June 30, 2004
Erickson Barnett Design Monkeys
Do you love sea monkeys?! Of course you do. Who doesn't? Those little, mysterious pets we all remember from the back of comic books are just too, well, mysterious and little not to love! Plus, they make reference to them in Dazed and Confused, so they're a bona-fide pop culture hit in a cultish kind of way. (It's hip to like sea monkeys, and you're not un-hip, are you?)
Well, the thing you never thought could happen has happened. Through the miracles of modern science and active use of one's imagination, Erickson Barnett, a marketing and creative agency, has developed a human-sized mutant version of the sea monkey called the Design Monkey.
We have seen these Design Monkeys roaming the halls and producing work for clients already, so they are alive and fast becoming productive members of our Erickson Barnett society. I can't wait to see what they'll do next!
Rapper or Failed High Tech Startup
Now it's time for everyone's favorite game, Rapper or Failed High Tech Startup! (Just hover your mouse over each one for the answer.)
- 2Mex
- Akon
- Anticon
- Blumentopf
- Borialis
- Ciara
- Company Flow
- Computer Jockeys
- El Sitio
- Electric Schoolhouse
- Equipp
- Framfabb
- FatDrive
- Hot Action Group
- Imaginon
- ISYSS
- Kablink
- Kritik
- Neoforma
- Nephlim Modulation Systems
- Pelham Power Productions
- Raekwon
- Rayvon
- Sarai
- Sierra
- Technotronic
June 29, 2004
Benevento/Russo Duo
Check out the Benevento/Russo Duo at your next opportunity. If you like Medeski, Martin, and Wood but tire of all their noodling and just want to groove/rock out, the Duo is for you. Plus, they do Zepplin covers, site Journey as an influence, and always provide heavy doses of cowbell. C'mon, what else do you want?
They play all over the place, and you can easily get a taste by downloading one of their shows from archive.org or sampling some quick mp3 downloads from their site. But you should go the extra mile and buy a CD from them. Support original music. These guys rock.
June 24, 2004
More Rap Artists Whose Names Are Adjectives, Nouns, or Both
These artists are a bit more underground (or just unknown and bad) than in the first installment, but the names are noticeably more pedestrian. Coincidence?
- Atmosphere
- Casual
- Nice
- Parliament
- Shells
- Smooth
Honorable Mention:
- Big Momma's House
This has potential to degrade into simply, "Funny Rapper Names," I fear.
Coffee and Beer
I used to drink coffee mainly on Sunday mornings while watching Spongebob and occasionally after a meal at a restaurant.
I used to drink beer mainly while partying and occasionally during a meal at a restaurant.
I now start everyday with a cup of coffee and have lately developed the habit of having a beer after work sometime.
Yeah. That's a good cycle.
June 03, 2004
Vacation Preparation Step #3: Put Off Packing Until The Night Before You Leave
It is an annual rite of passage and simply part of getting into the "vacation mode" of laziness and lack of responsibility to spend so much time on steps one and two and other things completely unrelated to vacation preparation that you find yourself completely unprepared for your journey the night before you are supposed to depart, outside of having plenty to read and listen to.
If you were forced to leave right now, you would be listening and reading naked and alone by the second day, due to a lack of a change of underwear, deodorant, toothpaste, shaving supplies, and other toiletries most would deem "essentials."
Congratulations, you have now completed the steps necessary to go on vacation. Easy as 1-2-3. Enjoy yourself. You've earned it!
June 02, 2004
Rap Artists Whose Names Are Adjectives, Nouns, or Both *
Adjectives:
- Biggie Smalls
- Common
- Fabolous
- Hi-Tek
- Juvenile
- Ludacris
- Mystikal
- Slim Shady
Nouns:
- Black Eyed Peas
- Grandmaster Flash
- Hieroglyphics
- Ice Cube
- Ma$e
- Puff Daddy
- Q-Tip
Both:
- Big Boi
- Big Pun
- Mad Skillz
- Ole Dirty Bastard
- Vanilla Ice
Special Award of Merit:
- Del The Funky Homosapien
* I have chosen to focus on run-of-the-mill words and only those rap artists the average white rap geek might be expected to know about. I'm sure there are others that fit nicely into these lists. I apologize for leaving someone off, especially if they happen to be your favorite rapper. Please, don't shoot me.
This is not simple and it sure ain't graceful.
Battling atrophied creative muscles to put into pixels a new design idea for this site. Conspicuously drawn to the grace of simplicity and the captivating nature of top-notch content.
June 01, 2004
Vacation Preparation Step #2: Old-fashioned Readin' Books
The last few books I've read recently have covered a fair sample of contemporary literature:
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson
A Walk In The Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail - Bill Bryson
Kitchen Confidential - Andthony Bourdain
Naked - David Sedaris
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference - Malcom Gladwell
You need similar breadth for a trip to the beach. You need a good mix of quick-hit stuff you can read for ten minutes before falling asleep on the couch for a 10:30am nap, and you also need the ones that will get you through a 3-4 hour stretch on the sand. I'm thinking about trying these:
Everything is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer
The Darwin Awards - Wendy Northcutt
Notes From The Underground - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I'm A Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away - Bill Bryson
The Seven-Day Weekend: Changing the Way Work Works - Ricardo Semler
MBA In A Box: Practical Ideas from the Best Brains in Business - Joel Kurtzman et al
It's important to bring a maximum of three of these books with you. If you want to have a chance at finishing one of these in a week, you have to maintain some amount of focus. (Unless you're my oldest sister, who could easily read all of these before breakfast on third day. And in that case, you've probably read all of these already anyway.)
There's something about the laze of vacation that produces an enhanced feeling of accomplishment when one finishes a book after one has accomplished virtually nothing else that week.
It's also important to bring an old favorite that's been collecting dust on your book shelf. You always want one that you can fall back on in case the others turn out to be duds.