Happy Turkey Farts Everyone!...

Have a joyous Thanksgiving! Remember to do everyone a favor today and for the love of God light a match when you're done in there! Jeez!

Documentary Film Of The Day: Gates Of Heaven...

I can't believe I haven't highlighted this film yet. It is a classic - one of my all-time favorites - and is available for instant viewing on Netflix. I won't say much about it other than it was Errol Morris' first film and it features this guy wearing what is undoubtedly one of the best jackets I've ever seen.

Add it to your queue or watch it right away HERE.

Three Guys Who Could Record Themselves Reading The Phonebook And I'd Listen...

Sir David Attenborough
 

Orson Welles

 Werner Herzog

One Of My Favorite Blues Jams...

...to start your weekend off right.

Lightnin' Hopkins - Moving Out Boogie

R.I.P. Jeanne-Claude...

June 13, 1935 – November 18, 2009

I became a fan of Christo and Jeanne-Claude through the wonderful series of documentaries by Albert Maysles. Their artwork, which has included the recent Central Park "Gates" is often controversial and sometimes confusing to people. With so many people in need in the world, why spend all that time, money, and effort on artwork that will be gone after a few weeks? Many question whether it is art at all. Well, I think it is art and it does have value. I think, like it or not, it gets people thinking. I like it when people try things no one else has tried, especially when it's stuff that no one thinks is possible. Plus, I think their projects are beautiful. Hell, even if you don't like it, it won't be around very long. Some of my favorites include:

Running Fence - California 1976



Valley Curtain - Colorado, 1972

Surrounded Islands - Miami, 1983

No Nose Picking...

Now that I've got your attention...

In grade school we had a music teacher named Mrs. Jones (Grant Miller may remember her). Mrs. Jones was unflappable, for the most part, except when it came to one thing - nose picking. She did not abide nose pickers in her class. She had a rear-view mirror mounted to her piano so that she could spot any perpetrators as she would play. However, whenever she caught someone, rather than stop mid-song, she'd incorporate her scolding into the lyrics of whatever song - usually something patriotic - that we were learning. So, for example, This Land Is Your Land became:

This land is your land, this land is my land
From California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest, no nose picking Jason
This land was made for you and me

To this day I can't hear the Star Spangled Banner or God Bless America without thinking about that crusty clinger that's dying to be extricated from my nostril. So if you're at a sporting event and you see me with my finger up my nose rather than my hand over my heart, you can blame Mrs. Jones.

Documentary Film Of The Day: The Fall Of Fujimori...

Before watching this film, I knew very little about Alberto Fujimori and his stint as president of Peru from 1990 to 2000. The movie covers his unlikely rise to power, the authoritarian ways he dealt with rampant terrorism, and the corruption and human rights violations that led to his downfall. Fujimori himself is featured throughout the film after he has fled to Japan seeking asylum. Today, Fujimori sits in prison in Peru, but still maintains high approval ratings for his part in cracking down on violence there. I thought this movie was very interesting and made me wish our country wasn't afraid to hold our leaders accountable for the crimes they commit in the name of fighting terrorism.

Netflix it HERE.

Thanks, Melinda June...

I've been trying to put my finger on just what the cover of the new Sarah Palin book reminded me of. While she had a different one in her post, I think they're similar.

Other Band Names Considered By They Might Be Giants...

- Perhaps Those Guys Could Be Bigger Than Most People.
-There's A Chance These Individuals Will Be Enormous
-Them Sure Ain't Small
-I'd Consider Putting Money On Them Being Fucking Huge
-The Titanic Nature Of The Two Men In Question Is A Distinct Possibility
-They May Get Drafted By A Baseball Team In San Francisco Or A Football Team In New York

The New OK GO Video...

My friend Dan is the drummer for this band (the one batting all the balls) and just posted this on Facebook, so it is hot off the presses. Like the other OK GO videos, it looks cool as hell. Enjoy!

More Video Of People Jumping From High Places...

A friend of mine in British Columbia who is into paragliding posted this on Facebook. I love stuff like this. Try to watch it through to the end. The photography is amazing.

B.A.S.E.O. from justACRO on Vimeo.

What Do You Get When You Cross A Wombat With A Rectal Exam?...

Answer:

Holy Fucking Shit! A New Post!...

Greetings, all. For those of you who sent out search parties, you can call them off. I think this is the longest I have gone without posting since I started this goofy blog, so I understand your worry. I think I just needed a break. I'm hoping now that I've caught my second wind and will be posting once again with some regularity.

A few posts ago I mentioned THIS VIDEO and how cool I thought it was. Since then, thanks to Netflix Instant Viewing, I have worked my way through all 13 episodes of Cosmos. I can't say enough about this series. It was originally aired in the 80s, but still holds up quite well in my opinion. It is a celebration of scientific discovery throughout history and of the potential of the human mind. My limited knowledge of Sagan came mostly from those old Johnny Carson Tonight Show sketches. I'm happy now to have a more complete picture of who he was. While it is true that he could be a bit of a cheeseball, it is the good kind of cheeseball. His enthusiasm for science, knowledge, skepticism, turtlenecks and the intricate beauty of the universe was infectious. If you've never watched it, you should. If you have kids, watch it with them. It proves that not everything on television is crap.