I can’t claim to have returned from Ireland tanned (perma-cloud keeps everyone’s skin 255/255/255–my people!) or rested (a week of piloting a minivan down the “wrong” side of roads no wider than a cocktail straw leaves me shaking with PTSD), but I’m certainly ready to fire up the blog again.  I plan to share some photos shortly.  In the meantime, I’ll shake off the cobwebs with some a few things that made me smile today:

• The kids at freeloveforum have created a brilliant parody of the breathless promo videos that we technology companies (Adobe, Apple, etc.) can’t resist creating.  With MS Paint, “the future… is in the past!” [Via Alistair Lee]
• “Where do you live, anyway, a Simpsons cartoon?”  Elsewhere Mike Johnston of The Online Photographer shares his salty thoughts when looking at “Photoshop excess.”  (See also his previous parody of clueless photoblog commenters.)
• “PMS 187 runs deep in my veins…” My art director pal Maria at Hallmark passes along the frisket-slashing stylings of the Original Design Gangster. Pour out a 40 for the dead homie…
• Update: Poor Eric Clapton.  If someone photographed my every movement, I’m sure they’d catch stuff far dopier than this.  Still, it’s kind of funny to see the ol’ guy flummoxed by his lens cap. Maybe he should spend more time hanging around with Graham Nash. [Via Zalman Stern]