42-seeking solace in insanity

I've had the movie Airplane on in the car the past few days. I have it running over and over and over again. I never tire of that movie. (Yeah... I've got a bit of a commute so I splurged on a used dvd/tv/gps/radio/cellphone deal for the car.) I only ever play movies I can recite word for word... which is most any movie I've seen... so I can pay attention to the road, while haveing something familiar in the background noise.

Anyway, Airplane... Most anyone who knows me can probably guess this movie had quite a bit to do with shaping my persona. Add in a little 3 Amigos, Ferris Buellers Day Off, Field of Dreams, Henry V...

Airplane, however, I have to enjoy in much the same way that I enjoy sardines. Out on the porch with the cat. Well, we've got no cat right now, and I can't enjoy Airplane on the porch, so my car will have to suffice.

-My orders came through. My squadron ships out tomorrow. We're bombing the storage depots at Daiquiri at 1800 hours. We're coming in from the north, below their radar.
--When will you be back?
-I can't tell you that. It's classified.

I love that you can jump into the movie at any point and enjoy it. Every turn has something new.

-Nervous?
--Yes.
-First time?
--No, I've been nervous lots of times.

For the same reason, I always keep my copy (thanks Todd) of The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide handy. I love that I can open the collection of books to any page and thoroughly enjoy the moment with Arthur, Ford and the bunch.

• There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
• In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
• The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.
• Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word 'safe' that I wasn't previously aware of.

And one just for that brother of mine,

• The last time anybody made a list of the top hundred character attributes of New Yorkers, common sense snuck in at number 79.

It has been comforting in times of stress, aggravation, frustration, election... it has been comforting to step back, immerse myself in these nonsensical farces and know that the world is going to be alright.

"It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.", but a good movie or a good book can help you take your mind off of it for a little while.