Friday, August 18, 2006

While trying to fill out my own meme much like Q's. I was reminded of my love for Tom Lehrer music. I don't think he's had any albums out for many years, but I have fond memories of his musical ability and his funny lyrics. Besides doing his comedic stage act he would play the piano and sing songs like his theme for an Oedipus Rex movie, Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, and The Elements where he puts the entire periodic chart to music. I found a clip from part of his stage act in between songs and will reprint it for you here:

Now, I'm sure you're all aware that this week is national gall-bladder week. So as sort of an educational feature at this point I thought I would acquaint you with some of the results of my recent researches into the career of the late doctor Samuel Gall, inventor of the gall-bladder. Which certainly ranks as one of the more important technological advances since the invention of the joy-buzzer and the dribble-glass. Doctor Gall's faith in his invention was so dramatically vindicated last year, as you no doubt recall, when, for the first time in history, in a nation-wide poll the gall-bladder was voted among the top ten organs. His educational career began interestingly enough in agricultural school, where he majored in animal husbandry, until they caught him at it one day. Whereupon he switched to the field of medicine in which field he also won renown as the inventor of gargling. Which prior to that time had been practiced only furtively by a remote tribe in the Andes who passed the secret down from father to son as part of their oral tradition. He soon became a specialist, specializing in diseases of the rich. He was therefore able to retire at an early age.

I find oratory like this to be very amusing and now wonder if he isn't actually Lemony Snicket.
The House's Anime Pick of the Day
Ghost Stories
I truly enjoy this anime and have been watching it for the past couple of months. If I had still had Comcast (sigh) when the gang was over i would have insisted that you watch it, but since you all use Netflix or similar services I will now tell you to check out the first volume and see if you aren't hooked. When you watch it you must watch the dubbed version, because it has been overhauled in a completely American way. It is really funny and will probably catch you off guard. Warning: Don't watch it with anyone that will get offended too easily as the anime can be irreverent at times. This however doesn't seem to apply to my kids as they watch it and laugh even when they can't really understand the joke.