Pop Culture King

No Thank You Walmart Mastercard

2011-04-02T23:35:00.002-04:00

An Open Letter to WalMart:

I don't particularly like shopping at your establishment but do on occasion.

What makes me really not like shopping there is when your cashier at the express check-out unexpresses me because she has to ask me if I want a WalMart Mastercard.

Not just once.

Like this: "Do you want to sign up for the Walmart Mastercard". "No thanks". "You can earn cash back on your purchases". "No thank you." "You can use it right at the check-out like cash." "No really, I'm good."

Very much like a tele-marketer except I was looking her dead in the eyes. I know it is her job to ask, but seriously, just ask me and move on!

Sincerely,
Barry

Elevator Etiquette

2011-04-01T15:05:00.002-04:00

So I have decided to take blogging up again, and, as I wait for something genius to say I will write about Elevator Etiquette. I am not sure that really etiquette is the right word so much as common-sense. Elevator common-sense, that sounds good. Listen, if I am standing waiting for the elevator and you walk up to it, you needn't press the button. Do you think I am just standing there just patiently waiting for you to come along and press it for me. Do you think that I don't know how to use the elevator so I have been waiting for you to come along and help me. Nope. The elevator is coming. Just wait for it.

So...

2009-06-29T21:16:00.001-04:00

So I thing that Facebook has made me forget about my blog. Bad me. There have been situations lately where I have thought - ohhh, I should blog about that and then I don't.

Tonight, though, I thought would be a good night to blog. Cherie is on the couch watching The Bachelorette, and I am bored on the computer.

Earlier tonight, we were watching the most dramatic episode of Jeopardy ever...wait...wrong show...anyways, we really were watching Jeopardy. The category was 4-letter Rivers. The question was something about a river between 2 states - so what does Cherie shout out...

MISSISSIPPI

Oh yes, if the category was 11-letter rivers she would have had it for sure!

The Great Thing About a Camera Phone is...

2009-05-31T16:22:00.005-04:00

...you can capture random things that you would normally not be able to. This one is not totally random. I drove by this sign everyday for nearly 2 months when I finally remember to take a picture of it.

I wonder if the OPG people are thinking the same thing I am...

Do I get a a 10% discount or do I have to take 10 people with me to get the discount??

Unnecessary Caption?

2009-03-01T21:11:00.001-05:00

It's Not Real.

2009-02-01T18:27:00.004-05:00

Cherie and I went to a taping of the Rick Mercer Report on Friday night. In the lobby of the CBC is the Tim Hortons set used for Royal Canadian Air Farce. So Cherie and I took some pics with it.
So as we are walking away and a guy walks up and totally tries to put his garbage in the garbage can.

I could hardly contain my laughter as he tried to get his bottle in the garbage can that is fake. He pushed on the flap with the bottle and it wouldn't open, so then tried pushing it open with his hand and when that failed, he moved on.

Old Blog Posts...

2009-01-29T21:36:00.002-05:00

I was just looking back on some things I have written in the past when I stumbled on this one...couldn't help but doing it again:

Go to Google and type in quotation marks your name and then "likes to" (ex. "Barry likes to"). Type in the first ten things that come up. Here we go:

Barry likes to throw caution to the wind.

Barry likes to exploit that unknown factor

Barry likes to work independently on free software projects

Barry likes to carry her around like a six-pack

Barry likes to spend his time inventing things in the privacy of his room, but frequently has to deal with time warps, art thieves, or his best friend accidentally turning himself into a dinosaur

Barry likes to compare photography to guitar playing

Barry likes to make mommy t-Na laugh, make her day with his adorable antics & talent.

Barry likes to screw up by constantly ...

Barry likes to go after Network Marketing companies.

Barry likes to work with the same people over and over

That was 10, but #11 is soooooo good, I just had to post it too...

Barry likes to eat. all the time.

Snow, Pt 2

2009-01-18T22:01:00.002-05:00

These are for you Meggers...

I have just finished shoveling for the 3rd time today.

Snow

2009-01-18T18:57:00.005-05:00

This blog is dedicated to Megan in BC who wants it to stop snowing there:

You can't tell from this angle, but the snowbank here is as tall as I am.

Poor Mr. Columbo, just trying to get back up the stairs...

The tree trunk is mostly covered by the snow...

SnowBlower Club

2009-01-18T17:59:00.001-05:00

There are 3 key rules for members of the snowblower club.

1. Don't talk about about snowblower club.

2. If you are in the snowblower club, don't talk to your neighbours who are not in the snowblower club - they will throw snow at you.

3. People with gravel driveways are not allowed into snowblower club.

I wish I was in the snowblower club.

Very Cool!

2009-01-16T19:53:00.000-05:00

Birthday, Christmas, New Years...all come and gone...

2009-01-12T21:26:00.002-05:00

Well, its been a while since I wrote. Since then, my 30th birthday, Christmas and New Years have all come and gone for another year. Cherie had me a fantastic surprise birthday party. Aiden enjoyed the wrapping paper on his first Christmas. He loved to swim through the wrapping paper all over the floor.

Not too much else exciting has gone on. The holidays are over and things are getting back to normal.

Aiden is growing fast. He has started pulling himself up on anything he can, even people.

More to follow...24 is back and I am trying to watch split screens and type.

STAR TREK

2008-12-16T09:28:00.001-05:00

Seriously...SERIOUSLY?

2008-12-15T17:58:00.002-05:00

Seriously?

Have you seen the Christmas Walmart Commercial where the couple in the car is talking about what everyone wants for Christmas and then aren't sure where to get it all until the Walmart truck goes by them.

Here is the a picture of the last scene in the commercial - does anything strike you as odd?

So look closely at the picture, click it to make it larger if you want. Ok, so seriously, when was the last time you were at a Walmart at Christmas where the parking lot looked like that. No. No way. Instead, this couple would still be searching the parking lot desperate to find a parking spot that they will practically stalk someone for.

Ahhh, the spirit of Christmas!

Splat

2008-11-06T19:59:00.001-05:00

It happened again:

Get It?

2008-10-29T20:32:00.001-04:00

Weird Sight of the Day

2008-10-05T18:49:00.001-04:00

So Aiden was cranky and not wanting to nap when I spotted a rainbow out my back window. I decided it would be nice to go and get some good pictures of it. On our way home though, we spotted this:

I Want to Ride a Unicorn...

2008-10-05T11:47:00.000-04:00

A Future Vegetarian...

2008-10-05T11:40:00.001-04:00

Funny SNL Clip

2008-10-05T11:39:00.000-04:00

Not sure why I find this one so funny...

Tina Fey Cracks Me Up!

2008-10-02T19:05:00.001-04:00

This just cracks me up!

The Scream

2008-09-23T21:41:00.001-04:00

Ok. So this is what I felt like at approximately 12:44 a.m. this morning:

I was sleeping peacefully when Cherie sat upright in bed and let out a scream. Not just a little scream - a "there is a man at the end of the bed with an axe" scream. She screamed, I screamed, she screamed again. While all the screaming is going on I am thinking I certainly hope there is not a man with an axe at the end of the bed cause I am blind without my glasses in the dark. She then Cherie says - "its okay, its okay, its nothing" and literally goes right back to sleep!

I did not go back to sleep and instead came downstairs and did a sweep of the house for axe-wielding murderers. Thankfully, I didn't find any.

On a side note, in the morning when I brought up the scream, she did not remember it! I certainly hope there is not a repeat performance tonight.

This Cracks Me Up!

2008-09-21T22:24:00.001-04:00

This is from the last election but still it cracks me up. Cherie just spit out soup while we watching it.

Best PVR Pause #2

2008-09-17T20:08:00.001-04:00

You know, there is nothing I like more than a good PVR pause. I saw Jerry make this face and had to freeze it for your viewing pleasure.

Big Brother Fans rejoice Dan's sweep of the Big Brother finale!!!

Dishwasher Safe

2008-08-31T21:12:00.001-04:00

Do dishwashers come with loading instructions? I'm sure they do.

I just googled it, lots of instructions. Under bad loading I found this:

Ok, so I didn't get this from the internet (why is spell-check telling me that internet should have a capital I...that's another blog)...I got it from my own kitchen! Yes. This is what I found in my dishwasher the other day, and most days actually.

So why is the dishwasher such a chore to load. I know other people who have the same difficulty. If you can share with me the logic behind a mismash of dishes, leave a comment. In the mean time, I will show you the dishwasher: reloaded.

The Office Makes Me Laugh

2008-08-17T21:33:00.002-04:00

Strange Happenings

2008-07-27T20:58:00.001-04:00

2 strange things happened today.

#1 - Nan, Pop, Nannie Marshall, Aiden and I went out for breakfast. Nothing unusual there. Until the man barfed behind us on the way to the bathroom. His "handler" caught it and said "Sorry, sorry" as the puke ran out of his fingers. That was gross. We finished breakfast.

#2 - On the drive home today I was scanning through radio stations trying to find something good. What did I stumble upon? Warm 101.3 who were celebrating Christmas in July and playing NOTHING BUT CHRISTMAS MUSIC! Ho ho ho. Their ploy worked though cause Aiden then enjoyed my rousing rendition of Frosty the Snowman!

Anyways, now a big storm has blown in out of nowhere. I am heading back to the couch to finish watching The Lost World.

Worst PVR Pause EVER

2008-07-17T22:03:00.001-04:00

The other night I had to pause the TV for something. Little did I know the horror I had frozen on my screen.

Parking Jackpot!

2008-07-01T23:06:00.001-04:00

I love this sign:

This means I get a parking spot close to the door without searching for it! JACKPOT!

Classic Nerd Time

2008-06-23T23:53:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I'm a nerd and I am not afraid to admit it. I was just watching some old TV openings (Muppet Babies and My pet Monster) when I thought about this old Star Trek commercial that used to be on MCTV when I lived in Timmins. It was set to "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel. I have been looking for it for ages cause it was one of my favourites. The real nerdy thing is that Cherie knew exactly what I was talking about over 10 years ago when we first met. She had seen the commercial too when she was living up north.

So tonight I google it and there it is!!!! SCORE. Cherie and I sang along like it was the early 90s all over again!

Burnt

2008-06-08T22:45:00.001-04:00

I hate the sun. These pictures do not do justice to the heat I am radiating from my arms.

Note to self: next time you are out in the sun, DO NOT WEAR A WATCH!

Yardsale #7

2008-06-07T12:04:00.001-04:00

Packing it in. Traffic has slowed. It's hot. We're done - and nearly $21 richer!

Yardsale #6

2008-06-07T11:48:00.001-04:00

JACKPOT! I've made $20.75 now. Lunch is on me!

Yardsale #5

2008-06-07T11:17:00.001-04:00

Lightsaber is sold!

Score!

Yardsale #4

2008-06-07T10:56:00.001-04:00

I'm up to $8 now. I just sold my OnStar mousepad! I love selling stuff I got for free. Next up is the lightsaber. Oh yes, free to me but some unsuspecting person will pay me for it!

Backyard is also cut.

Yardsale #3

2008-06-07T10:11:00.001-04:00

I am going to cut the grass.

Cherie can man the "sale". Maybe we'll break $7.

Yardsale #2

2008-06-07T09:46:00.001-04:00

I have now made $6. I will not spend it all in one place.

Yardsale #1

2008-06-07T08:53:00.001-04:00

I think I am going to LiveBlog my yard sale today. Or rather, my yard lack of sale. I have been out here for over an hour and only had 2 people even look at my stuff.

Lots of people have driven by. Here is my question: how can you adequately judge my stuff if you don't even look at it. One woman went to my neighbours yard sale - we're talking RIGHT NEXT DOOR, then didn't even walk the 5 steps to mine. Then she got in her car and gave me the drive by look. I gave her cut-eye.

More to come.

Ebony and Ivory

2008-05-19T21:40:00.003-04:00

OLD

NEW

From Kijiji

2008-05-15T21:33:00.003-04:00

This is just top notch. Cherie found this ad online tonight. Let's read it together (my comments are in red), I have left it as found, spelling errors and punctuation (or lack thereof) and all:

Hello I am a Mother of One baby boy he is 13 months and i am on mothers alowence , I would like to have a job babysiting a couple of children from ages 1-3 because i can not take childrewn to school or get them of buses as i have to be home with my child. i would like to make a bit of exstra money to support me and my baby better but has to be paid under table and can not claim in your taxes (we certainly wouldn't want a reduction in your mothers allowance)! I do not have any cpr or that kinda stuff but i am a mother (little did I know, that being a mother gives you magical powers and therefore no need for that kinda stuff)! I have my own apartment located near the oshawa center at ********** avenu. and i am on the 4th flour (how many grains?) of the apartment building my doors for belcony will be shut all times (phew, you calmed my weary nerves about you)and dont worry i am responsible (you sound it) there will be no danger (except to a child psychological well being). I would like to babysit from 8 in the morning to 5 pm or 6 pm. i will also be baby sitting a nother baby girl whom is 11 months old (poor kid). and she is my niece! i can only take to more kids ! brother and sister or to children from diffrent familys (thank you for the explanation, that really cleared up the to children thing) the first to people that resapond to this add will be the only if interestede in me caring for your child (never, not in a million years). I do have a playpen and a high chair (sounds like a well rounded nursery) and the babys room is my room (even better) witch (is it Hallowe'en?) will be afe (no comment necessary) to play well in my care please get back if interested thank you **********!

Any takers? I can pass on the original if you would like...

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-08T22:24:00.000-04:00

Whatever Happened to Acid Rain

2008-04-02T18:54:00.001-04:00

Random Thought of the Week:

Whatever Happened to Acid Rain?

When I was younger, acid rain was the big thing we were trying to prevent. Anyone else
notice that no one talks about it anymore.

Anyone Seen The Day After Tomorrow...

2008-04-01T21:20:00.001-04:00

Wasn't this part of it...

This was the scene over my house on Saturday...weird.

Big Brother

2008-03-30T22:59:00.001-04:00

This is my ultimate favourite Big Brother segment - better than Furrrr-iends!

What Is It?

2008-03-29T19:41:00.002-04:00

Can you guess?

So last Sunday there was a THUD against the window. Yep, that's a bird-print.

A bird, a large bird, slammed into my back window in full flight. Aiden and I were sleeping. I nearly peed my pants, Aiden his diaper.

When I looked out back to see if the bird was dead a giant hawk was picking it up and flew away with it. Seriously, this creature picked up the bird in its talons and flew over to the neighbours fence. When I went out back to take a picture, it flew away - bird in tow!!!

Poor thing. I am pretty sure it was a morning dove - one of the ones that normally sits on the back fence - guess it got confused...

10 Items or Less...?

2008-03-24T21:20:00.002-04:00

So I think being short on sleep and just generally exhausted has made me a bit of a grouch at stores (go figure). I certainly don't express my annoyance but in my head I am really thinking about it.

Prime example: the express lane at the grocery store. Last time I checked the sign said:
So when I went to the grocery store the other day and the lady in front of me unloaded her 16 ITEMS I felt rage (her leaving her cart in a random parking spot when the cart return was one spot over really exasperated me but I kept it in check!). I wanted to shout "can you not read the sign!!!!".

Talking about this with Cherie she informed me that if you have multiple items, say tins of frozen orange juice, that counts as 1 item. Really? Did I miss a memo on this? Is that true? The lady that caused me rage and no like items I can assure you.

Funny Clip

2008-03-15T22:35:00.001-04:00

Found this while Aiden was sleeping tonight...

New Blog!

2008-03-10T18:23:00.001-04:00

Check out our new Blog:

http://aidenbates.blogspot.com

I'm sure you can guess what it is all about...

Growing Pains

2008-03-10T17:41:00.001-04:00

Big Brother: Til Death Do You Part

2008-02-19T21:25:00.002-05:00

Is it just me, or does anyone else find this group of people the most annoying group of Big Brother contestants ever?

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

The Guard

2008-02-14T20:41:00.002-05:00

So I saw a commercial for "The Guard" tonight that called in the "#1 New Canadian Show This Year".

My question is how many other NEW CANADIAN shows have there been THIS YEAR?

Dumb.

My Guilty Pleasure + An Old Favourite =

2008-02-10T21:20:00.000-05:00

Two of my favourite things!

With the writers strike over, I am still going to get my weekend Dallas fix...if not how will I ever know if Bobby or JR wins the competition for Ewing Oil that Jock set up in his will???

Hilarious!

2008-02-09T13:44:00.000-05:00

Rhi told me about this at work the other day, said it was HILARIOUS and boy was she right!
Note that the chair has a 2800 RPM Hula Motor.

My Guilty Pleasure

2008-01-30T19:52:00.000-05:00

So the writers strike is in full swing and there is pretty much nothing on TV right now. I have turned to TV Land for entertainment and have discovered a new guilty pleasure. Dallas. I have been watching it 2 hours on Saturday and 2 hours on Sunday. This week, I started watching it nightly at 10. My only problem is on the weekends I am watching Season 5, but on weeknights it is Season 8. This of course leads to many questions. Why are Bobby and Pam divorced? Why are JR and Sue Ellen married again? Guilty pleasure for sure, I just can't help myself!

This Explains It!

2008-01-24T19:31:00.000-05:00

What's Behind ‘Cloverfield' Illness?

Wave of Nausea Hits Moviegoers

By Michael W. Smith
WebMD Medical News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

Latest MedicineNet News

Jan. 22, 2008 -- Scan the news and blogs and not only do you see that Cloverfield had a record-breaking opening weekend, but there was an unforeseen side effect: nausea. And it didn't come from the popcorn, or the writing -- but the camerawork.

In Cloverfield, a giant monster attacks Manhattan. The problem -- at least for those prone to motion sickness -- is that it's all filmed through a very jerky handheld camera.

"I saw it this weekend and was so sick to my stomach that I had to leave the theater," says Sara Butler, a WebMD programming manager. "I have a friend who's an EMT in New Jersey, and she was called to several theaters this weekend to deal with people who were sick."

While motion sickness is usually caused by plane, boat, or car movement, bumpy camerawork could definitely do it, too.

What Causes Motion Sickness?

Motion sickness occurs when the brain receives conflicting messages from the inner ear, the eyes, and other parts of the body.

While watching Cloverfield, viewers were sitting still in their seats, so their inner ear was telling their body they were motionless. But the bumpy camera movements -- and their eyes -- misled them into thinking they were moving around erratically.

These conflicting messages to the brain lead to symptoms of motion sickness, most notably nausea. Other symptoms include vomiting, headache, and sweating.

Nothing on TV - so we watch American Idol

2008-01-22T20:56:00.000-05:00

I have decided to post some of my favourite American Idol Auditions. Normally, we don't watch it but with nothing much else on...

Anyways, here are a couple of my favourites from last week. Stay tuned for more from the current week. Enjoy!

This guy sounds like a whale.

The Best Part of 'Cloverfield' Was:

2008-01-20T16:28:00.000-05:00

The Star Trek teaser trailer.

It was awesome on the big screen even though I didn't think they were going to show it since it was after the rest of the trailers AND the "feature presentation" part.

Anyways, Cloverfield was a bit of a let down. First off, I shouldn't have ate the French Fries before the movie because 30 minutes into the camera shakiness I went out and threw up. Came back and then watched, and by watched I mean listened to, most of the rest of the movie from inside of my hat. It was so nausea-inducing. The lady in the seat next to me spent much of the movie with her head back and her eyes closed! Anyways, the monster was cool looking, I just wish I has seen more of it.

This Makes Me Happy!

2008-01-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

I am a nerd, and that is why this makes me so happy!

Weird Cosby Show

2008-01-06T13:46:00.000-05:00

Why are the Muppets on the Cosby show? I think this may be the episode where it jumped the shark. Yikes!

One Year Ago...

2007-12-31T18:46:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe that one year has passed already.

One year ago today, we had Abby. What is more remarkable is how far we have come in the year that has gone by. Abby's little brother is coming in only 8 weeks. We have managed to put our lives back together and have become even stronger. Tonight, though we celebrate a New Year, we also remember Abby and what she would have been.

O precious, tiny, sweet little one
You will always be to me.
So perfect, pure, and innocent
Just as you were meant to be.
We dreamed of you and of your life
And all that it would be.
We waited and longed for you to come.
And join our family.
We never had the chance to play,
To laugh, to rock, to wiggle.
We long to hold you, touch you now
And listen to you giggle.
She'll always be your mother,
I'll always be your dad.
You will always be our child,
The child that we had.
But now you're gone...but yet you're here
We'll sense you everywhere.
You are our sorrow and our joy,
There's love in every tear.
Just know our love goes deep and strong
We'll forget you never--
The child we had, but never had
And yet will have forever!
~Author Unknown

Ice Fog

2007-12-26T10:42:00.001-05:00

My weather network desktop thing is telling me that Bowmanville is -4 with Ice Fog? What the heck is Ice Fog? I have never heard of it. Is it fog made of ice? That sounds dangerous.

The Paper

2007-12-20T20:52:00.000-05:00

So I haven't blogged about the papergirl in a while. That's because it is now a paperboy, and he has been pretty good with the new house. We have sort of a covered porch so not much opportunity for wet papers. So the other day he came to collect the optional $6 monthly or whatever fee. We generally avoid answering the door so I know he had not been paid in a while. I hand him a $10 and tell him that's good. It's Christmas and I am feeling generous.

So last night I get home and where is the paper...in a pile of water on the front step. Grr. Merry Christmas to your $4 tip and my wet paper...!

Confession

2007-12-10T21:22:00.000-05:00

I have a confession, tonight at the grocery store I bought 3 boxes of Zebra Cakes.
They were 3/$5, a deal I could not pass up. I even put back the Strawberry Shortcake Ah Caramel (shouldn't that be Ah Strawberry...a topic for another blog). Anyways, when we got to the cash I made sure to spread out my Zebra cake boxes so the cashier did not think badly of me. Oh well, I am confessing here and I will enjoy every last one of them.

Warming Ourselves By The Fire

2007-12-03T15:07:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to ExpressVu Channel 279.

Winter Blast

2007-12-03T15:04:00.000-05:00

Remember last year when we didn't have snow until January...no such luck this year.

A Bird Sanctuary

2007-12-03T14:56:00.000-05:00

Our backyard has become a bird haven...

Mom, Dad and Baby Elf...

2007-11-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

How Fun!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1140734755

The Rest of the Family!

2007-11-29T20:52:00.001-05:00

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1112351943

I Just Can't Elf.....I Mean Help Myself

2007-11-29T20:45:00.000-05:00

Take a look...

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1112174113

Something I've Been Thinking About

2007-11-23T08:21:00.000-05:00

In a storm, if the GO Trains are running 60 minutes behind, doesn't that mean they are still close to on time if they run hourly...

Elevator Etiquette

2007-11-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

When someone is standing in front of an elevator, and someone else comes along why do they feel that they need to press the button. Do you think I would stand in front of the elevator just for fun waiting for someone else to come along an summon it?

FYI - pushing the button again doesn't make it come faster!

I Am A Nerd...

2007-11-19T17:36:00.001-05:00

...and not afraid to admit it.

The Next Generation

Voyager

Original Series

Deep Space Nine

Enterprise

The Star Trek Christmas Experience is now playing on my tree!

You Won't Have Restless Legs But...

2007-11-19T12:46:00.000-05:00

There are all these commercials on all the time for pills that are going to help you. One of them stops Restless Leg Syndrome. At the end of the commercial it of course went through all of the side-effects that you can have from taking this wonder pill. I sometimes wonder if its worth it...

Take a read from their website (I had to rewind the commercial to make sure I heard it correctly)

Generally, people who take MIRAPEX tolerate it well. The most commonly reported adverse events in RLS clinical trials for MIRAPEX versus placebo were:

Nausea (16% vs 5%)
Headache (16% vs 15%)
Fatigue (9% vs 7%)
Somnolence (6% vs 3%)

There are reports of some people having hallucinations (seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, or tasting something that does not actually exist) while taking MIRAPEX. However, hallucinations are uncommon in people taking MIRAPEX for primary restless legs syndrome and occur more frequently in people over 65 taking MIRAPEX for Parkinson’s disease.

There have been reports of patients taking certain medications to treat Parkinson's disease or RLS, including MIRAPEX, that have reported problems with gambling, compulsive eating, and increased sex drive. It is not possible to reliably estimate how often these behaviors occur to determine which factors may contribute to them. If you or your family members notice that you are developing unusual behaviors, talk to your doctor.

Please note that this is not a complete list of possible side effects. Your doctor or pharmacist can give you further information. Likewise, it is important to talk to your doctor if you experience any of these problems.

Okay, so I won't have restless legs but I may see things, become a compulsive gambler and want to eat. This is weird.

Dear Laura Secord, Part II

2007-11-15T21:04:00.000-05:00

I saw your expensive advent calendar again today at Shoppers Drug Mart. It was next to the $1.99 ones but guess what but this time yours was only priced at $8.99. AHA! $2.00 down, $7.00 to go and I will be enjoying your sweet chocolate.

Pointing out the Obvious

2007-11-11T20:26:00.000-05:00

Here's to pointing out the obvious, brought to you from your friendly, neighbourhood talking smoke detector. Yes, you read that right - TALKING (bilingual even) smoke detector. It chirps and tells you in both English and French that the battery is low. It usually tells you this between 4:45 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Anyways, I took it down to change the battery. Took the old battery out and...

Thanks for pointing out the obvious. The empty space where the battery SHOULD go doesn't give it away at all.

Opening Credits

2007-11-08T18:59:00.000-05:00

Whatever happened to TV show opening themes. Like ER. Where did it go?

You know what opening I loved:

This is clearly the worst YouTube video ever and it took me forever to find it but anyways, its fun. YouTube must have something against the Cosby show but whatever. I liked the ones where they were at the Apollo Theatre too.

If you are on Facebook reading this, go to:
http://popcultureking.blogspot.com

A Letter to Dave

2007-11-07T18:28:00.000-05:00

Dear Dave Devall,

I understand that standing behind the clear wall and drawing funny things on it after you deliver the weather is your thing...but seriously, does it not get old? I get it, it's clever, you're right but it's the same thing night after night. Maybe you should move to delivering the sports news so you can draw hockey sticks or golf clubs. How about the international news so you can draw exploding bombs - there's a challenge for you since your skills go will past meteorology.

Sincerely,
Barry

Dear Laura Secord...

2007-11-06T19:11:00.000-05:00

...I see you are selling Advent Calendars for $10 each. Is the chocolate made of gold? Forgive me, I will purchase mine at Zellers for $2.99.

The Mullett-Cut

2007-11-05T17:09:00.000-05:00

Business in the front, Party in the back...

Poor dog, he never saw the scissors coming...

Viewer Discretion is Advised

2007-11-05T17:01:00.000-05:00

So a few weeks ago I caught what I thought was a going to be a good moment of Mr. Columbo. Little did I realize what it would turn into.

What you are about to see is graphic!

Viewer discretion is advised (take heed those of you who cast my warnings aside last time after the lasagne incident)...

You know, looking at these pictures, they are pretty gross. Megan will say these are Sick Dog (no pun intended). Oh well, they are funny. You can also see him here pre-mullet cut by Cherie.

One Week of Vacation With No Plans

2007-11-05T16:57:00.000-05:00

Hardest.
Puzzle.
Ever.

Not because it was a lot of pieces but because there was no picture of what we were supposed to put together. It was a CSI puzzle so we were supposed to solve some crime but we were too tired.

The Parking Lot

2007-11-03T12:13:00.001-04:00

Note to drivers:

In the coming months you will attempt to park at very busy places. You can circle the lot several times. You can stalk the people going to their cars in your attempt to get a good parking spot but I tell you this. I park at the back. I will be inside before you even get a parking spot. The time it takes you to circle is the same time it takes me to park, get out of the car and walk in.

This same information applies at work when you come in later in the day. There are no front parking spots so stalk all you want. I'll see you inside in an hour.

VCRs

2007-11-03T12:04:00.001-04:00

Long time no blog, I know but I was inspired the other day while I was waiting to get my hair cut. This woman comes in with her 2 kids, 1 pouting roughly 8 year old and the other was probably 2 in his spider man costume. Anyways, he wants to watch a movie on the TV/VCR combo that is in front of me so she attempts to use it. First she rewinds. This is done of course by pressing the rewind button no less than 6 times which we all know is proper rewind technique. She then stopped it by pressing the stop button twice...the stop button which is also the eject button. "I didn't want to do that" she said as the tape popped out. She pushed the tape back in and pushed the stop button twice more. Ugh. Out came the tape. "I just didn't want it to play". One stop would have been adequate. Oh well. She finally got it going and the kid got to watch the movie.

My question is, have we moved into the DVD and PVR age and forgotten how to use the VCR?

A True Member of the Family

2007-09-23T17:34:00.001-04:00

Scrappy enjoys TV too!

What is it...?

2007-09-23T17:28:00.000-04:00

I was taking pictures of the house the other day and when I took a picture in the bedroom noticed something a little strange in the photo - an orb of light. So I took another one, and it had moved. One final picture and it was gone. Strange.

My Life Soundtrack

2007-09-13T22:25:00.000-04:00

I did this once before but it was a different one...

The deal is...

Go to your music player, set it to shuffle/random, and answer the following questions with the title of the FIRST song that you skip to each time.

No cheating!
I would never do that - as though I may be ashamed of some of the songs on my iPod. Never. I'm not ashamed. Not really. Well, maybe a bit but oh well.

If you reached the top of Mount Everest, you would shout:
My Prerogative - Britney Spears. The top of Mount Everest, that's where she should be right about now.

The next time you stand up in front of a group of people, you'll say:
You're Beautiful - James Blunt

Your favorite thing to say when drunk is:
Promiscuous Girl - Nelly Furtado

Your message to the world:
Now that You Got it - Gwen Stefani. Now that you got what? That this is not going well?

When you think of your best friend you think:
Hot in Herre - Nelly. This ones for my BFF Cherie. I think I might sing to this one before moving on. If there were curtains in this room I might even have danced.

Your deepest secret:
I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash. This is dumb.

Your innermost desire:
I need you tonight - INXS.

Your oldest memory makes you think:
Millenium - Robbie Williams. No it doesn't.

Somewhere in your wedding vows, you should have included:
The Anthem - Good Charlotte.

On your deathbed, you'll whisper:
Walk Away - Kelly Clarkson. This ones kindd funny.

Your friends say behind your back:
Lose my Breath - Destinys Child. Huh?

You say behind your friends' back:
U Don't Have to call - Usher. That's sad. I wouldn't say that.

Your opinion of Blogging:
Times A Wastin. I WOULD NEVER SAY THAT ABOUT BLOGGING!!!

When you wake up in the morning, you mutter:
Good Luck Charm - Elvis Presley.

If you found yourself lost on a desert island, you'd yell:
Wind it Up - Gwen Stefani. Actually, I'd yell get me off this island.

Right now, your feelings are:
Unbelieveable - EMF. WOW! One that's right - that was totally what I was thinking.

What's your excuse for reposting this music survey?:
Waiting for the World to Change - John Mayer. I was bored. Guess I don't have a song called I was bored in my iTunes...

Your life's soundtrack:
One - U2. That's depressing.

The day you fell in love was the day that:
(You Drive Me)Crazy - Britney Spears. i just spit Pepsi on my computer screen. HAHAHAHAHA. Not. True. At. All.

Your farewell message to the readers of this music survey:
Are You Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley. If you are, do this stupid survey.

So.

Learn anything? I did, this was dumb.

Perez says it all...

2007-09-11T20:49:00.000-04:00

An Open Letter to my Kitten

2007-09-07T20:51:00.000-04:00

Dear Scrappy:

1. Toilet Paper is not your friend:

2. We can see you when you think you are hiding. Subtlety is not your strong point:

3. We cannot resist your charm, thankfully you are growing into your kanagroo-like legs!

OCD?

2007-09-07T18:43:00.000-04:00

First off, yes, I know, it has been a long time since I blogged. With so much going on in life my blog has gone to the wayside. Frankly, I am not sure that anyone even checks this site anymore...

Time to blog. Don't worry, I still have a couple of blog topics for upcoming posts too.

Anyways, I had some blogging inspiration today as I was unpacking my CD's. I am a bit particular about how they go on my CD rack. They can't just be put in the rack willy-nilly. They have to go alphabetically. Of course, not just alphabetically by artist. I have them broken down into 3 groups: artists, soundtracks and compilations. Then each group is then alphabetized.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a brain disorder, and more specifically, an anxiety disorder. OCD is manifested in a variety of forms, but is most commonly characterized by a subject's obsessive drive to perform a particular task or set of tasks, compulsions commonly termed rituals.

I'm sure it's not really OCD but if they were just thrown on the rack, I truly don't think I could sleep at night! Seriously, if they are not in this order I would have to start over. Thankfully, I did not find a stray CD which would then would have made me move each CD down one slot to make room for it.

So as I type this it is sounding more and more bizarro...anyone else out there do the same thing???

The Long Drive!

2007-07-26T22:40:00.001-04:00

I thought I would share with you how many kilometres we drove on our summer vacation:

Oh yeah, nearly 2300 km!!!! I had to photoshop that first 2 into there since the stupid trip counter rolls over after 1000. Apparently the Saturn Ion is supposed to only take trips that are less than 999.9 km!

Happy Bastille Day!!!!

2007-07-14T08:28:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Ms. Kirby for giving me the knowledge of Wonderful French National Holidays!!!

The Nursing Magazine

2007-07-11T21:04:00.000-04:00

There's nothing more thrilling than Cherie's "free" nursing magazines. I say free as we certainly don't subscribe to them but I'm sure a membership due pays for their thrilling publication.

"The Standard" is one of the magazines - this one comes quarterly and contains the only really fun thing in any of them: Summarized Discipline Decisions. This is where the College of Nurses publishes some of the punishments they have doled out. "By publishing these decisions, the College educates nurses (and their spouses and his loyal blog readers) and informs the public about what does and does not constitute professional misconduct and incompetence. I know, you are all thrilled about what is to come. While the beginning is a little dry...just...you...wait!

Our first story comes out of Welland, ON where Gayle is alleged to have committed acts of professional misconduct by pre-pouring medications and then failing to check if an order has been changed; giving "as required" medications without checking if they were needed and failing to notify her employer that her College registarion was duspended during 18 months of her employment (shouldn't her employee already know that...but I digress). Anyways, there's a bunch of blah blah blah and "The Panel" decides the evidence is clear and the verdict was clear: Revocation of the member's Certificate of Registration. Poor Gayle, she is no longer a nurse.

Story #2 is about Gerard from Hamilton. He is alleged to of committed acts of professional misconduct by presenting false information before a College Discipline Panel. He's been a nurse sine 1978. In 1982, he had a criminal record for dangerous driving. In 1984, HE SHOT A BOUNCER DURING AN ALTERCATION AND WAS CONVICTED OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER AND SENTENCED TO LIFE INPRISONMENT WITH NO PAROLE FOR 10 YEARS. In 1999, five years after his release (this itself worthy of a blog) he gets a job providing in home nursing care. Yeah - STILL A NURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyways, he gets this job and its discovered in 1992 that he has a criminal record. Goes on parole and then his parole officer discovers that he's a drunk and a pot smoker. His parole is revoked, goes back to jail and is now back out and living in a half-way house and in counselling for drug abuse. His sentence? An oral reprimand and a 90-day suspension and his employers for the next 12 months have to get a copy of this decision.

So let me sum this up -
Gayle: prepoured medicine - not a nurse
Gerard - shot a man - still a nurse!!!!

Whoa, the College of Nurses needs to give their combined heads a shake. In the meantime, I thank them for their quarterly magazine and look forward to reading the discipline decisions again in 3 months!

Undercover Wonderland

2007-06-28T00:12:00.000-04:00

I went to Canada's Wonderland on Saturday with some great friends and had an awesome time. The best part for me was MORE UNDERCOVER PICTURES!!!!!

Why do these people have so many stuffed animal prizes? Does Wonderland pay them to carry them around? Seriously people, you need to take those home and immediately have a garage sale and *hope* to turn a profit (which you won't because it probably cost you an arm and a leg to play the games that won you these ridiculous prizes...really...why is Scooby Doo blue??)

What looks like a picture of me is really a photo of a woman sporting the latest trend...GIANT, GIANT visors (excellent undercover photography Joanna!)

Nothing like jumping into your friends nice picture of themselves!

Me and Donkey (who I only spent $3 to win!)

The 3rd annual Wonderland Day Gang. Joanna, Barry, Jason, Patrick, Kirsty and Tanya.

Blogging Gold Mine!

2007-06-24T21:02:00.000-04:00

You know, I love when the idea of a blog hits me. As in my previous post (now that the blog apathy is gone) the duck derby was a veritable blogging gold mine.

We were sitting on the edge of the creek taking in the sun when this man strolled up behind me. If I didn't know it was face paint, I might have been truly scared. I love undercover photos. They make the best blogs! Kudos again to my trusty sidekick for her stealthy ability to snap this photo while pretending to take one of me.

Blogging Apathy

2007-06-24T20:41:00.000-04:00

Apathy:

an absence of emotion or enthusiasm

the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally

Not sure where it came from but I have not felt the a blog strike me for a while...well, obviously since May 29th after that dreadful lasagna incident...

Anyways, it's time to get back on the blogging bus!

Last weekend Cherie and I were looking for adventure so we headed to the Duck Derby. I know what you are thinking, how adventurous of you both.

We enjoyed the park and took a stroll down to the finish line and ended up on a bridge that crossed the creek that the ducks were coming down. This is when the blogging fire struck me. Standing next to me was the mayor. The mayor that I wrote a nasty letter to back during the election before he was mayor. Let me go back a bit...

One afternoon just before the local election Cherie and I were driving up Hwy 57 and every 5 feet there was a sign for this guy (I am not going to name him in case some shmoe [is that a made up word] googles him daily - that happened once on a Brockville post I wrote). It was really annoying so I wrote him and told him that having a sign every 5 feet did not make me want to vote for him - it annoyed me. Suffice it to say, he won and did not write me back.

Fast forward to last Saturday. There he is right behind me. I had my trusty sidekick move into position and snap this lovely portrait of me and the mayor (he just didn't know it).

We decided we needed to do a little better so we tried again (FYI the mayor is the guy in the tie, he is talking to the local MP...or MPP...not sure which he is)

Aha...gold. Me, the mayor..and Sparky the fire dog. Could it get any better?!

The Lasagna Incident

2007-05-29T20:45:00.000-04:00

There was an incident here Sunday night. A very bloody incident...

(Warning: the following blog contains images that are graphic and is recommended for mature audiences only...but its really funny!)

Cherie made lasagna on Sunday night. She used those noodles that are oven ready so no precooking involved. I got my piece and my first bite was extra crunchy. Apparently, part of the noodle on my piece hadn't been cooked so I basically bit into an uncooked noodle. No one else noticed but it was very crunchy and hard on my teeth. I finished my dinner and Cherie says "What's wrong with your teeth?". "Nothing", I say. She told me that my teeth we red so I said, it's from the pasta sauce. She insisted something was wrong so I went into the bathroom and took a look. My teeth WERE all red. So I spit into the sink - BLOOD. Pure blood.

It took a few minutes to realize that my tongue had a gash in it and blood was pouring out of it.

Take a look:

It looked like just a drizzle...

But it was a downpour!!!

Like a scene in a horror movie...

So anyways, after nearly 2 HOURS, yes that's right 2 HOURS of this:

Ice, Ice and more ice (what's really bad is that we didn't even have any ice and had to get some from the neighbours) it still hadn't stopped so I just through away the ice and put my tongue in my mouth hoping it would just stop. About 20 minutes later, it had and it soon healed over...

It is better now, still hurts a bit much better and certainly no blood!

The moral of this story is don't eat Cherie's lasagna - it will hurt!

Home Improvement

2007-05-03T10:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I painted my garage door. It's all about the curb appeal when you are trying to sell. The garage door was looking rough - chipping burgundy paint. Here are some before and after pictures. I still have a bit more to paint at the bottom of the trim but I have to sand it first.

Computer Chair Fun!

2007-04-30T22:09:00.000-04:00

Tonight being garbage night and all I decided to (again) put some things at the curb that are not trash, but more gems that some lucky person wants...or at least that I don't want. One of these items is a computer chair. It works fine but the back is taped as it wobbles and falls off.
That's why I decided that before it went to the curb it was time for the chair to have one final adventure. I live on a hill. Does anyone see where this is going!!!!

That's right folks, nothing says fun and adventure like riding the chair down the street. I started just riding it to the end of the driveway but once I took the curb successfully I decided it was time to head down the street...then Cherie had a turn. Here are some pics of her adventure.

Cherie ready for her run

Heading down the street

We decided Columbo wanted to go to, he does not look impressed...

Cherie picking up Columbo on the walk up the street since there was a car coming

The long walk back.

In the end, the chair went back into the garage. We couldn't let it go - there will be another night of fun soon!

Bates, PI

2007-04-25T23:18:00.000-04:00

Hi All,

The opening scene of this video sets the scene...we were in the Dominican Republic and this helicopter kept flying over head which made us think of one thing...Magnum PI of course. This video is the result of that thought...enjoy!

Leave me a comment if you liked it!
Click here if you can't see the video:
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-2081009829028814823&hl=en-CA

April 21, 2007

2007-04-21T18:42:00.000-04:00

Today was the day that Abby should have been born. Of course, babies are not usually born on their due date but April 21 was the day we were told so it seems that this has been the day that we have been focused on. The weather was beautiful which has been nice but It has been a weird day - emotional, yes. Strange, yes. It is one of those days, you know, where you feel like you should be doing something important and instead it is just another day. Frankly, I wish I was doing the important thing instead.

I only knew Abby for a short time, but this is how I want to remember her; an angel in my heart forever.