Category Archives: General

The product name rule

Yesterday I was reminded of a rule-of-thumb I had created a number of years ago regarding product names. Unfortunately, I don’t remember its origional form, but it boils down to the following:

Any product that has a superlative, a color, or an animal in its title, is generally not good.

Now, there are exceptions to the rule, but in general, here’s evidence I present for this rule:

  1. Red Dog – color and animal
  2. Seattle’s Best Coffee – superlative
  3. Milwaukee’s Best – superlative
  4. Pabst Blue Ribbon – color and possibly suprlative if you consider “blue ribbon” to be first prize

It is curious to note that most of my examples in the theory are beer. 🙂 One corallary is that if the beer type is named after color, it should be excused. Otherwise, passible things such as Leiny’s Red and Killian’s Red, would fall under the rule.

Exceptions to the rule:

  1. Grey Goose Vodka
  2. Johnny Walker Blue
  3. Blue Moon

As I find more exceptions, maybe my rule isn’t that good…..

Buns of steel? Boobies of titanium!

Link thanks to MARK NOTARUS

What a lovely pair of titaniums!

A doctor in Germany has invented the world’s first titanium bra – and it’s meant to be worn under the skin.

Dr Ziya Saylan, president of the European Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, has developed a technique to implant cups of titanium mesh under the breasts.

They are then attached to the patient’s ribs and muscle. The effect is claimed to be instant, youthful-looking boobs with invisible lift.

Christina Filiaggi will be really happy to hear about this!

[Update 6/25: Stephen requested that I also put a link to Christina’s sailor suit.]

[Update 9/30: This post is hit so often via google, I came back to reread it. I realized that there was no context on my Christina comment. Here it is….

At about the time this story came out, there was a discussion on the Roe Show about boob saggage related to some bra discussion. Christina said that if she didn’t have a bra, people wouldn’t think she’s as hot as they think she is. She related a story about how some guy was into her but made some comment about bras being not needed or something. So, she went into the bar bathroom and took of her bra, and then the guy wasn’t so much into her.]

[Update 2/1/2008: Hello, Roe Conn listeners! Sorry, you’ll not get $1 to Christina this way!]

[Update 2/25/2008: Hello again, Roe Conn listeners! Are you looking for the auction?]

House update or “Yes, I’ll be broke for awhile.”

On Saturday we’re getting the new furnace and air conditioner. On Tuesday, a repair guy is coming out to look at the dryer. *sigh* Unfortunately, they are not free. At least they are getting fixed.

Sarah pointed out to me that I forgot to mention in my last post that I had to replace the sump pump last month when it was raining constantly. Imagine my joy. At least the battery backup was there and did its job. Unfortunately, we burned out the battery as it was running to long. At least that’s just a car battery that needs to be replace.

At least there is a good house-related thing to report. My in-laws are here to help us bridge the gap between Sarah returning to work and Dinah starting at day care. My father-in-law, while not making faces at his granddaughter, has been putting a floor in our attic. Its something I’ve been putting off, as it wasn’t yet a huge priority. In either case, he’ll do a much better job than I would and I can get some stuff out of the basement.

Another one bites the dust (or owning a home sucks sometimes)

Generally, I really like owning a house. I like having a backyard. I like having a finished basement that includes a home office and home theater. I like having a huge master bedroom and master bathroom. I like having a formal dining room (altought saying that makes me feel like a bit of a sissy.) In the case of the current house, I like having a forest preserve behind the house. I’ve also taken to mowing the lawn. Its cheap forced exercise, if nothing else.

However, when things break they seem to be expensive, happen at inconvient times, and happen in groups.
Continue reading Another one bites the dust (or owning a home sucks sometimes)

The Sanctity of Marriage

J.Lo Reportedly Weds Singer Marc Anthony

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Jennifer Lopez reportedly married Marc Anthony in a small ceremony at her home, less than six months after she ended her high-profile engagement to Ben Affleck.

For Lopez, 34, the marriage would mark her third – the first was to waiter Ojani Noa in 1997, the second to dancer Cris Judd in 2001. Noa lasted a little more than a year; Judd for nine months.

Anthony, the Latin singing sensation, just divorced former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres last week in the Dominican Republic.

(Emphasis added by me.)

Can someone tell me how gay people are going to ruin marriage again? I just don’t see how, given crap like this.

A documentary on the southern suburbs wherein my in-laws get the shaft

Tonight, during their pledge drive Channel 11, WTTW, Chicago’s PBS station aired two very cool programs put together by Geoffrey Baer. Sarah and I ended up watching both of them.

The first was called Chicago’s Lakefront that was filmed 5 years ago or so. It covers the lake front of the city and many of the sites and pieces of architecture along the lake. It was well worth the time to watch and I recommend it if you get a chance to see it.

The other was called South of Chicago: Suburbs, Steel Mills, and Shorelines. It started in Gary, Indiana, and traveled up Lake Michigan, and then down the Calumet river, to the Cal-Sag Channel, and then south when the Channel starts to cut west. It was really interesting and I know a lot more about the southern suburbs then I did before I watched it. I also recommend watching this one if you get the chance.

One reason we decided to watch this one as well was to see if it mentioned South Holland and its history. We were interested in South Holland for a number of reasons. One reason is that South Holland was the onion set capital of the world . The most important reason is the fact that the Peter Peerbolte Company was there. The Peter Peerbolte Company was an onion farming company. They even had their own train cars, which you can now find as models.

In any case, Sarah is a descendant of Peter Peerbolte. He was her great-great grandpa. What we’ve been told is that with the onion company, he owned most of the land that is now the town of South Holland. Unfortunately, the Great Depression took its toll and he had to sell everything. Its worth nothing that he did not end up buried in debt as he managed to pay back everyone he owed money to with the proceeds from selling off the company. He had enough money to buy a farm in Kankakee, which is how my wife’s mom’s family ended up there. But I digress…

In any case, during the discussion of South Holland, the Peerbolte family wasn’t mentioned. Sarah was upset about that. However, its caused us to question how big the farm was, and if they were the only farm in South Holland. I think we may be visiting the South Holland historical society to do some research as we’re both interested. Why are we interested? I’m not sure, it might be only so we can tell Dinah more of her family history when we get that far.

Baer is currently working on a new documentary about the North-West suburbs that I’m looking forward to seeing when WTTW airs it.

[Update 5/26/2011: Sarah was doing some web searching and came across some found film footage of Peter Peerbolte and his family in 1929.]

Red Forman kicks ass

I was watching TV while holding Dinah this evening. One of the things I watched was That 70’s Show. I thought to myself, “Everything I ever needed to know about being a father, I learned from watching Red Forman.” Okay, not really, but Red kicks ass.

My favorite bit of Red Wisdom:
“You know, son, alcohol and women can be a lot of fun when used seperately. But when mixed, they can make you a real dumbass.”