Author: Ryan Dunn
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Haunted Fauna
The art of Joshua Jensen-Nagle.
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Bad Word Pairs #004
“Moist Towelette”
It’s not that I don’t enjoy using them, but having to ask for a “moist towelette” by name ironically makes me feel dirty inside. Couldn’t they have gone with a “damp tissue” or something that doesn’t employ such yucky connotations?
Just thinking about these two words together puts a sheen of sweat across my forehead.
Gross.
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Enjoyably Uncomfortable Compositions
The art of Maria Friberg.
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Some Billionaires Want to End World Hunger.
Others prefer a tweny-seven story, two-billion dollar home.
This is not a joke. Please read the article, and draw your own conclusions.
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Why Haven’t You Watched This?
(THE NEW DARK KNIGHT TRAILER)
I can’t wait for this film to come out. The latest trailer demonstrates why comic book movies don’t have to carry the stigma of, well, comic book movies.
Seeing Heath Ledger steal the show in some of the shots in this trailer is a bittersweet thing, but the best memorial for him will be for this movie to live up to the hype.
If you haven’t watched it yet, here’s the link to the trailer.
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My Mind’s Playin’ Tricks On Me
The art of Tim Lee.
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TOP 5 BAY AREA EMCEES
(PAST AND PRESENT)
5. Shock G
4. JT the Bigga Figga
3. E40
2. Spice1
1. Too Short
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Meet the Bagginses
Guillermo del Toro is directing “The Hobbit”. Peter Jackson will serve as Executive Producer.
I couldn’t think of two better hobbits for the project myself. Read more about this week-old development over at The Guardian.
In related news, Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis will be returning to play the roles of Gandalf and Gollum, respectively. Guillermo says so himself in an interview with TheOneRing.net.
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Addicted to THE DICTIONARY OF DIFFICULT WORDS
From aardwolf (an insect-eating cousin to the hyena) to zither (a stringed instrument in the same family as the harpsichord), I find this online resource fascinating. If you enjoy strange words or strange things, this is the resource for you. Some of your findings will lead you down a breadcrumb trail to several interesting dinner conversations.
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Bad Word Pairs #003
“Crunchy Tomato”
You don’t like to bite into an apple and find it soggy, do you? Well then why is it that every time I bite into a sandwich, the tomato is crispy as an apple?
When I lived in California, I remember they were always ripe and delicious. But here in the midwest, it’s near impossible to get a good tomato.
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Why Haven’t You Watched This?
(BATTLE AT KREGER)
If you’re one of the few left on the interweb who have not witnessed this marvel of nature, shame on you. But, if it’s true, you’re in for a treat. This is the video National Geographic wishes it shot first.
For the squeamish, no animals were (really) hurt during the filming of this video. But don’t ask me how that’s even remotely possible.
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TOP 5 SPRINGTIME SONGS
(THAT GO REALLY GOOD TOGETHER. TRY IT.)
5. “Rain” – Bishop Allen
4. “Sugar Baby” – Samamidon
3. “Graveyard Girl” – M83
2. “Lost Verses” – Sun Kil Moon
1. “The Hot Hot Rays” – Fleet Foxes
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Tangible Cloud Formations
The art of Mark Ferguson.
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Commerce vs. Art, Art Wins (Again).
The art of Chris Anthony.
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Art vs. Commerce, Art Wins.
The art of Steve Adams.
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Shock-a-doobie!
Kinder Surprise. A chocolate candy with a plastic egg inside. Inside the egg is a painted plastic toy. Munch munch munch!
Presented to you by Chucky’s fraternal twin, the evil Humpty Dumpty.
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Lumi is as tall as the trees…
“. . . She helps out her aunty Babette in the library in the day and sings along to the birds at night.”
This one-of-a-kind doll is for my daughter, but I think my wife and I are going to fight her for it. You should own the fabulous works of Le Train Fantome, too!
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Bad Word Pairs #002
“Wet Denim”
It’s happened to the best of us. Maybe your friends convinced you to jump in the lake fully clothed. Or maybe you were in a rush that one morning and the jeans didn’t quite get dry.
Needless to say, nobody likes their denim wet, least of all yours truly. Images of chafed thighs and sticky flesh (two great examples of other bad word pairs) just makes me cringe.
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Ed Ruscha + Norm Abram =
The art of Sighn.
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Why Don’t I Own This?
(WORKING CLASS HEROES)
For once, this is a “Why Not” I can answer. I don’t own these amazingly crafted, beautiful, touchy-feely bags and sleeves because I bought a laptop messenger with a little more depth for my books, and the bag I now own (read earlier post) doesn’t require me to have a sleeve.
But if I wasn’t so into thick epic hardcover books, man are these items nice. Maybe I’ll pick up an iPhone sleeve, mmm. Check out these fine Austrian goods for yourself.
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Man vs. Nature vs. Nature
The art of Sigga Björg Sigurdardottir.
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TOP 5 OPENING SCENES
(FROM DRAMAS FILMED IN THE PAST 10 YEARS)
5. “Memento” – This is technically a title sequence, rather than an opening scene as it were. But the iconic high-angle of Guy Pierce exposing a polaroid by shaking his hand, only to find out he was doing this action in reverse and the photograph was actually UN-developing, summarized the entire film so simply that it deserves a spot on the list.
4. “Michael Clayton” – The writing of this film is impeccable. Gilroy’s words, and Broadbent’s narration gave an amazing amount of tension to a visual sequence all but void of any life at all.
3. “Insider” – This film (and my wife agrees) is one of my top 5 favorites of all time. We are both big Lisa Gerrard and Michael Mann fanatics, so the merging of two artforms, as well as a great script and two stellar lead performances, made this opening sequence involving Al Pacino staring through a burlap sack in the Middle East on his way to an exclusive interview one of the best.
2. “Batman Begins” – I love Christian Bale as an actor. I love Christopher Nolan as a director (see above). I love Batman. This one is sort of a no-brainer. Though Bale was not in the opening scene, watching the child Bruce Wayne stranded in that well, with the bats, well it sort of gives you shivers.
1. “Fellowship of the Ring” – Because I have read the books, and I knew the epic nature of the characters, and where they were about to take me, seeing them on the big screen in all their glory gave me chills upon first, second, even third viewing.
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Bad Word Pairs #001
“Adult Braces”
Now, to be clear, this is not a slander against the people who wear adult braces, but more the image it conjures in my mind. I think I probably don’t dislike the words uttered as much as the wearers of adult braces, but it’s hard not to see them and pass a superficial judgement, however shallow that sounds of me. Maybe I just could not imagine MYSELF wearing them.
As an aside, however, adult braces do lead to a much more pleasant word pairing: “straight teeth”, so it’s not all bad on the orthodontic front.
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A Divine Comedy of Errors
The art of Saira Wasim.
