Monday, March 31, 2008
When's the last time I did something worth blogging about?
Last Friday. Went to a house party, found a book of monkey portraits, and put Jessie's camera to work. Cheers to Liz and her roommates for having friends that would put up with a drunk stranger (yours truly) coming up to them and coaching them to simian-imitation greatness.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
What did you dress your cat up as for Halloween?
Introducing the Target Cat Hat. Enjoy it more than Skippy did.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
How do you dress for air travel?
Here are a few airport fashion observations from a recent domestic flight in America. I apologize in advance for the poor picture quality...I had to take them on the sly to avoid agitating the natives.
First of all: Despite the overall silliness of a hat this size, what do you do with it when you get into the airplane? No way there's enough headroom for that sucker.
Second, I was in Cincinnati, not San Juan. This hat did not come from a local souvenir shop. That leads me to believe that he brought it with him. This hat has made it on at least 2 planes. Wowzers.
Ok I'm sorry. There's obviously a lot going on here so let's focus it in. That is an ergonomic neck pillow shaped like a cat. It curls around your neck like a sleeping animal. Ewwww.
I'm headed to Florida (aka the land of jean shorts and embroidered tshirts) this weekend so hopefully I'll have some follow-up shots soon.
First of all: Despite the overall silliness of a hat this size, what do you do with it when you get into the airplane? No way there's enough headroom for that sucker.
Second, I was in Cincinnati, not San Juan. This hat did not come from a local souvenir shop. That leads me to believe that he brought it with him. This hat has made it on at least 2 planes. Wowzers.
Ok I'm sorry. There's obviously a lot going on here so let's focus it in. That is an ergonomic neck pillow shaped like a cat. It curls around your neck like a sleeping animal. Ewwww.
I'm headed to Florida (aka the land of jean shorts and embroidered tshirts) this weekend so hopefully I'll have some follow-up shots soon.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
WTF?
Oh BBC news...You always provide me with the hard-hitting important news that the American media ignores...
"North Carolina Pair Feud Over Leg"
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
The leg was stored in a smoker after Mr Wood lost his home
A US man who stored his amputated leg in a barbecue smoker that was later auctioned off is locked in a custody dispute with the man who bought it. John Wood's smoker was sold to Shannon Whisnant last week after he fell behind on payments at the storage facility in North Carolina where it was kept.
He wants his leg back but Mr Whisnant says he has a receipt for the smoker's contents and wants to share ownership.
Mr Wood's leg was amputated above the knee after a plane crash in 2004.
He asked to keep the leg so he could be buried as a whole man when he died, and stored it at the facility in Maiden after losing his home.
But when Mr Wood failed to pay the necessary rental fees, the storage company auctioned the smoker and all its contents.
After buying the smoker last Tuesday, Mr Whisnant looked inside and found a man's leg wrapped in a wire screen.
Halloween's just around the corner - the price will go up if I get the leg
Shannon Whisnant
He initially gave the leg to the police, who concluded it had not been removed as a result of a crime and sent it to a funeral home until Mr Wood could pick it up.
But after making money by charging adults $3 (£1.47) and children $1 (49p) to look inside the empty smoker, Mr Whisnant asked for it back.
His request was refused by the funeral home, so he decided to try to persuade Mr Wood to share custody and profits.
"I told him I'd share custody of it..." Mr Whisnant said.
"It's a strange incident and Halloween's just around the corner. The price will go up if I get the leg."
Mr Wood, who now lives in Greenville, South Carolina, has insisted he is not interested in using the leg to make money and plans to travel to Maiden as soon as possible to reclaim it.
"I just think it's despicable," he said.
"I don't mind having the 15 minutes of fame, but I'm not looking to really profit off this thing.
"He's making a freak show out of it."
Having had his offer rejected, Mr Whisnant has threatened to begin legal action if the leg is not returned to him by next week.
He says he has a receipt showing he bought both the smoker and its contents at the auction.
"Everybody knows it's mine, period," he said. "And if anyone tries to take it, I want everything they got."
"North Carolina Pair Feud Over Leg"
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
The leg was stored in a smoker after Mr Wood lost his home
A US man who stored his amputated leg in a barbecue smoker that was later auctioned off is locked in a custody dispute with the man who bought it. John Wood's smoker was sold to Shannon Whisnant last week after he fell behind on payments at the storage facility in North Carolina where it was kept.
He wants his leg back but Mr Whisnant says he has a receipt for the smoker's contents and wants to share ownership.
Mr Wood's leg was amputated above the knee after a plane crash in 2004.
He asked to keep the leg so he could be buried as a whole man when he died, and stored it at the facility in Maiden after losing his home.
But when Mr Wood failed to pay the necessary rental fees, the storage company auctioned the smoker and all its contents.
After buying the smoker last Tuesday, Mr Whisnant looked inside and found a man's leg wrapped in a wire screen.
Halloween's just around the corner - the price will go up if I get the leg
Shannon Whisnant
He initially gave the leg to the police, who concluded it had not been removed as a result of a crime and sent it to a funeral home until Mr Wood could pick it up.
But after making money by charging adults $3 (£1.47) and children $1 (49p) to look inside the empty smoker, Mr Whisnant asked for it back.
His request was refused by the funeral home, so he decided to try to persuade Mr Wood to share custody and profits.
"I told him I'd share custody of it..." Mr Whisnant said.
"It's a strange incident and Halloween's just around the corner. The price will go up if I get the leg."
Mr Wood, who now lives in Greenville, South Carolina, has insisted he is not interested in using the leg to make money and plans to travel to Maiden as soon as possible to reclaim it.
"I just think it's despicable," he said.
"I don't mind having the 15 minutes of fame, but I'm not looking to really profit off this thing.
"He's making a freak show out of it."
Having had his offer rejected, Mr Whisnant has threatened to begin legal action if the leg is not returned to him by next week.
He says he has a receipt showing he bought both the smoker and its contents at the auction.
"Everybody knows it's mine, period," he said. "And if anyone tries to take it, I want everything they got."
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
What do you do when your brother is one of these kids?
I've been wrestling with this one for a while now. I think it's time to get it all out in the open. LJ, I'm sorry if you read this champ but it's time for some religion. My brother goes Larping. If you're normal, you have no idea what this means. Even if you're generally abnormal, you probably have no idea what this is.
Upon returning to the homestead a couple of weekends ago, I was informed that my younger brother was camping. Camping? But LJ's an indoor kid I said to myself. Here's an abbreviated version of the conversation with my parents that followed:
Me: "Where is he camping?"
Dad: "Out in western Mass. somewhere."
Me: " Who did he go with? He hates camping."
Mom: (acting cagey and embarassed) "You know, some of his gaming friends...and the ex-girlfriend..."
Me: "What!? They just broke up right? Do you really think that's a good idea?"
Dad: (getting defensive and trying to escape to the den) "That's what we said. He said they weren't really going to see eachother...Besides, he already paid for it"
Me: "Paid for it? What kind of camping trip do you have to pay for? And how is he not going to see the ex? She weighs 300 pounds."
This went back and forth for a little while and cycled through several levels of visible discomfort and evasiveness from the parents until they finally came out with it.
LJ was on a role-playing camping trip a la Dungeons & Dragons at a renaissance fairground in the western Massachusetts with about 70 other people who would be dressed in full costume and partaking in epic battle recreations with homemade weapons.
These are some honest-to-God Larpers
That's right. LJ emerged from the woods with this kid who definitely looked like he had spent some significant time under a mossy rock. When I asked what was wrong with his forehead (it was all red and broken out) he said his skin was reacting to being covered in greasepaint all weekend. Yikes.
Upon returning to the homestead a couple of weekends ago, I was informed that my younger brother was camping. Camping? But LJ's an indoor kid I said to myself. Here's an abbreviated version of the conversation with my parents that followed:
Me: "Where is he camping?"
Dad: "Out in western Mass. somewhere."
Me: " Who did he go with? He hates camping."
Mom: (acting cagey and embarassed) "You know, some of his gaming friends...and the ex-girlfriend..."
Me: "What!? They just broke up right? Do you really think that's a good idea?"
Dad: (getting defensive and trying to escape to the den) "That's what we said. He said they weren't really going to see eachother...Besides, he already paid for it"
Me: "Paid for it? What kind of camping trip do you have to pay for? And how is he not going to see the ex? She weighs 300 pounds."
This went back and forth for a little while and cycled through several levels of visible discomfort and evasiveness from the parents until they finally came out with it.
LJ was on a role-playing camping trip a la Dungeons & Dragons at a renaissance fairground in the western Massachusetts with about 70 other people who would be dressed in full costume and partaking in epic battle recreations with homemade weapons.
These are some honest-to-God Larpers
That's right. LJ emerged from the woods with this kid who definitely looked like he had spent some significant time under a mossy rock. When I asked what was wrong with his forehead (it was all red and broken out) he said his skin was reacting to being covered in greasepaint all weekend. Yikes.
Harrasaurus Rex?
While I don't know how I feel about the nickname, I'll definitely keep the nephew. Spunkiest little one year old I know....
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Have you been keeping up on your news?
Alright. I know it's been a while. Let's jump right in to some notable headlines:
Arkansas couple welcomes 17th child
Fri Aug 3, 10:56 AM ET
Michelle Duggar, left, is surrounded by her children and husband Jim Bob, top left, while she holds her newborn daughter, Jennifer Danielle, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2007 in Rogers, Ark. Jennifer Danielle was born at 10:01 a.m., weighed 8 lbs 8 oz, was 21 inches long, and is the 17th child born to Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar. (AP Photo/Beth Hall)
This is crazy. You may or may not be familiar with the Duggar family. I for one have been keeping track of their exploits since stumbling across the Discovery Channel special "14 Kids and One On The Way!". That was 3 kids ago. I think you have to be absolutely mental to be pregnant for 10.5 years (thanks Discovery Health fun facts). In the news article Michelle Duggar, the only member of the family whose name does not start with J, said that she was surprised that her labor only lasted about 30 minutes. Excuse me Michelle? You must be on some serious drugs to have deluded yourself into thinking that you still have any muscle retention left down there.
"Bid to break kazoo record fails"
Thu Aug 2, 11:53 PM ET
NEW YORK - Members of a 1980s funk and disco group hit a sour note in their attempt to break the world record for the largest kazoo ensemble, falling short of the some 2,600 impromptu musicians needed.
Speaking of ridiculous ways to spend your time. I for one have always been somewhat annoyed by people who pursue world records in the first place. Who cares if you were able to keep 10 plates spinning simultaneously for 24 hours while bouncing on pogo stick and singing James Taylor? Big Whoop. Your 38. Get a life. Why don't you try breaking your own world record for longest amount of time spent acting like an utter clown?
In that vein, I get a sick satisfaction when I read about people who fail miserably at breaking a record. These particular jokers tried to break the record for largest kazoo ensemble. These people put in some work to keep everything on the up and up for this miserably inadequate record attempt. They brought in Barbara Stewart, a professional kazooist (again, grow up and do something worthwhile) to instruct the crowd since all participants had to be deemed "'proficient' players, in accordance with Guinness World Records requirements."
Who comes up with these requirements? In my mind, it's a group of old British men sitting around in a smoky, wood paneled room arguing about important world issues like the circumference of hula hoops and whether the face on that piece of toast looks like the Virgin Mary or Marv Albert. Wait...those are the guys from Ripley's Believe It or Not...Don't even get me started on them.
Arkansas couple welcomes 17th child
Fri Aug 3, 10:56 AM ET
Michelle Duggar, left, is surrounded by her children and husband Jim Bob, top left, while she holds her newborn daughter, Jennifer Danielle, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2007 in Rogers, Ark. Jennifer Danielle was born at 10:01 a.m., weighed 8 lbs 8 oz, was 21 inches long, and is the 17th child born to Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar. (AP Photo/Beth Hall)
This is crazy. You may or may not be familiar with the Duggar family. I for one have been keeping track of their exploits since stumbling across the Discovery Channel special "14 Kids and One On The Way!". That was 3 kids ago. I think you have to be absolutely mental to be pregnant for 10.5 years (thanks Discovery Health fun facts). In the news article Michelle Duggar, the only member of the family whose name does not start with J, said that she was surprised that her labor only lasted about 30 minutes. Excuse me Michelle? You must be on some serious drugs to have deluded yourself into thinking that you still have any muscle retention left down there.
"Bid to break kazoo record fails"
Thu Aug 2, 11:53 PM ET
NEW YORK - Members of a 1980s funk and disco group hit a sour note in their attempt to break the world record for the largest kazoo ensemble, falling short of the some 2,600 impromptu musicians needed.
Speaking of ridiculous ways to spend your time. I for one have always been somewhat annoyed by people who pursue world records in the first place. Who cares if you were able to keep 10 plates spinning simultaneously for 24 hours while bouncing on pogo stick and singing James Taylor? Big Whoop. Your 38. Get a life. Why don't you try breaking your own world record for longest amount of time spent acting like an utter clown?
In that vein, I get a sick satisfaction when I read about people who fail miserably at breaking a record. These particular jokers tried to break the record for largest kazoo ensemble. These people put in some work to keep everything on the up and up for this miserably inadequate record attempt. They brought in Barbara Stewart, a professional kazooist (again, grow up and do something worthwhile) to instruct the crowd since all participants had to be deemed "'proficient' players, in accordance with Guinness World Records requirements."
Who comes up with these requirements? In my mind, it's a group of old British men sitting around in a smoky, wood paneled room arguing about important world issues like the circumference of hula hoops and whether the face on that piece of toast looks like the Virgin Mary or Marv Albert. Wait...those are the guys from Ripley's Believe It or Not...Don't even get me started on them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
