Author: Allegra

Born when atmospheric carbon was 316 PPM. Settled on MST country since 1997. Parent, grandparent.

the nut shot

Has anybody ever noticed that one of the enduring tropes of humour is the nut shot?  I’ve said before that anything can be explained by ‘following the genes’ and this one is pretty simple.

What makes a nut shot funny?  Well, it’s happening to somebody else. That’s pretty standard for all humour.  But notice the division of humour.  Men almost inevitably find the nut shot more amusing than women do.  Any action which potentially removes a rival from any activities resulting in offspring is going to be a-ok; if it’s accompanied by humiliation and dominance, that makes it even tastier.

I have heard some women remark that a man could use a good swift kick in the ‘nads, but it’s almost inevitably in the context that the guy is an asshole, the guy is abusing his power, or he’s sleeping around on his pregnant wife, an activity which draws a lot of heat even from women with a relaxed attitude towards sex.

Can you tell I’ve been living with Jeff for the best part of a year?  I’m enjoying it, even if it has me meditating on the nut shot at 4 am.  Not because I want him to experience one – I grew out of that 40 years ago – but because he laughs his ass off every time he sees one. Especially on Robot Chicken, which has a high NSPE rating (Nut Shots Per Episode).

This is how everybody uses a cell phone, including me.

Obama was inaugurated.  He’s doing something about Gitmo, and about bloody time.

Feetsball & biscotti

Normally I don’t watch, and I don’t care.  But the Eagles Cardinals game yesterday was awesome, and I think I’m in love with Larry Fitzgerald.  His play in the first half was enough to make watching football seem like a rational activity.  Then the Steelers won, but holy crap, it wasn’t nearly as fun a game and the injuries were pretty much continuous.

On another subject…Gosh, I miss all the fun. I have to wonder if ScaryClown had something to do with it.  And all the people who read this blog who’ve quit drinking are probably happy to be reminded of how stupid it all was.

With all the paper and crap put away, the acoustics in my room have changed.  It is very odd.

I am sad to report that my second zombie heart was a miserable failure.  It went into the oven okay, but sagged terribly and now looks…. Well, I’ll finish it anyway and post a pic, but  next time I’ll make the base bigger.  Let’s just say it’s a differently abled zombie heart.  We went to Michael’s and got more sculpey and paint and clayworking tools.  Jeff declared himself allergic to the Muzak, and I told him I was tempted to tell him he wasn’t the target audience (it was screechy girl stuff).  I also wanted to quote Katie K about the “all Jann Arden all the time” station here in Vancouver.  As in, she doesn’t like it.

Biscotti got cooked.

I also made spaghetti and meat balls – Keith even ate some. It was good to see him.

Otherwise I didn’t do much yesterday but I feel refreshed and rested… back to work!

Food and family

I had a wonderful day and evening, sorting papers and rendering my room quite tidy, and then visiting at Planet Bachelor, where for an extra special bonus there was Jim, Jan and Nita (who was just back from a demonstration re Gaza in Surrey).  Nita is at VCC – like Katie, but at a different campus –  taking heavy equipment repair, go women in trades.

After Paul picked me up – accompanied by Keith, who promptly started asking me pointed questions about my parenting, or lack of it – we went to Burnaby Mountain and looked down over the city. There were kids sliding down the hill in the purest, most mood elevating sunshine, on that grainy crystalline snow that Paul calls corn snow, and the city itself was resting under an enormous smooth blanket of fog.  I was very glad to get up the hill in the sun however briefly, and Mt. Baker on the way down the hill was so beautiful…

The pork roast Paul cooked was better than anything I’ve produced recently, the company was awesome, and then I had a miserable ride home on the transit.  25 minute wait for the 106; seconds of waiting for the Skytrain, and then another 25 minute wait for the 25 bus.  I was so chilled when I got home that it took me about half an hour to warm up enough to go to sleep. Note to self – dress for the outside, not the inside, dummy.

This morning I decided I had no interest in the Mexican coffee that I am finding kinda bitter and savourless, so I cracked open the Sumatran, and the aroma that is currently permeating the kitchen could be used to waft angels home.  Happy sigh.

I hear from Lady Miss B that Vixy (half of noted filk due Vixy and Tony) will be watching the inauguration live.  I am happy for her.  It’s an historic moment and I’m glad that someone I know will be there.

I forgot to post this earlier

This is the ‘year’ I cast at Jarmo and Susana’s New Year’s Eve:

Check out that twist at the end.....
Check out that twist at the end.....
Check out that twist at the end…..

I say have fun with this one

Many of these pieces of footage you will have seen already, but you likely haven’t seen all of them.  An amazing demonstration of good fortune.