Well, it’s Friday afternoon, and if you’re at all like me, you’re just watching the clock in the corner of your desktop and waiting for Mr. Slate to pull that little pteranodon’s tail feathers for the last time this week. Under these circumstances, it’s a fair bet that you won’t be too interested in reading anything too heavy, so in place of the usual pedantic rantings and meandering attempts at criticism, I’ll offer up a selection of the fun stuff I’ve encountered during my recent surfing.

Let’s begin with a couple of links courtesy of yesterday’s Bleat by James Lileks. (Normally I’d give you a direct link to the Bleat in question, but it seems to be unavailable right now. Sorry. Fans of classic Star Trek might want to try reaching the page anyhow; if it’s not fixed yet, you’ll appreciate James’ custom-made 404 page.)

The first link will take you to a photograph of yet another charmless horror foisted off on an unsuspecting public by architect Frank Gehry. This structure, which Lileks called “the sort of modern architecture that bores me dead… jiffy-pop whimsy,” is supposed to be a band shell but to me it looks more like a giant aluminum version of one of those onion-flower appetizers you can get at the Outback Steakhouse. With each new example of his work that I see, Gehry inches up a notch on my Official List of People I’d Like to Smack Upside the Head. I’m sure there are some who find Gehry’s work inspired, or at the very least amusing. I think it’s safe to say that I’m not among them. For the record, this… thing is located in Chicago’s Millenium Park.

Moving right along (nothing more to see here, folks, move along), Lileks also points us toward a fascinating panoramic view of the lunar landscape, taken by astronaut Gene Cernan of the Apollo 17 mission. Apollo 17 was the last flight to the moon (so far), and probably the one that came back with the best photographs. I’m with Lileks when he writes, “If we’d not only kept going back but figured out a way to stay, can you imagine the video we’d have today? I know I’d keep a window open in the corner displaying a 24/7 feed from the moonbase cargo bay, or the landing pad.”

While you’re at that panorama site, also check out the Apollo 11 landing site, the Martian landscape photographed by the Spirit probe, and, just for a change of pace, a beautiful wooden church located in Sweden.

If you’re bored of celestial pursuits and want to get back to a good, meaty, down-to-Earth subject, let’s talk politics. Actually, let’s make fun of politics by going to JibJab.com, which is hosting a very funny animated film in which G. Dubya Bush and John Kerry sing their version of Woody Guthrie’s classic, “This Land is Your Land.” This is a non-partisan political joke that hammers on both of our presidential candidates (not to mention The Governator and a certain former president whose wife, shall we say, has reason to keep a close watch over his behavior). Everyone who’s remotely aware of the presidential race should be amused by this one. If the Jibjab site is down (their server has been overwhelmed lately because this film has been so popular), try this one instead.

Meanwhile, those who have suffered the indignities of serving as the designated sober-person while your buddies get soused will appreciate this little gem, a Shockwave game in which the object is to see how far you can guide a wasted college student before he loses his balance and falls over. The site is in German, but it’s pretty simple to figure out, and an amusing way to kill a few minutes of the never-ending afternoon at work.

Finally, if you’ve ever wondered where they film those exterior views of pleasant little neighborhoods for your favorite sitcoms, check out these photos taken by a contributor to Boing Boing. They show the CBS lot in Studio City after everyone has gone home for the day. It’s a fascinating view of little it takes to create a convincing illusion — as the photographer explains, “The trees are painted on drywall, the houses are 3 feet deep, even the ivy is two-dimensional.”

Well, that’s it for now. I might have more later today. If not, I wish my three loyal readers a good weekend…