Month: June 1999

I’ll say it till I’m blue: I love Japanese! From their history to their weird island-mutant ideals, to the fact they’re so hard on themselves, to their utter naivite about so, so many things, to their graphic design–especially when combined with their often-tenuous command of the English language…

backstory: i am a little uncomfortable with my um, unwordly tone in this piece. i certainly had no intention of sounding yucky in any way. i have a deep appreciation of japanese culture on many levels, and have for many years. anyway.

…What is not to love? These cartoons are from a cardboard pog set I got in SF. This page is ongoing; I (and hopefully others) will be adding to it continually.

Lookie at all these contributions already. I am so lucky to have such like minded people in my life. The newest things are at the top.

5/6/99: Spudboy has a wonderful site that Brenna C turned me onto. You can check out his site by clicking on banner at left. I will be sprinkling SPUDBOY HAIKUS throughout this page. Enjoy. Be inspired to haiku-it-yourself… click HERE to learn the haiku rules.

Also, Brenna forwards this site of haikus. Yes, it’s Gangsta Haikus: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5656/index.htm

5/3/99: Lisa Levy recommends checking out Tamagothi, your virtual mopey goth pet. Give it smack, speed, a good beating, to keep your little guy miserable…

backstory: pogs? tamagochi? holy shit.

5/3/99: Matt Wood forwards a short story, My mystical experience with Hello Kitty & friends. Matt is involved in a mysterious trek to find the author of this…piece. Be warned–don’t read it before bedtime. Kitty, I never knew ye…

Click on Hello Kitty and friends to read about the Sanrio Dark Side…
(transcription to come)


wind from large black lab,
high protein dog food passing;
rotten eggs, black death

– – – –

no date is needed;
Wally dropped a big old fart,
I had to share it

Astro Boy is presenting a scan of the infamous WINKIE BAG. This is a backpack, made with sheets of flexible “winkies”–AKA flickers: you know, the 3D Jesus-postcard stuff. The characters are all from the Japanese cartoon “Astro Boy”. Tamar and I spotted the backpack some years back in NYC. It was expensive, so we decided to share it. Winkie spends a year with me, a year with Tamar back east. Winkie is going back to its other mommy next month. Sob. Here’s Tamar and me together last June:

the snow on the pines;
the hillside brilliant, the air
white with gravity

4/28/99: Lisa Larribeau reports:

“I’ve just found out that there is a Hello Kitty theme park outside Tokyo called Puroland. And there is a ride there that pits Hello Kitty against Godzilla. As if the existance of Hello Kitty toasters wasn’t enough, now I REALLY have to go to Japan!!!”

Here are some links Lisa suggested:

• The official Sanrio site
  
• This site contains info about the 3D Godzilla simulation ride at Puroland. Be sure to go to Trey Stoke’s page (one of the developers of the ride) who talks about the scent system that enhances the “ride”
• Or check out someone’s pics from a recent visit to Puroland (featuring Bad Batz Maru toilet paper)
  

6/1/99: I am getting ready to go up to the Bay Area for the summer. Can’t wait…I will email everyone with eta and phone numbers.

• Backstory: I had been living in Ventura and was eyeballing SF again as my home. I was recovering from a failed engagement and missed my friends up north. Besides, the boom was happening and it all seemed very glittering and go-go. Right around this time a job became available at Film Arts Foundation, so I took it. A fateful decision in many ways! BTW it took me a year to find a place to live. The boom may have been happening, but I took a job that intially paid less than $30K/year. Way to reap, hambox!

5/4/99: I’ve gotten all sorts of swell feedback and contributions from lots of people — thanks so much. Already I’ve updated “Monkey: Garden Variety” and “God Bless the Japanese.” There are also some minor link additions.

Bookmark this site now. That incredibly stupid Geocities site with the incredibly looong address exists no more. Now, the next step is to eradicate America Online from my life. My America Online address is still active at this point, but I will email everyone when I have the new address (how about: me [at] beckyhaycox [dot] com?)

• Backstory: Ah yes, Geocities. I never archived my Geocities site, but judging from the content from these archives so far, I doubt there was anything groundbreaking. But it would’ve been fun to have a screenshot at least of my very first web presence, which I estimate to be mid-1998.

So, welcome and everything. Enter the fabulous, expanded world of miss hambox. Everything is brand spanking new, so explore everywhere.

If you need any help on starting your own site, let me know. To find out more about my web host (and the very reasonable cost thereof,) contact the fabulous M. at Design47. So far, M. has been most helpful with my weird little questions. I’ll bet G. is breathing a sigh of relief that there’s someone else that can help placate my computer neuroses. Don’t worry, boys, there’s enough to go around.

• Backstory: Fun fact — M. at Design47 had to abandon his business, when his band started getting popular. It was the Bloodhound Gang, yes, the ones responsible for “Hooray for Boobies.” And Mr. G., he was my go-to guy when I was designing my very first website, and knew nothing. Wherever you are, Grill-King, you are the best.