Monday, October 25, 2010
Open Letter to My Teachers
Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
Is are was were am be been
Has have had
Do does did
May might must can could
Will would shall should
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
I before E except after C
8 x 6 = 48
8 x 7 = 56
8 x 8 = 64
8 x 9 = 72
A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y
Dear Teachers:
Now that you've used up all the memory registers in my brain with this trivia, I have just one question:
Where the hell are my car keys?
Respectfully,
Jeanne
Monday, October 18, 2010
That Time of Year
Yesterday, a notation on the grocery list reminded me that it's that time of year again: the Great American Blubberbutt Fest.
GABF, for those of you unfamiliar with this holiday, begins in October with Halloween candy and doesn't finally wind down until the last New Year's Eve cocktails--and cocktail weenies--are tossed back.
Think of it as a kind of reverse-Ramadan, only twice as long and twenty times as fattening.
During this time, people will carry in to their place of work foods that they'd never make for their families, because they're just too unhealthy. And their co-workers will eat every bite and wash it all down with hot cocoa, or punch, or eggnog, which is whole milk to which has been added ten pounds of sugar, the yolks of a dozen eggs and some nutmeg.
Because nutmeg is famed for its ability to reverse heart disease.
At our house the pre-season warmup has already begun. The note on the grocery list was Old Dog's reminder to himself to stock up on Halloween candy. Beggar's Night, aka Trick or Treat, is still two weeks away, but we now have a supply of Reese's peanut butter cups, Fast Break bars and Butterfinger Miniatures on the kitchen counter. (At least, we did. We now have half a supply.)
In case you're not festive enough on your own, GABF always runs in parallel to school fundraisers, where adorable little boys in Cub Scout uniforms show up on your porch with kegs of popcorn (buttered popcorn, cheese popcorn, caramel popcorn, chocolate popcorn...) and adorable little girls call on the phone to ask how many Mint Moneypits and Caramel Cashsuckers Grandma and Grandpa are willing to spring for. Because if she sells $20,000 worth, she'll receive a stuffed animal worth $4.99.
(And don't bother to offer to simply buy her said toy--it has a paper tag hanging from its paw that makes it magical and special, and it can only be won by selling a gazillion Peppermint Pocket-Pickers)
Hmm.
I may need to work on my holiday spirit.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Another Rule
Monday, October 4, 2010
Worst Ad Copy EVER
My friend, Nicole, who, in addition to being one of the world's best critique partners, has a marketing and copywriting business called Keylocke Services (www.keylocke.com) sent me this ad copy (NOT her copy, mind you) she saw for a groupon:
Like a potato, if the human body is not properly mashed and moisturized, it will never be used for anything more than a science- project battery. Make sure your body is fluffed and buttered with today's soothing Groupon: for $20, you get a one-hour massage (up to a $65 value) at (company name deleted to protect the innocent).
(Company) offers soothing massage therapy within a calm and comfortable environment. Each hour-long massage ($65 value, $50 for anyone under 18 years old) utilizes the steady-handed skills of a talented staff of certified muscle molders. A variety of techniques are melded together to provide a mélange of optimal relaxation. Customers may delineate their desired pressure or area of focus, and the massage will be customized to suit their individual needs. Massage therapy helps the overworked masses shed their stress like a snake shedding an unfashionable judge's wig. Let firm arm paddles and a skillful touch provide a proper stress-blasting session with today’s Groupon to (company).
As Nicole's friend, Amy, said, "Wrap me in tin foil and bake me! Why would I want to go to a spa to be treated like a potato?"
All I can say is: I didn't even know snakes wore wigs.
Like a potato, if the human body is not properly mashed and moisturized, it will never be used for anything more than a science- project battery. Make sure your body is fluffed and buttered with today's soothing Groupon: for $20, you get a one-hour massage (up to a $65 value) at (company name deleted to protect the innocent).
(Company) offers soothing massage therapy within a calm and comfortable environment. Each hour-long massage ($65 value, $50 for anyone under 18 years old) utilizes the steady-handed skills of a talented staff of certified muscle molders. A variety of techniques are melded together to provide a mélange of optimal relaxation. Customers may delineate their desired pressure or area of focus, and the massage will be customized to suit their individual needs. Massage therapy helps the overworked masses shed their stress like a snake shedding an unfashionable judge's wig. Let firm arm paddles and a skillful touch provide a proper stress-blasting session with today’s Groupon to (company).
As Nicole's friend, Amy, said, "Wrap me in tin foil and bake me! Why would I want to go to a spa to be treated like a potato?"
All I can say is: I didn't even know snakes wore wigs.
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