I can totally play killer riffs in the key of blue

So apparently Rock Band and the companies behind that fine piece of video gaming are being sued for violating one of Gibson's patent. Yes, the company that makes guitars with strings that make real sounds is suing the companies for making guitars with plastic buttons that go "click click click".

The patent system has become a complete and utter farce.

Vanity Fair: The Queens of Comedy

I've always looked forward to Annie Leibovitz's celebrity shots for Vanity Fair, and this issue is no exception. This time, however, rather than featuring Hollywood's ingenue line-up, it instead features the leading ladies of comedy. I can't wait to see what they've come up with.

Click the post title to see a video of the shooting of this month's feature.

Quote of the day

"You know, lolcats are really the future of life. One day, we will all evolve into lolcats... But only after we evolve into a bunch of tennis balls haphazardly taped together." - Three Tennis Balls Taped Together

Primaries? Delegates? What?

So you're watching or reading your news, and find yourself inundated with talk of primaries and delegates. If you're a Canadian (like me), this very likely goes sailing over your head as you scrape away at what you learned in school, only to discover that you didn't learn very much about the U.S. political system.

Enter McNutt. He's here to break it down for his fellow Canadians to understand. Heck, I'd say the post is helpful to anyone bewildered by the process of choosing candidates for each party, Americans included.

I'm still a bit perplexed by Florida and Michigan being penalized for moving the dates for their primaries up, but that will require further research on my part. Until I manage to unravel that, go have a read of Primary Politics for Canadians.

Chiru

When you're done watching that video, go watch this version.

Overheard

"There have been a number of iTunes related deaths."

I can't even make this shit up. Seriously.

The Edmonton LRT driver/pilot

If you haven't had the pleasure of riding with this fellow at the helm, you are indeed missing out. My mundane morning was transformed into something far more interesting when his voice chattered from the PA system. I wasn't just taking the LRT, oh no, I was obviously on a flight to somewhere exotic that happens to stop in downtown Edmonton. I love this guy.

(If you love him too, join the Facebook group!)

Art School Confidential

As the deadlines for applications for the fall march ever closer, I am increasingly reminded of the fact that my portfolio still consists of only photographs.

On the one hand, this year has been a great success. I'm far more capable when it comes to school than I ever gave myself credit for, and I may be able to secure some scholarships for myself. On the other hand, my first drawing class made me want to curl up in the fetal position, and I haven't picked up a drawing implement since I dropped the course.

Life is long. I keep telling other people this, and I try to remind myself of the same. But it doesn't make me feel any less antsy about getting into a photography program as soon as is humanly possible.

Going back to school has been great. I feel smarter. I feel educated. I have structure in my life again. But I haven't been developing as an artist, unless you count memorizing other people's work (Art History), which I don't.

I'm still tied up in knots over having to actually draw something in order to convey the fact that I am creative and belong in art school. I don't even know if I'd like art school. My impression of fine arts professors so far hasn't been especially positive, since no one seems to want to tell you what they're looking for or how to accomplish it.

My tolerance for bullshit is very, very low. I love photography. I want to study photography, just as I'm studying English, Art History, Japanese, and Psychology. But I dread getting into a class where my professor announces that he/she "doesn't give A's". Granted, how do you determine that someone's art is worthy of an A? But to make a blanket statement that you won't be giving any is absurd. If I know I won't succeed no matter how hard I try, why the hell would I bother?

I'm seriously considering taking some non-credit art courses in order to get my feet wet without taking a hit on my GPA, but I'm not excited about hemorrhaging money with no credits to show for it.

Did I mention that the for-credit photography class I was planning on taking is full? I was not thrilled.

Zoo Race

Don't ask me to explain. Just watch it. Please.

More great ideas from the fine folks at Sony BMG

Sony and their corporate offspring demonstrate once again that they're so far ahead, they're behind.

They seem to have a corporation-wide epidemic of Head-Up-Ass Syndrome.