Linky Day Wednesday - Saturday edition

It's that time again, the time when Tuckmac brings you cute, strange, disturbing, or just bizarre links from around the Intertubes.

• Okay, I am pretty sure this's been around for AGES, but... I'm also fairly sure I've never linked to it before. I do love the bloke/bird that came up with this, though... Tom the cat.
• Okay, Tuckmac gets a wee bit political here. Lately, there's been a large, well... Let's actually be true here, a BOAT-LOAD of younger progressive liberal-type kids in their twenties, supporting Ron Paul, the c*nt. Now, I just have to say that the guy is NOT a good thing for America. The last thing our country needs is to go from a bloody Fundamentalist-Rightist-Boob-Republican to a Protectivist-FarRightist-Nazi-Sneaky-Libertarian. And, luckily, there's a good Left-leaning blogger out there that did the 10 reasons that folks should NOT support Ron Paul.
• Phew... Glad I got that political stuff off my chest. Okay, next up is a doozy. You want gross? You want camp? You want a shoot-em-up bad guys, good guys, all getting it IN THE FACE? Then you want Machine Girl
• I adore Hugh Laurie. Adore him. And thus, when I discovered that the doctor on T.V., known as House, is Hugh Laurie... Well, I started to watch the show in earnest. Now, I'll admit, I had seen the show a few times, and I had liked it, but... Not enough to really call myself a fan, or anything. My Lady and I were watching the show, and she's all: "That's Hugh Laurie", and I look at the guy, and think... Man, she's slipped. Hugh Laurie's an English bloke, and he's a comedian, and the guy playing the role of House, looks nothing.... Like... Wait a MINUTE?!?!?!?!?!??! Okay, story over... Yes, I think it's weird that Hugh Laurie does such a good job on an American TV show... But he does. Anyhoo... Here's the funny... I actually SAW the episode you'll see in the link, and thought... Jeez could they repeat this phrase any bloody more? And then six months or so later, I found This Site and realised that I was not the only fan that thought the script writers worked themselves into a bit of a repetitive plot.
• Are you right or left brained? Want to take a non-scientific, and thus flawed, ridiculous on-line test to find out a vague approximation of the truth? Of course you do.
• Finally, a simple joke that I'm sure most of my British readers will get a particular kick out of... My Yankee readers, well... You'll like IT too.

Well, fine readers... That's it for today's Linky Day Wednesday, Saturday edition. Have a Happy Holiday, 'k?

-- Tuckmac

Edit (About 10 minutes after finishing this post, I realised I didn't throw up the results of MY silly unscientific on-line test. Sorry.






--T

Edit: 18:59 CST
Fiona's just taken the "Right or Left Brained" On-line exam... Here's her results, as per HER request...



-T

We're stayin' put!

Great news was had by all this evening...

My Lady and I have been fretting for almost three weeks now, about our future living arrangements. See, if you didn't know, we live in a subsidised "artist" rental. Part of the "subsidisation" is that there's an income cap. You can't make MORE than that cap, and stay in the flats.

Well... That's not entirely true. After six months, you could win the lottery, or do really well in the art world... Like, um... Diablo Cody (Writer of the amazing film Juno that I spoke about a few posts ago...) and suddenly hit it extremely BIG, and yet... Still be allowed to stay in the flat.

Well... We are hedging around the cap... I'm doing pretty well, but not STELLAR in the money department, and My Lady... Well, she's still working at the 'odd gallery' as a Manager of the Volunteer Programs, but... Um... Yeah, like we don't get paid THAT much.

But... It was close. Too close.

So... Here we were, sweating... Wondering if we were going to get chucked out of our home, come January 31st, or... If we'd be staying. To add to the worry, our trip back home to Britain is Jan 15 - Jan 30th, so... It was going to be really interesting there, trying to find a place to live, and move in the next two and a half weeks.

Well...

We're fine. I came home to a letter tucked into our doorway, saying that, and I quote:

"We have completed your recertification paperwork, and lease, and need you to come and sign the final documents!"

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

So... I've signed the lease... We're waiting on My Lady (who happens to be working tonight) to sign her bits, and... We're good for another year.

Man... I can't beGIN to describe the relief.

Needless to say... I've had a few celebratory drinks... Hic.

Smiles to all our well wishers... Your vibes helped.

Thanks,
Tuckmac

Winter CAN be beautiful

I awoke today to a wonderful 'Winter Wonderland.'

It was foggy last night. And also below freezing... So...

You guessed it. (Or perhaps you didn't)

Hoar Frost!

I made about 20 pictures with my iPhone. These two were the only decent ones. Damn iPhone crap-camera...


Pine Tree, with frosting...


Maple Leaves, bright edges.

I'm off to do some Hi8 to DVD dubbing... Have a nice one folks.

-- Tucker

Just a quickie...

First, let me kick this one off with a SERIOUS recommendation...

Go see JUNO! It's the best film I've seen this year... Heck... The best I've seen in a LONG time... Well over a year.... I can't gush enough. It's actually THAT good.

My Lady thinks it's going to be the "Seminal Movie" of this generation. You know... Sort of like MY Seminal Movie was The Breakfast Club.

Anyhoo... It was that great.

Other than that... Um... Yeah. Well.

I'm at work. And I really should be working, instead of posting a gushing post about a bloody film. So.

Bye for now.

-- Tuckmac

You know those days, where everything seems a bit off?

ɔɐɯʞɔnʇ --

.sʎɐp ǝsoɥʇ ɟo ǝuo buıʌɐɥ ɯ,ı

Linky Day Wednesday (Saturday Edition)

It's been a bit of a long week, but not a 'bad' week, regardless. I'm in a fairly good mood, although I have barely seen My Lady all week, outside of visiting her at the The best pub in Minneapolis, which is also where My Lady works.

Anyhoo... I thought I'd throw up a quick "Linky Day Wednesday" today, as I've been fairly remiss in my 'amusing link' posts, as of late.

So... Without further ado the list:

• Today's post was actually seeded by this particular find on-line today: Prince Phillip's 15 best quotes. You see... My British readers will probably know of Prince Phillip's verbal gaffes, but I'm not sure about my Yankee readers... Yes... There is someone as miserable as OUR president at opening mouth, and inserting foot.
• I'm not sure if this is a 'real' thing, or if someone photoshopped it. However, it is rather amusing, and as I'm all about my amusing finds, I post it here: Google has opinions. Tee hee....
• This next link, is a group of photos that 'wax political' so that I do not have to do so myself. Thanks street-artists!
• There's times when the human race actually makes me feel less depressed about our current lives. Usually, it's when a whole bunch of folks get together to help push a trapped beached whale back into the ocean, or other examples of human altruism. (Small caveat: I tend to believe that a whale that 'beaches' itself is trying to commit suicide, and that by pushing the poor bugger back into the water, we're making the whale think to itself: "I'm such a failure, I can't even KILL myself properly." But I digress...) Back to the actual link... A bear got freaked out, and the photos tell the story.
• This is for any math-geeks out there... No, this cartoon would never happen in real life. You are doomed to be alone. Unless you get a job programming for Google. In which case you'll be so rich, at least a few really shallow women may actually pursue you. Don't hold your breath though.
• And finally, a really cool 'art type' on-line program that pulls photos randomly from Flickr, and creates an automated-infinite 'film' that feels pretty avant-garde. I was quite impressed. Depending on the imagery it pulls, it can be sexy, or silly, or just plain weird. Hope you like it.

Well... That's it for the day. I have to go start being the proper house-husband, and do the laundry, dishes, and make the bed.

Have a great weekend, readers.

-- Tuckmac

Friday, and I'm in an IHOP.

Greetings readers, from the title of the entry, I'm sure you've realised that I'm in an IHOP. That's "International House of Pancakes" to my out-country readers... When my Lady first arrived in the States, she saw the IHOP sign, and was flabbergasted. She had seen one of these places in an American film, once upon a time, and thought that it was 'pretend.'

Well... Nope. It's real. The pancakes are horrible. They are 'international' only in that they serve crepes as well as American-style pancakes. Well, 'crepes' is too nice a word for the gunky-doughy mess that they serve here. The food leaves quite a bit to be desired, and I'm not feeling that well, after finishing my breaky.

Why am I here then??? That's a very good question. It's certainly not for the haute cuisine.

My car is being serviced at the garage. The closest place to sit an drink coffee (and have free-wifi) is IHOP. End of explanation. I'm currently sitting across from the famed Mall of America, and surrounded by an entire passle of tourists from all over America. It's perhaps not the "INTERNATIONAL" House of Pancakes, but at least in this case, it's definitely the NATIONAL House of Pancakes.

I'm still in shock, that people come from all over my country, and the world, for that matter, to go to the Mall.

I mean...

Have a life, much?

Gah.

Anyhoo...

It's been really cold here, in Minnesota. We're having unseasonably cold temps, and quite a bit of snow. I can't say that I'm enjoying it all that much, at the mo'. It's -13°C (8°F) right now, but unlike the UK... It's rather sunny. That's the only thing that Minnesota winter has over Europe. It may be fridgid, and frightfully dire when it comes to the temperatures. However, the sun DOES shine at least half the time. Not that it warms one up very much, but at least we don't suffer from S.A.D. here.

Speaking of depression... I had a musing on my way home on Wednesday this week.

I was driving down University Ave, from N.E. Minneapolis to St. Paul. In the far distance, I caught a view of the Witches Hat Tower in Prospect Park. (Strangely enough, the photo that appears in that Wikipedia article is just about the view I had, except it was dark when I saw it... But I digress)

Anyhoo... I saw the tower in the distance. It was illuminated simply by the 'typical' city light-pollution. Clouds were moving slowly behind it, and the wind was whistling through my leaky window-seal on my car door.

I almost had to pull over. I was gripped by this feeling of pure aesthetic bliss. I'm not exaggerating... It was a realisation of a crystal clear moment of beauty.

And I thought to myself, as I recovered... Wow, I think I understand depression now. I think that what depression actually is, is the inability to SEE something like that and SEE the beauty. See the absolute 'rightness' that is the world, and one's life, at JUST such a moment. Depression, is a closing off. A place of darkness, where one has lost the ability to see the light.

And I realised also, that no matter how crazy my life is. No matter that I may be chucked out of my flat due to making TOO much money (which yes, I find ironic), no matter that money will always be a problem, or that I'm not finding enough time to make my artwork... Or that due to our busy schedules, My Lady and I rarely see each other...

No matter what...

I can still see the beauty.

I'll be okay.

Smiles, folks...

-- Tucker

What in the name off all things holy???

Folks, have you noticed that the Turner Prize just keeps getting more and more ridiculous? I mean...

Mark Wallinger?!?!?!?!?!?

I may as well just quit being an artist now. Obviously the art world has finally hit rock bottom.

Jaysus, Mary and Jumpin' Joe Hossefat!

-- Tuckmac

Edit: 3:05 CST-
My Lady has just sent me an e-mail saying how great this is.

Oops... And here I was making fun of the bear-suit wearing weirdo.

Och weel... Different strokes for different folks.

--T