There was once a time when people would ask me what new music I had been listening to. This was because I was known among family and friends to have a knack for discovering music that they would like. I finally reached a point, though, where I stopped keeping up with new music. In the midst of a drought of decent music, I went back into the catalogs of the bands I already liked and found enough music that I no longer needed new music. And this is my excuse for being late to the parade on hearing of Arcade Fire.
I heard them mentioned by someone I know recently, then they did the crazy HTML 5 web music video with Google, then a friend mentioned how much he liked them. I thought the song in the video was not bad, so I decided to check them out. I headed to grooveshark.com and searched for them, then started picking songs from the list to listen to.
The first song I listened to was "Wake Up". It reminded me right off the bat of the band Plankeye. It wasn't a bad song, but as the song progressed, I realized I'd rather be listening to Plankeye.
The second song I chose was "No Cars Go". It was different. I appreciated their attempt to use odd instruments and samples throughout. It sort of reminded me of Jars of Clay and their use of interesting sounds and instruments. The rhythm reminded me a little of old school Sixpence None the Richer. As the song progressed, though, I realized I'd rather be listening to Jars or Sixpence.
The third song was "My Heart is an Apple". Not bad. It reminded me, though, of Death Cab for Cutie, and maybe a little Waterdeep, possibly with a dash of Blind Melon thrown in... or maybe Belly. And again, as the song progressed, I realized I'd rather be listening to Death Cab or Waterdeep.
Last up was "Rebellion (Lies)". Even though there is not a direct correlation, it reminded me of old school Peter Gabriel, and a touch of Death Cab... and maybe a heavy dose of Coldplay on the repetitive instrument loops. You guessed it... as I listened, I realized I'd rather be listening to Peter, Death Cab, or Coldplay.
So, the music isn't bad, and I do appreciate the fact that they are different from a lot of other mainstream bands, but different has been done before and by bands with more musical talent than these folks have. If the music just keeps reminding me of other bands, why not listen to those bands instead? I hope none of my Arcade Fire lovin' friends take this as a dis to them. In a world without all these other bands, I'd probably be just as stoked as they are. From what I heard, though, I'd rather spend my precious music listening minutes in the week on other music I like better.
If I am missing something, I am willing to be proven wrong. I did consider while listening to these songs that they could be the kind of band you have to listen to several times to really "get". This has happened to me a number of times throughout the past, to the point that I now consider that while going into a first listen. I can now, usually, spot that effect on the first listen and realize that if I listened a few more times it would grow on me. The second listen through these songs for this post didn't convince me of that being a probability in this case.
My final analysis... if they are on, I won't turn to something else, but if I am in a specific music mood, there are other bands that nail my specific moods much more precisely. If you like any of the bands mentioned above, though, at least listen to them.
August 31, 2010
Why I still hate Windows
Those who have discussed computers with me over the years know all too well my vehemence towards Microsoft. Those who were in my circle of Mac-using friends have been, perhaps, a little dismayed by the fact that my vehemence had lessened a great deal in the last year. Several factors contributed to this:
I must admit, given my many frustrations with the lemon MacBook Pro I had and the annoyances that have crept into Mac OS X, I was becoming predisposed to going easy on Windows 7. After having installed it on a number of machines at work and dealt with it on a regular basis while helping others out, I have actually come to like Windows 7 a good deal.
In terms of general annoyances, Microsoft has done a splendid job of cleaning up the user interface and organizing things in a way that is more rational than it has been since the beginning of Windows. They have added handy features that actually make using Windows sometimes pleasant. I can appreciate the window management they have implemented, and I think I even like it better than Apple's handling of multiple windows on OS X, though not quite as much as the straight-forward approach offered by Gnome on Ubuntu Linux. The window previews while hovering over the taskbar and the window snapping were much needed additions to Windows.
Getting to configuration options in Windows 7 has been more natural to me, now that I have adjusted to the changes. Image previews are better than ever before, and I like the Windows approach better than the gimmicky Cover Flow that Apple employs. Networking is only mildly improved over the past, but the addition of preset firewall configurations that you choose from when connecting to a new network makes me feel safer about showing a novice how to connect their laptop to wireless networks.
Microsoft's having finally owned up to their responsibility for the virus problem in giving away Security Essentials for free goes a long way towards reducing the many years of ire I have held towards the company. I find it to be the least intrusive virus software I have used and it tends to do a better job of staying up-to-date than a lot of the other options. In a world full of novices, this is essential (no pun intended).
With all these in mind, I can actually say that I like Windows 7 (in some ways, better than even Mac OS X). File management is great, window management is finally some of the best around (at least for the way I think), and security has improved to the point of actually being viable.
So, by now you must be asking, "Wait, I thought you said you hate Windows?" Well, yes, despite the fact the I may like Windows 7, I do still hate the Windows ecosystem. The distinction is likely to be lost on those of you who do not work in technology, so I'll explain.
As I said, Microsoft has improved security to the point that it is mostly viable... well as long as you ignore the evidence of the August Patch Tuesday... and the DLL loading order exploit... and the recent icon preview vulnerability... ohhh, right. Hmmmm. So, they still have a lot of work to do. How much we will never know since the exploiters (I refuse to use the word hackers because I am old school enough to remember what it originally meant) seem to keep finding new vulnerabilities every time Microsoft patches the known ones. Admittedly, Windows security is better than it has ever been. If you install the 64 bit version, run as a Standard user for daily use, and use Microsoft Security Essentials, you have a reasonably secure machine. At least until the next vulnerability is found. If you are careful about where you visit on the internet, though, you might make it through unscathed with such a system. This is the first time I feel confident in saying that about Windows, with the caveat that you must run your updates regularly.
Left at that, I could almost like the Windows ecosystem. The chink in this armor, though, is one that Microsoft has no control over: 3rd party software. Sure, run the system I described above and you are fairly safe. Oh wait, you want to use Adobe Flash? Bad news. And Adobe Reader? Sigh. An old version of Corel Draw? Groan. HP scanning software? I feel the tears welling. Some freeware game that you downloaded from the internet? Okay, I quit.
Seriously, though, if it weren't for all the 3rd party applications, Windows could be pretty secure. At work, there is a financial package that requires us to disable User Account Control or else it will not function. Why? Because it was written for DOS and has been dragged along into the Windows world along the way, always several generations behind whatever Windows is current. So, great, we upgraded all the machine in the business office to get the better security that Windows 7 brings, and we just threw most of that out the window to get the financial software to function.
Despite Microsoft's best efforts, it will never be able to secure its ecosystem because so many companies are still writing their software to support old versions of Windows, and are dragging a lot of legacy baggage along with them. The same issue is also responsible for many of the stability issues of the platform. Poorly written drivers, poorly written services that hook into the kernel, tools that replace built-in Windows functionality with their own decrepit attempts, etc..., all combine to make Windows the Sanford and Son junk collection pickup truck that it is.
Even though I am becoming disillusioned with OS X to some degree, and Linux never seems to properly support the Apple hardware that I am stuck with, I just can't bring myself to go to Windows as my daily OS. I honestly wouldn't mind giving it a try, but there is no escaping the frustration of dealing with incompatibilities, bugs, crashes, and security issues. While I may know enough to be able to reduce my risk of getting a virus to the low, single-digit percentile, the fear of absent-mindedly clicking a bad link early one morning while I am half asleep and ending up at a site that is hosting some new virus that has not yet been added to the virus definitions keeps me far away. No amount of reward is worth that risk for me. I don't have the patience.
I admit that I like Windows 7, but I can't help but continuing to hate Windows in general. Having to put up with the stuff I do every day in my day job keeps me reminded that it takes more than good intentions, and even strong efforts, to clean up an entire ecosystem. Unfortunately for Microsoft, there doesn't seem to be a lot they can do to remedy the situation themselves. Perhaps one day I will be able to write another post entitled "I can finally love Windows", but don't hold your breath waiting for it.
Todd Russell
August 31, 2010
- My love for XBox Live
- Windows 7
- Accepting my fate of never being able to move people away from Windows at work
- Microsoft Security Essentials
- The Kin phone debacle (it's no longer fun to make fun of a company that is beginning to look less evil and more mentally handicapped)
- Declining software quality assurance in Mac OS X and other Apple software
I must admit, given my many frustrations with the lemon MacBook Pro I had and the annoyances that have crept into Mac OS X, I was becoming predisposed to going easy on Windows 7. After having installed it on a number of machines at work and dealt with it on a regular basis while helping others out, I have actually come to like Windows 7 a good deal.
In terms of general annoyances, Microsoft has done a splendid job of cleaning up the user interface and organizing things in a way that is more rational than it has been since the beginning of Windows. They have added handy features that actually make using Windows sometimes pleasant. I can appreciate the window management they have implemented, and I think I even like it better than Apple's handling of multiple windows on OS X, though not quite as much as the straight-forward approach offered by Gnome on Ubuntu Linux. The window previews while hovering over the taskbar and the window snapping were much needed additions to Windows.
Getting to configuration options in Windows 7 has been more natural to me, now that I have adjusted to the changes. Image previews are better than ever before, and I like the Windows approach better than the gimmicky Cover Flow that Apple employs. Networking is only mildly improved over the past, but the addition of preset firewall configurations that you choose from when connecting to a new network makes me feel safer about showing a novice how to connect their laptop to wireless networks.
Microsoft's having finally owned up to their responsibility for the virus problem in giving away Security Essentials for free goes a long way towards reducing the many years of ire I have held towards the company. I find it to be the least intrusive virus software I have used and it tends to do a better job of staying up-to-date than a lot of the other options. In a world full of novices, this is essential (no pun intended).
With all these in mind, I can actually say that I like Windows 7 (in some ways, better than even Mac OS X). File management is great, window management is finally some of the best around (at least for the way I think), and security has improved to the point of actually being viable.
So, by now you must be asking, "Wait, I thought you said you hate Windows?" Well, yes, despite the fact the I may like Windows 7, I do still hate the Windows ecosystem. The distinction is likely to be lost on those of you who do not work in technology, so I'll explain.
As I said, Microsoft has improved security to the point that it is mostly viable... well as long as you ignore the evidence of the August Patch Tuesday... and the DLL loading order exploit... and the recent icon preview vulnerability... ohhh, right. Hmmmm. So, they still have a lot of work to do. How much we will never know since the exploiters (I refuse to use the word hackers because I am old school enough to remember what it originally meant) seem to keep finding new vulnerabilities every time Microsoft patches the known ones. Admittedly, Windows security is better than it has ever been. If you install the 64 bit version, run as a Standard user for daily use, and use Microsoft Security Essentials, you have a reasonably secure machine. At least until the next vulnerability is found. If you are careful about where you visit on the internet, though, you might make it through unscathed with such a system. This is the first time I feel confident in saying that about Windows, with the caveat that you must run your updates regularly.
Left at that, I could almost like the Windows ecosystem. The chink in this armor, though, is one that Microsoft has no control over: 3rd party software. Sure, run the system I described above and you are fairly safe. Oh wait, you want to use Adobe Flash? Bad news. And Adobe Reader? Sigh. An old version of Corel Draw? Groan. HP scanning software? I feel the tears welling. Some freeware game that you downloaded from the internet? Okay, I quit.
Seriously, though, if it weren't for all the 3rd party applications, Windows could be pretty secure. At work, there is a financial package that requires us to disable User Account Control or else it will not function. Why? Because it was written for DOS and has been dragged along into the Windows world along the way, always several generations behind whatever Windows is current. So, great, we upgraded all the machine in the business office to get the better security that Windows 7 brings, and we just threw most of that out the window to get the financial software to function.
Despite Microsoft's best efforts, it will never be able to secure its ecosystem because so many companies are still writing their software to support old versions of Windows, and are dragging a lot of legacy baggage along with them. The same issue is also responsible for many of the stability issues of the platform. Poorly written drivers, poorly written services that hook into the kernel, tools that replace built-in Windows functionality with their own decrepit attempts, etc..., all combine to make Windows the Sanford and Son junk collection pickup truck that it is.
Even though I am becoming disillusioned with OS X to some degree, and Linux never seems to properly support the Apple hardware that I am stuck with, I just can't bring myself to go to Windows as my daily OS. I honestly wouldn't mind giving it a try, but there is no escaping the frustration of dealing with incompatibilities, bugs, crashes, and security issues. While I may know enough to be able to reduce my risk of getting a virus to the low, single-digit percentile, the fear of absent-mindedly clicking a bad link early one morning while I am half asleep and ending up at a site that is hosting some new virus that has not yet been added to the virus definitions keeps me far away. No amount of reward is worth that risk for me. I don't have the patience.
I admit that I like Windows 7, but I can't help but continuing to hate Windows in general. Having to put up with the stuff I do every day in my day job keeps me reminded that it takes more than good intentions, and even strong efforts, to clean up an entire ecosystem. Unfortunately for Microsoft, there doesn't seem to be a lot they can do to remedy the situation themselves. Perhaps one day I will be able to write another post entitled "I can finally love Windows", but don't hold your breath waiting for it.
Todd Russell
August 31, 2010
August 26, 2010
Pre-Review: The Facebook movie
"Pre-review? Don't you mean preview?", you ask. No, I am very deliberate in my choice of words whenever I write, and even more so when I choose words that aren't really words. By pre-review, I mean that I will review the upcoming Facebook movie, "The Social Network", before it comes out. To answer your question... no, I haven't seen a pre-release copy. Nor have I read the script. What am I, Creskin the Time-Travelling Magician? Not exactly. Although I like to think of myself as "often prescient", I'm not even relying on those skills for this review. Pure logic will suffice.
Before you get too irritated with my banter, I suppose an explanation is in order. In regards to "The Social Network", I have no more direct knowledge than any of you readers have at the time of this posting, which amounts to having viewed the movie trailer. From that trailer, however, it is pretty clear that "The Social Network" follows closely to the book, "The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook". And that is where my pre-review is coming from... sorta.
I listened to the audiobook version of "The Accidental Billionaires" about a year ago, and watching the trailer for the new movie incited flashbacks to listening to the book. If you are starting to think it sounds interesting to read a book about how Facebook was founded, let me assure you that doing so would be one of the worst mistakes you would ever make. Perhaps you think that sounds a little exaggerated, but it is rather difficult for me to put into words the pain, sorrow, and misery you will feel while reading (or listening). The thing is, though, these are not feelings that will be created in you by a gripping tale that makes you identify with characters who are experiencing sadness or loss. Nor will these feelings be created by entering in to the events of a great modern tragedy. No, these feelings will be created by what must be the most sophomoric writing I have ever had the displeasure to experience.
I literally hated this book. There were times when I actually yelled out loud in my car at the author for his pathetic attempt to describe scenes that "might have happened". The level of writing made me feel as if I were grading papers for a 9th grade English class and stumbled through the manuscript of a teenage boy who has just "discovered" that his calling in life is to become the next great author. Ugggggggh. The dialog was often ridiculous. His filling in the gaps in the story by pondering what "might have happened" as Mark went from one screw-up to the next annoyed me so badly that I wanted to throw the iPod out the window of my car and drive back and forth over it to make sure those bits would never be transferred to another storage device again. The over-abundance of adjectives and needless words drug the story out at least an additional hour or two in total. The whole experience was almost as pleasant as being kicked repeatedly between the legs by a giant, red, Bozo the Clown shoe. Incidentally, the last time I felt that my intelligence was so insulted was probably the last time I watched Bozo the Clown on cable tv in the eighties.
"So why did you listen?", you ask. Believe me, I asked myself that same question every time I pressed play. I felt I needed to know the story, though, so that I could better understand the motives behind the constant abuses of private information being added to Facebook as "features". I was pretty sure I already knew the reasons, and this would be a good way for me to confirm or deny my suspicions. In the end, it did confirm for me what I believed... that Mark Zuckerberg has no concept of the rights or concerns of others... that he is either autistic or has narcissistic disorder (or even a little of both). The story clearly showed this to be a fairly accurate read. It was good for me to know this so that I would be reminded to be very judicious about what personal info I let out into Facebook, even through such features as the supposedly-private messages.
I have heard a lot of comments about this book and it appears to be the general consensus that it is roughly historically accurate. By extension, I will assume that the movie will be as well. The trailer seemed to connect with a lot of the scenes from the book.
After watching the trailer, it is pretty clear to me that watching this movie will be every bit as painful as reading (or listening to) the book. The dialog will be terrible. The acting will be laughable. The script will be disjunct and fail to tell a deeper story beyond simply retelling what happened on a surface level. On top of that, people with moral sensibilities will be routinely scandalized by the events and their portrayal. There will be almost nothing redeemable about this movie... with one exception. Like the book, it will probably at least give you a poorly rendered portrait of Mark Zuckerberg, the self-centered social misfit who is dealing in the private info of millions of average people.
For that alone, I will recommend that everyone who uses Facebook see this movie. Yes, I know I just trashed the movie and assured you that it will be the most painful experience of movie-going you are likely to ever experience. However, if you want to continue to use Facebook, you should know who you are trusting your info to. I would like to hope that you will walk out of the theatre a little scared, even.
If you would rather not spend $9 at the theatre to see this atrocity to mankind, just wait for it to hit DVD. I am pretty sure that, within a month or two of its release, it will be in the $1.99 bin of your local Wal Mart. You can buy a copy, watch it, then smash it into tiny pieces and throw it away. At least that way, you can feel like your participation in this travesty brought some good to humanity by reducing the watchable copies in existence. Or, just watch it on hulu.com for free when the studio gives up on trying to market it and just settles for the advertising money.
Though your time will have been wasted whichever route you take, at least you will have reason to think twice about every click you make on Facebook from that point on... and that can only make the world a better place.
Todd Russell
August 26, 2010
Before you get too irritated with my banter, I suppose an explanation is in order. In regards to "The Social Network", I have no more direct knowledge than any of you readers have at the time of this posting, which amounts to having viewed the movie trailer. From that trailer, however, it is pretty clear that "The Social Network" follows closely to the book, "The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook". And that is where my pre-review is coming from... sorta.
I listened to the audiobook version of "The Accidental Billionaires" about a year ago, and watching the trailer for the new movie incited flashbacks to listening to the book. If you are starting to think it sounds interesting to read a book about how Facebook was founded, let me assure you that doing so would be one of the worst mistakes you would ever make. Perhaps you think that sounds a little exaggerated, but it is rather difficult for me to put into words the pain, sorrow, and misery you will feel while reading (or listening). The thing is, though, these are not feelings that will be created in you by a gripping tale that makes you identify with characters who are experiencing sadness or loss. Nor will these feelings be created by entering in to the events of a great modern tragedy. No, these feelings will be created by what must be the most sophomoric writing I have ever had the displeasure to experience.
I literally hated this book. There were times when I actually yelled out loud in my car at the author for his pathetic attempt to describe scenes that "might have happened". The level of writing made me feel as if I were grading papers for a 9th grade English class and stumbled through the manuscript of a teenage boy who has just "discovered" that his calling in life is to become the next great author. Ugggggggh. The dialog was often ridiculous. His filling in the gaps in the story by pondering what "might have happened" as Mark went from one screw-up to the next annoyed me so badly that I wanted to throw the iPod out the window of my car and drive back and forth over it to make sure those bits would never be transferred to another storage device again. The over-abundance of adjectives and needless words drug the story out at least an additional hour or two in total. The whole experience was almost as pleasant as being kicked repeatedly between the legs by a giant, red, Bozo the Clown shoe. Incidentally, the last time I felt that my intelligence was so insulted was probably the last time I watched Bozo the Clown on cable tv in the eighties.
"So why did you listen?", you ask. Believe me, I asked myself that same question every time I pressed play. I felt I needed to know the story, though, so that I could better understand the motives behind the constant abuses of private information being added to Facebook as "features". I was pretty sure I already knew the reasons, and this would be a good way for me to confirm or deny my suspicions. In the end, it did confirm for me what I believed... that Mark Zuckerberg has no concept of the rights or concerns of others... that he is either autistic or has narcissistic disorder (or even a little of both). The story clearly showed this to be a fairly accurate read. It was good for me to know this so that I would be reminded to be very judicious about what personal info I let out into Facebook, even through such features as the supposedly-private messages.
I have heard a lot of comments about this book and it appears to be the general consensus that it is roughly historically accurate. By extension, I will assume that the movie will be as well. The trailer seemed to connect with a lot of the scenes from the book.
After watching the trailer, it is pretty clear to me that watching this movie will be every bit as painful as reading (or listening to) the book. The dialog will be terrible. The acting will be laughable. The script will be disjunct and fail to tell a deeper story beyond simply retelling what happened on a surface level. On top of that, people with moral sensibilities will be routinely scandalized by the events and their portrayal. There will be almost nothing redeemable about this movie... with one exception. Like the book, it will probably at least give you a poorly rendered portrait of Mark Zuckerberg, the self-centered social misfit who is dealing in the private info of millions of average people.
For that alone, I will recommend that everyone who uses Facebook see this movie. Yes, I know I just trashed the movie and assured you that it will be the most painful experience of movie-going you are likely to ever experience. However, if you want to continue to use Facebook, you should know who you are trusting your info to. I would like to hope that you will walk out of the theatre a little scared, even.
If you would rather not spend $9 at the theatre to see this atrocity to mankind, just wait for it to hit DVD. I am pretty sure that, within a month or two of its release, it will be in the $1.99 bin of your local Wal Mart. You can buy a copy, watch it, then smash it into tiny pieces and throw it away. At least that way, you can feel like your participation in this travesty brought some good to humanity by reducing the watchable copies in existence. Or, just watch it on hulu.com for free when the studio gives up on trying to market it and just settles for the advertising money.
Though your time will have been wasted whichever route you take, at least you will have reason to think twice about every click you make on Facebook from that point on... and that can only make the world a better place.
Todd Russell
August 26, 2010
August 18, 2010
Dreams Do Come True
Flashback... 1979... I'm standing in Kmart, staring in awe at the 12" Boba Fett figure on the shelf which is gleaming like the Holy Grail of toys. I'm sure I must have been drooling. This was the most wicked toy I had ever seen in my life, and I could only think of one thing... Christmas. I was already a Boba Fett fan, having been one of the lucky few kids to get an original Boba Fett figure in the mail after sending in the requisite number of Proofs of Purchase and money. I still remember the picture of the Boba Fett figure on the packages of the figures I owned, even though I was only 5 at the time. He could shoot a missile out of his back!!! Admittedly, getting the real figure in the mail, while very exciting, was a bit of a letdown. He looked different than the original picture and his missile wouldn't shoot, no matter how many ways I jammed a butter knife into his back. It took my mom a while to finally convince me that they must have changed the design and that this figure was not going to be doing any shooting. Once I finally let go of that, I quickly realized that this was the coolest figure in my collection. I only had him for a short time because I decided to slide him up a guy-wire at recess during kindergarten to simulate flying, and he flew off at some random angle when he hit the knuckle of the guy-wire anchor, landing on top of the breezeway cover. My poor kindergarten teacher tried desperately to help me find it for what must have been at least a half hour (I'll always love you Mrs. Crowell!). I'm not sure how many tears I cried that night, but I was sure that I would get a replacement for Christmas.
So there I was, standing in Kmart, staring at the 12" version of Boba Fett, who looked so much cooler than the small figure I had lost. I thought for sure that this was to be my reward to replace the lost object of affection. As I stood there, a family came along and grabbed one of them and moved on. There were now only 3 left. I realized that the remaining 3 might disappear while I went looking for mom, so I resolved not to leave that spot until she came looking for me. And if it came down to only 1 left, I would simply grab it and carry it with me throughout the store. In hindsight, I don't know why I didn't do that in the first place, because it might have been easier to convince her to buy it if she thought about the nuisance of having to go back and find the place on the shelf to replace it. So I waited what felt like an eternity.
When mom arrived, somewhat irritated that I hadn't come to find her first, I began my excited pleas and begging. Her immediate "no" almost left me crushed, but I reminded her of my lost Boba Fett and that Christmas was coming and this was the only thing I wanted for Christmas. She wasn't convinced. "We're not buying that now. If you still want it at Christmas, maybe we'll buy it then." "But mom, they might all be gone by then! There are only 3 left! What if you can't find one later?" None of my begging, whining, or bargaining worked, so I sulked away, turning to give what would be my last look ever at an original 12" Boba Fett figure. I hoped beyond hope that there would be more near Christmas time, but Christmas came and went, and Boba Fett never made it back to the shelves of any store I entered again after that.
Flash forward... 2010... I'm standing in Target looking at the new line of Star Wars figures that had just been released with the reproduced "original" Empire Strikes Back backing cards, and having flashbacks to many years ago. As I'm wandering through nostalgic memories, I hear my oldest daughter say, "Daddy, look at this cool Boba Fett helmet". My heart leapt into my throat, but I didn't want my kids to see me acting like an excited 5 year old, so I replied, "I'll see in just a second after I finish looking through these figures", in as nonchalant a voice as I could fake. After scanning the rest of the figures, I looked down and saw a full-size Boba Fett helmet much like the recent Clone Trooper helmets that had been released over the last few years. I'm sure my jaw must have hung open, because my kids laughed when they saw my reaction. I picked it up and looked at it and immediately had a flashback to 1979, looking at the Boba Fett toy in Kmart. Now this was truly the coolest toy I had ever seen, even better than the figure I never had. "Wow, this is really cool, maybe I should get it", I said. I looked at the price... $34.99. Not too bad for an item this cool, but did I really need it? Should I spend that money? I looked at the shelf and noticed that there were only 3 left. Another flashback... "But mom, they might all be gone by then! There are only 3 left!"
I decided right then that it wasn't going to happen to me again, so I tucked the package under my arm and said, "Okay kids, let's go." At the checkout counter, the lady asked if my son had his eye on this and I said, "No, this one is for daddy. I've wanted one of these since I was 5 years old." She laughed and smiled. On the way to the van, I must admit that I felt like a 5 year old on Christmas and couldn't wait to get home to open it and check it out. Of course, my wife just laughed and kind of rolled her eyes when she saw the addition to "Daddy's collection", but once I told her the story, she got into the excitement of opening the prize as well. The kids were huddled around, waiting impatiently to see it in action, and I was trying my best to hide the childlike surge of emotion I felt as I restrained myself from just ripping the packaging to shreds. Once it was out and put together, I immediately put it on and modeled it for my wife and kids. We all had some good laughs and my son ran off to get his Clone Trooper helmet, thrilled to join his daddy in the fun. So, we chased the girls around the house for a few minutes, then I placed my new toy in a prominent place in my office so I could see it clearly every time I entered.
After having it for over a week, I still haven't tired of staring at it every time I pass it, and I don't regret the purchase for even a moment. It's my little reminder that dreams can come true, even if they sometimes take 31 years to do so. It also reminds me how good it is to never entirely lose the simple excitement of childhood and the laughter and joy that can bring. I hope that when I am old and retired, I can still find moments of childhood laughter in the midst of the seriousness of daily life.
And now, for some pictures so that you can revel with me in all the glory of this story:
Todd Russell
August 18, 2010
So there I was, standing in Kmart, staring at the 12" version of Boba Fett, who looked so much cooler than the small figure I had lost. I thought for sure that this was to be my reward to replace the lost object of affection. As I stood there, a family came along and grabbed one of them and moved on. There were now only 3 left. I realized that the remaining 3 might disappear while I went looking for mom, so I resolved not to leave that spot until she came looking for me. And if it came down to only 1 left, I would simply grab it and carry it with me throughout the store. In hindsight, I don't know why I didn't do that in the first place, because it might have been easier to convince her to buy it if she thought about the nuisance of having to go back and find the place on the shelf to replace it. So I waited what felt like an eternity.
When mom arrived, somewhat irritated that I hadn't come to find her first, I began my excited pleas and begging. Her immediate "no" almost left me crushed, but I reminded her of my lost Boba Fett and that Christmas was coming and this was the only thing I wanted for Christmas. She wasn't convinced. "We're not buying that now. If you still want it at Christmas, maybe we'll buy it then." "But mom, they might all be gone by then! There are only 3 left! What if you can't find one later?" None of my begging, whining, or bargaining worked, so I sulked away, turning to give what would be my last look ever at an original 12" Boba Fett figure. I hoped beyond hope that there would be more near Christmas time, but Christmas came and went, and Boba Fett never made it back to the shelves of any store I entered again after that.
Flash forward... 2010... I'm standing in Target looking at the new line of Star Wars figures that had just been released with the reproduced "original" Empire Strikes Back backing cards, and having flashbacks to many years ago. As I'm wandering through nostalgic memories, I hear my oldest daughter say, "Daddy, look at this cool Boba Fett helmet". My heart leapt into my throat, but I didn't want my kids to see me acting like an excited 5 year old, so I replied, "I'll see in just a second after I finish looking through these figures", in as nonchalant a voice as I could fake. After scanning the rest of the figures, I looked down and saw a full-size Boba Fett helmet much like the recent Clone Trooper helmets that had been released over the last few years. I'm sure my jaw must have hung open, because my kids laughed when they saw my reaction. I picked it up and looked at it and immediately had a flashback to 1979, looking at the Boba Fett toy in Kmart. Now this was truly the coolest toy I had ever seen, even better than the figure I never had. "Wow, this is really cool, maybe I should get it", I said. I looked at the price... $34.99. Not too bad for an item this cool, but did I really need it? Should I spend that money? I looked at the shelf and noticed that there were only 3 left. Another flashback... "But mom, they might all be gone by then! There are only 3 left!"
I decided right then that it wasn't going to happen to me again, so I tucked the package under my arm and said, "Okay kids, let's go." At the checkout counter, the lady asked if my son had his eye on this and I said, "No, this one is for daddy. I've wanted one of these since I was 5 years old." She laughed and smiled. On the way to the van, I must admit that I felt like a 5 year old on Christmas and couldn't wait to get home to open it and check it out. Of course, my wife just laughed and kind of rolled her eyes when she saw the addition to "Daddy's collection", but once I told her the story, she got into the excitement of opening the prize as well. The kids were huddled around, waiting impatiently to see it in action, and I was trying my best to hide the childlike surge of emotion I felt as I restrained myself from just ripping the packaging to shreds. Once it was out and put together, I immediately put it on and modeled it for my wife and kids. We all had some good laughs and my son ran off to get his Clone Trooper helmet, thrilled to join his daddy in the fun. So, we chased the girls around the house for a few minutes, then I placed my new toy in a prominent place in my office so I could see it clearly every time I entered.
After having it for over a week, I still haven't tired of staring at it every time I pass it, and I don't regret the purchase for even a moment. It's my little reminder that dreams can come true, even if they sometimes take 31 years to do so. It also reminds me how good it is to never entirely lose the simple excitement of childhood and the laughter and joy that can bring. I hope that when I am old and retired, I can still find moments of childhood laughter in the midst of the seriousness of daily life.
And now, for some pictures so that you can revel with me in all the glory of this story:
He was almost mine!
My prize, just before it was opened.
I am Boba Fett!
Todd Russell
August 18, 2010
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