I have no idea who Cafferty or Hemmer are—nor do I care—and the elephant-playing-soccer thing isn’t exactly outrageously different, but this back-and-forth is positively surreal. I don’t want to say comical, because it would’ve depended in part on how the conversation went, what w/ inflection and all that. But it’s a delightful little dialogue (what […]
Unpleasant imagery
Marysville police say they arrested a 23-year-old man wearing nothing but cheese early Sunday. (AP: “Police arrest cheese-covered naked man” [July 19, 2004])
Posted by Ben on August 9, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/unpleasant-imagery/
It’s getting kind of hectic up in this piece
Song parody. Web site JibJab strikes out into allegedly charted waters with “This Land Is Your Land” political parody, running into unexpected hot water from the nefarious copyright-holders of the Woody Guthrie song. EFF strikes back. (via MeFi, etc.) Security, what security? Respectful of Otters has an interesting anecdote about security, what anecdote essentially points […]
Posted by Ben on August 5, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/its-getting-kind-of-hectic-up-in-this-piece/
Thomas Pynchon, meet Homer Simpson
Starting Line-Up of Guest Voices for Season 16 Fox Press Release – July 15, 2004 …TV/film stars Ray Romano, Kim Catrall, James Caan and Joe Mantegna; rapper 50 Cent; famed architect Frank Gehry; and author Thomas Pynchon are among the upcoming guest voices on THE SIMPSONS airing Sundays (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (via PLANetizen: […]
Posted by Ben on August 4, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/thomas-pynchon-meet-homer-simpson/
Homeland Security’s get-tough policy on bad writing, maybe?
“I know this is kind of a bomb” is what I imagine Bucky, my main character, would say to Julie, his love interest, in the critical scene of my novel. I explained to the security woman that this is what happens when a 42-year-old man who is to literature what a karaoke singer is to […]
Posted by Ben on August 1, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/homeland-securitys-get-tough-policy-on-bad-writing-maybe/
All balloons, what the hell!
Go balloons. Go balloons. More balloons. All balloons. All balloons. Come on guys, let’s move it! . . . We need more balloons! (via BoGlo: “Balloon drop dribbles instead,” by Bryan Bender and Robert Gavin [July 30, 2004])
Posted by Ben on July 30, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/all-balloons-what-the-hell/
Get yer red-hot National Journal sneak peek
Via MeFi: A $1,700 subscription for free By calwatch The National Journal opens up its doors to the public for two weeks every four years. Best known for its annual vote ratings (which declared John Kerry most liberal senator of 2003), there’s also ads galore, snarky coverage of the media, and more polls than you […]
Posted by Ben on July 30, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/get-yer-red-hot-national-journal-sneak-peek/
Clear Concrete, Short Songs, Movie Bunnies, Canadian Cities, Questions, and Flirting Billboards
Listen, Stop & Roll. The World Of Stuart has a neat little project, Big Songs for Little Attention Spans: 100 songs you can download. Not only 100 songs, but 100 short songs; 100 songs that actually fit on one compact disc. Movie Magic. And, from the people who brought you The Shining, reenacted by bunnies […]
Posted by Ben on July 29, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/clear-concrete-short-songs-flirting-billboards-etc/
You May Be
You may be a rock star.1 You may be a terrorist. You may be overweight.2 You may be ill in the head.3 You may be running out of gas.4 Notes: via All Facts and Opinions; I’m a WRCL—yes, that’s right, I may be a rock star. Find out today what you may be! AlterNet: “Keep […]
Posted by Ben on July 28, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/you-may-be/
America’s Ketchup
You think it’s a joke. The first words you read on the page are, You don’t support Democrats. Why should your ketchup? and you figure, it has to be a joke, right? You see a picture of a ketchup bottle (right) with the words “America’s Ketchup” emblazoned across it, and you figure, it has to […]
Posted by Ben on July 25, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/americas-ketchup/