Hello, folks! I’m back from my trip. I have a lot to share and reflect on, so it may take me a while to roll out all the pictures and videos I have to share. I’ll try to do it bit by bit.
Tomorrow morning, I’ll be moving into a new position and work space at my office. It’s a very bittersweet moment for me, as I will be attempting to fill the shoes of my friend and colleague D as she moves on to graduate school. I’m excited for the new challenges of this position, but I will miss her dearly.
To fill some new wall space I’ll be acquiring, I picked up these prints from Etsy the other day. They may look familiar, as I’ve probably mentioned them in posts in the past. I think they both have important themes for the year ahead of me.
My apologies for the recent lack of posting. As it turns out, dear readers, you will have to wait a little longer. I’m leaving today for my first trip to the Middle East. I am flying to Tel Aviv and will split my time between Israel and Palestine. As a long time student of the Middle East and the Arabic language, this trip is definitely an important journey. When I’m back, I’ll post lots pictures and stories. Wish me luck!
J and I spent some down time this weekend pouring over many of Michael Jackson’s music videos. I had forgotten how entranced I was by them when I was younger. One of our favorite videos to watch, however, isn’t an MJ original. It’s a video of over 1,500 inmates in the Philippines doing the dance sequence from Thriller. Trust me, it’s way better than Jennifer Garner in that silly “Thirteen Going on Thirty.”
I don’t think I’ve ever shared my love for Jessica Hagy with you before, but she’s brilliant. Brilliant, I tell you! (Not that I’ve ever met her, but trust me, I know.)
She creates graphs and charts on index cards every day and posts them to her blog, Indexed. Jessica explores a different relationship each day, and they’re witty, profound, and downright hilarious. Here are some of my recent favorites. (You can click on the image for the link to that blog post.)
Grandma let us eat frosting for dinner!
Oh, the humanity.
7 wonders of the modern world.
Another Monday is upon is, and I think I have the perfect thing to cure the Monday blues.
Do you remember this video from Sesame Street? I just rediscovered it the other day, and it really takes me back. At one point of my childhood, I really think I had it memorized. There’s something so simple and fun about watching crayons being made.
(Any chance that they’re still made this way?)
Run, don’t walk, to check out Coisas de Maria’s post on some of the world’s most impressive libraries.
Amsterdam
Paris
LIFE photographer Ed Clark did a photo shoot with Marilyn Monroe in 1950 that was all but forgotten until the negatives were recently discovered. The images are playful, full of youth, and show a Marilyn before she became a Hollywood legend. Check them out here.
Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me is hands down my favorite NPR programming. When something really newsworthy happens, even if it’s bad, I know I can look forward to hearing some hilarious commentary about it when I listen to this one-hour news quiz. I am fully embracing my NPR geekiness, and it gets nerdier every year. Anyway, WBEZ (Chicago Public Radio) put together these two commericals with the “stars” of WWDTM, Peter Sagal (host) and Carl Kasell (announcer, and the guy who does the recordings on your home answering machine) as a fundraiser. I *love* these videos, and if you are a fan of the show, you will too. Enjoy!
First, Carl Kasell:
And Peter Sagal:
With a little bit of 1950’s fallout shelter retro flair and a little bit of futuristic space gear, the Postal Service’s video for “We Will Become Silhouettes” is pretty classic. I love the details in the video that give it the vintage feel. Ben Gibbard, also the lead singer for Death Cab for Cutie, sings lead, and he’s backed up by the one and only Jenny Lewis. (You know I’m a fan, right?)
