The Ga-Ga Gabber’s development team, a mix of intoxicated MIT drop-outs, engineered a product which computes the baby’s words AND calculates implied feelings as well.  The problem arises with a much too literal translational algorithm.  We at DodoEggs.com regret any embarrassing circumstances our product may have caused. 

All of our customers complaints have been throughly investigated and reviewed.  We now present a few of our favorites…

From Sally in Fort Smut, Ohio:  “I’m a nursing mother who had a friend over for lunch one day.  My twelve month old boy wanders over to her, grabs her knee, and coos.  We both thought it was adorable until the Ga-Ga Gabber blurts out, ‘Wow lady!  You’ve got a great rack!’  I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life!  How can you produce such a product!!!”

From Rachel in Travesty City, Utah:  “My infant girl was upstairs taking a nap.  She woke up and began goo-goo-gaaing with her teddy bear.  All of the sudden, there’s static and I hear my sweet Jessica mumbling, ‘Mr. Fuzz Butt, can you believe how tacky my outfit is!  My shirt says PRINCESS with a unicorn underneath.  Dang, is my mother colorblind!?”
 
Finally, here’s Joline from Busterville:  “I was fixing supper one night and trying to take care of my other two kids when my little Maxwell woke from his nap.  He must have had a poo poo diaper becasue suddenly I hear over the monitor, ‘Hey!!  How about a little help here!!  I’ve got a diaper full of crap here!!! I don’t see anyone else sitting in this stuff!!!”

We at DodoEggs.com apologize for any problems this “glitch” may have caused.  Please return your Go-Go Gabber to any DodoEggs.com office branch…conviently located in the Geographical Center of the Internet.

• New & Exciting Product #562!
• Stray Apron Stings
• Lackluster Teenager?
• Lottery Tickets
• Dustin – Safe Only At A Distance

This time – there’s no such luck.   “Matt, could you stop by the store on your way home and pick up…”

 What follows is never anything useful.  It’s never ice cream, a new football, potato chips, or ice cream.  It’s alway the worst stuff possible…if God wanted me to purchase feminine products, he would have made me a woman! It’s either that or diapers NIETHER OF WHICH improve my social status.  Making matters worse are the details you need to know in order to select the correct feminine product.  Finding the right one takes some time and concentration.  I look like I’m standing in front of the library’s reference section trying to find a banana.

 So here’s the story…I’m sitting in the aquatics office with a few of the other lifeguards.  I call Melissa and we quickly roll through developments, children, and relatives before she begins, “I need you to stop at the store and pick a couple things up.  I need a turkey baster and a hula hoop.”

 “What!?”  I protest.  I’m going to be home late as it is.  “You need a hula hoop and a turkey baster tonight?!”

 Both of the other guards lift their heads.  I can read the sly grins on their faces right away.  “Alright,”  I say into the phone.  “I’ll pick them up.  I love you…bye.”

 Immediately, Ashley pipes in, “Wow Mr. T!  What ARE you and Mrs. T doing tonight?”

 “Basting birds while hula hooping.  What does it sound like?”

 Things took a frustrating turn at Wal-Mart.  All of the hula hoops were pretty colors like hot pink, fuchsia, or neon pink. (By the way, there’s no good way to hide the fact you’re carrying a pink hula hoop – under the arm, between the legs, nothing works.)  The self-checkout was the only thing open so I stepped in behind a Latino couple.  When I reached the screen, I expected an option to switch back to English- I didn’t get one.

 “No problemo.”  I mumble.  “It’s not like I can’t figure it out.”

 What I couldn’t figure out was how to scan a hula hoop on a flat scanner.  The attendant had to come over and type in the UPC code quatro times for it to go in.  When she finished, she handed me the toy and walked off but my problems weren’t solved.  I wound up on a screen that offered me one option  which, of course, took me no where.  (I’m not positive but I think the machine was using some vulgar Spanish – just a hunch.)  The attendant eventually returned and the pink hula hoop and I made our way to the door.

 As I passed the greeter, he reached out and took my arm.  I’m guessing he’d watched my whole ordeal and wanted a parting shot.  “Hey son, how about a demonstration?”

  Addendum:  The hula hoop Melissa wanted for a little exercise / the baster was to take cream off the top of the raw milk we get every week.

• Snowball Effect
• The Wonders of Children
• Geographical Nonsense
• The Secret to Happiness
• A New Game

 “We are all going to bed.”  I swear to him.  “No one is going to have ANY fun while you’re stuck in that soft, warm, blanket clad prison up there.”

 I’m lying of course, when the small children finally go to bed is when parents of these intensive little projects can finally enjoy themselves but he doesn’t need to know that.  About five minutes in and he’s usually asleep.

 Let’s back up…Bedtime…After brushing Saul’s teeth and changing him into his pajamas I take a seat in the living room chair and tell him to put his toys back into his box.  Saul picks up the nearest toy and dinks around with it.  I watch as he sloooooowly makes his way to toward putting it away.  He’s in no rush because he knows dad has patience to spare. 

 Melissa is sitting at the table plinking away at the computer.  A timer goes off in her head and she stands up.  Saul’s eyes widen they connect with Melissa’s glare.  Suddenly he moves as if someone lit a firecracker under his rear.  My wife begins walking toward the kitchen and Saul almost leaps out of her way (think Indiana Jones and the massive stone ball). 

 I can’t help myself – I laugh out loud.  Saul knew he was playing the stall game and with a simple look – Melissa ended it.  To see my little boy suddenly and hurriedly switch from reverse to fourth gear was the highlight of my day.  It was perfect theater.

 Melissa hears me laugh and stops.  “You see that’s how you get a little one to do what he’s told.  He knows I’m on to him.  It’s classic good cop / bad cop.”

 “No,” I reply.  “If you remember, there was a day last month when I was stuck with Saul the whole time.  And yes, by bedtime, I was the bad cop.  What you’re seeing here is the difference between someone who’s been dealing with little boy games all day and someone who’s been at work and is just enjoying spending time with the little man.”

Then I added, “I knew he was playing the stall game.  When I’m done playing, he will be too.  I’m just more interested in spending time with him than I am being a parent.  It’s called the grandparent syndrome.”

Melissa shakes her head, “Matt, my dear, you’re not a grandparent.”

• Saul’s Balls
• Great Moments in Parenting
• Don’t Worry. I Survived.
• Candy Land
• Dad’s A Goober Awareness Resource

College professors have been uncharacteristically callous to those dealing with CHIKN. They have successfully kept Collegiate Hypersensitive Identity Konditionary Numbness out of any mental illness journal including the authoritative MAD magazine. Some Speech 101 instructors have been so unreasonable in their expectations they have begun employing their most severe punishment, a C-.

This harsh indifference comes as a surprise to most college freshmen. Many struggle with the idea of speaking coherently and staying on topic. “Yea, I was totally surprised.” says Mark Drippy, student at Disloyal University. “I mean, I’ve probably plagiarized like a dozen papers, I mean, that’s what the Internet is for right?”

Even graduate students found discussing CHIKN difficult. Matt Teply of Nashville choked up a bit when asked about his bout with CHIKN. “Well, my wife fixes it all the time but she’s more interested in health than taste. Darn it woman! Quit baking and boiling that stupid bird! Fry it then cover it with cheese for Pete’s sake!!”

Besides the intense stresses, those who suffer from CHIKN also deal with other side effects. Frank Tescher of Salt Lick, Utah is a retired teacher who fought the effects of CHIKN for years. “I would often be speaking in front of an entire room of seventh graders when, (shudders) I would accidentally spit on one. I don’t know what to say! It would just come out – I blame my CHIKN.”

Mr. Tescher mysteriously continues, “Sometimes I’d be teaching some grammar and I’d somehow blow a bubble! Yea, I’d have to stop and direct the class’s attention to the little bubble. Most of them couldn’t see it but the folks up front thought it was funny.”

 Fraternity and sorority advocacy groups have lobbied for medical marijuana rights to be extended to those suffering from CHIKN.

Researchers from around the world are now applying for grants to study the ill effects of CHIKN. Preliminary tests indicate it may have something to do with what scientists are calling the “wimp” gene. The gene also controls underarm sweat glands, overused phrases, and hurried speaking. If a cure for CHIKN is found, society may one day be free of cowardice toward public speaking.

• Reading for Meaning
• Generation Gap
• Crafting Your Own Comedy
• Male Studies (Letter 11)
• Dumbknuckle – Lesson 4

After thinking about it for a while, I now realize there are A LOT of great reasons for having nineteen kids.  You can get by with a ton of unthinkable things and with nineteen kids people would understand.   
 - Accidentally leaving a kid at the zoo.  Instead of calling DHS, zoo employees would say, “Hey, it’s OK!  Eighteen out of nineteen isn’t bad!”

 - You always have leftover birthday cake in the house.  That’s a big plus…sign me up for a couple of extra kids!

 - Everyone should know how to use an outhouse.  With nineteen kids you’ll have a good reason to dig several.

 - Kids today are told they are special without having to prove it.  When your drowning in people that look just like you…well…you get to prove it!

So having nineteen kids makes perfect sense but what I don’t understand is how you can show each child the personal attention that they need.  I have one son and one daughter – I could shower them with constant attention and they wouldn’t get enough.  There is no limit to the investment I could make in each of them. 

How do you love a child individually when there are so many?  Some may argue that it depends on the parents.  I disagree.  Some parents are more enthusiastic than others, but all parents – good or bad – have to deal with this fact….there are only twenty four hours in a day.  Once you carve out the necessities of life, there may be five hours (or less!) to plug into your children.  Now that I have two children it’s hard for me to imagine having four and still having time to focus on each one.

A friend of mine grew up in a family of nine.  He told me that when you grow up in a large family you really don’t connect with your parents as much as you do with your older siblings.  The older children become something like surrogate parents.  Even when you get older, you talk to your parents when you can but it’s those older siblings that shape your childhood.

That’s not my idea of being a parent.  Opinions are worth the vapor their made from but here’s mine – I have a hard time seeing a parent of more than five (six?) children without handing over some of the responsibilities to others be they extended family or older children.  It’s my desire that Saul, Olivia, and whoever else has memories built from time not only with the entire family – but alone with me…you know…their father.

• Do-For-Yourself Selfishness
• Parental Guidance
• Failing Parents
• A Good Use for a Forked Tongue
• The Dynamics of Weakness

My wife has taken to wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts everywhere.  You know, I’m OK with the sweatshirts as long as she’s rocking a well-fitting pair of jeans but the sweatpants HAVE TO GO!!!  Yesterday I caught her with a fanny pack filled with M&Ms.  At this point, she looks homeless.

I can’t honestly think of a single good reason for women to wear sweatpants.  They say they’re comfortable.  Oh really?!  Well you know what else is comfortable…SILK NIGHTGOWNS!!  Yea, you want comfort, honey?!  If you find anything silk, I’ll buy it for you!

My daughter has even started wearing sweatpants!!!  I’ll never marry her off and get her out of the house!  Look…she’s not very bright.  Yesterday I asked her if she had ever used a cookbook.  “Sure!”  She excitedly replies.  Then she brought me the phone book with all the delivery places dog eared.  Put her in a pair of sweatpants and she’ll need to find a boyfriend online.  

When both of them are sitting on the couch they look like a couple of plush toys!  ( Panic Level 1)  When we’re in the grocery store, I go hang out in the snack food isle so I won’t have to walk with them!! (Panic Level 2)  Now a couple of my friends are asking if we’re expecting again!!! (Panic Level 3)

Can you help me?

Sincerely,  Bob McCormick
Dear Bob,

What your wife doesn’t realize is that she is transmitting an Attractiveness < Convenience ratio that is NOT healthy.  Let’s face it, for women it takes a lot more work (make up, form fitting clothes, plastic surgery) to look alluring than it does for men.  To which, all men collectively say, “That’s too bad.”

Some women figure this out on their own.  The others must NOT be told – we’ve lost a few good men that way.
 
While some females can look nice in sweatpants, it is generally understood that sweatpants are a NET LOSS.  If you take Woman A, who looks nice in sweatpants, you can guarantee she looks blistering in anything else.  It bears repeating…sweatpants are a NET LOSS.  There are always better options.

So what’s a man to do?  Since most men are too scared to broach this subject with the women in their lives drastic actions must be employed.  Take all the sweatpants in your house (Yours too – you don’t look so hot in them either.) to the back yard and burn them.  Then offer the women in your life gift certificates to any popular clothing store.  If they come home with more sweatpants, burn them too.    

Yours Truly,

Dr. Pokorny Esq.

• Cole Letter
• A Good Use for a Forked Tongue
• Interview with Bobby Mustang
• Bull Rider
• Ask Dr. Pokorny

 And yet, animals send him running for the hills.  Horses, dogs, frogs, earthworms all become instruments of torture.  For Halloween or if he’s just bad, we drag him through a petting zoo.  If only DHS understood what we were doing!!! 

 Lately, we’ve come to realize that Saul’s boldness now extends to falling.  The other day, Saul was leaping off the arm of the couch and plummeting to the hardwood floor.  A fall of four feet or more depending on how high Saul decides to jump. 
 
 The concussion of his landing bringing Melissa to attention.  She found him on his belly staring at the shoe molding.  “Saul, what are you doing?!  You can hurt yourself.”

 ”Don’t worry mom!”  Saul says from the floor.  “I don’t break.”

 Later as Melissa shares the story with me, she quips, “What will his attitude be when he’s seventeen.  He won’t need tattoos – he’ll be covered in scars.” 

*****

Look up the word “sophistication” in the dictionary.  The antonym is Grape Soda.

*****

 I discovered something the other day that I thought every dutiful reader of DodoEggs.com needed to know.  You’re welcome in advance…

 What would you do if you needed an alias?  John Doe has been used and any name you’d make up yourself would sound stupid.  This could be a real hindrance if the CIA ever came calling or Hollywood wanted you to create a screen name.  I mean you can’t star in a blockbuster spy movie with a name like Pauline Morris!

 A spy friend of mine recently shared the formula with me…Step One: Take your middle name and make it your first name.  Step Two:  Take the street name you live on and make it your last name.  It’s that simple. 

 Hmmm…Say hello to Allen Wrench.  (The street is actually Wrenchwright.)

*****

Every now and then I’ll make up my own math worksheets.  We’d been studying probability and I decided to create an assignment titled…”If Mr. Teply presses SHUFFLE on his Ipod, what is the probability of…”  I then offered the following list of musicians and how many songs from each I supposedly had.  Of course I followed this with questions regarding the chances of getting a hip-hop song or a country song etc. 

15 songs by The Country Hicks-Ups  (I thought this was funny.  They didn’t.)

40 songs by YeeeHaaa Surprise (If you read it with an exaggerated accent, it’s funny.)
  
22 songs by The Saddle Sours (I meant to type Saddle Sores – this is spell check’s fault!)
  
90 songs by Ka-Thump-Bump (This is the sound I hear every time I walk Wal-Mart’s parking lot.)

55 songs by Lil’ Bling (When I came up with the name, I figured there was a fifty-fifty chance there was an actual artist by that name.)  

25 songs by The Bleeding Ears (Well if I had a rock band that would be our name but no one wanted to form a band around a kazoo.) 

*****

Look at the title of this post again.  I once started an email to my fellow teachers with this title.  Curse you spell check!!

• Great Moments in Parenting
• Grandparent Syndrome
• Geographical Nonsense
• Dad’s A Goober Awareness Resource
• Feeding Love

I’ve tried the bar scene, singles groups, on-line chats,
double dates, blind dates, and dates who were blind.
I’m now desperate enough for the classifieds!
Not as needy as I sound.  CALL ME! 

Siamese twin (male, 24) looking for single female.
I enjoy time w/ family and specialty clothing stores.
I share a stomach and intestine w/ brother but nothing else.

SWF – I’m a deluxe swimsuit model with $$$$$.
I love sports and seek a man to make happy.
Whirlwind romance my dream / Pre-nup OK.
Seeking SWM that will believe anything.

Get 2 men for the price of one!
On-line character is Level 80 Necromancer!
Dashing, rich, able to cast enchantment spell on you!
Real self (5′2, 246 lbs.) available as well.

Single white female will take any slightly used man.
Money is more important than looks or charm.
I lie about my age – now forgotten my real age.
Like to gamble?  Call me 123-4560.

Single Male Beagle seeking last foray.
My romantic skills keen – 6 unexpected litters!
Master displeased \ will soon neuter.
Seeking SFB and something to howl about.

SWM seeking good maid / hot girlfriend.
Excellent pay but the benefits are only average.
Promotions opportunity – as future spouse!
My socks are waiting for you!  Call 434-2344!

• Loving the Drama – LAB
• Application for Employment
• Crafting Your Own Comedy
• Foul Faternity
• The Tungsten Tongue

Super Power Emporium – Where Selling Super Powers at Amazing Prices is Our Super Power!!

Check out this week’s list of amazing deals…

Stoplight Power – Imagine how quickly you can stop the bank robbers from detonating a nuclear device if you didn’t have to stop at reds?!?!  Or better yet, imagine how quick your commute to work would be?!?   Now you can change the color of a light or extend greens with Tele-Kenetic-Microbial Brain Waves!  All it takes is $19.95 at Super Power Emporium and a bite from a radioactive traffic cop!

Jumping Out of Pools – Perhaps you’ve never thought about jumping out of the pool’s shallow end onto the deck…but why not?  There’s nothing more inglorious for supper heroes than pulling oneself out of a pool.  Frog-Man is now selling the secret to his amazing ability.  You just need $12.95 and to eat sixteen radioactive flies.  Leaping out of water can also be useful for barrels of acid or any other dangerous liquid a villain may drop you in. 

Touching Your Toes -  Remember being able to do this?  Experience the thrill again with Plastic Man’s “Let’s get Plastic.” video.  (Note:  This has nothing to do with cosmetic surgery.)  This super power helps you dodge bullets AND get the most out of your spandex super suit – only $2.34 + the cost of the video.

Golden Touch – Your butt may itch but don’t scratch!  With this power, you’ll be able to change anything you touch into pure gold.  You’ll have trusty sidekicks knocking down your door!!  (Note:  This is a used super power – returned by its aristocratic first owner due to user error.  We guarantee it will work for you.)  The cost ($31.99) is only a small initial investment!!!

Pulling Quarters Out of Children’s Ears – One of the Super Power Emporium’s best sellers is now on sale!  With only $14.99, that’s only 60 quarters, you can waltz down the halls of daycares and elementary schools pulling money from the yellow-orange gunk of their unwashed ears!  Be advised, this trick turns brain cells into money.  Too many pulls from their ears will result in a fascination for hip-hop music, lottery tickets, and cable television.  Also, 99% of children don’t let you keep the quarter.

Donut Power- MoochMan is now offering the general public the keys to his most spectacular power.    It’s the ability to locate, within a twelve mile radius, any box or bag of FREE donuts!   People are constantly bringing these delectable goodies to conferences, hospitality rooms, church meetings, and the office work room all the time!  Be there faster than instant coffee after only six hours in a radioactive oven and $144.99 to Super Power Emporium.

Super Power Emporium – Where Selling Super Powers at Amazing Prices is Our Super Power!!

• Fairy News!
• Staff Memo – Looking At 2010
• Inside the Brain
• Keep Your Pennies … These Are Defective Thoughts
• Reading for Meaning

Here’s the proof. Pixar has completed 10 movies and I’ve ranked them from worst to first. 

#10 – Wal*E (2008)

Pluses – *Classic love story from an unlikely source.  *The robots were varied and interesting.

Subtractions -  *Cockroach was the supporting character.  *The comic relief (a little cleaning bot) was nonexistent for long portions of the movie.  *There were long stretches especially during the beginning that left you wondering if Pixar was just trying to lengthen the movie.  *Desperate – thirst educing – lack of dialogue.  *No cool antagonist. 

Additionally-  *What happened to the sandstorms that plagued earth in the movie’s beginning?  *How does that stupid plant manage to live with it changing hands so many times?  More importantly, the plant is out in space for a brief period of time…hey, space KILLS!  *Where did the new animals and plants come from?

#9 – Up (2007)

Pluses – *A cranky, stoic old man is comic GOLD.  *A fat Asian kid is comic PLATINUM!  *Great love story.  *The talking dogs were funny – especially the Alfa dog.

Subtractions –  *Going from (presumably) America to somewhere in South America by way of a thunderstorm made no scene – even for a movie with a flying house.  *The final scene was waaaay over the top.  *Not enough lines for the FAT, ASIAN KID!!

Additionally – *What on Heaven’s name is Mr. Fredrickson taking?!  The old man is strong enough to manage the momentum of an air born house, run from dogs, and keep a hose from slipping off an edge with a dog, fat Asian kid (see, you’re smiling), and a large bird on the other end!  *The villain was Mr. Fredrickson’s childhood hero…but he’s still alive and kicking when Fredrickson is an old man!  What?

#8 – Finding Nemo (2004)

Pluses - *Dory was great as a supporting character and comic relief.  *Story about overcoming your disadvantages was nice.  *Under water environments were neat – especially the sunken submarine and mines.  *Sharks who worked not to eat other fish was amusing.

Subtractions – Most of the movie was one chase scene after another.  Sharks!  Now deep-sea angler fish!  Look out…jellyfish!  Oh no gulls!  *The whale scene was hard to swallow (yep, a pun)

Additionally - Why was this movie such a smashing success?  I suppose it’s easy for kids to understand, “RUN or you’ll be eaten!”  I’d put UP ahead of this one but people would riot.

#7 – Toy Story 2 (2003)

Pluses – *Zerg was cool.  *I liked the toy collector angle.  *The toy store scene with all the additional Buzzes was comic. 

Subtractions - *It was a sequel – you lose points for that.  *Lacked much of the original’s magic.

Additionally – Are we really going to do a Toy Story 3?   …Apparently so.  The truth is I haven’t seen this movie in a long time.  The fact that I’m not making any effort to correct that isn’t a good sign.  This placement seems about right.

#6 Ratatulli (2007)

Pluses- *The kitchen staff was varied and interesting. *The imaginary Gusteu was fantastic.  A rat with an imagination!  *Using a childhood dish to dismantle the food critic’s facade was genius.  I loved it and could easily relate to it.

Minuses- *Well, did you notice that the main character was a rat?  It’s tough to get too excited about rats running a kitchen.  I could never quite get past it.  *I once worked in a restaurant.  The amount of time the critic waits to be served while all the high drama goes on in the kitchen and the streets drove me bananas.  When the kitchen staff walks out of the restaurant, a dude on roller skates waiting tables and one qualified chef isn’t enough to keep it going!  The critic and the others must have been waiting for forty-five minutes to an hour! 

Additionally- Remme rides a cookbook through lit sewer pipes to make it to Paris.  Last time I checked  books don’t float.  This bothered me.

#5 Bug’s Life (2001)

Pluses - *I thought it was visually appealing.  Everything looked exactly like it would to someone ant size…grains of sand as big as large rocks and droplets of water held by surface tension were nice touches.  *I thought it was honestly funny and the story (albeit predictable) was solid.  *I like screw-up main characters who wind up doing well.  *I enjoyed the circus bugs masquerading as warrior bugs angle.

Minuses- *Yea, it was pretty predictable.  Flick and Princess Ada was inevitable.  The ants were going to unite against the grasshoppers. 

Additionally- *Look, both the fake bird and the real bird scene was as much excitement as you’ll get out of bugs. *The ladybug whose a man is comic gold – you know it is!
   

#4 Monster’s Inc. (2003)

Pluses- *Wildly original!  The cast was a blast especially the Billy Crystal and Rozz characters.  *Collecting screams for power was a great idea as well as the resolution of using laughter as fuel.  *Oddly rewatchable – especially the first half.

Minuses – After the movie’s halfway point the movie quits being funny almost altogether and morphs into a serious, “We gotta save Boo!” game of hide and seek.  *The end chase was a little over the top and why was getting Boo so important to the bad guys…just go through another door and steal a different kid!

Additionally –  At first the Minuses bothered me too much to really enjoy this movie…but it’s growing on me.  I still think it could have been better – a missed opportunity with a great set up.

#3 Toy Story (2000)

Pluses – Everyone empathies with the lost toys of your youth.  I know I’d love to have all my toys back from when I was young.  Not only would they be worth a fortune but there’s no better anchor for the memories of youth.  *The first and a good one…That’s worth extra points.  *Not only were there two main characters but they were BOTH likable and funny.  Their competition was a great addition to the  plot. 

Minuses -  Visually, this Pixar was far and away the least appealing.  It was impressive at the time but now it looks a bit old.  *I don’t know…kid seemed a little obsessed with his toys.  Why weren’t any of the good kids toys broke?  Even good kids break toys.

Additionally- Hey, the music to this movie also contributed.  You watched it and hummed the tunes to yourself.  The other movies on this list (maybe Cars) can’t boast that. 

#2 Cars (2006)

Pluses- *Best opening sequence of any of the Pixar movies.  I have approximately zero interest in car racing and I was into it immediately.  *Great music.  *Strong comic relief in Tow Mater – honestly funny.  *No real antagonist, but a pretty good jerk who WINS in the end.  Great ending which was not seen ten laps out.  *A respect for small town heart and a nostalgic view of the fifties.  *A movie with a ton of cheese potential but avoided cheesy moments nicely.  *Enjoyed the movie from start to finish with almost no lulls.

Minuses- Sally was a boring character…really dull.

Additionally – *When I saw the previews for this film, I thought it would be Pixar’s Waterloo.  As it turns out they were planning that for a couple years down the road.  *The tractor tipping scene was a classic that really didn’t have much to do with the movie.   

#1 The Incredibles (2005)

Pluses - *Not quite as original as some of the others but it’s up there.  *NO BETTER SUPPORTING CHARACTER than Edna Mode.  Not only loved every scene she was in but every word that came out of her mouth.  Classic.  *Syndrome was a bit goofy but surprisingly serious for a Pixar movie.  *End battle scene was exciting.  You knew they had to – but you weren’t sure how they were going to beat the robot.  *Moive stayed funny and if you weren’t laughing, you were enjoying the action.

Minuses- The only one I can think of was…not enough Jack Jr.

Additionally – In a strange way, I enjoyed the message of “Not EVERYONE is special.”  But wait!  You can’t tell someone they’re not special!!!

• The Fast & The Frivolous
• Setting Your Drama
• A Night At The Movies
• Crafting Your Own Comedy (Part II)
• Loving the Drama – LAB