Yesterday work was pretty wacky; however, my small entryway table from home will be featured on an upcoming episode of Nova, so I guess that's a win.
Conversation with The Boy from our long, rainy trip home, and proof that intellectual stimulation is not what it used to be:
"Mommy, how come Spongebob Squarepants is a giant piece of cheese?"
"He's not, son. He's a sponge."
"No, his name is Spongebob. He's a piece of cheese."
"No, he's a sponge. A sponge is an animal that lives in the ocean. Spongebob is just a Sponge named, I guess, Bob."
"Sponges are animals in the ocean? What do they do?"
"They hang out and eat stuff, I guess."
"But why is he a spongebob?"
"He's not a spongebob, he's a sponge. His name is Spongebob. His name could be SpongeLarry or SpongeFred, he'd still be a sponge."
"SPONGE LARRY?!?!? That's just silly, mommy."
Just finished reading Manhunt: the 12-day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. My word, that prose is purple. VERY purple. The history is good, the book seems well-researched (and how sad is it that after reading history I want to go research it myself to be sure that no one's pulled a Bellesiles on me), but dear GOD! Some of the passages made me want to beat my head against a wall.
Watched Junebug on the recommendation of a friend who shall remain nameless because I am going to kill him. Talk to Hublet, friend--he was most amused at my reaction. Next time, why don't you just tell me to rent Old Yeller, Charlotte's Web and King Kong in rapid succession, mix it in with Fried Green Tomatoes and Doing Time on Maple Drive and then have a handful of quaaludes with a scotch chaser? Geez. Yeah, yeah, themes were artfully explored, it was fun to see Pilot Mountain, eccentric southern characters were colorfully eccentric, and the chick who was nominated for an Oscar deserved the nod. But still. Bambi and luudes, man. Bambi and luudes.
Perhaps that wasn't the best movie to watch immediately after The 40-Year Old Virgin.....
History writing has gotten awful over the last few years. I blame Schama. Not for any good reason, but I always like to blame Schama.
Another super purple book was Devil in the White City. Within the first pages the word "refulgent" appears. That's rarely a good sign. Entertaining, if too speculative at times, though.
Posted by: marc at April 27, 2006 04:12 PMYes, Schama is to blame for many things--global warming and the return of gauchos as viable casual wear chief among them.
But seriously, refulgent?
Okay, try this one on for size:
"Kneeling at Booth's side, Lucinda Holloway ministered to the dying star...Booth was thirsty. As strangers at Golgotha did for Christ on Good Friday's cross, Lucinda answered his plea..."
After my eyes stopped rolling around the back of my head, I was able to continue reading. Golgotha?
Posted by: BAW at April 27, 2006 09:07 PMInvertibrate awareness month may come around again. Employees were starting their own months, back when, and I remember bits of it.
A sponge is a muscle filled with wind, Francis Ponge said, letting itself get contaminated by all sorts of improper things. And yet it always recovers its countenance.
``Do we have to take sides between two ways of tolerating oppression badly?''
Its ignoble labor enfranchises it.
Posted by: Ron Hardin at April 27, 2006 09:10 PMAnd of course there's the additional SpongeBob complication of the fact that he more closely resembles the synthetically-made kitchen sponges that you buy at the grocery or Mart of Wal, rather than the actual "real" sea sponges (the remains of which, you can buy at either upscale "bathing" stores or at paint stores, for stippling walls. If a Sponge Heaven exists, I imagine all the little souls of sponges sitting there, looking down at us, going, "They harvested our bodies and used them for WHAT?!?!")
However, SpongeBob can reform himself after being pushed though a sieve, so there are a few points in the favor of verisimilitude.
Posted by: ricki at April 28, 2006 08:51 AMJunebug? Junebug! You gotta' be kidding me. I just finished watching it last night. You're in my mind programming my TV viewing choices. Aaaarggh!
Didn't like it either. Disfunctional and quirky southerners. Blah, blah, blah. Faulkner did it better a long time ago. I can't believe that Replacements Limited allowed their employees to be characterized as such losers.
Posted by: Locomotive Breath at April 28, 2006 02:21 PMLB -
Moo-ha-ha!
Now if only I could figure out a way to use my incredible powers of mind control to force people to give me money...
Posted by: BAW at April 28, 2006 03:00 PMMust resist urge to put check in the mail. Must resist. Must resist.
Posted by: Locomotive Breath at April 29, 2006 09:40 AMIf that was me that recommended Junebug, I stand by my recommendation, but I'm sorry if it bored you.
Don't watch the Squid and the Whale, whatever you do.
Posted by: Brad K. at May 2, 2006 08:54 AM