Conversations with Mo: A Play in One Act

Welcome to the cool side of the pillow

via the made of awesome Glark

Viva La Pop - your Top 25 of 2008

DJ Earworm via Neatorama

A year passes by so quickly

One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.

via Neatorama

Happy New Year!

I don't know what your plans are, but I'm going to whatever party this guy is attending.

credit: Luis Robayo via AFP/Getty Images via io9

17 days ...

nerdgod via io9

That's not a moon. It's a space station.

This movie shows Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon, as it ducks behind the giant planet. Astronomers combined a series of images taken with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 aboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to make the 18-second movie. The 540 movie frames were created from Hubble images taken over a two-hour period on April 9, 2007.

Credit: NASA, ESA, E. Karkoschka (University of Arizona), and G. Bacon (STScI)

A galaxy of other amazing images can be found at the Hubble site's gallery.

via io9

UPDATED - Can. Not. Wait!!! Part Eleventy

UPDATE - I have received intelligence that the first 2 episodes are brain bleedingly awesome.

SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Lost returns January 21. Squeeeeeee!

Tip o' the hat to T at Tubular.

Crush your enemies, drive them before you, and hear the lamentations of the women

At a loss for New Year's plans?  It's not too late to get yourself to Western New York for the Ransomville Speedway's Hangover 150.


It's a day of true stock car racing ... which from what I can tell, eventually devolves into a demolition derby.

Of course, this is my only point of reference for demolition derby.  I imagine the Hangover 150 will be a lot like this.



While you're there, do be sure to cheer on the io9 Apocalypsemobile.

I can see clearly now

My goal for this New Year's week is to clean my flat top to bottom.  Not company clean, for reals clean.  Closets will be cleaned out, cabinets will be emptied ... baseboards will be wiped down, people.

If during your winter's cleaning you come across any old eyeglasses (or non prescription sunglasses) you can donate them to the Lion's Club.  Your specs will then be distributed to people in need.  A stranger will be able to see ... and hopefully won't judge you overly much for your hideous fashion sense.  Just keep telling yourself those giant 80's frames were actually in style once. 

I only wish I was this cool

My feelings on the band Rush are well documented (they are the suck).  But when their music is played by a 13 year old Japanese girl called Sara, it becomes the awesome.


via videosift.com



via Neatorama

Issue No. 1 - WRONG! Issue No. 2 - WRONG! Issue No. 3 - WRONG!

I spent this past Christmas week at my parents' house.  I had a lovely time, but my folks live in a pretty conservative area.  It's more challenging than you might think for them to get unfiltered news from the outside world.

(They don't have cable.  Yes, I am my father's daughter.)

For example, The Chris Matthews Show is aired at 6:00 am on Saturday mornings.  Other Sunday political shows, like This Week with George Stephanopoulos and Meet the Press, are regularly interrupted.  The local affiliate will cut away to a commercial mid-sentence, usually when the guest or panelist is offering an opinion counter to the views of the station.  Presumably, the stations are just trying to protect their audience's delicate sensibilities.

It's appalling, but I tell you all this really just as an excuse to post this clip. 

Watch more SpikedHumor videos on AOL Video

Star Wars - Episode IV: What the Frak????

I hope you've recovered sufficiently from my earlier Star Wars post. Because this is only slightly easier to watch. Although I can't really hate. I loved this show back in the day. 

You know you're going to sing along with the song at the end.  No?  Just me?  



via io9

Your word of the day - Siphonophore

Siphonophore - a colony of numerous individual jellyfish-like animals that behave and function together as a single entity.

Source via Neatorama

UPDATED Eartha Kitt : C'est si bon indeed.

Tip o' the hat the Maggie!

And the terrible Eddie Murphy movie you were thinking of was Boomerang.

We're the princes of the universe

Hey, what are you doing here?  You're missing the SciFi Channel's day long Highlander marathon.

There can be only one.

You are allowed to take a break at 6:00 pm.  That's when they'll be showing the terrible, horrible, never released, straight to DVD Highlander: The Source.  

*shudder*

Thanks io9!

rrrrrrrRIP Eartha Kitt: January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008

"The most exciting woman in the world".   

That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown

Thundercats! HO!

Eventually, the pillagers of my childhood will get around to making a live action Thundercats movie. And when they do, it will never in elenventymillion years be as good as this fake!Thundercats trailer.  I'm already standing in line for that movie.

Did I say that was a tree?

It's a major award!

Take THAT Putin!

Helllloooo Mr. President-elect!

via The Huffington Post

Please Fox, pleasepleasepleaseplease don't kill this show

Fox has a history of killing my shows (Firefly, Arrested Development, Wonderfalls).  And they have a history of jacking with Joss Whedon.  And the buzz on this show has been ... troubling ... to say the least.

So please, Fox.  Please.  Think of me.  Think of the children.  And give Dollhouse a chance to find its legs. Because based just on this little teaser, originally posted by Michael Ausiello at EW, I really want this show to last more than 3 episodes.  I want to know what happens next.  

And having Helo on my teevee twice weekly isn't such a bad thing either.

via Therese at Tubular

A Very Supernatural Christmas - I didn't know they were chick presents

Why do they always invade at Christmas?

Lindsey Testolin, you and your Dalekbaum win at life! I salute you.

Flickr via io9

Sci Fi Passings

Daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, and Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed.

Rip: 'First Lady Of Star Trek ,' Majel Roddenberry, Dead At 76

When am I - Lost!

Only a month to go until Lost returns! SQUEEEE!

ABC has released another teaser promo. Can. Not. Wait.



Dark UFO has the reversed audio, and it's a man saying, "When am I?"

EEEEEEEEP!!!!!

If you need to get caught up, here's Seasons 1-3 in 8:15

In Season 4, they called the boat, bad things happened, Michael, Rousseau, Carl, and Alex died (damn you Steamy Keamey!), Claire and Jin maybe died, Locke has always been special, Penneh is Desmond's constant, Des is Manson Lamp's constant, Jack, Kate, Sun, Sayid, Hurley, and Aaron are the Oceanic 6, Ben moved the Island, very bad things are going to happen, and they all HAVE TO GO BAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!

Sorry, T.  Jin is totes dead.

If you aren't already you should be reading Therese's fantabulous Lost recaps at the Houston Chronicle.  She's funny and snarky and brings wonderful insight and analysis to the story and mytharc, and helps makes sense of all the symbols and references that Team Darlton throw at us.

There's also a delightful group of regular commenters (hey y'all!) who weigh in each week with their thoughts and opinions.  As it is here, it's a mostly spoiler free zone over there, so play nice and when in doubt, don't.

Oh, and did I mention that Therese also hosts a live online chat each Friday lunchtime to further dissect the previous evening's epi?  Not that I have ever taken time out of my busy workday to participate.  

UPDATE: She's also been cited on Wikipedia.  T has reached nerd nirvana as far as I'm concerned.

Don't forget to ask who Christian is.

The Office UK Christmas Special - Never give up

One size does not fit all

Nineteen episode of Square Pegs are available now on hulu.com (sadly, only for users in the US. I know, these effers need to get with the program already. Spread the love. Go global).

I fear that the actual show won't live up to my memories of it. As happened with a failed revisiting of Land of the Lost. Wow was that show terrible. It did not take much to impress me when I was 7. Although the sleestaks still freak me right the hell out.

Look into pants!

The Fug Girls have been reading US magazine so I don't have to anymore.

Fug Girls: Ten Things We Learned From Celeb Fashion in 2008 -- The Cut: New York Magazine's Fashion Blog

And if we're talking about lessons learned, there is no better teacher than Alexis Morell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan.

Have fun storming the castle!

So, Star Wars is awesome. And The Princess Bride is awesome. What happens when you put the two things together?

Behold!  Awesometoast!



GINORMOUS tip o' the hat to Tortiegirl!!

Hey! Ginger! Shut the Fook up!

This 2006 article from the Washington Post describes how this wondrous bit of holiday nuttiness came to be.

What do you do if you're really sick?

I'm still pretty psyched that wax|wendy has gone global. This morning Ms. Constantine (Antipodes, represent!) posted this comment regarding my quest for a doctor:

I'm a bit surprised if I ring my doctor in town in the morning and can't get an appointment for the next day at the latest. Usually if I ring in the morning I can get an appointment in the afternoon.

But then I live in New Zealand, there are constant news stories about a lack of doctors but it sounds like we are doing well compared.

What do you do if you're really sick?

That is an excellent question.  And it's part of what prompted me to finally get a GP.  Two events occurred in close succession back in the spring.  First, I fell on my knee and bruised it quite badly.  It was hugely swollen, and I really thought I might have fractured the knee cap.   Then,  a few weeks later, I developed an ear infection.  In both cases, my initial reaction was "Shit!  What do I do?!  What do I do?!".

With my knee, I got lucky.  My company has a nurse on staff, who made a call, and got a doctor to fit me in that afternoon.  I had briefly considered going to the Emergency room.  Which, for a lot of people in the US, insured and uninsured, is where they go for primary care.  But I decided I didn't want to sit around for 5 or 6 hours to have some resident poke at me, tell me it was a bruise, ice and elevate it.  I could do that for free at home.

With the ear, I went to a MinuteClinic - a walk-in drugstore clinic staffed by a nurse practitioner.  Its not a perfect model, but it definitely fills a need.  You don't need an appointment.  You get in, get your self diagnosis confirmed, get some drugs (maybe pick up some milk and glossy celebrity tabloids), and you're on your way.

In the past, when I did have a regular doctor, I rarely had a problem getting a last minute appointment.  She was part of a fair sized practice, including several other MDs and nurse practitioners.  So even if she didn't have an opening, someone else did.

I'm hopeful that once I'm established with my new doctor, that will be the case again.

But for a lot of people, I think they just make the most of whatever services are available. Otherwise, they just do without and hope for the best.

An open letter to Sports Illustrated

Dear SI,

This?  This right here?  This is how you do a Michael Phelps cover.

credit: Mark Seliger

Kisses,

wax|wendy

GOLDEN BOY: MICHAEL PHELPS: GQ Features on men.style.com

I don't wear my hair for you

Jezebel has been reporting on recent "news" articles decrying the pixie cut trend because, according to the authors, it makes you less attractive to the mens, and you'll never get the sex with short hair, and blahblahblah, you know what?  FUCK YOU.  

Because I rock this look.  

In other news, welcome readers (okay, reader) from New Zealand!!!!  I was delighted to read your comment this morning Ms. Constantine.  A response and follow up will be forthcoming.

Hidden hurt, or count your blessings

I spent 90 minutes today trying to make a doctor's appointment. I have a lady doctor, but it's been at least 5 years since I've had a regular GP. I was hoping to find someone close to home. My boss recommended his doctor's practice, but they're *whine* all the way in Capitol Hill. I don't want to go to Capitol Hill when I'm sick *end whine*.

Unfortunately, Georgetown isn't taking new patients. None of the other university hospitals are either. Or they don't take my insurance. Or I couldn't get an appointment before May. I found one doctor who could see me in February, but on reflection, the requirement to send her a check for 25 bucks to hold my appointment seemed a little sketchy.

30 seconds after bitching about my no-good-very-bad situation on Facebook, the wondrous Kate came to my rescue. 10 minutes later I had a new doctor who could see me on January 5, and is 2 blocks from work. She's in the medical district. Its one street over from the hammock district.

In addition to my lady doctor, I'm also established with a dentist, an optometrist, and a dermatologist. Who are all 2 blocks from work. And I have insurance to pay for them. And a job that provides me with generous medical leave and a boss who doesn't begrudge me popping out for a few hours in the middle of the work day.

All of which is to remind myself that I am extrodinarily lucky, and had no business bitching. Because it could be a whole lot worse.

credit: Michael Williamson - The Washington Post (all)

Hidden Hurt: Desperate for medical care, the uninsured flock by the hundreds to a remote corner of Virginia for the chance to see a doctor - washingtonpost.com

One month to go!

Natalie Dee

I'm probably the last person in America to "discover" Natalie Dee, since she's been publishing daily one-panel comics since 2001.

But that just means you have plenty of material to work through, as you while away the hours exploring her archives.

I was looking for a funny and random example to post ... until I came across this:

Link

Because HOLY SHIT! I used to have that dream all the time! I've been told it's a classic anxiety motif, so I guess it's a good sign that it doesn't pop up in my subconscious as much anymore.

I'll save the stories of waking myself up screaming for another time.

Tip o' the hat to Apocalypstick Now 

My senior project was not nearly this cool.

World War - 3D Animation @ University Of Hertfordshire 2008 from Digital Animation Herts Uni UK on Vimeo.

via Neatorama

Merry Fringemas to all!

I like Fringe, although it hasn't become appointment TV for me yet. I do loves me some John Noble as Walter Bishop though. So I found this little recap vid quite entertaining.

Warning! You are entering a Dune zone! Warning!

I love cartoons and animation. In case you were wondering.  

Childhood Saturday mornings were spent worshipping at the altar of The Bugs Bunny / Road Runner Show.  Every day after school my brother and I would watch Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo ... and GI Joe, and Transformers, and Speed Racer, and Star Blazers, and Voltron, and Thundercats, and dear lord, even He-Man.

And then Pixar came along to show us what animation can really do.  That the "cartoon" format can be used to tell amazing, honest, real stories.

Monsters, Inc. is probably my favorite.  In part, I think, because it has a similar vibe to the best of the classic Warner Bros. and MGM/Tex Avery cartoons. 

And then there's Ratatouille, which can't really be ranked, because it's just a whole 'nother beast.  imho.

It happens at the 2:30 mark.  In 30 seconds of animation, the film's creators manage to convey the very essence of a sublime meal.  

The other thing I love about Pixar is that they choose voice talent based on who can best serve the character.  So instead of hearing Will Smith play a fish, or Bruce Willis play a raccoon, or Jack Black play a panda ... you just hear the character.

Brad Bird, who directed Ratatouille, cast Patton Oswalt to play Remy the Rat because he felt he could convey real passion about food and cooking.  Never heard of him?  Doesn't matter.  He was the right guy for the job, and that's what mattered.

How did Brad Bird know?  Two words - the Black Angus Steak bit

And then?  Then there's the failure pile.  In a sadness bowl.

If you've actually read this far, and I haven't completely driven you off the deck, check out this Fresh Air interview from 2007 with Brad Bird and Patton Oswalt.  

Find out what happens when people stop being polite

True confession time. I once applied to be on MTV's The Real World.

I know, right?

To be fair, it was almost 15 years ago when they were casting for Season 3 in San Francisco. Somewhere, in a box in my parents' basement, is a politely worded letter of rejection from MTV explaining that I just wasn't quite what they were looking for.   

Oh, come on!  I totes could have been the naive blond girl who cried a lot and had difficulty being confrontational and felt out of place most of the time.

Whatever.  They went with this naive blond girl who cried a lot instead.

I was reminded of this bit of personal trivia after catching a promo clip for the upcoming season at Best Week Ever

MTV Shows

Huh. So I guess if my 22 year old self was applying now, I would be rejected on the grounds that I'm not suffering from PTSD, have a borderline personality disorder, and/or anger management issues. 

Well, not that any of you know about at least.

I'm mildly intrigued.  Not enough to, you know, actually get cable.   But what I'm most fascinated by is the show's longevity and influence on the reality genre.  Bunim-Murray kind of invented it.  At the very least, The Real World provided a proof of concept.  And the kids who are cast now have grown up with it.  When I applied, it was still new enough to seem like a grand adventure.  A lark before I got on with the business of being a grown up.  Now, being on a reality show is practically a viable career option.

Hellannoying Beth S. from Season 2, I'm looking at you.

So good luck Season 21 fresh meat.  We're rooting for you.  WE'RE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU!!!!

Welcome Daddy Likey Readers!

A message from the Management:

Hey y'all.  

I've had lots of friends encourage me to start blogging, but somehow, it was Winona who tipped the scales.  So you can thank  - or blame her - for what you find here.

Either way, thanks for stopping by!

Jones BIG ASS Truck Rental and Storage

You know, he's right.  I'm not the Dukes of Hazzard.

I'm being punk'd right? The King is punking me, isn't he?

This is now the second time today that I've seen or heard an actual news piece that reads like an Onion headline.  Am I in Bizarroland?  I must be in Bizarroland.  Because only in Bizarroland would smelling like a BK fry guy be a turn on.

BURGER KING FLAME™ - Body spray of seduction, with a hint of flame-broiled meat.

Demonic Short Pants

Supernatural is also sleepy night nights until January (KILLING ME!), but there are a few morsels to tide us over.  io9 has the deets on the first 4 stand-alone epis:

The brothers investigate a haunted house. Then they meet a trio of aging magicians (including one played by Barry Bostwick. [Can we have a "Dammit, Janet" joke, please??]) They investigate a ghost at their high school and we see flashbacks to the brothers, aged 14 and 18. And then a dangerous siren enthralls the boys and makes them turn on each other, allowing them to say some stuff they've been bottling up all season [Squeeee! Brotherly angst and fisticuffs!]. And in the longer run, Ruby pushes Sam to uses his supernatural powers, and Dean learns what the angels want from him. And it's not a good thing.

Hey, as long as Castiel is back on my teevee at the new year, I say its a very good thing.

Mo Ryan is on the Supernatural bandwagon big time this season, and has a teaser compilation from the first three epis up at the Watcher.

Wow.  My tv boyfriend Jensen Ackles in gym teacher shorts.  My eyes?

I'm going to try not to condemn the episode before I've even seen it, but I'm not feeling confident about After School Special.  Dean pegs a kid with the dodgeball?  Really new writers, really?  Did you not get the memo from Kripke that Dean isn't a dick?  No?  Well, here's what Dean and I have to say about that.

Then I guess we'll never know - Lost

Mo Ryan at the Chicago Tribune has a new Season 5 teaser, and Darlton answer view mail.

Team Darlton answers fans' 'Lost' questions | The Watcher

Arewethereyet?Arewethereyet?Arewethereyet?

LOST!LOST!LOST!LOST!

Meet Kate's bath curtain: New 'Lost' photos are here! | The Watcher

That was trippy

Watching the clip from my last post, I was reminded of something I overheard the other night.  I was on my way into Best Buy (to buy rabbit ears to make the teevee work.  Stop.  Judging.), and I overheard this kid describing the overdose scene in Pulp Fiction to a bunch of his friends.   He was going on and on about how great it was.  As if they'd never seen it.

Seriously?

I had to text NoShowMo to confirm the date, and make sure I hadn't experienced some sort of temporal time shift or worm hole while on the metro.

Because the movie came out almost 15 years ago.  It seems like one of those things that's just now part of the collective consciousness.  The same way that even if you've never seen the movies, you know that Darth Vader is Luke's father, and Bruce Willis is dead.  

Oops.  Spoiler alert.  But not.  That's my point.

Anyhoodle, don't tell me the scene is good.  I buy the fucking syringes.  I don't need you to tell me how good the scene is.

And this too, because Vincent's reaction is just so nonplussed.

Inspiration, one clip at a time. That's the Chicago way.

Extra special bonus points if you can name all the movies.

A few things this clip brings to mind:

Picard rocks.

Charlie Chaplin had a speaking voice?

Colin Farrell and Brad Pitt make me cringe with their terrible, terrible acting every time I watch it.

After seeing 300, I understand when people say that violent images lead to violent actions. Because that movie seriously made me want to kill somebody.

Galaxy Quest is a great and highly underrated movie.

I am Sparticus

My favorite bits are from Henry V and Pulp Fiction. We few, we happy motherfucking few.





via The Watcher

Terrifying ... and delicious!

Wow.  Just wow.

Promise me you won't get out of bed

Supernatural 4.03, "In the Beginning", in which instead of just telling him the salient plot points, Castiel sends Dean back in time to experience it first hand. Because Dean wasn't already fucked up enough, he needed extra special fucked up sprinkles on top.



Oh, Dean ...

Its like the invite list to the world's greatest dinner party

Lucille is gonna be pissed when she finds out Lucille Ostero made the cut, and she didn't.

Ridiculous Women: 15 Favorite Most Ridiculous Women

And I'm all out of bubblegum

Apparently, some crack addict has decided a remake of They Live is needed. I'm sorry, but you can't just up and recreate this kind of cinematic poetry.  You'd have better luck catching lightning in a Coke bottle.

Behold!

And really, it's been done.  I don't think you can hope to do much better.

Wee Little Puppet Men

Catherine Hardwicke is apparently out as director of the next installment of Twilight, reportedly for being "difficult" and "irrational".   I thought that was the only flavor big time directors came in.

Anyhoodle, based on this clip from io9, may I suggest SpookyDan as her replacement?



You're pretty great Puppet!Edward, but it's still Angel for the win.

And just because it makes me giggle:



Evil's still afoot! And I'm almost out of that Nancy-boy hair-gel that I like so much. Quickly, to the Angelmobile. Away!

Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

Catch the Frak Up! | Specials | Video | Battlestar Galactica | SCIFI.COM

Wake Boarding in San Marco Square

via Neatorama

What flavor ice cream?

Initiate emergency sleepy-time protocol now

I think the Silver Surfer has a case

Die Werewolf!

SQEEEEEE!!!!!!

First scenes from 'Battlestar Galactica's' final episodes | The Watcher

Of course, I haven't actually watched these clips, because I'm the Queen of the Spoilerphobes.  But there's no reason you can't enjoy them.

Brought to you by the letter awesome

Joan Ganz Cooney, Director of Children's Television Workshop, in NET office. You can thank her for Sesame Street.

Grey Villet, 1969

LIFE photo collection via Jezebel

Its the Kaiser's world, we're just living in it

Karl Lagerfeld's silent film tribune to Coco Chanel - via Jezebel

Love her!!!!!! Part of the second

Victoria Beckham Cover Story - Interview with Victoria Beckham - Bazaar.com

La Luna

LIFE photo collection via Jezebel

Happy Christmakawanzakuh

This is sold as a menorah, but I'm pretty sure you could use it for Kwanzaa or Advent. Oh Godzilla, bringing us all together.

via io9

Kickin' it Old School

Link