Saturday afternoon, my Twitter stream was filled with tweets on the Eurovision contest. My only direct experience with the Eurovision contest is Father Ted‘s “A Song for Europe,” in which Ted and Dougal write an abominable song, “My Lovely Horse.” The idea of the Eurovision contest, as I understand it, is that the various countriesContinue reading “On an American Equivalent to the Eurovision Contest”
Monthly Archives: May 2012
On Rereading The Great Gatsby
Last week I reread The Great Gatsby. In writing a few days ago about the trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming 3-D film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan, I wrote that “it’s inspired me to reread Gatsby for the first time in a few years.” This also prompted me to check myContinue reading “On Rereading The Great Gatsby”
On Towel Day
If you want to be a hoopy frood today, know where you towel is. Yes, it’s Towel Day, a day chosen by Douglas Adams’ fans to celebrate the life and worlds of the man. A few years ago at work, I had to put together the annual calendar we produce for retailers. My instructions wereContinue reading “On Towel Day”
On the Great Gatsby Trailer — and Mutant Healing Factors
Come Christmas time, there’s a new adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby coming to theaters, directed by Moulin Rouge‘s Baz Luhrmann and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the mysterious Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan. I’ve read Gatsby a half-dozen times over the years, drawn as much toContinue reading “On the Great Gatsby Trailer — and Mutant Healing Factors”
On Iran as a Nuclear Power
At work, my coworkers and I tend to discuss virtually any subject under the sun. Just yesterday we had a discussion about the death warrant of Mary, Queen of Scots — and yes, there was a work-related reason for the conversation, albeit one that would take too long to explain. 🙂 A few weeks ago,Continue reading “On Iran as a Nuclear Power”
On the House Finale
I didn’t watch the final season of House; I decided that House putting his car through Cuddy’s living room window at the end of the seventh season was an action that couldn’t really be walked back. But I did watch the finale last night (and the retrospective that preceded it — I’d forgotten how poshContinue reading “On the House Finale”
On Political Unicorns
This is one of the most important questions of our time. Is Mitt Romney a unicorn? Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett should investigate immediately whether or not Romney was, in fact, born a unicorn. Send Bennett a message today. Arizonans need to know that there’s not a unicorn on the ballot this November.
On Volkswagen’s Not-Beach House Ad Campaign
The new Beach House album, Bloom, came out last week. The album’s received good reviews, I think it’s pretty fantastic. If you loved Teen Dream, you’ll love Bloom. 🙂 However, that’s not the only reason Beach House is in the news this week. Volkswagen launched a new ad campaign in the UK. Here’s the commercial:Continue reading “On Volkswagen’s Not-Beach House Ad Campaign”
On the New Admiral Fallow Album
Admiral Fallow, a Scottish band, sees the release of their second album, Tree Bursts in Snow, next week. I’ve been a Fallow fan since they called themselves “The Brother Louis Collective,” and I love their first album, Boots Met My Face. (The side-project album by The Moth & The Mirror, Honestly, This World, is excellent,Continue reading “On the New Admiral Fallow Album”
On a Place in the Universe
Some cosmic thoughts for a Saturday morning, taken from a Serbian proverb: Or as Carl Sagan puts it: Cosmic!