big Boys. Beautifully done, and this idea is something I never would have thought of in a thousand years. Read about Dave Silva and be humbled.

Click and get a larger copy of the pic, or better yet, go read about his project.

I Laughed and Laughed.

I don't know who made this, but if the creator is out there, I just want them to know I think that this is pretty special. Click for biggification.

The Shadow of a Trump Tower May Darken Seattle.

Billionaire asshole Donald Trump is eyeing Seattle for one of his hideous termite mounds. This is honestly the last thing Seattle needs. The real estate market is already badly inflated by the greedy realtors and developers, and they're charging Trump-like rates for some of the ugliest, most poorly constructed condos and homes the free world has ever seen. Little drywall boxes idiotically built 10 feet apart with picture windows that look directly into other picture windows. Tear down one house and build 4 on the modest lot where it once stood.

Maybe Trump is just the kind of black mold Seattle deserves. It's a small town with big city aspirations that it simply cannot support, so to have a man famous for selling the sizzle of the steak come to build one of his monster castles here makes perfect sense in a way. Time to move...

Sad News Indeed. "Larry 'Bud' Melman" dies at 85.

Calvert DeForest, the fella who portrayed the affably befogged Larry "Bud" Melman on the NBC David Letterman show years ago has passed away. His was the first face one saw on the old Letterman show, and he became a beloved icon of the 80's through his appearances there.

One of the greatest "found object" comedy stars of the age, he hasn't made many public appearances in many years, possibly due to health issues. He will have no funeral service, leaves no survivors, and just like that he is gone.

Toast will be served at half mast on their sticks today in his honor.

Obit.
UPDATE!!: A bunch of clips of Calvert in action, most of them classic old Letterman show bits.

Before You Enlist

I talked to a friend of mine last night who told me about a friend of his who had just enlisted in the Marine Corps, hungry to "protect our freedom". I wish he'd seen this before signing on.

Letting go of the for/against war debate for the moment, just focus on the way the US forces are being lied to and misused, and the terrible way the Bush regime is treating them during and after their enlistment. That just makes me feel so pissed off.

Let the men and women who have served tell it. Watch this video.

Where's My Super Suit?

Which Incredibles Character Are You?

Take this quiz and get to know your super self.

BONUS: Here's a really swell Japanese video an Incredibles-themed excercise program.

I Find Your Wack Of Faif Disturbing.

From here.

A Hard Day's Night of the Living Dead.

I know it was on Boing Boing, but it's so good I couldn't resist posting it here too. A work of sublime genius.

Stuart Rosenberg, 1927-2007

Film director Stuart Rosenberg has died at the age of 79. He was the director responsible for one of my very favorite movies, the eminently quotable Cool Hand Luke, starring Paul Newman, Strother Martin and George Kennedy. Six Oscar nominations, including a win for Kennedy and a best actor shot for Newman. Rosenberg lost out to Mike Nichols, winning for The Graduate. No shame in that.

If you haven't seen this movie, you've certainly heard selected dialog in everything from Guns & Roses' "Civil War" to episodes of The Simpsons. It's prison road gang picture about an indefatigable repeat misdemeanor offendor (Newman/Luke) who runs afoul of a prison warden (Martin) that might be more than he can handle. It's also famous for the spectacular egg eating contest in the prison barracks that for some reason always inspires me to make egg salad sandwiches.* If you haven't seen it, I'm sure you'll like it.

Did you know that Cool Hand Luke is one of the films protected and preserved in the National Film Registry? Why would I lie about something like that?

Mr. Rosenburg also directed The Amityville Horror, The Pope of Greenwich Village and the excellent The Drowning Pool, among other films. He did a fair amount of classic television too, working on shows like The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Thanks for the great work, Mr. Rosenberg.

Cool Hand Wiki.


*- with a little bit of celery salt 'cause I'm like that.

You Have To Watch This.

Ricky Gervais on Comic Relief 2007 Red Nose Day.

Another Use For Your Money

Money Origami! Dozens of nice examples here.

Pet Food Recall.

There was a pet food recall over the weekend, with some surprising brands named among the affected. Mostly store brands, and el cheapo brands, but -hey!- what's IAMS doing there? Not cheap, and supposedly made from higher quality horse than other brands, and yet here it is, on the shit list of cat and dog sawdust filling. Other surprises include Nutri-Plan, Eukanuba and Pet Pride. I'll read those ingredients carefully from now on. And Tommy won't eat the IAMS slop anyway. I don't know a cat who will eat it.

The most complete list of affected brands you'll see anywhere. Check for your cat or dog's brand:

Cat Foods Recalled:

Americas Choice, Animal Riot, Authority, Ash Dinner, Best Choice, Big Stephanie, Companion, Compliments, Demoulas Market Basket, Dumpster D'oeuvres, El Diablo, Et Tu Kittay, Eukanuba, Fine Feline Cat, Food Lion, Foodtown, Giant, Grandma Quality, Hell Is Other Cats Premium, Hannaford, Hill country Fare, Honky’s Choice, Hy-Vee, Iams, Key Food, Laura Lynn, Longtime Companion, Li'l Red, Loving Meals, Lucky Break, Main Choice, Mouse Massacre, Mr. E. Meat’s, Mr. Spock, Nostradamus Farms, Nutriplan, Nutro Max Gourmet Classics, My True Friend, Nutro Natural Choice, Paws, Pet Pride, Preferred Pets, Presidents Choice, Price Chopper, Priority, Pitiful Meat Mulch, Save-A-Lot, Schnucks, Schmucks, Second Choice, Sophisticat, Special Kitty Canada, Special Kitty US, Springfield Prize, Sprout, Tony Hawk’s Extremely Moist Kitty Envelopes, Total Pet, Vigoro Cat Growth Formula, Wegmans, Western Family, White Rose, Winn Dixie, You’ll Eat It And Like It, Zee Grade

Dog Foods Recalled:

Americas Choice, Attack Dog!, Authority, Award, Barn Mishap, Best Choice, Big Bet, Big Red, Bloom, Bruiser, The Butler Did It, Cadillac, Childless Couples’ Choice, Companion, Crazy Train, Demoulas Market Basket, Dog Gone, Dynamite Dog, Eukanuba, Food Lion, Giant Companion, Great Choice, Hannaford, Hill Country Fare, Hy-Vee, Iams. Key Food, Krime Scene, Krispy Kreme Kanine, Laura Lynn, Loving Meals, Main Choice, Mixables, Mustard Sisters, Napolean Junior, No Fleas On Me, Nutriplan, Nutro Max, Nutro Natural Choice, Nutro, Ol'Roy, Old Yeller Flavored Dog Meal, Paws, Penthouse Pet, Pet Essentials, Pet Pride - Good 'n Meaty, Preferred Pets, Presidents Choice, Price Chopper, Priority, Publix, Rin Din Din, Roche Bros, Save-A-Lot, Schnucks, See Spot Eat, Shep Dog, Springsfield Prize, Senor Dog’s Pre-Poop, Sprout, Starter Bros, Total Pet, My True Friend, Western Family, White Rose, Winn Dixie, You're The Man Now Dog Food, Your Pet, Zoophiliac’s Command

Images via here and here.

Update: Victoriaipb, pet lover and blog visitor left these links in an excellent, heartfelt comment (comments section) and I thought it would be easier to make them live hotlinks on the main page.
Information about pet foods in general here,
Information about this recall here.

I'm still really pissed about this whole thing, and it makes sense that we animal people educate ourselves, since the food companies don't seem to care as much as we once thought they did.

UPDATE: 4/03/07
Here's the link that I should have gone to in the first place. The recall list keeps growing, but the root of the problem- Menu Foods- has been keeping a list of ALL of the dog and cat food products affected on their website. These are the links to bookmark, pet people.

Link for Cat Foods Recalled.
Link for Dog Foods Recalled.

New Update: 4/28/07- Still MORE brands added to the list more than a month later. Here is a link.
here

Automatic Shakespeare is Coming.

Automatic Shakespeare image above © Tom Dougherty 2007

Details coming soon about this slightly interactive project we can all contribute to together.