One Nostril at a Time

You only breathe one nostril at a time.  You just checked, didn't you?

Castles in America

"99% of fishtanks in America are located in fish tanks."
~Demitri Matrin
This is a statistic I don't think is made up...

Positive Magic 8 Ball

When I used a Magic 8 Ball, I always thought I just had really good luck, because more often than not a positive answer would turn up.  Well, as it turns out, there are 10 positive answers, 5 negatives, and 5 neutrals as possible answers on a Magic 8 Ball.  Who knew?

Stupid People

I got this from an anonymous source, and I just love it...it is a good lesson in humility.
"When arguing with a stupid person, be sure he isn't doing the same."

Only Child for President

I'm a proud only child, but I guess that's another reason I should never run for president...no president has ever been an only child.

Unless I cloned myself...clones count as siblings, right?

Pluto

So when it was announced that Pluto was no longer a planet, everyone freaked out, BUT Pluto is so small!  How small is it? Pluto is so small that it is about as big as Russia.

Alabama State Quarter

I love those special state quarters they started coming out with at the millennium.  My mom had one of those "professional" holders for the quarters so we could collect from each state.  We wound up getting pretty close to having a quarter from every state, and my favorite, despite my love for and allegiance to NJ is from the state quarter of Alabama.  Why Alabama, which I have no ties to whatsoever? Because Alabama's state quarter has Helen Keller's name written in braille!  And that is just so darn cool!

Dogs and Humans

They say the average dog is as smart as the average two year old human, but two year old humans aren't very smart...so wouldn't that mean the average dog is as DUMB as the average two year old human?

My very smart Maltese, Lester

The sentence that gives me nightmares

I am not the type of person who is easily rattled or scared, but when I read this, it kinda freaked me out, because what if it's real?  How would I know?

IF YOU'RE READING THIS, YOU'VE BEEN IN A COMA FOR 20 YEARS.  WE'RE TRYING A NEW TECHNIQUE WHERE THIS MESSAGE WILL END UP IN YOUR DREAM AND HOPE WE'RE GETTING THROUGH.  PLEASE, WAKE UP.

Palindrones!

So, I love paraprosdokians, anagrams, palindromes...basically anything that is fun and messes with the English language.  I keep lists of my favorites.

Here are some of my top favorite palindromes.

• Madam, I'm Adam.  It's a palindrome that rhymes!  I am in love with this sentence!
• He did, eh?  I have come to realize I really like the word "eh" in literature.  It can convey uneasiness and sarcasm perfectly.  "What's it gonna be then, eh?"
• Nurses run.  A funny visual: nurses in those old timey uniforms with their high heels clonking as they take off.
• Massive Levis, Sam.  This one was in Demitri Martin's book...a pretty cold way of telling "Sam" he's fat, I would assume.
• Never odd or even.  This one is just too clever for its own good.
• Step on no pets.  I wouldn't think you'd need to be reminded of this, but while we're at it, you also shouldn't step on people or animals in general.
• Too bad I hid a boot.  Don't you just hate it when you lose a shoe?
• No music is, um, on.  This happens to me almost everyday when I forget to plug in my earbuds. Common sense just can't be learned!

Dinosaurs Eat Grass?

According to a story by BBC, early dinosaurs didn't eat grass, because grass did not yet exist.  What?  I always picture the stegosaurus and long-necked purple one (that's the tyrannosaurus, right?) chomping on a field of leafy greens!

A Look in the Notebook

And now for another look inside my not so elusive green notebook.

This is one of my collage pages, images I have collected from a variety of sources: magazines, books, newspapers, online, wherever!
In case you were wondering exactly what some of these images are, here are some more details:

• From Ripley's Believe It or Not, a guy who can suck in his entire stomach. I just thought this was such a freaky looking image.  I love it!
• Coke and Pepsi from a tshirt ad.  They seem at harmony in this image, if only they could get along like this in real life.
• The state flag of NJ.  Nothing like state pride!
• A poster from an Elvis movie.  Not that I've seen it.  I just thought Elvis singing in Hawaii was a pretty funny concept for an actual movie.
• A side portrait of an old lady.  You don't see many photos like this.  It truly shows beauty at any age.
• A picture of Condoleezza Rice from Time after I met her my freshman year at Drew University. I forget what I asked her, but she answered my question in front of everyone, and I felt like such a big shot.
• A jar of pickles from one of my mom's lady magazines.  I love how they just kind of float in the jar.
• My favorite commercial mascot, the Geico Gecko.  But I just love anything Australian.
• Warhol's Campbell Soup Can.  
• A vintage photo of Michael Jackson and Sean Lennon.  So cool!
• Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum's Bromantic Entertainment Weekly cover
• The White Stripes.  I have realized I have a photo of something having to do with Jack White on just about every page.  I am wayyy obsessed with his music!
• Amy Pohler and Tina Fey before hosting the Golden Globes.  These are two of my favorite entertainers and role models.
• A photo of a real owl I saw in a '91 issue of National Geographic (another flea market find) .  The owl looks stuffed but is real.

Calvin Quote

An awesome person (and reader of this blog), mycrofthomes, sent me a link to some Calvin & Hobbes quotes for my notebook.  I loved this one so much, I had to jot it down right away, "Sometimes I think that the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." 
This is  especially appropriate, because there was recently a story that came out (maybe in Time, but I can't remember exactly where I read it) about how astronauts were predicting we would make contact with extraterrestrial life in the next 50 years!  

And if any more of you readers have any  suggestions of cool stuff you've seen that can go in my notebook, send me a link!  I love finding new stuff!

Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox's middle name is Andrew...let that sink in.

When Great Musicians Make Bad Songs

I have made many lists of my favorite musicians. My top 3 are always The Beatles, Jack White, and Led Zeppelin to give you an idea of the type of music that I consider real music. Yes, I have a 45 year old man's taste in music, what can I say?  I just can't get into the new "sounds" of  Nikki Minaj, Ariana Grande, or any of those pop types.  But sometimes, even musical geniuses make songs that, well...just aren't good.

Here are some of my least favorite songs by otherwise favorite musicians:
-Squeezebox, The Who.   I feel like a twelve year old wrote this, and not the brilliant minds that came up with songs like Love Reign O'er Me and My Generation.  I don't find it fun, funny, or clever.  If anything it's grossly cheesy and mindless.
-Adrian, Jewel.  I really admire Jewel for her songwriting ability, but this song seems more like a 7:03 rant.  It's a downer and is pretty unmemorable.
-My World, Guns 'N' Roses.  This song sounds more like something off an Insane Clown Posse album...a far cry from Sweet Child of Mine.

-The Show Must Go On.  So dramatic!  I have hated this song since I was 5 years old. It's a good thing Queen had so many great songs, or I'd probably have buried that CD.  This song is just so different from their really good stuff.  It sounds like something out of an off Broadway play about death that tries to evoke empathy, but really it's just annoying.
-Revolution 9, The Beatles.  My dad used to torture me by playing this in the car, because he knew how much I hated it.  It's like listening to someone's nightmare. Darn, Yoko!

-Alfie, Stevie Wonder.  There is something about Stevie's songs that they can always lift your mood.  Plus, he seems like a really awesome person (if the Howard Stern interview can be trusted).  But Alfie is just strange...kind of like a Wizard of Oz background song, but by Stevie.  That's an odd combo.  Next time you want to hear a song titled "Alfie," listen to Lily Allen's fun song about her brother.

-Thank U, Alanis Morissette.  Alanis sounds extra whiney in this one.  The sound is just off and there is no followable melody.  That's the funny thing about Alanis, her hits are amazing, but the rest...eh
-Aluminum, The White Stripes.  I hate to say anything bad about anything by The White Stripes or Jack White, because I am that obsessed with that music, but I have just never gotten Aluminum.  It is the only song on my iTunes by the White Stripes without 5 stars.  It always cracked me up that when you read the lyrics, they are simply, "Ah."  A far cry from the often thought-provoking lyrics of their other songs.

-Come On, The Hives.  I like The Hives for their fun, high energy songs, great to exercise to, but they outdid themselves with Come On, which is 1:08 of them yelling "Come On!" and one variation where they throw an "Everybody" in there.  I'd be able to be more forgiving, since this is the first song of their album, so it's something of an intro, BUT now this thoughtless song is being used in a commercial!
-Dear Diary, P!nk.  I think P!nk is awesome. She screams "girl power" and has some really amazing music, but this song off her 2001 album is just monotonous.  The lyrics are heartfelt, but that melody and arrangement really bring the song down.

-In the Mall, Weezer.  This song is off Raditude, which is by no means Weezer's best work, and this song is just the worst.  Honestly, it was almost as bad as listening to 1D...
-In the End, Green Day.  Maybe it's just me and my disdain for that super punk sound, but I feel like there are just too many instruments playing at once in this song.

Do your favorite musicians have any songs you can't stand?  Let me know in the comments below!

Notable Quotables

In honor of my thirtieth post, I bring you three of my favorite quotes:

"The world owes you nothing.  It was here first." That sounds a little "Doctor Seuss" to me, but Twain said it.

                                                               Remember these books?

This one is a Charles Bukowski quote that has been hauntingly comforting for years, "The problem with this world is that the intelligent people are so full of doubts while the stupid ones are full of confidence."

Speaking, or I should say writing, of Bukowski, there is a movie about him that has been on my Netflix queue for a year now, and I still haven't watched it.  Has anyone seen it?

And finally, a gem by Marlene Dietrich that pretty much sums up how I feel about quotes, "I love quotations, because it's a joy to find the thoughts one might have expressed with much authority by someone recognized as wiser than oneself."

Someone looks like they got plastic surgery!

Titanic Coincidence

According to Ripley's Believe It or Not, which I'd totally like to believe, when the iceberg hit the Titanic, the onboard movie theater was showing a silent version of Poseidon Adventure. 
Ironic, coincidental, or conspiracy?  You be the judge!

Disaster

Disaster struck today when the binding on my neon green notebook ripped, BUT fear not, oh faithful readers, for I had tape on hand and patched it right up!

In other news, did you know that brown eyes are actually blue under a layer of melanin?  I suppose that's why my blue eyes are so sensitive to the light...not as many layers.  But now I wonder what the story is with green eyed people.  And hazel eyed.  And purple (There are people besides Elizabeth Taylor with them, right?)

Politically Correct Football Teams

I may be a 20 year old lady, but sometimes I have the sense of humor of a 12 year old boy.  And that's why I still read Mad Magazine.  They had a "Politically Correct Football Teams" section a few months ago, and since football season isn't too far away, I figured this is especially appropriate.
These were my favorite Politically Correct Football Teams:
-New York People Afflicted with Pituitary Gland Disorder
-New England Prideful Citizens who in No Way Try to Impose their Life on Anyone
-New Orleans Non-Denominational Do-Gooders

Wilde Quote

The very fun, very bizarre, and very smart Oscar Wilde once said, "Some cause happiness wherever they go.  Others, whenever they go."
Another fun fact about Oscar: he has the same birthday as me, which is also National Boss' Day.

Awesome Movie/Book Combos

I love movies, and I love books. Don't we all? That's why when you can find the perfect book/movie combo, it is MAGICAL.  Sure, there are many great movies based on books and a few good books based on movies, but what I love is the experience of reading a book in conjunction with the movie for a WHOLE experience.  Add in a stellar soundtrack and behind-the-scenes info, and you have the makings of a new obsession.

These are my TOP 3 movie/book combos:

1.  A Clockwork Orange:  If you read only the book or see only the movie, you have very little understanding of just how brilliant this work is.  I first picked up the book version of A Clockwork Orange when I was sixteen, and I'll be honest, I stopped reading, because I didn't understand a word of it.
Then, I bought the DVD at a flea market, because I knew it was a Kubrick classic.  I turned it off after 15 minutes; the "ultraviolence" was a little too much for me.  Yet, there was something still strangely alluring about it.  I watched the trailer about five times on YouTube, and I couldn't get the image of Alex's eyes peeled open during the Ludovico Technique out of my head.
Then, I found a vinyl of the soundtrack (yet another flea market find).  It was basically all classical Beethoven, but the image on the cover was what got me: Alex in the orange triangle.  It reminded me of the music video for The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army, so I knew I had to give it another shot.

I researched the Nadsat language used in A Clockwork Orange, an odd mixture of Russian and English, and began memorizing the words, so I wouldn't have to watch the movie and read the book with a Nadsat mini dictionary in my hand.  I also started using the words in everyday conversation...I got a real kick out of calling certain cocky individuals shoots and asking my mom for eggiwegs for breakfast.
Then, I actually watched the film.  It may have been on the long side (could you expect anything else from Kubrick?), but it was so fast-paced.  I loved everything about it: the thrilling take on violence, the humor, the characters...I found myself so drawn to and rooting for Alex, which was odd, because that guy is a vicious, evil person. Yet, he was so charming, so there was no way you couldn't help feeling guilty for feeling sorry for him.
After that, I read the book, with the record as my soundtrack to the movie. It was a lot different from the film, in how it dealt more with the punky kids (who were much younger seeming in the book than the movie) being against reading; in fact, that was where most of their violent tendencies came from. And I read the British version, which has a VERY different ending than the movie.  SPOILER ALERT- Alex sees the error of his ways and changes.  So then of course, I read the American version with my Beethoven MP3s to figure out which ending is better.  I still am on the fence about which I prefer.
A lot of people are turned off from A Clockwork Orange because of the violence.  I can understand that, but once you realize how it is actually an "anti-violence" work and that the main purpose is to establish the importance of free choice, you can really appreciate it.  To me, Burgess and Kubrick are the perfect pairing, even though Burgess wasn't crazy about Kubrick's film (what was he, crazy?).  The characters, comedy, message, dialogue, setting, EVERYTHING are just so PERFECT.  There is truly no other book/movie combo like it.  And I'd really like a Durango '95.

2.  Fight Club: My dad made me watch the movie when I was a tween before I could truly appreciate Brad Pitt's perfectly sculpted jawline. When I started watching, I kept complaining about how he was making me watch a "boy movie," but Dad insisted I keep watching.  He knew the types of movies I liked.  As the movie went on, I began to see this was no boy movie; this was a human interest movie. As if the brilliant "twist" wasn't enough, what this movie said about society and it's obsession with consumerism, the cinematography, and the characters were just amazing.  Of course, I had to read the book.

So, I got the CD soundtrack with music by the Dust Brothers and an MP3 of Where is my Mind by the Pixies and got to reading.  The book was so short, I finished it in the same time it took to watch the movie.  The book is even darker than the film and has a lot of really gory imagery (if you thought soap made out of fat was bad, you should see what Palahniuk included in this thing!)  And it jumped from one scene to another; you really had to concentrate, which I loved.  The best part, though, was the ending....much different from the visually stunning movie ending.  SPOILER ALERT: Jack wakes up in a mental institution thinking he's dead!  Which makes so much sense...even though Jack and Marla watching those buildings blow up to Where is my Mind is one of my favorite scenes in movie history.
Really, the book just made me appreciate the movie so much more.  The anti-consumerism message is so clear and the societal ideas are brilliant.  Plus, it's just dark and fun: the perfect kind of mind-bending thriller.

3.  Kickass:  OK, so technically this is a graphic novel (comic?), but I am counting it.  I saw the movie not expecting much.  But it made me cry SPOILER ALERT when Big Daddy was set on fire, so I knew this was no ordinary movie.  You see, I don't cry during movies...I don't cry much period.  I didn't cry when Jack died in Titanic or even when Bambi's mother got shot. Sure, I felt bad for them, but no tears formed like they did in Kickass.

Kickass is funny and original.  Again, you really get into the characters. I love the whole idea of a nerd becoming a superhero.  I mean, Stan Lee kind of established that concept when he created Spiderman (which I also LOVE), but this was a new spin on it.  AND, there has never been a badder superhero than Hit Girl.  She is AWESOME.
That's when I got the graphic novel from the comic shop down the street from my college, and of course, read the whole thing in one sitting.  I played Gangster's Paradise on repeat (I don't know why I thought that song was so fitting for Kickass, but somehow it works) and the theme song, which was also used in 28 Days Later.  The comic was so similar to the movie, but there were some lines of dialogue not included in the movie, which was really awesome.  It also gave a new side to the characters that was really admirable.  Plus, seeing drawings of the violence, kind of tones them down, so you can focus more on the story and characters than the action of the movie.

Final Word:  There are so many good movie/book combos, but these are the ones that were, as I like to say, "most transportive," meaning reading, watching, and listening was an actual experience.  But I know there are so many other good ones.
These ALMOST made the list: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Diary of Anne Frank, My Sister's Keeper, Name of the Rose, The Outsiders, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and To Kill a Mockingbird.  I'd have written about these too, but I wrote so much for my top three, I wanted to give your eyes a break.

And I know there are so many more.  What are some of your favorites?  Leave a comment!

Teddy

The more one reads through my notebook, the more obvious my slight obsession with Teddy Roosevelt becomes.  He was just so interesting, and I have him to thank for my very large teddy bear collection. I have read so much about him, but one of my favorites is his love for literature.  You see, he was a speed reader and supposedly read three books a day.  Plus, he wrote over 40 of his own.  So cool!

Baby Bikes

So, I do not ride a bike.  I can ride a scooter and a stationary bike (that counts, right?), but the only bike I own has training wheels on it.  Still, my mind was blown when I found out bikes are only about 200 years old...meaning they're not much older than cars or planes.  They always seemed so ancient and simple to me, but they're a pretty modern invention...shocking!

9 Types of a Intelligences

Intelligence is so difficult to classify.  You can use "smart" as a blanket term to classify someone, but really everyone is smart and dumb in different ways.  I am pretty smart when it comes to reading and recalling facts but I am downright stupid when I have to remember where I parked in a crowded lot or how to navigate somewhere important.

I read a post by author and psychotherapist Mary Jaksch about a year ago, and she listed the nine types of intelligences someone can have. I think most people would have a few of these.  But when you read these, it can really changed how you judge people.

9 Types of Intelligences:

1. Verbal. This means you're good at writing, reading, and speaking.  Pretty much bookworms. If you're reading this, that probably means you have this form of intelligence.

2. Logical. You're good with numbers, computing, and patterns.  AKA math geeks.

3. Spatial.  These are people good with environmental perception.  You know the types, like human GPSes.  As someone with no sense of direction, you can classify me as "unintelligent" in this area.

4. Body. These are the folks with coordination.  Athletes, like Sporty Spice, would be considered members of this group. 

5.  Musical. Pretty much self explanatory. People like Mozart, Jack White, Ludwig Van, P!nk, and of course William Hung (how do you like that early 2000s reference?).

6. Social. Understanding how to communicate makes a good socializer.  Does being good at social media count?

7. Emotional. Understanding your inner thoughts make a person emotionally intelligent. Great, so now I have to psychoanalyze myself too?

8. Spiritual. This one is classified by understanding your purpose, but if that's the case NO ONE is spiritually intelligent, because to quote God in Bruce Almighty, "Since when do people know what they want?"  People understand their purpose about as much as I understand Calculus III or Mandarin...that is, not at all.

9. Creative. You make something new.  My personal favorite, obviously.  

Respect

And in sad news for girl power, Aretha Franklin didn't actually write Respect...Otis Redding did.  C'mon ladies!

Successful People

So Carrot Top (Yes, that Carrot Top) said something kind of brilliant, "People love success, but hate successful people." He then acted it out with props...OK, I made that last part up.

My Favorite Non-Joke

No one else I've told this to finds it funny, but I think its hilarious:
What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?

Awesome Stuff

So I read this book called The Book of Awesome where great stuff that's often overlooked/an afterthought is celebrated.

I love this concept, because there is so much in life that is so great but so under-appreciated!

I have made my own list of awesomely under-appreciated stuff here:

• Popping bubble wrap.  This is so awesome there are even websites with virtual bubble wrap popping...and yes, I've spent way too much time on them.  
• High fives. Whoever invented the high five must've been left hanging a lot that first year...
• New keychains. Maybe that one's just me and my love for little knick knacks.
• Petrichor.  AKA the smell of rain!
• First table called for dinner at an event.  "Stay seated, peasants!"
• Having your birthday land on the weekend.
• Lights go out at a show.  Let the show begin!
• Smelling baked goods.  Almost as good as eating them...OK, not really.
• The darkness backstage behind the curtains.  Makes your nerves and adrenaline go out of control.
• New checkout line opens. First in line!
• Changing after wearing something uncomfortable...or wearing PJs all day- even better.
• Warm clothes just out of the dryer.
• The sound of popcorn popping. They should make an album of that.
• Seeing a friend wave from a distance
• Leftovers!
• Spinning doors. Although I do have a bit of fear about getting stuck in them after an incident with a pool noodle...it's a long story.
• New piece of gum.
• Free refills.  Really anything free.
• Finding something you lost or remembering something you forgot.
• When you see your food come out at a restaurant.
• Pretending brushy things at the car wash are octopi...when you're an adult.

• Taking off your shoes in the car.
• When you hear a song you haven't heard in a while. And all the memories come flooding back.
• Putting chips on a sandwich.  Crunch!
• Knowing Jeopardy/Millionaire answers. And convincing yourself you are the genius of geniuses...you should totally try out for those shows!
• Stomach cramps from laughing so hard.  Or in my case, Asthma attacks.
• Finding the remote.  That thing is always missing!
• Workout cramps.  Proving once and for all you are NOT lazy!
• Blanket tents.
• Glow sticks!
• Unwrapping a gift.  It's like a mini mystery.
• Using a good pen.  "Look how it glides!"
• Having a Slurpee in the Winter...you rebel!  
• Pet birthdays.  Happy birthday, Lester!
• Remembering what movie that guy is from.  "That's right, he was in Dumb and Dumber!"
• Exploring the junk drawer. When did I buy a laser pointer?
• Half birthdays!  I get a cake every year.
• When the teacher/boss is absent.  Party!
• Snail mail letters.
• Dancing around the living room.  I do this wayyy too often.
• Seeing your old neighborhood.
• Hanging your arm out of your car window.  Yes, you look just like Clint Eastwood.
• Nearing the end of a book.  Even if you do like it.
• Finding what you needed in a store.  
• 67 degrees.
• Being applauded.  AKA feeling like a rockstar, even if you're just giving a PowerPoint presentation to some high schoolers.
• Getting a genuine compliment.  Giving one is pretty cool too.
• First day of sun after rain.
• Putting sunglasses on. And feeling like the Men in Black...or Doc Ock if you're in an evil mood. Mwa Ha Ha!

What would you add to your list of awesome stuff?  Leave me a comment below!

ALIENS!

And in case you needed more proof that destiny is real, Buzz Aldrin's mother's maiden name was Moon.
Oh, and the word alien is Neil A. (as in Neil Armstrong!) backwards.  Let the conspiracy theory discussions begin!  (Actually, let's not...the Internet has enough of those.)

The Quote that Follows Me

You know, there are some quotes that just seem to follow you. You hear it often, even though it's not a cliche or well-known.
Abbie Hoffman's "Free Speech is the right to yell theater in a crowded fire," is a favorite.  I love that quote in all its brilliance.  It's funny while proving a point, the best kind of comedy, in my opinion.
So, I picked up an old Laurie Anderson book a few weeks ago at a local library book sale after hearing Oh, Superman and thinking it was the epitome of 90s alternative coolness. Sure enough, there it was, Laurie included Mr. Hoffman's crowded fire quote, possibly one of the most random places one would think to find this quote.  And that is how I know it is true...this quote is following me.

Meatloaf

Well, here's an interesting and somewhat ironic, but not really ironic tidbit: Meatloaf is a vegetarian.

8,549,176,320

I know what you've been wondering the entire time you've been reading this blog, "What is Morissa's favorite number?"  Right?
To answer your question, it's 8,549,176,320. 
"Why?" would be your follow-up question in this highly realistic conversation.
The answer, as revealed in my notebook, is that 8,549,176,320 has all the numbers, 0-9 in alphabetical order, and alphabetizing is a personal favorite hobby.
The more you know.

CDO

I came across this a while back on StumbleUpon and included it on page 10 of my notebook.  It cracks me up every single time I read it.
"I have CDO. It's like OCD, but the letters are in order as they should be."
So I guess that would make it Compulsive Disorder Obsessive, which kind of makes sense when you think about it...OK, not really.

Lethologica

Lethologica is when you can't remember the word you're looking for.  Unfortunately, I forget the word lethologica all the time...

Jammin'

While I don't actively enjoy jam, jelly, or marmalade, I do find it interesting to know the difference...plus, all of them oddly have songs about them:
Jam: made from fruit...so that's why there are little chunks in it.  Pump it up!
Jelly: Made from the fruit juice...Good even without peanut butter for someone like me who's allergic. Jellyhead!
Marmalade: Made with the peel/pulp...The best song of all!  Creole Lady Marmalade.

Stand Up!

So I absolutely LOVE standup comedy.  I've been memorizing standup routines since I was five years old. I listen to standup in the car, when I get ready in the morning, when I exercise, when I make jewelry..basically all the time!  So of course, I made a list of my top 61 favorite standups.  There are so many great ones, but these are the ones I constantly find myself revisiting.

Here's the top 10 and a bit about why I love them:

1-Bo Burnham- He's not much older than me, and his comedy is absolutely brilliant.  His music, theatrics, and persona are simply in a comedy league of their own.  "Hate my brain but too sane to mind it."

2-Brian Regan- I got to see him live, and his comedy is always on point.  He does hilarious voices and is "family friendly."  And he's so quotable.  "I have a canary...pretty pretty canary!"

3-George Carlin- He was around forever and always made real statements about the world.  I've read all his books and seem all his specials and still can't get enough of him.  When he passed away, it was like losing a real friend.

4-Demitri Martin- He is such a smart comic who uses drawings and instruments in a way that is not gimmicky...that's no easy feat.  Absolutely brilliant.  And he doesn't like pinatas, because they promote violence against flamboyant animals.

5-Jim Gaffigan- Another "family-friendly" comic.  I like his comedy from the mid-2000s best where he joked A LOT about food, but he's always hilarious no matter what he's joking about.

6-Maria Bamford-First off, I love her voice and the voices she does. She is at her best when she jokes about her family.  She really holds her own.

7-Louis CK- Everyone loves Louis, and why not?  He sees all that is wrong with society and makes it funny.  Another brilliant comedian. 

8-John Mulaney- I just watched John's special "New In Town" AGAIN this morning.  His brand of humor is the kind I love, so self-aware and unafraid.  His writing is flawless and his delivery is some of the best I've come across.  I know he writes for a lot of TV including SNL and has a new show coming out...I can't wait to see that. I think this guy's going to be Seinfeld 2.0.

9-Mike Birbiglia- Another very self-aware comedian.  Plus his blog is brilliant. He tells a lot of personal stories in such an endearing way.  I've been a fan of his since I was a kid; he's great.

10-Jeff Dye- He may not have many "big specials" out, but what I've seen of him stuck with me.  His jokes are really fresh and unexpected, while not being "over the top."  I think he's going to be really huge in a few years.

And that's my top 10...but really, all 61 of these comedians are total rockstars!

A Philosophiser's Quote

One of my favorite quotes of all time is this, "In the end, every hypochondriac is his own prophet." William James, wise philosophiser  said that over a century ago.

Interesting Fact

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                                                                    Why so serious?

Odd thought

The sooner you do something, the more of your life you get to spend with that thing done is a great quote kind of on the same line of the idea that you are the person you will spend the most time your in life with so you might as well make yourself interesting.

Huh?

Quote

One of my favorite authors of all time, Chuck Palahniuk (yes, the guy who wrote Fight Club) has a quote out there I just love, "The goal isn't to live forever.  It's to create something that will."

                                                                Some of my collages

A Peek Inside my Notebook

So my neon green notebook is a REAL 100 page notebook that I bring EVERYWHERE with me.  I jot down notes about things I read, great quotes I hear, thoughts, and make lists about everything from favorite comedians to awesome overlooked things in life.

I also like to collect images.  I clip photos from magazines, newspapers...pamphlets...anything really is long as it's really visually appealing and tells a story. And I put my own old scrapbook photos and drawings in along with the doodles I am constantly making. I turn them into collages that tell stories and remind me of many stories I've read or memories I've had. 

Some people call these sorts of journals "commonplace journals."  That sounds too serious to me, at least for my notebook.  I poke fun at nearly everything in there.  It's all about laughing and enjoying what's within the pages while still being connected with beauty and creativity in the world.  They are not mutually exclusive.  It's all about finding the fun in the world around us.