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 »

Not-So-Confidential to My Gaming Group

I started writing this out in an email reply to John Gunter, but I guess it should be shared. I miss gaming with you guys, but I'm on the fence about continuing. I like each of you guys a great deal, but when we're together I just don't feel the click of a connection like I used to. Go »

Scott's Car is Dead; Long Live Scott's Van

The blue Dodge Caliber that I bought years ago has lasted through a lot. It may have suffered a flat tire at one GooCon and a window that wouldn't close at another, but the only major and long-lasting problem with it was a leaky roof. Unfortunately, I live in Florida, where half of the year sees brief but frequent thunderstorms. Go »

OK Glass

Last weekend, Kelly and I drove up to St. Petersburg with friends to see Ira Glass present a one-man stage show explaining how he makes This American Life on the radio. I had no prior familiarity with his work, having not heard the radio show unlike the fans that I went with, but I think it's long past time that I started listening to the celebrated series online. Go »

Happiness, That's My Livelihood

Somehow I've agreed to teach HTML & PHP classes on Friday mornings. Two down, at least two to go. I enjoy teaching, and you know I enjoy making websites, but the getting-up-before-dawn-at-the-end-of-a-long-week part is agony. Go »

More Hypocrisy

Well, now that I've written at length on TC about how I consider online videos an unpleasant medium, this is the perfect time to share some! This year's Lazy Sunday might be this SNL bit with Justin Timberlake and Andy Samburg. NSFW. Go »

Signs of Summer

The recent Florida wildfires have been a nasty reminder (I drove through one burned-down forest and it was a terrible sight), but if you need any more indication that summer is here, just step outside: It's scorching. Apparently one local still didn't think it was hot enough to take precautions, as evidenced by the recent explosion in the parking lot when we pulled into a strip mall for lunch. An entire trailer had burned into ash with only a skeletal frame and two melted tires remaining. Go »