Pushing Daisies will be pushing daisies

Well, it's official. Pushing Daisies has been canceled. Dave tried to warn me, but I just wouldn't believe him.

Man, I loved that show. ::tear::

Quotables

"He has never claimed to be anything but a human being chosen by God to fight an axis of evil and defeat a mortal danger to all humanity."
- The Colbert Report

RDJ!

Robert Downey Jr. was selected Entertainment Weekly's Entertainer of the Year!

Can I get a hell yeah? I love this man. Seriously, I think he's my favorite actor.

In honor of RDJ, I'll include some pics and quotes. Enjoy.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
"It's hard to believe it was just last Christmas that Harmony and I changed the world. And we didn't mean to and it didn't last long. You know a thing like that can't."

(and another, because this is my favorite movie...)

Harry: [narrating] "I tell him about destiny; he's shaking his head. About dreamgirls; he doesn't care. I mention the underwear thing? He has a *fucking conniption*. And you? How 'bout it, filmgoer? Have you solved the case of the - the dead people in L.A.? Times Square audiences, please don't shout at the screen, and stop picking at that, it'll just get worse."


Charlie Bartlett

Principal: "Charlie there are more important things than popularity."
Charlie: "Like what? Cuz I'm seventeen. And right now, popularity is pretty damn important."
Principal: "Like what you do with that popularity."


Iron Man
"I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I had more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries."


Zodiac
Robert Graysmith: "Does anybody ever call me names?"
Paul Avery: "What, you mean like retard?"
Robert Graysmith: "Yeah."
Paul Avery: "No."


Good Night, and Good Luck
Shirley: "Name me one woman who asks her husband to take off his wedding ring before he goes to work."
Joe: "Ava Gardner."


Wonder Boys
Terry Crabtree: [Looking at James Leer's book] "The Love Parade... I've got a feeling about this, Tripp. I feel this kid in my bones."
Grady Tripp: "ONLY in your bones?"

Taste the Rainbow

From cnn.com today:

"A source close to transition team tells CNN that Obama is also trying to build a diverse Cabinet that includes women and minorities and that works as a team."

Hooray! Finally. GoBama!

Someone to Fall Back On

I'm in love with Jason Robert Brown.

He wrote awesome musicals like Songs for a New World, The Last Five Years, and Parade. The song below is one of my new obsessions - ever since I saw him perform live at Birdland. The song is called "Someone to Fall Back On," and it's from his solo album, "Wearing Someone Else's Clothes." Listen and love it! (PS - if it doesn't work the first time you press the play button, pause it and press play again. It should work the second time.)

Emergency Pants

Speaking as someone who talks with her friends about "comfy pants" "fat pants" "skinny pants" "work pants" "workout pants" and "weekend pants" (we like pants), I seriously appreciate this clever comic strip.

(It's from Sluggy Freelance, which I read about on Today on the Interwebs.)

Enjoy:

Doesn't Remind Me of Anything

This is a great music video - and this is coming from someone who does not typically like music videos. I can't embed it here (embedding has been disabled), but here's the link:

"Doesn't Remind Me" by Audioslave

i <3 rives

This is fantastic poem from Rives. Even if you don't like "poetry" - give this a shot. He really is terrific. Plus, this one uses emoticons! I could listen to this man all day. (Thanks Ben for the vid.)

Merger

So I'm thinking of consolidating Mad Street Cred and The Televisionista, my tv blog. Mostly because I rarely publish on The Televisionista anymore, and I have less and less time for TV anyway. So I'm thinking of retiring The Televisionista and posting my tv rants at Mad Street Cred.

(I'm also thinking of resurrecting my Live Journal. Mostly because I never write about my life anymore, and my posts in there used to be pretty fun. Plus, I love the layout.)

Any thoughts? Objections? I know none of you read The Televisionista anyway, so if I post about TV in here it's actually more stuff for you to read. Get excited!

Friday Cuteness

I could not make this stuff up - a live feed of puppies. The cutest thing EVER:

Puppies!

Oh The View

A Sarah Haskins video from current.tv about The View:

Quotable

"The only freedom deserving of the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental and spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each other to live as seems good to the rest."
- John Stuart Mill, "On Liberty"

Quotables

My favorite Election Day quote, from the people behind me in line as they exited the polling site:

Little Boy: "That was SO boring."
Mom: "It's not boring, what we just did is very important."
Little Boy: "WELL I THINK IT'S BORING!" (pause) "I LIKE GHOSTES!"
Mom: "Ghostes is not a word. If you're trying to say you like more than one ghost, the word is ghosts, not ghostes."
Boy: "GHOSTES!!!!"
Mom: "That is not a word."

There's your civics lesson from Riverdale.

Oh, kids. They're so removed from the anxiety I'm feeling all day today about this election. They just want it to be Halloween again.

(Well, unless the kid was being racist...)

Go vote!

"Electing a U.S. President - in plain English"

Here's a great vid from CommonCraft about how the electoral process works:

Quell your voting jitters

I was talking with one of the younger people on my team at work today, and she expressed some anxiety about voting tomorrow. Like many younger citizens, she has only ever cast an absentee ballot before, and she has no idea what to do tomorrow. I was in a similar situation for the primaries, so I know how she feels. And I'm glad she's going to rock the vote! But in case you're nervous like she is, here are a few things that can help you prep for tomorrow:

- Know where to go. Your state's Board of Elections will tell you where you should go to vote. (This is the polling location website for the state of NY.) Also, sites like Rock the Vote are committed to making sure first-time voters know what they need to know, including everything from where your polling place is to what you have to bring with you. Another good reference is Vote411.

- Make sure you weren't "purged." Sites like Can I Vote? can tell you whether you exist according to registration records. Make sure you check, since many registrations were purged recently. You don't want to not find out till you show up tomorrow!

- Preview the ballot. Enter your address information into Smart Voter to see what will be on the ballot you see tomorrow. This gives you a chance to review any Propositions you may be voting on ahead of time so you don't hold up the lines tomorrow. Also, in case you don't know much about your local candidates, this gives you a chance to research them in advance so you can make an informed decision tomorrow.

- Know the equipment. Different polling locations have different kinds of voting machines. Articles like "How to use a voting machine to vote" from DIY Rules can give you the low-down in advance so you don't end up accidentally voting for the wrong candidate. (Hanging chads, anyone?)

- Know the rules. Different states have different rules about whether you need an ID to vote, whether you can wear campaign gear (i.e. an Obama t-shirt, etc.) at the polling site, etc. You don't want to take the chance of being rejected from voting once you've stood in line tomorrow! Along with sites like Rock the Vote, also check out articles like ABC News' "Voting 101", CNN's "Voting Guide" and Time Magazine's "7 Things That Could Go Wrong on Election Day" to get more information.

Whoever you're voting for, just make sure you vote tomorrow! Because remember - if you don't vote, you can't complain.

'Llectuals

This is a great spoof of what the OC would be like if it aired on PBS. "Who needs Girls Gone Wild when you could have Girls Gone Wilde?!" Ha - so great. It speaks to the geek in me:

If you care enough to vote, Starbucks cares enough to buy you coffee

The Best of Mad Street Cred

Well, I was reading Nubby Twiglet today, and her "Best of" sidebar inspired me to add one of my own. But I thought I'd write a little something about it too. I've fallen into a habit of mostly posting videos or links with a small bit of commentary, instead of writing actual blog posts. It's due to my lack of free time, but it's really a shame, because I like writing real posts. So in honor of my former real blogging, I've gone ahead and picked some of my favorite past posts on Mad Street Cred. Perhaps you disagree - maybe there are other of my posts that you particularly liked. Leave it in the comments and I'll consider adding it to the list. Or maybe you hate my blog. Regardless, here are my favorite posts of days gone by, with a mini-summary of each:

1) "Waiting on the World...": After the producers of So You Think You Can Dance apologized on-air for the sub-text of choreographer Wade Robson's choreography to John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change" (which was meant to be about the war), I wrote this post about patriotism.

2) "starry skies": In this post, I talk about movies like Chasing Amy and why they're so much more realistic than romantic comedies without being depressing like indie films. I also talk a bit about hope, and love, and Meg Ryan.

3) "Why Spell-Check is Dangerous": You all know I'm a grammar nerd. Well this time, a spell-check error led to a crazy, hilarious law getting put into effect. (This post includes a cute poem too.)

4) "My Bottom 10": Pretty self-explanatory - these are 10 things I seriously hate.

5) "Top-ish Ten": I felt bad about being such a cynic after I posted My Bottom 10, so I counteracted it with 10 things I think are fantastic.

6) "Plane Clothes": Two separate instances of people being forced to change their clothes because flight crew deemed their outfits unacceptable for flying. One instance was a girl wearing a halter top. Another was a guy wearing an Arabic t-shirt (which I own).

7) "Supersize My... Report Card?": This post questions the morality, legality, and wisdom behind Seminole Cty, Fla. letting McDonald's advertise on its report cards.

8) "I'm With Stupid?": Is Google (and other associated technology) making us stupid? Find out what I think.

9) "The Porn Myth": This one is about porn.

10) "Reading about the unspeakable in fiction... and the shocking real-life news story about something even more unspeakable": After reading Joyce Carol Oates' book called Rape: A Love Story, I was inspired to write this article about hate crimes.

Those are my favorite 10. Enjoy!

Fall Inspiration

Over at CMYKaboom! my friend Cindy has a series called "Inspiration Machine." I just love it. Her blog rocks, but those posts are my favorite. Well I just read the latest Inspiration Machine - you too can read it here.

My favorite bit of inspiration from the latest post?:

6. Organize a fall cleaning: pack up summer clothes, bring out the heavy blankets and humidifiers, and decorate your home in warm autumn colors. Personal favorite: stocking up on delicious pumpkin candles. Or even better, make your own pumpkin candles, out of real pumpkins!

Right now my apartment is in a strange limbo between summer and fall. I still have tank tops and t-shirts strewn all over the place, but sweaters and jackets are what I'm actually wearing. I put the heat on when I get home, but I also still have fans in my rooms. I finally put out a few fall decorations this weekend, but my summer decorations aren't put away yet.

As someone who absolutely loves fall, it's ridiculous that I haven't embraced its return. Pumpkin candles, cider, blankets - what have I been thinking not making the transition to fall?? So I'll take Cindy's inspiration and hold a fall cleaning this weekend. And you should too!

I'm a Mac strikes back

Genius. Eat it, Microsoft.

Quote of the Day

"The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge." -Elbert Hubbard

Beheading???

Worst thing I've heard in a long time:

"Arrests in Plan to Kill Obama and Black Schoolchildren"

The two men “planned to drive their vehicle as fast as they could toward Obama shooting at him from the windows,” according to an affidavit filed in federal court in Jackson, Tenn...

The assassination was to be the culmination of a “killing spree” that would also single out children at an unnamed, predominately black school, federal officials said. The men talked of “killing 88 people and beheading 14 African-Americans,” according to the affidavit.

The two men each had “very strong views” about Aryan white power and “skinhead” ideology, the federal officials said, and the numbers 88 and 14 have special significance in the white power movement. The number 88 is shorthand for “Heil, Hitler” — H is the eighth letter in the alphabet —and 14 signifies a 14-word mantra among white supremacists: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”

Horrible. Absolutely horrible. I'm disgusted.

Who the hell votes in early elections?

I just found out this year (yeah) that there is even such a thing as an early election. It boggles my mind. So I've started reading anything I can about early elections. This column in Time Magazine that I read today is hands-down the best thing I've read about early elections, and it's hands-down the funniest thing I've read in quite some time. I was getting strange looks on the subway this morning because of my chuckling.

If you need a laugh, enjoy reading good writing, or basically are a human being of any kind, please read Joel Stein's article from Time Magazine, called "My Own Election Exit Poll."

Stein writes about the kinds of people who vote in early elections, based on his extremely unscientific personal exit polling in Ohio. (Hint: About half of the people polled by Stein applied early admission to college.)

My favorite quote from the article: "If all Americans were like early voters, we'd have a perfectly run country that would get beat up by all the other countries."

Once you're finished reading the article (it's short - one page), you can check out the results of his exit polls here. My favorite question he asked was "Did voting early just give Ohio more time to lose your vote?" Followed by "Would you like to vote for an American Idol winner now too?" as a close second. Seriously, it's great - give it a read.

Quotable

"[Obama] told me, when we talked, that Washington's us-versus-them divisions had made it impossible for any president to find solutions to a series of generational challenges, from Iraq to global climate change. 'If voters are similarly polarized and if they're seeing two different realities, a Sean Hannity reality and a Keith Olbermann reality, then we're not going to be able to get done the work we need to get done.'"
- Matt Bai, The New York Times Magazine, 10/19/08

Is your relationship bad for the planet?

As someone who has been in numerous long-distance relationships, I can think of a lot of reasons long-distance couples should break up. Here are a few -

1) There's a better-than-even chance one of them is cheating. Let's just be honest. It seems like everyone cheats these days. Sigh.

2) Talking on the phone is SO annoying. And inevitably, the phone and computer being the only usual means of communication between two people does not make for a close and lasting relationship.

3) There are plenty of fish in the sea, and probably lots right around you who are single. (Yeah, I'm talking about me. Guys, why are you dating people in other states and stuff? Some wonderful people are right here. And available.)

4) It inevitably is turning one or both of them insane. Be it from worrying that you're cheating or just going crazy not being with you. One of the two of you is going insane right at this moment.

5) Which is more realistic - one of you uprooting your life and moving to be with each other, or you eventually breaking up?

There are plenty of other reasons, but those are 5 good ones. Clearly I hate long-distance relationships and think they're the worst.

But there's one reason I hadn't considered. In Slate today, Barron YoungSmith posted an article that talks about the best reason I've heard yet - environmental consciousness. Read the article here: "The environmental case against long-distance relationships."

There are some great comparative facts in here, like that breaking up with your long-distance partner would be about 10 times better for the environment than going vegetarian. And that someone in a long distance relationship's lifestyle is about 6 times worse for the planet than the average gas-guzzling American - and about 10 times worse than someone living in San Francisco. Ouch.

It gets better from there. Read the article to find out more.

And don't forget. Date local.

Turing Tested

Something interesting I learned today, thanks to Ben and Jerzy's blog.

They recently posted the Dilbert cartoon you see below. I didn't understand the joke, because I didn't remember what the Turing test was. Apparently I missed that day in my 15 years of schooling. Here's the cartoon:



Well in case you're an idiot like me and don't remember what the Turing test is, here's a pretty good description from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

I won't attempt to explain it in my own words, since Stanford can do a much better job than I can (and since I'm sure my philosophic friend Ben would not hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong), but read about the Turing test and then come back and read the cartoon.

Funny now, right? Thanks guys!

"An Adman from A to V"

Apparently Ogilvy Athens created a 60th Anniversary tribute to David Ogilvy. As a warning - the credits say, "Caution: The following clip is an amateur effort." And the credits are right.

But there's still something great about it, almost even more so because it's so low-budget. This sentiment behind the video is part of the Ogilvy culture and permeates the halls around Ogilvy NYC, albeit in not quite as "funny" of a way. People my age never knew David Ogilvy, as he died several years ago, but the company does a great job in orientation of making you feel like you do. We're proud to work for this man's company, and his ethics, paradigms and quippy quotes are ingrained in our culture here. It really is David Ogilvy's company, even post mortem.

Anyway, that's the context behind the company and Athens' video. Hopefully you get a laugh, even if it's AT them.