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I love good books, and I love visualized data. This chart wins the Internet.

Books Of Cities

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If ever in your life you get angry, consider the possibility that you’re wrong. Then consider how much it even matters. Then take a nap.

Craig Benzine (via xvougax)

Possibly the truest thing anyone has ever said, ever.

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Glass Set Giveaway - Custom Etched Doctor Who Wine Glasses Sponsored by Fanboy Glass

Whovians, get ready to get classy! Fanboy Glass has donated two of their wonderful blue TARDIS etched wine glasses for us to give away.  

To enter: Like or Reblog this post on Tumblr before 12:00 PM on Saturday (April 13, 2013). At noon we will draw a random name and announce the winner! 

Doctor Who TARDIS Custom Etched Wine Glass by Fanboy Glass - $14.99

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National Bourbon Heritage Month

September is National Bourbon Heritage Month, celebrating America’s native spirit.  If you’re not a bourbon drinker, here is a primer to help you decide where to start, ranked from best to worst.

1792: Fine-tasting, but you’ll pay for the privilege.  This is a must for the man who knows what he wants and is willing to spend extra for it.

Woodford: Exquisite, and surprisingly light for bourbon.  Not quite the experience that 1792 offers, but more affordable and easier to find.

Knob Creek: Some mash men swear by Knob Creek, but I think it’s overrated (and accordingly, overpriced).  My current theory is that the easy-to-spot label is what makes it so popular in bars, especially the loud ones where your communication with the barkeep is reduced to pointing and gesticulation.

Maker’s Mark: Perhaps the most famous bourbon in America, this bourbon is strictly for cocktails.  Save the better bottles for when you’re looking for a finger of the straight stuff, and use the Maker’s Mark in your Old Fashioned.

Jim Beam Black: Oh, seriously.  Now you’re not even trying.

-Greg

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We're back.

The TARDIS just landed.  I guess it's Friday?  We're still getting our bearings.

Anyway, sorry for the shortage of posts.  Time travel and all that.

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It's over 100 degrees here today.  I can barely think, much less write.  So I'm writing about what I'm thinking about: one of my favorite hot-day cocktails, the cricket.

1 oz Brandy

1 oz Crème de cacao (white)

1 oz Crème de menthe (green)

1 oz cream (optional)

Shake over ice. Strain. Serve up.

G'night, folks.

-Greg

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Random Fact About Me (Andrew)

I was a certified kayak instructor for 3 years.

I have watched the Cowboy Bebop Movie at least 50 times.

I am an Irish twin. But not a biological one.

Scrubs in my favorite show.

I can touch my tongue to my nose.

As an RA, I had my own room in college for 3 years.

My first two roles on stage were a cat and a dog. I was 19.

Who's a hugger? This guy!

More than half the girls I've dated have been red heads.

I'm 6'3'' tall.

My Scottish relatives visited so this is a last minute post.

In 2005, I backpacked through New Mexico for 2 weeks.

At 14 years of age I ran a sub-five minute mile.

I think Harrison Ford should bring back Spaghetti Westerns.

I love Photoshopping challenges.

Head rubs are my weakness.

I'm thinking of a number. It's usually "seven."

I have gone on a date with someone I met on the internet.

Vanilla chai is one of my favorite drinks.

~Andrew

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Obscure Sports Quarterly

When reading about sports unattractive, less talented, younger sibling once a year isn't enough.

Gurning: face-pulling championships. Pretty much, make the weirdest face and win. For Workaholic fans, I think Adam has a good shot.

       Cheese Rolling: race down a hill and get the cheese first. Only play if you're willing to break bones and bruise gonads.

Joggling: "We are track and field athletes. The only difference is we have  balls in our hands." tee hee.

                       Extreme Ironing: Ever thought, "How can I take something really cool like rock climbing or kayaking and ruin it?" Don't worry, these people have thought of it for you.

          AND THIS:

     I'm not quite sure what this is. All I know is, I want to go to there.

Until next quarter,

Brittany

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Second Sonnet Written on Another Friday

Absorbing errands are the key, James said,

For stationing joy’s locus in the heart.

Can this be mere distraction from dark dread,

Or does achievement play some honest part

In happiness?  Old Ockham took a blade

To spoiled woods, and hacking down the old

And rotten trees cut clear a path to aid

Us in our listening, when truth is told.

Thus errands, roads, and woods do journeys make.

A journey’s in the walking, not the end

Nor at the start.  A million middles take

Us cyclically along the best bound bend.

Though every generation might refuse,

Out best laid labors lie in our use.

-Greg

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A Sonnet Written at a Desk on a Friday

There’s heavy-hanging heft in that word: desk.

A stable, steady stone not on the pate

But nonetheless oppressive in its weight

That in not touching’s all the more grotesque.

It crouches not unlike an obelisk

Upon a grave.  But who has died? First mate,

Fond friend, free will is buried here, his wait

For heav’n criminally Kafkaesque.

Yet on the wall, sans church bells, hangs the clock

Which yet portends the clement close of day.

No chimes will ring when all the proles disband,

But music will be made by feet that walk

Without a maestro’s guide. Tonight, men say,

“For now, I’m mine, and I won’t sit. I’ll stand.”

-Greg

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Greg's posts today will be pretentious.

As in more than usual.  Consider yourself warned.

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Cosplay Plans for NYCC: The Doctor

This October will be my third year attending New York Comic Con (NYCC) and I have decided to participate in one of the biggest traditions of Comic Conventions.

I am cosplaying.

For those who don't know, it basically means dressing up as a character from a comic, novel, movie, video game, etc. Expect it is often taken much MUCH more seriously then any Halloween costume.

I will be cosplaying as the Doctor. ("Doctor Who?") Exactly! THE Doctor from the British Sci-Fi series "Doctor Who." More specifically, his current incarnation played by Matt Smith.

Yes a bow tie. Bow ties are cool.

If you need more proof, check out how the Doctor holds his cool in Ancient Rome when every evil alien he has every fought in all of time and space wants what he is guarding.

I have already started assembling pieces and my hair has been growing out since May. I will post updates as I find more parts of the outfit and I will be sure to post photos of the finished product.

Geronimo!

~Andrew

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As promised here is "Bein' Green" ala Kermit the Frog ala Joe Gallagher feat. Sean Lee!

This is my arrangement of "Bein' Green" with Sean Lee playing a beautifully elegant Flugelhorn solo.

Keep the requests coming!

- Joe

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The President Gives His Inaugural Address While He’s Really, Really High

Hello, my fellow Americans.

Whoa. There are a lot of people here.  There’s like… two, three, four… anyway, it’s a lot.

Ok. Right. Um…

So.

How’s everybody doing?  I’m good.

Hey, look everybody, it’s the First Lady!  What? No, honey, I’m cool.  No, I swear.  Go, go sit down. I’m cool, I’m totally cool.

Man, it is really cold.  Why did we have to do this in January?

(Giggles) Oh, right.  First month of the year and, uh, whatnot.

Hey. Hey. Did you, did you ever think about that? Hm? Like, why is January the first month of the year?  It doesn’t have to be.

I bet, I bet January is only the first month because we think it is. First. Of the months.

Ooh, you know what would be awesome?  Let’s make something else first.  Another month, I mean.  Not like, a screwdriver. Or whatever.

Ok, so.  First thing I’m doing as president is changing the start of the year.  Show of hands, who wants June?

Alright, let’s see.  One, two, three… wow, there are a lot of you.  I wonder how many there are?

Ok, new first president thing.  I order you to, um, count yourselves.  And then, just, you know, somebody tell me how many of you there are.

What was I talking about?

Boy, it’s getting windy.  And cold.  Does anybody else taste snow?  Does that mean it’s going to snow?

Ooh, that would be awesome!

Ok, first thing as president, I command all of you to build a giant snow fort.

(Giggles) And then we’ll call it (giggles) the White House!  Because it’ll be white!  And a fort!  The White Fort!

Hey, can anybody else see these little words floating here?  “…promoting fair and equal access to opportunity…”

Boring!  I’m gonna go find something to eat.  You guys go build me my snow fort!

Thank you, America!  I love you!  Good night!

-Greg

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All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event — in the living act, the undoubted deed — there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. If man will strike, strike through the mask! How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall? To me, the white whale is that wall, shoved near to me. Sometimes I think there's naught beyond. But 'tis enough. He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it. That inscrutable thing is chiefly what I hate; and be the white whale agent, or be the white whale principle, I will wreak that hate upon him. Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me. For could the sun do that, then could I do the other; since there is ever a sort of fair play herein, jealousy presiding over all creations. But not my master, man, is even that fair play. Who's over me? Truth hath no confines.

Captain Ahab, explaining his motivation, in Moby-Dick, or The Whale, by Herman Melville.

I can't stop reading this quote, over and over again.  It's fascinating how passionately, charismatically, unswervingly, unfailingly wrong Ahab is, about absolutely everything.

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She ordered a cup of tea, which proved excessively bad, and this gave her a sense that she was suffering in a romantic cause.

Washington Square, by Henry James

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Movie Review: Kiki's Delivery Service

I recently added several Hayao Miyazaki films to my Netflix queue that I had not seen yet. Tonight's feature was Kiki's Delivery Service.

The film opens with Kiki, a thirteen year old witch, about to leave home for a year of honing her magical skills. In this world witches are just ordinary girls and women, except they have magical powers. They are common enough that people know of them and are not frightened by them, but still uncommon enough that most characters we meet seem to have never met a witch before Kiki. In fact, besides Kiki and her mother at the opening of the movie, we only meet one other young witch who is only in the movie for 60 seconds or so.

Where was I? Right. So Kiki (voiced by Kirsten Dunst circa 1998) and her sarcastic talking cat Jiji (voiced by the late Phil Hartman) fly off on her broomstick as all young witches do at 13 years old: to train for a year on their own. The scene is set for a coming-of-age story.

Spoilers? I guess stop reading if you don't want to hear the ending.

All in all it is a cute story, in which Kiki is befriended by several kindhearted older female role models. Even with their help, living on her own (and dealing with a confusing adolescent crush) causes Kiki to lose faith in herself and in turn "lose" her magic. Worst of all, she can no longer understand her cat Jiji, who she described as her best friend.

A combination of encouragement from her new friends and dramatic circumstances that require Kiki to believe in herself and save the day, she regains her confidence and magic powers. I was confused to find that Jiji did not start speaking again at the end, but it seems that her inability to hear her cat speak may actually be a metaphor that she is growing up and has outgrown talking to her pet cat. (Fun Fact: Phil Hartman had adlibbed a finale line in the original English dub, but it was not in the original Japanese movie and was cut from the 2010 English DVD release)

To sum it up: this is a cute movie to watch. Like any other Studio Ghibli film, even if you don't get into the story, the art will blow you away. I am always in awe of the amount of work poured into the backgrounds, and that's only when I can see past the detailed animation work. Between the fitting music and beautifully depicted worlds, you should try to watch at least a few of Studio Ghibli's masterpieces.

~Andrew