June 2009
47 posts
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The 2009 Worst Opening Sentence to a Novel →
David McKenzie has won this year’s Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest which is awarded to the worst opening line of a fictious novel. His sentence, which was specifically written for the contest, reads:
Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin’ off Nantucket Sound from the nor’ east and the dogs are howlin’ for no earthly...
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This American Life: Ep. 383 - Origin Story →
In one story, a man tries to set the record straight about his life’s achievements, which he says include inventing thumb wrestling and popularizing the eating of shrimp in the New York area.
I want to be this guy when I’m older. Did I mention I coined the nickname “Big Papi” for David Ortiz? I did. Sort of.
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From a Knights Inn
There’s a Waffle House outside our hotel room window. Also, if you’re ever in Virginia, don’t make the mistake of switiching your radio to AM. You’re going to have to trust me on this one.
Jimmy Fallon just came on and he’s in mid-monologue so it’s time to go to bed before I throw my laptop through the TV.
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The Magnetic Fields - Washington D.C.
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Texts from my brother
Josh: The US is up 2-0 at halftime
me: Holy shit, keep me updated, I'm on the Jersey Turnpike
Josh: Brazil just scored, 2-1
Josh: 2-2
Josh: Forget it
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It's over, it's over, it's over
Residency is over. Won’t see my friends until January. Josh is telling Jess that he had a dream and Marla was wearing a dress and talking. Driving to Washington DC now!
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Wooden Birds - False Alarm
“And sometimes you want to watch a woman with multiple personalities murder her...”
– Lyz, regarding Lifetime original movies in a seminar on sentimentality
Outside my apartment
Drunk guy: Honk!
car: HONK
Drunk guy: Honk again!
car: HONK
Drunk guy: Honk four times!
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WatchAnnie Clark’s “Actor Out of Work” from her Lake Fever Session.
Arrested Development Documentary →
The overall goal of the documentary is to provide awareness and education of this brilliant, witty and original comedy. We are looking to interview viewers, cast, crew and any other industry figures that are fans or critics of the show.
Watching the trailer for this made me infinitely sad.
The Beauty Of The 'Best Worst Movie' →
Troll 2 is known as the worst movie of all time.
Michael Stephenson, the child star in the film, has made a documentary about it called Best Worst Movie. He takes viewers inside the making of Troll 2, and charts its strange journey from worst movie ever to cult classic.
Talk of the Nation is at its best when they do segments on offbeat topics like this. Also, I can’t believe an entire...
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What Are The Chances Of A Planetary Collision? →
Writing in the journal Nature this week, scientists present scenarios in which Mercury, Venus or Mars could collide with the Earth during the next 5 billion years. Astrophysicist Greg Laughlin discusses these possibilities and why there’s no need to panic yet.
After learning about the solar system in third grade and how the orbits of Neptune and Pluto cross I became irrationaly fearful...
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More Information Than You Require audiobook →
Straight from the Hodg himself:
HELLO LAZY AND ILLITERATE FRIENDS! Go get a friend to read this imitation blog post to you, because you might find this news interesting.
YES: WE BEGIN RECORDING THE AUDIOBOOK OF “MORE INFORMATION THAN YOU REQUIRE” today.
BY WE, I mean: me and several surprise guests…
SOME OF WHOM will not be a surprise at all (COULTON!);
OTHERWISE, I SAY TO YOU: I cannot wait...
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"Good Neighbors" by Jonathan Franzen →
Short story in the June 8 & 15 issue of The New Yorker. (Rumor has it that this is an excerpt of an upcoming novel.) Also features another great Daniel Clowes cover.
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E3 announcements
A bunch of new games were announced last week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo including:
Left 4 Dead 2
Crackdown 2 (with zombies!)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Joyride, the free 360 kart racing MMO
Brink
and of course, Endless Ocean 2
Reading the New Super Mario Bros. Wii entry on Wikipedia has me very excited. Four player simultaneous play, platforming, and even Yoshis. Yoshis!
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The Love Letter Band - “I Knew You...
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Steve Wiebe goes for the Donkey Kong world record... →
This is going on right now. Steve is the guy from King of Kong who set the record only to get it snatched away months later from the insufferable Billy Mitchell. He’s trying to set a new mark now, as I type this, at E3!
EDIT: He didn’t do it. He topped out at 989,400. The record is 1,050,200.