bread 'n butter

Everyone remembers Mad Libs. When you were 8 you probably filled in the parts of speech with words like "farts" and "butthead." When you revisited them in high school or college, you most likely made the otherwise innocuous stories sound dirty in a sexual way. Now that you're all grown up, you're ready for Raymond Carver Mad Libs.

Carver's writing has always concentrated on the soul-crushing fatalism of adult relationships. Fill in the blanks with your own depressing verbage... or just put "farts" instead.

via

Bellen! is an online comic by Philly artist, Box Brown, that I discovered recently. It may not be as funny or endearing to anyone who hasn't lived with a quarter-life crisis for, well, the first quarter of their life, but it's still pretty cute in a grown-up Family Circus kind of a way.

These quaint, slice-of-life comics won't hit you over the head with humor the way that, let's say, Cathy does, but they should be enjoyable for anyone with a heart, some slight grumpiness, and a touch of ennui with the modern world.

Anyway, I spent like two hours reading all of them last night so I think you can spare 10 minutes and a read a few.

six sentences has been one of my go to blogs for a while, and i'm not just saying that because today's entry features yours truly... their simple concept - to write a story in six sentences - is solid and usually produces some pretty entertaining results. the compact vignettes are perfect for breaking up a monotonous day in front of the computer, or if you have any of the various attention deficit disorders. plus the site is highly interactive, you don't need an impressive resume or a fancy degree to write six sentences, just a little creative muscle to to exercise.

img via

this is kinda dated, but it was new to me... and in honor of moms everywhere: indie rock moms sound off. the moms behind some of our favorite indie bands like beirut, bon iver, and crystal stilts etc. wax on some of their favorite songs, and what they really think of their offspring's chosen professions... "You know, I think this is future music. Yes, music for the future.".

so much love up in there.

happy day!

Marc Johns is an illustrator who, like most reading, loves things chock full of whit and whimsy. With roots in Internet publicity, Johns is moving to realm of the bound word on 1 May 2009 with his first book; Serious Drawings. (The cover snagged my interest.) Suspicions lead me to believe all you Demetri Martin fans will be pleased.

if you haven't already, bookmark this blog and begin reading it religiously. it's some straight-up classy lifestyle photo-blog stuff... JJJJound. go check it out. you'll thank me later.

Photo by RJ Shaughnessy via the gothamist.com


Because of her incredible ability to make the most private and disturbing emotions seem as common place as they actually are, Miranda July is one of those artists that you either love, hate, or just plain don't get. Personally, I happen to love her, not for her art alone but for her positively honest personality. In light of today's Brainwave Festival at the Rubin Museum in New York, The Gothamist interviewed July concerning the creative and psychological aspects of her feature length film Me, and You, and Everyone We Know and her short story collection No One Belongs Her More Than You. If you want to keep staring at July's overwhelmingly awesome hair, you can stay on this page, or go here to read the interview. Either way, take it in and carry it around.

please watch this:



also, if you're in the mood for a story, try his bathroom monologue: part 1, part 2, part 3

"Sometimes, you get a girl to like you, then she ditches you. Life is hard, move on!"

genuis? i dunno but i think i learned something...

and i'm exhausted.

i've been having trouble turning my brain on today, so i've been staring into the internets and looking at lots of pretty pictures, like this one:


via brooklyn vegan

and this one:

via erinjanenelson.com

and this one:

via somewhere on flickr

also, am obsessively checking out the oldies in this flickr photo gallery. they've been satiating my current desire for middle-american ephemera and imagery, which i'm attributing to having read too much from cather, crane, and james lately. someone recommend me something a little more modern to read?