Check out Nuttin But Stringz; to really get the full effect, scroll down and click on the video block on the right.
With a tip of the hat to Clancy.
Another to do list item: get rid of aluminum foil cap
For all kinds of different reasons, this has been kind of a bad week for me in terms of blog posting (obviously). The in-laws are visiting right now, and so far a good time is being had by one and all, and I might be able to get back in the swing of things next week, unless the stack of essays I need to grade falls over and smothers me. Deep sigh.
Anyway, in lieu of actually having something intelligent to say (and I have a whole thing working in my head about how both the Democrats and Republicans are lyng about the whole WMD thing in Iraq, though the Republicans are clearly the bigger and more dangerous and more expensive liars), I offer this link to a study about the ineffectiveness of tin foil skull helmets.
Comedy Hijinks Ensued
As part of Annette’s birthday week, we went to the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase Friday night. Annette’s wanted to go to this place for a show for a while now. Personally, I wasn’t against going, but I wasn’t for going either. It’s just not one of those things that was high on my to do list.
But we did have a fun time. The AA Comedy Showcase is in the basement of Seva and has that black, grungy interior that I suspect (from what I’ve seen on Comedy Central, at least) is the default decor of comedy clubs everywhere. The 8 pm show we attended was a non-smoking event, which was a good thing because the dark basement space looked to me like like it would be pretty unpleasant for the smoking shows.
The first joke of the night was when Annette asked to see the wine list. They did have other bar items and fine popcorn, though.
The “main act” that night was Maryellen Hooper, though there was also an “MC” (who told a few jokes, told us to tip our waitstaff, and told us we where we were supposed to exit after the show) and a brief “opening act” (who I thought was pretty lame). Hooper is someone who looks vaguely familiar from various comedy shows, though I can’t say I remember actually ever seeing her on TV.
I don’t really have much more of a review other than she was funny. Lots of jokes about her adopted baby, her husband, boys versus girls, etc., etc. Clean stuff, pretty much. Anyway, a fun night, not crazy expensive (well, the drinks weren’t cheap), definitely something I’d do again.
For the Geeks Among You: The Lord of the Rings as Role Playing Game
My friend Chris sent me this, a narrative about The Lord of the Rings played out as a role playing game (aka, something like Dungeons and Dragons). In case you’re a bit confused: GM= “Game Master,” or the person who runs the game; “PCs” are “Player Characters,” which are the ones run by other players of the game; and “NPC” means “Non-Player Characters,” meaning a player actually played by the GM, really to make things go smoothly.
My barbers have a web site
That is Arcade Barbers, which is in the Nichols Arcade in Ann Arbor. The web site even comes with a kinda cheesy Flash intro page. Interestingly, this place now has wireless Internet access in there. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet because the last couple of times I’ve gotten my hair cut (including today) I haven’t had to wait. But I can imagine it coming in handy….
Christians get in on the Halloween act with “Hell Houses”/I just want to get rid of the candy….
From a blog I read once in a while in my “official” blogging/teaching role comes this entry about conservative Christian churches sponsoring “Hell Houses.” Basically, some conservative Christian churches in places like South Carolina (where else?!) have been setting up these elaborate haunted houses –er, “Hell Houses” that are a lot like haunted houses in their churches. With one big difference:
Welcome to the creepiest stop in the afterlife — complete with real fire, demonic characters, a heavy metal soundtrack and unfortunate souls bound by clanking chains. In the knick of time, visitors are whisked away to a heavenly realm of redemption.
Under 15,000 feet of black plastic sheeting, the church has been transformed into a dark, twisting maze where visitors can witness scenes of death and destruction — from the living room of a Hurricane Katrina victim to the beheading of an American civilian in Iraq. Then, there’s the judgment scene where Christ invites Christians into heaven and banishes others to hell.
Personally, I think this is the kind of thing that is likely to backfire on these folks. Anyone who has ever read things like Pardise Lost or The Divine Comedy know that hell and the devil are the most interesting parts of the story.
Anyway, we’re all getting ready for the old-fashioned candy ‘n costumes sort of Halloween celebration around here tonight. This year’s celebration has been quite similar to last year’s: we went to a “Day of the Dead” party this past weekend, Will is wearing his knight costume again (check out the picture from last year to see what I mean), and I will be wearing my “This is my costume” T-shirt while passing out candy.
I want to be rid of all of this candy, too. Basically, when it comes to sneaking and eating candy, even though it really is pretty crappy candy all in all, I seemingly have no self-control. I feel like I’ve gained 20 pounds in the last two weeks just from tootsie rolls. Well, it needs to be outta here tonight, and Will will need to guard his candy haul carefully from me.
And I need to get back to the gym, too.
Harriet Miers Blog? And What About Patrick Fitzgerald?
I’m listening to NPR this morning, and they had a story just now about the role of the so-called “blogosphere” and the Miers SCOTUS debacle. Not much of a story, but it turns out there’s a pretty funny parody blog out there, Harriet Mier’s Blog.
Oh, and from this blog, I found “From the Desk of Patrick J. Fitzgerald,” which is likely to get a lot more interesting in the next few days as (fingers crossed) Turd-blossom and Scooter get indicted.
I’m not THAT Steve Krause, either
I mean this “Steve Krause,” though we do vaguely look similar, based on his picture.
Digestion problems? Just knit it!
Via boing-boing comes this “knitted digestive sytem.” Reminds me I need more fiber.
Pumpkin Carnage
Will and I had our annual pumpkin hunting outting this past weekend. For the last three or four years, we’ve been going to this one particular pumpkin patch sort of on the way to the Plymouth-Canton area. I always get lost on the way out there because I always think it is on Plymouth-Ann Arbor Road, but it’s really on Ford Road (or highway, whatever it is). Anyway, it is a “U-Pick-Em” kinda place that is quite a bit cheaper than buying at the grocery store and it makes for an adventure.
Our carvings, while attractive and the like, are sort of “middle of the road,” really. Here’s some pictures of the finished products:
Two things to mention here: with the pumpkin on the right, I was going for that “translucent” kinda look where the glow of the light in the pumpkin shines through. This hasn’t worked yet; I think I have to carve more away first. Second, the red splotches you might be able to see in the picture are actually hot sauce, which I am hoping will keep away the damn squirrels from last year.
Here’s a better/more dramatic picture of the other two pumpkins. Pretty cool, huh?
Still, I have to hand it to the folks who have some pictures posted at extremepumkins.com. As Will gets a little older and capable of handling the carving knife himself (as opposed to the spoon to scoop the junk out), I think we might have to try some of these versions of pumpkin carving to make it more interesting.