Comedy both big and small

Two of my favorite moments from two of the greats

• One of my favorite interviews with LouisCK
• The best thing I've seen come from Jerry Seinfield

... and a lesser known but beloved writer/performer on Conan: Brian McCann

• Audience kayaking 
• Eyeballs O'shaughnessy 
• A bunch of mess ups on the Conan show (some involving Brian)

Blinding headlights

I have especially sensitive night vision (I actually wear those ridiculous yellow, anti-glare over-glasses) so the ultra-bright headlights are *especially* annoying to me.  Still, I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Selling your privacy, buying theirs

I found this really painful: rich people using their influence to keep their privacy when they made their riches on buying and selling other people's privacy. The irony is bitter. I realize that when you're rich the rules really are different (for good and bad), but it's hard to escape how hipocritical it is. That privacy is only important if and only if one has money is a dangerous preceedent and a very slippery slope.

Yet another shooting with 9 dead.

There's a story background but this particular quote from a Chicago Tribute article unfortunately sums it up:

The sheriff has been vocal in opposing state and federal gun-control legislation. In 2013, Hanlin sent a letter to Vice President Joe Biden after the shooting at a Newtown, Connecticut, elementary school, declaring that he and his deputies would refuse to enforce new gun-control restrictions "offending the constitutional rights of my citizens."

Also thought what the President had to say was a worthwhile read.

To fight the general sense of impotence around this topic, you might want to donate to someone who got shot trying to help.

Conan: blues songs with kids

A rather simple idea yields some of the best work I've seen from late night in a while.

Teh Feelz

This one gets me every. single. time.

Some analysis of global warming trends

... from Bloomberg.  If nothing else it's a great data analysis tool and it's views like this that scientists will be watching closely in the years ahead.

It's fake, we all know it's fake, and why that's bad

An article written in the same over-the-top style it's criticizing, but a lot of the comments here are spot on.  Maybe that's the point.

"Political coverage that ignores actual policy in favor of gauging public perception and election prospects often is called "horse race journalism" for treating politics as a pure competition, the only goal of which is electoral victory. That's a pretty apt descriptor of how this stuff gets covered, except in one respect. The reporters who cover actual horse-racing have the dignity and professional pride not to grant phony import and stature to an early show that sprints out of the gate but has no chance of hanging around to decide the outcome. The reason is pretty simple: They value not making themselves look like craven f--king idiots. Maybe that's why they cover farm animals running in a circle, rather than presidential campaigns."

Short version: giving time and energy to a fake candidate is cynical, empty, and ultimately bad for an honest media that's necessary to facilitate productive elections and thereby a stable government.

Free speech isn't easy

Some interesting thoughts on free speech from Bill Maher.  I'll admit recently falling into the gap on this topic myself.

Movies that could do it better

Two great videos that solidify and underline a lot of disconnected thoughts I've had on digitial effects and the way fighting is portrayed.  I wish they would have mentioned every Borne Identity sequel, which were all a step down from the original.

Some excellent statements on politics from Penn Jillette

What looked like a topical goof turned into something really remarkable and interesting from someone I usually don't associate with insight around a democracy.

Message from before the grave

Robert Smith (of the band The Cure) was responsible for a big piece of my childhood.  I'd always read that he lied his ass off during interviews, constantly claiming that the band was about to break up so no one ever believed what he said.  Although it seemed like a terrific response to the inanity of celebrity, I didn't bother ever encountering him in anything beyond music.  Then by chance I see a remarkably sweet, gentle, and honest interview with someone that's had a huge impact on who I am.

It was a really amazing thing to see something of the root of someone else that built some of me.

Unreal bad political move

State Rep. Bill Chumley loves changing the subject in the middle of a really important conversation.

This just happened so I'm a little light on perspective but I really, really hope this guy resigns fucking immediately.  This notion that John McClane from Die Hard is going to bust through the window and kick some ass is a disturbing and goofy fantasy.  This is a bunch of people facing a gunman in a church.  Different people react different ways to death starring them in the face.  I have no idea how I'd react and I'm have little doubt Bill has no idea either.  Not to mention this is the wrong time to ask that question.  What an ass.

No Vicodin

All my life I've known exactly one person who was addicted to "real" drugs of the class of coke, heroin, etc.  Meanwhile I've known 4 different people with serious (two of them life-threatening) issues around doctor-prescribed opiates.  In the absence of being able to share my own stories, I found this.