LesBourgeoisie's March 2006 Archives

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March 26, 2006

Movie/Book Reviews

I am savoring the downtime this Sabbath (but not savoring not-being-able-to-breathe grace à the pathogen attacking my innards), after what has been my busiest week of the year so far...and this coming week doesn't seem like it will be any easier....

After work yesterday (where, while crunching numbers, I got to "see" Louisiana's own make it to the Final Four via auto-refreshing play-by-play on ESPN.com) I FINALLY took in the new Pride and Prejudice flick. Being a huge fan of the book and the 5-hr BBC/A&E production, I intentionally had my expectations set quite low. I was quite pleased, though. It was extraodinary. I don't think it sacrificed too much to fit everything into 2 hours. There were a few irritations (like not caring too much for Donald Sutherland's rendering of Mr. Bennet). I think the tension between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy the entire movie was very well-done, though creative license was indeed taken there, and just the artistry of the entire film was brilliant. I can't really compare the two film versions...sort of like I refuse to compare the new Wonka and the old one...I am crazy about aspects of both.

This afternoon, as I'm enjoying the too-brief absence of Arabic numerals sucking the vitreous humor from my eyes, I've enjoyed finishing a terrific book - Lauren Winner's mudhouse sabbath. Thanks to Mizriz Ducote for lending it to me (I, in turn, will make a backup copy of something else you'd like to borrow). Wow, it was great. As Winner contemplated ways Christians can incorporate Hebraic practices like kashrut, I was keeping Kosher in my own right - relating to my foods much more differently than ever before in my 24 years...washing, chopping, enjoying whole, fresh, natural foods every day, trying to rid my body of processed stuffs I'd subsisted (and expanded) on before. The Reverend once overheard friends asking me what they could fix for supper if we came over and he cracked up, "It's like keeping Kosher - 'Oh, what can they eat?!'" mudhouse's considerations on the aging believer brought a lump to my throat, and I'm now better able to understand Adrienne's attachments to wicks-n-tallow after her spiritual connections described in the "Lighting Candles" chapter. The book was a refreshing, very earthy take on basic, quotidian aspects of the Christian faith, as Ms. Winner, a Christian convert from Judaism, sought to link her faith to its Hebrew heritage. Mmm, mmm, good!

I have to say, I really want a mezuzah, now. Isn't the same God who commanded his people to use them the same one who became flesh, died, and rose again?

Posted by brad at 05:01 PM | Comments (5)

March 15, 2006

LESS THAN 48 HOURS TO GO!!!

It's almost here! I'm getting PUMPED!! I've been so busy lately it's been sneaking up on me (but that didn't stop me from going to their website to shamelessly beg them via email to play my favorite song, which is old, so I haven't heard it live. Or to email again when I noticed that every show up until the Monroe one got postponed due to sickness, to tell them I hoped they were feeling better - we've been there and done that, even though it would be well worth another wait.)

Since I bought the tickets less than 2 hours after the box office opened, we got GREAT seats - like towards the front of the orchestra section! I actually even called the box office to weasel my way into even closer ones, but there were only two together, and since this was also time to spend with the parental units making the journey from Houma, I had to let blood win over the greatest musicians alive (OK, some of the greatest) ;-)

Pray for Lexie, though, because before we get to have this great experience again, BabyDoll has to have an Echocardiogram with a pediatric cardiologist to get some of our pediatrician's questions answered about some things that don't sound just right to his ear. Friday AM at 9:00.

Posted by brad at 11:30 PM | Comments (6)

March 12, 2006

Snake Charmer

Well, I caught it.

Now I guess I should eat it.

hmmm, sounds like a lot of people around here!

Posted by adrienne at 02:28 PM | Comments (0)

March 11, 2006

Vh1's Top 100 Toys

I am guilty of watching the endless re-runs of rehashed culture that makes up most of Vh1's programs. One of their newest is the Top 100 Toys of all time. I've caught 3 of the 6 episodes and it is kinda fun looking back at all the toys. Here is the list:

100. Magic 8 Ball
99. Thumbalina
98. D&D
97. Spirograph
96. Pong
95. Chutes & Ladders
94. Laser Tag
93. Sea Monkeys
92. Remote Control Cars
91. Uno
90. Model Sets
89. BB Guns
88. Care Bears
87. Dominos
86. Ouija Boards
85. My Little Pony
84. Gumby
83. Memory
82. Little Golden Books
81. Wooly Willie
80. Baby Alive
79. Trivial Pursuit
78. Army Men
77. Stickers
76. Balsa
75. Weeble Wobbles
74. Erector Set
73. Rainbow Brite
72. Color Forms
71. Walkie Talkies
70. Candy Land
69. Slip & Slide
68. Smurfs
67. Tinker Toys
66. Risk
65. Jig Saw Puzzle
64. Roller Skates
63. Rubik's Cube
62. Life
61. Operation
60. Tickle Me Elmo
59. Simon
58. Madlibs
57. Stretch Armstrong
56. Barrel O' Monkeys
55. Mouse Trap
54. View Master
53. He-Man
52. Speak & Spell
51. Lincoln Logs
50. Gameboy
49. Clue
48. Little People
47. Evel Knievel
46. Hungry Hungry Hippos
45. Frisbee
44. Raggedy Ann & Andy
43. See & Say
42. Jump Rope
41. Transformers
40. Big Wheel
39. Tea Set
38. Pogo Stick
37. Mattel Classic Football
36. Strawberry Shortcake
35. Tonka Toys
34. Connect Four
33. Ninja Turtles
32. Shrinky Dinks
31. Twister
30. Battleship
29. Cabbage Patch Kids
28. Crayola Crayons
27. Silly Putty
26. Lionel Trains
25. Lite Brite
24. Water Guns
23. Nerf
22. Teddy Bear
21. NES
20. ATARI
19. Easy Bake Oven
18. Scrabble
17. Rock'em Sock'em
16. Etch-a-Sketch
15. Matchbox/Hotwheels
14. Bike
13. Snoopy Snocone Machine
12. Radio Flyer
11. Play Doh
10. Wiffle Ball & Bat
9. Slinky
8. Yo-Yo
7. Star Wars figures
6. Monopoly
5. Mr. PotatoHead
4. G. I. Joe
3. LEGO
2. Barbie
1. Hula Hoop

So then my question to all of you is...How many of these did you own or remember playing with? I don't agree with the Hula Hoop being #1. And what's with leaving out the Skip-It?!? That was just as fun as the hula hoop. And why did Smurfs make the list? They were a great cartoon, but don't know that they rate being on the top 100 toys list. ooh, and I just noticed that PowerWheels and My Buddy weren't on the list. or the little tape recorder with the microphone. Obviously they should have consulted me before constructing this list, but they didn't. Oh well.

Posted by adrienne at 05:30 PM | Comments (4)