Wow, That's Just So Random...

Thursday, May 22, 2008 | 3:36 PM

Sitting here in front of the computer, still reeling from the pulse pounding American Idol finish last night (totally, deeply kidding), I am mildly surprised. For the first time in nearly three weeks, I don't feel a pressing need to write about one specific topic. I'm not in the mood to be introspective, deep, or even vaguely thoughtful. Instead, I would rather talk about a bunch of random stuff, the mental bric-a-brac that tumbles through my head without warning and, more often than not, reason. So, in no particular order:

White Beer: I'm not much of a beer drinker, and I've never liked dark beer (like Guinness, for example - blech), but my friend hipped me to Hoegaarden, the Belgian white beer with hints of coriander and Curacao orange peel, and I'm totally hooked. Another excellent brand is Hitachino White Ale, a Japanese white beer that's expensive but really delicious.

"Rickrolling": Although this is incredibly stupid, it still cracks me up. Rickrolling is a prank where unsuspecting people, prompted by "friends", click on a link expecting one thing, and instead are directed to the Youtube video of 80's sensation Rick Astley singing "Never Gonna Give You Up", much to the Rickrollee's dismay. Kills me every time.

Cloverfield: Some people got motion sickness from this film on the big screen, but I really enjoyed it. America's answer to the great Godzilla movies of yore, this J.J. Abrams produced thriller even delivers on DVD. Terrific effects, better than average performances and an eerie ending make this pic a winner.

Japanese Flashmobs: My current favorite internet clip is the 100 Person Flashmob, a brilliant piece of prankery that is simultaneously harmless, terrifying and hilarious. If you haven't seen it, here's the link. Watch it and try not to smile.

Amazon Kindle: It's not perfect, but this genius e-book reader from Amazon has no back lit screen (therefore no eyestrain), a solid Internet browser, and the ability to download books wirelessly to the device (some of them for free) within seconds. Whenever I show this gadget to book-loving newbies, their eyes bug out of their head, and they lose their cotton pickin' minds. Holds well over a hundred books and is worth every penny.

The Gap Cycle: Stephen R. Donaldson's masterpiece is a five part, Uber-nerd triumph. Based on Wagner's The Ring, this most gripping of space operas features an incredibly labyrinthine plot, memorable characters and multiple twists to keep you reading all summer long.

Magic Mushrooms: Mellower than acid, this mind-bending hallucinogen conjures life-altering visions of... OK, I was just checking to see if you were paying attention.

Keith Jarrett: Speaking of mellow, try slipping on Jarrett's classic Koln concert this weekend, and see if the best-selling piano improvisation record of all time still stands the test of time. If you love cascading washes of aural bliss, I'm betting the answer is yes.

That's pretty much it for now. Have a tremendous weekend!

By Zach Galligan in Zach Galligan | Link | 1 Comments | Recommended (1)

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