Once again FilmWipe fans i am apologising.  I have been ill yet again.  I feel like Tiger Woods – I’ve denied the rumours on twitter that my illness is syphilis, however as time has gone it is looking increasingly likely that i’m lying.  All I need now is for my phone call to the syphilis sufferers of the Isle of Mann  to be released and then the game is over.  I would like to point out that I am not one of those people who is constantly ill or who has an allergy to everything (Secretly I’m Bubble Boy). Anyway, today I bring you a film that has been promised for your scrutiny for about a week Le Diner de Cons.

This cheeky French farce comes straight from the imagination of the genius Francis Veber and in all honesty is a weaker version of his 2003 film Tai Tois. It follows Pierre Brochant a wealthy publisher who every week organises a dinner with his friends where they each have to bring an idiot with them.  They get their amusement from degrading the person without them realising it.  Unfortunately for Pierre he had not encountered on inviting the kind hearted but utter buffoon Francois Pignon.  Due to pulling a muscle in his back he can’t attend the dinner.  However, Pignon turns up at his house.  What unfolds is an unforgettable evening where Brochant the limits of human endurance and acceptability are pushed to its extremes

The character of Pignon is superb.  The balance between tragic idiot and kind hearted fool is struck brilliantly.  You can see why people would like him or loath him. A mixture of obsessive modelling (the Airfix kind not lingerie), mild supidity mixed with a face and body that only Rick Waller can dream of.   He plays as the perfect comedy foil for Brochant.  Pignon single handedly manages to destroy his life in one evening of good intentioned boffoonary.  Possibly the most cringe worthy moment is when Pignon invites his tax inspector friend round to the house in order to work out where Brochant’s wife has gone.  The scene lasts for what feels like an eternity, slowly building in tension and humour until a shocking revelation ends the film in an unforgettable crescendo.

The acting is superb throughout the film.  All of the cast put in a superb performance.  However, particular plaudits are deserved for Jacques Villeret.  His performance as Pignon is what set the film apart.  From start to finish you can’t help falling for his portrayal.  The mix of tragedy and comedy in the performance is quite extraordinary. Rarely has such a fine comedy performance been seen in comedic cinema.

Francis Veber is possibly the finest director of comedy I have seen. While this film is not his best work it is still entertaining from start to finish.  As with all of his comedy films he develops fantastic characters that play of each from start to finish.  The difference between this and in my opinion his best film Tai Tois is that Le Diner de Cons has not got the same level of character development.  The constraints of the film being set in one day severely limit the ability for the characters to reach their full potential.

Without questions this is an excellent film that should be viewed by anyone with even the hint of a sense of humour.  If not still watch as you might just discover it.

8/10 – Hilarious

by Kris Olson
Columnist

On Oct. 15, the earth stopped. Despite being in the midst of contentious debates about health care reform, economic recovery and troop levels in Afghanistan, Americans everywhere stopped what they were doing when the fateful news hit the airwaves.

Indeed, no one will forget where they were when they learned that a boy in a balloon had, in fact, been trapped in Colorado.

I kid, of course, because the balloon boy saga raises serious questions about the mainstream media’s competence. To discuss these issues further, I sat down with an old friend, MSNBC political analyst Michael Conning.

KO: Thanks for being here, Michael. Can I call you Mike?

MC: No.

KO: The non-stop coverage of six-year-old Falcon Heene’s then-supposed departure in a helium balloon seems to discredit mainstream media’s ability to filter news stories. Despite the momentous decisions America must soon make, the balloon story passed for legitimate news.

MC: In the networks’ defense, we thought the runaway balloon might be reminiscent of the O.J. Simpson car chase, which was nothing short of ratings gold.

KO: It was a four-hour, unchanging shot of a silver circle against the Colorado landscape. I think the coverage of the America’s Cup is better television.

MC: But Dorothy flew back to Kansas in a balloon. And don’t forget that Kansas is right next to Colorado. That was a popular movie, you know.

KO: Are those how editorial decisions are made now?

MC: Usually, and now that R. Kelly isn’t trapped in that closet anymore, we had to find someone with a similar predicament.

KO: You’re missing my point. Was the endless coverage by cable news anything more than a waste of time?

MC: Absolutely not. After all, wasn’t it during Wolf Blitzer’s interview that the kid screwed up and said they
did the balloon launch for a show? Were it not for that slip-up on live TV, the sheriff may not have grown suspicious of a hoax.

KO: It was also possibly the first time in the history of television that someone named Wolf interviewed someone named Falcon.

MC: Sounds like a chapter from “The Wind in the Willows.”

KO: Perhaps, but everything about the Heene family’s presentation was so phony. I mean, they called a local news outlet before calling 911. Even their acting was terrible during the cable interviews.

MC: Yeah, … Falcon could have been better than Baby Jessica but has to settle for being worse than “Baby Mama.”

KO: That’s rough.

MC: Especially when the kid vomits on the “Today Show.”

KO: See, that’s part of my issue. Moments like that become fun YouTube hits, but why was the family granted an interview on the show to begin with? The networks have such power to shape public debate and share vital information with us. What of the poor in this country? The hungry? How about the millions without health insurance?

MC: Let me channel Socrates and throw the question back at you: Are those millions of uninsured people trapped in a helium balloon right now?

KO: Are they what?

MC: Those poor, uninsured Americans you mentioned. Did they float away in a helium balloon?

KO: Unfortunately for Mitch McConnell, no.

MC: I’m afraid you just don’t get it, then. You simply don’t understand our duty to cover such stories.

KO: And I’m afraid I never will. Anything else you’d like to say before we wrap up?

MC: Yes, but it’ll have to wait – I’ve just been told that a boy in Iowa is trapped in a tire swing.

- The Life Feed’s 5-week fall report card for each major network; CBS tops the other networks thus far

- “Top Chef Masters” gets a second go-round

- The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn and a Letterman writer are adapting Chuck Klosterman’s Fargo Rock City into a movie

- Speaking of Chuck Klosterman, Bill Simmons posted a two-part podcast featuring Chuck earlier this week that featured a lot of varied discussion on sports and pop culture (right sidebar)

- The apparently awful Miss March just shot up my Netflix queue, thanks to AV Club’s latest “I Watched This on Purpose” feature

- A couple of Tracy Morgan interviews: excerpts from Playboy and a segment from NPR’s “Fresh Air”

On his hobbies: “These days I’m into bike riding and breaking water. I like breaking women’s water. If you’re pregnant and you need your water broken, you need your labor induced, give me a call and I’ll ride my bike over and take care of it.”

- Hilarious: Happy One Week Anniversary, Bubble Boy

It is funny how Richard Heene was an avid storm chaser and now he has found himself in a MEDIA STORM! (Sorry.) But seriously, what a week, huh Heenes? Your family is basically ruined, you know. That’s sad. Although it’s probably for the best. You guys were too nuts! Nuts always finds its level. Level = jail. Nuts always finds its jail. I’m saying: go to jail. You’re driving us all crazy.

What up peeps…Sir Darkne$$ hit you with that post the other day about Ed Lover’s YouTube videos entitled C’mon Son.  Well he is back with some more hot fire for that ass.  Here he is with the sixth video in the series:

Hahahaha…that part about the bubble boy Falcon was hilarious…”C’mon son…how you gonna be pullin everybody’s heart strings and not be in that ballon…I was choked up over the lil uggin”.  Falcon…watch out lil uggin because Ed Lover is coming to kick your ass!

If you watched the first five videos in the series then you can see the progression of these videos.  He went from looking like he was fresh off waking up from a night of booshkin to now having celebrity guest, intro music, and a website!  Pretty soon he’ll be on Fox in Primetime with a hour long show called “C’mon Son it’s Late” with Ed Lover.   I really enjoy these videos (NHND)…it’s like ig’nant TMZ.    They say the best inventions come from being lazy or annoyed.  It looks like Ed Lover has struck gold with being annoyed by ig’nant ass people.  Damn I’m lazy and annoyed all the time and I haven’t come up with a scrill passion eliminating invention yet.  Anyway…C’mon Son is a hit.  Pretty soon you are going to see this going mainstream on SNL with Obama talking about “C’mon Son…you didn’t vote for my health care?  Get the F outta here with that ish!”

Darkne$$ aka Scary Bradshaw

Let’s consider, just for a moment, the state of the world had the ‘balloon boy’ hoax been successful:

The Lifetime Network produces a made for TV docudrama entitled “When Balloons Attack: The Heene Family Saga.” Ernie Reyes, Jr. plays the role of Falcon Heene.

Those dudes from Mythbusters attempt to recreate the same conditions with a runaway weather balloon in the Palm Desert. Special guest star Ernie Reyes, Jr. reprises his role of Falcon Heene and clings to the makeshift balloon.

The movies “Bubble Boy” and “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble” experience a sudden and dramatic increase in sales and rentals.

Thousands of newly documented cases of Globophobia grip the continental United States. Ernie Reyes, Jr. is forced back into an uncomfortable retirement.

Flash to the present day: The best part of the whole ‘balloon boy’ nonsense was that their six year old son spoiled the plot. Apparently those idiot parents didn’t know that children of that age are incapable of lying. Six year olds are like a bunch of George Washingtons walking around dropping a dime on everybody, including themselves.

Fortunately for the rest of us, we all got the Scooby Doo ending: “And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn’t been for you meddling kids.”

Little Racist Balloon Boy Rap

This story just keeps getting even more strange.

News Bizarre has uncovered and exposed a racist, homophobic, misogynistic rap music video performed by balloon boy Falcon Heene, and his two siblings.

http://newsbizarre.com/2009/10/ballonboy-falcon-heene-hoax-richard.html

The rap is hard to make out, but the N word is used several times, as well as the word ”F” word used to demean homosexuals. They also go on to describe their mother as having a big fat a$*, and other disgusting things that an adult, let alone a child should ever say about his mother.

The children appear in blackface, and describe the type of physical violence that they would do to blacks, gays, and Jews.

The Department of Child Protection Services has launched an investigation, based on the content in the video, the language, and the actual circumstances behind the hoax that was perpetrated on all of America yesterday.

Falcon Heene has gone on record stating that the whole thing was staged for their father’s video show. The dad Richard Heene is a publicity seeker, and, apparently from what is on his children’s video, a Klan member, and devout white supremest.

I wonder how that works in an interracial marriage.

Is the wife there voluntarily, or is she an abused captive, like what the Jaycee Dugard’s kidnapper wife is claiming?

Lets all hope that these children can be rescued from this situation, rehabilitated, and mainstreamed into society.

Let me know what you think.

Richard Heene-The Grand Dragon and his KKKLAN

This is just shamelessly looking for hits. This is in no way actual news. A real news organization would have just run an updated story of what happened with the quote on the end. CNN? Their top headline of the day!

I’m thinkin’ I should probably be studying. But I’m thinkin’ blogging is more fun.

Up to Cleveland for the weekend to visit my grandpa. It should be an interesting trip. My brother is bringing along one of his best friends for the trip, and that’s cool and all, and Imma let you finish.. but this will be the most awkward car trip of ALL TIME.
Mostly because I sleep in cars. A lot. And I’d really prefer not to just randomly pass out in front of people. We’ll see what happens.

Sometimes I feel like I’m maybe trying too hard. But if I don’t show care, who will?

Bubble boy? Strangest news story I’ve seen in forever. Not only a possible hoax but now he gets sick on television?  This is getting more and more bizarre by the second. I wonder what will be next.. it better be good.

Today’s Jimmy doodle is Jimmy themed!

“Say What?”

Tis true dear friend, today’s Jimmy is Bubble Boy… and if you recall from Jake Gyllenhaal’s classic boy in a pastic bubble tale.

I could see Jimmy Bounding down the streets without a care in the world, or an immunity in his system.

Isn’t it wonderful?

♫Lauren

Pucker is the name of the game when you’re blowing soap bubbles on this scale. The orbs left the ring at Franklin Square in Philadelphia.

So I came in to play in the tourney mentioned before. 42 people showed up – it started at 11 am. We each got 10k in chips and blinds went up every 25 minutes. At break, I had 23,000. I went card dead for hours until I got the hand I love to hate AK. I raised it up big one caller who calls most anything. The flop comes 7,7 5. I bet 5,100 he goes all in. He has me covered. I fold. He has aces. I am left w/around 3k. For an hour or two, I just play my blind hands. I get AA once and got a nice double up. The tourney paid the top 11 and I was just trying to grind it out to 11th. I got AQ before it was to me it was raised to 3k. I call and the guy said he’d check it down w/me. He had KJ. He got the J. I have maybe 1k left. I ended up blinding out on my big blind – I got a 2 3 of spades. The guy to my right got pocket 10s and hit another on the flop. I ended up finishing 13th or 14th. I played from 11am – 5:30pm.

Good game too bad I went card dead towards the end.

Props to the inimitable Miss Dawn for inspiring this post with her comments on the ABOUT page.

In an earlier post, I wrote about my views on the Generation Emasculation of young boys.  One of the PC issues with which I took exception was the growing popularity of “No Touch” policies in schools.

One might ask, How could anyone be against ‘No Touch’ policies?  Shouldn’t we do whatever we can to protect our children?”

The answer is often, NO!

“Protecting” our children, most often championed by today’s Moms, has created a society of what Guy Sr.’s beautiful Principessa Gracie calls “Helicopter Moms.”

A Helicopter Mom is one who constantly “hovers” over her children.  It began while following her toddler with her hand under his/her bottom to catch him/her if she falls while trying to walk.  It continues through the child’s life in a myriad of ways trying to protect her child from life’s little pitfalls, minor dangers, and everyday failures.

She creates a largely unneeded bubble of “safety” around her child.  She insulates them from the realities of life.  But, unknown to a Helicopter Mom, those often unfortunate realities are necessary for her child’s growth and self-confidence.

As an extension, “Helicopter Schools” now put children in the same bubbles of “safety” and unknowingly stunt their emotional growth and well-being. Boys and girls in bubbles.  No touches, no hug after a classmate returns from the hospital, no high fives after a great performance.  Stay in your bubbles boys and girls… or you will be expelled!

Is it any wonder kids find such solace these days in things as cold as gaming consoles, computers, and cell phones?  Kids can touch them with impunity, yet they are “safe” in knowing that much like their classmates, those things will never touch back.

Oh, and by the way: “No Touch” policies originated with feminists in the work place.  Now, they’ve trickled down to our children in the school setting. Congrats. One more reason for feminists to be proud. LOL.

— Guy Jr.

One of the main reasons I consider Seinfeld to be the greatest sitcom of all time is the seemingly endless series of hilarious supporting characters seen throughout the show’s run.  I like a ton of them, but decided to only list my five favorites.  Many appeared in only one episode (not including the finale), like The Soup Nazi and Bubble Boy, so I excluded them from consideration.  I also excluded Newman, because he appeared in so many episodes (47) he might as well have been a regular cast member.  He’s like the Fifth Beatle of Seinfeld.  So, without further ado, here’s my list…

5. The Maestro
(played by Mark Metcalf)

Having already established a permanent place in the annals of classic comedy with his performances as Niedermayer in the 1978 film Animal House and The Dad from those Twisted Sister videos back in the ’80s, the instantly recognizable Mark Metcalf completed his own three-decade trifecta in the ’90s with his brief but memorable appearances on Seinfeld as The Maestro (a.k.a. Bob Cobb).  The Maestro was the hilariously pretentious small-time conductor who whisked Elaine away to Tuscany while insisting to Jerry there were no rentals available there whatsoever.  His pre-show pants removal technique ensured a perfect crease and was adopted by many of the Seinfeld gang, most notably during a frustrating round of billiards in George’s cramped childhood bedroom.  To his comedic contributions, I say “BRAVO!”

4. Mickey Abbott
(played by Danny Woodburn)

Just about everyone on Seinfeld had a sidekick.  Jerry had George.  The Gay Latin Armoire Thief had The Gay Anglo Armoire Thief.  And Kramer had Mickey, the bearded actor whose tiny body housed a raging temper.  Whether attacking Kramer for his ill-advised suggestion to wear lifts when standing in for a growing boy on a soap opera or reading him the riot act for developing Communist leanings while they worked together as a department store Santa and his elf, Mickey brought non-stop comic energy to every situation.  His reaction when George flippantly called him a midget was priceless, as was the time he and Kramer jostled for position when trying to determine which girl they were each dating.  They may have been mad for Merlot, but I’m mad for Mickey.

3. Kruger
(played by Daniel von Bargen)

The funniest sub-category of Seinfeld supporting characters would have to be the many bosses of Costanza over the years.  Big Stein was a fascinating buffoon throughout George’s stint with the Yankees, and the way George’s boss at Play Now went so quickly from pitying him to intensely hating him was comedy gold.  But none of George’s bosses made me laugh harder or more often than his last boss, Kruger, whose go-to response for just about every situation was “Whatever.”  Upon learning of George’s attempt to defraud the company through a bogus charity called The Human Fund (“Money…for people.”), Kruger insisted upon accompanying George to the Costanza family’s resurrection of their long-dormant Festivus celebration.  Yet while chaos ensued around him, he merely shrugged his shoulders and broke out his flask.

2. J. Peterman
(played by John O’Hurley)

George wasn’t the only one of Jerry’s pals with a history of nutty bosses, as Elaine certainly had her fair share.  Mr. Pitt was a delightfully upper-crust British Magoo, while Mr. Lippman’s many quirks included being so attracted to Elaine that he renounced Judaism.  But the most hilarious of all Elaine’s bosses was the incomparable J. Peterman, who could instantly provide a catalog description off the top of his head for anything (and everything) he saw.  He provided so many side-splitting moments over the years, but the ones I always laugh at without fail are his exchanges with Kramer when negotiating to co-opt Cosmo’s life story for his own autobiography and his numerous cautionary tales about the many dangerous drugs found throughout the Orient.

1. David Puddy
(played by Patrick Warburton)

Kramer and Costanza are undoubtedly the most impersonated and quoted Seinfeld characters, but neither of them have given me as much mileage since the series ended as Elaine’s on again, off again, on again boyfriend, David Puddy.  He’s a Devil-loving face painter, a foreplay-stealing auto mechanic, a kroner-counting jetsetter, a disposal-installing germophobe, a fur-wearing partygoer and a high-fivin’ Arby’s enthusiast.  Am I trying to say he’s a true renaissance man?  ”Yeah, that’s right.”

The Orb Callibaetis Emerger (Early Verson w/o Ostrich)~G. Muncy

This was an early version of The Orb. I still wanted the glowing gas bubble of the emerging adult I had observed on Oregon’s East Lake. I experimented with pheasant tail fibers for the tail and the backstrap ala the Skip Nymph seeking the dark over light abdomen. Later, I would replace the pheasant tail fibers with Ostrich feather fibers for more animation.

The Orb Emerger w/ Ostrich Instead of Pheasant Tail~G. Muncy

Now, I know I might appear to be beating this pattern’s drum too much, but I believe in it’s successes and the concept based upon several observation periods of the pre hatch phase of the Callibaetis Mayfly. I believe there are several fine nymph patterns and emerger patterns for the Callibaetis. The Timberline Emerger comes to mind. I would only suggest that when the duns are coming off, fish the surface with this fine pattern or your version with the shimmering glass bead.   

The Orb's Possibilities

Timberline Emerger~G. Muncy

Here PlanetTrout incorporates two positives of the glowing bead and the vertical in the film posture with The Bubble Boy:

All this gets close to the Callibaetis Nymphs I saw several inches below the surface glowing bright in the thorax and positioned diagonally. They emerged so quickly that it was hard to tell if they lingered in the film for a micro second. Either way, there is something here to explore for the stillwater fisher or anyone experimenting with mayfly emergers. 

Bubble Boy

Originally uploaded by Miki, Queen of Planet Goodaboom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Vetter
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bubble/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bubble_Boy_(Seinfeld_episode)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258470/

they did a comedy about this kid a few years ago and was mentioned on seinfeld but i still had no idea who this boy was until i watched a doco about him today on sbs

this is the preview:

The Boy in the Bubble

David Vetter had spent his entire life inside a sterile isolator, with a protective layer of plastic shielding him from the world around him. Afflicted with a rare hereditary disease, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), David was defenceless against any germs. Now, his doctors were gambling on an experimental procedure to free him from his isolation – but David would live only two weeks in the outside world before succumbing to infection. In his own time, many regarded David’s twelve-year odyssey inside his bubble as a triumph of technology. This documentary is a story of medical perseverance and personal tragedy produced and directed by Barak Goodman and John Maggio. With first-hand recollections from David’s mother and the doctors, nurses, therapists, and the chaplain who cared for him, as well those who were critical of the handling of his case, this one-hour film documents the life of a little boy who became a living experiment in a fight to cure a rare disease. (From the US, in English)

would be scary if you or someone you knew came into this world with a rare disease that only you were the first one to embody…

alhamdulillah baasil came out fine…

even though the kid didn’t make it to adulthood, would be very difficult if he did…to be void of any real human touch -that didn’t have to be sterlised and be bacteria-free…he’d never know what it would be like to be physically hugged, kissed…i wouldn’t know if i would stay sane if i was in his position…

it just makes you thankful for how healthy and physically normal you are today…

Ok soooooooooo Bitten by Books is having a Kindle 2 Giveaway!

Yes, the Bubble Boy is up for grabs.

The contests lasts until the end of May when some lucky winner will be chosen. *^_^*

So get the details and the information on how you could possibly win the Kindle 2.

What Would You Do For A Kindle 2? over at Bitten by Books.

 with The Pen, Lyda

Bubble Boy - 22 - , by Miki

(Original German Version)

(Bubble Boy – 1 -)     (Bubble Boy – 21 -)

…

Tiwoo was not at all happy with this decision, in fact she was very angry. Really, she thought, now that it was becoming fun, that little coward wanted to go back home! She started shouting at Bub, as loud as she ever could. But well, she certainly had not as frighteningly powerful a voice as Barbra and what she thought would sound scary to Bub sounded only like one more of her silly and boring tiwoos.

No,  Bub was not impressed at all by her screams. But yes, he was scared, so scared, first by the skulls in the desert, and now by these horrible creatures, that he had only one thought: to run away as fast as possible and to hide in a safe place. Not that the castle was really a safe place, but well, he hadn’t really a choice, our poor boy, had he?
Tiwoo hesitated. She looked back with nostalgia to the wood. You must understand, this was the place where she was born, and she still felt her roots to be there… of course not roots like these big creatures called trees, but roots nevertheless! But then she thought of Barbra… yes, she was a tremendous little witch, but she had got used to her, and Tiwoo knew that deep in her heart, Barbra loved her.

What should I do now, she asked herself? The wood, yes it was her home, but to be fair, although there was a lot of creatures in the wood, she had always felt quite alone and cold among them. She thought a while longer, but in the end, she couldn’t really face the thought of being alone again, and chose Barbra and her castle!

She let a last deep sigh out, thinking “Why always me?”, and after a last sad glance back to the wood and waving goodbye with one of her big wings, she followed Bub. But she felt a deep weight on her owl’s soul. She comforted herself telling herself that in fact she could always revoke her decision and fly back to the wood if she needed to one day, she knew the way now. But deep inside she also knew that this was an irrevocable decision, that her real home now was in the castle, with the ugly, always angry and impatient little witch Barbra!

On the way back to the castle, Bub looked up to the sky, checking if the moon was back. But it was not there. not really, there was now just a very thin pale curved line where it used to be, and above all it no longer had any eyes.  The sky was almost black and empty now, apart from tiny little yellow points which were nothing at all compared to the wonderful ball of light with the big round eyes. Bub felt very sad again, wondering if the moon was gone for ever, and somehow he couldn’t bear this thought. This is what happens when one loses friends, a normal thing, but Bub didn’t know anything about it and felt simply sad and  alone.

Finally they arrived at the castle…

…

(next instalment on Thursday 9th April 2009)

By Miki

Here is a monologue I wrote for an acting class I’m taking:

I’m nervous. And excited. I’m nervously excited. I’ve never done anything so bold and out there you know? It’s like I’m completely out of my bubble, my oversized, round, comfortable, plastic bubble. Who will I be outside this protective sphere? Will I look the same? Act the same? Sound the same? I kind of hope not.

All I have to do is step forward, one measly step, and tune out reason, logic, and… the rest of the world. Their messages bombard me from everywhere! This is who you need to be, this what you need to do, this is the refreshing beverage you need to drink. If I were to obey my thirst I would be drinking nothing but water thank you very much! Their message has paralyzed me too long. I think it’s because they are the ones who are scared, who are jealous that I have the guts to step out of the line, they are the ones who are actually paralyzed. They want us to conform because well, misery loves company right?

Although, I’m not hurting anyone by remaining still, except myself. It’s easy to be passive, to go with the flow, to follow the crowd, to blend in, to conform, to slowly kill myself by suppressing all the makes me, me.

So… which path do I take? A course of comfortable familiarity, or the road less traveled, heh… but that road is overgrown, difficult, unknown. That’s what most of us fear anyway isn’t it? The unknown. But I can’t live in fear. It kills the human spirit. We’re made for so much more, than this. I wasn’t created just to drive a manly Jeep, to live in the trendiest of neighborhoods, or to wear the most stylish jeans. Though, I do enjoy a stylish pair of jeans. This life isn’t about those things, it’s about living it to the fullest, and taking all that this earth has to offer, and giving all that you have to offer it. I can’t pretend to be satisfied any longer with the hunky dory.

I read a book once, and it asked me, “What makes you come alive? Go and do that.”
I’m ready… Nervously… Excitedly… Ready…

Bubble Boy - 21 - , by Miki

(Original German Version)

(Bubble Boy – 1 -)     (Bubble Boy – 20 -)

…

… and he ran and ran until most of that oppressive, so unpleasant feeling had vanished. And when he couldn’t run anymore, he stopped and fell asleep on the ground.

But not long after that, he suddenly woke up, even more scared than before. He had had a horrible nightmare: Barbra had appeared to him as a gigantic, naked skeleton who tried to bury him alive into the sand! It’s no wonder that Bub awoke in such a mess, isn’t it?
Scared to death, he rummaged around in his pocket to check if the bottle was still there and the tiny creature still inside of it. Of course the bottle was still there, and Barbra was still a tiny little Witch in her purple gown and green hat! Our Bub had no idea that nightmares are not real, and often only the mirror of our most terrible fears. But well, real or not, the fact is that they can scare the pants off us!
As Bub took the bottle out of his pocket, he was stunned to see that Barbra was really still inside of it, still as tiny and fleshy and clothed as before, and apparently sleeping, He had no idea what it was all about, understood though that things around him seemed to be different when his eyes were closed or open. But he was too exhausted to think further and tried to sleep again.
But he couldn’t anymore… I suppose he was much too scared to meet the giant skeleton again! So he got up and walked all the way back to the crossing.

In the distance he could already see Tiwoo sitting on the pole. She had been so terrified by the bones and the skull in the desert that she had flown directly back to the crossing, without even casting a glance behind her and noticing that Bub had fallen asleep to the ground! But as she saw Bub now, she flew to meet him with hysterical screams of happiness
“Tuwit, Tawoo!”
Bub was quite surprised about such a friendly reception. It was the first time in his life that somebody seemed to enjoy his presence and a warm feeling for the owl invaded his heart.
Well, judging by her reaction to the skull in the desert, I suspect that Tiwoo too had had these kind of bad dreams which scare the pants off one -even though an owl doesn’t wear pants, the feeling is surely all the same- and was simply overjoyed not to be alone anymore!

Now there was only one direction left. This meant that theoretically Bub would find at the end what he was searching for all the time… supposing of course that there was something to find! And what if there was not?  This question slowly and painfully entered his mind, and the feeling connected with it seemed to live very close to all the other feelings of hope and nostalgia he had experienced since he went on this way through Barbra’s Land..
He was struggling in his mind with these kind of thoughts as he noticed, that the air went darker and darker, Not like in all the 3 other directions, where at least some nice light had arisen from behind the horizon or some pleasant smell was hanging around,. Not even the pale moon was to be seen up there in the sky! To tell the truth it had become in the meantime total darkness around him! He started worrying, and feeling very uncomfortable, as he suddenly heard a scream in the distance:
WOO OOH  WOOH WOOH TI WOOH!
A scream which quite sounded like the ones of the owl, but much more mysterious, and somehow they were sounding as if thousands of owls were screaming at the same time!
Bub thought that he couldn’t be right here. More than that: he had the feeling to go always further away from what he was searching for. But he knew too that he had no more choices, now, and well, sometimes in life appearances are misleading, aren’t they? Anyway, Bub decided to go further, somehow he could not accept, or didn’t want to accept, that he had gone all these ways for nothing, and even worse, that this something he was searching for didn’t exist and was only something like the apparition of the giant skeleton, not really real!

Tiwoo in the meanwhile had  become very cheerful and was flying big circles above his head, often flying a big distance away, then flying back,  screaming impatiently all the time as if she wanted to tell him he should hurry up!
But Bub was really not impressed, and in fact he went slower and slower as the screams from the East came closer and closer until he finally stopped. It was not even that he wanted to stop, he just couldn’t go on anymore, as if a mysterious, invisible force was retaining him.
The thing was that horrible figures were standing in front of him, much uglier than the Witch Barbra as she was angry and full of hate. Figures as big and scary as the skeleton of his dream, but these were really there! And they stared at him with so much more hate than even Barbra did as he locked her up into the poison bottle… surely you understand what I mean!

This is why he decided to run back to the castle as fast as possible and never to leave it again!

…

(next instalment on Friday 3rd April 2009)

By Miki

Bubble Boy - 20 - , by Miki

(Original German Version)

(Bubble Boy – 1 -)     (Bubble Boy – 19 -)

…

But although he knew he was in the wrong place, he couldn’t help continuing to look at the amazing scenery, the play of the waves crowned with  millions of pearls falling at his feet and rolling back again into the sea. And also, far away beyond the horizon, Bub could see a red light in the sky, and again it reminded him of something which filled his heart with nostalgia. It was the second time now that he’d had this kind of weird sensation and he began asking himself what it could be and if it meant something. And he thought that perhaps he would find out, going along the other two paths..

Bub had a last glance at the fantastic scenery and then walked all the way back to the crossing. As he arrived there, he decided to go on without a rest, uncaring of Tiwoo, who was protesting with a great flapping of her wings and loud screams. The owl was not so tired this time, as they had had such a long rest by the sea, and she was hoping to find a way to free Barbra while Bub would sleep. Strangely enough, she started to miss her little Witch, was impatient  to see her miserable face again and hear her awful screams of anger.
Strange, isn’t it, that when we are separated from the persons we love, we soon start to miss even what we most hate in them! Yes, love is such a mystery…

Anyway, she didn’t understand Bub’s sudden zeal, She even started again to think about the possibility of scratching out his eyes. But well, as a wise owl she knew that such an important decision had better be thought on twice, and she decided to wait a little bit longer. To be honest, she hadn’t yet seen everything in Barbra’s land, and well, her longing to see her was still not so deep that it demanded immediate action. Waiting a little bit longer would just make the reunion sweeter, wouldn’t it?
This is why she spread her big wings and flew behind Bub Southwards.

Bub ran and ran and ran… the ground was soft and became softer and softer, so that each step was harder and harder. No wind was blowing anymore and the air was hot and dry. The ground was made out of millions of fine grains, similar to the ones he has seen on the beach. But here it was not pleasant, the tickling under his feet really felt like fire and an oppressive smell was lingering all around.

If you are quite clever and well travelled, you might have understood that Bub was now standing in the middle of the desert. Of course he had no idea what a desert is, but he already knew that he didn’t like it.
“Could this really my way?” he asked himself
But then he suddenly saw a weird plant with thorns, which again  reminded of something, something he believed he had seen somewhere a long time ago. And this something again woke in him a nostalgic feeling like the one he had had before.
This is when Bub suddenly understood one of the most important things in the life of all inhabitants of our big universe: without really being aware of it: he was in search of something!
In case you are wondering what I am speaking about: normal people, grown-ups above all,  with a rather more sophisticated vocabulary and experience than our Bub, call it something like „the search for the sense of existence”, or „the meaning of life’, or  “what the hell I am doing here on Earth?” You surely have heard many of them asking these questions with terribly sad faces, haven’t you? So you exactly know what I mean!

But Bub of course hadn’t a clue about all this philosophical mumbo-jumbo. He just understood that that something he was reminded of all the time was simply what he was searching for. And this is why he hoped, in spite of the heat and the awful smell, that he would find HIS something at the end of this way.
He started to run again, but the sand was so heavy under his feet, heavier and heavier, and he only moved forwards agonisingly slowly.

Even Tiwoo was out of breathe. She was now sitting on Bub’s head, and let him carry her through the desert, screaming and moaning and crying that this was not acceptable and that they should go back.

Only Barbra in her bottle had really nothing to moan about. In fact the liquid around her was quite cool, and finally, exhausted after some nights without sleep she had fallen in a kind of meditative state. Well, this is how she called it always, and how some people call it when they don’t want to admit that they have fallen asleep. A strange habit, isn’t it, when one considers how nice it is to sleep! But I am quite sure that she was sleeping, and perhaps even dreaming of glass balls and bubble boys.

Anyway in the meanwhile, weird things had begun to appear on the ground, things which looked quite scary somehow. Things which strangely reminded Bub of the picture on the poison bottle. And then, suddenly, it was there, exactly the same thing as on the bottle: A SKULL!
And without knowing what a skull really is, Bub found it so scary that he screamed.

And not only HE screamed, Tiwoo too, but of course much louder, as she knew all about skulls. She instantaneously took off from Bub’s head  and flew away back to where they had come from, as if the devil was behind her. And without a thought,  Bub turned around and followed her, running as fast as he could….

…

(next instalment on Thursday 26th March 2009)

By Miki

Bubble Boy - 19 - , by Miki

(Original German Version)

(Bubble Boy – 1 -)     (Bubble Boy – 18 -)

…

Bub ran the whole way back to the crossing and once there he slumped down to the ground. Everything had been so exciting and exhausting –well, no wonder, Bub was really not used to physical exercise and fresh air!- so he really needed some rest now. And in fact before he was aware of this he felt asleep.

Tiwoo, who had spent her time in the air fighting against the wind gusts and whirls, felt very tired too. She didn’t get much exercise and fresh air either in Barbra’s castle, since she didn’t take her anymore on her night flights. She fought awhile against the sleep as she saw the little boy sleeping, thinking that this was the occasion to free the Witch from her poison bottle. But even sleeping Bub kept his two hands deeply thrust inside his pockets, as if he could read Tiwoo’s mind!

The day after, well… I mean at some point later, as day and night didn’t exist anymore in Barbra’s land, only night, our three heroes woke up. To tell the truth, Barbra hadn’t slept at all, trying to find a way to escape while Bub was sleeping, trying especially all kinds of magic code and naughty words, resulting in nothing, absolutely nothing happening. But although she was a tiny little Witch now, she still had a big will and much strength of character, and she would never give up!

As he awoke, Bub chose to go towards West. The way was as straight and as long as the one leading Northwards. Bub noticed that here too, some light appeared at the horizon, but the wind was much more tender, more a light breeze than a storm. It even seemed to carry with it a pleasant smell which made Bub feel comfortable, kind of. The farther he walked, the stronger the smell became and finally Bub really felt wonderful, perhaps for the first time since he was born.
Bub didn’t know about the power of smells in our lives, but I am sure you know… just think of the smell in the kitchen when your mother is baking pancakes… it is as if nothing bad could ever happen to you again! And this is why, remembering the inner voice, a thought crossed Bub’s mind:
“This must be the right way for me! “

And this is why, Bub  started to run, impatient and curious to see where the way was going. Soon he heard strange noises, quite loud, sounds like he never had heard before. It didn’t sound  like the awful screaming from Barbra, nor like the “Tiwoo Tiwoo” from the bird, nor like the sound of the wind in her wings. It was  a darker sound, and although it became louder and louder  it had something calming and reassuring. It was a feeling like with the smell before.

Soon Bub arrived at a wide yellow surface which seemed to be made of something totally different from what he knew. The feeling under his naked feet was extremely pleasant, slightly tickling but wonderfully soft, quite warm but not too much, just the right temperature.
You surely have understood by now that the yellow surface was a beach and that the  nice stuff under Bub’s feet was sand. And as always in our  world, where there is a beach, there is a sea, or at least a lot of water. And in fact judging by the violent sounds the water was making now, directly in front of Bub, it could only be a sea , or perhaps even a wild ocean!

The water indeed was very wild, and the waves, metres high, greatly impressed our little boy, breaking down in front of him in thousands of little water tongues which seem to leap out of the big blue mouth just to lick Bub’s feet. The water was cold but Bub enjoyed the caress around his feet. It was both scary and fascinating at the same time, and in spite of his fear, Bub stood there a long long time, watching and enjoying  the scenery and all these new pleasant feelings in his body and brain. He loved to see the millions of water pearls floating upon the foam, making the water looking like thousands of  princesses dancing in a court ball. Not that he knew really much about princesses, but I do believe that all children in the world, even the ones born in a soap bubble, have an intuitive knowledge about princes and princesses: they have simply belonged to their world since the beginning of time!

But as much as he loved it, it became clear to him that the way ended here, by this wall of water. No way he could go across that infinite mass!

…

(next instalment on Thursday 19th March 2009)

By Miki

Sun is shining in the sky, there ain’t a cloud in sight…

Actually it rained today. A lot. Hard. But it was really hot yesterday, like not-a-cloud-in-the-sky, set-the-toaster-to-cripsy hot. The weather’s all extreme these days: rainstorm, hot, repeat.

Running down the avenue, see how the sun shines brightly in the city….

Well, no one’s going out in the rain — no one could, we were all working. The sentiment of Monday (and every weekday) is captured nicely in this commercial that launched the new VW Beetle “Bubble Boy” in 2002 (this is the teaser version where you don’t see the car).

Directed by film/music video director and graphic designer Mike Mills for the ad agency Arnold Worldwide. Creative Director: Alan Pafenbach, Copywriter: Joe Fallon and Art Director: Don Shelford.

Among other international awards, this commercial won a Silver Lion at the 2003 Cannes Advertising Festival. Music is by Jeff Lyne; I don’t know if that meant he selected the ELO song, but it’s an excellent piece of music.

Electric Light Orchestra – Mr Blue Sky