Mario Art

What would be cooler than walking down the street and seeing a Mario Box (for lack of a better term) hanging in the air, like so:

Well I’m glad you asked that, me!  The only cooler thing would be seeing one already busted for you with a fire power flower waiting for you!

You can see many more pictures and even templates for making your own at BladeDiary, link courtesy Urban Prankster.

LOL of the Day

I just noticed that the brand name of tortilla chips I’m eating is “Garden of Eatin'”  Best brand name ever!  Nothing sells tortilla chips like a good bible pun.  This takes the top spot from previous champion “The Great Grillsby” hamburgers.

Bloggers on Parade

Imagine receiving a letter or video of your grandma 10 years after she died, a surprise visit from a departed loved one, if you will.  Sweet? Possibly.  Creepy?  Most likely.  Opening up deep psychological wounds you thought long closed?  Most definitely!  Unfortunately, they review your letters, so you can’t just drop bombs on your family after you are dead and clear of retaliation.  “Dear son, your father wasn’t really your father.  Just kidding.  Or was I?  I guess you’ll never know!  -Grandma”  Fortunately you can ask specifically for a male or female reviewer.  I suppose that opens the door for nudie pics of grandma from beyond the grave?  I think I’ll stick with email.

That was another great link courtesy InteractiveReader, who is clearly my #1 contributor.  I could pretty much just let her write the blog at this point, despite the fact that her own blog kicks my henie in hits.

Speaking of contributors and fellow bloggers, I’d like to highlight this excellent post over on MegDesk.  Especially (perhaps only) if you are a computer programmer, you will enjoy the quotes.  I actually read all 202 quotes in the links, but the abbreviated version in the blog post is good enough.  My favorite quote:

Always code as if the guy who ends up maintaining your code will be a violent psychopath who knows where you live.
– Martin Golding

Another interesting link for you Chicagoans out there, check out EveryBlock.  You put in your zip code and you can find out all sorts of news, reviews, approved permits, crimes and even filmings in your area!  It is quite interesting, although it can be a little too much information.  That link was courtesy fellow Woodlawn blogger I Hate My Developer.  Check out her blog for a compelling story about how much a bad developer really effects a person, an association, and ultimately a community as well as wealth of information on how to become a super sleuth on tracking down information!  If I ever needed a private eye I would hire her.  I’m telling you though, after reading her blog I sure feel like we really got lucky with our condo.  I had no idea about the possible pitfalls, etc. and I certainly didn’t ask all the right questions.

Finally, I will leave you with something that makes me laugh and simultaneously blows my mind with horribleness.  To summaraize, the EPA was ordered by the Supreme Court to determine if greenhouse gases were dangerous.  After studies were performed they determined that they were and immediate action was required.  They sent an email to the President who then refused to open the email!  As if not opening the email was some loophole by which the issue would be resolved.  You have to admit, if it wasn’t such a serious issue, it would be hilarious.  What’s next, throwing the report on his desk and yelling, “No backsies!”  I read about this story through the NY Times, but Sara received it through a blog she reads, Treehugger.  Their versionwas decidedly more tongue in cheek, bearing the headline, “Bush Administration Puts Hands Over Eyes, Chants LaLaLa I Can’t Hear You!” and this picture:

This is starting out to be a weird week

So, in case you missed all the unintentional humor on the previous post, I will now spell it out in excruciating detail.  So I had two unrelated topics to talk about, Pickle Pops and the fact that if I were a disease, I would be Rickets.  Naturally, I made a nice title that tied the two together, and perhaps a long the way might have implied that Pickle Pops may be linked to a certain horrible disease.  Now you’d think I would have learned my lesson with the last brush with the magic that is Google Alerts, but apparently not.  I certainly never expected someone from the company to find my blog.

Let me set the scene for you.  It’s Monday morning, a man comes into work all bright eyed and bushy tailed.  He sits down at his computer.  “Aw great!” he says. “Another blog talking about this awesome product we’re selling!  We’re really starting to take off!”  He then looks at the title of the post mentioning his product.  “Do Pickle Pops cause Rickets?”  His smile slowly fades off his face as he blindly gropes for his antacids with one hand and his lawyer’s phone number with the other.

I mean, I don’t know if that’s how it happened or not, but just the thought caused several fits of hysterical laughter throughout the day.  Oh man, even now I’m laughing!  Too funny.  I changed the title of the post even though he was a good sport about it.  I mean, even without the title, I didn’t exactly give a glowing review there.  I mean, I can’t conclusively say Pickle Pops do NOT cause Rickets, can I?

Along those lines, I decided to go on over to Bob’s Pickle Pops and order a case to give them a fair shake.  I mean, I shouldn’t really dis them without a fair trial.  And I love pickles, I’ve been known to eat a jar in a sitting, so if I’m not their target audience, who is?  However, before you get excited, I have to say I will not be putting my money were my mouth is after all.  Sara convinced me not to buy them as even the thought of them sends shivers down her spine.  Unlike me, Sara hates pickles.  How much does she hate pickles?  Well, legend has it that when Sara was little her parents asked her what she should name her little sister when she was born.  Sara, having no desire for a sibling, said “Pickle” on account of how much she hated pickles.  So anyway, no pickle pops will be coming my way (despite their reasonable price).  So if anybody has tried them, please let me know as my curiosity has now been greatly peaked.  And, at the same time, if I could manage to get my hands on some Synsepalum dulcificum…

Finally, in completely unrelated news, we have not had any updates on a subject near and dear to my heart; Pirates!  Well, just because I haven’t been talking about them doesn’t mean they haven’t been busy.  4 tourists taken hostage, although what they were doing in pirate waters in their yacht to begin with is beyond me.  They are just lucky they were taking hostage and not forced to walk the plank immediately!