I woke up at Noon 30 and I'm way behind on EVERYTHING.

rah-ful-mao BD
[09-09-2008]

A.B.S.R.D. [A Bunch of Supposedly Random Dailies]

- I love JK Rowling. She sure showed Steven Vander Ark who's boss. Hint: She is. She's the boss. Did I already mention that I love her? Cuz I do. Her and her amazing book series. [@nytimes]

- Hell yeah! Illinois is awesome. We're home to the largest fossil forests ever. Take that world! [@bbc]

- On one hand, the fact that we now have life that can "withstand the vacuum and radiation of space" without a space suit is really cool. On the other hand, water bears creep me out. A lot. [@nature]

- If you think this is cool, I highly recommend reading Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See by Robert Kurson. The subtitle says it all. [@nature; @amazon]

- More colleges need to do this. Specifically, University of Oregon needs to do this since their financial aid sucks and I'd like to graduate without having a disgusting amount of debt. [@time]

- Ok, so what does it mean if I didn't really see those things as columns vs. background in the first place? I was under the impression that everything was on the same level. My visual system is mind-boggling! [@cognitive daily]

- Apple revealed their new iPod nano designs today. These things are gonna break in pockets around the world! [@bbc]

- US Open Update: I love Roger. I love tennis. I love the world. Federer beat Andy Murray and his ugly half beard that probs eats small British children yesterday in straight sets for his 5th consecutive US Open title. Everything is finally the way it should be. [@msnbc; @nytimes]

By blogging, I am successfully able to avoid packing.

rah-ful-mao BD

[08-09-2008]

If you didn't notice, I had a post this weekend. It's going to be a weekly post that I do on either Saturday or Sunday [depending on when I have the time]. Clearly, it lacks any substance but I'm okay with that. The point of "Music Note" is to introduce you to songs that I enjoy that you may or may not know. I'm trying to expand your music knowledge in a brief note! [See what I did there? That's what I do.]

A.B.S.R.D. [A Bright and Shiny Reading Day]

- I'd want to be a firefighter just so I could play with the FIT-5. [@scientific american]

- Ok, when I first saw the video, I thought for sure that this frog is one of those that gets filmed all the time and that people like my dad have as the background on their phones. BUT what do I know? I'm not Andrew Gray and I'm not the one filming the Red-Eye Stream Frog of Costa Rica for the very first time. [@bbc]

- I'm having a major "Well, DUH" moment with BBC right now. "Beatles' tunes aid memory recall." Well, DUH. How 'bout music in general aides memory recall? Ryan North is already way ahead of you guys. [@bbc; @qwantz]

- US Open Update: Andy Murray BEAT NADAL?!!? He'll be facing my love Roger Federer today. Also, Serena Williams won the US Open title yesterday playing against the Serbian I don't really care about, Jelena Jankovic. [@nytimes; @bbc]

- NFL Update: I watch football because I'm from Chicago and it's in my blood. So of course I was thrilled last night when Da Bears beat the Colts in a Super Bowl XXXXI rematch. But speaking of teams who lost in the Super Bowl, it looks like Tom Brady of the New England Patriots will be out for the season due to a left knee injury yesterday in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs. [@msnbc; @salon]

- The McCain campaign is finally letting Gov. Sarah Palin do an interview! It's going to air on ABC sometime later this week. Obvs, I can't wait and will be watching it while taking diligent mental notes. Personally, I think it would be more entertaining if they let MSNBC interview her but I'm not gonna complain. [@msnbc]

- Since we're on the subject of MSNBC, Rachel Maddow's show premieres tonight. I'll try my best to watch it cuz I heart Rachel Maddow and I think it will be great. It'd be really nice if I could figure out what MSNBC's HD channel is though.. Also, lol at the first sentence of the article. [@time]

- Lance Armstrong is pulling a Brett Favre [without the difficulty and stupidity that surrounded that drama]. The 7-time Tour de France champ will be coming out of retirement and racing next year. [@msnbc]

Let's finish the week on a lighter, happier note.

rah-ful-mao BD

[05-09-2008]

Before I get started, I'd like to apologize for the nega-fest my blog has been for the past few days. I have a tendency to get heated about politics I don't agree with [not so much with those I do agree with though]. Anyways, I should be way more relaxed now that the RNC is over.

A.B.S.R.D. [A Blogger Should Relax and Deal]

- While I think it's a nice concept, I don't see the practicality of video cell phone for the hearing-impaired. Before I upset anyone I just want to point out that if you hold it in one hand that limits signing ability. Also, they suggest placing it on a steady surface but that sort of takes away from the mobility of a cell phone in general. [@scientific american]

- Now, money adapted for the blind? See [haha, get it? SEE?], that is actually practical. Props to Judge Robertson for insisting this be done. Personally, I like the idea of raised numbers because different sized bills would be a hassle. [@time]

- I am such a nerd. I love TEDtalks. I "learn" a lot and laugh a bit along the way. If you have half an hour to kill, watch Pete Hirshberg talk about how the web and web 2.0 trumps teevee. If you don't want to watch 30 mins of nerdy comedy gold just skip to 25:00 where he actually gets to his point. [@ted]

- I think HP needs to take a lesson from Sony and recall the HP Pavillion dv9000. My screen cover already cracked once from overheating! [@wall street journal]

- Much like Joe Biden, I really like the idea of clean coal factories. Apparently, so does Germany. Why is everybody but the US actually doing something to help out the with the environment? [@scientific american]

- Memories have always intrigued me and now we're finally figuring out where they come from. This is really fascinating.[@nytimes]

- When I see or hear anything about breast cancer or mammograms, I just remember sitting in the auditorium at school and having to feel up three fake boobs that were either clear, had a cyst or had a tumor. This seems like a much more reliable technique. [@time]

- Last night concluded the Republican National Convention. Unfortunately, I missed John McCain's acceptance speech because I had no idea when it was and by the time I found out he was already half way through it. So instead I just read the notes on it from the TNR blogs. I'll end up watching it on youtube when I have time. The thing's an hour long! Geez![@tnr; @youtube: GOPconvention2008]

- US Open Update: I'll make this brief. The other mens semi match will be between my love Roger Federer and that Serbian I don't like Novak Djokovic. [@bbc]

Today's comic is brought to you by 1997 because last night made my head explode.

rah-ful-mao
[xx-xx-1997]
This is pretty much how I felt after watching the RNC.

A.B.S.R.D. [Absolute Bullshit is being Spread at the RNC Damnit]

- So, yeah. I watched the Republican National Convention last night to watch Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, age 44, speak. Between her and Rudy Giuliani, my head exploded approximately 2340980 times and my heart and stomach ached. Everything they said was either extremely disrespectful, exaggerated, or a flat out LIE. I was disgusted not because of what they said necessarily but because of their delivery. I just don't understand how someone can sit there and allow them to behave like bitter children. I find it completely unprofessional and don't believe that these are the people who should run our country. [@youtube: GOPconvention2008]

- There were a number of things I did last night to cool off a little. (1) I vented to my friends, (2) I read every blog post at The New Republic concerning Palin's speech and (3) I watched Sara Benincasa's Palin vlogs over and over again. I'd say they all worked out pretty well. [@tnr; @que sera sara; @youtube: SaraBenincasa]

- US Open Update: I know I said I quit womens tennis BUT I just can't help it. Any tennis is good tennis. That being said here's the line-up for the semis: Dinara Safina v. Serena Williams and Elena Dementiava v. Jelena Jankovic. On the men's side so far: Rafael Nadal v. Andy Murray. [@nytimes; @time; @bbc]

- "Hurricanes are getting fiercer" and global warming is to blame. Or is it? There's no denying that we have a lot more for storms to destroy nowadays. However, while there is more for storms to wreck, the fact of the matter is that the storms are stronger now than they used to be. I just thought it was intersting to see both of these articles within 30 mins. [@nature; @time]

- Archeologists may have found the oldest skeletons in the Americas in an underwater cave in Mexico. If the carbon-dating is accurate, this discovery may lead to a new theory of how the Americas were populated. [@national geographic]

- Speaking of old findings, the oldest gecko fossil has also been found! It's said to be around a hundred million years old. [@national geographic]

- This just makes me LOL. "Cross-dressing thief leaves fake breast behind" MSNBC sure has some quality headlines. [@msnbc]

- I may be guilty of loving a show that originated in the UK but I've been noticing a huge increase in foreign programming recently. Why don't American television producers know how to make quality original programming? [@salon]

I can't draw horses. I also can't draw dogs so there went my back up plan.

rah-ful-mao BD

[03-09-2008]

A.B.S.R.D. [A Better Solution to Rainy Days: part two]

- I've always just assumed that peaceful protests aren't really all that peaceful. Obvs, I've yet to be proven wrong. It's kind of a shame that the ice sculpture they carved melted by the time the GOP big hitters got there. Guys, it isn't *always* cold in Minnesota. [@time]

- While doctors are still unsure that hypothermia treatment was the key component to former Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett's parlysis recovery, the fact of the matter is that he's able to walk and that alone is simply amazing. [@scientific american]

- Apparently SciAm is all about football this week. Well, that's just fine with me because they finally answered a question I've had since last season: "What is turf toe?" [@scientific american]

- US Open Update: I'll make this brief because other than Roger Federer's nail-biting victory over Igor Andreev, I could care less about Dementieva moving into the semis or Djokovic narrowly beating Tommy Robredo [a match that I'm not too happy about]. I want my Serbians back. [@bbc; @nytimes; @nytimes]

- I don't care what anyone thinks - I own a Zune [well, technically owned.. mine was stolen a few weeks ago] and I'm proud of it. I used to own an ipod so it's not like I haven't checked out the competition. It's nice to know that someone else at least thinks about us Zune loyals. [@nytimes]

- After yesterday's post I was hoping to stay away from anything Sarah Palin BUT she's speaking at the RNC tonight so obvs I need to talk about her. This will most likely be make or break for Palin to show what kind of politician and potential veep/pres she will be. I'll save my comments for tomorrow. For now, this is what she'll need to do. [@the new republic]

I should invest in a dictionary comprised solely of words beginning with the letters a, b, s, r, and d

rah-ful-mao BD
[29-08-2008]

A.B.S.R.D [Alright, Barack's Speech was RIGHTEOUS at DNC]

- Last night in Denver, CO, Senator Barack Obama [IL] accepted the nomination as the democratic presidential candidate. His speech was awe-inspiring and gave us hope for a better tomorrow. Basically, he made me want to jump up and down shouting things like "U-S-A! U-S-A!" and "YES, WE CAN!!" If you missed it, you can watch the speech here. It is definitely worth your time. [@cosmic variance;@youtube]

- On the other side of the political spectrum, John McCain announced Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate. My first thoughts? This election is getting ridiculous. Obvs he chose her to get the woman vote. I highly doubt any Hillary supporters will agree with a thing she has to say though. [@nytimes]

- US Open Update: I hereby quit womens tennis. The only person I ever really pay attention to is Ana Ivanovic [looove] and now she's out of the tourney. I feel as if I'm just setting myself up for disappointment at every grand slam [besides Roland Garros]. Also, Janko Tipsarevic [looove] retired yesterday during the middle of his match? Serbian tennis players are really tearing me apart right now. [@nytimes]

- US Open Story: I have an odd fascination with the ball boys and ball girls at grand slam tournaments. Ever since I saw the almost robotic precision of the young ball children at the French Open, I've had a dream to start a montessori pre-school to train the little ones. So when I saw this headline about a spectacular ball "girl" [she's actually 24] I got all giddy and reveled in reading the personal story behind Kelly Bruno. [@nytimes]

- Voluntary Advertisement: Vote for Marie Lyn Bernard [this girl called automatic win] at HotBloggerCalendar.com! Riese '08!!


[I'll be doing an A.B.S.R.D. post sometime this weekend because I have a lot of articles starred on Google Reader that I've been dying to use.]

Chicken Monkey Shoes?

rah-ful-mao BD
[27-08-2008]

A.B.S.R.D. [Always Busy with Some Reading Delicacies]

- This made me literally lol while I was reading it. Dogs are the perfect solution for any and every drawing related problem! [@kottke]

- I may not like Internet Explorer [Holla Firefox!] but I love how their new "InPrivate Browsing" feature is OBVS for those who don't want to leave traces of their porn viewing behind. xD [@nytimes]

- Scientists from the University of St. Andrews [UK] have discovered a molecule that could explain the emergence of life. "This shows that you can bring order from chaos." [@nature]

- If they can make it easily accessible for those who really need it, the Robo-skeleton could replace the wheelchair [at least for the paraylzed]. This really is quite an invention. [@bbc]

- As you know [well, assuming you're American and not living under a rock] the Democratic National Convention is well under way in Denver, CO. Last night, Senator Hillary Clinton [NY] spoke in an attempt to unify the party against John McCain and to support Barack Obama. You can watch her speech here. [@salon; @nytimes; @youtube]

- US Open update: Ana Ivanovic needs to NOT scare me like that ever again. It was bad enough watching her struggle at Wimbledon and then pulling out of the Olympics. I love you Ana but sometimes I swear you're gonna give me a heart attack. On the flipside, my other tennis love, Roger Federer, played fabulously, taking only 82 minutes to finish off Maximo Gonzalez with set scores of 6-3 6-0 6-3. [@bbc]

- ALSO! Auto-winners had an advanced screening of my comic late last night. Many thanks go to Marie Lyn Bernard aka this girl called automatic win. Her writing is wonderful and fills me with joy late at night/early in the morning. Obvs this means that you should check out her blog! [@autowin]

Back to the grind

rah-ful-mao BD
[25-08-2008]

So before I get to A.B.S.R.D. I'd like to share with you just how productive my weekend was! It consisted of painting, biking, and sitting at the computer. Holla! BUT. While sitting at the computer I actually got something done: I designed a killer t-shirt and put it up on zazzle.com. This means people can buy my awesome shirt and I get some cash flow! The shirt itself is called "Dinobot Attack" and it features the dinosaur and robot from my e-party comic. This time, instead of partying, the two are destroying the city and fighting off an angry red helicopter. Which reminds me that, YES, the design is in COLOR. The robot is a colorful mess. =]

You can check out the shirt here: http://zazzle.com/rahfulmao
[As you can see, I also have my "I Love Bears" shirt up for sale too. Perfect for those of you who like Man vs Wild]

A.B.S.R.D. [Articles By Some Real Deals]

- There are no words I can think of that accurately describe how this article made me feel. It's horrific, beautiful, and human. "My Long War" by Dexter Filkins. [@nytimes]

- What can I say? I'm a sucker for photo essays; especially ones from the Olympics. This one has a photos of the different tattoos Olympians are sporting nowadays. It's nice to see more than just the typical five colored rings of the Olympic games. However, I think there is a serious lack of athletes with stars that happen to be on the inside of their right ankles. JUST SAYING. [@time]

- Like I said, I'm a real sucker. This Olympic photo essay documents the highs and lows of the games. [@time]

- On Saturday, presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama found a vice president in the likes of Senator Joe Biden of Deleware. As a first time voter, I figured it was best to look into the other man I will be voting for in November. [@salon]

- The title alone was enough to cause a double take. A remote.. in your mouth.. controlled by your tongue?? "Study: Tongues to Control Devices" [@time]

- Finally, and most importantly [!!!], the US Open starts today!! Holla! Obvs I'll be tracking my faves aka Roger Federer, Ana Ivanovic, Rafael Nadal, Gael Monfils, Venus and Serena Williams, etc. [@usopen]