Mrs. Paul's Ad
Let me pledge now that I will never, ever buy Mrs. Paul's fish products, or anything with the name Mrs. Paul on it with the exception of anything from the wonderful wife of my co-blogger Paul. She is a treasure.
The genesis of my hatred is this ad:



You little bitch! Your parents put food in your mouth and you complain about it. It's minced, wahh waah! First of all you little (perhaps I should not use such epithets as are in my mind about some small child who is, after all, reading ad copy), no child your age has developed the taste to distinguish one fish stick from another so STFU. Then you abuse your mother who's probably trying to save a few pennies to put your little bitch butt through college. So forget that. You're on your own. But then mom accedes to this immoral suasion and buys you the non-minced variety. Of course you'll do nothing but mince them yourself with those horrible little chicklet teeth.
I hate you, evil child and I hate Mrs. Paul's for hiring you.

This Makes No Sense
I'm watching college hoops on CBS this afternoon and an ad for McDonalds wedges its way into one of the game's interstices. It seems that they're offering the "fillet-o-fish" sammich for 99¢. That's got to be a loss leader. If you really dislike the fast food giant, go there and order several of them. You'll cost 'em for each I imagine. That's just a side light though.
I remember as a lad, and a chubby cheeked, hale yute I was, that McDonalds was the franchise in fast food. My mother was quite fond of their fries and really, who wasn't? I thought the Big Mac, when it came out, was the best thing going in burgers (until I found the Whopper of course) and the fillet-o-fish was something unusual and good. O tempora! O mores! Times have changed. I have, at times when McD's was doing special promotions, ordered both the Big Mac and the FoF only to be sorely disappointed. Those things that were so wonderful when I was young are just nasty now. That's right, I said it: nasty.
Which leaves me with mixed emotions. First, good. I really (really!) don't need to be eating either of those menu items. I don't really need to be eating anything from that menu actually but we'll leave that aside as we contemplate the other side of the coin. It's sad because a fond memory of growing up has been perverted. (Sigh.) Ah well. If we live long enough, I suppose our dreams and memories will all be lost by the wayside.
One final though on the fillet-o-fish promotion. You can get a sandwich for a buck less a cent. And you can get a "meal" including medium fries and a drink for $3.99. So is a medium drink and fries really worth $3.00? Why not just get 3 of the damn sandwiches and have more food for less money?

Whoa II
I dunno ya know? There's something about this cold (albeit not arctic) combined with the continuing high winds that's just whipping me. I feel wrung out like a well-used dishcloth. I will admit that a hot shower awaits and that will probably add to my well-being but still, this wind just does something inimical to me.
At least part of the problem is that I don't sleep at all well when my bedroom wall is being slapped around like a domestic violence victim. I can sleep through a fair amount of noise but when you combine it with the pressure changes this weather brings, it has a greater effect.
So, what's to be done? I think I'll have to fall into one of those coma-naps this evening while wrapped in a quilt. I'd have my steaming cuppajoe but at the moment I'm lacking my dairy agent so I must go shopping for that treat. Although a brief run through the Mickey D's drive through for one of their cups of same is a definite possibility.
I hope you're having a good day!

Whoa
High winds tonight. If the house had sails we'd be in Jamaica by now. Or maybe even Grand Cayman. That would be nice.
And while I'm a gittin' wound up on the meteorological conditiaments, a light blanket of snow right now would not be amiss. The big snow that was heaped and piled has melted down to the point where only the big heaps and piles are left and the ground is muddy and just ... ugly. A glowing cloak of diamond dust would be an improvement. But after I go to Costco, please.
On the plus side, I went out to the Country Orchard today to get my allotment of agricultural products and have two bags of lovely York apples. Still crisp and juicy, with the one I snaffled out to munch on my drive home a sweet chilly delight. Like candy it was.
I was hoping to segue from that into the Manhattan Transfer's version of "Candy" but alas it's not on uToob. Instead, I offer one of their amazing a capella performances of the gorgeous and sensuous "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square." Enjoy.



Just by the by, I could listen to Cheryl Bentyne sing for ages and never grow tired. She has one of the most feminine and at the same time versatile voices I've ever heard. Plus, her phrasing is just so perfect, it sends chills up my spine. Often an artist makes a song his or her own (Think Ol' Blue Eyes here) by individualizing the phrasing or tempo. Bentyne just kind of moves in and fills up the song with herself. The lyrics come spilling out just exactly where my ear expects them to be. I've used the words "lush and gorgeous" before but they deserve to be used again for this lady's music. And it doesn't hurt that she's drop-dead beautiful as well.

If You Invest
I hesitate to "finance blog" but the latest news has me thinking about one of the investment strategies that has, on a few occasions, paid off for me. And by "on a few occasions," I mean in those instances where I utilized this strategy, it paid off for me. I can't suggest that it will always work but in those instances when other factors make it a good bet, it's a good bet.
Nutshelling it: Buy on bad news. In this case, Toyota. The link is to Yahoo Finance and gives you a good jumping off place to examine company info. Now, of course Toyota right now is under a cloud. They are being roasted by Congress and they've made some real mistakes in dealing with the unintended acceleration problems. Their share price has been hammered in just the last month from 90 to under 75. This is still higher than the yearly low which came in early 2009 but I'll be willing to bet that price was reflective of the economy as a hole (yes, I meant to say that) more than the strength of the company. But. I'll say that again: But.
Toyota is, in the non-government supported way, too big to fail. And present problems aside, they make very good, very popular cars. They face a US market rigged against them by the government control of GM and Chrysler but Ford is going to be the beneficiary of this, not the government motor coach companies. (You may consider Ford a "buy" at this point and I'd bet you could make some money off it if you buy and sell wisely.) A good company will not only survive bad times but come back strong. Do you think the world's largest car maker is not going to bounce back? I do.
Caveats: If the economy were really on the rebound, I'd be much more sanguine about this. If we didn't have the economically illiterate (or intentionally obdurate) Obama administration confounding a real recovery, it might take Toyota a couple of years to come back but I'd be willing to bet that on a 3 year horizon, Toyota can probably get back to around 100. That's a 33% return on a three year investment. Which you'd be hard pressed to match in other ways.

Am I going to buy? I can't say absolutely yes at this moment but I'm going to track TM (the ticker symbol) and if it hits any more dips, I may get a few hundred shares. Remember: never invest money you can't afford to lose and always attend your investments yourself. The "professionals" are more in it for themselves than for the investor.

Oh Come ON People!
There has been much hoohah and foofaraw on teh intarwebz lately about the idea that hotdogs should be be "redesigned" as they present a choking hazard and, sadly, a four year old recently suffered that fate.
I feel for the loss of the child but as for the idea of a "hotdog redesign," it's already been done. It's called bologna.

BlogDog's Axiom #1
Inefficiency in life prevents boredom as there's always something that needs doing.

This Joke Kills Me
It was funny enough to begin with and when you add monkeys.... Well, any joke is funnier when monkeys tell it.


Also a comment queue full of jokes and thoughts on joke-telling at neo-neocon.

Tell Me What You Think Of This Sketch

No Blogging For You!
Blog Nazi that I am. No, actually I'm just feeling out of sorts today. Not sick. But not not sick. Off kilter. Not at peace with the universe. Grumpy. Annoyed. Need an IV of Kenya AA coffee stat! Look elsewhere for your fill of information and moral uplift today. As I will.
It's windy like hell outside though the temp seems to be promoting melting in the sunshine. This is akin to those bright, too-sharp in the glare autumn days that I call "headache weather." Not exactly such but, as I said (weren't you paying attention?) akin to. Luckily the only out I have to go is some shopping at either Safeway or Costco. I haven't decided yet. As if it matters.
Urgh. I hope you have a nice day.
UPDATE: And so what did we learn today? I never got out of the house to shop but I facilitated a woodworking project a friend of mine is undertaking. And he brought me a $4 sub from Harris-Teeter which was freaking awesome! Tomorrow I'm going to my localest H-T (totter into the Teeter?) and signing up for their in-store card. And I'm going to have another sub for lunch. Oh hells yes I am. I may even take a picture of it for thees here blog. Blog Nazi that I am.

OK! Now We Are Success
The Hackintosh project has become a full-on win. Snow Leopard loaded perfectly and it's running like a champ. One thing left me rather taken aback though. Yes, I get taken aback on the odd day.
The Mini 10v has a three cell battery which gives me about in the realm of three hours of power with judicious use. So I thought I'd take a peek at the six cell batteries Dell has and holy poop! They sell those cells for $150. That's most of what I paid for the refurb'd netbook itself. That's insane. I suppose one day I might get an additional three cell but there's no rush.
I'm still not happy with the trackpad. But I have a nice USB mouse that works perfectly. Obviating the need to actually use the trackpad is a good thing.

I Troll The 'Zon So You don't Have To
In "Today's Deals" you'll find the "Midwest Canine Camper Day Tripper Portable Soft-Sided Folding Tent Crate." Which is nice and all but the category of this offered deal is "Kitchen and Dining Deal."

"Here doggy doggy doggy! Dang. I forgot to preheat the oven!"

Valentine's Day Dialogue
"Did you just say you had a 'way with women?'"
"No, I said I had 'away with women.' I get near. They go away."

Happy Valentines Day!
To all you hearts and flowers followers out there.
And you Itty Bitty. Especially you.

SEIU = Barney
Big. Purple. Dinosaur.
That's all.

I'm Working On A Whole New System Of Eating
The working title is Vegantarianism. I only things that eat vegan. It allows a wide latitude from cows to hippies. More the former than the latter since the latter are so damn hard to clean.

(Insert Snarky Headline Here)
So, anyway, I'm listening to the radio machine yesterday when the lady with the nice newsvoice comes on to tell me that "the market" is up responding to the moves the EU is making to stop Greece from going bankrupt actual instead of just bankrupt moral.
Yeah, right.
"Hello Mr. Brokerman? Yes, I'd like to buy 200 shares of Apple because I think Greece is not going to go under."
No doubt there are complex mechanisms that move the market up and down but the idea that the Dow is because Greece is probably not going into receivership is just effing stupid. I'd like the market to go up but the reported reasons for market change are moronic and they just frost my already chilly shorts.

Captain Phil from "Deadliest Catch" died...I'm trying to think of a memorial Facebook status but "I'll miss your crabs" just doesnt sound right.

WWJD
In this case, What Would Jesus Doobie?

Progress
I thought I'd take a moment out of the Hackintosh project to post a pic of the Mini 10v in its torn-down state. Since taking the picture, I've installed the 2GB RAM module and done most of the closing back up. Right now I'm stopped at getting the keyboard ribbon cable back into the slot which is a pain because the ribbon cable wants more to push the lock down slide back rather than go into the slot to be locked down. Having clown fingers to work with doesn't help. But a break from the close-in work, a nice hot shower and I'll finish putting it back together this after noon.
Then, boot it up to be sure it's working and then tomorrow, the software hacking. It's fun.
UPDATE: Well, I decided to dive back in after posting and it's done. I was missing the proper slot in trying to slide the keyboard ribbon cable in as it turns out. Once I realigned the cable, it slid in and the lock down locked it down. Re-installing the WiFi card was a bit annoying as the connector plugs are minuscule but I got them lined up too. The li'l beast is now reassembled and powered up. I may try the software hack tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow.
UPDATE The Second: Bugger. My installation is bumping up against some problem which I have no idea what is. But OS X gets its lovely, lovely spacey screenshot on the Mini but it won't fully install. I'm leaving this until tomorrow so I can face with a fresh mind. But it peeves me.
D'oh! I think I may have found my problem. The install disk I used to create the install flash drive was of Leopard, not Snow Leopard (i.e. 10.5.6 not 10.6). I'll remake the install drive with a copy of Snow Leopard actual and try again.

You Know How Much I Loves The Amazon
But I'm really conflicted about a possible order. Should I get one of these or not?
I seek your wise counsel.

As Craig Ferguson Says
It's a great day for America everybody!
UPDATE: I was moved by Barack Hussein Obama (umm umm umm) calling Murtha a "Marine Corpse man."

So Sad
As has been noted by the estimable and esteemed (I can speak for Pugs of War in that regard) Joe Sherlock, Roger Daltrey can no longer sing. I knew when "The Who" was being advertised as the halftime entertainment this was not going to be good. And it's not. We're only a few minutes into the show and Roger practically has to contract his entire body into spasm to get the lyrics out. And Pete, whom I love dearly, is playing well - yeah, the windmilling chords, couldn't love that any more than I do. But his singing is too cutesy. Unbecoming of the world's real greatest rock 'n' roll band.
Anyway, "The Who" no longer exists. The passing of the greatest rock drummer EVAR and one of the unsung musical geniuses of rock music in the Ox (listen to the horns in "Tommy" if you care to dispute this) left the two remaining members a shadow of greatness with the exception that Townshend's solo work is brilliant ("All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes," "White City," "Empty Glass" and "Rough Mix" with the late Ronnie Lane are all nothing short of superb).
This halftime show leaves me sad. Oh and mad at that effing stupid "remix" of "My Generation" by the libtard in the Black Eyed Peas. Screw you pal. Make your own damn music and stop skull effing the work of your betters.
ADDENDUM: I think I get it now. "Who dat" nation, Who's yer state (read phonetically please) and The Who. It's a theme.
UPDATE: I have the pleasure of adding the words actual of Joe Sherlock (with permission) on the halftime show:

Halftime Show: Awful - The Who should return to whatever Senior Care Villa they call home. Roger Daltrey sounded like a drunk geezer in a karaoke bar and Pete Townshend looked 80, even though he's two years younger than me. (Note to Pete: Wearing Elvis Costello's hat didn't make you look younger; it made you look like Uncle Junior from The Sopranos.)

Get off the stage.

In short - what he said.

My Laugh Of The Day
Don Surber warning us of a new STD. Now that's funny, no matter where you're from.

Nuts!
By the Power of Greythumb!
Last night I was trying to peel a recalcitrant (by way of a slight desiccation) turnip and managed to skim a nice little bit off the left side of the tip of my left thumb (looking at it nail up). So after red-wetting a fair amount of gauze, I'm down to a reasonable sized bandage on my new flattop finger (well, half-fade is more like it) and I found that putting the hand into a nitrile glove and cutting away all but the thumb actually works much better at keeping the band-aid clean and the finger useful. The nitrile gloves are grey, thus the first line of the post, you see.
Grrrr. I took my revenge by eating the turnip. It was good.