random Archives - Page 3 of 8

May 19, 2009

Reply Hazy, Shuffle Again

Am I the only person who uses her iPod as a Magic 8 Ball far too often?

Think about it: thousands of songs with meaningful titles loaded onto that little device. And a great shuffle feature.

How often have you pressed shuffle and had a song come on that you really, really needed to hear? Or one that so perfectly fit your mood, it’s like it was hand selected for you? Same principle, just applied a little more directly.

More than once I’ve had it with me while on my way to some important function, or been driving while anxious about some topic or another. Think about a question, hit the Shuffle button, and all is revealed:

Will Aaron get over this fight?

Shuffle – Won’t Go Home Without You (Maroon 5)

Whew.
—

Will these kids stop fighting with each other today, or should I abandon them in a cornfield? (Hush, you know I’d never do something like that!)

Shuffle – Keep Holding On (Avril Lavigne)

They should be happy it didn’t play Thnks Fr Th Mmrs (Fall Out Boy).
—

How should I spend the evening?

Shuffle – Drink the Night Away (Gaelic Storm)

I knew I loved you, iPod!
—

Will I get this job?

Shuffle – Pray (Once On This Island, musical)

Hmmm…is that good or bad?
—

Please, please, please let me pass this exam!

Shuffle – Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day)

Oh shit.
—

It doesn’t always work out so smoothly. Today I asked if the car would keep running, and it replied with Legal Assassin from the movie Repo! The Genetic Opera. Um…is someone going to assassinate my car? WTF does that mean?

These are the times when interpretation must come into play. No simple “Reply hazy, try again” answers here. That means I often skip to the next song until I get something that matches up with the question at hand a little better. In the question of my car, I got to Daughtry’s Breakdown, then decided that I probably shouldn’t have asked to begin with.

OK, maybe I am a little crazy to look to my iPod for advice. Like a Magic 8 Ball, it’s all random chance, even if my old Magic 8 Ball did have a scary-high percentage of accuracy.
—
iPod, will my readers flee after reading this?

Shuffle – The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room – WHA? Hmmm, try again?

Shuffle again – Sympathy-Tenderness (Jekyll & Hyde the musical)

Oh, I hope you’re right…

Filed Under: clearly insane, me me me, pop culture, random ·

May 7, 2009

Things You Hear At A Star Trek Screening

By Christina ·

When anyone can pick up a pass to a free premiere, you get to overhear some odd conversations. Especially from younger girls who have a limited knowledge of Star Trek based only on The Next Generation:

“This is the early history of the bald guy, right?”
“Bald guy?”
“Yeah, the bald guy on Star Trek. That’s the only one I know.”
*laughing* “The bald guy Star Trek? No, it’s about the old one!”

“Are you sure? I thought this was about the bald guy Star Trek. You know, the one where they’re on Earth in the desert fighting some guy…”
“The movie or the TV show?”
“I don’t know! But it’s when he becomes human and they’re celebrating Christmas.”
“What are you talking about? He IS human!”
“No, on Earth he becomes human again! Like he becomes more human or something.”
“Are you talking about Data?”
“Which one is he?”
“He’s the computer who does become human in one of the movies.”
“Look, all I know is the guy in the wheelchair in X-Men is the bald guy in the Star Trek I know! And he’s the one fighting the guy in the desert.”

“What about the guy with the weird forehead?”
“Weird forehead? What kind of weird forehead?”
“Like, a huge forehead.”
“Worf”
“Yes, it’s a Worf.”
“No, that’s his name. He’s a Klingon.”
“Oh. Well, is he in this?”
“He’s not in this movie.”

“So do any of the guys in this grow up to be the bald guy?”
“No, the main guy becomes Captain Kirk from the old Star Trek.”
“Which one is he?”
“He was the first one.”
“Do I know what he looks like? Which actor is he?”
“You know,” *singing* “Price-line Ne-go-ti-a-tor!”
“OH! OK!”

“Wait, have I seen the guy who plays Spock?”
“Yeah, he’s on Heroes.”
“Which one?”
“He cuts people’s heads open.”
“Spock cuts people’s heads open?!?”
“No! The guy on Heroes does that! But it’s the same actor.”

And those were just the ones I remembered. If only we had been allowed to bring electronics into the theatre. This pre-show should have been recorded. And the Star Trek geek that I am, I nearly bit through my tongue to keep quiet and let these conversations flourish in their natural habitat.

(Also, the movie? Excellent. Mighty excellent.)

PS – Looking for last minute Mother’s Day gifts? I’m featuring two that support the March of Dimes – help others while getting a great gift!

Filed Under: pop culture, random ·

Apr 24, 2009

Haiku Friday: Weed or Flower?

By Christina ·

My backyard is a
sea of yellow – beautiful
yet unwanted buds

Who decided that
dandelions are nothing
more than evil weeds?

If it wasn’t for the fact that my entire neighborhood believes that dandelions should be eradicated from the planet, I’d be able to enjoy the golden blanket across my backyard. Actually, I still think they’re pretty, and while I’ve eradicated them in the front yard, I don’t want to use harsh chemicals in the areas where my kids play.

By the way – thanks for all the garlic suggestions last week! I can’t wait to try out some of your ideas!

Also, I’m walking in the March for Babies here in Columbus this weekend – if you haven’t donated to the March of Dimes yet, please consider helping me reach my goal in the walk! I’m walking not only in honor and memory of those touched by prematurity in my life, but I’m also walking in memory of Maddie. I’ll have purple balloons at the walk, keeping them with me as a reminder and then setting them free at the end.

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your main blog URL). DON’T sign unless you have a haiku this week. If you need help with this, please let me know.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! I will delete any links without haiku!

Filed Under: Haiku Fridays, random ·

Mar 13, 2009

Haiku Friday: Backyard Visitor

By Christina ·

Early evening
we look out the window to
see a visitor

Out of the woods a
deer jumped our fence to look for
a snack on this side.

Finding the grass was
no greener on our side, she
spied another choice.

I now understand
why the birdseed is going
fast – it’s not the birds!

(Apologies for cloudy photos – I was snapping them behind a screen.)

One of the reasons we bought this house was because of the woods behind it. We love having the deer come by and visit. When we were the second house built, we’d see the deer nearly every day. But now that our entire development is finished, and the one behind us has cut down some of the woods, the deer are finding it harder to survive in this area.

However, every few weeks, I’ll spy one or two poking their heads out of the woods as they move to the east, across a field to a nearby pond. In the coming years that field will be filled with large buildings, and the deer will again be forced from their environment. For now, I’ll enjoy their visits, and let them have as much birdseed as they want.

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! I will delete any links without haiku!

Filed Under: daily life, Haiku Fridays, random ·

Feb 17, 2009

What Evolutionary Purpose Does This Serve?

By Christina ·

Why is it when you utter the phrase “Give that to me” to someone of the 1-3 year old set, they immediately run away with wild abandon, head thrown back and laughing in defiance as they hold high the forbidden object?

And why is it the more serious you are about the need to remove said item from their sticky little hands, the faster they run?

Darwin, I’m having trouble with your theory of natural selection right now.