Starting with her hand-position, then her expression, and then, um, every single word of the copy, this is the creepiest legit web-ad I’ve seen in a while:
What It Is: 10/6/08
What I’m reading: Finally wrapped up The Long Goodbye
What I’m listening to: Distant Early Warning, by Rush. Not again and again, but a couple of times.
What I’m watching: The new Chris Rock HBO special, which wasn’t as good as his previous one. Also, we watched Casino. I realized that it’s the first Sharon Stone movie I’ve ever seen. I thought she did a good job, but the movie overall was pointless. I don’t understand what the movie was ABOUT. I mean, it was the story of how the underworld overextends itself and violent retribution gets meted out on as the criminal world eats itself. How that differs from Goodfellas, I don’t get. DeNiro and Pesci are just caricatures; I couldn’t see any motivation for why they acted the way did. They were simply Great Gambler Who Gets To Run A Casino, and Psychotic Muscle Who Reprises His Role From The Previous Scorsese Crime Movie. The behind-the-scenes aspect of the casino world was entertaining, but ONE-HUNDRED-AND-SEVENTY-EIGHT MINUTES? To find out that mobsters will order the executions of other mobsters? Awesome payoff, dude! Anyway, like I said, Sharon Stone was the best part of the flick; maybe I oughtta snatch up one of her earlier movies.
What I’m drinking: Amy & I opened a bottle of Bogle Petit Syrah on Saturday night, but that was the only time I’ve had a drink since Sept. 26 (the day my conference ended). We left a third of it.
What Rufus is up to: Being scared shitless on Sunday by AfroHuskie, the 17-year-old Dog of the Living Dead down the street. I’d heard about this dog from his owner (his real name is Bandit) a few weeks ago, and we finally met him tonight. I have never seen a dog in such a age-induced state of decrepitude; Rufus’ encounter with him was so unsettling that he literally did not crap on his evening walk.
Where I’m going: We were planning to go to Warwick Applefest yesterday, but I was really zonky and out of it and we decided to stay home and veg. No travel plans this week.
What I’m happy about: Shana tova! Happy new year for Jews!
What I’m sad about: The New York Sun was shut down this week, as was the Dirda on Books weekly chat at the Washington Post; at this rate I half-expect the Hernandez Bros. to quit making comics.
What I’m pondering: What to do with my old iPhone. Also, does anyone know if an EMP would wipe out flash memory? I’m just pondering, is all.
Spinning Plate(let)s
Time for another round of blood-lust! Last May, Official VM pal Elayne asked me to get the word out about the need for blood and platelet donations for her friend Nathanael Sandstrom, who was suffering from histiocytosis. I gave, as did some of my friends, for which Nathanael’s family is very thankful.
Elayne just sent word that Nathanael Sandstrom is still in need:
All those in or near NYC, below is another call for blood and platelet donations. As part of the bone marrow transplant process, Nathanael needs frequent transfusions of multiple blood products (hemoglobin, platelets, and others) until his “new” marrow begins producing on its own. We send our deepest thanks in advance for this generous gift!
I gave a double red-cell donation a few weeks ago, so I’m ineligible till mid-November. That means you, my dear NJ/NYC-area readers (those who aren’t gay, European or post-cancer, that is), get to donate in my stead!
Seriously: Please help out, if you can. If you’re not in the NY/NJ region but have eligible friends or family who are, please forward this info to them. Here are the details:
—
Designated donations for Nathanael must be made in the Blood Donor Room of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Please visit www.mskcc.org/blooddonations for complete information about donor eligibility and the donation process for blood or platelets.
For answers to questions and to schedule an appointment that is convenient for you please CALL:
Mary Thomas @ 212-639-3335
Coordinator, Blood Donor Program
or call the Blood Donor Room at 212-639-7648
Appointments are necessary
The Blood Donor Room is open every day
Fri., Sat., Sun., Mon.: 8:30am – 3:00pm
Tues., Wed., Thu.: 8:30am – 7:00pm
1250 First Avenue (between 67th/68th Streets) NYC – Schwartz Building lobby
FREE parking is available for donors at our garage 433 East 66th Street corner of York Avenue.
The process for donating whole blood takes approximately 1 hour.
The process for donating platelets takes about 2.5 hours. (Bring a book/Kindle or several magazines.)
All blood types are acceptable.
Sunset
What It Is: 9/29/08
What I’m reading: Back to Raymond Chandler! Then, who knows?
What I’m listening to: Joe Jackson’s Rain
What I’m watching: Amy was pretty unwell this weekend, so she watched some chick flicks on Saturday afternoon, before we tuned into the LSU win over Miss State. Don’t worry; we TiVo’d the new Chris Rock special.
What I’m drinking: Plymouth & tonic. A lot. But I’m going to try to dry out for the next week or two.
What Rufus is up to: Bonding with his mom while I was away at my conference.
Where I’m going: The Warwick Applefest next Sunday, but that should be about it, unless I take a half-day this week and head into NYC or Montclair to sell a few boxes of books.
What I’m happy about: I’m happy that our conference was a big success, but for the moment I’m happier that it’s over.
What I’m sad about: Today may be the last day for the Official Newspaper of Gil Roth.
What I’m pondering: How few physical objects I order from Amazon nowadays. I buy music from their MP3 store, and books through their Kindle store. I still get comic collections in print, but most everything else I get from them is electronic.
Unrequired Reading: Sept. 26, 2008
Unrequired Reading is off this week! All you get is this:
Come back next week!
Confer
No bloggitry today, dear readers! Contracting & Outsourcing 2008 is about to start, and I’m going to be pretty busy all day, putting out figurative fires. At least, I hope they’re only figurative. Anyway, our attendance is up more than 50% from last year’s conference, not including the day-of walk-ups. Wish us luck!
Stalled
Q. What’s white and rolls down a bathroom wall?
A. George Michael’s latest release.
–David Brent, The Office
Newsflash!
The book publishing business remains blockbuster-driven, continues slide down crapper. Return to what you were doing.
Poesiealbum
I’ll sure miss the NYSun when it closes up shop at the end of the month (barring a buyer who’s willing to lose a bunch of money). Today’s gem is Against Oblivion, Adam Kirsch’s review of The Terezin Album of Marianka Zadikow. I can’t do it justice, so go read it for yourself.