I include this cover, not because it is awful, but because the story behind this collection of classic jazz nose-harmonica stylings remind me of such an excruciatingly sad story. In the annals of nose harmonica players, Ignatz Topolino is usually the f…
Continue readingTag: but is it art?
mark a rayner: Happy Yanksgiving!
Alltop prefers roast opossum. Original photo by Doug Brown via Flickr.
Continue readingmark a rayner: Gonzo street
One of my guilty pleasures is Jim’ll Paint It — where readers request crazy scenarios and Jim makes them happen through the magic of imagination (and some kind of hallucinogen, I’m guessing.) Alltop loves a good hallaughinogen.
Continue readingmark a rayner: The nature of novelists
A short addendum, filed under who knows: Time-travelling pirates Über-chimp astrologers Ham-fisted hosers Over-emotional AIs Plus this subset of writers: Whisky-swilling scribblers Wine-soaked hacks Beery autobiographers Alltop is a algorithm posting as a humor site.
Continue readingmark a rayner: You tell ’em Kurt
I post this quote for no particular reason. It’s from his collection, Wampeters, Foma, and Granfalloons. Alltop has some insanely fun links.
Continue readingmark a rayner: Keyboard Shortcuts for Novelists
Or you could just mash the keys together in a fit of anxious rage and see what happens? Alltop gets funny whenever you hit alt + f. H/T to Corey Redekop. Genius cartoon by Tom Gauld.
Continue readingmark a rayner: The unexpected benefits of climate change
Sure, half of Western Canada was on fire, polar bears were evolving into full amphibians, and the bee population was fucked, but there were some side benefits to global warming. As the earth heated, cloud watchers were in for some exciting times. Generally speaking, there were fewer clouds to watch, but when
Continue readingmark a rayner: Fahrenheit 1600
The Amazon servers take even more heating… Alltop is hot for the funny. Cartoon via Hungry for Knowledge.
Continue readingmark a rayner: Did I Miss Anything?
Question frequently asked by students after missing a class by Tom Wayman The Astonishing Weight of the Dead. Vancouver: Polestar, 1994. Nothing. When we realized you weren’t here we sat with our hands folded on our desks in silence, for the full two hours Everything. I gave an exam worth 40
Continue readingmark a rayner: The clowns die first
Something you probably didn’t know about the technological singularity: all the clowns die first. Alltop will have to choose a side when the time comes. Painting by Mike Wellins. Interesting stuff: he takes old landscapes and stuff and then adds SF tropes to them. More here. h/t
Continue readingmark a rayner: Doug the neurotic invents a corollary on his daily commute
Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m freaking out. I ate at Wendy’s last night, and then I’m reading the paper today — yeah, like I do everyday on the bus — and so I’m reading the paper, and what do I see? Bird Flu! There was another breakout of bird flu
Continue readingmark a rayner: Reservoir Clowns
I’m sure Quentin Tarantino isn’t thinking of a remake, but if he did this, it would be TERRIFYING. Alltop is the Harlequin of humor aggregators. Photo by drewlevy
Continue readingmark a rayner: Quote: Vonnegut on reviewers
Originally appears in “The War Between Writers and Reviewers,” by Thomas Flemming in the NYT, 1985. Alltop loves a good bad review.
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Tweeting in two places may break my brain
And god help me if I ever get confused! "When my brother and I go to the swinging singles bar, we look for the girls with the dog poopie on their shoes… " pic.twitter.com/ZUmCPUBjk4 — Mark A. Rayner (@markarayner) October … Continue reading →
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Why do lit-ah-rary types look down on SF
So what is it about science fiction that causes “literary” types to look down upon it? Like any genre, SF has its bad and good. No scratch that, like any writing, there is both bad and good. I’ve read plenty … Continue reading →
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: The Flash and Superman Race to See Who’s Fastest
Pretty sure you don’t want to use a loaded pistol as a starter gun… Alltop is always loaded.
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Apocalypse Cow
Never get out of the boat. Absolutely goddamn right. Unless you were going all the way. Kurtz got off the boat. He split from the whole fuckin’ program. And me? I was off the boat the same time as Kurtz. … Continue reading →
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Great Canadian TV Trivia – The Littlest Hobo
The Littlest Hobo original cast and theme song did not test especially well. There’s a voice that keeps on calling me Down the road is where I’ll always be Every stop I make, I’ll make a new friend Can’t stay … Continue reading →
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Meme-o-riffic: Old-Timey Dog
My little contribution to the meme-o-sphere. Original photo here via Flickr. Know your meme entry on Yes, this is dog here. On the Internet, people can still kind of tell if you’re a dog.
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Mindmapping Explained
Mindmapping, originally uploaded by lunchbreath. Heh, I think I may get my students to have a look at this. I totally agree with the designer that use of the word “random” is normally to be avoided, but this is truthy. … Continue reading →
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