In a discussion of anime involving classical music, the writer at Transientem included links to several animated versions of Liszt’s second Martian Hungarian rhapsody, including performances by Tom & Jerry
Category: Humor and horror
Agricultural space tragedy
Via Shamus, the story behind Star Wars. See also Shamus’ updated treatment.
I was never a Star Wars fan — I bailed out after The Empire Strikes Back — but I was surprised to learn just how much worse than the final product the original script was. (Via Dirty Harry.)
Happy Thanksgiving …
… from Chuck Jones and Daffy Duck.
(Via Mark Sullivan.)
Bonus video: It has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but who cares?
(Via Cartoon Brew.)
Bonus video II: Tex Avery, also via Cartoon Brew.
Bah, humbug already
You want Christmas spirit before Thanksgiving? I’ve got some right here.
“Metabolically challenged”
I probably won’t install this WordPress plugin, but it’s worth noting.
Likeways
Dirty Harry is soliciting nominations for a “Top TV Themes” poll. Here’s one of my nominations:
This was not the music used in the first two Rocky and Bullwinkle boxed sets, which greatly irritates me.
The list of lists, etc.
40 Signs of the Mike World Order:
27. New TV show: Pundit Deathmatch! Reigning champion – Ann Coulter!
How to identfy the Antichrist.
The upsides to an event earlier this month (you may need to scroll down a bit):
#7: Conservatism is inherently a tradition of complicity, satire, internal conflict, and cynicism. So with the Messiah as our next president, we’re in like Patricia Quinn!
A couple of jokes, one mathematical, one theological (the latter via René’s Apple).
Snape paper dolls to download and print. You can play with them while you read Joseph Bottum’s suggestions for revising the canon of children’s literature.
You’re a good man, Sinji Brown
Charles Schultz does Evangelion. (The scanlation is out there if you know where to look.)
Marionettes and obsolete spaces
Halloween is approaching, so here’s another list.
Creepy, scary anime
1. Denno Coil, episode 19 — The series becomes darker and more intense in its second half. This episode, in which Yasako and Fumie are besieged by “illegals” while Kyoko’s cyberbody wanders in an obsolete space, is surprisingly scary for a show that began so playfully.
2. Mushishi, episode 4 — All of the stories in Mushishi are strange. A few are nightmarish, like this one about dreams.
3. Divergence Eve, episode 8 — The series is creepy from beginning to end, and I could reasonably pick any episode for this list. The eighth has perhaps the eeriest scene, in which Leblanc gives Misaki a tour of a room with unsettling specimens.
4. Vampire Princess Miyu OVA, episode 2 — Do you like dolls?
5. Serial Experiments Lain, episode 12 — Alice visits Lain’s home.
6. Hakaba Kitaro, episode 3 — Forget carnivorous plants. How about a vampire tree?
Quote of the week
Overheard by John Salmon:
“You need to ask your surgeon a lot of questions, like what’s his mortality rate. Make sure his mortality rate is at least 98%.”
Beyond Urotsukidoji
Kraken swarm
Squidpunk — if it’s not for real, it ought to be.
(Via Eve.)
Update: it is for real. It’s got a website and a video and everything.
I really would like to read Anne McCaffrey’s contribution.
Update II: There is indeed a Squid Vicious.
… no thumbs will be broken this month
Consider the Harding/Agnew ticket:
Remember when you vote that the Fringe Party, in matters of economics as in every other matter, stands in favor of good things and against bad things. No other political party can say that with a straight face.
The advantage of dead guys in office: they might smell a bit, but they won’t screw things up any worse than they already are.
Update: Big steps require big feet: Bigfoot/Nessie ’08
(Via Dustbury.)
You got a light, Mac?
Apropos of absolutely nothing, here are lines from songs that have caught my fancy for some reason or another over the years:
“You probably think this song is about you.”
“His hair was perfect.”
“Grunt, howl, grunt, howl.”
“And.”
“… with a soulful, bounding leap ….”
“I’m dead but I don’t know it.”
“Pippikippippippi!” ((Not to be confused with “Pipiru piru piru pipiru pi.”))
“Someone get me a ladder.”
“Today, I am two separate gorillas.”
“Fridays I go painting in the Louvre.”
“What a pumpkin.”
“We can’t even think of a word that rhymes.”
“No, but I’ve got a dark brown overcoat.”
Update: How could I forget:
And so, I broke into the Palace
With a sponge and a rusty spanner.
She said: “Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing.”
I said: “That’s nothing — you should hear me play piano.”
Not to mention, “I didn’t realize you wrote such bloody awful poetry.”
Science as it happens
As recorded by the webcams at CERN.
(Via TexasBestGrok.)
Arrrrgh, etc.
I heard yesterday that one of the great progressive rock bands, Gryphon, has reunited to record a new album and perhaps give some concerts after disbanding more than thirty years ago. I just did a little searching to verify that. While the main Gryphon fansite does announce their reunion, their MySpace page states that it’s been suspended. Grrr.
Here’s an example of the sort of music I’d been hoping to hear more of, their “Glastonbury Carol”:
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If you have things to do and have absolutely no time to spare, don’t click here. (My best so far is 466 528 576 pounds of fish, plus logs, boots and cell phones.) (Via Dale.)
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Kids, be your favorite martyr for Halloween. (Via large furry animals.)
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Warmth. (Via a small furry animal.)
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To put the Democratic convention in perspective, read Dave Barry. His coverage begins here.