The English Penny
EU Directive No. 456179
In order to meet the conditions for joining the Single European currency, all citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland must be made aware that the phrase ‘Spending a Penny’ is not to be used after 31st December 2009.
From this date, the correct terminology will be: ‘Euronating’.
Thank you for your attention.
Thanks to Sue for the above amusement. If you don’t get this, move along. (Anyone who watches Britcoms should get this reference.)
I am presently listening to my latest Pogues album (thanks to Johnny B for gifting it to me this morning). It’s called Rum, Sodomy & The Lash. The album is quite good and contains some fantastic songs. Thoroughly enjoyable. I recommend it to anyone who likes Celtic Rock or music. We also had a great discussion at skating about old TV shows and we agreed that Bob Newhart (both of his eponymous shows) is brilliant as was Mary Tyler Moore. The shows have aged well and remain funny. We discussed shark jumping, soaps, and sci-fi. Usually we discuss music, but today was TV Day. And it was fun. And, as usual, Liz filled me in on her Telenovelas. I didn’t take notes and I’ll fail the test, but it’s amusing to listen to. The things people watch.
Speaking of television I’ve been discussing “V” with Randy. We both agree that there are some hot babes in it, but the show is definitely predictable. We also agree that it will grow moreso as it has nowhere to go but the inevitable conclusion. This is a remake of a series that had a beginning and an end. It wasn’t some show that ended without conclusion. This concluded, and they have certain limitations if they want to maintain their credibility. John and I briefly discussed this but he’s not watching the new “V” though he remembers the original — which has not aged well. But back to the new “V”: they have some really unique stuff and for now it continues to hold my interest but how long they can do so is questionable.
As most of you know, one of the jobs I held down during my school days at Berkeley was The Used Computer Store (still operating, same owners, new location). I was a salesman and the Apple II technician. The thing I hated most was working on equipment owned by smokers. You would open stuff, and not only would it reek, but the plastic would also be permanently yellowed by the chemicals in the tobacco, and the drives and boards would be gummed up with tar. No employee who worked there in the time I worked there would smoke after seeing one of these babies. We were able to fix most smoke damaged computers, but it was a slow, arduous process to clean it properly without damaging components with cleaning agents. Floppy disk drives were generally permanently ruined by smoke residue. I mention this not as a rant against smokers — though that is certainly a valid rant — but as a warning that if you do smoke, don’t smoke around your computer. And Apple Computer is no longer covering certain types of damage to a computer caused by cigarette smoke. That’s awesome. The article is here — and read the source article in the Consumerist as well.
In an amusing blog article from CBS News, it appears the anti-gay marriage legislation passed in Texas may have inadvertently made heterosexual marriage illegal as well. While I seriously doubt this won’t be fixed within a matter of days, it’s still rather amusing to me. With all the problems in the world, I’m still not sure why people are so wound up about this.
Godwin’s Law is an observation made by Mike Godwin in 1990 which has become an Internet adage. It states: “As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” As a longtime Usenet user until AT&T killed NNTP services, I can categorically state this is true. This is the lead in, courtesy of Dave, to this article in Wired Magazine of “10 Geeky Laws That Should Exist.” He mentions me as being deserving of Law Number Eight. I also wish to point out that Liz is so with me on that one. I wish to point out Law Number Two and throw my support behind it as a real law.
Thanks to former fellow Boy Scout Sam Khors (we were in Troop Ten together) for finding on Facebook one of my oldest friends who vanished after I went off to college. A special “hello” to Victor Johnson some three decades later. We’ve got some great memories of Uncle Victor as we used to call him from our Boy Scout days. I wonder if I can find Wesley Harrell? I’ve tried before and failed. There was Billy Dubis too. Damn. Flashback!