The first thing to do is devise a narrator-one who in absolutely no way at all resembles Randy Newman. In the song “Rednecks,” for example, Randy assumes the role of an anti-Semitic Southerner singing about the North’s perception of The South. In “Political Science” he’s an uber-jingoistic American who wants to teach the rest of the world a lesson ( Read more... )

The most evil Disney villain is Dori. She's constantly getting marlin in trouble. She is the most vile because she's smiles and pretends to help but is secretly plotting to kill him. That's why there isn't a FInding Nemo 2 (lost again). Because she eats hiim. YEP!

I like Ursula just b/c she sounds evil...but stealing souls and being an all around ( Read more... )

Do you like the Beach Boys? I find their early work too shallow, too...idealized. It wasn't until Pet Sounds in '66 that the band really came into their own. In a way, it mocks their previous work by using the band's recognizably upbeat sound to explore far more serious issues. Crissy, face this way so the camera won't see your protruding vertebrae ( Read more... )

Tyler Cowen offers to podcast on any topic a pre-orderer of his newest book submits. I'm one of those pre-orderers, but I'm also an idiot, so my mind's drawing a blank. Since I don't have any ideas, I'm eager for suggestions.

Here's Prof. Cowen's background.

Here are some ground rules: I'd like to avoid personal questions (How can I find the right ( Read more... )

A true fan of video game music is someone who thinks deeply about whether a polka evokes the act of swimming with jellyfish.

Video games themselves, as an art form, are generally looked down upon, so it's not very surprising that video game music is almost entirely ignored. Is there a legitimate reason for this? Any gamer will tell you there's good ( Read more... )

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader: It's not worth watching to see how ignorant the adults are, rather it shows you how much of what we learn in school has no application in real life. Knowing that a blue whale is the largest animal on Earth makes decent cocktail chat, but how will it get you a paycheck? Employers pay for specialized knowledge, ( Read more... )

Today is Carl Barks's birthday. Had he not died in 2000 at the age of 99, he'd be 105. Anyone else who grew up loving Ducktales has him to thank; for nearly 60 years he was involved with Disney, most famously as author and illustrator of the 'Duck' comic books, and among his creations are Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Flintheart Glomgold, ( Read more... )

My sense of humor is so influenced by the greats from the golden age of comedy--I grew up watching Laurel & Hardy, Groucho, Lucy, Jack Benny, Burns & Allen, Buster Keaton, Phil Silvers....In a sense I'm kind of a product of another era....I think one thing that has kept me from trying out comedy material like that is a sense that my style of humor ( Read more... )

According to Wikipedia, today marks the anniversary of the Battle of Tewkesbury, where the York forces defeated the Lancastrians in the War of the Roses, and in so doing overthrew (albeit temporarily) the Lancaster regime, establishing Edward IV's regency. Fourteen years later Henry Tudor would reignite the conflict, challenging the current York ( Read more... )

So, on my lunch-break, I conducted an informal poll of my coworkers in the editorial and design wing of the building, asking them if they were familiar with the work of Lichtenstein and if they could also provide their college major(s) for a background perspective. This wing seemed especially appropriate, as the occupations and backgrounds of the ( Read more... )