Blog@Case Topics: floating around the 'net

Daily Awwwwwww

2010-04-18T23:02:59Z

Here's a lovely story that's unfolded over the past weekend. I go pretty regularly to this site called Tomato Nation, where (in addition to the cookie, candy and cereal rankings that drew me there in the first place) the sitemaster, Sarah Bunting, sometimes mobilizes her mass of readers to donate to charities or contribute to various efforts. A couple days ago someone wrote in asking for publicity for her friend, whose dog Zeus needed surgery to remove his poor diseased eyes. This friend of hers had started her own blog with a place for donations on it, but the money (the procedure was estimated in the 2K-range) was trickling in rather slowly. So Sarah posted this letter with a link to Zeus's blog. Within ONE DAY the dog's surgery was paid for, and then some. It really is amazing--the amazing feats of kindness that can be achieved via grassroots efforts like this one. The fact that it is all due to a blog (which have such reputations for self-centeredness). Also, the level of compassion that people feel for their pets. Just looking at Zeus's blog makes me want to race home and give my girl Skylar a hug. (Look at the picture on that last entry I linked to. We have that exact same orange ball, though lately Sky's been favoring a blue frisbee.) I want to contribute money to the SPCA or something. All the more impressive because Bunting herself is a cat person. Click here for one of my favorite of her essays, about meows in translation. This is my favorite: "I ate a leaf and you said not to and I ate it and it tasted bad and now I'm angry." (Skylar says: "What's this 'your bed too' nonsense?" Also, "Hope you're feeling better soon, Zeus. And give back my orange ball.")

Now we can make fun of vampires electronically!

2010-03-16T19:36:05Z

Just a quick note to draw everyone's attention to the fact that my favorite blogger, the wonderful Linda Holmes of Monkey See (have I mentioned her enough times? Linda, visit my blog already!) has been guilted into reading Twilight and is tweeting about it. Check out the Monkey See twitter here and other followers of the Twilight read-in here. A sampling:

The first note I wrote in the margins of Twilight says "There is no subtext; only text." 5:39 AM Mar 15th via TweetDeck

Revisit the 90s with The AV Club

2010-03-03T17:12:43Z

The AV Club has just started running an incredibly fun feature based on those ubiquitous NOW! compilation CDs. As he explains in the introductory feature, Nathan Rabin, one of the site's writers, recently was subjected to the original NOW! from 1999 and marveled at how much of a snapshot of the times it was. He writes...

A strange spirit of musical democracy pervades the CD. Itâ€™s a curious world where one-hit wonders like Marcy Playground breathe the same rarified air as Janet Jackson and Radiohead. For a brief period, they were peers, at least where Billboard and NOW Thatâ€™s What I Call Music! is concerned.

This week the second feature went live, revisiting the Britney Spears phenomenon in its nascent stage, discussing whether the New Radicals' "You Get What You Give" has enough layers of subversion to be cool, and vindicating my secret belief that Semisonic was cool. Read it--especially if you were a teen in the 90s like I was--but skip the comments section lest you get too engaged in the debate about which ironic cover of "Baby One More Time" is the best. Travis? Fountains of Wayne? Bowling for Soup? Even Tori Amos has done it! For the record, my music taste never having been particularly cool, I never bought a NOW! CD, though if there had been a Lilith Fair edition, you can be sure I would have been all over it. Here's who I spent the majority of the 90s listening to... Oh, you mean you don't remember Lisa Loeb? Here, maybe this will help.

BUT IT'S FREEZING OUT

2010-02-13T18:58:03Z

So, I thought no one complained more than me about the weather--about the cold, about the piles of snow that I have to traverse to walk to the bus stop or to give the dog a walk, about the slippery roads and the pants cuff-ruining slush. What I didn't realize is that there are people who are even more out of touch with the realities of existing in the real world--and what a surprise, they're asking for things on Craigslist. See the full entry in its cracked glory at You Suck at Craigslist.

LOST! TONIGHT!

2010-02-02T21:21:08Z

I had a busy, busy day, but it was all worth it because now it's mid-afternoon and I basically have no responsibilities to the world at large until tomorrow. Turned in a paper this morning, my lesson plans for the week are set. That all means that I can--and WILL--spend the next four hours watching Lost! The last few episodes of the fifth season (that's where they left off last spring) and then at nine o'clock (eight central!) the first episode of the final season begins! Yeah, I'm excited. Here's the schedule again: 8pm-9pm: They're doing one of their classic catch-up hours (for the casual Lostie). 9pm-11pm: 2-part season opener! Here's the first part of an awesome 3-part interview with ( Lost creators) Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof by Maureen Ryan at the Chicago Tribune. Lots of interesting discussion about satisfying television finales (they really liked how The Sopranos ended, if that tells you anything) and how there would be no Lost if not for Nash Bridges . Also, Lost characters explain how to make a sandwich. More Lost madness after the jump!

Diversions

2010-01-10T16:33:50Z

File this under "proof that I very much need to return to my usual academic routine." When I'm home all day I screw around on the Internet and lose hours of my life to ridiculous and awesome crap. You want to know what this is about, click ahead.

When Entertainment Headlines Make Me Sad

2009-12-25T01:19:08Z

I read this headline somewhere on the internet yesterday and spontaneously exclaimed, "Oh no!" After 23 Years, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins Call it Quits For real, didn't they seem like an awesome couple? They were both cool and political and so casually unmarried. I hope neither of them are in People magazine in three weeks dating some starlet half their age, or I'll really be disillusioned.

Like TV? Like clothes?

2009-12-15T22:15:55Z

If you grew up in Middle America in the late 80s and early 90s, it's possible you spent Tuesday nights watching Roseanne. If so, you might be interested in Third and Delaware, a blog devoted to the fashion of that venerable sitcom. Like cowl-neck sweaters? How about fringed denim jackets? And stretch pants under an oversized man's shirt? What about that early-90s classic, the belted overall? And don't forget to accessorize with bangle bracelets and giant hair. (Tipped by Sling Blog.) By the way, the clothes may be embarrassing to look at, but Roseanne is still utterly watchable. In fact, I watch it almost anytime it's on, which recently has been constantly. Oxygen does a full-day marathon at least once a week, with Nick at Nite and TV Land picking up the slack at night. Watch Roseanne lead a walkout at Wellman plastics! Watch Jackie do community theater! Watch Dan let his buddy convince him to buy a motorcycle repair shop (don't do it, Dan!) and other great moments in Roseanne history. (If you catch an episode from that weird final season where they won the lottery and everybody looked like they were on crack, feel free to skip it.)

Fast Food and Fashion...

2009-11-21T03:08:53Z

...for a Friday night. from Grub Street New York: Flowchart Helps You Determine What Crap to Eat "Is your name Jared?" ( if yes: Subway) if no: "Do you have more than $3?" ( if no: Taco Bell) if yes: "Are you drunk?" Thanks to the Fug Girls for the tip! (Speaking of the Fug Girls, read their take on the not-with-a-bang-but-with-a-whimper finale of Project Runway which aired last night.)

Ah, To Be This Clever

2009-11-12T00:33:09Z

From McSweeney's (the sometimes too too clever hipster publication which in this case got it just right): Famous Authors Narrate the Funny Pages

Beetle Bailey
by Ernest Hemingway
"It's a mighty sorry business, Sarge being blown up like that," Beetle said. The other soldiers in the cafÃ© nodded silently. He ordered another bottle of vermouth and drank the vermouth. It was a good vermouth.

Check out the others, including Peanuts by Jane Austen and Dilbert by Charles Dickens. Garfield by James Joyce is also a highlight.

Were you a child in the 80s?

2009-10-04T15:36:20Z

If so, you probably have a photo of yourself like this: See other people's youthful humiliations at We Have Lasers!!!!!!!, a photo blog that was just begging to be made. I know I have at least one of these (4th grade) which I really kind of want to submit to this site now. As I recall, my hair was painstakingly crimped and then gathered in a side ponytail, and I'm wearing my best ruffled denim jumper, accessorized by my then-favorite plastic dangly heart earrings. I was tipped to the blog by this slideshow over at Newsweek.com. If those sites aren't enough to waste your workday, take a look at some of my favorites, like You Suck at Craigslist, Passive Aggressive Notes and of course, Sexy People.

"We're Mad Men!"

2009-10-02T17:20:51Z

I can't wait for Sesame Street to parody some of my other favorite shows! They took the cigarettes, sex, and booze out of Mad Men, so they should be able to take the murder out of Dexter, the drugs out of Breaking Bad, and the misanthropy out of It's Always Sunny! ...Right?

When Entertainment Headlines are Not a Shock

2009-09-04T15:46:31Z

Because when the celebrity in question in Russell Crowe, this seems like...something he would do. Full story here.

Message from the Lovely Winner

2009-08-24T19:28:31Z

A blog sent me to this site, where you input your name and the site generates a humorous anagram. Give it a try!

My name, including first, last and middle, anagrams to:

LOVELY 'N' TORN WINNER

Jeremy's name, including first, last and middle:

JEERED TEMEROUS TRY

Skylar (our dog)'s name, including all our last names:

REALLY! ON OVER-WORKED STUTTERS

Mad Me

2009-07-31T16:55:15Z

Ah, the infinite joys of the Internet. Remember a few months ago I posted pictures of myself and Jeremy that had been Simpsonized? See the original post here. AMC television has established the same deal for Mad Men. As usual, I couldn't resist. Here I am pitching the Jackie-Marilyn campaign to the gentlemen of Sterling-Cooper. Here's me hanging out with Betty Draper. No thanks, Betty, don't need any coffee--got my martini here, as you can see. Try it yourself here. And watch Mad Men when Season 3 opens on August 16!

Bride and Groom Get in the Groove

2009-07-24T18:25:48Z

So, it doesn't resemble any wedding that I'll ever have, but you've got to admire the playfulness and creativity of the couple in the video below. My guess how this unconventional processional came into being: one of them said, "Hey, let's do that song 'Forever'," and the other said, "That's a dance song," and the first one said, "Then let's DANCE!" Hats off to the bridesmaids and groomsmen who were game.