So, I had some Tunnel Monster submissions, but I’d like some more. These hail from Josh, Joel, & Ian. Thanks to those guys for being awesome and taking the time to create these artist renderings. These men are true believers in the Tunnel Monster.
No replies from anyone at History or Discovery either. Poo, I say. Poo. Poo indeed.
Get on it, people! We need more! Aren’t you curious as to what the Tunnel Monster may look like? No one put a Sarlacc in a tunnel hole? I find your lack of participation disturbing.
Not submissions, but fun recommendations from Zemanta…
Tunnel monster.jpg (Photo credit: Oyvind Solstad)
monster in the tunnel (Photo credit: danielle_blue)
Comparing my minor inconveniences to a “massive” political movement? Yes. I just did that. I generally make light of many things. You’re about to read one of those things.
"*Limited availability at participating locations" roughly translates to "NONE FOR YOU!"
This is ridiculous. I can be more ridiculous. So, I decided to submit an email via Arby’s webform:
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
No more Jalapeño Poppers & (perhaps more importantly) BRONCO BERRY SAUCE®?
Please tell me that this is temporary insanity & that they will be back soon. Please?
I understand that the stores were given a choice between carrying some loaded potato bite shenanigans and the Jalapeño poppers, and local stores in my area (Pittsburgh, PA) opted for the not-so-awesome menu selection.
I understand that we (the consumers) are directed to voice our opinions to the local Arby’s locations.
My questions to you are as follows…
☘ WHY? Why did they have to choose? Why not carry both?
☘ WHY (again)? Why would one choose some potato things over the awesomeness that is BRONCO BERRY SAUCE® (& Jalapeño Poppers)?
☘ HOW? How do I contact the local Arby’s via email? Do they each have email addresses? Is there a regional manager?
☘ WELL? If I can’t get the BRONCO BERRY SAUCE® locally, can I order some online? Will you start bottling & selling it in grocery stores now that it’s no longer readily available to the masses?
It most certainly does not put me in a good mood to not have my BRONCO BERRY SAUCE®. I’m pretty sure I could straight-up just drink the stuff were it a little thinner. Rude Mood Food is more like it now, my friends.
I may have to organize an OCCUPY ARBY’S at a nearby location. It may get crazy. There may be news cameras. It will be a peaceful protest, so please don’t pepper spray any of us. You may, however, shower us with packets of BRONCO BERRY SAUCE® and hot fresh Jalapeño Poppers. We’ll have to chant things like “Don’t be a dingleberry, bring back the Bronco Berry!”, “No Jalapeños dude, that’s Rude Mood Food!”, or “Potato Bites, really bite!” (Well, that one may need work.)
Please, talk some sense into the Arby’s locations in the Pittsburgh area before it comes down to this insanity.
Bronco Berry Backer, -Eric
This is all I have received so far:
From: “customerservice@arbys.com” <customerservice@arbys.com> To: me@my.email.address Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 Subject: Arby’s Feedback #473197
Dear Arby’s Guest,
We have received your Guest Feedback message and are directing it to the appropriate department. For follow-up purposes, your feedback tracking number is 473197.
Your feedback helps us improve the overall guest experience at our restaurants. Thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Sincerely, Arby’s Guest Feedback Team
Ridiculous. It’s still not the most ridiculous thing that’s happened in an Arby’s parking lot around here. I mean, remember this dude?
If they have to tell you that it's delicious, maybe it's not really delicious.
Not that I’m the biggest Arby’s fan in the first place. I’m more of a fan of actual Roast Beef, not this lunch-meat stuff like Arby’s or the all-gone-except-the-ones-on-the-Turnpike Roy Rogers has. (Remember Rax? They had that too.) Ever been to Lion’s Choice? I believe they’re centered around St. Louis. That, my friends, is how roast beef is done.
You might say “just get your jalapeño bites (or poppers) somewhere else, you weirdo”. To that, I say…
I can’t, most places that have them also have some form of deathfish in the fryer… which may possibly kill me (and put a damper on my dining experience).
Are you also angry about this? Voice your opinions below… perhaps we can get Arby’s to look here & reconsider this grievous error. If not, maybe we’ll to the Occupy Arby’s thing. I bet we could get on the news.
Beyond that, the next step may be petitioning McDonald’s, Wendy’s, & Chick-fil-A to carry them…
Do you have any suggestions for protest slogans? Would you join an Occupy Arby’s movement? What should be our next course of action?
I have a Fender Mini Twin MT-10 9V amp that I recently dug out of a box in the basement. Obviously I don’t use it much. It’s the one in a plastic enclosure, and it sounds like… it’s in a plastic enclosure. The battery compartment cover has decided to move on to better things. My little Smokey Amp kicks its butt where 9V rocking is concerned, and it drives a cabinet if you wanna get really crazy.
I have the boring MT-10 on the right in the incredibly awesome sounding high-quality black plastic enclosure.
If it looks like a duck, and sounds like a cat getting its tail pulled, it must be a... guitar amplifier?
One of the clamps inside that was supposed to hold the speaker busted off of the plastic enclosure anyway, so it was all in there rattling around.
I have been a fan of the stuff that the dude from Artistic Amplification is doing for a while. The other day I got the brainstorm to turn my Mini-Twin into something like that dude does. He uses the Ruby circuit from Runoof Groove, but I already have guts to a perfectly good amp.
9V me!
All I need is one of those 9V battery connector things(the amp has a stupid box w/ prongs), a fun shell, maybe some longer wires, a drill, some time and I’m good to go. Even my level of poor soldering skills should work for this venture.
These would certainly make badass little novelty amps.
I could possibly route out the eyes of the skull for the Twin Speaker placement. Was thinking the same with with Darth Vader’s eyes, or even mount them in the mouth-piece. Somehow I could maybe even work in that control panel… If the speaker was in the mouth, I could make the eyeballs light up or something even crazier. I can even use the integrated AC adapter, but I have read online that sometimes they produce an additional unwanted hum.
Then again, I thought trolling an antique store or two for an old box or transistor radio or crazy piece of kitsch would be kind of fun. I might come across something that hits me as the perfect vessel for the Frankentwin. (And a wooden box or old leather-covered transistor might sound better than yet another plastic enclosure.)
HELP ME!
I pulled the amp apart with ease… I’m sort of stuck with the knobs. They’re not coming off with a gentle pull, and while other goofy replacements might be fun, I don’t really want to bust these (or the circuit board inside) yet. I guess I’m going to have to try to get something thin in behind them to pull them off.
I’m asking you the reader if you have any tips, tricks, advice, suggestions, etc. Have you done this before? Have you seen anything similar? Have you ever had the urge to build your own amp? Would you buy one if I learned how to make a circuit & started making/selling weird stuff? (Provided it sounded cool?)
This is a commercial begging for your help. It doesn’t involve a Sarah McLaughlin song, a puppy with one eye, Sally Struthers, or a starving child. Without the usual ingredients, I’m not sure it will work. So, I’m helping by spreading the word.
Glorious Treasures shall be showered upon you!
It does involve a band stuck venturing out into a world that they don’t understand. The warriors of Dethlehem have traveled in & out of Ghorusalem defeating all manner of orcs, ogres, trolls, & wizards; taming flying dragons; losing & gaining comrades along the way. They are ready to conquer the evil plaguing your land, but they need gold in order to complete their quest.
Their magical horse needs new shoes, and fuel… and a chariot to carry all of their necessary battle gear. In exchange for your allegiance and gold, you will be rewarded with protection from all manner of evil and special unique treasures.
They’re already part of the way to their goal, but they still need more help, my friends! Kickstarter has worked for Ernie and the Berts in funding a forthcoming album. I’ve written about Dethlehem many times before and consider them great friends… Please seriously consider helping these dudes rock the faces off the collective masses.
Help Dethlehem bring this sort of shenanigans to your town!
You read my post about naughty words & the “R-Word”, right? Well, to help you stop using the r-word(since I know my post convinced you to take the pledge), I’d like to try to put together a list of alternate words. I’m really gonna need your help in the comments. Let’s get ridiculous. I want so many alternatives that are more fun to use that we won’t even remember the word we’re trying to replace. If you’re easily offended by potty-mouths & naughty-bits, you might want to skip this one… or even better suggest some of your own substitutions. You can go funny, you can go high-brow, you can go low-brow. Just give me what you’ve got.
Anus (I say this way too much. It makes you cringe more than any other word for it… especially if you preface it with “puckered”.)
Scoundrel (This one makes you sound badass & elegant.)
Fishmonger (Didn’t you pay attention to Shakespeare?)
Ass-monkey (Ass-clown, Ass-hat, Ass-face, this could go on forever until you get to Ass-ass then it’s like meeting yourself in the Back to the Future movies.)
Dingleberry
Bunghole, Dillhole, Fart-Knocker, or anything else you learned from Beavis and Butt-head.
Butthead.
Peckerwood
[Expletive]-nugget. (Any of your favorite swear words will work there. Try a few!)
Borrow from our friends across the pond: Tosser, Wanker, Fart in a Jar, Twit, Todger, Tosspot, Arsehole, Toe Rag, Gobshite, etc.
Lowlife
Miscreant
Maggot
Dastard
Vagabond
Wretch
Good-for-nothing
Ne’er-do-well
Bad egg
Nitwit
Fool
Jackass
Bonehead
Penis-wrinkle (Again, using the “actual” word for a body part is sometimes more shocking than anything else.)
There are times when I have the vocabulary of a proverbial sailor or trucker. I don’t talk like this all the time. I try to use “colorful” language for emphasis. I understand that there is a time & a place for such things.
Sometimes it comes out more when on stage with the band, due to the nature of our music & lyrics. I generally don’t write offensive words here in my blog or on social media like Facebook & Twitter. Being involved in Church & camp, there are words I don’t use that could be considered offensive to religion. I usually don’t swear in front of my mother or ever in front of my grandmother. Sometimes I use words that are incredibly foul in one long string just because some single words aren’t foul enough to express my frustration, and I even try to make up new ones. (This is usually behind the wheel of car, just ask my wife.)
We all probably have our own rules about what others might consider foul language. I can turn it “off” without a problem according to the company I’m with.
My point?
It’s easy to turn it off.
Most swear words refer to a bodily function or body part that we somehow collectively decided to find offensive. I say that when you need to express anger or want to make people giggle, use those words until your heart’s content. Everyone understands what you mean when you use those words.
On the other hand, there are some words that we should try to never say, like “the N-word” and any other racial slurs(except “cracker” — that will always be funny), like words that are offensive to homosexuals (the other “F-word” & calling things “gay” in a derogatory way), and the focus of this blog: “The R-Word“
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not perfect. I have used all of these words offensively… but I have cleaned up my language as far as those last few go. I’m not someone who tries to be politically correct or anything, I just know what I feel is right or wrong. It’s definitely wrong to use the word “retarded” to describe something, or to call someone a “retard”. It’s killing me just to type those words.
For the last several years at our summer camp, I have been working with Jr./Sr. high age kids, and my wife and mother have been working with special needs adults. We’ve all become directors of our respective camps that happen at the same time at the same facility. The camps get together for several activities like crafts, skits, or singing at meal times & around the campfire.
We have met so many wonderful people that might get ignored or avoided by society because people are scared of what they don’t understand or scared of someone that’s so different. Some people are just scared that they might react in a bad way.
These are some of my friends. (Living Waters - Jr./Sr. High Camp & Recreation Camp - July 2010)
It has brought me to tears to see the joy that all of our campers have when the groups are interacting. I don’t tear up easily, but seeing those kids spark when they help or learn from the special needs campers… or seeing the special needs campers’ joy in the simple fact that a group of kids wants so spend time with & sing with them… it makes a guy that tries to be a hard-ass punk rocker into a big blubbering mess.
My friend Tom has Down Syndrome. Tom taught me sign language for “chicken” when he was calling me one at a wave pool on a field trip. He knew I didn’t know sign language. He knew his fellow camper friends did. After I told him that the water was too cold, he started making the sign at me and laughing. Some more of his friends did too. Finally I got someone to confess the meaning and I of course had to go into the cold water streaming down from one of those goofy mushrooms. We all laughed, and Tom patted my back to let me know that he was just joking around. Tom is not stupid. People like Tom aren’t stupid. Don’t use the R-word when you mean stupid or dumb.
You can come at me with all 7 dirty words or any other ones you can think of and I won’t blink an eye or be offended.
When you use the R-word, it’s offensive to Tom, people like Tom, Tom’s family and friends, and me. If I hear you say it, I might correct you or shoot you a dirty look. This is your warning.
Please share this blog, share your thoughts, and read more:
I have a few guitar related questions/subjects that I just want to get out there. I really need feedback on these, so please let me know your thoughts in the comments here below… not on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or wherever I happen to share this link.
Where do you buy (or if you’re like me, window shop for) your gear online?
Here’s my list, but I know there are more good “secret” ones…
Or when you’re traveling… Any shops with killer deals, cool people, great gear, etc.? I’ve noticed more “We Buy Gold” stores popping up with guitars in the window in the Pittsburgh area. Has anyone checked those out yet? I know I was in one of the Pawn Shops on East Ohio Street one time helping my cousin find a guitar… and this old cat took us down some old shady-looking stairs to this long dark room filled with nothing but guns and guitars. I felt like I was in a movie.
I dig these stores…
Lawrence Music – Has been my go-to repair shop lately, close to home, great work, cool people. Also some cool Godin guitars hanging around…
Pittsburgh Guitars – Have had work done there too. Cool cats. It’s the first place where I spotted the FlipOut.
Pianos N’ Stuff – I mean, come on. They’re the legendary area music store.
I know others exist. What are your favorites and why? There are sadly a few that I’ve driven past, but haven’t been in. You may help me decide to go there.
Is there a definitive site (or at least a site attempting to be definitive) with a real complete listing of all guitar brands & perhaps photos of the varying headstocks & logos?
GuitarSquid.com | Flow Chart: Do You Have Too Many Guitars?
I’m guessing that if it did exist, I’d already know about it. When looking at the sub-par guitars online, sometimes there’s not always a good closeup of the headstock… you can make out the 1st letter of the logo or the shape of the headstock… but not the full name. It’s be cool to see an ever-growing list. Most sites I’ve seen resort to “other” before “add”.
I think I have another blog brewing about the insanity that is off-brand guitars & companies like Galveston that don’t seem to exist.
I’d really like to hear about all your favorite guitar-related stuff in the comments below. If it goes well, there will be others. I’d like to talk about modifications some time too.
This is a killer axe. I’d love to attempt a build like this. The only problem is that I have no skills. I guess I have to try a build in order to gain the skills. Watch the videos where Tom makes it looks incredibly easy.
We have another maze solution! This one is from Jennifer B, she said her son worked through the Peculiarly Perplexing Path in a half hour. I hope the family is able to roll through some more of my mazes, and glad you’re having fun with this one!
From: Jennifer B.
Date: Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 9:06 PM
Subject: I DID IT! The Peculiarly Perplexing Path – Maze Solution
To: world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com
Hey there,
I couldn’t resist sharing your latest maze with my kids. They love a challenge! Here is my 11 year old’s solution.
World (and Lunar) Domination 