731 thoughts on “Jack Mangan's Deadpan #113: Justa Deadpan”

  5. I got some strange looks as I walked through the falling snow laughing at the Jack/jj banter.

    /switch on melodrama

    LOTR is now ruined for me…RUINED! Damn you Jack Mangan Damn you all to hell.

    /switch off melodrama

    Fun episode.

  8. Morning, Deadpan!

    Survived the Evil mtg yesterday. I also went and listened to some Mariachi last night, and got home very late. This morning, we are buried in snow and I’m dreading the drive in to work.

    Just popped the top on a can of coffee from Alberta sent by my not-brother-in-law and wow does it smell great. Off to get ready for the slide to work and the day. Can’t wait to catch up on the nipples from yesterday and hear the episode.

  21. Ah, the wonders of the “Random topic” button on Wiki.

    “Beer drinker’s cardiomyopathy”

    Apparently Dow Brewing in Eastern Quebec was using cobalt salts to get increased and long-lasting head in the mid-sixties. 25 heavy-drinking customers died, and the brewery eventually failed.

    The Wiki very sensibly did not name the brewer, so I searched about and found that MacLean’s (my favourite read from my orthodontist’s office back in the ’80s) did an article that named names…

    http://tinyurl.com/5jlb5h

  25. Sorry about soaking up so much of the Episode.

    Hanging with Jack is like being given free access to the beer taps. You think “I’ll just have a little more” and the next thing you know it’s 10 hours later and you’re waking up in the back of a van headed through a desert somewhere and your clothes are slightly damp and in fact you realize they are not actually your clothes to begin with and you have a slim, grey aluminum brief case handcuffed to your wrist and the 2 guys in suits sitting up front won’t even talk to you.

    You know,… like that.
    What!?! Seriously?
    Oh come on, don’t try to tell me this hasn’t happen to everybody at least once!

  40. I thought the episode was really great! JOe, fine job, but I am worried about those dogs.

    Bunny/ditto – what the hell is going on with Canadian politics?

    Jack, that Gandalf bit was truly inspired. It replaced your twitter bit from about a year ago as my favorite Mangan bit evah. The poof from Moria. Shadowfax!

  55. Do you, WNDR? (btw, should I still ftp you some files? I have good excuses for not yet sending anything. . . .)

    J0e, it was a great detour. Very fun conversation. This episode was happily out of my control.

    Thanks EssBee – and everyone. I felt it was high time for him to be outed.

  60. Ok can some refresh my memory please. Is the DP website clock showing Arizona time? if not how much is Arizona time different from the DP website clock?

  65. DP time: 12:52PM
    AZ time: 1:52PM

    That would make DP time equal to Pacific, I believe. I think it moves to Alaska time when Daylight Savings Time is in effect.

  68. So Van, since you’re six hours in the future (Alberta time), can you find out the lotto numbers and let me know before I purchase a ticket?

  69. This pretty much sums up my frustrations with comics:

    “The problem is that everybody ignores two key aspects of WATCHMEN: while it drew on the long tradition of superhero comics, it made specific points that had not been made before (or, at least, not so publicly), and Alan and Dave made their points and got. The hell. Out.

    WATCHMEN didn’t exist to create a franchise. It existed to tell a story. Period. You may not like the story, you may love the story, you may not think it was worth telling or whatever, but all that’s irrelevant. It existed to tell a story. A story. Prequels? Sequels? Regular series? Why? No need for them. People want to read new Rorschach stories? So what? Is there anything of importance anyone needs to know about Rorschach that isn’t already in WATCHMEN? Would a secret failed marriage or an unmentioned half-brother or expanded rogues gallery or any of the other soap opera tripe that passes for characterization in superhero comics make him a better character? In fact, WATCHMEN is anti-franchise. The best any attempt to revisit the characters can hope for is to not weaken or subvert the original work. About the best anyone intentionally doing their “own” WATCHMEN can achieve is pathetic knockoff status.”

    The full article is here:
    http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=19027

  72. Jack, I’m sending you something but I discovered my stereo mic has decided not to work on one channel so there seems to be a heavy hum. I won’t feel insulted if you decide it’s not usable.

    I guess I’m going out to get a new mic this weekend.

  80. Ran it through Audacity’s noise reduction. Now it has this cool spacey sound. I think that’s the version I’m sending.

  81. I agree about Watchmen ditto. It’s a standalone story and any additions to it would seem to diminish it’s impact. I felt the sameway about the Matrix. At the end of the first Matrix movie, Neo becomes “God” in the cyberworld. Futher stories that would make him vulnerable or attempts to humanize him would seem anti-climatic. And that pretty much sums up my feelings on the Matrix sequels. It would have been much better to focus on other characters in the Matrix universe and not Neo at that point. So one could attempt to make a story in the Watchmen universe that uses completely different characters and it could be okay. Or maybe someone would try and do something “original.”

  82. ditto, that article snippet makes some good points, but I disagree on some levels. Regardless of the medium, some great character/world/story development has occurred from unplanned sequels. But – I think that should generally be left to the creator. If anything more were to be done with Watchmen, I think it should be up to Alan Moore.

  87. So on my drive back to work from the job site today, I dropped by Best Buy, $5 credit in my hand. But no Jeff Loomis albums in stock. Denied!!!

    Curiously, they did have Warrel Dane. So it’s not like they don’t get CD’s from Century Media.

  94. “Regardless of the medium, some great character/world/story development has occurred from unplanned sequels.”

    Jack: I agree. You ever hear the story about how all the “Planet of the Apes” sequels got made. It’s hilarious.

    Sometimes sequels work. Sometimes they don’t. I think the main point is that sequel or no, you *have* to tell a good story, regardless of who the author is. To paraphrase the article’s author: Tell the story and get out.

    And that’s been my general problem with comics: It’s hard for me to care about many of the stories since they are being retold umpteen dozen times. After a while, I need time off. So, I’ll go 5+ years without buying or reading comics, and then come back to them again when they are “fresh” again.

  95. In my case JOe, I wanted to order one, but none were to be had, thus the “zero order phase.” Of course when I successfully acquire a copy, I will have a zero order even though it won’t be a zero order.

  96. I didn’t get any add-ons and I’m completely annoyed because I can’t connect to my internet at home. My router hates me today. *grumble* I called Tech Support and he said he’ll be home soon. I want my internet now.
    Cj=spoiled! (I’m still happy… don’t mine my whining!) 🙂

  109. JOe, when is Jesus eating shrimp cocktail not funny? Never, that’s when.

    I’m home after a very harrowing drive in the snow on very icy roads. Yuck! Now for some Life Season 1 on DVD (my new favorite show).

  120. It’s after midnight and I am still up. I now need to convince my brain to turn off and go to sleep since I have to take two kids to an 8:00 AM play date.

    I love coffee.

    Good coffee. I’m a total coffee snob.

  121. 8:00 am play date! You’re a brave one, Cj.

    Too tired/frazzled to come up with a good “lager” pun. So I’ll just toss that out there for one of you creative mofos. Lager.

    Goodnight, Rhett’s brain.

  122. Morning Pan, on the news is a educational film from the 50’s about how to drive properly on the motorway…roads were very deserted in those days.

    It’s got to the point that it’s the pension scheme that is the best bit about my job.

  123. I’ve envied people who actually enjoy their jobs..and don’t just see their job as a way of surviving.

    Mind you, I can count the people I’ve met who enjoy their jobs on the fingers of one hand..

  124. … and using only one finger at that?

    I’m trying to think of anyone I’ve physically met that actually enjoyed their job. Not the work that they did, but the job.

    I can’t think of a single person that fits. I sure don’t. I enjoy the challenge of the work that I do and I really appreciate finding ways to be even better at it… but the meetings and the metrics to tell me how much I suck? I hate that shit.

  125. As usual, I guess I’m the oddball of Deadpan. I’ve been with my current employer for almost 11 years and do enjoy working there. Certainly, it has it’s days, but for the most part, I work with a fun a capable bunch of people.

    Playing Call of Duty 4 with them during lunch doesnt’ hurt, either.

  129. So, I guess I’m in the minority in that I actually do like my job. As per everything in life, there are aspects that I’d rather not do (month end’s come to mind), but over all…

  134. The problems with my job is the tedium and the occasional verbal assaults.

    Very little contact with other employees…I always feel like I’m gatecrashing the works Xmas party.

  135. Because Jack set a comment goal – and in keeping with the topic: I’ll add to it with the ABC’s of work

    A – Astronauts. Astronauts enjoy their work because of the atmosphere.

  137. C – Carpenter: I always feel carpenters should be quick and unobtrusive in doing their work. They should just do their job and varnish.

  148. I am no good at puns this early!

    I used to love my job. Then Evil Inc bought us and turned us, well, evil. There is no rhyme or reason to what I am asked to do on any given day. I used to be able to trace a direct line from what I do daily to kids learning how to read, going to college, and staying off the streets/out of prison due to illiteracy. That line is pretty invisible these days. At the same time, I have a mortgage, student loans, car payments, and people who depend on me, so off to work I go.

    Today, horrible icy roads, so I am catching up on evil emails at home for a few hours until the sun comes out. Right now, 6 degrees F outside.

  153. U.S. Jobs report is out for Nov and it is dismal. Far worse then even the “scary” whisper numbers. 533,000 jobs lost. Worse job loss since the early 70’s
    …AND the revised Oct job loss numbers worse by almost 100,000 and Sept numbers worse by more the 200,000.

    I know things are predicted to get worse before they get better but it is still startling to see.

  155. Yeah J0e.

    Brain obviously not working today because I can’t think if K also. So will jump straight to L

    People who work in lollipop factories have jobs that really suck.

  161. P – When Prometheus lost his job he told his wife they would have to Titan their belts.

    (Yeah I know. Here’s a different one)

    Do Personal trainers quit their jobs when they stop working out?

  162. Q – Quality Control Expert: Because if you don’t keep strict control on your quality … it just might get into everything you make.

    Q – Queen: Not as hot a job as it was before the Mercury had fallen. (too obscure?)

    Q – Quilt designer: If you can make your piece with it, it’s a career that will slowly come together.

  182. do truck drivers for the zoo hate hauling sick African Antelopes to the veterinarian because they don’t want to be the bearer of bad gnus?

  183. On a silly, yet related note, I do have a friend who volunteers at the Calgary Zoo. I always laugh because her job is to walk the turtle. (really, this one’s true 🙂 )

  186. No it’s not. She really does take the turtle out of it’s enclosure and takes him for a walk so he gets exercise. On colder days (like today), they go to the gorilla area and walk him along the cages.

    She says it’s more like “pick him up, until his legs come out, put him down. He’ll walk a couple of feet, then bring his legs into his shell and the whole process starts over again”

  187. Until it’s time for him to go back to his own enclosure. When she turns him around to go back, he seems quite willing to just walk without stopping. I guess he really prefers to stay home.

  199. Today’s useless tip:

    A personal attack alarm can be used to show the Doppler effect. Tie the end of a good length of string to the alarm. Switch it on and then start swinging the string like a lasso. You will notice the pitch of the alarm change as you swing it round your head.

  216. I’m near my bookcase, playing the p56 game from shelf 3 from the top, first up:

    It was indeed a young specimen.

    -Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

  220. This time there was no bunched leap of muscle power – he trotted into the air carefully, as if some time in the past he’d been scolded for spilling something.

    -Soul Music by Terry Pratchett

  222. Interspersed within glacials and interglacials were cold and warm intervals of shorter duration (e.g. 1000 years). known as stadials and interstadials.

    -The Holocene by Neil Roberts

  226. The airlock had a WARNING OVERRIDE button that you could press so the buzzer wouldn’t go on and on.

    -January/February issue of Analog

  227. Even the number of suicides increased dramatically, along with executions of women for infanticide.

    -Earth in the Balance by Al Gore.

  235. Laney softly reciting these as he stood before her building, it’s eight-story facade feinting toward someone’s idea of Tudor Revival.

    -Idoru by William Gibson

  237. So then…it’s Total Pins for you.is it? he added, as if giving a fool one last chance to repent of his folly.

    -Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

  240. The land gives way into a pit and I fall, screaming, spinning in the air, endlessly falling, reaching for the branches and stone outcrops that will save me. reaching for safety but always missing, falling and falling until I wake up terrified!

    -Merlin’s Wood by Robert Holdstock

  241. Everybody laughed with embarrassment, and laughed again louder when Hannah’s voicebox replied dreamily: ‘There isn’t any money, sweetheart. Justsleep took every penny.’

    -Seasons of Plenty by Colin Greenland

  243. It is most widely cultivated in the countries which border the Mediterranean Sea, and in California.

    -Success in Geography: Human and Regional by Norman Pounds

  253. 10 year meme should progress into “where do you see yourself in 10 years?” according to a good friend of mine. He also predicted that I will be “making babies”

    He is wrong.

    Happy Friday, Pan. I’m going out tonight! *happy*

  263. Ok extra points on the table with this GPB game. In the movie there is a unusual method of dispatch (near the beginning) straight out of a James Bond film, name the film and the actor playing the main villain.

  271. I need to start my Christmas baking. Treats for everyone!

    Anyone ever notice how chocolate covered pretzels taste like Christmas?

    What are your favorite Christmas/Holiday treats? (I need ideas to of things to make!)

  273. Catchup post, part 1

    I enjoy my service position very much. I love my students, the other people at my site, and the program in general.

    EssBee – As someone who is also in the field of literacy, that’s really a shame about Evil, Inc. making your job less meaningful. 🙁 Were/are you a program administrator?

  274. Catchup post, part 2

    J0e: I thought your ‘queen/Mercury’ pun was very clever. 🙂

    Van: I love the Discworld series, too! I’ve read the first 3 (meaning, the first 3 that were published), but haven’t been able to get my hands on the next one yet.

  275. Catchup post, part 3

    I got Grosse Pointe Blank via Netflix yesterday, and I’m planning on watching it either tonight or tomorrow night. 🙂

    Repo Man sequel? Now? It just won’t feel like part of the same story without the ’80s setting.

  277. Well fav treat on the sweet front at Xmas are After Eight mints..frozen soild in the freezer.

    No ideas from me on the cooking front..reheating food and boiling an egg is about my limit.

  278. Amy, I’m not a program administrator. Rather, I manage a large group of consultants who train teachers on how to teach reading. I’m also a content person, so do a lot of customer-facing stuff from my office – just in terms of steering people in the right direction if they get off the path.

  282. EssBee: Oh, I see.

    Van: You’re welcome! 🙂

    Cj: All the podcasters I’ve met so far have been cool, including Jack. I’ll visit Phoenix when I can afford to go on trips… whenever that is. Sadly, the family won’t be going this December, since we don’t have a kid in band anymore.

    Which reminds me – my (in)famous gingersnaps are one of my favorite holiday treats. 😀

  284. CJ – since we’re putting in orders …

    1) Ribbon candy. It was always in an antique glass dish on my Grandma’s sideboard. I know have that glass dish but no ribbon candy.

    2) Suger cookies with decorative sprinkles. Not sure I like the taste but they sure LOOK like Christmas.

    3) Molasis cookies. Thin, crispy, nummy!

    4) My neighbors eggnog. This stuff is delicious and DEADLY!

  285. Speaking of the eggnog, my neighbor (whom I know brew bear with) is having his party tonight but I can’t go because of a conflict with another party. This is rather an obligatory party and one that was fun about 10 years ago but has not become just a painful reminder of what it once was. Yet, it lingers on and I could find no gracious way to decline.

    Still, on my way to this party I may swing by my neighbor’s and see if I can get a mug of the eggnog to go! I’ll just need to keep it away from open flame!

  289. J0e, I don’t know how to make ribbon candy, but I’m good at buying stuff.

    I love love love love the molasses cookes from Paradise Bakery and you can only get them during the season. They are teh YUM!

  291. So, since J0e also mentioned eggnog…

    I don’t like eggnog and never have, but my dad used to make this big bowl of something he called eggnog. I know it contained eggs, but mostly it was bourbon, whiskey, scotch.. etc. I don’t really know what was in it, but it was amazing and intoxicating. It was this thick, creamy, foamy, and delicious concoction. So, I haven’t had eggnog since my dad passed away a couple of years ago. I used to drink it out of the bowl during the day and night and dollop it in my coffee in the morning. It was good stuff! I am determined to find that recipe!

  302. Dan and I recorded LLAP #98 last night and we dedicated a few minutes to talking about just how badass our karaoke night was.

    Can you imagine the wife who presents her husband with a platter of fetus cookies when he arrives home one night?

  305. Morning Pan!

    I see it was a busy day at the bar yesterday.

    Catching up on the comments:

    Van, I’ve read all the Terry Pratchett books (have you read his latest Nation? It wasn’t a Disc World book but was still pretty good).

    I did see GPB when it came out. May have to rely on that memory. Don’t know If I’ll be able to see it again this week, but will try.

    Taking my grandmother Christmas shopping today – ugh! (Not the grandmother – the shopping)

    Decking the halls tomorrow – Yeah!

  306. Van, in answer to your question, I have a terrible poker face. I have a lot of trouble keeping a straight face. When I ‘m not telling the truth, pretty much everybody can tell.

  307. I think I’ll do some Christmas cards before I go.

    Oh, yeah. Amy said she would do SS assignments Friday or yesterday. I wanted to make sure you’re just late, Amy and I hadn’t accidentally got missed.

  310. Well, Pan. We are in the middle of a snow storm here in Calgary. Ended up not taking my grandmother shopping.

    I did go out, went about 3 blocks and said, “this is insane”. I saw someone slide into a light pole in that time as well as two others almost lose complete control.

    I think I’ll just stay home and finish my Christmas cards.

  311. Morning Pan, well it’s almost noon so I’m not sure if “morning” is the proper greeting. Busy weekend so far. My son has a school project that requires a model treasure chest and boat. Guess who gets to help with the construction? LOL Currently the paper machete is drying on the chest. Got to cut out some templates for the boat this afternoon. I’ll get my son on painting/detailing duty later. My niece is staying with us until the 19th. She is interning as a physical theorpist and she got assigned to Phoenix for a couple of weeks. As it turns out she only has to drive 5 minutes from our house to get where she needs to be. I wish I could trade commutes with her. I’m also busy trying to transcribe notes from the theme to “Tron.” I want to do a guitar version. Anyone with experience transcribing? Hope everyone is having a good Sunday.

  318. Well Pan, snow is still going on. 6″ and still falling. My hubby and I are now taking odds on whether or not the school will call a snow day for tomorrow.

  320. Safe? Yes, I don’t have to go anywhere. I work mostly from the house. It’s my husband who has to drive across the city to get to his school.

    It’s not that cold (-1 C.) so it’s heavy, wet snow. Just finished shoveling the walk, and it was hard because of that.

    The only thing dangerous is my cat. She just stole a marshmallow from my hot chocolate – is that weird?

  326. Marshmallows are good. I don’t think it’s strange.

    I suppose it would be strange if the cat put it on a graham cracker with a piece of chocolate and popped it in the microwave before eating it.

    hmm I’m hungry.

  328. Looks frosty, Bunny. All of our snow melted today. I kinda hope the snow you’re experiencing now isn’t headed due South.

    I’m roasting a corned beef roast right now for supper. None for the cats.

  336. Morning Pan,

    I’ll be grabbing the new episode or Wander Radio today….iwell I would if iTunes would update faster.

    Patience, patience, patience….

  344. Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff
    Like bingle balls, and whofoo fluff
    Trim up the town with goowho gums and bizilbix and wums
    Trim every blessed window and trim every blessed door
    Hang up whoboohoo bricks
    Then run out and get some more!
    Hang pantookas on the ceilings
    Pile pankunas on the floor
    Trim every blessed needle on the blessed Christmas tree
    Christmas comes tomorrow
    Trim you, trim me!
    Trim up your pets with fuzzle fuzz
    And whiffer bloofs, and wuzzle wuzz
    Trim up your uncle and your aunt
    With yards of whofut flant
    Trim every house in Whoville from the cellar to the roof
    Hang up a mile of dafflers
    And three miles of snaffer snoof!
    Hang dang-donglers on the bathtub
    Trim the occupant the with floof
    To every home in Whoville and to every blessed Who
    Christmas comes tomorrow
    Trim me, trim you!
    Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff
    Like bingle balls, and whofoo fluff
    Trim up the town with goowho gums
    And bizilbix and wums…
    Trim up the tree with bizilbix and wums

  348. CP – the post credits bonus track on WNDR Radio. Damn that’s funny! This being WNDR Radio, I had an idea of how the song would end, but, as with much of life, the journey if often the important part. Another fine production, Mr. Wolf.

  349. Alright, let’s see if I can find anything on the shelf before I sign off for work…

    “Select the form you want to add the menu to by clicking it with the mouse”

    -Visual Basic 6 Black Book

  350. “2.47 A company borrows $15,000 at an interest rate of 15% per year with the agreement that the loan will be repaid over an 8-year period. The repayment scheme will be such that each payment will be $250 larger than the preceding one, with the first payment to be made 1 year after the loan is negotiated. Determine the amount of the third payment.”

    -Engineering Economy, third edition

  353. “Process unit plot plans are to be drawn to as large a scale as feasible and each item depicted is to be drawn to scale.”

    -Process Piping Design, Volume 1

    Choices are limited here at the office. I’ll let you folks who’ve not yet left the house pick up for a bit. Duty calls.

  356. But, before I go, this gem came in the latest Dilbert newsletter in the “true tales from In-duh-viduals” section:

    …………………………….

    I work for a large IT consulting firm. In discussing the process for preparing a system to go live, the client manager said in a status review, “Well, if we do extensive testing, we run the risk of identifying significant issues.” I had to explain to him the point of testing.

  357. Van, are you able to effectively work with the DP comment page on the iPhone? I’ve tried before with the minibrowser on my current phone, but it pretty much begs for mercy when loading up a page full of several hundred comments.

  359. Finally listened to this Pan. Very nice. I think I’d like to lurk and listen to yall talk in real life… kinda like I do here. Heh.

    And, DLing WNDRadio now. It’ll get through the queue in about three days.

  362. Overdrive! I hope you were able to keep warm last night.

    My part of the book pile… page 56, sentence 5, right?

    “Is it the detailed unraveling of the mystery that fascinates you?” – Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card

  363. Walk is shoveled, no more snow falling as yet so that’s a good thing.

    Belly full of eggs and toast – also a good thing

  364. Ed, I have the iTouch and learned very quickly the other night that trying to load the comments page takes a great deal of time. Once it was loaded, it was fairly easy to refresh though.

  366. I have a different book near me this morning. This won’t surprise anyone that knows me:

    “Yet, when the Klingon fugitive has a phaser pointed at the dilithium chamber in Engineering, the Enterprise faces imminent destruction and no one even mentions separating the saucer.”

    — The Nitpicker’s Guide for Next Generation Trekkers by Phil Farrand (Phil was interviewed on LLAP in July last year. One of my most favorite moments!)

  370. I hope so.

    Today’s useless tip:

    If you access Facebook on your iPhone/iPod Touch, you will soon noticed that the iphone specific facebook web pages are not very functional. Yes you can access the full site but it can be slow to load.

    However if you get updates sent via email sent to your device, you will noticed a link near the bottom. Touch the link and Safari boots up and accesses the m.facebook.com (for mobile phones), which if far more functional and is faster to use. Hit HOME on the webpage and then bookmark the page, you will then been able to get back when you want (entering m.facebook.com in Safari doesn’t work as the iphone is detected and the iphone pages are loaded).

  375. My cats are freaking out. They never understand this big sparkly tree thing that seems to appear in my living room this time of year.

  376. TEB – yeah it was a long episode… had a lot of goodies I wanted to make sure it all made it in…So I kept my big mouth shut otherwise it might have been an hour and half…

  378. Wolf, I love that Christmas song. One of my least favourite Christmas songs is the one it’s spoofing. For some reason I hate that song.

  379. TEB – I figure I am going to a special Hell for playing that one…

    I love playing the Christmas parodies around the house… I stopped when my kids would go caroling with their campfire group and change the words to the songs and that become viral … Wife (who is campfire leader) put a stop to it…

  380. If you go to hell for playing that song, I’ll probably be with you for disliking the original.

    As for the kids, yeah I understand. I came home from work one day, when mine were younger to find snow phallic symbols in my back yard (snowmen are boring). While I found it amusing (it was in the back yard behind a fence, not in the front), my husband destroyed them all as soon as he got home.

  382. Finished listening to WR #34.
    Nicely done Sir Wolf. If I could insert an SFX here you would be hearing a vigorous golf clap right now.

    BTW: I think that there is a special room in hell where the original version of that song is played on an eternal loop!

  388. I just want you to know, this conversation is depressing me during this time that we’re supposed to be joyful and happy.

    You’re not helping spread Christmas cheer 😀

  392. Good for you, Rhett. I don’t think my husband knows what our laundry room looks like. It’s one of those secret rooms behind a hidden door.

  401. Now panning on my I-pod touch. A little slower for typing.

    Just making shortbread cookies while waiting for a friend to come over and then we’ll go overboard making my whole house festive 🙂

  407. TEB, my hubby does help with the laundry, but he laughs at me because I make my own laundry detergent. Vacuuming and dusting isn’t something I think I could ever get him to do. 75% of our house is tile anyway so I like it when he mops.

    I have no funny mopping euphemism. I’ll leave that up to all of you.

  415. J0e – I don’t usually like to answer for other people, but I’m pretty confident that “wet” is better.

    I don’t think he’s a fan of the rag mop though.

  418. Not many are. I mean, all of that tiring “back and forth motion” is about the same but who still doesn’t get at least a little thrill when you finally stick the mop head in that little squeezey thing and watch it get wrung completely dry.

  431. I’m having a piece of Colby Jack cheese and it has me wondering if there is some sort of mad Laboratory where they try different cheese combinations.
    Do you suppose there have every been any catastrophic cheese combining accidents?

  451. Actually, Mr. Wolf, I’ve been inconspicuously tapping away on the computer in the far corner of the room working on fleshing out a certain other work of fiction. Slower going than I would really like. Always heard it was harder to edit your fiction than to write, but never believed it before. Want to get at least 7 episodes in before committing to recording and actually kicking off the podcast…

    Damn, am I copping out on this whole thing? I’ve been talking up the thing for a couple years now…

  454. A little insight into what I’m thinking of doing when I do finally release the “Really Big Podcast…”

    –A set of three “pilot episodes” to be released graciously in the Deadpan feed. (Thanks, Jack!)

    –Well, obviously the Revamped “Really Big Things” novella, released episodically.

    –Location audio from the “Art Shanty” project later this winter.

    –Some audio before & after a screening of “Hard Candy” viewed by Travis and other friends you initially met in the Pre- and Post- “300” clips (this hasn’t happened yet, I hope to spring this on them soonish)

    –“Man on the street” content, possibly every episode, possibly recorded onsite at a local comic or scifi bookstore TBD

  461. Van, Pear cider is what is available in breweries when non-beer-drinkers like me are thirsty. I actually like it better than the apple cider, but they are definitely similar.

  471. In the first reboot of Dan Dare that 2000AD did in the late 70s, they had DD entering the atmosphere in space suit that could standup to the heat of re-entry.

  472. Jack, that is awesome.

    You guys might just like my better half more than you like me. She works for NASA programs at the U. of Colorado in Boulder and is involved in all kinds of very exciting space “stuff.” I’ll have to get ahold of photos taken from balloon sats that they launch and post and share them.

  473. Sounds cool Essbee.

    Time to call it a night, a p56 entry from me:

    You should recall from Chapter 5 that sulphur dioxide poses a continual enviromental hazard at persistently degassing volcanoes, as well as sometimes heralding an eruption.

    -Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis by Dave A. Rothery

  475. Pingback: BrainWyrms » Blog Archive » Podcasts for Mon Dec 8, 2008

  476. But then maybe the opening sequence of Generations could have been as long as the Star Trek: The Motion Picture only this time with interesting footage.

  480. For me, the really cool thing about the “falling to earth” video was the audio!
    I can’t say I had ever heard that before. At times it almost sounded like an orchestral soundtrack. The occasional creaks and groans of the vehicle as it was stressed was pretty cool as well.

  482. Morning Pan,

    Always thought ST:TMP got a bad rap. More a noble failure than a complete disaster. At least they tried to do an intelligent scifi story and the original ST cast were young enough to look like they could still do the job without the need of zimmer frames.

    The news about job losses on the TV is eerily reminiscent of the early 80’s.

    Happy Birthday the computer mouse:

    http://tinyurl.com/6rnlrf

  488. “If you hear somebody sneeze, don’t say ‘God Bless,’ just say manganese”

    I hope somebody was chanting manganese for me tonight. I have turned into Rudolph.

  490. Good Morning, Pan. 🙂

    TEB – Much comfort to your kitty. I’m a kitty-lover myself.

    I haven’t slept for real in days. My personality is completely chemical. Though, switching to “high energy” tea today in place of coffee. Stupid insomnia.

  492. My kitty hates other people. She’s the perfect watch cat, in that she’ll howl, hiss, etc whenever anybody visits. However, this is a bad thing when it’s time to go to the vet. Because of this, she actually goes in early (just dropped her off) and they have to sedate her just to give her shots.

    Poor kitty

  495. TEB: I’m sure EssBee is glad to hear that.

    EssBee: We’d like you SO differently, not better than you. You should tell her to drop by. 🙂

    Now, off to smack my head against my desk some more. I’m sure I’ll get to like it eventually.

  498. Never thought of MD as a singer before.

    Off to do some shopping. Looking for something particular for my SS gift. Not as easy to find as you would think.

  501. TEB, You are silly. It’s just the luck of the letters.

    Time to drop daughter at sitter and take son to his art class where he will make something beautiful for me to hang on the wall.

  509. I appologize to our friends from the North in that … without the Fake News show I would have had no idea that your government was attacking itself.
    Prime minister disolving parlement becuase he doesn’t want them messing with him?
    PLEASE don’t let this idea get back to Dubya! Please oh please oh please!!!!

  512. Well, I’m one very sad bunny. Went to seven different stores and have called four others (so far) and still can’t find what I’m looking for. I think I may have to settle.

  513. I give up. I called every store in the book and they don’t have what I want.

    Amazon has a wide selection of what I’m looking for. Without giving away to whom or what I’m giving. Would anybody mind if I ordered from Amazon and had the item shipped directly to them? It would be pt. 1 of a double gift so one would come from Amazon and one from me. Any objections?

  514. I would have Amazon ship to me then ship it on but, by the time I got it, it would probably be too late for it to arrive by Christmas.

  519. I think, given the time frame, having any of these gifts shipped straight from Amazon or whomeever is the way to go. That was actually my plan for this year. Now I just need to remember to actually get on to Amazon and make my order.

  520. Same here. I like the idea of shipping via Amazon, although the idea of personally wrapped things is more my giving style… I’d rather send a cool gift.

  523. My problem was finding a company that would ship to an address that wasn’t my home address. The one I found didn’t do gift wrapping. so I apologise in advance for that.

    I’m probably going to still miss the end date by a few days (was given a 7-10 day delivery window)

  525. Ok, my SS gift is away. Turns out Amazon.com will take orders from CDNs, also.

    Also sent my “consolation” gift I picked up just in case. I don’t remember it being this difficult last year.

    Now to get my cat from the vets.

  535. Jack that’s hot! Marry me! LOL

    I wonder what Teresa would think of that? Hmmm…

    It kind of bums me that I thought about making my own D20 keychains and selling them on Ebay, and there they are.

  538. Clearly there is something wrong with me. I sent the link to my husband because I actually like it. My dice are green though. I’d want it in green.

    Yes. I really do have my own dice. Do not judge me.

  546. Howdy all!

    I am rearing my head for the S.S. this year. Even though I’m kinda busy and not around I still wanna give!

    -Jeremy

  551. And on that (thoroughly gutter) note, I once went to an all female Christmas party. My person was the hostess,who was single, so I gave her her own BOB. I dressed it in clothing in everything. She thought it was a hoot.

  552. Thanks CJ & Essbee,

    You’re both welcome to come over and play with my toys anytime you want. 🙂

    And.. holy shit was that Jeremy? Hey dude, how’s life treating you?

    TEB: Her own BOB? Is BOB an acronym for something? Did he come with his own air pump?

  572. screw the sneering cool kids of the 2000s!!!!

    Climb into my spoon!!

    oh my god Hughie.. do we even have a greasy spoon tally going???

    Hughie sez: I can’t recall at all babe

    Holy shit. i remember the last 1 ending and we lost 🙁

    Hugh sez: 🙁 I had finally blocked that memory, now you brought it all back *sobs*

  577. Van: No worries about your gift recipient knowing who sent the gift. In the past, neither of the people who have sent me presents have hidden the return address on the package. How about the rest of you who have participated in Deadpan Secret Santas before?

  583. Re secret santa return addresess

    the first secret santa I tried to address my package *snicker* from Santa Claus and the PO here in Chicago wouldn’t let me. They sez if they dont have a valid return address they wouldn’t deliver it and confiscate and open it.

    Last year we had some issues here in Chicago and I had to send iTunes gift certificates via email from Hugh and my secret santa

    So yeah, mine have been obvious methinks. No worries

  586. I just figured it out!!!!!

    That funny HA-HA voice Jack added in after the cigar moment was from Family Guy!

    Hugh sez: it was?

    Methinks so.. it was the guy at Peters job who was making the jokes about irony.. like he was saying thats joke is funny, cause its true

    Hugh sez: Oh yeah!!! Hey he can’t use irony. Biff invented irony

    LOL Biff!!!

  602. 🙂 uh-oh! The Ambassador knows her true strength!!!

    A friend of ours called from out of town. I’ve talked to him and now its Hughies turn, when he finishes we will finish ep 99. I can’t wait to listen to episode 100!!
    I have yet to hear the product of our labor 🙂

  607. talking about wanting/not wanting to have kids

    Oh hells yes we had the when are you guys gonna have kids pressure

    Ah, the central air

    Hugh sez: Central Air, its 20 degrees outside, is he crazy??

    He lives in AZ baby. Its probably like 90 there right now

    [80s singing] Don’t stop.. believeing [/80s singing]

  610. I hope to never be a grumpy old lady

    Hugh sez: Oh come on babe! I look forward to growing into a nasty cranky old man with you, and we can go to the Golden Apple restaurant on Sunday mornings and bicker really loudly and piss off all the hungover kids stumbling in drunk from their Saturday night festivities.

    YOu’ve thought about this?

    Hugh sez: Yes, its my dream

    ok, then 🙂 So yes, we will be cranky old people meguesses

  626. But I was LOL-ing cuz he put the ha ha! in the end again.

    and also… I won the is Jack coming back after hte music game!!!

    Hugh sez: Does this mean you are on top tonight?

    *swoooon* Yes, but it means its your turn to get on your knees tonight

    Hugh sez: Oooooo babe. mm mmm. I love it when she gets sassy!

  630. Greasy spoon comments

    Ed: Eraserhead via mail dispatch

    Emergency mini-palooza of Eraserhead

    Smarty Hotties!!!: swoooning a