This is a bit disrespectful and loony but it's awfully funny - especially if you're not entirely enamored with the insane buybuybuy suffocation. Amazingly, it airs on Nickelodeon where it can alert impressionable little minds to the dangers of Santa adulation. Camille Paglia describes this cartoon as an enjoyable mix of "Brave New World" and "Metropolis". Yes, Virginia, pop culture can rise to the occasion and tease itself and do it well.

Labels: fun, holidays

Sometimes The Onion is like a college paper written by kids who crave attention. Sometimes they hit a nail right on its sarcastic and/or ironic and hilarious head. This is just such a time!

Labels: fun

In case you didn't think there was something online about absolutely anything you can think of, there is a toaster museum.  It's a well-designed website and actually fun and interesting to visit, in case you thought you knew everything about toasters.  Or (foolishly) didn't know there was more to know.

Labels: fun, modern culture, websites

These paper dolls are the perfect ending to the day that began with Paris Hilton's presidential ad and her plan for energy reform. Wow. I don't know if they're the best thing to happen in this election season and I am completely sure they won't contribute to a more serious and intellectual discussion of the issues we need to consider when deciding who to vote for in November, but (second perhaps to Paris' ad) they're the most plain and simple fun we'll have the whole time!

Labels: 2008 election, fun, modern culture

If you haven't seen the whole thing, do. It's, like, totally worth watching. Enjoy!

You've got to give Paris a ton of credit for doing this and for its wit. Apparently Chris Henchy (Brooke Shields' husband) produced it - don't know if he wrote it, too but whoever did deserves a minor Emmy. And, um, her energy plan? it has merit. Hmm.... Paris for vice president....???

Labels: 2008 election, fun, tv

The blog What Kate's Reading is worth a stop now and then even if you don't want to join in on her giveaway of a copy of a Jude Devereux book. But if you do, better get cracking since the deadline is this Friday. Meanwhile, it's a fun exercise to consider who is (are?) your favorite flawed hero?? And a corollary question: who are flawed heroines and are they as much fun??!

Labels: blogs (others'), books, fun

Color Addict - who definitely is a major and serious cat devotee - displayed this conversation between two cats today.  Which is well complemented by the all-cat version here.  And which suggets that cats can talk perfectly clearly, it's just that we misguided humans don't always understand very well.

As follow-up, watch this one to see what another cat thinks of the first conversation.  It's all the funnier since many cats don't seem to be able to see tv but this one clearly does and clearly likes what (s)he sees.

Labels: blogs (others'), cats, fun, youtube

Two discoveries:
-Beatrix Potter means more to the general public than I thought
and
-Google has a soul or at least whoever attends to their daily logo does.

Google honored her with this charming logo yesterday, her 166th.

Labels: fun, good people, writing

Very cool website, Wine Library, which conveys at least some of the energy and enthusiasm of its spokesperson, Gary Vaynerchuk (quite a name).  I'm going to buy the $4 Big Moose Red today that he recommends really highly and I'll report on how it is.  Wouldn't it be nifty if it's pleasant and not like ripple or something. . . .

Labels: fun, wine

Recent lapses in posting are due to preparations for and attendance at a 4-year-old's birthday festivities several states away. I'm going to post some photos of the drive back today in totally intense rain and snow (yes, I occasionally snap photos while driving). I also got to read to the birthday girl's class and that was a blast. Take a look at "Duck and Goose" if you want an amusing read. Different age audience from Tom Wolfe or Candy Bushnell, but lots of fun.

Labels: about me, family, fun, writing

TCM is premiering some 27 Warners' British films from the 1930's that were snubbed in previous years as being "lesser" because they were made quickly, often as the second feature when double features were the thing and people spent pennies to wile away Saturday afternoon at the movies; then again, they didn't have Tivo.

Man of the Moment is lots of fun and I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so here's just the setup: Mary (Laura La Plante who was a big musical comedy star) is a pretty young secretary in a London firm. She's infatuated with her boss but he, of course, is a cad. That sudden realization upsets Mary so much that she quits and decides to drown herself. Along comes a well-to-do young man, Tony (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. at his relaxed and dashing best before he became too self-conscious), who rather merrily rescues her and takes her home to prevent her jumping back into the water. Once there, antics ensue as we meet his dog (who can leave a room and close the door), his butler, his fiancée (Margaret Lockwood who went on to become a big star in Britain) and her father as well as loads of his pals who have come to regale him at his bachelor party.

Man of the Moment belongs on the same shelf with the stellar charming and delightful screwball comedies of the era, though this is a British version. P.G.Wodehouse of Bertie Wooster fame would be delighted, I am sure, his biscuit-tossing young men being well-matched by the musical chairs revelers and a nutcracking episode at the bachelor party. Also, because it's pre-Code, the unmarried hero and heroine take a hotel room with only one double bed (gasp) and she spends a fair amount of time in Tony's brother's clothes. It's great to see so many actors that one knows, early in their careers, expertly navigating this perky plot for whom we can thank Yves Mirande, a highly successful French playwright, and (among others) A.R. Rawlinson, one of 4 credited writers of the 1934 The Man Who Knew Too Much (one of the best stories ever written, in my opinion). There's nothing at all salacious, just a whole lot of good fun, eye candy, and much clever verbal and visual repartee.

Labels: fun, modern culture, movies

How pleasant to discover that the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol is wonderful. I've long been a huge fan of the Alistair Sims version, but Scott and Roger Rees as his nephew are grand. So is Caroline Langrishe as his nephew's wife - she's always a joy to watch, isn't she?! David Warner is a bit too substantial as Bob Crachit for me, but perfection is pretty much impossible for each and every viewer. In any case, Scott's intensity and bombast are entirely believable. And the happy upshot is that there turns out to be a delightful color version of this sweetly simple and wonderful story too!

Labels: fun, holidays, movies

Apparently Hillary and Celine are no longer engaged in a love fest. Hmm, I wonder who needed more space - isn't that the reason lots of people use for splitting? Anyway, VH1 took ample advantage of this "break up" to post the "40 most awesomely bad break-up songs ever" although many of them are so bad that they're really fabulous, especially in the overwrought way that one can jump right into at such moments. Course, it's mixing and matching real break-ups with a silly one, but why take such things as theme songs and background music terribly seriously anyway, right?

Labels: fun, music, politics, silliness

Amazingly, the doll-maker-strangle-hold-vote-getter did not win. Either the voters got with the program or the producers decided to exercise their behind-the-scenes power (I mean, who'd know and/or who'd stop them?).

In any case, Helio won!! It's undeniable that Mel Brown was the superior dancer, actually an extraordinary dancer and personality. She has style and charm beyond belief! Among other things, she made the - let's admit it - occasionally ridiculous ballroom moves look simply wonderful. But Helio won! Partly because he had never danced before and managed to learn to dance amazingly, and partly because he simply exudes such enormous charm and excitement. And partly because of Julianne Hough who is one of the cutest people ever to appear on television (and she's only 19!), not to mention an exceptionally good choreographer and dancer.

As far as dirt-dishing: first - where did the doll dancer go after she got voted off? For someone who couldn't be silenced for two seconds until then, she just disappeared afterwards. Please tell me she wasn't sulking or brewing up a formal protest. If *that* happens, Sabrina and Mark had better bop her over the head and formally protest on their own. Second - if Mel and Maks don't have something going on, as they say, I'd be stunned. Their -ah- chemistry seemed more than dance partners. Maybe it's like summer stock actors - fall in love for the run of the show and all. Third - did Celine Dion buy all the falls in all the salons in America (except the ones that Samantha grabbed first)?? How else to explain the waterfall of hair? No one on earth has that much tumbly hair, no one. Fourth - I have to admit that Samantha Harris looked amazing in that sparkly black dress. Her baby must miss her since she's obviously been doing nothing but exercise since the birth, but it's very impressive. Finally - Tom B. really is terrific as a host. He can ad lib and yuk it up charmingly and give just the faintest suggestion of risqué without ever going there. And he looked positively blushingly happy after Mel's last kiss, I must say - and who could blame him?!

After the goofy judging (yes, Virginia, there are seven actual numbers before 8, 9 and 10), the strange voting, and the endless persistance of the doll person whose nether parts showed way too often in ridiculous so-called dance moves, I was all set to boycott the show in the future, but I'm a fan all over again after last night. Now if Mel Brown would only get her own show or something so I could watch and/or listen to her without the rest of the Spice Girls.

Labels: fun, tv

Hard to believe this is the finale night of the fifth season of Dancing With the Stars. It's definitely been the most amazing season as far as talent, not that last night's finale demonstrated anything to that effect. I so hope the Osmond family hasn't juggernauted it so that Marie wins; she's just a tad too weird and a lot too bad a dancer. That doll routine was just crazy - a slightly amusing idea gone terribly, terribly wrong. Clearly, Mel is the best dancer and a wildly delightful personality in the bargain (who knew a Spice Girl was such a gas?!) but she's a pro, basically. In the end, then, Helio deserves the prize in spades. Besides, who can argue with Julianne's utter superiority as a coach and choreographer?! So we'll see . . . about 1 hour and 58 minutes after the show begins. More then.

Labels: fun, silliness, tv

A nice YouTube video about my local bead shop here. It really manages to capture some of the charm of beading in general and this store in particular.

Labels: about me, beading, fun

Hey, no kidding my Inner European is French. Consider that one of the questions asks what your idea of a great night out would be and one of the choices is lots of talking and arguing over coffee. Probably my favorite activities all rolled into one. Please, can I?! Change the evening to wine and opera, and my inner European becomes Italian. Hey, maybe I'm really a Rivieran.... Anyway, it's fun to try and predict and then see.

Smart and sophisticated.
Who's your inner European?

Labels: about me, fun, modern culture

Barb posted a link to this and it's way too much fun to resist putting it here, too. As she says, you can make a snowflake without having millions of pieces of paper all over the place!

Labels: crafts, fun

So simple and so much fun. Gather food for people who really need, all the while sitting at your computer and exercising your linguistic muscles. What could be better?! The hunger initiative, www.poverty.com, has set up a Play and Help game (h/t Cornwall Yarn Shop). Click this link or click on the green "Free Rice" button over there on my sidebar to read about it and/or to play. For every word you define correctly(according to their occasionally odd definitions, anyway), 10 grains of rice is donated. It seems implausible that 10 grains of rice would make any difference but if you read the information they provide, you learn that it does. This play-and-help began in early October of this year yet already there have been over 2 billion grains donated by people all over the world playing this game. I have no idea how many grains of rice makes a serving that staves off hunger, but if you're like me, you'll find the game so addictive that you'll personally account for a huge donation, a few thousand before you even realize it. I must say that some of the words are a tad obscure ('tad' meaning possibly unheard of) and some so-called correct answers must be the eighty-ninth alternate meanings, but there's no SAT or Regents score riding on your score, so it's just plain a whole lot of fun. And what a great idea!

Labels: charities, fun

5:20 MD ran even splits the entire way. How's that for a first-time marathon runner!? And fast enough to get in the NYT the morning after. Yeah!! And though sore, she's elated and loved every minute, she says. What a girl.

1:24 They've talked with lots of finishers and lots of people were recorded before the race. So many fit and enthusiastic people!!

12:35 Some of the 38,000 are coming up 1st Avenue already - very impressive!

Radcliffe was just interviewed and doesn't sound tired at all. Recovers from racing proportionately as fast as from pregnancy, apparently. She loves the New York crowds and even the uphill at the end. Ran 8 marathons, won 7! I've always heard that marathons are good for older people - stamina, emotional maturity, etc. Interesting.

Not much to see, therefore notate, for a while. Hey, MD, cheers to you wherever you are right now!

12:30 They're showing some of the masses, finally. On the other hand, they're saying "now that the race is over" which is nuts. Can't they learn to use precise words like "the elite runners are done" or something like that? Armstrong is still to come in, which will undoubtedly earn some trumpeting, unless he's in bad shape.

12:18 Martin Lel just won the men's race. Another Kenyan wins another marathon. They're fantastic!

The tv guy is praising a Kenyan woman who just finished. How come she's wonderful but the caucasian who came shortly before her is a lagger? Must political idiocy permeate even this?

12:17 The idiot tv guy just said something about the two leaders passing "a woman lagger". LAGGER?!? She's running a sub-3-hour marathon for heaven's sake. How is she a lagger??? Someone please wash his mouth out with soap.

12:15 The top two men are coming into the Park now. They're a lot bigger than some elite marathoners. It's interesting that one of them is holding his arms low and the other's arms are at his chest, in the more familiar stance. Here comes that uphill .2 final push.

12:12 I just realized that the cannon-shot beginning of the race is really not the real beginning. It's only when elite men and common folk begin. Handicapped racers started earlier and elite women began over half an hour earlier. In my perfect world, all elite runners will begin together. Since pacers are part of what pushes them, who knows what time the hotshot women will do when that day comes.

12:00 Radcliffe won the women's race by 23 seconds. Incredible. Just shy of record time. Two awesome women.

Radcliffe is holding her 9-month-old baby. Won a marathon nine months after pregnancy and delivery!?!?!?

Can I just say how annoying those motorcycles must be, zipping back and forth between the runners? One of them was literally only feet behind Radcliffe's heels as she came up to the finish - what is the point of that??

The men look slower than they did, and slower than the women the whole way. What's with that?

11:55 The two moms are crossing Central Park South. The reporters keep saying Wami's never moved into the lead, but I would think this means she's going to sprint at the end - like jockeys do in horse races. Radcliffe has apparently never come in second, but that's because she dropped out or got sick. Hey - Wami's moving into the lead as they move into the Park. Wow. Back in a couple of minutes.

11:45 The men are still running incredibly fast and furious. I don't know how they do it.

Radcliffe and Wami are amazing. Maintaining the link with each other, mile after mile. The reporters are a tad annoying as they predict victory or defeat for either of them depending on two or three feet changing now and then. It's going to be yet another interesting finish for the two of them.

I wish they'd show us the "ordinary" folk, now and then at least. The leads are wonderfully exciting, but there are 15-20 of them and 38,000 of the rest!

MD may be a third through by now, if her regular pace is able to be held in the crowd. She refused to register that chip thing that would allow people to keep track of her, so I won't know anything til it's over. May I just say that swim meets are much easier on parents cuz you can see everything and keep track of everyone?!

11:05 The two lead women are running a record-setting pace, but the two of them look like they're just jogging, since the only comparison is each other.

The handicapped winner in a pushrim crossed the line faster than Clyde Haberman did in on November 1st.

10:35 They're actually interviewing Lance Armstrong while he's running. Why on earth would someone agree to be interviewed while running??! Do elite runners go by that "be able to talk" guide that ordinary runners use? Interesting.

Paula Radcliffe is running hard and out front. She has that weird bob, although she looks fairly relaxed. A few years ago she collapsed quite far into it, so I hope she'll be okay. Gete Wami (only 5' tall!) is fantastic, though. Could be an interesting finish between them.

The elite men, on the other hand, are pounding the pavement and *look* like they're going really hard and fast. Odd, since they're only about 15 minutes faster than the women. Anyway, they look really intense. Even the green-haired guy!

One of my friends talked about taking the subway out to see the runners come into Brooklyn. It's not people-dense at this point, so that would be a good spot, for sure.

10:15 In case you're wondering, my daughter ("MD") wanted to run her first marathon without family spectators so she wouldn't have to think about anything except the race. An athlete has to do their own thing in order to get the most out of the experience, in all kinds of ways.

Labels: family, fun, headlines