tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-140723712011-10-19T14:52:41.564-07:00People throw money at him.E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.comBlogger1061100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1151114155161228102006-06-23T18:55:00.000-07:002006-06-23T18:55:55.163-07:00

I've moved the blog to Wordpress.com! Find it here:E.C. Mendenhall Is A Very Famous Celebrity

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1143594634510862272006-03-28T18:09:00.000-07:002006-03-28T18:10:34.530-07:00

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1143501667103226552006-03-27T16:04:00.000-07:002006-03-27T16:29:37.310-07:00

A mysterious "leprechaun" has apparently taken up residence in a tree just outside Mobile, Alabama. Local residents have described the leprechaun as a small, frightening figure wearing a bowler hat and crouching in the tree's branches. Of course, if an observer attempts to shine a light on the creepy being, it "disappears." Reporters from the local news have made a valiant attempt to explain

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1142998755160845282006-03-21T20:09:00.000-07:002006-03-28T21:47:45.270-07:00

I'll openly admit that I am a compulsive Wikipedia user. The self-proclaimed "free encyclopedia that anyone can edit" is extensive, thorough, and addictive. Who hasn't spent hours poring over its in-depth analyses of Scientology, anarcho-capitalism, and the Franco-Prussian War? Good news for those of you who have -- now, you can carry Wikipedia's enormous knowledge base in your back

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1142737717478220632006-03-18T20:00:00.000-07:002006-03-21T20:41:26.403-07:00

Did you know that our national debt can be approximated as a giant golf ball stuffed with hundred-dollar bills? That its size is about fourteen times greater than the amount of US currency in circulation? That your individual share compares only to diamonds, cars, and telecommunications equipment? These are fun factoids, and people throw them around all the time. But they shouldn't be accepted

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1139981800709589932006-02-14T22:10:00.000-07:002006-02-14T22:37:27.506-07:00

As I was watching downhill skiing in the winter Olympics this week, I heard a familiar and unmistakable voice among the ski commentators. Unmistakably Canadian. Could the rumours be true? All signs suggest that Colin Mochrie, the zany bald comedian best known for his work on Whose Line Is It Anyway, is now doing NBC's Olympic skiing coverage. Or at least, whoever is providing the commentary

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1139618076890629922006-02-11T17:09:00.000-07:002006-02-11T17:21:59.473-07:00

Do you enjoy working with technology? Have you always wanted a career that gives you opportunities for intergalactic travel? Is there a price on your head in thousands of backwater spaceports across the galaxy? Do you want to help people - with lasers? Would you like to have an adventurous and questionably legal job?If your answer to any of the questions above was yes, then a career in the

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1139616161014473892006-02-10T16:55:00.000-07:002006-02-10T17:03:10.633-07:00

Over the past two days, I believe I have completed enough field research to conclusively support a new Mendenhall Corollary to The Free Lunch Theorem. There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but way too much free lunch is certainly a concrete possibility. Below, a graph that I found on wikipedia:

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1139206622616506802006-02-05T22:24:00.000-07:002006-02-05T23:23:27.530-07:00

This weekend, my mother and I visited a book sale sponsored by the local library, at which teams of trained librarians ostensibly sell off those books which are outdated, never read, or overstocked. Bill Clinton's My Life was apparently a triple threat, since besides filling up the entire bottom row of the biography section, stacks of the book were used not only to straighten wobbly tables, but

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1138946696898694302006-02-02T22:55:00.000-07:002006-02-02T23:07:20.623-07:00

The office of Commander in Chief has its perks. In 1835, a generous New York dairy farmer sent President Andrew Jackson a pretty big one: a 1400-pound wheel of cheese. Not sure exactly what to do with it, Jackson figured he might as well bring it in, and left it in the middle of the floor of the White House entrance hall. For two years. In 1837, after he felt it had aged sufficiently, Jackson

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1138757396289313972006-01-31T18:17:00.000-07:002006-01-31T18:30:26.796-07:00

"He shall, from time to time, give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, play State of The Union Bingo." -

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1138667471567189742006-01-30T16:31:00.000-07:002006-01-30T19:27:00.363-07:00

Overvalued internet powerhouse Google has taken a fair amount of flak recently for willingly kowtowing to the demands of the communist Chinese government. Cementing themselves as another brick in the Great Firewall, Google caved in to state-sponsored censorship, purging search results for terms like "human rights," "Tibet," and "falun gong," and effectively removing them from the face of the

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1138590774640316442006-01-29T20:06:00.000-07:002006-01-29T20:14:51.506-07:00

Ah, the bountiful wonders of the Internet -- the greatest place in the world to waste a lot of time. Fastr pulls tagged images from flickr, everyone's favorite photo-sharing website, and displays them onscreen as part of a multiplayer game. Players compete to guess what the common tag is between the photos -- in other words, what common characteristic they share. Fastest guesses are rewarded

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1138570306535534392006-01-29T14:17:00.000-07:002006-01-29T20:03:47.770-07:00

For the past month, my days were filled with tireless work for the Incredicrats -- the kind that leaves you feeling worn out all the way down to your bone marrow and wondering what the hell made you sign up in the first place. Countless people poured in their own blood, sweat, tears and toil for the party, and they deserve to be thanked for their steadfast support, without which our ten-ton

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1137556826654569942006-01-17T20:20:00.000-07:002006-01-17T21:03:19.566-07:00

I, along with the rest of the known world, was happy to hear of Apple's switch to Intel dual-core processors announced last week. The commercial accompanying the new product launch features clean-suited scientists carefully manufacturing the the high-tech hunk of silicon, complete with images of intricate robotic machinery and a final shot, which zooms out from the installed chip to reveal the

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1137303004876813952006-01-14T22:09:00.000-07:002006-01-14T22:35:44.180-07:00

My apologies for what has rapidly become a particularly protracted absence. Much of my time of late has been devoted to the Mock Election Project, which has become something of a rite of passage for seniors at University High. As party chair for the Incredicrats, I've been putting in almost six hours a day for the last few weeks. Election day is January 26, after which I'm likely to collapse

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1135804750733176152005-12-28T13:44:00.000-07:002005-12-29T10:31:57.160-07:00

As I was driving my sister to the mall yesterday, I found myself surrounded by the frantic commotion of teeming pilgrims flocking to their after-Christmas Mecca. Snowbirds in gigantic Buicks sprawled across three lanes of traffic, dimwit Civic owners showing off their newest twelve-foot spoilers by ignoring as many stop signs as possible, pedestrians waddling through the parking lot with a

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1135480619722755322005-12-24T19:45:00.000-07:002005-12-24T20:23:09.413-07:00

A six percent increase in the price level certainly doesn't bode well for anybody. Unfortunately, this year's CPI has risen a whopping 6.08% over the past year. But don't panic -- you won't be wearing out your shoeleather just yet. I'm not referring to the Consumer Price Index, the market-basket of goods used by the government to determine changes in inflation, but the Christmas Price Index, an

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1135190608175918572005-12-21T11:33:00.000-07:002005-12-21T11:43:28.250-07:00

I read an article from the BBC yesterday with a particularly interesting info-graphic. American sociological trends are often divided into geographic "belts." The rust belt and the Bible belt are probably most familiar, as is the Canadian belt, containing the vast and unexplored wilderness perched above our great nation. But I'd like to postulate another one: the Fat belt.I think this image

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1134936165915632002005-12-18T12:26:00.000-07:002005-12-19T21:20:16.963-07:00

The 2005 Vivalympics took place yesterday, giving rise to an entirely new definition of "physical fitness" as 26 competitors crammed burritos down their throats, sprinted like hell and, in the case of many of our competitors, retched as soon as they crossed the finish line. A more thorough recap is in order, but for now you can take a look at the competitor's times, which will be stored for

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1134532769822017282005-12-13T20:49:00.000-07:002005-12-13T21:06:36.156-07:00

Unless you want to do it at school. Last week, when one of my tasks was to rollerblade around the hallways all day, I was quickly informed that rollerblading on school property is a violation of Arizona state law, as I am so often informed when I begin to do anything particularly fun. Fortunately, I managed to catch The Man himself on film as my frictionless escapades were so violently shut down.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1134362569157468522005-12-11T21:11:00.000-07:002005-12-11T21:44:41.323-07:00

Andrew Jackson was a man who would go to absolutely insane lengths to protect his honor. Fortunately, life on the rough-and-tumble Tennessee frontier presented more than enough options to do so -- usually "seeking redress" for social offenses committed against him by engaging in duels. Although actually killing your opponent had fallen out of favor by the early 1800s, leaving duels as a purely

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1134089498742127392005-12-08T20:10:00.000-07:002005-12-08T20:21:49.640-07:00

Ah, how all occasions do inform against me. A mere four days after buying a new SD card for my Canon SD400, as the previous card caused all kinds of nasty firmware crashes, I turn it on and lo and behold -- the LCD screen has a purple, dime-sized crack right in the middle of the screen, rendering it completely inoperable but displaying the lovely psychedelic colors indicative of a busted LCD

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1133923506161630422005-12-06T09:22:00.000-07:002005-12-06T20:43:54.416-07:00

One of today's more peculiar provisos, second only to rollerblading to and from my classes all day, was to publish what was described to me only as "a Republican blog entry." Apparently I have been leased for the week by two of my own adoring readers.Perhaps I should stop for a moment and explain, as this will be the third entry in an unsettling trend of writing about bizarre Senior Sale antics

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1133847722908774182005-12-05T22:30:00.000-07:002005-12-05T22:42:02.926-07:00

For more photos of everyone's favorite wildly anarchistic week of fun, check out the flickr photoset I created just for the occasion.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1133724352753945912005-12-04T12:22:00.000-07:002005-12-04T12:27:15.650-07:00

Ah, the week of the Senior Sale -- five days of selfless indentured servitude in order to raise money para la causa. Monday's task was delivered to me on a tidy index card, complete with diagram.If anybody has a ribbon dancer, please let me know.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1133500435468006372005-12-01T22:05:00.000-07:002005-12-01T22:13:55.486-07:00

Squirrels. Packs of deadly, flesh-hungry squirrels, sacking the last vestiges of civilization like the Visigoths sacked Rome. A group of squirrels in Russia has reportedly attacked and torn apart a stray dog in a public park and "are said to have scampered off at the sight of humans, some carrying pieces of flesh." If it's not bird flu that gets us all, then mark my words-- it's going to be the

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1133406980834739872005-11-30T19:48:00.000-07:002005-11-30T20:37:11.336-07:00

Editorial Note: Believe it or not, but I am not the author of Quincy Vanderveeden's FACT-STRAVAGANZA. If you would like to contact Quincy for purposes of heartfelt praise and\or dispute mediation, please contact his North American literary agent, one James McCrystal. --E.C. MendenhallGood day, my dear readers, and welcome to the inaugural edition of my very own column: Quincy Vanderveeden’s

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1133328945091369802005-11-29T21:49:00.000-07:002005-11-29T22:37:47.453-07:00

It seems like everyone's buzzing about the latest Harry Potter movie lately. For weeks on end, even the Whigs have been waiting in breathless anticipation -- it's almost as exciting as the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo! And, just like the Mexican Cession, it seems that Harry Potter only gets better with age. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, the latest screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling's popular

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1133239578039375592005-11-28T21:28:00.000-07:002005-11-28T21:47:29.296-07:00

"For those who have never tasted the Twinkie, the experience is nearly indescribable. First comes the fragrance, then the rich, subtle flavor, and then the hyperbole begins. They taste like sex smells, or maybe even better." "Again, she shaved the Twinkies over these dishes. I swooned and ate every bite with accompanying slurps of 1996 Paitin Langhe, whose celebrated nebbiolo grapes come

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1132722234944742162005-11-22T21:04:00.000-07:002005-11-22T22:03:54.956-07:00

Unnamed high-level sources at CBS have confirmed as of tonight that legendary television personality, animal rights activist, and host of the much-loved daytime game show The Price is Right is dead. Though a wounded nation will doubtless soon begin its wailing and gnashing of teeth, it appears that there's more to the story than executives at CBS would have you believe.Careful examination of Los

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1132555537740026012005-11-21T18:41:00.000-07:002005-11-21T18:41:32.543-07:00

You probably know how I feel about robots. Today, our own affable executive apparently sealed the fate of humanity forever in what I can only assume is a handshake agreement handing control over to the Steel Ones themselves. Prepare to be consumed and processed into high-octane futuristic robo-fuel, or perhaps enslaved in eternal servitude to your new computerized overlords.I have seen the future

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1132554594169533182005-11-20T21:47:00.000-07:002005-11-20T23:34:47.163-07:00

One of the countless things I love about Mock Trial is the breathless anticipation that precedes the release of each year's case. Reading it for the first time is like rolling through a tank full of scorpions in a speedo-- initially exciting and ultimately foreboding. This year's case is a comparative negligence suit brought against a high school after a student on the track team died of steroid

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1132364996927873332005-11-18T18:42:00.000-07:002005-11-20T21:38:38.636-07:00

Superstar supergroup The Shelves, an "acid-classical" combo of Affirmation of Wumpus members and assorted University High collaborators, including former brain-trust fellows Alan Mackey and Bob Hanshaw, along with the percussion stylings of Phil Dukes and guitar thrashin' of much-loved graduate (and Pimp My Sandwich star) Mike Sadatmousavi, plus what appears to be the entire orchestra, have

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1132023738461846302005-11-16T22:05:00.000-07:002005-11-16T22:22:32.076-07:00

FADE ON: I DESERTThe Mariachi mounts to the dusty highway in his shining red motorcycle. The desert surrounds it like a sea by sand. The great Mariachi does not make case of burning, of the burning sun, the sandy, dirty sand in his teeth or of the excessively dramatic sequence of the introduction. In place, the Mariachi mounts in ahead like prohibiting. Now, their arms are his only true

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1132116791129180942005-11-15T21:35:00.000-07:002005-11-16T22:03:18.773-07:00

Just when you thought the Vivalympics were never going to happen, they've risen from the dead like an army of killer zombies, thanks to our newly appointed Chief Administrator of the International Vivalympics Committee, Ms. Katie Gray. Apparently several unorganized dudes just couldn't get it together, so we've called in Ms. Gray, an accomplished burrito organization expert, to get our butts

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1132021697415677672005-11-14T19:19:00.000-07:002005-11-14T19:56:58.186-07:00

Ed. Note: You may recognize this essay from an earlier post on another blog of mine, which I used to organize quick freewriting exercises for an English project. Those were never really meant to be final products, but this, I can assure you, is the no-foolin' Real Deal. Ergo: Hanoi was a blur of color and action: the bright-eyed street vendor clamoring to sell me an old Vietcong flak helmet, the

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1131950461900270982005-11-13T21:56:00.000-07:002005-11-14T16:58:48.633-07:00

Dear Robots,Over the past few weeks, I have received and read each one of the messages you have sent me. I discover them after I leave the computer on during the day and find my screen filled with tiny boxes, each containing one of your brazen propositions. "Sex in your area," they read, or "Find Partners Now!," a phrase which I am adequately convinced is not written in reference to tennis

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1131763952536603302005-11-11T19:27:00.000-07:002005-11-11T19:56:42.086-07:00

Take off that tinfoil hat, my blissfully paranoid pals-- it may not be as useful for blocking government mind-control rays as you think, according to recent MIT research entitled "On the Effectiveness of Aluminum Foil Helmets: An Empirical Study." The paper's abstract, co-authored by students from the famed Media Lab and CompSci departments reads: Among a fringe community of paranoids, aluminum

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1131597670660316932005-11-09T21:31:00.000-07:002005-11-09T22:00:47.163-07:00

Those of you who know me know not to get me started on agricultural subsidies. Fortunately for those of you who do not know me, you now know not to get me started on agricultural subsidies. Though I can exhort their evils for hours on end, doing so tends to dampen the mood at parties. The picture above is a joke. The 22.7 billion dollars the federal government plans to pay out to wastefully

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1131588495123163672005-11-09T18:45:00.000-07:002005-11-09T19:13:56.006-07:00

In all honesty, I wanted to publish this list earlier, but I've been waiting for weeks for a good third descriptor. In my book, no list is complete until it contains at least three items. I call this theory the First Mendenhall Postulate of Listing, in honor of myself. Rest assured that there will be plenty of Corrolaries to come. After playing London Calling in the car for several weeks, however

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1131423240862756472005-11-07T20:58:00.000-07:002005-11-07T21:16:41.066-07:00

In 1835, a would-be assassin pulled a pistol on Andrew Jackson as he was walking through the Capitol. He pointed it at Jackson and pulled the trigger at point-blank range, but nothing happened. Jackson's aides were stunned -- it was the first assassination attempt on a US President in history. The man, Richard Lawrence, then pulled another pistol and attempted to shoot, but Andrew Jackson, ever

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1131335878359932732005-11-06T20:09:00.000-07:002005-11-06T21:01:01.950-07:00

I caught up on this week's Science Friday from NPR today. The show focused on avian influenza, the trendy new epidemic that's going to kill us all. You, dear reader, are probably thinking to yourself: "he must be joking! I'm not a bird, and even if I was, our country is home to some of the most advanced medical technology in the world." But I'm not kidding. I'd start looking for a face mask,

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1131232543468591242005-11-05T15:30:00.000-07:002005-11-05T16:15:43.490-07:00

Those of you who have not yet begun the zany process of college admissions are more than likely unaware of the amount of college information received by the modern student. Soon after filling in an ultimately fateful bubble on the PSAT to "allow the Student Search Service to share your information with colleges, universities, and scholarship programs," the floodgates were opened and a deluge of

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1131141080163199282005-11-04T14:40:00.000-07:002005-11-04T14:51:20.186-07:00

Michael Moore, America's favorite anti-capitalist corporate curmudgeon, apparently owns over two thousand shares of Halliburton, the very company he railed on in "Fahrenheit 9/11," despite his insistence that he wants nothing to do with "the rich man's game" of the stock market. According to an article by Jonah Goldberg:"Moore told the IRS his home is the headquarters of his tax-free foundation,

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1131087655043749842005-11-03T22:42:00.000-07:002005-11-04T00:04:24.480-07:00

This month's edition of my favorite bastion of journalistic eminence, the Rincon Echo, comes highly recommended. In fact, it may well be the best Echo ever to have hit the presses-- a tragicomic, melanjolly blend of pure postmodern thought. It brought a smile to my face as soon as I scanned the front-page headlines. If you haven't yet picked up a copy, I urge you to do so soon.For those of you

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1130992073250970362005-11-02T19:26:00.000-07:002005-11-02T21:29:08.966-07:00

Modern man lives in a world of ever-increasing danger. Every time he sets foot outside the relative safety and convenience of his suburban home, he faces a plethora of peril, from hurricanes to pandemic flu to terrorist attack. Disasters can strike anywhere, at any time. The bowling alley? Yes. At a PTA meeting? You bet. A walk in the park? Threat level severe. In fact, at any given time, the

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1130983717381220982005-11-02T19:07:00.000-07:002005-11-02T19:08:37.413-07:00

Heard on the News Hour this evening:"That's all for the news summary tonight. Now it's on to more death and violence in Iraq..."

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1130821233711580782005-10-31T21:46:00.000-07:002005-10-31T22:08:57.420-07:00

Here's hoping everyone's Hallow's Eve hauls have been plentiful and their homes remain un-egged, toilet-papered or otherwise "floused." My costume this year, a seven-foot tall Big Ben made of cardboard boxes, did little besides bring out the worst parts of human nature as countless otherwise normal people attempted to tip me over. Once, they did so successfully. I did, however, catch two

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1130713960456753592005-10-30T15:53:00.000-07:002005-10-30T16:13:03.806-07:00

After he was elected president in 1828, as a leader representing the "common man," Andrew Jackson threw open the doors of the White House to whoever wanted to visit. After his inauguration in 1829, he proceeded to trash the Presidential residence like Pete Townshend in a Motel 6, when he let nearly 20,000 revelers trample the furniture, break the china, and track mud all over the carpet. The mob

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1130302495542044542005-10-25T21:51:00.000-07:002005-10-25T21:54:55.543-07:00

Word on the street is that the Powers That Be are officially giving the patio back tomorrow. Guess those bike helmets did some good after all, whether or not they were worn improperly, as in the case of this guy:Edit: I love Google Images.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1130302094561540682005-10-25T21:39:00.000-07:002005-10-25T21:48:14.566-07:00

I've added new functionality to Abstract Rock Paper Scissors-- anonymous, open voting. For those of you who wanted to try it out, but were too lazy to actually sign up, today's your lucky day! Users can now vote and upload without even needing an account of their own. "Enlightenment" is currently leading the pack, with "affection" and "life" coming in close behind. "Hunger" and "fascism" are

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1130207121763631112005-10-24T19:14:00.000-07:002005-10-24T19:36:54.653-07:00

The time has come for physical resistance, my friends. We've seen the Senior Patio "grand opening" be pushed back from August to September to October to November, mired in knee-deep bureaucratic bullshit. After a guarantee from Boss Baker himself that the patio would be open for use today, it's been officially pushed back by the lovely Angela Julien to November 18th, as the patio fence is a "

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1130132298642559322005-10-23T21:55:00.000-07:002005-10-23T22:44:51.923-07:00

Several weeks ago, I became the lucky recipient of a box full of MRE's, sent by my aunt working on a Katrina recovery team in Baton Rouge. Apparently nobody wanted them in the disaster ravaged area, most likely because they were "Cajun Rice and Beans" and "Chicken Jambalaya." I, like Dave Barry, am not making this up. As a Professional Raconteur and Very Famous Celebrity, it is my duty to bring

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1130129180672942532005-10-23T21:41:00.000-07:002005-10-23T21:46:20.673-07:00

Episode Three of "A Computer Reads a Paragraph of Moby Dick" has been officially released. Come one, come all, and subscribe through the iTunes podcast directory! Then go to the Apple Store and subscribe on all the display computers! Tell your mother, your neighbor, and your pet dog! And then listen to it.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1129871403856507382005-10-20T21:15:00.000-07:002005-10-20T22:15:01.816-07:00

One of the great things about the internet is the fact that it allows nearly-anonymous speech. Unless you're in China. As a true admirer of freedom of expression, I was delighted to discover an eloquent comment regarding my thoughts on Scott Lang. So delighted, in fact, that I believe its contents merit re-posting for the reading pleasure of my own throng of adoring fans. I most cordially

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1129844587056608132005-10-20T14:23:00.000-07:002005-10-20T14:43:07.063-07:00

Andrew Jackson's first big break came during the War of 1812. Then a Colonel in the Army, he was relegated to command of American forces in New Orleans, which the military thought would be an unimportant city to the British campaign. Turned out that they were wrong, when Major General Sir Edward Pakenham landed, planning to invade with a force of ten thousand British troops. Nothing was too much

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1129782993501473412005-10-19T21:24:00.000-07:002005-10-19T21:36:35.930-07:00

Goddamned chickens. One dumb clucker gets coughed on and starts up a full-blown epidemic. I never trusted birds anyways. Not me. Those moronic stares, the incessant clucking and squawking and pecking and flapping. If there's one thing a man needs to learn in his life, it's never trust birds. Never. How many are they predicting dead? Jesus. I never did like birds.I've had the flu before - you get

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1129611944466172882005-10-17T21:33:00.000-07:002005-10-17T22:05:44.473-07:00

OIL PRICES TO RISE OR FALL Bird Flu May Affect Citizens of Somewhere! WHAT HAPPENED TO BILL CLINTON? Did They Find Aruba Girl Yet? I FORGOT HOW TO UNDERLINE THINGS New Orleans Gears Up for Mardi Gras WILLIAM REHNQUIST'S DRASTIC PLASTIC SURGERY BUSH TO TAKE ACTION IN INCIDENT Where Is My Funny Hat? JACK KEMP-A FIGHTING CHANCE! WHEN DID FURBIES GO AWAY?

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1129174311531794612005-10-12T20:05:00.000-07:002005-10-12T20:34:29.323-07:00

The rumours are true, my friends. Post-it notes have been permanently knocked from their top spot as the Next Big Thing. The new bearer of the aforementioned unwieldy moniker is none other than a kickin' game called Abstract Rock Paper Scissors.The exact origin of Abstract Rock Paper Scissors is unknown. Some historians believe that it was a common practice used to resolve disputes among feudal

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1129010445533853072005-10-10T22:57:00.000-07:002005-10-10T23:31:29.856-07:00

But it looks like somebody likes Will and Grace.Edit: While you're adding Mr. Wolfe, you might as well add his pal Doctor Beat.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1128925948946042302005-10-09T23:26:00.000-07:002005-10-09T23:32:56.413-07:00

My podcast is now officially listed on iTunes, though its title has been somewhat edited by Steve Jobs' magic (and apparently accurate) naughty-word algorithm, presenting its title as "Moby D**k." Perhaps I'll even get a fun little "explicit" rating. Plus, I've released episode two! This week, hear a computer read the second paragraph of Moby Dick - about the Isle of the Manhattoes. Enjoy, loyal

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1128655132009962922005-10-06T20:10:00.000-07:002005-10-06T20:18:52.016-07:00

We all remember the wild frontier days of the web - rampant downloading from Napster and Kazaa, and the eventual decline of both. Still, technology is like the Turner thesis - progress is made by pushing the boundaries. Thus came the noble days of bittorrent and its friend suprnova, until suprnova itself was shut down by the MPAA.But there's still hope out there. Suprnova is back, in the form of

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1128575881909632462005-10-05T22:15:00.000-07:002005-10-05T22:18:01.913-07:00

Before becoming a Professional Badass, Andrew Jackson was a frontier lawyer in Tennessee. Although he never actually learned how to practice law, his career was successful due to creative courtroom strategies - in 1795, he won a case by challenging the opposing counsel to a duel and shooting him.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1128488253587586352005-10-04T21:53:00.000-07:002005-10-04T21:57:33.593-07:00

Ning is an interactive service - they call it a "playground" for building and developing online social applications. It looks like it can be used to make all kinds of interesting things. I requested "beta developer status" so if anyone wants to help me mess around withit and try to cook up something cool, let me know.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1128408361022646342005-10-03T23:44:00.000-07:002005-10-03T23:51:57.246-07:00

Check out my sweet new podcast, entitled "A British Computer Reads a Paragraph of Moby Dick." It will soon be listed by iTunes, but until then, you can find the RSS feed here, or at feedburner, or even check out all the episodes - which currently means "the only episode" at the podcast's site aqui. And for now, here's a direct link to the mp3.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1128302533016258112005-10-02T18:18:00.000-07:002005-10-02T18:26:49.840-07:00

Click Doctor Beat to view the whole thing!

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1128274428641063812005-10-02T10:22:00.000-07:002005-10-02T10:38:41.706-07:00

"I know what I am fit for. I can command a body of men in a rough way, but I am not fit to be president." Such are the words of Andrew Jackson, baddest mo-fo in the history of the United States. This begins a neverending serialized sequence of Andrew Jackson Badass Facts, presented in chronological order and updated whenever I feel like it. Ergo:Andrew Jackson Badass Fact #1:Andrew Jackson served

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1128060366021958012005-09-29T23:05:00.000-07:002005-09-29T23:06:06.020-07:00

Somebody found this site yesterday via a google search for "Scott Lang motivational speaker." My work is done.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1128059236757200952005-09-29T21:53:00.000-07:002005-09-29T23:02:54.330-07:00

Salutations, my friend! It appears that it is necessary and proper that I purchase a new refrigeration device. I'm afraid my old one has broken. My third, in fact. Three generations of refrigerators are enough, I say. Might you be able to help me in my search for a new one?Splendid! What type, you ask? Well, I suppose that's a very complex issue. After all, there is no refrigerator like an old

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1128055753020463032005-09-29T20:30:00.000-07:002005-09-29T23:03:31.680-07:00

I was kicked back, reading the garden section of the newspaper and snacking on a delicious Jello Pudding Cup when I heard the door open, you see. That was when she walked in, you see, all six feet of leggy Scandinavian blonde, you know. Wrapped up in a big mink coat, tears streaming down her face.Well see here, why are you crying? I said. Well yes, I am Bill Cosby, you see. The Bill Cosby, yes.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1127973571521941592005-09-28T22:58:00.000-07:002005-09-28T22:59:31.526-07:00

"Darrin Floen is unfamiliar with John Stuart Mill's theory of cramming it for a change..."

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1127709316552664492005-09-24T21:33:00.000-07:002005-09-25T21:35:45.616-07:00

Sorry about the ten-day hiatus. I've been on the tail of the great white whale that ate my brother. I should be back at it tomorrow, if the harpooning goes well. -EC Mendenhall Very Famous Celebrity

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1126749854994578962005-09-14T18:57:00.000-07:002005-09-14T19:04:15.000-07:00

After postponing and postponing the Vivalympics, and making a pledge to commit the noble act of seppuku if it fails to come to fruition, it's past time for an official Vivalympics date. October first looks as good as any to me. Let me know if there are any glaring problems with it, as otherwise, it's likely to become the set-in-stone date. ¡Viva las vivalimpcas!

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1126656881577748852005-09-13T17:10:00.000-07:002005-09-13T22:05:31.080-07:00

I'm currently reading Jihad vs. Mcworld, by Benjamin Barber. It's one of the many titles I've gleaned from the Pat Mcandrew reading list over the years, which generally tends to be pretty good. Future Shock? Fabulous. Brave New World? Life-changing. Fukuyama's End of History? On the money. And, to an extent, Barber's book makes some excellent points about both tribalism and globalization.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1126563999676710752005-09-12T15:25:00.000-07:002005-09-12T15:26:39.686-07:00

I've got nine facebook invites to be distributed randomly, alphabetically, to the winners of an all-out cage fighting brawl, or whatever. Email me or leave me a comment if you want one.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1126429808785523962005-09-11T02:04:00.000-07:002005-09-11T02:10:08.790-07:00

Relive the glory days of Beauford with this video of that greatest of dadaist spectacles: the Anti-Protest Protest. We never managed to document our forcible removal from the mall by security, but this is still a touching retrospective, if I may say so myself. You'll find it here, thanks to Brewster Kahle's fabulous internet archive.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1126340537544208782005-09-10T01:01:00.000-07:002005-09-10T01:36:20.946-07:00

Katrina Victim...or Refugee? It's the game sensation sweeping the nation!The following pictures depict either victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, or third-world refugees escaping genocide in Africa. See how many you can tell apart! Highlight the text below each photo to reveal the answer!-Katrina Victim!-----Refugee!------Katrina Victim!-Katrina Victim!-----Refugee!------Katrina Victim!

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1125634869442025802005-09-01T21:19:00.000-07:002005-09-01T21:21:09.446-07:00

Wisdom of the day, in response to Eric Fromm's "Escape from freedom" thesis. It's actually much more profound than I originally believed:"I don't go to subway, because I don't want to have to make choices."Or not.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1125470609329658022005-08-30T23:47:00.000-07:002005-08-30T23:51:18.596-07:00

There are very very few things that are geekier than the Marching Band joke. For those of you not affiliated with any paramilitary wind-playing organizations, I'll give you a couple examples:"Oh those INSTRUMENTS! They're doing STEREOTYPICAL INSTRUMENT THINGS!" or perhaps:"What does an INSTRUMENT keep in his locker? STEREOTYPICAL INSTRUMENT-RELATED OBJECT!"Hilarious. Well, privileged as we were

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1125470900880202672005-08-30T23:45:00.000-07:002005-08-30T23:50:56.910-07:00

This is my response to a myspace bulletin I recieved yesterday regarding a one-day oil boycott to "decrease the price dramatically." My response is included.*****ACHTUNG!*****The following message is provided by your local MySpace Dumbass Brigade. Proceed at your own discretion.---Dont Buy gas on September 3rd!!!!Boycotting the gas companies will decrease the price dramatically. Ive checked into

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1125376355997856422005-08-29T21:29:00.000-07:002005-08-29T21:32:36.003-07:00

Found this in a folder on my desktop. Inspirational words indeed.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1125277515576212172005-08-28T18:04:00.000-07:002005-08-28T18:05:15.580-07:00

"rain on imponderable hydrogen"

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1124773233209047242005-08-22T20:56:00.000-07:002005-08-22T22:09:45.043-07:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year again, kids! Time to return to school and begin writing lengthy dissertations upon a gallimaufry of possible topics. Indeed, it is time for a yearful of essays -- in fact, even as I write, I evade my own analysis of John Stuart Mill's theories of economic utilitarianism, best summarized by this episode of Dinosaur Comics.And, since I love you guys so much,

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1124667117155042292005-08-21T15:51:00.000-07:002005-08-21T16:47:54.680-07:00

The newest idea from that factory of half-baked, still-doughy-at-the-center ideas I call my brain has arrived, and it's one I'm really excited about. In addition to the several thousand pending movie scripts in production, I want to film a documentary about a theory noted economist Thorstien Veblen called "conspicuous consumption." Please, don't all get excited at once over this one.The idea

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1124595112735440652005-08-20T19:53:00.000-07:002005-08-20T20:35:38.100-07:00

Although it's lived on my iPod ever since the van ride up to last year's Arizona Economics Challenge, I finally got around to publishing my economics iMix, some of the finest infotainment the world has ever seen. Indeed, each song represents a different exciting economic concept!Public Goods!Don't Steal Our Sun -- The ThrillsExternalities!The New Pollution -- BeckTotal Utility!I Can't Get No

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1124590741963167392005-08-20T19:14:00.000-07:002005-08-20T19:19:43.146-07:00

To my international comrades who have not been present to observe the triumphant glory of the ID badge protest: you haven't been missing much. Much to my chagrin, students haven't even been wearing their ID's in the first place. Although the school administration has made an anemic effort to make us put them on -- attempts at bribery with hershey's kisses being the most successful, although most

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1124590388976836392005-08-20T19:09:00.000-07:002005-08-20T19:13:08.983-07:00

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1124346185132375032005-08-17T22:43:00.000-07:002005-08-17T23:24:24.493-07:00

As I was doing my calculus homework, a slip of paper fluttered out of the section of "selected answers," alighting upon the corner of my desk. Fate had meant for me to find a poem, left in the book by its previous owner. Scrawled upon the top were the words "Found these...you can have them."Were they meant for me? For mankind? For one "Linda Louie," the books previous owner? Only the enigmatic

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1124253998798819722005-08-16T21:40:00.000-07:002005-08-16T21:46:38.803-07:00

If it wasn' t a hoax, I'd be working on his campaign already.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1124004462426197212005-08-14T00:11:00.000-07:002005-08-14T00:29:46.053-07:00

While I was poking through the tangled mess of cute little icons I call my desktop, I found a long-forgotten folder containing some video clips from AP Chem sophomore year. I did a quick edit, and voila: "Trashcan Rocket II: Electric Boogaloo" was born.This little video was made back when I was still in my pyromaniac explosions phase during Chem, which was actually pretty much all year. Our

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1123896336453338892005-08-12T18:02:00.000-07:002005-08-13T19:34:25.553-07:00

Here's the plan, boys and girls: any and all of my dedicated comrades interested in spearheading the ID protest are to find and meet with me briefly before school. Bring your school ID on a lanyard, if possible, and some scotch tape. From there I'll distribute small stacks of posters for guerrilla plastering of the school walls and sheets of adhesive nametag stickers. We'll quickly disseminate

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1123662211019543432005-08-09T23:51:00.000-07:002005-08-10T01:24:23.676-07:00

Greetings, adoring fans. I know my recent absence has set the masses abuzz with rumours like ADD honeybees hyped-up on fermented Red Bull. Alas, I was neither narwhal hunting in the Baltic Sea, consulting with secretive shadow-government defense think-tanks, nor abducted by Marxist guerrillas and held hostage in Nicaragua. However, in response to the flurry of concerned emails: 1) yes 2) sure 3)

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1122066724217443462005-07-22T10:38:00.000-07:002005-12-06T19:18:07.790-07:00

In the wake of the flesh-eating, mind-consuming experience that was Pimp My Sandwich, I've wallowed in a sea of new script ideas. Here are a few. Tell me what you think.Washington, B.C.The year is 2004 and the nation is in the midst of our fondly remembered Bush-Kerry rock 'em sock 'em battle. Meanwhile, scientists drilling for oil in Alaska make a surprising discovery -- frozen deep within a

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1121485488259825452005-07-15T20:43:00.000-07:002005-07-15T20:44:48.263-07:00

Engage in Harry Potter arbitrage next time a book comes out. Buy at the front of the line, sell at double the price in back.

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1121404886569005782005-07-14T22:13:00.000-07:002005-07-14T22:25:01.330-07:00

Good old reliable boingboing pointed me to this contest by The Guardian, in anticipation of the next great Harry Potter masterwork -- write a description of Dumbledore's death in the style of real literature. I know this probably makes me a huge geek, but I swear I'm not a Harry Potter crazy. But I couldn't resist killing off the old chap in the style of Catch-22. Special thanks to my sister for

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1121277946420636642005-07-13T10:58:00.000-07:002005-07-13T20:46:08.210-07:00

There was a great gray thunderhead welling up straight above us and darkening by the minute. I headed outside to dig it and felt a thousand tiny needles on my skin -- the wind had picked up, blowing playground sand across the rippling glass surface of the pool. Somewhere in the distance, up over the mountains, the fury of God touched down for an infinitesimal second of pure light. The shock

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1121189104438455392005-07-12T10:20:00.000-07:002005-07-12T10:25:52.686-07:00

Yale presentation last night. The presenter got to talking about the Whiffenpoofs, Yale's famous men's a capella group, which is apparently a big thing back there."You might have seen the Whiffenpoofs on Gilmore Girls. I don't watch that show. But that doesn't mean it's bad. They were also on the West Wing. . . They travel all over the world, perform on TV -- they're very well-endowed."I love

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1120854144941119692005-07-08T13:09:00.000-07:002005-07-08T21:07:09.100-07:00

The postman rang twice yesterday, and brought me an exciting package of back-to-school related information. Enclosed within, I found this intriguing flyer:That's right, a subtle change in verbiage moves students from being registered to being processed. I'm so excited, I'm already practicing forming an orderly line. I got thinking, and my muse inspired me to write a short list of a few of the

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14072371.post-1120720415559844872005-07-07T00:00:00.000-07:002005-07-07T00:14:35.756-07:00

More news for those not already sick of the Vivalympics. The proposed route is available in a flickr photoset I created, with the checkpoints tagged with their various purposes. Roll your mouse over them to read, for those unfamiliar with the magic of flickr notes. Events will include a burrito toss, spinning around, jumping jacks, salsa swigging, and myriad other ways to make participants feel

E.C. Mendenhallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12964275829466944069noreply@blogger.com0