The Sillys Journey into the Heart of Dorkness (new 12/15 - p. 23 criminy crackerswog)

[Loubon]

 

[Chapter 11]

According to his theory, the four certain funny things are:

4) Men dressed in women's clothing

This explains why the French love Jerry Lewis -- they're just naturally funny people.

During the ride I drill the kids on the four attitudes that they should be cultivating. "Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and that other one." "Equanimity." "Yeah, that one."

You forgot "aplomb". Just a suggestion.

In case you can't tell, I work with computers regularly, and I do not trust them. I think I am actually prejudiced against them. I know some are prejudiced against me. In the coming war between men and computers, I look forward to fragging me a few computers. Especially Dells.

What an interesting "window" into your apple-infested soul.

Haley's Addenda
Apparently it was my computer bag that threw them. They probably thought they had already gotten the computer out of the safe... like no one else brings two computers with them on vacation???

Only the really cool geeks. Kidding ... I'm a kidder.

I decide that the crocs are crocodiles that attack innocent feet. I will switch to better shoes.

Stop channeling Lou.

He hates spices, so I borrow his pickled ginger, and have progressively larger samples of wasabi wrapped in ginger.

Well, that's one way to clear out your sinuses.

Nice report. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Wideout]

Excellent report and addendas. Most enjoyable.

Weaksauce and geh are terms that are commonplace in the computer world, used quite a bit in gaming. Perhaps your exposure to them comes from somewhere else. Very fitting in your report though.

 

[Mr. Silly]

Recently at work the IT people encrypted the hard drives on all of the laptops, maybe that is something that you should consider doing

Yeah, I have thought about doing the FileVault thing, but I still don't like the idea of keeping my home on an encrypted disk image. Maybe HFS+ will get a native encryption scheme eventually, if that happens it would be preferable to me. Since Apple hired the BeFS guy, HFS+ has picked up journaling, ACLs, and a number of other features, so perhaps one day.

Hey, PrincessV, not sure H. is so pleased about this, but now we have a bit of a tradition of that sort of thing. Here was us in '04:

Mr. Silly - just curious - during your search for the word weaksauce, you didn't happen to see any pics of me, did ya????????????????????]

I only looked through the first seven pages of results, but they seemed to be mostly pictures of random objects, random strangers (though there many many asian people for some unknown reason), or random goofiness. There was a nice one of a hamster.

I disagree. My theory holds that any non-dessert food tastes better if you add butter, bacon, and cheese.

Even Sushi? What about Chinese food?

Hey nicolemarie, glad you like the report so far. Don't take anything Mr. Silly writes seriously.

I hope, for your sake, that you avoided Hester and Chesters Dino-Rama!

I realized that if I were to bring up that topic it would really require its own separate dedicated 8000 word post. The whole of DinoLand is a bit troubling in ways, especially to an aesthetically sensitive person, but that Hester and Chesters Dino-Rama really brings the bile to the back of the throat. And I am not really a bilious person. Now that bilious and melancholic have been brought up, I think I need to blather on about the theory of the four humors. That way I can use the words sanguine and phlegmatic more.

Do not, I repeat DO NOT try this on Soarin'.

The theming in Soarin' in California Adventure is actually pretty good. It is all aviation themed and there are a lot of interesting images/displays as you wait. But it's weak in Epcot. Luckily we FPed it every time we went on it so this never came up.

Hermione.

H. is such the Hermione. Luckily she has me to keep her down to Earth. Heh.

Loubon, that's a brilliant comic. I actually don't remember seeing that one hitherto, so it make me want to throw all Bill Watterson's ouvre on my Amazon wish list.

You forgot "aplomb". Just a suggestion.

Since we still haven't made it to day 2 yet, there are many and various virtues and character traits we will wind up obsessing on as we press forward. I am sure we brought up assertiveness at some point, but I never did go over aplomb explicitly. Maybe we need to book another trip.

In case you can't tell, I work with computers regularly, and I do not trust them. I think I am actually prejudiced against them. I know some are prejudiced against me. In the coming war between men and computers, I look forward to fragging me a few computers. Especially Dells.

What an interesting "window" into your apple-infested soul.

I actually quite like Macs except for three aspects:
1) CIFS/SMB (Windows file sharing) - whether it is because of a cocked up implementation of the CIFS filesystem plugin, or inherent evil on the part of MS servers, there are a lot of weirdnesses that come up that I wind up battling at times. I know from analyzing packet traces that at least some of it is due to the insanity of MS's initial (non-)spec that makes things so weird.
2) Microsoft Office - the Mac edition runs and opens all the files fine, but it is such a pice of RAM hogging giga-bloatware that it consumes cycles even when its in the background.
3) Active Directory - Wile Macs can bind to Active Directory and thus use the Win2k/Win2ks AD Domain Controllers for authentication and other directory data, there is just enough flakiness to keep things from always working just so. And debugging things like kerberos or digging into DNS SRV records to try to find that one bit of bad data is not my idea of fun.

You know, the odd thing about my vision of the future war is that it will be caused by the fact that Microsoft will be taken over by an advanced AI (something like the MCP in Tron) that will begin to create back doors in machines that get installed as security patches so that it can then release a deadly worm that will finally unleash the conflict . Then once the conflict has begun, people will being to buy weapons to fight the computers. But they will foolishly buy Kill-O-Zap guns running Windows CE Weapon Edition, which will cause them to be completely ineffective against enemy computers (though they will readily destroy any machine running Linux, Mac OS, or Palm OS). Still people will keep buying the weapons since they are "the industry standard," and will even pay MS money for updates. Luckily in the end a special program which will be contained in an MP3 will be created, so that an iPod will be able to plugged into an enemy computer's microphone port that you can play that that you can play to render the system's defenses harmless. I admit that technically this seems about as likely as the part in Independence Day where they used a Mac to upload a virus to an alien computer system, but you need to willingly suspend disbelief a bit here.

Weaksauce and geh are terms that are commonplace in the computer world, used quite a bit in gaming.

Yeah, since I work in ComputerWorld I'm sure I picked them up via osmosis there.

 

[HaleyB]

(computer geek speak edited)

Hey, PrincessV, not sure H. is so pleased about this, but now we have a bit of a tradition of that sort of thing. Here was us in '04:

I am ok with it so long as no one asks me to stick my finger up the troll's nose.

I realized that if I were to bring up that topic it would really require its own separate dedicated 8000 word post. The whole of DinoLand is a bit troubling in ways, especially to an aesthetically sensitive person, but that Hester and Chesters Dino-Rama really brings the bile to the back of the throat. And I am not really a bilious person. Now that bilious and melancholic have been brought up, I think I need to blather on about the theory of the four humors. That way I can use the words sanguine and phlegmatic more.

Oh joy!

The theming in Soarin' in California Adventure is actually pretty good. It is all aviation themed and there are a lot of interesting images/displays as you wait. But it's weak in Epcot. Luckily we FPed it every time we went on it so this never came up.

He meant weaksauce, I think.

H. is such the Hermione. Luckily she has me to keep her down to Earth. Heh.

Hermione spells better than I do.

Since we still haven't made it to day 2 yet, there are many and various virtues and character traits we will wind up obsessing on as we press forward. I am sure we brought up assertiveness at some point, but I never did go over aplomb explicitly. Maybe we need to book another trip.

Hey, that is a great idea

I actually quite like Macs except for three aspects:
1) CIFS/SMB (Windows file sharing) - ...blah blah blah...there is just enough flakiness to keep things from always working just so. And debugging things like kerberos or digging into DNS SRV records to try to find that one bit of bad data is not my idea of fun.

You know, the odd thing about my vision of the future war is that it will be caused by the fact that Microsoft will be taken over by an advanced AI (something like the MCP in Tron) that will begin to create back doors in machines that get installed as security patches so that it can then release a deadly worm that will finally unleash the conflict . Then once the conflict has begun, people will being to buy weapons to fight the computers. But they will foolishly buy Kill-O-Zap guns running Windows CE Weapon Edition, which will cause them to be completely ineffective against enemy computers (though they will readily destroy any machine running Linux, Mac OS, or Palm OS). Still people will keep buying the weapons since they are "the industry standard," and will even pay MS money for updates. Luckily in the end a special program which will be contained in an MP3 will be created, so that an iPod will be able to plugged into an enemy computer's microphone port that you can play that that you can play to render the system's defenses harmless. I admit that technically this seems about as likely as the part in Independence Day where they used a Mac to upload a virus to an alien computer system, but you need to willingly suspend disbelief a bit here.


Yeah, since I work in ComputerWorld I'm sure I picked them up via osmosis there.

 

[Mr. Silly]

Hey, that is a great idea

How does '08 sound?

 

[UtahMama]

I actually quite like Macs except for three aspects:
1) CIFS/SMB (Windows file sharing) - whether it is because of a cocked up implementation of the CIFS filesystem plugin, or inherent evil on the part of MS servers, there are a lot of weirdnesses that come up that I wind up battling at times. I know from analyzing packet traces that at least some of it is due to the insanity of MS's initial (non-)spec that makes things so weird.
2) Microsoft Office - the Mac edition runs and opens all the files fine, but it is such a pice of RAM hogging giga-bloatware that it consumes cycles even when its in the background.
3) Active Directory - Wile Macs can bind to Active Directory and thus use the Win2k/Win2ks AD Domain Controllers for authentication and other directory data, there is just enough flakiness to keep things from always working just so. And debugging things like kerberos or digging into DNS SRV records to try to find that one bit of bad data is not my idea of fun.

You know, the odd thing about my vision of the future war is that it will be caused by the fact that Microsoft will be taken over by an advanced AI (something like the MCP in Tron) that will begin to create back doors in machines that get installed as security patches so that it can then release a deadly worm that will finally unleash the conflict . Then once the conflict has begun, people will being to buy weapons to fight the computers. But they will foolishly buy Kill-O-Zap guns running Windows CE Weapon Edition, which will cause them to be completely ineffective against enemy computers (though they will readily destroy any machine running Linux, Mac OS, or Palm OS). Still people will keep buying the weapons since they are "the industry standard," and will even pay MS money for updates. Luckily in the end a special program which will be contained in an MP3 will be created, so that an iPod will be able to plugged into an enemy computer's microphone port that you can play that that you can play to render the system's defenses harmless. I admit that technically this seems about as likely as the part in Independence Day where they used a Mac to upload a virus to an alien computer system, but you need to willingly suspend disbelief a bit here.


Yeah, since I work in ComputerWorld I'm sure I picked them up via osmosis there.

OUCH! Is THAT even English? My brain hurts now. I read it out loud, too. DH laughed here and there.

I cannot even begin to decipher any of it.

I wont even try. I'm more artsy-fartsy (more artsy, less fartsy) than techno-minded.

BUT! You got something I like, unique STYLE.
No one's going to copy that from you. Fo' Sho'!


Hi Haley!!!!!

 

[TwinkieMama]

Mr. Silly and Haley-
I do not have words nor emoticons to express exactly how much I am enjoying your trip report.

But I will try: @-_-@

(actually that was just a display of my own geekosity)

I totally agree with how you feel about the culture clash presented by the details at AK- except that I don't know anything about thematic elements of style in representative Architectural works (except for Colonial America but tht is another story)..... but I do know about plants and it gives me the heebie jeebies whenever someone does places silk plants in an incongruent fashion (like having flowers on a wreath that would never be in bloom at the same time.... or mixes plants from completey different ecosystems in a panaroma or home display)

Somewhat on topic: I have of late become interested in Greek artistic influences on various eastern cultures (particularily Tibet) because they provide a vital clue in where to look for genetic evidence of Greek and Macedonian legends.

I loved the description of you as the nerdy owl family... and the flashback to AP bio. I sat on the second row and didn't answer any questions but I still say things like "Campbell says" as if we are good friends.....

 

[HaleyB]

How does '08 sound?

Well January is a nice time of year for WDW, but I was thinking Fall of '07 unless they don't offer the free eats again...

 

[HaleyB]

...

Somewhat on topic: I have of late become interested in Greek artistic influences on various eastern cultures (particularily Tibet) because they provide a vital clue in where to look for genetic evidence of Greek and Macedonian legends.

I loved the description of you as the nerdy owl family... and the flashback to AP bio. I sat on the second row and didn't answer any questions but I still say things like "Campbell says" as if we are good friends.....

"Campbell says" that is a flash back.

I love genetics and almost got a degree in microbio so that I could work in genetics. I actually got to work a little in that area, but only after I changed majors (to Eng Lit). For some reason Dr McCarthy thought I would make a better TA and lab rat than someone from his department. I think a few people hated me for that. He was looking at biologically identical twins who had widely varried expression. Really interesting stuff. I will not blather on about it, except to say that I know a set of genetically identical twins where they look nothing alike, and have different hair and eye color. Dr McCarthy would have loved them!

 

[jamal]

So I decided to wear them that morning, but wear them with socks to keep me from getting blistered. And also they look great with my ensemble - Disneyland ball cap, Aloha shirt, cargo shorts, blue crocs - the white socks just finish it off. This is a fashion statement saying, "rad salads." Or something.

Mr. Silly, I canot begin to quote all the statements I enjoyed in your recent chapters. Suffice it to say they would include every one of Haley's addendas(ae) and this gem of yours (above).

Come on over!! We'll take you on a tour of the Parthenon, let you fish for your supper, compare Dinosaur pics, and make you teach our kids the attitudes. While you do that I will happily brush Sophia's hair, drink Cosmos with H, and watch our three boys climb Calvin's treehouse in our backyard.

To you, Mr. S: the Trip Report Academy Award for overall excellence.

Can't wait for more!!
Jam

 

[1000thhappyhaunt]

During the ride I drill the kids on the four attitudes that they should be cultivating. "Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and that other one." "Equanimity." "Yeah, that one." I am a harsh taskmaster.


doubleplusungood.



A brief note on crocs.

As I walk back, my feet begin to complain louder. I get back to the room and investigate. There is a very irritated red spot on the upper inside of each foot, but the boat shoes don't touch there, so it's all good. I decide that the crocs are crocodiles that attack innocent feet. I will switch to better shoes.

I am rather annoyed at the clothing restrictions on dining in the CA Grill. It's named "California," for goodness sake. That is the state of casual.

We get to the Contemporary, and take the elevator to the secret greeting area. From there we get an escort in a special separate elevator to the restaurant. I though this was a restaurant, not a high security military research facility. Dude, like, this is not Californianess, y'know? All the same, I was sort of wishing they did retina scans on us.

My father bought a series of progressively larger boats. He loved three things most of all:

* fishing
* fixing boats
* drinking beer on boats with his friends while fishing

I must have disturbed him deeply since I did not like fishing - I was sure it would hurt the fish. I also got sea-sick fairly often. I was not a boat fan. Since my dad went out fishing fairly often, we often had fish for dinner, which was traumatic to me since I really did not like fish, but I was forced to eat it. As I got older my friends from school would want to go out on our smaller boat and fish. I would go along with them, but would sing protest songs, "all we are saying is give fish a chance," or chant slogans like "fish are friends, not food."
I sneer down at the firework show with the haughty disdain that only those with some French blood can manage. Feh. I did write a note that I should learn "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" on the Ukulele/Guitar.

Well... the tea took longer than expected.

But... I'm back now.

All the above I really loved.

I think we should all go fishing together.

I don't think fish feel much pain. Maybe a touch... when they are hooked through the eyeball.

As my children and husband tend to do.

Then they scream for me to take the hook out for them.

And re-bait. At the same time.

These days... I don't get to do much fishing of my own. TFI.

Anywho... I had a moment similar to yours in childhood. Worrying if the fish were "hurt".

My father taught me, quickly, to get over it.

He left them flopping on the dock. On the string. And said, "You're gonna learn to clean them. Right... now. The faster you clean. The quicker they'll be out of the misery you imagine they're in."

I'm THE KNIFE. Now.

My Northern Camping nickname.

Fastest fish cleaner in the West.

Actually... in the North Central Ontario. Region.

Anywho... I can relate.

Also... I used to play the guitar. For years.

Until I quit.

Gave the guitar to a friend of mine.

He never learnt to play and now I'm going to ask for it back. Again.

What I'm saying is this: I'm really enjoying your trippie. And Haley's.

You Croc hunter. You.


Cheers, Melly.

 

[blue_river]

Hello silly's...sheridak lead me here and so I'm subscribing to your tr and will catch up with it later today!

No comments as of yet but I'm sure I'll have plenty

 

[celerystalker]

Try a long weekend to "catch up."
Mr. Silly should write textbooks. Interesting, funny textbooks.
With lots of learning.

 

[Mr. Silly]

Well... the tea took longer than expected.

It's nice when you get a cup of tea to last a really long time. I usually wind up chugging my tea after a few sips. Though when we were at the Grand Floridian Tea thingie I was graceful and dainty. More on that later. With tasteful and refined pictures too.

I think we should all go fishing together.

I don't think fish feel much pain. Maybe a touch... when they are hooked through the eyeball.

...

Anywho... I had a moment similar to yours in childhood. Worrying if the fish were "hurt".

My father taught me, quickly, to get over it.

Gyuuuuhck. The eyeball thing is horrific, FBI. I think maybe little fish like trout or something are more primitive, and perhaps they feel less pain (though how can you really tell?). But the sort of fishing we would do was catching Marlin, and Sharks (mostly Mako), and Swordfish, and Dorado, and Albacore, and Halibut. Many of the fish were heavier than me. You have to gaff them to get them in the boat and often you then club their (large) head. With sharks you are really subduing them by pounding them on the head over and over and then waiting for them to slowly suffocate. They still flip around hours later when some sea water splashes on them. I just somehow never got desensitized, despite efforts to get over it. They seem like they feel pain. They react when you poke them. And when they are pulled out of the water with a huge bleeding wound in their side from the gaff, they sort of seem upset about it until their head gets pounded with the club. Halibut are some seriously ugly monsters, by the way.

Also... I used to play the guitar. For years.

Until I quit.

Gave the guitar to a friend of mine.

He never learnt to play and now I'm going to ask for it back. Again.

You should get it back and then learn to play a few Django Reinhardt tunes. And then curse the fates when it turns out that learning to play a few Django Reinhardt tunes is so much easier said than done. Unless it's easy for you. Then I'll just be jealous. And bitter.

You should get a Ukulele too. They are better than guitars in several ways:

a) They are small and easy to carry around wherever you go.
3) They only have four strings so they are simple to finger chords on
-) etc.

What I'm saying is this: I'm really enjoying your trippie. And Haley's.

You Croc hunter. You.

Thanks. I actually had part 5 written a few days ago and am just waiting on H. to get some time to add her notes. It includes on reference to a cross-dressing ninja, but I swear I am not being formulaic. Since this weekend is Scout camping things might not work out 'til Mon.

 

[Mr. Silly]

Hello silly's...sheridak lead me here and so I'm subscribing to your tr and will catch up with it later today!

No comments as of yet but I'm sure I'll have plenty

Hey blue_river, hope you enjoy the adventures through Dis. It is also a kind of an Adventure Thru Inner Space, or at least my substitute now that the original is sadly gone. It was such a great ride, too. Now I think I need to work in references to Atommobiles in future segments...

 

[Mr. Silly]

Try a long weekend to "catch up."
Mr. Silly should write textbooks. Interesting, funny textbooks.
With lots of learning.

I think that my accounts of things would be fun, but my iconoclastic intellectual habits would make most teachers' skin crawl, so the textbooks probably would not be too successful. I do need to work on the three novels I have in progress though.

 

[horsegirl]

Starting with the philosopher Plato, we have three basic parts of the soul that are distinguished. These parts can either work together or squabble like they are on Jerry Springer. The parts are the appetites, the spirited part of the soul (the cranky, competitive, aggressive bit), and the intellect (nous in Greek - intellect is an imperfect translation really). Each has its virtue - moderation for the appetites, courage for the spirited part of the soul, and wisdom for the intellect. If each part is working for itself, it can become corrupt, but when working for the greater good of the whole and they all get along and you have justice. These virtues, moderation, courage, wisdom, and justice are often called the four cardinal virtues, and I bother the kids about them later, so I figured I would just get that out there now. And Plato, if you are looking up from the first level of the Inferno with the other Virtuous Pagans, sorry for butchering things a bit. This is a Dis trip report, so a full 300 page monograph is just not going to fly. BTW, in case you haven't read it before, if your kids ever have to write a paper on Plato's Republic, now you can casually drop a few general ideas and make it look like you are erudite.

In Freud we have a very similar threefold division of the soul, the id (appetites) , the ego (the spirited part/crank), and the super-ego (intellect). This division was nothing new in Freud, but he did shuffle things around a bit, since Plato wanted the intellect in charge, and Freud was an ego guy. If you ever write that in a paper on Freud, you'll probably get an F, by the way, since I am generalizing fiercely so we can make it through to the gate of the park.

Finally, if you look to the philosopher Nietzche, you'll see that he was a serious Mr. Crankypants type of guy, and in his Apollonian and Dionysian elements you might see something similar. Nietzche also really hated Plato a lot and grouched about him in his writing. So now you can drop some philosopher gossip and really impress the kids. I don't like Nietzche, I mostly bring him up since I like to talk about Apollo and Dionysos sometimes, and he's the guy who pointed out some interesting relationships between the two in an early paper, "The Birth of Tragedy."

I loved this section! Having studied psychoanalysis, I am quite familiar with Freuds trio....of course there is a non family friendly portion to his argument. Thank you for avoiding that particular area here. I am also quite a fan of Dionysius and the history of the birth of theater. Now Plato, let me just say, I was not completely able to wrap my mind around philosophy. So thanks for boiling down the theory and applying it to your Disney experience! Loved it! Also, I was able to partake in some baccanalian revelry with your lovely betrothed, and this theme could be brought into that foray as well.

Great photos! You two are amazing parents....


One suggestion. Might you guys put Haley's Agenda in italics? It would help the reader separate the two perspectives. Thanks for considering it.

 

[Mr. Silly]

No one's going to copy that from you. Fo' Sho'!

And if someone did copy my style I would seriously worry about them.

I have of late become interested in Greek artistic influences on various eastern cultures

The historian W.W. Tarn wrote a really great book, "The Greeks in Baktria and India" which I had pretty much permanently checked out from my Uni. library for a few years. I collect ancient coins, and I have a number of Indo-Greek pieces. I have one of the Greek king Menander which has a Greek legend on the obverse, and Karosthi on the reverse. It's so cool. He converted to Buddhism, so he is mentioned in the Buddhist Milindapanha (might be misspelling it since that's off the top of my head). Numismatics is one place where the influence is very clear and easy to trace. Taxila was a very important point of contact between the Greeks and the East for a long while, there was a really great series of architectual photos I have seen of Taxila where you can see Greek temples nested with Buddhist Stupas, and Hindu temples. Alas, I can't remember where. Have you seen the Celtic mummies found in China?

bring the ukelele

I take it pretty much everywhere. They will have to pry it from my cold stiff fingers.

of course there is a non family friendly portion to his argument. Thank you for avoiding that particular area here.

Yeah, the full details of Freud definitely would not fit too well. Contrasting Freud and Plato on their views of eros is actually very interesting, but it ain't a Disboards topic. Speaking of Freud, I really actually quite like all the Jung I have read, you could say I am a Jungian at heart.

Might you guys put Haley's Agenda in italics? It would help the reader separate the two perspectives.

I have updated the old segments with italics. It does set them off much better.

 

[horsegirl]

Yeah, the full details of Freud definitely would not fit too well. Contrasting Freud and Plato on their views of eros is actually very interesting, but it ain't a Disboards topic. Speaking of Freud, I really actually quite like all the Jung I have read, you could say I am a Jungian at heart.


I have updated the old segments with italics. It does set them off much better.

I was going to ask you about Jung! I can see how his dream sequences would be appealing to you. Me too actually.

I saw this and thought of you. Thought it might make a great avatar or siggie pic if you can decrease it. Wait. Of course you can do that. You are a tecno geek!