Updates on several projects:

• I have started a quest to watch every movie in the Blondie Cinematic Universe at the rate of one per month, at least until I forget about it, or I have to go out of my way. I figure if I’m going to make jokes about it, I should at least watch it. I bought an ebook about the films (a bit too glib about the multiple suicides, imo) and I’m doing a little research into the comic strip. So far I’ve reviewed the first and second movies. 26 more to go!
• August 19 is probably the most deep cut my Simpsons timeline project will go. The other Simpsons’ birthdays are in the show or can be extrapolated from the show, but as far as I can tell, the only specific date ever given for Maggie’s birthday by an official source is a calendar from 1993, which dates it as August 19, 1985 (why 1985? Beats me). I discovered this from the Simpsons Archive, and I considered asking people who owned the calendar to take a picture of it for me, but decided I’d rather have a physical version of it myself. I found it on eBay, where it was being sold by my internet acquaintance Mike Sterling, which felt very serendipitous. Also, years ago August 19 was acknowledged as Maggie’s birthday by the official Simpsons Twitter account but they later claim it’s January 14, and I have no clue where the latter comes from.
• Pleased as punch that Better Call Saul has provided me with an opportunity to update my long-dormant Ask Jeeves blog.

07/08/2012

I mean this without irony… this is the best comic about Facebook I’ve ever seen. Only a strip like Blondie could do such an effective job capturing the dorkiness of middle-aged people using Facebook and chatspeak