+matthew rappaport asked me to give +César Abdala a proper welcome to Google+ so, "All hail Cesar!" 😉
Matthew's request: http://goo.gl/yNKVr
+Keith Cramer's welcome: http://goo.gl/cz9Rb
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Went to Dave & Busters in Indy earlier tonight. Among the many prizes daughter won, she got me this here mustache key-chain. "Well, hello there!" Absolutely love it!
Smarmy prize achievement unlocked! 😉
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The unexpected gift is not what you think. It's not the awesome plush TARDIS with sound and flashing blue light on top! There is no way the sender could have anticipated the real gift they gave me.
Daughter has been with me since Christmas evening, several days earlier than I expected this year. As such, I have not been into the office until we stopped by today. Brother +Keith Cramer remembered to hand a package to us just before we left. More mysterious than The Doctor, there was no packing slip in the box. Daughter was intrigued by this 'blue box" and humored by the "public telephone" sign. She pressed it to hear the iconic TARDIS sound and see the flashing blue light; iconic to most of us, but all very new to her. I have never been able to get her interested in watching Doctor Who. After getting home and explaining to her what the TARDIS is, I called her over to the couch and pulled up "The Snowmen" Doctor Who Christmas special to show her the TARDIS in action. She nestled down beside me and I could tell she was interested in the show! We sat and watched the entire episode (I had not even seen it yet). She was a little apprehensive at the sharp-toothed snowmen and buried her eyes in a blanket once or twice. However, Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman both had her entranced. She was a bit puzzled by the "lizard lady" and the "potato head man" but, unlike other shows I have tried to introduce to her in the past, she stayed and actually got invested in the characters. As a Geek Dad, this was an awesome moment to share; her first Doctor Who episode and, better yet, she can not wait to see the next one and find out what happens with the new companion!
So… unknown mystery gift-giver, I hope you read this to know what you did. This was much more than a cute toy tonight. Thank you! <3
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I received a package on Christmas Eve. No Amazon box. No packing slip. There is a return address sticker but I do not know if that is the sender or the shipper. I do not want to post the name without permission either. So… I have a host of inch high zombies eating at my brain! Nicely played, sir. Nicely played.
8 Tiny Zombies
More rapid than Zombies
From 28 Days
I whistled
And shouted
And called
Them by name
Now frying pan woman
Now creepy clown
Now cheerleader with severed head
Now zombie with visible spine
On crouched zombie
On surfer dude with shark eaten arm
On clubfoot
And fat dude with hotdog in hand!
To the top
Of my laptop
They take
Over my screen
These are the
Most mysterious
Zombies I've seen!
So… before my brain is eaten away by this mystery, somebody help me!!!
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+Kimberly Chapman sponsored a contest to mix a Christmas song with the Aliens movies (http://goo.gl/kLjHt). I'm too late to enter but I submit the following for your (hopeful) enjoyment:
Someone convince +Carrie Canup to sing it! 😉
Aliens Jingle Bells
Dashing through the stars
After 57 years
Back to L-V Four Two Six
Ripley conquers fears
Apone's in command
Space marines in tow
What fun, a rescue mission planned
The company made 'em go
Oh, jingle bells, Hudson yells
"This can't be happening…!"
Oh, what fun it is to run
From a horde of aliens
Jingle bells, Vasquez tells
Gorman he's an arse
Oh, what fun it is to run
From a horde of aliens
A month or two ago
Surveyors found a ship
And only Newt survived
Because she learned to hide
Hicks had to take command
Because Apone, he got grabbed
The dropship crashed, they had to stand
More alien attacks
Oh, jingle bells, Hudson yells
"We're all gonna die…!"
Oh, what fun it is to run
From a horde of aliens
Jingle bells, Vasquez tells
All she's not a man
Oh, what fun it is to run
From a horde of aliens
Jingle bells, Ripley yells
"Get away from her, you [w]itch!"
Oh, what fun it is to run
From a horde of aliens
Jingle bells, good prevails
Only two survived
Just don't watch more sequels
Or you'll see that they all died.
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It's Christmas day and I know the Geek flags are flying high! Post 'em if you got 'em! Tag it #ChristmasGeek I love seeing everyone's toys and fun stuff. 🙂
"It's Not Easy Being Geek" t-shirt from +Kristi Fahlsing this morning.
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I became one of the group of rubber duck recipients this Christmas! I have an idea who the sender might be, but no definitive proof. Yet…. 😉
This is the story of what happened when my superhero ducks arrived at the office. EDIT: Not sure why the main image to the post is actually the third picture in the mini-series.
Other known duck recipients that I know about: +Mary C. (Vikings and Ninjas and Bunnies) +Chris Mallory (Insects) +Kyla Myers (Cupcakes)
#santagift #rubberducks #duckmail #duckathon
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Hi everyone. Merry Christmas to many overseas already. Soon enough for those of us on this side of the pond. This year, I read aloud my "Twas the Night Before Christmas" poem. One take… well, two on the first few verses because I forgot to turn off my phone and there was a rather large "DROID" in the middle of things. 😉
Thanks to +Kristi Fahlsing for her assistance with this and telling me my hair looked fine. 😉
Also, apologies in advance because I do not know how to pronounce everyone's names. And… +Sheila Garl. Next time. You'll see. Argh.
The text, if you care to read along:
Twas the night
Before Christmas
When all through G+
Not a plusser was surfing
Not a click of a mouse
The posts were all written
And stored in DoShare
In hopes
Chrome stayed running
To publish from there
The circles were nestled
All safe in their beds
While +Carrie Canup carols
Danced in their heads
+Kristi Fahlsing in kerchief
And I in my cap,
Had just settled down
For a long winters nap
When in our notifies
There arose such a clatter
I sprang to my laptop
To see what was the matter
After rebooting windows
Due to problems with flash
I logged in to my profile
To see who had spazzed
Perhaps +Mar Mai had posted
A newly drawn pic
Or someone
Had thanked her and
Been glomped to death
It must not have been that
For there was nothing
To see
Of +Damian Sanchez's
Epic Manly Man Squee
Maybe Elf +Kyla Myers
Who's known to be sweet
But when not
Making cakes
Has a huge ornery streak
Perhaps Canadian #Dropbears
From Miss +Mellie B
Or Overlord +Halfdan Reschat
Pasting shark fluffy
With macaroni.
The Usual Suspects…
Now +Keith Cramer
+Scott D
+Rhonda Stewart
And +Caroline Evebetty
On +Chris Mallory
+Yoon-Mi Kim
+Eduardo Rodriguez Calzado
And +Andrew Clifton-Brown
So many to tag, let's go another round!
Now +Kimberly Chapman
+Bill Abrams of #WerdGame
+Jim Gomes
+Allen Simpson
And +Lacerant Plainer
On +Kimberly Allen
+Melissa Bryan
And +Amanda Rachelle Warren
To the top
Of What's Hot
To the top
Relevant spot
If something's gone crazy
One of you
I will spot
And what was that?
Ninja Bunnies
Or Vikings I spy?
Definitely +Mary C.'s
Modus operandi
So up
To a hangout
Of course
I then flew
To check +Charlie Hoover
This notify storm
Just might be his brew
And then
In a twinkling
I heard on the roof
#10MinuteHero s
and Villains
All my photoshop goofs
With a host of +Dirk Reul eks
More fearsome than trolls
Commenting "I wan chat you"
In shirtless troll droves.
The crazy Italain
+Salvio Giglio in lead
As if all of my mash-ups
had jumped from my screen
They looked even more viral than
Dare it, I say
#InternationalTakeAPictureUnderYourDeskDay
With +Jo Lane
Important it was
To try and communicate
Thank goodness for Google
And Google translate
His drawl little mouth
Was drawn up like a bow
As I tried to type something
In Italian he'd know
Was it +Mz Maau
Who set you up on this quest
Her alien origin
Might not be in jest!
Or am I being punked
With +matthew rappaport flair
Gathering material
For his Hangouts on Air
He scrolled back in my stream
Page after page
Hey Google, next year
A better search function
Could be all the rage
A wink of his eye
And a twist of his head
He pulled up a post
Which I expanded and read
The last time I tried
To tag each plus friend
I'd been horribly remiss
And forgot +Jenn Kirkland
Oh Jen I am sorry!
I hope you're not pissed
That to make it up this time
I made you the villainess!
And of course to avoid future mishaps
Though surely there'll be some I forget
Tagging +Emilio Boronali
+Laurie M
+Bearman Cartoons
and +Kari Tedrick
And now I exclaim
As I share this tonight
Happy Christmas to all
And to all a Good Night!
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Visit the link below to see all of the adorable pics. 🙂
From the link: Director Dj Cosgrove and wife Amber originally hail from Columbus, Ohio and now live in Los Angeles along with their adorable and talented Boston Terrier, Turbo. Together, between their two instagram accounts, they have shared photos on alternating days of Turbo balancing Christmas items on his head.
http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-talented-boston-terrier-balances-25.html
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Okay, last minute shoppers, it's less than 24 hours so time to get creative. Buy a pair of white socks (because you need something to wrap) and print this picture and pin it to the top of them. Then order these for your toe-sock-wearing hobbit-loving companion!
http://www.jinx.com/p/the_hobbit_feet_socks.html?catid=
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$25.15 but they have 20% off… Tempted. Because, like, I need more t-shirts, eh +Kristi Fahlsing?
http://www.redbubble.com/people/ig-hateyhate/works/9194359-iron-throne-tour-game-of-thrones-shirt
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To avoid certain and fiery mutant zombie doom today, rush right now (there's not much time, I can hear the alien meteors) and wish +Rhonda Stewart a Happy Birthday! Public posts, private messages, sharing of this post, and comments here are all welcome ways to stave off the end of everything as we know it! #HappyBirthdayRho
Rho is my closest and dearest friend. She also holds the dubious honor of having known me longer than anyone else I know barring family. If you knew her, you would get just how appropriate it is for her birthday to not only be on the solstice, but on the date of the Mayan Apocalypse.
#gplususermashup #mayancalendar #wintersolstice #apocalypse 
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He was bested by King Arthur riding a horse comprised of coconuts, so I don't think he stands a chance here, but I love the mash-up. 😉
http://www.worth1000.com/entries/700211/none-shall-pass
#mashup #montypython #montypythonandtheholygrail #lordoftherings 
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You know it's coming. You just don't know when…
Dedicated to "Bringing Back the Glomp" +Mar Mai. 😉
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If you are doing Buzz Lightyear, you have to have the glass domed helmet. If you are doing a Stormtrooper, you have to have the classic Stormtrooper helmet. I thought the artist handled the double helmet really well in this mash-up.
http://www.worth1000.com/entries/697324/buzz-lightyear-stormtrooper
#mashup #starwars #toystory #stormtrooper #buzzlightyear 
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Oh, high school photos, how I remember the days…
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There's just something about seeing watermelons getting chopped in half by swords. 😉
Happy Thursday!
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I originally met Gplus user +Carrie Canup in a Friday night hangout session which has become a regular event hosted by her husband +Charlie Hoover. They are a funny and interesting duo who welcome newcomers with genuine interest in what they are saying and an appropriate amount of wit and snark at all the right times. Charlie manages to pull out the most eclectic assortment of props from the room around him to show off in the hangout, from a tiny violin to his sonic screwdriver, and even a custom knitted version of every LOTR character. What Carrie pulled out to share with the Gplus community this December, though, is nothing short of amazing.
I believe the first time I saw her, she was being silly and singing snippets of songs in the Friday hangout. On December 1st, however, she announced she would count down the Christmas season by singing a Christmas carol to the community each night; to friends, strangers, and potential trolls alike. There is a huge difference in putting yourself out there and doing something within your field or something so absurdly silly that nobody would ever judge you on it. To go out, however, and lay your talent and emotions out bare in front of you takes an immense amount of courage.
The whole act of Christmas Caroling invokes in my head a Norman Rockwell-esque picture of men and women bundled up in overcoats and scarves, the men all with top-hats and everyone carrying songbooks. In my lifetime, I do not think I have ever even experienced carolers in real life. As I write this, I have a newly created YouTube channel of Carrie's Carols playing in the corner of the screen. The living room in front of me is aglow with light from my prelit Christmas tree and the stockings are hung on the entertainment center with care. It's not a scene Rockwell would have imagined, but the Christmas spirit, especially with the pure joy and honesty of Carrie's singing is the true spirit behind any Christmas painting he ever published.
Listening to Carrie sing for the joy of singing, I believe every word of every carol. "Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more." I have heard this line scores of times this season on radio stations by stars and starlets with their obligatory Christmas albums, and assaulting me from the speakers of stores trying to lull me into the spirit of gift buying. Hearing Carrie, I'm not reminded of anything except family and friends, many who are no longer with me. No ulterior motives behind her songs except joy. Carrie is not some unapproachable celebrity, she is a real person; the one you look forward to having over to the house every season because she lights up the room with her personality. Her huge smile and sparkling eyes are infectious, especially when you watch her sing. I have been lurking and listening in the background this season, but with less than a week until Christmas, I really want to share her gift with everyone in my circles. Whether you are already filled with the spirit of Christmas or if you are having trouble conquering your inner Grinch, I recommend you click over and give Carrie a chance to remind you what this season is all about.
Thank you Carrie. My top-hat is off to you!
For a playlist of all Carrie's Christmas Carols to date, visit my new favorite Christmas playlist. Grab a mug of hot cocoa and sing along with her. Maybe wrap some presents. Or just chill like I am right now.
Embedded Link
1st Day of Carrotmas: “Santa Baby”
To countdown to that overly-commercialized holiday that happens towards the end of December, I have decided to do my rendition of a holiday tune each day. So…
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Everyone sing along to this one! Dare 'ya. 2:04 has to be my favorite line. 😉
Background (from Wikipedia): The song is deliberately meant to sound like English spoken with an American accent, but the lyrics are actually pure gibberish, with the exception of the words "all right." In an interview, Celentano explains that the song is about incommunicability in modern times. He added that the only word we need is prisencolinensinainciusol, which is supposed to stand for "universal love". Celentano's rationale for the song was that, after releasing albums about ecology and social issues, "having just recorded an album of songs that meant something, I wanted to do something that meant nothing".
I always imagine +Emilio Boronali performing this song. I would pay to see that. If anyone is interested in chipping in… just saying… 😉
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I keep falling into the crack in the middle and, amidst poignant flashbacks of my life, have to cut off my own arm.
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