Vacation: Day 1

So, I've begun my vacation as I always do: by going to Lula's and staying out too late and drinking too much beer. It was glorious. I watched a little bit of LOST while it was on, remembered why I hate that show, played touch-the-boobie on Megatouch and played the strange newfangled jukebox. This jukebox (forgive my wonder, I'm sure the rest of you all have already seen these) talks to some enormous (internet?) database and for the princely sum of 1 dollar, you can play pretty much any song in the world. I took advantage of this by playing Eminem's Square Dance to a captive audience of about 20 people. I think it's safe to say, no one was as pleased as I was.

However thrilling it was to play Eminem and Portishead in the bar, I must say that I miss the old jukebox and its songs, which I had come to feel were the soundtrack to certain parts of my life. I wish it would come back. And PS? No one wants to pay a dollar a song. It's highway robbery.

I have declared this day a lazy one, as it is cold and rainy outside so I've been luxuriating in bed, reading the Fortean Times (I've learned about Corpse Roads and Spoon Benders today). Just now I broke out the Biore Nose Strips.

Dude, those things are gross. And yet, there is nothing more satisfying to me in the world than seeing all that crud standing straight up from the paper like a forest of trees and thinking, that used to be in my FACE.

5 Things You Should Check Out

I've spent so much time in the last couple of months blogging about what makes me miserable. So here is a list of things that have made me very happy this week:

Mental_Floss I cannot get over this magazine. I'm on my 3rd issue and I keep wandering around the house saying to Thomas, "Did you know that quarantine literally means 40 days?" "Did you know that Patton was in the Olympics?" "Did you know that Japanese tourists get so depressed when Paris isn't all they'd hoped that their embassy provides counselling services?"

Fortean Times If you like Mental_Floss, you must check out its weird UK brother, the Fortean Times. I've been reading this for 4 years now--Thomas carries it in his store and brings it home for me every month. Filled with strange facts and phenomena, Fortean celebrates the strange and occult in the news, zoology and UFOlogy.

This Film is Not Yet Rated I saw this last night. Fascinating! I love documentaries and just watched the Academy Award winning Jesus Camp last weekend. Jesus Camp was really good--but this was flat out awesome.

James Kochalka Another awesome find from Thomas's store. James Kochalka is an indie comic artist turned musician who sings hilarious, hilarious songs that are catchy and fun and sometimes bear only a vague familiarity with the right key, but who cares. My favorite album is Danger Force Five, which is actually not on this website (nor is the awesome Don't Trust Whitey--this seems to be a website of his latest projects). We got his new albums on Wednesday and had a James Kochalka listening party on Friday.

Lisey's Story I've been reading Stephen King since I was 11 years old and while there have been a few missteps in the last 20 years, he is my favorite author. (I had to really consider that statement for a few minutes. There are a lot of authors I could claim as my favorite and a lot of authors that would make me look more literary. But I have loved King and wanted to be like him almost all my life. I read all his books before they go to paperback because I can't wait. Yes, he's my favorite). And in Lisey's Story, he's still got it. I was thrown off by the language initially, but by page 100, it was under my skin.

And that wraps up this week's edition of Things I Love.