The Children Of Actors

dreday: This is water. David Foster Wallace with a nice bit of...

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:08:08 -0400

This is water. David Foster Wallace with a nice bit of visual adornment.

I’ve made it a point to re-read this speech once a year for the last few. I think it’s even more powerful with this very well done visual/audio component. Definitely a must watch.

Valuable Life Lessons

Mon, 06 May 2013 03:12:00 -0400

When I was 3 years old I cut off my cat’s ear with scissors. I actually remember doing this. My intentions weren’t malevolent in the least. The cat simply was the unfortunate victim of me learning in the wrong order about the cutting capabilities of scissors and the tolerance for pain in your standard household feline. Which, by the way, is not very high. The cat was NOT STOKED. Niether was my mom. Or my sister (who claimed, legitimately, more ownership of the cat, seeing as how she was 5 and all).

Since that day I have never once cut off a cat’s ear.

Lesson: Learned.

mrbren: Ship My Pants (by Kmart) In defense of advertising.

Sun, 05 May 2013 00:11:12 -0400

mrbren:

Ship My Pants (by Kmart)

In defense of advertising.

This is smart. Fund this project here so I can get my tires....

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 19:11:33 -0400

This is smart. Fund this project here so I can get my tires. Only a few more days left! Hurry!

theeconomist: KAL’s cartoon: this week, arms.

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:52:30 -0400

theeconomist:

KAL’s cartoon: this week, arms.

Photo

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 02:26:05 -0400

The Ten Year Hoodie

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:44:05 -0400

The Ten Year Hoodie:

I respect this. Want this.

The Physiology Of Foie: Why Foie Gras Is Not Unethical.

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:45:30 -0400

The Physiology Of Foie: Why Foie Gras Is Not Unethical.:

Ducks, on the other hand, have completely independent tracheas and esophagi. Their esophagus goes straight from the mouth to the crop, while the trachea runs from the lungs and out the end of the tongue. That’s right: Ducks breathe through their tongues. The cartilage that surrounds their trachea (called the tracheal ring) is also a complete circle, as opposed to ours, which is C-shaped, making their trachea much sturdier and less prone to collapse. What this means is that you can place a feeding tube in a ducks throat, and it can sit there indefinitely, neither gagging, nor suffocating.

On sandals:

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 17:04:00 -0500

They’re a rare combined affront to both fashion and function. It’s an ugly way to ensure that you can’t run when you need to or not bleed everywhere if you accidentally step on broken glass. Like they’re fine in the shower at the gym, but outside of instances like that, it’s a lazy man’s footwear. Sandals are sweatpants for feet. I don’t like sweatpants either.

“I want to lure people into the kitchen with the promise of pleasure, and not because...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 04:00:01 -0500

“I want to lure people into the kitchen with the promise of pleasure, and not because it’s an obligation or something you “should” do. I happen to believe cooking is as interesting as watching TV or being on the computer, which is what people seem to be doing with the time they “save” by not cooking. Cooking isn’t drudgery. It takes real mental engagement; it offers sensual pleasures; it’s very enriching to cook.” - Michael Pollan in the recent issue of Lucky Peach.

My thoughts. Exactly.

"Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games."

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:37:13 -0500

“Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games.”

- Babe Ruth (via rulesformyunbornson)

Reality TV vs Ted Talks

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:16:00 -0500

I listened to an interview with the comedian Nick Kroll tonight, and the topic of trashy reality television was brought up. Nick’s new show on Comedy Central relies heavily on satirizing reality tv, and so the interviewer asked if Nick watches a lot of said tv. And he admitted that yeah, he did. He qualified it by saying he generally watches tv in 10 minute increments, so he doesn’t get necessarily get emotionally pulled into the shows as much as just surveys the landscape, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s not the point. The point is, there is shitty tv out there, objectively trashy, worthless, base, just horrible television, and yet, here is a successful comedian with two shows on tv and a vibrant, very productive career who is admitting to not only watching trash but using it as an inspiration.

This made me realize that I, and maybe we as a culture, are far too concerned about what we take in, when in reality what matters is what you do with it. I mean, who gives a shit how many Ted talks I’ve watched if I just sit here and do nothing? What does the legitimacy of my Netflix queue mean if all I do is watch Netflix? Meanwhile, Nick Kroll watched the goddamned E! network and some shit on Bravo and he has a show now. A show he wrote. Which is arduous and difficult and takes real skill.

Remember when we learned what Micheal Phelps ate for breakfast? It was like ten thousand calories of just carb heavy, sugar ridden junk. But guess what, he turned those chocolate chip pancakes into gold medals.

I think the inactive spend way too much time obsessing over exactly what they are consuming, while the active are too busy making stuff to worry about the legitimacy of the source. I bet a good indicator of general unproductiveness is to see just how closely you’re concerned with consumption.

"49ers wide receiver Randy Moss reportedly told his teammates that they are in New Orleans on a..."

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:32:37 -0500

“49ers wide receiver Randy Moss reportedly told his teammates that they are in New Orleans on a business trip and that they are not there to have fun. Then he went back to his job catching a ball for money.”

- Jimmy Fallon does good sometimes.

"In the merger between domestic and international markets, it’s very important to focus on..."

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:31:18 -0500

“In the merger between domestic and international markets, it’s very important to focus on sustained growth while also keeping an eye on the bottom line. Principal investors also need to be willing to ride the ups and downs of the market rather than trying to quickly maximize yield.”

- Today at work I started a game where the point was to talk in incredibly sexually explicit business speak. The above was my favorite. Though there was some great talk about spreadsheets.

Bottle Rocket is on Netflix.

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 01:48:46 -0500

Bottle Rocket is on Netflix.

theatlanticvideo: Beautiful but Terrifying: Kayaking Over a...

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:22:00 -0500

theatlanticvideo:

Beautiful but Terrifying: Kayaking Over a Waterfall

Trekking through the Tlapocayan jungle in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, seven men from Forge Motion Pictures brave bugs and inclement weather to capture water in its most natural, most treacherous state: the waterfall.

I saw this last night. It was a good movie. More blood than I...

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 10:47:39 -0500

I saw this last night. It was a good movie. More blood than I normally go for in a film, but it was funny enough to counter it. Like adding extra sugar to a really bitter dish. You should see it.

Ryan Adams - Dear Chicago One of those songs that resurfaces...

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:04:00 -0500

Ryan Adams - Dear Chicago

One of those songs that resurfaces every now and again where when I hear it I say something like, “Oh, this is the best song ever!” and turn it up, and then somewhere in the second verse when I’ve settled back down and am quietly listening it hits me that, yeah, maybe I was right.

Mexican markets are the best markets

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:15:00 -0500

I mean, just look at this place. It’s less than half the price of Whole Foods, there’s a whole wall of cheap dried chiles and spices, amazing music is playing, and there are pinatas everywhere.

Oh, and if you get hungry you can just stop shopping and buy incredible tacos for like almost no money. Served on tortillas made in house (I can’t not stop at anything claiming to be a tortilleria), I spent just $5.50 on three tacos, including an al pastor taco that may have been the best of that type I’d ever had, and a house-made guava agua fresca.

I walked around this place marveling at the selection for a solid hour. You know those girls that love to just spend all day in the mall looking at clothes? I’m basically that when I’m at a Mexican market. But how could I not admire the house made crema and carne seca, the array of fresh sweet and savory breads (I bought churros!), herbs like epizote and hoja santa that you can’t find anywhere else, AND chickens with their feet and heads still attached?!!! I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do with chicken heads but I can’t wait to go buy some.

My cashier was from the Mexican state of Michoacán, which according to her, and I don’t doubt whatsoever, has incredible moles.

I bought a bunch of tamarind pods and am going to make an agua fresca to use in cocktails.

I need to move to Mexico.

It’s obviously immediately polarizing to post a video...

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:54:09 -0500

It’s obviously immediately polarizing to post a video op-ed by John Stewart, but it’s a good enough sermon that it’s still worth it even if only the choir chooses to listen.