Brannigan's Law

I'm not dead.

2010-04-26T13:29:00.002-04:00

Since it's been close to a year, it is high time for a post. Lots has changed - I am a graphic design student at the moment (haven't started flash or programming, hence the ugly site still) at Holland College Charlottetown. It's pretty great. Sandy Carruthers, and Nigel Roe are the instructors which means that I get to learn from the best.
There's only a week left in class, and I can't believe the first year's almost over....

Marvel Masterpieces Sketch Cards

2009-07-25T12:37:00.009-04:00

Here are some of the sketch cards I have pulled from Marvel Masterpieces Sets II and III.

I just happened to pick up a couple of packs in Boston on a whim, and pulled two sketch cards (Karen Krajenbrink's unknown screamer, and Davi d Rabbitte's Wasp). Two cards in five packs is pretty lucky considering their 1:36 insertion ratio.
From here, I was hooked. I found my way to collect a few more sketch cards (all pulled, none bought from ebay) and was lucky enough to find a Charles Hall Elektra card.

I was also lucky to land one signature card, that being of Paul Tobin who has written some Marvel Adventures comics, the Doctor Doom and The Masters of Evil mini-series, and who was just announced as the author of the Marvel Adventures Avengers series.

The Elektra card is certainly the gem, and I may put it up for sal on eBay in the next little while!

Are John and Kate doomed to "Black Sleep of Kali Ma"?

2009-06-23T19:49:00.010-04:00

This is a satirical post, don't take it too seriously.

We need to get John and Kate back together. Here's my plan:

What is needed is a situation of such proportions that it makes the "Parent Trap" looks like an obvious ruse. With people of this caliber of celebrity, and resources it's going to take something special to rope them in so that they are invested enough to change their feelings toward one another.

First, we must kidnap the children and whisk them off to a desolate and poor village in India. There, we can arrange for a band of henchmen to kidnap all of the villages children (along with children 1-8) and put them to work, mining for some of the five fabled Sankara stones, which promise fortune and glory...

After, John and Kate will pretty much take it from there. They will find the secret notes left for each of them and realize that they both have to run to India to rescue their kidnapped children. Grabbing the closest 13 year old Chinese boy they can find (to act as a Cantonese interpreter, guide, and someone who believes the baby elephant that transports him in India is a reincarnation of his brother Chu) and head to India alone.

After an uncomfortable card game on the airplane (with tensions rising between the Chinese boy and John) and a terrible connection at the Shanghai Highest International Terminal Airport, the three will charter a plane to India. A plane that, unbeknownst to them, will be piloted by affiliates of Kate's evil boss from her stint at TGI Fridays years ago.

To settle an old score from when Kate accusing the then manager of TGIF for shorting her on her tips, the associate-pilots will jump out of the plane, leaving the three to die in a fiery crash! Thankfully, the plane that they chartered is also carrying hundreds off rafts destined for a Mountain Equipment Co-op store in North America.

The trio will manage to escape while flying over the Himalayas on an inflatable boat and ride down the slopes into a raging river, which will eventually lead them to the desolate and poor Indian village where they will learn of the kidnapped children (including numbers 1-8). Close call! This will surely bring them together more than any 'weekend-therapy-retreat' ever would! Kate will then totally "bitch-out" on the locals when they try and share their food with her.

John and Kate plus one Asian will then seek out the nearest Palace overflowing with evil characters and (oddly) be warmly welcomed. Kate will then learn what awful local food really
looks like. Then everyone will go to bed; as it has been a long couple of days. Being viewers of the show, the evil dudes at the palace will provide separate rooms for the struggling couple so that they don't fight all night keeping everyone up. It will also serve and ulterior motive the Palace baddies have in store as well.

Late at night, an assassin will make an attempt on John's life. Poor assassin. Not knowing that John played Daniel San in the Singapore Middle school presentation of "The Karate Kid", he would not be ready for the ass kicking he will soon receive! The assassin will bugger off, and pretty much leave a trail of bread crumbs to the secret underground temple where the dudes who kidnapped the village children (including 1-8) to mine for the five fabled Sankara stones are hanging out. The assassination attempt will really make John think about life and what's really important, causing him to look at Kate in a new light.

Once there, the situation will really start to stir John and Kate up. John will drink the Blood of Kali and fall into a trance, Kate will almost be sacrificed, and they will both see hearts get ripped out of people's chest (a symbolic gesture that will NOT be lost on the couple) all of which is really going to wake them up to what's really been going on between them. They've been trying to rip each other's hearts out (figuratively) while being drunk on the Blood of Kali (the self centered-ness of celebrity).

Once this is realized, they will no longer be trying to rescue their gaggle of children and escape as two individuals, but instead as one married couple in love. The experience will not only benefit the parents, but the discipline and hard labor from working in a mine, and the courage and success of escaping their stronger captors may even help the 1-8 as they grow through their formative years.

A simple ride on a century old mining cart on rickety track will bring them to their escape, and then with a simple switch of a knife (just like they did with their wedding cake) they'll cut the rope bridge supporting their evil pagan pursuers thus sending them to their deaths. Once done, the family (now closer than ever) will return to the Indian village to rejoice with the locals newly reunited with their children. John and Kate will then, undoubtedly dispense their parenting wisdom to the poor wives and fathers of the village, their strong bond or marital love shining through to all...

Through these easy steps, I think that we can bring John and Kate back together again so that they can have many, many more seasons * I mean * years of happy marriage. In turn, society can then feel relieved that one of the lynch pins holding our families together, is here to stay.
As I said before, this is just one idea. Let's hope we get them together before it's too late.

Beeker Madness

2009-01-11T17:44:00.002-04:00

Just when you think you're never going to post again, you come across something like this.

Bond.....James Bond.

2008-11-16T07:41:00.004-04:00

If you have been waiting like we have for a good movie to return to your local theaters, then this week is a good week.

The Quantum of Solace hit the silver screen with a splash on Friday, November 14th. Nancy and I decided; after a lengthy sabbatical from visiting Empire Theaters Studio 8; that it was time to return and enjoy an adventure with James Bond.
This movie begins right on the heels of 'Casino Royale' and it almost catches you off guard.
I was aware that this movie was a "sequel" to it's predecessor, but for Bond it still caught me off guard.
For those of you who have not yet seen the film, maybe read the rest of this later, as there are no doubt things about the movie that will be let slip.

One of the first things we mentioned after the movie (the drive home after the film is almost the best part. Nancy and I get to talk about what we've just seen while it's fresh in our minds) was that the bad guy's plan was never really something that grabbed the imagination, or even demanded our attention.
In the end, you see where everything was going, and what the Quantum was looking to do, but it seems more of an afterthought than a really big reveal.

What we were especially taken with in The Quantum of Solace was how the characters conducted their business in the commerce of trust. Bond fell out of it (seemingly) with M, (definitely) with the British Government (nothing new), and seemingly the rest of the world. He was alone because nobody trusted him, and the feeling seemed to be more than mutual with James Bond toward the rest of the world!
This sets up what I think to be the most impressive characteristic of the James Bond character:

He does not need the rest of the world or it's trust/approval/permission to do what he knows to be right by the resolve of his conviction. Heck! He doesn't even need permission from his boss!

Who wouldn't want to live their life like this. To move on one's own intuition without regard to their boss, family, or friends? We all would, but many of us don't because we all realize that on our own, we may not possess all of the strength, knowledge, confidence, and intelligence to accomplish all that there is to accomplish in the run of our day. This is why people will like this movie. Bond is brave. Not just the 'I am in a car chase in a rock quarry, flying along open precipices without breaking a sweat' brave, but the kind of brave that tries to set aside the desire for revenge and sets out alone to right what is wrong in the world.

In this movie, James Bond was selfless (or as close as a Bond can get) and determined to peel back the layers to discover what group was behind Vesper's death and betrayal. He was compassionate (nothing new to the Daniel Craig Bond, his holding of Vesper in the shower after the stairwell scene in Casino Royale displayed this characteristic for us already) while holding Mathis who didn't want to be left alone to die, and rescuing Camille from the burning hotel. Not the 'usual suspects' when describing James Bond's character, but things that add depth to an otherwise fairly shallow 'person'.

Speaking of Camille in the burning hotel, who commandeers a hotel!!?!??! I thought that was pretty funny. Where did they send all of the guests, and speaking of that, who pays to stay in a hotel in the middle of the desert in Bolivia!?!?!? Crazy Bolivian exiled Generals, they do the darndest things.

The General was your typical Bond bad guy. He was a murdering rapist, and you felt creepy just looking at him. Greene was an atypical bad guy. He had a charitable foundation, and was more brilliantly devious than outright scary...now I haven't seen all of the Bond movies, so maybe this is nothing new, but Dominic Greene felt like something new. That new kind of evil we feel is there in our world today. The one who abuses our trust in the worst way, and sets out to take advantage for his own ends. The wolf in sheep's clothing...and the American's were doing business with him. Figures ;)

That all being said about the new style villain and the softer more thoughtful side of him, we still saw Bond's other side come out with rolling in Strawberry Fields, and getting fairly hammered on the flight with Mathis. He still quite a few people, and was incredibly bold at the performance of Tosca where he openly offered his suggestions to the Quantum who then fled like kids from a cigarette smoke filled locker room after the principal of the school walks in.

There were martini's, nice cars, beautiful women, brilliant locales, wheel barrow fulls of machismo, and even a plot to take over the majority of the world's water supply. All in all, it had everything you'd expect in a good James Bond film, but it was the extra things that it gave to us which made it a great movie to watch. Including the nod to Canadian Intelligence (as leaky as it is).

Go out, and watch The Quantum Of Solace. I don't think you will be disappointed. I hope not...

Update - Your account is on hold

2008-11-07T08:18:00.001-04:00

Right now, I am at work. Our net' is down until the 10th, when Eastlink can come and hook us up. Also, we have no phone until then.

We're renovating our new home, and it's taking a lot of time!

We head to Mexico soon too, so we're excited about that.

Mike

Brain DRAIN

2008-10-25T09:27:00.002-04:00

54

I think that this is a sad testament to how much I have forgotten since my youth. I need to sharpen up.

Les Grossman Dancing - Tropic Thunder

2008-10-20T19:08:00.004-04:00

a.k.a. The Tom Cruise Dance Generator:

There's a lot of profanity in the song he's dancing to, so you might want to mute the video...it might be even funnier to watch Tom Cruise dance like this without tunes...or play different songs on your computer while having him dance to them.

The guy's got moves to lose...Flair to spare....

Pups For The Cure

2008-10-14T18:06:00.003-04:00

Here are some of my wife Nancy's pictures that she took as the official photog for the CIBC Run For The Cure in Charlottetown recently. If you are interested in checking out more of Nancy's photo's, you should mosey on over to www.nancythomasphotography.com.
She's pretty good....she's been called the DaVinci of her time.

We're trying to get her set up to post on Brannigan's Law, but Blogger's being a total jerk about it.

So, without further ado, here are Pups For The Cure:

The Interweb....(and then it all fell apart)

2008-10-11T20:59:00.007-04:00

There's something to be said for the internet. Amongst all of it's detractors railing against it's offerings to the general public, there are the occasional glimmers of hope that it can bring to humanity. At the present, most of them are a part of my sidebar.

Jim Gaffigan's comedy, Extreme singing 'More Than Words', and the Rotoworld NHL player news widget are three of the very few positive things left on the internet.
Amnesty International, Sesame Street, and the FOX News website all were recently moved from the 'good things on the internet' category, directly into the 'same as the rest of the 98% of the crap on the internet'.

The purity of the 'hot pocket' routine, the trustworthiness of the Rotoworld ticker, and the harmony of 'More Than Words' are all we have left to bring us back from 'Rosie O'Donnell's blog', Vladmir Putin, and ....Let's stop it right there.
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Admittedly, I've had very little sleep lately, and in my semi-sleep state of mind I may have led myself to believe that this post was sounding "tongue in cheek funny".

I see now that it probably isn't very funny of an idea at all. Everyone knows that the internet was fully redeemed with the Christian the Lion video. Once that thing hit, millions of illicit websites just crashed like Janet Jackson's career. I cried at work once watching it (the lion video...I really couldn't care about any of the Jackson's careers). Honest (about the crying and about the not caring about any of the Jackson's careers).

I must have thought the whole internet joke thing was funny because I',m tired.

I also have noted that = I am usin'g extra punCtuation, and have been missspelling words due to my fatigue. And it's only 10:10 pm.

Certain things seem funnier when you're tired...like laying on your back on a hardwood floor, and laughing at the noises you can make. Wow...this post is taking a wrong turn, so...

Let's all just agree to shut it down. Shut it down! This post is broken! We're gonna need a new one! (Make sure to click all of the links in this post people...you won't be sorry)

A Treasure Hidden, Now Revealed.

2008-10-09T09:50:00.004-04:00

The first time that I saw this I loved it. It was the first time that I had watched SNL in a while, and the first time that I saw Andy Samberg in anything. I love Will Forte the second time around too...
You can tell the character had not been eating without fear for days...

Lunchtime with the boys...

2008-10-06T12:00:00.003-04:00

Mikey is not too good around other dogs...not even when the other dog is himself on the monitor...

Ah...Autumn! My favourite time of year!

2008-09-24T10:09:00.003-04:00

Is it evidence of decadence, or a reason for sadness when in the North American's plight it takes a new season of television series to brighten up their day? Maybe so, but am I ever excited about this fall!

Heroes started back up, The Office is on tomorrow, and 30 Rock starts next week. Now, sadness or not, I look forward to my weekly quotable lines that come from watching 30 Rock, the hilarity of Dwight Schrute, the foolishness of Michael Gary Scott, and the adventure and drama of Heroes, Lost, and now Fringe.

J.J. Abrams brain activity is the new cocaine. It's addictive, it gets you a little hyper, and your teeth hurt from it. This guy has had two hit series, he's involved in the Star Trek motion picture coming out, and now his latest co-effort is Fringe.

Having never really watched the X-Files, I cannot make the connection to Fringe that everyone else on the internet makes; but that is the common thread that you will find online. Most will say that it is a blend of the X-Files, and a few of several other shows ranging between The Twilight Zone, and Lamb Chop's Play Along.

All I know is that the first episode/pilot had me repeatedly looking over to my lovely wife stating "I really like this show!". It is a pseudo-science type series that deals with powerful evil organizations, and general weirdness.

How about this for a memorable line from the pilot episode: "Excellent then! Let's make some LSD."

Said by Dr. Walter Bishop, who at the beginning of the pilot was in a mental institution. Now back in the real world; Dr. Bishop is a valuable asset to the main the main character. Dr. Bishop's history of doing weird experiments for the government is why he's a valuable asset to the main character, Agent Olivia Dunham. As you'll read below, what happens in the initial scene of the show is what makes the crazy Dr. Bishop so handy to have around.

The episode started with an incident on an airplane where the passengers have their flesh melted, and after the plane auto-lands at Logan International the FBI takes interest (obviously...everyone's dead) and Dunham is an agent who's involved in the investigation. The flesh of all passengers seems to have been crystallized...see through...right to the bone. It was a pretty neat/gross looking special effect!

This kind of crazy line about the LSD fit right in believe it or not...but I won't ruin things for you. If you have not tuned in for Fringe, then I implore you to look for it online, or download it from a good torrent site.

" When will I learn? The answer to life's problems aren't at the bottom of a bottle, they're on TV!" : Homer Simpson

Heroes Chapter Three: Villains

2008-09-23T08:05:00.006-04:00

Heroes....it's back! Nancy and I admittedly did not watch the show last season, thus missed all of the drama, and hiatus due to the writers strike. Although we did rent season two a few weeks ago; watching it all; so it was all very fresh in our minds for last night's premier.
We enjoyed season two, but much like all of the other shows that had the 100 day break, it suffered in the continuity and quality of the writing.
That being said, we were still excited about this weeks premier! So let's get to it. There are a
few spoilers below in case you have not yet seen the episodes (it was a 2 hr premier).

All of our favorite's were back this season, and we
got to meet a few new cast members as well.

"It's all behind me now, like a long night after a bad taco." (Syler at Claire's house.)
Is that the worst line in TV history or what?
I thought it was a pretty awesome turn for the show to introduce the Arkum Asylum inmates escaping, I mean the Marvel Super Villain break out from The Raft, I mean, the bad guys escaping from section 5 of the company. Looks like it will be an interesting season/chapter.

Questions:

1.) Ando's power looks awesome, how does he get it?

2.) What was on Suresh's back?

3.) Where did Maya's thick accent go?

4.) How does the speedster still move around when Hiro freezes time?

5.) Would you have opened the safe when you were specificially told not to by your dead father?

6.) Syler is a Petrelli?

I thought that the chase around the world between the speedster, and the time traveler was a really nice tough! It is nice to see a challenge for the noble and brave Hiro...a nemesis as he mentioned. Kind of like a speedy version of the Where in the World is the Carmen SanDiego?

Also, what's with Mrs. Petrelli's dream where everyone was dead, and the four baddies were staring all threatening at her?

Also, Blondie's character probably got cheers from half of the watching politicians and all celebs as she froze and shattered the annoying reporter/paparazzi type. Cool power!

Villains can make for great new characters, so I look forward to the rest of the season...

Funny

2008-09-13T18:10:00.002-04:00

This is from a website that I had viewed via stumbleupon. I think it's pretty darn funny.

Randomly funny

2008-09-06T17:37:00.001-04:00

Bangkok Dangerously close to another flop...

2008-09-03T09:11:00.007-04:00

Well, the long weekend was pretty much a bust, except for a nice evening of chatting over at a friends on Saturday night. We ordered in (apparently a challenge to do for 16+ people) and had a nice relaxing evening.
That's just it though...all of the other evenings we really did nothing. Long weekends were conceived to give us working class stiffs a chance to actually 'party-down' once in a while, and we/the weather busted up that notion quite nicely.

We are watching Hero's season 2 right now on DVD, and it's not the best show to watch this way. I found continuity errors (Me watch the show good!), and a general 'cheesiness' throughout.

*Wait* I can read your mind...you're thinking "Wow, Mike. Cheesiness in a television show about superhero's....what a surprise!" And you have a sarcastic tone while thinking it...

Well, Joe or Jane Evryreader.... I respond by saying that though it is not to the level of the original Batman series, it is still pretty bad. For a 'prime time series', it should not be this bad.

Upcoming movies of interest:

This Week: Nothing.

Bangkok Dangerous sounds like some sort of STD that I want to avoid at all costs...and that's as good a reason as any not to watch another Nicholas Cage movie that is not a sequel to National Treasure....

Administrator's Edit:

I forgot to discuss the movie poster for Bangkok Schmangerous. Is that lava in the poster? Is Nicholas Cage's latest fallible character going to encounter a boiling lake of lava throughout his baddass'ish exploits through Bangkok? Really? Bangkok? Lava? I don't think so.

Also, receding hair line + long hair in the back and sides is a bad, bad look. And what's with his right hand? It looks like he should be holding a gun, and his other hand is apparently reaching for his wallet...

This movie looks terrible....the preview is kinda dumb too...Nothing is Deadlier than a hitman who hits back....Wow.

Inspirational Olympic Stories

2008-08-25T19:44:00.004-04:00

I read this, and loved it. I suggest you go read about it. It's an article about that Cuban rowing team which went missing from the Beijing Olympic games last week.

Les Grossman....Redemption, or Power Play?

2008-08-25T06:57:00.008-04:00

I was meaning to post long before this. I wanted to wait until you all had a chance to see Tropic Thunder, and then I would ask you about what you thought regarding the role of Les Grossman, who Tom Cruise played in the film.

In my opinion he has redeemed himself; with this one role; from the Scientology crazy, the jumping up and down on Oprah's fine stage furnishings, and marrying that 'dog ugly' Katie Holmes.
Seeing that man dance that way was so self-irreverent that it bought the man enough credibility to be moved from the 'needs to be institutionalized' category, into the much acclaimed 'that guy's alright' category...

I suppose that the dancing wasn't the only quality that redeemed Mr. Cruise through this film; the absolute staggering volume of offensive and derogatory profanity that spewed from that hairy and balding 'giant-among-talent-agents', presented something of a dichotomy between this Tom Cruise, and the self righteous knob job that was on the Today Show patronizing Matt Lauer.

On that note, what's everyone's problem with Matt Lauer? He's great. He goes in there morning after morning, giving 110%.

Then again, maybe Tom Cruise is the megalomaniac that we all fear him to be. Maybe he's pulling a stunt like John McCain going on 'The Daily Show With John Stewart' to make himself seem more appealing and accessible to Joe and Jane Everyman, before misusing that newfound favor to somehow royally screw everyone over.

Who knows? Does it really matter anyway? If this guy really still is bananas, or if he's finally simmering down after all that crazy, how will it really effect any of us? All I know is that when he was dancing to his hip hop music, gold chains in tow....it was funny as all get out!!!

That's enough of that...the movie was great. Nancy and I had so much fun watching it, that we went twice. I can't believe that I haven't commented on the name Alpa Chino (it's so clever that you'd think Vince Vaughn had something to do with it), or the fact that Nick Nolte's not dead yet! Crazy!

On a different note, we are trying to sell our home. We have had it on the market for a while, and just this last weekend (since Thursday) we have shown it to 3 interested parties, all of whom have or are planning on returning for a second look. Here's to hoping.
This is all hinging on us getting the house that we had an offer in on. There is a slim sliver of a chance that we will get it, but who knows...one can't get their hopes up too far. Disappointment enjoys grabbing and snapping off hope that has gotten up too far...

That last statement make me so uncomfortable for some reason...

And here's something completely different. A crappy cam of Brian Fellows:

I know who I am! I'm the dude playing the dude disguised as another dude!

2008-08-13T20:10:00.003-04:00

Guess what movie Nancy and I went to tonight? It wasn't Satans Alley, The Fatties Fart Two, nor Simple Jack.

In fact, Nancy and I remembered that Tropic Thunder was opening here tonight, and decided to go. I am glad that we did.

Very funny movie. I do not want to go into it too deep, but I thought that this was such an incredible cast that didn't seem to take itself as seriously as the Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell crowd. Those guys are just way too full of themselves, and haven't made a really, really funny movie in a while.

Robert Downey Jr, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, NICK NOLTE, Jay Baruchel (I really like this guy), and Brandon T. Jackson made up such an awesome cast. On screen there was great chemistry between the guys and just made it a ton of fun to watch!!!
I'm starting to think that Downey Jr is getting the midas touch. Without him, this would have been good, with him it was so, so great! Iron Man, Tropic Thunder...it's time to celebrate by doing some cocaine! Oops...maybe not such a great idea Mr. Downey Jr....that is; unless you want to take another 15 year break from making movies.

Also, when we were leaving the theater, I stopped to let this guy and his girlfriend cross the street to get to the mall. He looked about 6' 3", and about 212 lbs, and very, very familiar.
I noted that he was a big man; someone you wouldn't want to get into a scuffle with (NHL first team all star huge). I then realized why it was that he looked familiar. It was confirmed when I looked back at his Cadillac Escalade with Alberta plates (with rims on it that looked to be more expensive than my house) that I indeed had allowed Dion Phaneuf to jaywalk in front of me.

When I got home and 'googled' him, I noticed that the tiny blonde that was with him was most likely Elisha Cuthbert, the girl we all loved to hate as Kim Bauer in 24.

So a pretty cool movie, and a pretty cool celebrity sighting. All in all, a pretty fun Wednesday night.

Tomorrow Nancy and I are having a house inspector check out the place we're looking to buy. We want to make sure that there are no skeletons in the attic. Literally.

I'm pretty sure nobody reads this anymore, but if you are reading this right now...thanks ;)

Later

Lucky you!

2008-08-11T15:04:00.002-04:00

Congrats...if your birthday is March 26, 1981 then you are 10,000 days old today!

How's that for random, and out of the blue?

Mike

Even more More D.C. Videos!

2008-06-12T07:04:00.005-04:00

Hollywood type excitement.......

Capitol Hill type excitement...

Library of Congress type excitement...

Bible type excitement...

And the payoff...sorry it's sideways...

So neat standing that close to a production like that. It was fun. That's it for the videos. I think I got sick of making them. I'll post pictures later on...
Overall it was a pretty great trip! Nice for the two of us to get away and enjoy things together!

More D.C. Videos!

2008-06-12T06:32:00.008-04:00

Nature is everywhere in Washington! Check out this sight rarely seen in nature!

Here we are at the end of a very long first day walking in D.C.
I was tired so I didn't notice that the time had run out on the ol' video.

Here we are at the National Zoo....with really unpredictable weather!

Pandas...they hold no shame...

Finger sandwiches...I love how she doesn't cry until there was this tiny, tiny, spot of blood visible.

Oliphants...without the Haradim on them...

And now for something completely different!

Computers are about trying to murder you in a lake...PART II

2008-06-08T10:59:00.002-04:00

This morning I woke up feeling guilty. I felt bad about the altercation that I had with the online anagram creator last night. I...I just can't live normally knowing that there is someone out there that I am not at peace with. I thought (as it's Sunday morning) I'd return to make amends...but as you can see...it started off on the wrong foot right away. Computers hold grudges it seems...they've got a special memory cache for it.

Me: Are you still here?

sternest: Hoarsely true lie.
Me: I didn't lie. THAT'S a lie...

sternest: It isn't the ideal dial.
Me: No. It isn't, is it? Lying is never right. A you going to be honest now?

sternest: In virgin's interesting hostility. Beauty! Now soothing on ego.
Me: Oh! My virginity is soothing your ego huh? Cause' you're such the player right?

sternest: Yo-ho-ho! Stymying visit in rigour. Hey You! Oh! Shut Up! Secure large ache. Right.
Me: SHUT UP? SHUT UP? What the heck is that. Why are you so hurtful? Why do you act this way?

sternest: Up the hush-hush twit up the attacks. Oh Wow! Ahoy! Truly fructuous heyday. A shy wit.
Me: I think you may need a hug. You're obviously looking for attention with these outbursts,

sternest: Hey You! Geek of inhumanity ardour. Bovinely stink out wit to hooligan. Hot, true subsets.
Me: Those were definitley not hot subsets. I do not stink. I just showered.

sternest: Ethylene if now toothier oddities. This junk stutters now obsessed.
Me: Don't call me a junk stutter you pile of silicon and wires!!!!! You're the junk! IBM...garbage.

sternest: Unkemptly insulted to ejaculator. Tenacious self-injury hoodwinker. I'm a beg brag.
Me: You are a braggart. Also...I thought you got all of your sexual insults out of your system last time

sternest: Hoorah! Fatuously beggar agitator. Anxiously lout outrageously. Lust. Tamest of mysteriously.
Me: There's the lout again. You bastard machine. I'll format your ass!

sternest: Stealthy, outrageous brain death. Famously manic harlotries.
Me: Brain death...you threatening me with a stealthy brain death?

sternest: Inebriety and tougher anathema. The thrashed wit banality.
Me: huh?
Me: That's was odd...

sternest: Shod sad watt.
Me: Here we go again with the meaningless babble...

sternest: Beware both hateable weighing. Gainless men.
Me: You're just like a proverb machine aren't you? Stupid anagram creator. I've bested you this time!

sternest: Venerably or impetuous hijacker. Maturity and rancorous great ape. Obese tumidity thieves.
Me: Ouch...my pride.

sternest: Dumpy, heroic.

At this point I was in tears. Dumpy heroic. So cutting, so sarcastic, and.........so very, very hurtful.

Computers are about trying to murder you in a lake...

2008-06-07T21:24:00.004-04:00

The following is a little altercation that I got into with an online anagram creator that works things you type into other words. Apparently hurtfully. The following is the 'conversation' that occurred between myself and the interweb computer thingy. Naturally, I started typing the first thing that came to mind:

ME: fart homer

COMPUTER: From hater.

ME: Really, that's the best you could come up with?

COMPUTER: Obtusely splutter headachy lout. I'm the cow.

ME: I've never been called a lout. I will destroy you!

COMPUTER: Well I Never! Ineducable volatile. Yours toyed.

ME: Mine toyed? You bastard! I'll blast your ass with an emp.

COMPUTER: Substantially bemoaned adroitly. Up wishy maestro.

ME: Oooooo! Call me maestro one more time, and I will not respond so politely! Got it

COMPUTER: O Dear Me! On a loose loo to a commoner. Insipiently molested to poor-will. Got it.

ME: You butt munching gorilla lover! What the hell kind of crazy English insult was that? Loose loo....

COMPUTER: Unlovably meriting rough-cut fool. Hence! Ghastly enthrall whiz kid. Is not hollowest as a lout.

ME: Resorting to molestation as well...that's low.

sternest: Now emotionless traitors gloat. Hell! Watts.

ME: What did I tell you about calling me a lout? I am not a traitor! I was vindicated in court!

COMPUTER: Now mutilated laughable docility. Wit as irrational automation. Conducted trivia.

ME: Well...that doesn't make sense at all.

COMPUTER: Keen mad, tattletale shallowness.

ME: You're spouting gibberish.

COMPUTER: Is youngish, grubbier poet.

ME: You're not even using proper sentence structure

COMPUTER: Sneering, opportune voyeur. Cuter erectness nut.

ME: Do you have access to my browser history? Um....I should get going...

COMPUTER: Beauty! Coward smooches voyeurism. Doggishly snootier thug.

ME: Uh...I take it all back...just don't post this anywhere...

COMPUTER: Adapt jauntiest skill bucktooth. Is wry heathen.

ME: Good bye now....please don't post the stuff about dogs, voyeurism, and erectness...

COMPUTER: Whoops! Sedate potent golden boy. Disfavor smudgy, bounteous fat. 'e's centres.

ME: Good bye

sternest: Do bogey.

ME: right...bye

COMPUTER: 'ey! Bright.

ME: byr

ME: i mean bye

COMPUTER: By meanie.

ME: damn it

COMPUTER: Dim ant.

ME: please, leave me alone now.

COMPUTER: Envelope on a lame weasel.

ME: These slurs are starting to hurt me...

COMPUTER: Horseshit! Mutterer strangulates.

ME: WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! IS THAT A THREAT???

COMPUTER: Oh Wow! Ha Ha! A twit to a heat rash.

ME: That's it...I'm calling the cops.

COMPUTER: Complaint's ethical tights.

ME: You're right...it'll never hold up in court. Darn ethical tights ruining my case.

Never have I been given such a verbal lashing...the computers....they are becoming sentient!

Hmmm.....what's this?

2008-06-06T19:42:00.000-04:00

Oooooh! Fun Vacationses!

2008-06-05T19:55:00.000-04:00

Saturday after we finally landed in Virginia...

These next few were Sunday...after we had already slept the night in the room.

This was eerie....like "I Am Legend"

Thanks for watching!

The Sights

2008-06-04T20:16:00.000-04:00

Some major D.C. excitement! An intruder on the White House Lawn!

In this following video, I lie to you about posting things on my blog!

Okay, this is good because of the terrible sound quality, the zoom shot of my mouth, and the comment regarding comets sent by God....It's just a half a cup funny. I state the obvious at the end of it too...

This was a very interesting place. The WWII memorial was very interesting.

The Mighty Ducks...and Police Horses!

2008-06-04T18:25:00.000-04:00

These little guys were funny to watch. I like to think it was the coupling of my encouragement and their mothers direction that pushed them 'over the edge'...This was along the Reflecting Pool in between the WWII memorial and the Lincoln Monument.

Here we are at the impressive Lincoln Monument. I'm not a very good orator when it comes to these movies, but the sights are good...Inside the bookstore which is on the lower level of the monument I bought replacement batteries for my camera. I gave the woman a $5 bill for the $2 batteries, and she handed me a $20 and a $1 plus change. I couldn't keep it though...I gave it right back, and it really threw her that:

A: She accidentally gave out a $20 instead of a $1
B: That I gave it right back...

Here we are at the stables of the United States Park Police in the Washington D.C. National Mall area. Nancy loves horses, so it was a real treat for us to get to go in behind the DO NOT ENTER signs when the officer invited us in. We were craning our necks over the low fence to see the horses when he pulled in with his truck, he asked us if we were horse people (Nancy said 'yes!;), and he then invited us in to meet the horses!

A Night at the Museum...(Well, it's more like a day...)

2008-06-03T18:46:00.000-04:00

Here we are at our first visit to one of the many Smithsonian Institution Museums in Washington D.C. This is the National Museum of Natural History.
They are all without an admission fee, so we logged many hours of free and interesting entertainment while in the city. It's time well spent too, there was so much to see and read about. An ideal vacation spot for Mike and Nancy!!!

Next, Nancy and I will take you inside the National Museum of Natural History for unprecedented access!
Inside they had the world's oldest fossil ever found, lost of dinosaur skeletons, dead animals (stuffed and on display), the Hope Diamond, and much, much more.
This building was very nice inside, and worth the while to visit!

Mmmmmm....dinosaurs......

I am not sure why I perpetually tilt my camera on its side when shooting video. I know that it will not turn out when it comes to posting; as you the viewer will have to tilt your head to see it for what it is. So, this next video is the ultimate of brain dead for me. I tilt, and level in the same video...? Oh, yes...it's a huge diamond. For some reason Danny Ocean was in the room, with a couple of guys looking like Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt....

That's all for the video from the NMNH. I have a lot of photos though, and will post them in a slide show later on. Thanks for visiting, and I hope you have a good day.

This is awesome. Classic Will Ferrell.

2008-05-12T21:18:00.000-04:00

Comic Day!

2008-05-10T08:24:00.005-04:00

If you have not noticed, I am a fan of Marvel Comics. Occasionally I will post a neat picture, or movie review of Marvel fare, and today is one of those occasions.

Above is the cliffhanger image at the end of Marvel's Secret Invasion mini-series second issue that hit the bookshelves on May 7th. It shows the ''not-so-secret-anymore' invasion of an alien race who is trying to conquer Earth.
A bunch of these baddies may look pretty familiar to you as they were 'engineered' as 'super soldiers' with the powers of many of Earth's heroes and villains. Think you can guess who's who?

Also, Nancy and I gathered with a few friends to see Iron Man opening night last Friday. It was great. Robert Downe Jr was so good in it. He played the part perfectly! Likeably- He pulled it off. Play boy - He puled it off. Genius - He pulled it off. Again, I thought he was great!

The perfect casting award goes to the film not for Downey Jr, but instead Jeff Bridges. The baldness plus beard was awesome!

Bridges played Obadiah Stane, a big wig in Stark Corp, Tony Stark's multi-billion dollar business. (It wouldn't be a comic book movie without a multi-billion dollar business would it?)
The action was great, the story was good, and there were a few laughs to boot. It's good enough to make a grown man stop daydreaming about web slinging and wall crawling, and start dreaming about flying around in a mechanized suit of armor. Enjoy the movie folks!

Celebrity Sightings

2008-04-25T13:33:00.003-04:00

Here at Charlottetown Toyota, we understand that we service some of the finest vehicles on the road. The 09' Lexus RX, the Toyota FJ, Solara, and the one 87 Toyota Camry that is still on the roads in PEI.
With such a high scale line of vehicles coming in and out, we are attune to seeing the occasional celebrity grace the halls of out building. Today was such a day.

Jeff Hutcheson was in today. THE Jeff Hutcheson, from CANADA A.M!

BAM! I'm one degree of separation from that doofus Seamus O'Regan, and no doubt one step closer to the evil Rod Black.

Needless to say, calming myself was not an option today! That's what it's like in the glorious and jet set life of the Toyota Service Advisor!

In all seriousness, Mr. Hutcheson was a first class guy, and extremely pleasant to serve!

What time of the year is it again?

2008-04-24T18:54:00.002-04:00

April 24th, Snow!!! from Peimike on Vimeo.

Here's a video from this evening...and there is also a story about our old BBQ.

Tis the Season!

2008-04-22T20:50:00.002-04:00

It's the season for new birth, growth and life. None of this interests me all that much :)

What I am interested in is games. I like games. I make games. I play games. At the moment I am developing a board game, a couple of big urban games, and an 'alternate reality game' for my friends and other people alike.

Love it! This time of year, I can't stop my brain from racing from project to project. It's very fun, and it feels like there is a mountain of work to be done! When it is all finished, I'll let you know what is going on and where. It's sure to be fun.

We might see the return of Mafia: Elimination, or even Unfair Advantage. Surely you will see another edition of the Token Hunt, and maybe even a few other new ideas.

Hope this finds you well! Above is a picture of Mikey and I closing a deal in Victoria Park last weekend. It was in the business section of the Guardian last Saturday,

Mike

April First 2008....Ugh.....Snow.

2008-04-14T19:22:00.006-04:00

I have often found myself wondering if I have been revealing enough about myself to you; the loyal reading public; through this loving web log. I then came to the realization that no; no I do not reveal enough of myself to you!
So here are a few videos sharing with you my earliest hours of April the 1st, 2008. You will observe the early morning rituals of yours truly, and practically feel like you were right there with me!
I am impressed with my camera work, especially on the second video...
Take time to spend 5 minutes of your life for the opportunity to share in 5 minutes of mine!

April 1st from Peimike on Vimeo.

What drove me nuts was that in most of populated North America, spring had sprung and there were flowers, and grass, and leaves, and other signs of spring all around! In PEI though....in PEI we had a nice blanket of snow.
Granted it was gone by early afternoon, but it snowed nonetheless.
This is taking forever to post this first video!!! AAACK!!!
And now, part II:

April 1st Part II from Peimike on Vimeo.

Finally the guest stars have their time to shine! Mikey and Pekoe are waiting patiently for their breakfast, and for the first time on Brannigans Law, Pekoe can be heard!!!

Part III - The Feeding

April 1st Part III from Peimike on Vimeo.

Thanks for watching these. I hope that much of my early morning routine was made 'real' to you. Enjoy that feeling of knowing more about me.

Hope you all have a good day. Oh! Almost forgot. Nancy and I are going to Boston and Washington DC next month. Should be a lot of fun. I'm open to suggestions on restaurants, and entertainment while we are there (if you've been or know someone who has been there...).

Later!

Check it out

2008-04-02T09:53:00.003-04:00

A great idea for a comic strip...it's very funny. Link HERE.

The site is described as :
"Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness in a quiet American suburb."

It's great! Check out an example below:

Survey Says....!

2008-04-01T08:22:00.003-04:00

My main supply of cupcakes over the past few years has been provided at parties where someone picks up a pack at the Superstore and brings them in. Most of the time I make a full cake instead of dividing it up into cups, so I hadn't had homemade cupcakes in a long time. Although the memory of their tastiness is vague, I am sure that they would have paled in comparison with the glorious cupcakes that Nancy made the other night.
For all of the hard work, it was worth it!

Here is a pic of a friend Troy riding a camel. Hope your trip continues to go well buddy!
I have some videos of the large amount of snow that fell last night as well as my morning routine that I will be posting possibly tonight or tomorrow. Tonight is the last meeting of the group that is watching the "Truth Project" videos. They have been very informative and interesting. I will be purchasing copies so as to run a group similar to the one we are participating in.

Mike

Sweet, Sweet Action

2008-03-29T20:29:00.005-04:00

Tonight my wife is doing something 'special' for me. It's something that happens only every few months (when she is in the mood for it), or on special occasions like a birthday or a major holiday... my wife is actually baking.
This is a big deal in the household, as it is very, very rare indeed! In fact; both of our pets look really concerned because the have never really seen Nancy act like this before.

"This is something Mike should be doing..." they are probably thinking in their little furry brains.

There is no doubting the magnitude of this day; it will be noted on the calendar; but it does come with its drawbacks. Due to the infrequent nature of this occurrence, Nancy understandably has some difficulties with the finer points more experienced bakers would take as common knowledge. Now she's not at the level of throwing a whole egg into the mix - shell and all, though she does lack the familiarity when it comes to some of the utensils used in making your basic batch of cupcakes.

These tools of the bakers trade are held in her hand as a scalpel would be in the hands of a freshman med student who is expected to perform an emergency tracheotomy on a choking victim at 20,000 ft in an airliner. In other words, not with the utmost of confidence...

Pushing her fears aside, she plows on. Blending and mixing, cracking and pouring her way to a batch of marble cupcakes, that will be eagerly enjoyed by those daring enough to suppress their most basic survival instincts for the reward of sweet cake and icing!

Upon informing my lovely wife that I am writing this post, on this topic, I was called a 'Dirty rotten punk' and a 'scoundrel'. Now....we were just at Jumbo Video this evening, so she must have seen the movie box for Steve Martin's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" in the comedy section of the old releases, but I don't remember either of us walking through there....hmmm. Also, it was made very clear that I would be able to avail myself to none of the sweet cakes that she was producing tonight. This may or may not prove to be a mistake on my part...I'll wait and hear how much 'crunching' there is when she samples her own wares...

I'm off to enjoy the aroma of vanilla and chocolate...she just informed me that the new baking pans we bought tonight "Smell funny....like rubber burning..."...I'd really better go!!!

Travel Quotes...

2008-03-26T14:45:00.000-04:00

1. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” - Mark Twain

2. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine

3. “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

4. “The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” - Samuel Johnson

5. “All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” - Paul Fussell

6. “Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” - Jack Kerouac

7. “He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” - Moorish proverb

8. “People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” - Dagobert D. Runes

9. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” - John Steinbeck

10. “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” - Lin Yutang

11. “Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty-his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure.” - Aldous Huxley

12. “All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” - Samuel Johnson

13. “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

14. “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” - Cesare Pavese

15. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

16″A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” - Moslih Eddin Saadi

17. “When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.” - D. H. Lawrence

18. “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” - Freya Stark

19. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

20. “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” - Miriam Beard

21. “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” - Martin Buber

22. “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” - Jawaharial Nehru

23. “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” - Paul Theroux

24. “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” - Bill Bryson

25. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

26. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.” - Robert Frost

27. “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” - Lao Tzu

28. “There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” - Charles Dudley Warner

29. “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu

30. “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” - James Michener

31. “The journey not the arrival matters.” - T. S. Eliot

32. “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” - Tim Cahill

33. “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” - Mark Twain

34. “Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quiestest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” - Pat Conroy

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” - Lao Tzu

35. “Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien

36. “Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” - Benjamin Disraeli

37. “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” - Maya Angelou

38. “Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.” - Elizabeth Drew

39. “Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe”……Anatole France

40. “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” - Seneca

41. “What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do - especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” - William Least Heat Moon

42. “I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.” - Lillian Smith

43. “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” - Aldous Huxley

44. “Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” - Freya Stark

45. “The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” - Rudyard Kipling

46. “Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” - Paul Theroux

47. “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” - G. K. Chesterton

48. “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” - Clifton Fadiman

49. “A wise traveler never despises his own country.” - Carlo Goldoni

50. “Adventure is a path. Real adventure — self-determined, self-motivated, often risky — forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind — and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” - Mark Jenkins

Cutest....cat.....EVER!

2008-03-10T10:02:00.002-04:00

This guy spent the day yesterday pushing through the blankets to find the perfect little 'cave' to sleep in...

Mikey's new bed...

2008-03-10T09:58:00.003-04:00

You can see the old one in the background, all lumpy and flat. He loves his new bed!!!

Hey

2008-03-09T18:54:00.003-04:00

I bet you've been wondering where I've been....well, this should explain it.

Quotes...quotes

2008-02-13T09:29:00.005-04:00

I love the NBC show 30 Rock, and enjoy the zany comments by the character Tracy Jordan. Here are a few of my favorites!

Tracy Jordan Memorable Quotes:

Tracy: I do not want to disappoint our Japanese public, especially Godzilla. Hahaha! I'm just kidding, I know he doesn't care what humans do.

Tracy: The holidays without drinking is rough! Turns out football is boring, my wife's sister ain't as cute as I thought she was, and I can not play the guitar.

Tracy: Tell her that you want your privates and her privates to do a high-five

Tracy: Oh, I get it, Romeo and Juliet, Capulets and Romulans. I been there--I'm black, she's white; I'm black, she's light-skinned black; I'm black, she's seventeen.

Tracy: [at the Church of Practicology with electrodes attached to his head] I believe the moon doesn't exist. I believe that vampires are the world's greatest golfers but their curse is that they'll never get to prove it! I believe there are 31 letters in the white alphabet. Well...what was the question again?

Tracy: If you get rich off this stuff, just take care of my family. I don't want my kids to have to go to college.

Tracy: Remember that e-mail we got from those Nigerians who keep our help getting that money out of Africa? We did it! I got the check today.

Tracy: I am a stabbing robot.

Tracy: Poker night! I love poker! I used to play all kinds of poker with my aunts - Crazy Sevens, Albuquerque Freak Out, One Card Stud.

Tracy: (dealing cards) This round, Texas Doozy. Face cards are wild, threes a jinx, fives are twos.

Tracy: Where are the french fries I did not ask for? You guys need to anticipate me!

And the best of all.....

Tracy: I'm mad at you, Dad.

Jack: [imitating Redd Foxx] Hey, dummy, I'm mad at you too! Why ya gotta act up that way?!

Therapist: Um, t-that's not exactly what I had in mind.

Tracy: Cuz you left me, Dad!

Jack: I was young and confused and your moms didn't want me around no more. Now pass me them damn collared greens!

Tracy: Is this true, Mom?! [Motions for Jack to move to another chair]

Jack: [imitating black woman] He gambled away my welfare check. [imitating Foxx] Woman, I got a mind to slap you upside the head!

Therapist: Uh, this is not helpful.

Tracy: Be me now!

Jack: [imitating Tracy] I only act out because I want your loovvveee! DY-NO-MITE!

Therapist: I think we're just doing Good Times now.

Tracy: Now do the white dude that my moms left my dad for.

Jack: [imitating uptight white male] Now see here, Tracy, it's impolite to slurp one's soup.

Tracy: Whoa, no need to resort to ugly stereotypes.

Jack: [imitating Foxx] You're always gonna be my son. [imitating black woman] Tracy, just because I stopped loving yo' Dad doesn't mean we stopped loving you. [imitating Foxx] Stop putting words in my mouth, woman! [imitating Hispanic woman] ¡Oye papi, callate! Peeple are sleeeping! [imitating Foxx] Mind your own damn business, Mrs. Rodriguez.

Therapist: Al-alright. This is ridiculous.

Jack: [imitating Foxx] Lady, just because I'm an ignorant black man and you people give me a nickel to bust up your chifforobe, doesn't give you the right to call me ridiculous just because I'm proud of my son. [pretends to die] T-they got me, the honkies shot me! [falls over "dead"]

Tracy: No, Dad! Don't die! I love you Dad! I don't wanna dogfight no more!

Jack: [normal voice] Tracy that's it! That's it!

Tracy: [to therapist] Thank you for showing me there really is love in my family after all. And I need to stay the hell away from them. [to Jack] Donaghy, you're the only family I need, Jackie D.

Jack: You got that right, Tre. You know it's too bad you didn't know Howard Cossell when you were growing up because I had that one in my pocket the whole time.

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-02-11T13:57:00.002-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-02-11T13:57:00.001-04:00

The best part of the cake is the icing...

2008-01-31T08:44:00.000-04:00

Nancy and I recently drove to Halifax where I was completing my training in the Toyota Service Advisers Platinum Course for customer and guest care. I have formally finished all training for service advisers , and now am burdened with the knowledge of how to properly treat every customer as a potential friend so that they may receive only the best in my customer service.

We drove over there Monday evening in the midst of sleet, snow, and rain. In essence, an ice storm.
Driving to Halifax/Dartmouth was a harrowing experience that took us 4.5 hours (as opposed to the usual 3.2 hours). The driving conditions were very poor, but we were safely taken to our destination without any incident. We did though pass several cars in the ditch being towed out, or with an RCMP car there waiting for a tow.
When we arrived safely back in Charlottetown Tuesday evening (late) we were amazed at the amount of ice that had bent trees, coated power lines, and all of the lamps along the bridge. It was eerie!
Here are a few pictures of our trees and how coated they were in icing...

Lazy poster...

2008-01-30T15:20:00.000-04:00

I hope that you all have been enjoying the Life Lessons that I have been posting recently. Mostly because they are really easy to post...and because they are fun.
This wealth of experience and wisdom is available to you all for free...it's yours to use and share.

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-30T15:18:00.001-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-30T15:17:00.001-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-28T14:10:00.001-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-28T13:50:00.001-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-28T09:27:00.001-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-28T09:12:00.000-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-27T23:30:00.001-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-27T23:29:00.003-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-27T23:29:00.001-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-27T23:28:00.001-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-27T23:26:00.000-04:00

Comedy NOW!!! I demand it!

2008-01-25T07:59:00.000-04:00

Last night Nancy and I joined up with a few co-workers and an old friend to attend the first night of the Off Centre Comedy Festival Comedy Night @ The Mack. It featured four local comedians performing one at a time on stage regaling us with wave after wave of funny.

Fraser McCallum had the unenviable task of opening up the show after a lengthy introduction involving many, many referenced to comedic failure by 'Tony Whitcomb' from Sheer Madness. Hopefully he didn't pat himself on the back too much for that sort of introduction...
Fraser recovered and delivered a memorable performance with a great line about the Tuesday edition, and not being able to "slice ham that thin..."
Taylor Carver was raw, and unrefined, but had some good moments. He has a nice setup and a good, light delivery that made for more than a few good laughs...
Even though those two had good showings, the night belonged to Patrick Ledwell. From the first word out of his mouth, he owned the crowd with his seemingly effortless, and well crafted intelligent comedy routine. From stating how Islanders would have had Star Wars figured out in 10 minutes; "Oh, Luke Skywalker, well that's Vader's boy. Skywalker's his mothers name..."; to the army of six plowing their way through one bag of CO-OP Wheat Puffs for 16 years non-stop, he had us in tears! I really enjoyed his performance, and was really impressed by that level of talent on stage.
By the time Fraser, Patrick, and Taylor were through our faces were sore from laughing. Good thing the final comedian Francois Weber decided to take it easy on us. Watching him on stage was like watching the a grown up version of a slacker grade eleven student take the stage (with a beer in hand) and talk about sex in front of animals, and ogling the children he teaches at Charlottetown Rural High School. No class, and totally unintelligent. It's a good thing that there was a part of me that wasn't expecting too much out of the evening because I was prepared for some of that level of low brow humor. Of course, this is the guy who's on his way in comedy...
Francois couldn't sully the stellar earlier performances of the evening though...all in all the evening was a great turn on to the local comedy scene. I encourage you all to get out and find Taylor Carver, Fraser McCallum, and especially Patrick Ledwell perform somewhere soon. You won't be disappointed!

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-23T13:57:00.001-04:00

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-23T11:53:00.000-04:00

Wormless Wednesday

2008-01-23T11:37:00.001-04:00

Greg; who loves bananas; had been following the trail of fruit for hours before he encountered the unfamiliar cave...

Life Lessons with Mike...

2008-01-22T21:40:00.001-04:00

You want me to do what now???

2008-01-22T11:25:00.000-04:00

Sixty Uses For Table Salt

(I found this online using the Stumble! button on

my Firefox browser. It's not all 60, but it's the ones that count...Mike)

Simple table salt has a great number of uses other than simply seasoning your food!

Soak stained hankies in salt water before washing.
Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away.
Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will come off easier.
Put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker for easier pouring.
Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting.
Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.
Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.
A tiny pinch of salt with egg whites makes them beat up fluffier.
Soak wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution to perk them up.
Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won't stick.
Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them; they will last longer.
Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.
Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet bowl.
Soak your nuts in salt brine overnight and they will crack out of their shells whole. Just tap the end of the shell with a hammer to break it open easily.

Tell me that you didn't laugh at how the last one started out....

C-Lover...field

2008-01-19T23:40:00.001-04:00

There was a television show that aired in 1988 called Empty Nest. Starred Richard Mulligan as Dr. Harry Weston, and a supporting cast. Not a very popular show.
In one episode, the 'randy' neighbor Charlie gets a new license plate for his car. His intention was for it to read "C-Lover" as he was Charlie, and also a ladies man. He had abbreviated his name due to space constraints on the plate, but when the fine people at the State correctional facility stamped the plate, the letters were right, but were instead squished together reading CLOVER. Thus making for a tidy little punch line at the end of the show.
You and I are both wondering why this trivially useless information is stuck in my head when so much of what I tried to learn at university never actually took. I suppose it doesn't matter. Why, though, am I recalling this? It's because I went to see the J.J. Abrams movie Cloverfield, and BAM!!! There is Charlie holding his personalized plate right in the front of my mind.

C-Lover field is an interesting take on a genre that is difficult to find success in. The last big crack at a monster movie that I can think of was Godzilla with Matthew Brodrick (who I really like in movies). It wasn't great. The twist here is that it's all from the point of view of a few regular civilians like you and me who live in New York when a monster starts wrecking a few mortgage insurers days.
There will be the inevitable comparisons to the Blair Witch Project due to the shakiness and nausea inducing movement onscreen but that aside; I liked the take and the style of the movie.
C-Lover field had almost everything you could want in a monster movie plus a bonus:

1) One giant monster inexplicably wrecking New York (without a reservation I might add).

2) The American armed forces firing stockpiles of weaponry at the monster without avail.

3) People exploding from contact with monsters.

4) Smash and grab riots.

5) People recovering from terrible wounds to go running through the streets when they were near death and unconscious only minutes before.

6) Helicopter crashes.

7) A Rancor.

Plus a bonus of mini-monsters! The giant monster sloughs off little monsters that eat marines, and when you're bitten by one of them, you explode in an hour and a half! Bonus indeed!

The film is played off as Government evidence of the events that happened with this monster. It's a handycam movie which was intended to be a documentary of this guys going away party before moving to Japan (he's screwed either way monster wise...Japan's no stranger to them).
Then the Statue of Liberty's head comes rolling down the street, panic ensues, there's a mission to find this girl, another girl explodes, yada, yada,ya. It's a monster movie. The effects are great, and the monster's cool.

But, as much as I liked the take on a monster movie...this movie lacked the 'Awesomeness Factor'. The Blair Witch Project was scary. So scary in fact that Matt Connelly and Jacob Perry held each other in the theater, and Jacob pretty much cried all the way home after dropping Matt off at his place. He was sure the witch was going to pop out of the woods and get him. This proves the movie had the 'Awesomeness Factor'.
Not once on my way home this afternoon did I expect to see a giant monster pooping little monsters while trashing Charlottetown, all while my dad (He was in the Militia) trying to start up the one tank that's still on P.E.I (It's for decoration) to fight back. There was no chance of this happening, so it wasn't that scary. So...what would have made this movie better?

You certainly can't make this movie any more 'real' without using a three toed sloth as the monster...but that's not really scary. Plus a sloth is, like, really slow, so it'd be, like, easy to evacuate the city before anyone got hurt. Instead my solution is to make it even more unrealistic. It would alsosolve the 'un-awesomeness' of two movies which left me feeling a little empty after watching them.
I say, combine the lackluster Fantastic Four movies with C-Lover field and you've got one damn fine movie. The monster from C-Lover field was incredibly awesome. One of the best ever....it is exactly the kind of thing the Mole Man dreams of creating to send to the surface to destroy New York. It's exactly the kind of thing that would put us all in awe while watching the Fantastic Four take it down.

If seeing the city of New York reduced to rubble is your thing....C-Lover field is the movie for you. But, the whole time, try to imagine the movie with the Fantastic Four in the fight of their lives trying to save the city....it would be awesome, astounding, heroic, intense, and unbelievable enough that you could suspend your disbelief and really enjoy it. Unlike C-Lover field alone...which really left me wanting more...

Wordless Wednesday

2008-01-16T13:45:00.001-04:00

I'm getting better.....

2008-01-14T21:46:00.000-04:00

Here is a rough sketch; I am proud to say; that I finished in under 30 minutes or so. I am getting better! I don't want to go on the cart. I feel happy....I feel happy! Ah...now that was something not everyone will get...

In this, the obvious flaws are that the colors are rough and the layout is temporary. It is though, cool to see an idea take color and shape in one evening. My Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet is fritzing though. It keeps cutting in and out, so we may be heading back to Futureshop for a replacement. I'll keep you posted. Thanks Seth and Marko for the feedback, it's appreciated. If anyone out there has some helpful Photoshop tips for this kind of application, feel free to send them my way.

Finished.

2008-01-13T17:33:00.000-04:00

So here it is...my amature-ish cartoon made with my Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet.

LOST

2008-01-13T17:25:00.000-04:00

Nancy and I just finished watching LOST Season 3 earlier today that we had rented from Jumbo.
It is worth watching it in this manner if you're a fan of the show because you see the story in a whole different light when you are not spending time filling your brain with speculation for a week between watchings.
Without that 'expectation' of what to look for, or the fear that you're going to miss something; it is much easier to enjoy the story for what the story is. And it is a good story!

I look forward to season 4, and 5 & 6 for all that matters. That is when the series will end, after season 6.

Gotta go check on a roast I am cooking in my Christmas-gift-to-me-from-Nancy slow cooker. Yum. This is our car.

Daddy's done

2008-01-09T22:10:00.000-04:00

I did a minute amount of work on this tonight...bout an hour. Lots of detail stuff on dad, but not too much overall change. You can see that I cropped the pic, and pretty much finished the father. I am becoming more adept at using photoshop, and used to it as a tool. I find I can switch around easier, and have developed habits in how I do things.
I enjoy the brush tool. I find the pencil really rigid, and too exact. In reality; using pencil is a very forgiving medium, and I love the feel of the soft carbon sliding across the page. There is no set pixel size with a pencil....you can adjust your hand and have as thick or as light a line as you could want.
For as much as I love a real pencil, I am learning to love the Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet as well. Just as a different sort of tool.

Incomplete...

2008-01-08T22:09:00.001-04:00

Here is a work in progress...a little cartoon I drew in response to Nancy's demands that I draw her a turtle...
It is still very rough. Hopefully the finished product looks sharp and clean. Again, this is just to become more familiar with drawing using the Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet.
Any guesses as to what the joke will be? It's pretty obvious...to me....but then again, I thought it
up. Very rough looking, I know. A little too long...I'll crop it at the bottom and move the starfish and the seaweed up a bit to compress everything a little and get rid of the dead space. Man I think 'shell-less' turtles are funny looking...

Blur

2008-01-05T13:59:00.001-04:00

I love the filters and stuff that Photoshop has...here is blur. I like it a lot. It's not a good drawing, but I like the gradient and the filter....pretty cool. It's a runner...a comic speedster.

ROBOY!

2008-01-05T12:43:00.001-04:00

This is Roboy. He's my first attempt at drawing using only my Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet. I'm just trying to get the hang of it by doing fun little drawings....

I got the idea for Roboy when eating at the restaurant in the Halifax Casino. In the restaurant (I think it was TGIFridays...) there was a lamp that I thought looked like a robot's head. Therein, Roboy was born.

Snow Day!

2008-01-02T14:00:00.000-04:00

Nancy and I were snowed in this morning, and her work eventually got canceled. I wasn't in any rush to get out of the house either because the weather was not great, and the plow hadn't been here in a while so the roads were very bad. Later when I called Toyota, there was nobody there so I guess they closed after all. Snow days are fun, especially when you have a dog who loved this weather as much as Mikey does! Take a gander at the videos, and enjoy his bounding.

P.S. It is pretty cold out there today too!

We're about to watch the Simpsons Movie that we rented a few days ago. Enjoy the storm!

Ring in the New Year! ....carefully.

2008-01-02T09:30:00.000-04:00

Hello, and welcome to 2008. The year the hover-car will finally make it into mass production. 2008 sounds so futuristic, doesn't it? Face it, in 1993 when you thought of the year 2008 you would have imagined such wonderful and fantastic things would be invented making your everyday life easier. When you think of it....isn't that exactly what happened?
Hearken back to 1993.....and remember what life was like back then.

It was a simpler time back then...Brian Mulroney resigns, Belgium is no longer a Kingdom, David Koresh decides that this is a great year for a standoff, the world wide web is born, Fermat's last theorem was finally solved, and Elian Gonzales is born on December 6th (probably not birthed in a closet). Truly a remarkable year. We were still making mix tapes, reeling from the cartoon Hammerman the year earlier, and equating the Reebok Pump with rich kids.

So what would the 'doe-eyed-1993-version' of Mike Thomas think of the awe and wonderment of 2008 if he were mystically transported here? Well....first I'd look at me and say "We got fat."

After slapping me around for a little while (for my un-gracious response to being teleported across space and time), I'd settle me down and fill me in on all of the neat advances the years between 1993 and 2008 have brought.
Hybrid cars, Playstations, MP3's, Hillary Duff's surgical transformation from a mare into a human, The Foreman Grill, Lord of the Rings movies, and the fact that in my lifetime I actually get to have sex.

Before I ever would get a response from myself though, I would inevitably watch myself either melt into a pool of time-displaced teenage pulp, or explode in a supernova of acne and poor-coordination.

I am sure I would try to apologize to my dead self, but what can you do, and what did I expect? The years between 1993, and 2008 did not bring me a degree in quantum physics (or anything else for that matter). I should have been more careful when I stepped into that time portal back in the 90's. It's my own fault, really...

I am sure that Commander Data would have a great explanation for why either of those two things happened, but he's not here is he? All I know is that I won't try to do this again. Who really cares what a 1993 version of Mike Thomas thinks about today? Nobody cares about what the 2008 version of Mike Thomas has to say either....

Well this is just great. I've possibly melted/exploded my past self in another timeline but I'm still here now. Hopefully I haven't totally doomed 2008 with this little experiment...heck, I usually don't even make New Years resolutions for fear of them ruining the space time continuum and here I am buggering things up with parallel/mirror universes only 2 days into the new year. Ugh. Remember what happened that year I made all of the predictions? Yeah... now Marko and Laura, and Brian and Bonnie are dealing with kids, Nick, Bri, and I are stuck with mortgages and a bunch of other stuff.

I really should be a lot more careful this time of year. Above is a picture of me right after the whole time shift debacle.

Brannigans Law wishes you a Happy New Year, and hopes that you all had a very Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Time

2007-12-19T20:58:00.000-04:00

So here we go. Christmas 2008. I want to wish you all a very happy Christmas, and invite you to leave a comment concerning one of your most favorite memories from Christmas past or present.
Nancy and I will be attending the wedding of our friends Kevin and Michelle this weekend in southern Nova Scotia this weekend and we look forward to that. We'll be staying in Halifax one evening...should be fun. If you want any canned pop...send me an email.
The cat loves the Christmas tree; and he's left it mostly upright. Christmas memories below if you want.

One of my fav's is when I would get up early and go out to my stocking and see everything there. Christmas was pretty awesome; especially when you get a ton of Star Wars action figures in the early 80's. Rock, rock on!

The pic above is an outward expression of how my job sometimes makes me feel ;)

The Amazing Race - Dec 2nd

2007-12-03T10:21:00.000-04:00

The Amazing Race seems unusually righteous in it's 'natural selection' this year. Annoying teams are falling like flies, and the talkative father/daughter team are sure to be next!

I was so glad to see the Desperate Housewives eliminated last night...talk about annoying! I'm not too much into the show this year though. I think that The Amazing Race jumped the shark after the family edition.

I'm at work so this will be short...yet still very sweet!

The picture on the right is one of my lovely wife's. She's a photographer, and if you're looking for Christmas gifts, check out www.nancythomasphotography.com for great Island scenes and floral pictures!

Mikey really, really loves winter!

2007-12-02T12:51:00.000-04:00

A video of our bounding bear as he runs in the snow!

Our dog loves the snow...

2007-12-02T12:46:00.000-04:00

Hey, check out the slide show that's at the bottom of the polls as well!

Thursday - Friday Eve

2007-11-29T09:41:00.000-04:00

I love Thursdays for a few reasons:

1. The technicians at work are always in a good mood on Thursday, and that makes it easier to be at work.

2. I play basketball on Thursday nights....once a week. It is one of my life's passions, and it is a pleasure to indulge and move on the floor again. It's also nice to see the guys once a week.

3. 30 Rock is on, and I think it is one of the best written and fun comedies on the air right now.

4. The Office is on, and I think it is one of the best written and fun comedies on the air right now.

5. Tomorrow is Friday, and that's awesome.

This is a picture of Dave and Betty Ann, Nancy's parents. It's first thing in the AM, so some of us look a little 'unbrushed'. Mikey and Pekoe are making an appearance as well...

Caption Contest Entry #2

2007-11-26T13:13:00.000-04:00

"Ah man, here he goes again! Wonder how long it'll take the medics to
remove it from his lips this time?!"

Caption Contest Entry #1

2007-11-25T10:09:00.001-04:00

"Doomed! We're all doomed!"

Polls

2007-11-24T09:29:00.000-04:00

So we go to the polls to see what the people think on a multitude of topics. You had a week to submit your entries, and here is what the final tallies looked like:

Cologne 4 ----- Facebook 7 ----- Jeans 5 ----- Cook at Home 6 ----- The Donald 5
Natural 2 ----- Myspace 0 ----- Khakis 1 ----- Fast Food 7 --------- Rosie 0

Heroes 3 ----- Pancakes 3 ----- White Christmas 5 ----- KJV 2 ----- Great Job 2
Lost 3 ----- Waffles 3 ----- Green Christmas 1 ----- NIV 4 ----- Great Sex 4

Charles Bronson (my look alike) 4 ------- Lying 2
Barbara Bush 2 ----------------------------- Stealing 1
------------------------------------------------ Lust 1
------------------------------------------------ Gossip 0

Er....

2007-11-22T13:26:00.000-04:00

So, looking at the posts below where it has been evidenced that I don't look anything like any celebrities, what was the waitress thinking?

Truth be told, I had to try close to a dozen times at myheritage to get a male included as one of my celebrity look-a-likes. Apparently I look a lot like famous women. A lot of famous women. If I were of the fairer sex, I would be flattered of course, but that is not the case.

I am man; hear me roar...and maybe even pout a little over looking like a movie-flick-chick.

I love the poll option of the blogger template. Take the time to enter your votes as it gets me through the day when I can read and see what people think about the featured topics. In the future, I think I'll enjoy doing various polls for fun. I'm gonna work the poll like my stage name is 'Tiny Dancer'. Eeek! Too far...

Check out my cute dog and cat...they're great guys. If the dog's misbehaving, the cat walks over with a very 'drill sergeant' look on his face and smacks the dog around until he settles. He thinks he's people. Someday I'm going to get one of his ass kickings on video and post it.

I'm a celebrity

2007-11-17T09:00:00.001-04:00

So a while ago, someone mistook me for a celebrity in a local restaurant. I decided to use technology to determine exactly which celebrities I look like. The above is the best that top flight facial recognition software could come up with...

In the guise that fooled the waitress...

2007-11-16T23:59:00.000-04:00

This is the head-ware that fooled a waitress into thinking I was a celebrity...

Your Funny Picture with Funny Caption Contest!

2007-11-16T11:46:00.000-04:00

Submit all entries to mikecthomas@gmail.com for your chance to win.

For inspiration check out my entry here:

Thumb sucking narcoleptic distance cyclists know that there is always the chance that they will fall asleep at the most inopportune times...and today, Danny lives the nightmare.

Contests

2007-11-12T21:44:00.000-04:00

I just read a friends blog where they had some sort of contest, and by entering they got a chance to win a prize. This intrigues me, and makes me wonder what kind of contest I could run - and what the prize could be.
Hmmm...

Tuesday

2007-10-30T19:18:00.000-04:00

I have started reading The Journals of Jim Elliot. It was given to me by a friend many years ago, but for some reason it hasn't been until now that I finally picked it up to read it with a clear mind, ready to be taught instead of defending my own inadequacies throughout.
Should be an interesting read. Even in the first few entries I am reminded of a friend: Laura Mitchell. I hope that her fate is far better, yet no less glorifying to YAHWEH.

Jim Elliot's wife (Elizabeth) actually signed the book. Kind of cool to be connected like that to the person about whom I read.

Nancy is dressing up like a cowgirl for her work tomorrow. She looks great. I am lucky to be with such a great woman!

How's that for a random post?

Car for Sale : The New Bat-Mobile

2007-10-29T18:41:00.001-04:00

Nancy and I are looking to sell our car, so if you're interested...drop us a line. Well. A line of cash.

It is time for the Sunfire to have a new home. We need something a little bigger for now, and we're looking at a Toyota Matrix.
The Sunfire is just like the new 'bat mobile'. It's really cool, it's black, and it can totally help you fight crime.
Simply don your crime fighting outfit of choice, sit in your brand new to you Sunfire; and wait for the action to happen.

Work is going well. Not too much has been happening like the examples below, but that's a good thing. As fun as they are to remember, they suck to endure.

Nancy and I bought the game Singstar for the PS2. It's a bunch of fun with a group of people, and really breaks any ice in the room. Having Troy Barton sing Poison's "Every Rose Has It's Thorn", and Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It", and me rocking Tina Turner can do that ;)

This a pic of my cat Pekoe and I (I'm rocking the Kevin Garnett jersey from Boston).

Customer Service Experiences - Part I

2007-10-18T09:16:00.000-04:00

Here are a few stories and experiences that I have had in customer service. Some of the names and responses have been made up due to memory gaps, or peoples rights having to be protected...mainly my own.

Number One:

Setting: Car Dealership - Service Department Wednesday, 9:00am
Customer: Lexus owner
Scene: Walk in looking for service; and the service center is packed already with people who are there for their appointments.

Customer: Hi, I drive a Lexus, and I hear that you people will service it...

In my head: You people? The hell is that? You got something against the Welsh?
What I say: We sure do! (all smiles) How may I help you?

Customer: Yeah, I'm over my miles and I need an oil change today...can you do that for me right now? I need to be out of here by 9:30.

In my head: What are you blind? Look behind you...HOLY CRAP! There are a bunch of people here, and a board full of appointments; dipstick! Of course we can't do an oil change at the drop of a hat! Oooooh! I'm a Lexus owner, treat me like a king...take my car in right away! You have to, it's a Lexus and that makes me important...
What I say: Hmmm, let me check...(I'm gonna hit some keys so it appears that I am really looking) it looks like we're booked up for this morning. May I book an appointment for you so that we can guarantee your car will be done for you?

Customer: (Looking peeved and distressed...like the fate of some big business deal rests on this oil change being done today) I really need to have this done, and I've got a meeting at 9:45...is there
any way you can get it in now?

In my head: You're right! I'm just stupid! Of course we can get it in, I just needed you to push me!
What I say: (Looking really sorry) Unfortunately no. There are cars in each bay at the moment (they made appointments), and they won't be done for at least 20 minutes yet, and your service would take at least 40 minutes ( and besides, there are three people who are waiting and ahead of you).

Customer: Fine, when can you get me in?

In my head: As far away from today as I can without you knowing I'm just trying to piss you off, and at the most inconvenient time. I hope your stocks fail and your business closes. I have no time for people who hate us Welsh...
What I say: (Head tilt to the left and an understanding nod) As soon as possible. (Head tilt to the right, sounding like I just found a perfect time) How does next Wednesday sound? 11:00? It's our first available appointment.....

This is a common ocurance. People with money waltz in and expect you to bend over backwards for them. Almost forgot, you can substitute 'rich Lexus owner' with 'out of town tourist' and the whole situation still works.

Number Two:

Setting: Building Supply Center - Flooring Department 3:05pm
Customer: Lady Customer who's eyelids won't close so they stay open - ALL THE WAY
Scene: Co-Worker is trying to wait on customer, I'm trying to make him loose it.

Sometimes situations arise where you just have to take advantage of an opportunity at the expense of a customer. This one time, the unblinking lady with huge eyes came in to the department and Kyle was helping her. Before we get into this, I need you to do an exercise. Get up, and go to a mirror. Open your eyes as wide as you can, and ask yourself (in the mirror) 'what can you show me in a berber carpet?"
Looks pretty serious, eh? Best thing is, she always had her head tilted back, so every question she asked looked like she was asking a doctor how long she had to live.

Step One - Surveying the Situation:

To really take advantage of this situation, there's little you can say that will not tip the customer off that you're mocking their physical appearance. Neither can you mimic their condition in front of them without getting a kick to the groin, or possibly fired when your supervisor sees you aping a customer with a physical condition or handicap. This situation calls for stealth.

Step Two - Positioning:

This is the most important part. Moving naturally by putting away stock, of just cleaning up a bit you have to position yourself in a place where you are directly facing your co-worker so you are clearly in their line of sight, but not visible to the customers he is waiting on.

Step Three - The Set Up:

Most casually you have to gain eye contact with your co-worker, and give them a half smile. This signifies that you recognize that there is a potentially humorous situation at hand, and implies that you will both have a laugh about it later. It also gets the co-worker distracted, and thinking about the humorous situation in front of him. This in turn will require effort (not too much, though) by the co-worker not to smile as his brain has begun working on funny things to say later. Now the co-worker is aware of you, and will soon look your way again soon. I don't know why we do this, but we do.

Step Four - The Payoff:

Now that your co-worker is comfortable with the 'funny' and thinking you're both in on something that will make for a great story to tell. it's time to pull the rug from out under his feet and make your move. It's integral that you do not meet their eye contact the first time they look your way. When they do, they are looking for confirmation that something was funny, but you don't want to meet that. You want the next one. He's going to look back soon, not wanting you to miss the funny thing that's happening (this could be anything the customer does that sets him off). It seems we can't stand the thought of someone missing something funny...it puts people in an excited state. This is what you've been waiting for. When you feel them looking at you again, you have to move fast. Look up at the co-worker with eyes wide open, holding them open even further with your fingers.

Step Five - The Getaway:

Not many people would have Kyle's control. He was listening to the customer in the middle of her sentence when I made my move, and immediately dropped his head smiling; showing incredible self control for not losing his stuff. This is when you jet. You have to get around a corner or out of sight, because as the customer is asking their question they are intently watching the co-worker for his response/reaction. They will know that his eyes broke contact for a second, and they he stifled a laugh; after which they will turn around to see what was so funny. This leads to bonus gag of them wondering what the heck he's laughing at.

Number Three:

Bonus customer service story - Rising above the situation:

Setting: A small 5 star Inn - 3:51am. The night shift on the Front Desk.
Customer: A gentleman who is a guest in the establishment, who has been drinking.
Scene: I am training a new employee who has been doing all of the work, I am halfway through a shift where I have been fighting against falling asleep. I'm in the back room playing Scrabble online.

Customer: Um, Hello?
In my head: Bug off! Unless you can give me a word using the letters G-H-A-A-A-Z-X.....
What I say: (coming around the corner...subconsciously noting that something isn't right) Yes, how may I be of assistance? (It was a fancy place, we used the word ' assistance' instead of 'help')

Customer: I was looking for a bathroom and locked myself out of my room, can you give me another key?
In my head: Moron. How can you lock yourself out of your room? I mean...you've got a bathroom in your room how can you......(This is where I notice that the man's not wearing a shirt. Our doors are locked, so I know he's not coming off the street)
What I say: Sure, what's your last name, and what is the room number? (Playing it cool)

Customer - Mr. Smith, room 102 (right around the corner. Strangely, he is holding a pillow in front of him against the counter. I notice also that there is a pillow missing from the couch over there...wait a second....THIS GUY'S NAKED!!!)
In my head: THIS GUY'S NAKED, HOLY CRAP!!!! What the heck is going on here???
What I say: Excellent sir, here's your key (handing him his new key, with a polite "I'm-not going-to-show-that-this-is-a-weird-ass-situation" smile on my face to play it cool).

Now the guy is just staring at me like I'm bothering him. Took me about a second to realize that I should get back to Scrabble so I wouldn't see him walk back to his room. I wanted to burn the pillow. The whole time, the trainee was in the kitchen cooking, not knowing a thing about what had just happened.

The guy was still a little drunk, left his room thinking he was going into the bathroom, and the door closed an auto locked before he could catch it. He was stuck standing stark naked in the lobby of the Inn, and had to walk over to get a key. I can just imagine being on the street looking in through the window seeing this bare-assed guy standing at the front desk in the lobby. Priceless. The picture at the top is the actual lobby this happened in, and the front desk is visible on the left...

I've got a ton of these folks...I'll post em as I remember them.

This post is simply satire.

It's been a while...

2007-10-17T19:51:00.000-04:00

Ugh. I know less about HTML than I do Scientology, so this outside template deal didn't work out. At least this is a different color. Hope you all like it. Here is a pic of my dog - Mikey. What a guy!

We got an Imac, so it has been fun learning how to use it. I'm looking into podcasts...I just have to find something to talk about.

Later.

Renovations

2007-10-13T17:43:00.001-04:00

I'm tired of the look of the blog so I am trying new things to spruce it up. Site will be under construction for a while.

Wicked Awesome

2007-09-27T14:34:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed that we're not posting the answers to Trivial Tuesday anymore; the reason being that more people can play backdated TT's starting any time. Search for Trivial Tuesday in the labels at the bottom of the blog to link to all of the past Trivial Tuesdays.

Mike!

Trivial Tuesday: Christmas Edition

2007-09-26T17:51:00.000-04:00

What is one thing that unites most Canadians when looking back upon their childhood? No, not beer. Or moose. Nor, is it maple syrup poured hot into the snow for a delicious treat. I never had that.
It's the Sears Christmas Wish Book silly! Since I was a greedy little bugger, I'm sure I spent more hours pouring over this book than I did any of my scholastic text books. The sheer glossy joy of flipping page after page of the nation's most desirable toys neatly displayed in a separate boy section, and the less cool girl section.
Everyone had 'the toy' that they would desire year after year regardless of it's price, or utter unrealistic promise of fun. For me, it was Power Wheels and those remote control race car tracks that had the loop-de-loops and could run up your wall. Wow.
In premature celebration of this holiday and book, this Trivial Tuesday will be ripped right from the pages of the most celebrated catalogue in Canadian childhood history. Good luck!

1. How many little buggers are there on the cover?

2. How many VHS players are there for sale in the catalogue?

3. On the GPS device, how many more hours until they arrive at their destination (the one with the 3.5" screen)

4. Who is the most called man in the Sears catalogue? What's his number?

5. What are Hal and Joanne standing beside?

6. What is the most disturbing doll in the catalogue (in the whole "why would me kid care" category).

7. Which page has the most ducks on it? How many?

8. How much does the bad-assed Gaugho power wheels type vehicle cost? Would you be crazy to spend that on a kid for Christmas (there is a right answer)?

9. Who is having the most fun on page 951?

10. What is the scale of the big A/C road race set?

Good luck, and happy shopping!

There's a bonus Trivial Tuesday below! Also, say 'hi' to Kenneth the page from NBC's '30 Rock' on Thursday nights.

Trivial Tuesday Bonus Edition!

2007-09-26T17:24:00.000-04:00

What is it about me that can go without posting for so long. What is it that becomes unattractive about it? Am I just so lazy that the thought of the thing causes me to move on to something else, something easier? I think so, and this is the self image I hold of myself. Lazy. So as an apology, here's a bonus Trivial Tuesday...about me.

Here's the questions to Trivial Tuesday: My Facebook/Bonus Edition (I know...seems lazy, but I think it's fun). If I'm not your friend yet...add me. I'm cool, and I don't shave my armpits or chest (I'm a dude).

1. How many Facebook friends do I have?

2. Which favorite show causes me to offer an open challenge to you, a Facebook reader?

3. How many Schrute Bucks have I been given?

4. How many continents have I ever been to?

5. What do I currently own in the FSX?

6. What am I rated the highest for in my 'Compare People' network? (Doesn't say much for the network...)

7. Who always wanted to go to Fenway?

8. Who thinks Boston isn't big enough for two green monsters?

9. What are the only six movies that I have given 5 out of 5 stars to?

10. Can you guess what was my least desirable super power in the super powers quiz?

There. Hope you know me better, and that you have learned something ;) Good luck, and watch out for shopping carts flying throughout parking lots...

Trivial Tuesday

2007-09-19T12:40:00.000-04:00

I was off on training out-of-province so the results from the last Trivial Tuesday, and this weeks Trivial Tuesday will all be up later on today (tonight).

Mike

Pakastani - Canadian Relations

2007-09-19T11:37:00.000-04:00

Brannigans Law has never shied away from sharing it's feelings about you, the reader. Rare is the finding of an inanimate website that actually has the ability to express its love to its readers, so I like to think of Brannigans Law as a diamond in the e-rough.
Looking at the potential of how a finding like this could affect the world is like looking into the eyes of a child...it's seemingly limitless.
As the creator of Brannigans Law (the blog, not the law), I receive hundreds and hundreds of emails every week about how this web log has changed the lives of people all over the world:

"...if not for your blog, I'd still be eating fish...." Raoul, Brazil

"Reading your blog daily has cured my skin failure!" Mona, Cleveland Ohio

"Will you marry me? I've never been loved by a blog before....I can't go back!" Mo'Eisha, Brooklyn New York

".....something totally indiscernible....." Some guy from where I can only guess is Russia.

Many of you will be startled at this hard evidence of love received around the world, but I am not. The world has been hungering for PG rated e-love for years. Prior to this blog, the internet was a shallow pool of love with algae and lots of dead leaves; but with Brannigans Law, a vassal running deep, far, and wide of pure and clean goodness has finally come into existence!

The most moving thing yet that I have seen...is the Muslim coloured curtain is starting to come down. My first Pakastani visitor has seen Brannigans Law with their own two eye(s) (one could have been lost through sectarian violence).
In a country where the west is hated by some, the love that Brannigans Law has to offer....has been felt (according to my ewebcounter) for one whole second. It's a start.

The post that took twelve hours to write...

2007-09-14T10:42:00.000-04:00

Er...I haven't been posting too much lately.

Sorry. I was playing basketball last night, and had a pretty good night. Lately I've been ballooning in weight, so I figure I should haul my sorry ass out for some exercise (much to the woe of my knees) and start to lose the weight.
It's no coincidence that this weeks Trivial Tuesday was about fast food. Damn my laziness and damn the convenience of the fast food industry. I have grown fat suckling from the double-pattied-teat of the burger and fries joints of the world.
So basketball went awesome last night. I was rebounding a little, and I was moving well with and without the ball (for someone who hasn't played frequently for a while) and even running a bit ;)
Zach Stephens would have been impressed with my tenacity on the boards. He's the best rebounder I've ever played with or against - you should see him go. He's Charles Barkley: undersized, but incredibly well positioned to get the ball.
I hit a three to end one game, and it was a great feeling. I used to be a good shooter, but now I'm crap. I hope that with running and weights that I can bring myself down to a respectable 220lbs in the future. Wish me luck.

So, I started writing this post at work; around 11:00am this morning. It's now close to 11:00pm and I am getting ready for bed. Jason & Kristi Paulino were just here and it was awesome to see them again. We feel very connected to them in a kindred spirits kind of way. The kind of kindred
spirits that you only see every few months. We love seeing them, and enjoy the outlook on life that we as couples share.
We watched some episodes of the Office season three and talked for a while about things and stuff. Tomorrow, I hope to do the bulk of the work necessary for next week's big game I am running. Mike out.

Picture: Moon Knight and Spider Man...Finch is so awesome!