the best of youtube: lazy cat on a treadmill

six-word short story

I never really loved Hemingway's famous 6-word short story (For sale: baby shoes, never worn) but I do love this... from a collection of shorts comissioned by Wired Magazine. The rest are... well.. kind of a downer.

Machine. Unexpectedly, I’d invented a time
- Alan Moore

Raymond Chandler's instructions on publishing The Little Sister

"No dedication. No front matter from me, unless you want to vary the usual protection clause on the back of the title page by saying that 'The people and events in this book are not entirely fictional. Some of the events happened, although not in this precise time or place, and certain of the characters were suggested by real persons, both living and dead. The author regrets any resemblance to reality that may be found in the pages of his books, and he particularly regrets that he has on occasion made use of the names of real localities. He admits with shame that there actually is a place called Hollywood and a place called Los Angeles. It has streets and he has named some of them. It has a police department and he has referred to it. Los Angeles County has a District Attorney and said District Attorney has an office. To all of these matters the author has alluded. How careless of him! He should have called Los Angeles Smogville. He should have called its police department its Ministry of Corrections.' …"

Real without being actual

"But let a noise or a scent, once heard or once smelt, be heard or smelt again in the present and at the same time in the past, real without being actual, ideal without being abstract, and immediately the permanent and habitually concealed essence of things is liberated and our true self which seemed - had perhaps for long years seemed - to be dead but was not altogether dead, is awakened and reanimated."

Marcel Proust

I promise you...

...this is worth watching.

Strangely touching

New York Times headline from September 14, 1929:

EDISON SITS UP ALL DAY.; Recovers From Pneumonia and Is Fast Regaining Strength.

Unreal

23

The cover of this Blonde Redhead album gives me chills. I hate it.

When did this blog turn into a list of things I don't like? That's the opposite of what it was supposed to be. Anyway, I haven't updated much lately but I am going to once I am unemployed next week.

Things I have learned in my life so far

Stefan Sagmeister published his list of about 20 things "all over the world, in spaces normally occupied by advertisements and promotions." He also had an exhibit at Deitch Projects that I missed because I am lazy, but I did buy the wonderful book.

He's inviting everyone to contribute to his list. This reminds me a lot of Learning to Love You More. I like these things.

The Legend of Holly Boy

This book might be the best thing I have ever found at work. Illustrations by Jack B. Hood.

First, Holly Boy and Linda travel back through a time/space tunnel to Bethlehem.



There, they meet the three wise men, who look like Klingons.



Then, at some point after they see Mary and the baby Jesus, we witness the birth of Holly Boy. I haven't read the book so I am not sure how they account for the time travel paradox.



It could be that the time travel paradox is the impetus for whatever happens next, when things go very, very wrong.





But not to worry. An angel saves them with the magic light from her hands.