Chris Garver, Ruthless & Toothless - Speed Drawing a Samurai

This is SICK! : )

Ruthless & Toothless

Fun Fact

The discovery of the sunken Titanic on September 1, 1985, was made around one o'clock in the morning -- close to the same time the Titanic is believed to have sunk.

John Hughes, 1950-2009, Rest in Peace

“My heroes were Dylan, John Lennon and Picasso, because they each moved their particular medium forward, and when they got to the point where they were comfortable, they always moved on.” - John Hughes

John Hughes was one of the most impactful artists of my childhood...

Parental Discretion is Advised...

Sixteen Candles



And this song...oh yeah...I'm immediately a teenager again:



And a little tenderness...



And chicks who can't hold their smoke:



Bueller?



Clark!





What an amazing human being!!!


Writer:

Drillbit Taylor (2008) (story) (as Edmond Dantes)
Beethoven's 5th (2003) (V) (characters) (as Edmond Dantes) ... aka Beethoven's 5th: Big Paw (USA)
Maid in Manhattan (2002) (story) (as Edmond Dantès) ... aka Made in New York (USA: poster title)
Home Alone 4 (2002) (TV) (characters) ... aka Home Alone: Taking Back the House (USA: DVD title)
Beethoven's 4th (2001) (V) (characters) (as Edmond Dantès)
Just Visiting (2001) (screenplay) ... aka Les visiteurs en Amérique (France)
Beethoven's 3rd (2000) (V) (characters) (as Edmond Dantès)
American Adventure (2000) (TV) (characters) ... aka National Lampoon's American Adventure (USA: complete title)
Reach the Rock (1998) (written by)
Home Alone 3 (1997) (written by)
Flubber (1997) (screenplay) ... aka Disney's Flubber: The Absent Minded Professor (promotional title)
101 Dalmatians (1996) (screenplay)
Miracle on 34th Street (1994) (screenplay)
Baby's Day Out (1994) (written by)
Beethoven's 2nd (1993) (characters) (as Edmond Dantès)
Dennis the Menace (1993) (written by) ... aka Dennis (UK)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (characters) (written by) ... aka Home Alone II (USA: short title)
Beethoven (1992) (written by) (as Edmond Dantès) ... aka Beethoven: Story of a Dog (Australia: cable TV title)
Curly Sue (1991) (written by)
Dutch (1991) (written by) ... aka Driving Me Crazy
Career Opportunities (1991) (written by) ... aka One Wild Night
Home Alone (1990) (written by)
Christmas Vacation (1989) (written by) ... aka National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (UK: complete title) (USA: complete title) ... aka National Lampoon's Winter Holiday (UK)
Uncle Buck (1989) (written by)
The Great Outdoors (1988) (written by)
She's Having a Baby (1988) (written by)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) (written by)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) (written by)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (written by)
Pretty in Pink (1986) (written by)
Weird Science (1985) (written by)
European Vacation (1985) (screenplay) (story) ... aka National Lampoon's European Vacation (UK: video box title)
The Breakfast Club (1985) (written by)
Sixteen Candles (1984) (written by)
Nate and Hayes (1983) (written by) ... aka Savage Islands (UK)
Vacation (1983) (screenplay) (short story "Vacation '58") ... aka National Lampoon's Vacation (UK) (USA: complete title) ... aka American Vacation (Europe: English title: video title)
Mr. Mom (1983) (written by) ... aka Mr. Mum ... aka Perfect Daddy (Philippines: English title)
Class Reunion (1982) (written by) ... aka National Lampoon's Class Reunion
"Delta House" (5 episodes, 1979) - The Matriculation of Kent Dorfman (1979) TV episode (written by) - Campus Fair (1979) TV episode (written by) - The Deformity (1979) TV episode (written by) - The Lady in Weighting (1979) TV episode (written by) - The Shortest Yard (1979) TV episode (written by)


Producer:

New Port South (2001) (executive producer)
Reach the Rock (1998) (producer)
Home Alone 3 (1997) (producer)
Flubber (1997) (producer) ... aka Disney's Flubber: The Absent Minded Professor (promotional title)
101 Dalmatians (1996) (producer)
Miracle on 34th Street (1994) (producer)
Baby's Day Out (1994) (producer)
Dennis the Menace (1993) (producer) ... aka Dennis (UK)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (producer) ... aka Home Alone II (USA: short title)
Curly Sue (1991) (producer)
Dutch (1991) (producer) ... aka Driving Me Crazy
Only the Lonely (1991) (producer)
Career Opportunities (1991) (producer) ... aka One Wild Night
Home Alone (1990) (producer)
Christmas Vacation (1989) (producer) ... aka National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (UK: complete title) (USA: complete title) ... aka National Lampoon's Winter Holiday (UK)
Uncle Buck (1989) (producer)
The Great Outdoors (1988) (executive producer)
She's Having a Baby (1988) (producer)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) (producer)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) (producer)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (producer)
Pretty in Pink (1986) (executive producer)
The Breakfast Club (1985) (producer)


Director:

Curly Sue (1991)
Uncle Buck (1989)
She's Having a Baby (1988)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Weird Science (1985)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Sixteen Candles (1984)


Actor:
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (uncredited) .... Guy Running Between Cabs
The Breakfast Club (1985) (uncredited) .... Brian's Father
Class Reunion (1982) (uncredited) .... 'Girl' in dress with paper bag over head ... aka National Lampoon's Class Reunion


Soundtrack:
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) (writer: "I Can Take Anything" (1987))
Vacation (1983) (lyrics: "The Walley World National Anthem") ... aka National Lampoon's Vacation (UK) (USA: complete title) ... aka American Vacation (Europe: English title: video title)



Self:
Hal Roach: King of Laughter (1994) (TV) .... Himself

Source: imdb.com

Watch Out Kansas City...

...here I come! I am excited and honored to announce, beginning in the Fall of 2009, I will join the many talented writers at KCMetropolis.org, Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts, as one of its theatre critics.

My beat will include plays by America Heartland Theatre at Crown Center (2450 Grand Blvd, KCMO), putting on such productions as Peter Colley's I'll be Back Before Midnight and It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, a Kansas City premiere written/adapted by Joe Landry from the screenplay by Frank Capra just to name a couple.

I'll also be writing on productions by Actors Theatre, 30 West Pershing Road, Suite 850KC, MO 64108. Upcoming titles to be released soon.

Who knows what else they'll throw my way? Whatever the case, I can't wait to get started and hope you will become a reader!

SUPPORT LOCAL PERFORMING ARTS!

Check out KCMetropolis.org, add it to your Favorites, sign-up for the weekly eblast to stay abreast of the KC performing arts scene, and donate if you can.

Ruthless & Toothless Knows What Kids Like

Tattoo Artist, Chris Garver's children's clothing line has a pretty bitchin web site.

Click the image (left) to view a drawing tutorial and/or to print tattoo designs for coloring fun!

Never Judge a Book by Its Cover

I love this story!

"Boyle's Got Talent" by Mike Krumboltz

April 13, 2009 12:53:39 PM

"American Idol" isn't the only launching pad for aspiring singers. Across the pond, "Britain's Got Talent" scored a huge boost in the Buzz after an unassuming contestant gave an amazing performance.

Susan Boyle (remember that name) became a Web phenomenon after singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. The performance brought the audience to its feet and left the judges (including Simon Cowell) either speechless or in tears.

Before going on stage, Ms. Boyle admitted some self-deprecating facts about herself (she's never been kissed and lives alone with her cat, Pebbles). For those reasons and more, audiences were expecting the female William Hung. They were wrong.

Lookups on the sudden star posted huge gains. A no-name just the other day, Ms. Boyle quickly surged into our top 5,000 overall searches. Blogs and gossip rags went wild. The Mirror jumped on the story, reporting that while Ms. Boyle thought she "looked like a garage" on TV, she received a standing ovation when she showed up at her local church.

Other sources write that as a child, Ms. Boyle was the target of bullies because of a disability.

But, with her newfound fame, she is getting the last laugh. In fact, she's already meeting with officials from Mr. Cowell's Sony BMG label. This may have been the first you've heard of her, but it certainly won't be the last. You can watch her performance below...



Susan Boyle Sings on Britain's Got Talent 2009 Episode 1 @ Yahoo! Video

Catching Up...the 411

Confronted with a pile of bills and other miscellaneous biz-related miles of piles on my so-called dining room table, I choose to sit here - in front of my laptop, blogging. Well, who wouldn't when faced with those options? Truly.

The past couple of weeks have been a blur of excitement, anxiety, and fun with a trip to Chicago to the Housewares Show to launch a new product, the conclusion of my company's youth short fiction contest, and tons and tons of work to catch up on. Cole started guitar lessons, and Doug and Cole are considering the pursuit of Hapkido (a martial art).

So, I've been a bit remiss about writing and feel a whole heck of a lot more motivated to do THIS instead of bills. Where did we leave off? My Diane Arbus articles took a lot out of me. I was totally obsessing over her life and her body of work, the political climate of her time, her death, and the movie, Fur, a made-up tale of her life, starring Nicole Kidman.

Some times things or people or scientific theories hit me like that. Diane's power over me was so strong, because it was so multi-faceted. From the fantastical and unusual photographs she took, to her aristocratic upbringing, to the fact that she was married to one of my favorite actors who played the psychiatrist in MASH (who knew!?)- the fact that Diane was a mother, and an artist - all of these things played (and obviously continue to play) on my imagination. And then, there is her untimely and self-inflicted death and the accolades her work received a year after her death. So many things to learn about, to look at, and to think on; Diane Arbus is a contradiction, a mystery, and completely fantastic! Check out her stuff if you haven't had the chance. She is not one to be overlooked. Diane. Diane. Diane. Those were actually lyrics to an 80s pop song, entitled the same...though Diane Arbus is pronounced dee-ann..but anyway, enough...

Sooooo, I spent five days in Chicago on planes, trains, and automobiles, working with my aunt to launch her new invention, the Jeweler in the Dishwasher, a super cool, super effective and SAFE jewelery cleaning unit that goes in the dishwasher.

It was an amazing and exhausting show. The International Housewares Show is HUGE. There were over 3000 exhibitors. Here are a couple of pix. I'm happy to say the show was a success, and she is filling orders for retailers! More on this later. You can check the unit out at: http://jewelerinthedishwasher.com/.

Chicago is one of my favorite cities, and I wish we would have been there to play! After 91/2 hours on the showroom floor and with all of the walking and talking, the last thing we wanted to do in the evening was to go site seeing. Definitely want to get back out that way this Summer with the family. During past visits, I've enjoyed all the typical venues: Shedd's Aquarium, Wrigley for a Cubs game, Kingston Mines, Buddy Guy's Legends, the Pier, the Museum, the Planetarium...all of the cool shops and galleries. What a terrific Midwestern city!

Jacque and I met some lovely, genuine folks while we were there. Here's a shout out to Edward with a variety of Hulk-strength trash bags (next booth over from LA) and to Barb, and Jodi, the Hangshaper gals from Minnesota (2 booths down)! Hope you made it home okay and are selling millions! I, also, had the good fortune to run into some potential graphic design opportunities; we'll see how they pan out. I'm sincerely grateful for the work. I need it, but what I'd REALLY like to be doing (again - not that I'm turning work away, folks!) is more coaching and writing. I just can't get enough of either.

An acquaintance stopped by today, and we got to talking about what we've both been up to, respectively, and in the midst of our conversation, she shifted gears and blurted out, "every time I'm around you, you make me feel so good," and went on to say with the BIGGEST smile on her face, "we need to find a reason to hang out." This is MY gift; I'm telling you. I have an intuitive way of quickly and objectively sizing up a person's situation, ability to assess what it is they are looking for and/or what is missing in their life and/or what is hindering them from realizing their goals (DREAMS!)...even in the most infinitesimally brief moment, I have a way of reflecting a person's best self.

Most importantly, I sincerely appreciate the individuals I am interacting with; I hear them, and I help to keep them on their path (think that new Fidelity commercial with the green line, helping people find their way among the chaos...little dramatic, but you get the picture). The individual creates the map, and I merely act as the compass. My coaching business is called Open Mind Coaching. I specialize in career, life, and adult ADHD coaching. I'm fairly new (I've been informally coaching for ten years and became certified a year ago), so my rates are reasonable, and I offer a relaxed coaching environment. All coaching is done via telephone. Click the image below if you're interested in learning more about this.

Didn't really mean for this to become an infomercial, but 'tis the season, right? Coaching may seem a luxury during these times of economic crisis, but sometimes a coach is just what a person needs to get them through the storm to see the light and to find their way. It's proven (somewhere -I swear!) that people actually spend more money on self-care products and services during recessions. They often use the excuse of needing to look good for job interviews or to appear to take their job more seriously. Seriously? I totally understand the need to invest in oneself when stressed to the max. We need a little pampering, but invest in something more important. Take the money you're spending on your nails and invest it in your psyche and goals. You'll be sold in a month! ...in my humble coach's opinion - lol. Wow, okay..tangent, but hey, I'm passionate about this portion of my professional life!

Sooooo (this is the second time I've started a sentence this way, which means I'm writing in a very disjointed and gushy fashion), Chicago was an insane amount of work and stress. Came home to bipolar Missouri weather and fell ill with the crud. I'm feeling much better. Waking up today to the KREATIV Blogger award today was delightful.

Hanging out with Cole made my day. We had tacos for lunch with his Aunt Carla at our favorite joint in Parkville. We also ran around, dropping off the publication from last year's short fiction contest and writing tutoring flyers for my Tuesday workshops at the library and some small businesses. Cole is getting more serious about his guitar lessons, which is nice to hear about, and he is currently reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I can't get enough of talking to him about this story. If you know anyone of any age who needs a self-esteem lift, have them give it a read. It's very short but impactful. If you dig it, read on with Illusions, Bridges Across Forever, and One all by Richard Bach. Metaphysics. Love. Airplanes. Unconventional Messiahs. Star Wars. All ingredients for good stuff. I've been reading them over and over for 20+ years.

The sun is setting, which means I need to get my butt off of the computer. Glad to check in and debrief. I'm gearing up for an article on a new quantum physics theory, Entanglement, I read about in the latest Scientific America. Keep an eye out for it. It challenges Einstein's special theory of relativity. I've been trying to absorb it before attempting to write on it; it's complex, mind-blowing stuff.

Thanks for your comments and readership!

The Voices of Diane Arbus, Master Photographer (1923-1971)

Check out the following documentary on Diane Arbus with an introduction by her daughter, Doon Arbus. Hear her own words speak on her fascination with "freaks" read by Mary Claire Costello, one of her close friends. There are also interviews with Lisette Model, a European émigree and photographer who instructed a class Diane attended, with John Szarkowski, Curator of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art from 1962-1991, and with Marvin Israel, co-author of An Aperture Monograph with Doon Arbus, and more. Also, I've included some clips from the movie, Fur at the end. I highly recommend renting it; outstanding! Note, these videos may not be for your kiddies. Parental discretion is advised.

Going Where I've Never Been
Part I




Going Where I've Never Been
Part II




Going Where I've Never Been
Part III




Going Where I've Never Been
Part IV




Videos from Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus
The Making of Fur




Fur Trailer




Fur Clip

Women's History Month: Diane Arbus (1923-1971)

The public celebration of women's history in the United States began in 1978 as Women's History Week in Sonoma, California. In 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) co-sponsored a joint Congressional resolution proclaiming a national Women's History Week. In 1987, Congress expanded the celebration to a month, and March was declared Women's History Month.

Before the 1970s, there were one or two scholars who would refer to themselves as "women historians." Until this time, history was written by men about men and quite frankly, for men. However, fueled by the feminist movement of the 60s and the continued political and economic discrimination of the female sex in the 70s, women turned to their own history as a way to document their status as second-class citizens. The invisibility of women in history was to become a thing of the past.

A traditional study of Women's History would generally include a chronological examination of distinguished and influential women in history such as Abigail Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Amelia Earhart, Anne Frank, Indira Ghandi, Queen Elizabeth I, Maya Angelou and many other important female icons whose stories shape Women's History as we know it today.

Issues at the forefront in documenting women's history were of the broader spectrum of American life, including such topics as the history of urban life, public health, ethnicity, the media, and poverty. As with the focus of most western history, the initial documentation of women's history tended to present a typical middle-class, white experience. Since few women held high political or professional positions in America in the 1970s and as civil rights stood ever-more in the forefront of politics, Women's History grew to include a more diverse cultural story and the shared, ordinary experiences of women such as child-rearing, birth control, education, family, and sexuality.

2009 Women's History Month: A Reflection of Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus is my own personal study during this month's celebration of Women's History. Inspired by the movie Fur, a fantastical and imaginary tale, released in 2006 and starring Nicole Kidman, I've been digging into the personal, professional, and artistic history of one of America's most important photographers of the 20th Century - Diane Arbus.

Kidman, a distinguished artist in her own right, beautifully and delicately portrays the eccentric photographer and her fascination with her neighbor, played by Robert Downey, Jr., who has stuck her fancy and who inspires her to explore her inner freak and photography in this whimsical, somewhat biographical tale.

Diane Arbus began photographing in the 1950s. Her work has been described as "contemporary anthology" and juxtaposes American stereotypes. Diane's work ranged from commercial photography for magazines such as Esquire and Vogue to the ordinary and even bizarre. As she shed the constraints of her traditional, affluent upbringing and American cultural expectations, Diane had a propensity for spending time with and photographing drag queens, circus performers, the mentally ill, and nudists - those who were on the fringe.




















(Photo by Diane Arbus - Untitled. 1970-71)

Diane (dee-ann) Arbus was born in 1923 to wealthy, Jewish parents, David and Gertrude Nemerov. She had a privileged life with her two siblings in New York City, growing up in large apartments on Central Park West and later Park Avenue. Diane's family owned Russek's of Fifth Avenue, which was a department store specializing in furs. "I grew up feeling immune and exempt from circumstance. One of the things I suffered from was that I never felt adversity. I was confirmed in a sense of unreality," she later told Studs Terkel, for his Hard Times: An Oral History of the Depression.

Diane met Allan Arbus in her parents' store when she was 13, and the two married in 1941when she was 18. Allan and Diane owned and operated a fashion photography studio in New York City where they carried out stereotypical roles of the time with Allan as photographer and Diane as assistant. However, their photographs were published giving credit to them both. They shot for magazines such as Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times Magazine, and Vogue, but their wealth never measured to that of Diane's family's.

The couple had two children, Doon and Yolanda and continued to work together until 1956 when Diane decided to pursue her work independently. Though the couple remained friends, they separated in 1959. "I always felt that it was our separation that made her a photographer," Allan told the New York Times . "I couldn't have stood for her going to the places she did. She'd go to bars on the Bowery and to people's houses. I would have been horrified." Allan remarried in 1969 and moved to California where he won the role as Dr. Sydney Freidman on M.A.S.H. Diane Arbus would go on to become one of the most original and influential photographers in the Country.

Arbus' most widely known images are those of her more freakish subjects and reflect her dark documentary-style. Diane was awarded Guggenheim fellowships both in 1963 and 1966 for her non-commercial work. In 1967, John Szarkowski, curator of photography at the Modern Museum of Art, featured Arbus in the New Journalism movements's (think Norman Mailer and Tom Wolfe) manifesto exhibit, New Documents, where Diane established her reputation. Her story is the stuff of Shakespeare, and her own tragic decline stopped abruptly a few years after her launch.

Succumbing to depression in 1971, Diane committed suicide by consuming barbiturates and cutting her wrists. The Museum of Modern art held a retrospective of her work a year later, which became the most attended solo photography exhibitions in history. The art book that followed, edited by Doon Arbus and Marvin Israel is one of the best selling art books in history.

Diane Arbus' story tells the tale of of so many other great artists - brilliant and tortured. Her life and work are an important part of not only Women's History but also of the photography scene of 20th Century American and of the New Documents movement. Arbus touched, and continues to touch, people with a creepily mythical hand.

"Freaks was a thing I photographed a lot," she wrote. "It was one of the first things I photographed and it had a terrific kind of excitement for me. I just used to adore them. I still do adore some of them. I don't quite mean they're my best friends but they made me feel a mixture of shame and awe. There's a quality of legend about freaks. Like a person in a fairy tale who stops you and demands that you answer a riddle. Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats." (1)(2)

Images found on the internet by Diane Arbus




















Identical Twins. Aperture.




















Untitled. 1970-71




















Tattooed Man at Carnival. MD. 1970





















Title Unknown.

Mia Farrow.

A Family on Their Lawn One Sunday in Westchester. NY. 1968

Ozzy and Harriett.

Title Unknown.

Masked Woman in Wheelchair. PA. 1970

(1) Terkel, Studs. Hard Times: An Oral History of the Depression. Newpress, 2000.

(2) Oppenheimer, Daniel. Diane Arbus. The Valley Advocate.

Storyteller Diane Wolkstein Performs

Monkey King: Journey to the West

Internationally acclaimed storyteller and author Diane Wolkstein will captivate family audiences with a re-imagining of one of the great classic Chinese stories of all time. She and musician Geoffrey Gordon will recreate the 16th century epic of Monkey King: Journey to the West 7:30pm on April 18, 2009 at the Rime Center.

Kansas City’s Friends of Jung organization is responsible for bringing Diane to Kansas City to perform this epic tale. As an acclaimed storyteller, author of 24 books, a Tai Chi student of Taoist master Sat Hon and a student of Thich Nhat Hanh she brings a lot of expertise to her storytelling.

Geoffrey Gordon, an accomplished Broadway performer, recording artist, and kirtan musician, is trained in North Indian classical music and brings his talents to the telling of Monkey. The great Chinese epic recounts the adventures of the fierce Taoist Monkey King and the compassionate Buddhist priest who journey together from China to India to bring back the Buddhist scriptures.

The journey is one of countless raucous adventures beginning with Monkey King’s desire for immortality and his later attempt to take over heaven. The inside journey is one of self-cultivation. This hour-long performance is also a great way to support Tibet as a portion of the proceeds will go to support Tibetan refugees.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Available in the gift shop, or reserve your tickets today by mailing payment and pick them up at will call.

More info about Diane Wolkstein: www.dianewolkstein.com

http://www.rimecenter.org/

Post from Rime Buddhist Center Community page on Facebook.

Tony Hawk Knows!

Riley got his driving permit. Buckle your seatbelts, drive defensively and STOP TEXTING!

-Tony Hawk

http://www.tonyhawk.com/journal.html

Schools are for Fish by Jason Holm

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Theodore Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2, 1904. Today is Dr. Seuss' 105th birthday!

While most commonly known for his children's books (he wrote over 60 of them), “Dr.” Seuss was both the editor-in-chief of the college newspaper and also drew more than 400 political cartoons in two years for a New York daily newspaper. It was as a college student at Dartmouth that he started signing his work “Seuss.” Once he graduated, he started signing his work as “Dr. Seuss” when submitting it to a humor magazine. After marrying, he continued to write humor and illustrate. When World War II started, he began his political cartooning. Eventually he designed and illustrated posters to support the war effort, and joined the U.S. Army where he was the leader of the animation department.

Neumeier, Russ, Wired News, wired.com, March 2 2009
..........................................................

The stories and images of Dr. Seuss parade through all of my childhood memories, and I attribute my early love of reading and writing to my love of his stories.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!


Tell us how Dr. Seuss impacted you!

Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Mine was always Green Eggs & Ham....until my son was born. Then, I read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish to him over and over and over. I think this must be how it is with all children and their first Seuss book. For YEARS, we fell back on this comfortable story, intoning the rhymes that made up the tiny tale while we delighted in the images on the pages with no need to read the words. Now, I can't help but love this story above all other Seuss tales. It's become a player in the parade of those memories as well.

What's your favorite Dr. Seuss story and/or memory?

Hop on Pop, The Cat in the Hat, or Horton Hears a Who?

Lite Brights Rule!!

Lite Bright was introduced by Hasbro in 1967 and was one of my favorite toys as a child. Turns out, it's one of Cole's favorite too! We were at my Mother's a while back, and she got out the old clunker. The picture to the left is the template Cole completed. He had a wonderful time doing it and was completely entranced until it was done. There's something mesmerizing about those brilliantly lit pegs!

Here's a little blurb about the toy from Wikipedia:

Lite-Brite allows the artist to create a "glowing" picture. The picture is created by placement of multi-colored translucent plastic pegs through opaque black paper. The light from an illuminated light bulb is blocked by the black paper except though where the pegs conduct the light. When lit, the pegs have an appearance similar to that of LEDs. Most Lite-Brite toys come with a series of pre-prepared patterns. Classic patterns include the "Wizard of Light" (a picture of a wizard with the "Lite-Brite" name above), and the clown.

Denver artist Lori Kanary created the World's Largest Lite-Brite in 1999 with her work "Giant Lite-Brite," setting a new Guinness World Record. It was shown in collaboration with the Redshift Gallery and the Denver Art Museum's Impressionism show that year. Kanary is responsible for establishing the Lite-Brite as art craze in 1996.

The world's former largest Lite-Brite object was certified by Guinness as a rendering of Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" by Malvern, Pennsylvania artist Mark Beekman. The picture took over 15 months to construct and measures 5'5" by 11'. It was constructed with 124,418 pegs, which was over double the previous record. Hasbro sent him the first 100,000 pegs. He had to purchase the rest of the pegs by purchasing individual Lite-Brites from his local area.[1] The picture was auctioned on Ebay[2] (auction no longer active) with the proceeds going to the Milton & Catherine Hershey Heritage Foundation.[3]

This record was beaten October 7, 2008 by ASICS America Corporation in collaboration with Vitrorobertson and artist Lori Kanary. The new sneaker design is 2.74 m (9 ft) by 4.27 m (14 ft) in size and was made with 347,004 original size pegs.

References can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lite-Brite

Oh Henry!

I think that as long as there're young people there's always going to be good music, good art and passionate, honest renderings of what people are going through. I mean, people go "music sucks now," well, not what I'm listening to.

- Henry Rollins