Very cool and inspiring videos: Matt Harding dances in dozens of countries in the space of just a few minutes: Where the hell is Matt? His newest video includes a bunch of people dancing with him, which is even cooler.
Fun + Games
Online comics
I love reading the funnies. I’m subscribed to three separate services which send my favorite comics by email every day. I thought I wouldn’t enjoy reading them online as much as I did in the newspaper, but in fact email funnies are better, because I don’t have to even catch a glimpse of the ones I hate. (I remember reading a funny little tidbit by some guy who felt the same way – how just seeing a comic he hated drove him nuts. Can’t remember who it was.)
Anyway, some of my favorites, in no particular order, are Sherman’s Lagoon, Dilbert, Get Fuzzy, Pearls Before Swine, Monty, The Duplex, (Th)ink, Calvin and Hobbes (even as reruns), and Bliss (which I really miss!) I recently started reading Six Chix, Tod the Dinosaur, Pardon My Planet, TOBY, Frazz, and Graffiti, but I haven’t made up my mind about them yet.
As of today, I’m also a fan of Suzy Becker, whom I learned about from Hilary Price, cartoonist of Rhymes With Orange. So thanks for that, Ms. Price! 🙂
When I was a kid, I *loved* Garfield, but now it’s part of the can’t-even-stand-to-catch-sight-of-it group.
Next to Normal, Jump
While we were in New York, we saw two completely different shows, and both were excellent.
Next to Normal is about manic depression, and while I wouldn’t have thought that a musical would be the best way to discuss such a serious subject, I thought it was a fantastic performance. The music was terrific, there were a couple of totally unexpected plot twists, and it was quite dark and funny to boot. I wish I’d managed to blog about this sooner, because it has already closed.
Jump on the other hand is for the kid in everyone. A Korean family in which every member is essentially a martial arts expert has to deal with two burglars. There’s very little dialogue – the story is told through action and mime, and every cast member is incredibly talented in martial arts, acrobatics, gymnastics, and/or dance. There are some great “special effects,” and it’s absolutely hilarious. If you like The Matrix, Jackie Chan, or the Three Stooges, you should see it. If you love all three, then you won’t want to miss this for the world.
French terms in English
Even if you don’t speak French, you do – take a look at these French terms used in English
Clothes from the Seventies
Someone sent me this link, and I can never repay her, because it’s pretty much the funniest thing I’ve read/seen all year:
JCPenney catalog from 1977.
How many of you are there?
This is a time waster, but only a little one – see how many people there are in the US with your first name, with your last name, and with your full name: How Many of Me
Note: You have to be at least 13 to use this site. I’m not sure why, but I have seen a couple of PG-13 ads on the page.
Name that quotation
“I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen.”
Weird Laws
Here are some weird laws in the US. You can see that some of these have a certain twisted logic to them, but a few are really funny. My favorites:
– In Seattle, Washington, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon longer than 6 feet. (Last I checked, it was illegal to carry any concealed weapon. Plus, how could you conceal a weapon that is taller than most people?)
– In Pennsylvania, any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass. If the horses appear to be skittish, the motorist must take his car apart piece by piece, and hide it under the nearest bush. (Wouldn’t that be a drag?)
– In Trenton, New Jersey, it is illegal to throw a bad pickle in the street.
– In Rhode Island, it is illegal to throw pickle juice on a trolley. (OK, what’s the deal with throwing pickle-related items? Why are they worse than throwing other things?)
National Rebranding
Here’s a fun little marketing demonstration: the rebranding of national flags.
New Year’s Resolution: Learn a Language
My agent sent me this joke:
A mother mouse and a baby mouse are walking along, when all of a sudden, a cat attacks them.
The mother mouse yells, “BARK!” and the cat runs away.
“See?” says the mother mouse to her baby. “Now do you understand why it’s important to learn a foreign language?”
Now that I’ve convinced you how important foreign languages are 😉 here are some links:
* Learn French
* Learn Spanish
* Learn English
* Apprendre l’anglais
* Aprenda inglés
