Monthly Archive for January, 2011

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Your Horoscope is Wrong. Because There Is a New Zodiac Sign.

Meet Ophiuchus.

Ophiuchus is a new Zodiac sign. Yeah, just like I’m suitably old but mysteriously advanced. Doesn’t change a thing.

Your horoscope is wrong. I quit reading horoscopes when I learned to read. Which is to say, I never read my horoscope. But I know people who are loyal readers. I have read about people who structure their lives around their horoscope – or their sign of the Zodiac.

Wonder what those people are doing today when they just suddenly learn that there are now 13 signs of the Zodiac.

My OMG moment when I realized that Taylor Swift and I are no longer Sagittariuses. Sagittari? AND, I just missed being a Ophiuchusian by six days. And I have shifted over two sign zones.

I was a Centaur The Archer. I am now The Scales.

Do. Re. Mi.

La. Di. Da.

Whuck?

Ophiuchus was a part of the Zodiac all along, but nobody in the west knew about it because it was cut out of the traditional astrology charts by the ancient Babylonians. They wanted a 12-month Zodiac calendar, so out went Ophiuchus and the other dates got moved around to compensate. Ophiuchus has always been a part of Japanese astrology traditions, and Ophiuchus is still a legitimate constellation. Still, the discrepancy has thrown off all the star signs.

Here’s the science behind the bogusness of the Zodiac.

  • The Earth wobbles.
  • The ancient Babylonians the Zodiac sign on the position of the sun in the constellations when you were born.
  • The Earth’s wobble has knocked your star sign out of alignment.

I’m saying that Astrologer Society and Soothsayers Holistic Organizaton Legend Extension (ASSHOLEs) got themselves some marketing advice and found out it would be good for business if all the existing astrology junk and horoscope garbage suddenly was – shocker – worthless.

Here’s your sign:

New Zodiac Sign Dates

Oh, this only effects anybody being born from here on.

Never mind.

Been there. Done that.

Yesterday I Embarrassed a Hot Southwest Customer Service Babe

Brunette Woman Talking on Cell Phone

Southwest Phone Customer Service Agents must also work as luggage handlers.

Southwest Airlines is our airline of choice. We travel with them two or three times a year. Usually I only deal with them via their website.

Yesterday, I needed to talk with a person.

I got a female heavy breather. I’m sure she looked just like the picture above.

Since I don’t hear well, if I’m talking to you by phone, we are always on speaker.

The transaction was rather complicated so Ms. Southwest Airlines and I were on the phone for an extended period of time. Since it was a complicated transaction, Nancy was standing by to double-check my requests.

Ms. Southwest Airlines heavy breathing got to the point where I looked at Nanc’ and we both smiled. As Ms. Southwest Airlines got to the end of the transaction, I told her I was going to record her heavy breathing.

She was truly flabbergasted. What? Oh, I’m am just freaking out, she said. I’m am so embarrassed right now…

Seems that she had a loaner headset because hers disappeared.  She suggested the borrowed headset was much more sensitive than she imagined.  I said it was OK, I rather enjoyed the sounds of her breathing.  I wished I could have seen her face.

As we concluded our business, I could hear the guy in the next cubicle explaining to a passenger that using dry-ice was the best way to make sure that his package would arrive still frozen.

I think all customer service headsets should be that sensitive – call centers would be a lot more interesting to deal with.

Word-working on 1-11-11


Word Puzzle

AARP Bulletin has 50 “new” words… Grandma Henke says

You would expect to find words like viral, unfriend, and tweet but here are my five favorites from their list:

  • automagically, which means something that automatically happens but in a way that might seem magical.
  • bargainous, which means something cost less than you expected it to cost
  • catastrophize, means that something has been presented in a way that makes it sound worse than it was
  • frenemy, is a friend who you have a lot of conflict with
  • staycation, which means just what it sounds like … a stay at home vacation

I used automagically in a forum comment the other day and the moderator contacted me because she thought we might have known the same guy who she claim “invented” the word. Maybe so, maybe not. At any rate, we didn’t have a common frenemy.

Bargainous is a new one to me and will probably work it’s way into my conversation.  Everything costs more than I think it should, so I won’t be using bargainous a lot.

Catastrophize looks and sounds too much like castrate and is too difficult to pronounce. I’ll skip it. Same with staycation, that’s too “cute” for me.

Grandma Henke came up with a couple she wants to add to the list and invited others to add to it…

  • retiremobile, a motor home owned by a senior citizen
  • travapal, a friend you make while traveling

Here are my additions:

amphibious bus

Amphibious Limo

  • compupliance, a computer that is more like an appliance; a tablet or an ereader
  • forumaniac, people who live to respond to forum threads
  • hypercation, one of those travel excursions that is 14 countries in 10 days. Do they even offer these trips anymore? (the opposite of “staycation.”
  • langbanger, somebody like me who is trying to learn a new language via CD and no immersion and thinks they will be able to communicate with native speakers. alt: those who make a living copywriting.
  • experiboozing, experimenting by mixing a variety of soft drinks with a variety of boozes; eg: Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash, Diet Coke, Lipton Diet Green Tea, Rum and Creme de Cocoa.
  • Eljerplosion, an activity that takes place on the toilet after an experiboozing.

How about it? Have any new words to add to the list?

Geeky Animated Gif Monday

If you breath in unison with the dots changing colors you will get a buzz.

Color Dots Moving

The Meme With Too Many U’s


Antique Button U

Today we ripped this meme off a blogger named Neil Turner at the blogNeil Turner’s Blog (duh). Neil is from Yorkshire, England. He said he stole it from Troy. But, it was probably stolen there as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft’s thieves might take some time. Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!

Sunday Stealing: The First 2011 Alphabet Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

A is for Age: 63

B is for Beer of choice: Used to be Miller Chill. Yum, I miss Miller Chill, except when now when it is Winter Chill.

C is for Career: Career, job, work, meh. If you are a regular reader you probably know, if not, then you don’t deserve to get this tidbit via a meme.

D is for favourite Drink: Currently drinking Sierra Mist, Diet Green Tea and Rum. My favorite drink is the one that is free. As always, I would rather have a free bottle in front of me than a pre-frontal lobotomy.

E is for Essential item you use everyday: Mouse.

F is for Favourite song at the moment: At the moment… I can’t think of a song title.

G is for favourite Game: Minute to Win It

H is for Home town: Allen

I is for Instruments you play: Microscope and Telescope

J is for favourite Juice: Cranberry with Vodka

K is for Kids: 2

L is for Last kiss: Not yet.

M is for marriage: Nancy

N is for full Name: Nicholas P. Farquar

O is for Overnight hospital stays: A couple 40 years apart but related. Car accident wrecked knee which caused arthritis which caused knee removal. ta-da-dummmmmmmm

P is for phobias: I am fearless (not.) There are a lot of things I’m not nuts about, but I have no irrational fears.

Q is for quote: See D

R is for biggest Regret: That I only had one life to give for my country.

S is for sports: U.S. society puts way too much importance and value on sports. Sports cause more problems than benefits.

T is for Time you wake up: 12:30 a.m., 4 a.m., 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. +/- is the time I get out of bed.

U is for colour of underwear: Thunderstorm Blue, but I have a a complete range of colors – manly colors. No pastels.

V is for Vegetable you love: Radishes

W is for Worst Habit: Picking El Noso

X is for X-rays you’ve had: Dozens, maybe even approaching 100.

Y is for Yummy food you make: BBQ Pineapple Pork Ribs

Z is for zodiac sign: Sagittarius