I love trees, they really are terrific. Their beauty is obvious, what they do for our environment is sometimes overlooked. Many forget trees aren’t just over sized lawn ornaments. Trees provide much needed shade on a hot day, supply us with wood, paper, food and other products. They clean our air and serve as a symbol of strength & patience.

The Arbor Day Foundation inspires people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. Visit http://www.arborday.org today.

What happens when you mix pop culture and homeschool? PopSchool!

It’s that time of year again when everyone’s talking about the Easter Bunny. The kiddo decided she wanted to talk Bugs Bunny instead. So that’s what’s been up over here. Get it?

I was a kiddo in the 70’s, a time when retro reruns of Bugs Bunny played on the TV before school, after school and weekends. These days many kids don’t know the difference between the Nestle Quik Rabbit and the Warner Bros. icon.

Of course knowing about Bugs Bunny isn’t a crucial skill and might not help with test scores but like most parents I try to use my kiddo’s interest as a way to learn more about the world. In this case we took a look at the history of Bugs Bunny. We found out Bugs started out as a prototype bunny in 1938. He was dubbed “The Unknown Rabbit” in some of the early Looney Tunes shorts.

In 1940, Tex Avery, officially created Bugs Bunny. Throughout the years, Bugs went through an evolution with various directors & animators adding to his appearance and behavior.

Mel Blanc was well known as the voice of Bugs Bunny. He also voiced other beloved characters like Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Speedy Gonzales and many more.

The kiddo liked learning that Bugs Bunny is skillful at the art of arguing. Seeing Bugs trick Elmer Fudd & Daffy Duck with his old “Duck season! Fire!” routine cracks most people up every time.

Bugs Bunny has a handful of famous quotes that many use in conversation today. Especially those inflicted with PCS (Pop Culture Syndrome).

“What’s up doc?”

“Of course you realize… this means WAR.”

“And remember MUD spelled backwards is DUM.”

After we learned a thing or two about Bugs Bunny we looked at the time period when he was created. We asked questions like: Who was the president of the United States in 1940? What was happening in the world in the late 30’s & early 40’s?

We learned that during war time Bugs starred in many cartoons armed against the enemy. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding some of these but like much in pop culture it’s a reflection of society at the time. One thing the kiddo noticed right away is that vintage cartoons are not always politically correct.

The best thing about PopSchool at our house is we have fun while we learn new things. Stay tooned for my next PopSchool post. Get it?

Visit the official Looney Tunes page http://www.kidswb.com/video/Looney-Tunes to see Bugs Bunny in action.

If you were around in the 80’s you know the sounds of the inventive UK group Pet Shop Boys. Let’s take a look back.

Here it is April, 2011 and Pet Shop Boys have a new single, “Together”.

What’s your favorite Pet Shop Boys song?
Visit http://www.petshopboys.co.uk for tour dates and album info.

Find fellow fans, a.k.a. Petheads around the world. You can even mix, play and remix their music with a cool app under the Media section.

Edward Scissorhands is one of my favorite movies. This might sound typical of most JDOCD (Johnny Depp Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) sufferers, but even before that kicked in I loved Burton’s modern day fairy tale on film.

Thanks to my friend, writer Lizzy Cline, I found out about an online tribute project called Scissorhands 20th,  created by artist & blogger Seb Mesnard.

Visit http://scissorhands20th.blogspot.com to see the diverse & wonderful artwork inspired by Edward Scissorhands.

Starting this weekend you can see the original works at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA, April 16, 2011 – May 9, 2011.

“In collaboration with Sebastien Mesnard, Gallery Nucleus will be showcasing a selection of original works from the Scissorhands 20th blog. The exhibit will highlight the works of over 40 artists, including paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, etc. and unite enthusiasts and fans in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Tim Burton’s classic love story and its unforgettable characters; Edward, Kim, Peg and a band of colorful suburbanites.”—gallerynucleus.com

Click here for Gallery Nucleus exhibition info.

The now “retro trailer” for Edward Scissorhands via traileraddict.com:

Visit these links to read some of writer Lizzy Cline’s work:

http://johnny-depp.org

http://www.ek-one.co.uk

I finally broke down and watched the movie Catfish. I ignored the reviews and comments complaining that this documentary was really a faux documentary because I like a good story even if it’s not 100% real. What is real these days anyway?

This is exactly the concept Catfish explores. So the fact that they too, they meaning those behind the movie, could be elaborating on the truth makes perfect sense to me.
I’m sure you’ve heard the term Fakebook. I like to call it Two-Facebook because what people post is what they want the world to see or at least what they want those in cyberspace to believe about them. Most people don’t show their piles of dirty laundry unless that’s also to make a statement. I think we have all become a bit two-faced when it comes to our online identity.

It takes a lot for me to keep those bad tagged photos from 6th grade up, but by doing so it’s like saying, “Yes, these are horrible photos, I agree. But I’m cool like that. I can take it.”

“People are strange when you’re a stranger.”—The Doors

Jim Morrison sang, “People are strange when you’re a stranger.” Maybe that’s why we love social media so much. It takes the strangeness away, makes us feel closer to people we might otherwise not be close to. The reality is most people probably know more about 10 of their Facebook friends they haven’t met or those they haven’t seen for years than they do 10 people they’ve seen in “real life”. Some may find this sad. Some might argue it’s just social evolution.

Once upon a time we made statements about who we are by the way we dress, the way we walk, talk, who we associate with, the kind of car we drive, the way we interact in real life situations. These days we have much more to think about. What is this profile pic saying about me? What will people read from this post? Constant stream of thoughts and ideas are typed, tweeted, updated and commented on.
Some people complicate their situations and even alter their identities in real life. Cyberlife can be magnified and become tangled with the rest of what the World Wide Web has to offer. The movie Catfish takes these ideas to the next level.

Catfish is labeled a reality thriller by Fios On Demand. I didn’t get too thrilled but faux or not, the movie Catfish got me thinking about my life in cyberspace.
What’s your take on Catfish?

What songs are you singing this Springa? I mean Spring.