That's it...

...I'm learning Japanese, so I can read the captions to this blog without Google's help. I have no idea who these people are, but looking at their pictures is inducing a strong desire to hop on the next train home and hole up with my family for about 10 years. Seriously, little Japanese family? You're amazing. Your dogs have the best faces. And this might be my favorite photo ever:

Serious kudos, whoever you are.

Came across all this snuggliness via this blog, in which I would like to live.

I don't know about you...

...but this is what I'm doing tonight:

Central Cinema is like Disneyland for impverished post-grads. $6 movie tickets, $10 pitchers of beer, $1 bowls of popcorn with a shiz ton of butter and some of the greatest artistic triumphs of our time.

What I'm looking forward to most: chugging an entire pint when a certain character utters a certain unforgettable line...

Currently pondering

When artists do crappy shit, does that change your attitude towards their work? I've never been a huge R. Kelly fan, but the fact that he peed on that one girl doesn't change the fact that I still listen to "I Believe I Can Fly" with tender fondness for "Space Jam" and the '90s in general. However, 2 seconds of any Chris Brown song and I'm hitting next or changing radio stations. Totally ruined for me. So, Kanye? It's been obvious for a long time that the man has an epic ego, could anyone really listen to his music without being aware of that fact? Will his gargantuan douche-move last night finally tip the scales against him?

Thank goodness we have Beyoncé to entertain us.

I forgot how to blog

Oh, uh, hey, internet, um, so about that time I surfed and surfed and surfed you without contributing anything in return for a couple--ok fine, five--months...uh...sorry?

I know I've been le suck this summer, but, to be completely honest, this summer has sort of been le suck, too. Why? Well, for starters everyone cool died! MJ, Ted Kennedy, Bea Arthur. You can't just blog away that kind of pain.

Luckily one of the biggest bummers of the summer, the absence of Maddie, is about to be rectified, and I really shouldn't whine about it because she had herself a grand ol' time in Italia (her much-more-interesting-than-my-blog blog is here). And I got some kickass presents out of the deal, so. I guess I'm ok with it.

Here's a photo of the Return of Maddie, the exact moment at which my mom exhaled for the first time in the month Maddie was abroad and at the mercy of The World:

I call it "Stripes."

Anyway, pals, I'm looking forward to the fall, which is weird and a little traitorous, but I must be honest. In exchange for this blasphemy, I promise to Be a Better Blogger.

Couple things

Effect of the Hunthausen basement MacLab on Seattle University students:

Obligatory plant picture for Mom:

What I've been looking at for the last week or so. Except the rain is new today:

All my verbal skills have been expended on the paper pictured above. This post was a stretch. Have a nice day.

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL

My new camera, aka Prettypants McFancyface, is here! It arrived about a week ago, and what a week it's been. Join me, won't you?

Two hours after I opened the package, Annie called and told me about this tremendously amazing party going down just a couple blocks away at which there would be piles of free art for the taking. See, her friend Herbert is super savvy and knows artists all over the world and got a bunch of them to send free art things to him so he could disperse them to the masses, such as me. Like. Such as.

Here's my old buddy Wayne amongst some of the free art:

The next day was Saturday, which Maddie and I filled by visiting the new Mexican place on Capitol Hill. Rancho Bravo is a magical place. The interior is the same from when the place was a gross KFC, but now the food is good, so it's just fun. And cheap.

So on Easter I hosted a FEASTER. Which was pretty much just Maddie, Banks, Garrett and me eating quiche, drinking mimosas and watching Mary Poppins. Oh yeah and a Certain Gentleman and I hard boiled six dozen eggs.

Almost forgot. Here, mom.

Well now that I just spent a half hour blogging on a Friday night, I'm going to go be a part of the world and stuff.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear

Here's what has me all tickled pink today:

Google is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the publication of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

And! Eric Carle has a blog! It's sweet and simple and friendly, and he's got some great pictures. Lke what his shoes look like after he's been painting all day:

Carle and his wife run the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst. Road trip to Massachusetts, anyone??