It's mid-February, and you know what that means....
You'd do anything for her, but you're sick to your soul because you can't have her. Maybe you don't even know who she is. You just feel a huge loss because there's a vaguely-defined she that isn't in your life. Or maybe you're the one lucky bastard in the whole world who's lucky enough to have her in your life, and it makes all the difference in the world, because even the crappy times feel like a sheer joy.
Yep .. my wife's birthday is coming up! And while the champagne is chilling and the parties are being prepared, we must be careful not to exert ourselves too much in the preparations lest we are unable to enjoy the festivities. So here, to help you and the rest of the world prepare for the big day, are some refreshing, inspiring ITEMS!
ITEM! If the Palestinians painted themselves to look like the Na'vi of Avatar, do you think they might be able to change some minds and get some more sympathy from the West? Well, soon we'll find out: some Palestinians are doing just that.
ITEM! NATO is launching a huge offensive in Afghanistan right now, easily the biggest since the US began operations there in 2001. The Taliban are, of course, fighting back, including the use of booby traps. Civilians are running for the hills, which is pretty much the smartest thing to do when you're around a military conflict.
What remains to be seen is whether this operation will in any way materially affect the eventual outcome of this war. Signs are murky.
ITEM! Another Wall Streeter is thinking about going for Gillibrand's seat; and this time, it's not a carpet bagger a la Harold Ford. Nope; this time, it's a media mogul a la Bloomberg. I refer of course to Mort Zuckerman.
COATI!
ITEM! Quantitative types make for bad Valentines. More here.
ITEM! Quentin Tarrantino and Rachel Maddow on Inglorious Bastards .. and the creative process therein.
ITEM! The latest nutcase theory for why Lady Gaga is popular and famous is that she made a deal with the Devil for her fame. Admittedly, this is a better theory than that Lady Gaga is a musical genius. But, if the key to fame is evoking Satan by employing subtle occult imagery in one's music and videos .. then why isn't Therion as big as Michael Jackson?
Of course, the most plausible theory remains this: Lady Gaga is the product of some really good marketing. Just like pretty much every other pop star.
ITEM! Slayer meets Thomas the Tank Engine here.
If they ever make a movie of the Seige of Fallujah .. and you know they will .. then Slayer should make up half the soundtrack. Why? Because pretty much every other tank was blasting Slayer during that mess.
ITEM! The 5th annual Love Show (more) opened last night in Portland, Oregon. The crowd for the opening was huge, as it seemed that every artist, hipster, aging hippie, socialite and wannabe in town made an appearance. Over 300 artists are showing there, and the show is very much like a maze with work shown in main streets and byways and alleyways throughout the gallery.
My wife's piece, Discordia Concors, is prominently on display. If you want to find it, just walk in, turn left, and look.
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