fracas

Fracas is tough…

…or stupid.

(-51 degrees Celsius = -59.8 degrees Fahrenheit)

There is no poll for this one.

In response to a challenge by one of the new contributors over at fuelmyblog, I decided to pierce something to try win his (okay, it’s daddypapersurfer) contest. I also said I’d post pictures.

In that fracalicious way that I love to behave, I’ve found some photos to correspond to the items in a poll I’ve placed over at that other… more whore-y fracas blog at blogger. WordPress does not allow for javascript… it’s how they keep us safe from all those mean and nasties who would like to sic their java headaches upon all of us and in one fell swoop, bring down the world (as we know it) with their malicious code. (Please examine these photos closely before deciding on your vote; clicking on any photo will open up a new window with many more photos of that kind of piercing.)

Yeah, so Blogger allows it. No surprise, since nearly every blog scraper out there is on Blogger. I’ve put the poll there. I’m asking you to click over and vote for a body part you think I should pierce. It’s not hard to find, right below my picture in the sidebar. I am quite serious. I will pierce the fracas. No “she’s melted” photos instead of a wet t-shirt photo… no excuses… nope. Fracas will be pierced, and a photo for proof will be posted!

And why shouldn’t I be? The fraccy daughter has several piercings… all in her face. It is quite special.  She doesn’t wear the labret piercing all the time though… the fraccy future son-in-law finds it an annoyance when the kissing commences.

Note that I did not include ”labret piercing” on the poll list.

Fracas is no fool. 

Please also note, that I did not include ”nipple piercing” or “umentionables piercing” on the poll list either. How on earth would I show you a picture of it then? Mr. Fracas would be a little upset… and rightly so.   

So head over to the poll… you have limited time to have your say. Please, also… note that I encourage cheating. If you think you can convince others to head over there and vote for their favorite body part, so be it. Cheat, cheat, cheat. It’s a good way to add some excitement to a cold and miserable winter.  

Disclaimers:

1. Please do not blame me if you choose to click on “hardcore” or any of the piercings on the menu that involve body parts normally covered by underwear.  
2. I had to post this next part… it was in the rules.

Tie breaker - Daddy Papersurfer is the bestest blogger in the world because … he’s willing to wear his old scouts uniform to detention and he’s only slightly afraid of the coven. Quite remarkable!

To find out how you too, can participate in The Monday Melee, please read the main Monday Melee page, grab The Monday Melee logo (and view the participant list too).

Fracas’ The Monday Melee for January 28, 2008

Happy Anniversary to The Monday Melee!  
The first edition of The Monday Melee was published on January 29, 2007, and so today, while being one day short of the technical anniversary, is the Monday Anniversary of the Melee. Wouldn’t it be nice if Johnny Depp (or perhaps Uma Thurman for you menfolk) jumped out of a cake in honour?

To bring the Melee back up to speed and ready it for another year, today’s Melee will be all about getting organized!

I’ve decided to send out a call to all those on the Master Melee list, to find out if any of your details need updating. There are a few of you that I know have moved to domains of your own, or changed blog hosts. Often though… the old blog isn’t gone, just stagnant. I’m hoping that some of you do still check them from time to time and so might see a trackback, but I will start visiting all of your sites individually to try verify them. You don’t have to be doing the Melee every single week to remain on the list, just have to at least occasionally post a Monday Melee and I’m happy to leave your link. If you’re totally not doing it, then I will remove the link because I do think it’s fair to give me a link by doing it at least once every so often, if I’m going to be keeping your link up.  

The master link list has been copied to today’s post (below) to give you a bit of attention. If you see yourself here and your address has changed, please post a comment to let me know so I can change it.

1. The Misanthtropic: Name something about humanity getting organized you absolutely hate.
I hate that getting organized is so much work. I suppose if we were all organized right from the get-go, it wouldn’t be… but life happens and even the organized sometimes get busy and things slide. Getting back there is always so much effort.

2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone about getting organized that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus.
Those people that do the “get organized” reality shows make me crazy. Do they think we’re stupid, and might think it’s that easy in real life? Ok… they have a crew, I don’t. They get to spend tons of money at once on neat folders and boxes and shelves and all that. I don’t. A real reality show would be nice. You know…  where the host goes into a home and starts going through boxes and files and stuff, is interruped thirteen times because the kids can’t find the ketchup or the toilet paper (add the urgent screams to that one), the phone rings, you realize everyone is hungry so you prepare food (and then must clean up after said food preparation) and, well… at the end of the day instead of having some kick-ass contemporary-looking family room, you have one that looks like hell in a handbasket (or basement). So you tell the crew to come back again the next day… and the next, and the next.

The host? Oh… she’ll be fine. The doctors tell me the medication will kick in in a few days and those ticks will go away.

3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with (about getting organized).
See my answer for #2…. minus all the television crew stuff. That’s really how it is when real life people try get organized.

4. The Meritorious: Give someone getting organized credit for something and name it if you can.
The good part is, once you’ve gone through that torture that would have the toughest of combat soldiers crying for their mommy, you feel like you can do anything. There’s nothing like knowing where every little thing is, to make a person feel like they rule the world.

5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself getting organized and name it.
Being organized (and staying organized) also means less cleaning later. That… is always a good thing.

6. The Make-Believe: Name something (about getting organized) you wish for.
I wish for the budget to just run out and purchase massive quantities of shelving units, and all manner of boxes and storage units, little pull out drawers, shoe racks, gift-wrap/craft supply station accoutrements and the like, that I would need to barricade myself in my home (tossing out all those who can’t find ketchup or toilet paper or need to be fed of course) and not come out until my home resembled Martha Stewart’s.

The home that is, not the fracas. I have no burning desire to look like Martha Stewart. I mean… seriously.

Now it’s your turn.

You can take part in The Monday Melee, even make it a regular feature at your site by visiting The Monday Melee page and following the steps. Kick-start your brain on Mondays and meet other bloggers.

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[Image source: Lifehack.org]

I have this little issue. I live in Canada. I am Canadian, and while I don’t expect miracles from those who don’t live here, I do expect my fellow Canadians to know how to pronounce the names of the provinces and territories in our own country.
Quoting this travel site [1], please note the proper way to pronounce names of locations in Canada.

“Most Canadians will pronounce Quebec “kay-bec” reflecting the proper French pronounciation, although “ke-bec” (first “e” short) is also used. Many visitors often mispronouce Quebec as “kwee-bec” or “kew-bec”

According to Torontonians, the proper way to pronounce Toronto is “tronno” or at worst “toronno”. Pronouncing the second “t” is an immediate sign that you are a visitor, no matter where you are in Canada. Similarly, the name of the nation’s capital, Ottawa, is pronounced odd-a-wa.

The way to pronounce Newfoundland is “NEW-fun-land” or “NEW-fund-land”. Its stresses are as in “understand” - some stress on “New”, none on “fund”, and a fair bit on “land”. “New-FOUND-land” is definitely frowned upon, particularly within Newfoundland.

The capital of Saskatchewan is Regina. People familiar with Latin pronunciation will want to pronounce the second syllable like the word “gee”, but the correct pronunciation of the city’s name rhymes with “sky”. So “Regina” is pronounced to rhyme with “red sky nut”, with the letter “g” given the soft “j” pronunciation.

The province of Alberta is Al-BERD-uh; the “t’ is pronounced with “d” sound from coast to coast. And Calgary, Alberta, is pronounced “CAL-gree” by Albertans, and “CAL-guh-ree” outside of Alberta. “Cal-gary” (Gary pronounced like the man’s name) is never heard.

Canada has three northern territories, in addition to ten provinces. The westernmost territory, which borders Alaska, is called ” the Yukon” in conversation, never just “Yukon.” (”I was born in the Yukon” is correct, while “I’m driving to Yukon” — no “the” — is incorrect.) However, “Whitehorse, Yukon” is the correct way to refer to places within the Yukon. Yukon is pronounced so as to rhyme with “few gone”. The easternmost (and newest) territory is Nunavut, pronounced so as to rhyme with “soon a foot” (or “none-of-it” as some people jokingly refer to it).”

And speaking of mispronunciations, it does console me just a tad, to learn that others also suffer at the hands of those who mispronounce words and names of streets and cities. There’s a book of most mispronounced words, and there are even free lists of the most mispronounced words.

And so… because it will give us all a bit of comic relief to list our peeves, I’m asking fraccers everywhere (and non-fraccers too, though posting will turn you into a fraccer) to stop for a moment and think of the word or words that drives them crazy when they hear it mispronounced… and post it here! Quote something from this post and link to fracas if you’d like to engage in a bit of linguistically levered laughter at your own blog!

I’ll start.

1. Nuclear is pronounced noo′ klē ər (noo-kleer) not noo-kyoo-lar
2. Library is pronounced lī′brer′ē not li-berry.
3. It is Espresso, not Expresso
4. There is no such word as irregardless. Please just use regardless.
5. To state that you “could care less” actually means that you care. If you’re trying to tell someone you don’t care at all… in fact, care so little that there’s no inkling that you care about something, please say that you “couldn’t care less.” At least then you won’t confuse some poor sap.

Now it’s your turn. Post your pronunciation peeves right here. Come on… vent. Blow it all out.

You’ll be glad you did, and someone out there might learn something.

Ain’t blogging great?

[1] This site will also prove useful if you’re looking to understand other Canadian lingo.