Hitch on happiness:

“A clear horizon. Nothing to worry about on your plate. Only things that are creative and not destructive. That’s within yourself. Within me. I can’t bear quarreling. I can’t bare feelings between people. I think hatred is wasted energy. It’s all nonproductive. I’m very sensitive. A sharp word said by, say, a person who has a temper, if they’re close to me, hurts me for days. I know we’re only human. We do go in for these various emotions, call them negative emotions, but when all these are removed, and you can look forward, and the road is clear ahead, and now you’re going to create something… I think that’s as happy as I would ever want to be.”

Richard Matheson, one of my favorite contributors to The Twilight Zone, has died at the age of 87. Coincidentally or not, this is within hours of my own grandfather’s passing.

Here’s my favorite Zone episode ever, based on Matheson’s short story. Teleplay by Rod Serling:

‘And When the Sky Was Opened’ part 1 of 2:

2 of 2:

My maternal grandfather, Dr. Gilbert Chase Freeman, has passed away this hour. He was 100.

Here we are last month at his 100th birthday, just after I fixed him up a scotch for the last time:

And here’s an old audio clip capturing his voice as it sounded in 1971. I was two years old, playing “Horsie” on his back. The woman you hear come into the room is my Granny.

Thanks for all you taught us, Grandpa. See you on the other side. I’ll bring some scotch.

Via the NYTimes:

THERE is nothing wrong with spending vast quantities of time fantasizing about imaginary realities far away from the cheerless hardships of modern life. The problem is that people are daydreaming incorrectly. =more=

(via www)

One of my favorite episodes.

Aired 1/15/56. Sam Cobbet, a crazy man, holds a woman hostage in her farmhouse while he plans his escape from the area.

Check out this map created using movie names. Jurassic Park, The Killing Fields, Arlington Road, etc. By Dorothy.

Aired 10/2/1955. Revenge fuels a husband looking for the man who raped his wife. Starring Vera Miles.

If you’ve not been paying attention, Andrew WK is going for the world record of drumming for 24 hours straight, performing the feat publicly behind a window in NYC. He’s been having percussionists stop by to sit in and jam along, keeping him awake and motivated. He’s now approaching 21 hours. Watch live:

http://www.omusicawards.com/

Click the Drumathon (Live) link for the feed. Should be quite the finish. For the final 29 minutes, he should thrown down Reign in Blood. 😀

Cycling enthusiast Mark Martin argues for enhanced understanding of the multiple ways bicycling can generate positive change in our world.

(via TED)