What made you smile today?

Oh, it's a pretty good movie.

I'm not saying some of these people weren't exploited, but for instance, the freaks (that's what they called themselves, so I will too) made a lot more money than us reg'lar folks of the time.

There was a hierarchy amongst them. At the top were people "born that way" Conjoined twins, people born without limbs but functioned fine etc. The competition for hiring them was stiff, and the midway manager would often give them a share of his cut so they wouldn't leave. I don't know the exact order, but then came the people with skillz. You know, sword swallowing, the snake charmer.
I'm sure it wasn't all roses, that life. Compared though to what the common man had to do to make ends meet, they figured those same people who were working their fingers to the bone could pay them to gawk at them.

I'm painting all this with a broad brush, I'm no expert.

Now excuse me while I go chew on some glass.

I'm going to have to get this movie now.

That was a dark-ass film for its day.

Not as bad as A Serbian Film or Antichrist, but still...damn.

This film about the artist/cartoonist, Richard Thompson, made me smile many times.

I'm really glad I ran across this film, on The Dish.

http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2014/11/22/a-short-film-for-saturday-3/


Here's the article's intro re the film:
In an interview with Michael Cavna, filmmaker Andy Hemmendinger explains what motivated his tribute:

MICHAEL CAVNA: Congratulations on the beautiful documentary, guys. When did you first discover Richard’s work, and what inspired you to make this film?

ANDY HEMMENDINGER: Richard has been a friend and neighbor of mine for the last 15-plus years. I enjoyed his sense of humor from the beginning, and while I knew he did illustrations and cartoons, I’d never seen any of his work. One day, a friend of mine called up and said that he’d made fun of my last name in a cartoon that he’d done. After that, I started paying attention to his work.

I loved his sense of humor and began to read him regularly, especially when “Cul De Sac” started. It did surprise me that not everyone knew who he was, though. This past spring, I was visiting Richard and saw a self-portrait he’d drawn in which he was a chick that had just hatched. That image really struck me. It made me think of the endless hours he’d spent staring at a blank piece of paper, waiting for ideas to strike. Like staring at the inside of the egg. And now it wasn’t the lack of ideas that constrained him, but the Parkinson’s. [Ed. note: Thompson retired "Cul de Sac" in 2012 to battle his Parkinson's disease.]

Between the combination of this mental image and wanting … other people to enjoy his work as much as we did, we decided to make a film.

I got an iPhone 6!

Never had a smart phone before, I'm setting stuff up now.

(first order of business, I need to get an Otterbox)

Richard Bach tells us that Man
are the otters of the Universe.





David

My students today. On at least four separate occasions. Too much to explain, but my students are cool as ****. Today, anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3EuQQ_NJiM

Still learning cool stuff on my iphone 6.

When sending texts, you can hold down an icon and it converts your speech into text. You can talk as fast as you want, and it gets it down perfectly.

I'm going to try one with a new jersey accent.


Ha! The first time saying a sentence with a heavy accent, it makes best guesses. When you repeat it, the phone recognizes the accent and tries to put in its best guess. By the third time, it's perfect! I did, in my best yankee accent, 'Oh my God, the dog drank the coffee."

Southern accent: Well, I declare, bless my soul typed out as "I had to cut hair, this math so.

I don't have any kids. Is this for real?

Some of those were sharts I'm sure.

I guess it's an alarming feeling your asshole rattling around like that.

My favorite was that 2nd little girl.

Yeah, I'm not joking when I say that I literally laughed until tears ran out of my eyes on that one. Good thing I wasn't in my office when I saw that. Heehee...

This made me smile, I remember that there was a poster who used that term, frankly I had never heard it before. I'm not even sure how I found this again, and I don't remember the name of the gent who calls people uncircumcised Philistines. But I do recognize the rant.

FBM's baby farting link on this thread.


The fact that the Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin Je 'Taime song is presently being an earworm, again (I've heard the song for decades, off and on, and when I do, it sticks to my brain for a while).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Fa4lOQfbA

Friends visiting and bringing their gorgeous dogs.

Got an email from cousin's son with a photo of their nine year old daughter sailing a sabot. I remember when the boys were sailing sabots, now so long ago.
Last time I saw her, she was four..
They're a sailing family. Nemmee. I do like watching boats and ships (with one exception, the massive cruise lines) but I'd rather be on beaches, preferably uncrowded ones.
Anyway, very happy to see her photo.

First snow of the season and so far it's a good 'un.

Bet you going to get lots more.

I won't be satisfied with any less than about 4 feet. I bought snow chains for my 4WD last year and never got to use them.

A Gargamel sighting warmed my cockles just now.

Garg is one of the funniest people ever to have signed up with A2K, imo.



Carry on.