XKCD -- "As my standard, I use going to sleep at midnight and waking up at 8 AM."

Yet another reference point supporting my theory that "time zones" are archaic and UTC is the way to go.

In late March, the Guardian reported (HT to Kottke) that a Kevlar flower observation deck will temporarily be added to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
 

My Photo, December 2007		Artist's Rendition

My initial reaction was utter disdain, considering I was already unimpressed with the "swarm of fireflies" lighting effect used in the evenings.  But it turns out that the artist came up with an unsolicited mock-up of something that could be done but hasn't been commissioned or selected. 

As much as I wanted to say that the Grauniad had once again earned its wings, they were really just following various architecture and design sites ... and the text accompanying the architect's own project site contributes mightily to the deception / confusion.

So where does that leave us?  Wondering what exactly a further modified Tower might actually be, hoping that it's Vegas that takes the leap instead of the Parisians.

This extremely scary poster is being displayed on many bus shelters in my neighborhood recently ... yet another movie that screams out "what ever happened to the fine arts of animation and illustration?" or something along those lines.  More importantly, am I crazy or is there some unholy crossover leading to the leering visage above?

	+		=   WTF?
Horton Hears a Who		Joe Camel

Add Jim Carrey as the voice of our proud protagonist, and now I have all these uncomfortable thoughts about how purveyors of "adult entertainment" might parodize / satirize this one.  While an interest in both sides of that fence is not completely out of character for the dear departed Mr. Geisel, Dr. Seuss managed to maintain a firewall between the prurient and child-oriented that we would do well to respect today.  Ick.

My personal cognitive dissonance has been amplified, however, by going back 15+ years in the memory banks for a real screamer of a tune.  I had filed this one away under the title "Horton Hearts A Who" ... can't really explain it but for the Dr. Seuss sideways reference. My memory was wrong, but there's just as much confusion sown between the liner notes (putative lyrics never recorded) vs. the live performance (inspired in part by Pussy Galore's "HC Rebellion," a/k/a "the one where Julia Cafritz reads letters out of Maximum Rock'n'Roll" [Last.FM sample, review of the Groovy Hate F*ck EP]). Bottom line -- this one remains one of my favorite riot grrl-related songs.

Bikini Kill -- "Thurston Hearts The Who" (Self-titled EP, Kill Rock Stars, 1991 [eMusic])

For those city dwellers (or prudent suburbanites and exurbanites) who lack their own fireplaces or can't find a neighborhood pub or friend with one to share, I'm happy to bring you the wonder and joy of the Yule Log. 

If you're travelling this season, feel free to download your own from the fine folks at Tribune Broadcasting. I do remember seeing the Yule Log a few times on WPIX when spending Christmas with my grandmother in New York, but my current interest is more curious than nostalgic.  I also prefer the sound of the logs crackling to piped-in carols, but feel free to poke around the interwebs for those variations.

And if you're within range of an Internet connection between 6:00pm on the 24th and 6:00pm on the 25th, I encourage you to stop by WPRB.com and listen in to the 20th Annual Jon Solomon Holiday Marathon, now in its 19th edition (with a hiatus in 1995 for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing Northwestern University in the Rose Bowl).  If I can plan to tune in from 6 time zones away after a 8-hour flight, then perhaps you can find a few minutes to share in the experience too.

Best wishes to all for a peaceful end of the year.

This post is not really about music, except for the background riff rattling through my skull.  Fans of intense, moody, propulsive rock music from the late 70s and early 80s ought to get their tails over to Zeno Records and pick up the box set of the first three Wipers albums -- if only for the outtakes and bonus tracks. (If you already have this set, then take a few minutes to visit and learn about Greg Sage's tangential role in Portland's professional wrestling scene -- but do turn down your speakers first thanks to the embedded auto-play musical selections.)

Anyway, most everyone has ranted about "those darn kids today" at some point. It goes back a few thousand years, at least, with those witty Romans sighing "O tempora, o mores" as they sashayed to the Colosseum to watch people maul each other for entertainment. Today, though, it's as much about their parents as it is about those darn kids.

One of the best interpretations I've seen appeared in a recent thread on Jezebel (part of the GawkerMedia family) about the nightmare that is recutting old Sesame Street episodes (i.e. the era I grew up watching) to remove the negative influences -- like "Alistair Cookie" taking a bite out of his pipe. Commenter Cycles does the honors:

Sunny day (so be sure to put on sunblock so you don't get cancer)
Sweepin' the clouds away (but bring a raincoat and umbrella in case they come back)
On my way to where the air is sweet (but don't breathe in too hard, what with all the exhaust fumes and pollution)

Can you tell me how to get (kids, if you're lost, go to a police station. do not get directions from strangers)
How to get to Sesame Street (get an adult to help you cross the street, you could get run over)

The rewrite goes on for the second verse, as well.

This latest incident gives me the chance to pull out some material I'd been meaning to mention for some time.