Animated Emotion April 27, 2006
Posted by hallelujahhatrack in Family, Funny, Kids, Uncategorized.1 comment so far
After a rousing game of “Lego Star Wars” on Playstation, Boona came up to me and seemed a bit sad. This is odd, since he’s usually pretty fired up after he plays that game. You know, with the advancing to another level and getting to be different characters and all… In the game, as you progress and earn points and advance through the game you are mirroring the story from “Star Wars: Episode III”.
Me: Boona, are you OK?
Boona: Yeah.
Me: You don’t look OK. What’s wrong?
Boona: In my game, Princess Amidala got x’s in her eyes.
Me: She got what?
Boona: X’s
Then I figured out what he was talking about. Do you remember in cartoons when a person was unconscious – or dead – their eyes were x-ed out? Apparently in video games, the same technique is used. And in case you haven’t seen Episode III, and I hope I’m not giving anything away for those who never saw the original episode either (Hey, wasn’t that you sitting next to me at the Bel Air Mall Cinemas in 1977?) Princess Amidala dies while giving birth to Luke and Leia, and thus, the “x-eyes”.
This took me back about 25 years to when my youngest brother – another avid cartoon watcher – asked me if, during a date with my girlfriend, “hearts ever came out of my mouth?” Just like with Boona and the x’s, this one took me a minute to figure out, and then it all made sense.
What’s on your ride? April 18, 2006
Posted by hallelujahhatrack in Funny, Uncategorized.2 comments
Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of weird stuff relating to cars and what people do to them. There are cars that have been painted horrid colors. There are the ubiquitous bumper stickers proclaiming the drivers’ Middle School aged kids’ apparent consistent ability to make the honor roll, peoples’ (usually strong) feelings – both pro and con – towards the present administration, or even stronger feelings in their affiliation with either Red Sox Nation or the ‘Evil Empire’.
For example, yesterday I saw all of the following:
-Driving near my home I was behind a car that had a license plate frame that read, “I’d rather be at a Clay Aiken concert!” and the plate actually said CLAYM-8, which I’m assuming reads “Claymate”. Now, I was rooting for Clay over Reuben, but I’m pretty sure that I’m not willing to take it beyond calling in a few votes to 866-IDOLS-02 on a Tuesday evening – especially not this far…
-On the way to work yesterday I saw a Fiesta that had three big ladders strapped to the top. On the highway. Going about 35. Call me crazy, but when the engineering gang at Ford designed this car I don’t think that they envisioned it doing the same work as a light duty pick up truck.
-In someone’s front yard I saw a Reliant K car (remember those?) that was for sale. Aside from being a Reliant K car and probably predating my college degree – class of ’85 – I am unsure that anyone would want to purchase a car that is the same color as the teeth of the bus driver on
South
Park.
-Lastly, for a few miles I followed a purple Corolla that had a HUGE spoiler on the back. Not the normal sized, yet unnecessary ones that are factory installed, or even one you might see on Dale Jr’s #8 on a Sunday afternoon, but one like you’d see on and Indy car at the Brickyard during Memorial Day weekend. Does the driver really think that the old Corolla is going to get up to speeds so great that he’s going to need a spoiler to maintain tire-to-road contact. I, for one, think not. Oh, kickin’ rims on that car, too – but you could have probably figured that out by using context clues alone…
All I’m saying is, when it comes to you ride, keep it real.
And in case you’re wondering: it’s a graphite grey
Durango with a small sticker with the seal of the Cherokee Nation and a Philadelphia Eagles license plate frame.
Five for Friday: works of fiction April 14, 2006
Posted by hallelujahhatrack in Books, Lists, Uncategorized.1 comment so far
This week’s Five for Friday has to do with one of my favorite topics: books. Fiction in particular. Now, I have to preface this by stating that I am a book snob. There, I said it. Life is too short to read crappy books (you know, the ones that usually show up on the bestseller lists and have to do with some type of lame mystery or contrived love story and are found in the shallow end of the library).
I’m talking about beautifully written, thought provoking works that will make you want to read and reread excellently written passages and that can bring tears to your eyes. Chances are that you can’t buy these in a grocery store and you won’t see someone reading them on the beach during the summer.
See what I mean about literary snobbery?!
Anyway, here’s the list, in no particular order, other than saving my all time favorite for last:
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee – Many people think she got a little help from Truman Capote, but regardless, this should be required reading for everyone.
“The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – Brilliantly disguised as a children’s book, this is actually the best book dealing with human interaction that I’ve ever read. If you’ve never read this, read it soon, and then read it again.
“The Catcher in the
Rye” by J.D. Slinger – A wonderfully poignant coming of age story. Holden Caulfield is a true hero in a wise-ass disguise.
“The Night Country” by Stuart O’Nan – This story follows a group ofhigh school kids one year after they were in a horrible car crash. The deal is, however, some of them died and some of them lived and we get to follow all of them around. Heartbreaking.
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer – Foer has hit it out of the park twice, first with “Everything Is Illuminated” and then with this one. Although billed as a boy dealing with the loss of his father post-9/11, that description doesn’t come close to describing this book. I cried when I was done, first due to the story, and second because it was over and I would miss it.
“Jesus Christ's Half-Brother is Alive and Well on the Spokane Indian Reservation” is a short story from the book “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” by Sherman Alexie. Although only about 15 pages long, I can never get through this without having to take a break and contemplate the story as I’m reading it. This could be the most beautiful thing I have ever read.
“A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving – This is the granddaddy of them all. Irving, perhaps
America’s greatest living writer, gave us a classic with this one. If I were a literature teacher I would begin every semester with this book.
Again, I’ve exceeded five, but as I’ve said before, it’s my list and I can do what I want.
Boycotting Madonna Monday April 10, 2006
Posted by hallelujahhatrack in Funny, Music, Uncategorized.add a comment
The office that I work in is very nice and is in a great location, but the one downside is that we can only get one radio station – and it’s not a good one (at least not for me…) unless you like to hear the same pop crap over and over and over. All. Day. Long.
Anyway, in homage to washed up, over the hill, pain in the ass ‘artists’ they have deemed today to be “Madonna Monday”. Whose stupid idea was this? I’d rather listen to the Oak Ridge Boy’s sing “Elvira” on a loop while you stick hot sharp stuff into my eyes than endure another round of “La Isla Bonita”.
Luckily I have my own personal CD stash so I could listen to Little Feat in a drastic attempt to cleanse my auditory palate.
I’m afraid to see what tomorrow brings – maybe the radio station will infest the airwaves with “Til Tuesday Tuesday”.
Or I could call in sick…
Illustration Friday: speed April 10, 2006
Posted by hallelujahhatrack in ART, Illustration Friday, Uncategorized.add a comment
For those of you who haven’t been on this ride, it is one of the fastest in the country. For those of you who have been on this ride, well, you know that I’m just kidding…
Pen & ink and colored pencil on paper. 8×10″
Click on the link in the far right column for more information on Illustration Friday.
What’s your bookmark? April 5, 2006
Posted by hallelujahhatrack in Books, Family, Funny, Kids, Uncategorized.add a comment
I believe that what you use for a bookmark tells a lot about you, as well as a lot about what you read. Maybe one of my personal oddities, maybe some truth.
Let’s look at the books currently being read in my house:
My wife is reading something called “Cracks in My Foundation” by Marian Keyes. The bookmark being used is an emery board.
I am re-reading Truman Capote’s “Other Voices, Other Rooms” and to mark my place I am using my ticket to the Metropolitan Museum of Art when I went in November to see the van Gogh exhibit. Perhaps that sound’s a bit pretentious, but it’s not. I’m just a big geek I guess.
Boona is reading one of the Harry Potter books. It’s a thin one, so must be one of the first few. He is using a plush Scooby Doo bookmark.
The Bear is currently knee-deep in “Junie B Jones: Something Smells Fishy.” (these books are classic, by the way!!) For his bookmark he is currently using a pair of green and purple “Monsters. Inc.” underpants.
For him, that’s just about right.
