Archives for category: just grinning

My, Earth Really Is Full Of Things or Royal Rainbow!

March 13, 2008 //

I forgot how awesome Katamari Damacy was until we recently purchased a copy of the first game (for ten dollars! with free shipping! thanks, buy.com!). While the game is kind of hard to explain in a compelling way, it is loads of fun. Basically, your task is to roll an ever larger ball of stuff (your katamari) until you’ve basically rolled up the entire world. Kind of eschatological, if you think about it.

The quotes from the title of this post are from the King of All Cosmos, giver of katamari tasks and owner of awesome ‘stache. I’m holding out hope that Beautiful Katamari will eventually come out for the Wii.

Katamari is a global movement. Here are some of the places in which you’ll find the wide-ranging cultural impact Katamari has had: fine art, legos, crochet, spring break, knock-off ads, baked goods, high fashion, conferences and Germany.

Get on the Royal Rainbow before you’re left behind! And pick me up a t-shirt or two while you’re at it!

Check out the music in the clip below. If there were some more angular guitars, it might fit well alongside Battles or Blood Brothers (maybe).

Categories games, hooray!, just grinning, reviews

Just In Case…

March 7, 2008 //

I’m heading out on a weekend retreat with our youth group. Please pray for me.

Here’s a little design I worked up for our retreat:

* * * * *

If I’m not back by Sunday evening, please send a team into the woods looking for me.

Categories church, design, just grinning, ministry, prayer, travel, youth ministry

Couldn’t Have Said It Better Myself

February 14, 2008 //

Nothing says, “Hey, you’re pretty cool and I would totally have given you this friendship card even if it were not basically mandated to give one to everyone in the class” like this Optimus Prime Valentine’s Day message that my daughter gave out to her preschool classmates today (among other assorted, totally non-sequitur Transformers messages):

Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, Valentine.

I suppose if you’re going to look for every possible (or impossible) marketing hook, tie-in or promotion, then you might as well really go for it. Maybe I can turn this into an Easter outreach postcard for our church :)

Categories advertising, communication, design, family, just grinning

What Can Fix A Broken Heart?

February 4, 2008 //

According to this story on NPR’s Morning Edition, a Japanese cosmetics firm offers “heartache leave” to its employees who have just broken up with a significant other. They even recognize different levels of grief employees might endure from breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, offering three days to older employees (while the presumably more resilient younger employees get one day to recover).

Although it might seem like just another Japanese cultural oddity (for those who hate getting their hair in their noodles! for those who need to blow their nose at all times! for those who must smoke mass quantities right now!) it is actually kind of nice for employers to recognize that the automatons filling all those cubicles are actual human beings. A little bit of empathy can go a long way.

Categories asian american, community, health, just grinning

Making Conversation

February 1, 2008 //

Because of my increasing introversion and shyness (and general mental sluggishness) I often find it difficult to make conversation with other people — strangers, in particular. According to this article, How To Be A Great Conversationalist, I’m on the right track because at least I’m not an interrogator or a braggart. Sometimes I worry about wasting someone else’s time with small talk. Other times I just don’t get the words out.

For example, here was a conversation I had awhile back at my daughter’s preschool. I was taking my daughter out of the car in the parking lot and we were just heading over to her classroom. Another parent was driving by, stopped and said out the window:

Person: Go Blue!
Me: ?
Person: I saw your Michigan plates the other day — we’re from Michigan too! (smiling)
Me: Oh. That’s nice! (grin)

In my mind, I was thinking, “Both my brother and sister are Wolverines! Hail to the Victors!” and I was all set to make the Michigan map on my right hand and ask where they were from. But, somehow, the words just floated away. I find this happening with greater frequency.

Should I worry, or should I just Wiki it?

Categories asian american, communication, community, just grinning