var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-8261911-2"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {} Hi you!Tumblr (3.0; @thedaysarelongandshort)http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/<object width="400" height="336"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/czElKoDQbGQ&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/czElKoDQbGQ&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="336" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br/><br/><p>The story that my dad would tell me was that Harry Anderson started out as a confidence man doing the “three card monty” and the “shell game” on the street till someone got pissed at having lost so much money and broke his nose. Anderson then decided that magic was a safer profession. <br/>Wikipedia doesn’t confirm or deny this, but it’s what I’ve always heard.</p> <p>Either way, out of all the tapes in my dads magic video collection growing up, <i>Harry Andersons “Hello Sucker” </i>might have been my favorite. I wish the whole thing were online for me to share with you. It’s been out of print for years, and the other YouTube clips of him performing magic, while good, aren’t the same.</p> <p><b>Other trivia:<span> </span></b></p> <ul> <li>This was originally a Showtime special</li> <li>The full special features John Larroquette </li> <li>It was directed by the same person who directed the music video for Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.</li> </ul><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/8vEZvQPMPMg" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/8vEZvQPMPMg/436965312http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/436965312Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:26:00 -0500Harry AndersonMagichttp://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/436965312<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyvxa417aE1qzn9f2o1_400.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a favorite word before.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/1qKQzwhxZ6g" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/1qKQzwhxZ6g/434145498http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/434145498Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:20:57 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/434145498<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyui84kb8u1qzn9f2o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a title="When I Am King" href="http://www.demian5.com/king/wiak.htm"><b>When I Am King</b></a> by <a title="Demian5.com" href="http://www.demian5.com/index-e.php">demian5</a></p> <p>Every year or two I go back and re-read this unbelievable online comic. It remains to this day, over 9 years after it originally appeared online, one of the best examples of the vast potential of web comics I’ve ever seen. It’s original, simple, touching, funny, innovative, and beautifully designed.  If you’ve never looked at it before, I can’t recommend it more, if you have, it might be time to go through it again.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/t53klMTNQXE" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/t53klMTNQXE/431827742http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/431827742Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:19:04 -0500comicshttp://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/431827742<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyuj81WGvS1qb1p1so1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://wobwobwobwob.tumblr.com/post/429709923/i-like-this-but-do-you-mean-with-or-without-my">wobwobwobwob</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>I like this. But: Do you mean with or without my name/return information? Am I supposed to make this person a penpal of sorts or just leave them an anonymous letter that we’ll both always wonder about?</p> </blockquote> <p>That’s a good question. Either way would be good. If it were me, I would put it in the tree with out my name.</p> <p>Here’s a story as to why.</p> <p>I have a friend named Aaron who, when he was around 9 years old, found an abandoned cassette tape. On it was a recording of two kids that he had never met doing an audio parody of Star Trek using a home tape recorder, sound-fx toys, and a record player for background music.</p> <p>The two boys forget their lines, forget who is playing which charecter, and <i>squeal</i> with laughter at their own jokes. The fact that they changed the name of the starship from “Enterprise” to “Boobyprize” should give you idea what kind of parody it was. I’ve listened to the tape. There are parts that are legitimately funny, parts that are ridiculous and silly, and parts that are so obscured by noise that you can’t really tell what’s going on.</p> <p>Yet, for all it’s flaws, the 9 year old Aaron fell <i>in love</i> with the thing. He once told me it was one of the most hysterical, amazing things he owned, and that it had profoundly impacted the kind of art and music he’s made in the years since. He quotes the funniest lines from it to this day.</p> <p>But beyond the entertainment value of the recording (which, to some, might be questionable) Aaron was fascinated with who these kids were, why they had recorded this thing, and thrilled to <i>found something</i> so uniquely strange.</p> <blockquote> <i>“If I had found Boobieprize today would I have liked it as much? Probably not. But there was something magical about finding that tape when I did. It’s a parody of Star Trek by people that don’t really know much about Star Trek. It’s not full of inside jokes that only treckies would get, they change the charecters, it makes no sense. Back then, before the internet, where I lived, it was so rare to find strange stuff. It seems, now that we have the web, that theres a bit of magic that’s gone, because it’s lifted so many barriers to things. I’m not really into exclusivity, I don’t need to be the only one who knows about something to enjoy it, but the web kind of takes away from the magic of doing the legwork.”</i> Aaron told me.</blockquote> <p>Aaron originally played me the tape several years ago when we were in a band together. He told me it was one of his goals with the <a title="if you want to listen to that music, here it is." href="http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/272483576/cho-young-and-the-davenports">music</a> we were making. He liked the idea of making something for someone else to find someday and have the same experience that he had with this crappy parody. It’s creators didn’t use their names and asking for nothing in return. It was <i>mysterious</i>.</p> <p>More than a decade later Aaron decided to try and hunt down the creators of the tape. After questioning people in his home town he discovered the name of one of the boys, and with that found his contact information on the web and called him.</p> <p>“Boy, was that a mistake.” Aaron told me.</p> <p><img height="180" width="138" src="http://web.mac.com/ajk9062/interview-press/boobyprise_files/droppedImage_2.jpg"/><img height="181" width="137" src="http://web.mac.com/ajk9062/interview-press/boobyprise_files/droppedImage_3.jpg"/></p> <p>The kids on the tape turned out to be Eric Ebbenga and Aaron J. Higgens, two school friends who were now full grown adults. It turns out, had recorded <i>sixteen</i> of these adventures between grade school and collage. They were so surprised and excited to hear that someone they had never met had taken such an interest in their tape that they sent Aaron copies of their complete archive.</p> <p>Predictably, none of the new episodes measured up to the magic Aaron had found in the original. He suspects that a lot has to do with the time and place that he discovered it but I suspect that part of it is related to the mystery about who made it and why being solved.</p> <hr> <p>Aaron got permission from the tapes creators to put the audio from his tape and one other episode it on his <a title="Interview Press" href="http://www.interview-press.com/">Interview Press</a> website. You can <a title="BoobyPrize Preview" href="http://web.mac.com/ajk9062/interview-press/boobyprise_preview.html">listen to a preview</a> (which takes quite a while to start playing) or <a title="BoobyPrize" href="http://web.mac.com/ajk9062/interview-press/boobyprise.html">download the whole thing.</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/2f6s9ojOzGw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/2f6s9ojOzGw/431352960http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/431352960Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:07:00 -0500booby prizehttp://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/431352960<a href="http://craigmod.com/journal/ipad_and_books/">Books in the Age of the iPad</a>: <p>This article, which is reminiscent of certain sections of Scott McCloud’s <a href="http://www.scottmccloud.com/2-print/2-rc/index.html" title="Rinventing Comics">“Reinventing Comics”</a> reminded me this morning why I really need to start designing comics for the iPad. And that’s exactly what I plan on doing.</p> <p>I don’t know what form it will take, what technology I’ll use, or how long it will take me, but I’m committing to it right now. I’m going to make something for this darn device.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/L8FzKptEDhQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/L8FzKptEDhQ/430422783http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/430422783Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:17:53 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/430422783<p>Last night I dreamt I was helping my friend write an essay about an Alfred Hitchcock movie named “Death by Falling.” We were watching it with a few other people in a National Park, with a sheet tied between two trees and the movie projected on it. Off in the distance, hidden in some trees, a man in a blue suit was watching us.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/C0QWkKeRq50" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/C0QWkKeRq50/428410225http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/428410225Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:32:20 -0500dreamsHitchcockhttp://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/428410225<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/swf/audio_player.swf?audio_file=http://www.tumblr.com/audio_file/425547334/tumblr_kyqpgaviLh1qzn9f2&color=FFFFFF" height="27" width="207" quality="best"></embed><br/><br/><p>Spent the night exploring an awesome <a href="http://staff.tumblr.com/post/424853767/pages">new tumblr feature</a> and listening to old school They Might Be Giants. Pretty nice.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/T95YgGerbbk" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/T95YgGerbbk/425547334http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/425547334Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:21:46 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/425547334<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyn1e1kKR51qzn9f2o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/eJmInCQfrL0" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/eJmInCQfrL0/421374217http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/421374217Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:49:04 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/421374217<p>Aw. Thanks! I like you too. And to like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znIXyFh6dsI&feature=player_embedded">my pal Anis</a> is a pretty easy thing to do.</p> <p> <object type="application/futuresplash" width="425" height="344"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/znIXyFh6dsI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/znIXyFh6dsI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/futuresplash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </p> <p>Also, take a look at a group that includes my buddy <a href="http://www.mikemcgee.net/">Mike McGee</a> called ”<a href="http://tonsoffununiversity.com/">Tons of Fun University</a>.” Their new album is on iTunes and has a new version of <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shake-the-dust/id347882049?i=347882053">Shake the Dust</a>. (written by Anis) I’ve linked to them before. Their last album included <a href="http://www.houseofparlance.com/VisitingHours/05%20Move%20Pen%20Move.mp3">one of the all time saddest / best spoken word pieces I’ve ever heard</a>.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/VMhy7lqiK_s" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/VMhy7lqiK_s/415490406http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/415490406Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:31:00 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/415490406<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kygvj3yUmk1qzn9f2o1_250.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>“I<span>t’s a terrific way to entertain, say, if the power goes out in your home.”</span></p> <p><span><span>From the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Science-Surplus-IN9-65-WHOOPEE/dp/B000NJBRPA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1267217476&sr=8-1">Amazon page</a> for their “American Science & Surplus” Whoopee Cushon.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>I’m happy that I have occasion to find such a review. </span></span></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/6nOfuXSfnlI" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/6nOfuXSfnlI/413865630http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/413865630Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:59:03 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/413865630“An earlier version of this post misquoted Mr. Remnick on his comparison between the book and a New Yorker article he had previously written. He said the book would not be a “pumped up” version of the article; he did not say that it would not be a “pimped out” version of the article.”<br/><br/> - <em><a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/obama-biography-is-coming-from-new-yorker-editor/?src=tptw">Today in NYT corrections</a>. (via <a href="http://newsweek.tumblr.com/" class="tumblr_blog">newsweek</a>)</em><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/K9vx_zbXvVw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/K9vx_zbXvVw/405695955http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/405695955Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:15:32 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/405695955<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ky98d7bXMn1qzn9f2o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>There is something alarming about the idea that the bottom of the fire extinguisher itself might burst into flames.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/U12kbjaEgl8" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/U12kbjaEgl8/405211188http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/405211188Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:52:48 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/405211188<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxreresiGc1qzn9f2o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>We want this place to reopen and have…</p> <p>People have added some awesome suggestions since last time I posted <a href="http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/378317756/we-want-this-place-to-re-open-have">this.</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/hw1HOoCV5MM" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/hw1HOoCV5MM/386494909http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/386494909Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:59:14 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/386494909<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxj8w6Fh861qzn9f2o1_400.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><b>We want this place to re-open & have…</b></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/ZlHYB-Wh8Fc" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/ZlHYB-Wh8Fc/378317756http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/378317756Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:07:18 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/378317756<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxhms3rPU91qzn9f2o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Feed your fear?</p> <p>They know that this is a comedy right?</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/Wbw5Hs2ixmA" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/Wbw5Hs2ixmA/376585803http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/376585803Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:11:00 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/376585803<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxfwqmkF791qzn9f2o1_250.png"/><br/><br/><p>Aaw. Now I’ve gone and ruined it.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/s3OeHHw6ulA" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/s3OeHHw6ulA/374762552http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/374762552Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:51:57 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/374762552<p>There sure is. <a title="Editing Tumblr Theme Colors" href="http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/365841480">This post</a> from earlier in in the week explains it all.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/xDksL6CKePw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/xDksL6CKePw/373492516http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/373492516Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:23:53 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/373492516<p>Hopefully you are referring to <a title="On the Road Custom Tumblr Theme" href="http://www.tumblr.com/theme/3046">On the Road</a> which is a theme I built from scratch for anybody to use. There’s a simple way to install that by clicking right <a title="On the Road custom tumblr theme" href="http://www.tumblr.com/theme/3046">here</a> and clicking “install theme.”</p> <p>The theme I use on this blog is a altered version of <a title="Redux Theme Link" href="http://www.tumblr.com/theme/433">Redux</a> by <a title="Jacobbijani.com" href="http://jacobbijani.com/">Jacob</a>. I made a lot of special modifications myself which is part of the reason I don’t share the code for it. It’s not entirely mine to share. There are TONS of great themes in the <a title="Tumblr Theme Garden" href="http://www.tumblr.com/themes/popular">Theme Garden</a> however. It’s worth checking out.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/BqT0rmn2jAs" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/BqT0rmn2jAs/372610338http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/372610338Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:55:39 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/372610338<p><a href="http://blog.acehotel.com/post/368283600/solid-advice">acehotel</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p><img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kx6scpZj6Y1qa87yl.jpg"/></p> <p>From Lucien, 6, in the mezzanine drawers at Ace Hotel Portland.</p> </blockquote> <p>Well 4 out of five isn’t bad. I need to find some legos.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/tDTpfJhTAXM" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/tDTpfJhTAXM/372590858http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/372590858Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:38:33 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/372590858<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="600" data="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9148339&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF"><param name="quality" value="best" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="scale" value="showAll" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9148339&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF" /><embed src="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9148339&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="600"></embed></object><br/><br/><p>I didn’t know that Brushes could play back your drawings!</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~4/8Yt6BRkdUWk" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tumblr/thedays/~3/8Yt6BRkdUWk/370645705http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/370645705Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:00:00 -0500http://thedaysarelongandshort.com/post/370645705