Things that make you go hmmm.: May 2005

Heather Metallic Mist???

In my previous post I mentioned I drive a tan car. The actual color is what they called Heather Metallic Mist. Where do they come up with these names for colors? Crayons are bad enough. I guess when you get all these different shades of colors, they have to come up with something besides brown, light brown, dark brown, and tan. By the way, my wife always called crayons "color crayons". She would say “Can you hand me that color crayon brown?” Isn’t it weird how we have different words or phrases for things? That is a whole other post though. Anyway, do you have any idea what the “real” name is for the color of your vehicles? You know they aren’t just red, blue, gray, or white. Here is an example of a random car I picked to look up the colors they have for it. The Ford Taurus comes in your choice of Vibrant White, Gold Ash, Arizona Beige, Merlot, Light Tundra, Windveil Blue, Silver Frost, and Dark Shadow Grey which really isn't as bad as some.
Speaking of white cars, why would someone in Alaska (or somewhere way up North) buy a white car? You think you have a hard time remembering where you parked your car.
While on the subject of cars, why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a race car not called a racist?
And, why does a ship carry cargo, and a car carry shipments?
Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?
And here's one I'm sure all of you animal lovers out there will love, if you throw a cat out your car window does it become kitty litter?

The Cars we Drive

Do you think it is true that the cars we drive reflect our personalities? I think the marketing companies and the auto industry try to capitalize on this. One ad even shows different people and then the cars they drive and how they even look the same. For us, I think our cars do reflect our personalities pretty good. I drive a conservative, fuel efficient, tan, mid-size sedan and I am a conservative, penny pinching, average looking, and all-around average guy. We also have a mini-van which pretty much fits my family’s profile. What about you?

Moving Water

Have you ever looked at your toilet bowl during a wind storm, or more specifically at the water in your toilet bowl? Whaaaat?!!
OK, maybe I should have included this post in my potty talk series. I promise you won't be offended by this one. I have noticed that on days when it is really windy outside, the water in our toilets will move back and forth. High winds can be quite common where we live, so I have seen this phenomenon on several occasions. What causes this? Is there anyone out there who knows and is willing to admit that they know about the workings of a toilet bowl? I remember reading something about a vent pipe up through the roof that is required for there to be pressure for the toilet to flush or something like that. Does it have something to do with that? Anyway, the next time the wind is blowing really hard go take a gander at your toilet bowl water.

Speaking of toilet bowls, have you ever considered the product called 2000 flushes? Just going by the name, would you really want to buy a product that takes 2000 flushes to get rid of?

nneP, what's the likelihood of that?

One of the blog sights I have enjoyed recently has a great quote on it which actually came from another blogger’s comment whose site I enjoy and I have linked both of these for you. “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” E. E. Cummings. I like to think that my site serves this purpose for laughter at least occasionally, but I don’t usually have the opportunity to show physical humor. However, something happened Sunday evening that was quite comical even though it was at my expense. It was parents’ night for AWANA at our church. AWANA is a program for kids where they learn about God, memorize scripture, and play games. My wife and I went thinking that we would see a little more about what our son does for the hour plus that he spends there each week. We didn’t realize that part of this meant that we were going to participate in some of the games. One of the games had all the kids on different teams shoot tennis balls with a homemade sling shot deal towards all the parents who were holding a sheet about 75 yards away and we were to try and catch these flying objects. I was trying to concentrate on our team and was waiting for them to shoot when wham… the tennis ball shot by the team next to us came sailing towards me and connected right on the top of my shiny head. What is the likelihood that it would pop me right in the head? The other parents on my team started cracking up as apparently they all saw the projectile coming my way but said nothing to warn me to duck or get out of the way. I reacted with as much dignity as I could muster considering this humiliating event by pretending that it made me all wobbly like you would see in a cartoon. In addition, I went along with the jokes that followed and laughed at myself and even asked my wife’s friend if she could read “Penn” across my forehead. Of course, she corrected me and cracking up said no that it would say “nneP”. Others commented on my misfortune later in the evening including our pastor who witnessed the event. Little did I know that my mockery would soon get even worse. My family decided to not stay for the evening service since our youngest had been in the nursery for all this time and didn’t feel good about leaving her in there for another hour. Well, I just learned that the pastor decided to comment about the AWANA parents’ night from the pulpit that night and chose to share the tennis ball mishap with the whole congregation. Oh well, I guess it is easier to find humor in life when we are willing to laugh at ourselves.

Would a mouse eat a mouse?

Can you imagine a mouse eating a mouse? Hard to believe, but that is what happened at one of our offices the other day. This particular office is in a pretty remote location where they have been having a problem with mice lately. They have set traps and been able to catch a few, but that didn’t stop this one. The mouse that was eaten didn’t even have a tail. Of course now we will have to replace the eaten mouse.

Whaaaat?!! Are you wondering how this could be, or have you already figured it out? See the comment.

Would you give a finger tip?

What would be so worthwhile that you would be willing to cut off part of your body for it? How about just the tip of your finger? I just read part of an article in the June issue of Golf Digest about Evel Knievel cutting off the tip of a finger to pay off a bet from a golf game. I couldn't believe he actually did it. This was back in '75 and he was a pretty good golfer and was playing with a jerk who kept cheating him on bets. I guess they played for big bucks as he bet him $7,000 on the final hole and to insure the guy paid up they agreed to cut off part of a finger if they didn't pay up. Evel hit a bad shot and lost the hole and instead of giving this jerk the satisfaction, he decided he would cut off the tip of his finger and got a hatchet from where they keep the carts and chop. The guy couldn't believe it either and went away, so Evel rushed to the emergency room and had the tip put back on.
What about the guy, Aron Ralston that cut off his arm stuck under a rock? His story was amazing. I don't think I could ever do that, have the courage or the know-how to do that. He felt it was worthwhile to cut off his arm in order to save his own life. Would you be willing to give up a part of your body to save your life? How about to save the life of someone else? Would you be willing to give your own life for someone else? In John 15:3, Jesus says "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". Praise be to Jesus Christ, God’s own son, who gave His own life for us as the ultimate sacrifice.

Guy Rules

I thought about posting this as my post for tomorrow since it is harder to come up with new things to write about, but since it's not mine, it doesn't exactly fit with my blog title, and since it is so hilarious, and since I already got Joe's permission, I had to go ahead and post it today so you get a double dose from me/Joe today. Enjoy this link and check out the rest of his site as it has some other good posts. In case you didn't notice, I finally figured out how to use the link button.

The Weather Man

Is it the "weather man" or "the weatherman"? What do you call a female "weather man"? A meteorologist? What if she isn't one (don't they have to get some kind of training to be one)? A forecaster? That isn't really accurate either now is it.

Why do the weather men always give us useless information like the dew point? What is that anyway? Do I need to know this so I don’t mess up my shoes in the morning if I walk across the grass? I think they should spend more time getting their forecast right.

Speaking of the weather, have you ever wondered why sheep don't shrink after it rains?

School zones are stupid

Whaaaat?!! Before you hit the comment button to send me a negative comment, let me explain. I think they serve a great purpose to keep kids safe going to school, but for me whenever I approach one I am always so concerned about not going over 20 mph that I constantly look down at the speedometer instead of looking out for kids crossing the street or a crossing guard, etc. This kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it? How about you? But I guess I would still have time to react since I am only going as fast as a turtle crawling through a vat of molasses (I just made that up, not bad huh?). And it doesn’t seem fair that you can get a ticket if you turn in to the middle of a school zone and don’t realize you are in one until you speed up to a blazing 35 and the cop waiting for you at the end screeches a U-turn to get you (which doesn’t seem too safe for those kids either). And what if you go past the school zone sign and it is not blinking, but while you are in the middle it starts to blink? You know the officer won’t believe you if you say I swear it wasn’t blinking when I went past it. On a related note I saw this on another blog site and thought it was funny: “Do I know why you pulled me over officer? Well, I guess it depends on how long you were following me.”

Ring around the Rosie

Recently my daughter has been asking me to play this game over and over. Have you ever wondered why kids love to go round and round and even enjoy getting dizzy? I can go round and round for 2-3 turns at the most and my head is swimming by the time I fall down and I have to sit there awhile to recover while she says “let’s do again”. My son who is 4 years older than his sister will be a great sport and do it with us when she begs him to. He is such a great big brother. Anyway, is there something about growing older that causes us to get dizzy easier and enjoy it less?
And speaking of the game Ring around the Rosie, how many of you have heard that this is really a reference to the plague? I was actually looking this up to get all the details right for this post when I came across this link which says that it is really an urban legend. I have used this site several times regarding other urban legends or old wives tales especially ones that you get in your email and I feel it can be trusted but who knows for sure. This link has all the details about this and is quite interesting and kinda makes you go...

Potty Talk # 7

I just thought of something else that relates. Are any of you who are married not comfortable enough to go potty while your spouse is in the room? Some friends of ours have said that they still close the door and won't let their spouse in when they use the restroom. I thought this was ridiculous, esp. considering they have been married for 10+ years and have 3 kids (so you know they have been naked together at least 3 times if that is the problem). I don't have any qualms about this, how about you? When were you ok with this?
I guess this whole week is a sad statement of some of the things I think about. I think this is the most I have ever typed certain words like "urinal" over and over.

Potty Talk # 6

What age is it not ok for your little kids to go with you into a public bathroom when they are of the opposite sex? Maybe it’s when you are confident that they can do everything on their own, when they can button their pants on their own, or wash their hands on their own. Reminds me of a story I heard about a guy who let his young daughter use the port-a-potty on her own and when she came out he asked if everything was ok and she said “yes and I even washed my hands”. Knowing that the port-a-potty didn’t have running water, he asked her how she did that. She said I used that little round bar of soap sitting in the sink next to the potty. That was no sink and that was no bar of soap, that was the urinal deodorizer block they put in so it doesn’t smell so bad. Ewwww, that’s gross. Anyway, with the world like it is today, maybe this isn’t even the issue, maybe it is more when you feel they will be safe going by themselves. And what do you do if you are a mom and you have to go use the restroom yourself but you don’t feel it is safe for your son to wait outside by himself, but he is really too old to be in the ladies restroom with you. I think my wife is nearing this point with our son, although I have never really thought about it since for me it is not an issue yet since our daughter is still in diapers. What has been your experience?

Potty Talk # 5

I just read a post that fits perfectly for my Potty Talk series called Beat the Flush at http://gmhw.blogspot.com/ that I am sure you can relate to, esp. the women. If you have the time, read some of her other very witty posts. I thought they were hilarious, insightful, and very well written.

Potty Talk # 4

What is the coolest public restroom you have ever been in? The neatest thing I have seen in a men’s restroom (usually at a sit-down restaurant) is when they have something to look at when you are standing at the urinal like a copy of the paper, usually the sports page, posted above the urinal in an enclosed frame. I have even been in one restroom where they had little TVs above the urinal. Cool, but I guess it doesn’t make too much sense unless you are spending a lot of time in there. I guess it would make more sense if they were in the stalls (see yesterday's post). Also cool are the automatic paper towel and soap dispensers which I referred to in an earlier post about washing your hands. How about you ladies? Why do women often get to have nicer public bathrooms? My wife said she went into one that had individual sinks in each of the stalls. I have heard some ladies say that several even have little sitting areas in them. Maybe it's because a woman can’t go on their own if they are with other women. They always have to go together, and the sitting area must be for the one that doesn’t really have to go so she will have a place to sit. What's up with that anyway? A guy prefers to go alone and it is always awkward if some guy doesn't go by the unwritten code of no talking while doing your business. I have digressed, I should learn to save these other topics for the next day's post. I know it’s not always nicer for the ladies. I know I wouldn’t want to have to sit down in some of the nasty public restrooms out there. And out in nature a guy can pretty much take a leak (hey, I forgot this phrase) anywhere with little problem. And the lines esp. at sporting events or concerts… oh, don’t even get me started.

Potty Talk # 3

I have a great office in a small building with 5 offices, conference room, copier room, etc. all with a lot of space. I have my own door to my office although I seldom shut it, my own little window, and all the conveniences of home like a sink, refrigerator, and a microwave are just around the corner in an area we share with another company that has offices behind us. Yes, I love my office except for one thing. This kitchen area is located in the same area as the restrooms. When I first saw this, I said “whaaaat?!!” I am pretty used to it now, but you can’t get past feeling funny using the restroom when someone is right outside the door pouring their coffee. And the aromas from heating up left-overs for lunch can suddenly make you lose your appetite when they are mixed with other aromas from your co-worker’s time talkin’ to John. And it can be hard to act normal with your fellow laborers when you have just overheard their noises coming from the bathroom. I guess it is better than having to use a public restroom at work or a port-a-potty.

Potty Talk # 2

What an appropriate title. Do you take something to pass the time when you know going potty is going to take awhile? How about you women? It seems like it is more of a guy thing like those who make sure to bring in the sports page. I think for some it might be more that they enjoy having the alone time. Others say they can get their best reading done during these times. If you will remember George from Seinfeld liked to look at big picture books, at least when he was at a bookstore. For me, I have lately been playing games on my cell phone when I know I have to “talk to John” for awhile. I guess the problem with this is what to do when someone calls. Hey, maybe this is my answer to the problem of missing phone calls in my previous post.

Potty Talk

No, this post isn’t going to be full of dirty words, but just to warn you it may be offensive. I thought I would do a series of posts related to going potty. For those of you who have toddlers or remember those days or have been around young kids, what word do you use for going to the restroom? First you have all the "p" words. Do you go potty, pee-pee, poo-poo, or just pee and poo or poop? Or maybe it is number one and number two? How about tinkle and doo-doo? For older kids (which includes some of us adults), how about some of the phrases used like “go make water” (OK, I think this was from the movie Driving Miss Daisy), “pinch a loaf”, and my favorite “droppin’ the kids off at the pool”. There are other words and phrases, but like I said I won’t use the dirty words and I’m sure this has been offensive enough. But maybe it gave you a chuckle and will make you go hmmm the next time you have to go.

Mickey and Donald

Have you ever wondered why does Mickey Mouse wear pants and no shirt while Donald Duck wears a shirt and no pants?

Selfish at self-serve?

Do self-serve places reveal how selfish we really are? Or maybe how cheap we are? Do you pile it on, when you eat at a buffet just because you know you can without having to pay more? Do you go back several times at restaurants that have the self serve soda fountains to refill your drink? When someone brings doughnuts or something to work or to share with a group, do you get more than your share or eat just one more so you won’t feel like you wasted the opportunity to get something free? Do you eat until it hurts and then ask for more when you order an all you can eat meal? Are you always the first in line at the free sample display counters at Costco, Sam’s, or a similar warehouse store? Maybe the bigger question is do others recognize this behavior in you? What other negative effects does this behavior have? How does this relate to a Christian's call to die to self? Many questions, kind of makes you go hmmm.

Onety-one, onety-two ...

Several of my posts have been about goofy words and wondering how we came up with them. How about our numbers? Why isn't 11 pronounced onety-one, 12 onety-two, and so on?
Maybe it's because we needed to have a special term for the teen years that can be so troubling. It's easier to say he is behaving like a typical teenager instead of like a typical onety-three through onety-nine year old. So why couldn't 11 be oneteen and 12 be twoteen? I guess these two numbers eleven and twelve are just meant to be special with their own different pronunciations.

Suits

Have you ever wondered why is it that we put suits in a garment bag and garments in a suitcase? And speaking of suits, where did the phrase "suits me to a tee" come from? What is the tee referring to? All I can think of is a golf tee, and you wouldn't wear a suit to play golf. Or maybe a tee refers to a T-shirt which is totally opposite of wearing a suit if we are talking about dress code. Hmmm.

More on word origins

Here are a couple more words that we say that you have to wonder where we came up with these phrases. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack? Also, one of my wife's favorites is whopperjawed. She usually says this when I am helping my kids get dressed and have put their pants on crooked, or all whopperjawed. Or is it out of whack?

He, Him, and His

Have you ever wondered when exactly are you supposed to capitalize the words he, his, and him when referring to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? I have seen it both ways and not consistently either way to know if there is a certain rule to follow. I usually try to make effort to capitalize these when I write them mostly not wanting to be disrespectful. I just finished a 40 day Bible study and was surprised that in the book that went with the study, the author for the most part never did capitalize these words. Unlike most of my posts that may have silly or rhetorical questions, this is a genuine question that I would like the answer for if anyone knows.

Things that make you go hmmm.

Friday, May 27, 2005

Heather Metallic Mist???

Thursday, May 26, 2005

The Cars we Drive

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Moving Water

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

nneP, what's the likelihood of that?

Monday, May 23, 2005

Would a mouse eat a mouse?

Friday, May 20, 2005

Would you give a finger tip?

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Guy Rules

The Weather Man

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

School zones are stupid

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Ring around the Rosie

Friday, May 13, 2005

Potty Talk # 7

Potty Talk # 6

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Potty Talk # 5

Potty Talk # 4

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Potty Talk # 3

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Potty Talk # 2

Monday, May 09, 2005

Potty Talk

Friday, May 06, 2005

Mickey and Donald

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Selfish at self-serve?

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Onety-one, onety-two ...

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Suits

Monday, May 02, 2005

More on word origins

He, Him, and His

About

About Me

Links

Previous

Archives