I could be a casual Batman

Last night, I was chatting on Facebook with a friend. He invited me to a party on March 18. When I asked about the dress code, he said, “Batman,” and then, “casual,” once he realized that I am often oblivious to humor, although I could be a casual Batman.

Source: Sapphire Skies (Allie Way)

The United Nations Wants To Crash The World Economy In Order To Save The Environment
“The United Nations says that the earth is in great danger and that the way you and I are living is the problem. In a shocking new report entitled, Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing the UN declares that the entire way that we currently approach economics needs to be ...”

I could be a casual Batman, and say that such is senseless.

Why Google Wants to be in Your Wallet and Drive Your Car
“Google wants to drive your car and get inside your wallet, they will make your life easier as long as you don't mind being profiled and sold...”

Kia Motors, no Tau V8 in this car means that it will go like a dog.

Kia K9 Rear-Drive Flagship Sedan Unveiled, Could Come to U.S. - WOT on Motor Trend
“Kia K9 Rear-Drive Flagship Sedan Unveiled, Could Come to U.S. from Jake Holmes on February 28, 2012 at Wide Open Throttle (WOT). Having shown us teaser photos, Kia has now taken the wraps off its new Kia K9 flagship. The luxury sedan is the first-ever rear-wheel-drive Kia sedan, and ...”

To suck away humor, provided that any was to be found, a canine is sometimes denoted, “K9,” and I was emphasizing the paronomasia.

Gino Vannelli Vanelli Vaneli Living Inside Myself
“Living Inside Myself, Original Version, a beautiful video for all the broken hearts out there... As ballads go, this track has the ‘Hook of Hooks’!”

Said pursuit is often at the expense of my forming a relationship, forwarding the scene, having a conversation, or listening. After all, life is improv and vice versa.

When parents are stressed out, even their kids’ DNA is affected
“Our experiences in life don’t just affect how we learn and behave, they can also mark our genes and influence our children.”

Source: The Great and Powerful Trixie (FiM)

A Diet Rich in Fish May Help the Aging Brain
“In a study, people with low levels of omega-3 fatty acids had smaller brains and scored lower on memory tests.”

Update status via Phone Microwave (name subject to change) with device number 105017 ...

GM Vehicles Help Make Movie Magic
“DETROIT – Lights, camera, start your engines! For one night each year, Hollywood gathers to honor the best in the movie industry. Yet, an often unsung star in these films seldom receives the credit it deserves – the automobile.”

This music is an invitation from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

PMV: Everypony Jam!
“Featuring Spike-man John! I toyed around with the crop/pan feature in this video, learned some new tricks along the way. Finally, I have finished my three-week...”

Bronies, you have just reminded me; “The Spirit of Massachusetts” appeared on Family Guy, and was once a real thing, but not the real thing, ‘cause that’s Coca-Cola.

1987 Spirit of Massachusetts is The Spirit of America Commercial - 2nd Version - Child on Beach
“1987 Spirit of Massachusetts is The Spirit of America Commercial - 2nd Version - Child on Beach. 1980s Massachusetts Division of Tourism commercial here made...”

Yesterday, a hacker used Minsky’s Pizza on Twitter to solicit my user name and password through a direct message that told me that some nasty blog was writing things about me.

We're sorry if you received a bogus tweet/DM from us, we've fixed the problem! Much thanks to our followers who alerted us!

— Minsky's Pizza(@MinskysPizza) February 28, 2012

“I am a casual Batman!”

Need to read again 025

Many interesting posts can be found on the landing page at WordPress,
“Imagine there were no hypothetical situations.”

Stop Sabotaging Your Own Success: A Manifesto
“If you’re new here, you should probably read my biography just to give you a better sense of who I am. In short: I do a lot of stuff. I’m curious. I love learning. I take risks. I speak my mind. I ...”

Oh my, the use of Nyx Logic temporarily hid the page
Nyx (Friendship is Magic) last week.

Wandering by Choice
“What drives 60% of people with Alzheimer's dementia to wander?”

Twitter / Scott Canon: “Nielsen says age and income decide whether your phone is smart or dumb. Young and rich get smartphones.”

Survey: New U.S. Smartphone Growth by Age and Income | Nielsen Wire
“Whether or not you have a smartphone is closely related to both how old you are and how much money you make, according to the most recent survey results from Nielsen. A survey of more than 20,000 mobile consumers in January shows a link between age, income and smartphone ownership.”

What a suspicious, sorry, auspicious occasion.

see more Memebase and check out our Troll Face lols!

The most overused jargon and action words in press release headlines are … | Articles
“Everything PR pros wanted to know about headlines but were afraid to ask.”

Cutie Mark Crusaders Headbob by *TomDanTheRock on deviantART

6 Movies Inadvertently Remade as Other Movies
“Apparently, there are movies, sometimes decades apart, that seem to have absolutely nothing to do with each other ... and yet, when you look at them carefully, they turn out to be the exact same thing.”

see more My Little Brony

Top 10 Misquoted Celebrities | Top 10 Lists | TopTenz.net
“Let’s face it, nobody cares what YOU have to say.  Even if it’s the most profound, life-affirming statement ever, the fact that it comes from you and your ...”

In honor of the Oscars: My top three movie cars l Cool Rides Online®
“With the dust on this year's Oscars finally settled - and with no nods to one of my personal favorites Drive - I thought I'd run down a list of some of my favorite movie cars.”

I have updated my entertainingly shallow and pedantic blog.

Stale zaniness 020

Crazy goodness is not the same as stale zaniness.

This Week’s TV: NBC’s Reality-Hopping Awake, and the Launch of DC Nation!
“This week’s television is just bursting with crazy goodness. NBC is debuting Awake, the acclaimed new show about a cop trapped between two very different realities —”

But some interesting implications could be made from grouping GCB on the American Broadcasting Company with Sarah Palin.

Women’s basketball team wins Saturday; claims share of conference title

“ The No. 1 ranked JCCC women's basketball team defeated Labette Saturday afternoon, 81-63, to improve to 27-1 overall and 16-0 in the East Jayhawk Conference. The victory upped the team's record winning streak to 20 straight, and assured the Lady Cavaliers at least a share of the conference title, the first for the program since the 1989-90 season. They would secure the title outright with a win in one of their two remaining road games. Their 16 conference wins are also a new team record.”

Twitter / Ohad Kanne: Random browsing through MLFW has brought me to this:
Source: Enjoy. — Ohad Kanne (@iStricer) February 27, 2012

Derpygate 2012 – The Mega Article
“There is no news to report on Derpy, at least on the official side. On the fandom side, the campaign is in full force with multiple sites and petitions running. Here is what has been handed to me so far, and I say sign them all.”

Bronies also shared the following:

“Brenden Parsons has proven by numerology that My Little Pony: Friendship is Magicis the Meaning of Life.

• FACT: The series premiered October 10, 2010.
• FACT: That date can be written as 10/10/10.
• FACT: 101010 is binary for the decimal number 42.
• ERGO: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the Meaning of Life. QED.

LOL, well done...”

I like my burger well done, but not necessarily spam.

“Dear Information Technology Professionals:

My name is Baz Abouelenein and I am a graduate student at the University of Phoenix working on a Doctor of Management degree. I am conducting a research study tentatively entitled Community College Chief Information Officers (CIOs): Assessing their Transformational Leadership Behaviors on Information Technology Workers’ Job Satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive, research study is to determine any correlation between the perceived transformational leadership behaviors of CIOs and IT workers’ job satisfaction at community colleges in Kansas.

Current literature about CIO’s success is almost entirely based on the experiences of past technology leaders and experts' opinions. Although these experiences and insights are extremely valuable, quantitative research studies are needed to give CIOs concrete areas in which to focus their efforts in order to succeed. As part of this research project, I would like to survey the information technology professionals at your institution. You have been identified by your institution's web site as an Information Technology professional. If you are not at least 18 years old, and have not been employed as an IT professional at the institution for at least three years, please disregard this notice. You may access the link below to digitally sign the informed consent letter and begin the survey. The survey is expected to take up to 10-15 minutes, and you may withdraw at any time, during the survey and even after the survey is completed if you so decide.

Here is a link to the survey:

This link is uniquely tied to this survey and your email address. Please do not forward this message.

The time you put in completing this survey is highly appreciated. If you should have any questions about this research study, please feel free to contact Baz Abouelenein, or email.

Sincerely,

Baz Abouelenein”

Twitter / Popular Science: “Hey, that crazy underground Lower East Side park concept might actually happen! It’s on Kickstarter now: ...”

You Can Fund a Futuristic Underground Park in the Lower East Side | Popular Science
“We wrote about the LowLine park concept a couple months back, but at the time it was just a crazy design for a futuristic underground public space in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Now, it's on Kickstarter, and the project's creators are making some serious headway in actually getting construction …”

I have updated my entertainingly shallow and pedantic blog.

Whirlwind weekend 007

How much Netflix can I possibly stream  in one weekend? My friend Denton interns at the Capitol in Topeka, and I drove him there Thursday. On Friday, we continued our watching Supernatural and some episodes from the second season of Futurama, which I missed last summer because I was watching Burn Notice.

Supernatural (TV series) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“Supernatural is an American supernatural drama television series with humorous elements created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the …”

Besides that, I have had fun with friends, and slept a lot on Sunday.

REBECCA BLACK + STAR WARS Friday Parody ‘Primeday’
“PRIMEDAY NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES: The Star Wars crew spoofs Rebecca Black ‘Friday’ in their own version, called ‘Primeday’. Yes...”

Source: Fluttershy

Dean is the name a character both in Supernatural and The Iron Giant, and the star of MacGyver, so I could have called this the weekend of three Deans, eh, 007?

Cootersneeze

On Facebook, the community of bronies has pages for main characters Apple Jack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle; and original character (OC) pony Cootersneeze, whose ask blog follows.

Ask Cootersneeze
“Um, hi! I um... I’m Cootersneeze! Some ponies asked me to do this little Tumblr thing, so here I am! You can ask me anything you want! I’ll be going through every single question and will take out...”

Source: Cootersneeze

I really like the page because I like saying its name, so I am devoting a post.

What’s in a Name? Um, Only EVERYTHING.
“Every single person’s identity begins with their name (which makes sense as it is in fact, you know, your identity). Every single name also holds a certain unwritten connotation to it. For instance...”

Parenting Fails: Good to see children’s grasp of the English language continues to improve

The Island of Misnamed Toys
“My three year old daughter names all of her toys herself. Based on the names she chooses, you would think she was being raised a bewildered hooker. That may ...”

Source: Sister and me. She also has a page now, please go like her!

Aston Martin tweaks V8 Vantage for Geneva debut
“Aston Martin has had the V8 Vantage on the market since 2005, making it seven years old this year. That’s a fairly long life-cycle for any car, ...”

“My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Friendship Express”

The Last Roundup - “Derpy’s” New Voice
“Quick clip showing the blatant edit that is Derpy's new voice after the episode ‘The Last Roundup’ was re-uploaded to iTunes earlier today. Video quality’s ...”

Source: Cutie Pie (Friendship is Magic)

Derpy Censoring: Sorry.
“Today, our beloved Derpy’s name was taken away, and her eyes were ‘fixed.’ Her voice was changed, which is alright for me, but the rest is just... Horribly ...”

Thank you for your time.

Oh My Gosh 006

“Oh My Gosh!”

How to Remove Your Google Search History Before Google’s New Privacy Policy Takes Effect | Electronic Frontier Foundation
“On March 1st, Google will implement its new, unified privacy policy, which will affect data Google has collected on you prior to March 1st as well as data it collects on you in the future. Until now, your Google Web History (your Google searches and sites visited) was cordoned off from Google’s other...”

“Oh My Gosh!”

Sonic Drive-In Brings Back Longtime Spokesmen
“The fast-food chain’s campaign reintroduced T. J. Jagodowski and Peter Grosz, who starred in humorous ads from 2002 to 2010, through social media.”

Source: A fun Haruhi picture. Actually this is a huge spoiler if you haven’t seen the series yet plan to. - J-List Tumblr

An Optimist’s Tour of the Future
“What the fountain of youth has to do with robots and unlearning our faulty thinking.    Earlier this year, we looked at how the web is changing ...” 

Breaking Down a Walk Cycle- My Little Pony: FiM Animation Analysis
“I loved Pinkie Pie’s walking animation from the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic song ‘Smile, Smile, Smile’ so much that I broke it down.”

see more My Little Brony

“Oh My Gosh! This will make David happy!”

NBC Gives New Life to ‘Community’ as It Revamps Schedule
“The NBC comedy, which has an enthusiastic following, will return to the network next month - and right back where it was, Thursdays at 8 p.m.”

On Facebook, the community of bronies has pages for the main characters Apple Jack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle; and a page for Ditsy Doo (Derpy Hooves).

see more My Little Brony

Lyze - the happiest owlet
“Lyze is a little owl, who likes to be cuddled. Enjoy his happiness! :)”

see more Memebase and check out our Troll Face lols!

Considering one of the current Twitter conversations I will just leave this on the table without comment: goo.gl/gBQcb

— BrainwasherDetective (@hisuiRT) February 24, 2012

News of the day 018

My floating-point unit must be faulty; I thought that my car needed fluid service Tuesday, but a thousand more miles remain for Superior Chevrolet, a Kansas City dealer. After I realized this, I went to Mainstreet Credit Union, Burger King, and the Kansas Sampler, where I bought a new wallet; Adventure Time in Mission, KS!

JCCC culinary knowledge bowl team presents chili fundraiser Feb. 29

“Get a big bowl of steaming hot chili with all the fixings and crackers for just $4 and support the JCCC culinary knowledge bowl team.

Chili will be served from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29, in the first floor hallway of OCB.”

Well, as Denton once observed, “You a little late on that one,
buddy, but thanks for the heads up.”

The Breakfast Meeting: When Republicans Attack, and Remembering an Anti-Puritan
“In what could be the last Republican presidential debate, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum took the focus away from the media to focus on each other; the publisher Barney Rosset, who challenged American censorship, died at 89.”

I am not sure if we have quite found one with what
the New Kids on the Block would call, “The Right Stuff.”

SE Missouri Shaken by 4.0 Quake
“SIKESTON, Mo. -- An earthquake rattled southeastern Missouri and parts of three other states on Tuesday morning. There have been no reports of damage or injuries from the magnitude 4.0 quake, ...”

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

Orange barrel alert: Long construction season looms on Quivira Road

“A series of construction projects that will widen Quivira Road to three smooth lanes in each direction from 95^th to 119th streets will create some traffic challenges in 2012.

First up is bridge work, specifically the Quivira Road span over I-435. Starting Saturday, March 3, the northbound lanes of the bridge over 435 will be demolished. Two lanes of traffic will continue in both directions.

However, drivers will not be able to enter either westbound or eastbound I-435 from Quivira Road starting March 3 and continuing through November. The suggested detour is College Boulevard or 103^rd Street to Highway 69, accessing I-435 from Highway 69.

Off-ramps from I-435 to Quivira Road will remain open during construction.

Work to widen Quivira Road from College Boulevard south to 119^th Street is expected to start in April.”

“Go Your Own Road” – Sweden – Erik Johansson – Featured Photographer

Orange barrel alert: Start date moved up for I-435 eastbound ramp closure from Quivira Road

“From the Kansas Department of Transportation: The Quivira Road to eastbound I-435 ramp will be closed beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29, for reconstruction work for the US-69 and I-435 project.

A marked detour will be provided during the ramp closure. Traffic will detour south on Quivira Road, then east on College Boulevard to northbound US-69, then back to eastbound I-435.

Advance message boards will alert drivers to the ramp closure. Drivers should expect delays and allow extra time for their commutes during the ramp closure. Drivers must use alternate routes during the duration of the ramp closure.

Project work is scheduled to be completed and the ramp reopened to traffic in November 2012, weather permitting.”

“Johnson County Gateway: I-435/I-35/K-10 Interchange Study”

JCCC students could win scholarships in KDOT ‘Sobriety Rocks’ scholarship contest

“The Kansas Department of Transportation is sponsoring “Sobriety Rocks,” a scholarship competition for students ages 14 to 20 to combat underage drinking.

KDOT will award $1,000 scholarships to winners in four categories: best original song, best original writing, best original art and best original commercial.

Sobriety Rocks is a continuing effort by the Kansas Department of Transportation to combat underage drinking. The contest promotes creativity and the sharing of ideas among Kansas teens, who hold the key to solving this problem.

For more information and official rules, encourage your students to visit the contest website.”

Source: There’s something I like about this Haruhi pic. Something white. - J-List Tumblr

Twitter / Japanator: “Seaman might be coming to 3DS: Seaman lives! --maybe. Recently, rumors have been circulating the Internet about ...”

What a suspicious, sorry, auspicious occasion.

5 Ridiculous Sex Myths Everyone Believes
“What do you know about sex? Even with all that you have going for you, the real and correct answer is probably ‘nothing.’”

Valentine’s Day epitomizes love.

Elizabeth Smart Marries in Hawaii
“KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Elizabeth Smart, the young woman who was kidnapped from her Utah home at the age of 14 and held captive for nine months, married her Scottish fiance in Hawaii over the weekend.”

Hawaiian native Jake Shimabukuro takes ukulele in new directions on March 11

“Jake Shimabukuro, who is making a name for himself by playing the ukulele in ways never imagined before, will appear at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 11, in the Carlsen Center’s Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College.

Tickets, which are $35 and $25, are available through the college box office at 913-469-4445 or at jccc.edu/TheSeries.

Remember, JCCC employees can purchase up to four tickets for any Performing Arts Series show at half price. The employee pricing is available only by phone or in person at the box office, and not online.

Read more about Shimabukuro here.”

Raidler - written in most popular ciphers: ridresal (i.e., same as Grievance Redressal Machinery)

Twitter / Charlie Jane Anders: “RT @esedia: Most amazing thing ever: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FEMINISM ACCORDING TO HARRY POTTER, [Adult Content Notice] (translated from Russian) ... ”

JCCC Model United Nations receives awards at Midwest conference
see more My Little Brony

“The JCCC Model United Nations team received three awards for its portrayal of Canada at the 2012 Midwest Model United Nations Conference Feb. 15-18 in St. Louis, Mo.

The Outstanding Delegate Choice Award and the Outstanding Position Paper Award went to Ben Brown, for his work “Environmental, Social and Economic Impacts of the Mining Industry and Prevention of International Traffic in Toxic and Dangerous Products.”

The position paper award is presented in recognition of pre-conference preparation. The position paper serves as a blueprint for building consensus and formulating and negotiating workable draft resolutions to resolve issues.

Aaron Haffey received an honorable mention for his portrayal of Canada’s position on the Commission on Science and Technology committee on the issues of intellectual property rights and the role of science and technology in development.

Samantha Poetter was the 2012 Under-Secretary General of Administration. Former JCCC student Brandon Bezner served as conference secretary general. These leadership positions are responsible for organizing and managing the conference.

JCCC students competed against other universities and colleges from across North America.

Other team members are Megan Willard, Aizhan Tazhigulova, Jason Sandoy, Benjamin Tomin, Matt Lantz, Merrideth Barlett, Kim Luhr, Elvira Babaeva, Gaelyn McGhree, JamesKhalif, Joe Gideon, Xian Jin and Joe Siebert.

Brian Wright is the team adviser and also is secretary for the board of directors of the Midwest Model United Nations.”

Summary of Improv Goals 015

To review, the Roving Imp held no class last Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, but I forgot and drove to Bonner Springs anyway, while the Conference for Motorists of Defective Mentality was in town...

Proof Positive: Nearly 1 In 5 Drivers Unfit For the Road
“If you’re like me, you take great delight in complaining about other drivers. There’s a guilty pleasure waiting for those of us who snipe, snarl, and generally criticize and complain about the driving habits of others. Now, we may have empirical proof that our superior driving skills...”

Also, the set that Matt and I performed, Reset Button, has been folded in to a new ensemble. Despite these occurrences, for which I have limited culpability, I am happy.

Last Saturday was the fourth iteration of The Mixer, where the names of improvisers are placed in a bowl and drawn at random to participate in scenes; whether he or she is in an ensemble or merely takes classes, any improviser present in the audience may play. I have allowed too many days to pass, so I cannot remember the commentary that I wanted to make in regards to my goals for my improv.

The final name for that new ensemble is still being determined, but its first rehearsal followed Tuesday class, which thereby had an attendance twenty percent higher than usual limit; creative director in both title and nuisance John handled the situation with aplomb.

John accepts students as young as thirteen for his classes; such situation was helped by his directorial ability and the presence of the parents of the boys. While the Roving Imp did shows at the Great Mall of the Great Plains last summer, a family from Desoto was sometimes present; the son Chad now attends class. Kitty is a regular performer, and brought her twin sons Alex and Andrew.

Twelve people participated in class last night, which with John becomes thirteen on stage, and fifteen with the father of Chad and the visiting mother of Matt in the audience. I am making no complaint, only observing.

Ironically, I tend to be more candid in this public, electronic forum than I am in private with my friends. OK OK OK, dispensing with any further pretense, I sometimes find Chad to be annoying to aggravating; inspiring for his energy and ability to uninhibitedly quip; and entertaining in his Up-like tendency to mention squirrels, which he hunts with his father, who also home-schools him.

Spontaneous success irritates careful failure.
— Max McKeown (@MaxMckeown) February 22, 2012

After some exercises with everyone in a circle, John asked us to line ourselves up, according to the day of the month on which we were each born, along the back wall. After in place near the middle, David was pushed into me, but my perception was that two people had been violently shoved by Chad, and I said, “Hey, what the hell?!”

When another circle later knocked around David again, I concluded that no specific person was likely at fault for the earlier incident.We shall now dismiss further discussion for minutiae to which might actually be related to the title of this post.

Next, John had the westren half of the line (i.e., Frank, Alex, Kitty, Andrew, Steve B, and myself) go to the lobby for a circle of Two-Headed Monster; one person says a word, the next person speaks whatever word comes to mind, and the two words are rhythmically repeated by the circle. When that exercise was stopped, my group established a pattern with the second person saying, “Stein.”

John soon  illustrated the point of the previous exercise with what he called previously, “Chicken wire,” but now calls, “Spider web,” a method of connecting a string of ideas so that one may think of the first line in a scene; this is perhaps to avoid using the suggestion in the first line. I cannot remember what the initial suggestion, but I do recall parts of the sequence:

“And that makes me think of lederhosen.”
“Which makes me think of varicose veins.”
“And that makes me think of old people.”

John ended with the idea of Hinduism, but was quick to say that going directly to someone speaking with an Indian does not logically follow that suggestion: we should only go two or three layers deep. He then had the western half give a suggestion to the eastern group, who were individually what word that suggestion brought to mind and a first line for a scene based on that.

Following some two-person scenes, we next did three-person scenes, of which I would choose the scene between Kitty, leaning against the wall; Steve A, sitting on a block; and Mary on a chair with casters, as the best. Initially, Kitty stepped away from the wall and addressed Steve A. John paused the scene to ask Kitty why she had moved when she had started the against wall.

“I don’t know, because I’m an unbalanced person,” Kitty replied.
“That’s your character. You, the actor, know why you made that choice.”

Okay, this perhaps the pace of this post should quicken, Kitty basically said that she was about to get to that, and continued with Steve, whose half hour on the mimed computer had expired. Steve replied that he had been waiting on an e-mail.

Mary mimed writing on a pad, “Patient is uncooperative.”

Then John called attention to the drop in the energy in the scene. Mary’s character noted that Steve’s character was always on the computer between 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., waiting for a message from his son. Kitty’s character just wanted to check her messages on Facespace before she ate her applesauce. John stated that everyone’s having a want helped them connect emotionally and advanced the scene.

Trixie Consulting Unicorn- A Study In Pinkie by *PixelKitties on deviantART

Later, people did not want to let go of my obsession with My Little Pony. I should have taken out my example of Rarity and owned it. On being meta, John rightly called me out. Besides a canned personality, I admit, being meta on stage is a defense mechanism to avoid connecting emotionally, and I was not emoting well last night. Fortunately, the new ensemble and format worked really well in rehearsal, which followed class, so I am happy.

Postscript to Experiment 023

If I was more capable of foresight, then I would have a different name; however, the early cancellation of Reset Button, the set that Matt and I performed, leaves me feeling a little hurt. Matt felt that he was not playing up to his potential in our last show, so our ensemble has been folded in to a newly forming ensemble, which should likely allow for better results.

Today’s affirmation: I blow up limiting beliefs and move forward with faith.

— Randy Gage (@Randy_Gage) February 21, 2012

see more My Little Brony

Let us watch the above to bring a smile to my face.

Pinkie Pie

Because the official site for My Little Pony likely knows about that which it speaks, Christopher Hurt is the most like Pinkie Pie, the character to whom the title for this post is so dedicated and the following image of whom is from a Portable Document Format (PDF) on My Little Pony.

This song was leaked earlier on-line, but the official version
was broadcast in the latest episode Saturday.

“Smile Song” (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Season 2)
“Pinkie Pie sings this Acoustic Pop/Musical Theater song about making her friends smile.”

see more My Little Brony

Apparently, breaking the fourth wall is not only a format employed by Matt and I, but also by Pinkie Pie, who is a pony likely to fly across the universe.

Even Greater Things in 2012
“Ryan Blair shares the breaking news of ViSalus’ sales increasing to $231 million in 2011, AOL Jobs running a feature, being interviewed on WPIX TV in New York, and a profile segment on Bloomberg TV nationally.”

see more My Little Brony

Family Raises Awareness of Juvenile Diabetes
“SHAWNEE, Kan. -- Dodge for a Cause was held on Sunday to raise money for research for Juvenile Diabetes. Emmy Williams, 5, and her family attended the tournament. The dodgeball tournament is mor...”

Any pony who read Brony Appreciation Day remembers the following:

Source: Equestria Daily

All Aboard the Friendship Express with My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic!
“Welcome to the Shout! Factory Store! The best music, movies and video for the discerning Pop Culture Geek.”

Aerobics by *SpeccySY on deviantART

I have bought an example of Pinkie Pie from Target, and this set at Toys ‘Я Us.
Source: My Little Pony

An offer that I cannot refuse 015

When two members of the Holy Cow! Improv Comedy Troupe, whom I rarely see in person, had a show at the Roving Imp, I ironically had an offer that I could not refuse at the Westport Coffee House, where Tom Kessler set up an event for the Underground Throwdown. Sometime in the past, I said that the Roving Imp Theater dominates my weekends; however,  I stopped by Green Room Burgers & Beer, the new physically connected establishment at 4010 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri.

Source: George Takei

Well, you have added a chair to the end of the row, and blocked aceess to the fire door. I’m not going to lecture you, but I will move the stack of chairs, and move myself up two rows. You women sound stupid, and are annoying me. Why do these white women feel the need to frequently photograph themselves?! And people wonder why I rarely venture far from my friends? Because other people are annoying!

This is senseless 019

This is senseless.

Dad Who Shot Up Daughter’s Laptop with a .45 Says Cops Paid Him a Visit
“Tommy Jordan has become somewhat of a hero to millions of parents. Jordan is the dad who found a secret Facebook post his daughter wrote about not wanting to do chores and said Jordan and his wife (the girl’s mother) treated her as a ‘slave.’ He didn’t take kindly to that. So he recorded an [...]”

see more Memebase and check out our Troll Face lols!

This is senseless.

Chicago teachers asking for 30% raises over next 2 years
“The Chicago Teachers Union is asking for raises amounting to 30 percent over the next two years, the opening salvo in heated contract negotiations with school officials who are implementing a longer school day across  Chicago Public Schools  next school year.”

This is senseless.

Zed, as in Xylophone

People in the United States pronounce some words differently

than people in other parts of the world, like the following:

Aluminium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“Aluminium ( /ˌæljuːˈmɪniəm/ a-lew-mi-nee-əm) or aluminum (American English) ( /ˌəlˈuːmɪnəm/, ə-loo-mi-nəm) is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances.”

In Nissan 370Z Tuner, the initial after the number does not rhyme with see. In the second season of the Power Rangers, the villain Lord Zed appears; I had to consult a dictionary to learn that zed is just another name for the twenty-sixth letter in the modern Latin alphabet, not fully appreciating that until I started to regularly watch the British Top Gear.

Ancient and modern Latin alphabet
“Details of the development of the Latin alphabet from its beginnings in Ancient Rome to today.”

At Johnson County Community College, I work in a support area. When a co-worker recently took a call, the caller spelled her last name, “And Z, as in xylophone,” about which we all shared a chuckle. With my segue successful, a promoted tweet shared the following.

Image originally posted on Zengage, The Zendesk Blog

Whether the following is an example of my ignorance or my refreshing naïveté, until someone told me, I was unaware that The Big Bang Theory uses canned laughter; knowing that made the show unwatchable for me last night.

see more Memebase and check out our Troll Face lols!

OK OK OK, I am utterly amazed at myself and the timing of that image.
What was life like before Memebase?

An offer that I cannot refuse 014

Thank you, Mainstreet Credit Union, for catching the fraud on my debit card. Now no one is going to fly to Kuwait on my dime, besides We Won’t Fly.

Infographic: How Brands Reward Loyalty
“Faithful customers not only stay loyal to a brand, they will also steer future business in the right direction. How does a brand thank such ...”

Sometime in the past, I could have gone to Lenny’s Sub Shop, but I stopped by yesterday with a coupon for one FREE regular sub or salad with the purchase of a second regular sub or salad, chips, and drink; an offer that I learned about through the page on Facebook.

7 Unbelievably Cool Facebook Ad Tactics
“Here are seven techniques to get the most out of sponsored stories.”

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Really, what is it with you and Ponies?

I have not recently been political on this blog for a while. If one wishes to further know my politics, then one may sign up for Twitter to follow Christopher Hurt (@chris_m_hurt).

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The Kitchen Cabinet puts forth the idea that Liberals are Hypocrites, a supposition with which I fully agree, yet I will today speak about something less aggravating and depressing than our president One Big Ass Mistake America.

 

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Denton, my best friend from high school, has friends over on Fridays, and I had set my example of Rarity on the coffee table, so the subject returned, “What is it with the My Little Pony?”

Hotdiggedydemon • Why Adult Men Like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
“Why Adult Men Like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The term ‘Brony’ has been coined to denote men between 18 and 30 who enjoy and partake in the fandom of Lauren Faust’s reboot of My Little Pony,...”

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OK OK OK, a scenario from Brony Subculture Analysis is rightly considered truth for me; I am an Unhappy Brony and distract myself from my depression therewith.

Source: Ditsy Doo (Derpy Hooves) via dear teacher cheerilee.
today I learned... by *CSImadmax on deviantART

I also like the on-line community of bronies, who have shared the following.

Cartoon Network’s MAD - My Little War Horse - FULL SKIT
“Mad has done it once again.”

 

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This is also not the first time my preference for an animated series has confused my family. Tara Strong voices Twilight Sparkle, has also played Bubbles in The Powerpuff Girls and Timmy in the Fairly Odd Parents, which alone confused my family.

Where was this 015

Hello, John. Are we still having a class tonight?
Oh, Valentine’s Day! I am sorry. I forgot!

The Single Person’s Guide to Not Being Sad on Valentine’s Day
“A handy list of Do’s an Don’ts! DO Wander around your apartment in your underwear. Or, if you’re feeling ‘ballsy,’ completely naked! Your girlfriend was the one who always wanted you ...”

Where was this yesterday?
Oh, on the front page of WordPress? I forgot!

For safety’s sake: Avoid slips and falls with the first significant snowfall

“Thanks to an unusually mild winter, some of us will benefit from a reminder of how to negotiate the area’s first significant snow fall of the season. Keep the following in mind to avoid a slip/trip/fall at work, at home or elsewhere:

• Slow down and take smaller steps to better react to changes in your traction.
• Wear slip resistant shoes, boots or overshoes.
• Wear polarized sunglasses when outdoors to cut the sun’s glare enabling you to better see the hazards.
• Be careful of wet shoes on dry floors and vice versa.

Please promptly report any particularly icy, slippery or indoor or outdoor trouble spots.”

Yesterday, the outdoor trouble spots were not where I was walking, but where I drove; the Conference for Motorists of Defective Mentality was in town...

Proof Positive: Nearly 1 In 5 Drivers Unfit For the Road
“If you’re like me, you take great delight in complaining about other drivers. There’s a guilty pleasure waiting for those of us who snipe, snarl, and generally criticize and complain about the driving habits of others. Now, we may have empirical proof that our superior driving skills...”

OK OK OK, I should have set up a calendar somewhere to remind me that no class was to be held yesterday because John was celebrating Valentine’s Day with his life partner, then I would not have driven to Bonner Springs only for retarded tailgating motorists on my way home. In the end, I met Denton a little earlier at his house, where we worked on math while Netflix streamed an episode of Hoarders and several episodes of Real Interrogations.

Susie Bright’s Journal : Whitney Houston’s Death is Probably Not What You Think It Is
“I’m grieving, like many. Whitney was thrilled to be alive and didn’t want to go this soon. People talk about how much pleasure her music gave them; but really, she got the most out of it. That glow you saw inside Whitney when she sang was unadulterated passion. Imagine feeling...”

As my grandmother once said, “The strongest cards you have,
are the ones you haven’t played?”

Top 10 Romantic Movies for Geeks
“We’re bringing the Weekly Top 10 forward a few days this week for obvious reasons. Today is a day when couples are going to want to spend some quality time with each other partaking in traditional ...”

“I’m the world champ, you know. I bet you can’t beat me!”

Maps of the Human Heart
“Heart-shaped maps are one thing, but maps of the human heart are quite another, and I’ve got both on this Valentine’s Day. The charting of emotional territory, as opposed to physical space, has ...”

Update status via Phone Microwave (name subject to change)

with device number 105017 ...
Source: Sailor Mercury: still mai waifu after 20 years. - J-List Tumblr

Mai Waifu
“Not even a missing dimension will keep you from your waifu!”

An original character (OC) pony, Angel Pony has chosen Rainbow Dash for her waifu. On the list that I shared earlier, one Do is something which I do already; I carry an example of Rarity with me most places.

Man Takes Cardboard Anime Character on Honeymoon Around Asia
“Next time someone insults an otaku for never getting out of the house, feel free to use this counter-example: For his ‘Project Holo,’ Spice and Wolf enthusiast Fabrice Requin has been visiting Asia and constructing a photo travelogue of himself posed with a cardboard standee of the wolf goddess Holo...”

see more Memebase and check out our Troll Face lols!

The hereunto unmentioned members of the main six
(i.e., Apple Jack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle)
are in this fan-made animation.

Good Intentions Gone Wrong
“Alas, the best laid plans of mice and men (and other barnyard animals) often go astray.”

An OC on Facebook, Surprise (MLP), has the related ask blog Ask Surprise! and is sometimes drawn by the artist Slugbox, whose work Rarity currently graces my screen.

Slugbox Ponies, I’m sorry, Will! I’m not sorry.
“I’m sorry, Will! I’m not sorry.”

The storm of snow on Monday could have been significant, so I bought some fuel, instead of saving that money for the 75th Street Brewery; the snow was not as severe as I had assumed, and I regret that action.

The Heartbeat Bus Stops by FOX 4
“KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Heartbeat Bus is in town all month long in honor of American Heart Month, and on Wednesday morning it stopped by FOX 4 to show how it can do heart tests at a fraction of the...”

I have updated my entertainingly shallow and pedantic blog.

News of the day 017

Many of my friends are in love, and epitomize Valentine’s Day.

real love
“Guy and Martha Maggio have been together for 14 years, married for 13. We met doing local community theatre and have spent every day together, slept in the same bed together and cared for each other…”

The Kansas City Star provides the following image of a member of the Holy Cow! Improv Comedy Troupe and her fiancee who owns Green Room Burgers & Beer, where Panache Beverages might be served; the previous link was from KMBC News.

Picture love | Our favorite photos from readers - Photo Gallery - KansasCity.com
“Picture love | Our favorite photos from readers Photo Gallery.”

Source: dizzy with love by *egophiliac on deviantART

News of the day 016

Mailing my tax return may insure more accuracy, but also that I will have to wait at least another two weeks to even check the status of my refund. Long ago, I accepted my societal role as a consumerist whore, and I want nothing more than to put out.

SCREAMING LOVEHOLE - VERMILION. Unlike diarrhea, this screaming lovehole sounds amazing! hearjapan.com/mp3/vermilion/ #jrock #metal
— HearJapan (@HearJapan) February 14, 2012

Twitter /Crunchyroll: “News: Sexy 3DS Game ‘Senran Kagura’ Wishes You a Happy Valentine’s!”

Sexy 3DS Game ‘Senran Kagura’ Wishes You a Happy Valentine’s!
“Erotic ninja action game Senran Kagura ~Shoujotachi no Shinei~ may have hit Nintendo 3DS in Japan last year, but Marvelous AQL is taking the opportunity to wish everyone a happy Valentine’s Day through one of its busty ladies.”

My friend Denton was really hoping for the College to be closed yesterday.

Not Everyone Had a Snow Day on Monday
“KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- School closings came in fast and furious on Monday morning. Some students in Missouri had a snow day on Monday, but not students in Kansas. School districts on both sides of ...”

When I bought a new device from Samsung Mobile USA, I had Verizon Wireless add that amount to my statement, so they may shut off my service without my refund.

School Districts Weigh Factors Before Closing
“KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- School closings came in fast and furious on Monday morning. Some students in Missouri had a snow day on Monday, but not students in Kansas. School districts on both sides of ...”

Thanks to The worst thing about Valentine’s Day - The Oatmeal
and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I am less bitter this year.

3 Biting Books For Those Bitter On Valentine’s Day
“For some people, Feb. 14 is not all hearts and candy. Without a sweetheart, the holiday can be dreary. For those not in love this year, author Alex Gilvarry prescribes three books that will cure the worst of those Valentine’s Day blues.”

Source: More chocolate kiss sharing. Let’s chocolate game!! - J-List Tumblr

Summary of Improv Goals 014

At the Roving Imp Training Center, John is creative director, in both title and nuisance. For me, I emote with difficulty, and the focus this month is on the realistic portrayal of emotions. Both in attendance and fun, our class had a successful show on Friday, February 3, but my sisters would not know anything about that, because they have not seen one of my shows in years.

In class on Tuesday, John noted challenges for all of us. For me, I need to move more on stage, and play a character with something other than diabetes. Unfortunately, I have forgotten most of what occurred in those scenes, but I will keep those challenges as my goals.

Following class, John generously granted some rehearsal time to Matt and me, and coached us, because better performers make better performances. Our format largely consisted of Matt and I being ourselves and breaking the fourth wall by addressing the audience and John, who both noted that this technique was overused in our third set.

A matter of opinion, I think that our rehearsal that night may have been better than our set on Saturday, when Matt and I decided that we would take a suggestion based on Valentine’s Day.

Backstage, before Matt and I ran our format, we counted up while changing the emotion in our voices and the expressions on our faces, then began to count down, and Matt let out a truly heinous fart around thirteen. We laughed very hard, and harder once we actually smelled it.

That evening when the Roving Imp had nearly sold out the shows, and Matt and I agreed to be as clean as possible, depending on the content of the audience; however, I was not going to let that Matt let out a big wet one and that we laughed so hard about it backstage be lost on our audience, most of whom had left before we took the stage.

Matt took a suggestion of what was something that one would like to not have happen on a date on Valentine’s Day. My disclosure influenced the suggestion, which became: fart.

I mentioned that I was the least bitter about this Valentine’s Day than I have been in years, and asked Matt how bitter he was. He said the he was pretty bitter. Even though Matt and I were largely playing ourselves on stage, I still had trouble connecting emotionally through most of our set, and Matt also noted that I was meta a lot of the time.

While our set may not have been the most funny of the evening, John commented that we had done improv well. Also, I had one consciously clever moment, and another that Matt noted but that I did not actively attempt.

Earlier in the exercises to warm up the cast, we did an emotion-TV-show circle, where one person suggested an emotion and another suggested a TV series. I suggested contemplative and Justin suggested The X-Files.

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Shipping (fandom) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is the belief that two fictional characters, typically from the same series, are in an intimate relationship, or have romantic feelings that could potentially lead to a relationship. It is considered a general term for fans’ emotional involvement with …”

With those two preceding things in mind, I said, “Should we ship, or shouldn’t we?”

The second was when I inadvertently made a reference to A History of Violence, when Matt mentioned his personal history of violence.

Keeping up the habit 008

Other than the bureaucratic mentality, the only constant in the universe is that the latest episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the best one ever.

Floral Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day
“KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jessica Million with Million Landscapes stopped by FOX 4. She offered some ideas for the gardener in your life for Valentine's Day.    To learn more about Million Landscapes go ...”

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