I Think I Found My Missing Brother

I don’t actually have a missing brother, but if I did (or maybe I do and just don’t know about him!), this has to be his handiwork:

By Chris Bucholz
February 12, 2012

Dear Car Owner,

You may have noticed the dent on the left side of your car. If not, allow me to draw your attention to it now. As you can see, it is there, and so is this note, and now two and two are getting put together in your head. Allow me to confirm your suspicions: The dent and note are connected. I have dented your car and wish to apologize for it.


Got it pretty good there, didn’t I? You get that kind of denting action from your core muscles; that’s where the power is.

Read the rest here

In my family we never did anything like everyone else. Everything was fraught with drama and sometimes comedy. Mom’s favorite phrase, “Comedy is next to tragedy” was a litany. Countless horrors fill my head as I type this. Mom wielding a pair of scissors to give me a little trim before a classmate’s birthday party. My hair had been at my shoulder blades when I sat down. I had a pixie when I stood up. I always felt bad about missing that party, and to this day I struggle with the name Felicia. She was the most popular girl in school, and how dare I snub her invitation?! She never let me forget it — right through our senior year.

Mom’s propensity to convolute the mundane touched every part of our lives. Use vanilla extract from the grocery store? You’ve got to be kidding?! We made our own! And it had to be vanilla beans from a certain part of South America and I forget what kind of alcohol, but I’m sure it was a particular brand. Yeah, Martha Stewart’s got nothing on Momma.

Then there were the stray dogs. At one point in my childhood, I honestly could not tell you how many dogs we owned. I think it dawned on me Mom’s passion for strays might have been a little much when over the course of a couple of weeks three irritated neighbors each brought us a new dog and swore they were ours. Despite the neighbors’ exasperation, the local vet adored Mom. When he died, his wife invited us to the funeral — never mind Mom hadn’t used that vet’s services in 20 years. What else could they do for the person who helped pay for a couple of their luxury vacations.

So this morning I was reading Chris Bucholz, and it all came back to me, and I could almost see my mother leaving that note on the dented car. But then I know where she is right now, so it must be her lost child.

And Richard Armitage’s part in this? I’m getting to it. :D

Note to Chris Bucholz:

Thank you. I read your columns regularly, and they never fail to make me laugh and think and not just about Momma.

Sincerely,
Frenz

February 13, 2012
Categories: Tangents . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 2 Comments

What the Heck is in Nutella?

Before I get back to Richard Armitage and while I’m still on food, I’ve got to say something about this, and no, it’s not pronounced Nut-ella but New-tella. Yeah, it definitely makes people tella, and tella, and it just seems like they’re high on something. I think it’s a narcotic or maybe just enough chocolate to make it subject to being a controlled substance. Something’s going on. What else to explain the behavior of those who unabashedly consume it and become rabid pushers of it. I did have the thought that this might be RA in food form. These people bear a striking resemblance to some of us. :D

This is one of countless people who gorge themselves on Nutella:

And they don’t just eat it alone. How about some cat hair with your Nutella:

And the cooks are all over it. A little cleavage with your Nutella (this one’s for the guys who read my foolishness):

A Twitter buddy who heightened my awareness of this stuff is to thank for this post:

https://twitter.com/#!/NutellaV/status/165967479611465728

Or a jar of Nutella, and speaking of which, my friend and others are not satisfied with reveling in the goodness of this stuff. They’re going for world domination. And you thought it was just Super Bowl Sunday. :D

I’m holding out though. Still haven’t tried Nutella. I may do it later today when everyone has their heads in the tv. That way I won’t be self-conscious if I suddenly down a jar.

edit: you’re going to love this.

February 5, 2012
Categories: Tangents . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 29 Comments

I had to post this, and if you haven’t visited this site, treat yourself!

Agzy The Ripper's avatarI Want to be a Pin Up

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February 1, 2012
Categories: Tangents, Uncategorized . Tags: , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 2 Comments

In the Nick of Time

For those who don’t know it, I’m participating in Project 365 this year, and for the most part, it’s been fairly easy. But today was a killer. The mistake was not scheduling my post. I knew I was going to be away for most of the day with the possibility of not getting near a computer. I started to blog from my phone, but that’s a pain. I would say it’s a bitch, but that wouldn’t be classy, and this blog does strive to be classy a little bit, and I’m in need of some couth right now.

I’ve spent the day with the middle school girls’ basketball team. I was their bus driver. Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment, but really, it’s because I have a middle school basketball player, and this is an easy way for me to get to her games. Seriously, I do enjoy the kids, and middle school girls love to sing on the bus, which makes it even more interesting. Tonight’s playlist:

I like some of these songs, but four hours of this (two there and two back)? I couldn’t get home fast enough and glad to be here typing. Sorry no Richard Armitage. Maybe tomorrow. :D

January 26, 2012
Categories: Tangents . Tags: , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 8 Comments

Still on Facebook? Get Ready…

Any longtime readers of this blog know I have little love for Facebook. However, I realize it is sometimes a necessary evil on the Web. Perhaps the day is coming when that won’t be true, but for now, we’re stuck with it. And if you’re on FB and have not checked out the new Timeline, you need to do it before it’s thrust on you next week. Yep, FB is once again making a major change which compromises privacy. Aren’t you weary of this? I am and was a long time ago. When I heard about this on Mashable yesterday, I groaned and decided I wasn’t even going to talk about it. But a FB post from Grati prompted me to say something.

In my original daft of this post, I started listing the issues with the new timeline and became so irritated, I chucked it. I’m going to cheat and let someone else tell you about it:

Facebook Timeline mandatory rollout: You have 7 days to scour your past
By Mike Wehner, Tecca | Today in Tech – 21 hrs ago

The time to edit your online persona is now

Facebook is the virtual home to more than 800 million active users, so any change to how the network operates is a big deal. And nothing could be bigger for the social hotspot than completely revamping everyone’s front-facing profile page, and that is exactly what is happening today. Starting this morning, the new Timeline feature — that up until now has been an optional switch — is now mandatory.

The Timeline differs from the default profile pages we know and love in several ways. Now, rather than showcasing only your most recent posts, your personal front page can be scrolled back months or years at a time. Most importantly, this change can offer visitors a glimpse at your entire social networking past, all the way back to the day that you joined up. The revamp can be both a blessing and a curse for seasoned social networkers, as it can produce a bit of pleasant nostalgia, but also drag up some of your less proud public moments.

Left untouched, your Timeline may remind of you of breakups, job troubles, or even a few unfortunate party photos that you have long since buried. Depending on your settings, these black marks on your digital past could allow new followers — including friends or business associates — to see a side of you that was better kept tucked away.

Read the rest here

Isn’t Facebook fun? But hey, if you really want some of the old stuff back, there is almost always a way. If you read that link and say, “But Frenz, I use Internet Explorer?!!” we need to talk.

Of course the usual comments will be made, “you shouldn’t have posted there in the first place,” “or I don’t use Facebook [with the implication being how smart they were to avoid it in the first place]”. No offense to those potential commenters, but this post is not for you, and those kinds of comments do nothing to repair someone’s timeline. Although I heartily agree with you, and it should be common sense by now that anything posted on the Web (no matter how secure it supposedly may be) is subject to being publicized. If someone doesn’t agree with this, you need to know that Mark Zuckerberg considers the age of privacy over (interesting how the video where he said that is no longer).

Do you think this might be one very good reason Richard Armitage has avoided social media? Smart boy.

January 25, 2012
Categories: Tangents . Tags: , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 13 Comments

Serendipity Thy Name is Twitter

That about sums up Twitter, but the pleasure is in the details. Yesterday, I discovered Sam Neill has an account. I have to admit I was not a fangirl of him when I was younger, but then, I wasn’t a fangirl of anyone. Too cool for that sort of thing. I had appearances to keep up, and I kept them up with a vengeance. Blessedly, my daughters were not as uptight as I was, and my oldest will have a conniption when she discovers Sam Neill is following me (and several other RA fan girls) on Twitter.

Now I’m not stupid — at least not this week — and know that Sam Neill is running a business. It’s in his best interest to follow a bunch of mouthy females who will not only talk about him but his wine. I’m happy to report I’ve read his site, and if the wine is even half as good as the write-ups there, I need to buy a bottle quickly! Who knew Sam Neill was so snarky? But then he is from New Zealand. Yes, I know he wasn’t born there, but he’s been there long enough, and he is half Kiwi.

What I’m trying to say and taking seven words where one will do is I think I’m going to buy some wine. And then Twitter is really going to get fun.

In the meantime, I’m putting in my bid for Richard Armitage on the blog.

Note to self: Sam is just one more reason to make a pilgrimage to New Zealand. :D

Note to those who don’t do Twitter: seeeeeeee!

edit: I just remembered I won ‘The Piano’ DVD on one of the giveaways from The Squeee. Must make a trip to the post office today!

second edit: I was wrong. It was the book The Piano (already started reading :D ) and a little surprise I didn’t know about. Thanks, Trax.

January 24, 2012
Categories: Tangents . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 5 Comments

Going Where No One Ought to Go

If I’ve ever been tempted to say WTF?! this is it:

Evening apparel, ten thousand dollars+; awards gala, several hundred thousand dollars; trying too hard, priceless.

No matter how many times I see this picture, that question will not go away.

January 23, 2012
Categories: Tangents . Tags: , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 2 Comments

One more nod to Matt, and this one is for all of you Apple bigots. It's also a fitting post for the Chinese New Year.

Matthew Eilar's avatarhammer & jack

EDIT: This American Life has retracted the episode after Mike Daisey was found to have fabricated some of the information he presented in the episode. Links to clarifying information and my take here.

If anybody didn’t catch last week’s episode of This American Life, “Mr. Daisey and the Factory,” you should listen to it right away. The episode is an hourlong excerpt of Mike Daisey’s one man show, The Agony and the Ecstacy of Steve Jobs, a timely monologue about Steve Jobs and the working conditions in the factories in China that make most of the world’s electronics, from iPhones to Xboxes.

One thing that I was thinking about while I was listening to the episode was what it means, in this day and age, to be a prophet. Because Mike Daisey sounds like a prophet. I think we have a confused concept of what a…

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January 23, 2012
Categories: Tangents . Tags: , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 11 Comments

Have You Read Matt Yet?

Hmmm, two pieces in a row with a question in the title. I need more coffee. That little bean is the source of about half my clever thoughts. The other half is from reading people who take me on a journey and make me consider or reconsider. One of them is Matt. Originally, I read his blog to hear his thoughts about music, and I’ve stayed to learn much more. Over the two years I’ve been reading, Matthew has been evolving as a writer and thinker, and usually posts something fascinating. The piece today highlights beautiful explanations, and is the perfect piece for me to bring to your attention since I often think of Matt’s blog pieces with that description.

Hope you check him out. And believe it or not, most of my favorite websites have nothing to do with Richard Armitage although I would imagine he would like Matt too.

Note: never saw Matt before I started reading his blog. Just giving credit where it’s due. :D

January 23, 2012
Categories: Tangents . Tags: , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 1 Comment

The Opera that is SOPA and PIPA

Not much Richard Armitage today, but I can’t apologize for it. Richard will just have to understand, and somehow I think he does.

For most of the day my site was blacked out with this being the only post:

My friends, I do not like getting political on this blog, and just so you know, I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I am merely a U.S. citizen who does not believe the Federal Government needs to have control of the Internet. Many websites are blacked out today to protest proposed U.S. legislation that threatens internet freedom: Senate Bill 968, the Protect IP Act. From personal blogs to giants like WordPress and Wikipedia, sites all over the web — including this one — are asking for you to help us stop this dangerous legislation from being passed.

Please watch the video below to learn why we are opposing this legislation and how it will affect internet freedom, and if you agree with us, take action. I hope you will.

— Sincerely, Frenz

I hope you took the time to check out the link and the video. If you’re still confused, by the SOPA/PIPA saga and all the parties ranting on each side, I have a few more things to say about it, and then my insane self will take over tomorrow.

The crux of this issue is the U.S. government trying to legislate the ability for them to subvert an ip address based on a complaint of piracy. No day in court. Just a complaint. This blows the 14th Amendment to hell. Yes, there are other things that blow it and other amendments to hell, i.e., NDAA, but when do we say enough is enough? The internet is our only decent end-run around mainstream news sources, and it scares the hell out of me to have the government in control of it. That lumbering elephant that does nothing easily to be in charge of handling complaints about piracy?! And do it effectively? I don’t see it. But I do see the system being abused, and then a whole set of additional laws cropping up to deal with that, and on and on and on and one more damned bureaucracy to deal with. Meanwhile we have lost a major freedom of expression.

The good news today is some backers of the PIPA bill have withdrawn their support. But the most important thing to remember is that the fat lady hasn’t sung, and she still bears monitoring. Yep, the price of freedom is still vigilance.

Back tomorrow with RA.

January 18, 2012
Categories: Tangents . Tags: , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 3 Comments

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