Inmanbrothers.com is back. Look here in the next few months for updates and some new features as well as new creative content from the Inman brothers.
Monthly Archive for November, 2006
Bob Ross Painting on Nintendo Wii
Now, how are you not gonna buy that?
My little brother missed his calling
Lily Capehart dresses up her pet lizards and then her father photographs them
Why do we like to make animals look like people? I’ve never thought a dog with a hat on was cute or funny. On the other hand I do giggle every time I see a monkey in a tuxedo. Most likely thats because I’ve seen a monkey poop in it’s mother’s hand, the mother then preceded to take an bite and then handed it over to her son to have a taste also.
I brought my Nintendo Wii home for thanksgiving this year. It was my Christmas/birthday gift from my beautiful wife. Still weary of this new console being “just a gimmick”, I decided to test it out on my family. I will report that Nintendo has done something pretty amazing here. At one point my 3 yr old nephew, my 29 (i think) yr old brother and my father were all playing bowling on Wii sports, together. No other video game or game in general that I’ve ever played has been able to span the generation gap like that. It was great fun watching everyone enjoy themselves, cringing when the bowler missed or cheering when my niece bowled a strike then did a swirl and smiled at everyone.
The video game wasn’t the source of the pleasure. Yes, it was fun. But it was much more fun for the whole family to participate in something we could all do. It wasn’t the men watching football and the women talking about child-rearing.
Returning to work today, I read my list of news websites I frequent only to find multiple accounts of the same phenomenon. A family member purchased a Wii, brought it home for thanksgiving and had great family-time playing with their parents and other siblings.
The best part about the Wii is that I don’t find myself “needing” to play for long periods of time. I play a game of bowling or tennis and turn it off. Not only is it more satisfying to actually be using your body to play, it’s also very tiring. Last night while playing Wii tennis against my wife (she won) she commented to me that it made her want to go play tennis. I’m not saying Wii is the savior of video games and is totally non-addictive, but it’s a step in the right direction and makes playing video games what it should be…fun.
A movie about movies isn’t a new thing, but Christopher Guest gets it right. From celebrity gossip shows to oscar buzz, Guest portrays the entire film industry with the irreverence it deserves. Like most of his movies my initial reaction was that I wanted more and it does seem to end abruptly and quite weakly, maybe that was the point. Anything Guest and crew does usually warrants a second and third watch to really appreciate the subtleties. My favorite part has to be the “access hollywood” type show hosted by Chuck Porter and Cindy Martin, played by Fred Willard and Jane Lynch respectively. Guest minimizes himself in this movie and I believe it is to the film’s detriment. I definitely felt it was missing something and it was that element that he brings. The movie is definitely worth seeing if you are headed to the theaters. And if you don’t see a lot of movies in the theaters, definitely rent it. Twice.
I’ve always said Tonga is where the Hawaiians go on vacation.
Tonga Facts:
A friend of mine is from Tonga (read his blog, he is touring with a museum exhibit).
Tonga is one of the last monarchies.
After recent riots and government corruption, many of the inherited government positions will soon be elected, though Tonga will still have a king.
A peculiar family in turkey has provided researchers with what is believed to be the missing link betweens humans and quadrupedal animals. Five of the adult siblings walk on all fours. The exact reason is unknown but it could be tied to anything from a genetic disorder to actual un-evolved humans.
This finding coincides with another recent scientific breakthrough by researchers in North America. A recent recovered skeleton, called by the first finders, Homo Wipestandus, seems to have the opposite problem of the aforementioned species. One scientist, Dr. Jorge Willhelm, has nicknamed the skeleton, Jerry:
“Jerry, was a bi-pedal human, almost too bi-pedal.”
“Jerry” wiped while standing up.
“Humans have come along way, we have developed language, learned how to use tools and most importantly we learned that you get the best spread by sitting down.”
It is rumored there is some residual behaviors left over from our ancestors. Some even believe there are still some humans living today that may still utilize this practice.
“Some of my colleagues find it convenient to believe this species is long gone, but from my research and walking in on my brother once, I believe Wipestandus is still walking and standing among us.”
A very whitty person has been blogging under the moniker and diction of Geoffrey Chaucer. You can read the blog here.
Some old english skills necessary.
A heart at peace is full of life, but one full of envy with rot your bones.
I don’t know where I heard that quote and I am probably misquoting it. But it works for thanksgiving and it’s way cooler than “make love, not war”.
The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death.
- Biblical Proverb
The Fountain was released in theaters yesterday. It is the story of a man seeking eternal life to be with the one he loves. It is sci-fi without the mysterious beasts and lazers. Much like the science fiction of C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy. The point of the film isn’t the settings or props it’s the people and the story. Lewis’ Space Trilogy shows us different planets so we can compare them to ours, not so we can dream about using a lightsaber. It’s philosophy over fantasy. It’s this brand of sci-fi that I love and that The Fountain uses. The director, Darren Aronofsky, in a recent interview with cnn summed up it:
“When you read science fiction, after about 80 pages, the world comes into focus,” he says. “We wanted the same feeling for the film. But then the information starts coming in and you get a sense of what’s going on … and the puzzle comes closer to solving itself.”
I am not saying The Fountain is a great moral tale. I couldn’t cause I haven’t seen it. But maybe it can show us something about the nature of life and our desire to prolong it at all costs that we miss in our day to day life.
The basic idea is that I think people forget about loss and how important it is to our lives,” he says. “And beyond that, what interests me is the spiritual core that connects all of us.”
What makes us human, he adds, is the fact that life is fleeting. But our connection to one another is, literally, eternal — we are all made up of pieces of the big bang, and our ashes will bring about new life somewhere else.
“We’ve forgotten that connection,” Aronofsky says. “Yet it is a part of our lives, part of our spiritual journey. And the film became an exploration of that.”
I am not sure if I believe I am part of the big bang, but it’s the same concept. We are all connected and I believe “life” is much more than the time we spend here, on earth, in physical bodies. If that doesn’t sound like science fiction, I don’t know what does. But I’ll take my “fiction” over the “reality” of the world anyday.
