- I should always get someone else to come up with a title for my papers. The papers I name myself have the lamest names. Back in high school I feel like I came up with better titles. (One memorable history title: “Iran around the plateau”… though I forget what came after the colon. I think I also had one called, “Pope on a rope.” That one was about different European countries attempting to control the power of the papacy back in the day.) Today mine are more like, “Using X to Y” or “The effect of X on Y”. When other people come up with the titles they’re a lot sexier.
- “[Complaining about unreasonable deadlines.] Since my boss doesn’t live in reality, he is bound to be disappointed.” — Overheard on the subway.
- Whenever DH travels for work, I miss him and my sanity.
- I don’t like it when people at work tell folks to clean up after themselves “because your mother isn’t here.” As if somehow it is a mother’s responsibility to clean up after people’s messes. Grr. Stupid patriarchy. Even my 3 year old can clean up after hirself so long as there’s no broken glass, and when there is broken glass, well, isn’t that facilities’/daddies’ responsibility? (I’m sure they don’t want to be paying me workers comp because I sliced open my typing hand, given that facilities generally has things like gloves and dustpans and little brooms and stuff).
- I’ve temporarily taken to calling both of our children, “George”. It makes it easier. Especially when they call me, “Daddy.” (I will love them and cuddle them…)
- Our dishwasher is broken. Oh man, I hope either DH can fix it when he gets back (it’s an electrical problem according to the error codes and DH is pretty good with those so long as zie is careful about wire color) or the landlord (partner of our former landlord) actually sends somebody to fix it because I don’t want to buy a new dishwasher that we’re only going to use for a handful of months. DC1 is learning how to wash dishes! Efficiently! Update: I found another site that mentioned a first step is unplugging and replugging (just like a computer) and DH suggested it might be plugged in under the sink (it was), so I tried that. It no longer has an error code, but I will have to wait for dishes before testing it. It would be lovely if rebooting it just worked without having to replace any circuit boards. It’s amazing how much can be solved by just starting all over from scratch with a reboot. Update 2: Now it’s giving a different error code, one that I can’t find on the internet. This can wait for DH.
- DC1 has just discovered grown-up They Might Be Giants. I am enjoying conversations in which zie puzzles out the meaning behind Birdhouse in your soul (possibly the only TMBG grown-up song that makes sense…). Zie still hasn’t figured it out, but we’ve had much discussion.
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January 19, 2016 at 3:57 am
And I should be allowed to blurt the merest idea if by random whim one occurs to me… /tmbg quotes for the meta
January 19, 2016 at 10:06 am
all this time, I had no idea it had a meaning. and I can’t figure it out, either.
Our washing machine broke (a major part has a hole in it). No way to get my kid to wash clothes for me so we called someone & it is too expensive to fix so we have to buy one. boo.
Yes, the “your mother isn’t here” is a ridiculous & sexist thing to say. how about “because you are an adult and it is your responsibility” but not even that, since kids should clean up after themselves. So just “because”?
January 19, 2016 at 10:17 am
It’s a blue canary in the outlet by the light switch who watches over you, ancestor is a light house, but it isn’t as powerful as a light house, still, it watches over you like a guardian angel.
January 19, 2016 at 10:27 am
(if you don’t want to think about it, click here for a link where you can purchase one– it isn’t an amazon link so we’re not getting any kick-back, but we do have friends who have one, because how cool is that: http://goo.gl/OaBWb8 )
January 21, 2016 at 12:53 pm
cute!
January 19, 2016 at 11:13 am
If you replace anything broken in a rental, keep all the documentation. When you move, put the broken thing back into place. Sell the new one you bought.
My old washer could not be repaired according to appliance guys. It worked well, just a hole in the tub. If I could have cannibalized an old one with a good tub, I would still have a good washer. As it is, I have one that is not he and barely puts any waterin the tub, barely agitates and just irritates me. I hope you can get yours repaired. You could put clothes in the tub and let the children stomp on them.
January 19, 2016 at 11:29 am
I also would never have guessed that this is the “one” adult TMBG song that makes sense. Thanks for explaining. Cool! My guess might have been “Lucky Ball and Chain.”
My boyfriend thinks all the ones on the first two albums make sense. He lists “the one about how they don’t need a drummer” and “the one about how people don’t complain about important things, but you better not move my chair” and “the one about taking charge of your own life–‘Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head.'”
January 19, 2016 at 11:38 am
The other songs are open to alternate interpretations and they refuse to explain which one is “right”, or to explain any of the lyrics that don’t make sense (for example the ball and chain song has some odd lyrics even if you think it’s about a break-up, similarly the build a house song… and don’t let’s start is about a father and daughter fighting, but it’s also got some open to interpretation lyrics). (I guess the title song from Flood also makes sense, but there’s nothing confusing about it!) But once you figure out birdhouse in your soul, alternate interpretations just don’t fit. If you get a chance you should totally netflix their documentary. In addition to them saying that the interpretation is always open to the listener, it also talks about how they didn’t want the videos to have anything to do with the lyrics.
One of their kid songs is about how D is for Drums! :)
January 19, 2016 at 11:40 am
Now I have the racist friend song stuck in my head.
January 19, 2016 at 3:32 pm
Oops, sorry about that song in your head.
Interesting. I remember the first time I heard that “it means whatever you want it to mean” explanation. I was at a student art opening and one of the student artists said that. He liked seeing how people interpreted his art.
My only art is writing, and although it’s super fun to notice additional meanings show up that I didn’t plan, it’s very hard for me to imagine that artists have nothing in mind when they are creating and/or that they think it’s none of my business. And I don’t like it, either. I hate when I look for a title on some art for help in interpreting it and it’s just something useless like “blue work #6.”
So that’s too bad.
January 19, 2016 at 3:36 pm
Artists, who understands them, you know?
January 21, 2016 at 11:55 am
Debbie, I agree with you! If the artist isn’t willing to state hir intentions for a piece, I tend to dismiss it. The whole point of art is to convey meaning. If you (rhetorical “you”) are just doodling, or you just like the way a big canvas looks painted nothing but blue, that’s fine but don’t call it art. Call it “something pretty to hang on your wall.”
If I want to decide for myself what something means, I will. :-) But if a piece isn’t clear enough to the artist for hir to give it a title … one does have to wonder why they are showing it.
Anti-cranky note: I think it’s perfectly legit for artists to produce work that is merely something pretty to hang on your wall, or an interesting assemblage, or a meditation, or whatever.
I don’t think that stuff is devoid of meaning to them, though, so saying “you decide what it means” essentially reads as “I am insufficiently articulate to tell you why I made this.”
January 19, 2016 at 2:22 pm
If you would like your own [redacted as spoiler], see [above link in nicoleandmaggie comment]. The reviews are great.
[amazon link doesn’t actually work– you have to buy direct from the company]
January 19, 2016 at 5:52 pm
Yes, but the reviews are worth going to amazon for.
[here’s a shortened url to the amazon reviews: http://goo.gl/3g8Bqf ]
January 21, 2016 at 12:56 pm
OMG hilarious!!! thanks for the link
January 22, 2016 at 12:05 pm
laughed out loud!
January 19, 2016 at 4:07 pm
Hopefully your dishwasher is fixed! :)
January 19, 2016 at 4:26 pm
Nope! Still blinking.
January 19, 2016 at 5:07 pm
This really is my flashback to the 90s week…
January 19, 2016 at 5:23 pm
A truly great time in music history
You’re welcome!
January 19, 2016 at 6:47 pm
Ugh. I would cry real tears if my dishwasher broke. I hope yours is either fixed or replaced ASAP!
January 19, 2016 at 6:54 pm
It is a good learning experience for dc1. In case hir dishwasher ever breaks.
January 20, 2016 at 10:02 am
Haha, I love TMBG! I still remember the awesome videos that Tiny Toons did for a couple, but of course Istanbul (Not Constantinople) is my favorite. Birdhouse in Your Soul is another great one.
And now I have a cartoon monster in my head lampooning Of Mice and Men. So thanks for that… Good luck with the dishwasher.
January 20, 2016 at 10:07 am
Istanbul also makes sense, but that’s because it’s a cover!
January 28, 2016 at 11:23 am
Usually landloards cover repairs like that. It’s been a long long time since I listened to TMBG…
March 18, 2019 at 1:17 am
[…] also used his mad engineering skills and youtube videos to fix our clothes washer to replace the dishwasher and freezer […]