Today for lunch, I had a peanut butter (Skippy chunky) and raspberry jam sandwich on really good, dense white sandwich bread. Sometimes the simplest things can be the best, if you ask me.

Movie quote of the week:

“Fiddle-dee-dee. War, war, war. This war talk is spoiling all the fun at every party this spring.”
-Scarlett O’Hara, Gone With the Wind

Following in my mindless entertainment theme from the past two days, I was thinking today about classic arcade games. I must admit that I get more pleasure overall from playing old arcade games using the MAME emulator than I do from most ultra-complicated new 3-D PC games. Getting a high score in Galaga, for example, is an exhilarating experience. I also love Ms. Pac-Man, although I am bad at it and never learned any of the magic patterns which allow you to play until you keel over. The original Donkey Kong is another favorite of mine. I love Missile Command, and have fond memories of playing it at the mall arcade – but it’s very hard to play without the giant trackball of the arcade version. What are your favorite classic arcade games?

Hirshhorn Museum, Washington D.C. (November 2000)

Continuing the cartoon theme from yesterday, I used to think that if I could have just one superpower, it would be to fly. I often have flying dreams – not leaning forward like Superman, just jumping up vertically and sailing through the air. Sort of like Crouching Tiger, only less graceful. I often just jump up and land on the top of a building, that sort of thing.

Well, recently I’ve wanted to exchange flying for the ability to stop time. I would love to stop the clock for about two weeks, and just enjoy the days being frozen for a while. That may seem ludicrous coming from someone without a regular job, someone who doesn’t have to punch any sort of time clock. But the last couple of weeks have made me want to just slow down, to stop everything from hurtling forward at such a relentless pace. Know what I mean?

Had an interesting conversation the other day on AIM with Suey about cartoons and cartoon characters. I had picked Daffy Duck as my AIM icon image, since I sort of identify with him – he’s always trying too hard, and he’s often frustrated by it. I love Bugs and want to be like him, but I’m just not him – I’m more Daffy. I could never be as cool and collected and in control as Bugs. The same in the Pooh universe: I so want to be Tigger, but I’m not – I’m Eeyore. Which cartoon characters do you most identify with?

Another joke:
“The Producers is about a guy who produces a show that really stinks. I’ve been doing that for 20 years. Where’s my Tony?”
-David Letterman
(stolen from David Yoder’s fan page)

If you’re looking for a laugh (and who isn’t), Kate has a very funny account of her “trek into the bowels of consumerism,” aka The Mall. It’s on Sunday’s entry – no permalinks on Kate’s site yet.

Watching David Letterman last night was quite an experience, both personal and as pop culture. If you didn’t see it, you really missed something. Here was this incredibly funny and cynical man, fighting back tears, talking to the audience from behind his desk about the bravery of the rescue workers and how New York is the greatest city in the world. I’m glad he’s back on the air, and his humanity displayed so openly and eloquently is worth more than a thousand shots of American flags waving in the breeze.

Another non-PC thought in my head this morning
I don’t believe there is such a thing as evil. There is hatred, and insanity, and fanaticism, and greed, and violence, and a host of other human failings. But evil? That lets us off the hook too much. Evil comes from some mythical force outside ourselves. The real problems come from within us – including blind rage and craving for revenge. I’m probably going to get flamed for saying this, especially now, but I don’t care. Words mean things.