I love it when two teenagers ring up and bag my groceries.

"Did you ever see that Nicolas Cage movie about 9/11? I watched that last night, and, like, it got me thinking about how bad that was."

"Yeah it was bad! I'll tell you how bad it was. I lived in Connecticut and we used to go down once a year to the Twin Towers and the Statue of Liberty. And now we can't."

"Yeah, but, like, think how many people were in that building."

"I guess going up to Connecticut's going to be pretty boring now."

"Yeah."

"I just don't get war. Like, why would you want to give your life for something? That's, like, so crappy."


Four Replies to World Trade, Like, Something

Lori Lancaster | August 24, 2007
[hidden by author request]

Tony Peters | August 25, 2007
another reason why mandatory service to country would be a good thing

Jackie Mason | August 26, 2007
[hidden by author request]

Anna Gregoline | August 27, 2007
I still can't get over a quote (I'll have to paraphrase) I saw in an article about kids and 9/11 - one kid said, "It wasn't until I saw the 9/11 movie that I felt it was at all real."

Dramatized things seeming more real than actual news coverage is a startling indictment of our media culture.


Logical Operator

The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »

Risky Games

Here's plugging two games that I've been enjoying lately: Dice Wars is a good little miniature online game for one person, playable in about 20 minutes and very satisfying for its size. The text below the game explains the rules, but suffice to say, it's basically Risk but built to be played rapidly thanks to some rule simplification and a very swift AI. (Thanks for suggesting it, Joandy!) Go »

The Ten Best Films of 2009 That I Saw

10: Thirst - A priest must cope with having become a vampire. It's a psychological power struggle between two outcasts with their souls on the line. Slow but very methodical in its effect; every moment matters. Go »

Overheard

"Back when I sold real estate, I used to touch up the houses myself. It was a tough market, there wasn't money to pay for it. Anyway, this one house, I have the damnedest time getting the color in the living room right. Go »

Cheesed

If life is about simple pleasures, does the return of Taco Bell's chili cheese burrito qualify? I don't know if it's nationwide, but they've returned on a wave of marketing around here. It was my favorite menu item a decade ago, until lack of counter space in the kitchen eliminated chili from a supposedly "Mexican" restaurant. Go »

Good Company and Busy Nights

Highlights from my last two weeks, in no particular order: - Miah Poisson, his fiancĂ©e Ines, and her friend Denise have always wanted to see The X Files, and it just so happens I have the complete series on DVD. We've started getting together every Monday night to watch a couple of episodes and eat sandwiches. I'm taking the opportunity to do something I wanted to do the first time I watched the series, which is keep a kill-count. Go »

Chatt Story

Kelly and I are home from a brief road trip to Chattanooga. The primary reason for going was the wedding of an old friend of Kelly. The ceremony was beautiful, held on the banks of Fall Creek Falls Lake, with some of the best-written vows I've ever heard, at once personal and profound. Go »