I came across this on youtube and felt that you needed to catch a glimpse of what my previous post was talking about re: Ricky and Karl.
Friday, December 12, 2008
A new addiction
Has anyone ever seen the original BBC version of 'The Office' written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant? It was the first version of The Office that I had ever seen and thought it was hilarious. In fact, when the American version first came out I wasn't sold on it, but over time it has become one of my favorite shows.
Anyway, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant also co-wrote and produced the show called 'Extras' which is even more hilarious than their original 'The Office' and definitely worth checking out. They also have a series of Podcasts available on iTunes with their friend Karl Pilkerton that became the #1 podcast in the world and is actually in the Guiness Book of World Records for the most downloaded podcast!
I downloaded one of his podcasts to give it a whirl and since then I have been downloading everything I can get my hands on. The bulk of the humor comes from Karl. He speaks in a monotone and troubled sounding voice. His thoughts are obscure and he delivers them in a very deadpan kind of way, but hilarious nonetheless. On the podcasts you hear Ricky and Stephen laughing constantly, but you never hear laughter out of Karl, in fact, I would bet this photo would be a rarity. Ricky and Stephen often mention how Karl has a head as round as an orange. What do you think:
Part of the appeal for me with this trio is their british accents and their use of certain words and phrases: 'knocking about', and the way Karl says: 'I'm sick of it' brings a smile to my face nearly every time.
It is funny to think that you would want to sit there and listen to 3 guys just chit chat about whatever comes up, but the stuff that comes up is hilarious and their comedic twists on it are even better.
Type in Ricky Gervais under the podcasts heading at itunes and see for yourself.
Is it really good?
For those of you who weren't aware, I just spent the last week back in my hometown visiting my family. Hitch wasn't here either so there is limited food in the cupboards and fridge.
This morning (and I use that term loosely), I got up and wanted something to eat for 'breakfast' so I went to the cupboard and there was a bag of bagels that I purchased about 3 weeks ago. My initial reaction was 'good, they are still good...no mold'. Then I thought about it: is it really a good thing that they are still good after all this time?
The fact that this food item is still 'fresh' is indicative of the high levels of preservatives within the bagel. The most common preservative found in bread items is propionic acid which help prevent mold from forming. Now, certain levels of preservatives are likely necessary otherwise we would be at the grocery store every day buying one or two bagels at a time. Who needs that? If it has been 3 weeks since I last bought bagels I highly doubt that I would be inclined to go to the grocery store every day to pick up bread.
As much as I would like to eat all natural and organic, sometimes it is just easy to stuff a three week old bagel smeared with creme cheese in and call it breakfast.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
The puppy formerly known as Marvin
I would like to introduce the new addition to the clan:
Tomas (Tommy) Edward (Eddie) Hein
His original name was 'Marvin' because that was Eddie's middle name (I will be honest, I wasn't a big fan from the beginning, but he isn't my dog and nobody asked me. Plus the sentimental notion of it was totally legit so I was all in for that name), but over the first few days, 'Marvin' became a bit difficult to say and quite honestly he doesn't look like a 'Marvin'. The family mostly agreed to Tommy which I quite like.
My sister got him from a family in Red Deer. He is as cute as it gets and is busy exploring every little nook in his new environment. He appears to be pretty smart too because it only seemed to take one day before he started peeing on his newspapers with reasonable consistency. The cutest little guy ever...I just want to snuggle him up all the time.
No, he will not be able to replace Eddie, there will always be only one Eddie, but he will definitely be a nice addition to the rest of the pack. That is, however, once we shed him of his 'sucking lice' that have been discovered!
Yesterday, while cuddling him up on the couch, my sister felt a little round thing on him. Initially she thought it was a small wart until she was able to pry it loose and put it in the palm of her hand. Upon closer inspection she realized that it was moving!! Minutes later he was at the vet and the diagnosis was made that he had what they call sucking lice. It is different than fleas in the sense that these lice are very slow moving and actually suck the blood of the host instead of merely feasting off the dead skin. The lice is treatable with a special shampoo and a topical ointment. Once he was shampooed and blow-dried, she used a special comb to pull out the dead lice and the scene was shocking. He was absolutely COATED in the things. Below is a small sample of what came out of the comb and fell into the sink:
The lice isn't supposed to be able to live on humans, but it is my guess that they would definitely give it a try if they were given the opportunity. I have been feeling quite itchy around the head and neck for a couple of days now. I am just trying to pinpoint whether or not I started feeling that way pre-Tommy or post Tommy. Often it can be psychological itching when such topics of conversation come about, but my itching has bee sustained and I am a bit concerned now because it doesn't seem to be subsiding. Perhaps I will have to get my sister the shampoo and comb out my hair next.
Tomas (Tommy) Edward (Eddie) Hein
His original name was 'Marvin' because that was Eddie's middle name (I will be honest, I wasn't a big fan from the beginning, but he isn't my dog and nobody asked me. Plus the sentimental notion of it was totally legit so I was all in for that name), but over the first few days, 'Marvin' became a bit difficult to say and quite honestly he doesn't look like a 'Marvin'. The family mostly agreed to Tommy which I quite like.
My sister got him from a family in Red Deer. He is as cute as it gets and is busy exploring every little nook in his new environment. He appears to be pretty smart too because it only seemed to take one day before he started peeing on his newspapers with reasonable consistency. The cutest little guy ever...I just want to snuggle him up all the time.
No, he will not be able to replace Eddie, there will always be only one Eddie, but he will definitely be a nice addition to the rest of the pack. That is, however, once we shed him of his 'sucking lice' that have been discovered!
Yesterday, while cuddling him up on the couch, my sister felt a little round thing on him. Initially she thought it was a small wart until she was able to pry it loose and put it in the palm of her hand. Upon closer inspection she realized that it was moving!! Minutes later he was at the vet and the diagnosis was made that he had what they call sucking lice. It is different than fleas in the sense that these lice are very slow moving and actually suck the blood of the host instead of merely feasting off the dead skin. The lice is treatable with a special shampoo and a topical ointment. Once he was shampooed and blow-dried, she used a special comb to pull out the dead lice and the scene was shocking. He was absolutely COATED in the things. Below is a small sample of what came out of the comb and fell into the sink:
The lice isn't supposed to be able to live on humans, but it is my guess that they would definitely give it a try if they were given the opportunity. I have been feeling quite itchy around the head and neck for a couple of days now. I am just trying to pinpoint whether or not I started feeling that way pre-Tommy or post Tommy. Often it can be psychological itching when such topics of conversation come about, but my itching has bee sustained and I am a bit concerned now because it doesn't seem to be subsiding. Perhaps I will have to get my sister the shampoo and comb out my hair next.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Enough already
A few nights ago Sean Avery, the rogue player of the Dallas Stars, sought out the media to deliver this message to flames defeseman Dion Phaneuf:
He got suspended 6 games for this act, and the Star's organization has all but come out and said that they don't want him back.
The portion of the clip that is shown above, although is part of the story, isn't the tipping point. The overriding issue in the story for me is what you didn't see in this clip. The story is how he sought and created his own mini-press conference. He wasn't being interviewed at that point, it was someone else, yet he barged forward and created a stage for himself. This was a premeditated scenario, created minutes after Avery promised his head coach that he wouldn't talk to the media.
From a social standpoint, although his comments are vile and disgusting, they could be received as even funny and factual. The issue is, however, that Sean Avery is a professional representative of one of the classiest organizations in the league. At that moment, not only does he put his teammates in an awkward spot in regard to the game later that evening, but he cast a light on the Dallas Stars that they have never wished to be a part of.
There are arguments made in regards to Avery that he is 'good for hockey' and sells seats and gains exposure for the NHL, however there is no real evidence to support that. Avery started his career in Detroit, moved onto LA, then the Rangers and now is a Dallas Star. There was no peak in attendance when Avery played in Detroit or LA, the seats in Madison Square Gardens are always full anyway, and because the Stars aren't very good this year, the American Airlines center is as empty as it has been in years. Nobody buys a ticket to their local team because Sean Avery is coming to town. Ovechkin, Malkin, Crosby, and even Rick Nash sells tickets, but not Sean Avery. Would there potentially have been more viewers of that ensuing Stars/Flames game? Possibly, but it wouldn't have been to watch the hockey, it would have been to watch the sideshow that Avery created.
Have his recent comments put this story and the NHL in mainstream media? Sure it has, for a day or two, but so did the Berutzzi/Moore incident. These incidents don't put the NHL in the limelight in a positive way. Non-hockey fans look at a clip like this and they say: what a pig and it further confirms why they aren't hockey fans at all. Negative attention is fleeting and it isn't a means to draw long term fans into the game. There are loads of NFL criminals, I mean players, in the news for various quotes/acts/criminal behaviour, yet it doesn't make me want to watch football.
Sean Avery has been in the league since 2001. In 5 years he is now on his 4th team. The LA Kings suspended him for the last 3 games of the 06-07 season for basically being a pain in the rear, but they used the excuse of him getting in an argument with an assistant coach over his refusal to participate in a practice drill.
It has been reported that when Dallas' co-GM Brett Hull was about to sign him this summer, several players of the team went to him and told him that they didn't want him around. He signed him anyway in an effort to bring some spice and personality to a fairly 'vanilla' team. The Stars went to the Western Conference Finals last year...this year they haven't looked like a team at all and are floundering in the cellar of the league. Too much spice perhaps? Now this.
Sean Avery actually thinks he is good for hockey. He thinks he is helping the NHL in marketing. Sean Avery thinks because he will say things that nobody else will in front of a camera, that he is attracting fans. Sean Avery doesn't care about selling and promoting the game. He doesn't care about his teammates, he is a punk who only thinks about himself and self promotion. I have had enough of Sean Avery and his cavalier attitude, and from a selfish standpoint, I hope he plays out the rest of his NHL contract in the minor leagues.
If Sean Avery was as important to the enhancement of the NHL as he thinks he is, there would be a huge drop in attention and revenue when he is exiled. My prediction is that there will be none, and the only mediums that will miss him will be the desperately boring and lazy sports writers who need guys like Avery basically write their stories for them. The league will go on, and thankfully, the Sean Avery show will not.
He got suspended 6 games for this act, and the Star's organization has all but come out and said that they don't want him back.
The portion of the clip that is shown above, although is part of the story, isn't the tipping point. The overriding issue in the story for me is what you didn't see in this clip. The story is how he sought and created his own mini-press conference. He wasn't being interviewed at that point, it was someone else, yet he barged forward and created a stage for himself. This was a premeditated scenario, created minutes after Avery promised his head coach that he wouldn't talk to the media.
From a social standpoint, although his comments are vile and disgusting, they could be received as even funny and factual. The issue is, however, that Sean Avery is a professional representative of one of the classiest organizations in the league. At that moment, not only does he put his teammates in an awkward spot in regard to the game later that evening, but he cast a light on the Dallas Stars that they have never wished to be a part of.
There are arguments made in regards to Avery that he is 'good for hockey' and sells seats and gains exposure for the NHL, however there is no real evidence to support that. Avery started his career in Detroit, moved onto LA, then the Rangers and now is a Dallas Star. There was no peak in attendance when Avery played in Detroit or LA, the seats in Madison Square Gardens are always full anyway, and because the Stars aren't very good this year, the American Airlines center is as empty as it has been in years. Nobody buys a ticket to their local team because Sean Avery is coming to town. Ovechkin, Malkin, Crosby, and even Rick Nash sells tickets, but not Sean Avery. Would there potentially have been more viewers of that ensuing Stars/Flames game? Possibly, but it wouldn't have been to watch the hockey, it would have been to watch the sideshow that Avery created.
Have his recent comments put this story and the NHL in mainstream media? Sure it has, for a day or two, but so did the Berutzzi/Moore incident. These incidents don't put the NHL in the limelight in a positive way. Non-hockey fans look at a clip like this and they say: what a pig and it further confirms why they aren't hockey fans at all. Negative attention is fleeting and it isn't a means to draw long term fans into the game. There are loads of NFL criminals, I mean players, in the news for various quotes/acts/criminal behaviour, yet it doesn't make me want to watch football.
Sean Avery has been in the league since 2001. In 5 years he is now on his 4th team. The LA Kings suspended him for the last 3 games of the 06-07 season for basically being a pain in the rear, but they used the excuse of him getting in an argument with an assistant coach over his refusal to participate in a practice drill.
It has been reported that when Dallas' co-GM Brett Hull was about to sign him this summer, several players of the team went to him and told him that they didn't want him around. He signed him anyway in an effort to bring some spice and personality to a fairly 'vanilla' team. The Stars went to the Western Conference Finals last year...this year they haven't looked like a team at all and are floundering in the cellar of the league. Too much spice perhaps? Now this.
Sean Avery actually thinks he is good for hockey. He thinks he is helping the NHL in marketing. Sean Avery thinks because he will say things that nobody else will in front of a camera, that he is attracting fans. Sean Avery doesn't care about selling and promoting the game. He doesn't care about his teammates, he is a punk who only thinks about himself and self promotion. I have had enough of Sean Avery and his cavalier attitude, and from a selfish standpoint, I hope he plays out the rest of his NHL contract in the minor leagues.
If Sean Avery was as important to the enhancement of the NHL as he thinks he is, there would be a huge drop in attention and revenue when he is exiled. My prediction is that there will be none, and the only mediums that will miss him will be the desperately boring and lazy sports writers who need guys like Avery basically write their stories for them. The league will go on, and thankfully, the Sean Avery show will not.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Tale of the Toes
Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote out my 'dek toe'? Well, today I decided to remove the nail polish so I could really assess the damage. All this time I thought I had a minor nail issue, but needless to say I was quite surprised at while lied beneath my wonderful pedicure. See for yourself:
Can you believe it? Again, I know they look like my thumbs, but believe me, those are my toes. I have the distinguished ability to spread my toes apart as if they were fingers, but they aren't. Back on topic...
I knew that I might be losing my toenail on the left, but honestly didn't anticipate the toe on the right to be completely blue like it is! The sensation when the one on the right happened was that of a bursting sensation, but it didn't put me on the sidelines like jam on the left. Yeouch!
Below is my sister's version of dek toe--her second toe faces the wrath of the inside of her running shoe and has a small black fleck in the center on it...get real close to your screen and you might be able to see it. Go ahead...get reaaaaaallly close up. Can you see it?
She just wanted her chubby little toe to get some face time.
Can you believe it? Again, I know they look like my thumbs, but believe me, those are my toes. I have the distinguished ability to spread my toes apart as if they were fingers, but they aren't. Back on topic...
I knew that I might be losing my toenail on the left, but honestly didn't anticipate the toe on the right to be completely blue like it is! The sensation when the one on the right happened was that of a bursting sensation, but it didn't put me on the sidelines like jam on the left. Yeouch!
Below is my sister's version of dek toe--her second toe faces the wrath of the inside of her running shoe and has a small black fleck in the center on it...get real close to your screen and you might be able to see it. Go ahead...get reaaaaaallly close up. Can you see it?
She just wanted her chubby little toe to get some face time.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Black Friday
It doesn't feel right posting this so soon after Eddie's passing, but I think it might be a good step forward for everyone. I am still sad about the Ed-meister and sad that my sister lost her company. I will shift gears nonetheless...
The day after Thanksgiving in the US is the biggest shopping day of the year. They call it 'black friday'. Some stores open at midnight and people swarm the stores literally fighting, scratching and clawing to get the best deals. I just read that two men were shot and killed at a Toys R' Us store in Palm Desert, CA. I know that store, I have been there! Can you imagine going toy shopping for your kids and hearing shots ring out? Do you really need to get up first thing in the morning to save a few bucks off the web-kins? This episode seemed to be independent of the whole 'Black Friday'
The whole craziness that is buying things at for Christmas is very off-putting. Of course, when you were a kid Christmas was about the presents and possibly having time to fool around with cousin's that you never got to see much, but mostly about the presents.
I feel very uncomfortable getting things for Christmas anymore. I would rather sit there and watch everyone else open their gifts than open mine. I always appreciate what I get, but I don't want anyone to go through the stress that they go through to
find me 'the right thing'. I am more of a believer of: if you find something throughout the year that you think might be nice for someone, whatever the time of year, go ahead and pick it up. Getting a gift from someone on any given 'wednesday' shows a great deal about the thought than a prearranged date to exchange gifts.Conversely when I go Christmas shopping, what if I don't find the 'right gift'? I feel really bad giving someone a gift that they might like as opposed to one I know they will love. I LOVE giving gifts to people that I know they will love. I can hardly contain myself when they are opening it, and often, long before they open it. When I was a kid I had a hard time keeping a secret about people's gifts. I remember my mom just giving me some light-hearted nudging about what her gift was once, and I spilled it like a 14 month old holding a glass of kool-aid.
Not only could I not wait for people to know what their gifts were, I couldn't wait to know what mine were. When I was a kid, I was always the one who would comb the house for the hidden packages. I remember finding presents in the van, in the spare bedroom, and in my parents closet. Their bedroom closet? Please. They were going to have to do much better than that. The van, now that was a pretty good one.
Now that I am older, not only do I not want to know, I would prefer to just be the giver and that is all. Hitch, on the other hand, loves Christmas and is EXACTLY like I was as a kid...excpet he isn't quite a kid. He basically gives me running total of how many idea's he has, when he is doing his shopping, and whether or not he is finished. I have to be sure to tell him several times that I DON'T want to know what my gifts are.
To me, Christmas is about the relaxing music, the lights, the beauty of the snow, and of course, getting together eating a big fat turkey dinner and just hanging out.
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