Friday Night Links

P.J. and I had a week full of suck and it's all because DirecTV pulled the bonus channels we were receiving like VH1 Classic and Ovation. It was to be expected and something we should have seen coming. As every kid in high school econ learns, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." DirecTV surely wasn't going to let us enjoy premium channels for free. No sir. Instead they just titillated us with their artsy channel peep show and then pulled the plug just when we were getting comfortable. We will no longer be watching documentaries on bands like Pink Floyd or the Sex Pistols, nor will we get to decide whether a painting is art or not. So, thanks a lot DirecTV. Now P.J. and I have to make due with A Baby Story mini-marathons, True Life: I'm a College Baller, and the wacky antics of Bam Margera. It's like a pop culture smoothie where the only ingredients are lard, apathy, and a fat scoop of shame.

After being burned so badly by technology, P.J. and I decided to go the old school route and devote this week's links to something decidedly non-digital: BOOKS. And don't get me started on the Kindle (shakes fist).



Friday Night Links/P.J.'s Picks:

I've always had a fascination with bookplates. I'm not sure why. Probably because it's a really bad ass personalized sticker and who doesn't like stickers?

I'm not sure how legit and official the organization is, but this site claims to be the home of the American Society of Bookplate Collectors and Designers.


Confessions of a Bookplate Junkie has hundreds of fine examples of the art, some of which are quite elaborate and enviable.

Found Beloved is a site dedicated to children's books found at garage sales and second hand stores. At least I think that's what the site is about. Also somehow affiliated with Marzipan Press.

And for those interested in the design and making of books I give you:

Biblio Odyssey which focuses on antiquarian book art

Amassblog which covers book design through the ages

and for the font enthusiast...

Typographica

All-Time Most Annoying/Useless Thing about Rolling Stone Besides Its Mere Presence:

1. Their Top 100 Lists

Rolling Stone, like VH1 before it, has taken the easy way out and published yet another top 100 list. What are the geniuses at Rolling Stone ranking this time? The Top 100 People Who Are Changing America. Tina Fey and Kanye West are in the top ten, while the music industry's money-making marionette, Taylor Swift, graces us with her presence at number 100.

Previous Rolling Stones lists include, The 50 Greatest Artists of All Time, The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. (Don't think R. Kelly's, "I Believe I Can Fly" should be 406? Tough shit. Rolling Stone does. ) It's not that I have a problem with the rankings, which I couldn't care less about, it's the fact that Rolling Stone wastes 16 pages on it. Does the world really need another blurb about Danny Boyle? Do we really need another reminder about how he defied convention and brought racial prejudice to the forefront of American cinema(which he didn't)? No. If anything, Rolling Stone should have given another shout out to the grandaddy of all racially sensitive directors (which he isn't), Paul Haggis.

Arcade Fire is not going to gain any leverage in the music industry by getting named number 27 on this list, nor is Taylor Swift going to lose any cred by being named 100. If Rolling Stone is trying to shock its readers, they should do it by publishing interesting and relevant articles, not meaningless filler. Also, Gossip Girl actresses licking an ice cream cone on the cover? Really?

WTF

is jessica walter doing on the new "beverly hills: 90210"? she was lucille bluth for fuck's sake. she has no business being on some shitty cw teen melodrama. mitch hurwitz, if he were dead, would be turning in his grave.

tell-tale signs a society is fucked

sign #314: bags of chips now feature a remote control

it used to be that junk food manufacturers had to apologize or disguise the fact that their products were unhealthy (i.e. now with half the fat, reduced sodium, new, low calorie recipe, rich in vitamins, won't clog your colon, etc.) frito lay, being the purveyors of gluttony that they are, have decided to enter what bill o'reilly likes to call, "the no spin zone." (for further clarification, please watch this video) in the no spin zone, frito-lay has dropped their spin doctoring ways and have conceded to the fact that, in all likelihood, the people that buy their chips aren't the most active/health conscious group in world. , . now, in addition to displaying a well lit and thoroughly delicious looking bowl of chips, frito lay has also included the image of a tv remote control. they're not even trying to hide the fact that the people most likely to eat the chips leave their recliners only for a.) more chips b.) beer c.) taking a piss d.) a healthy scratch of the ass or e.) all of the above (but only during commercials). it's like they're saying, "yeah, we know you're probably a lazy, fat ass. oh well, what are you gonna do, huh? want some more chips, fat ass? don't bother getting up, fat ass, you just change they channels while we provide the calories." it's sad to see that gluttony and laziness are the prime motivators for selling food products. would putting a nice picnic scene on the bag be too difficult? something outdoors, maybe. something involving physical movement other than spontaneous arm raising at the sight of a touchdown?