Wednesday, February 27, 2008

San Francisco Turkey Gobble

our hotel room was tragically hip

Oh, what has happened in the days since my last post!

I went on a brief jaunt to San Francisco, where Charlie was attending the annual GDC conference. I spent about half of my time wandering aimlessly around SF, and the rest of the time lurking in the Valve booth trying to be helpful. It was loads of fun, actually, because I got to hang out with my friends and absorb some big-city culture in the bargain. SF MOMA was fantastic. I'm not typically such a fan of modern art (my tastes lean more toward the brothers van Eyk or Sargent) but I found lots to like at the museum. I also stopped in at a mecca of fabric shopping, Britex. Didn't buy anything, but four floors of chromatic mayehm was enough to set my head spinning and my creative spirit on fire.


When I wasn't soaking up culture or fondling fabric I was trying to act all nonchalant (The! Harmonix! Guys! and The! Blizzard! Guys!) while chatting with people in the gaming industry. And oh sweet nellie, I talked to Jonathan Coulton. He wrote the end song for the Portal game, but I have been a fan for a long time. He played a set during the Valve party and afterward I sidled up all innocent-like and tried to play it cool and just say "hey, great job!" Hopefully he didn't feel my sweaty palms or see the stars in my eyes. The Portal song? It is awesome.

The first thing that made me love him long ago? This version of a Sir Mixalot song:


The portal song? It is awesome, as stated previously. But what makes it more awesome? The Harmonix people made it Into A Rock Band Song And They Played It At The Party. Swoon!

Being a bootleg video of the party, it's not the best quality. But this way you can feel like you were there! Trust me, it was fantastic. If you haven't heard the song, here is the official version sung by Ellen. She is the voice of GLaDOS in the game and I want to kiss her cheeks.



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AND when we got home Harold greeted me by the front door by puffing himself up and full on gobbling. He sounded like a cartoon turkey. The stereotype is spot-on. Spring has sprung, and I can hear our neighbor's rooster crowing in the distance while Harold is strutting around the yard alternately flirting with Marian (the turkey hen) and myself. It is quite loud, and I am hoping that the neighbors find it as amusing as I do.

Harold in fine form (with Marian hiding behind the tree trunk)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That song is hauntingly superb!!!

I want to have it in a jar and open it when I'm hungry.

Don Paolo