Thursday, May 31, 2007
Have A Hotdog On Me My Friend
How is it, considering the speed at which new technologies are developed, that we as a society have not yet figured out how to make a decent hotdog bun? You'd think that as important as hotdogs have been to the lives of so many over the years that somebody would have tackled this issue by now, but for some reason that escapes even the part of my brain that will try to a ridiculous degree to understand every side of an issue, nobody has, and I can't figure out why.
Has nobody but me ever tried to open one of those things only to have it split in 2 rendering it completely useless? Am I the only one who buys the kind that stick together as if somebody in the factory decided that it would be a good idea to glue them shut? Do the people at the grocery store see me coming and say to each other "hey, here comes Steve, put out the ones that go stale if you don't use them after a day and a half"? That must be what's going on, because I never hear about anyone working on the issue, and I have yet to hear any kind of protesting or complaining from people other than me calling for action to be taken.
Maybe I shouldn't get so worked up over this since I know there are far more important issues in the world that deserve my concern, but it burns me up that in an age where with the touch of a few buttons you can find out that your Aunt's friend's third cousin's great uncle's barber's accountant really really loves John Mayer or that Sylvia in marketing thinks that Kevin the custodian is sooo totally hot, nobody has given the slightest bit of thought to coming up with a bun that doesn't burn to a lovely crispy ash flavour when you try to toast it or turn to dust when you decide you're going to go all out and add toppings this evening.
I say it's high time that some thought was put into it. The era of allowing the hotdog bun people to profit from our complacency has long since come and gone. It's time that we the people stood up and made our voices heard. the so-called movers and shakers of the world need to hear about what really matters. They need to know that we will no longer settle for such an inferior product and that we demand change. And if they won't go for that, we need to at least get them to sit down with the folks at Hamburger Bun HQ and listen to the story of how they managed to get it right.
Has nobody but me ever tried to open one of those things only to have it split in 2 rendering it completely useless? Am I the only one who buys the kind that stick together as if somebody in the factory decided that it would be a good idea to glue them shut? Do the people at the grocery store see me coming and say to each other "hey, here comes Steve, put out the ones that go stale if you don't use them after a day and a half"? That must be what's going on, because I never hear about anyone working on the issue, and I have yet to hear any kind of protesting or complaining from people other than me calling for action to be taken.
Maybe I shouldn't get so worked up over this since I know there are far more important issues in the world that deserve my concern, but it burns me up that in an age where with the touch of a few buttons you can find out that your Aunt's friend's third cousin's great uncle's barber's accountant really really loves John Mayer or that Sylvia in marketing thinks that Kevin the custodian is sooo totally hot, nobody has given the slightest bit of thought to coming up with a bun that doesn't burn to a lovely crispy ash flavour when you try to toast it or turn to dust when you decide you're going to go all out and add toppings this evening.
I say it's high time that some thought was put into it. The era of allowing the hotdog bun people to profit from our complacency has long since come and gone. It's time that we the people stood up and made our voices heard. the so-called movers and shakers of the world need to hear about what really matters. They need to know that we will no longer settle for such an inferior product and that we demand change. And if they won't go for that, we need to at least get them to sit down with the folks at Hamburger Bun HQ and listen to the story of how they managed to get it right.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
They Say It's Your Birthday Eh? Well We'll See About That!
Here's a strange one.
A texas man was
stabbed with a pitchfork
while trying to break up a drunken fight between 2 of his nephews.
According to police, the 3 men were drinking in their mobile home Sunday afternoon when a dispute broke out over which of the nephews was the oldest. No, seriously, that's really what started it. The victim stepped in to calm things down when the pitchfork came into play and was stabbed in the arm by a man who reports said was 26. Sadly the age of the other man in the fight wasn't mentioned, so we may never find out who would have won the argument.
I'm not sure if they are or not, but here's something for you all to think about. Would this story be more retarded if these 2 guys were, or were not twins? I can't decide.
A texas man was
stabbed with a pitchfork
while trying to break up a drunken fight between 2 of his nephews.
According to police, the 3 men were drinking in their mobile home Sunday afternoon when a dispute broke out over which of the nephews was the oldest. No, seriously, that's really what started it. The victim stepped in to calm things down when the pitchfork came into play and was stabbed in the arm by a man who reports said was 26. Sadly the age of the other man in the fight wasn't mentioned, so we may never find out who would have won the argument.
I'm not sure if they are or not, but here's something for you all to think about. Would this story be more retarded if these 2 guys were, or were not twins? I can't decide.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
And Now We Pause For A Little Music...Sort Of
Have you ever heard something so awful that no matter what you did you couldn't stop thinking about it? Well I just did, and being the nice guy that I am I thought it would only be fair for me to share it with all of you. Besides, now that Miserable Melodies isn't around anymore I figure it's my duty to help fill the void however I can. So in that spirit, I present to you
Shakira covering Back in Black.
Trust me, it's worse than you're imagining.
But because I'm not a total prick [at least not right now], here's something that will hopefully help you wash away the hatred you suddenly have for me. Have a listen to
Kermit the Frog singing some Radiohead.
I'll never look at Sesame Street the same way again.
Shakira covering Back in Black.
Trust me, it's worse than you're imagining.
But because I'm not a total prick [at least not right now], here's something that will hopefully help you wash away the hatred you suddenly have for me. Have a listen to
Kermit the Frog singing some Radiohead.
I'll never look at Sesame Street the same way again.
You Live Where?
Here's another one of those articles that made me laugh until I nearly cried.
The 22 Worst Place Names in the World
They left out a lot of the stuff that's always on the weird town lists which makes it a lot more interesting, and the writing is the type that makes me wish I was half this funny on my best day. For example...
Enjoy, and feel free to share any you think they missed.
The 22 Worst Place Names in the World
They left out a lot of the stuff that's always on the weird town lists which makes it a lot more interesting, and the writing is the type that makes me wish I was half this funny on my best day. For example...
14.
Wetwang, Yorkshire... yep! England again!
Okay, so I'll cut England some slack. It's an old country. You know, if the United States is Google, then England is IBM. Their country is older than fucking dirt. They can't be blamed for having names that sound funny in 2007. But this is kind of ridiculous. Wetwang? I'm surprised they don't have towns called Squishy Vagina or Infected Scrotum.
Enjoy, and feel free to share any you think they missed.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
He's Well, Ok? No More Cards!
Wow. I always get annoyed with chain emails. I always tell people to stop sending them, especially the ones that ask you to forward it on, or send correspondence back somewhere. But I never knew how bad the consequences of people's mindless responding to chain emails could be. Strangely, this story still makes me laugh, and it shouldn't, but it does.
Let's take a journey back in time. Bak in 1989, a request was made on behalf of a 9-year-old boy named Craig Shergold. He had a brain tumour, and he apparently wanted to break the record in the Guinness Book for number of get-well cards received. by 1990, he had received 16 million cards. By May of 1991, he had received 33 million, and they cried "mission accomplished!"
But the problem is the deluge of cards never stopped. In 1991, his tumour was removed, and he's still with us to this day, completely healthy and no longer wanting these cards. But they keep on getting mailed. Now, business cards and compliment slips get sent too. Why? because people keep sending this damn email, in different variations, that asks for more cards!
Here's what the email has caused:
They think that they have received 200 million cards. Wow! Can you imagine receiving that much mail? You know what isn't fair? The Shergolds are receiving zillions of unwanted cards, but No More AOL CD's.com has been working for 6 years and still hasn't managed to receive 1000000 AOL CD's so they can send them all back to AOL. I know, it's because a lot of people don't know about them. but why couldn't someone starta chain letter asking people to send them all their unwanted AOL CD's? They'd have them in no time!
If this didn't come from Snopes, I would think this was a tall tale. But this actually happened to people. So the next time you think you should forward a message because it couldn't do any harm, remember the Shergolds. I sure will, even if it's only to giggle at the idea of being driven from your home with kind words.
Let's take a journey back in time. Bak in 1989, a request was made on behalf of a 9-year-old boy named Craig Shergold. He had a brain tumour, and he apparently wanted to break the record in the Guinness Book for number of get-well cards received. by 1990, he had received 16 million cards. By May of 1991, he had received 33 million, and they cried "mission accomplished!"
But the problem is the deluge of cards never stopped. In 1991, his tumour was removed, and he's still with us to this day, completely healthy and no longer wanting these cards. But they keep on getting mailed. Now, business cards and compliment slips get sent too. Why? because people keep sending this damn email, in different variations, that asks for more cards!
Here's what the email has caused:
- The Shergolds had to move.
- The Children's Wish Foundation International had to relocate because they too were getting bombed with cards, as requested by the emails.
- Another foundation, the Make A Wish Foundation of America, had to set up a toll-free number to tell people to not send cards anymore please please please!
- The Guinness Book of World Records *retired!* this record. That means no one can try and break it. They don't want anymore crap to happen.
- The Shergolds' old address had to be given its own postal code.
- The Shergolds have now appeared on various talk shows to tell people to stop sending cards.
They think that they have received 200 million cards. Wow! Can you imagine receiving that much mail? You know what isn't fair? The Shergolds are receiving zillions of unwanted cards, but No More AOL CD's.com has been working for 6 years and still hasn't managed to receive 1000000 AOL CD's so they can send them all back to AOL. I know, it's because a lot of people don't know about them. but why couldn't someone starta chain letter asking people to send them all their unwanted AOL CD's? They'd have them in no time!
If this didn't come from Snopes, I would think this was a tall tale. But this actually happened to people. So the next time you think you should forward a message because it couldn't do any harm, remember the Shergolds. I sure will, even if it's only to giggle at the idea of being driven from your home with kind words.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
More About Pizza Beer
Yesterday I got the chance to talk a little with Tom Seefurth, who you'll probably know better as
the Pizza Beer guy.
He seems really nice, and from the tone of his emails, it looks like there's nobody more surprised about how much attention this stuff is getting than him.
He mentioned a boatload of appearances and interviews that he's done and looking to do beyond the ones he left in the comments on the original post, and he says he's even hoping to get on Letterman to do is pizza from the roof of a building stunt. I hope they have him on and let him do it, it would be perfect for the show since they've done wacky stuff like that in the past.
He also told me that the beer has its own website now, located at
www.MammaMiaPizzaBeer.com.
it's still a work in progress, but more info will be added soon. Unfortunately he's not selling the beer through the site right now and I'm not sure if he's planning to in the future, but hopefully he will at some point because I still really wanna try it!
the Pizza Beer guy.
He seems really nice, and from the tone of his emails, it looks like there's nobody more surprised about how much attention this stuff is getting than him.
He mentioned a boatload of appearances and interviews that he's done and looking to do beyond the ones he left in the comments on the original post, and he says he's even hoping to get on Letterman to do is pizza from the roof of a building stunt. I hope they have him on and let him do it, it would be perfect for the show since they've done wacky stuff like that in the past.
He also told me that the beer has its own website now, located at
www.MammaMiaPizzaBeer.com.
it's still a work in progress, but more info will be added soon. Unfortunately he's not selling the beer through the site right now and I'm not sure if he's planning to in the future, but hopefully he will at some point because I still really wanna try it!
Nose Thank You, that Snot For Me
I don't really care how well
this thing
works or how safe they're claiming it is, you can still count me out. No matter how much I love somebody, the odds of me ever sucking that person's nose dry with a straw are pretty low, even if the filter is supposed to prevent me from ingestin' a nice heapin' helpin' of snot surprise.
And if you're really in the mood to be sicked out, get a load [or perhaps a mouthfull] of these
instructions.
I love that they have to remind you to clean it out when you're finished, and that they feel the need to explain that you're not supposed to be using it for fun and games. What kind of people is that warning targeted at anyway? On second thought, forget I asked that question. It's probably best if we never find out.
this thing
works or how safe they're claiming it is, you can still count me out. No matter how much I love somebody, the odds of me ever sucking that person's nose dry with a straw are pretty low, even if the filter is supposed to prevent me from ingestin' a nice heapin' helpin' of snot surprise.
When your child has a cold with a runny stuffed nose, it can be frustrating when they can not blow their own nose. Congestion interferes with sleep, feeding and makes for an overall cranky child, and parent too.
Nosefrida is a plastic tube with a filter that the parent uses with their own mouths to get the mucous out of their children’s noses. WITH THE FILTER IN PLACE, THE PARENT DOES NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH THE MUCOUS FROM THE CHILD. There is no risk of bacterial contamination, in other words, you will not get the cold your child has.
And if you're really in the mood to be sicked out, get a load [or perhaps a mouthfull] of these
instructions.
Place your child face up on a changing table or bed. You can also hold your child, tucking their arms in while you use Nosefrida.
Place the large tube at the child's nostril and the red part at the other end in your own mouth. Apply gentle suction to begin with, increasing suction as necessary until you see mucous in the large tube. The filter will protect you from getting anything near your own mouth.
If mucous is very thick or crusty, please insert 1-2 drops of saline solution into nostril and then apply suction.
Clean Nosefrida after each use: wash large tube out with soap and warm water. Rinse well and allow to dry. Change the hygiene filter after each use.
Nosefrida should ONLY be used to clean children’s and babies noses of mucous.
Please keep Nosefrida out of reach of children under 3 years old.
This product is not a toy.
I love that they have to remind you to clean it out when you're finished, and that they feel the need to explain that you're not supposed to be using it for fun and games. What kind of people is that warning targeted at anyway? On second thought, forget I asked that question. It's probably best if we never find out.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Note To Criminals Everywhere
If you find yourself on trial and have even the slightest desire to be found innocent, it might be a good idea to keep in mind that
punching a member of the jury is generally frowned upon and will in all likelihood not help your cause.
punching a member of the jury is generally frowned upon and will in all likelihood not help your cause.
Oh My God I'm Putting on My Advocacy Hat Again
It's funny, as soon as I voted in the municipal election and got the idea that this should be available at provincial and federal elections, another voice in my head said, "You know it won't be easy, don't you?" and it was right.
I called Elections Ontario today, since we're having an election in October. I asked who I should talk to about asking if it's possible to have an audible voting machine at the polls on voting days like the municipality of Guelph did. If you listen very closely, right after that, you can hear my head slamming into a thick rock wall. The response was, "We're only going to do paper ballots. It's legislated. To change that, we'd have to pass a bill in the legislature." I asked her why and she couldn't explain it to me. She just told me to call my MPP, which I'm going to do. If others care about this like I do, I urge them to call and write their local MPP. You can find a list of their local offices here. If you don't know who your MPP is, call elections Ontario at 1-800-677-8683 and ask them. Give them your postal code and they can provide you with their name and number.
If anyone has any luck getting their MPP's attention, but the MPP says they wouldn't have the foggiest idea about who they should contact about getting such a machine if they passed the bill, here is the contact info for the company from which Guelph leased its voting machines that worked so well:
DVS Corporation
20 Mowat Ave. Suite 100
Toronto, ON M6K 3E8
Tel: 416-762-8683 x225
Fax: 416-762-8663
www.dominionVoting.ca
I'm not holding out a lot of hope, but we can at least try, and if enough of us say something, maybe something will happen. Maybe? Possibly? I'm not so naive as I used to be years ago, but there is at least a glimmer of hope.
I called Elections Ontario today, since we're having an election in October. I asked who I should talk to about asking if it's possible to have an audible voting machine at the polls on voting days like the municipality of Guelph did. If you listen very closely, right after that, you can hear my head slamming into a thick rock wall. The response was, "We're only going to do paper ballots. It's legislated. To change that, we'd have to pass a bill in the legislature." I asked her why and she couldn't explain it to me. She just told me to call my MPP, which I'm going to do. If others care about this like I do, I urge them to call and write their local MPP. You can find a list of their local offices here. If you don't know who your MPP is, call elections Ontario at 1-800-677-8683 and ask them. Give them your postal code and they can provide you with their name and number.
If anyone has any luck getting their MPP's attention, but the MPP says they wouldn't have the foggiest idea about who they should contact about getting such a machine if they passed the bill, here is the contact info for the company from which Guelph leased its voting machines that worked so well:
DVS Corporation
20 Mowat Ave. Suite 100
Toronto, ON M6K 3E8
Tel: 416-762-8683 x225
Fax: 416-762-8663
www.dominionVoting.ca
I'm not holding out a lot of hope, but we can at least try, and if enough of us say something, maybe something will happen. Maybe? Possibly? I'm not so naive as I used to be years ago, but there is at least a glimmer of hope.
Ha ha ha ha ha!
You know what happens when you park your car in front of an on-coming train in hopes of killing your girlfriend? you die, and she survives!
Thankfully, no one else was hurt, but apparently some flying metal messed up a truck. All I can think is, what an idiot! How bad could he have been fighting that he wanted to kill his girlfriend? Oh, and I also can't help but think "good riddance."
Thankfully, no one else was hurt, but apparently some flying metal messed up a truck. All I can think is, what an idiot! How bad could he have been fighting that he wanted to kill his girlfriend? Oh, and I also can't help but think "good riddance."
Monday, May 21, 2007
Dear Little Children in Our Building:
I used to like listening to you laugh and shriek and scream. I used to think it was pretty cool that you all had a place to play right outside your door. Now, the sound of your voices fills me with dread. Why? Because when I take Trixie to do her business, you won't leave me alone!
I picked a spot that was kind of enclosed between two bushes. I picked it because I thought it would be out of the way and it would leave the big grassy area open for you kids to play in. But now you have decided that you want to play in *those* bushes.
I don't even mind that you play in there. But you stay quiet until I'm right up on you, taking the harness off and extending her leash. then you all shriek "She can't poo here!" I know you're the kids and I'm the adult, so I try to explain that I won't be long and I'll pick it all up, and I try to explain that the building manager doesn't want her pooping on someone's front lawn, but of course that goes over your heads. You're kids, what do you care? You just keep shrieking. By this point, I have made her leash long and she's starting to circle, so it's hard to change spots.
In the early days, I used to ask you if I could borrow your spot for a second so she could go to the bathroom. You would say yes, then follow me up there with her, chase her around and try to pet her. Can you give her a moment of privacy, please? She's going to the bathroom! The funniest thing you did was run up to her and yell eeewww! right after I told you she was about to drop a poop bomb. "She's pooping, she's pooping!" you cried, immediatley followed by "You're picking it up!" Well what else am I supposed to do? Maybe what threw you off was the fact that the plastic bag I put on my hand was clear so it looked like I was picking up the gifts in my bare hands.
And this is a small thing. Can you plese not litter? If you decide to camp out in the bushes with popsickles and pop, can you take the popsickle sticks and pop cans away when you leave? They are too much temptation for the Trixter, and...it's just not nice to litter!
I'm sure we can work this out and get along, I mean, you're cute and all. So, either tell me you're in the bushes when you see me coming, or let me have them for a few minutes. Then you can have them back, I promise! And plese stop petting Trixie when she's...occupied if you will. If you want, back off a bit and stick around until we're done. Then I'll let you pet her.
Thanks in advance,
Carin and Trixie
I picked a spot that was kind of enclosed between two bushes. I picked it because I thought it would be out of the way and it would leave the big grassy area open for you kids to play in. But now you have decided that you want to play in *those* bushes.
I don't even mind that you play in there. But you stay quiet until I'm right up on you, taking the harness off and extending her leash. then you all shriek "She can't poo here!" I know you're the kids and I'm the adult, so I try to explain that I won't be long and I'll pick it all up, and I try to explain that the building manager doesn't want her pooping on someone's front lawn, but of course that goes over your heads. You're kids, what do you care? You just keep shrieking. By this point, I have made her leash long and she's starting to circle, so it's hard to change spots.
In the early days, I used to ask you if I could borrow your spot for a second so she could go to the bathroom. You would say yes, then follow me up there with her, chase her around and try to pet her. Can you give her a moment of privacy, please? She's going to the bathroom! The funniest thing you did was run up to her and yell eeewww! right after I told you she was about to drop a poop bomb. "She's pooping, she's pooping!" you cried, immediatley followed by "You're picking it up!" Well what else am I supposed to do? Maybe what threw you off was the fact that the plastic bag I put on my hand was clear so it looked like I was picking up the gifts in my bare hands.
And this is a small thing. Can you plese not litter? If you decide to camp out in the bushes with popsickles and pop, can you take the popsickle sticks and pop cans away when you leave? They are too much temptation for the Trixter, and...it's just not nice to litter!
I'm sure we can work this out and get along, I mean, you're cute and all. So, either tell me you're in the bushes when you see me coming, or let me have them for a few minutes. Then you can have them back, I promise! And plese stop petting Trixie when she's...occupied if you will. If you want, back off a bit and stick around until we're done. Then I'll let you pet her.
Thanks in advance,
Carin and Trixie
Trixie's Brain
So this is home now? Ok. I miss my yellow lab friend, but since there are no dogs around, I guess this guy will have to do. He's interesting. Sometimes, I sit near his chair and watch wrestling with him. He sure doesn't like it when I try to get up close and personal. Why not? I just wanna be his friend!
That thing that opens and takes us to the lobby, what does she call it, an elevator? Yeah, that's it. It smells interesting. But Carin's such a drag. She always tells me to sit and not to sniff. But it has so many stories to tell! Who has ridden in it recently? Do they smoke? Do they wear too much perfume? But some days, I just don't want to sniff. It makes me sneeze. What's that sound Carin does when I sneeze? I think it's "Shuhkh!" Is she making fun of me? If only I could imitate her ridiculous sneezes. Oh well, all I can do is wack her with my tail.
Don't mess with the furniture around here! I was walking around and a couch attacked me! They keep telling me it's because of that long leash thing and me winding it around the couch, but even though that scared the hel out of me, after that, Carin doesn't keep me tied to her anymore! Ah freedom! But I don't mess with them, or Carin puts me on tie-down lickety split.
How come there's a big water bowl that I'm not allowed to drink out of? It's huge. They wouldn't miss it if I took a lick. But every time I try, I'm yelled at and they slam a lid over it. Gees! Greedy bastards, are they that desperate for water?
Eeewww! They just did their business in the big water bowl! Sick people, at least I don't dirty good water like that. I do mine where it belongs, on the grass!
Man humans are stupid. Every time I hear that thing I want to tell them about, I bark. But they tell me to be quiet. If only I could speak English. Then I could just tell them what it is I want to say. But all I can do is bark and hope they get it. It's so simple! Can't they hear that thing? Smell it? Come on! I can, why can't they? Some day, they'll understand me, and they'll appreciate my barking. Then they'll regret telling me to shut up.
Some of those little humans need to back off. When I'm doing my business, they try and pet me. Come on! Would they like it if I watched them do their business?
So far, I've met two hot boy doggies. They wear that harness thingy like I do. Cool! Comrades! They're old though. They're old enough to be my grandfather! Is it wrong that I want to check them out?
Why do they get better food than I do? Every morning and night, it's kibble, kibble, kibble! But they eat different things. Cool things. Neat-smelling things. And then they get mad when I want a piece of the action! No fair! What really wasn't fair was when Carin made me walk through a whole big building full of these cool things. What did she call it...the grocery store? But I was working. No sniffing, no licking, nothing. Work work work.
You know what's funny? If I sit down and Carin sits beside me on the floor, I'm taller than her! Na na na na na, na!
What kind of hell place do they live in? I risk my life just standing at the corner. These huge vehicles drive by, almost taking off my head, and Carin just stands there mumbling something about me being a good girl like some kind of neanderthal. I didn't sign up for this!
Hmmm I think it's dinner time. Maybe if I come and bug Carin enough, she'll feed me early. Mmm kibble.
So How's Trixie Doing Anyway?
I know there are some people who come to the blog for Trixie updates. I've been emailed by a few of them asking for updates on how Trixie is doing. So here's the first of a few Trixie-related posts.
I think my knee is finally completely healed. I think Trixie is thrilled to be able to motor at full speed. We walked almost all the way downtown, which is almost 2 miles with no ill effects, so I think the knee is finally better.
You know all that stuff about Trixie being an angel? Well, now that she's gotten to feel more at home, she is less so. Jon can start laughing now. Every time we finish eating, she comes over to where we've been, hoping we've left her something. She used to stay out of the kitchen. Now, she's just way too curious. She's found herself tied down when we're making food, just to keep her out of trouble.
I've found out that thunder storms and fireworks scare the hell out of her. She'll sit there shaking and panting. They say not to give her any extra attention when she's scared because then you're feeding her fears. But it's really hard to just let her sit there shivering in the corner. I've tried getting her to play with toys, but she'll have none of it. So I just let her shiver. Yep, I'm a heartless bitch. Any suggestions on how to get a dog over fears of things that go boom?
I swear she's learning the English language! The other day, I randomly said, "Let's booggy!" and she sped up drastically! I had to laugh. She's a really smart pooch.
Sometimes, she just does adorable things. Like one day, Steve had just finished eating some Doritos chips, the new Tandoori-flavoured ones, and she licked his hand. This made her snort, fall over, sneeze, and then try to come back for more! Crazy dog!
We've started calling her Visa. Why? Because she's everywhere we want to be. We take a step in one direction, and almost trip over Trixie. Silly girl. I swear she's not going to know what her name is because I have a list of nicknames for her that is a mile long.
She's doing really well. It's really funny to watch her after we've been on a long route. She jumps around after we get home, so happy to be home, almost proud of the work she's done. She's a great puppy, and she definitely makes life interesting. Never a dull moment with the Trixter, that's for sure.
I think my knee is finally completely healed. I think Trixie is thrilled to be able to motor at full speed. We walked almost all the way downtown, which is almost 2 miles with no ill effects, so I think the knee is finally better.
You know all that stuff about Trixie being an angel? Well, now that she's gotten to feel more at home, she is less so. Jon can start laughing now. Every time we finish eating, she comes over to where we've been, hoping we've left her something. She used to stay out of the kitchen. Now, she's just way too curious. She's found herself tied down when we're making food, just to keep her out of trouble.
I've found out that thunder storms and fireworks scare the hell out of her. She'll sit there shaking and panting. They say not to give her any extra attention when she's scared because then you're feeding her fears. But it's really hard to just let her sit there shivering in the corner. I've tried getting her to play with toys, but she'll have none of it. So I just let her shiver. Yep, I'm a heartless bitch. Any suggestions on how to get a dog over fears of things that go boom?
I swear she's learning the English language! The other day, I randomly said, "Let's booggy!" and she sped up drastically! I had to laugh. She's a really smart pooch.
Sometimes, she just does adorable things. Like one day, Steve had just finished eating some Doritos chips, the new Tandoori-flavoured ones, and she licked his hand. This made her snort, fall over, sneeze, and then try to come back for more! Crazy dog!
We've started calling her Visa. Why? Because she's everywhere we want to be. We take a step in one direction, and almost trip over Trixie. Silly girl. I swear she's not going to know what her name is because I have a list of nicknames for her that is a mile long.
She's doing really well. It's really funny to watch her after we've been on a long route. She jumps around after we get home, so happy to be home, almost proud of the work she's done. She's a great puppy, and she definitely makes life interesting. Never a dull moment with the Trixter, that's for sure.
Now the Devil Made Him Do It?
Wow. Here's an update to the baby in the microwave story. Not only is our star of the show loopy, but so is his wife! She does not blame her husband for burning their baby, she says Satan made him do it. Here's a message to the Child Protective Services department in that state. Do not ever give them their baby back!
Little Girl, Big Trouble
Well, it appears some other people think the same way I do about Ashley's story.
Taken from the Guelph Mercury.
All I can say is, good!
Taken from the Guelph Mercury.
Hospital admits breaking law in sterilizing girl
SEATTLE (May 10, 2007)
A hospital has acknowledged breaking state law when doctors performed a hysterectomy on a severely developmentally disabled girl whose growth was medically stunted to make caring for her easier for her parents.
Sterilization surgeries must not be performed on children without a court order, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center acknowledged Tuesday after an investigation by the state Protection and Advocacy System.
The hospital also agreed to appoint "someone with a disability rights perspective" to its ethics committee.
The girl, identified only as Ashley, underwent surgery in 2004, when she was six, to remove her uterus and breast tissue, and she was given growth-stunting hormones. The hospital's ethics committee supported the treatment but noted that court review would be required. A lawyer for the girl's parents disagreed, saying the state law did not apply in Ashley's case, and the hospital performed the procedures without court permission.
All I can say is, good!
I'm Pissed Off, So Now You're Getting Pissed On
I'm sharing this because for some reason I find it really funny.
A Japanese man upset that the view from his apartment had been blocked by a house built nearby has been charged with damaging a structure because his protest method of choice involved dousing the home with urine at least 169 times.
The full article can be found
here.
A Japanese man upset that the view from his apartment had been blocked by a house built nearby has been charged with damaging a structure because his protest method of choice involved dousing the home with urine at least 169 times.
Nishizaki urinated into bottles or pots and poured it on the outer wall of the neighboring house and over one of its outdoor air conditioning units from his apartment on at least 169 occasions between Feb. 17 this year and Monday this week, local police said. On one day, he stained the neighbor's home nine times.
The victim was forced to replace part of the outer wall and suffered 650,000 [yen] in losses.
Nishizaki reportedly began to stain the neighboring home with his urine immediately after it was build in November 2004, investigators said.
The owner of the house protested to Nishizaki, but the suspect denied the allegations. The victim then filmed Nishizaki pouring his urine on the house and showed the footage to local police in late April, which led to his arrest.
The full article can be found
here.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Welcome to Wal-Mart, How Can I Sort of Help You?
I've been meaning to write about this since, hmm, when? When I got back from guide dog school? Or was it before that? I know I was with mom getting stuff at Wal-Mart. Anyway, here goes. We're getting stuff at Wal-Mart, like I said, and mom decides to go through one of these funky-doodle self-checkout units. They have the basket and you scan the stuff through yourself, pay, and out ya go, without bothering a single cashier. I never cared about these things much, I actually found them rather creepy, since they could potentially end up everywhere, cutting cashiers' jobs, and I really don't feel like dealing with more automation.
But I was watching mom putting stuff through, and I got a little bit intrigued. First, it spoke! This fascinated me. I wondered how much thought Wal-Mart had put into these things, and wondered if they were overdue for a thank you letter, just like TD Canada Trust for their talking bank machines. I watched, paying close attention to the machine. It said when you were supposed to place your items in the basket, it spoke the price of each item, it told you if an item didn't scan, I was impressed! That is, until it was time to pay! Then, it said, "Please complete the pin process." and stopped speaking. Hey chief, where'd your helpful voice go? This is the most important part of the process! It wouldn't have to speak the pin number, but it could have spoken everything else!
My poor mom became quickly mortified as I started complaining about the machine. I started asking her what sense it made to make a machine talk half the process. The voice mustn't have been there for accessibility reasons. It must have been there to create the illusion of dealing with a real cashier. Well, if you want to deal with a real live human being, just go over there, there are several real cashiers ready to serve you, and probably happier that you're standing at their till than using a machine. Ug it makes my head spin.
I really shouldn't complain, I probably wouldn't be able to use the thing anyway, and wouldn't necessarily want to, but the idea of giving something a voice just for decoration bugs me. Maybe it's because people will look at that and say, "Look at Wal-Mart! They're taking leaps so the blind can use these machines!" when that isn't even on Wal-mart's mind. Plus, I just like to point out when things don't make sense, and this one definitely doesn't make sense to me.
But I was watching mom putting stuff through, and I got a little bit intrigued. First, it spoke! This fascinated me. I wondered how much thought Wal-Mart had put into these things, and wondered if they were overdue for a thank you letter, just like TD Canada Trust for their talking bank machines. I watched, paying close attention to the machine. It said when you were supposed to place your items in the basket, it spoke the price of each item, it told you if an item didn't scan, I was impressed! That is, until it was time to pay! Then, it said, "Please complete the pin process." and stopped speaking. Hey chief, where'd your helpful voice go? This is the most important part of the process! It wouldn't have to speak the pin number, but it could have spoken everything else!
My poor mom became quickly mortified as I started complaining about the machine. I started asking her what sense it made to make a machine talk half the process. The voice mustn't have been there for accessibility reasons. It must have been there to create the illusion of dealing with a real cashier. Well, if you want to deal with a real live human being, just go over there, there are several real cashiers ready to serve you, and probably happier that you're standing at their till than using a machine. Ug it makes my head spin.
I really shouldn't complain, I probably wouldn't be able to use the thing anyway, and wouldn't necessarily want to, but the idea of giving something a voice just for decoration bugs me. Maybe it's because people will look at that and say, "Look at Wal-Mart! They're taking leaps so the blind can use these machines!" when that isn't even on Wal-mart's mind. Plus, I just like to point out when things don't make sense, and this one definitely doesn't make sense to me.
Randomness Ahoy
There were a few things floating through my head, so I figured I'd write them down together in a random thought stew.
Here's a lesson I had to learn the hard way. Hopefully others can learn from my stupidity. Never! ever! give! to! charities! who! phone! you!
I gave to one charity who phoned. It was legitimate, nothing got stolen. But here's where it gets fun. They put you on their sucker phone list, and all the other charities start phoning, acting like you've given to them before, and asking for ridiculous sums of money. Here's how I know they have me specifically on their list. When they call, they ask for me. My name isn't in the phone book with our number!
I was stupid once, now we're paying for it with the deluge of charity telemarketers and their guilt-laiden scripts. "Think of the children with their burned little bodies/cancer laiden little bodies/otherwise suffering littel bodies!" I love how they all start out. "The most common donation is $150...or you could give $75, that is certainly good...or what is more common is $20." Wait wait wait, hold the telemarketing headset! I thought you said $150 was the most common. You lying scumbags. I know about psychology. I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to start out high so that $20 seems more appealing and I'm more likely to give that because it's a hell of a lot more affordable than $150. Because of that, and because you're hastling me, you get $0.
I also love this little line. "We can send you an invoice and you can take your time on deciding how much to give. But our computers can't send out blank invoices, so how much will it be?" Click, buzz! "hello?"
Now I sound like an asshole. But I can't stand telemarketers, and often, the worst kind are the ones for charities. Why oh why did I make that one mistake? One lapse in judgment, andI doomed myself!
Here's a stupid idea. On a few crime shows,they say at the end, "The names of the victims have been changed to protect the innocent. The names of the guilty are real." Why bother? In this day and age, if you give me the name of the guilty, I can just google him and get the real names of the victims. this stuff is public record! Why change half the names? Either change them all, or leave the real names in.
I was watching TV the other day, and I saw a commercial for the Herzig Eye Institute, and couldn't help but think that sometimes it sounds like they're saying the Hurts a Guy Institute. Does anyone else hear this?
Damn it! I must be getting old! I could swear there was a fourth thing I wanted to write about, but it has escaped me. Hopefully I think of it some day and it can get its own post. That wasn't much of a stew, was it?
Here's a lesson I had to learn the hard way. Hopefully others can learn from my stupidity. Never! ever! give! to! charities! who! phone! you!
I gave to one charity who phoned. It was legitimate, nothing got stolen. But here's where it gets fun. They put you on their sucker phone list, and all the other charities start phoning, acting like you've given to them before, and asking for ridiculous sums of money. Here's how I know they have me specifically on their list. When they call, they ask for me. My name isn't in the phone book with our number!
I was stupid once, now we're paying for it with the deluge of charity telemarketers and their guilt-laiden scripts. "Think of the children with their burned little bodies/cancer laiden little bodies/otherwise suffering littel bodies!" I love how they all start out. "The most common donation is $150...or you could give $75, that is certainly good...or what is more common is $20." Wait wait wait, hold the telemarketing headset! I thought you said $150 was the most common. You lying scumbags. I know about psychology. I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to start out high so that $20 seems more appealing and I'm more likely to give that because it's a hell of a lot more affordable than $150. Because of that, and because you're hastling me, you get $0.
I also love this little line. "We can send you an invoice and you can take your time on deciding how much to give. But our computers can't send out blank invoices, so how much will it be?" Click, buzz! "hello?"
Now I sound like an asshole. But I can't stand telemarketers, and often, the worst kind are the ones for charities. Why oh why did I make that one mistake? One lapse in judgment, andI doomed myself!
Here's a stupid idea. On a few crime shows,they say at the end, "The names of the victims have been changed to protect the innocent. The names of the guilty are real." Why bother? In this day and age, if you give me the name of the guilty, I can just google him and get the real names of the victims. this stuff is public record! Why change half the names? Either change them all, or leave the real names in.
I was watching TV the other day, and I saw a commercial for the Herzig Eye Institute, and couldn't help but think that sometimes it sounds like they're saying the Hurts a Guy Institute. Does anyone else hear this?
Damn it! I must be getting old! I could swear there was a fourth thing I wanted to write about, but it has escaped me. Hopefully I think of it some day and it can get its own post. That wasn't much of a stew, was it?
Saturday, May 19, 2007
At Least he Didn't Say God Told Him to Do This, Too!
What kind of complete and utter sick freak would put his two-month-old baby in the microwave? This one would! Joshua Royce Mauldin of Arkansas said God told him to come and become a preacher in Texas. While looking for a place to live, he was staying in a hotel. It was also in this time that he decided to put his baby in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. Then he lied to emergency services staff, saying he'd spilled hot coffee on her. Now he's saying he put her in the microwave because he was under stress.
She's been taken away, and doctors at a Shriners burns hospital are trying to figure out exactly what her fate will be. Only 3 other children have been burned in a microwave, so they don't even know what this will do to her. For now, they're giving her skin grafts, and she'll go into foster care if she gets better.
What the hell?!?!?! Stress? My ass! I can understand shaking or throwing a baby because you were under stress. It's no better, but my mind can make the leap. But this was cold and calculating! He had to put the baby in the microwave, press the buttons and hit start! At any point, even a stressed person can stop and go "Hey! What the hell am I thinking?"
All I can say is I'm glad the baby is out of his hands, and I don't think being a minister is his calling after all.
She's been taken away, and doctors at a Shriners burns hospital are trying to figure out exactly what her fate will be. Only 3 other children have been burned in a microwave, so they don't even know what this will do to her. For now, they're giving her skin grafts, and she'll go into foster care if she gets better.
What the hell?!?!?! Stress? My ass! I can understand shaking or throwing a baby because you were under stress. It's no better, but my mind can make the leap. But this was cold and calculating! He had to put the baby in the microwave, press the buttons and hit start! At any point, even a stressed person can stop and go "Hey! What the hell am I thinking?"
All I can say is I'm glad the baby is out of his hands, and I don't think being a minister is his calling after all.
Friday, May 18, 2007
GUTS, GUTS, Go Away, The Police are Here to Stay!
These people definitely belong in the things that make ya go raaar! pile!
Remember GUTS? If not, here's a refresher, and an update, yet more greatness, and the final straw.
That was the final straw...until now. Will these people just go away quietly? They're not serving any practical purpose, and they're being nothing but a bunch of trouble-makers. Now, they decided that because youths weren't getting enough service and the police were getting a huge chunk of the budget, the only way to make this point clear was by protesting outside the police ball. And they weren't just protesting. They were swearing at police, rushing and trampling the police tape that had been set up as the cutoff point beyond which protesters couldn't go, spitting on police cruisers, blocking traffic on a busy road, and making asses of themselves in general.
Hey, GUTS, the police need their money. All you have to do is look at the amount of drugs sold in Guelph, and the state of the downtown and you should know this. And even if they didn't need their money, putting on a spectacle that required the intervention of police certainly doesn't make that point clear, nor does it help your case that youth deserve any more of the pie. Stupid, stupid, stupid! But why should I be surprised?
Remember GUTS? If not, here's a refresher, and an update, yet more greatness, and the final straw.
That was the final straw...until now. Will these people just go away quietly? They're not serving any practical purpose, and they're being nothing but a bunch of trouble-makers. Now, they decided that because youths weren't getting enough service and the police were getting a huge chunk of the budget, the only way to make this point clear was by protesting outside the police ball. And they weren't just protesting. They were swearing at police, rushing and trampling the police tape that had been set up as the cutoff point beyond which protesters couldn't go, spitting on police cruisers, blocking traffic on a busy road, and making asses of themselves in general.
Hey, GUTS, the police need their money. All you have to do is look at the amount of drugs sold in Guelph, and the state of the downtown and you should know this. And even if they didn't need their money, putting on a spectacle that required the intervention of police certainly doesn't make that point clear, nor does it help your case that youth deserve any more of the pie. Stupid, stupid, stupid! But why should I be surprised?
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