change of season

The Pope’s Agent New video of the Pope’s agent...

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 01:26:38 -0800

The Pope’s Agent

New video of the Pope’s agent discussing his options now that he’s resigning.

Musicphile Tuesday

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:37:35 -0700

Hello tumblr, below please find a sample of an email that I’ve been sending to my close music loving friends. It’s simply my picks for up and coming music and highlights so lesser known older bands that might not be on your main stream radar yet. Either way, I thought I share the wealth on this one. Enjoy!

Musicphile Tuesday:

Hello dear Musicphile friends,

Well I told you that these emails would be getting more frequent. A promise is a promise. Let’s dive in, shall we?

The Rolling Stones - ‘Doom and Gloom’

This is the first single off the bands upcoming greatest hits release titled ‘GRRR!’. I like the sound and the energy the band still has. It’s the first song the band has recorded all together in 7 years. Has a little ZZ Top flavor too it as well. Good news that comes with the album release (Nov 12 world/Nov 13 North America) is a tour. A tour that’s been highly anticipated since the band just hit their 50 year anniversary this year.

Here’s the link to the video for ‘Doom and Gloom’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rPFGWVKXxm0#at=93

Bonus: If your pre-order the album on iTunes you get ‘Doom and Gloom’ as an instant download.

SuperHeavy - ‘Miracle Worker’

Inspired by the Stones I thought I’d re-share this track by SuperHeavy, a nice little super group that includes Damian Marley, Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart(of the Eurythmics) and A.R. Rahman(Isongwriter/composer known for his work on Slumdog Millionaire). They’re debut album was released in September 2011.

Here’s a link to the video for ‘Miracle Worker’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTF7T1Nw5OU&feature=fvwrel

Wait What - Album: tingo

This is the latest from mashup master Wait What. It was released back in May and has a few gems in the mix. If you haven’t heard of Wait What, download all of his albums now (They’re FREE!). I’m a fan of all his albums, notable ones are ‘Notorious XX’ and ‘This is Real Life’. He also releases one-off single mashups every Wednesday. This latest album seems it would be ideal as a work out soundtrack.

Link to download album: http://soundcloud.com/wait-what/sets/wait-what-tingo/

Link to download all albums: http://soundcloud.com/wait-what/sets?format=html&page=1

Tame Impala - Album: Lonerism

This is a band I just found out about but they’ve been around since 2010. They’re from Australia and have a psychedelic Beatles sound with a Rolling Stones blues edge for good measure. They just released their second album ‘Lonerism’ on Oct 5th (Oct 9th in the US). From what I’m reading there’s lot’s of worthy buzz on the band and I wouldn’t be surprised if you start hearing more about them in 2013. On a personal note I see this sound becoming the next wave. The hipster sound (ala edward Sharpe/Lumineers) mixed with a retro sound that’s already implanted into most bands.Probably not as psychedelic but more of an experimental sound on the basics. My brain goes towards sounding more like the Beach Boys album Pet Sounds in 2013. Either way, hopefully we all reap the benefits( i.e. better music on our radio dial)

Here’s a link to their single ‘Elephant ‘ : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0jqPvpn3sY

Things to come in the next email will include my full thoughts on Bob Dylan’s latest ‘Tempest’ as well as KISS and their new release. Per usual, I’m currently swimming in new music and bands too explore so we’ll see what makes the cut on the next email blast. Just got a list of bands to look out for so I will be doing some digging. I think I’m also going to start adding some more highlights on older bands that might not have missed your radar but deserve looking into. Hope you all enjoy this edition.

Best,

—
D

Latest comedy nerd intake/brain food. Probably finished by the...

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 17:07:51 -0700

Latest comedy nerd intake/brain food.

Probably finished by the end of the week.

thedailywhat: Parody of the Day: Hufflepuff always got a bad...

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 13:58:02 -0700

thedailywhat:

Parody of the Day: Hufflepuff always got a bad rap — it’s the most inclusive of the four Hogwarts houses, “valuing hard work, patience, loyalty, and fair play rather than a particular aptitude in its members.”

But “Sorted This Way,” a new parody of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” by Harry Potter fan group Not Literally, may be just the thing to thrust Hufflepuff into the spotlight once and for all.

[themarysue]

Hufflepuff 4 LIFE

A WRITER'S CONFLICT

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 14:44:14 -0700

the awful feeling when you’re in the process of writing, but are momentarily lost in the current thought. a thought that will solve all problems and answer all questions. Than your brain switches over to ‘find a pen’. In that moment your genius is lost. you are certain of it’s impact and it’s brilliance. perhaps it will return. in my experience it does, usually while I’m taking a shower.

funny is just funny...don't try to figure out why

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:40:17 -0700

Dana Gould on dissecting comedy to find out what makes people laugh..

The Frog Analogy - “The only way to find out how a Frog works is by dissecting it, but when you do you kill the Frog”

added analogy: “All the Magic happens in the hat. Don’t look in the hat”

"I’ve never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a..."

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:33:30 -0700

““I’ve never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation. ””

- Mike Todd (1909-1958); theater and film producer

david cross explains hipsters perfectly

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 11:10:40 -0700

david cross explains hipsters perfectly

Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny...

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:30:54 -0700

Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.

hmmm………AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

The Tale of 3437

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:00:16 -0700

Many people have their own beliefs on how to get what they want. I myself have been a believer in writing things down. Not unlike a grocery list (which I reference but never use), I write down a list of things I want to accomplish for the year. I’m pretty specific and realistic with dates and check in on my list every month or so to see how I’m doing. Needless to say as I check things off I’m intrigued, sometimes straight freaked out, by how accurate I am to achieving goals on or close too the specific dates. All this may be mumbo jumbo to most perhaps chalking it up to theory, ‘The Secret”, Law of attraction etc. It’s a system I’ve used for years that produces results for me. Draw your own conclusions. This back-story of coarse is all leading to my weekend tale.

Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this story:

The Tale of 3437

My girlfriend and I are planning on moving together later in the year and have been driving around various neighborhoods to see which one suits us best. We were in the middle of this very task on Sunday when we drove past a house that what can only be described as ‘calling out ‘ to both of us. As cliché as it sound it’s true. I made a u-turn at the end of the block and we drove by again. One more u-turn and we parked in front and admired the house. It was perfect. Nothing extravagant. Craftsman style, small porch, clean and landscaped in a simple and beautiful way. Taking advantage of the hand computers in our pockets we immediately Googled the home; typing in street and the address, 3437. The Internet fed our curiosity. Year the home was built, what it sold for in the past and what its current market value was. Surprising to both of us, it’s wasn’t that expensive considering the location and size. We continued to read more information and discuss this amazing home. It was quickly decided and written down in each of our phones that 3437 will be ours. Probably not as our first place together, but there was an inherit realistic belief in each my girlfriend and myself that the home at 3437 would be our address one day.

Still talking about our find, we ended our scout and headed up the block to the main drag. We parked at a meter and fed it to cover ourselves for an hour; all the while still talking about the future plans for our life living at 3437. As we walked we passed a thrift store, which to be honest is my kryptonite. I wasn’t on the hunt for anything special but who knows what you’ll find? We took a few steps back and went in. Upon entering we walked toward the records in the back corner. In passing I looked down and noticed a nice little cabinet and immediately stopped dead in my tracks. I went silent. My girlfriend continued to talk when she noticed I was starring down at four numbered tiles sitting on top of the cabinet. They were beautiful and they scared that crap out of me. They were arranged perfectly in order, 3 4 3 7. My girlfriend and I quickly went into a frantic “No Way!. I can’t believe it” and other flabbergasted remarks. We did a lap of the store in disbelief. Even contemplating purchasing the tiles in case we needed them when the home became ours.

You don’t have to believe in signs or theories to at least acknowledge that something beyond coincidence occurred in those 45 minutes of us finding our dream home and then coming across the address in the thrift store. I’m not spooked by it. I simply see it as a sign that we’re on the right path. If I were to end this story in true 10^th grade essay fashion it would go something like this. In conclusion, if you really want something go get it. Write down what it is. Be specific as possible. Don’t overly obsess but keep it as something real and tangible. The universe will show you that you’re on the right path. Also be prepared to be freaked out by frequent coincides as you start to achieve your goals.

I declare this meeting of the Midnight Society closed. {pours water over the fire}

(photo of the tiles taken upon our discovery)

the pinnacle of my status as a comedy nerd. On my trip to San...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:43:51 -0700

the pinnacle of my status as a comedy nerd. On my trip to San Francisco earlier this year, with help from Google and a very patient girlfriend, I located the original location of the hungry i. A special club in the North Beach section of the city, it helped launch the careers of such great comedians as Mort Sahl, Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, Bob Newhart, Phyllis Diller…..etc The list goes on. Any way, being the comedy nerd that I am I had to find the original spot. (There’s a strip joint with the same name up a few blocks). A fun fact of the club is that it held the claim of being the first brick wall club. Something that’s now synonymous with comedy clubs (ala LA Improv)

Here’s a photo of the original exterior and me pretending to do comedy in front of the same location as it looks today. I took nerd status to another level when using old photos I estimated where the entrance was, took a few photos of myself on the spot and then proceeded to do 2 minutes of my own material just so that I could say that I had played the hungry i.

c.o.m.e.d.y. n.e.r.d. :)

Rhianna is making a suspiciously familiar style choice with that...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:20:03 -0700

Rhianna is making a suspiciously familiar style choice with that hat in the latest Battleship photo’s.

CLEAR EYES.FULL HEARTS.CAN”T LOSE.

things i find on the internet when im supposed to be writing

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:01:39 -0700

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do.
BY Colin Nissan
- - - -
WRITE EVERY DAY
Writing is a muscle. Smaller than a hamstring and slightly bigger than a bicep, and it needs to be exercised to get stronger. Think of your words as reps, your paragraphs as sets, your pages as daily workouts. Think of your laptop as a machine like the one at the gym where you open and close your inner thighs in front of everyone, exposing both your insecurities and your genitals. Because that is what writing is all about.
DON’T PROCRASTINATE
Procrastination is an alluring siren taunting you to Google the country where Balki from Perfect Strangers was from, and to arrange sticky notes on your dog in the shape of hilarious dog shorts. A wicked temptress beckoning you to watch your children, and take showers. Well, it’s time to look procrastination in the eye and tell that seafaring wench, “Sorry not today, today I write.”
FIGHT THROUGH WRITER’S BLOCK
The blank white page. El Diablo Blanco. El Pollo Loco. Whatever you choose to call it, staring into the abyss in search of an idea can be terrifying. But ask yourself this; was Picasso intimidated by the blank canvas? Was Mozart intimidated by the blank sheet music? Was Edison intimidated by the blank lightbulb? If you’re still blocked up, ask yourself more questions, like; Why did I quit my job at TJ Maxx to write full-time? Can/should I eat this entire box of Apple Jacks? Is The Price is Right on at 10 or 11?
LEARN FROM THE MASTERS
Mark Twain once said, “Show, don’t tell.” This is an incredibly important lesson for writers to remember; never get such a giant head that you feel entitled to throw around obscure phrases like “Show, don’t tell.” Thanks for nothing, Mr. Cryptic.
FIND YOUR MUSE
Finding a really good muse these days isn’t easy, so plan on going through quite a few before landing on a winner. Beware of muses who promise unrealistic timelines for your projects or who wear wizard clothes. When honing in on a promising new muse, also be on the lookout for other writers attempting to swoop in and muse-block you. Just be patient in your search, because the right muse/human relationship can last a lifetime.
HONE YOUR CRAFT
There are two things more difficult than writing. The first is editing, the second is expert level Sudoku where there’s literally two goddamned squares filled in. While editing is a grueling process, if you really work hard at it, in the end you may find that your piece has fewer words than it did before. Which, is great. Perhaps George Bernard Shaw said it best when upon sending a letter to a close friend, he wrote, “I’m sorry this letter is so long, I didn’t have time to make it shorter.” No quote better illustrates the point that writers are very busy.
ASK FOR FEEDBACK
It’s so easy to hide in your little bubble, typing your little words with your little fingers on your little laptop from the comfort of your tiny chair in your miniature little house. I’m taking this tone to illustrate the importance of developing a thick skin. Remember, the only kind of criticism that doesn’t make you a better writer is dishonest criticism. That, and someone telling you that you have weird shoulders.
READ, READ, READ
It’s no secret that great writers are great readers, and that if you can’t read, your writing will often suffer. Similarly, if you can read but have to move your lips to get through the longer words, you’ll still be a pretty bad writer. Also, if you pronounce “espresso” like “expresso.”
STUDY THE RULES, THEN BREAK THEM
Part of finding your own voice as a writer is finding your own grammar. Don’t spend your career lost in a sea of copycats when you can establish your own set of rules. If everyone’s putting periods at the end of their sentences, put yours in the middle of words. Will it be incredibly difficult to read? Yes it will. Will it set you on the path to becoming a literary pioneer? Tough to say, but you’re kind of out of options at this point.
KEEP IT TOGETHER
A writer’s brain is full of little gifts, like a piñata at a birthday party. It’s also full of demons, like a piñata at a birthday party in a mental hospital. The truth is, it’s demons that keep a tortured writer’s spirit alive, not Tootsie Rolls. Sure they’ll give you a tiny burst of energy, but they won’t do squat for your writing. So treat your demons with the respect they deserve, and with enough prescriptions to keep you wearing pants.

Justin Townes Earle & Dawn Landes cover Dolly Partons...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:28:14 -0700

Justin Townes Earle & Dawn Landes cover Dolly Partons ‘Do I Ever Cross Your Mind’.

Simple and sweet. Been listening to this lil’ gem on repeat.

Photo

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:31:53 -0700

David Cross eloquently describes the West side of Los Angeles...

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:09:29 -0700

David Cross eloquently describes the West side of Los Angeles with the help of Marc Maron.

East Side 4 Life!

Photo

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:42:40 -0700

thedailywhat: Human-Sized Bird’s Nest of the Day: The Giant...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:26:50 -0800

thedailywhat:

Human-Sized Bird’s Nest of the Day: The Giant Birdsnest from O*GE was designed to be a multi-purpose creativity space for “creating new ideas.”

Part furniture, part playground, the inspiration incubator comfortably seats 16 and “needs no explanation or user manual”: Do whatever you want inside, just clean up after you’re done.

[gizmodo.]

Yes please.

thedailywhat: Life-Altering Pizza Grilling Accessory of the...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:05:31 -0800

thedailywhat:

Life-Altering Pizza Grilling Accessory of the Day: Transform your trusty Weber One-Touch into a pizza maker worthy of [enter your favorite pizza joint here] with the KettlePizza pizza oven sleeve.

Imagine cooking real wood-fired pizza on your home kettle grill. This dream is now a reality with the Kettlepizza cooking accessory for charcoal kettle grills. The Kettlepizza is an aftermarket product that fits between the kettle grill top and bottom creating a pizza oven chamber with a side opening where the food is placed. Since the grill top is not removed, the heat is allowed to build higher and remains much more stable than on a traditional grill.

Kits starts at $130. Works with all major brands. Learn more here.

[doobybrain.]

I want one!!

Danny funny

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:58:01 -0800

Danny funny