City Skies, the Ken Burns Effect, Coffee

Welcome to the end of another work week.  Time flies, it really does.  As I walk through Georgetown's campus and find it all prepared for a graduation that is not mine, and look at my calendar to find I've been working here for exactly 10 months, that's the only conclusion I can reach.  (Another example of time flying... Started this report this morning, didn't finish til 12:45. All work and no play.)

Lots of excitement around Wednesday's report.  Two readers reflected on how much their younger selves would have loved to stumble on a real-life mystery like that in their own home.  Another was reminded of childhood adventures, though his were less hypothetical, as he reflected on trips to the Winchester Mystery House, which he describes as "the incredible product of a deranged woman who, from the time her husband died until the time she herself croaked, kept adding rooms and staircases-to-nowhere and trapdoors and reverse fireplaces and all kinds of weird stuff to the house."  I've never been, but I remember seeing it on some sort of scary homes special on the Travel Channel or something.  Looking at it now, I am reminded of the thrilling and wildly original novel House of Leaves, which centers on a house larger on the inside than it is on the outside.

One reader is actually a wealth of resources for today's report, having also provided some excellent links to city skylines.  First, he sent over an Atlantic photo series on night sky views focused around London, though including some other UK cities, as well.  I am struck first by how many Ferris wheels there are in the series, beyond just the now iconic London Eye.  Is the UK particularly rich with Ferris wheels, or do they just make neat things to photograph, I wonder.  I was also disappointed to see that a photo featuring the BT Tower in London did not make the cut.  Though not as iconic as some of London's other towers, it was right near where I lived when I studied there, and thus served as a guiding star home on many a night when the exact route to where I lived was a bit foggy...  The second link provided by this reader also features a skyline with a missing tower.  I have heard it noted of the Eiffel Tower that, while it provides the best view of Paris, photos taken from the top always miss one element of the City of Light, namely the Eiffel Tower.  Still, even without an appearance from the Tower itself, this interactive Paris panorama is a great way to look around the city.

To close things out for the week, two shorter items, both found via Andrew Sullivan's "The Dish."  First, Ken Burns reflects on storytelling.  Burns is, of course, a master of turning massive events, histories, or pastimes into interesting stories, even when footage is limited to slow pans and zooms across still photographs.  So his two cents is probably worth something.  And second, good-ish news for the coffee addicts among the readership.  The Washington Post reports on a study that argues that heavy coffee drinkers show potentially prolonged lifespans.  But even on Causal Friday, correlation is not causation, as the commenters have been quick to note.  The best comment, by far, though, is the reader who notes that, regardless of her own prolonged lifespan, those around her have a better chance of living longer when she has her coffee.  Touche, sassy reader, touche.

Hope the rest of your Friday (30) Rocks.  (It's Tina Fey's birthday!)

New Houses, New Mysteries

It seems animals should be a regular part of our Tuesday morning rotation... Lots of positive and thankful responses for the fuzzy faces to get us through that terrible day.  In fact, one response had me ready to send out a follow-up report, it was so perfect.  While it was great to see the animal moms in the Daily Beast slideshow, Victoria's Washington Post submission pays tribute to some of the adoptive mothers of the animal world.  The Rottweiler and wolf pup are so cute, and-- SQUIRREL!  Andrew, meanwhile, submitted a plug for his company's upcoming show, Animal Practice, which will definitely be one to keep an eye out for when new TV seasons begin.

While yesterday's morning was full of reporting, yesterday's evening was full of a new house.  That's right, the desk of the Morning Reporter is moving back down to T Street.  And with a new house comes new housemates.  Here's hoping they aren't as lazy as Nate's roommate Drew.  [They aren't.]  But if they are, I hope they are lazy as creatively as Drew is.  A meme-d excuse to not work out is a good excuse to not work out in my book.

And speaking of books, I'm still exploring the new house for the book that reveals clues to the house's secret codes and mysteries, like the one that the Klinsky family found in their 5th Avenue Apartment when they moved in in 2008.  Described as family-friendly DaVinci Code meets Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the story of this apartment is one of the pieces from the New York Times that has lingered in my memory the longest, right down to the little salamanders.  What a fun (and beautiful) apartment with so many great details.  I particularly love the simple little plane drawing that hides the scale kitchen.  Any architects and artists among the readership, be prepared for a phone call when my family buys its first house, we'll be calling you up to help design a fun mystery adventure for our children to solve.

That's all we've got for the Report today!  I'm off to be trained on the Adobe suite... So maybe future editions will include some of you guys photoshopped in with puppies or Pixar characters!  We shall see!  [Indeed future banners would indicate Adobe prowess...]

Dress up as a British nanny and sneak some cayenne pepper into your ex-wife's new boyfriend's jambalaya... It's Pierce Brosnan's 59th birthday!  (A Bond reference was too straightforward, and all of his other roles decidedly forgettable.)

Animals with Moms, Windows, and Apples

Ah, the terrible Tuesday.  That longest day of the week, when the weekend seems like it was ages ago, and next weekend is a distant speck on the horizon.  And lord knows we all look forward to the weekends, even if it means two Report-less days.  And Report-less weekends mean there was no Report this past Sunday; the only person who received communication from me that morning was Mom.  While that is great for Mom (and I hope you wished all of your mothers a Happy Mother's Day, dear readers!), it meant that as a collective readership, we could not enjoy a selection from the glut of adorable mom-stuff that found its way online this weekend.

Well then, let's consider today "Mother's Day (Observed)" and take a look at something cute.  While Time Magazine is getting all the buzz about moms lately for their controversial cover photo (BOOBS!), Newsweek's Daily Beast put out some shots of parent-child bonding that are infinitely more shareable.  How about that polar bear cub gazing up at mom?  And little zebu getting in trouble?  But my favorite is the tamarin, if only because it involves the statement, "admires its mother's mustache," a seldom-used combination of words.

Sometimes, though, little babies, be they animal or human, need some time away from mom.  (Hear that, Time magazine cover lady?)  They long to get out and explore the world on their own.  Experience it for themselves.  But sometimes, something gets in the way.  And sometimes that thing is a window.  And sometimes the results are cute photographs of planned escapes, adventures, and lives.  The main question that arises here is not what they are planning, but which one is cuter:  The kitten with its arm around the other in photo four, or the two-head-kitten-totem-pole of photo seven?  Or do dog and raccoon on the outside looking in trump them all?

And finally for today, we can't discuss animals looking out windows without me thinking of an animal looking at Macs.  This is actually the funniest thing I have ever sent in a Morning Report.  Without fail, it makes me laugh out loud every time I read it.  I would make puns and witty remarks about it, but really, the writer of the piece has already got everything covered.  The entire process of analysis.  Everything you would experience when you see a horse in an Apple Store.  It's all there.  Ready to be laughed at.

Eat something terrible for you today; it's the 72nd anniversary of the opening of the first McDonalds (in San Bernadino, California).

Til tomor- THERE IS A LITTLE PONY IN THE APPLE STORE.

Once Again, to Zelda

 I was thrilled to learn on Friday how many squirrel fans there are among our readership, and ice cream fans, as well.  (Also thrilled that no readers proposed a cross-over of squirrel ice cream.)  One reader provided a fantastic comic on Friday in response to Thursday's report on Maurice Sendak.  Seriously, thank you to all those who submit links and such.  I promise I'm trying to find ways to work them all in, but we have a sizable backlog that we're working with, too.

But today we're not digging into the backlog at all.  I spent this weekend traveling to New York and back to see the play "Gatz," an 8 hour marathon theater experience in which the entirety of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is read/performed on stage.  The experience is so much more than that, but it is hard to describe in any other way.  The concept is this:  A man enters his office, finds that his computer is not working, and also finds a copy of the novel at his desk.  He begins to read aloud, and over the next 8 hours, his office is transformed, coworkers become characters, and previously unrealized layers of the novel become apparent.  For example, Nick Carraway is an absolutely hilarious and snarky narrator.  Bet you didn't realize that in 10th grade American Lit!

The Public Theater also put together some great promotional material for the piece, including a variety of (some recognizable) actors, writers, and more reading both the opening and famous closing of the novel.  (Note: None of those talents appear in the production.)  Though maybe they should have focused more on merchandising for marketing... I would wear a Gatz shirt, much like this t-shirt.  (It makes me sad because I've never seen such - such beautiful shirts before.)  What a classic cover.  Though the re-design presented for Penguin Essentials is pretty cool, too.

Not sure if this show should be called an adaptation of the work or not, since it's presented in its original entirety.  Not like the Robert Redford film.  Or the upcoming Baz Luhrmann film.  And this (tragically auto-tuned, but) fantastic rap adaptation.  But as far as adaptations go, there really is none as unique as The Great Gatsby video game originally released for NES.  An incredible piece of work, right down to the (fake) backstory.  And be sure to check out the merchandise section of their page... Hilarious.

That's all for today... More cute animals and such to come later in the week to make up for this literature (and video game!!) heavy post.  Funny, though, that a Report about great writing should fall on George Lucas's birthday... Given his failure to grasp fundamentals of storytelling and good dialogue writing and all...

Til to-morrow, we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning---

Ice Cream, Veggies, and -- SQUIRREL!

 Some great responses to yesterday's report.  Lots of fans of monkeys, though I agree with one submitter that large monkeys are sometimes a bit disconcertingly *too* human.  Another boasted about being lucky enough to avoid following the 10 Commandments of Meetings by simply avoiding meetings altogether.  And yet another noted some potential for an exciting level in Walden, wherein the player takes part in the "war between two races of ants, the red always pitted against the black," that Thoreau describes in Chapter 12.  I wonder, though... Would you play as one ant engaged in battle, or would you command an ant army?

So now, dear readers, what rewards do you get for reaching the end of the week?  How about some ice cream?  Seriously!  Chicken and Waffles ice cream!  How crazy is that?  And here I was thinking I was all big and creative two years ago when I candied a bunch of bacon, tossed it in fudge ice cream, and called it "Pig Pen."  These guys blow me away.  Of course, I get it, that's not for everyone.  Vegetarians, for starters... But as I'm drafting this before bed, I've no doubt that I'll have ice cream dreams tonight.  Though hopefully not as vivid as this kid's...  (Does anyone else find it weird that there are SO many links to other videos of kids in similar sleep-versus-treat dilemmas?  Though I admit at least two of our readers have access to a photo of a young reporter with his face in a bowl full of breakfast... And if either of those readers provide them, they will be included in a future report.)

As for the aforementioned vegetarians, perhaps you should have a word with this blogger.  These reviews of vegetables, while undeniably hilarious and mildly NSFW (in the event that your boss doesn't like F-Bombs emblazoned across your computer screen) suggest that the blogger eats nothing but meat and potatoes.  (See the "About" page for the exoneration of potatoes.)   If this veggie-hating blogger was a zoo animal, I bet we'd see this sort of behavior.  Except for the manatee one.  Manatees are all about the veg.  Sea cows.

If animals are going to come that close to me, I want them to be a little more docile.  Something smaller.  Something like... The animals that have come far too close to me for the past four years.  Aww, squirrels.  Love those guys.  So many of them hanging out in the snow!  So many of them with little snow flakes on their little noses!  And I'm loving the leg-lift on the kitten-kiss.

And with that, I leave you for the weekend; I'm off to New York!  But I'll spend a little of today in Yoknapatawpha County, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the publication of William Faulkner's Go Down, Moses, one of my personal favorites!

Thou Shalt Meet, Clearing the Cuteness Backlog, and www.alden.pond

I'm thrilled to be writing two days in a row, if only because it means that I'm not stuck "in another fucking mtg." following these Ten Commandments.  Seriously, though, so many completely pointless meetings this week... I've been all about Commandment 2, while meeting coordinators and presenters seem to be tending toward 4 more and more.  And there I am, stuck coffee-coveting and doodling, knowing that I could be back at my desk producing important aviation documentation.  (People must know to beware of the linen trousers!)

Or I could be back here, continuing to develop an overwhelming backlog of adorable animal photography.  You know what?  It's been a long week, let's unload some of this.  You all deserve it.  Yesterday's Wild Things, though cute in their own way, just can't compare to good old fashioned monkey-dog bonding.  While monkeys carrying dogs and monkeys using dogs for transportation make up the majority of the pictures, the monkey-dog hugs (especially 17) and the classic "Sir, no touching the dog, please" of number 7 are my favorites.  Maybe the monkey would have more luck protecting the dog from unwanted human contact if he created a force shield around him.  One of these animals can help.  And, when he has successfully mastered the techniques of the force, that monkey will have every right to feel just as proud as these animals.  Only, he should try not to show it.  Nothing's more douchey than an animal that's all like "Do you know who I am? I'm kind of a big deal..."  Well, except maybe a human that's all like "Do you know who I am? I'm kind of a big deal."

And one final item to get you through your Thursday:  Lately, the weather when I leave for work has been a bit rainy, but when I arrive at my office, it clears for the next nine hours, until it is time for me to head home, and the clouds and rains roll in again.  So I've frequently found myself thinking, "If only there was a way for me to enjoy the great outdoors from the comfort of my desk."  Well, the good people at the National Endowment for the Arts must have heard my cry, because they are providing funding for the development of a Walden video game.  And really, is there any text more deserving of a video game?  Just imagine playing out Chapter 12 of Henry David Thoreau's classic book: "You only need sit still long enough in some attractive spot in the woods that all its inhabitants may exhibit themselves to you by turns."  Just put the controller down and watch people and creatures pass by.  A video game is the most obvious way to live through Thoreau's most famous line: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."  Because hey, no pressure!  In the game environment, when you come to die, if you discover you had not lived, you don't need to worry about it; you've probably got four more lives anyway!  Depends how you did foraging for 1-Up mushrooms.

It's Mother's Day in Mexico!  Wish the madres in your life un día bueno!

Mourning Report: King of All Wild Things

In the last edition of the Report, I discussed my online music time travel adventures.  One reader used my Lady Marmalade reference to follow a train of thought about one marmalade loving Paddington Bear.  He notes, though, that Paddington's Wikipedia page does nothing to bring to mind the adorable children's book character of memory.  First, there's that creepy statue picture, then there's the description:  "Paddington is an anthropomorphised bear... from Deepest, Darkest Peru, with his old hat, battered suitcase, duffle coat."  We would be wise to follow Jon's advice:  If anything matching that description turned up in Paddington Station... Call the police immediately... See something, say something.

Today's report also focuses on a legendary figure of children's literature, as we reflect on the passing of Maurice Sendak.  Though Sendak wrote and/or illustrated over 100 books during his career, readers no doubt remember him most for the classics Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen. Anyone familiar with my wardrobe or bookshelf will know that I am a huge fan of Where the Wild Things Are, owning three t-shirts based on the book, the book itself, and two copies of Dave Eggers' novel adaptation  (One fur covered, one not).  For today's report, I felt it would be appropriate to compile some of my favorite Sendak (or tangentially related) web items.

First, a trailer for the Spike Jonze's film adaptation.  I admit it, this is what sparked my resurgence of Sendak enthusiasm.  I also admit that I have watched that trailer more than any other movie preview ever in my life.  Furthermore, I think it might be better than the film itself, though the film has some beautiful and poignant moments that don't make the two minute cut.  Still, the wondrous visuals, the Arcade Fire soundtrack, and the "Inside All of Us" tag-line led to months of giddy anticipation.  And as long as I'm admitting things, I went to that movie alone at 11:00 AM on opening day, after having stayed up all night writing an English paper.  That's how much the trailer worked on me.  (And as long as we're doing tangential stories, Max Records, who stars as Max, is also featured in the opening of Rian Johnson's phenomenal The Brothers Bloom, an opening that can really stand as it's own short film.)

Spike Jonze wasn't the first one who saw screen potential in Sendak's famous book, though.  Disney once owned the adaptation rights to the book, but never brought it to theaters.  The idea was used, though, in some very early testing of 3D computer animation.  This 1983 test animation was spearheaded by none other than John Lasseter, now Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and Disney Animation Studios, and director of Pixar's first three films.  It is no coincidence that a writer and artist that so respects the children that are viewed has his primary audience once inspired the early work of a filmmaker whose studio does the same.

Finally, some interviews.  Of course, Stephen Colbert's highly entertaining interview in two parts is worth a view.  As is this 2004 interview with Bill Moyers.  The real great ones, though, are on NPR.  Throughout his career, Sendak had several conversations (they can hardly be called interviews, they are so comfortable) with Terry Gross, and NPR has conveniently compiled them on one remembrance page.  His reflections here are beautiful, but I advise against listening to them at work, unless you are comfortable with your coworkers seeing you cry.  (This is especially true for the most recent interview.)  If there is any quote worth pulling here, though, it is one NPR has already pulled and bolded:  "I have nothing now but praise for my life. I'm not unhappy. I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more... What I dread is the isolation... There are so many beautiful things in the world which I will have to leave when I die, but I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready."  I find comfort in knowing this.  We ate him up, we loved him so.  And as one reader of the report has observed, that may mean he's still alive.

And, having eaten him up, may we be like Maurice:  Creative, honest, perseverant, and respectful of children...

And may we also be like Max:  Unafraid to make mischief, courageous enough to sail off through night and day, and brave enough to tame our wild things...

And when we grow lonely and tire of the wild rumpus, may we always have a place to go where someone loves us best of all...

And when we get there, may we find our supper waiting for us... still hot.

 

Til tomorrow, reporting from the desk where the filed things are,

~Evan