Monthly Archives: September 2011

Cellular Menaces (via 3kalb)

Posted on by Standard Reply

Here I’ll link you to a great post by 3kalb.  I hate cell phones in public places.  It’s annoying, it’s rude, it’s ridiculous.

Do you not realize that the others around you are annoyed by hearing half of your conversation?  Do you not care that you’re holding up the line?  Do you not care that you’re broadcasting intimate details of grandpa’s prostate operation to everyone?  Do you not care that you’re talking at 3x your normal volume level?

Of course not.

By the title, I hope that– *ring ring ring* Oh I’m sorry, I forgot I was talking, my phone went off and I just had to take it. Let me finish my opening statement. I hope that it is obvious where I am going with this pet peeve. Simply put, cell phones are a major nuisance and addiction that cannot be stopped! Where do I see cell phones? In schools. In offices. In cars. In malls. In fastfood establishments. In restaurants. On the streets. On the b … Read More

via 3kalb

PUT. IT. DOWN.

PUT. IT. DOWN.

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At least Subway has a sense of humor…

Posted on by Standard 1

Twitter is fun, kids.

https://twitter.com/#!/subwayfreshbuzz/status/114710978746265600

https://twitter.com/#!/AiXeLsyD13/status/114711257227083776

https://twitter.com/#!/subwayfreshbuzz/status/114716148385316864

Too bad they’ve never responded well to my ridiculous questions…

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Five Stages of Star Wars Revisionism Fan Grief

Posted on by Standard 3

Star Wars on Blu Ray

Image by nickstone333 via Flickr

Star Wars Blu-rays released today!  Woo!  I pre-ordered from Amazon with slow-boat shipping.  What agony I will be in until they arrive, but it’s a good agony.  (If there is such a thing.)

This is amusing:

Five Stages of Star Wars Revisionism Fan Grief
Five Stages of Star Wars Revisionism Fan Grief

Of all the changes that everyone is offended by the most, I feel angered at the loss of the original Ewok Celebration song (a.k.a. “Yub Nub”), and with the insertion of the horrible alien funk number in Jedi.

The originals were timeless, the new ones are terrible.  I’m surprised the nav/targeting screen graphics in all the ships haven’t been redone.  I can’t wait to watch these movies yet again, no matter if I’ll be grumbling or not… and I’m really looking forward to all the onus stuff, and hopefully some sweet Easter Eggs.

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Thanks to everyone who donated for the Food Allergy Walk!

Posted on by Standard 5

Thanks to everyone who donated to me for the Food Allergy Walk on Sunday. The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network appreciates your donation, as do I!  I have smashed my original $300 goal, and now exceeded my current $500 goal.  I couldn’t have done it without the awesome support from friends & family!

If you were thinking of donating, but hadn’t yet… I’d like to still smash that goal, or you can donate to the lovely Bethany and help her reach her goal!

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You love me, you really love me!

Posted on by Standard 4

Pittsburgh’s Most Valuable Blogger Awards 2011

Pittsburgh’s Most Valuable Blogger Awards 2011

So, this thing happened…

CBS Pittsburgh’s Most Valuable Blogger Awards 2011

There was blogging, there was voting.  There was certainly some goofiness.  I still haven’t been contacted by anyone at CBS.  I know other bloggers have.  Just so they know, the contact form on my blog works quite well.  There was something about prizes, but the rules detailing how one could claim a prize are gone.  I really thought I had no chance of winning, as there are so many cool blogs out there.  I’m not sure what kind of bragging rights this gives me.  Do I get a T-shirt or stickers or something?  “Hey, I’m annoying and goofy on the internet!”

It’s good to know that I’m the people’s choice, and not the editor’s choice.  I blog for the people, not for the editors.  I bet I won begrudgingly.  Ha ha.  They were probably all like “Oh crap, not that one!”.  I have to say thank you to whoever nominated me, and thank you for all my friends & family (& readers – who most likely fall into one of the aforementioned groups) who voted!

Here are the results…

Dining and Entertainment

Local Affairs

Sports

Health, Fitness and Medical

Lifestyle and Family

Everything Else

I call shenanigans on Only In Pittsburgh & Beyond Willpower not winning at least one “choice” in their respective categories.  It’s also odd that some of the people’s choice & editor’s choice were the same thing…  Why not spread the love?  I will go all mushy on you now, & say that everyone wins here, because we all got some exposure & hopefully traffic to our blogs that we might not have had before.  I’ve even added a few of these to my WordPress reader/feed.  Go check out all the blogs and their descriptions, and see if there’s something that piques your interest!

Some of the ones I dig:

Hopefully we all say “yinz” without noticing and with pride.  Thanks CBS & Pittsburgh!  And, of course, thanks to these guys & gals for letting me know what’s up!

Thanks Peeps!

Thanks Peeps!

CBSPittsburgh.com’s Most Valuable Blogger Awards 2011

CBSPittsburgh.com’s Most Valuable Blogger Awards 2011

Possibly related but perhaps irrelevant articles:

Concert Stereotypes

Posted on by Standard 40

Rock Concert!

Rock Concert!

This topic was by my friend Laurel the other night at the Dropkick Murphys Shamrock-N-Roll tour.  I know I’ve had this conversation before with others.  I decided to take it & digitally run with it.  Stereotypes are generally a bad idea, but they sure are funny.  A punk rock show, or really any show… is full of them.  I’ll start a list.  You’ll contribute in the comments.

  • “That” guy.  Formerly known as “the guy that wears the shirt of the band he’s going to see”, but shortened to “that guy” because that’s a mouthful.  I’ve been that guy.  I bet you’ve been that guy.  Somehow it’s sometimes seen as cool… and sometimes not.  This is probably more acceptable/expected at a Misfits or ICP show than anywhere else.
  • The “Windmill” Guy.  Generally, he’s in a college hoodie, maybe even with his Greek letters on it.  He’s visibly drunk, and probably double-fisting when not in the pit, flailing his arms around in an effort to be cool and badass by totally missing the point of slam-dancing or moshing by trying to hurt people… and take as much punishment as they can get.  You can also spot them by the off-kilter fitted cap, thank Fred Durst for these toolbags.
  • Old Creepy Guy.  I’m rapidly becoming this guy.  I’m cool with that.  The recent Shamrock-N-Roll show saw a really diverse group of concert-goers.  There were grandmas & grandkids all over the place!  Generally though, at smaller shows… there’s a lone dude just hangin’ out that doesn’t seem like he’d be into whatever’s going on at all.
  • Your new best friend.  Cat comes up & starts talking like you’re old buds.  No big deal right?  You’re obviously both fans of the same band, you’re both there.  What’s the harm?  The conversation turns way too intimate or inappropriate quite soon.  You have no escape.  This guy’s probably drunk.  Hopefully, anyway.  He has no concept of personal space, and is telling you all about the band/joke/logo on your T-shirt.
  • The “Stuffed Sausage”.  Generally a petite-in-height but not in girth young lady with self-esteem issues.  Most likely she started as quite an attractive curvy woman, but donned about 3 lbs. of makeup, pushed up and bared most of her boobies, hung some butt cheeks out of a tiny skirt or shorts… and all of her clothing is about 2 sizes too small.  I’m not hatin’, I’m just sayin’.
  • The nearly blind-drunk guy.  There’s always a stumbler ambling through the crowd that’s just there for beer.  At $30-$50 for a concert ticket without TicketBastard fees, and $7-$9 per tiny draft beer… the whole concept is pretty ridiculous.  This guy generally looks like he doesn’t belong anyway.  He squints to see, walks sideways while looking straight ahead, and smells like the floor of a brewery.
  • The militant lesbian.  I’m not going to say much here, for fear of getting beat up.  The partially shaved head and camo pants are a sexy sexy combo that’s always in style.
  • Lookatmytats. This dude or dudette has spent thousands of dollars & hours under the needle, so they wear as little clothing as possible in order to bare their epidermal canvass.  I would too were I all inked up, I think.  Generally this is accompanied by gauges or other “non-traditional” piercings.  Not to be confused with Lookatmytatas, who needs no explanation.
  • Wikipedia Guy.  This one is always directly behind or in front of me at concerts where you have an actual seat… also prevalent at Pens games.  Wikipedia guy isn’t here to be entertained, he’s here to wow the people with him & anyone in earshot with his knowledge of the band’s formation, various lineups, demo material, and complete discography including various pressings and formats.  I’m in danger of being this guy, and it’s so annoying.  I love my music & trivia… but try to only spout when asked, & not broadcast it.

That’s my starter list.

I know I’m missing more than a few that I see regularly, but I’m hoping someone else will think of them too… so I’m not all alone here.  What about the kid with headphones?  The super-fan?  The crying girl?  The PDA couple?

Please, leave the name of your concert-going stereotype in the comments section below.  If you’re feeling creative, how about a description too?  If you have landed here via Facebook or Twitter & you’re still logged in there… you can comment below with no hassles.  You can also just comment w/o logging in.  WordPress just asks for a name & an email address to go along with your comments, with the option of a URL.

What stereotype are you?  Which one do you love?  Which one do you hate?  Which one are you?  Which one am I?  Have any comments/additions/corrections to the ones I’ve already listed?

Perhaps I’ll compile another blog with all the results, perhaps they’ll just live in the comments section… but I need your help making the list!

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Subway still sucks, so does IHOP, take your allergy-sniffing dog there with you…

Posted on by Standard 1

Some good food allergy articles popping up lately, if you’re paying attention:

  • Allergies in the classroom: What’s OK to send in for snack time?  –  Some good tips.  Not sure if I’m 100% on-board with banning stuff in schools & classrooms.  I’d just promote safety a little more.
  • Subway expanding gluten-free test – Subway is still clueless.  They’re pushing the gluten free fad as far as they can with as little effort as possible, all while making a big deal about it & ignoring that other allergens exist.  (Read the comments.)
  • IHOP flops – IHOP owed by the same company that owns Crapplebees, also could not give a crap about your food allergies.  Try the new effortless lemon-zest dairy-free salad today! (Read the comments.)
  • $20,000 allergy-sniffing dog is a real lifesaver – Such a great idea!  Too bad it’s a $20K price tag.  I’d love to have a deathfish-detecting pooch.  I’d also train him to poop right outside of Subway restaurants.
  • Managing your food allergies in dining halls and dorm rooms – It’s back to school time.  Solid advice from a real expert.  I’m all about the buddy system.  Friends that look out for your best interest as far as not dying are friends for life.

So yeah, stuff’s happening.  I’m really just posting this to say… we’re out there.

Still taking donations for the Food Allergy Walk

Posted on by Standard 6

90% towards my goal of $500!

90% towards my goal of $500!

That’s right, Bethany & I are still taking donations for the Food Allergy Walk in  Pittsburgh.  It’s happening this Sunday, Sept. 18th at 11:00 am.  You can make a secure online tax-deductible donation for either of us, to help us meet our prospective goals, or you can hook us up with a check made out to FAAN.

Support me!
Support me!

Just click the blue “Support Me” button under each of our photos on our respective profiles to donate!

You can read my older posts about the walk for more info:

If you’re following the “Celebrity Endorsement” thing, Andrew Stockey did eventually contact me & agree to help get the word out on WTAE.com.  I still haven’t’ seen anything there yet.

Interestingly, Qdoba & Chick-fil-A also said they’d donate something, yet they haven’t online yet anyway.  I’m going to have to remind them.

You can also read all of my Food Allergy related posts if interested in learning more about food allergies form an outspoken crazy blogger.

More from the Food Allergy Walk Facebook Page…

The Walk in Pittsburgh will feature lots activities, such as: face painting, balloon artist, trackless train, mad science and inflatables. We will have a musical performance by Kyle Dine and be joined by Pittsburgh Panthers mascot ROC.

We look forward to once again welcoming Sally Wiggin and Stephen Cropper. Following the Walk, will be Q&A session with allergists from AGH and UPMC who have volunteered their time. Rep. Matt Smith will join us to share information about the new EpiPen laws in PA.

You can get one of these limited edition T-shirts for donating $50 or more, thanks to Erin “Ernie” Payne:

King Krab Orange Ernie and the Berts T-Shirt
Special Edition King Krab Orange Ernie and the Berts T-Shirt
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s,pןɐuopɔɯ ʇou ɯɐ ı

Posted on by Standard 16

I wrote one last email to Harmony & her husband to try & clear things up.  I haven’t had a response yet, but I’m really doubting I’ll get one.  What do you think?

From: Waldo Lunar <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 9, 2011
Subject: Re: AiXeLsyD13 / W(aL)D – I’m not McDonald’s
To: “krebs955@gmail.com” <krebs955@gmail.com>
Cc: shovelman11@yahoo.com, pastorskid_tiwtc4u@yahoo.com, pit.05834@us.stores.mcd.com, Ella.Jones@us.mcd.com, info@westliberty.mcdtoday.com, sandra.jaeger@gmail.com, rick.sapko@us.mcd.com

Hello Harmony & Harmony’s Husband,

I’m going to try this one more time…  I am ERiC AiXeLsyD.  I write a goofy blog.  You didn’t email me.  My email address is world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com (please see the “From” field of this email for reference).  It doesn’t say “world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com” on the top (or bottom) of a McDonald’s receipt.  You almost had me on this.  I actually had to go to this McDonald’s to check, because I really did believe that “The reason [you] posted on [my] blog is because it was on the bottom of our receipt” as stated in your last email.

Obtaining the receipt was actually quite a harrowing experience, but I survived.  Thank you for your concern.  Please, see the scanned images at the links below (also attached) if you don’t believe me:

As you can see, it also does not say https://aixelsyd13.wordpress.com at the top (or bottom) of the receipt, which is my blog’s URL.  It also does not list my email address as noted above.

It does list Rick Sapko as a manager (not me), and give the email address ella.jones@us.mcd.com (also not me).  I’m just trying to let you know that if you were trying to contact ella.jones@us.mcd.com, you have unfortunately been unsuccessful in doing so.

You contacted me by using the form located at https://aixelsyd13.wordpress.com/contact/ (also a url, not an email address).  I know this because WordPress is quite an ingenious blogging platform, and emails that come to me through that web form have the subject line “W(aL)D Feedback”.  You may also remember filling out fields that you don’t normally have in an email client, like “Message / Comment” and “How’d you find my blog?”

What I believe has happened is that you searched Google or Bing for “ella.jones@us.mcd.com” instead of entering it into an email client.  This landed you at my blog.  I’ve tried it with both.  A search for her email address does indeed point you to my blog.  From there, you somehow found your way to the contact page… and we know the rest.  I’m just trying to help.

I see you have a Gmail address.  Being that it’s an email address you were trying to use and the weird set of circumstances, I’m assuming you found my blog with your Android phone.  Put the phone down.  I’d suggest finding a computer, and going to http://mail.google.com, logging in, clicking the “Compose Mail” button, and pasting “ella.jones@us.mcd.com” into the “To:” field.  Then, you may type away in the big blank box, and click “Send” when you’re done.

That is how you email Ms. Jones (and not me) regarding the insanity that abounds at the West Liberty Avenue McDonald’s.  I have to warn you though, she doesn’t really reply to emails.  At least not my emails, anyway.  I hope this helps.  I’m just trying to facilitate the expression of dissatisfaction with this Bermuda Triangle of fast food service.

I do, however, encourage your comments on my blog… as long as they’re directed to me, and not at McDonald’s.  I don’t mind the ones aimed at McDonald’s, but they fall on deaf ears.  I don’t think anyone at McDonald’s reads or cares about my blog.  If you would like to complain about McDonald’s to other people that aren’t McDonald’s, check out McSucks.com and McDonaldsSucks.com some time.  I would also encourage a review on UrbanSpoon.

Harmony’s Husband… I speak this as a consumer.  Please, please, please…  take pride in your work, and convince others around you to do the same.  Encourage burgers built with pickles in the middle, an amount of reconstituted onions that does not resemble a White Castle burger, and ketchup only on the inside of the bun… not the outside.  Encourage the politeness of the people working the cash register.  Encourage those taking orders to not do things like this…

McEmpoyee:  May I take your order?  (In some areas closer to downtown, this greeting is reduced to a wordless look, implying “What?”)
Me:  Hi.  I’d like two Crispy BBQ snack wraps, a lar…
McEmployee:  [Interrupting] Crispy or Grilled?
Me:  Um…  Crispy.
McEmployee:  Do you want Ranch or Honey Mustard?
Me:  Uh..  BBQ?
McEmployee:  OK.  Your total is…
Me:  [My turn to interrupt…]  Can I also get a large fry and a Sweet Tea?
McEmployee:  [Usually rolls eyes and.or sighs about here…]  What size fries?
Me:  Large please.
McEmployee:  You want a drink?
Me:  Yes.  Large Sweet Tea?  (If I say a size, I’m usually told there is only one size.  If I don’t say a size, I’ll be asked what size.)
McEmployee:  For here or to go?
Me:  To go, please.
Mc Employee:  [Sets tray on counter.]  Slide your card.  (Maybe the total is read here.)
[Food comes, & McEmployee, McFry-Technician, or McManager sets it on tray.]
Me:  Sorry, can I get that to go?
McEmployee:  [Looks at receipt.  It’s a 50/50 on whether it notes dine in or to go.  Puts food in bag.]  Here.
Me:  Thanks!

This has happened to me on more than one occasion at more than one location.  I hope you work at a competent location, like the one in Canonsburg.

Good luck getting through to Ms. Jones.  I haven’t been very successful in that matter.  I have four email addresses associated with the west liberty McDonald’s location.  You may want to try each of them…

Good luck on your quest, I hope this has finally expressed my point in an understandable manner.  A quick recap: My email address & blog URL are indeed not on a McDonald’s receipt.  You didn’t email me, you used the contact form on my blog.  I am not McDonald’s.  You didn’t email the address listed at the top of a McDonald’s receipt.  You used the contact form on my blog.

Do you want the combo, or just the sandwich?
-ERiC AiXeLsyD
World (and Lunar) Domination

McReceipt 09/07/2011

I don't see my email address or blog url on here anywhere. Do you?

Trust me, I am not McDonald's.

Trust me, I am not McDonald's.

s,pןɐuopɔɯ ʇou ɯɐ ı | Just in case you’re lost…  This is the latest in this round of chaos that involved people contacting me, apparently thinking that I’m McDonald’s.  I think they’ll all pop up in the “related articles” section below.

I’m guessing the four McEmail addresses listed above have a block on my world.and.lunar.domination email address., and I’m guessing Harmony, her husband, Shirley, and Amber are done with this.  I am too, until the next person emails me thinking that I am indeed McDonald’s.

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