joe randel's art dump

I’m sitting here watching a bit of Saving Private Ryan with some family that is visiting.  I’ve only seen bits of the film but I’ve heard it’s fantastic.  I should probably watch all of it sometime, tonight won’t be the night though.  This is a good time though to share with you a Joe factoid.  I really like antiques, especially war memorabilia.  I don’t own any, I don’t feel the need to do so, but I do love seeing them in museums.  Helmets, bayonets, old photos (I love those), propaganda posters, tanks, newspapers… everything.  I find them all fascinating.  It’s amazing to think that these war antiques were used or carried by someone during times of war.  To me it’s a pair of boots, or a canteen, but to someone else, they where the boots they had on as they marched in far off lands.  Through the mud and the rain as they fought the enemy, those items carried them through it all.  Oh, the stories they must have.  I love going in military surplus stores and looking at the older items they have.  I even like the Nazi stuff.  No, not because I’m a sympathizer.  I see them as I see any other piece of war history.  Fascinating.

How do you feel about war memorabilia?

[Update] – We stayed up and watched the whole movie.  It was just as great as everyone said it was.  ^_^

Here’s an interesting fact about me.  I hate talking geek outside my house and work.  It’s always been something that I’m just not comfortable with.  I mean, I realize that I’ve always been a geek.  I draw cartoon porn.  I play and make video games.  I’m not athletic in any way, shape or form.  I fit the role quite nicely.  But I feel that it’s a side of me (a rather large side) that I don’t need to showcase to everyone.  I know some people are just fine with talking geek out in public (Dr. Who, Xbox, Comics) and that’s great.  It’s just not for me.  Maybe deep down I’m not comfortable with who I am and so I’m trying to hide it from the world.  Maybe I’m afraid I’m going to get teased and laughed at.  What ever the reason, I always keep my geek in check when I’m out.  Mostly… sometimes it slips out.