Installment #8:
What is it? postcard of Indian lovers
What’s its deal? purchased forever ago at an art museum I visited on a school trip for my Western Civ class
Where does it live? beside the oh-so-important landline phone on the end table to the right of the couch
Any notable facts? usually buried behind a wall of books after following me from one home to the next since high school
But how will we ever buy products if we can see pores, veins, the natural color of teeth or – heaven forbid – stretch marks?!
According to Gizmodo, the French parliament is considering passing a mandate that would require all advertisers to notify the public whenever an ad has been through the Photoshop perfection engine. The penalty? Fines as high as half the cost of the ad campaign.
Part of me loves this. And part of me loves Mark Wilson’s quote at the end of the article:
“[…] the skeptic in us might see this as the lame excuse of someone not committed enough to rigorous cosmetic surgery.”
Will it only apply to skillful Photoshop work? Because sometimes, it’s damned obvious.
Sometimes I open iTunes and scroll through my music library without really knowing what I’m doing or looking for. This past Saturday morning was one of these times and I’m glad it was because I landed myself on a real gem that I forgot I even had lying around: Pet Grief by The Radio Dept.
This 2006 album is an absolute ideal compliment to making pancakes after sleeping in. Or reading a magazine after all the chores are checked off for the day. Or taking a long drive with the leaves falling and the roof open (as I hope to do in a few days.) Essentially, it’s a relaxed weekend bordering on contented boredom in musical form.
A few of the bands’ tracks were on the Marie Antoinette soundtrack. I needn’t say more.
So, now is the time when I pick my favorite tracks and provide you with a small army of links: “It’s Personal,” “Pet Grief,” “The Worst Taste in Music” and “Always a Relief.”
As you can hear, it’s a little like merging Air and New Order. Kind of a perfect combination in my book.
And the Wikipedias tell me that 2009 will see a new release as well. Hooray for accidental rediscovery!
(Actually, it was yesterday, but John Allison broke his schedule.)
The newest comic from John Allison, Bad Machinery, has launched. The style seems to split the difference between old ScaryGoRound and new and the storyline feels familiar and intriguingly unfamiliar at the same time. Won’t you give it a spare moment?
I’ve also just realized that this is my 500th post (catalogued on this blog, at least.) September is the month of milestones for me, readers! Happy 500th post to all – but most especially you, Mr. Allison, since I’ve unwittingly made a donation to your cause.
Installment #7:
What is it? “white mouse”
What’s its deal? one of hundreds of cat toys that, at any time, can be right under your feet when it’s dark in the house
Where does it live? wherever our cats feel like tossing it today – sometimes in the toy basket, though
Any notable facts? “white mouse” is less popular than “brown mouse” for reasons we’ll never fully understand
Specifically, we have to talk about this ad:
You see, the more I see it (and it’s in heavy rotation on the channels I frequent – like 10 times last night on the History Channel), the more it’s driving me mad. Let’s break it down, shall we?
Now BMW, you know that I love you. I defend your honor any time Clarkson trashes the X3. I think that the Efficient Dynamics program is brilliant when looked at as a whole. I even get past your weird fascination with using the abbreviation E.D. for both this program and European Delivery when you know full well that many of your buyers have a little blue pill for another E.D. all together. But, the next time you decide to talk about efficiency, let’s at least have the 320d, X5 30d and the rest of the “d” variants on the screen for US consumption, okay?
As of Friday, ScaryGoRound has said goodbye to its present form. Its creator, John Allison, moves on to a new comic endeavor – can’t blame him! I get bored with my artsy activities about an hour in, so I can’t quite imagine seven years! I’m going to miss this amazing little gem of Brit-humor and quirky monster tales. My SGR fix has been a daily institution for at least the last five years and it’s going to be hard to let Amy, Shelly, Ryan, Bat-Friend, Desmond, etc go.
I’m certain, though, that whatever Mr. Allison has in store for us will be fantastic. I’m just glad I finally got around to ordering my “Nosferatu doesn’t share his toffees” t-shirt before they all ran out.
Now, what to do with the SGR link in my right sidebar? Suggestions?
Well, tonight it was this:
Baked salmon with rosemary (from the patio garden) and lemon, asparagus seared in sesame oil and rough-mashed redskin potatoes with parmesan cheese and garlic. Complimented by a vodka tonic with a twist of lemon and blackberries.
It was so fantastic that we had a visitor join our candlelit table moments later:
She is not a very good table top dancer. And she nearly doused herself in vodka before walking past the flames. So much for romance…
And not just as a clock on the wall…
The BBC has an audio clip with a synaesthete named Holly Branigan that explains just that. Unlike most patients suffering (I’m not sure it sounds like something to suffer through, frankly) from synaesthesia, Holly can see time in addition to space instead of smelling colors or feeling sounds. Her description is absolutely fascinating, if you have a moment to spare: