Silly Site o' the Day

Via Rachel Maddow, here's a lovely gallery of crop art, uncropped.

Silly Site o' the Day

Just back from Mom's. The traffic was fine for a pleasant Sunday, except for the bad Parkway accident on the way back that had our express lanes rubbernecking for at least 45 minutes to traverse about 10 miles. But other than that, no problem. Did my Jersey errands (the holy trinity of gasoline, laundry and supermarket shopping for non-perishables) and even managed to score the 99-cent store diaper bags that we use for cleaning up after the cats. While I was in the baby area I did not, however, see any bullet-proof baby items (via Big Brass Blog).

Belated Friday Cat Blogging (™ Kevin Drum

So I've been reading comics most of the day, not doing much blog-stuff, and only now, after a couple hours TV watching, when I'm settled back at my computer, Datsa decides he wants attention.



The supermodel walk. I guess that's why they call it a cat walk.



Aaaaand back again.



And sort of settling into the chair next to me...



Okay, done. Now maybe he'll leave me alone for awhile...

Picnic and the Park

A busy week for this li'l photographer, as our company picnic was on Monday and the Yankee Stadium trip on Wednesday. As ever, clicken to embiggen, and enjoy:



We left NYC bright and early (like 8 AM) on Monday morning. At that point, coming off a nasty flu bug over the weekend, I had no idea if I would be able to make it through the day.



But being in the suburbs, with blue skies dotted with dramatic clouds, was starting to make me feel better.



As were these cute wind chimes.



Here's another.



They were all part of my favorite part of the campground, the gazebo. Pretty far from where everyone else was, and a bit of an uphill grade which kind of wore me out in my condition, it was still the best and quietest place to be. I introduced my fellow admins to it, and one even took a nap on one of its benches!



And check it out - tetherball poles! I was a tetherball champ when I was a day camp kid myself, have a couple trophies to prove it. I did a stupid thing and spent five hatless minutes in the killer sun batting that ball around. I never felt more kidlike in my life. I then took to the shade and rested for the remainder of the day.

I was feeling ever so much better by Wednesday, though, when my supervisor and I took in the Yankees game courtesy of another coworker with season tickets.



The entrance way is very dramatic.



And everything in the store is extremely overpriced, of course. I guess they figure, you're paying an arm and a leg for tickets, we may as well take the rest of your limbs here. Alas, no Yankee earrings.



Once you get a look at the field, though, you're amazed at how intimate it really seems.



Not sure if those are the players in the shorts or just the grounds crew. Probably the latter.



For some reason this guy reminded me of a politically incorrect lawn ornament or cigar store Indian. Much more 1903 than 2003!



I loved the various scenes of Yankee history spread out above the concession stands.



Yes, they had sushi. Yes, I had to buy some. Yes, it was expensive. Yes, it was delicious.



Here's where our seats were, right by the left-field foul pole.



A better shot of the pole, with the DirecTV blimp passing behind it.



The blimp looked like it couldn't have been more than like 100 feet up. Maybe that was the atmospherics. It was kind of muggy.



But, like I said, intimate. I got a good look at Alex Rodriguez' backside most of the time. If that's your kind of thing.



And not that bad a look at him at-bat either.

It was tons of fun, but I was too busy keeping score and sipping Guinness to take many photos. Should have tried taking a few of the Jumbotron thingie, though, particularly when they showed Macca in the audience. Fun night! If you're curious, yes, I was in the bathroom during the Mandatory Two Minutes of Faux Patriotism.

Silly Site o' the Day

Sensibility won out today, as Robin and I postponed our trip to Mom's until tomorrow. While I don't relish the traffic going back into NYC tomorrow night, I'd look forward a lot less to driving in today's tropical storm-induced weather. So I'll catch up on more comics and blog reading today. Just went through HuffPo and saw this new one from the inimitable Sarah Haskins, all about Brooke Shields:



Going back to bed to curl up with more comics now. Photos from Monday and Wednesday (with captions) to follow this afternoon.

Silly Site o' the Day

Sometimes you just need to ask yourself, is it hot enough for a capybara to eat a popsicle?



Apparently so. This (via Maru) is in place of my usual Friday Cat Blogging since I took lots of photos this week but none of cats. My other photos are uploaded to a draft post awaiting captioning, which I hope to provide tomorrow from the wilds of Jersey. Where we would be astonished to spot a capybara in the hinterlands.

Silly Site o' the Day

People who tend to send me "chain" mass emails (hi Mom) know that I love street art; in fact, that's about the only kind of mass email I don't immediately delete. (I think that's how I originally found out about Julian Beever's amazing stuff.) So when my old high school buddy Debby sent me a pass-along featuring art made from tape, I had to look it up. Snopes to the rescue! The artist is Mark Jenkins, and here's his gallery of outdoor art. Both silly and breathtaking! I think these two are my favorites:





Pretty cool stuff.

Silly Site o' the Day

Well, women may still be banned from professional baseball, but at least there's the Girls Guild (via Cory at BoingBoing), so that's something. Just not pro baseball.

Where I've Been

Here's a hint:



Just got back. Yanks won handily. Great game. Macca was in attendance, and most everyone commented on my cool Beatles shirt (which I wore because, well, I was kinda hoping Macca would be in attendance and other fans would comment on my cool shirt). More photos coming. Too tired, need to do Silly Site.

Silly Site o' the Day

So yesterday they had a raffle at the company picnic. I never win these things, but there was a lot of cool stuff on tap, including lots of iPod Nanos and a Touch. You know, though, I'm just old-fashioned enough to want Microsoft's new smart phone:



Via Bora.

Silly Site o' the Day

Today was our annual company picnic. I'm very glad I decided to go, chiefly because I finally met some admins from our corporate HQ who until now have just been voices on the phone to me, and that's always fun. I'm also happy I forewent participating in any sports activities, although I did teach an admin how to play tetherball, a day-camp game at which I'm actually quite good (with at least two trophies to prove it). After about five minutes whacking the ball around the pole, I believe I still have the knack, and may wind up recommending the company schedule tetherball tourneys next year because, well, I really kinda suck at most other sports. Pretty photos (of things, not people) to come. For now, I need to shower and bed, as the real work week begins tomorrow. But first, here's a bit of Sarah Haskins:



And here's some more:



So tired...

Silly Site o' the Day

The power went out briefly around 5:15 this morning (yeah, I just happened to be awake, wondering why there were no little digital glows around us) and apparently fried our bedroom's cable box. Thank goodness there's still the Internets, as where else would you find the redoubtable Betty Bowers in all her glory?:



Via everyone but Susie brought it to my attention first. I wonder if I can pray for the cable box to fix itself.

Progress Report

Nothing but good news, mostly. My fever broke sometime last night and hasn't returned. I think the blotchiness on my lower left calf is most likely heat rash from having burrowed under two layers of blankets fully clothed for a few hours on end yesterday, and those things take care of themselves within a matter of days. I'm still a bit dizzy but that's probably from not hydrating enough, so I'm upping the water quotient as I can. Most importantly, I've just taken my first shower in 3+ days and, my lord, does it feel good to be clean. I just hope that, what with all the nonsense being bandied about regarding health care, people don't lose sight of what a precious gift our health is, and how important it should be to live in a country where all of us no longer need worry about what will happen to us financially when we take ill. Every time I'm felled by some Dreaded Lurgy or other I thank goodness I'm an informed (if fussy) patient, my Mom's a nurse, and I'm covered for everything from doctor visits to prescriptions to hospitalizations. My word, shouldn't everybody be?

Silly Site o' the Day

In retrospect, it was perhaps a mistake to drag myself into my car and drive the eight blocks to the auto center to undergo the yearly inspection. I spent an hour shivering, then got home and spent another hour shivering under two layers of blankets. My fever has topped 103, and been back down to 98.9, then back up again, so it's not a steady fever, it's just not going away. And half my left calf is red and inflamed. At this point I'm at a loss - I'm doing the usual things to keep down the fever, I've eaten some so I guess that's helping, but I'm clueless as to what this thing is. So much for the NAC I was taking to detoxify my body! Needless to say, I haven't really been up to sitting at my computer desk reading blogs. But I did want to pass along a wonderful literal version of everyone's favorite typing sentence, The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog:



Via Jeff at Alas, A Blog.

Silly Site o' the Day

Guh. So feverish that I actually went home early today. Temp keeps rising, it's now slightly above 101. Rubbing alcohol helped a bit (thanks Mom!) but I still have no appetite nor energy. Can't even concentrate on reading comics, so I may never find out why chicks cry (via Susie). I hope this is just a 24-hour bug.

Silly Site o' the Day

Ever hear of a group called Big Daddy? I didn't until Mark Evanier wrote about them. Here's a sample video Mark passed along:



Now back to my iPod...

Silly Site o' the Day

Last night Rachel Maddow talked about an online game having to do with the swine flu, and it just looked so complicated that Robin immediately said "That's for me!" I'm not even going to touch The Great Flu, but if you fancy yourself good at these multi-level things, have a go!

Silly Site o' the Day

I don't put John DiBello's posts on Comics Oughta Be Fun! in this category nearly as often as I should, but I adored his Clapton-inspired post yesterday. Fair warning, click on it and you'll have this particular earworm for quite awhile.

Silly Site o' the Day

Check out this cool palindromic video:



Clever stuff. Via Mark at BoingBoing.

Silly Site o' the Day

Okay look, I think he's an okay president so far, for a corporatist-centrist, but I think The Obama Time Capsule is kinda creepy, just like Lambert does. Some people are taking the "history will see us" oratory a little too literally. But hey, anything for a buck, or 35...

Blogaround for Susie

Because her mother Marie (deepest condolences, Susie) sounds like she was as much a character, in her own way, as my Dad was in his. Susie and many others on my blogroll are spending the weekend at YearlyKos-come-Netroots Nation, NerdProm for lefty political wonks. I've spent the weekend catching up on blog reading so I can finally do this blogaround.

• Speaking of NerdProm, financial and practical considerations prevented our attending the San Diego Comic-Con once more (at this point I doubt I'll ever attend again), and lots and lots of others stayed home as well. Val crystallizes how I feel about cons pretty well (i.e., if I'm not scheduled to do something I kind of feel lost), and Bully throws a con of his own.

• We're losing more good folks, but we're not forgetting how they've filled our hearts with wonderful memories. Pam mourns the passing of her old high school teacher, author Frank McCourt. Bob talks about coping after losing his son Robbie, and Kath has a lovely memorial.

• Kath also hits the nail on the head about how all of us adults are really pretending to be grown-ups, and Vinnie celebrates 20 years of wedded bliss with Dorian. I have such cool friends!

• Tara Tallen (née Jenkins) is running pages from an old story she and her now-husband David did last century called Real Magic; check it out! And Lauren at io9 sings the praises of Templar, Arizona, one of my favorites as well. Also: hooray, Gene Colan's being released from the hospital tomorrow!

• Also from Lauren: Zombeatles? Look, I'm as much a Beatlemaniac as the next person, but I confess I really don't get this trend. Vampires, I understand. I even comprehend the steampunk bandwagon (Robin's analogy). I've been right there giggling at YouTube mashups of Der Untergang. But, as good for a momentary smile as "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" might be, I just don't see what's so attractive about the overall zombie ouevre. Oh, and lastly from Lauren, now this is cool art.

• I totally identify with Neil when he mentions his significant other telling him he doesn't relax enough, he's always Doing Stuff and needs to learn how to be "in the moment" more. I can't tell you how many times Robin has said this sort of thing to me. My response is that there's just usually too much Stuff to be Done, and I enjoy Doing Stuff. But I think it's also true that some moments we wind up remembering the most fondly are the ones where we're just kind of hanging out doing nothing, just Being. I swear I'm going to try that sometime, when I'm not Doing so much Stuff.

• I have a saying very similar to Dave Johnson's "Seeing the Forest" Rule:

"When right-wingers are accusing others of something it is usually a cover for something THEY are doing." It is also very Karl Rovian, using the Sun Tzu tactic of attacking the enemy's greatest strength in ways that turn it into a weakness.

But even I never guessed that "death panels" actually existed in Texas when our former President governed there. Cookie Jill points out a Wikinews item talking about the Texas Futile Care Law, which basically did (does?) what the fear-mongered nutjobs believe Medicare paying for end-of-life counseling would do. William Wolfrum calls attention to their death threat fetish, another reason they're so quick to accuse opponents of wanting to kill the citizens they use and secretly disdain. Of course, as Avedon points out, Nazi namecalling and the like is just a game to these people, all about scoring points so they can win the next election, they who hate government so much they crave to sabotage and dismantle it from within whilst enriching themselves and their cronies. And as the Rude Pundit notes, it's been going on a long, long time. Perhaps even as far back as Revolutionary times, when the US Public Health Service was formed (Bryan reproes their logo; so much for arguments about the Founding Fathers turning over in their graves).

• Of course our modern media, what a lot of lefty bloggers sneeringly refer to as journamalism, is utterly complicit. Even the liberal side of the mainstream media talks more about the debate over healthcare reform than about the specifics of that reform. Jamison Foser pegs 'em. Of course, as Foser also points out, you can't expect too much from people who don't even have a basic grasp of history. The Place for Politics-- That We Just Make Up. And speaking of making things up, Eric Boehlert wonders why Sarah Palin gets a free pass on her nonsense while every Al Gore utterance was picked apart as unbecoming whining.

• Another story I hadn't heard anywhere else: GE is greenwashing whilst it simultaneously outsources all its green jobs to China.

• Lest they fall through the memory hole even though the story itself is So Last Month, some good posts about the Gates arrest matter from Mary at Pacific Views, Dave Winer at HuffPo, and especially Digby, whose writing on the subject of police abusing power in general has been exemplary.

• Tony Bourdain meets Sandra Lee; world fails to implode. Nick Solares at Serious Eats travels to my old home town for a greaseburger. And Tristero examines the revolutionary concept of food that tastes great.

• A couple good 'uns from Mark Morford: God is not your bitch (it always drives me crazy when sports stars credit their teams' success to the Sky Fairy as if said fairy were taking sides) and Marijuana, gateway drug to Jesus. Now if he could only shake his fat-hatred. Maybe he could have a talk with Paul Campos. And/or Lesley at Fatshionista, who's been hilariously reviewing More to Love (first episode snarkily recapped here, second one here). And/or Melissa McEwan.

• I really, really adore Liss. And she keeps writing more and more stuff that leaves me in awe. Like this post about dudebros, two posts on accusations of man-hating, here and particularly here, and two more about feminism and humor, including the story of a dudebro called Tim and this one about the state of stand-up comedy, which I like to call Stag-Nation.

• Kath also presents good insights as to why ambush "humor" makes me uncomfortable. And I'm glad there are people out there like Kate making the world safer for comedy - not necessarily in burlesque, but certainly with 79 other female comedians (the group photo is here).

• Some bits and pieces: More from Amanda on Manic Pixie Dream Girls; and to think there was once a time before I was sick of Zooey Deschanel. Dennis Markatos at HuffPo mentions new bike initiatives in New Rochelle; I think City Hall there is wonderful, every time I'd visit it for my ex-boss I'd wish I worked there. Charles Green, also at HuffPo, points out that Justice Sotomayor was right about the Other knowing more about both Default and Other cultures than the Default usually knows. Lambert at Corrente is mock-shocked about the fix being in on American Idol, and amused by the commuting kitty. And whilst everyone's celebrating all the guys at Woodstock, the News Writer pays tribute to Grace Slick, soon to be 70 (yes, we're all getting older, but I'm actually happy about that considering the alternative!).

• Lastly, now that I've "finished the Internet" I'm looking forward to reading the latest series by Sara Robinson on modern fascism in America. Part I is here; Part II is here. Long but, from what I've skimmed and read from others, utterly worthwhile.

But first, a bit of a Sunday lie-down, now that the blogaround's a fait accompli.

Silly Site o' the Day

Hey, man!



Woodstock Crasher Squirrel just wants to be one of the band! (Via Robin, the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, and all sorts of silliness based on this amazing true photo. More here, via Maru.)

Friday Cat Blogging (™ Kevin Drum)

A couple of the couple, seen here lounging around Robin's leg:



Here they are, even closer:



I'm just impressed they have moments when they're not fighting (which Amy instigates just as much as Datsa does).

Silly Site o' the Day

Godamighty, I'm hungry. I've been scrounging the fridge looking for stuff to eat that doesn't involve prep, as I worked yet another hour plus of overtime today. I haven't yet tried the tomatoes, but as Robyn at Serious Eats points out, apparently Tomatoes Are Evil. (These folks ought to get together with the cilantro haters and just boycott guacamole.)

Silly Site o' the Day

Too damned tired, after working too darned hard. Here, have a tasty NewsBiscuit (via Bryan).

Silly Site o' the Day

Via Cory at BoingBoing, take a look at some Incredible Pictures Formed by Thousands of U.S. Soldiers. If you're going to make people gather in formation, I'd rather see them used to create art than to wreak (or be the victims of) destruction.

Silly Site o' the Day

Another scorcher in the city today, but as I rarely go out for lunch (particularly when all my bosses are around) it shouldn't affect me overmuch. Now, I'd have more incentive to go outdoors if the Tweenbots were roaming around. Via August.

Silly Site o' the Day

Saturday was the 40th anniversary of Iain Macmillan taking the Abbey Road album cover photograph. Via Sheila Lennon (no relation), here's an article about Abbey Road cover photo tributes. Via Robin, here's a bunch more parodies.

Silly Site o' the Day

Via Sheila Lennon, This Is The Only Level. Here's a walk-through:



I'm so bad at these games, I couldn't even figure out that the arrow keys are what move the elephant. (It helps to scroll down and read the instructions, duh!)

Silly Sites o' the Day

In honor of Twitter crashing on Thursday, I present a number of Twitter-pated links I've been saving. David Malki refers us to Tweet Me A Story; Matt Tobey at the Comedy Central blog recommends Twistory which name has since been taken over by Yet Another Boring App; and of course Gerard passes along a Twitter Logo Generator.

Baseball Bitchin' and Braggin'

So I'm watching the FOX coverage of today's Yankees/Sox game, and they mention they have the home plate umpire miked, and even played a recording of a conversation snippet when a pitch almost hit Alex Rodriguez but instead landed on his bat (i.e., was called a foul ball). Then later in the game, Rodriguez actually got hit and the same umpire immediately threw out the pitcher - and at no time during the incident, nor the conversation with the Sox manager that followed, did Tim and Joe even suggest that their production people play back any of the proceedings! What's the point of miking the ump if you're not going to take advantage of your tech when it actually matters?

It's enough to make me glad I'm going to be spared inane announcers on Wednesday, August 26, as a very generous work colleague who's a season ticket holder gave me his tickets for that evening (as he wouldn't be able to make it). The Yankees are playing the Texas Rangers, and I'll be attending the game (field-level seats!) with my supervisor. I plan on checking out the concession area(s), repeatedly. Particularly during the top of the 7th so I can spend the mandatory two minutes of hate faux patriotism elsewhere during the 7th inning stretch.

Silly Site o' the Day

I suppose this was inevitable - via Maru, a Kenyan Birth Certificate Generator. Whatever result you get is guaranteed to be more authentic than anything mishandled lately by Orly Taitz.

Friday Cat Blogging (™ Kevin Drum)



"What?"

Silly Site o' the Day

Today's silly site is actually a mind-boggling subway ad that would be borderline offensive if it weren't so ridiculous. Amy at i could cry but i don't have time gives the goods on the Vixen Manual ad better than I could.

Silly Site o' the Day

Another busy day at work; I really thought the summer would be kind of quiet. Ah well, at least I'm starting to get a bigger kick out of financial humor, like this clever post by Michael Lewis at Bloomberg regarding Goldman Sachs (via Lambert at Corrente).

Silly Site o' the Day

Wow, this one's been in the hopper so long it's even been featured in Entertainment Weekly:



Web Site Story via Bora.

Silly Site o' the Day

To nobody's surprise, I'm sure, I not only didn't finish all my ironing yesterday but I never got to that blogaround. Maybe one evening this week. In the meantime, it should also surprise nobody who reads this blog directly (i.e., not from a newsreader the way I do) that the Instant Color Scheme (via Cory at BoingBoing) shows different shades of sienna as Pen-Elayne's dominant colors.

Silly Site o' the Day

Long day at Mom's yesterday, but we got a lot done. Fortunately, no pictures were taken; I wouldn't want to wind up inadvertently participating in Awkward Family Photos (via David at BoingBoing). Today is pretty much slotted out for ironing, and perhaps a blogaround.

Silly Site o' the Day

White Rabbits! Ooh, check it out, from io9, cool star trails! They really do look like vinyl album grooves; I guess that's what they mean by the music of the spheres. Makes me wish I had as much patience as some of those photographers.