The Anti-LJ

but for the rest of you who might enjoy the torrid soiling of a childhood classic, I give you, Neil Patrick Harris as Frosty the Snowman:

As with previous hospital experiences (http://pantharos.livejournal.com/57490.html) the checking and double checking of info can be both frustrating and a comfort. Despite the value of it, I get tired of the monotony. After three or 4 nurses and receptionists I found myself bored and with an anesthesiologist, and facing the same list of questions to verify my fate:

Hi, I'm Dr. Nee, what are you having today?"

"I'll start with the soup, and then, well what are the specials?"

I have here you are having septum reconstruction and sinus endoscopy."

"Well if that's all you have I guess it will do. Can I get some water."

"No water until after. Open your mouth, are all those teeth yours?"

"Who else would they belong to?"

"Please Mr. Palumbo this will all go a lot easier for everyone if you can just focus."

Then the surgeon arrived, "Hi, so I've reserved an hour and a half, it will probably take an hour but I didn't want to be watching the clock."

"I agree, I prefer you keep your eyes on your work, and as Dr. Nee said, it will all go easier if we just focus. I don't need you getting distracted by the wall clock."


OK, so actually he wasn't that much of a humorless dick, I said those things but they all laughed and played along. I more or less pleased with the whole experience. Good doctors and staff. I'm on pain meds and in bed, my nose feels not that unlike the time a drunken angry fireman dropped me on my face in a parking lot like he was putting out a cigarette. Ahhh youth!

I guess I'll be congested for a few weeks, which is exactly what I went in to get rid of, but eventually I should see some real difference.

Just celebrated T-Day by watching the best T-Day special ever aired on TV. Thanks to hawkhandsaw. WKRP was an old favorite of mine.

"It's like the turkeys mounted a counter attack, they got organized!"

"As god as my witness, I thought Turkeys could fly."

http://www.hulu.com/watch/322/wkrp-in-cincinnati-turkeys-away#x-0,vepisode,1,0

 

I've updated the page with 20 new minutes of interview about the Army Air Corp B-24 bombers. If you find that interesting you can check them out here:

http://pantharos.livejournal.com/133376.html

The last 3 are new. One more section of 30 minutes remains.

Life size lego models, contests, building opportunities, etc.

http://www.legokidsfest.com/events.html

CT Convention Center

A Boston-based writer with a new book out, FANTASY FREAKS AND GAMING
GEEKS: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and
Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms, and is reading at the UConn Coop
bookstore tomorrow at 4pm.

His book has gotten raves from the Boston Globe, wired.com and NPR, and the
subject -- an exploration of fantasy and gaming subcultures, from the SCA
and Larping to Tolkien and D&D to WoW and LOTRO -- should appeal to a variety of people I know.

The event begins with a "geek trivia contest" with prizes that tests the
audience's knowledge of all things Tolkien, Harry Potter, Dungeons &
Dragons and more.


Wed, Nov 18
4pm
Storrs, CT
University of Connecticut / UConn Co-op bookstore
http://www.bookstore.uconn.edu
2075 Hillside Rd Unit 1019
Storrs, CT 06269
Phone (860)-486-3537
Event to include: "Geek Trivia Contest" with prize giveaways, reading,
Q&A, book signing

( More about the author and his book )

In my continued effort to exercise this material from my hard drive, I give you QoHs 2003: Team Twen - The Closest Race Ever. This was originaly produced as a DVD which used a trailer for promotion that eventually ended up as the intro sequence to the DVD menu.

The Trailer:
http://www.a-full-house.com/realms/twen-intro.htm

The full length video (bear in mind, it's a 50 minute video):
http://www.a-full-house.com/realms/twen.htm

The original post with links to other videos is here:
http://pantharos.livejournal.com/136591.html

 

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/11/16/am.boy.no.pledge.cnn

Some say he's being disrespectful, and were he an adult, I might be inclined to agree, but as a kid, it's the only form of protest he has at his disposal. And I totally love the parental support as well as his statement clearing the school of any wrongdoing.

We pulled the car into the parking lot at Boston Market well after dark. Directly across the street was a Hooters and it's orange illuminated sign stretched across our windshield like it was on a large screen TV, complete with the trademarked owl-eyes that bear a remarkable similarity to the chain's namesake.

From the back, our 6 year old, with his newly acquired ability to read says, "Hoot."

With no reservations or hesitation my wife, the ever-consummate instructor, "There's more, sound it out."

"Hooo...ttt...errr...ss. Hoot...err...ss. Hoot...ers. Hooters!."

"That's right. Very Good," she praises.

I'm trying not to laugh too hard, but I can't help but let loose a manly deep-voiced, "Thatsmaboy!"

She looks at me and says, "This must be such a proud moment for you."

"Well he hasn't been interested in breasts since you weaned him, but it's only a matter of time."

I was cleaning out my hard drives, because they are getting quite full and I realized I have lots of old realms footage that never got out there. It's occurred to me that I should either put it out or delete it. Here are two things that previously never got out, they were made at the same time I made Twitchy (fight clips to the song Lunatic Fringe).

The first is from Team Mahktah 2000, it's clips of people having fun to the tune of Time of Your Life by Green day. At the time, people were not as sick of that song as they are now. People in it I can identify: Jarrod Marshall, Rob Riley, Ginny Maki, Randy Gordon, Dan (Lurch), Cuddeback, Colin Campbell, Andy (Quick) LaPorte, Dave (Face) Sylvia, Kevin (Kwartz)Desousa, Ethan Bickford, Jesse Perry, Andy Adams, Dave Martin, Alan Nelson, Dave Dolph, Jeremy Grayson, Frank Pulito, Alex Newbold, Chris (Clockwork) Ernenwein, Mike Palumbo, and Kathy Fey.

http://southernwastes.com/gallery/west.htm


The second is a collection of clips from the same event, but the focus is on gestures of camaraderie, friendship, and respect. It's set to Louis Armstrong's A Wonderful World. People I can identify are: Jesse Perry, Jarrod Marshall, Jared Buzby, Kevin (Kwartz)Desousa, Jeremy Grayson, Kathy Fey, Kelly Greenhalge, Tanja Johnson, Alex Newbold, Rob Riley, Al Nelson, Dave Martin, Andy Adams, Randy Gordon, Ray (Radstar), Dave Dolph, Carrie Dolph, Ian Pushee, Chris (Lackey) Chaney, Colin Campbell, Andy Disbrow, Paul (Decion) Fournier, Dave Hayden, Steve Matulwitz, Anne Livermore, Abe Passardi, Keith Gerrard, Karen Veale


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJUZkef0KjE


Both of the above were made from the same footage that went into Twitchy (only it has actual fighting), which you may have already seen but I link it here for reference. It includes all the same people plus, Seth Flag, Joe Piepiora, and Scott Newbold (who's pike to Jesse's throat I will never forget).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w9Px4l8eSw

Other stuff that's out there:

Black and White Belly Dancing

http://southernwastes.com/gallery/dances.htm
Including Anne Livermore, Kathy Fey, Amy Johnson, Kathy Journeay, Carol King, Lynne Chaney, Dave Martin, Andi Buzby, and Carol Livermore.

The Ascension War
Including Misty Kuprevich, Colin Campbell, Carol King, Alex Newbold, Andy (Quick) Laporte, Matt (Adyan) Adwin, Tom Johnson, Brian Murphy, Jesse Perry, Neil Kusleika, Kathy Fey, Rob Riley, Heron, Chris (Clockwork) Ernenwein, Kerry Campbell, Jeff Maki, Jared Buzby, Alan Nelson, Mike (Stryker), Sean Anderson, Chris (Lackey) Chaney, J. Bendonis, Steve JOhnson, Jeremy Grayson, and Jeffo.

I need the space on the drives, so I expect to put out there somewhere, the QoHs Team Twen 2003 video, Leviathan 2005 footage, Dragon King footage, N/S War footage, and more. Then I might be looking for someone to take the raw files, if they want them.

So I'm reading this series of books to my 6 year old and the main character is a hamster named Freddy. He's a very intelligent literate hamster, and in the story he visited a colony of wild hamsters which he referred to in words that equate to unsophisticated bumpkins.

These wild hamsters all gather on "7th Day" in a great big cavern (big for hamster tunnels) and their "priest" conducts services where they pray to the "Jar of Hope" which is an old ceramic jar they found in the earth. The priest has the rest of the hamsters convinced that by praying to the jar (and giving it a portion of their food that they work hard for) it will return to them all that they hope for. Some hamsters know that the priest eats the food when no one is looking, but they still believe in the Jar and are afraid to reveal the priest as questionable.

In this case, they were praying that the bulldozer above that has been developing the land won't kill them all. Our hero, Freddy, tells them they have to move, praying and not acting will not save them. The priest tells them not to listen to the outsider, calls Freddy a liar and a fraud, and claims that the Jar will save them if they continue to donate their food and pray.

( As I read this stuff, I look at my son and felt I had to comment... )

I *love* this author for doing this.

Amy and Laura ran 13.5 miles. Kyle and I took photos, wrangled kids, and lamented our cardio inferiority.

The whole set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pantharos/sets/72157622646072767/
 

When I'm the only one here, I will sometimes pick up the general line, I never know what is going to come my way. We always say, if you have a problem call the help desk, but if you have a project call us.

Caller: Hi. I have a memorial exhibit to be installed in Germany, where we are projecting visuals onto a physical book and we decided we wanted an audio track. We're editing in Final Cut, but here's the trick, we want to have both an english and german track running simultaneously to two different headphones. It's needs to be simple because we don't have lots of time or equipment. But is also has to be in sync with the visuals, and self service.

Me: OK well, I know very little about Final Cut, but I know you can place both audio tracks in the project appropriately and send one to the left channel and the other to the right channel, separate an ordinary pair of headphones, so that each person has only one side, and that should give you the effect with no other hassles. That is, if your project can tolerate having one-eared headphones.

Caller: Aaaahhhhh! That would do it, wouldn't it. Great thanks.

I have no idea who called, I have no idea what's going on in Germany, but I'm sure it has to do with the anniversary of the wall coming down, and I'm guessing I just had a small effect on it.

My version of the postcard.
( More Photos )


I warned you
( See who won )


Sunset over Point Loma

More of the set at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pantharos/sets/72157622619637800/
 
 

I really enjoy music, and I have a particular love for music that says something important. Yesterday I'm singing a song in the car while taking the kids to school, my 3 year old has maybe heard it two or three times in his life and not in the last 6 months at all. So I'm a bit surprised when he starts belting out the chorus:

We carry in our hearts the true country
And that cannot be stolen
We follow in the steps of our ancestry
And that cannot be broken

But what was more surprising is the question he asked me after hearing the first verse:

"Dad? Were they watching TV?"
"What?"
"The people."
"What people?"
"Were they watching TV when the bad people took them away?"

At first, I didn't even realize he was talking about the song. Then I thought about the lines we'd just heard:

We don't serve your country
don't serve your king
Know your custom don't speak your tongue
White man came took everyone

The fact he understood that bad people came and took good people out of their homes from those lines impressed me. The fact that he thought they'd be sitting around watching TV like he does, made me laugh. So I had to explain:

Midnight Oil released The Dead Heart in 1987 which is about The Stolen Generations (stolen children). The term refers to children of Australian Aboriginal descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments. The removals occurred in the period between the 1870s and the 1970s. They claimed it was to assimilate them, educate them, protect them, etc. But ultimately, there was no real purpose other than to destroy a culture and a people. In the 80s and 90s people like Peter Garrett (former lead singer turned politician) campagined for some restitution and by 2008 the country issued a Federal Parliament Apology.

Of course I dumbed it down a bit for the 3 year old. If you've never heard the song, I recommend it. It's quite powerful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTZu3B9vlAY
 
 

I don't know if the flu vaccines or any vaccines are safe or not, but I do know that, just like everything else in this world, we the consumer are being led to believe that we need something because it's in the financial interest of the producer. It's one thing to make me think I need a new TV or an energy drink, but it's quite another to make me think I need, or my kids need to take a risk on their health to avoid some other risk that may or may not outweigh the first risk.

I think someday in the future man will look back and laugh at our folly, as we look back now on head drilling for headaches, and lead dinnerware.

That's my friend Wendy (of Dec and Wendy) quoted at the end, taking on the system:

Excerpts from: http://www.naturalnews.com/027363_autism_vaccines_swine_flu.html

I just watched a presentation on bio ethics and all I could think about was the horrible toupee this guy wearing. It looked like a russian hat on his head. In my head it was the equivalent of watching a white presenter speak about African American issues while wearing blackface.

I've been talking for a couple of years about how over connectedness of the neuro pathways to the two sides of the brain has been noted in some brain disorders, in particular ambidexterity. After seeing some common elements in research, I decided that migraines, ambidexterity, epilepsy, and synesthesia, are all related to this over connectedness. Recently, an actual doctor with actual research made one of these conenctions.


http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/vilayanur_ramachandran_on_your_mind.html

When I have a high fever, strange things become the focal point of my delerium. In one case, the word Hey and its prominence in music kept reverberating in my mind.

In particular, the use of Hey and a name, and within that, the popularity of that name starting with the letter J.

As someone who uses Hey as a greeting, and was continuously reprimanded for it, I can't help but notice how little Hi and Hello have been used in comparison.
 

Like any good dad, I want for my kids, more of the things I didn't have enough of growing up. And yet whenever I suggest we watch TV or play video games all I hear is, "we want to play outside!"

What's wrong with these kids today?

Sometime between the ages of 11 and 14, I became fascinated with military aircraft, and like many boys that age, I built models and hung them from my ceiling. One day when my Grandparents were visiting, my grandfather wandered into my room and stood staring at a WWII German Messerschmitt Bf 109.

"Do you have any idea how many of those shot at me?"

( If you are interested in WWII, Army Air Corp. and old War Stories... )
 

The bags are awesome:

http://iamhilarious.com/paper-or-plastic-ill-take-crotch/

Years ago, my brother use to pal around with Drew Carey when he was at the high point of his career. Last night my other brother spent the night goofing off with Chris Titus. I'm jealous. Where's my comedian buddy? With my luck, I'll end up with Yakov Schmirinoff or Gilbert Godfrey *shudder*.

So between the balloon boy being found safe and this infant being unharmed after being run over by a train, I'm thrilled to see these things end well, when more often they don't. I hate when horrible things happen to innocent kids. I have to say, the world the so often disappoints me in this area, came through. Watch this and see just how lucky someone can be sometimes:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/16/australia.baby.train.escape/index.html

Oh no! no! No-no! gulg glug glug...


I don't like to use this forum to bitch about my problems, and when I do, I try to make it entertaining. When things suck, I generally don't post at all, and once I've worked them out, I can laugh about them.

Things suck right now, I'm sure I'll post some of it sometime, but to add to the general hassle of dealing with everything, some kid who's had his license for 3 months plowed into the rock wall that runs between my property and the road. Fortunately, he didn't get hurt, but he killed the wall. The officer gives me this lame form that didn't include any contact info for him. Just his name and insurance company name. Then is says for $16 I can mail in for the full report.

What the fuck is that?!?

So I called the state police records unit and of course, nothing's been filed yet. I have to call the officer and leave a voicemail and hope she gets back to me.

I don't need this crap now. Assuming I get his contact, I'm gonna see if this guy wants to pay for the fix sans insurance company, if not, I have to go after his insurance, and if they give me trouble (and they will, it's one of those fly by night places they have for high risk drivers i.e., kids), then I have put a claim in with my company, lay out the deductible, and get them to go after the other company.

The priority level in my life for this is like way low and yet if it's not dealt with in a timely manner, I could lose my chance to have it covered.

Can some one tell me why the south of France is so freaking important to say when some one lives in that area? No one ever says he lives in the North of France or the East of France, but when it's the south it has to be mentioned.

And why the "of"? Everywhere else we say, southern. Southern United States, Southern, VT, Southern Italy. We don't say he lives in the south *of* Vermont, or the south *of* Jersey.

And while we're talking about matters of pretentiousness, Michele Norris of NPR has got to get over herself and stop calling herself Mee-shell. She doesn't have an accent that warrants that pronunciation. It's Meh-shell. Like every other Michele in this country, damit.

A little angsty, but a very good take down of religious propaganda still trying to insert itself into science and contradic scientific evidence.

EDIT: My original post only had the Kirk Cameron Source video. My bad.

You know it's getting really bad when the son of god has to take a part time job to make ends meet:

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=43787

Every morning I take my son to school. I always get there just before some guy I don't know who drives a yellow late model VW beetle. I don't rush, I don't make an effort at all, but I always get there just before him.

It makes me feel like I won.

Petty? Yes. The same instinct that causes us to cut people off and not let others merge on the highway? Probably.

But it's also a great way to start the morning, feeling like you've won.
 

The above quote is from a poem by Tennyson (actually he said love but we all know what he meant). You'd think it would have sprung to mind (pun intended) when scientist did this research:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125356566517528879.html

OMG! Researchers found out that humans (like the rest of the animal kingdom) go into heat in the spring and have a baby 9 mo later! No kidding!

And apparently the less educated among us are less apt to go with the instinct rather than plan ahead. Go figure!

Essentially what they are saying is that for years researchers pondered the question of why babies who were born in winter didn't do as well in school and life. Ultimately, these two guys figured out that it was their socio-economic environment. Nothing more. So the whole scientific community spent all that time wondering why and it turns out it has nothing to do with being a winter baby. Nothing. All they proved was that in general people of less education are less likely to plan when they have babies. Astounding!

( more photos )

Someday, they will unite against us. But until then, they fight each other.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMKmQmkJ9gg

I like it. I like it better than any other OS so far.

Last week I did something parents aren't suppose to do. I mocked my six year old. I didn't intend for him to see it, but he did. He was so excited about something that he was jumping up and down and waving his arms around as he left the kitchen.

I imitated him for my wife's amusement. She was not particularly amused.

The boy turned around and came back and caught me. "Daaadd! Don't copy me!"

"I'm sorry sonny, I was excited too," I tried to justify it.

"That's OK," he said without any malice or angst, "monkeys copy everything."

Not only was my wife amused, she damn near fell on the floor laughing. He had no intent to insult me, though I appreciate the humor in it. He had recently read a storybook called Caps For Sale where monkeys copying people plays prominently into the plot.

The other reason I think it's funny is because growing up in my family, being likened to a monkey was a common way for my dad to make fun (read show affection) for one of my brothers. He hated it and we all joined in of course. I can't wait to tell my dad about this.

And when they ask us what we're doing, you can say, We're remembering. That's where we'll win out in the long run. And someday we'll remember so much that we'll build the biggest goddamn steamshovel in history and dig the biggest grave of all time and shove war in it and cover it up.

— Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451)
 

3 yr odl: This is goood kibble!
6 yr old: Kibble is another word for dog food. People don't eat dog food. We don't eat dog food.
3 yr old: We eat Scooby Snacks.
Dad: Touche!

I'm deathly allergic to peanuts. I carry one on me at all times. It makes me feel like a CIA spy. I can't handle torture.

First impressions are so important. You never get another chance to make someone feel uncomfortable and unsure as to whether you are serious or not. Once they get to know you, know you're kidding, but that first time, well that's what makes it all worth it.

I met my son's preschool teacher today. I got their early and the door to the classroom was closed. I popped my head in and said, "Can we come in yet?"

"Sure," she replied with that prechool teach smile that said she was happy to see us, bright and cheery beyond normal adult interaction standards. "I'm just cleaning cages."

"Oh. Does each kid get their own, or do you sometimes have to put two in a cage?"

The smile faded from her face even as she tried to force it. She pointed to a rabbitt running around the floor. "The door's closed because...Oh you're kidding," she said, though I could tell she didn't think it was funny at all.

It's gonna be a fun year.

I went to schools that understood the value of these books and taught them, but if I had gone to a school that banned them, I might have done exactly this:

High School Kid questions the morality of running a illegal library of banned books at school:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoCt3NHGwM8BxD2H1669H3_ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090305151758AA7dWwd

While my wife was in Tucson for 3 weeks last month, she started receiving Field and Stream Magazine. The first issue came with a big old rifle on it with the headline, Never Miss Again! Not long after that, another special issue Deer Season Preview came address to her as well.

I called her right up and said, "I send you off to a red state for a few weeks and already you've become a orange vest wearing, gun toting, republican!"

She has no idea what I was talking about. She did not sign up for this magazine, she thought maybe her brother did it as a joke (being a gun toting republican himself). We still don't know.

Now apparently, it's my turn. I got this nice little booklet in the mail address to me:



( Rant about religious fanatics complete with Bob Marley Lyrics )
 
As far as I'm concerned, my kids can listen to Bob as much as they want.
 
EDIT: BTW, I'm going to enjoy running this through the shredder

A minivan driver struck a cyclist who he mistakenly thought had stolen his son's bike, police said Tuesday. The cyclist, who was not identified, suffered minor leg injuries when he was hit but didn't require hospitalization. Investigators said after Hombs got out of the minivan and approached the cyclist, he was punched by the cyclist who feared he would be hit again. Hombs suffered minor injuries to his face as a result of being hit. He was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault.

A woman who answered Hombs' phone on Tuesday said he didn't want to speak to a reporter.

Police said the bicycle didn't belong to Hombs' son.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/20668316/detail.html

So he got knocked down by a minivan and still had the wherewithal to pop the guy in the nose. Awesome.

Dr. Gibson will be speaking about his revolutionary approach for working with parents to model the behavior they wish to see in their children. His PACT program was adopted by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families in 1995 and has since helped thousands of families whose children were acting out and/or had been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiance, or conduct disorder. Dr. Gibson will also be signing copies of his new book, “Got An Angry Kid? Parenting Spike: A Seriously Difficult Child.”

Did you know there was something called oppositional defiance or conduct disorder? Is every childhood expression of will and anything short of complete 100% compliance considered a disorder?

Mine must have the oratory overlap disorder because they interrupt, forget to say excuse me, and talk over you when you are conversing with others.

They also have nutritional personality disorder because they actually *prefer* snacks and desserts over veggies.

And let’s not forget over-active elational preference disorder because they routinely choose to do things that make them happy rather than what everyone else wants them to do.

Between things like this and Disney buying Marvel, I'm this close to moving to Antarctica and avoiding people all together.

In no way am I in favor of animal abuse, but humiliation is ok in my book. My parents dressed me funny too. Why shouldn't they suffer just as much as the rest of us:

From:

http://prayingtodarwin.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/a-letter-to-my-childs-teacher-whom-i-suspect-is-a-sadist/

Dear Mrs. X:

In just over a week, you will be my son’s Grade 1 teacher. He is ever so excited to be under your tutelage. Why, since the last day of kindergarten, entering your class was all he could talk about. He gleefully thrust a piece of paper into my hand on that June afternoon, and said, “Here’s a list of the stuff I need for school next September!”

And I have to admit, I, too, was excited. I’m a school supplies geek from way back. And so, in early August, I set out to buy the items you’d listed.

It was on my fourth store that the realization began to sink in.

You’re a crafty bitch, aren’t you?

This list was a thinly disguised test. Could I find the items, exactly as you’d prescribed? Because if not, my son would be That Kid, the one with the Problem Mother, Who Can’t Follow Directions.

For example, the glue sticks you requested. In the 40 gram size. Three of the little buggers. (What kind of massive, sticky project you’ve got planned for the first day of school that would require the students to bring all this glue, I cannot imagine.) But the 40 gram size doesn’t come in a convenient 3-pack. The /30 /gram size does. But clearly, those would be wildly inappropriate. So I got the individually priced 40’s, as per your instructions.

Another bit of fun was your request for 2 packs of 8 Crayola crayons (basic colors). The 24 packs, with their 24 /different /colors, sat there, on sale. I could have purchased /three/ of the 24 packs for the price I had to pay for the 8 packs. (Clearly, you’ll not be teaching the youngsters any sort of economics lessons this year.) Even the cashier looked at me, as if to say, “Pardon me, ma’am, but are you slow?” as I purchased these non-bargain crayons. But that’s what the list said. And I was committed to following the list.

But the last item, well, now, you saved your malice up for that one, didn’t you? “8 mm ruled notebooks”, you asked for. Simple enough. Except the standard size is /seven /millimetres. One. Millimetre. Difference. Do you realize, Mrs. X., exactly how infinitesimal the difference between 7 mm ruling and 8 mm ruling is? Pretty small, I assure you. The thickness of a fingernail, approximately. But that millimetre, that small bit of nothingness, made me drive to four different stores, over the course of three sweaty August hours. And when I finally, finally found the last remaining 8 mm notebooks, I took no pleasure in my victory. I merely shifted my focus. To you, Mrs. X.

You wanna dance, lady? Let’s dance.

Because I am just batshit crazy enough to play your games. And, in turn, come up with some of my own.

On show and share day, my son will be bringing the video of his birth. It will be labelled, “Ben’s First Puppy.” Enjoy.

He will be given a list of words, and daily, he will ask you what they mean. Words such as, “pedophile”, “anti-semite”, and “skank”. Good luck with those.

At some point, you will attempt to teach him mathematics. And I’m quite sure that, like most of your ilk, you will require my son to “show his work”. And he will.

Through interpretive dance.

Because that is who you’ve chosen to tangle with, toots. A stay at home mom who is not entirely balanced, and has altogether too much time on her hands. But is, most certainly, A Mother Who Can Follow Directions.

Sincerely,

Ginny

There is an electronic keyless entry system on the buildings here at work and recently someone has been placing large feathers around the one on the building I work in. As we were coming in from lunch today it reminded me of a dreamcatcher so I said, "Welcome to work, leave your dreams at the door, if you're lucky they'll still be here when you leave."

Sad but true.

I've know lots of Jewish families, but I've not seen or heard any that act so much like typical Italians. If you didn't know they were Jewish, you'd swear they were Italians, and yet they bash Italians! But wow is this funny! I'd hate to have to have grown up under their roof:

I'm just becoming aware of this series and while I don't play WOW, I lots of people who do, and played my fair share of video/RPG games. It's really funny. Episode 6 made me laugh outloud with the line "you have the maternal instincts of a wood chipper."

Episode 1 posted here to get you started:

Doesn't make much of a statement about the condition, but it does throw a lot of interesting imagery/audio combinations at you. I recommened listening with stereo headphones:

I enjoy surfing and snowboarding but both sports suffer from the Spicoli personality: