Showing posts with label uncategoricalizational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label uncategoricalizational. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Magic Star Morello

I'm tootling about my day, emailing here, inspecting there, throw in a meeting or two for good measure, sign some crap. About half way through the day, I realize I've had the theme song to "My Little Pony" crammed in as a running sound track ALL DAY LONG (I guess it's more of a jingle than a theme song, but at this point, it's semantics)

As bad as that is, it is nowhere near as annoying as once you notice it and can't get rid of it. Something had to be done.

I thought for a moment that maybe if I forced a completely different kind of song on myself... Let's see, how about some Rage Against The Machine? Excellent choice!

No matter how hard you try, you can't stop us now
No matter how hard you try, you can't stop us now

Very nice. Working like a charm. Until:

We're the renegades of funk
We're the renegades of … My Little Pony, My Little Pony…

And that, officers, is why I had to bring the flame thrower in to take out the MLP aisle. It just had to stop. You can see my point.

"Yes ma'am. Sorry to keep you, ma'am"

If there is a god, I have now passed this fucking ear worm on to you and I can proceed at peace.

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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Open letter to Stone Fox about Twitter...

-------------
Or anyone else who hasn't been sucked in by the twmadness, which is how you have to twrite anything to do with twitter, like "tweeple", and "twitterverse" or "I have to twour myself a twup of twoffee and twlace it with a twoverdose of twerioine or maybe just twjam my twpen in my tweye to make it stwop" (and I'm actually kind of surprised that spellcheck still doesn't recognize any of those words).
-------------

Dear Stone Fox [and any and everyone else, as above],

Run. Run screaming if you have to.

But if you're still intrigued you CAN check it out without being "in" (www.twitter.com/harmzie or use the handle of anyone else you'd like to stalk observe). I don't know why the hell you would be. I can't explain why I'm there. Even less why Max (@nickrollout - ask him why he picked that name. I think you'll be dry-heaving pleasantly surprised!) is, since like I said, he can "monitor" my "activities" from afar. I'm just glad he told me he was. Not like I was doing anything crazy or un-marriage-like. But still. It's nice to know you're being watched. For me, Twitter usually kind of feels like no one's watching. Which if you don't feel crazy for being there in the first place, can kind of make you feel crazy.

There's lots of crazy on the internex, isn't there?

Do you think it's re-focusing crazy from elsewhere in the world or just making more crzzzay?

By the way, if it isn't obvious, I love Twitter and would love you to join us ... join us ... join us ...

UPDATE:
-------------
twitter.com/nickrollout
twitter.com/fox_stone

All in one week. My work here is done (see you next week, SciFi Dad).

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Welcome to the (30) Rock I Live Under

I started a post about how miserably frustrated I am and how it seems to be affecting many aspects of my life. I started it well, all day yesterday and today - it was a running dialog in my head. But then I went & bought some shoes AND was walking around soccer thinking "hey, I have a job that is currently frustrating - but I *have* a job and I do quite enjoy it; my parenting failures are mostly to do with my otherwise-induced frustrations - but I *have* a family & that's what I always wanted; My outside interests are going under-fulfilled, but they are *interesting* interests and I can work on them."

In other words, I told myself: Suck It Up Princess. And then decided to go with lighter fare:


-------------------------
For most of my pop-culture laden life, during times of conversation when the following topics came up, I had to navigate carefully under the radar, so as not to blow my cover that I have not partaken in That Which Everyone Knows. Here are but a few:

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Apparently there's a movie coming out now. But did you know that before the TV show there was [gasp] a movie?! Crazy, eh? AND it was a good movie. It had great lines in it like "I didn't even break a nail!"; "Excuse much?"; "rude or anything"; and my favourite: Paul Ruebens' death scene (ooo sorry, spoiler. Your own fault for putting everything into a knock-off w/o checking out the original!) "hhhhehhh....... hhhhehhhh...... hhhhhhhhhhhhehhhhh!" Also? Donald Sutherland? and Luke Perry? Give your head a shake. The Old-school was a thing of beauty. Wait. This is about what I *haven't* seen. I haven't touched the TV series.

2. Slapshot - We don't tend to get excited about too much up here in mellow-down Canada. One of the things we do is Gun Control. That clear, I'm kind of afraid to admit this, since I'm pretty sure there's a law on the books that says in spite of gun-controls, you can be shot for not seeing this.

3. Caddyshack - I'm also kind of sure that not seeing a Bill Murray movie can get you at least knee-capped here.

4. Titanic - I can comfortably say will N.E.V.E.R., under my own steam, watch this movie (notwithstanding being trapped on a transatlantic flight where the alternative is a chatty halotosian - even then, depends what they're talking about). It's not even the principle, as I would watch any of these other items.

5. Rocky Horror Picture Show - Just never happened.

6. J&K+8 - what.ever.

7. Survivor - OK, one episode - enough to not bother going back. I can't stand the drama.

8. Pretty much any reality TV show. I *have* a reality, I don't want someone else's thrust at me. Except Elimidate. That was awesome. They were so indignant!

9. The Office - Regrettably, from what I understand.

10. Star Wars Episodes I, II & III - and yes, I call myself a Star Wars fan. Also, I will be in a cold, cold grave before I call I, II & III the "first" [shudder] movies.

11. Harry Potter anything

12. Any season of Idol, past the schadenfreude rounds

13. Lost

14. 24


15. Star Trek TNG movies (seen all the others) - also regrettably.

16. Bourne franchise - I'd still like to see these for some reason.

17. American Pie franchise - one time? at band camp? I suggested to Max that we should see these this movie so as to understand the pop culture references. He said "you already know it". Maybe not, but it was a compelling enough argument to not bother.

BONUS: Shows that I'm pretty sure I've seen all episodes of because at various times they were syndicated at 10:00 - exactly when I needed a half hour shut-down period:

M*A*S*H; Night Court; Cheers; The Simpsons (well up until several years ago, then I gave up); Law & Order (though, I have to say that I saw the bulk of them when I was on my first mat leave and it was on - somewhere on the dial - four different episodes a day)

Your Turn: What does The World think you should have seen that you either (a) haven't bothered or (b) would rather jab a pen in your own eye than partake in?

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Saturday, April 18, 2009

What Tomatoes Do In The Dark In The Kitchen Is Their Own Business

Tomaliens

A few weeks days ago, I looked into the Tomato Storage Area (TSA) and saw a tomato looking past it's prime. Closer inspection showed that it was not actually rotting. It was firm and smelled like tomato. But it still looked weird. Like it had some kind of Tomato Cancer. I reached for the compost to chuck it but stopped and grabbed a knife first, thinking "what does Tomato Cancer look like, really?"

I started to carve, and like some Vegetarian version of Alien, out popped a plant:

[Just thinking I'd encounter some hard tomato cells, I didn't stop to take a before photo. But you can see in the above photo, an emerging parasite - albeit a small one - circled.]

I showed Max and he said I should just stuff it in a pot with dirt and see if it grows. Well, THAT smacked of effort, so I quickly rationalized realized that the tomato itself held nutrients & moisture so I'd just let it feed itself for a while.

A couple of weeks days later, I remembered observed it rotting on the shelf and resurrected my investigation.

Since it seemed to be self-destructing not doing so well in one spot, I decided to cut my investigation short and just sliced it open to see what was inside, which was all kinds of tomato seeds germinating.

I've never seen anything like this, despite years of buying tomatoes. So I'm figuring maybe the tomato aren't usually fertilized, so don't get this far (or am I thinking chicken eggs? Grade 9 science was a looonnnng time ago, even if I was paying attention, which was doubtful with Simon LeBon sitting in front of me). Which leaves me asking: why are the tomatoes fucking in my fruit-bowl?

So then I got the heebie-jeebies and threw the whole mess out. And washed my hands, cause I felt like I had tomato spoof all over them. And bleached the counters. And don't look at tomatoes the same way any more. They don't look at me the same way anymore either since I decimated their family.

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Monday, March 30, 2009

Monster Boobs... (AND a one-eyed monster for the ladies)

This is currently on our fridge...


...because the kids are all keyed up to see Monster vs Aliens, of course. And being the dutiful, indulgent parents we are, we will be indulging them. Eventually. They think it's tomorrow.

So imagine my shock & surprise. We were out at my parents place Saturday morning dropping the kids off for a Sleepover Adventure. We stayed for breakfast. My dad, in the midst of charming Saturday morning coffee and nibbles drops this (same edition of the paper) in front of me...

... and says "Do you think the placement of the pockets - particularly the buttons - was on purpose?"

Now, my Dad is the Kingpin cynic. Every fibre of my cynical being comes from intense life-long training. Every snarky, snippy sarcastic comment is channelling him (some, maybe he, may say I'm just standing on his shoulders, but that's a debate for a different day). So I'm trying to remain positive and open-minded. I'm thinking I should have faith in Hollywood. Especially Hollywood for children. I'm thinking there's a remote possibility that he's just a dirty old (albeit observational) man.

But then I saw this one:


I imagine they made a special one for publication in places like Morden.

On the bright side, Pepper was standing in front of the fridge, admiring her handiwork (you know, with the magnets) and suddenly "struck a pose". Not looking at the poster, I assumed she was emulating Susan (pocket-girl). I noticed that she had her arms crossed, so I asked who she was.

She said: Dr Cockroach. [sniff] My little nerd-girl [sniff] they grow up so fast...

UPDATE!! -- Max (who refuses to join us, saying "he lives it" [evil, "open-season-on-Max" laugh], but I think he's either (a) too scared or (b) too lazy, but (c) going with a combo of the two) has "commented" (that is, he told me as I was discussing this post with him and I said "well check it out and put in a comment" and he said "meh") that there is, in fact, if you are viewing this picture in the above light, something for everyone, if you look carefully at Bob.

So I noticed the flesh-coloured boob-pockets with the red buttons and he noticed the one-eyed cylindrical and "flexible" monster. At least we're a perfect match.

Did I mention we're taking our kids to see this tonight? Yeah. The late viewing too (It's Spring Break and just worked out that way. Shut up. It did.)

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Thursday, March 26, 2009

3 words


"click the image"

(... and I you thought 140 was hard)

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Monday, March 23, 2009

Twitter High

it's not what you think...

Update: Feeling much better today. Just needed to vent. Thanks for listening!


Here's a picture of something sparkly:

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

It's OK! I'm Irish

...or at half Irish, anyway, so I'll only repeat half the Irish jokes my Dear Auntie Shannon sent me [not her real name, but she's got a regular "Canadian" auntie name. Totally doesn't work for this post.]

I laughed. I cried. I pined for the Old Country. And a shot of whiskey [may have been unrelated]

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!

[if anyone leaves an "Erin-go-braless" comment, I'll find you and I'll kick you. Seriously. I'll do it.]


**********************************************************
Six retired Irishmen were playing poker in O'Leary's apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest, and drops dead at the table.

Showing respect for their fallen brother, the other five continue playing standing up.

Michael O'Conner looks around and asks, "Oh, me boys, someone got's to tell Paddy's wife. Who will it be?"

They draw straws. Paul Gallagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don't make a bad situation any worse.

"Discreet??? I'm the most discreet Irishmen you'll ever meet. Discretion is me middle name. Leave it to me."

Gallagher goes over to Murphy's house and knocks on the door. Mrs. Murphy answers, and asks what he wants. Gallagher declares, "Your husband just lost $500, and is
afraid to come home."

"Tell him to drop dead!", says Murphy's wife.

"I'll go tell him." says Gallagher.

***********************************************************
Into a Belfast pub comes Paddy Murphy, looking like he'd just been run over by a train. His arm is in a sling, his nose is broken, his face is cut, and bruised, and he's walking with a limp.

"What happened to you?" asks Sean, the bartender."Jamie O'Conner and me had a fight," says Paddy.

"That little O'Conner," says Sean, "He couldn't do that to you, he must have had something in his hand."

"That he did," says Paddy, "a shovel is what he had, and a terrible lickin' he gave me with it."

"Well," says Sean, "you should have defended yourself. Didn't you have something in your hand?"

"That I did," said Paddy, "Mrs. O'Conner's breast, and a thing of beauty it was; but twas useless in a fight."

************************************************************
An Irishman who had a little too much to drink is driving home from the city one night and, of course, his car is weaving violently all over the road.

A cop pulls him over. "So," says the cop to the driver, "where have ya been?"

"Why, I've been to the pub of course," slurs the drunk.

"Well," says the cop, "it looks like you've had quite a few to drink this evening."

"I did all right," the drunk says with a smile.

"Did you know," says the cop, standing straight, and folding his arms across his chest, "that a few intersections back, your wife fell out of your car?"

"Oh, thank heavens," sighs the drunk. "for a minute there, I thought I'd gone deaf."

**********************************************************
Brenda O'Malley is home making dinner, as usual, When Tim Finnegan arrives at her door.

"Brenda, may I come in?" he asks. "I've somethin' to tell ya."

"Of course you can come in, you're always welcome, Tim. But where's my husband?"

"That's what I'm here to be telling ya, Brenda. There was an accident down at the Guinness brewery"

"Oh, God no!" cries Brenda. "Please don't tell me."

"I must, Brenda. Your husband Shamus is dead and gone. I'm sorry." Finally, she looked up at Tim.

"How did it happen, Tim?"

"It was terrible, Brenda.. He fell into a vat of Guinness Stout, and drowned."

"Oh my dear Jesus! But you must tell me true, Tim, did he at least go quickly?"

"Well, Brenda, no. In fact, he got out three times to pee."

**************************************************************
Mary Clancy goes up to Father O'Grady after his Sunday morning service, and she's in tears.

He says, "So what's bothering you, Mary my dear?"

She says, "Oh, Father, I've got terrible news... My husband passed away last night."

The priest says, "Oh, Mary, that's terrible. Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?"

She says, "That he did, Father."

The priest says, "What did he ask, Mary?"

She says, "He said, 'Please Mary, put down that damn gun..'"

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Sometimes a girl just needs a good banana joke

I had a hectic morning, and early afternoon for that matter. Nothing crazy, just go, go, go. Compounded by the fact that I didn't get my coffee until ten... Bad mojo. By the time I got into my office and turned on my computer, it was two-thirty.

This was on my feed for Quotes of the Day:

"With a stop light, green means 'go' and yellow means 'slow down'. With a banana, however, it is quite the opposite. Yellow means 'go', green means 'whoa, slow down', and red means 'where the heck did you get that banana?' "
- Mitch Hedberg

Not having heard of Mitch Hedberg, I Googled him and found that I did recognize him (from his photo) and I also found many more gems:

  • "I was in a casino, minding my own business, and this guy came up to me and said, 'You're gonna have to move. You're blocking a fire exit.' As though if there was a fire, I wasn't gonna run. If you're flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit. Unless you're a table."
  • "I like Kinko's, because they're open 24 hours. If it's 5 am and I decide I need two of something, I'm covered! Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night all sweaty n' shit, and then I think, "Ah shit! Oh, yeah. Kinko's. No problem. That will not remain singular."
  • "Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. 'Damn it, Otto, you're an alcoholic.' 'Damn it, Otto, you have lupus.' One of those two doesn't sound right."
  • "I walked by a dry-cleaners at 3:00 in the morning and there was a sign on the door that said, "Sorry, We Are Closed." I was like, "Don't be sorry, it's 3:00 in the morning, you're a dry-cleaners...there is no need to apologize."
  • "I like an escalator because an escalator can never break, it can only become stairs. There would never be an escalator temporarily out of order sign, only an escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience."
  • "I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later."
  • "Last week I helped a friend stay put. It's a lot easier than helping someone move. I just went over to his house and made sure that he did not start to load shit into a truck."
  • "When I go out to dinner with a group of friends and someone offers to pay for the check, I immediately reach for my wallet because inside is a note that says 'say thanks'."

As I read further, I discovered that he has, unfortunately passed on. In 2005. Get with the program, Harmzie.

But today, in a random aligning of the planets, I got the weird, from the pit of the stomach laugh when I needed it.

Cheer, Mitch. Even if I'm a little late.

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

How to make Cinnamon Toast

... I couldn't even elicit a really cute version of "cinnamon" (i.e. "cimanum") from any of my kids. They have speech "quirks" (esp. the three-year-old) but not with this one. Not when I need one for my blog... Maybe I'll work on a really cool post involving "luninum"!

  1. Toast the toast
  2. Butter the toast to the edges
  3. Slather on a judicious layer of brown sugar (not too judicious) to the edges
  4. Sprinkle a very light dusting of cinnamon (that's starting to not look like a word anymore, even though spellcheck sez "okey dokey!")
  5. Do steps 1-4 quickly & remove your fingers because once the vultures are circling, you could easily lose them (the fingers).
  6. Make them brush their teeth (you can easily jump to this step, because they have inhaled it so fast that there isn't any point in waiting.)

Just the thing on a frosty winter day. Max would say that the "to the edges" part is just my hang-up. He might be right, but screw him. It's my recipe, and *I* think it's important. Unfortunately, I shared the method with Norah and she can reach the brown sugar. Fortunately, soon there won't be any...

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Saturday, November 15, 2008

Let's Do It Like They Do on the Discovery Channel!

With apologies to the Discovery Channel. No really: I'm really, really sorry.

I love Max Power
I love my kids, all three
I love my friendships
I love stationery [1]
I love my whole world
…it’s like it’s made for me!

Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada

I love the nerd-boys
I love photography
I love my red wine
I love xkcd
I love my whole world
…each day’s a mystery

Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada

I love rock music
I love to engineer
I love IKEA
I love things that are weird
I love my whole world
…how awesome is sushi?

Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada[2]


I'm pretty sure I could have arranged for my kids to do a wonderful cherubim-choir-sounding chorus of the BDY's for background music (cripes, all I'd really have to do is follow one of them around with a microphone for a couple of hours), but that would most likely have ended up in an additional chorus of "Why? What are you doing? What's xkcd? Sushi? When are we having sushi? What's a nerd? Can we have sushi tonight? She poked me! MOOOOOOOMMM! He threw a basketball at me! I'm hungry, can I have a snack?" soooo... scrap that. It's not like it will stop. I just don't want it recorded for posterity.

[1] Bet that's one you didn't know!
[2] Here are a few that didn't make the cut for various reasons (some more obvious than others):
I love lengthy explanations with TMI
I love overcomplicating problems
I love Lee Valley
I love to eat things Max makes for me

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

"Any Idiot Can Do This!"

...and with apologies to those many exceptions that I frequent (& I mean frequent!), it would seem like it's true.

But I'm not just any idiot...

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