I just failed.

And I get to watch the long arc of the failure, all the way down into the shit, for years and years.

I have to be honest. It hurts like hell.

Japanese Maple

Years ago my mother bought this tree, knowing that it would be a gamble. Japanese maple trees are beautiful and unusual, but they often fail in our climate. She lost her gamble, but the tree is beautiful even as it withers. Prompted by hexennacht asking about its color, here are a couple of shots:

The Omnichord

What a strange and terrible instrument this is; a revenant from the Before-Time of the 1980s, unexpected and antique and terrifying like the Balrog in Lord of the Rings. Except cheesier. It combines the best features of the Ultimate Preschool Teacher Instrument, the autoharp, with the 1980s Beep Boop Not Quite a Casio Synthesizer. changeng wields this awful weapon with grace, panache, and a creepy grin. Especially while playing "Having my Baby" or "We Built This City".

Two fashion trends that go great together.

1. Amusing: DCist article on popped collar ban at a cafe (via Wonkette). Laugh out loud funny: the comment thread on the article.
   
   
2. Here, have a history of the codpiece. Word up!