Can you hear this?

The ringtone of choice of young whippersnappers. Apparently lots of people over 30 can't read it, but many can. I can't hear it, and I wonder if I ever would have heard it because I think my hearing is kind of bad. I think I killed some of the higher frequencies during a particularly hectic middle school band practice or something lame like that.

Also, here's an entirely unrelated thought: I recently realized that I have frequently resented the fact that time runs in only one direction. How dumb is that? How can you not bring yourself to get over the bare facts of existence?

Collapse in on yourself like a dying star!

Here's a blog called That's What She Said. It's a blog about how much the litigation could end up costing Dunder Mifflin if it existed and employed Michael Scott.

I'm about a third of the way through tonight's episode of The Office and so far it is excellent. I would go on, but today I seem to have a problem speaking. Everything I say or write sounds like it has been translated from English to Russian to French and then back to English.

Oh a tiny little house

I'd like a small house. A shotgun shanty. A little cottage. A Katrina Cottage purchased at Lowe's, maybe. Fuck, why not a nice dry cave? Little geodisic dome on the prairie. Sounds cozy, don't it? I've seen these before, but this here article in the NYT got me thinking. I would genuinely like a little house like this. It reminds me of tiny cabins people rent by the lake. They really have all the space you need. One possible problem is that I do not want to live out in a forest or anything like that.That seems to be what most of the people in the NYT story did. I like the city, or town, or something where you are near people, shops, fire stations and gas stations. And I imagine this sort of house wouldn't be welcome in many neighborhoods. In fact, the neighbors would be downright hostile. They'd either think you were some hippie loser or they'd just be mad that you could be dragging down their property values.

What I'd do, though, is I would have a big two car garage alongside my tiny cottage. It could be heated for parties and whatnot. I don't know if that would make the hypothetical neighbors any happier, but it really should.

In the house I would need space for a smallish tv, bookshelves, a desk, kitchen, bathroom and a bedroom. A screened in porch, a cellar would be nice -- maybe a basement under the garage. The guest house will be a tree house and will overlook the pool. In fact, you, as my house guest, will be invited to jump from the tree house balcony into the swimming pool (after you sign a liability waiver and promise - pinkie swear! - to make sure there is water in the pool before jumping).

Another fine purveyor of teensy houses, is Alchemy Architects, which produces the WeeHouse, and is located in St. Paul.

Oh, A.Word.A.Day daily quote! You naughty thing!

..................................................
The world is a skirt I want to lift up. 
-Hanif Kureishi,  author (1954- )

Covetousness

Has anyone else been listening to the MPR pledge drive? I am coveting the 40th anniversary red stoneware mug. Unfortunately, I don't have the cash or enough generosity to actually make a donation and get one. So I'll be cruising the thrift shops in a few years, hoping to pick one up for seventy five cents.

I'm enjoying the thrill of guilt, as they hint occasionally that by not donating, you're pretty much stealing. It's amazing. Isn't listening to public radio supposed to make you feel smug and virtuous? It's not working right!

They've been playing some of their 'greatest hits' interviews on Mid-Morning, which is awesome cuz I listen at work, and I miss stuff sometimes. My favorites replays have been Nora Ephron bitching about how old and rich she is, and the pediatric neuroscientist who talked about kids' learning styles and "leaking linear chunks" and whatnot.

Good to know!

Some of you might remember that we used to lament about not being able to get satellite? You know, my apartment faces east so I still don't think it's an option for me, but maybe somebody else can use this. From this post.

...the FCC has ruled that Homeowners Associations can't restrict you from having a dish, neither can landlords in the case of renters. Of course, HOAs and landlords will both try and bully people into thinking that they (the HOAs and landlords) have total control, but they don't.

All the rules are here.

And I've excerpted part of the page:
Q: What types of restrictions are prohibited?

A: The rule prohibits restrictions that impair a person's ability to install, maintain, or use an antenna covered by the rule. The rule applies to state or local laws or regulations, including zoning, land-use or building regulations, private covenants, homeowners' association rules, condominium or cooperative association restrictions, lease restrictions, or similar restrictions on property within the exclusive use or control of the antenna user where the user has an ownership or leasehold interest in the property. A restriction impairs if it: (1) unreasonably delays or prevents use of; (2) unreasonably increases the cost of; or (3) precludes a person from receiving or transmitting an acceptable quality signal from an antenna covered under the rule. The rule does not prohibit legitimate safety restrictions or restrictions designed to preserve designated or eligible historic or prehistoric properties, provided the restriction is no more burdensome than necessary to accomplish the safety or preservation purpose.

Title

Have you ever gone to a baby shower and you were like, the only one there who was hung over and swearing a lot and making off-color comments? It's a good time. It's how you know you're the fun one. The super fun one.

The party organizer had a cool idea; she used one of those "get to know your friends" e-mails to make up a "who knows the future mom best" quiz for the party. That's innovation, ya'll.

edit: That second paragraph might sound sarcastic. It's not; I thought it was a good idea. Oh great. Now everything I say sounds like bullshit.

It's Tuesday already!

Boy, you know, I seem to be getting dumber. I used to have some command of the English language, including such things as grammar, spelling, and syntax. Actually, I'm not sure what syntax means, or it I ever really knew. I'll look it up later, unless I forget. Let's face it, consider it forgotten. The fact remains, I don't know as much stuff as I possibly used to.

I was really pissed off that it was snowing this morning, because I didn't know it was supposed to snow. I asked someone if it was in the forecast and yes, yes, it was. I guess I got all excited that the high temp was going to be above zero and stopped reading. I saw this van do an awesome loopy-loop on the road. The driver turned left onto the road I was on, but kind of kept going into a 360. Then he stopped. He ended up right at the stop sign, had to turn right and drive around the block to get back to where he was supposed to be. I've been there, dude! Keep on trucking!

It's Thursday already!

Do you ever have one of those weeks that crawls by and then it's suddenly almost done? It doesn't make sense, but there it it. Thursday is pretty much gone.