Release the hounds.............

So that you can catch 'Fleet Foxes'. They make beautiful pony music (However they have a little to learn about videos)



Colin

Euro Drama

Game over I thought as I once again flicked the channel back to get an update on the state of play in the Czech Republic Vs Turkey decider. With 15 minutes left on the clock and the Czechs clearly dominating at 2-0 I almost gave up even half watching it. If I was a betting man (truth be told if Sweden get to the final I'll win £35, not my choice of team, it's one of those pointless sweep stake things) then I would wager that the Czechs would be in the 1/4's - no doubt!

As it stood it was highly unlikely that Turkey could score 2 goals in the last 15 mins to take it to a penalty shoot out, let alone 3 to win a place in the quarter finals. In a historic last quarter of the game they somehow managed to do exactly that. The second was largely down to Peter 'Whoops Butterfingers' Cech but the killer goal was awesome. So well done.

That said, I don't actually care but it made for an entertaining Sunday evening.

You can view said goal and the rest of the drama here.

- Scout

Ahhh summer...

(Click image to enlarge)
- Mr. Ed

I'm such a fan

of the Dutch. I mean, I've always been fond of our low-lying cousins to the East - chiefly for their artists, their progressive government, and their predilection for words with more vowels than consonants - but now I have another reason, they trounced Italy and France in Euro 2008. So, the stage is set for an Italy-France death-match, next Tuesday. More's the pity they can't both loose really.*

- Mr. Ed


Image from the BBC/Getty images: Super-subs Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben celebrate the second Dutch goal against France.

* Of course if Romania were to somehow miraculously beat Holland, that would send both Italy and France out of the competition but that's probably a little too much to hope for.

Some Geek Humour

Worst/best science joke I've heard in a while:

From an Activity Book, included in a complimentary tote-bag, NeilAh got from the ACA meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee.

A neutron goes into a cafe, sits down, and orders a coke. The waiter brings it out, and the Neutron asks, "How much is that?"
The waiter replies, "For you... no charge."

And here are a few of my favourites from Graphjam, the latest meme spin-off by the ICHC peeps. Overall, just like ICHC, the hit to miss ratio is pretty poor, but every once in a while they nail it:












more graph humor and song chart memes

- Mr. Ed

I see your news, and raise you...

a news...



-Bluecupboard

No news is good news

Absolutely nothing happened in the world today and as a result there was no news. News readers were literally lost for words. Here are some examples.



- Scout

Pie for Maureen, round her shed

Smug, self righteous, dull, middle class England. That's right I'm talking about Songs Of Praise. I prefer this version....



- Scout

Memevolution

From this:


To this:


Via this:


To this:


- Mr. Ed

Le Capsule Espace

I just watched a great documentary all about the moon landings. The Shadow Of The Moon only features the astronauts who went (including those that only orbited such as Michael Collins, a real dude).

Anyway, that and a recent event reminded me of a book I read whilst visiting Mr Ed's stables by a Brit who wanted to break the record for the highest ever free fall and parachute jump. A tragic story really as he ended up going mad and never got round to it. However, it is the record set by Capt Joe Kittinger in 1960 that still stands despite an attempt by the French last week. More on that fantastic effort shortly but in the mean time enjoy this clip of the 1960 leap of faith.





I like this track by Boards Of Canada but I'm not too sure that Kittinger surfed in after making the jump....I mean, where would he have put the board?

Here is Frenchman Michael Fournier's attempt

He was aiming to break 4 world records:

1. Highest parachute jump
2. Highest manned balloon flight
3. Longest free fall
4. Fastest man without a vehicle

As it is, what he will have to make do with is:

1. Single most pointless waste of 6,000,000 quid
2. Largest balloon ever lost
3. Most pissed off Frenchman not working as a waiter

Joke courtesy of last weeks news quiz.

Look I did links and everything.

- Scout

Too Early?

Well, it seems that Hillary's campaign over. Just what I would say/do/feel at this point has been on my mind for a while. While there are a range of thoughts and emotions I could express, I have to say, nothing is more satisfying than turning to my most base emotions:



Revelling in the Hil-bot pain,

Mr. Ed

Doesn't anybody give a shit about teH ruLz?

Following the results of the last Democratic primaries tonight, I was reminded of a lyric from Hotel California: you can check out, but she will never leave*.

Although Klinton hasn't conceded, it seems that the jig is up. Wither the fanatical Hillary faction now, you might ask. Well, the crap-tacular Hil-blog Talkleft, suggests that the time has come for the candidates, and their respective supporters, to treat each other with respect. Has the whole world gone crazy? The time for respect - along with humility, a gracious exit, and maintaining even a tattered shred of decorum - is long gone. This is Busch-league psyche-out stuff, laughable man!

Nobody fucks with the Jesus**

- Mr. Ed

*I know that's not how it really goes, ok?
**Just keeping you on your toes Hilbots! I don't think he's the messiah, I just know he's the Democratic nominee.

Please tell me it's over...

From the No Fucking Kidding Department:

"I think a decision has to be made about whether keeping this nomination wide open is in the best interest of winning in November," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California.

CNN is reporting that tonight - finally - Barack Obama will reach the magic number of 2,118 delegates, thereby clinching the nomination.

Image via CNN from the AP

He walked 47 miles of barbed wire...

Used a cobra snake as a necktie*
got a brand new house on the roadside made from rattlesnake hide
got a brand new chimney made on top
made out of a human skull
now come on take a little walk with me Arlene and tell me who do you love...

Yes, indeed, my pony friends, the great Bo Diddley, (or Ellas McDaniel) who died today in Florida, was one tough chap. He also wrote a number of great songs which were lyrically, made up mostly of his own name. Snoop and Eminem look like rank amateurs against a man who could go from Hey, Bo Diddley to Bo Diddley and not break a sweat. And, of course, he had a square guitar. Yes indeed ponies, it certainly is a case of Bo "broke the mould after they made Bo" Diddley. Here he is being introduced by someone else I recognize from somewhere...





And as an extra sugarlump, here's Bo doing a blistering version of Who Do Yo Love from the La Bamba sountrack. I used to have when I was a foal and it was one of my first expeirences of the chugging glory of Bo's style. Sorry 'bout the lack of visuals, but I think the music stands alone...



-Bluecupboard

*This is not generally recommended due to both health and animal welfare considerations, but is excellent for ponies wishing to appear well tough at weddings this season...

The Dude

I heard this great segment on All Things Considered the other day about Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, but it fell down the memoryhole until my favourite Pop-Culturist, Whitney Matheson, wrote about it today. So, here's her post, and here's a link straight to the audio.

As we were saying...

Ah, yes 'tis a funny thing to consider that, from time to time, we P-Clubbers do actually exist together in actual space and time as well as cyberspace. Why just the other afternoon saw Beigey, Scout, Phillip, Chives, Colin, and myself, as well as the P-clubs latest little foal member, Peggysus. Truly a veritable horsemageddon. Indeed only Mr. Ed was missing for us to have been "playing with the full horse", as I believe the expression goes...

Back to matters posty, as the evening wore on Chives and your own Bluecupboard enjoyed several rich honeylike ales interwoven with fine conversation. I think I may have slightly terrified Chives with my new-found enthusiasm for Vampire Weekend, which I was introduced to by way of his post and Mr. Ed purchasing me the album last time he was on the old sod... Further to our discussion of the lyrical work of said end-of-week bloodsuckers, clicky here my dear Chives, and be enlightened...

Also during said Chives/Cupboard chatagoricism, I think I mentioned a little delight which Mr. Ed introduced me to during his last sojourn over this side of things. If you have not sought it out, and for those not part of aforementioned noble carthorse of pint-fueled chat, here it is...




Well, best leave it there for now- I've run on quite a bit... Bluecupboard

p.s. In terms of our "mansard roof" conversation, there's a good one just here...

Just say no to Crugs

Why take the time to spell out your displeasure with a vexing footwear trend, when all your disdain for said sad, fashion fad can be summed up by a single cat macro? Well quite:

As if that's not bad enough, just under a year ago, word spread of a fecund conflagration betwixt the aforementioned "vile demon bastard footwear" and the equally wretched Ugg boot. WARNING - the results are not for the faint of fashion.

- Mr. Ed

Image from ICHC

I wanted to bring drawing into the 'all whites'

Robert Rauschenberg talks about erasing a drawing by de Kooning.
Read more at boingboing.

Video from WeShow

- Mr. Ed

This is a portrait of Robert Rauschenberg

because we say it is...

Or more accurately* because the man who might well be called the foremost American artist of the last century, Robert Rauschenberg, died yesterday evening, age 82.  Here is a link to the NYT piece, while here is a link to a NYT slideshow of Rauschenberg and some of his work from a while ago...

-Bluecupboard

*  Or most accurately because of Rauschenberg's infamous 1961 Portrait of Iris Clert which you can see here...

Super sweet tune!

Beigey put me on to this tune the first day I got back to Blighty - it's fantastic!

- Mr. Ed

Via Lullyweb