Hamburger Earmuffs

Thought I'd take a break from typing to blog a 'lil bit. It also coincides with my academic writing block, so maybe this will stir some creative juices...or send me to go watch TV. It could go either way at the moment...

The thesis is progressing, I must say. I got a Certificate of Approval with Minor Modifications (is that really a certificate?) from the Ethics Office, so now I can finally conduct some interviews (I think?) It only took me 3-4 times and a few months of bureaucratic wrangling to get to this point. Remind me NOT to apply for a job there. Got approval from my supervisor for how I want to write my chapters, so I'm slowly but surely wallowing my way through those at the moment. I have more reading to do, but it can wait for awhile. I'm sick of reading. Reading sucks. Typing is much more mildly interesting. I'm hoping (every body part crossed) to be half done by this time next month.

I hate radio commericals. They're all TERRIBLE. I can detect a hint of disgust in the majorty of the voice-overs.

Unfortunately, I watched a little bit of that reality dating show with Flavor Flav (some washed-up rapper dude) the other day. A few thoughts persist. First, I thought Flav was dating that gross chick from Denmark. Good on him if he got out of that. Second, I had no idea he was rich...he definitely doesn't let on that he is (LOL). Third, he has 14 (a number I arrived at arbitrarily) women fighting over him. 2 things all these women have in common: they're all gold-diggers after his "bling", and I bet they'll all attest that Flav tastes like a peanut.

I just discovered an interesting way that I start my morning. I brush my teeth with Crest Vanilla Mint toothpaste, use Vanilla Mint Listerine to give me delicious breath, and chew Vanilla Mint gum when I head off to work. All I'm missing is Vanilla Mint cereal, which I'm personally working on creating, but is in the early developmental stages.

Last week was like the 7 days of Christmas, mailbox-wise. All of my ebay stuff finally arrived...I've restocked my selection of sports jerseys, all of them utterly cool, all of them much better than anything you'll find in the malls of this province. I've got a few more coming in a few weeks too. Good thing about being single is that you can spend a lot more on yourself!

I tried a Big Turk chocolate bar at work. Jam + Chocolate= good times.

Going out to Dalmeny for the first time in a looooonnnng time this Saturday to attend a wedding. If any Dalmatian out there still reads this thing and is around town in the afternoon, you wanna meet for a mid-afternoon lunch at whatever Central Perk is called now?

By and by, there is a new Stereotrap song up at www.myspace.com/stereotrap called Lifegiver. I make fun of the guys a lot because someone has to keep them grounded (lol), but that song deserves mucho props. Me likey.

I think I'm gonna watch Simpsons. Bye-diddly-bye.

Robin's Go-Nuts

So we have this family of robins going on in the backyard...they have like 4 or 5 attempted nests built underneath our deck. it's actually a clever spot...they're protected from rain and wind, and predators can't find them. Eggs hatched a few weeks ago and it looks like the kids are learning how to fly. However, Father robin has seen fit to determine our family to be "predators" in the past few days. Everytime we attempt to BBQ or relax on the deck, he dive-bombs towards us squawking at the top of his lungs, forcing us to retreat indoors. I can't believe we've become hostages in our own home because of a stinkin' bird! Robins make for rotten house-guests...rude and not at all grateful for the hospitality...kind of like European borders!

How much would it cost to rent out an eagle or owl for an hour or two? Just wondering ;)

Ok youse guys...

A few things on my mind recently...brace yourselves...

So the MVP of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game won a new Chevy something-or-other. Uhhh...he makes millions of dollars playing a kids game. I think he can afford a new truck himself, and doesn't need the help of corporate sponsors to do it. I wonder if these MVPs actually keep these gifts...they probably use it as a container for their money.

Boy, I swear CNN has turned into the all-Israel, all-the-time network in the last few days. It's really sad to see what's going on there with Hamas and now Lebanon. Just when you think there's going to be a breakthrough, one side has to go and "f" things up. One thing I've learned this year in class is that both sides to this conflict are extremely stubborn, and personally I find it hard to be sympathetic to either one of them. The one silver lining about this whole thing? It keeps Lou Dobbs from talking about illegal aliens for the entire hour of his program!

I was sure I had other things to type...but I'm playing some headbanging music and I quite possibly shook those thoughts out of my physical being. I'm going to go to school and try and salvage something constructive out of this day...then pop over to O'Sheas to get re-acquainted with the grad students. Mmmm...Coca-Cola...I can't wait!

I leave you with this image from the World Cup. Good night citizens.

Etcetera

Headed out to Regina tomorrow to see the Stampeders get sent to the glue factory by the Riders. I had planned on driving, but I still think there's something wrong with my steering. Rather than risk an accident at break-neck speeds, my friend Rhiannon will drive. She just had her car fixed, so we'll be more comfortable with driving at said speeds.

Dumbass stadium names strike again! So Taylor Field got renamed to Mosaic Stadium. No doubt it's a welcome cash infusion for the club, but I'll never call it that. Tell a cab-driver in Regina that you want to go to Mosaic Stadium and they'll say there's no such thing. He'll get on the radio with all his other cab buddies and have a laugh at your expense...while you still wait to get past the same construction zones that you swear were still there in Regina a few years ago.

I almost got blown off of the deck today by a freak wind. I was trying in vain to keep a tarp from flying away, but I almost flew away with it, ala Mary Poppins. In hindsight, I ask myself the following question: what has the tarp ever done for me that warranted me rushing to its rescue? I mean, it's easily replaceable...

So it's Italy vs. France in the World Cup Final. Funny, I find soccer interesting once every 4 years, and this year is no exception. As a Frenchman myself, I'm loving it...I even ordered a Thierry Henry jersey off Ebay. By the time it gets here, I probably won't even wear it until 2010! My thesis supervisor is a full-blooded Italian, which makes this game even more interesting as far as I'm concerned ;)

Speaking of soccer, Jon Stewart had a great idea on the Daily Show the other day. We should use referees' yellow and red cards for societal infractions. If you see someone spitting on the sidewalk, pull a yellow card out of your pocket and issue them a warning. I'm seriously considering doing this...I might test it at work with customers. If they're still shopping at 10:05 when I've locked the doors and when we've announced twice that the store is closed, I'm gonna pull out a red...

I just found out that a friend of mine from work and I share a crush on the same girl. Since I just cut my hours in half (at least), I readily concede defeat! LOL

I got a new watch. It's got the time for Kabul, Afghanistan on it. Ask me for it sometime. I can even get you the time for Pago Pago...wherever the hell that is...

BEHOLD!

The ultimate eating experience!



The ultimate appliance!



Once facing extinction, it appears as though the mad scientist has rebounded into mainstream society with renewed vigour. I, for one, am positively elated. Carry on, you most noble inventors!