Five Years of Blogging Paralysis

Okay, let's try this again.

Iron Man Horse -vs- Darth Vadar Horse

The theme at this year's California State Fair was Hollywood. And everything, from the pig races to the county dioramas all were stretching mighty hard to accommodate it.  So it came as no surprise that the show horses would be performing to favorite movie musical soundtracks. However, the tribute to Johnny Depp with horses and skinny teenage horsie girls was just plain bizarre. When Iron Man came out riding his Iron Man Horse (I thought Iron Man weighed like a ton and could fly?) I should not have been taken back by the random battle pairing of him against Darth Vadar on the Darth Vadar horsie.  They mostly just charged at each other, no special effects or even fact light sabers. But oh man, it was fun strangeness!

San Rafael's Mt. Olivet Cemetary

For years I have driven up Hwy 101 and seen this graveyard just past the downtown San Rafael exits, and I have always wanted to check it out. Yesterday I did, in the 90 degree heat - and it was pretty darn cool. Earliest birth year represented: 1816; earliest death year: 1870.  Lots of Italian and Irish birth cities and lots of photos of the deceased. Find it in Northgate part of San Rafael - open 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily.  Creepy, but not gross creepy like new graveyards. Almost picnic worthy.

Damn Funniest Guy Ever

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

It was hard picking a video clip to represent Mitch Hedberg, and pardon the crummy-ish sound quality of this one - but the world is a much less funny place since he died. Whenever I need to remember how ludicrous things are, I just watch one of the awesome recordings from his monologues.

Four Minute and Nine Second Vacation

Whoa, I grabbed this video of Kome Kome Club's "Romantic Journey in the Sky (err? Sea?)" with it's eighties synth sound and shiny costumed gods, goddesses and monster guy - with even more eighties aesthetic (though it's from the early '90s) than you could shove into a wanna be DuranDuran cover band - because for the four minutes plus of its silliness, I can almost feel the holiday I have not had yet this year.

Firefly Squid!

Also known at the Sparkling Enope Squid - they only live for about a year, and grow to just around 3 inches long - but this wee blue flashing phenomenon arrives by the thousands each spring to Japan's Toyama Bay - where they have actually built a museum in their honor. Apparently, it is also the only cephalopod with the ability to see in color. All hail watasenia scintillans!

Koncentratin' Kitties

From the San Mateo County Fair - a photorealistic painting (2nd Place Prize!) of three psychic cats preparing to look into the future.  And the future will have tuna-fish in it.