Well it made ME laugh...

Oh Deer

The other night there was a deer wandering up our street. It was beautiful. It saw J and I looking at it through the front window and stopped and eventually went back down to the river. Made my day.
Recently J had thought he'd seen deer tracks in the neighborhood and I scoffed at him.
Silly me - I should not scoff at my man.
He is wise...and cute too.

Head first this time, jump right in...

Wella wella well.
I'm trying to put a new skin on my weblog...when I get it figured out it'll be very cool...if I don't erase everything.
We'll see! some day you'll pop by and be pleasantly surprised by large amounts of bright color and a reasonably personalised weblog. I've never liked any of the blogger templates really, so I'm going to try and adapt my own. Cuz, well, you know, I'm notbusy or anything and I love banging my head on the wall.
It's been a while since I diddled with code and my brain is sore already.
If anyone knows the equivelent for typepad I can use on my Mac at home to edit code I'd be very grateful.

Edit: I meant notepad...

So far so good

Hmmm...I just took the plunge and converted over my blog...
Everything SEEMS alright -But now I have to figure out how to mess with things without erasing everything.
Alrighty then.


Later: Hmm...spoke too soon. My clustermap is gone. Anyone know how to put it back??
Somehow I expected more...

Penny for your thoughts

I feel like a weirdo sometimes.
I don't watch a lot of TV and so when I do on a cold boring day, sometimes it seems like the level of intelligence getting put into shows is steadily declining by the minute. Although there is some stuff I just am not interested in, there is more and more truly awful stuff on air to feed on. "Comedy" shows that really aren't funny (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Crime stories that serve as nothing more than scientifically absurd ways to show the most gruesome murders you can think of (CSI anyone?). "Reality Shows" that offer hurtful and awkward intrusions into people's lives and entertainment shows where people perform in the hopes of being the next big thing. I could go on and on but you get the idea - I'm not a snot who says "oh *god* I don't watch TV its beneath me". I just don't like much of what is on I'm afraid...and for good reason I think.
Usually I can just let it go...but late yesterday after watching a DVD the TV was on and the show "Beauty and the Geeks" came on. It honestly made me angry. Yes lets pair up beautiful shallow horrible women with some poor guys made out to be horrible misfits and make them compete against each other for some competition at the end (don't know I couldn't make it through more than a minute or two of it). Why would anyone humiliate themselves for that? The girls seemed horribly shallow and cruel and treated those poor guys like dirt. Everyone deserves to be treated well, and I don't understand why the guys would submit themselves to be on it...it was just mean and right up there with plastic surgery TV (or whatever the makover show is called) for sheer time wasting drivel. I bet they'll all be "better people" in the end. *sigh*
Why can we not entertain ourselves? Is it so very hard?
Read, listen to music or even actually go outside. If you don't feel like interacting with people at least find something you enjoy and do it once in a while. Take your brain out of the cellowrap and packing bits and run it through it's paces to keep it working. I like to vegetate with the best of them (did so all weekend I"m embarrassed to say) but I after venting about this to J he said "it's sad but if people didn't watch this crap, they wouldn't make more of it". I like to hope that this isn't the future of entertainment. I'm not talking about censorship - heck I like a lot of stuff that other people haven't heard of, but there has to be someone at the studios go go "what? No ...geez - Aw no that's just stupid". People with stories to tell could tell them...and maybe people would demand better. Me on my own going "gaaaaaaaah!" every few months won't change much unfortunately other than make me come off as a bit of a prick.

Where am I going with this? I don't know...but ever since I watched Idiocracy it is like I can visibly see the slow decline of society into apathy and the lowest common denominator. Maybe the winter isolation is making me crazy but there has to be a better use for global communications than this...OK soap box away. Back to work...

You laugh because I'm different, I laugh because you're all the same

Finally got around to watching Clerks 2 last night.
It was not dissapointing...I was worried that Kevin Smith had jsut given up and went back to something safe...but the movie was original and funny, and maybe I'm one of the few girls who enjoyed it, but I laughed myself sick a number of times-particularly at the Silence of the Lambs references and the debates on the superiority of Star Wars over LOTR and comments on "real life" and whether or not you want to live what you are told you should do or what you WANT to do. Plus any movie with Randall in it is worth seeing in my opinion...

A quiz for friday

What type of Fae are you?

Trip in the Spruce Goose anyone?

In my home city here we are currently ever so lucky to be slammed with a wicked stomach flu right now - a norovirus. What with winter keeping us all inside like sardines it's running amuck through the city. I work near a hospital and at the university and it is making the rounds here too...nowhere is safe. Being a festidious lab worker I've avoided it so far (mostly due to the lab safety and washing hands 8 zillion times a day) and I'm being rediculous about hand washing at home in the hopes of avoiding it. School and local places are in a "wash you hands don't touch anything" Mentality. I heard through the rumor mill this morning that they're even washing off desks in the public schools...even if it's not the case it's all very wierd.
Makes me wonder what it wouldn've been like in China and Toronto when SARS was running amuck. I mean we're not at face mask stages here yet, but I wonder if the virus was a lot more nasty and lethal (not just 48 hours of truly awful flu) if we'd be at that level of paranoia. It's starting to wear on me and make me a bit of a germophobe...
Think I'll put the kleenex boxes on my shoes and get to work...

Encyclopedia Salesman

Almost forgot this one

"Everything he says is true"

that line puts me in hysterics every time

This is still my favorite Kids in the Hall Sketch...it's just so absolutely bizarre. The My pen!, Wigging Out and the sketch where Mark and Scott dancing and singing on the stairs sketch come in very close seconds. And there's soooo many more...like Eradicator! and "Whole lotta milka", "Muffin Boy", Roll Her Over, "Tea Please" and "the salty ham" sketches. If I had time to look them all up I'd link to them all...the more I list, the more pop into my head. Even our cat Gavin is named after the Gavin on the show who won't shut up...and I get caught singing and acting out Mr. Heavyfoot from time to time when I'm not too careful. Go find them. Watch them. They are indeed fine Canadian humor.

OK nuff links...break's over.

Smart kitty

Although I love my cat and think he is a jedi in training, he is definitely not as smart as this cat. He just hugs the food container looks at me sadly and then gives up and licks the lid...play the video - this cat has definitely been through the advanced ninja training program.

Idiocracy

We managed to hunt down a movie we've been looking forward to for a while now - Idiocracy. Being a fan of Mike Judge's humor and having liked his first film Office Space, J and I've been waiting for his next film Idiocracy to come out.
We waited and waited and waited...and after a abysmally small release in "select" theatres, it went straight to video with no adverts or anything. Even the DVD cover is bland and unassuming. It's like Fox wanted to banish it like they tried to banish Office Space...I'm hoping enough people will see this film anyways, like they did with Office Space - I think it deserves to be seen.
But I digress...the film is a very tongue in cheek commentary on the state and future of American Culture, where the lowest common denominator is pandered to and, as a result, encouraged. The premise is that an "average guy" get's frozen for a military experiment and when he's thawed out 500 years later, culture has degraded so much that he is the smartest man alive. It's a very funny movie...and it made me want to immediatley go and do something intelligent so as to prevent that future from ever happening. Such stupidity should not be allowed to thrive. Not every joke in the film is for everyone and it was a bit crude at times, but overall, the movie made me laugh and think...and it made me wonder if such a thing could really happen to our culture. Not an appealing thought. I plan on using my brain even more than before just to compensate...

Where am I going with this? Dunno. I had hoped to write an intelligent witty review that would make you all stop what you're doing and immediately go out and rent this film...but it's monday morning and I really want a nap. So I will simply recommend this movie to you as a good laugh and bimble off to get some coffee.

Hope you all have a good day.

No linky on my mac-y, but still...carbon nanotubes are cool.

Today I've been in an anechoic chamber, rode on a segueway...it's the triannual engineering fair. I learned how Hydrogen fuel cells work, about advances in biocell technology, yeast farming ethanol from barley for fuel addition, how to make an LED, all about synchrotron energy uses in biochemistry and pharmacy and played with carbon nanotubes...and I made mango milkshakes when I got home. YUM.


Than I watched this and laughed until I cried:

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=21513

Good day really.

(if I could link on my mac I would...things are all wonky with my browser. Just go to the link...trust me)

A few things I've learned

Things the significant men in my life have taught me to do/appreciate over the years: Incomplete, alphabetical and slightly censored for PG viewing:

Anatomy, acid jazz, audiophile snobbery, brown ales and all beer are good, chainsaws are fun to use, how to properly light a campfire, how to make crepes, dancing like you mean it, Doctor Who, green thumb, girls can do anything (yay Dad), proper martinis (shaken not stirred), skinnydipping, music technobabble, how to have a roaring paintfight, tying a slip knot, sushi, technogubbins, that you can have too much wine, UV lights make everything better, and that zoobers are the most saught after food on earth (and when I find out what they are I’ll never want anything else)

I heart Yoda

"In The Adam and Eve pub,
in Bishopsgate, Norwich (UK),
Yoda, Albus Dumbledore
and Gandalf the Grey
occasionally enjoy a game
of three-sided chess.
But they take care
to leave the pawns untouched."


Thanks to Alcuin for the quote.
He's always got something strange...er...I mean interesting to say
(can't recall where the drawing is from...)

Time slowing...brain melting...

Doodly do de do de do dooo do
Ya da da dadaa dah da daaah
Me me me mehe me me moo me moo
La dah de dah dah dah dum dah

Ever watched something incubate?
It's similar to paint drying...

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

There.
That's better.

She's gotta be strong to fight them so she's taking lots of vitamins

Give me a B

Give me an O

Give me an R

Give me an E

Give me a D

What does that make me?

BORED!

Yup. Life is back to normal after holidays, trees and decorations are down, WAY too much $$ spent fixing problems, so I am once again hiding out in the indoor warmth, trying to think of things to do to stave off the winter crazies. I'm looking forward to a trip we booked on a spur of the moment to Vancouver next month. It should be great to visit friends. We have tickets to ses Gomez at the Commodore too, which will be fun. After booking it we realised that we probably shouldn't have. Money is very scarce now...the new car and other repairs in December ended up costing more than originally thought, what with tires and just having to get a car and all. In the end it'll all wash out and we'll just pay it off eventually...it's just a lot to take in all at once. And trying to take your mind off of it when you can't go anywhere because of the cold makes it even more of a challenge.

BUT I am up to the challenge. I have made muffins for my brother (part of my gift to him was a dozen muffins of his choice a month) and think I can stave off the madness for a while at least...Here's to the crazies.

XKCD

I'm hooked on XKCD lately...

Achy Breaky Back

Whew ... we spent the evening shovelling out the entire back alley to get the car in and out. We can drive back there now and the car can be tucked away safely at night and plugged in. We still have a bit more to shovel in the yard, but we called it off as we'd had enough and went in and had a warm biscuity supper, relaxing in the warm house. Hopefully the cold will only last another few days before getting back into not “killing you when you ago outside” ranges.
It’s still obcenely cold (-42 with the wind) but the world is digging out of the snow again and all the main roads are cleared out so we can all get around and get food and the like. I actually enjoyed taking the bus the past few days. I'm learning to appreciate a lot of things the past few days...as well as wonder what posessed people to move out here in the frozen prairies. My grandpa lived out here in his twenties in a wood/sod shack with paper windows and a wood stove...I'm now in awe of him. I wouldn't last a week without my toasty house.
It’s the weekend so I'll be drywalling and sleeping and making muffind for our neighbors who kept pushing us out when we got stuck last week as thanks. I’m sure I can find a lot of stuff to do inside to keep busy.
If not I'll just have to eat some munchies and nap a lot…how tragic.

But baby it's cold outside...

Well if there was any doubt, it's now confirmed - it's officially winter on the prairies.
Yesterday was the worst blizzard I have ever seen in...well...ever, really. All the highways in and out of the city (and most of the province actually) were closed because of a blizzard so bad you could not see anything. All businesses and schools shut down after lunch as we all tried to get home. I made it home by bus - it took 2 hours and a lot of streets and routes were closed because you couldn't see more than 10 feet ahead of you, even down town. Add to this the insane cold (~-38 C with the windchill) and it was an awful day. Jay's sister and husband live 10 minutes out of the city and they stayed at our place last night, as the blizzard didn't stop until the middle of the night and it just wasn't safe to drive. It was so bad the tow trucks and plows weren't working...so if you were stuck or in an accident you were at the mercy of the weather-and the weather was not feeling kind. I finally realized how bad the storm was when we were watching the news before supper and there were story of people who were found frozen in their car as they'd tried to go home and went off the road in the storm. This is the worst weather I can recall. I'm glad to say all my loved ones and friends were smart and took their time to get somewhere safe, even if they couldn't get home.

This morning the snow has finally stopped so the blowing snow is gone, but the wind is still strong and the windchill has the temperature at -42 C. The snowplows were out all night so the streets are starting to be cleared, but places like our neighborhood have a lot of drifting snow. I was out at 5:30 helping dig out our car so J could get to work. I'm not sure if he can get back to our parking spot for all the snow, so it could be interesting, as we need to park the car in somewhere where it can be plugged in or it won't start...but that is for later to worry about. To be safe today I put on all my ski gear - skipants, boots, jacket, goggles, ballaclava, toque, scarf and gloves for my 15 minute walk to the bus and was still a bit cold by the time the bus came, but I'll be safe in the temperatures if the bus is delayed getting home. I came in to do some experiments and it's odd to see the city limping along as usual despite the storm. If I didn't have research I had to to finish I'd stay home today. If ever there was a snow day it'd be now!
If you're curious you can read the CBC coverage about the storm here and here. It really is quite amazing.
It seems the winter for storms. I was watching the news last night and Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are all being plastered by crazy winter storms. Stanley Park looks devestated fromt the aerial photos I've seen. I think mother nature has to remind us every once in a while just who is boss...and that maybe we should look after her a bit better.

Tires can be cool...

It's late and I'm busy but I just dropped in to say how much I LOVE snow tires.
No *really* I do.

No stuckness anymore for me and WOW can you drive better.

So I say hooray to you snowtires. Welcome home...

G'night

Copycat

Because I idolise Magnus and want to be just like him when I grow up, I've stolen this meme from him...it's been a while since I've done this.

Current clothes: Jeans. "Happy Shirt". Purple bunnyhug. Blue snowboots. Black specs.

Current mood: Waffly. Happy, then tense then proud then agitated. I’m a bundle of PMS right now. I am hyped tho as I think I'm going to Vancouver next month. Neat.

Current music: Nuffin.

Current annoyance: How our new car gets stuck on NOTHING!! Let’s just say we’re getting snow tires today even though it’ll cost us.

Current thing: Trying to finish mudding my room so I can paint it and then retreat there and make stuff for a few months. I'm a horrible drywaller. I"ll just have to put low watt bulbs in there...

Current desktop picture: Gavin peeking through the tree at me.

Current song in head: Burn it Down by Death Cab for Cutie. Largely because i listened to the album Plans ont he way to work...

Current book: Spin...can't remember the author. J picked it up but isn’t done his current book yet. It is mine as I haven’t been able to track down the last Dark Tower book. Only at the starting gate, so can't say how it is yet.

Current tape in VCR: Wow...last entry for this one – the VCR is dusted. It has been replaced by a DVD recorder with a hard drive. Now we just have to figure out how to use the bloody thing…well that and what to do with all our videotapes. It last had a tape of BSG in it...which it ate and then broke.

Current DVD in player: The exercise DVD J made me from my old exerball tape. It’s got a spiderman menu soundtrack with my cat on it...I love it. Luckily for me and my butt, I just happened to request a back up to DV before the VCR cacked. Plus he put a bunch of wierd stuff at the end too which made me laugh...I luv him.

Current refreshment: Water. I’ve pledged to drink more of it. Don’t like it. Too nothingy tasting. If only coffe was better for me...

Current worry: My sanity levels are questionable, but surprisingly, other than that life is pretty good. Except that my favorite bunnyhug is fraying…how will I replace it with a suitably awesomely comfy replacement?

Current thought: My coffee break is over I need to get back to it.

Bye.

No wonder I make no sense

A stupid man's report of what a clever man says can never be accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand.


~Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)

I find your lack of pants disturbing...

Had a nice weekend.

Ate these for breakfast






Caught up on this












bought these for myself
(doomy doomy doom)










and spit milk out my nose reading this...
Good times really.

Much to do. Ta!

Anyone got snow tires?

COmpared to our old car, our new car gets stuck easily. It's got sport tires and combine that with the fact that our old car was easy to get unstuck and weighed approximately the same as a soda cracker, I'm still working out how to drive the new car in the snow and slush. I'm not doing so well so far.
I felt like an ass last night as I managed to get the car stuck on a reasonably flat surface (to be fair it was icy) half a block from our house. It was assinine - one tire was slipping and spinning and the rest were fine...the car had decided it wouldn't move...and to make it worse I had to wake up J from a well needed sleep after a few nights of insomnia to get dressed, trudge out and try to get the car out (I had managed to get it properly stuck in the middle of a street and he needed it for work at 5AM). It took the neighborhood kid and 4 of his friends who happened to stop by and help to push us out. Twice. And then J couldn't sleep after that. So he had another night of insomnia and had to go to work on about 2 hours sleep for the third day in a row. Consequently, I couldn't sleep either as I felt like a jerk...

And so today I am exhausted, guilty and frustrated. I really hope J makes it through his day so he can crash. Me? Who knows? This funk has to lift sometime right? Just when I fell I'm getting it together, whatever "it" is it goes buggering off somewhere else.

Think I'll look into snow tires...

You can dress up like a sultan in your onion head hat

This is a favorite Cake song of mine...it has been in my head all day....


We are building a religion,
We are building it bigger.
We are widening the corridors and adding more lanes.
We are building a religion,
A limited edition
We are now accepting callers for these pendant keychains.
To resist it is useless,
It is useless to resist it
His cigarette is burning but it never needs to ash
He is grooming his poodle
He is living comfort eagle
You can meet at his location but you'd better come with cash

Now his hat is on backwards. He can show you his tattoos
He is in the music buisness - he is calling you "DUDE!"

Now today is tomorrow and tomorrow's today
And yesterday is weaving in and out
And the fluffy white lines that the airplane leaves behind
Are drifting right in front of the waning of the moon

He is handling the money, he's serving the food,
He knows about your party - he is calling you "DUDE!"

Now, do you believe in the one big sign?
The double wide shine on the boot hills of your prime
Doesn't matter if you're skinny. Doesn't matter if you're fat.
You can dress up like a sultan in your onion-head hat.

We are building a religion. We are making a brand.
We're the only ones to turn to when your castles turn to sand
Take a bite of this apple, Mr. Corporate Events,
Take a walk through the jungle of cardboard shades and tents
Some people drink pepsi. Some people drink coke.
The wacky morning d.j. says democracy's a joke.

He says " Now do you believe in the one big song?"
He's now accepting callers who would like to sing along
He says, "Do you believe in the one true edge?"
By fastening your safety belts and stepping towards the ledge

He is handling the money, he is serving the food.
He is now accepting callers - he is calling me "DUDE!"

Do you believe in the one big sign?
The double wide shine on the boot hills of your prime.

There's no need to ask directions if you ever lose your mind.
We're behind you. We're behind you.
And let us please remind you
We can send a car to find you
If you ever lose your way.

We are building a religion.
We are building it bigger.

Take the red pill...

J and I just rewatched the Matrix movies over the past 3 nights.
I still really enjoy them, although we've worked out a "better" ending for the film-that the "real world" was another layer of Matrix, designed to deal with the few minds who wanted out of the original one. Even so I still like the originality and inspiration that came from these films. It's hard to believe the first film was out in 1999...I mean, I was still in school and not married then. Seems like a lifetime ago.
I've been going through the winter funk off and on the past month or so and I think I'm trudging through, but I need to get out more. Being a generally chirpy person, I am befuddled by moodiness and mooginess...not sure how to handle them really. After a bit of thought and conversation with J I'm going to start heading out and doing things I enjoy that J isn't so into like hanging out with my brother and fixing up my room...feeding my soul I suppose you would say. Less obligation and more exploration. I have the nasty habit of looking to other people to fill up the gaps that form in my soul and that never works. You can't be a friend and a partner then..doesn't mean you can't lean on someone and depend on them...it's all a matter of balance. Balance and serenity.
And that's what I crave at the moment. Balance.
So that is my quest for now...I shall swallow my red pill and see how deep this rabbit hole goes.

Movie meme

I found this meme this morning, and since I'm back (*sniff*) at work and busy, this will fill my coffee break and hopefully a bit of webspace...sorry!

1. Popcorn or candy?
Popcorn. I love popcorn. It's my snack of choice everywhere, although at the theatre I generally don't get it, as I end up engrossed in the film and not eating it until I get home later...and I get teased by J that I've taken the popcorn home with me.

2. Name a movie you have been meaning to see forever.
Clerks 2

3. You are given the power to recall one Oscar: Who loses theirs and to whom?Well...I've sort of lost my respect for the Oscars recently, so I wouldn't change them, although there are a few that made me mad...

4. Steal one costume from a movie for your wardrobe. Which will it be?Well, the Matrix would be spiffy...and I'd be interested in the elven costumes from Lord of the Rings BUT if I had to choose any it'd honestly be the Tank missile bra from Tank Girl. How could anyone turn that down? :)

5. Your favorite film franchise is?
Well, I must say Star Wars, although Indiana Jones is a pretty close second.

6. Invite five movie people over for dinner. Who are they? Why’d you invite them? What do you feed them?
Natalie Portman, Jack Black, Dame Judy Dench, Johnny Depp, Steve Martin. They are all very interesting people to me. I think it'd be pretty good conversation. I'd have curry and lots of great indian style food.

7. What is the appropriate punishment for people who answer cell phones in the movie theater?
Naked to their next movie...in a very cold theatre.

8. Choose a female bodyguard:
The actress who plays Zoe on Firefly...she seems strong and asskicky.

9. What’s the scariest thing you have ever seen in a movie?
In the Ring where the person's face would get all screwed up and melted before they died. Scared the crap out of me. I get the willies jsut thinking about it now actually

10. Your favorite genre (excluding comedy and drama) is?
Scifi/fantasy. So many options...historical is a close second

11. You are given the power to greenlight movies at a major studio for one year. How do you wield this power?
I banish all pointless date films/romantic comedies, stop pointless sequels and give indie films wider releases...oh, and last but not least: no trailers with record scratches in them. Not only does it drive me mad, as it is pointless and overdone, but I am willing tobe that most people growing up today don't even know it is a record scratch....that it is just the annoying soind played in trailers when something *wacky* is going to happen. Not giving away the whole film in the trailer would be a step up too...

12. Bonnie or Clyde?
Neither.

Who's ridin' with the nut?

I miss Peanut.
I never really got a chance to have a final drive with him...when we took him to a local place to get his stereo removed to put into our new car, a guy at the shop offered to buy him from us right there as we were leaving for a fair price so we figured "yeah OK, take him and give him a new home. Fix him up and let your daughter drive him." It was a simple solution to what to do with our old car.
It sounds corny, but I get attached to our cars. I had to give Peanut a hug good bye (cars are very wide and hard to hug). I thought I was OK with it until I was watching the Harvey Birdman episode that I have always quoted to myself when I was happily driving the car about. Harvey's assistant Peanut get a car when Harvey wins a case for a plastic surgeon and says "oh yeah...who's riding with the nut?" before driving off.
And so I am still sitting here wondering this morning just who IS riding with my Peanut?

Punish him with...THE COMFY CHAIR!

Behold the Comfy couch...













And the table of feasting from our gathering last night.



There were cheeses and grapes and derbies and cookie and hummus and guacamole and...well lots of good food. It was one of those times when we could have had like 30 people and had no idea who'd show other than my friend Heather, so I put on my catering had and made yummy things. We also pulled out all the lights we had and did up the place. Very nice... and 6 people came so we were happy...it's always nice when people stop by. It was a nice mellow time...
More photos later. I've had an exhausting day of napping and eating snacky leftovers and I must go rest to recouperate.
Happy New Year everybody!