Funnies

Thanks to K for finding these funnies. This one really cracked me up!

Housecrawl time

Because no one got that the first video I posted was the original version of " Tequila " from 1958 (a "surf instrumental" by the band The Champs) I decided to repost with an educational document on how to properly read tequila labels. Also, here is a more recognizable version of "Tequila" from the 90's with creepy animation.


HOW TO READ A TEQUILA LABEL

1. The word "tequila" written somewhere on the bottle.
2. NOM Number... this is the distillery's identification number. Sometimes you find this number on the front of the label, sometimes on the back. It's your assurance that the tequila was made in Mexico under Mexican standards.
3. This tequila is aged. The label might also identify it as silver, gold, or reposado.
4. The brand. You will find, on occasion, that a distillery will make several different tequilas. Sometimes the tequilas are not different, they just have different labels. Check the NOM numbers to see if it is truly different or just in a different bottle.
5. Bottle size. In this case it's a litre. It could be 750ml, and you can even get it in "mickey" size.
6. Distiller's name and location. There are only five regions in Mexico that are allowed to produce tequila.
7. This tequila is made from 100% agave hearts. If the label says anything else, it ain't agave and the product is most likely a blend. Some poor-quality fake tequilas claim to be 100% agave, so it helps to know your brand names.
8. The picture... with tequila bottles, it can be anything but usually reflects something about the tequila (brand/type/name/etc.)
9. Proof... usually twice the percentage of alcohol.

Cute otters from the Vancouver aquarium

Awwwwwww!

The Social Music Revolution

http://www.last.fm/

Also, (from the "Music Genome Project")

http://www.pandora.com/

WooHoo! Free Coffee!

W-FIVE :

The Oldest Cold Case

Makin' moulds

Archaeolgy grad students...

Proud sponsers of friday afternoons at:

Jesus Camp

Look! It's a lima bean that looks just like the leader!

I love the leader!

Because we were talking about it last night:

http://www.indianajones.com/

Timmy Ho's "Roll Up the Rim"

What is the point of this? I'm actually beating the odds by not winning! Stupid Tim Horton's.

"Roll up the Rim" winners as of March 20th:


ODDS OF WINNING (from the official rules)
At the outset: the overall approximate odds across North America of being eligible to win one of the Thirty (30) 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid B Packages are one (1) in 9,007,900; the overall approximate odds of being eligible to win one of the One Hundred (100) Panasonic 42" Plasma Televisions are one (1) in 2,702,370; the overall approximate odds of being eligible to win one (1) of Five Hundred (500) cash prizes of $1,000.00 are one in 540,474; the overall approximate odds of being eligible to win one of Ten Thousand (10,000) Apple iPod nano digital music players are one (1) in 27,024; the overall approximate odds of being eligible to win a food prize are one (1) in 9.

Cooking with Chickens!: Super good, gluten-free, lactose-free peanut butter cookies!

1. MIX together:
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or cunchy),
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

2. ROLL into balls and flatten with fork on ungreased baking sheet.

3. BAKE at 325°F for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before placing in large "Pollio" tupperware container.

Alternate Recipe:
1. Get peanut butter
2. Make peanut butter cookies

DISCLAIMER (From Denise): These are the best cookies ever, and very addictive, and sometimes if you are like me they make you very hyper (I cleaned my desk today after just 4 cookies!!)

Bun-O-Vision

This is the 30-Second Bunnies Theatre from Angry Alien Productions. I laughed until I stopped!

What an age we live in!

Ahh the webcam! What a wonderful invention! I recently purchased the model pictured to the right. It is a Logitech QuickCam® Communicate STX with 640 x 480 VGA quality and RightLight™ technology (which provides improved image clarity in low light) and integrated microphone with RightSound™ technology (about $50). This is the most StarTrek-esque piece of technology I have (aside from my cellphone/communicator but everyone has those so it isn't as neat). In essence I have a video phone now and it is free (all you need is an internet connection). Truly we are in the golden age of communications. I know that it kind of looks like a borg appendage of some sort but it isn't scary once you accept it (resistance is futile). If my Mom can figure it out then anyone can (no offense Mom but you definitely have a Mom-level of techno-savy). I had lunch with her the other day and she lives in BC (for those of you who aren't clear, that means free long distance too).

Now, there are some naysayers out there who apparently find some sort of creepiness factor in videoconferencing. Well yeah obviously there is if you are a voyeur or worse if you don't know the camera is on you. I suppose the issue comes down to privacy and control, anyone would feel violated if they new someone was watching them without their knowledge (but that sort of thing was around long before the webcam and has to do with deeply ingrained prey instincts). However, my webcam has a nice feature, an attached privacy screen that you slide over the lens, like putting on a lenscap. I think we will be safe as long as we remember that we in fact can turn the technology off if we want to. End of story. So embrace the novelty and the fact that now we can be just a little bit closer to our loved ones far away.

St.Patrick's Day is Crowded

Turns out there are patron saints for almost everything! Every one of them has a feastday too. So many things have a patron saint that almost every day of the year is jam packed with reasons for feasting and carrying on (or solemn contemplation I suppose, depending on what floats your particular catholicism-inspired party boat).

March 17th for example is of course best known for Saint Patrick who, among other things, is the reason why the Irish are associated with clovers (apparently he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity). But he shares his day with St. Gertrude of Nivelles , St. Jan Sarkander , St. Joseph of Arimathea , St. Paul of Cyprus, and Bl. Peter Lieou . Somehow "Happy Saint Patty's Day" seems to roll off the tongue a little better than "Happy Saint Gertrude of Nivelles Day". But maybe I'm just used to it.

More importantly though, did you know archaeologists have a patron saint? It's true: Pope Saint Damasus I (the happy character to the right who looks remarkably like St.P above, hmmm). His feastday is December 11 (mark it on your calendars). Damasus was the pope who commissioned Saint Jerome to translate the Scriptures into Latin, so "everyone" (read: upper class/educated) could read it. This website: http://www.catholic.org/saints/ has some blah blah blah to say about him but I wasn't really sure why he would be the patron saint of arkys until I got to the prayer part. A prayer to him is: "Saint Damasus, instead of worrying about the short term of life on earth, you took God's view and looked to the things that last. Pray for me that I may be able to look beyond immediate popularity and fleeting favors, and choose to do the things that God wants me to do."

I guess that's why, because he was concerned with things that endured the test of time (and various taphonomic factors)? Ah, those wacky catholics eh?

Cellphones and the like

Look at my shiny new cell phone! I am all about the jumping on bandwagons lately it seems, first cell phones then blogs. The acquisition of the phone was due to a combination of factors including my old shared phone becoming "unreliable" and the random mangling of various friends. I have therefore determined that cellphones are not the devil, but text messaging still is (even though it turns out I have that too). Especially the comercials that want you to text them and then they will send you a "yo mamma" joke or love advice or something stupid every day and charge you like a dollar per message. What kind of morons do that?! Wow, that started off OK but went to a bit of a bad place at the end there. Here, I'll put something funny to even it out:



I'm hoping the new free wireless access in Saskatoon will also include my new apartment (wherever that ends up being).

On a lighter note...

I also find this comic pretty hilarious: www.sheldoncomics.com

Say Goodbye

So the sister headed back to BC this morning and I was sad. Oh well, as little CP would say "at least I don't have two butts". Remember what is true for me is true for my sister, whenever I say something weird it's probably a Simpsons reference (bonus points for anyone who knows what episode it is from). Anyway, her flight left at 8:55 this morning and the parental units will pick her up in Kelowna around 11am (BC time). They will be happy to have her back. Little CP promises to write a post reviewing her trip to Saskatoon and all the interesting characters she met while here. Good times. I loved having you here and I am sad to see you go!

Sad Song

My sister has been singing this song ever since she came: I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie. This song makes me cry, especially the video because of the bunnies. Stupid bunnies! Anyway, the video is on YouTube but I won't put it up because it makes me cry. Here are the lyrics because my sister is making me.

"I Will Follow You Into The Dark"

Love of mine some day you will die

But I'll be close behind

I'll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white

Just our hands clasped so tight

Waiting for the hint of a spark

[Chorus]
If Heaven and Hell decide

That they both are satisfied

Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you

When your soul embarks

Then I'll follow you into the dark

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule

I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black

And I held my tongue as she told me"Son fear is the heart of love"

So I never went back

[Chorus]

You and me have seen everything to see

From Bangkok to Calgary

And the soles of your shoes are all worn down

The time for sleep is now

It's nothing to cry about

Cause we'll hold each other soon

The blackest of rooms

[Chorus]

Then I'll follow you into the dark

Chickens

So, the "chicken" part, as some of you may or may not know, is from the unfortunate pervershion of my last name. Figure it out yourself!

The picture to the left is a ruffed grouse (not a chicken). I was chased by a family of these in the boreal forest once. Well, not the chicks but the parents were having none of my shenanigans (evil shenanigans!) so I beat a hasty retreat. Good times!

What the ?! ..... Sisters!

Hey, CP's sister (also named CP ironically enough) here. I'm visiting Saskamatoon at the moment. Let me explain what the "What the?!" above refers to. My Dad has a habit of picking up everyday objects that he has seen about one million and one times before, and yelling in an angry and confused way " What the?!" as if the object is completely foreign, and that the idea of a fork or a pen is completely new to him. Good times... ahh the memories. hee hee

Oooooo! Shiny!

Little CP and I decided to start a blog while she was supposed to be studying for her learners permit exam. Also, everyone else was doing it and my window for actually jumping off a roof because everyone else was doing it closed last weekend. I am such a bad influence.