Everything is amazing... and nobody's happy.

The very funny Louis C.K. on Conan back in October.

The Persistence of Television

Salvado Dali's very amusing 1952 appearance on What's My Line?.

Via VSL.

[The headline of this post is, of course, a (clumsy) play on the title of what is arguably Dalí's most recognizable work, The Persistence of Memory. – Ed.]

Give Me Liberty.

Liberty City, that is.



The rave reviews are pouring in.

GTA IV gives us characters and a world with a level of depth previously unseen in gaming and elevates its story from a mere shoot-em-up to an Oscar-caliber drama. IGN's full review.

Are You Tougher Than A Pre-Schooler?

18

Read This F***ing Post A**h***!

You can find my latest post here. I had a brief debate about where to post it and ZipLog won.

Blowing Smoke?

"I smoke for my mental health."

When I say it in WTF, I don't necessarily expect my smoke to start a fire. But when David Hockney says it in the Guardian maybe it's worth contemplating – over a cup of coffee and a cigarette.

[Thanx to Mom for the article.]

Image © FreeFoto.com

In Favor of Favoriting?

Speaking of neologisms, my mom (a logophile if ever there was one) recently noted that she'd just learned that to favorite is a conjugable verb; noting the use of "Favorited" on YouTube.

Favoriting in the digital age is many things, it is a bookmark, an endorsement, a tracking device and one's self-elected membership in whatever micro-culture is being defined by those favoriting a given piece of content. The prefered Web icon of favoriting seems to be the heart – the icon of "love" – a pretty powerful commitment. Favoriting seems closer to a "thumbs up".

It was, and probably still is – a great source of consternation for my two youngest siblings, Andrew and Andrea, that I could not, would not, identify a "favorite" in any category of "things" – movies, food, pets, seasons, music genres, etc – I couldn't do it. I'm not sure what the root of the issue is. But, for what it's worth, I do know that I appreciate something as long as it's "good" at what it's trying to be. And because there are so many examples in any given category that fit this very inclusive filter, it's difficult – near impossible – for me to elevate one to the exclusion of others.

However, I'm not above asking what others' favorites may be. So, in the interest of trying out the new Blogger Polls feature, I'll be posting a poll asking what your favorite something is. Look for it over on the left in the next couple of days and favorite something. Maybe by next election we'll be favoriting our President into office.

What does the fractal up top have to do with this? I found it astounding that out of all of these, someone managed to choose a favorite – the one up top – which is currently the first image returned when one googles images for "favorite". [BTW, that's not the one I would pick. – Ed.]

Image ©1995 Clint Sprott, University of Wisconsin – Madison

On Consumerism, Identity and Being "Mates"

There's an interesting post from the best-of-craigslist, Through Being Cool. In it the author explores what it means for boys/men to be "mates" (Aus, UK vs. "friends", US), and ultimately questions the impact an identity developed through consumerism affects the way in which we 'boys' bond.
[Via The Morning News]

Based solely on the trailer, This Is England (now in limited release in the U.S.) looks like a fantastic case-in-point of the very issues the author discusses in the above article.

Probably the Coolest Thing You'll See Today

Get it on!

More on Super Bad Brad and his act.

[Via VeryShortList.]

I Wrote a Letter to the Government!

Last night. An email actually. To Mayor Slay. I felt compelled to do something given the challenging headline of the previous post. It's not a scathing indictment yet it's not quite a lobbed softball. And in rereading it, there's a certain geek/nerd naïveté to it. But what the hell? You gotta start somewhere.

I hope he opened and read it. I'll let you know.

[Bonus points for anyone who gets the headline/image referrence. – Ed.]

From: Chris Aguirre
Date: Jul 11, 2007 10:16 PM
Subject: Saint Louis, Slow Cities and Fast Company
To: mayorslay@mayorslay.com

Mayor Slay,

In case you haven't already read or heard, Saint Louis is one of five 'slow cities' named in the current issue of Fast Company (July/Aug). Having bounced between Saint Louis and a number of other cities nationally and internationally over the years, I think I've finally settled into being a Saint Louisan (I've been here for 10+ years on this tour). So, in light of the Fast Co. 'ranking' and as a resident of the city who also works in the city, I'd genuinely appreciate a better sense of what our plan is. What are we going to do to put and end to the overwhelming outside perception that Saint Louis is a violent, backwards or worse, dying, town? (Beyond rehabbing and building lofts which, don't get me wrong, is wonderful to see when you're already here.) I know (hope) there's more to the plan.

If you're interested, I've got a brief post on my blog with some pertinent links – not the least of which is a link to the City Vitals Report which gives one a great snapshot of our place (or lack thereof) in the contemporary metropolitan scheme of things.

Thank you in advance for your attention.

Concerned,

Chris Aguirre
XXXX XXXXX XXXXXX
Saint Louis, MO 63104

314.XXX.XXXX

P.S.

If you really know the city, you might recognize that my (and my wife's) address is (close to) this: http://tinyurl.com/27vlja

How do we get a handle on the crime?

Thank you again for your time.

What Are You Going To Do About It?

In the lastest issue of Fast Company there's a cover line teasing to The 30 Fastest Cities – and the Five Slowest. It was with great trepidation and a nagging sense that I knew what I'd find that I checked the ToC and quickly flipped to page 90, a couple more quick flips past pages of 'fast cities' and there it was – two lines wedged between Budapest and New Orleans – St. Louis. F*ck.

Too normal for its own good. it ranks dead last on CityVitals'"Weirdness Index," a measure of passion and engagement.
[City Vitals ranks cities across a variety of criteria in four categories: Talented, Innovative, Connected, and Distintive. Download the very interesting City Vitals Report PDF. ]

Except for a brief bit in the piece's intro, putting Saint Louis at one end of a spectrum that has Fort Collins, CO [My birthplace. – Ed.] at the other, that's it. Hardly a resounding condemnation. More an offhanded character assasination. Those of us who live here – in the city in particular – know that this city is in the midst of a renaissance. Sure, there's work to be done, but... come on.

So, as you might imagine, my hackles are raised, my sensibilities offended, and my ass chapped. This is an issue that all of us here in the STL would be remiss in being anything but vigilant in our efforts to combat these perceptions of our city.

Stay tuned.

Are You Acting Your Age If You're Not Acting?

There's an interesting, well-written (if maybe a bit longer than necessary to get the point) article by Adam Sternbergh from New York magazine on the effective collapse of any meaningful genereation gap between those in their 40s (and in some cases their 50s) through 20s.

And, BTW, the magazine's blog-esque site NYmag.com is a really well-designed, well-written, content-rich iteration of the magazine. And, you don't have to be a New Yorker to appreciate it.

Illustration by James Taylor

Competitive Facial Hair

In a follow up to our Facial Hair Is Persuasive posting, we bring you Beard Team USA, representing you in the World Beard and Moustache Championships. The Championships are a biennial event organized by the WBMA, the World Beard and Moustache Association, to "encourage friendship among those with beards and moustaches".

And 2007 is a WBMA Championship year. Taking place September first in Brighton, England, it looks to be a breakout year for the event.

I'm turning pro.

[Thanx to Andrew for the tip. – Ed.]