I've been completely engulfed in work. The blog suffers. But I managed to read this entire piece by John Cusack over at The Huffington Post. Cusack is not thrilled about the State of the Union. He is not alone.

Did I mention that this post is 2 and a half years old. I didn't think I was busy for that long, but what's changed? Hunter S. Thompson is still dead. Iraq is still a mess. The wolves are still in the hen house.

And to all the grammar geeks out there, it's "has" not "have", since I'm talking about the chain of office superstores, and not individual staples, and they're a helluva lot more fun than the superstores. They would've posted my review.

Staples (the office superstore) asked me in an e-mail to submit a review of a recent purchase. And what I purchased was a 10-pack of blue two-pocket portfolio folders. And I typically don't buy these without first consulting Consumer Reports, but this time it was all impulse. No wonder my credit card bills exceed the per capita income of some less favored nations. (You know I really wanted to put the extra "u" in both "favor" and "humor" tonight. Is that the Brit in me that I never knew was there? Is that even an English thing? Granted it does look better, and so does "colour". Well, maybe.)

So today I noticed that my review was no longer on their website. In the context of this blog it certainly may seem more of a lame stab at humour (ha-ha!), but was downright hysterical over at Staples (the website of the office superstore, not at the website of a collective group self-realizing staples that wrestled the URL from the corporate monolith). Alright, so it wasn't that funny, but here it is. If you can't fill the Internet with crap that has nowhere else to go, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again. Or not.

Staples product review for blue 2 pocket portfolios

By larzini from NJ on 3/7/2008
Your rating: 5 stars
Headline: Holds Papers Exactly As Described!

Pros : Easy To Open/Close, Durable Construction, 2 pockets,
Potty-trained, It's Blue, Nicely textured, Fun for the whole family
Cons : Poor gas mileage, No puree setting, Don't feed after midnight,
Slight metallic taste
Best Uses : Organizing Documents, Conversation piece, Bud vase, Holding
papers, Fanning, Placemat
Describe Yourself : Value Oriented
Primary use of this product : Business

These folders are great. First of all, they are blue. A blue so blue.
And blue is a color. And it is a color I enjoy wholeheartedly. I have
used many of these folders, and each time they lived up to my
expectations of holding my papers. Except one time when I turned a paper-filled
folder upside-down. Guess what? Yep. The papers fell out. Not just one.
All of them. DO NOT TURN UPSIDE-DOWN WHEN PAPERS ARE INSIDE. THEY WILL
FALL OUT! Sorry about yelling, but I cannot emphazise that point enough.
And I can't spell emphazies either. Did I mention there is not
spell-check feature? Well, there's not. Perhaps in the next release.
Unfortunately, Staples have not opened up the next version to users for beta
testing. By the way, the folders are blue. I opened the folder and closed
it numerous times. And it performed every time without fail. Another
nice thing is that there are 10 in a package. I really didn't need that
many, but rather than waste them, I spread whatever documents I need to
transport evenly among the 10 folders. If I have less than 10 papers I
need to transport, I grab magazine blow-in cards or junk mail and put
those in the empty folders. It kills me to have 10 folders and even
leave one empty. If you really need a folder, I would consider this one,
maybe the red model as well, but your insurance rates will go up, so let
the buyer beware.

All proper spacing removed for your inconvenience.

Did that post make this read like a splog? (That's "spam blog" for you home-gamers.)

I should say St. Valentine's Day. Well, not anymore, it's now Friday, but this post somehow disappeared after writing it about 24 hours ago.

I never dreamt I'd someday look back fondly at the Crazy Eddie television commercials. Yet, here I find myself waxing nostalgically over some Northeastern pop culture detritus.



I never embed, I usually just link, but I've reconsidered my position on that. Why send the eyeballs elsewhere when they can stay right here.

I remember buying vinyl records and cassettes at Crazy Eddie, as well as a floppy disk drive for my Atari 800XL computer. These ads actually inspired the Seinfeld episode entitled, "The Junk Mail". Elaine dates a guy who was once the fictional television pitchman known as "The Wiz". Incidentally, The Wiz, later known as Nobody Beats The Wiz, was also an electronics retailer located predominantly in New York and New Jersey. But since their prices weren't completely insane they often used real-life characters in their ads, such as Joe Namath.

This was long before Namath went 0-for-2 in pass attempts on the sidelines, seeking out kisses from Suzy Kolber. (Yep, that link goes to the infamous video. I thought it would look kind of crappy to put two embedded videos in the same post. Especially when the point of this video was to highlight the Crazy Eddie ads, and not focus on the ancillary Joe Namath reference.)

STORMTROOPER: Your landspeeder exceeds official Pinewood Derby length by 3/16 of an inch.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: My landspeeder passes the pre-race inspection.

STORMTROOPER: Your landspeeder passes the pre-race inspection.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: I may proceed to the race area.

STORMTROOPER: You may proceed to the race area.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: Move along.

STORMTROOPER: Move along.



Obi-Wan's appearance at the Pinewood Derby occurs between the events of Episode III and Episode IV.



My son and I built this over the course of two and half days for his first Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. I'm forgetting my father-in-law. He helped, too. I should go back and insert him in the first sentence, but this time there's no looking back. I think it was the ancient jedi sage Han Dhenli that summed it up best, "Don't look back...You can never look back." Or maybe it was that guy from the Eagles.

Yes, my son built it, too. It was his idea to do a Star Wars vehicle, and this one seemed like it would be the easiest, given my limited handiwork. He helped with the design, filing, sanding, and painting. And the fruits of our labors earned us the "People's Choice" award, out of roughly 30 cars. This award is voted on by his Cub Scout peers, and he told me didn't even vote for his own car.



No other racer saw this rear view of the car during the course of the race. And it's no fault of their own since they left us in a dust storm much like those on Tatooine. So we're especially proud of that "People's Choice" award, and the ribbon that generously awarded us a tie for 3rd our of the 4 cars in the Tiger Cub division.

I found another Star Wars Pinewood Derby car on the Internets. Nice X-Wing, Marshall Family.

http://bananastickersaremetal.ytmnd.com/

Metalocalypse amuses me. I know this because I've watched it twice. And read an interview in Electronic Musician with Brendon Small. Neither of those links go to the article. The Internets must be broken since I can't create link to the page of a magazine that's sitting on my floor. Stupid Internets!

Brendon Small? Isn't that the guy from Spinal Tap? (No, not that guy from Spinal Tap.)

This one.



Oh...Derek Smalls. Right.

When I hand my children paints and paintbrushes, I love the things they create, and you might too.

Of course, my kids ain't no Picasso, or Linsky even. Or are they?

An OmniNerd post linked to this Daily Mail article, about a boy and his paintbrush, and his mother, who was the impetus driving her son's art career. She's done an impressive job, as he's already sold a painting and been asked to exhibit in a German gallery.

And he's only two.

Mom took the piss out of the UK art world, but as far as I'm concerned, why should it matter? Seriously. If you like it, buy it and frame it. I've hung up some of my children's work, some in frames, some on the refrigerator.

Next time, I might even pick up a canvas and select a palette that will match one of our rooms, so that the next time they ask to paint, we'll get a La Raia original. Can you imagine how much it would cost to convince an artist to operate under you direction? I know Linsky doesn't work that cheap.

I loved how the mom called her son "an art critic and and a familiar face at major exhibitions". She herself is a freelance art critic, and has bringing the lad along to galleries since he was three months old. If the kid offered an opinion at least once during those visits, then her statement is indisputable.

The driveway's been empty. The mail is overflowing out the mailbox. Nobody raked the leaves. The newspapers are strewn across the driveway. You'd think somebody died.

I've done more of these type of posts than I'm proud to admit. It's kind of like, "Oh yeah, I had a blog once. Wait a second...I still do! Oh, Shit! The blog! I forgot to feed the blog!" Some blogs are nearly living entities, when nurtured by a caring individual. I'm not certain I'm that type of individual. I'm kind of like an every-other-weekend parent these days. The one that 's not sure they want to visit the kids, but they feel obligated. I don't know how many of those there are out there, and I'm not sure I like using that metaphor to describe myself, especially since I'm married and very much involved with my kids' lives.

Now perhaps that's an accidental segway into the, you know, when you're a parent and a breadwinner, the blog doesn't come first. The blog is the red-headed stepchild. Now I know that re-headed stepchild needs love, too, but I'm just saying.

So, I'm back for at least the rest of this post. I took on another writing assignment, so this the WD-40 priming the typing fingers and working it's way through the brain.

I did it again. I just erased whole post that I spent I don't know how long concocting. I'm so pissed at my own stupidity that I have to go to sleep since it's nearly 3 AM, which means I've deprived myself of sleep again for the purpose of posting on this lonely old blog. But if I re-write the post now, it will probably contain a good amount of bile in post that set out to be quite the opposite of a rant. You know what, it's not even going to be this post. It will be the next one.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

ARRGH! It's like baking a batch of cookies from scratch and then absentmindedly putting them down the garbage disposal.

I'm sure I'm not the only blogger to have done this. So perhaps I'll take comfort in the fact that I'm not alone. But comfort doesn't type the post again, now does it?

JCPenney 1977 catalog photos, and commentary.

I just posted over at Armchair Arcade. I'll probably post the same article here as well, but it fits nicely with their classic gaming and homebrew content. But since I've not been posting anywhere of late, with a writer's block beginning to border on legendary, there needs to be some reference to it here at TBIMB, actually, tbimb.

Yes, Donkey Kong II. Someone actually took the old code and made new levels with it. What's next? Maybe they'll add a few mor ghosts to Pac-Man. Stinky, Kinky, Dinky, and I don't know, how 'bout Buscemi? That's a good name for a ghost. And if Tarantino ever turns Pac-Man into a movie, who else but Steve Buscemi would play Pinky.

I can see it now:

"Why am I Pinky?"

"Because you're pink, alright?"

Enough of that, go over to Armchair Arcade for the full story minus any Reservoir Dogs references.

I want to listen to Hype Machine today. So if the next 7800 people that read thisblogismyblog would please visit Hype Machine, I will be much happier at work today, and won't have to listen to this stupid creaking door somewhere off in the distance. Of course, I could listen my iPod or WFMU or something, but I wanted to listen to some mp3s over at my favorite mp3 blog aggregator, who has decided not to launch their new website until 10,000 people visit at the same time.

Bastards. The moniker is Hype Machine though, why should something like this not be expected?

The strange thing is...I feel so used. Right now, I'm doing exactly what they want me to do. And I can't say that I like it. Not that I don't use their site almost daily to find and hear new music. (Old music too, for that matter.) But still.

Although a stunt like this might backfire and get the RIAA looking their way. And their as much fun as a sack of wet mice.

In the time it's taken me to write this, only about 4 more people have visited the site. And don't remind how long I'll be waiting to listen to Hype Machine, if thisblogismyblog alone was responsible for directing 7800 more listeners.

Interesting presentation on the state of the digital music industry by Fistfulayen. And I dig the whole content versus context bit. It's very Marshall McLuhan.

Because the kids need cover art for iTunes, that's why.

Right now I'm partial to #98. Yep the thumbnail. Go figure.

The nice thing is you can add a different graphic for each track. Things won't get stale that way. It's late so I won't listen to the whole album right now. But, in case you don't already know, here's where you can get Radiohead - In Rainbows.

I hadn't visited A Softer World in awhile. You probably haven't either.

Sorry for the title. It looks like some blatant sploggery, but the post is done and the clever title is nowhere to be found.

Current inertia has really reduced the amount of posting here, and writing anywhere else, and I find it a bit inexplicable, other than the drastic reduction in free time, and my refusal to abandon time with my family. that said, it's inexplicable that I'm not sleeping and actually posting, but I missed my niece's radio debut on last week, and needed to stay up late this week to hear her on the air. My first attempt at recording the stream has failed miserably, and to record a whole six hours looks like it will eat up a significant amount of hard drive space. But she sounded great, and I'm quite proud, not just that she's on the air, but that she stayed focused enough and worked hard enough to get this far. Focus is not easy for anyone anymore. Distractions seem to run the world. Shutting them off long enough to get something done is a feat that I find impressive.

Ok...so back to distractions, while listening to her show, I've been skipping around the Internets and found some individual pieces of information that add to a greater whole.

Item A

Victoria Beckham To Play Alien Bride In Scientology Film

Plus Item B

John Travolta offers to fly Spice Force One

Equals Conclusion C

Those Scientologists really loves them some Beckhams. I don't follow that close but I didn't think the Church of Hubbard had nabbed Posh and David yet, but come on. The Tom Cruise bankrolled movie that is not yet listed on IMDB.com and has been turned down by every studio is titled The Thetan. Can't we just go back to simpler, more innocent Hollywood? These developments would be significantly less creepy if this was just an outrageous lie constructed to bang Mrs. Beckham. Which this is obviously not, we're talking Cruise and Travolta here. I long to hear casting couch stories when I hear stuff like this. If I go to a hotel in the Los Angeles area will there be a copy of Dianetics in the night table?

If George Steinbrenner was this persistent maybe he would have landed David Ortiz years ago and saved himself some grief. You know, Air Force One is pretty cool plane, too, I hear, Travolta's not trying to fly that one, but with the President's approval rating lower than his college GPA plus his shoe size, I guess he's no trophy.

I read Max Barry's books, actually just Jennifer Government so far. Sometimes I read what he writes online. Often I enjoy it.

Here's his recent post on DirecTV's blatant disregard for people on the Do Not Call list. It cannot be driven home enough how super awesome a post it is.

See what I did in that last sentence. I made like 12-15 (it was so many I just gave up counting) words into a link. I try to never do that. It lessens readability. Today that doesn't concern me. Reducing the linked text to just "recent post" or blatant disregard" are not things I care about today. I don't know why. I just figure it best to be upfront and honest about it.

If only because I want to watch this clip again, and hope at least someone else has their jaw drop against their keyboard after a drum performance that is beyond sick, or other adjectives that don't describe very well.

Go check out The Bad Plus covering Aphex Twin over at The Presidential Award for Aural Fitness

Much thanks for the find. This is a gem.

The other day "Sebastian", although he may going by original name now that the summer is over, (long story, but anything involving a pseudonym usuallly is) requested I forward him this Morrissey track. It's a cover of "That's Entertainment" by The Jam. Which is the only song I can name from The Jam myself, so this isn't going to be one of those posts that educate about The Jam, or about Morrissey for that matter. But it's a good song that I've also heard covered by Ted Leo (sort of) on WFMU. He went on to suggest maybe I should listen to The Jam, and maybe I should.

This track appeared on the Just Say Anything compilation released in 1991. This CD also introduced me to the song "Another Girl, Another Planet", which I had no idea at the time was a cover, but completely realized what a great song it was. The Only Ones were the original artist by the way, The Mighty Lemon Drops do a nice job with it though. I've heard some live Replacements performances of this track as well.

MP3s:
Morrissey - That's Entertainment
The Mighty Lemon Drops - Another Girl, Another Planet

I was in the middle of, actually, hopefully, the tail end of posting a comment over at Frameshop, (you see, I've been typing this for awhile, although it looks to you, humble reader, as if I'd just started), when the wonders of trackbacks just occurred to me. I can have my content and Jeffrey Feldman can, too. And how often can you have and eat the same cake? Plus I'm not sure if my links would display in the Frameshop comments.

So, the following is my commentary on PBS Should Fire Brooks, Apologize, and David Brooks' appearance on The Lehrer Report, where he equated lefty bloggers with terrorists. He wouldn't be the first to commit such a smear, but maybe the first on PBS.

...

It's unlikely that there will be an apology. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting board has a Republican majority of 5 out of 9 members, selected by the President and approved by the Senate. The current remaining board consists of two Democrats and one independent. There is one open seat, which surprises no one, as obviously President Bush will not select a Democrat to fill that final post, and the Public Broadcasting Act prohibits him from tapping another Republican, by limiting the number of board members from one political party to 5. (Interestingly, enough Bush nominated Democrat David Pryor for the board. I'm as shocked as you.)

This party of five is headed by Cheryl Halpern, who was mentioned in her Wikipedia entry as "outstanding in her field as a propagandist". I noted this in a previous entry, but it has since been removed from Wikipedia , but it is still listed in a Search.com entry about her.

The following quote from the current Wikipedia entry looks to be a translucent spin on the earlier passage.

"She has extensive experience with overseeing pro-American media campaigns abroad."

According to SourceWatch, Halpern contributed to the 2000 and 2004 Bush election campaigns. And in 2004 was also ranked among the Top 100 "hard money" donors by Mother Jones with donations to numerous Republicans, including Trent Lott, Sam Brownback, and Conrad Burns. Lott and Brownback also happened to sit on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. The same committee which approves all Corporation for Public Broadcasting nominations.

Oh, and by the way, Patricia Harrison, the President of the CPB, is the former Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee.

What was that whole thing about an apology again? That said, there is still every reason to ask for an apology, but given the background of who's running the CPB, the odds of hearing one are quite low.

I twit but not too often.

Obviously I don't post too much anymore either.

Bloggers who are job hunting and use their blog as part of their portfolio shouldn't post on their personal blogs while at work. The message it says to those potential employers is, "I could really care less about your workload. My blog is more important."

Now there's really nothing wrong with the spirit behind this, because I hope your life comes before your work. Work is what you do at the moment to allow you the funding to do what you want with the rest of your time.

But think before posting. Think about the message you are sending.

That said, I'm on Day 5 of a new job, and I'm at my desk writing this. Think about the message I'm sending. Or think about something else. Just think once and awhile. But don't hurt yourself doing it.