They Might Be Giants' "Call Connected through the NSA" can be downloaded in mp3 form here. You can also hear Meredithea's ringtone off TMBG's front page too.
I remember seeing this a while back and I found his goofiness at dancing to be quite disarming and spoke more of Snoopy's happy dance than of any attempt at being suave or cool. It seemed to describe the joy of travel and discovery in its incongruity and it celebrated being on the road, of being elsewhere in the company of strange people amongst strange things. Oh, how I wanted to be there then and how I want to be there now.
Plus, I like goofy dances.
jb, thanks for reminding me of Melanie! I loved that song. As for the other one you're thinking of, was it One More Minute? My all time favorite "Weird Al" song? Nature Trail to Hell (In 3D!) (sorry, it's a high school performance of the song - I couldn't find the original, video or not.) That song played a role in a wonderful little clusterfuck which was the intersection of military high school, debate team road trip, missing rides, getting rides, military base confusion, getting in trouble with sadistic officers, and dengue fever. Considering that I still love it despite everything that happened, favorite it is. I think I can still remember the lyrics, too.
Hey yentruoc! - Queer As Folk was set in Pittsburgh, but shot in Toronto. It certainly didn't look like *any* part of Pittsburgh that I knew. A fun show, nevertheless. (Pittsburgh - Queer Capital of the USA!)
Piiiiittttsbuuuuurgh! Yinz gon' donton 'n at? Go Stillers!
Ahem.
Congratulations on the new job, meredithea! It's been 11 years since I left the 'Burgh, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt - I'm sure there have been some changes since I left.
Oakland is the closest neighborhood to UPitt, but it's a little rough. There are some parts of it which are surprisingly nice though, even for a family with kids. I had some friends who were in grad school who lived out there with their spouses and kids and were quite happy. It's more urban living since it's pretty close to the university center. I think they were in the area bounded by Forbes Avenue, S. Bouquet St, Bates St, and the Magee Women's Hospital. Oakland also has most of the restaurants and is very much the college town. If it's still around, go to the Beehive Theater which was a great place for indie films. Rats - a quick search shows that it's closed now. Two things which are probably still around in Oakland - the "O" and the Primanti Brothers' restaurant. "O" fries are great to have at 3 in the morning - probably because most everything else is closed at the time. The Primanti Brothers' sandwiches are a local delicacy. They're stacked high and served with fries. Actually, the fries are in the sandwich. In case you hadn't noticed, Pittsburgh food is probably not for those who value their arteries.
East of Oakland is where Carnegie Mellon University is. North of campus between Forbes Ave. and Center Ave. is Shadyside. It's a lot quieter and more houses, with some apartment buildings thrown in for good measure. It has tree-lined streets and is very domestic. Its shopping/downtown area is Walnut Street - quite a few local boutiques, cafes and restaurants. It's quite a little yuppie haven.
Even further eastwards is Squirrel Hill, which is the ritzy, pricey part of town. They have a bunch of nice restaurants there - Gullifty's desserts are some of the best to be had out there. It may be a little further away than you'd like, but it's just the third neighborhood that I was familiar with while I was out there.
The area around Schenley Park is also really nice, but I don't really know that much about it price-wise.
Price-wise, Pittsburgh is a fairly low-rent town. You can get pretty good accommodations for what would get you a broom closet in San Francisco. That being said, I have no idea what the rental market's like out there now. A 1 bedroom place in Shadyside used to go for about $300/month back in the early nineties. I would suggest checking Craig's List to see what the zeitgeist is like.
Personally, of the three neighborhoods I describe above, I think you would do well looking at Shadyside. Good luck with the move, and congratulations on your upcoming sprog!
A lot of the images from page 2 were of work by Jacek Yerka (I think the images from page 1 were by a different artist). Harlan Ellison did a book with short fiction inspired by Yerka's art called Mind Fields.
A quote from here:
And Paul Bettany is suitably menacing as a self-flagellating albino monk on a mission to kill.
This line sounds like something produced from one of those online movie character generators.
Lady Moth! The pleasure is all mine! Mine, I tell you! Mine! Bwahahahahaaa!
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
Well, it seemed like everyone else was coming out of the woodwork so I thought I'd put in my two cents. Arr!
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
Good grief.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Closer."
You realize, of course, that subtext is merely an anagram for buttsex.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Bay Area (Berkeley?) Meetup"
*Sigh* I hate to say it, but it's looking like I can't make it this Saturday. Sorry everyone :(
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "It is a vibrator for your iPod, there I said it."
Dude. There's a reason why there's a limit to one post a day. Choose one of the two and stick with it.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "The Legacy of Genghis Khan"
What Dschingis is up to now.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Monkey Birthday + Going Away Party"
Sassy Botday, GucciBot!
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Curious George: Que est-ce que ringtone?"
They Might Be Giants' "Call Connected through the NSA" can be downloaded in mp3 form here. You can also hear Meredithea's ringtone off TMBG's front page too.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Where the hell is Matt?"
I remember seeing this a while back and I found his goofiness at dancing to be quite disarming and spoke more of Snoopy's happy dance than of any attempt at being suave or cool. It seemed to describe the joy of travel and discovery in its incongruity and it celebrated being on the road, of being elsewhere in the company of strange people amongst strange things. Oh, how I wanted to be there then and how I want to be there now. Plus, I like goofy dances.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Curious George: Que est-ce que ringtone?"
Fish Tick wins! At what? I don't know.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "James K Polk - One Tough Mother!@#$%&! "
He was James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump!
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Do Not Press"
Flash! Aaaah! He'll save every one of us!
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Don't you know you're gonna mock the monkey?"
jb, thanks for reminding me of Melanie! I loved that song. As for the other one you're thinking of, was it One More Minute? My all time favorite "Weird Al" song? Nature Trail to Hell (In 3D!) (sorry, it's a high school performance of the song - I couldn't find the original, video or not.) That song played a role in a wonderful little clusterfuck which was the intersection of military high school, debate team road trip, missing rides, getting rides, military base confusion, getting in trouble with sadistic officers, and dengue fever. Considering that I still love it despite everything that happened, favorite it is. I think I can still remember the lyrics, too.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Curious George: Pittsburgh"
Hey yentruoc! - Queer As Folk was set in Pittsburgh, but shot in Toronto. It certainly didn't look like *any* part of Pittsburgh that I knew. A fun show, nevertheless. (Pittsburgh - Queer Capital of the USA!)
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
Piiiiittttsbuuuuurgh! Yinz gon' donton 'n at? Go Stillers! Ahem. Congratulations on the new job, meredithea! It's been 11 years since I left the 'Burgh, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt - I'm sure there have been some changes since I left. Oakland is the closest neighborhood to UPitt, but it's a little rough. There are some parts of it which are surprisingly nice though, even for a family with kids. I had some friends who were in grad school who lived out there with their spouses and kids and were quite happy. It's more urban living since it's pretty close to the university center. I think they were in the area bounded by Forbes Avenue, S. Bouquet St, Bates St, and the Magee Women's Hospital. Oakland also has most of the restaurants and is very much the college town. If it's still around, go to the Beehive Theater which was a great place for indie films. Rats - a quick search shows that it's closed now. Two things which are probably still around in Oakland - the "O" and the Primanti Brothers' restaurant. "O" fries are great to have at 3 in the morning - probably because most everything else is closed at the time. The Primanti Brothers' sandwiches are a local delicacy. They're stacked high and served with fries. Actually, the fries are in the sandwich. In case you hadn't noticed, Pittsburgh food is probably not for those who value their arteries. East of Oakland is where Carnegie Mellon University is. North of campus between Forbes Ave. and Center Ave. is Shadyside. It's a lot quieter and more houses, with some apartment buildings thrown in for good measure. It has tree-lined streets and is very domestic. Its shopping/downtown area is Walnut Street - quite a few local boutiques, cafes and restaurants. It's quite a little yuppie haven. Even further eastwards is Squirrel Hill, which is the ritzy, pricey part of town. They have a bunch of nice restaurants there - Gullifty's desserts are some of the best to be had out there. It may be a little further away than you'd like, but it's just the third neighborhood that I was familiar with while I was out there. The area around Schenley Park is also really nice, but I don't really know that much about it price-wise. Price-wise, Pittsburgh is a fairly low-rent town. You can get pretty good accommodations for what would get you a broom closet in San Francisco. That being said, I have no idea what the rental market's like out there now. A 1 bedroom place in Shadyside used to go for about $300/month back in the early nineties. I would suggest checking Craig's List to see what the zeitgeist is like. Personally, of the three neighborhoods I describe above, I think you would do well looking at Shadyside. Good luck with the move, and congratulations on your upcoming sprog!
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Pictures to confuse your soul and make you go pee pee in your pants."
A lot of the images from page 2 were of work by Jacek Yerka (I think the images from page 1 were by a different artist). Harlan Ellison did a book with short fiction inspired by Yerka's art called Mind Fields.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Da "
A quote from here: And Paul Bettany is suitably menacing as a self-flagellating albino monk on a mission to kill. This line sounds like something produced from one of those online movie character generators.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "Bears Eat Monkey in Front of Zoo Visitors"
D-E-V-O.
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
In "M.O.N.K.E.Y. No. SE7EN"
Gosh! Let's ogle our moms!
posted by ooga_booga 17 years ago
(limited to the most recent 20 comments)