a totally cool how-to article that mixes craft, repurposing, and plants. I think I just came a little.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-book-planters-145212 11 months ago

best line:
“Getting mayo off a sandwich is like trying to take a nude photo of yourself off the Internet. It cannot happen.”

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2012/05/i-hate-mayonnaise-twitter-tren.html#ixzz1vpYWPaHU 12 months ago

I said 2012 is to be my year of CHANGE, but I had no idea how big until I read “Aries 2012 May Horoscope for Finance: You may encounter some financial needs, but you will find relief in the form of monetary help from wife.”

crikey, not only am I apparently changing my sexual orientation but I’m also getting married. To a lady with cash.

huh. 12 months ago

Why is it when people (like me) argue against proposed laws that are designed to discriminate and oppress, we are said to be “religion bashing” but when those same people argue for these laws because of some perceived “moral right”, they claim “freedom of speech” and “freedom of religion”? 12 months ago

I have been coveting clothes from IGIGI for years. This desire increased exponentially once I discovered they ship internationally. As a full figured woman, I just cannot find clothing appropriate for my shape and style here (no offense intended, UK, it’s just that our styles are different and I’m fat – so my choices are practically nil), Bravissimo looks like a close contender (oh dear gawd they have some lovely stuff), but most of their stuff is just for big boobed gals and I have both a tummy and a huge rack.

sigh. Back to IGIGI.
I can’t wait until I’m employed. I hereby promise myself that 6 months after I start working again (anytime now, universe, anytime) I will treat myself to something adorable. Maybe even something like this:
12 months ago

this is a recent photo from one of my flickr buddies who takes the most amazing people shots. I think the shot is awesome, but looking at it I have to ask – is it just me, or does she look a bit like a vampire? It’s not a criticism, I think she has an amazing smile, but since no one else mentioned it I thought maybe it was just me…

(here’s the link to view the image larger)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/csh223/7122040733/ 12 months ago

hahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHA

I’m assuming y’all have heard about this poorly written but massively popular bondage e-book ‘50 Shades of Grey’... yes?

Well, here is a clip of Ellen DeGeneres recording the audiobook.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=on3JCwnwHbU

hahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHA 12 months ago

apparently, as of March 18, I have been on this site for SEVEN YEARS.

huh. 13 months ago

I was SO done with True Blood and had absolutely no interest in watching anymore episodes – but I’ve just now come across info that Christopher Meloni will be in at least 4 episodes.

crap.

looks like I’ll be watching Season 5 after all.

I mean, naked vampires and naked werewolves are well and good, but a naked Christopher Meloni? Oh, my. 13 months ago

Miss Universe pageant ousts transgender contestant

“As with any competition, the Miss Universe pageant has rules which apply to all of its franchises around the world. Such rules include, but are not limited to, citizenship, age, and marital status requirements. Additionally, the rules currently state that all contestants must be naturally born females,” the Miss Universe Organization said.

Those rules are not mentioned on the Miss Universe website.

shame on you Miss Universe Organization!14 months ago

This makes me so angry.

An antiques dealer has been jailed for eight years for handling a stolen copy of Shakespeare’s first folio.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-16248908

and yet a Devon man who raped and abused girls over a period of nearly 40 years has been jailed for 12 years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wear-10838480

Interesting to note the value our society places on young girls. 14 months ago

From: order enquiries
To: hotmale@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2012 10:54:11 +0000
Subject: Address Query

Good Morning Gertie,
Thank you for your recent order. Could you please provide an apartment number or house number for the below address so we can deliver you item?

Gertie
1313 Mockingbird Lane
Flat 1/3
Glasgow
G7 1BQ

I appreciate your time.

Amy Dumbass
Website Customer Services

From: hotmale@hotmail.com
Sent: 06 February 2012 13:07
To: enquiries
Subject: RE: Address Query

Hello Amy
I’m confused by your request as both my flat and building numbers are already in the address information you have…

From: order enquiries
To: hotmale@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2012 15:50:21 +0000
Subject: RE: Address Query

Hi Gertie
Sorry for the inconvenience.
I was asked by our couriers to see if you have a flat number?
If not its no problem, I just wanted to check and make sure the address was correct.

Kind regards
Amy Dumbass
Website Customer Services

From: hotmale@hotmail.com
To: order enquiries
Subject: RE: Address Query
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2012 16:09:57 +0000

Hi Amy
No inconvenience, merely confusion since you already know my flat number. I confirm my flat number is Flat 1/3.
Please let the couriers know that the buzzer system has my name, so they’ll be able to ring the correct flat.

thank you, 14 months ago

fun website to waste time on: http://www.unkno.com/

I liked this one-
“Each of the suits on a deck of cards represents the four major pillars of the economy in the middle ages: heart represented the Church, spades represented the military, clubs represented agriculture, and diamonds represented the merchant class. “

ooh – and this one
“Orange, month, and purple are the only words in English that don’t have another word that rhymes with it.” 15 months ago

review of the new Muppet movie from the shiznet
“Right from the opening number, everything in Muppetworld just feels wonderful and fabulous and happy. There isn’t a single moment that isn’t soaked in sunshine. It’s what I imagine getting dick-slapped by a unicorn feels like. “

(heh) 15 months ago

I read this somewhere recently… I think it was in someone’s signature on a chat board. The only one of those that I (sometimes) read, though, is imdb so it’s possible I saw the quote either here or FB. Tried to g00gle it, but results came back with a slightly different version and even that with two different authors. So, I cannot tell you where I got this or who said it, but I like it:

“Minds are like books, they only function when open.” 15 months ago

so, half of my £200 government allowance for continuing education has been spoken for – I start a Studio Photography class on the 21st of January.

I’ve been thinking it would be a waste to not use that second half.

Of all the courses available, during the necessary time frame, I find myself intrigued by “The Art of Acting”. Acting 1 covers the art of acting, improvisation, movement, voice, developing a character and working with texts from the classics to the contemporary repertoire. The classes are text-based, and involve physical activity. Classes draw on approaches to acting by major exponents of the art, ranging from Stanislavsky, Brecht and Grotowski to Uta Hagen.

The very thought of this class both thrills and nauseates me.

Do I dare? 16 months ago

man, I hated doing it and put it off for as long as I could but this afternoon I bit the bullet and sent notification to my creditors that I wouldn’t be making my payments.

I included a brief explanation of unemployment, etc. and a brief description of what I’ve been doing to try and get a job. I know it won’t make a difference to the fact that I actually owe them money, but hiding away from it won’t help either and at least they are now aware of the situation and know what my plans are.

This sort of stuff makes me very anxious, and twists my stomach into knots, but I feel relief now that it is over and done with. Well, at least that part is over and done with. 17 months ago

I’m an admin for a couple of groups on flickr. One small glasgow group recently had some photos added to the group that apparently one of the members didn’t like, because he sent me this email:

“Hi Gertie, Please have the Image of the two lads being intimate with each other removed from group and ask them, that if they wish to display that type of Image, they should start a new group dedicated to enable people to have a choice whither to join to view such Images. Rather than people being subjected to Images of that nature on a public group like [this one]. we have to remember that persons of an age ranging from child, teenager to young adult and beyond visit these public groups. I would also suggest that a group rule be introduced accordingly. I invite and look forward to your views/response.”

At this point I wasn’t 100% sure if he was objecting to the kissing, or the fact that it was two guys kissing. I sent the following reply:

“Hi,
I’m sorry that you are having an issue with one of the images in the group pool, however I don’t see anything objectionable and wouldn’t have a problem with my boss, a priest, my granny, or even a child seeing it. I am unwilling to censor or create rules of censor for this group. If you find that you cannot accept this decision, and wish to quit the group and perhaps start a new one, please know that while your participation here will be missed – you will have my full support. kind regards, Gertie”

I’d also thrown in an explanation of the ‘safe search filter’ that flickr has.

I got this as his reply, “Hi, Thanks for reply…..I guess I will just have to feel physically sick each time I see such an Image.”

A snarky reply was quick to the tongue, but I held it in check and decided to not engage with him further. Then, feeling pretty certain at this point that the man was a homophobe, all doubt was removed when he subsequently posted a photo to the pool of two zombies kissing. A hetero couple, mind you.

I know that people like him exist out there, but it stunned me to find out that someone I was associated with (even mildly through flickr) was one of those. 17 months ago

I was so damn proud of myself, having not only created and printed my holiday card address labels but for also having affixed all of the “To” and “From” labels to the envelopes and assembling the cards.

Then I went to the Post Office yesterday and found out it will cost £1.65 ($2.57 US) to post just one card to America.

And I have 22 cards with that particular destination.

Fuck me. When did the price of a stamp start to equal that of gold?

I thought maybe I should forget the cards and just do postcards again this year, but even then the price is £1.10 each (not to mention £23 to order postcards) and I just don’t have that kind of money. I’m feeling a bit shit that I can’t even afford to send my family, friends, and customers a Season’s Greetings card.

hey Universe – I’m ready to not be poor anymore. 17 months ago

knock at the door, there’s a guy there says he’s from British Gas and is to read my electricity meter.

why would you need to read my meter, I use top-up?

I’m to read all meters

I get that you are to read all meters, I’m asking WHY when you don’t submit me a bill

I have to read all meters so they know how much electricity to charge you for

Do you understand what a top-up meter is?

Yes.

Then you understand that I don’t get bills, I take the card to the shop and buy what electricity I want to use and put the card in the meter

You can go online then to submit a reading

WHY would I need to submit a reading when I use top-up

So they can send you a bill

How is it this person has a job, and I don’t? 18 months ago

with an entry title like that you’re probably expecting me to be writing about some new bloke I fancy… alas, except for the hotty who was parking a car on my street, all the men I summon any interest in these days are only on the movie screen. Although this lack of interest has necessitated I nickname my love life “Sahara”, it does at least mean that no one’s leaving their fucking dirty clothes on my clean floors. Small favours.

The great love I’m referring to is for GLASGOW, specifically, and SCOTLAND, generally. How else can I explain the utter euphoria I feel every time I watch a program that shows my hometown? Or somewhere up North? I practically squealed with glee (dear gawd, not to be confused with the tv show Glee) the other night watching the Grand Tours of Scotland (series 2), when in Episode 1 Paul Murton is shown driving through city centre. I live in Glasgow, am watching the show while sitting in Glasgow, and still my heart does a wee pitter-patter. Crazy. Crazy in love, I tell ya.

Whenever I go North, I may not be mindful of the exact moment we’ve crossed into the Highlands, but my body knows. It gives me the heads up by releasing tears, and splitting my face with a shit-eating grin. It’s a gentle release of the ache I’ve been holding in, a homesickness for the homeLAND of my soul.

Oh, Scotland, how I love thee.
18 months ago

oh wow, one of my favourite bloggers (mattbites) is being featured in the Martha Stewart food magazine.

18 months ago

hey, I just noticed I’ve given out exactly 11000 cheers.
excellent! 18 months ago

another cool discovery this evening – 50 different countries have visited me here on 43Things:

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
China
Colombia
Croatia
Czech Republic
Estonia
Finland
Germany
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Malaysia
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Singapore
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States 18 months ago

I’m watching the first episode of BBC’s Frozen Planet and was curious about the gorgeous colour of the melting ice.

From wikipedia:
“While relatively small quantities of water are observed by humans to be colorless, pure water has a slight blue color that becomes a deeper blue as the thickness of the observed sample increases. The blue hue of water is an intrinsic property and is caused by selective absorption and scattering of white light. Impurities dissolved or suspended in water may give water different colored appearances.”

how cool is that? 18 months ago

my sister just snapped this photo of Miss Molly

gawd I miss that dog. 18 months ago

um, please disregard. I just FIXED it. Started playing around with the different channels and figured out that the interference was coming from my mic setting. Muted that, and the speaker (and earbuds) work just fine now. Phew!!

I mentioned on a wishlist entry that my mini-speaker isn’t working right (lots of white noise), which I figured occurred due to the repeated “dropping onto ground” incidents.

So tonight, for the video chat with my sister, I plugged in my earbuds. The connection was spotty, but we had a nice chat, and then as I signed off and disconnected the microphone I noticed that I was hearing “white noise” through my earbuds. WTF?

I went into the other room, grabbed my mp3 player, plugged the mini-speaker into that and whaddya know … there’s no noise.

Two things about this discovery.

1) yay that the mini speaker’s not bad (those things really rock), although kinda sucky since I just ordered a new one and really could have used that money elsewhere (but still okay since they are quite awesome and with two it’s a party, right?)

2) I think this means that the speaker is going out on my netbook. major bummer. 19 months ago

this is appalling.
I understand wanting to defend the freedom of speech, but this page advocates a crime – how can fb NOT remove it?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/15130624 19 months ago