The meaning of life is . . .

This morning I was sitting on the T (as a side note, it has been beautiful in Boston this week, and I want to recognize it for the hen’s teeth that it is) and I saw a man struggle on, obviously on his way to the airport. He already had the look that the T gives you sometimes when you’ve got some luggage and it’s a little humid, a bit strained and uncomfortable, the already-been-in-the-airport-3-hours -and-the-escalator-stopped-working look. I glanced at his shirt, which had some “Life is good” looking art on it, and glanced again when I realized he was actually wearing something much more appropriate. What was he wearing? A knockoff: “Life is crap.”

Telemarketing in iambic pentameter

Someone just called me on the telephone to ask if I would be interested in pursuing a graduate degree in Shakespearean studies. After a long day at work, this is the real test of a person’s tolerance for unusual requests.

Meatlifting.

FYI, I am no meatlifter. Weightlifter, maybe . . . but not meat. But this article in Slate is both thoughtful and ultimately hilarious, as they end with the following sage paragraph:

“So, more innovation is required in the battle against meatlifting. Meat-sniffing dogs pop to mind, though some shoppers might object to having a Doberman nosing around their crotches in search of stolen steaks. But you know what they say about civil liberties in a time of crisis.”

Living with Ed

Last night I acquired a righteous headache around 9:30 and settled on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate. What a nice surprise to find this hilarious show when I was thinking I’d just watch some home improvement TV and drift off. The show focuses on the home life of Ed Begley, an accomplished actor who’s appeared in several Christopher Guest movies, and his wife Rachelle Carson. They argue constantly: he is crazy and begins random and inconvenient home projects that make the house more green, and she is also crazy, but mostly because he’s always getting in her way and messing up the house with all the random projects. Given that it’s also clear that they love each other, it’s a very hilarious thing to watch, while at the same time teaching easy things to do around the house to make your carbon footprint more friendly.

I totally read a book

Here it is. . . a friend put it directly in my hands a couple of weeks back. Force feeding, but I really needed to read something. I think it was about my speed – a little thought-provoking here, a little romance there – and a very quick read. I enjoyed it very much.

Viki, Wiki, etc. pedia

Within the past few months I’ve discovered that Wikipedia is my favorite thing to read. This, and the mullet page, are two of my most favorite.

Though then again there is also the Heavy metal umlaut page.

Fraenkel gallery

All week I’ve been exploring the insanely cool galleries of photographers at the Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco. This is definitely a place to visit in the (hopeful) event that I take a trip there sometime soon.

07_pillow

07_pillow

Originally uploaded by Bearolyn.

Here’s a little something that I whipped up as a holiday gift.

Some wonderful things.

A friend brought over a copy of “Scratch” this weekend and I watched it (IMDB) (Vikipaedia). It’s pretty terrific. . . the interviews are well-done, and the music is so-so fresh.

New goal: go to scratching contest sometime.

Also, one of my favorite columnists – Slate’s Explainer – opened up his mail bag and published some of the best unanswered questions of 2006 . . . of which there are something like 7,000. Some are funny, some are thought-provoking. I guess you get to choose how seriously to take them. My favorites from the article include:

• Is it possible to collect all the cookie dough in Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream and actually bake cookies from it?
• Why did Zidane head-butt his opponent in the World Cup final? Do the French not fight with their fists?
• Why is grilled chicken tasting increasingly rubbery and odd?
• PYGMIES: How/when/where/still in existence/do we mate with them?

Eye update: Still messed up, but improving.

World, keep on turning.

This is pretty much one of the best things that’s ever been on TV.