Fun Stuff

The Music Man

/ Shane / 5 Comments

There is probably not a minute of my day in which I don’t have a song from the Music Man by Meredith Willson running through my head. We got the soundtrack for Christmas, and Evie has lately become obsessed with it.

I love musicals, but the Music Man was not one of mine. I know of it vaguely, having heard some of the songs (especially Gary Indiana and the Wells Fargo Wagon), and somehow knowing that this is a thing people like, but that’s about it. So I’m not really sure why we picked this one out of a hat, but I didn’t really expect it would take off as it has. Evie went through a huge Wicked phase (because I was going through a huge Wicked phase), but subsequent musicals were sort of meh. Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music never really became favorites, and the Wizard of Oz soundtrack keeps in the rotation but never really had that, “play it again, play it again!” quality that the Music Man seems to have acquired.

The thing is, I have to hand it to the Music Man: turns out it is a mighty fine musical after all. I’m not ashamed to admit I really dig the songs, especially Rock Island and (Ya Got) Trouble. Even Ollie has been running around singing the songs (his favorite is Shipoopi, but he likes Marion the Librarian quite a bit as well). I doubt Evie could pick a favorite.

Evie has always excelled at picking up song lyrics, but she’s just about got the whole CD memorized. Picking up song lyrics happens to be a talent of mine as well, but she’s got me whipped. She doesn’t always understand the words she’s saying (at least she knows that “a woman who’ll kiss on the very first date is usually a hussy”), but she’s pretty impressive. The words are *so fast* in the Music Man, I can hardly believe she can follow along.

When I see her enjoying this so much, my consumer-instinct is to buy more musicals. However, I’ve convinced myself not to (although we already have one more in the pipeline). The thing is, when I was a kid, we were fanatical about Jesus Christ Superstar. Was it because this is the greatest musical of all time? No, it is not. But it’s the one we had; the one we listened to over and over again until we could sing the entire musical from memory, start to finish (and still can!). Musicals are like anything: having 5 or 10 at your fingertips doesn’t make you like musicals more, it makes you uninterested in musicals and full of ennui. Needless to say, I’m resisting the urge.

In the meantime, if you come slinking around here, expect to hear the big trombones and the rat-a-tat drums, big brass bass, big brass bass, and the piccolo, the piccolo coming out of the kitchen radio.

He’s a what? He’s a what? He’s a MUSIC man! And when the man dances, certainly boys, what else? The piper pays him!

Yessssss sir. Yessssss sir. Yessssssss sir.

Fact.

/ Shane / Leave a comment

You want to learn some important truths? Our friends over at Verified Facts are serving up some truth bombs. Hurry over there before the Feds shut them down!

Here are a few of the verified facts. My friends, prepare to have your mind blown:

You might not think that there’s a link between the 2008 financial crash and most of the negative events you’ve experienced personally in your own life, but there is, and it’s real.

and:

Did you know that people with Rocky Mountain spotted fever are admitted to Harvard at half the rate that other people are, even when they have similar applications? Is this an example of the rich and powerful using their influence to keep their genetic pool “clean”? (The answer is yes.)

furthermore:

By tracking the shapes that nuclear power-smugglers’ secret trails leave in the deserts that line the US-Mexico border, we can easily tell that many of these criminals are in league with the Church of Scientology.

Oh, and by the way?

While excavating anthropological sites in Three Mile Island, rusty canteens from the Great Depression were found five feet below the surface. The logos on those canteens? “FEMA.” Everything we’ve been told about the past is a lie.

In all seriousness though, it’s amazing how simple it is to generate random conspiracy theories. This thing is quite brilliant. A couple of conspiracy-laden quotes, combined with a few find-and-replace lists of keywords (The Feds, FEMA, The Church of Scientology, financial crash, etc.) and a sprinkling of quotes such as

Our demands for transparency on this issue have largely been ignored.

And you’re in business. I really don’t think I could distinguish one of these auto-generated ones from an actual conspiracy rant.

Any particularly good ones you’ve found?

I guess we’re not getting a Death Star after all

/ Shane / 1 Comment

In order to better “connect with the people”, the White House set up an area on whitehouse.gov where the common man can enter petitions, or suggestions to be implemented by the President. Realizing that this was the Internet, and all sorts of dumb things would likely get entered in there, they made a minimum number of signatures required before the White House would actually examine a petition and respond to it. Not realizing this was the Internet, they set the threshold at 25,000 signatures in 30 days, something that is almost laughably easy to achieve (note that they’ve since raised the bar to 100,000).

Logically, this new petition system quickly lead to a brilliant suggestion: the government should begin construction on a Star Wars-style Death Star.

The petition makes some good points, and is appealing to many different segments of the community:

By focusing our defense resources into a space-superiority platform and weapon system such as a Death Star, the government can spur job creation in the fields of construction, engineering, space exploration, and more, and strengthen our national defense.

What’s not to like?

Not surprisingly, this petition quickly reached the required number of signatures, triggering an official response from the White House (and changes to the way the petition system works).

Although I support the creation of the Death Star (and signed the petition), in the government’s defense, they make some pretty good points as well:

Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?

The response is great, and filled with Star Wars references, however, I think that you have to read between the lines a little bit. My takeaway is that the government IS ALREADY working on a Death Star, though they can’t come right out and say it. They reference the “giant, football field-sized International Space Station in orbit around the Earth” and the laser-wielding Mars rover. Message received Mr. Shawcross. ::wink wink:: Message received.

Finally, some words of wisdom from the White House:

Remember, the Death Star’s power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force.

Indeed.

CataCombo

/ Shane / Leave a comment

Do you know someone who is really into music? Like *really* into music? Like would-rather-die-than-be-without their music?

Then I suggest CataCombo, the world’s first combination catacomb and music lounge. The casket contains a full sound system “tuned to the coffin’s unique interior acoustic space” for high quality, audiophile sound. Now you will have access to your tunes for all eternity. Literally. (No word on if this can be combined with the Kiss Kasket)

But wait! Upon further reflection this is a terrible idea.

First off, if you’re accidentally buried alive in this thing, nobody’s going to hear you. “Hey, is that Shane clawing at the ceiling of his grave, or just a fantastic bass line?” “I don’t know, but either way, let’s dance on his grave!”

Second off, the music selection can be remote controlled, “allowing friends and family to spare you a thought by adding tracks and keeping it up-to-date.” Absolutely not! The last thing I need is for my brother to clear out my playlist and replace it with Beiber for all eternity.

No thank you CataCombo! I’ll stick with the pine box after all.

Space Janitors

/ Shane / 2 Comments

If you like Star Wars (and if you read this blog, it’s a fairly good guess that you do, but there are a few of you in particular I’m thinking of), then you should go check out the web series Space Janitors.

This is a show that examines life on the “other side” of the Imperial Death Star, the low level flunkies and janitors who are just trying to eke out a living while keeping the Death Star plumbing flowing. It’s kind of like a cross between that scene in Clerks where they discuss the poor contractors who got blown up on the incomplete Death Star in Jedi, and the Eddie Izzard Death Star canteen skit.

Most of the episodes are hilarious, but if you’re looking for a good intro episode, I’d start with Laser sword: