Truly, These Are My People.

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:04 pm By Joseph Susanka

Working my way through the glut of post-vacation pieces in my feed-reader — over 7K at last count — I stumbled across this eye-opener from last month’s A.V. Club: …a fellow who goes by the handle Blubbler set the record this week for fastest Super Mario Bros. completion time. As reported by Kotaku, Blubbler’s time of 4:57.69 is the best ever by an unassisted speedrunner—rather than a player using software tools to edit together a “perfect” run. This marks the first time that any player... Read more

“Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” by T.S. Eliot

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:04 pm By Joseph Susanka

Described by the magically–infallible (if only occasionally-reliable) Wikipedia as “a collection of whimsical poems by T. S. Eliot about feline psychology and sociology,” this work is perhaps most (albeit tangentially) famous for its role as “the basis for the musical ‘Cats.'” And that’s a shame, because it deserves to be recognized as worthwhile no matter/(in spite of?) what ALW did with it. It’s brilliant. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, I tell you! But don’t take my word for it. Just listen to this YouTube... Read more

No Commentary Necessary — “Doug Wood” Edition

Last updated on: January 16, 2015 at 4:18 pm By Joseph Susanka

The following comments are offered without irony (if not entirely without guilt): That’s musician Doug Wood performing his own work, “Eye of the Needle.” I stumbled across his music (and unusual technique) on our local NPR station some months ago and was immediately intrigued. He’s got a few albums out there — including one called “Cellocentric,” which must be awesome with a name like that, right? — but he’s not as high-profile as one might expect from a fellow described as “one of... Read more

SSF: “Alfie and the Prometheus Dream”

Last updated on: January 15, 2015 at 10:44 am By Joseph Susanka

From the “Susanka’s Dark, Sci-Fi Tendencies” file, through which I inevitably flip from time to time, a stop-motion steam-punk piece on the inescapably human tendency to reach for the seemingly unattainable. Promethean? Or Icarian? Or are they not one and the same? (Also, for poetical illiterati like myself, William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus” is the poem being recited during Alfie’s final transformation. A fascinating work in its own right. Also-also, yes. WALL·E. Most definitely.) It matters not how strait the gate, How charged... Read more

“Beauty That Exists in the Most Minute Things”

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:04 pm By Joseph Susanka

Macro photography is sort of like slow-mo in movies. Technically demanding and sometimes overused — Yes, I’ve abused the Micro setting on my Canon pretty badly in the past, if you must know — but capable of showing you things otherwise impossible to see and wonderful when used appropriately. Take these images from photographer Alejandro Ferrer Ruiz, for example: Breath-taking, no? NotesOnTheRoad.com describes him as “a Spanish artist who specializes in macrophotography, giving you a new perspective on the world.” And... Read more

SVS: “Witness for the Prosecution”

Last updated on: January 12, 2015 at 5:02 pm By Joseph Susanka

Apparently, preserving this film’s twisty ending was a bit of a concern for its investors: The producers were so concerned about the financial success of the film that during the credits, an announcer urges the audience not to reveal the film’s ending to anyone. … At previews, audience members received, and were asked to sign, cards that read, “I solemnly swear I will not reveal the ending of Witness for the Prosecution.” Want to see what all the fuss was... Read more

Chuck Jones Drawing Bugs Bunny

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:05 pm By Joseph Susanka

I can’t remember the kind soul who first retweeted this video of Chuck Jones drawing Bugs Bunny — The Anchoress, perhaps? — and that’s a shame, because someone deserves a medal for the amount of pleasure it has given me over the past few weeks. Seriously, I love these sorts of things — showing me a character I’ve seen (literally) thousands of times, but showing it off in a way that brings out its “artistic bones,” and casts it in... Read more

Whistling My Way Across Wyoming’s Steppes

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:05 pm By Joseph Susanka

I’m a whistler. And I’ve been a whistler for just about as long as I can remember. (To my co-workers’ chagrin? Quite possibly.) I’m also a walker. (No, not AMC’s kind of “walker.” Though I definitely feel like one, at times. Lots’o kids can do that to you. At least “lots’o younger kids who sometimes like to sneak their way into your bed late at night and thrash around just for the heck of it.” They can sleep through anything, apparently.... Read more

Evidence That I Have Arrived (FINALLY!)

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:05 pm By Joseph Susanka

Thanks to my Twitter notifications, I now have irrefutable evidence that this whole Blogging/Social Media thing is starting to pay off: Once more, for emphasis: Shakespeare is now following me on Twitter. I’m flattered. Gonna have to start an endorsements page, methinks: “The Bard Loves Joseph Susanka And Reads His Stuff All The Time,” or something equally restrained. Also, feel free to join him. Especially if you like movies. And baseball. (Also also, no, I’m not insanely myopic. Or at... Read more

SSF: “Mickey’s Trailer”

Last updated on: January 14, 2015 at 6:28 pm By Joseph Susanka

Having just completed our mostly-annual family “vacation” with roughly the same number of boys we had when we departed a couple of weeks ago, I’m putting this one firmly in the “Success” column. (Low bar, perhaps? Yeah, but an important one.) Besides, I now know that Nathan (Son Number Seven) is a huge, HUGE fan of Red Vines. And all the other boys are huge, HUGE fans of playing the newest version of Pocket Edition Minecraft on the iPad. Regarding... Read more