Phantasmic Links 7.23.07

When you're used to doing things yourself, it's hard to stand back and let others do things for you. We're going to have new windows put in our dining room this week. My dad insists on doing as much as he can before the people we've hired get here. First, we brought ladders up from the basement, initially for me to clean our gutters, but then he asked me to leave them outside in case the workers needed ladders. Our windows aren't that high, and I would hope they have basic equipment. My mom suspects an ulterior motive, that he plans on doing some other work on the roof that he knows we wouldn't approve of, especially since the bump on his shoulder swells up any time he exerts himself climbing or lifting.

While I cut the lawn, against both my mom's and my advice, he removed one of the inner metal window frames, with the rationale that he needed to see how it was done, that it would save the guys time and thus save us money, and because my mom wanted to save it and the workers might just rip it out. Later, after I'd settled in to watch a movie, the sound of a hammer and chisel finally drew me from my quarters. He was trying to loosen a painted over screw on the outer window, and had succeeded in stripping it. I tried to help, and he argued that no one called me. When I accused him of making a racket because he didn't like the fact that I was relaxing for once on a Sunday afternoon, he threw the now standard response that I “twist things with my psychology”. He went on to say that the workers could get the window apart with a hacksaw, and he was only “playing” because he was “bored”. He used some old-guy phrase like “a shoemaker could do this job”, so I finally gave up. I guess I'm not as good as a shoemaker, but he put his tools away and sulked off to watch television, so he didn't have any better luck. I went out for a while, and later checked to see that while I was gone he had sawed and filed at the head of the screw, but still hadn't removed it. I imagine the people he hired will take about five minutes getting it apart.

At one point during our argument, he asked why I was so stubborn. I know exactly who I inherited that from, and why it causes us to clash. I guess I can understand his need to be useful, and reasoning that for the job to be done right he needs to do part of it himself. In my own career, I've often taken up slack or covered where I found coworkers to be lacking. I don't like for someone else to take what I consider to be “mine”, so in hindsight I get why my dad got mad at me for taking his tools. He probably wasn't making noise to rouse me out of my laziness, though I took it that way at the time. I guess I need to cool down and de-stress, and I'll do that by finding this week's PHANTASMIC LINKS:

There's cute, and then there are newborn pandas.

When Sweet Dreams are made of Seven Nation Army, you get one of the greatest mash-ups I've ever seen.

DrawerGeeks is an invitation-only site in which a variety of professional artists take turns providing their take on various characters. Hat Tip: Curt.

What happens when Peanuts characters are rendered in Anime style? HT: Rey

This interesting study shows the effects of acid on art. Trippy; I wonder if the artist from my previous link participated.

Now you can get a little pole dancer for your MP3 player. Little restraining orders are sold separately. HT: B13

Nigoro is a classical game of...slapping? Four rounds in, most of the words foreign to me, and still I'm determined to win.

What is Lifeslackers? It's a new collection of trivia, videos, and more, brought to you by our old friend Lyndon. I highly recommend the Welcome Back, Potter video.(And please, no comments on the book, I still have another 282 pages to go...)

Hopnotic will prove to be hypnotic as you jump pieces through 16 levels in Beginner or Advanced mode, or 32 in Puzzle mode. Watch out for bombs and collect those gems, and get ready for the hours to disappear. HT: B13



Have a link to a game, movie, article, or anything else you think might be “phantasmic”? E-mail me and it just might appear in an upcoming PHANTASMIC LINKS!