And it gets worse: I expanded tied him to my mission statement generator (which I in turn ripped off the old Dilbert.com). You can get your Scooby corporate-speak here.
Even more surreal to me: Scooby spouting oblique stategies.
Somehow we started talking about lint, and that led to mentioning belly buttons. Then the question arose: Do dogs have belly buttons?
Google provided the answer. This is why I love technology.
Follow the Money is a great site to see who is giving cash your various politicians and candidates. The even have an API.
While working on Critter Watch I decided it would be great to combine their information with mine. To make this easier I wrote a simple python wrapper. You can get it here.
I think it’s pretty well documented, but let me know if something’s not clear.
Sample usage:
>>> import followthemoney >>> c = followthemoney.candidates_list(state='ga', year='2006', candidate_name='Johnson, Eric') >>> candidate=c.candidate >>> print candidate.candidate_name, candidate.district, candidate.imsp_candidate_id JOHNSON, ERIC 001 415990 >>> top = followthemoney.candidates_top_contributors(imsp_candidate_id=candidate.imsp_candidate_id) >>> for tc in top.top_contributor: print tc.contributor_name ...
Last night two guys from a local church came by. They were friendly enough; after I told them we attended a local church they didn’t have much to say, except to invite us to a special event at their church that’s coming up in a week or two. All fine.
Before they left, though, one pointed to my doormat and said: “Is that German?”
“Um, no. It’s a joke, really.”
“Oh. Well I don’t get it.”
I considered asking “Have you ever heard of a guy named Snoop Dogg?” But, considering their church and age, figured it would be best to just leave that out. Instead I replied, “Well, it’s one of those things. If you get it, it’s funny; if you don’t, there’s really no point to explain.”
A couple of hours later we ordered a pizza. After we swapped a check for pie, the delivery dude pointed to the same mat and said, “That’s the coolest doormat ever. I wish I had my camera phone.”
I told him about the previous visitors. He thought that was funny, too.
The mat in question:
Wednesday I met with a friend for our weekly book discussion. I drove to his house to pick him up and go to a local coffee house to sit and chat.
When I got the where I’d turn on 17 toward his house I was behind a mustang waiting to turn. So I sat patiently, and watched a gap form in the traffic which the driver before me did not take advantage of. And then another, larger, gap.
It was at this point that I realized the brake lights were not lit on the car.
After this I realized no one was in the car at all.
It was just sitting there, in the turning lane, no emergency flashers, nothing. Just blocking the way.
I went around it, drove to the house. After a few minutes’ chitchat with my friend and his wife we drove away. Two guys with a trailer were there with a trailer to get the car. Broken fuel pump, apparently. We helped them push the car up — and easy thing for four people to do.
Just rather… odd.
My friend Wade, when told this story, responded: “That situation was tailor-made for a Mentos commercial.”
What’s the difference between a boyfriend and a husband? About 30 pounds.
When I used to work for dad we frequented a little chinese buffett near his office. The staff in there new us by sight; we’d go right to the buffett and then head to our usual table to find two sweet teas waiting.
I was hired at H.O. Systems (which was purchased by VeriSign later) the December before I was married. About a year after the wedding dad and I went to lunch at that same Chinese place, and the same staff was there. When we were leaving, the gal made some small talk, then said “You’ve gained weight.”
I have a friend who, when I relayed this story, said that I was like her husband, who needed to put on some weight. And that’s what that gal meant — or so she said. But I have to think that, when the waitress who doesn’t even know your name comments on it, you’ve put one some pounds.
Socialist Sushi is the homepage of Bryan L. Fordham.
I’m 30, married, and live in Richmond Hill, Ga.