Happy Happy

Happy Birthday, Marisa!
Happy Halloween, everyone!

Can you hear me now?

So I just got a Sidekick and thought I'd try posting to my blog on the
go. Testing testing 1 2 3.

Slow news day

I guess I am not the only one who hasn't much to say. This is what the "paper of record" is reporting on this morning:

Good Smell Perplexes New Yorkers (NYT via Gawker)

Seriously. No further comment.

This just in: there is no news

Been a while since I posted. Been busy with all sorts of things, but haven't had much to say. Went to Texas last weekend for a wedding (congratulations, Kate and James!), which was awesome. Then Zoe got sick so we spent a night cleaning up dog yak, which was not awesome. Everything's mostly back to normal now, except for some funky looking spots in the carpet (sigh).

More dog haiku

Are you feeling ill?
Then I'll take sentry duty
Laying on your feet

Right behind the ears
Humans always seem to know
The best place to scratch

I lean on your leg
To show you how much I love
These black pants of yours

Consulting the Oracle

OK, so Marisa posted about the Oracle of Google, and of course I had to try it. I'm such a follower! I consulted the Oracle, and here is what I found out:

• Monica hates not knowing everything [fair enough]
  
• Monica loves detail [yes, yes, I do]
  
• Monica wants a job [well, a better one, yes, I think we covered this earlier]
  
• Monica wants your input on how to build your new public Skate Park [ummm... I do?]
  
• Monica likes chopped up hot dogs in her mac and cheese [blasphemy!]
  
• Monica likes cooking [right again]
  
• Monica likes animals and would like to live on a farm and have a horse [let's not get carried away here]
  
• Monica needs a job [ok, ok, I think we get it]
  
• Monica needs a Bicycle Master Plan [whatever]
  
• Monica needs the Gift of Love to help steer her in the right direction [keep your "gifts" away from me, Cult of the Oracle!]

Some of these answers dealt with Monica from Friends, others dealt with Monica Lewinsky, and a few were about Santa Monica. This is not especially good company in which to find oneself. I wonder what the Oracle is trying to tell me.

A pet of my own

I've been a pet most all of my life, and I think it's high time I had a pet of my own! So I adopted this green hedgehog from bunnyhero labs adoption center and named him Spike.

On freedom

"Freedom" is frequently invoked by GWB in his speeches and interviews. I'm not a believer in the view of freedom he espouses, so here's a discussion of freedom that's more to my liking. Food for thought.

At the city gate and by your fireside I have seen you prostrate yourself and worship your own freedom, even as slaves humble themselves before a tyrant and praise him though he slays them. Ay, in the grove of the temple and in the shadow of the citadel I have seen the freest among you wear their freedom as a yoke and a handcuff. And my heart bled within me; for you can only be free when even the desire of seeking freedom becomes a harness to you, and when you cease to speak of freedom as a goal and a fulfillment.

And if it is a despot you would dethrone, see first that his throne erected within you is destroyed. For how can a tyrant rule the free and the proud, but for a tyranny in their own freedom and a shame in their won pride?

Verily all things move within your being in constant half embrace, the desired and the dreaded, the repugnant and the cherished, the pursued and that which you would escape. These things move within you as lights and shadows in pairs that cling. And when the shadow fades and is no more, the light that lingers becomes a shadow to another light. And thus your freedom when it loses its fetters becomes itself the fetter of a greater freedom.

--The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran

Contest!

Today I came across a funny new word: dymanics.

I think this was just a typo for "dynamics", but I took advantage of the opportunity to have a little contest to come up with the best definition of the new word "dymanics".

Here are the entries so far, from me and my fellow word nerds here at work (thanks, ladies!).

dymanics:

1. the process in which a woman attempts to incite change, growth, or activity in her husband or boyfriend. [mh]
   
2. the process by which women try to off males who are too hyper to sit down and have a conversation. [tm]
   
3. the process in which a woman colors her hair in a frenzy to make herself into a "new person" after an argument or breakup with her significant other. Usually accompanied by thoughts of "He wasn’t good enough for me anyway," and "I don’t really know why I’m doing this; I’m already so good-looking," and "I hope my hair turns out as glossy and beautiful as the woman’s on the package." [jb]
   
4. the study of dymans (whatever they are). [dm]
   
• Dymans are a girl's best friend. (It's OK, go ahead and groan.) [mh]
  
• Dymans are little-known fundamental particles. [ab]
  
• Dymans are the nifty synthetic gemstones of tomorrow. [ab]
  
5. a posthumously published sequel to 'Dianetics'. [dm]
   
6. an exclamation uttered when one is forced to watch two hours of 'Animaniacs' on a Saturday morning. (I babysat last weekend.) [ik]

Suggest your own definitions or vote for your favorite by posting a comment!

World's most unfortunate phone number

I saw a commercial on TV this morning for a natural gas supplier whose phone number is 1-877-I'VE-GOT-GAS. But the best part is the jingle, in which a lady sings the phone number: Call one eight seven seven Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii've got gas!

I am definitely immature enough to find this hilarious. You know you are too.