this is a pew rack


Is that a word? Pew rack? It's a rack that attaches to the back of a church pew to hold the hymnals. I found it 25 years ago and painted two coats of good white enamel paint on it, then I added the Krazy Kat artwork. Click to embiggen.

25 years later some kind of shellac oil gunk is creeping up through the paint. Actually it has been gradually discoloring over the last couple of years. I took this photo to have some record of it before it looks like a an old man's tattoo, which it surely will a dozen years from now.

Kind of heartbreaking. It's like a part of the family, as much as an inanimate object can be. And all we can do is watch it fade away. Sigh.

ATTN JED and the whole world:

YES YES YES, I listen to books-on-tape. I go through them like candy, on my drive to and from work. YES, I consider $4 a book a bargain. (Jed that is what I pay at amazon - 1 cent for the book, plus 3.99 postage). I have never found a used bookstore that sells them that cheap. But I do occasionally find them for 50 cents - $2 at tag sales and library sales. A couple of weeks ago I got 36 top-notch books-on-tape for $20. That's 72 cents a book, so not bad at all.

SO - if anybody wants to unload any, let me know. I won't listen to "just anything" but I listen to a huge variety of stuff. Jed, I listened to a James Bond novel and enjoyed it immensely. That was surprising because I hate the movies.

Dear google: Did I say books-on-tape enough to make this show up in searches? Perhaps I should spell books on tape without hyphens, and include the word "audiobooks" as well. Maybe I'll throw in books on cassette (they are usually cheaper than used CDs. I think libraries and used book stores may be paying ME to haul them away someday soon...). I prefer cassettes. Because they are cheaper, and because I have a cassette player in my car.

...

7 comments:

Jed Alexander said...

I like the Krazy Kat artwork. Did you "add it" as in "draw it"? I love it.

As for audiobooks--mine are mp3s and I've already given you a short list. So you like the bonds--I've got all the bonds. What else?

What's interesting about the original James Bond is that he's just this huuge prick and a serious xenophobe. I mean, he disses ANYbody who's not white, male, and English public school educated. It's amazing.

And the best is when Fleming tries to write Americans. He gets all the slang wrong and there are a lot of cowboys, and Americans are usually big loud overbearing assholes. One of the books has this weird scene where there's this American gangster in America who has his own cowboy ranch, train and cowboy town. You get cliche ganster-speak mixed in with cliche cowboy speak. It's completely awesome.

They're as pulpy as pulp can get, implausible in just about every way, and really well plotted.

And the Bond books keep up well with the Bond movies for campiness. Dr. No is exactly like he is in the movie!

Have you seen the new bond movie, Mark? I've seen all the pre-dalton and that other guy who looks exactly like Dalton bonds, and the newest bond is hand over fist better than all of them. Daniel Craig is a great bond, and probably closer to the book bond, except the book bond is more of a prat.

And of course the classic redefining bond scene has this waiter ask if Bond wants his drink shaken or stirred, and Daniel Craig Bond says, "Do I look like I care?"

Everybody loves that scene.

Also: Daniel Craig actually looks like he COULD kick some ass if he wanted to. I mean, Roger Moore looked like he was always on the verge of a hernia, and though Sean Connery could certainly throw a punch, he just didn't have the same fu.

So What else? e-mail me or something and I'll put a cd iof audiobooks n with your mini.

Benny said...

sorry about your pew rack problem. I certainly understand.

And guess what!
I bought iVolume, and it doesn't like the belinda carlisle songs you gave ME, either!
It'll do two or three then quit. Then you have to "restart" and go through all the songs again.
Sigh.

It's great, though.

James Robert Smith said...

What a cool rack! You did a number on those Herriman-style figures!

Alas. I assume the stuff creeping out was in the wood before you worked on it?

I've never listened to a book on tape. I love listening to a well produced audio book--most of those occasions have been while listening to NPR while on road trips. But I've never bought a book on tape...not even for a penny. Mainly because I don't own a tape player.

Back in the great days of Napster, I downloaded lots of mp3 files of audio books--my favorites were the Elis Peters BROTHER CADFAEL books narrated by Derek Jacobi, who has one of the most beautiful speaking voices I've heard.

Wayno said...

I just love saying "PEW RACK!"

Haven't done the audiobooks, but on my commute I listen to a lot of podcasts (The Sound of Young America, Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips, most of the New Yorker audio blogs, the Three Wine Guys, and others).

When I'm feeling ambitious, I do Italian language lessons.

And of course, lots of odd music.

Just throwing my preferences into the mix.

PEW RACK!!!!!!!

PS: The "captcha" I had to enter to post this comment was "phhhww" which I believe is a razzberry sound.

Mark Martin said...

Yeah I drew the images. Yeah the gunk was on the wood before I painted it, but who knew it would seep up through two coats of enamel paint? Certainly not me. Live and learn.

Pew racks is fun to say, but I now I think hymnal racks is probably more accurate. That's not nearly as fun to say :(

Jed Alexander said...

The drawings are gorgeous, and the splotches add character. You do a fine Herriman, sir (and he's not easy to do)

James Robert Smith said...

Hymnal rack is a much better term when you use it to describe the well-built young blond woman in the second row of the church choir.