Tuesday, December 16, 2008

You Won't Recognize Me  

I'm not the kinda guy to run to my blog when things go awry at work. I'm also not the kinda guy to run to my blog when things are spectacularly splendid at work. Furthermore, I'm not the kinda guy to run to my blog when I get told I need to blog more.

That's not me, that's not thee, and that's not a bee. That's a Hornet. And the clip is as old as your grandmother, but so what.

I don't really have much to say, much less a point to make. I mean, I could talk about the free lunches, baked goods, gift exchange, a cubicle that doubles as a cubicle because it's situated underneath the only air vent that spits out cold air during winter, how I'm a complete sucker fund-raising drive donation requests from co-workers, how I am both a rockstar and a complete newb at what I do, the unmerciful daily commute to Mississauga (Toronto's cousin we never talk about), how I keep getting non-spam emails from a teacher out in San Diego that claims I'm a parent of a 7th grader (this is non-work related), how I am sharing a cubicle but still manage to forget half the time that there's someone there behind me until I bump into him. All valid blog topics.

But that's not me. That may be work me, but that's not internet me. Internet me is tired now, and is going to watch TV. And by watch TV, I mean go watch my brother beat Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which he does once a year around Christmas time. It's a twisted ritual, but I don't question it. I just sit back and watch him mechanically run through every detail of the game.

Don't call this a comeback.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 7:38 PM .


Wednesday, November 12, 2008

You'll Get A Kick Out Of This  

I had the good fortune and enough spare time to take a leisure pop-music history course last year. I was made aware of people, places and eras that would have generated blank stares in the past. One of the first terms discussed in the course was Tin Pan Alley. The birthplace of what I will grossly generalize as "stuck-up-white-people-music". Skipping over lots of details, lets just say they had the market cornered for quite a while. Releasing such hits as, "Take me out to the ballgame", and this classic, amongst others. Except this version is much better and related to Tin Pan Alley.

I do that often don't I? Deviate from the point (if you think I have one), and then deviate from those deviations.

Thus, I was outraged to read about this. I know you don't like clicking, so here's my one sentence recap:

Tin Pan Alley is now being sold off and turned into skyscrapers! I don't know who dropped the ball on getting this site declared as historic, especially since this place, that place, and here all have that status.

There's nothing really important there. I picked three boring places to emphasize my point. Feel free not to click and take my word for it.

The point is, and people of New York, you should probably drop everything you're doing and read this next sentence carefully, if you really liked Tin Pan Alley that much, you should've put a ring on it.

Uh-huh, I just did go there.

The REAL Point Is: In the event that Tin Pan Alley is brutally gutted and replaced forever by new and cool housing options...

...

...I would totally live there.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 10:49 PM .


Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Today Is Gonna Be The Day...  

That.

They're gonna bring their kids to you. At work.

And I thought, why do we limit this opportunity of providing a glimpse into our daily lives to kids in grade nine? It's not like grade niners are excited to go to work; in fact, that demographic avoids work like the black plague. I could probably find a statistic that says that 70% of grade niners skip one or more classes a day. But who needs to find something when they can just make it up (War in Iraq!)

In light of this, I propose to expand, "take your kids to work day" to, "take all inquiring (some to the point of annoying) minds to work week". Watch how I do this, alliteratively (how is that a word, I was expecting to make more things up to provide an unexpected continuity to this post...bah-humbugs), I will bold and capitalize because apparently, my blogs are confusing, so this should be as clear as crystallized hearts (what?):

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 9:00 PM .


Sunday, November 02, 2008

Tomorrow, I will commence my second week of work as a full-fledged business consultant. And while this was mentioned a few times over the course of my training, one of the skills a consultant must hone early on in his/her career is the ability to answer a question without actually answering the question.

Or, as I'm about to put it, saying nothin' while saying somethin'. Don't get it mixed up with making somethin' out of nothin', or going from nothin' to somethin'. The nothin' and the somethin' occurs at the exact same time.

Moving on.

I am currently in possession of a fancy schmancy dancy clancy key-chain that displays a six-digit code. Did I mention this code changes every 60 seconds? And it can only be used in combination with another set of codes that reside in my brain!

I feel like I am carrying the launch codes to the Canadian nuclear arsenal, you know, the imaginary arsenal that I tell myself Canada is in possession of to get myself to sleep at night.

My blogging skills have sooooo fallen off.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 8:15 PM .


Saturday, October 25, 2008

Thank You, Sarah, Thank You  

I am participating in a semi-competitive fantasy hockey league with a bunch of colleagues from work. My thinking is that nothing would get me noticed/promoted quicker than smokin' everyone in the yearly fantasy hockey challenge. Am I right or what huh!?

Much to my chagrin, I woke up this morning to find out my goalie had TEN saves last night and let in two goals.

(For the hockey illiterate, that's the equivalent of waking up to find that gas prices shot up ten cents overnight AND that little needle is pointing to 'E' AND your car smells because last night a cat came and peed on the door)

Then, it started to make sense. In fact, it all started to make sense, including these commercials, this universal law and this song.

(That song name drops Obama, but the song itself was released in 2004! That's crazy! That it oddly, in a two-degrees-of-separation way, ties in with the punchline of the story was by pure coincidence (I only discovered this while screening the song for safe blog posting))

posted by Buttug McOysty . 11:16 AM .


Monday, October 20, 2008

Crispy & Crunchy  

You know what's really fun?

Crossword puzzles.

But a very close second is pronouncedly chewing extra-crunchy (in a crispy way, but not like the chocolate bar) grapes to the backbeat (learn things) of that iPod commercial song.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 10:14 PM .


I Want To Be A World-Class Athlete  

But only because when I win, and the interviewer asks me the question that seems to be so popular these days because inquiring minds like to know these things, "McOysty, before the game, when you were listing to your iPod, what song was playing?", I'd get to look at the camera, flash my winning smile, and answer, "Little Mermaid's - Part Of Your World".

Yes, I'd say "dash".

posted by Buttug McOysty . 12:02 AM .


Thursday, October 09, 2008

Can't Buy A Coup With No Coupons  

I thawt I thaw a wabbit.



Excuse me.

I thawt I bawt a wabbit.



I did! I did!

posted by Buttug McOysty . 11:28 PM .


Monday, September 29, 2008

Am I Talking About My Blogging Habits?  

Like any cheap thrill, prolonged exposure to the same stimuli can lead to a decrease in sensitivity to the stimuli. To achieve get back to the level of thrill one is accustomed to, an increase in sensation, or moving on to bigger things, is necessary. No seriously, it's a biological theory of some sort. I remember daydreaming about flying cupcakes while a professor discussed an experimenting that showed this theory in action.

It's too bad I can't remember the actual term(s) because then I would've at least linked it to a wikipedia article. This definition will have to suffice.

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 8:58 PM .


Wednesday, September 17, 2008

I Turn To You  

To settle differences going on in the workplace.

What is the absolute correct way to pronounce the word 'process'? PROcess or PRAWcess? No sitting on the fence answers. Pick a side.

Do you know the difference between an acronym and an abbreviation?

I play a game of even or odd (made popular by an episode of House we watched during lunch break) with the guy next to me whenever the phone rings. The loser answers the phone. Should I be even or odd?!!!!??

posted by Buttug McOysty . 11:13 PM .


Thursday, September 11, 2008

Work Isn't Really Just Work  

I was going to write a post a day this week, but thanks to the hot water tank that sprung a leak in my basement, I spend all my free time draining water from my carpets. Therefore, I'm going to have to amalgamate all my thoughts into one really un-thought-out post.

These events, conversations and quips all took place within the past week and a half at my first "real" job. And I like putting things in quotes. "See". Try to keep up, but if you can't, it's okay. Second place isn't all that bad.

----------------------------------------------------


Our trainer, let's call him Dan, cause that's his real name, was discussing his childhood as a Jewish boy

"Yeah, my parents enrolled me in judo lessons. I was really good at it. And it only makes sense, after all, it's spelled J-E-W-D-O."

----------------------------------------------------


Sitting in the back row of the room are three guys. The guy to the left is named Tony. The guy to the right is named Tiger (Woods! not). The guy in the middle's nameplate now reads "the".

----------------------------------------------------


Bowling, at the ghetto Bowlerama located on Yonge near Cummer. You know, the one with bowling balls that have cracks in them, and tilted bowling lanes. The "characters" involved are Chris (white dude) and Conrad (black guy that reminds me of Dave Chappelle.

Conrad: "Chris is kinda good, but he (Chris) sucks."
Myself: "...What?"
Chris: "Chris...is kinda good...but he sucks..."
Conrad: "Well yeah, compared to me."

----------------------------------------------------


This has nothing to do with anything. But 82-0? That's more than a goal a minute. That's just cruel. Bulgaria probably shouldn't have fielded a women's ice hockey team. You could put me out there by myself, as a goalie, and I probably wouldn't lose 82-0.

----------------------------------------------------


During one of our many breaks from work, we happen across a list of the top 100 songs of all time. You know, those lists that don't make sense to anyone because the songs on top of the list all suck?

Conrad: "Is 'I Like Big Butts' on that list? That song changed my life."

----------------------------------------------------


Trainer Dan: "I highly recommend the white hot chocolate from the coffee shop next door."
Myself: "Oh yeah? Why don't you go get some now?"
Trainer Dan: "I told you, It's way too hot to be drinking hot chocolate. I'll drink it when I'm cold."
Myself: "Good thing you're already cold...hearted. Go get yourself a hot chocolate."

Trainer Dan gets up off his chair, and whips the squishy mini soccer ball type thing we've been tossing around the room directly at me. Luckily, I had already gone into turtle mode. It glanced harmlessly off me.


^
|
|
Turtle Mode


----------------------------------------------------


So, work has been swell. Way more swell than a 3 day bruise. Does that last sentence even make sense? Does it make too much sense?

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 8:22 PM .


Monday, September 01, 2008

I Like My Intersections The Way I Like My Eggs  

You know, with all my traveling adventures this summer, there was one thing I didn't come across until I got back to Toronto.



If you guessed the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 ad in the top left corner of the picture you'd be absolutely correct!!!! YOU ADVANCE TWO SPACES!!

*shakes head at the seriously stupefying stupidity*

Yes, Toronto's first (and hopefully not last) scramble intersection (Dundas & Yonge). Don't know what I'm talking about? Do you still think I'm talking about Traveling Pants? Do you spend an abnormal amount of time figuring out how to put on (put on...eastside! *ahem* word to Jeezy) pants in the morning? Wikipedia it. And you probably need this too.

(my picture sucked, but you can click it for the full size, or click here for a better depiction of scramble in action)

Mark it on your calendar folks. August 28th. The day Toronto finally embraced everything the United States constitution stands for, everything that Braveheart stood for and everything this Tower will one day stand for. The freedom...(dramatic pause)... to walk from H&M to Futureshop without having to unnecessarily cross over to another corner and stand in front of a Forever 21!

posted by Buttug McOysty . 12:43 AM .


Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Been Gone So Long, Even Blogger Changed It's Layout  

I do not think Michael Phelps is the best Olympian ever (best swimmer, yes, but Olympian? Nah...), but I'm at least open to the possibility that he could be. But for that to happen, I don't think 8 gold medals in one Olympics is enough. At this point, he should probably throw on a Redeem-Team USA Basketball jersey and go for 9. Hey, if I could basically do nothing for half a semester and come close to winning gold an intramural volleyball t-shirt, what's stopping him from being a "sub that never gets into the game" for Team USA Volleyball? And, how could he not be good at Water Polo?

posted by Buttug McOysty . 2:05 PM .


Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Album Review: Scarlett Johansson - Anywhere I Lay My Head  

This is going to be a grueling 44 minutes. And I won't lie, like most of my "reviews", I give up about 1/5th of the way through.


Read More...

Posted in posted by Buttug McOysty . 3:03 PM .


Thursday, July 24, 2008

I'm Such A FB Newb  

Hi there.

Anyone else experiencing an inordinate amount of folks trying to add you as Facebook friends since the switchover to the new, ugly and hard-to-use layout (first pointed out here)?

What's the protocol here? Make new friends? Or am I (once again) a real big jerk for forgetting people?

posted by Buttug McOysty . 2:59 PM .


Friday, July 18, 2008

Don't Forget 'Em, Don't Don't Forget 'Em  

Yeah, I'm an OG and I O-G spelled backwards.

I'm so OG (urbandictionary it), I recently realized that I had kept Christmas & birthday cards dating back to the year 2000. They were piled nicely in a bedroom drawer, and I had not once taken them out to enjoy since their initial stashing. Yup, they were right there, along with pretty much any letter big or small ever written to me. Every thank you card, every encouragement note, every warm fuzzy, basically anything anyone has ever put down on paper for me.

I decided that it was finally time to rid myself of these leaflets. Of course, I had to sift through everything to determine which cards/letters/notes could actually have lasting value. As opposed to the cards that were purchased from the closest Hallmark and simply signed.

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posted by Buttug McOysty . 11:33 AM .


Sunday, July 13, 2008

This Post Is, Like, 5 Bazillion Hot-Dogs Long (You'll Get It After You Read)  

The other day, as I was narrating my Vancouver hot dog stories, my friend remarks that I am so well traveled this summer. Of course, the semi-sarcastic tone of voice was not lost on me, but I hope I haven't come off like I'm better than you because I've been to a lot of places around Canada/America in the last two months.

(I'm better than you because I'm aawesome with two a's, and you can't tell me nothin'!)

In actual fact, I am not very well traveled. The places I have had the honor to visit these last two months, for the vast majority, are places I have already been before. So, to be more accurate, I'm very well re-traveled. Or just plain redundant. It's like going to see a movie in theaters, then two years later, buying that movie on DVD, not because you liked it so much, but because you forgot everything about the movie, including whether or not you liked it.

Nevertheless, I went, I saw, and I conquered. Twice. Because I like to be extra-sure.

Can we please get back to Vancouver hot dog stories? That sounded much more interesting than anything you've written since. Why do you do that? Put in so much filler that is? Are you intentionally trying to be a bad writer?

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 11:06 PM .


Thursday, July 10, 2008

The Problem With Reality Television  

I'm watching Last Comic Standing right now, and I've run into a bit of a mental snag. You see, there is a reality show component to this, in that the comics are couped up in a house with one another during the course of the competition. As such, hilarity often ensues, usually in the form of catty or immature rivalries and hatreds between different parties.

Now, herein lies my problem.

Three comics just competed, and two of them have to go home. To me, there is an obvious winner in terms of the funniest act.

But, the least funny of all the acts also happens to be the person I most want to see back in the house just because of the trouble she inadvertently stirs up. And obviously, this is how reality show casts are put together in the first place, not based on the merits related to the competition as the general public (that's you! or not) would believe.

I'm paralyzed with indecision here, and I don't even have a vote. I hate reality television. But for different reasons than before.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 9:48 PM .


Wednesday, July 09, 2008

I Forgot To Call When I Visited Seattle ):  

Watch closely, and you might even catch a glimpse of me! But it's not about me. That day was about them. And if I push this video enough, and enough of you push this video to all your friends, then we can take this viral in no time! TOGETHER! YES WE CAN!

Kidding. And in no way does posting this excuse me from not giving them a shout when I was in Seattle. It was my bad.


Clarissa & Kenneth Wedding Highlights - May 31st 2008


I was in the middle of writing a post of epic proportions, but now I'm too teary-eyed to continue.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 4:51 PM .


Saturday, July 05, 2008

I Don't Mean For This To Become A Photo-Blog  



I know I know, it says "Oyster Cafe". But upon my first glance at the restaurant sign, I definitely read "Oyster Care". And first impressions are all that matter to me.

Okay that's not true.

But either way, here at Seriously Stupefying Stupidity, I, Buttug McOysty, do care. That's why I share. Even if I haven't really been there (which is here) recently. But scroll down a few inches and witness that I am indeed back in black (word to AC/DC).

posted by Buttug McOysty . 1:11 AM .


Friday, July 04, 2008

You Knew I Would Be Back (Soon), Stronger Than Ever  

posted by Buttug McOysty . 1:02 PM .


Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I'm Not Always There When You Call...  

...but I'm always on time.

It's one of my favorite activities, being on time. In fact, I enjoy it so much, I even try to avoid being early, but my eagerness to be on time usually leads to that anyways. It helps that I'm a drummer, I'm naturally on point with everything happening around me. Therefore, it doesn't need to be said (but needs to be written) that I loathe being late.

So when the coach bus I was traveling on got delayed for an extended period of time at the border yesterday, meaning I would be late arriving to the bus terminal on the other side, you would probably wonder why I was doing a victory dance that I usually reserve for finishing the last exam of a school year, or when I listen to my theme song.

Before I get to my seemingly inexplicable joy from being late, let me tell you how two American chicas held up l'autobus for an hour. Apparently, they tried getting back into America from Toronto, but were caught with receipts from a vacation in Cuba. And if you didn't know, an American going to Cuba and spending mucho dinero is a big no-no. Anyone caught, even if you are only a resident and not a full fledged citizen, can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

In case you were wondering (you weren't), the women were definitely of the Mexican decent, hence the Spanish. "l'autobus" was something I threw in for flavor.

So back to me now.

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 1:09 PM .


Monday, June 09, 2008

How Could You Guys Not Understand Exponential Decay  

The less trivial your problem is, the more it is mocked.

Think about it.

Especially pertaining to relationships.

That's just how it works! Trivial things are no fun to make fun of.

And.

How dare you all question me, in my house, the house that I built. How dare you.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 11:40 PM .


Friday, June 06, 2008

Official Address  

This is my very first post as a certified University graduate. I can no longer claim to be a nerd computer science student. Nor do I have to put up a front of being a nerd computer science student anymore. What are the expectations heaped upon a nerd computer science student that I no longer have to live up to? I thought you'd never ask.

A nerd computer science student will be able to fix your computer ad infinitum.

A corollary to this rule is that a nerd computer science student knows what ad infinitum (look it up, scholar) means. However, he or she may not always use it in the correct context (possibly see above, even I don't know for sure).

"Buttug McOysty, my computer is really slow, is there anything you can do about it?"

"Buttug The Great McOysty, ", why thank you, "I spilled a can of Coke on my keyboard, and then tried to use a whole bottle of water to clean it up, can you help me?"

(no)

"B McDiddy, my dog ate my computer. Can you please perform complex dog surgery to excise my computer completely intact so I can check my email?"

"Look, four-eyes, my laptop is making this whirring noise, followed by a honking noise that vaguely resembles that of a Canadian goose. Could you recommend the equivalent of a gun silencer for my laptop?"

(but I don't even work here at the Best Buy...go ask that guy with the vest on...)

No longer must I listen to stories of inhumanly treated computers. Now, the only thing I'm a major in (and a hearty salute to Major In) is cleaning up after myself.

Thanks to my education, I can now understand and appreciate nerd comics. And for that, I thank you, Queens University School of Computing.

Don't get me wrong, I'll still help you with your computer problems. And yes, I'll still mock your computer problems in an exponentially decaying fashion.



However, my framed diploma demands that I be compensated for any "help" I provide. It also demands amazement (yes we can Barack, but we don't necessarily believe it all the time). Amazing cupcakes would suffice. Thank you in advance.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 3:38 PM .


Wednesday, May 28, 2008

It's Like Taking Advice From A Baby  

But not in the taking candy from them way. I'm about to drop some knowledge, but just like my previous post, I really know nothing but a G thang about what I'm going to say.

But yet you keep coming back.

You know, I didn't even intend for this to happen, but what I'm going to say actually ties in with the introductory paragraph. This post just got a lot more complex.

When deciding between two restaurants in unfamiliar territory (think traveling, because I am now a pseudo-travel-expert), always choose the one that is celebrity endorsed.

What's that? You mean neither of your choices are celebrity endorsed? Please, do some research.

*Extended Sidenote* Speaking of celebrities, check this, fast forward to the 40 second mark, and listen for the, "please". That one word singlehandedly made the entire song for me, and blew up sassy scales everywhere. Go ahead and take a bow Rihanna. *End Sidenote That Wasn't As Extended As I Thought Would Be*

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posted by Buttug McOysty . 8:05 PM .


Saturday, May 24, 2008

I Tried To Edit This, But Gave Up An Eighth Of The Way Through; Sorry  

"Slow down, I just want to get to know you".

There are some things in life that just need to be eased into. Like this blog post, for example. I'm not here to talk about relationships, but that's what the above lyric led you to believe I was going to talk about.

But I'm not. For me, this topic is a much more difficult topic to discuss than relationships. And that's sayin' something, you know what I'm saying?

No, because even I don't.

Flashin' flashin' flashin' flashin' lights lights lights lights.

Also not what I'm writing about, but flashin' kinda sounds like fashion, which brings us to the lecture at hand. You see, anybody that knows me (if you're reading this, you comprise just about 24.3% of that specific subset of the world) knows that I know not a worthwhile thing about fashion, about matching colors, about what's hot (MIMS!), about pricing and in general, about style. Which is why the following should make for such a painful fun read.

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 10:09 PM .


Thursday, May 15, 2008

You Know What Day It Is  

Flippity flops are one of the worst inventions ever. They aren't comfortable for walking (unless you spend unnecessary amounts of money for the "good" ones), and when you want to lounge around, you end up taking them off anyways. I will not buy another pair of flip flops.

Of course, if you, friend, want to give me a pair, I'll find use for them.

Did you get that? Get your shop on. Thanks.

In Atlantic City, you have to be about 65 or older to gamble during the month of May. If you are under the age of 65, you are NOT IN ATLANTIC CITY BECAUSE IT IS TEH GHETTO.

What in mysteries of mysteries happened to Clay Aiken? How do you go from that to this? And how did he go about accumulating all this middle-aged women as a fan base?

Snakes on a plane.

I can live off the dollar menus offered by fast food chains. Just today, I ordered 5 of the 8 possible items off a McDonald's dollar menu. For lunch.

Unfortunately, they don't do "sweetened" iced tea. Or as I call it, ICED TEA. Here, it either has to be unsweetened, or sweetened, but with a raspberry flavor.

Raspberry is so not the flavor of love.

That's it. I have to go to sleep in preparation for a long day of lying under the sun on Virginia Beach tomorrow.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 12:54 AM .


Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Flashing Lights  

I'm in America, boy, living as an American boy. Hitting up Broadway, chilling out at cafes, on my way to Philly (pronounced Phil-lay, just so that the words rhyme a tad). I credit this entire paragraph to Estelle.

I have much more to say, but no time to throw up pictures that make my words make sense.

So either sit tight and wait for my update (might want to go grab a book to read in the meantime, because the more you read, the less you age...according to some ad), or, on the off chance that you might be a genius or extremely lucky, go invent yourself a time machine, fast forward into the future, and enjoy my vacation babbles.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 10:05 AM .


Monday, May 05, 2008

Parting Words  

That title could've had double meaning if things turned out differently tonight. But that part comes later in this story.

Any graduation road trip must start with a bit of confusion. Complete disarray is then gradually achieved over the course of the excursion, but I'm getting ahead of myself with the anticipation of getting lost, violently turning on each other, awkwardly sitting in silence, emotionally reconciling, and then continuing on the path of "fun".

My precursor to the trip started with a realization that I did not have enough boxer shorts to last 15 days. My mother, in the spirit of trying to skim some money off what is amounting to be a very expensive trip, suggested I try disposable underwear. It'd save room (they come packaged as tiny little rolls) and came six for $1.49.

Don't try disposable underwear. 20 minutes into the trial run, I disposed of my first pair due to the uncomfortable paper feeling against my lower body regions.

And you thought that was the good part of this story. Welcome to the utter breakdown of the precursor to my trip. And the rest has nothing to do with underwear. Instantaneous transitioning period. My specialty.

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 2:15 AM .


Thursday, May 01, 2008

Wow, This Is New  

The second toe on my right foot fell asleep while I was watching television earlier on tonight.

In the history of medical science, has that ever happened? Just one toe? Am I on track for a half-heart attack? Do I need to stop eating my mother's home baked desserts? Am I developing minute spidey-senses?

I don't even require medical explanations. Please, someone, just tell me something that'll make me feel better.

In the meantime, it's back to demolishing this tiramisu.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 10:38 PM .


Monday, April 28, 2008

This Was Written A Day Ago (Figure That Out)  

Yesterday, I emerged from Kingston a free man after 5 years of institutionalization. I also finished off my university education. You know what I'm sayin'?!

That not-so-obvious reference to my local surroundings was so ridiculous in my mind, I concocted a post just to make sure it was written. And it was.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 11:48 PM .


Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I Salute You, Captain Planet  

Everybody, happy earth day free-coffee-at-Starbucks-if-you-bring-a-travel-mug-day.

I plan to celebrate this occasion at least three times.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 3:20 PM .


Sunday, April 20, 2008

It's Kinda Like Casual Fridays, Where I Don't Proof-Read My Work  

I've been busted for exaggerating a bit with my story telling. Truth be told, the scenario in my last post really wasn't awkward at all. I just needed to insert "I know. Awkward" for dramatic effect. We were all grownups. That chose to laugh really hard at the situation, and crack joke after joke for the rest of the night. Seeing as how only women comment on this blog (Mike included roflz (the z is silent and unnecessary in case you were wondering), I was wondering if you inform your guy friends that "blood is currently oozing out of my body". In a non-emergency situation.

Now.

Today's episode features me, Buttug Lee McOysty, with Lee not being my middle name, being thrust into two situations where I felt bad for my actions, but probably shouldn't. Either way, you decide. Because, you know, I can be completely swayed over by Internet blog comments.

----------------------------------------------------


Scenario One

I walk into a "convenience store" to purchase a small, but necessary, product (let's just keep it at that, it's more amusing for me if I force you to wonder what I'm buying, if you're wondering at all). I asked the clerk if it was okay if I got rid of my spare change. After a half-hearted, "yeah sure", I took out two dollars worth of dimes, and another two dollars worth of quarters. The clerk quickly and sarcastically quipped, "Thanks for making my life easier buddy."

As I left the store, I felt like a big dirt-bag. Until I thought about it some more, and while the customer isn't ALWAYS right (that's just dumb business sense), the customer was right in this instance. Or was I? Is there a limit to the amount of change one can use in a transaction? A sliding scale, if you will, but sort of inverted? At any time, would an store clerk be justified to say, "Nope, that's five dollars worth of pennies. Either take out some paper money, or put the bubble gum back on the rack and get out of my store"?

----------------------------------------------------


Scenario Two

I'm just about to pay for my food at the local grocery establishment, but I notice that my bundle of asparagus came out to $2.13, when the flyer clearly advertised a bundle of asparagus for $1.49. So I casually (smooth like butter) mentioned it to the cashier, who, with the most exasperated voice ever, asked, "would you like me to go check for you?"

And with that, I once more felt like a dirt-bag who just made things difficult for people. How did that happen? Did I do something way out of the ordinary here? Do I need to revise my life strategy? Do I need to put together some apology baskets, or demand some apology baskets for the attitudes I've encountered today?

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 5:54 PM .


Friday, April 18, 2008

I'm An Institution  

Thanks to my ability to disappear off the face of the Internets whenever I want to, I have decided to institute casual Fridays here at Stupefying Stupidity. I links to myselves just in cases you forgots the addressies. And plurarlizing words is so hip-hop. So is making words up.

I should probably explain what casual Fridays means before I go about it.

Every Friday, I'll swing by, type for a few minutes without caring if the topics are important or if I even have a point. You want comedy? Maybe Monday. Political punditry? Come back on Wednesdays. Homer-ish sports rants? Tune in Saturday. Fridays are for me.

Here....we go!

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 6:16 PM .


Monday, April 14, 2008

I Really Didn't Think Soulja Boy Would Be Relevant in 2008  


posted by Buttug McOysty . 1:31 AM .


Friday, April 11, 2008

Wondering What The Software Industry Is Up To?  

It's good to know what's happening in the potential job market one is getting themselves into. Microsoft is taking on traffic jams. Or at least they plan to introduce a tool that will theoretically minimize the chance you get stuck in traffic, based on complex machine learning models.

Which is totally cool, considering I've been thinking about solutions to avoid traffic jams. And I think I may be one up on Microsoft.

A teleportation machine.

(there's a reason I don't have a job yet)

posted by Buttug McOysty . 2:30 AM .


Thursday, April 10, 2008

"Are You For Serious"  

Today, I managed to fit the above phrase into a phone interview.

Now, I've been watching a nerd show that already makes me feel intellectually inferior on so many levels, but this really takes the cake.

And then I had to painfully hear the interviewer slowly repeat the phrase, "Yes, I am .. for ... serious" ...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 4:02 PM .


Monday, April 07, 2008

You May Not Get Most Of It  

But fast forward closer to the end...


posted by Buttug McOysty . 1:45 AM .


Tuesday, April 01, 2008

I Know It's April Fool's  

But this is no joke.

*Preface - Kids, don't take this too seriously. The character-to-be-mentioned will be staying with me sometime over the summer. You know, if I don't hurt his feelings too much. Plus, only the closest of friends can express their feelings like we do.

mikeK has boldly called me out through his carefully crafted post (seriously, he takes days to construct a post...I'm a personal witness to a few). You know, there was a time when all this blog was good for was subtle shots at my ex-housemates. That all ended when they thought they were too good for blogging. But look who came crawling back (they always do).

"There are so many people with cool names out there, and yet, somehow, my friends have all managed to pick the worst and ugliest names."

mikeK, your attempt to establish yourself as a blogging star by taking on the current Internets-celebrity-nobody-knows-about (see: me) is understandable. Knowing I'd respond (and probably link to his blog) on this high-traffic (even I can't type that with a straight face) blog was borderline genius. But his formulaic (broad introduction, diss some fools, seal the deal with a semi-random picture, leave you with an underwhelming punch-line) approach to blogging perplexes me. Despite the fact he took a good one year break, his online style hasn't changed at all. Some would call it consistency.

I say it's a lack of personal development.

Oh. Scroll down all the way to the bottom to find his "Blogroll", consisting of WordPress.com and WordPress.org. It screams of professionalism. And care.

"Just the other day, a kid came up to me and told me I'm his hero,
So the value that I place on your opinion is approximately zero."


I just quoted my own self. And linked to my own blog. A move that is legend..

...wait for it...

...wait...

...still there?...

dary.





Hey...hey mikeK. Remember that time you got sacked so hard, you couldn't even get up to feed yourself? Yeah...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 2:39 PM .


Wednesday, March 26, 2008

I Cover A Lot Of Material Here  

*Preface - So pay attention. I should probably research the proper methodology and usages of a title and preface. But I'm too busy being aawesome. Sue me (please don't).

A month ago, an opening for a position in the endoscopy unit at the hospital I volunteer at was brought to my attention. I instantly considered it an upgrade over pushing around a snack cart. Not only did it fit into my schedule much better, but patient-care > food services in my books. I didn't even have to think twice about switching over.

But let me tell you a lil' sumthin' sumthin' 'bout 'ndoscopy.

That last apostrophe was totally unnecessary. But for consistency sakes, it had to be done. And what's done is did. You dig?

No? That's okay too.

Endoscopy.

Viewing the insides of your body by sticking a flexible camera tube apparatus through a bodily orifice. At least that's how I loosely define it. Contact a real doctor if you really want to know more. Just don't talk mention pediatrics. It makes him cry like a girl.

The aftereffects of an endoscopic procedure include feeling bloated. Really bloated. We ordered too much at an all-you-can-eat Japanese food restaurant and don't want to pay per piece so now we must all eat 10 pieces more than we would've liked, bloated. Like you just inhaled so much air that you could float in the sky for about five seconds before coming down to unleash an amazing barrage of smash attacks on your unsuspecting opponent(s)..., errr, bloated.



Endoscopy.

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 8:19 PM .


Sunday, March 23, 2008

Remember When  

It's nearing the end of my university career. As such, creating memories is the name of the game at this time in life. Which is understandable, but an inordinate amount of "formal" dinners won't turn the trick.

Rabbits and hats will.

The way I figure, I'll either be too busy making sure I don't get any nasty stains on my nice clothes, or tugging at an uncomfortable tie all night long, to take in the moments passing me by.

Someone once said, "It's funny how time flies, I'm just having fun watching it fly by".

I also don't understand why we leave it till the last moment to dress up in nice clothes. Wouldn't it make more sense to do that as a first impression? Because the lasting memories won't be from a night out at the end of an era. They'll be all the things that happened in the middle (hopefully my memory will comply).

Few tell stories of how things end. Beginnings are much funner. You love the start, but really it's just to begin. It's going to be really hard when it gets to the end. Word to Kevin Drew and his whole crew.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 9:39 PM .


Monday, March 17, 2008

Watch, Watches, Watching  

The volleyball majestically soared over the net, rotating slow enough to make out the different colors painted on. For a second that seemed like eternity, it froze at the apex of its climb up the trajectory mountain. Then, as if infused with a ton of rocks, it dropped and thudded on impact.

Ever been mesmerized by the motion of the ball at a sporting event?

You have?!!?

*blush*

Aww shucks, look at us. We have interests in common. And I'm not talking about Common. However, hopefully everyone is interested in common sense, but sense isn't so common these days. Luckily, I was blessed with six.

Not really. But still, that whole last paragraph is mind blowing. You might want to go read it again. I'll wait.

*Doop dooby doo*

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 8:22 PM .


Tuesday, March 11, 2008

*Inaudible Whispering*  

If you are a male, you probably are not capable of acting out the title of this post.

(I know you just tried, like, right now...)

See, somebody once informed me of this, that guys were actually incapable of whispering. To which I angrily rasped back in a quieter voice, "Yes we can" (pre-Obama, so no word to Barack Hussein). It was not a whisper.

Whispering, as demonstrated by the two nurses in the endoscopy unit I currently volunteer at, is when you speak in such a way that a person standing a mere 3 feet away cannot hear a word you say.

No vocal chords.

(I know you're still working on that whisper, and some of you may have it!...that's okay...keep it coming)

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posted by Buttug McOysty . 7:24 PM .


Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Was Photoshop The Better Way?  

I can't decide which version of a photograph I snapped in the Dominican I like better. Authentic (with power lines), or Photoshopped (word to Jeff for the quick tutorial). Please vote. It's been bugging me for an entire day now.



OR



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posted by Buttug McOysty . 6:02 PM .


Monday, March 03, 2008

Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring  

Some folks up on the third floor got into an argument at 3:00AM, and one person decided to storm out of the building, but not before pulling the fire alarm, you know, because when you're angry, anything goes. The building attendant person hasn't been able to turn off the fire alarm yet, so...

...time to blog!

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posted by Buttug McOysty . 3:37 AM .


Saturday, March 01, 2008

Boom Head Shot  

Yesterday, the local nerd squad booted me from a school computer lab as I was completing work for an assignment because they needed to prep the room for a LAN party. While I found the lack of forewarning a little ridiculous, the notion that school property would be unavailable for the next 24 hours due to a LAN party was hesitatingly amusing.

With my newfound (forced) free time away from the lab, I went and wrote a mock GMAT exam today, with no intentions of writing the real exam in the future.

Now who's being ridiculous.

But it reminded me of those high school math contests that I eagerly signed up for (cut a period of class AND do math? win-win). Remember those? Those were so fun, until you were informed that you didn't end up in a top percentile.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 6:03 PM .


Monday, February 25, 2008

The Return of the McNificent  

Awwwwwwwww you know who it is. It's Buttug McOysty. If you ain't know, you betta Google me baby. Word to Teyana Taylor.

If that last sentence left you in the dust, it probably means you haven't heard the song. And if that is really the case, you should go sit on the toilet and ponder long and hard about where you are in life.

Then click here to listen to it.

Quick Shots from my Vacation in the Dominican Republic

- locals consider all Chinese people "Jackie Chan's brother/cousin"
- locals are also blatantly sexist to the point where the girls had to ask for everything because the guys were being ignored
- ingesting too many local foods/liquids containing coconut leads to diarrhea (known as Puerto Plata splatter, with splatter pronounced splatta...like the gangsters say it)
- "Oh my mother" is the equivalent of "Oh my God"
- "I like your mouth" is not only one of the worst pick up lines ever, it has the ability to creep the heebie-jeebies out of a girl
- the sun burns
- just about 70% of the DR claims Catholicism as their religion
- the other 30% believe in rum! (badaboom CHING!)
- I seriously thought this dance was their national anthem because of how many times the resort folks performed it
- then, as we got addicted to performing it with them, I reconsidered, and thought of it more as their SouljaBoyTellEm
- what else...what else
- all men over the age of 50 that insist on wearing Speedos should be summarily tried for crimes against humanity
- I am a fantastic para-sailer (sailor?), the Muhammad Ali of the recreational activity if you will (and you will), if only parasailing was an Olympic sport
- if you can't respect that, your whole perspective is wack, maybe you'll love me when I fade to black

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 10:13 PM .


Saturday, February 16, 2008

Ketch'ums  

Should I worry about my friend (ex-housemate), if one of the first things he says to me after maybe a month of little communication is, "I put my Psyduck in the nursery and it grew levels and forgot to learn things ):".

He didn't actually "):", but that was to convey his tone of voice.



On one hand, I felt the need to slap the inner-elementary-school-aged-kid out of him. Instead of being a working man that's looking to support a wife and kids, he's a working man leveling up Pokemons!

POKEMONS!

Pokemen? Was there ever a consensus on the plural of Pokemon? Does 'i' really have to come before 'e' except after 'c', and also when you recite the alphabet going forwards?

The other side of me felt the desperate need to get the Pokemon game for myself because I felt like I was missing out on something.

Maybe 30's the new 20 after-all.

This post that made no sense was brought to you by the sunny beaches of the Dominican Republic. It was mailed in because I should be catching a plane right now. Bye blog. Bye blog readers.

Don't miss me too much thanks.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 10:53 AM .


Thursday, February 14, 2008

If I Had A Million Twenty Dollars (insert echo)  

I spent last weekend having fun in the snow. I will be spending this weekend, and the next week for that matter, floating in the pool of a resort, or floundering on the coastal waters of the Dominican Republic.

The stark contrast is not lost on me, and I am thankful for the opportunity to experience such different lifestyles. One of the bigger things to wrap my head around are the differences in preparation.

Last weekend, I had to worry about which pair of pants would provide the most protection against the cold and at the same time would be the sacrificial pair that would suffer many a tumble as I tumbled down the hill on various objects. That pair happened to be the pair of jeans I'm wearing. Still intact, and possibly more comfortable before thanks to the "working in" provided by the workout.

Neither here nor there.

This week, I'm scrambling to get my immunizations in order so I don't come back to Canada as a bearer of very bad gifts. And here's where the story (I was telling a story? I'm not very convincing, even to myself) gets, uhm, one notch above 'kill me this is boring'.

I wake up this morning for a 9:40am malaria consult with the part-time campus doctor. Turns out, the area I'm heading to (Puerto Plata - for my online records, you don't really need to know) does not present much of a risk of malaria. Furthermore, the malaria prevention pills were to be taken two weeks prior to the trip and would have minimal effect, unless I took stronger ones with potentially adverse side effects.

So I walked out of the clinic with a prescription for diarrhea pills (you can't ever be too prepared) and a bill for TWENTY DOLLARS.

Things You Can Do For Twenty Dollars
A) Eat 10 pieces of Kentucky Fried Chicken

B) Download "Bad Day" 20 times from iTunes and wonder what in the world Daniel Powter was thinking, and then question your own motives (20 times? seems excessive)

C) Talk to a doctor for five minutes

And just like any responsible University student that guesses on multiple-choice exams, the answer should never ever be C.

Ever.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 3:20 PM .


Monday, February 11, 2008

I Venture Where I Have Not Yet Ventured Before, At Least in 2008  

If you close your eyes and read my posts, wait that doesn't make any sense, I should strike this out have my posts read to you, there are times you would mistaken me for a person that currently resides in the greatest nation on the face of this planet, the United States of America.

Please. I'm kidding (about the greatest nation thing, not about the mistaken identity thing). I am not trained to quantitatively (or even qualitatively) compare countries to each other (bachelors, computing, coming soon, thank you). But, I heart New York. Moreover, sometimes I like to exert my authority over others through military dominance (projectiles and verbal barbs). It rarely works, but that could be seen as another thing I have in common with the US.

So please, take the time to remind yourself that I, Buttug McOysty, am a Canadian. Whisper that to yourself in front of a mirror. I'll wait...

...tables.

Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 11:56 PM .


Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Dichotomy?  



Please click to read the fine print. Despite your first impressions of the statement in red, it really makes sense.

Nobody wants to be used, but everybody wants to be useful.

**Edit**

My apologies, I should have properly cited the work above, not that the Internet po-po come around this abandoned place anyways.

The above image is an excerpt from Thank You And You’re Welcome!, a soon-to-be-released(?) book authored by Kanye West.

ALSO.

Turns out, this black and white motif was taken one step too far by Internet Explorer. I have discovered if you view this blog using that browser, all my images are transformed into b&w. So. You're missing out, and I'm much too busy to investigate at this point! But as John Mayer once sung, "I know the world is black and white". I don't know where I'm taking this.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 1:20 AM .


Monday, February 04, 2008

Forgetting  



The New York Football Giants.

World. Champions.



Read More...

posted by Buttug McOysty . 12:34 AM .


Sunday, February 03, 2008

OMG, THEY KILLED MCOYSTY  

*Preface - Footage for this video was taken Friday night (Saturday morning?) after the fantastic snow day.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 12:51 AM .


Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Puh-lease, Like That Was An Accomplishment  

The cold winter months provide the chance for everyone to break out their fancy winter jackets. And there's this one specific group of people with "special" winter jackets.

You know, the ones adorned with lift tickets from different ski/snowboard resorts.

And they wear those lift tickets as if they were gold medals. Because that's what they are. Pretend gold medals for people that aren't actually good enough for actual gold medals.

So with that said, check out my lift ticket:



That's right. I went into the past to battle Muhammad Ali, and then went to the future to slide down a hill - Mount Everest.

So to all those people wearing lift tickets, yes, I am better than you.

On the internet.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 3:10 PM .


Sunday, January 27, 2008

"It's Like Tinkerbell Vomited All Over Her"  

Post title was uttered by a friend I label "ultimate hater of everything" at the sight of a overly sparkling wedding dress.



Who. Says. That.

And for something completely unrelated:

M Bison Destroys Mario World 1-1




Heh.

Hehe.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 11:24 PM .


Thursday, January 24, 2008

People Will Try Anything  

Students get paid to learn?

I know, most of you won't even bother clicking on the link because the story originated in Atlanta (but how would you know that without clicking?), so let me quickly summarize:

"Forty students from Creekside High and Bear Creek Middle schools in Fairburn will be the first to try the "Learn & Earn" program, where students will get paid to attend after-school tutoring programs."

You see, the students that enroll in the program learn how bribery works!

More importantly, who's going to do all the random chores like shoveling snow and mowing the lawn for a cheap buck now that kids could earn $8 an hour sitting in a tutoring session?

posted by Buttug McOysty . 5:15 PM .


Wednesday, January 23, 2008

I Didn't Say This...  

...but it's t-shirt worthy.

"I hate emo kids more than they hate themselves."

posted by Buttug McOysty . 5:31 PM .


Monday, January 21, 2008

Little Lols Part Two - Little Big Lols  

Remember my post, "Little Lols"?

Of course you do. You're avid fans of my blog. You know everything there is to know. Go get yourself a reward cookie (try an Oreo, there aren't much better reward cookies than Oreo's. Seriously! It's been proven by pseudoscience. Which means absolutely nothing). I'll wait.

*humming Cher's "Believe" (don't ask)*

Delicious?

I told you so.

Back to the subject at hand. In that video, the baby was conditioned to laugh when paper was ripped. Now, a couple of you were outraged at the child exploitation going on in the video.

I took it one step further.

Witness below, as I condition my friend to laugh (outrageously) at the sight of a baby laughing.




What's this "other one" that was mentioned near the end of the video by the gentlemen sitting up front? Well, that was the video that set the tone. I showed a different but equally funny baby laughing video just before the above video took place, but you can click for that yourself, if you're still interested in my pseudo-science experiment.

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posted by Buttug McOysty . 1:51 AM .


Friday, January 18, 2008

Classroom Anecdotes - To Prove I'm Not Fast Asleep During Lectures  

Class Number One - Databases - In the middle of diagrammatically representing a simplified version of Facebook's database structure, a discussion breaks out on certain requirements between student number 1 (an annoying man who sits up front and slows down the class by asking questions, making comments, and being too friendly with the prof) and student number 2 (an annoyed student happening to sit in the same row as yours truly)...

Student number 1: You don't need friends to have Facebook. It's not a requirement.
Student number 2: We're not talking about YOUR Facebook account.
The rest of us: Did he just.......OHHHH BUUURN!!!!!!!! BOOM HEAD SHOT!

Class Number Two - Medical Imaging
The funny professor randomly inserted an American Gladiator analogy to explain Ultrasound techniques. American Gladiator. How often does a prof use CURRENT pop culture references, much less a show I happen to watch (and a show a bunch of us have attempted to adapt for ourselves here in our lowly apartments)? It was legend-that-thing-you-find-on-a-map-to-help-you-decipher-the-symbols-dary.

posted by Buttug McOysty . 1:44 PM .


Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Apple: Slimmer Is Better  

*Preface - An interesting discussion between two of my more avid comment people broke out in the comment section of this post. It doesn't particularly pertain to today's post, but I found it amusing how they were putting in harder work on my blog than I was.

Apple is once again out to attack people's self esteems. The previously endorsed message, "it is not enough to be useful, you have to look pretty at the same time".

This time around, it is not enough to be skinny, heck it is not even enough to be anorexic, you have to be as thin as the air surrounding the tip of Mount Everest.

McOysty, what does that even mean?



Frankly, it does not sit well with me that Apple would promote such sickly slimness in a culture that already idolizes size 00 stick figures. Think of all the other laptops that will read about this new Macbook, and the accompanying insecurity that is bound to creep in. The buckets of ice-cream and boxes of chocolate they will then ingest.

Think of the humiliation when a laptop's owner sets their desktop wallpaper to an image of the super sexy Macbook Air. Better order some more ice-cream and chocolate.

And then, that day finally arrives. When the laptops are cast aside for that package that arrives in one of those intra-office envelopes.

Just writing this post made me feel so bad about myself and my excess weight that I grabbed a pork chop out of the fridge and went to town on it. Without heating it up, and without using a fork and knife.

A big part of me (that was in no way a reference to my weight) is just bitter that Apple decided to come out with this product now, 6 months after I bought my laptop.

Then again, I could care less. Secretly, between you and me, getting past the uber-thin frame, the Macbook Air is


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posted by Buttug McOysty . 2:59 PM .