Overheard at our house on Christmas morning:

Goudabonbon: "Know what would be a good fake name? 'Stan Unitard.'"
Sweetness: "'Stan Unitard?' That's a stupid name."

The remainder of the Clickable Advent Calendar:
22: Cinematic Titanic: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
23: Festivus. Also, "Spook House Dave"
24: Stocking Stuffers
25: "Peace, Love and ( Read more... )

goudabonbon (knocking at my office door): "I'll pay you a dollar to walk the dog."
curt_holman (considers it): "Oh, alright."

curt_holman (bundling up for the cold weather): "Does this hat make me look like a pinhead?"
goudabonbon: "No hat looks good on you. I'm sorry, but..."

Later, after the dog-walk, curt_holman enters kitchen and greets goudabonbon.
curt_holman: "So, you're standing in the darkened kitchen eating ( Read more... )

This week is our holiday guide issue, and I draw your attention to my story that anchored the cover package, DIY Alternatives to Atlanta Holiday Traditions, particularly the “Pink Pig” photos that accompany it. You’ll know the one I mean.

Other stories include my DVD gift guide featuring the likes of A Colbert Christmas, Tinker Bell, Spaced: The ( Read more... )

Last week I introduced my daughter Sweetness to "Mystery Science Theatre 3000." Anyone who doesn't know me will wonder 'Why are you letting a six year-old watch MST3K?' Anyone who knows me will wonder 'How did you keep from watching the show with her for six years, given how you're so hooked on it ( Read more... )

Tomorrow (Saturday) night I'm going to see 'Cabaret at the End of the Empire,' a burlesque show at Decatur's PushPush Theater "conceived and curated" by Vincenzo Tortorici, a vaudeville/burlesque show inspired by the Berlin Cabarets of the 1920s, but with an American Internet age spin. Performers include The Syrens of the South Burlesque Company ( Read more... )

Sweetness and I read Stuart Little last month. It's one of my childhood favorites and we enjoyed it, although the inconclusive ending puts me off a little. She's been listening to the book on tape read by Julie Harris ( Read more... )

Near the end of the school year, Sweetness and I switched our bedtime reading from picture books to chapter books (preferably chapter books that have illustrations). I believe I've mentioned that our "gateway book" was The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which alternates between pages of text and silent-movie style illustrations. Since then, we've read ( Read more... )

Sweetness: "Daddy, your new name is 'Bunk Head.' The President said so."

Me: "Well, that certainly sounds like something he'd say."

P.S.
Here's "The Periodic Table of Awesoments:"
http://puffdoggydaddy.livejournal.com/415633.html#cutid1

As an example of my wildly eccentric parenting style, I introduced Sweetness to Monty Python. One of the Bone graphic novels features a two-panel presentation of the classic "board gag," and I explained to Sweetness how that elementary piece of slapstick works, using one of the sofa cushions. So she could get an idea of how the jape is funny with ( Read more... )

Ponyo on the Cliff By the Sea, the new film by Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki, is apparently a big hit in Japan, will be shown at the Venice Film Festival (which begins next week), and will come to the U.S. at some point thereafter (but probably not in 2008). Apparently it involves the relationship between a boy and some kind of aquatic baby ( Read more... )