helblonde: (ursine frown)
2010-10-15 09:48 am
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Hey, Dummy!

Okay, here's a thing.

I don't want to hear another political candidate denouce their opponent for being a "professional politician". News flash, Dingaling: you're applying (running) for a job as a professional politician!

If you don't think you can *be* a professional politician, why apply for the job? I bet there's a whole lot of other things you could do with your time and money. And, if even you think your opponent can do the job of professional politician better, why would I vote for you?
helblonde: (Just B)
2010-07-30 08:54 pm
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B'day

Actual conversation at our house:

Me: Am I the only one who reads b-day as 'bidet'?
Him: No. No, you're not.
Me: Thank goodness.
helblonde: (Default)
2008-02-21 02:22 pm
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Ramblo VI

Why is it that Arkansas has the best  city names? I've liked Bald Knob for a while. BearDen is also a favorite for obvious reasons. But now I've found Smackover. I love it.

Pardon me, I'm being "productve" while home sick (blankety-blank air travel), or as Randal said, I have the sneezles.

No Court of Love for me this weekend. *shakes tiny fist*

I did do a faboo paper-wrapped salmon last night for dinner. I hadn't done the paper-wrap thing before and I was just making it up as I went along, so go me.

My one piece of good news this week is that Banky is no longer here! Buh-bye, Bozo.
helblonde: (Default)
2007-12-04 07:20 pm
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How often do I get to say that?

Holden emailed us this morning to say that he had a back spasm. I wrote back that I was sorry that he was spastic. It excited me to get to use the work "spastic" in context.
helblonde: (Default)
2007-10-15 11:29 am
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Quote of the Day

 "red-headed step-server"

I love IT guys.
helblonde: (Default)
2007-09-20 01:19 pm
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Some folks just don't think it through

I saw a truck made by Western Truck Fab today. Their logo is an oval with WTF written in it.  I am amused.
helblonde: (Default)
2007-09-01 07:44 pm
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Misfortune cookies

Passing Wind* Chinese Restaurant, while no replacement for our beloved Muslim Chinese**, has improved their quality significantly since we first tried them and has the benefit of delivering to our house. The food was food; decent, but nothing to exclaim about to foodie friends. They were kind enough to include a bazillion fortune cookies, but I think some of them were misfortune cookies. Sure some of them are normal.
- You are careful and systematic in your business arrangements.
- Today's profits are yesterday's goods well ripened. (I have no idea what this means.)

But what about these?
- Enjoy what you have! Never mind fame and power.
- Don't play for safety-it's the most dangerous thing in the world.
- You will come to realizations in your life that change you forever.
- Do not fear failure.

Sheesh.


*All right, their name isn't actually Passing Wind, it's Eastern Winds or something, but after the first time we ordered from them, well... Passing Wind they will always be.

**Muslim Chinese, was also known as Peking Eastern House Restaurant.
helblonde: (Default)
2007-08-13 10:39 am
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Quote to start the day

With the big events happening at work over the weekend and lots of meetings about them today, I didn't expect the first contender for quote of the day to come from the radio.

Thanks, NPR, for offering this gem:

"I want to make a comparison in an analogous fashion..."
helblonde: (Default)
2007-07-27 03:20 pm
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Word geekery

I'm editing a guidebook about IT responsibilities in M&A.  (Zzzzzz....) I knew I was in trouble when I asked my boss whether there was a technical writer involved and he said "you're it!"

Aside from one of the writers not knowing that we're writing in English, so we don't need to capitalize every single noun, I have grabbed a couple of interesting errors. Today's favorite:

(blah, blah, blah, etc...)


Um, "etc..."? I'm pretty sure the elipsis has no place in business writing and certainly does not need to be combined with et cetera. *sigh*
helblonde: (Default)
2007-06-19 02:14 pm
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words

When I wasn't looking, "out of pocket" stopped meaning "paid by X (and not reimbursable)" and started meaning "out of the office" or "not available". 

What the fuzz?

helblonde: (Default)
2007-06-13 03:22 pm
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What's in a Name?

From time to time, the thought of the things we should never name our children crosses my mind. Our last name lends itself to some obvious bad choices (ask me about my neice some time), I had another pop into my head today. I'll never be able to name a son Philip, because he would have to be a physician. Yes, that's right, Dr. Phil Good.

My mother  (last name Mohle' - that's MOH-lay) always said she shouldn't have a son named Joachim. Say it out loud: (Wah-Keem MOH-Lay) it sounds like a certain kind of green dip.

What are some baddies from you*?

*No children are required for this exercise, as I'm sure it would harm them.

helblonde: (Default)
2007-05-30 11:59 am
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Oh, please

I took last night to just relax and read. Yay! 

I managed to read, but David Weber managed to tick me off a bit with one plot point. (Well, with more than one thing, mostly because he seems to have written the past few books without an editor and he desperately needs one to cut most of his garbage.)

The heroine gets preganat and doesn't figure it out. Not even a suspicion. I have see this too many times and I just don't buy it. No, nay, never. Any woman that I have met who has had sex and knows anything about biology (which this character does), will have the "what if?" thought periodically, combined with a reaction that is somewhere between horified and ecstatic. Especially if she is showing symptoms.

Another peeve: why do all pregnant women in books seem to have morning sickness. This is way above the statistical norm. I mean really. Do authors have to torment their characters because they don't know any other way to show that a woman is pregnant? Read a biology book, people. And add morning sickness to having had sex, and why is she surprised she's pregnant? The character isn't stupid, right? She may not want to be pregnant, but she should be able to figure it out.

I don't buy the scenario and I've seen it often enough that I have gotten really tired of it. 

Bad author, bad, bad, bad.
helblonde: (Default)
2007-05-17 10:01 am
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What's your favorite chivalric virtue?

I had planned to ask this at B&Y's last night, but ended up working late instead.

So, we all know my favorite chivalric virtue. What's yours? 
Or, is there one that's not on the "chivalic" list that you like better?
helblonde: (Default)
2007-05-16 02:27 pm
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Random thought

Is *fuzzy* a chivalric virtue?

Discuss.

helblonde: (Default)
2007-05-01 10:41 am
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It's Official

I spoke with Catherine of Wessex last night and officially moved the silent auction to June Crown. 

<whew>

I'm glad I'll have an extra month to get my hats done - I like sleep!


Also on the docket, as part of HRH's court, a pillbox hat workshop and maybe painting armbands for the guards' persian coats. I have "guard" and "west kingdom" translated into arabic. I tried "king" and "queen", too, but when I reverse-translated "King", it translated back as "posessed". Amusing, but no.

helblonde: (Default)
2007-04-20 10:16 am
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Quick lesson in German

Since someone asked... 

Yes, I know what it sounds like. Tee hee. 

Helblonde means light blonde hair in german.

Hel = light in color
Blonde = yellow hair

It is contrasted by dunkelblonde (dunkel = dark), dark blonde hair.

Sadly, the more time I spend working indoors the more dunkelblonde I get.
helblonde: (Default)
2007-04-18 11:06 am
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Let's buy one!

Everyday on my commute, I drive past a mobile home/trailer dealer. The unit that they have in the most prominenet position on their lot is a little trailer-home called the

FunEnder

Seriously. Who thought that was a good idea? Someone hired Dogbert to name their product.
helblonde: (Default)
2007-04-05 10:32 am
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(no subject)

I get copied on a lot of emails.  A lot of emails. Usually at the end of a long string of replies and forwards.
Yesterday, as I was reading through a long email thread, I came across this email. In full, it read:

Urgent
Christ
Urgent

Unfortunately, when I cracked up, my cube mate didn't think that was nearly as funny as I think it is, just because it was addressed to Christi.
helblonde: (Default)
2007-04-05 10:29 am
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Tres amuse

Some churches have signs saying you're going to hell...
Some churches have signs saying all welcome...
The one I drive by on the way to work posts "visit our gift shop".

helblonde: (Default)
2007-02-26 09:50 am
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Headlines

What do you think when you read this BBC news headline?

'Perfectionism' Bowel Pain Link

My first thought: there's no big surprise here. Perfectionism is a pain in the, er, bowel.