Link from jovial_kitten:

Graphic artist Paul Gravett's drawings depicting China's recent earthquake.

 

Honestly, half the fun of a new Doctor Who episode is seeing all of the icons people make from the episode.

 

( Doctor Who - 04.01 - Partners in Crime )

Is Steven Moffat writing any episodes this season?

 

Originally linked from berkie:

A 1995 article from Newsweek about why the Internet will never work.

 

The LJ strike was supposed to happen this past Friday(ish, depending on your location). No clue if it actually did or not. I'm still getting caught up on posts from this past Thursday.

A few of you on my flist said that you'd be participating in the strike. Personally, even if I had been caught up on reading my flist in time to participate, I would not have.

It feels a bit like the chain letters you get telling you to not buy gas on one certain day and that'll show TPTB! Except it doesn't.

The best explanation of how I feel about LJ at the moment and why I'm probably going to stick it out to the end was written by zoethe at her journal. Go on over there. The entry is a quick read and it hits the nail on the head.

 

If you've ever played an instrument.

Or if you haven't.

This article's for you:

And the Band Played Badly

 

Well, this should tell you how often I keep my Inbox updated. I mailed this link to myself from work back in mid-January and am only now getting around to posting it here.

Superheroes in Real Life

 

I was in Borders today and saw a book on their new release table that was a collection of essays from various comedic people. The theme of the book was something like "I actually learned something from my girlfriend" and one of the authors who contributed an essay was Stephen Colbert.

And yet, I can't find the book on amazon. Or when I google it.

Anybody seen/heard of this book and can let me know the title?

Somehow the fact that I'm going to be in the same part of town as that Borders again tomorrow isn't enough for me to just wait and look at it then...

 

Best Golden Globes awards program ever, Y/Y?

(winners here)

 

(just copying and pasting from when I posted this at des_housewives)

The Speechless Campaign has been put together by the Writer's Guild of America. They have dozens of short "public service announcements" starring some very famous actors.

Felicity Huffman (along with her husband, William H. Macy) is in one of the ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na9oph42vqQ

The official website for Speechless is here.

 

Please vote here at suggestions to request that they increase the tag limitations in 2008.

ETA: Here's my post where I talked about the tag limitations if you need a reminder about the situation.

 

Thank you so, so much to the person who got me the soundtrack of Vanity Fair: Music From The BBC TV Series. It was totally unexpected and I can't wait to listen to it!

However, there was zero indication in the package about who it came from. Reveal yourself, plz! :)

 

As I do every year (well, since 2005, anyway), under the cuts are my lists of every book I read, every movie I watched, and (new category!) every full TV series I finished during the past year.

Books Read, Movies Seen, and TV Series Finished in 2007

( 122 Books Read )

( 89 Movies Watched )

( 4 TV Series Finished )

 

Sooooo, there was a free screening of Juno at a local movie theater tonight.

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

Seriously.

They were handing out free Juno t-shirts.

:)

 

Another fun video, this time with wheelbarrowing.

http://www.maniacworld.com/best-wheelbarrow-transition-ever.html

 

A colleague at work sent me this today and I'm finding it really amusing.

http://damncoolpics.blogspot.com/2007/12/bike-finishes-race-without-rider.html

 

Well, shoot.

LJ recently updated their tag policy where you can only have 1,000 tags associated with your journal (if anyone knows where that update came from, I can't remember and would love to take a look at the comments again).

No problem, thought I. I'm nowhere near that.

Well, in a sense, that's true. I'm just nowhere near that in the wrong direction. I copied and pasted all of my tags into Word and had it count them for me. I have created 1,798 tags and the last entry that pops up with tags on my journal is from the end of November whereas the newest entries have zip.

I guess this means I need to remove at least 798 tags (*groan*) to get them to show up again. That totally sucks. Perm users should have as many as they want. Blah.

ETA: Okay, the link where the news about the tagging limit is here (thanks, trailer_spot!) Also, I just finished reading through all of the comments on that entry and came across a couple of gems.

One is that whereas there used to be a 100-entry limit per viewing tags (that is, if you have a tag called "movies" and you made 101 entries, when you clicked on the tag name to view those entries, you'd only see the most recent 100 entries), that limit has been raised to 1,000. Information about that is here.

Two is that for the problem I had been having with my newest entries' tags not showing up, if I edit the entry and resave the tags on it, they'll show up. Unfortunately, I closed the URL link that gave support for that and I can't find it again. Gah.

Three isn't a "gem" moment. It's that just to clarify, it's 1,000 different tags that are allowed. Support for that is found here.

 

Lee Pace and Michael Landes in a very cool looking movie?

Yesplz!

 

Woot!

Free advance movie screenings all over the U.S. and Canada right here.

I just finished getting free tickets to The Savages and Juno. Sweeney Todd, unfortunately, is already completely sold out for the advance screenings in my area.

 

Read this in a Newsweek article from a few weeks ago and found it interesting:

Jean Decety, a psychologist at the University of Chicago, compared a group of doctors with laypeople, watching a video of patients receiving a painful acupuncture treatment. In the laypeople, parts of the brain associated with pain and with empathy were activated, but in doctors those circuits were suppressed, Decety found. Instead, they showed activity in areas associated with logical thinking. Decety said he wasn’t surprised by Davis’s experience.

"Doctors see people dying all the time," he said, "and if they couldn’t modulate their emotions, they couldn’t get through the day."

 

Thanks to szeretni for the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzRHlpEmr0w

I didn't realize quite how much I missed The Daily Show until watching the above video.

C'mon, give the writers the money that's their right and let them get back to work! Sheesh.

 

Credit goes to floating_icons


Who passed her comprehensive exam for her master's program?

This girl. Thassright. Damn straight. Booyah.

 

Credit goes to everlyn


It's Eddie Izzard's "Cake or Death" bit with Legos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZVjKlBCvhg

 

Did anyone ever see the movie, "Water" (directed by Deepa Mehta)?

It came out in 2005 and I remember really loving the main character's name, Chuyia.

I can't remember how it was pronounced, though, nor do I know if it's phonetic ("Chew-ee-ah"?).

Anyone know?

 

Here's a really random question for those who know your classical music (atoasterstrudel and makropulos, I'm looking at you two especially!).

There's an orchestral piece that's slow moving and has a slow buildup to a big finish (I think) that focuses on the French horns, at least in the beginning.

Kim, I know we played it at Rollins. Several times, since Doc loved it.

Any chance anyone knows what I'm talking about?

 

NPR did an interview with Megan Mullally yesterday because she's in Mel Brooks' new musical "Young Frankenstein," which opened today. The clips they played on the radio didn't sound all that impressive, but whatever.

Then today, nytimes.com had a review of the show and they had a picture of two of the cast members performing, one of whom is Roger Bart.

My jaw actually dropped when I saw that. I had had no clue he was back on Broadway.

I'm so getting the soundtrack now.

 

General information about the Hollywood writer's strike here.

More specific "here're the shows that will be affected first" article here.

Even more specific explanation of what will be affected when here.

Exact breakdown of which shows have enough scripts to keep going here.

 

Snarky knitting. Sort of. More like snarky comments about the knitting.

 

Fascinating how the location of where a photo is published determines the caption.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:POTD/2007-10-17

 

http://cleolinda.livejournal.com/539111.html

Take a look. See if you want to download.

 

From thedailytube, here's a very cool commercial for the Sony BRAVIA using stop motion animation.

 

Yeah, I'm having too much fun watching this sign language clock.

http://www.barcodeart.com/art/other/sign_clock/sign_clock.html

 

I had saved this link back in 2004 and rediscovered it today.

Desperate Housewives and Monday Night Football promote each other.

 

Murray Gold is a British composer who has done the music for, among many other things, Doctor Who.

There's a soundtrack for DW coming out in early November and this video is a pretty cool compilation of some of his music on the upcoming soundtrack set to the various shows and movies he's composed for.

ETA: And just so I don't lose this link, here's an extensive page that lists all of the musical motifs that Gold has used in Doctor Who.

 

This American Life had a story this afternoon about Luis Da Silva, a 19-year-old basketball fan who ended up being selected for a national Nike commercial (which you can view here) after he auditioned with his dribbling skills.

If you get a chance, listen to the audio of it on the TAL website (link here). I'm totally neutral about basketball, but this guy's enthusiasm and love for the game was really contagious.

---

I started reading "The Kite Runner" (by Khaled Hosseini) a few days ago and finished it today.

I loved it.

I thought I wouldn't, because all I knew about it was that it dealt with Afghanistan, so I thought it'd be all political and war-like, but it totally wasn't. I mean, yeah, there's some of that going on, but it's mainly in the background while you get engrossed into the story and then the author really wove everything together beautifully.

I'm a total convert now and can't wait to read "A Thousand Splendid Suns," also by Hosseini. I'm number 38 or something on the library hold list for that book (out of over 130 people waiting).

 

I actually think the Emmys are doing a really good job at keeping the pace moving quickly, but since I'm waiting for Best Actor in a Drama, and that's, like, practically the last award...

*sigh*

The things I do for my fangirly nature.

(so far, out of every award given, there's only been one where the winner who I wanted to win actually won. As for remembering which award that was...*shrug* I'm sure I'll remember once I see the full list of winners)

( Oh, I remember which winner I wanted to win! )

 

I can't remember which episode from last week this was from, but it had me laughing out loud:

Jon Stewart: Apparently, this morning, I understand Vladimir Putin dissolved his government. Completely. Fired his prime minister, his entire cabinet. It just seems so impulsive. Especially coming on the heels of the great news from Russia yesterday that they just exploded what they're calling "the father of all bombs" and when it drops, and I'm quoting here, "...all that is alive merely evaporates..." The press release goes on to pet a cat and laugh muahahahaha!

---

I'm actually watching the Emmy Awards Red Carpet pre-show live.

I don't think I've ever watched the pre-show live. Surprisingly squee-worthy.

---

I love the American Express commercial with Tina Fey.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fw9M-hg9FZU

"No, the other type of German shepherds."
"That would make more sense."

 

Dancing at a wedding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qd_j98-y-M

(and the page where I found that link, if you want to see the other dancing videos: http://www.plazarugs.com/cut-a-rug/ )

 

HIMYM: Slapping!



Love it!

 

Ugh.

I guess the days all got together and decided to make today's going-home traffic as messed up and gnarled as possible.

So, Happy Shitty Traffic Day, everyone!

 

( Weeds's lolz quote from Monday's episode )

 

Totally adorable Rosh Hashanah youtube video.

It's mainstream now, baby!

 

This totally made me laugh (from here):

As a junior resident in urology, I was told that there are only 2 acceptable reasons to NOT do a digital rectal exam (DRE):
#1 - no finger
#2 - no rectum

 

Credit goes to drinknameddoug


Friday Night Lights, season 1, is being released tomorrow (August 28). I'm gonna borrow the sales pitch from neversince, as I'm sure she won't mind:

THIS TUESDAY, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS COMES OUT ON DVD (ALL 22 AMAZING, CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED EPISODES), AND IT WILL BE $19.99.

You've seen this show fangirled on your flist a billion times, don't lie. Anyone who does check it out is always amazed at the show and instantly a die-hard fan. So if you haven't checked it out, you won't regret spending the very reasonable price of $19.99 to buy the first season.

It will be $19.99 pretty much anywhere you want to buy it (Target, Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart (save a dime, it'll be $19.87!)...wherever!). Seriously, this is your chance; do not miss out!

Also, there's a money back guarantee! If you buy the DVD set and don't like it, you have until the end of December 2007 to return it and get reimbursed.

Go here: http://www.fnlguarantee.com/ for all of the details.

 

Are you passionate about either Netflix or Blockbuster Online?

http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2007/08/reporter-wants-.html

 

I cut because I care.

( Which episode from season one of 'Veronica Mars' is it where... )

I've had a hankering to watch that episode lately and my puny google search turned up nothing.

'Course, watching any episode from season one will probably have me itchin' to watch them all. Might as well marathon it, Y/Y?

---

ETA: Omg, I had a dream last night that Patrick Barlow (just google him; he played Julian (the really tan guy) in Bridget Jones's Diary) was trying to kill me. There was also something about a magic bullet that when you shot it from a gun, it would weave and dodge to find you like those smart missiles do.

 

Title: Bald in the Land of Big Hair: A True Story
Author: Joni Rodgers
Genre: Memoir

Description: Joni Rodgers, a novelist (Crazy for Trying), actress, and radio DJ living in Houston ("the Land of Big Hair"), discusses being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in her early thirties. She covers the confusion of diagnosis, the horrors of chemotherapy, and, finally, the uncertainty of remission. Rodgers tells her story with wit and clarity. It's not an aggressively sad story - in fact, much of it is funny - but there are moments with her daughter, husband, and mother that are heartbreaking. Her free-spirited life is interesting, even without the cancer stories, and the reader is drawn into her relationships.

Excerpt: (background) Joni writes about how she told her boyfriend, Gary (who she later marries), that she's pregnant.
---
"You said you loved me," I gently reminded him. "You keep saying you want us to spend our lives together...have children...be a family..."

"I did. I mean I do. But not now. Not like this. This isn't the right time or place for either one of us. I don't have - the place...the money. You don't even have any insurance."

"Insurance?" I was incredulous. "You're talking to me about fucking insurance?"

"Fucking insurance," Gary huffed without humor. "There's a concept."

My Thoughts: I don't remember how I heard about this, but I imagine it was NPR. I enjoyed this one, though not quite as much as I thought I might. The anecdotes about how the cancer was discovered and how her family dealt with it interested me, but I felt that the story became a little bogged down during her descriptions of her self-awakening and her anger while trying to find herself during the chemo treatments. Still, I enjoyed the book. There were times I laughed out loud and several points where I cried. I already did an excerpt, but my favorite sad part just has to be written out anyway.

Second excerpt: (background) Joni's daughter, Jerusha, was in kindergarten during the scene below.
---
We told them over and over again that everything would be all right, but there's no way you can convince a child that mommies are allowed to nap all afternoon and then go to bed at eight. Mothers are not supposed to cry. Mothers are not supposed to throw up.

"Mommy!" Jerusha would wail from outside the bathroom, and if I didn't answer, she would kick the doorjamb and shout, "Joni Rodgers! You stop that!" And when I couldn't stop, she would sit there and cry.

 

Credit goes to phuck


Avenue Q and Fiddler on the Roof in "Everyone's a Little Bit Jewish."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdwlG05InAY

Thanks to music2mychakras for the link. That cracked me up.

 

I totally lose at being online this week.

If you wished me a happy birthday this week either in your own journal or on mine and I didn't respond, please let me know.

Seriously.

I think I've replied back to everyone, but I'm a little paranoid that I missed somebody and then that person is just getting resentful that I couldn't be bothered to respond back and then there're hurt feelings and defriendings occur and World War III breaks out.

What? Too dramatic?

 

Today I turn 26 years old!

Happy Birthday to me!

:)