Random thoughts on a Thursday evening:
I had to go the dentist yesterday for my semi-annual cleaning. I do not enjoy going to the dentist, but not for the reasons you might think. I can take the poking and prodding of my mouth with steel utensils. Sure, it's not what one would consider pleasant, but it really doesn't bother me that much. The main reason I dislike going to the dentist is the inevitable "flossing lecture" I receive from my somewhat high-strung and dentally pious hygienist. The thing is, I really do floss, just not the three times daily that she demands. Is there anyone in the world, outside of dentists, who actually flosses three times daily? If there is, I would really like to meet this person (or persons). Anyway, the semi-annual flossing lectures are annoying, to say the very least. I feel like saying, "I'm 43 years old, I'm set in my ways, I ain't changing. If you don't like my teeth, I'll find someone else who does. So there!" I mean, really, don't these dentists realize that if everyone's teeth were perfectly clean, they wouldn't have jobs?
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I was listening to sports talk radio this morning (as I must admit I frequently do on my drive to work), and the subject of tattoos came up. The host was talking about an MSU football player who had received a tattoo of a "Spartan warrior" on his torso. First of all, let me say that I have absolutely nothing against tattoos. I think that, in many cases, they look quite good on people--and some of the designs are beautiful. My wife has a few tattoos (I don't think she'd mind me saying that) and I like them. (I should mention that my wife got her tattoos back in the '80s, long before tattoos became a fad). The problem with me is that I could never get a tattoo because I could never decide on an image that I was ready and willing to commit to for the rest of my life. I mean, would I really want to get a Duran Duran tattoo when I was 14 years old? At the time, yes--but over time, I don't think so. Sure, it might seem totally rad in 1982, but I have a sneaking suspicion that by 2012, it wouldn't seem like such a wonderful idea.
I do think that sometimes people go a little overboard with the tattoos. I'm not really into the "tattoos all the way up and down the arm" look. I'm not saying that people shouldn't do it, I wholeheartedly believe in "live and let live", it just seems that some people go a little too crazy on the tats. And this leads me to another thing about tattoos, when did they become so popular? One can't find a college or professional athlete who doesn't have multiple tattoos, and it even seems like every other soccer mom these days is going out with her gal pals for "tattoo parties". When middle-aged women are getting tats, then you can safely say tattooing has jumped the shark. Getting a tattoo used to be a sign of rebellion, now it's just another trendy fashion statement. Hell, I feel rebellious for NOT getting a tattoo.
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While I'm out taking walks during the day, I have many disparate trains of thought, and recently I pondered the next movie project for director Wes Anderson. He needs to do an adaptation of the young adult novel, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. It touches upon all of Mr. Anderson's obsessions: Gen X kids books (He filmed The Fantastic Mr. Fox), pampered angst-ridden suburban youth, 1960s/70s fashions and iconography, New York City and environs as a setting, and loads of philosophical and pseudo-philosophical dialogue. (I actually like most of Wes Anderson's movies, but he does tend to get a little too precious in his films, particularly in The Darjeeling Limited and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou).
Well, this concludes my Andy Rooneyesque ruminations. Farewell for now...
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