Ma and Pa's Blog

This is what I imagine every time I see companies going overboard with marketing schemes and promotions that say nothing about the quality, utility or aesthetic of the product being offered.   It’s likely close to the conversations that went on (go on?) at the investment firms and banks that created the real estate crisis . . . just substitute “sub-prime mortgage instruments” for “billing errors”.   I really wish honesty could trump greed more often . . .  I guess that’s what heaven and hell are for.

I missed this during the Super Bowl, but had to laugh when they showed it again this AM on Today.   Mike and Jeff will appreciate, I’m sure.

We delivered the toy fridge and spent last evening and this morning with Mike, Jenn, Caleb and Owen.   It was a fun visit, and we staged some photos for manipulation before we left.   You can see the results here.  I think we’ll need a bigger place to gather for vacations — with all the additional children and grandchildren.

I came across a post on using masks in Photoshop and had to try it.   This was done in Gimp using the same technique.   While not perfect, it’s pretty good.   I can see this being much fun in the future.

White Summons –

Common Pleas Court

Jurors summoned on-call for the week of December 21, 2009 through December 23, 2009: Your service for the one week period has been completed with sincere thanks of the Court for your time and consideration. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Yay!   I’m safe for a year at least!  Woohoo!

Classic . . .

Ma and I went to the Cleveland Museum of Art this afternoon to bask in some culture. We saw most impressive collections of art in beautiful galleries. One piece, however, really stuck in my mind. It was a Japanese scroll (ink on paper) from 1300. The subject was a humorous tale of a man with a talent — “musical flatulence”. Now, I can’t recall the story from memory, but there was something about his friends convincing him to consume a laxative . . . and something about him soiling himself during a subsequent performance [tee hee].     Anyway . . . I could imagine Sebastian and Caleb sharing such a tale as they walked along at Hocking Hills.

Oh, and in case you think I’m pulling your leg — SEE THE ITEM HERE .

My recollection was close, no?

While Larry & I were shopping at The Evil Retail Empire Walmart yesterday, I mentioned an article I’d read that stated  the toilet paper most Americans use in a year is worse for the environment than driving a Hummer.   Americans are toilet paper hogs, y’all: we use like 3 times as much TP as our European and Asian brethren.    Do we use the loo more often?  Sport dryer tushies?  I dunno.  Plus, we insist on planet-polluting, soft, fluffy stuff.  Not cool.   The article  listed the eco-friendly brands (the only one of which I recalled was Trader Joe’s) and the planet-ravaging brands (the only one of which I remembered was my fave, Charmin).  And toilet paper was on our shopping  list.  Because dry tushies are a priority around here.

Well, all Larry had to hear was “…worse than driving a Hummer”.  If there’s one thing that gets his liberal heart a-bleeding, it’s seeing a big honkin’ Hummer (ALWAYS with only one person inside–what’s up with that?) driving along the street or taking up two parking places.  He reasoned that if  the fluffy, foo-foo stuff was a no-no, then HIS fave, Scott’s, should be the solution.  (Some of you may recall Larry’s Scott Toilet Paper Philosophy: “When you use Scott’s, you KNOW you’ve been wiped”).  So into the cart goes a king-sized pack of  Scotts.

When we got home, I checked the article.  Damned if Scott’s isn’t  just as bad as my Charmin!  So I figure that third-world toilet paper is the way the environmentalists want us to go.  But if scratchy-butt Scott’s is too decadent, the other stuff must leave splinters.  This ecology stuff hurts.

I found Monty Python Online linked from the Monty Python Channel on Youtube.   These are a couple of great sites to waste time while lifting your spirits.

Off to the tar pits . . .