{"id":4438,"date":"2009-09-07T05:00:22","date_gmt":"2009-09-07T09:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/?p=4438"},"modified":"2009-09-07T07:12:52","modified_gmt":"2009-09-07T11:12:52","slug":"what-it-is-9709","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/what-it-is-9709","title":{"rendered":"What It Is: 9\/7\/09"},"content":{"rendered":"

What I’m reading:<\/em> I left off on Moby Dick<\/a>\"\" for a little while. I picked up Tom Stoppard’s play Arcadia<\/a>\"\", which I’d meant to write about during the summer. That was derailed by Rufus’ ordeal, so I’m hoping to get back to it this fall. I also read R. Sikoryak’s wonderful Masterpiece Comics<\/a>\"\".<\/p>\n

What I’m listening to:<\/em> Dear Science<\/a>\"\", by TV on the Radio.<\/p>\n

What I’m watching:<\/em> In The Loop<\/a>, which was fantastic, followed by Local Hero<\/a>, so I could have a Peter Capaldi<\/a> double-feature. Now I have to find out if one of my British relatives can get hold of the DVDs of The Thick of It<\/a>. Amy & I also watched a couple of the Comedy Central Roasts (Bob Saget, Joan Rivers), both of which featured fantastic Gilbert Gottfried<\/a> riffs.<\/p>\n

What I’m drinking:<\/em> Plymouth & Q Tonic.<\/p>\n

What Rufus is up to:<\/em> Finally going out on a Sunday greyhound hike<\/a>! And helping me add the captions to the photoset of our trip to my cousins’ place<\/a> in Connecticut a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n

Where I’m going:<\/em> Greyhound picnic in Bridgewater, NJ next Sunday! Here are some pix<\/a> from last year’s picnic. And more pix<\/a>!<\/p>\n

What I’m happy about:<\/em> Um . . . not blogging, actually. I think I boxed myself in with all the “regular features” posts, so I’m happy not to think about those, even though I’m disappointed that I couldn’t come up with a good joke for how Wheaties’ new “EVOLVE” campaign<\/a> is a broadside attack on the Intelligent Cereal Design crew.<\/p>\n

What I’m sad about:<\/em> Not getting that joke to work.<\/p>\n

What I’m worried about:<\/em> Change, y’know? And losing readers by not posting so often. I’m a (hot) neurotic mess, okay? Sue me. And go follow my twitter feed, if you want some sorta fix: twitter.com\/groth18<\/a><\/p>\n

What I’m pondering:<\/em> I’ve decided to take more time off from the regular posting, and continue to rethink what I want to do with my writing. Last week, I had an idea for a new direction and a more coherent project than my standard ramblings here. So I’m pondering whether my dear readers would still be my dear readers if this project turns out to become a (self-published) book that I’d ask those readers to buy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What I’m reading: I left off on Moby Dick for a little while. I picked up Tom Stoppard’s play Arcadia, which I’d meant to write about during the summer. That was derailed by Rufus’ ordeal, so I’m hoping to get back to it this fall. I also read R. Sikoryak’s wonderful Masterpiece Comics. What I’m … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “What It Is: 9\/7\/09”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[557,839,840,91],"class_list":["post-4438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-gilbert-gottfried","tag-peter-capaldi","tag-robert-sikoryak","tag-tom-stoppard"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4C7K-19A","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12719,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/tom-spurgeon-birthday-memorial-episode","url_meta":{"origin":4438,"position":0},"title":"Tom Spurgeon Birthday Memorial Episode","author":"Gil","date":"December 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Virtual Memories Show: Tom Spurgeon Birthday Memorial Episode \"The thing about Tom was, he wasn\u2019t necessarily interested in everything you were interested in, but he was interested in learning about WHY you were interested in it. That sort of curiosity is rare, and it\u2019s part of what made him a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/art"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1684.jpg?fit=1200%2C626&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1684.jpg?fit=1200%2C626&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1684.jpg?fit=1200%2C626&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1684.jpg?fit=1200%2C626&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1684.jpg?fit=1200%2C626&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12632,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/tom-spurgeon-bonus-episode","url_meta":{"origin":4438,"position":1},"title":"Tom Spurgeon Bonus Episode","author":"Gil","date":"November 18, 2019","format":"audio","excerpt":"Virtual Memories Show: Tom Spurgeon Bonus Episode \u201cThe danger isn\u2019t in the limits of what you can do for someone. The danger is in withdrawing, and realizing you don\u2019t have those relationships anymore. If you can be engaged in someone\u2019s life . . . that\u2019s what you have and that\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/art"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/tomandmetcaf.jpg?fit=1000%2C665&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/tomandmetcaf.jpg?fit=1000%2C665&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/tomandmetcaf.jpg?fit=1000%2C665&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/tomandmetcaf.jpg?fit=1000%2C665&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":257,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/better-not-mess-with-major-tom","url_meta":{"origin":4438,"position":2},"title":"Better not mess with Major Tom","author":"Gil","date":"June 21, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"I've never been a Right Stuff rah-rah kinda guy about space flight, but I'm happy that Michael Melvill just piloted off the first private manned space flight. Congrats!","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12738,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/tom-spurgeon-memorial-service-dec-14-2019","url_meta":{"origin":4438,"position":3},"title":"Tom Spurgeon Memorial Service – Dec. 14, 2019","author":"Gil","date":"December 21, 2019","format":"audio","excerpt":"Virtual Memories Show: Tom Spurgeon Memorial Service, Dec. 14, 2019 \"I had an amazing life, and my love for my family is unsurpassed, followed nearly as much as the love for my closest friends. Be kind to yourselves, and live in laughter as much as possible. I love you. Thanks\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/art"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/tommemcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C560&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/tommemcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C560&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/tommemcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C560&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/tommemcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C560&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/tommemcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C560&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17762,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/episode-657-tom-tomorrow","url_meta":{"origin":4438,"position":4},"title":"Episode 657 – Tom Tomorrow","author":"Gil","date":"October 7, 2025","format":"audio","excerpt":"Virtual Memories Show 657: Tom Tomorrow (a.k.a. Dan Perkins) \"Every week is a battle between my deadline and my self-loathing.\" Political cartoonist Tom Tomorrow (a.k.a. Dan Perkins) is back as we celebrate his new Kickstarter project, OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE (closing Oct. 30, 2025), collecting 5+ years of weekly This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/art"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/perkins2025comp.jpg?fit=1200%2C661&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/perkins2025comp.jpg?fit=1200%2C661&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/perkins2025comp.jpg?fit=1200%2C661&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/perkins2025comp.jpg?fit=1200%2C661&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/perkins2025comp.jpg?fit=1200%2C661&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13015,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/covid-check-in-with-tom-tomorrow","url_meta":{"origin":4438,"position":5},"title":"COVID Check-In with Tom Tomorrow","author":"Gil","date":"March 29, 2020","format":"audio","excerpt":"Virtual Memories Show COVID Check-In: Tom Tomorrow (a.k.a. Dan Perkins) \"If I could just go and have a drink with my friends at the little neighborhood bar, then life would feel halfway normal again.\" On Sunday, March 29, cartoonist Tom Tomorrow (a.k.a. Dan Perkins) checked in to let us know\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/art"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/perkinscovidcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/perkinscovidcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/perkinscovidcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/perkinscovidcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/perkinscovidcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4438"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4438\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4440,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4438\/revisions\/4440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}