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August 29, 2010

Figure Skating

Kathleen Madigan: Figure Skating:

"I always wanted to be a figure skater as a kid, too, that was like my fantasy dream. But whenever I watch it, I think I would have totally done it alone. I don't know how these people have enough control over the tempers to be working with a partner. Because if I worked with some guy for 15 years, and we got to the Olympics, and out of nowhere he just fell -- oh, I'd skate around just to chop off his fingers. I would, and I would not feel bad about that -- ever. 'Now when you're nubbing your cereal spoon in the morning, you can look at that box and remember why we're not on it.'"

August 28, 2010

couchant

couchant\ KOU-chuhnt \ , adjective;
1. Lying down; crouching; reclining.
2. Heraldry (Of an animal) represented as lying on its stomach with its hind legs and forelegs pointed forward.



I didn't know this word; first thing I thought of when I saw it was the Word of the Day was Charro




I guess I was thinking of her "coochi chant" she used to do.

3 Women

Just noticed this on my Excite start page's "Born Today" module:

Musician LeAnn Rimes born 1982
Musician Shania Twain born 1965
Actress Emma Samms born 1961

What's unique about this is that these three women would all be on my "makes my heart go pitty-pat" list.

August 27, 2010

Pain TV

Last night I was having problems finding something decent to watch. There was a Mythbusters repeat episode on, but I had seen it. It was about withstanding pain:



Looking through the TV listings, I noticed other "pain" shows on at the same time, one being Royal Pains, a decent show I've sometimes watched. Other shows were on, and they too were pain-related.



There was Jersey Shore with ignorant-ass NJ young people that need to have some pain inflicted upon all of them, not just Snookie (Google "Snookie punched" for the vid). There was also George Lopez, whose shows -both talk and sit-com - I find painful to watch (NOT funny). Lastly, there was Anderson Cooper, a PITA progressive.

Won't be long until I have to take codeine to watch TV.

August 26, 2010

Growing Problem



A nifty widget.

orthoepy

orthoepy\ awr-THOH-uh-pee \ , noun;
1. The study of correct pronunciation.
2. The study of the relationship between the pronunciation of words and their orthography.



This is something I should study before old-timers Alzheimer's disease sets in.

I Am Spock




Your Brain is Logical



You are a very facts and figures oriented person. You don't get clouded by emotion.

You like to understand how things work, and you're always collecting data of some sort.

You are a critical thinker. You are look at all the facts before you make a decision.

You aren't likely to change your mind once it's made up, but new facts could sway you - emotional appeals could not.


August 25, 2010

We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister

Just a little reminder to Congress, aimed at both leftist progs. and neo-con right-wingers

galore

galore\ guh-LOHR \ , adjective;

1. In abundance; in plentiful amounts.



The only thing that's galore around these parts are my bills.

To be honest, the first thing I thought of when I saw today's Word of the Day was the character in Goldfinger.

Shame on me ... for being a James Bond fan.

August 24, 2010

No Goatee for Old Goats

For about a month, up until yesterday, I've been trying to grow a goatee. I've got, IMHO, a pretty fair mustache and have had one for most of my adult life, having shaved it off only a few times, then immediately started growing it back.

My 'stache is one thing; hair on the rest of my body is another story. Not to get too personal, but I only have about half a dozen hairs on my chest and none on my back (thank God for the latter). I've never been able to grow a beard, though, but as I've grown older the hair on my face has become a little bit thicker, so I thought I'd try to at least grow some on my chin.

As I said, I gave it a month but it just didn't look good....sparse, with far too much white and gray hair. (and as I grow older, I am getting a lot more hair IN my ears...it's white too, dammit) Looking at myself in the mirror yesterday, I lamented that I'll probably never be able to grow a beard, then it dawned on me just who I resembled with my silly-looking chin hair.

I didn't want to take a photo, because even as much as I like to self-deprecate to get a laugh, I didn't want people REALLY laughing at me. Instead, I did a Google search and found a near-perfect likeness:



As I gazed in the mirror, a voice in my head said:

"Ru rook redicurous."

August 22, 2010

Not Silver and Blue, But Green

Since I fell asleep during last nights Cowboys-Chargers pre-season game, I went to the Dallas football team's website to catch up on what I missed.

In this article: Brewster Makes Most Of Starting Role, there's an embedded video of an interview with the Cowboy rookie. Here's a screen shot:

screenshot of Cowboy's Brewster

I'm not sure what that green "noise" is in the vid, but it sure looks strange! It sort of looks like my tv does now, only it's a reddish tint and I'm sure it's from imminent picture tube failure.

This would be a good place to put a related "green" video, something like "Green Grass of Home" by Tom Jones or "Green Green" by the New Christy Minstrels.

Nah.

August 21, 2010

foudroyant

foudroyant\ foo-DROI-uhnt \ , adjective;
1. Overwhelming and sudden in effect.
2. Pathology . (Of disease) beginning in a sudden and severe form.
3. Striking as with lightning.



I've been hoping the Dallas Cowboys offense will be foudroyant - as in striking with lightning - but the word would probably better describe the sudden rash of injuries the team has suffered lately.

August 17, 2010

With Red Ink




You Are a Green Pen



You are not just a little quirky, you're downright weird. And you're proud of being different!

You go against the grain just so you won't fit in. You couldn't imagine being like everyone else.

You are creative and a big wacky. You've got a big vision, and it's changing every week.

You are surprisingly charming and popular. You may not be normal in any way, but that's part of your appeal.


August 16, 2010

August 15, 2010

It Was a Good Day

Until I read my fortune:



My last New Year's resolution was to never make another resolution.

Do Ya - ELO

August 14, 2010

premorse

premorse\ pri-MAWRS\ adjective;
1. Pertaining to the end of something irregularly shortened, as if bitten or broken off.



Another new word for me.

It got me to thinking of the things in my life this word describes. My first thought was of my thumb on my left hand, the one I cut nearly off when I was a young child. It's not noticeable unless I point it out to people, but it's smaller and shorter than my other thumb. The darn thing has bothered me all my life because there's a small mass of scar tissue or what's left of a severed tendon that will hurt if I grip something the "wrong" way with that hand.

Ever heard the old adage "Sticks out like a sore thumb?". I've lived that expression, both literally and figuratively.

Can't remember exactly where I wrote about it, but I did tell the story of a guy I used to work for that had part of his nose missing, bitten off in a long-ago bar fight.

Other things in my life prematurely shortened? For one, my marriage. It probably should've lasted at least another couple of months.

Funny thing about my thumb and my ex-wife; her dad was a doctor and he told me my thumb could be repaired and could do it in an hour or so, easy as pie: a local, reattach the tendon, a few stitches. I probably should have extended my failed marriage at least that much longer.

Just as well, the divorce. I stuck out like a sore thumb in her family, anyway. (both literally and figuratively)

My hair is another thing of premorse; its life span has not only been irregularly shortened, it's starting to disappear.

I've had people in my life whose lives were irregularly shortened too, but I just don't feel like writing about that right now. In fact, it's made me so sad I think I'll stop right here.

That would mean this post is premorse, huh?


EDIT TO ADD

Found the "nose biting" post: Who Nose?

August 13, 2010

Two-Scoop Rebel




You Are a Rebel



You're a wild child, and you aren't about to slow down anytime soon.

You're the type of person who will do something just to say that you did it!

You don't worry too much about getting caught - you're having too much fun breaking the rules.

While you may not be involved in illegal activities, you do like breaking social norms.


August 7, 2010

mojo

mojo \ MOH-joh \

noun:
1. Personal magnetism; charm.
2. The art or practice of casting magic spells; magic; voodoo.
3. An object, as an amulet or charm, that is believed to carry a magic spell.
4. Good luck or favor concerning an event or individual.



I used to have a lot of mojo (definition #1, anyway) when I was younger.

I'm not sure that whether I've lost it because I'm older, or I just can't remember where I put it because I'm older.

August 6, 2010

yeuk

yeuk\ YOOK \
noun: 1. An itching sensation.

verb: 1. To itch.



Now all I need to know is another word for "scratch".

August 5, 2010

cheechako

cheechako \ chee-CHAH-koh \, noun:

1. A tenderfoot; greenhorn; newcomer.



Oil field terminology isn't quite so kind to people starting out on the job; they're called "worms". (and if they're particularly inept, they're called "weevils", which is a worm's helper.)

It's National Underwear Day!

national underwear day logo"Official Site"

I remember my mother always telling me to be sure I had on clean underwear in case I was in a wreck. I never did say anything to her, but I always figured that if I was in a wreck, clean underwear might very well be the least of my problems.

Still, I always have on clean underwear. While not as big of an obsession with me as my socks, I have several dozens of pairs of underwear. I doubt that there's more than a couple of pairs of white ones; my underwear collection has more colors than a rainbow. I really like gray, but also buy black, blue, green and a few other colors, some in "Miami Vice" pastels.

That's the only "fancy" thing about my undies; I don't buy the nylon nor silk material but prefer cotton. I've had a few pairs of expensive underwear made of something other than cotton, but didn't like the way it felt against my skin. Plus, they also made me walk a little differently. Don't ask why.

My favorite underwear would either be my Soviet boxers, with the hammer and sickle on them or my several pairs of Hank Hill undies. I am also partial to my King Kong underwear - not making a statement when I wear them, but it's probably just wishful thinking.

What I like most about my underwear collection is that most of my larger/size Large pairs are getting several years old and I've replaced them with medium sizes.

Like I mentioned, I don't obsess about my underwear like I do my socks, but they ARE important to me. I change my undies every day, even if for some reason I miss my daily shower.

It's a comfort to me to think that if I DID get into a wreck, I wouldn't let my mother down.

August 4, 2010

Facebook Poking



Are you a Facebook fan? Even though I've been signed up for a few years, I've only recently started using the service, but post/visit even less than I do this blog. It's a great way to keep up w/ some old classmates as well as friends and family members. I don't really care for the basic setup, but I realize it's a good thing for many people because of its simplicity and ease of use. OTOH, the security flaws seem to be all-too-frequent and should concern anyone who cares about their privacy. Still, it's better than MySpace.

Shoot, anything is better than MySpace.

So when I was sitting in the United diner last week and overheard "Facebook" being mentioned by the couple sitting at the next table over, my ears perked up. The young lady was disturbed that he had many female friends, but was really upset about the "pokes" back and forth.

Now, if you don't know, "poking" on Facebook is the cyber equivalent of a friendly nudge in the ribs. Two of my friends and I exchange fairly regular "pokes". It's a quick and easy way - short of actually posting on their "wall" - to let them know you read their posts and while you might not comment, you're thinking of them. (well, that's what it means to me, but....)

The girl and the guy kept going back and forth, the girl being jealous and making no bones about it and the guy trying vainly to reassure his g/f that the "pokes" should be no concern to her.

"It's no big deal." he said. He went on, trying plead his innocence. "It's just on Facebook."

There was a extended pause in the conversation and when the girl finally spoke up, it made me snort Diet Dr. Pepper out my nose.

"Well...." she replied, "Facebook BETTER be the only place you're pokin' them."

Food For Thought

Because it seems I'm always thinking about food. This quiz says differently, but one question about ethnic food didn't have the right options. (Taco Bell ethnic? The other choices were sushi - yeah, right - and Ethiopian. I bet there's not an Ethiopian place within a thousand miles of here.)




You Are a Part-time Foodie



Food is definitely something you get excited about. You love to eat!

And while each meal you have may not be extremely special, you try to spice things up a bit.

You aren't a very picky eater, and you're always looking to expand what you like.

You are willing to give almost anything a go, and you're quite the creative cook.


August 3, 2010

I'm Glad I Don't Live

in "Taxachusetts"

From CNN: Your share of the state debt

States are taking on more debt. Here’s your state’s burden per capita.

(click link above or graphic below to go to the site)

tax burden by state

August 2, 2010

Brainstorming




is going on in the ToTG Trivia Tournament!





A new month and contest has begun!

Test your trivia knowledge against some sharp wit!

(well, in my case it's dull wit and half at that)

ToTG Trivia Tournament