Farewell.

Today, I'm announcing my final posting here at “Your Friendly Neighborhood Mac Guy”. Effective immediately, I am effectively closing both “Your Friendly Neighborhood Mac Guy” and it’s second-cousin-twice-removed site, “Five Things”. Neither blog is going away, I’ll keep them up as long as Blogspot allows it. the same crap content you know and love will now be found at my new blog, “Spicy Brown” – http://spicybrown.deepmustard.com.

It’s been a terrific run since I started way back in… harumphharumph. This decision did not come easily for me, since being here is something that I've loved to do since I discovered my voice here on the Internet. There have been a few reasons for doing this and I hope you all switch your bookmarks over to the new site.

Finally, to quote Babe Ruth, who's pictured here:

"There's been so many lovely things said about me, and I'm glad that I've had the opportunity to thank everybody. Thank you."

Q&A:

Q: Why are you shuttering two sites?

A: I have a long commute back and forth to work. As a result, my blogging time has shrunken dramatically. There’s also my family; for some strange reason they want to spend more time with me.

Q: What happens to all that crap content you’ve posted?

A: They will still be available at http://macfixer.blogspot.com and http://five-things.blogspot.com -- until Blogspot pulls the plug.

Q: Where can I locate you?

A: I’m always available at http://www.deepmustard.com.

Q: I love you, run away with me!

A: First off, that’s not really a question, secondly, I’m already happily married, thank you very much.

Q: Are you done yet?

A: Yes.

"Strange Things Are Afoot At Your Friendly Neighborhood Mac Guy"

Okay, maybe paraphrasing it, there is something in play that's been promised for a long time (since April 2007 to be exact).

It's all for the better, my friends...that's it for now.

2008 Election Results

What The Hell Am I Eating 10: Two Kinds Of Larabars

Wassup 2008

Simply brilliant - mainly for reuniting the guys behind the video sensation of 2000...

Man, this stinks!

Got this email from our favorite sub -- oops, I meant grinder shop here in New London:

Due to reasons beyond our control we must close Grampy’s Downtown Delicatessen.
This was not an easy decision to make
and it was a sad one.
We have serviced our many friends and customers
for 14 years and will miss all of you!
These economic times are not easy for any of us. Unfortunately, what is going on in our Country has directly affected our ability to operate.

George W. Bush: How'd He Do?

This is from Letterman... funny, funny stuff:

What The Hell Am I Eating 9: 3 Musketeers Mint

Guys backflip into jeans

Not too sure how many times they screwed it up, but the end result is mighty cool...

What If Sarah Palin Was a Disney Movie?

This is so funny, it's not :-(

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

What The Hell Am I Eating 8: 2 Kinds Of Chewing Gum

Piccadilly Pound

Mason has been playing guitar since he was a little one. This is him playing a piece from memory at his last recital.

Remixing NIN

I've never really been a big Nine Inch Nails fan, but I love what they've been doing with their music: releasing it for free onto the web.

On their site, http://remix.nin.com -- there's the opportunity to remix their music... mighty friendly in this age of lawyers and C&D's and takedown notices.

So, with their virtual blessing, I remixed their song, "The Hand That Feeds" -- and I'm sharing the results with all of you. Being a hip-hop head, I decided to give my remix an old-school hip-hop twist. Hope you like it...

The Hand That Feeds (strippedmix) (free registration may be required)

9/11: A Day I Won't Forget [part 1]

This is a journal entry I had written back in 2001, with the idea that someday, when I felt OK with returning to "that day" mentally, I would flesh it out and share it with you. Here is some of it:

Sonia had slept over her grandparent's house with Mason that night. I took the LIRR like I always do, and the ride was as uneventful as it usually was. I had gotten a 2-way message from Linda Dreeland complaining about someone not being able to access their QuickMail. Since I am usually the first one in, I told her I'd take a look at it once I got there.

I had accidentally left Sonia' Gap knapsack on the train on Friday. We were supposed to pick it up over the weekend, but the Lost and Found is closed those days.

Once I had gotten into Penn, I made a beeline for the Lost and Found. After 2 fretful days of wondering whether or not it had actually made it there or not, the guy behind the counter had me fill out a card.

Who would've thunk it? He actually READ the card, realized I wasn't talking about a Gap plastic shopping bag, but a Gap MESSENGER bag! He had it all along, and Sonia's stuff was safe inside it, and I felt relieved.

Bag in hand, I decided to take the A train instead of the C or E, because it skips 23rd street, and I was hoping maybe I’d run into Sonia on the subway, like we sometimes did on the way out of work...then I could surprise her by giving her bag back.

The A trains stopped coming; I tried to cross over to the C or E line, but my Metrocard wouldn't work. A bunch of us crossed over to the E, and of course, our Metrocards wouldn't let us in...the message on the little screen said, "Just Used" – grr!

After speaking with the token clerk,  I was finally let in through the gate. I caught the E train downtown, and it made all local stops to 14^th street.

At the 14^th street station, an announcement came on that we were held there by MTA supervisors, and that we’d be moving again in 5 minutes. What was supposed to be just a 5 minute wait turned into 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes... we weren't moving at all, and I still had to get to work to check on Linda’s email.

Some of us had stepped out of the subway onto the platform for some air (it was an unusually warm September day and there was no A/C in my car). A few of us had gathered around the conductor’s opened window and were asking him questions. All he knew was that there was an "incident" at the World Trade Center. He didn't know anymore. I told a black couple, "at least I have a good excuse for being late" I was thinking of how it would look while walking down Spring Street, since I always would use the Twin Towers as my orientation beacon. You usually could spot them from anywhere in Manhattan.

A black guy listening to his Walkman spoke next: "A plane hit the Twin Towers!"

We had thought it was a small plane like a Piper Cub or Cessna. I thought of the B-25 that had run into the Empire State Building in a fog. This was a clear day, however. How could you miss the biggest buildings in Manhattan?

A young guy came over next: "Two...two planes hit the Towers...they also hit the Pentagon" 

Pacing

Pacing, originally uploaded by macfixer.

It's funny, how much of my family's life revolves around food. Anything in life that happens is cause for a family get-together for a meal.

This is the morning of February 22. My dad's mother had died earlier, and there were plans to make. After dropping him off at the funeral home, I went back to my parents' place to pick up the rest of the family to join him for brunch at Bollinger's in Farmingdale.

Even though he was up late the night before; even though my dad's mind was racing with what to do next, he still had the presence of mind to call the immediate family together for brunch.

It was bittersweet, that meal. I wish I could tell you what I had, but I don't remember.

What The Hell Am I Eating 6: Pop Rocks Chocolate Bar

Index Card Sketch

Index Card Sketch, originally uploaded by macfixer.

A doodle I made while listening to Mason's guitar class back in 2005.

Back To School Time

Waiting To Board The Bus, originally uploaded by macfixer.

• I work at a college, and "the crunch" is most definitely upon us. This year is especially challenging because of construction, faculty and students coming back at the same time.
• Mason is headed back to school on Tuesday, which means...I won't lie...someone's going to be looking after him. It's hard to work and watch after a bored kid at the same time.
• My wife got some startling news from a recent doctor's visit. I'll update you more when we know for sure, but it's definitely bigger than the common cold treatment she went in for.
• My summer was good -- got a chance to take a couple of weekend trips. I still have too much vacation time left over. Rats.

That's it for now. No, I never heard back from the "Car Talk" folks, other than an apology for not getting back to me. I'm now in "wait and see mode" and I'll go from there.

Holy Crap! I Submitted A Question To The "Car Talk" Guys! (UPDATE 2)

I was finally able to get through to a producer over at "Car Talk" and they said they'd call me back on Tuesday to get me all set up for Wednesday. This is mighty cool, since it could mean I'd be in the show by that weekend.

I'm so excited!

Related:

Holy Crap! I Submitted A Question To The "Car Talk" Guys! (Update)

Holy Crap! I Submitted A Question To The "Car Talk" Guys!

What The Hell Am I Eating 7: Flame Broiled

Holy Crap! I Submitted A Question To The "Car Talk" Guys! (UPDATE)

Car Talk emailed me back!


What's that? You have no idea what I'm talking about? Sheesh, I thought you guys were more faithful at reading this blog! Way back in June, I submitted a question regarding one of our cars (I'm not going to tell you what I called about, because I want you guys to listen to the episode!) to the Car Talk line. Apparently, they liked what I had to say (must be all of my drama training from high school, thanks Mr. Kirby...) because they wrote back:

Hey, we got your call and we liked it.

Now...we need to talk to you further.  And then...maybe we can get your question onto Car Talk!

I'm so excited. I hope that I make it to the next round... I'll post more info once I get it...

Related: Holy Crap! I Submitted A Question To The "Car Talk" Guys!

The Dewmocracy Conspiracy

The Dewmocracy Conspiracy, originally uploaded by macfixer.

What if Mountain Dew had pulled a fast one on the Dew-loving public? Create one "real" flavor -- we'll call it, oh I don't know... "Voltage". Then, to give the illusion of the fanboys having a vote, create two fake flavors (in our example, "Supernova" and "Revolution").

What else could we do to create a frenzy? Label them 'Limited Editions' and tell them 'Only One Will Survive'. Sprinkle in online voting with some Flash graphics and a telephone poll and voila! The illusion of a democracy, oops, I meant DEWmocracy!

The only problem is this: The other two flavors are bland, boring, and lack the (excuse the pun) 'pop' that Voltage has. They're not even close! What combinations did they choose for the bogus flavors? Strawberry-Melon, and Mixed Berry? What?!? Some Juicy Fruit gum and a yogurt flavor? WTF?!?

I think Mountain Dew's plan was to release Voltage anyway, and threw together some quickie flavors to give the illusion that it could be decided by the people. Like there would be a full-time web staff updating the results hourly -- this is soda, for chrissakes, not CNN people.

Don't believe me? Think I'm off my rocker? That's fine, but even the fanboys are onto it, check the DEWmocracy forums...

The Perfect 80's Video

Uncovered this gem while looking at "Weird Al" Yankovic's bio on Wikipedia (don't ask). It seems he had a bit part/cameo in this forgotten Michael Jackson video from "Liberian Girl".

I swear, this video is horrendous. It's so bad that the director actually fades the music down to a dull mumble halfway through the video it's as if he wanted to make it less of a music video and more like an overproduced high school 'day in the life' video. Want more proof?

• Loads of 80s-era One-hit wonders? Check.
• The occasional Cosby Show kid? Check.
• "This is scripted, but we're gonna act all spontaneous" crap? Check.
• Bubbles the chimp? Check.
• Paula Abdul? Check.
• Steve Guttenberg and Dan Akroyd as two motorcycle cops? Check and Check.
• Sherman Hemsley dancing? Check.
Enough of my babbling... peep it and see:

More Videos

Goodbye iCards

Goodbye iCards, originally uploaded by macfixer.

What's on the card:

"iCards goes away tomorrow, to make room for Mobile Me.

I've been using iCards for a long, long time. In fact, I've been sending them since 2000, when they were a part of Apple's iTools. I sent my wedding announcements through them, as well as many birthday and anniversary cards as well [sic]. They were always, in my opinion, classier than the other Flash-based drivel on the internet.

Goodbye, iCards!
2000-2008"

Old Drive-In

Old Drive-In, originally uploaded by macfixer.

This aerial shot shows a former Drive-In movie theater in Waterford, CT (the next town over from the town I work in, New London, CT).

It's now it's a vacant lot next to a supermarket. I can't wait to go snooping around, taking
pictures.

Is it still called "Urban Exploration" if it's in the suburbs?

Big Mouse / Little Mouse

Big Mouse / Little Mouse
Originally uploaded by macfixer

Little Mouse goes to Big Mouse to learn about the Birds and the Scroll Wheels.

Holy Crap! I Submitted A Question To The "Car Talk" Guys!

I took the plunge tonight and submitted a question to Click and Clack, the Tappett brothers, on NPR's "Car Talk" (I'm not going to divulge what that question was, just in case it gets picked!). If my question gets picked to be asked on-air, I'll get a chance to speak with two of my favorite radio personalities.

I'm so excited! This is awesome! I'll post more info if I hear back...

New iPod?

New iPod?, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Yeah, I wanted a little something to listen to while out and about, so I nabbed a 2GB iPod Shuffle. Her name is Ruby.

Hailstorm!

Hailstorm (Part 2)
Originally uploaded by macfixer

We had just gotten back from lunch when we noticed that the wind had started getting colder, and the clouds had gotten darker.

Suddenly, out of the blue, came this torrential downpour and hailstorm. It was wild!

Birthday Greetings from Joe Cocker

Wow. This video starts off all normal-like, and then makes a left turn into the bizarre... as only Joe Cocker can deliver it.

Sit back, relax, and light up a... umm... ...candle.

Seriously, Does ANYBODY Know The Words To Our National Anthem?

As much as they razz her in the beginning, it's nice to see the crowd get into it towards the end. Worth a watch:

I Made It On GraphJam!

Vote for me, please!


more song chart memes

Status Of Alanis Morrisette's Hands

Status Of Alanis Morrisette's Hands, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Thought I'd grab a piece of that whole "internet meme" thing

Balmer Egged in Hungary

Ballmer egged in Hungary by ZDNet's Larry Dignan -- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was egged at a Hungarian University and had to take cover under a desk. The find, via CNET’s Matt Asay, is crazy. Ballmer took it in stride, but makes you wonder. What if this guy had something much worse than eggs on him? In any case, it’s worth a view.

Jetting is...

Okay, JetBlue -- you have my attention. I'll take my next flight on your airline. Don't screw it up.

More Uber

More Uber, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Mac users: go to the translator dashboard widget, select German to English, and type 'uber'. This is what you get. Thanks to Brad at pantsland.com!

Mason's New Bike

Mason's New Bike
Originally uploaded by macfixer

As an early birthday gift, Mason received a new-to-him bike. We didn't want to go with a brand-new bike since he is still growing, and has out-grown all the bikes he's had so far.

We went to the local bike shop (Benidorm Bikes in Canton, CT) and allowed him to pick out any one of the pre-owned (pre-loved?) bikes there.

He passed over 10- and 18-speed bikes for a simple single-speed BMX bike. The price? $10 -- couldn't be beat!

He's happy, we're happy, and we won't feel so bad when his latest growth spurt makes this bike too small once again.

SNL Digital Short: Lazy Sunday

I just realized that this wasn't on my blog. What's wrong with me???

Mac OS X Desktop as the new media?

This must've taken a gazillion years to do, but this guy has made a song by "The Bird and The Bee" into a video using nothing but a shot of his computer screen. Amazing, expect a similar commercial from Apple once it hits the big-time:

TweetStats for macfixer

TweetStats for macfixer, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Wow, this is my "tweetcloud" -- the words I mention most when twittering...

Alfred Hitchcock Cameos

Via cineleet.com:

And last, but certainly not least, the man who made a cameo appearance in thirty-seven of his own films, mostly in inconspicuous walk-on parts, The Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Here’s a compilation of most of his cameos:

In my opinion, much classier than all those M. Night Shyamalan cameos...

Synchronization Of Five Metronomes

Absolutely mesmerizing, I swear!

 

The Softer Side Of Hulk Hogan

Betcha you'll never look at "The Hulkster" the same way again...

Is This Stephen J. Cannell?

Is This Stephen J. Cannell?, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Saw him at the local Five Guys around lunch time. Is that legendary television producer Stephen J. Cannell? If you compare it to his Wikipedia picture, it certainly appears so...

Finally, An Honest College Commercial...

It's funny, because it's true!

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Creme That Egg!

This is a truly amazing Rube Goldberg device!

"I Am The LANDesk Guy"

"I Am The LANDesk Guy"
Originally uploaded by macfixer

This is how my co-worker thanks me -- makes me the default image for every workstation we image. I'm flattered :-)

Breakin' and Poppin'

Wow, I remember wanting to buy this oh-so-very badly when I was a wee laddie... Alfonso Ribero was the *DUDE* back in the day...

Grandma's Eulogy

My Grandmother passed away in February after battling Alzheimer's for the twilight of her life. At her memorial service, my dad asked me if I wanted to say anything. I quickly cobbled together a rough outline of some thoughts, but then thought that I might have trouble getting through it in front of everyone. So, I sat down and fleshed out my outline and used that at the service -- this is what I wrote:

"My name is Kyle, and I would like to tell you about my grandmother. Now she was never called Grandmother, Nana, or Oma. It was Grandma. Now, the story was that when my sister, Erika was born, my two grandmothers had gotten together to decide on what they should be called. Somehow they determined that my mother’s mom should be called “Granny”, because she looked more like a Granny, and my father’s mom should then be called “Grandma”, because she looked more like a Grandma. My mother’s father was called “Grandpa” – my father’s father had passed away before we were born.

When we got “the call” from my brother-in-law, Jerry at Daleview that Grandma’s time was near, I rushed here from Connecticut, where I live. Sitting vigil that night, my family and I started trading stories about Grandma to pass the time. Afterwards, my dad said, “you know, you should share some of them at her memorial service,” – and I thought about it. I mean, there’s no overreaching arc to tie the whole story together. My dad said it didn’t matter. So, here are some of the stories I told that long night in February:

• Cards
- The simple pack of playing cards were very important to my family. I was never told why, but I’m sure it had something to do with my grandparents and the great depression, or that it was a compact game you could carry in your pocket or whatever. I do know, that if Grandma sat down with someone else, she ask, “well, where’s the cards?”
- Whenever there would be a family get-together like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a weekend, there would be my Granny, my Grandma, and my Grandpa. Looking back then, it was really a poor environment for us kids. We had smoking, drinking and gambling going on – usually it was all three at the same time! Even though it was penny-ante poker, it was played with all the ferocity of the high-stakes table at Atlantic City. To get under Grandma’s skin, Granny would call Grandma “Betsy” a bastardization of her Americanized name ‘Elizabeth’ – which bugged my Grandma to no end. To get back at her, Grandma would call Granny ‘Irma’ – her real name, but she preferred ‘Impi’. It was never malicious, and after the game was over, there would be no hard feelings.
- Now, again, these were penny-ante poker games… we’re talking 2 or 3 cents a hand. If they were holding a good hand, they’d maybe raise it to 4 cents… and a hush would fall over the table. What ended up happening is that we’d have huge containers of pennies throughout the house as a kid, as if the bank would take $400 in pennies…
- She taught us to play card games like solitaire, go-fish, gin-rummy, and gin. At the family marathon poker games, I’d sit down and watch and try to absorb this rich tradition of poker being played. Being the card sharks they were, though – none of my grandparents would share those tricks with me. Apparently that was too sacred for family.
• Life
- My parents’ anniversary is on July 5th. For some unknown reason around that date, they’d go off on a vacation without my sister and I to a place called the Stouffer’s Inn in Westchester county. My parents would drop us off at Grandma’s house to watch us.
- Since Grandma was working at the phone company back then, she would wake us up early in the morning, make us breakfast, then drop us off at Granny’s house for the day before heading off to work. When you’re used to fruit loops or frosted flakes every morning, having fresh scrambled eggs cooked in real butter (no margarine!), toast and bacon – was a fantastic way to start the day.
- After work, she’d pick us up from Granny’s house. Now, keep in mind that this was around July 4th, so there’s plenty of leftover illegal fireworks around. Behind her house was a small park, where the local teenagers hung out at. There would be the screeching of bottle rockets, and the steady thunder of firecrackers scaring the beejeezus out of us kids. To help us get to sleep, she invite my sister and I into her bed. We played this game together: she would start a spooky ghost story, and just at the cliffhanger, she’d pass the story onto my sister, who would continue onto the next cliffhanger, and she’d pass it onto me. When I was done with my segment, I’d pass it onto Grandma. Eventually, my sister and I fell asleep. Somehow we ended up kicking Grandma out of her own bed – and she would sleep in the guest room.
• “The Penguin”
- Later on in life, I was in my late teens or early twenties. My dad would take the family out to dinner. As was the case, everyone would pair up: my mom and dad, Erika and Jerry. Since I was driving now, I’d ultimately get paired with Grandma.
- I didn’t like it much at first, wanting to have a mate of my own. Eventually, after a few dinners out, I came to enjoy being paired up with her. I would practice my suave moves on Grandma, helping her with her coat or chair. Remembering that she liked “2 fingers” of Coke in her glass. She ate it up, her comment was, “Kyle, you’re a gentleman and a scholar”. I never found out what that meant. It was a ‘grandma-ism’ whose meaning was lost to time, like “Macdollahs” or “for Pete’s sake”.
- It was a rainy night leaving the Red Lobster in Farmingdale. I was trying to be chivalrous and hold out my umbrella so we could walk back to the car under it. Problem was, Grandma was about 2 feet shorter than I was. As a result, she’d have to take 4 steps for every one of mine to remain in sync and stay under the umbrella. I remarked that her shuffling along reminded me of a penguin, and she howled with laughter in the parking lot. So, I nicknamed her “The Penguin” and she would sign her letters or cards to me with the letter “P” only.
• Whale watching
- 2 weeks in the summer, my parents vacation in Cape Cod. Grandma would be invited, and she’d be miserable the whole time there, because she wasn’t able to nap and her schedule being thrown off. My dad would insist, “relax, ma – it’s a vacation,” but she couldn’t. it wasn’t her house.
- My dad took us on a whale-watching trip departing from Provincetown. He stayed on shore, and sent the rest of us onboard. Now, to see the whales, you have to travel great distances at high speed to get out into the ocean area. My sister became violently seasick and wanted to stay below deck. My mom said to me, “where’s Grandma?” and sent me to go searching for her. Now this old lady, whom you’d figure would be hanging on to some table below deck, or clutching the rail as the boat flew high into the air on these giant ocean waves… was at the bow of the boat with the biggest smile on her face. So, I stood with her, feeling every wave splash us in the face and getting that funny feeling in your tummy as the bow rose and fell in the swells of the ocean. It was awesome.
So, those are some of the fond, fond memories I have of my Grandma. I hope you get a better understanding of how I saw her and how she touched my life.

Grandma, I speak for all of the CT DeMilo’s in saying we all miss you very much.

Thank you."

Absolute Magic

Shot so wonderfully, this Schweppes ad really transcends your usual soda commercial...

...aannnnnd we're back!

The Mustard is back!

http://www.deepmustard.com

Limonata

Limonata, originally uploaded by macfixer.

It's no Guinness Stout, but nothing wrong with a San Pellegrino Limonata soda for St. Patrick's Day. Crisp, refreshing, and it went well with the manicotti and meatballs I served. Yeah, really Irish of me, huh?

Pontiac <3 Spy Hunter

Totally cool, makes me want to play it when I get back home.

Chris Farley Clips Never Get Old

Office 2008 Super-Duper Edition

Office 2008 Super-Duper Edition, originally uploaded by macfixer.

I'm totally stoked that my super-deluxe-royale-with-cheese version of Office arrived today! What does this Expression Media app do, you say? It's like iPhoto.

Oh.

meh. Never mind.

Down Goes The Mustard!

Yup, I'm an idiot. I forgot to renew my domain name (how very Microsoft-like of me!), so for the time being, http://www.deepmustard.com will redirect to an ad.

In the meanwhile, heading to http://web.mac.com/macfixer will deliver the next-best experience, without the clever url :-(

MOO Egg Hunt Winner!

MOO Egg Hunt Winner!, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Not very often do I win anything. This was in reference to Moo's Easter Egg Contest. To paraphrase MTV's old tagline, "People really win on Moo.com!"

03.09.08

Death and Glasses, originally uploaded by macfixer.

I'm always telling my son that the "things" you have to do in life can be divided into two categories: stuff you want to do, and stuff you have to do.

I tell him, "You might want to play video games, but you have to do you homework. It's better to get the stuff you have to do out of the way first, so you have more time for the stuff you want to do."

Where am I going with this? Well, after my Grandma died, my dad and his brother decided to have a memorial service instead of the usual funeral (she wasn't a religious person). He asked if I would want to say anything at the service. My dad said there were times when he had been asked to say something at a similar service for others and said nothing, then regretting not having done it.

So all week, I've been working on my assignment. My Grandma lived a long and fruitful life, and I want my speech to reflect that. Funny, though -- I find myself avoiding doing it mainly because that would cause me to think about her. Do I miss her? You bet. I hope what I say up at the podium honors her memory for our families' sake.

Life Goes On

3 Kids, originally uploaded by macfixer.

My mom said it best, "You've got to focus on the living" -- and she's right, you know. To dwell on my grandmother's death would be counter-productive. Besides, the kids know what's up, and we grown-ups have to be there to support them. They don't have the full palette of expression that grown folk do.

So, I will miss Grandma, I will mourn Grandma, but I will keep on living.

Catching Up...

- Thanks to all the well-wishers on the death of my grandma. It has been duly appreciated.

- I'm slowly getting back into the groove here, and should be producing a new "What The Hell Am I Eating?" episode soon.

- That end-of-2007 thing is coming soon, really -- I mean it!

- Check my twitter page for my latest brainfarts.

Grandma

Grandma Is Fading Fast, originally uploaded by macfixer.

March 4, 1915 — February 22, 2008

Diner Still-Life

Diner Still-Life, originally uploaded by macfixer.

We wanted to go somewhere for breakfast yesterday. Something low-key, and a local place (versus a big chain like IHOP or Denny's). Found the Liberty Diner and fell in love. Being 11:30, I couldn't decide on getting breakfast or lunch. I settled on a turkey club sandwich with a side of pancakes. Fantastic, and easy on the wallet. We'll definitely be back.

My Chair Gave Me Worms!

Funny, I wouldn't pay for this chair -- my dog used to do this on the carpet. Then we got him some medicine for his worms.

It Doesn't Take Much To Amuse Me

I added myself to the Tide Talking Stain Commercial, not my finest work -- but passable:

Test

I just want to see what happens when I push this button

Campus Downloading

Campus Downloading, originally uploaded by macfixer.

This arrived for us in the mail today. Apparently "The Recording Industry" (aka the RIAA) wants to teach us IT people to stop illegal trading of music. I have to check this video out!

The Beastie Boys

If you were to tell me back in 1987 that these guys would be looked upon twenty years later as the elder statesmen of hip-hop culture, playing their own instruments, and fighting for human rights (versus your right to party)...


...I would have told you you were crazy.

What The Hell Am I Eating 5: Jack Links Chicken Fajita Jerky

All The Things...

A compiled list of all the "Five Things You Didn't Know About Me" posts from my other blog, Five Things:

1. I don't own a pair of jeans.
2. My round-trip commute averages around 120 miles.
3. The furthest west I've been has been Western New York.
4. I've beta tested lots of software, but the only place my name appears is in the credits for Now Up-To-Date & Contact 4.
5. I took the Pepsi Challenge and picked Coke.
6. I bat righty, but cut my steak southpaw.
7. I used to tawk like a Lawn Gylander.
8. My first computer was a PowerBook 1400c/133
9. My first car was a Toyota Tercel Hatchback
10. The night of my first date with my future wife, only one other person knew where I was.
11. I'm a quarter each: Lithuanian, German, Italian, and Finnish
12. I've owned several cats in my life, but only 2 dogs: Poochie and Viking
13. I like wooden roller coasters, but don't like steel ones
14. I didn't like pickled beets until about 2 years ago
15. I own a copy of "Mickey Mouse Disco"
16. I found the (then new) 25th Anniversary Issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (with Kathy Ireland on the cover) on the way home from church. Yeah, I took it home. That can't be good for my soul.
17. I played the trumpet and the cello as a kid.
18. My parents were both music teachers, when I told them I wanted to play drums, they wouldn't have it. That was the end of that :(
19. Sat on a yellowjacket once as a kid and it stung my butt.
20. First hip-hop song I heard ever: "Roxanne Roxanne" by UTFO at United Skates of America. All the kids in school afterwards went around asking, "Did you take her to the beach?" the rest of the school year. It was cool.

Let Me Explain The McKid Rating System

Okay, I've posted a few "What The Hell Am I Eating?" videos now, and I've gotten a few concerned folks asking me

"What's the deal with that McKid kid anyway?"

That's an awesome question, mom. Let's explore the history of this, shall we?

The McKid is a series of faces that are used as my rating system. There are 4 faces:

<-- From "Yuck" to "Yay!"




Why is this little dude called a "McKid" anyway? Well, I stole his image from my sister-in-law's McDonald's training manual (she worked there many summers ago). I was not sure what I would do with them at the time, but I squirreled them away in iPhoto for future use. Being a professional model for sure, his chipper mug makes a better representation of how I feel regarding the stuff I test in my videos.

So, that's the McKid system. Look for them exclusively on What The Hell Am I Eating -- or in your McDonald's training manual ;-)

What The Hell Am I Eating 4: Burger King Ketchup & Fries

Edited: Re-uploaded video to correct 'skipping' issue.

Snow Hitchhiker

Snow Hitchhiker, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Saw this up the street from our house. Someone took the time to make a
hitchhiking snowman, thumbing a ride at the nearby bus stop.
Fantastic!

Octopus On Fork

Octopus On Fork, originally uploaded by macfixer.

This was an option at the local Chinese buffet place. A little chewy, and very spicy. I ate it on a dare.

It's not calamari fra diavolo, I assure you

Noah Build An ARK!

Who is this really???

What The Hell Am I Eating 3: Yorkie

Holding Pattern

Normally, around last weekish, I would have come up with a year-end review. Careful readers will note that this did not happen. Why? Chalk it up to work and a really long commute. Add to that a new vidcast I'm working on (What The Hell Am I Eating?), and the mandatory family obligations, and you get the idea... no time whatsoever.

What should you do? Well, there's always reading up on ancient events I participated in back in high school, or you can always browse the archives, or check my posts on Twitter.

Don't worry, a majority of the 2007-in-review post is already done, I'm getting around to finishing it... really... before February rolls around... I promise!

Shameless Plug

Here is a link to my "uncle-in-law's" website: http://www.aaroncaycedokimura.com/ -- he paints for a living, and has created a terrific site showcasing his works.

I'm adding him to the sidebar as well. Look for him under 'Stuff I'm Reading'...

Thank You YouTube!

Thank You YouTube!, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Thanks for making abundantly clear what I've known for years...