Oh, commercialism.

Alan: Teacher, at home I have a robot that's... pirate ship, pirate space ship, hat with Spiderman, hat and gloves, that's what I want for Christmas. I asked Santa.

more compulsive internet shopping

First, the rhinestone glasses:


(sparkles added with photoshop, but they DO actually sparkle like that. For real.)

Then I saw these and thought, "man, I could sooo rock librarian glasses."

Yes. that's right. Red zebra print and gold arms. Why not?

These cow print glasses were ordered for someone else.



as were the space glasses.


Unfortunately, after we placed the order, they came out with a whole bunch of new designs, including these:



Damn you, Zenni Optical! I'm going to be so poor. Unless my cousin buys these first.

Brubeck teaches you music composition

I bought a book the other day by David Brubeck without having actually looked at the music much. Turns out there's a perfect gem of a song right in the middle of the book. It speaks to me.

I See, Satie

(words and music by Dave Brubeck)

When I sing a twelve tone row, I always think, "How strange.
(strange music.)
Must the notes stay in a row, and never, never change?"
(such music.)
Bela Bartok, Anton Webern, in the modern school,
wrote some melodies enchanting breaking every rule.
And Milhaud said, "We need not care.
Write music any way you dare.
Erik Satie shaped his music oval as a pear."
(what perfect form! I see, Satie.)