Kerfuffle

If you grew up in Chicago in the 50s or 60s, you'll remember these holiday cartoons... not to say it's a good memory, but still...

A few classics that were annual staples of the Garfield Goose children's program hosted by Frazier Thomas on WGN-TV.

We were easily entertained back then, when there were only five channels and one of the was them dreaded "educational channel."

At first, I thought I was being asked a totally different question

To be a member of a college fraternity is to have a bunch of friends with weird, stupid, embarrassing, meaningless or otherwise odd nicknames.  Some are drug-oriented (Pheno).    Some are trait-based ("O" as in obnoxious).  Some are just abbreviations (Goldy). Two others attached to my Sig Ep brothers include "The Narl" and "Toast."

Knowing that, maybe you will understand my confusion when offered either Narly head or Toasted head.  Whaaaaaaaat?

Oh, we're talking about wine.  Like the red stuff in a bottle.  Wow.  That's totally different.

My bad.

Either way, I'll pass. 

[h/t to The Narl for the photo!]

Never underestimate the potential of web sites dedicated to making fun of others: PeopleOfWalMart.com

Skip on past if this is old news to you, or if you think making fun of other people just for the way they look is uncouth and improper.  But sneak a peak at some of the pictures first, just for laughs.

I first heard about PeopleOfWalMart.com shortly after it launched in August.  Pretty simple concept, as outlined by the site's authors/editors/laughmakers...

People of Walmart was founded in August of 2009 by three friends and roommates after an inspirational trip to Walmart.

Let’s face it; we all have seen the people who obviously don’t have mirrors and/or family and friends to lock them in a basement, and they all seem to congregate at Walmart. It’s not everywhere that you can shop for milk at 10 a.m. next to a 400lb mother of 6 wearing a pink tube top, leopard tights, and hooker heels. Where else can one go to pick up underwear at 3 O’clock in the afternoon and spot the greatest mullet of all time paired with a mustard stained wife beater (which only accents the extreme amount of body hair) and camo pants that were actually used in Vietnam.

The site has its fans (over 46,000 on a FaceBook fan page), and the guys who run it post some of their fan email, like this one from "Jackie"...

I (unfortunately) work at a Wal-Mart in Ohio, and heard about the site from one of my co-workers. It is so funny, and sadly true. We get some real winners in there, but you already know that! lol Keep up the good work, and maybe my co-workers and I can get some good pics for you. Summer is over though, so no more short shorts. Thanks for the laughs! [Note: smiley face provided by Jackie.  I try never to do that here.]

On the flip side, some don't se the humor at all, like Tracy, who feels "icky" after visiting...

I’m only one regretful reader, but your website is not sharply witty or clever, just cruel and childish. i hope you don’t consider yourselves edgy underground internet comedians because you’re not. who knows what you’re really like, but from reading your site, you sound like a bunch of sexist, arrogant meatheads. no offense. i just feel kinda icky after visiting it.

To their credit, the site operators do have limits...

...we do not wish to poke fun at people who, through no fault of their own, are handicapped. Absolutely NO pictures of someone mentally or physically handicapped will be added to the site…we aren’t complete dicks.

I especially like the disclaimer...

We would also like to stress that we are in no way liable if you get your ass beat by Bubba when he catches you taking his picture.

Is it wrong to laugh, out loud, while looking at this site?  Maybe.  But, honestly, at least half of these photos beg the response:  "WTF were you thinking when you left the house?"  It's not a matter of trying to see oneself as an elitist looking at the great unwashed masses (although it may boost one's own self esteem knowing these folks are out there).  It's just fucking funny.  I'm sorry.  Yes, I think it's funny.  The captioning is often the best part.

Need some visual proof?  OK then.

Caption:  How cute and cuddly are those stuffed...OH MY GOD!

Caption:  It’s like those shorts are managing to cover nothing and everything at the same time.

Caption: Well the bleach from earlier obviously didn’t do the trick because I still see this…. I’m switching to Drano.

I am so going to hell, if there was one which I am betting there is not.  Meanwhile, i have to go pour bleach in my eyes.

Hotdogs! Get your hotdogs! OK, who's ready?

I've been pretty busy, so haven't had much time to post.  But I am glad we have that hotdog cart on the campus library mall for a quick lunch.  I like mine plain.

[h/t @radioguychris]

The couches and chairs in the library should be comfortable. But are they too comfortable?

One of the places I like to go on the UW campus when I have a lot of reading to do is the card catalog room in Memorial Library.  Since most current undergraduates never used card catalogs in their young lives, all that thankfully being on computers now, it's not a busy place.  I'm not sure if they maintain it for posterity or because some people still use it... although I have yet to see a single card drawer be pulled in all the time I've spent there so far.

One of the nice things about the room is that it has this big open space with large west-facing windows.  Lots of natural light makes it a great reading spot.  It's quiet.  And it has the best furniture for sinking into whatever you have to read.

People tend to move the furniture around a little to catch the light, get near an electrical outlet, of otherwise meet some small need.  It's easy to do on the tile floor.  Some patrons get a little more into the space than others.  I watched one young woman drag a couch about 30 feet, then turn it around and pull it close to a facing chair.  She unpacked her various items, stretched out, read for about ten minutes, and then spent the better part of the hour taking a nap...

 

For whatever reason, I found this amusing... enough so that I had to take a few photos.  She reminded me of the sorority girls on the show Greek, right down to the extensive collection of pink items (bags, shoes, sweater, and binder).  It's not like she was keeping others from using the furniture, since the room was nearly empty.  Too much weekend must have spilled into Monday.  Maybe a little too much fun watching the Packers game the night before. 

I wonder if she knows that she snores loud enough to be heard through that poli-sci textbook.

Mr. Ed and Elpis: A match made in horsey heaven. If only she, too, could talk

And now a musical selection dedicated to Elpis, our filly born a week ago...

Is this a sign of a failing educational system here in Wisconsin... or just shoddy work by people too disinterested to care about quality?

It's not exactly a ringing endorsement of your sign company when you make to order a highway sign under state contract, only to misspell three out of the four words.  Misspelled words include Business ["Buisness"], Rothschild ["Rothschield"] and Schofield ["Schofeild"].

Ah, oops.

David Vieth, Director of the Bureau of Highway Operations for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, was quick to point out that this was the fine work of the Decker Supply Company of Madison, and as such that firm would be replacing the sign at company expense.  Vieth was kind enough to not bash the contractor when he commented, “We all make mistakes.  But for most of us, they’re not put up for all the public to see.”  Following the CYA manual, Vieth also noted that all the words were spelled properly in the DOT paperwork.  ("Phew!")

I can see how maybe one of the town names may have been botched, as they are not common words (even though "field" is reasonably common in and of itself).  But "Business" is a word that is pretty common, no?

The sign was actually installed by Arbor Green, Inc. of Portage.  I gather their motto is "We don't read 'em, just install 'em." 

Kudos, Decker Supply and Arbor Green for this fine FAIL!

 

The Help Desk: Different millenium but, oddly enough, the same problems

[h/t John Aravosis for sharing this on FB]

Hey you cost-conscious coffee drinker: Is that a real latte... or a McLatte™... you're guzzling there?

I'm sorry.  I just can't help laughing when I see McDonald's peddling fancy-ass coffee drinks right there next to the Snack-wraps™.  But you know, in these recessionary times, Mickey D's is eating Starbucks breakfast (which used to be a maple oat scone, and now is a chicken McMuffin).  Yes, I am a coffee snob; I admit it.  I'm also a bit of a hamburger snob.  And let's face it, McDonald's is to coffee what McDonald's is to, umm, hamburgers.

Fact is, McDonald's sales are up and Starbucks sales are down.  It's not surprising that McDonald's does better in a bad economy, because they sell relatively cheap food.  But I don't get why someone wouldn't just skip having a latte or whatever they waste $4 on at Starbucks rather than spend half the price on a fake version.  (Yeah, i know, Ronald.  You spent a ton of money on all those espresso machines.  But you still have fry cooks making the damn drinks.)  I mean, would a person who enjoys the occasional Guinness or Newcastle suddenly make a cost-cutting switch to Milwaukee's Best?  Only if that person was a serious alcoholic and couldn't tell the difference between The Beast and the good stuff anymore.  If you're such a caffeine junkie, just skip the fancy drinks and go right for the regular coffee (which at Starbucks tastes like coffee and at McDonald's tastes like coffee made yesterday).  On this level, Starbucks is SO worth the extra 35¢.

The folks over at Gawker have this Starbucks versus McDonald's thing pegged...

McDonald's message is this: "Now you have a good excuse to buy a cheap ass burger while you pick up your daily tub of coffee, yuppies." Clear, direct, and honest. Meanwhile, the chief marketing guy at Starbucks is like "McD's will recruit all these new yuppies who will get tired of drinking their swill and trade up to our swill!" while glancing around nervously, adding, "Yea, that's the ticket. 'Trading up.' Yea, I like the sound of that." We all know you're toast, Starbucks man.

I don't know.  I was in a McDonald's a few weeks ago and it had a gas fireplace and some leather club chairs.  This cozy retreat was just this side of the glass doors leading into the McPlayland ball crawl.  Another sign of the apocalypse.

Bratwursts and burgers for your BBQ? Not when you can nuke a couple of Hot Pockets

My one-time improv "comedy" partner, Guy "Arturo" Matheson, tossed this on his Facebok status a little while ago...

I went to Target early yesterday morning and found this receipt at the checkout when I was paying for a b-day card and dishwasher detergent;9 oz. 3 Cheese & Quesadilla Hot Pockets $2.19, 20 oz. Sprite $1.39 and employee ("team member") discount of 10%. The receipt was time stamped at 7:06 a.m. Good Morning healthy breakfast Unknown Target Team Member....

That reminded me of this bit from Jim Gaffigan.  It's been around for a while but still makes me laugh...

Jokes.com
Jim Gaffigan - Hot Pocket!
dians.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

Curiously, the Comedy Central page that delivered this video had a pop-up ad for Sprite, and featured the 20oz bottle.  Nice.