Xark!

How blessed are you?

Krztory? Krzyzewski Krzucks

This image is from Gordon Shumway's Flickrstream, via the always amazing essdogg.

re: My cabinet post

Nov. 14, 2008

Dear John Podesta:

How are things in Washington? Busy, I'm sure! Of course, it's probably a "good sort of busy," and I can certainly understand why you've not yet had a chance to reply to my e-mail of Nov. 5 (Subject line: "GREETINGS FROM YOUR NEXT SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES!").

To advance the matter just a bit while I've got your attention, I've been doing an awful lot of thinking about it since the election, and I just want you to know that I'm not "married" in any way to the HHS posting. I just thought, you know, that since HHS isn't the "sexiest" appointment there "inside the Beltway," maybe you might be open to volunteers. I looked it up online and found out that the current HHS secretary is some guy from Utah named Michael Leavitt. So there's my point. The bar's been set pretty low.

Grow a pair

An important message from Barrack Obama

XARK TV: 2007 MFL Draft review show

2007 MFL Draft in review from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

This week's XARK TV episode isn't for everyone, but if you're a fantasy football player and/or a member of the Manly Football League, give this one a try.

The MFL will hold its 18th draft on Aug. 23. Not bad for a bunch of newsies from Waynesville, N.C.

Eddie Izzard's Psychological Inner Peace

On Friday night, my Bonnie and I attended Eddie Izzard’s “Stripped” performance at the Ryman Auditorium.  Having been a dedicated fan since actually catching his “Dress to Kill” show on HBO several years back (even given my disappointment with some of the other performances available on DVD), it was with great anticipation that we took our seats. 

Izzard did not disappoint.  Pound for pound, the guy is the funniest man on the planet, and for almost two full hours, my stomach hurt.  When I wasn’t looking at Bonnie to see if she “got the joke,” I was banging my arm on the chair in front of me as a form of physical relief. 

Izzard’s performance worked for any number of reasons.  First, there was something especially delicious and slightly ironic about watching him in this former church and former home of the Grand Ole Opry.  Given his general left of center views, his engaged dismissal of religious based explanations of almost anything, and his occasion forays into transvestism, there is simply something rather non-Rymanesque about Izzard (well, on second glance, the transvestim fits elements of both country music and religion).  I felt it, and the entire audience understood it as well.  This was one of those magical moments when the setting itself made us all feel like we were part of a conspiracy.  With that as a starting point, Izzard had us as soon as the lights went down.  And with his quick pacing, he never let go.

Garfield minus Garfield

What happens when you Photoshop Garfield the Cat out of the daily Garfield comic strip?

You get a much funnier, much more interesting, highly pomo strip.

BRUNCH OF THE LIVING DEAD

BRUNCH OF THE LIVING DEAD from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

I held off on releasing this in hopes of getting the audio sweetened by May 27, which happens to be International Zombie Day. When that didn't happen, I decided it was time to make a few little fixes and put this baby out!

Look for the polished version -- complete with the documentaries "The Making of 'Brunch of the Living Dead,'" and "The Making of 'The Making of Brunch of the Living Dead,'" on the special DVD director's cut, which should be available to anyone who asks me for one later this summer...

David returns to Europe

(from David Quick)...

After a short tour of the United States, Michaelangelo's statue of David has returned to Europe...

(Click through to see...)