ProfessorUnc

Rollin' hot

2009-05-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

I know that if I had a Geo Metro, I'd be rockin' these rims. HOT!

Cat and Mouse

2009-05-15T16:21:00.001-07:00

This photo is from MSNBC's the Week in Pictures. I get an email with a link to the weekly slide show. It's fun to check them out and then vote on your favorite. The caption said that the mouse got away.

The WTF Blanket

2009-05-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

NSFW - headphones are a must. This video is awesome!

Swine effing flu

2009-04-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting swine flu map by Google.

This photo is funny:

This post is brought to you by Purell.

Is anyone still here?

2009-04-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

I thought that Facebook had killed this blog, but then friends started asking me about it. They said they wanted to know more than one sentence about what’s going on in my life. So here we go, one more try for this blog. Peer pressure!!!

First off, this squirrel is funny. (And thirsty!) It made me laugh.

Work: I used to have a rule that I wouldn’t blog about work, but I just have too much to say. My work gives me too much material to pass up sharing it.

They had a baby shower this week for three guys whose wives are having babies in May. I guess someone spiked the Coolaid last August. They had three massive Costco cakes, one homemade cake, Velveeta sauce, Doritos, and some other snacks. The shower started at 9 am. Yummy – the breakfast of champions. The homemade cake was layered, from bottom with: cake, frosting, brownies, Heath bars, fat free Coolwhip. They referred to this cake as the diet cake because it contained fat free Coolwhip. Diabetes people?!?!?!

My work is holding a charity raffle. You can enter your tickets for specific prizes. These are the prizes along with the amount of tickets I put in for each:

A GPS unit (Boooooooooooooooring! 0 tickets)
A VP’s parking spot for a year (1 ticket)
One of two other prime parking spots for a year (5 tickets)
One jeans day per month for a year (6 tickets)

I hope to win both the jeans days and a parking spot.

Cars: I am sorry to say that our Pathfinder, affectionately known as Shadrac will soon be on its way to the scrap heap. I touched the right front fender the other day and good sized chunk of it fell off. Rust, the cancer of cars. I feel guilty getting rid of a car that runs fine. We are thinking of replacing it with either a Subaru Outback Wagon or a Scion XB. We still need to do some research tough. Any other suggestions of what we should get?

I am not sure how I feel about having a nicer car. A couple of weeks ago Shadrac got into a tussle with a parking lot post and lost. When you have a beater-rust-bucket-jalopy that’s no big deal. I got out, tested that the door still opened (it did with a loud creak) and went on my way. I would have been pissed if that had happened with the new car. I would have even had to fix it.

Attention: Animal lovers in Washington state

2009-02-12T21:21:00.000-08:00

I wrote to our elected officials to tell them how important I think Senate Bill 5651. I encourage all of you to do the same. Read this editorial from the Seattle Times and visit the Humane Society site to look up your elected officials by zip code.

Not sure what to say? This is what I wrote:

Dear TITLE LASTNAME,

I urge you to support Senate Bill 5651. I believe that you can tell a lot about people and their society by the way that they treat animals. Please help to stop the practice of dogs being bred in inhumane conditions.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME
CITY, WA

Psych

2009-02-04T22:03:00.001-08:00

There is a great show on USA called Psych. I won't go into detail - you just need to watch it. One of the characters, Sean, always makes up funny names for his friend and business partner Gus. Behold the Psych name generator! My Psych name is Maria Lechegrande.

The Bachelor

2009-01-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

Ladies (I am using that term loosely) of The Bachelor... Buy bras and lay off the self tanner!

The watering hole

2009-01-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

Today at work I went to the water cooler to get some water. The two women in front of me getting water were both very, very pregnant. I almost blurted out “Holy shit, what are they putting in that water?!?!” I caught myself just in time and started laughing instead. They probably think I am crazy.

Pens

2009-01-07T23:54:00.000-08:00

Today I was in a meeting and the lady sitting next to me was taking notes with a paper and pen. I can hear a tapping noise so I look over and see that her pen has one of those ball chains attached to the end of it, you know, like at the teller's window at the bank?!?!?! She may as well have had a sign over her head that said "I steal office supplies!"

This reminded me of a story that I am sure most of you have heard, but I will tell it anyway for the benefit of anyone who doesn't know me in real life.

In the mid-nineties, I was a receptionist for an Internet startup. The developers would ALWAYS steal my pens, stapler, tape, etc. even though the supply room was well stocked and just a few steps from my desk. I grew tired of having to put callers on hold because I didn't have a pen to write with. I had one of those cool carbon copy message pads because back then, when someone was out of the office, I would ask "would you like so-and-so's voicemail or can I take a message for you?"

NO ONE takes written messages anymore! I digress, the point is, I started labeling all of my pens, and other miscellaneous office supplies so that I could catch the thieves and retrieve the stolen goods.

Fast forward 5 years and I am now out of school and working as a network administrator. (I know, I know - odd career choice for me – it didn't last long.) One day I went to the data center down south* grabbed the pen at the front desk to sign in and guess what? Yep, it had my label on it. Totally my label! I look down and I see "Ashley's pen!" Small world. You have to figure that the pen had to have been hiding out somewhere for a few years. No way had it actually lasted that long with regular use. Or maybe it was a magic pen.

*What was the name of that place – does anyone remember?

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T09:52:00.000-08:00

(New Years eve fireworks at Niagra Falls)

My resolution is to start using my sleep machine and stick with it. Does anyone else have a resolution?

Smoking: still not doin' it

2008-12-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

I have saved $925 to date not smoking. (Look up for an up-to-date total!) Some of that cash will come in handy at the casino tomorrow! ;)

Nuclear Toast: King of the Internet... plus toes, jobs and Cabo

2008-12-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

Nuclear Toast said I have to put up a post ‘cause he rules in the Internet and all who use it must obey him. Well, maybe he just said it had been almost a month and I made up the rest. Seriously, where did that month go?!?! Sad that the first thing that popped into my mind was alien abduction.

Feet: I went for my two week post frankenfeet checkup. Everything is healing fine. The numbness and twitch that I am feeling in my big and second toes on my right foot is temporary nerve damage. It will heal in a month or so. It’s just an irritation more than anything. I only cried a little at the appointment today. I knew the doc was going to “clean” my frankenfeet, but I didn’t really know what that meant. I figured he would daub a little frankenfoot cleaner on and I would be out the door. Wrong. (Bri – skip to the next paragraph now.) It involved a lot of scraping and draining using sharp instruments. Um, don’t they know that I need Valium for things like that? Duh!

Job: In the last two and a half weeks I was laid off and hired. I start my new job on Monday December 15th. If you want to know more, email me. I am paranoid about blog stalkers. (Note to Gayle: a blog stalker is someone who lurks around a blog without commenting. So leave some comments lady!)

Cabo: Ahhhhhh – I leave for Cabo in the morning. I will miss DK, but it will be great to see my mom. Tecate Light and nachos by the pool are a major bonus!

Worst word ever!

2008-11-10T17:54:00.000-08:00

I am watching last night's episode of Desperate Housewives. Susan (Teri Hatcher) just said that her least favorite word is PANTIES! Ha ha haaaaaaaaaa. Would anyone like to second that? You know who you are!

ROFL Fail!

2008-11-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

see more pwn and owned pictures

Tsunami Blue by Gayle Williams

2008-11-06T10:31:00.001-08:00

I am so excited for Gayle!

Her book was purchased by a big NYC publisher!
So much to celebrate this week!

Read about it here!

Polar bear, moose, wolves and the 18-35 demographic REJOICE!

2008-11-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

349! 349! 349! 349! 349!

I never, ever thought I would say this, but thank you George W. Bush!

I appreciated McCain’s speech. It was very gracious and positive. Something that cannot be said for his supporters who boo’d during it.

I hope to completely forget about Sarah Palin in the very near future. I don’t ever want to think of her again. Unfortunately, I think she will pop back into the national spotlight in a few years. We must be vigilant!

Until last night, I never said “my country”. Until last night I thought that hidden bigotry and racism might squash our chance for a better future. I have never been so happy to be wrong.

Yesterday was my third time voting in a presidential election and the first time that my candidate won.

Destination Birthday 2009

2008-11-03T12:48:00.001-08:00

Penguins are not always terrifying beasts

2008-10-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

more animals

Trailer Park Paternity Test

2008-10-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

This made me laugh:

Totally looks like...

2008-10-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

see famous look-a-like faces

Say it with... poop?

2008-10-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

Gmail has added a new emoticon feature.

I was replying to a friend of ours who had just told me that she and her husband are having another baby. YAY! Babies everywhere!!! :) I clicked on this new emoticon tab to see if I could find one that properly conveyed my excitement and I found this little pile of poop!

Joe the Plumber: Math ur doin' it rong

2008-10-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

I found this info interesting:

Wurzelbacher also acknowledged that he had no specific plans for buying Newell’s business, saying he and Newell had simply talked about the idea from time to time. He might have difficulty making the purchase: Court records from his divorce show that Wurzelbacher made $40,000 in 2006.

Even if he did buy Newell Plumbing and Heating, Obama’s tax plan wouldn’t affect him. While Wurzelbacher told Obama that he would be taxed at a higher rate because the company grossed more than $250,000 a year, Ohio business records show the company’s estimated total annual revenue as only $100,000. Actual taxable income would be even less than that.

In any event, Obama’s tax plan specifies that the higher rate would apply only to income above the $250,000 threshold. Assuming Wurzelbacher’s income as owner somehow hit $280,000 — the top end of his supposition of the company’s revenue — only the extra $30,000 would be taxed at a higher rate.

Analysts calculated that the extra tax would amount to $900, which would likely be more than offset by separate provisions of Obama’s plan: a 50 percent tax credit for health care and elimination of the capital gains tax for small businesses.

Source: MSNBC

P.S. I have taken the liberty of highlighting and enlarging the parts that I think are really important. I learned this technique from The Gallivanting Monkey. :)

P.S.S. I promise that at some point this blog will turn back into rants, raves, grumblings and stories about my boring life. Right now my life is just totally consumed by all of this stuff. 12 more days.

Hiding the beer: Ur doin' it rong

2008-10-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

GOP spends $150,000 for Palin's wardrobe

2008-10-22T14:20:00.001-07:00

Ok - I know I am going crazy with all of these blog posts, but I just can't help myself. Especially when it comes to Sarah Palin. I do promise you this: I will not make anymore blog post about Sarah Palin*.

*Today.

This is blew me away:

The 2002 campaign finance law that bears McCain's name specifically barred any funds that "are donated for the purpose of supporting the activities of a federal or state office holder" from being used for personal expenses including clothing. A quirk in the law does not specifically mention party committees, however.

Source: MSNBC

Before:
After:

What a difference $150k can make!