inspiration strikes - a break from the monotony

Friday, November 15, 2002

Another week over

Have a great weekend!

mattchun 11/15/2002 05:35:00 PM [+] ::
...

Name Game

So, I have a niece and three nephews (plus more on the way), and I've been privy to a number of baby name discussions with the expectant parents. These conversations, coupled a little feedback from two winsome young lasses, petit hiboux and anna, have inspired me to compile the following list of names other than Matt that I would request if forced into the witness protection plan for reasons unrelated to my character, which is upright and just: (in alphabetical order)

1. Ethan
2. Holden
3. Jacob*
4. Jonah*
5. Joshua
6. Liam*
7. Noah
8. Owen
9. Tristan
10. Tyler

*elicited excitement and/or wistful sighs when mentioned.

mattchun 11/15/2002 01:22:00 PM [+] ::
...

Indian Summer

November's gales grow colder as autumn marches slowly, steadily on to winter. The brisk chilly night air bites at the face and grips at the hands. As the nights grow long, the winds portend the coming snows. The gusts blow hither to and fro as we denizens of the olde towne pull down our caps and wrap our scarves tightly, glowering and galumphing off to our destinations. And as the memories of torrid summer's effulgence fade with verdure of the leaves, we conduct ourselves with comity, listening for a quiet susurrus, a timorous hint of warmth in the air. Do the rustling of the fallen leaves mark a brief return to the balmy breezes of august, and a fleeting indian summer?

mattchun 11/14/2002 08:52:00 PM [+] ::
...

Ten Things Monkey
Given, that I am known in some circles as Monkey Boy, I thought it would be worthwhile to devote a post to all things monkey. Here's an assortment of monkey-related material on the web.

10) Donkey Kong, the classic arcade game.
9) Sea Monkeys. Did you ever have them? You know, they aren't really tiny little underwater monkeys.
8) Famous Monkeys Throughout History: from Gordo, the first monkey in space, to Koko, the educated gorilla
7) The SIMI project: The Search for Intelligent Monkeys on the Internet
6) A Barrel of Monkeys, the game. Plus, instructions from Hasbro.
5) The Monkees. Did anyone else watch re-runs of the Monkees on Nickelodeon? Or, maybe you watched the original. If so, you are much older than I am.
4) 12 Monkeys - Post-apocalyptic film-noir, directed by Terry Gilliam
3) Drunken Monkey. What could be funnier than a drunken monkey?
2) Monkey Hot or Not. A while back, I wrote about how the ads at the top of inspiration strikes frequently featured a link to Hot or Not. Monkey Hot or Not is a monkified twist on the original concept.

and number one, with a bullet:
1) I like monkeys. If ever I am feeling low, I just need to remember how much I like monkeys, and all is right with the world.

mattchun 11/14/2002 11:22:00 AM [+] ::
...

Matty's getting tired

Not too long ago, my roomate's girlfriend pointed out to me that when I get tired, I tend to talk about myself in the third person. When I'm drifting off in drowsiness, I start saying things like "Matty's getting sleepy..." or "it's bedtime for Matty."

Since she mentioned this, I've started to notice this phenomenon with increasing frequency. Not only does it happen when the sandman's sprinkling his soporific silica, it also tends to happen when I'm injured, or in pain. I played basketball last night -- the first time I've run full-court in a while -- and upon returning home, I declared "Matt's feet are sore" and "Matty's muscles need a rubdown."

Matt is somewhat amused by this.

mattchun 11/14/2002 08:58:00 AM [+] ::
...

Next on the list...

I recently finished reading Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. One of those classics that I never got around to in middle school. I just made the connection between Lenny, and the big abominable snowman character from Loony Toons that is always trying to catch Bugs and "pet him, and stroke him and call him George." I wonder how many other literary references I missed from those Warner Brothers cartoons.

Next on the list is A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. A friend of mine recommended AHWOSG to me, and though I'm only about 30 pages in, so far it's quite good.

mattchun 11/13/2002 05:45:00 PM [+] ::
...

An Intense Summer Job

I used to have this great summer job. Well, I think of it as this great summer job because I'm wearing the rose-colored glasses of recollection, though at the time it was quite hellish. Even so, I have a number of happy memories from my summer work experience between high school and freshman year of college. That summer, I worked for a company that set up big white tents for weddings, concerts, craft fairs and parties, around New England. It was much fun. A number of my high school friends worked for the company, and we would drive trucks around the bucolic hillsides of the northeastern states, pitching tents. It was physically demanding work, but at the end of the day, I could proudly gaze upon my handiwork and get a good night's sleep, knowing I had earned my day's wage.

It was nice to be part of a crew. Each day a crew of anywhere from two to ten people would drive out to a given event site and get cracking on setting up the tent(s). This was a strictly regimented process, closely monitored by the owner of the company, who often labored out in the field along with us grunts. First, someone would plan out the area, marking the ground to indicate the intended position of the various ropes and stakes that would support the canopy. Next, we would roll out protective dropcloths to provide a barrier between the white canvas tent fabric and the ground. After this, we'd set a number of long iron stakes in the earth, often pounding them in by hand with sledgehammers. Once the stakes were in, we'd lay out the drop cloths and roll open the tent fabric itself.

The tents were monstrous -- sometimes 100ft by 100ft in size -- and the canopy was separated into sections that we tied to the stakes and then laced together by hand. After lacing the sections together, we'd start putting in the side poles along the perimeter of the structure. Sometimes we'd raise the tents by hand, using tent poles as large as masts to push up the canopy from the inside. For the largest tents (the "hundred-wides"), we used a truck to push up the center poles, lifting the thousands of pounds of vinyl. Once the supporting centerpoles were in place, we'd tighten up our knots and clean up the site. Then we'd set about rolling up the dropcloths and collecting the various bags and tools strewn about the site.

When it got down to it, there was a lot of backbreaking labor, but also many moments of levity, with frequent practical jokes and an endless stream of stories and vulgarities. It seemed as though someone was always stealing sunglasses or spraypainting shoes. One of those camaraderie-filled experiences that I recall fondly.

When I tell people about this summer job, I usually say the job was quite strenuous -- like the circus, it was "in-tents."

mattchun 11/13/2002 05:17:00 PM [+] ::
...

I dislike elevators

The elevator in my office building is scary. It rattles, and shakes and hums. Sometimes, the door opens when you haven't quite arrived at your floor, or when you've just passed your floor. This gives you the unsettling image of your destination slowly rising or falling into direct view, before you hurriedly step into the lobby, relieved that you're still alive. I've come to dread these elevator journeys, and I am usually thankful for the reliable (albeit slow) elevator at my apartment.

Last night, I arrived home to my apartment building, after a long, brutal day at work. It was about 11pm, and I was exhausted. I stepped into the small lobby and walked up to the elevator, and noticed a curious little sign slapped atop the elevator buttons. It said something to the effect of "Ha ha ha you foolish little twit! I know you're tired from a long day of drudgery, but I, the almighty elevator, (bow down before me!) am out of service! You may only pass through my steel gates when I permit you to recline in my wrought iron chariot to the skies! Feeble little rat! You shall not pass today!" Actually, it said something to the effect of "For your safety and convenience, this elevator is under repair," but after an interminably long day, the little notice seemed to be mocking me. Granted, five flights of stairs isn't going to kill me, and lately I could use the exercise. Even so, it was a painful, curse-laden trudge up to the fifth floor. Another mark against elevators in my book.

mattchun 11/12/2002 08:54:00 AM [+] ::
...

Today's Spam
I read somewhere that Spam accounts for some 30% of email sent these days. Here's a small sample of what I received today.

1) "Try this Baby Out"
Discover EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about:
your friends
your family
your enemies
your employees
yourself - Is Someone Using Your Identity?
even your boss!
DID YOU KNOW you can search for ANYONE, ANYTIME,
ANYWHERE, right on the Internet?

2) "International Driver's License"
Need a new driver's license?
Too many points or other trouble?
Want a license that can never be suspended or revoked?
Want an ID for nightclubs or hotel check-in?
Avoid tickets, fines, and mandatory driver's education.
Protect your privacy, and hide your identity.

2) Last but not least, "Constipation is Dangerous"
Cleansing your colon is a 30-day process. Its also very economical at under $52. You may be very surprised at some of the benefits you will receive besides just losing 1-5 lbs of crap from your body and brightening your future health.

mattchun 11/11/2002 11:11:00 AM [+] ::
...