Life is good here -- we have our own laws, wet bar and atmosphere. The room is so big that you can't see the other end of it, even standing atop your CPU on your tippy-toes. We communicate with each other with the aid of pneumatic tubes that were installed back when Eisenhower stored errant flying saucers in here; they are handy for exchanging ZIP disks, Altoids and the occasional bottle of scotch. (I know, we could just use the phones on our desks, maybe even e-mail each other -- but all that stuff seems so impersonal). Live bands, hockey teams and Shakespearean groups play in our conference room daily -- that is, when the Deluxe zeppelin isn't parked there.

The House Of Fun, home to effervescent Action Girl creator Sarah Dyer and cheerfully abrasive Milk & Cheese creator Evan Dorkin, is such a colorful, friendly and nifty place that one almost overlooks the fact that these hepcats are cornerstones in an entertainment empire that spans nearly every form of media. Their respective comics rank among Slave Labor Graphics' most popular titles; Dorkin, in particular, has a following large enough to carpet a small European country. They've written episodes of the hysterical "Space Ghost Coast To Coast" shows, do freelance work on Warner Brother's natty "Superman" cartoon and illustrate all manner of CD and magazine covers. At the House of Fun, you can discover the folks behind this abundant entertainment -- their work, their likes and dislikes, their position on the current incarnation of Ska, their cats and more. You must visit. Do not defy me.
 

8 1/2 Souvenirs is the goods. Actually, they're the greats. The story of this Austin, Texas, gypsy swing group is told in rich detail by their official homepage -- how Olivier Giraud emigrated from France to Texas, found four Americanos who shared his musical sensibilities (equal parts Django Reinhardt, Serge Gainsbourg and Nino Rota), borrowed a moniker from Fellini and went to town. While the band's biography is worthy and the images pleasing (8 1/2 Souvenirs has its share of cutie-pies, including 5-foot-9 knockout Chrysta Bell), it's really the sound files that paint the picture. "Happy Feet" and "Kazango" bounce along like a rolling rubber tire and covers of Django, Gainsbourg and Cole Porter deserve a nod of respect from the ghosts of their creators. If that's not enough of an impetus for you to browse this Souvenir stand, then dig this, slick: you just might win some real souvenirs if you fill out the obligatory comment form ("We've given away an unbelievable number of temporary tattoos, a few CDs, 36 mugs, 147 T-shirts, a partridge, a pear and a small tree from the hills of Borneo").

That's enough, please. One more hit and that last donut will come right up. I tell ya, friends and neighbors, these are the moments that matter. See you next week!