BLOG IT
SITE: Sleep Talkin’ Man (sleeptalkinman.blogspot.com)
For those offended by British or American curses, I warn you now to not look at this site. Recently featured on “The Today Show,” Sleep Talkin’ Man gives you quotes from Adam, a “mild-mannered Englishman” by day, whose spoken-whilst-asleep exploits make you wonder just WHAT is going on in that brain of his. Adam’s wife Karen records everything he says while sleeping using a voice-activated recorder so she can type them up later (yes, she gets to sleep too). She doesn’t edit his quotes, but does her best to make it sound as he said it. Also, sometimes Karen offers comments after the quotes to explore a particular obsession, and this commentary often is just as funny as Sleep Talkin’ Man’s random ramblings. And in case you’re questioning the validity of the site/this couple, the site now offers audio, which also was featured on their “Today Show” visit, which frankly makes the experience SO much better. Be sure to check out some of the nchored on the left side of the page, including “Duck on swing” (my personal favorite) and “Vampire Penguins.” — Kim Ossi
DID YOU KNOW?
First condoms, now Scotch. USA Curling has a new sponsor in whiskey maker Laphroaig. “They fit well because they have kind of a niche market,” said Rick Patzke, USA Curling’s chief operating officer. “It seems like anywhere in the world, if you’re a curler and you happen to meet another curler, you have an instant bond. It sounds to me like the same thing with Laphroaig.” For more Olympics coverage, see Sports.
— The Associated Press
POP PICKS
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Galatic
Galactic has always shown a willingness to experiment, to incorporate humor and new musical styles into its cornbread-and-whipped-butter brand of jazzyfunkypop. The band members are slaves to the groove, never putting individual expression above the integrity of the tune. Where other groups resign themselves to being mainstays on the frat party circuit, Galactic is a band of theollaborating with gospel divas and street musicians and playing small blues clubs. — Michael Kabran
READ: “Azrael” by Fabian Nicieza (Comic)
“Azrael” is an exploration of the very concept of Azrael in a post-9/11 world, providing something superhero comics have needed for some time now: a caped counterpart to intelligent political comics like “DMZ,” “Ex Machina” and “Transmetropolitan,” something almost entirely unseen since Denny O’Neill, creator of the original Azrael, tackled “Green Lantern/Green Arrow” and “The Question.” Nicieza and artist Ramon Bachs do not play lightly with their subject matter; it’s grim and gritty, yes, but also unstable, morally gray and more than a little uncomfortable. — Kevin M. Brettauer
PLAY: Torchlight (PC)
“Torchlight,” to its utter credit, is a throwback to a time when gaming was escapism and narrative augmented the experience rather than defining it. The gameplay is so much like second nature that it nearly ceases to exist you can happily play while watching TV, or eating dinner. It’s a game that scratches an itch and little more, but it’s like scratching that itch with a superdeluxe backscratcher — it just feels indefinably better than all of the other ways that you’ve tried to scratch the itch before. — Mike Schiller
PopMatters.com
TECH TALK
Web picks: Sites of great value in their area:
* For Tech News: zdnet.com, cnet.com, techmeme.com, techcrunch.com, readwriteweb.com.
* For graphic and Web page design: smashing magazine.com, sixrevisions.com, smashingapps.com.
* For music: harmonycentral.com, fizy.com, pandora.com
* For video: youtube.com, hulu.com, ted.com.
* Miscellaneous: alltop.com-this site is a one-stop for any topic, and offers extensive coverage of almost any subject you can name.