Author Archives: Rob MacD

Unleash the drummer in you with this virtual drum kit.

A friend pointed out to me, in a rather off-handed way, that lately some people, seemingly of the Jewish faith seem to have a vested interest in Christmas. There are a handful of Jewish performers, notably Kathie Lee Gifford and Barbara Streisand, who’ve released Christmas albums. I assume David Berenbaum, who wrote the screenplay for “Elf” is Jewish. When this was pointed out to me, I didn’t really give it much thought.

And then, last night, I was watching TV and there was a commercial for Kay Diamonds. In it, a man whom I assume is Jewish (admittedly I assume this only because he has some of the physical attributes stereotypically associated with Jews) asks his girlfriend if she believes in Santa Claus. She says ‘Yes’ then he says: “He helped me pick this out” and gives her a diamond necklace in a jewellery-box.

I don’t put any weight or criticism on this, other than I just find it somewhat odd. Then again, I don’t believe in the Christian religion and yet I enjoy celebrating the season. I’ll have an album coming out shortly.

I’ve always been envious of those people who can comfortably cross their legs when they’re sitting down. Those with the long, Jimmy Stewart-thin pegs that fit together so well, one atop the other, knee above knee, top leg dangling all loosey-goosey.
Me, I’m blessed with a couple of work-horse legs, the trunks you call on when you need an anchor for the tug-of-war. I have the thighs of an ass. When I cross my legs, there’s no dangling limbs, no looseness at all. It’s all about contained pressure. The energy consumed to keep the top leg crossed over the bottom is enormous and barely worth the bother. There it trembles and quivers, the right ankle perched at right angle on the left knee, gravity thrusting its constant force down, down, down on the right knee which hovers over nothingness, unsupported. A coiled weapon, ready to be unfurled and sprung upon the unsuspecting, held back only by sheer force of will.
There’s no comfort in that friends.

So, I was browsing through the referring sites to this Monster and noticed for my first time some google search referrals, and I browsed through those. The search that caught my eye: “riff de la bum smell”

Plug that into your google search, and the Monster gets top billing. I feel so honoured, yet bad for the searcher, who, I assume, didn’t find what they were looking for here. Let me rephrase: I hope they didn’t find what they were looking for here.

I was listening to some music tonight, and Bud the Spud started playing, which reminded me of a sketch I wrote a long time ago, called The Church of the Blessed Sebago. Basically, it was a reverent recitation of Bud the Spud as if it was Gospel, written as bible verses. It was kind of a one-joke bit that never really went anywhere, and never really saw the light of day.
But the sermon did end with this Potato Grower’s Prayer, which I rather like:

“Our tuber, which art in red soil
How good thy taste baked.
Fried, mashed or broiled, thy will be sold
To Cavendish Farms as much as to McCains.
Give us this day our maximum yield
And forgive us our PVY-n
As we forgive Maine their transport embargoes.
And lead us not into land use dilemmas
But deliver us from erosion
For thy pay the mortgage, the power, the grocer
For ever and ever, Amen.”

The following is not a fully-realised socio-scientific theory. In fact, it has only been tested a few times. Hardly enough to warrant endorsement of its viability or validity from the scientific-sociological community. And each time the theory has been tested, I believe, the theorist has been inebriated. Then again, so too were the subjects. However, based on the amazing similarity of results in each test, the theory does seem promising.

The theory is this: Commenting to a drunk man (test subject) about his teeth will cause insane vocal ramblings and violent physical manifestations to emerge from the test subject.

Case Study #1: Test subject was situated near the planted cannon on the Cow’s corner. Pleasantries and cordialities were conveyed between the test subject and his group, and the scientist’s group. The scientist then mentioned, in a purely innocent and off-handed manner, that the test subject’s teeth appeared to be similar in size and stature to the teeth of actor Gary Busey. Test subject appeared not to recognise the Busey name, yet still became overwrought with fury and anger at the very idea. Subject’s flailings arms and legs were, fortunately, subdued by subject’s clique. Not so subdued were the subjects threats of violence to scientist as scientist continued his way to The Dip.

Case Study #2: Test subject was encountered on sidewalk outside the establishment known formerly as “The Playhouse”. After pleasantries and cordialities were conveyed between the test subject and his group, and the scientist’s group, the subject’s group began to cross the street to where the Petro-Can station is situated. At some point in this crossing, the scientist mentioned, again in a purely innocent and unprovoking manner, that the test subject had “Tignish Teeth”. There was a momentary lull in the experiment as the very concept of “Tignish Teeth” took its time to sink in. By the time the test subject made it across the street, it was presumed by members of his clique that “Tignish Teeth” is likely an insult. Upon hearing this, the subject was overcome with fury and anger and began to wildly flail his arms, legs, and limited vocabulary. Attempts by scientist to explain the definition of “Tignish Teeth” only seemed to infuirate the test subject even more, to the point where he was seemingly frothing at the mouth as he was loaded into the cab of his clique’s pickup.

Even though this theory is yet only a theory, please be careful when out clubbing. Do not comment on a drunk man’s teeth, no matter how innocent and innocuous you believe your comment to be.