(thank you, largehearted boy)
Rules and Regulations
I like that Rufus Wainwright attempts to get on the radio. I am not sure it is the best format for him, but bless him. His latest studio album, Release the Stars, was said to be his most accessible and mainstream album to date. I adore that in Rufus' head that translated into "a huge wave of German romanticism" and songs about Prussian rococo summer palaces and a dramatic spoken word segment performed by Siân Phillips. I just feel like ruffling his hair, I do. So, this is Rufus Wainwright's second single off Release the Stars, "Rules and Regulations". The video is absolutely barmy as you might expect and it's possibly the funniest thing I have seen all year:
Saturday Linkage
As Ms Bookish and her Other Half are off examining Roman ruins and the HarperCollins Archives, here are some links to tide you over.
- Test Your Colour IQ. The lower your number, the better. I managed a respectable 8 with slightly flaws in the blue spectrum (I don't like that colour, anyway)
- Television Tropes and Idioms. "Trope refers to story components or elements which have become standardized through decades (or more) of use." From Cross Cultural Kerfluffle via Because Destiny Says So to Uncanny Family Resemblance, this Wiki will suck away hours of your life.
- To Die By Your Side is an excellent music blog. A good place to start is when his girlfriend takes him to see James Blunt at Glastonbury
- Out.com's The 100 Greatest, Gayest Albums (of All Time). Interesting, if slightly random (Sgt. Pepper, anyone?!) and notable absentees like Jimmy Somerville (only Bronski Beat are represented) or Tegan & Sara while Queen and Pet Shop Boys are richly represented.
- LHC Compact Muon Solenoid Experiment Webcams. CERN has been kind enough to set up a live streaming webcam to watch the CMS in action. Quite ingenious.
Enjoy.
Oh, Anyway, It’s Looking Like A Beautiful Day
One of my favourite pastimes of late has been taunting my local physicist friends: "Oh, I cannot make plans later than Wednesday morning because we are all going to die" or "I'm really looking forward to this event horizon thing". Their facial expressions have been priceless, I tell you. Usually I mostly get affronted linguists or disgusted literary scholars, so annoyed physicists have been very diverting. Ah, mass media and their funny takes on scientific matters. I'm also rather pleased to see Elbow winning the Mercury Prize with "The Seldom Seen Kid". It's a very good album and I'm happy to (maybe) see them gain a bit more success. The first single off the album, "Grounds For Divorce", features a fabulous sentence construction: "There's a hole in my neighbourhood / Down which of late I cannot help but fall".
But because I can, let me spam you with a Mercury Prize nominee, not winner. Heartbreakingly gorgeous stuff.
And finally, fifty minutes after my blog rant, Parcelforce delivered my yarn. That'll teach 'em.
Tuesday Linkage
I may be in the throes of female hormones, so here are some calming links. + Smugopedia: "Smugopedia is a collection of slightly controversial opinions about a variety of subjects. We offer you the chance to buy a fleeting sense of self-satisfaction at the small cost of alienating your friends and loved ones."
+ It’s Not You, It’s Your Books: Literary dealbreakers. I once dated a guy who had a shelf of Oprah-esque self-help books. I'm not saying that's why I broke up with him.. but we only lasted a week after that discovery.
+ Pretty staircases. Note that the URL is NSFW but the content is very, very SFW. This is my personal favourite (first photo).
+ A Field Guide to Ten Most Common Frontmen Styles. My favourite frontman happens to be a cross between no. 6 and no. 10. Hmm.
+ The Lost Tribes of Green Sahara. Beautiful photography.
+ Sarah Palin is Your New.. What? Many people have opinions on just what who Palin is. I quite like "..Hail Mary" and "Faustian Bargain" but my absolute favourite is "Star Wars: Episodes I - III Plus The Clone Wars". Heh.
Addendum: Booker Shortlist.
"Antimatter's Sort Of Matter's Evil Twin.."
Via my Other Half, I bring you The Large Hadron Rap. Yes, the wacky nice physicists at the CERN project have written a rap which explains what exactly it is that the Large Hadron Collider does.
I tell you, physicists rock. And throw some ace moves too.