Daily View, 9/19

Isn't Wednesday the day when you're supposed to feel unhappy and trapped at work, caught smack in the doldrums between the weekend that was and the coming weekend that looms far, far away? I feel like that today. It's one of those days that feels like there will never be another weekend. Let's just call this Fuckday (I'm sorry, but I am profane. I have been since early childhood. I swear like a goddamn sailor and that's who I am. If that makes me NSFW, so be it).

• Hey, it's International Talk Like A Pirate Day. You have a few hours left to wield the word booty and YARRR at innocent bystanders (or pets).


• The 50 Worst Things Ever to Happen to Music: Some things are so right on I laughed at my screen—it's true, Creed sucks, misused melisma is from hell, any music that uses “jazz” as a prefix will make you want to saw your head off in boredom, popera is bizarre, Madonna's British accent is atrocious, and finding religion is the musical kiss of death. Oh, but poor Sting. Sigh. Meanwhile, read this and you're sure to learn something. For example, I had no idea Eazy-E died of AIDS. Damn.


• So I watched this Bollywood extravaganza called Kal Ho Naa Ho last night. Sweetjeebus, never have I seen grown men so prone to weeping. It's rife with Hindi megastars—Shahrukh Khan (who kinda freaks me out) hams and mugs and cries throughout, Preity Zinta has her pouty pretty smart girl act down, and Saif Ali Khan is his usual affable metrosexual (I love that he falls in love and sings a song about how his brimming heart has inspired him to take better care of his appearance and get a manicure). Really, the storyline was awful, but the music was awesome and it was another of these new Bollywood productions that take place in non-Indian global metropolises (metropoli?)—this one was in NYC! So Shahrukh had his love song on the Brooklyn Bridge, Preity got to dance in Union Square... bizarre, hilarious, cheesy Indian goodness. There were even some in-jokes—at one point Shahrukh takes a jibe at Dil Chata Hai (kinda similar to this film, but better, and he wasn't in it so clearly he's jovially bitter... like Clive Owen spoofing his own almost-Bond in... er, was it Scary Movie 4?). What was also interesting is that they make an effort to reference sex and homosexuality (a big step for traditionally conservative Bollywood), but it's kinda skewed... a running joke has the maid thinking that Shahrukh and Saif are gay, and Saif has to reassure his father that he is "normal". Yet meanwhile there is a love song montage that shows happy couples around the city, and one of those couples is a gay male couple. As always, there is no kissing on the lips. I dunno, I'm fascinated by this bizarre planet Bollywood, where modern cosmopolitan young people in leather pants and body glitter strut strange conservative values and do dance numbers with a joyful abandon that hasn't been seen in Hollywood since the 40s. Crazy.


• This Anime mashup has a bit of everything... really strange to see InuYasha and the Elric brothers from FMA and the One Piece gang and the obligatory Pikachu all together in one place!


• I'm so there: Double decker bus housing units


• 37signals discuss HP's new slimming camera feature stunt... which becomes more and more interesting as you read the comments... which are mostly from men.


• Letterpress Lingerie. Is this sexy? These take me right back to my mom's sewing patterns, personally.


• Cool new sea creatures! Including a shark that walks on its fins!


• NoooooooOOOoooooOOoooOoooooo. The FoxFaith division of 20th Century Fox. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.


• This SuperMario wedding cake rocks my small world.


• Fingerforks?


• I am told that the Nintendo Alarm Clock I railed on yesterday for being not old-school enough is actually SO old-school that it predates my Nintendo Experience. It's based on the Famicom, the early Japanese NES. Thanks for setting me straight on the geek data, J. ;)


• Speaking of video games, the London Science Museum is putting on a Video Game Exhibition!


• Furthermore, Space Invaders wrapping paper!!


• Madonna in Space?? Maybe the Russians will say yes if she promises not to wear any more of those damn H&M tracksuits.


• Oh, Timbuk2... did you really have to call this product the Blogger bag? You still make great bags, of course, but this is a move towards pure Velveeta.


• Honestly, if my computer looked like this I think I would literally go insane and be completely unfit for social contact (moreso than I already am).


• Awesome!! Why don't shapeshifters get more press? I'm a big fan of those guys.


• I am Igor. I am 4 years old. I can drum like a goddamn rock star.


• Brilliant. Scary. Stupid. Do they make one for girls? The Half Suit (for videoconferencing). If you work at home, like I do, you'll appreciate this even more.


• So this guy goes through all this trouble explaining how you can remove Apple's DRM using Apple's own products... and then admits at the end that just burning yourself a copy is probably easier. Honestly, I just don't get the fuss. Feckin' eeedjits.


• Haha, rock on, Bono. Points for the headline: "The Unforgettable Ire"


• Dude, who are these people? Sheesh.

Listening to (an especially embarassing range of stuff tonight, apparently):
· Elephant Love Medley—Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack (shut up)
· Air in C Minor, BWV991: Air—Cubapercussion & Klazzbrothers (doing Bach)
· Ghostwriter—RJD2
· Now is The Month of Maying—Cambridge Singers (fa la la la la la la)
· End of Our Days—Howie Day (what a sad bastard)
· Pipe Dreams—Travis
· Take Your Mama—Scissor Sisters
· I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do—ABBA (goddamn)
· Step On Me—The Cardigans
· Coronation March, Op. 65—Edward Elgar (some of the best classical sauce around)
· Little Lies—Fleetwood Mac (sigh)
· They Call the Wind Mariah—Harve Presnell (at this point I'm laughing too... the iTunes Library is on random with a vengeance tonight!)
· Concerto for Oboe & Violin in C minor: II Adagio, arr. from BWV 1060—good ole Bach again
· Walk of Life—Dire Straits
· I Am The Robot—My Robot Friend
· Girls & Boys—Blur
· Girls Just Want To Have Fun—Cyndi Lauper