An interesting music video

Carmensita by Devendra Banhart, From "Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon"
Video features Natalie Portman.

The Hammer is My Penis

oh wasn't the Horribleness himself smashing? the music is simply wonderful and deserves adoration from far and wide.
Seems Hulu is now streaming the full version of the show (for both US and international viewers). Meanwhile, Joss posted a very funny blog on the site of the video.
I was reading about Joss' panel at Comic-Con and it seems they are not only making a commentary dvd later on in the year but along with that a musical called Commentary! which yes, is a musical version of the commentary of Dr Horrible with Joss and everyone singing. sweet.
for now, here are the lyrics of one of my favourite tracks...

Laundry day
see you there
underthings
tumbling
Want to say
"Love your hair"
here I go...
mumbling

With my freeze ray I will stop the world
With my freeze ray I will find the time to find the words to...

Tell you how
how you make
make me feel
what's the phrase?
Like a fool
kinda sick
special needs
anyways

With my freeze ray I will stop the pain
It's not a death ray or an ice beam
(that's all Johhny Snow)
I just think you need time to know

That I'm the guy to make it real
the feelings you don't dare to feel
I'll bend to the world to our will
and we'll make time stand still

That's the plan
Rule the world
you and me
anyday

Love your hair
(Penny spoken: "What?")
(Dr. Horrible spoken: "no no I uh love the...air, heh...")
anyway...

With my freeze ray I will stop--(interrupted by Moist's entrance)

Dr Horrible: I've got a PhD in Horribleness.

Ahoy all you fans of Joss Whedan.
DaJoss has a new 3-part musical-comedy web series, Dr Horrible, that is being released incrementally this week before being taken off the web this sunday, after which it will be available on DVD. So... you only have a couple of more days before it is no more. They have released parts 1 and 2 and 3 will be released tomorrow. Part 2 is quite hilarious... I had a couple of outbursts of laughter while watching at work!
It's a superhero spoof starring Neil Patrick Harris as a supervillain wannabe who dreams of being accepted into the Evil League of Evil (what a sweet name!). Thwarting him from his goal is his nemesis, Captain Hammer (played by "Firefly" star Nathan Fillion), as well as his affection for a girl from the Laundromat (played by Felicia Day).

Oopse... it did it again.

The edge of the case of my macbook where the wrist rests has cracked... AGAIN. Last time I was assured it was only the fault of one manufacturer and that it had been rectified. Not so.
I was reading on the web about what a common problem this is. This guy had had to get his fixed three times already.
I have to say i am a bit disappointed with apple. I thought i was getting such a stable and great box.
My macbook crashes and cracks. In spite of the fact that i care for it like a baby - getting it bibs (iskin) and protective clothing (cover).
I use my computer all the time so i can't take leave it in support every couple of months for a couple of days.
This is bad form.
and horrible timing.

w0w... seriously.

Listen to this and just... absorb.

Back story: A girl named Olga was out with her friends and she talked to this guy named Dmitri for all of two minutes. Then she gave him her card and said “give me a call.” These are the messages he left. It gets especially funny/shocking/horrifying near the end. source.


I mean seriously... wow.

Rainb0w and the Tree

A magical photo. Here is more information.
Doesn't it remind you of the tree from the Fountain?
(dedicated to the lovely Gillen, photographer extradinare)

L0ngyearbyen

This was an amazing article about the town of Longyearbyen where it is forbidden to die! It's so interesting how different lives can be, even in this day and age. Or I guess, especially in this day and age. Also the effect of the environment on the day to day life; e.g. how the children needed extra physiotherapy as the couldn't move their arms around too much because of all clothing.
Fascinating!
btw did you notice it's in Svalbard.

According to this BBC article, a US air strike in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday killed 47 civilians, 39 of them women and children, most wedding party guests.
Did anyone see this in the US media? Can you imagine what would have happened even if a single one of those civilians killed was American?
I abhor this double standard we live in. The worth of a person depends on their nationality.

New Ear Worm

This is the song at the end of the puzzle game Portal which was very cool indeed. The gamer is promised cake if they solve the puzzles but at the end they find out the cake is a lie. There is a HAL-type computer GLaDOS who provides the commentary and this is her voice singing at the end. It is such a darkly funny and catchy song!!

'Still Alive' by Jonathan Coulton: http://www.jonathancoulton.com
and sung by Ellen McLain

Lyrics:
This was a triumph.
I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.
Aperture Science
We do what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.
But there's no sense crying over every mistake.
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
And the Science gets done.
And you make a neat gun.
For the people who are still alive.
I'm not even angry.
I'm being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart.
And killed me.
And tore me to pieces.
And threw every piece into a fire.
As they burned it hurt because I was so happy for you!
Now these points of data make a beautiful line.
And we're out of beta.
We're releasing on time.
So I'm GLaD. I got burned.
Think of all the things we learned
for the people who are still alive.
Go ahead and leave me.
I think I prefer to stay inside.
Maybe you'll find someone else to help you.
Maybe Black Mesa
THAT WAS A JOKE.
HAHA. FAT CHANCE.
Anyway, this cake is great.
It's so delicious and moist.
Look at me still talking
when there's Science to do.
When I look out there, it makes me GLaD I'm not you.
I've experiments to run.
There is research to be done.
On the people who are still alive.
And believe me I am still alive.
I'm doing Science and I'm still alive.
I feel FANTASTIC and I'm still alive.
While you're dying I'll be still alive.
And when you're dead I will be still alive.
STILL ALIVE

Masha D'yans

Some lovely friends from MD gave me the above farewell card a couple of months ago which I am in love with. It has been sitting on top of my bookcase and every time I look at it, I become light and happy. It is such a joyful image and the girl's hair reminds me of my own, which is kind of wild and never where it is supposed to be. I have kind of given up trying to appear neat.
Today finally I decided to see if I can find out more about the card (I've been looking at posters for our house - I'll write more later). Anyway, I found out that the artist is Masha D'yans. All her images are really lovely, fantastical and so light and happy. I never get tired of looking at them.
I found out Target carries her cards so I will have to check them out this weekend.
Let me know which of her images you like best.

How marriage works

This was an interesting article about a catholic priest's advice on who to marry and who not to marry - I guess it's mostly advice for women.
Here's a summary of what he said:

- Never marry a man who has no friends
- Similar attitude towards money
- Steer clear of someone whose life you can run, who never makes demands counter to yours.
[this one was interesting because it's unusual but still true.]
- Is he overly attached to his mother and her mythical apron strings?
- Does he have a sense of humor?
- Take a good, unsentimental look at his family — you’ll learn a lot about him and his attitude towards women.
- similar religious beliefs
- Does he possess those character traits that add up to a good human being — the willingness to forgive, praise, be courteous? Or is he inclined to be a fibber, to fits of rage, to be a control freak, to be envious of you, to be secretive?

It's funny he said that at the end of his lectures, people were left off wondering if anyone was left that satisfied his criterion! but i think a lot of what he said make a lot of sense. At least for me.
of course, just between me and you, I think i landed me a pretty good fish.

most valuable possession

I just read about this armed robbery that happened close to our house and you know what i was thinking... omg if that happens to me, i hope they don't take my computer!! it has all of my research files!
I am not sure what it says about me that this is the first thing I think about.

Maybe I need to get a back up!

tongue tricks mania

this is just weird... although.. the last one is kind of cute!

WRAPUP 5-Colombia rescues Betancourt, 3 US hostages

*Betancourt, 3 Americans, 11 other hostages rescued *Rescue operation tricked guerrillas *Betancourt, weeping, thanks Colombian military *Bush congratulates Uribe *U.S. ex-hostages en route to United States, Colombia says By Hugh...

read more | digg story

Our reality

In the midst of paper rejections from snotty conferences, it is good to remind of ourselves what reality is for some people. After 6 years of being a hostage, Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt is finally rescued by the government forces. oh yes 14 others were as well.
It is a happy day after all.

Grave of the Firefly

Last night we watched the movie Grave of the Firefly, an old (1988) anime. It was an amazing movie, it played with your heart strings like a virtuoso. It is the story of the survival of a brother and a sister, made orphan by the firebombing of Kobe during WWII. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I don't know how much to write and what to say. Something I liked about it a lot was how nothing was totally good, and similary nothing was totally bad. Actually the only bad thing is war. I don't want to give away the ending but once you finish watch it, i recommend wiki'ing it and finding out more about the author of the story and the semi-autobiographical aspect of it.
Here is a trailer for the movie:

and here is a review of it by Roger Ebert with some interesting views.


ps now I have two favourite shows with the term firefly in them!