four-eyes rella: 2010-12-26

DEBUNKING BULLSHIT LANGUAGE MYTHS! YAAY!

This viral email crap about Cambridge University saying that you only need to have the first and last letters of a word in the right positions in order to read it has always bothered me. You know, this:

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

It is NOT TRUE. Seeing as I've studied linguistics and languages, people always fricking send me this thing and I hate it so much. This video is hilarious, and touches on all the key points as to why this whole thing is bullshit.

Another thing...most of the vowels are in the right order within the longer words, which is a major clue to the pronunciation of the words.

Maybe someday we can talk about "all the eskimo words for snow" or those "groups of people who only see five colors".

For coffee snobs (like me) everywhere...this print by Brian W. Jones.

This collection of portraits of soldiers from the American Civil War from the Library of Congress is so cool. Click on that link to see almost 700 of these. Some have notes along with them, some are painted, and some are kind of funny, like these two:

Look how young this sailor boy is! Aah!

This peanut butter and jelly wallet from The Spoon Sisters. It's currently sold out but here's hoping they make some more because...awesome.

Watching water drop at 10000 frames a second.

It's really really really really weird.

Tips on how to make life simple again.

Tip #1 - Don’t try to read other people’s minds. Don’t make other people try to read yours. Communicate.

Tip #14 - Don't try to please everyone. Just do what you know is right.

Tip #24 - Single task. Do one thing at a time and give it all you got.

Click here for 57 more really great tips.

Having my mind melted by these paper sculptures by Jen Stark

These pencil sculptures by Dalton Ghetti are insane.

Photos of Bettie Page. (click for more)

She always looks like she's having fun in her photos. Plus? Totally beautiful.

PANDA COW!

First of all I'd like to welcome all my new followers! Nice to have you on board, and seeing as this is my year in review post, it's a good time for you guys to get to know ...well, what you're getting into by reading this mess I call a blog. We're going to delve into my past year...it was a busy and exciting one, that's for sure!

Here we go.

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January 2010

I was tired of school. I mean, really tired. I was a full time student in 5 Spanish classes, while also working at the tattoo shop part time and doing video transcriptions for extra money because, as everybody probably knows, student loans do not cut it.

It was the beginning of my final semester, and I had to read things that looked like this:

Gosh, that seems so long ago! And now I realize I do not miss school at all.

I also got a really damn cool tattoo of a "cat spider" from my friend Colin Wiley on my thigh in January.

Ugh, that guy is talented.

Also in January I was sexually harassed by a garbage picker, became disillusioned with my career prospects after university, discovered the surrealist manifesto and took this cool photo of gummy bears.

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February 2010

I had like, the most stressful week ever at school, I overreacted about having a toothbrush in my bag, I dealt with some hilarious bureaucracy at the school, I was put on the Tattoo Zoo website and tried not to brag about it too much, and we were all on the two dollar tattoo project website...here's Ryan's stencil (tattoo by Bryan J Turnbull).

(Click through to see the ah-may-zing finished result)

I demonstrated my word-nerdiness here, and also here a little bit.

I won a Chuck Norris book online...

autographed by the one and only man who can punch with his beard.*

*I assume

I know I won it it from one of you?

I can't remember who had the contest right now...

Kristine?

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March 2010

In March, school was drawing to a close and from what I can tell from my blog posts, I was completely ignoring it and doing radical things like spending time outside and building stuff.

UVic tried to put the financial squeeze on me one last time in this letter (and I also talk about the time I STUTTERED in that post), I tried gardening with Ryan and we built a retaining wall in our backyard together even though we didn't really know how AND we started to renovate at work. I panicked about an icy road, got frustrated with the way grad students speak in the videos I had to transcribe and elitism in general, and Ryan got a bad-effin-ass chestpiece tattoo from Bryan Turnbull.

and had two funny conversations with Ryan that I saw fit to share with the world.

I wrote a fictional PSA on the impending robot uprising (?)

I had a hilarious time at the dentist. No, really. Read that one.

Also? My cat and I are funny here and here. Or at least I think so. Also, I think I discovered I like photography around March too...but didn't have a very good camera.

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April 2010

I gave a very detailed and outraged explanation of why people use the word "like" so much these days. For those of you who don't want to click through...you should. It's interesting. And for the record, I'm pro "like".

We tore down the walls at the tattoo shop. What a mess!

Click here to see the cutest picture of Gerry and Chris ever.

I wrote about the Easter my mom forgot, and saw a (dead) beached whale.

I detailed my last week or so of school. And I quote:

"today, tomorrow, wednesday = ZOMFG SO MUCH TO DOOOO

thursday-tuesday next week = la la la la waste time, hang out

wednesday/thursday = AAAAAAAAAH WHY DIDN'T I STUDY MORRREE??

April 22 - YAY!"

I like how I put the procrastination into my schedule like that. I know myself so well.

This is what I looked like for the majority of that month; I was so so so tired. School was insane but I found little things I loved about it, like my cat and the story I had to write a report on.

It was a tough month but I made it through okay.

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May 2010

It must have been a relaxing month because most of the stuff I talk about is music, clothes and photography. That's more like it. See what a change in quality of life I had by just finally graduating university? Amazing.

Here's some close-up photos of graffiti, a funny/cute story about going to the fair with the kids, and a look into what I may have become if I had stayed in the small town I grew up in and started listening to Insane Clown Posse, hahaha. I love juggalos.

Stuff around the tattoo shop was getting messy at this time though. We tore up the floor and found something interesting, and Chris was getting ready to move away to Vancouver. :(

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June 2010

Bryan and I (almost) finished my My Little Pony and Mummy Tea Party sleeve.

Click here for more pictures.

I was asked the ultimate ignorant question by a stranger...and got angry. In fact, I had a lot of bus stop encounters that month. I admitted I have a t-shirt addiction.

My degree arrived in the mail. Ryan got South Africa cut into his hair in preparation to see Die Antwoord play in Vancouver...well actually the hair guy surprised him with it, haha.

I had a stoner moment. Twice. I discovered The Black Apple. I tried deep fried pickles and saw naked people on bicycles. And I discovered that some people just don't take a hint.

Oh! And we got a new guy at work. CODY!

(img stolen from his facebook page)

And life has never been the same since, haha.

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July 2010

I discuss my neilasparophobia. *shudder*

I guess we finished the renovations because I posted photos of the finished tattoo shop here.

I went swimming. In my bathing suit. In public. And actually had fun.

Ryan and I saw Die Antwoord play in Vancouver. They are REALLY GOOD live.

You should see them. If you like cool stuff, that is.

Zef $ide, Die Fokken Antwoord!

I was afraid of deer. And Ryan made fun of me. It was pretty good.

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August 2010

I went to Calgary for my Grandma's 70th birthday. And got a new camera. And went to the zoo. And to a BodyWorlds exhibit. It was a really fun trip!

Another stupid bus stop incident. I had too much fun at my friend's birthday party and got some mysterious business cards made up. In another birthday party I tried the most delicious cake ever.

I got back from Calgary just in time to meet Ryan Mason. He's great.

And he gave me one of my favorite tattoos ever! My friend Larissa was also in town for a bit

and we all hung out together like one big happy family. :)

I also lost my mind and bought a bunch of cameras. And I got the Smena in the mail.

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September 2010

A cute little slug got into my house.

Roberto Seifert, our number one German friend (who lives in Switzerland for now) came to Tattoo Zoo for a few weeks and we loved having him around, as usual. We had a weird dinner with unfortunate consequences. We also saved a wounded bird and sang karaoke.

We had an extreme tat party and I got the back of my leg tattooed by Roberto. Here's a photo of it all swollen the next day...you can see better ones in my Cuba pics from last week.

Also, Colin started outlining Ryan's Japanese backpiece tattoo. (photos of his bum and more here)

A photo of mine was featured on Indie Ink,

I commissioned a really sweet mural for Ryan's birthday from a friend. It turned out great, and it's funny because I asked him if he could make it "say cloverfield". He took that request very literally. hahaha

I started my own 365 project (which now has over a hundred photos on it! Yay me!)

Ryan and I realized we were white trash losers one night at the carnival.

The Tattoo Zoo crew all went to Beer Fest in matching t-shirts, thanks to our best bosses. :)

Oh, and I tasted hot dog flavored potato chips. And liked them. No, yeah. I know how wrong that is.

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October 2010

More like Rocktober!

I turned 28 and saw an owl. :) I bitched about crazies on the bus. Again. I won a photo contest on Indie Ink and bragged about it. I had a lot of trouble with that Smena camera I was so excited about in September.

I watched the human centipede and wrote out what was happening so you can watch it with me if you haven't already...

I got a cool haircut. I opened a rather unsuccessful etsy store, selling cool postcards. You should buy one. Yeah, you. We also had a lovely vegetarian Thanksgiving.

Bryan Turnbull did it again, and gave me a really rad tattoo of a Mexican Zapatista-esque lady with a mustache. Huh, I got a lot of tattoos this year!

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November 2010

I got another tattoo, haha. This one from my best boss Gerry Effing Kramer.

We went to Galey Farms and I took a billion pictures of Halloween stuff. I saw a ghost and kicked it. My grandma made me sad and then happy. Oh, and my brother stayed with us for two weeks.

I was featured on Yes and Yes

which is one of my favorite blogs...unfortunately a lot of the readers took offense to my nonchalant dismissal of their tattoo stories, haha woops. Oh well, I was telling the truth. Whatevskies.

I was also on Danielle's wonderful blog 'Sometimes Sweet' talking about Victoria, B.C. Hers is another one of my favorite reads. I'm so lucky these bloggers let me into their virtual homes. :)

It snowed and ruined my life for a day. I also made my winter jacket into a metaphor.

I got a weird/offensive/fantastic present in the mail from China.

Best of all, we got an amazing new dog, Tank.

And I walked him around and discovered rusty old cars everywhere.

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December 2010

Urban Outfitters ruined my Christmas. I saw a Christmas truck parade, thought about Outer Space, found some Guerrilla knitting projects and got my ghost camera developed. We took our dog to get neutered and he was sad about it.

Danielle let me show off my tattoos on her blog here.

I went to Cuba which you're all probably super tired of hearing about by now.

(See a lot of pictures and stuff here here here and here.)

And then to Alberta for Christmas...and just got back a few days ago.

All in all with the terrible school at the beginning and the awesome stuff all over the place I'd give 2010 a B+ ... not too shabby. Here's to an A in 2011!