henry winkler

So I ran into The Fonz today in the St. Louis airport. It was a bit surreal. I was traveling to San Diego for a conference; he was on his way home to L.A. from a speech at a local school.

Henry is currently writing children's books and making appearances when possible. He recently finished a stage role as Captain Hook in London.

He's shorter than I expected, and he seemed a bit travel-weary, but he was pleasant and seemed happy to talk to a few of us while we waited in the security line (before he realized he could jump the line as a first class passenger, let alone the fact that he's Arthur Fonzarelli).

During our short conversation another "fan" approached, pledging his devotion to Mr. Winkler and assuring him that Fonzie was the real star of Happy Days, not Richie.

I don't frequently have run-ins with the famous or semi-famous. My most memorable are a random handshake with Roy Williams, a quick hello in the home of Don S. Davis (http://imdb.com/name/nm0204493/#actor1980 , and a possible shared plane flight with pro wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts.

It made me think about fame, and how Henry Winkler can't get on an airplane without first having to talk to a bunch of strangers (some stranger than others) about stuff he did decades ago. I know it's the price of fame, and it was fun to meet him, but after shaking hands with him today it got me thinking... mainly about how many times he probably washes his hands every day.

1987 - music

Though I had begun listening to pop music earlier in the 80s (my first albums were Michael Jackson's Thriller and the Ghostbusters Soundtrack), it wasn't until 1987 that I really got into it.

My first favorite rock song and MTV video was "Sweet Child O' Mine." Following were my favorite albums of '87.

Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction

Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet

Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation

Michael Jackson - Bad

INXS - Kick

Def Leppard - Hysteria

gaming with kids

Gaming as a dad is different than gaming as a kid, college student, or husband. The amount of time is somewhat less, but the real decrease is "time per sitting." It's difficult to get a solid hour of gaming in, particularly if the kids are awake. And there is the content issue ... no Gear of War for the kiddos.

My solution: Bing them along. Following are a few games I've enjoyed both playing in front of the kids, and even better, playing with them.
(Note: Being a Nintendo fanboy for 20+ years, it made it pretty easy to go the kiddie route. The selection of games here will be heavily Big N.)

Gamecube/XBOX/PS2 -- Lego Star Wars
This is number 1 for numerous reasons. The kids are big Star Wars fans (though I guess there are some semi-obvious content issues there), so Lego Star Wars is a big hit. The violence is limited to shattered Lego pieces, and the gameplay is easy to pick up on. The coop mode is fantastic, especially the "drop-in, drop-out" style. It's good when the kids are stuck and want to drop out for a few seconds, and equally as important when one of us wants to quit but the other doesn't.

Wii - Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
Though rated T, this is a pretty tame game. It's beatiful to look at, and the kids enjoyed watching almost as much as I enjoyed playing. Also, a six year-old can be very helpful when Dad is stuck in a dungeon. They see things we miss, and if they're following along throughout the game, they know the items as well as we do. Good times.

Gamecube - Mario Party
This has been a great "Mom, Dad, and kids" game on Saturday afternoons or just before bed. The settings allow for a variety of time needs, and the handicap feature levels the playing field. And it's Mario on a game board -- tough to beat.

Gamecube - Mario Kart Double Dash
Even though I called Star Wars #1, my daughter and I have had the most fun playing this game together. In Double Dash two characters ride each kart -- one to drive (usually my job) and the other to use the collected items. This is a total blast, easy to get the hang of (she was throwing turtle shells at age 4), and the sense of shared accomplishment is great.

Web sites on the subject:

www.gamerdad.com

www.shortattentiongamer.com

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lyrics i like

From "On the Radio" by Regina Spektor

This is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again

booknotes - god is closer than you think

John Ortberg.

- Finding God is often like the Waldo books. You gotta keep looking. Sometimes it's hard. I know he's there, but sometimes it seems like he isn't.

- You're going to shower/work/drive/watchTV anyway, why not do it with Jesus?

- Don't add a bunch of things to your life, thinking that's what you need to get closer to God. Instead, involve God in the things you're already doing.

- Morning Prayer: 1)Acknowledge God for who He is, 2)Express concerns/fears about the day, 3)Invite God into the day.

- God's Grace = Ocean Waves. He keeps making them. He's a wave machine.

- CIHU (Can I Help You) Prayer. Ask God to give you opportunities to be inolved in others' lives.

- Dust of the Rabbi. If I live "at the feet" of my rabbi/mentor/leader, it's defined as working under him. I am so close to my rabbi in that situation that when he walks the dust from his feet end up on me.

- Mary & Martha. This is not a personality story. Martha isn't chastised because she works too hard. And Mary isn't praised for being a lazy ass. Martha was DISTRACTED with other things while Jesus desired meeting with her.

- God's Silence does not equal Absence. Purposeful silence can say "I'm not going to make this decision for you."

- Resistors & Conductors. Resistors are not open to be used. They stop the flow. Conductors are open to let energy flow through them. Be a conductor. "The Gulf stream will pass through a straw if the straw aligns itself with the gulf stream."

- God loves pizzazz: He delights in the beauty of his least strategic creatures (e.g. Hippos)

- The Hedge. I'm currently in temporary housing (my body) with a backyard (my world) and a hedge. Jesus traveled across the hedge to bring some of "up there" "down here."

"...thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."