with.a.why

"My father was a really sharp cartoonist and filmmaker. He used to tape-record the family..."

Sun, 27 May 2012 12:33:01 -0500

“My father was a really sharp cartoonist and filmmaker. He used to tape-record the family surreptitiously, either while we were driving around or at dinner, and in 1963 he and I made up a story about a brother and a sister, Lisa and Matt, having an adventure out in the woods with animals. I told it to my sister Lisa, and she in turn told it to my sister Maggie. My father recorded the telling of the story by Lisa to Maggie, and then he used it as the soundtrack to a movie.”

- Matt Groening on his family, Smithsonian Magazine. Fantastic interview.

Extended Q&A: John K Samson

Sat, 26 May 2012 17:15:44 -0500

Extended Q&A: John K Samson:

Lovely, insightful interview with John K Samson about writing and his career. Bonus points for the shout out to Minneapolis.

"I thought something else was expected of me other than just sayin “thank you” an I did..."

Sat, 26 May 2012 12:31:39 -0500

“I thought something else was expected of me
other than just sayin “thank you”
an I did not know what it was
it is a fierce heavy feeling
thinkin something is expected of you
but you dont know what exactly it is…
it brings forth a wierd form of guilt”

- Bob Dylan, from Letters of Note

Top 10 for the week of May 21

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:33:34 -0500

1. NBA spreadsheets
2. 70s Winnebagos
3. CiviCRM
4. Weird Al Polka Medleys
5. Aeropress
6. Canada
7. NBA Playoffs
8. Tracy’s
9. Surly Bitter Brewer
10. Ramen

laughingsquid: Reggie Watts Talk at TED

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:05:55 -0500

laughingsquid:

Reggie Watts Talk at TED

nevver: Gimme Shelter

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:38:54 -0500

nevver:

Gimme Shelter

npr: Hm. Interesting. Me, my brother and four of my cousins are...

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:27:45 -0500

npr:

Hm. Interesting. Me, my brother and four of my cousins are April babies. — Tanya B.

utnereader:

nevver:

How Common Is Your Birthday?

Guess humans have a mating season after all.

laughingsquid: The Fuck Yeah Blog Phenomenon on Tumblr

Sun, 13 May 2012 15:58:11 -0500

laughingsquid:

The Fuck Yeah Blog Phenomenon on Tumblr

merlin: Classic Misdirection

Sun, 13 May 2012 15:40:13 -0500

merlin:

Classic Misdirection

laughingsquid: The Beer Moth, A Guest Room Built on an Antique...

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:20:22 -0500

laughingsquid:

The Beer Moth, A Guest Room Built on an Antique Fire Truck Flatbed

nevver: Librarians v. Google

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:31:59 -0500

nevver:

Librarians v. Google

Love this Billy Collins poem my mom posted today: Aimless Love This morning as I walked along the...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:31:00 -0500

Love this Billy Collins poem my mom posted today:

Aimless Love

This morning as I walked along the lakeshore,
I fell in love with a wren
and later in the day with a mouse
the cat had dropped under the dining room table.

In the shadows of an autumn evening,
I fell for a seamstress
still at her machine in the tailor’s window,
and later for a bowl of broth,
steam rising like smoke from a naval battle.

This is the best kind of love, I thought,
without recompense, without gifts,
or unkind words, without suspicion,
or silence on the telephone.

The love of the chestnut,
the jazz cap and one hand on the wheel.

No lust, no slam of the door –
the love of the miniature orange tree,
the clean white shirt, the hot evening shower,
the highway that cuts across Florida.

No waiting, no huffiness, or rancor –
just a twinge every now and then

for the wren who had built her nest
on a low branch overhanging the water
and for the dead mouse,
still dressed in its light brown suit.

But my heart is always propped up
in a field on its tripod,
ready for the next arrow.

After I carried the mouse by the tail
to a pile of leaves in the woods,
I found myself standing at the bathroom sink
gazing down affectionately at the soap,

so patient and soluble,
so at home in its pale green soap dish.
I could feel myself falling again
as I felt its turning in my wet hands
and caught the scent of lavender and stone.

heyoscarwilde: Les portes de Québec photograph by Michaël...

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:47:44 -0500

heyoscarwilde:

Les portes de Québec

photograph by Michaël Pineault :: via flickr.com

stuffaboutminneapolis: Ice Cube tells Bon Appetit Magazine he...

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 22:24:23 -0500

stuffaboutminneapolis:

Ice Cube tells Bon Appetit Magazine he starts his day with Peace Coffee from Minneapolis

I wake up at 5:30, 6 in the morning, but don’t head into the office right away. I like to hang out with my wife, talk about things, get some coffee, you know.
I make a mean cup of coffee, if you give me the right ingredients. We usually have Peace coffee, or sometimes Starbucks, and I make it strong.

(click pic for the rest of story)

nevver: Dear Me

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:59:18 -0500

nevver:

Dear Me

stuffaboutminneapolis: Minneapolis looks to move Kmart, restore...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:10:21 -0500

stuffaboutminneapolis:

Minneapolis looks to move Kmart, restore Nicollet Avenue

Opened in 1978 as part of a city-backed redevelopment, the Kmart has become a Lake Street fixture that customers depend on for its convenience and low prices. Yet neighborhood and city leaders have been stewing for years over how to open Nicollet again to improve its urban atmosphere and better connect the community.

So far, Minneapolis has no solid plan to open up the intersection, an expensive and complex proposition that would require the relocation of Kmart and the cooperation of the property owners, a New York-based trust.

Studies are underway to examine the possibility of streetcars running down Nicollet from 46th Street, through the Kmart site, downtown and up through Central Avenue, as well through the Midtown Greenway. Another plan under consideration envisions freeway ramps and a bus station to increase access to that area from Interstate 35W a block away.

Click picture for the rest of the story.

laughingsquid: Imaginawesome, Kids’ Drawings Recreated By A...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:56:19 -0500

laughingsquid:

Imaginawesome, Kids’ Drawings Recreated By A Professional Artist

interweber: THIS face right here

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:51:14 -0500

interweber:

THIS face right here

nevver: Of course

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:43:01 -0500

nevver:

Of course

As someone who’s watched a lot of Walking Dead in the...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:33:00 -0500

As someone who’s watched a lot of Walking Dead in the recent past, I can assure you that zombie escape route plans are important.

Urban Planet Weird Wednesday: Plan your zombie escape route
spacingtoronto.ca

April 11th, 2012

Weird Wednesdays on Urban Planet takes a look at obscure, absurd, and curious things about cities around the world.
Ever visit a new city and have a hard time getting the lay of the land? What will you do once y…