Training Your Couch Part I: Changing Light Bulbs

Changing a Light Bulb

First, convince your couch that in darkness cats will claw its legs and arms and dogs will chew its cushions. Emphasize the importance of electric lighting as a deterrent.

Next, teach it how to sit upright.  Explain how stray pocket change and detritus can accumulate over time in the bowels of a couch. Describe in simple, yet graphic detail, the damage it can cause to the very fabric of its nether regions.

Your couch will become nervous and agitated, so explain that in order to eliminate the foreign objects, it is necessary for it to elevate itself such that you (the Alpha Couch) may remove the offending items easily and painlessly from the lower end. Be gentle, and speak in soft voice.

Your couch will listen silently and attentively to your explanations and will cooperate fully (this is when you should replace the lightbulb and THEN collect the stray pocket change, pencils, pens, crayons, raisins, M&Ms and other miscellany) after which you should explain to your couch that you’d like to relax on it. Your couch will likely prostrate itself on the floor.

This erases its memory of the stressful event. Your couch will become content and pliable once again, especially if you spill something sticky on it.

[Image found here.]

Saturday Matinee – Rodent Gravitron, Tedeschi & Vaughan, and Ray Charles

2 Gerbils 1 Wheel is the rodent equivalent of The Gravitron. [via]

“Let The Good Times Roll” – Susan Tedeschi with Jimmie Vaughan & Double Trouble, from Austin City Limits, 12 January 1998.

Crispness is clumping and the geezer’s getting fat. Here’s Ray Charles singing Mel Tormé‘s 1944 classic “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire).”

“Tiny tots with a nose full of snots” is my favorite line in that song. Although it’s been said that Barney loves Fred, Merry Christmas To You.

The End Of The World Mayan Apocalypse December 2012

Mayan Apocalypse December 2012

Since we don’t know in which time zone the catastrophe begins, this may be my last post on Tacky Raccoons; otherwise, we’ll see you on Friday as usual.

[Concept unashamedly snatched from here. Somewhat appropriate apocalyptic music from Skeeter Davis here.]

Great Gifts For Dad

Gifts For Dad 2012

As for the Meglinating Variable Intensity Multifunction Power Tool, I have one and it works great. You have to replace the Narvis coupling occasionally, but that only takes a couple of minutes. Buy spares.

The Narvis coupling is the weak link, and if you don’t have a spare or two handy, you’re screwed. Many agree that it should not be replaced unless a trammel gear fails. I made that mistake once.

If you’ve already got some davised camshanks, you’ve got spares as long as you’re willing to replace the panfold bushings, refrog and align them. Be sure that you have the proper torque trimmer, otherwise you’ll need to disassemble and rebuild every one of the winders, and you’ll end up buying a full set of trammel gears.

P.S. Forget the Bono goggles. Put ’em on and every good lookin’ woman looks like Sonny. I gave mine away for free.

[Found here.]

Update: Download the Hazard Fraught Tools catalog.

In Memory of Erin O’Keefe

Mountain Rats 1876 a

A somber ceremony at Pike’s Peak 1876. The dangers of the new frontier were many, and there were many horrible ways one could part from the living.

Mountain Rats 1876

The U.S. Signal Service (an early Weather Bureau) built a telegraph station on the summit [of Pike’s Peak] in 1873 to monitor the weather, and a guard was posted in Manitou at the beginning of the trail to collect a toll for hiking to the summit.

In May of 1876, tragedy befell the O’Keefe family when their daughter Erin was apparently eaten by mountain rats. The true story may be found here.

[Bottom image found here, top image here. Related post here.]

Great Halloween Costume

The only thing missing is a cliff. [Found here.]

“Go Fish” Company Headquarters

Yep. They invented the game. I only hope the windows are operable. [Found here.]

Four Cranes

THAT is a great advertisement. [Found here.]

Nothing much happened today.

Great photo with nice shoes.

[Found here.]

UPDATE: BTW that’s Will Nunziata.

“Even if you’ve never seen Will Nunziata and Jerry Miller do their thing, you feel like you have while watching “Dystopia Gardens” at Dixon Place. Mr. Nunziata is the portly one, crass and fearless even (or is that especially?) when running around in his underwear.” [via]

On This Day Awesome Happened.

[Found here. Click on teh image for a bonus.]