odd things
Yup. I got ’em .

computers internet blog
Yeah, that’s pretty much what you need to have a blog. Without either a computer or the internet, you won’t be getting much action

random is not random
That’s my theme. But I guess you were really looking for the fact that computers don’t really generate random numbers

gruntle
Yes, I do love the word gruntle. It’s even fun to say! Gruntle! Gruntle! Gruntle!

reasons why science is fun
When else do you get to blow things up or set them on fire in the name of education?

erudite latin sayings
As opposed to what?

hillbillies sports bras
I… Well… Damn. I have no idea.

odd things to find in a picture
Depends upon what the picture is supposed to be of in the first place, don’t you think?

kissing beautiful brusts
I’m sure that Steven Brust will be pleased.

alaska with beer
Jim or Tania – you wanna flip for this?

types of stressors
Work. Family. Does that about cover it?

(more…)

For Nathan (and anyone else having a cranky day.)

To keep from falling afoul of the spam filters, enter the previous answer and your response.

rhyme

Which Discworld Character are you like (with pics) created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as The Librarian You’re the Librarian! Once a wizard, now an Orang-utan (due to an unfortunate magical accident), you refuse to be turned back for a few reasons: In this form, it’s easier to reach the shelves and hold more books; having the strength of five men makes people return their books on time; life’s great philosophical questions boil down to “when do I get my next banana?” You say “ook” but are usually understood well enough. The Librarian 81% Death 69% Carrot Ironfounderson 69% Lord Havelock Vetinari 56% Gytha (Nanny) Ogg 56% Greebo 56% Rincewind 50% Esmerelda (Granny) Weatherwax 44% Cohen The Barbarian 31% Commander Samuel Vimes 31%

For Nathan

I’m cranky.

I had a rotten day.

The back of my neck hurts from stress.

I hate the first week of classes.

So in college my friends and I had a running joke that we were going to invent Shetland Cows. These cows would live in the window boxes of Eat ‘N’ park, and we would never have to wait for a waitress to bring us cream for our coffee ever again.

Well, the future is here.

Miniature Cows.

That’s right, someone has gone and made our dream of Shetland Cows come true.

This means it is only a matter of time before our next crazy idea comes true: talking cows.

Imagine driving down the highway, yelling “MOO!” out the window at passing cows, and having the cow respond to you, “Moo, mother fucker, moo.”

I can hardly wait!

First, you can tell Michael is married, because he did not wear this shirt to work today to deal with the overwrought parents of freshmen.

Second, as I was cleaning the house this morning, I discovered Michael and I have a distinct division of labor.

Which is why I didn’t know where the power switch was on the vacuum.

In my defense we have a single rug upstairs, everything else is hardwood and linoleum. So we don’t vacuum a lot.

But still.

hello
1883, alt. of hallo (1840), itself an alt. of holla, hollo, a shout to attract attention, first recorded 1588. Perhaps from holla! “stop, cease.” Popularity as a greeting coincides with use of the telephone, where it won out over Alexander Graham Bell’s suggestion, ahoy. Central telephone exchange operators were known as hello-girls (1889).

“Hello, formerly an Americanism, is now nearly as common as hullo in Britain (Say who you are; do not just say ‘hello’ is the warning given in our telephone directories) and the Englishman cannot be expected to give up the right to say hello if he likes it better than his native hullo. [H.W. Fowler, “A Dictionary of Modern English Usage,” 1926]

Why am I sharing this?

Because Shawn somehow managed to remind me of this:

‘Heaveno’ has received one heck of a response

KINGSVILLE, Texas (AP) – A South Texas man who campaigned to replace ”hello” with ”heaveno” has had plenty of opportunities to use his new greeting.

Kingsville resident Leonso Canales Jr. has been inundated with telephone calls since he successfully lobbied Kleberg County commissioners last month to designate ”heaveno” as the county’s official greeting.
…
Still, Matthews said, he wants recognition as a pioneer in taking ”hell” out of ”hello.”

Which led to the discovery of this.

Which lead to this comment by Shawn:

I’m like, “I already read this, HeavenO…”

Here are some more answers to the questions various and sundry asked of me. I’ll think I’ll keep taking questions through the week, so feel free to ask other questions in the comments.

matt asked:
Of all the images and quotes that pop up in your banner, which are your favorites?

Of all the quotes, my favorites are the ones that end up in my sig files, like this one: “I believe in coincidence. Coincidences happen every day. But I don’t trust coincidences.” –Garak (Deep Space Nine)

But I’m also fond of the political quotes, and of course this is another favorite: “Always keep a song in your heart; it’s like karaoke for the voices in your head.”

As far as the banner images, it really depends on my mood, but I think my current favorites are my brother taking a picture of me taking a picture of him, the oreos (That picture turned out so well! Yum!), and the Crushing Hazard.

As much as I like the flowers, I like things that make me laugh, better. But banners are a good place to show off my flower pr0n.

Jeri asked:
Didn’t the toaster hole up and eventually evolve into Blink?

I think the major issues with the Toaster were post Blink and Not-Blink.

Though as the Toaster manifested in Nathan’s apartment on its own, it may well be directly related to the key Jim had taken away from him.

Or, it may well be Blink.

matt asked:
It’s terribly cliched, but what three albums would you want if you were on a desert island that somehow had a working stereo system but no other electronics?

Well, first and foremost would be Bob Mould’s Workbook. That is hands down my all time favorite album.

The next two are harder. Maybe a Wynton Marasalis album–something without lyrics. Last fall we saw him on tour with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and that was fantastic. Nice variety. Of course I don’t actually possess one of those albums right now, and what I’d really probably want is a recording of one of his many radio shows.

The third album would probably be an Aaron Copland compilation album.

Why the emphasis on lyric free music? Because I’ve got enough music with lyrics running around my head I can easily sing whatever I want. But if I really want to listen to music, that’s what I think I want.

Though what I’d really rather have is the Real Jazz channel on XM. :)

Here are some more answers to the questions various and sundry asked of me. I’ll think I’ll keep taking questions through the week, so feel free to ask other questions in the comments.

Vince asks:
How did you decide on your career choice?

I didn’t. In fact, I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I fell into my job quite by accident. I was working in a microbiology lab in NIOSH and although I loved my co-workers, I didn’t like the work I was doing at all (PCR & cell culture = BORING!), so I took my current job as a stop over until I decided what I really wanted to do, since microbiology wasn’t it. Although things were rocky for awhile, and in the intervening years did the classwork for my MPH (Masters in Public Health) I’ve actually come to enjoy my job in recent years.

I’ve developed a unique skill set, and for my job I get to do a variety of tasks, almost all of which I thoroughly enjoy: teaching, writing, and problem solving.

So if I decided to move on from this job, I have no idea what I’d do next, because I don’t think there are many other jobs out there like mine.

Anne asks:
How did you meet Michael?

Well, it’s kind of a strange story. My boyfriend, roommate and I ran a local BBS. I was (unsurprisingly) message base sysop, although I eventually learned enough to run much of the back end as well. Because the community was small, and many of us knew each other, we threw a pizza party at our house, for our users. Michael came over as part of that group, and I remember thinking along the lines, “gee, too bad I’m not single.” We became friends, and over the next nine months for so, I realize that the relationship I was in was not good for me (to say the least) so I ended that relationship and immediately started dating Michael. My parents weren’t happy with my jumping from one relationship to another. Most of my friends didn’t know quite what to think, except that my previous relationship hadn’t been very good for me. But they accepted it, because that’s what friends are for, and Michael and I have been together ever since.

Firefly, Farscape, or Battlestar Galactica?
Firefly. However, we still haven’t watched any more than the miniseries of Battlestar Galactica.

But I don’t think the order will change. The only show in competition with Firefly is Deep Space Nine. Now that’s a tough call for me.

What book do you read for comfort?

Well, it depends, partially on what I’ve read recently, and partially what I’m in the mood for. The first two books I’m likely to reach for are The Hobbit or The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Those have been my favorites for years. I think I reach for them when I want to get lost in a story.

After those come The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust or Small Vices by Robert B. Parker. Those come up when I’m in the mood for entertaining writing.

The other books in the mix are “The World’s Best Folktales” by Joanna Cole or the entire Thieves’ World original series. Joanna Cole is good when I can’t concentrate, and Thieves’ World is good when I’m feeling particularly bleak.

Those are all books I can read over and over again, so what I choose really depends upon what I’m escaping from and what I want to escape to.

Exactly how many feet of snow will they have to have in hell before you drink Swallows Nest Soup?

I don’t know about feet of snow, but I’d have to be starving to death I’m pretty sure.

What do you have against cephalopods?

Cephalopods are fine, and in fact fascinating. I’m disturbed only by the uses to which some people put these creatures in their imagination. I mean really, beaks? You’ve can’t be serious.

If you won the lottery (for a buttload of money), would you: a) keep working, b) chill out for the rest of your life, or c) do charitable work?

Keep working. Even a buttload of money doesn’t buy health insurance. And I don’t do well with nothing to do. But I’d probably take a lot more time off. The thing that makes vacation is that it’s time away from something.

I’ve already walked 2.75 miles by 10:00 AM.

I think it’s going to be another busy day.

OK, since I’m still running low on creativity, I’ll begin to answer the questions that were posted to me. I’ll probably keep taking questions through the week, so feel free to ask other questions in the comments.

Nathan asks:

Where’s my toaster?
Last I heard, MWT had one of your toasters, but it wasn’t the toaster, unless that was a ploy to throw everyone off. My guess would be that Jim took the toaster after killing Eric.

So I’d march right up to Jim and demand my toaster back if I were you.

Alternately, John has visited you twice. And you know how those Pitt graduates can be.

Who’s that hiding behind your couch?
Kat and Kit. Duh.

What’s your position on Graham Crackers?
Good smeared with with peanut butter and dipped in milk.

Yum!

John asks:

Just how confused was the West Virginian in Jefferson County whom I noticed had set the horn in his bondo and primer-decorated truck to play “Dixie”?

Very. He’s obviously one of the fools who saw the Dukes of Hazaard movie and thought it was not only good, but also worth emulating. (A friend watched a neighbor’s son hand paint his jeep after watching that movie.)

y’all realize y’all came out on top of the Recent Unpleasantness Between the States, right?

Sometimes we have to remind some of our souther brethren of this fact.

Rather forcefully.

I know West Virginia is where the men are men, but just how scared do the sheep run?

Actually, last month I almost wrecked the car as we drove past the University farm, because I was trying to see the cute baby sheep.

So not very.

Just when are you going to drink that soup?

When I’m starving to death and there is absolutely nothing left to eat. I’m thinking it might work well in an emergency pack in the car.