When Apple announce their newest product this week, people immediately began making jokes about how the name sounded more like a feminine hygiene product than a groundbreaking computer.
Honestly, did no one at Apple see that one coming?
One of the questions I’ve heard batted around because of this is: Does Apple employ any women on their marketing team? I think a better question is this: Does Apple employ anyone with a sense of humor?
No, I’ll admit, I didn’t pick up on the connection to begin with. My first thought was “huh, isn’t that name a big close to iPod?” But Apple is a BIG company. At least one person had to crack that joke. They should have known. Or maybe they did and, as Andy Ihnatko, a tech columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times pointed out, they just knew that they could call it anything, even “mangled baby duck” and people would still buy it.
So, what’s the final outcome going to be? The jokes will last for a day or two until something else comes along to grab our attention. Then, the general public will forget them until December when they make a brief resurgence during year-in-review programs. Computer geeks will giggle over this for a while. And Apple won’t care because they’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
I Brake for Chupacabras
As further proof of my dorkiness, let me introduce you to one of my favorite xenocreatures. The Chupacabra.
I got excited when I saw an internet story about the latest possible sighting of a chupacabra. A television station in San Antonio recently ran a story about a possible chupacabra corpse. I'll warn you before you click on it, it's pretty gross looking. It actually looks more like a mummified raccoon than the mythical descriptions of the chupacabra, but, hey, who knows what the DNA will come back as?
Do I really want a chupacabra to be found? That's like asking if I want the Loch Ness Monster or a Yeti to be found. One one hand, seeing proof that these creatures exist would be fascinating. One the other hand, these animals would become so hunted and harassed that it may be better for them to remain 'undiscovered'.
One creature I would certainly like to see researchers find is a Thylacine someday. Also known as the Tasmanian Tiger, the Thylacine was the modern world's largest carniverous marsupial. The last known Thylacine died in captivity in 1936, but reported sightings have continued until the current day.
Unlike the chupacabra, Yeti/Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster , the Thylacine is an actual, scientifically validated animal. If a small population could be found in the wilds of Tasmania, it would be the equivalent of bringing the animal back from extinction. And with all the ecological problems in the world today, that would be a cause to celebrate.
I got excited when I saw an internet story about the latest possible sighting of a chupacabra. A television station in San Antonio recently ran a story about a possible chupacabra corpse. I'll warn you before you click on it, it's pretty gross looking. It actually looks more like a mummified raccoon than the mythical descriptions of the chupacabra, but, hey, who knows what the DNA will come back as?
Do I really want a chupacabra to be found? That's like asking if I want the Loch Ness Monster or a Yeti to be found. One one hand, seeing proof that these creatures exist would be fascinating. One the other hand, these animals would become so hunted and harassed that it may be better for them to remain 'undiscovered'.
One creature I would certainly like to see researchers find is a Thylacine someday. Also known as the Tasmanian Tiger, the Thylacine was the modern world's largest carniverous marsupial. The last known Thylacine died in captivity in 1936, but reported sightings have continued until the current day.
Unlike the chupacabra, Yeti/Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster , the Thylacine is an actual, scientifically validated animal. If a small population could be found in the wilds of Tasmania, it would be the equivalent of bringing the animal back from extinction. And with all the ecological problems in the world today, that would be a cause to celebrate.
I don't understand . . .
I did a search for "tea cup" at factorycardoutlet.com Can someone tell me why in the world Dream Team Football Player Costume came back as a response???
Friday, January 15, 2010
What am I Excited About Today?
What am I excited about today?
I'm excited about two things.
1) I finally figured out how to make a link on this blog page. Yippee!
2) I'm excited about a book I bought yesterday -- Heat Wave by Richard Castle. Well, it's kind of by Richard Castle. Richard Castle, as portrayed by Nathan Fillion of Firefly and Dr. Horrible fame, is the eponymous character in the ABC show Castle. He's a fictional character and how he's published a book. I understand he also has Twitter and Facebook accounts, but after publishing a book, a little social networking seems rather tame for someone who doesn't even physically exist.
For anyone who hasn't been following the show, Castle is a mystery writer in NYC who finagles his way into following around Detective Kate Beckett, played by Stana Katic. After killing off his last main character, he is suffering from writer's block until he meets her. She becomes his (somewhat put-upon) muse and the result is a character based on her -- Nikki Heat -- and the novel Heat Wave.
Now, I know Richard Castle didn't really write this book. ABC hired a ghost writer to write it under the nom de plum of Castle. But I'm willing to play along with the gag. I think it's a brilliant publicity move. And I'm excited about reading this book.
I'm excited about two things.
1) I finally figured out how to make a link on this blog page. Yippee!
2) I'm excited about a book I bought yesterday -- Heat Wave by Richard Castle. Well, it's kind of by Richard Castle. Richard Castle, as portrayed by Nathan Fillion of Firefly and Dr. Horrible fame, is the eponymous character in the ABC show Castle. He's a fictional character and how he's published a book. I understand he also has Twitter and Facebook accounts, but after publishing a book, a little social networking seems rather tame for someone who doesn't even physically exist.
For anyone who hasn't been following the show, Castle is a mystery writer in NYC who finagles his way into following around Detective Kate Beckett, played by Stana Katic. After killing off his last main character, he is suffering from writer's block until he meets her. She becomes his (somewhat put-upon) muse and the result is a character based on her -- Nikki Heat -- and the novel Heat Wave.
Now, I know Richard Castle didn't really write this book. ABC hired a ghost writer to write it under the nom de plum of Castle. But I'm willing to play along with the gag. I think it's a brilliant publicity move. And I'm excited about reading this book.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Potty Humor
The Punkin is of an age to be potty training and we are working on just that. Potty training is a mix of triumph (yes! we pee-peed in the potty!), backsliding (uh-oh, we had an accident) and occassional humor. ... Or, depending on how you look at it, lots and lots of humor.
Most of the humor deals with #2. For some reason, #1 just isn't as funny. But I have lots of funny stories to tell you about #2. For example, this weekend I left the Punkin in the living room and ran downstairs to put up a book. I was gone for 30 seconds, tops. 30 seconds. ... ok, maybe 45 seconds, but I think you get my point. I come back upstairs and immediately notice that there's an additional aroma that was not present when I went downstairs.
"What's that smell?" I ask.
"Poopy," the Punkin replies without even looking up from her doll.
"Did we poop in our pants?"
"Yes," she deadpans, just as calmly as if I'd asked if she had enjoyed school that day. The child should consider a career as a straightman for a stand up comic.
But this was still a better answer than the previous week. She had pooped in her pants and I was hoping she hadn't.
"Did you really poopy?" I asked.
She turned around, stuck out her butt and said "Here, smell."
I thought they weren't supposed to be smart-asses until they were teenagers!
As funny as these little asides were, the real coup de grace (or, should it be pooh de grace?) came last night at bathtime. I'm sure you see where this is going by now.
We had finished with the actual bath and were just playing in the tub. The Punkin stood up in the tub, reached around and started picking at her butt. I told her to stop that and she ignored me. Again, I told her to stop it and this time she moved her hand, but she got a very strange look on her face. The next second plop! plop! and two turds splashed down into the bathwater.
"I pooped," said Captain Obvious.
There was a pause from Mommy as I took this in, then I did the only thing I could do...I laughed.
Now, the Punkin was a little upset about this turn of events. She's at the point in potty training where, while she still has accidents, she doesn't like to and she feels bummed out afterwards. While I got her out of the bathtub, wiped her butt and toweled her off, she kept lamenting "I pooped, I pooped."
However, by the time she was clean and dry, she saw the humor in it, too. She ran her little naked butt down the hall looking for daddy (who, coincidentally, was in the other bathroom having a #2 moment of his own). "Daddy, Daddy, I pooped in the bath," she announced as she ran down the hall and into our bedroom. "Daddy, I pooped in the bath," she reitterated as she knocked on the bathroom door.
"Hmmm....Did you?" Daddy answered hesitantly. I don't blame him. This isn't something you hear everyday.
A little while later, Punkin in her pajamas, bathtub depoopified, I took a moment to do what any 21st Century Mom would do...I texted several friends to enlighten them with my child's latest antics. Once upon a time we would have savored this story for years, waiting for the day we could embarass her by sharing it with a boyfriend of fiance. But thanks to the wonders of technology, we can share it immediately with friends, family, and total strangers on the internet. Now, if whoever invented the internet could just invent a quick and easy way to potty train kids . . .
Most of the humor deals with #2. For some reason, #1 just isn't as funny. But I have lots of funny stories to tell you about #2. For example, this weekend I left the Punkin in the living room and ran downstairs to put up a book. I was gone for 30 seconds, tops. 30 seconds. ... ok, maybe 45 seconds, but I think you get my point. I come back upstairs and immediately notice that there's an additional aroma that was not present when I went downstairs.
"What's that smell?" I ask.
"Poopy," the Punkin replies without even looking up from her doll.
"Did we poop in our pants?"
"Yes," she deadpans, just as calmly as if I'd asked if she had enjoyed school that day. The child should consider a career as a straightman for a stand up comic.
But this was still a better answer than the previous week. She had pooped in her pants and I was hoping she hadn't.
"Did you really poopy?" I asked.
She turned around, stuck out her butt and said "Here, smell."
I thought they weren't supposed to be smart-asses until they were teenagers!
As funny as these little asides were, the real coup de grace (or, should it be pooh de grace?) came last night at bathtime. I'm sure you see where this is going by now.
We had finished with the actual bath and were just playing in the tub. The Punkin stood up in the tub, reached around and started picking at her butt. I told her to stop that and she ignored me. Again, I told her to stop it and this time she moved her hand, but she got a very strange look on her face. The next second plop! plop! and two turds splashed down into the bathwater.
"I pooped," said Captain Obvious.
There was a pause from Mommy as I took this in, then I did the only thing I could do...I laughed.
Now, the Punkin was a little upset about this turn of events. She's at the point in potty training where, while she still has accidents, she doesn't like to and she feels bummed out afterwards. While I got her out of the bathtub, wiped her butt and toweled her off, she kept lamenting "I pooped, I pooped."
However, by the time she was clean and dry, she saw the humor in it, too. She ran her little naked butt down the hall looking for daddy (who, coincidentally, was in the other bathroom having a #2 moment of his own). "Daddy, Daddy, I pooped in the bath," she announced as she ran down the hall and into our bedroom. "Daddy, I pooped in the bath," she reitterated as she knocked on the bathroom door.
"Hmmm....Did you?" Daddy answered hesitantly. I don't blame him. This isn't something you hear everyday.
A little while later, Punkin in her pajamas, bathtub depoopified, I took a moment to do what any 21st Century Mom would do...I texted several friends to enlighten them with my child's latest antics. Once upon a time we would have savored this story for years, waiting for the day we could embarass her by sharing it with a boyfriend of fiance. But thanks to the wonders of technology, we can share it immediately with friends, family, and total strangers on the internet. Now, if whoever invented the internet could just invent a quick and easy way to potty train kids . . .
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Jinkies! Another Blog!
The Punkin has developed a serious love affair with Scooby Doo and that's OK with us. Her daddy and I grew up watching those meddling kids and we're encouraging her infatuation. A group of kids working together and thinking critically to figure out problems? Scooby Doo's producers didn't intend it to be educational television, but you can do much worse with children's television these days.
Scooby Doo doesn't teach the skills of critical thinking, but it does set an example kids can begin with, namely, if something doesn't make sense, investigate it. So, in the spirit of Scooby Doo, I've looked at the clues and come up with my own conclusions which I'd like to share (all in good fun).
1) The Mystery, Inc. gang are all trust fund babies. Think about it... They travel the world solving mysteries, but never seem to work or get paid. The money is coming from somewhere.
2) Probably from the bank accounts of their big-shot lawyer parents. Ever notice how many of the "clues" found by Scooby and company involve breaking and entering? They must be awful confident that someone is going to bail them out of jail.
3) Laws do not apply to the Scooby Doo Gang, not even the laws of physics. Not only are they never arrested for B&E, but the physics police never comes after them, not matter how blatantly they break the law. One of my favorite examples is a scene in which an ironing board is laid across the top of a washing machine and a fan is placed at the back of it. The ironing board gives the washing machine enough lift to zip around like a low flying airplane with Shaggy riding on top. Orville and Wilbur probably wish they'd had it so easy.
OK, that's three...that's a good number to stop on. I'm sure as we watch more and more Scooby Doo, I'll come up with more pithy observations. Until then, I think I'll go have a Scooby Snack.
Scooby Doo doesn't teach the skills of critical thinking, but it does set an example kids can begin with, namely, if something doesn't make sense, investigate it. So, in the spirit of Scooby Doo, I've looked at the clues and come up with my own conclusions which I'd like to share (all in good fun).
1) The Mystery, Inc. gang are all trust fund babies. Think about it... They travel the world solving mysteries, but never seem to work or get paid. The money is coming from somewhere.
2) Probably from the bank accounts of their big-shot lawyer parents. Ever notice how many of the "clues" found by Scooby and company involve breaking and entering? They must be awful confident that someone is going to bail them out of jail.
3) Laws do not apply to the Scooby Doo Gang, not even the laws of physics. Not only are they never arrested for B&E, but the physics police never comes after them, not matter how blatantly they break the law. One of my favorite examples is a scene in which an ironing board is laid across the top of a washing machine and a fan is placed at the back of it. The ironing board gives the washing machine enough lift to zip around like a low flying airplane with Shaggy riding on top. Orville and Wilbur probably wish they'd had it so easy.
OK, that's three...that's a good number to stop on. I'm sure as we watch more and more Scooby Doo, I'll come up with more pithy observations. Until then, I think I'll go have a Scooby Snack.
If you write it, they will come
So it occurs to me last night that it's not exactly a blog if you don't write in it. HaHa...but you already knew that.
I want some followers. I don't want a lot. I don't harbor any dreams of being the next big thing and influencing the world, but I do want a handful of people who think I'm interesting enough to stop by every few days to see what I'm up to. I have one follower right now, but she's a friend, so I think it's a pity-follow. ;-)
But if I'm going to seek followers, then I must uphold my end of the bargain and write... on a regular basis... about semi-interesting things... or uninteresting things in an interesting manner. So that's my new year's resolution. ha ha ... how vague is that?
And as an encouragement (to me, to you, to the world?) I'll do a giveaway when I get to a dozen followers. Nothing big, but just something to celebrate getting a dozen people to listen to me. Just, when it finally happens, someone remind me that I said this. It might take a while to get there.
I want some followers. I don't want a lot. I don't harbor any dreams of being the next big thing and influencing the world, but I do want a handful of people who think I'm interesting enough to stop by every few days to see what I'm up to. I have one follower right now, but she's a friend, so I think it's a pity-follow. ;-)
But if I'm going to seek followers, then I must uphold my end of the bargain and write... on a regular basis... about semi-interesting things... or uninteresting things in an interesting manner. So that's my new year's resolution. ha ha ... how vague is that?
And as an encouragement (to me, to you, to the world?) I'll do a giveaway when I get to a dozen followers. Nothing big, but just something to celebrate getting a dozen people to listen to me. Just, when it finally happens, someone remind me that I said this. It might take a while to get there.
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