I must be desperate for content. I spent some time last week fulfilling my "25 Random Things" Facebook viral meme obligations. I am reposting that list here, for the benefit of those three readers of mine who are not yet on Facebook. And to make it look like I've written twice as much as I… Continue reading 25 Random Things about Me (Breakfast Edition)
Tag: childhood
Thoughts on Ben Folds’ “Still Fighting It”
My friend Adam over at Random Thoughts Escaping posted the Ben Folds' video of "Still Fighting It," along with some thoughts about fatherhood. I've always loved "Still Fighting It," which got heavy rotation on WXPN when the song came out. I'd never seen the video before. I found it quite touching, despite wanting to resist… Continue reading Thoughts on Ben Folds’ “Still Fighting It”
The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones
Continuing on the Indiana Jones theme, I also discovered in my old comic book box the first couple issues of "The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones" (larger image). This was back when the Indy characters had the potential to be a serious franchise -- there was a Young Indiana Jones on television, you had the… Continue reading The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones
Raiders of the Lost Ark Comic Book
In anticipation of the upcoming Indiana Jones movie, I dug through the old comic book box and came up with this, Marvel's "Official Comics Adaptation of the Hit Title" -- the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in comic book form (larger image). You'd think this would be worth some money on eBay, but it… Continue reading Raiders of the Lost Ark Comic Book
Let Us Now Praise the Tater Tot
photo credit: JaseMan I've always suspected that Tater Tots were the ultimate comfort food. Something about them calls us back to childhood, back to the deep fried goodness of elementary school cafeterias. Even full grown adults are susceptible, drawn to the warm potatoesque mush inside and the crunchy, flaky shell outside. Some salt and some… Continue reading Let Us Now Praise the Tater Tot
Pope John Paul II in Action
Tradermaester-maestertrader Adam remembers young Karol Wojtyla (henceforth known as "the pope boy") running through the streets of Poland in Marvel's comic book adaptation of his life. I'm happy to bolster Adam's memory with these EXCLUSIVE!!! images of the pope boy playing soccer in his hometown of Wadowice (larger image). For my part, the image from… Continue reading Pope John Paul II in Action
A glut of Popes on eBay
Inspired by the strange coincidences between Adam's and my first forays into comic books as children, I've dug up this gem from my attic: Marvel Comic's "The Life of Pope John Paul II" (full size image). Published in 1982, this graphic biography (as opposed to a graphic novel) tells the "entire story" of Pope John… Continue reading A glut of Popes on eBay
My musty old comic books
Adam and I have been friends for over thirty years -- he's one of the few people I regularly keep in touch with from my childhood. And lately Adam's been mining our childhood for memories of our individual and collective comic book "habit," writing some wonderful reflections upon comic books and what they've meant to… Continue reading My musty old comic books
Is this fireman a little too happy?
This firetruck is a Melissa & Doug puzzle our son used to play with. I was staring at the puzzle the other day, in an odd moment of nothing to do. And it dawned on me that perhaps one of the firemen is a little too happy? Now, I'm not the kind of person inclined… Continue reading Is this fireman a little too happy?
Falling Down in Mother Goose
After another week of reading Mother Goose to my son, it's become obvious that he has a clear preference for a certain kind of nursery rhyme. Namely, one in which people (or in one case, an egg) fall down. And there's a lot of falling down in Mother Goose. We all know about Jack and… Continue reading Falling Down in Mother Goose
Death in Mother Goose
For Christmas, I gave my son a new edition of the classic The Real Mother Goose, with illustrations by Blanche Fisher Wright. First published in 1916, the book has been a perennial childhood favorite for almost a century. It certainly was one of mine. And so it was with nostalgia that I began reading "Little… Continue reading Death in Mother Goose
A Return to Sesame Street (Fisher-Price Style)
Since Elmo was (regretably) such a success with our son, we've rescued a bunch of old-style Fisher-Price "Little People" from my parent's attic, including a few Sesame Street characters. Here we've got Bert and Ernie (circa 1974) tooling around town in a garbage truck. Whose garbage truck? I'm not sure. I don't recall Oscar the… Continue reading A Return to Sesame Street (Fisher-Price Style)
Niko and Quijote
Niko and Quijote (Larger Image) Posted to Flickr by samplereality. Don Quijote was on our street again, much to my son's delight. I snapped this photo as my son was dropping some change into the "statue's" chute. Moments later, Don Quijote was galloping in place and my son was in awe. I was surprised to… Continue reading Niko and Quijote
Don Quijote “Statue”
Or "Donkey-te" as my son says. This is another street performer on Calle Postas in Madrid. Drop a few coins in the chute and he bounces on "Rocinante" or jousts at imaginary windmills (i.e. pedestrians). My son goes crazy everytime he sees Donkey-te, and he woke up in the middle of the night last night… Continue reading Don Quijote “Statue”
Disney babies are always dreaming
The following text is from the packaging of an "easy-grasp" fork and spoon set some kind, Disney-loving soul gave our son: Playtime is filled with pixies and princesses. Bathtime overflows with pirate ships and mermaids. Meals are shared with bears who love honey. And Naps take place in castles, not cribs. So whether they are… Continue reading Disney babies are always dreaming