The other day I had to go get fingerprinted. And, no, it was not for committing some crime or that I need to register myself as some sort of predatory offender.

It was actually for a job opportunity that I may snag. So bite it if you thought I was actually evil.

But while I was waiting for this fun event to occur something dawned on me…

What if you could only have 5 CDs?

What if you could only have 2 video games for a handheld device like the Game Boy or PSP?

What if you could only have 3 magazines?

What if you could only have 5 books?

And those were the only things that you could have to entertain yourself, aside from legal pads of paper and a pencil.

I found it very thought provoking because I then sat down and thought to myself what would I want to have. And is the customary procedure for me when these thoughts hit me, I had to grab a piece of paper and start making a list of things, crossing some off, adding others, crossing them back off, and generally pondering for several long moments as I tried to debate on what I would want to entertain myself.

I didn’t have a particularly difficult time deciding on the CDs or video games but the books and magazines did give me bit of trouble.

So let us take a look…and then I would love to hear your own suggestions…

5 CDs
Def Leppard - Vault
Bon Jovi - One Wild Night
Sum 41 - All The Good Shit
Poison - Greatest Hits
Meat Loaf - The Very Best

I wanted to hit on mostly greatest hits albums from bands or artists that have had multiple songs that I have always enjoyed. So for the most part, I stuck with more classic rock groups but many of Sum 41’s songs were things I just couldn’t pass up.

And Meat Loaf was an absolute necessity.

2 Video Games for the Game Boy
Final Fantasy IV
Mario Golf

At first glance these may seem a little bit lame because I didn’t include a football game or shooting game. And that would be a valid point except that I didn’t want to play a football game and be squinting at the screen the entire time to see what the hell was going on. As far as shooting games go, I didn’t want a game that would be constantly pissing me off and make me want to throw the game across the room.

So I decided upon a pair of games that I could play over and over. And that golf game is a riot of a good time and very simple to learn and master. Therefore it is easy to enjoy. And the Final Fantasy game has been one of my favorites for years, as many of you know, therefore it is something that I must have.

3 Magazines
Sporting News College Football Preview
Sporting News College Basketball Preview
Science Illustrated

I chose the science magazine because I am a dork. But I chose the sports magazines because you could read through them for weeks while you look at and debate on the predictions these periodicals make. And that could give you hours upon hours of thoughts to ponder over.

5Books
This section was brutal for me. I have read a herd of books in my day, not as many as some people, but more than most. Some were great. Some sucked so bad that black holes formed in parts of the universe.

But to narrow down the list of books that I have enjoyed to a mere five was a difficult task. I had actually planned on posting this blog earlier today but the book quandary kept me all in a spasm for some time.

Did I want fiction? Did I want non-fiction resources? Did I want graphic novels?

Such a hard decision for me. So I decided to go with a combination of all of the above.

I bypassed many of the classic novels in history because if I only have five to use, I want entertainment that fits my odd personality. So prepare yourselves to be horrified by this list…

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
The Stand by Stephen King
Phantoms by Dean Koontz
How Did It Really Happen?
Crisis On Infinite Earths by DC Comics

I know what you are thinking…where are the classics such as Huckleberry Finn or The Prince or Tale of Two Cities?

They are on the cutting floor.

I had to go with books that I have special affinity for. I read Jurassic Park in high school and could never get over the dinosaurs. I read The Stand in high school and loved the apocalyptic vision it had. I read Phantoms and in college and it gave me a very solid case of the heebiejeebies. I wanted How Did It Really Happen purely for the look at some historic events of momentous power. And I wanted Crisis On Infinite Earths purely because it was a great compilation of comic books in one fantastic graphic novel.

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So that is what I would ask for. What do you want? Let me know…

This is Pete…

Over and out.