TWoNNCotY Competition Questions IV

Click here for explanation of competition.
Click here for rules and helpful resources.

For other TWoNNCotY Competition Questions, see the scoreboard at the upper left hand corner of the blog.

Questions and Answers
Question 18: What does Freelance Midget use to gauge a person's social skills?
Answer: Shoe choice. (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 1

Question 19: According to Nonny Nu, what was more interesting to watch on TV on a rainy day than coverage of the election primaries?
Answer: Twilight Zone Marathon. (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 2

Question 20: How did MonkeyPig characterize Nonny Nu's childhood behavior of watching Annie while MonkeyPig helped their mom fix the leaky roof?
Answer: A leech. (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 1

Question 21: Under what name was Mr. Nonny Nu employed as an honorary admissions director at MFU in the mid-70s?
Answer: Reverend Doctor Terry Valentine (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 1

Question 22: Name a TWoNN citizen who shares a birthday with Nonny Nu.
Answer: ogunsgirl. (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 5

Question 23: What is the full name of Mr. Nonny Nu's pet fish?
Answer: Charles Waterhammer. (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 4

Question 24: When it comes to making out, how old is too old for Freelance Midget?
Answer: 52 years old. (credit: Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Points: 3

Question 25: Who provided Craft services for Sushi's commercial?
Answer: Jennie, Craft Service's PP representative (PurpleNiobe's doggie). (credit: Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Points: 6

Question 26: Where did Stillman's and Freelance Midget's goat genes reveal themselves?
Answer: Castle Rock. (credit: Stillman)
Points: 4

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Hillbillies--SV Style

Lawn parking is the practice of parking a vehicle upon a lawn. It is most commonly found in lower-income areas or during assemblies at a location without ample proper parking spaces for the number of persons assembling. While lawn parking is socially acceptable in some areas and on some occasions, lawn parking in inappropriate places may make the natives confused and restless. Lawn parking isn't just an American phenomenon; lawn parkers are also flourishing in Canada. It has become such a widespread concern that legislation has been created to eradicate this silent killer of class. It is one of, perhaps, only a few issues upon which church agrees with state.

So what does lawn parking have to do with me, some chick living in the Silicon Valley? Today, I came to work and noticed that someone practiced lawn parking at my place of business. I know what you're saying right now. "What? In a business district? Of Silicon Valley? No way." Unfortunately, my pets, it's true. Lawn parking is alive and well and has come to the SV. But, seeing as how we're "the shiznit" (How was my delivery?), lawn parking SV style is a bit more classy. Check it out, fools*:
No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is a 650i lawn parked at my work. But, I think there's a good reason for it. You see, the building I work in is owned by a software company and I think the car is being used for some sort of raffle. Here are other views:


* Sometimes, I suspect that my compulsive adherence to proper grammar rules can cramp my naturally cool style.

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TWoNNCotY Competition Questions III

Click here for explanation of competition.
Click here for rules and helpful resources.

For other TWoNNCotY Competition Questions, see the scoreboard at the upper left hand corner of the blog.

Questions and Answers
Question 12: How many chickens were recently offered to Mr. Nonny Nu for protest purposes?
Answer: 25 chickens. (credit: Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Points: 6

Question 13: Which of Mr. Nonny Nu's personalities spilled the beans on Nonny Nu's $35 get-rich-quick scheme?
Answer: señor curioso (credit: Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Points: 2

Question 14: When is Trash Day at the Nu residence?
Answer: Tuesday. (credit: Stillman)
Points: 3

Question 15: What eatery has Coach Nelson expressed disapproval of?
Answer: Lee's Sammiches. (credit: Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Points: 6

Question 16: What bus route was MonkeyPig and Nonny Nu supposed to take to the Golden Gate Bridge?
Answer: Route #28. (credit: Aussie Hunk)
Points: 1

Question 17: According to Nonny Nu, what is the name of the Panics' Other Thanksgiving Meat?
Answer: "Kosmos." (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 6

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Restroom Stalls

Is it just me? Or, does anyone else have a favorite restroom stall at work? Mine is the third on the right (well, there aren't any on the left). There are five total (the last one is a large handicap one). Don't know why, but I just feel like this one is the one that is the least conspicuous but isn't all the way in the back (which is scary). I tend to use the mid-forward ones in public places. I just feel funny having a tiled wall as one of the walls instead of a "stall wall," so I don't like the first or the last ones. I definitely don't like the ones that can be seen from the door. The ones in the back are dangerous looking and the ones too much toward the front are often more used than the others (therefore, more dirty and poorly supplied). So, yeah, I like the mid-forward ones.

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Happy Birthday to sweetsieweatsie!

Here is a special birthday cake for the only model I know--sweetsieweatsie! A pretty cake for a pretty girl!

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Yay, Suns!!

Awesome game today against the Spurs!! Final score was 87-94. Despite the assclowns commenting on the game it was a very enjoyable experience. They were neck and neck practically the whole way through, but it looked that Shaq is starting to "get it." The last time I watched him play, he always missed the passes. But, he got a few this time. Also, he was great with the boards, both offensive and defensive.

The worst thing, though, is that the Suns have dropped from number one to number 6. I am hoping that we will pull through this year and get through to the finals. *crosses fingers*

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Sonic

Does anyone else love Sonic? No, I'm not talking about Sonic the Hedgehog, but who doesn't love that guy, right? Okay, everyone say it with me--"SEGA!!" No, I'm talking about Sonic Drive-Thru.

I used to live in Tulsa, OK, and that is when I was first introduced Sonic. Sonic is unique in that it has covered stalls where you can park your car and order by either talking into a comm system or a live waitress.* It has your usual burgers, fries, and shakes. But, my favorite is their drink menu (this is usually their focus in commercials--more on that below)--see this, this, and this.

Mr. Nonny Nu and I have missed Sonic since moving away from Tulsa. The closest one to us is about 40 miles away. The bear used to get the Coney and a shake. The rabbit used to get a toaster sammich, rings, and a limeade. Okay, lemme tell you guys something about the limeades. THESE THINGS ARE THE BEST THIRST QUENCHERS ON EARTH. Just take a look at these things:

That is the cherry limeade. I don't usually go for cherry flavored stuff, but this is an exception. It's tangy and fresh and flavorful. And, because they use crushed ice, you still get remnants of the drink even after you think you've finished it. THAT'S THE BEST. You know, the time when you are really working to get the last drop out of the drink and your straw is making so much noise. And then, at the end of it all, you let out a satisfied "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh." Yeah, that's the stuff. (Sonic limeade isn't real limeade, though. If you are interested in limeade, I suggest Simply Limeade, a staple at the Nu household.) This stuff is so good that I used to neglect my food. Once you start drinking this, you will never want to stop. I looked like a hummingbird drinking a Big Gulp. I always ordered the Route 44 size.**

Now, lately, I've been seeing some really funny Sonic commercials on TV. There's a really cute set with a man and a lady, and I love when they make that "punch" sound at the end! Usually, I don't like the "smart woman, dumb man" commercials, but these ones are funny. Here's a transcript of one (there are funnier ones but I can't find them):

Man: Eating the Tuscan Grilled Chicken Sandwich makes me want to go to Italy with you.

Woman: Awww.

Man: I think we could rent some bikes and ride through the countryside, your beautiful blond hair flowing in the wind.

Woman: (brown hair...)

Man: I'd stare into your piercing blue eyes.

Woman: (Frustrated sigh)

Man: (Turns to look at woman)

Woman: Hi.

Man: Hey....what are you doing here?

HA! But, did you know that these two people are improvisers? I didn't. They are funny. But, there are another set of improvisers (two guys) for Sonic who seem to be getting some critical acclaim in the ad world (click on the video link on the left and you'll see two commercials).




* I have always wondered whether I was supposed to tip the waitress. I'm not alone. (Here's a site if your eyes can't take all those flashing lights.) I only tipped when the waitress was on skates or, if she wasn't, when she was really supercool.

** You read that right. It's called the Route 44 size because there are 44 ounces. If you are lucky enough to be near a Sonic, you must order the Route 44 size cherry limeade. It's huge, but you won't regret it. Again, I am not alone.

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TWoNNCotY Competition Questions II

Click here for explanation of competition.
Click here for rules and helpful resources.

For other TWoNNCotY Competition Questions, see the scoreboard at the upper left hand corner of the blog.

Questions and Answers
Question 4: Before Nonny Nu moved to her new office, what used to happen to Stubbie in the afternoons?
Answer: Stubbie would get a nasty sunburn. (credit: Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Points: 5

Question 5: What was left in the Nus' refrigerator after Mr. Nonny Nu ate all the shredded Ronco chicken?
Answer: The bowl + seran wrap. (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 2

Question 6: According to Mr. Nonny Nu, where does Nonny Nu keep her holiday wrapped cat poops?
Answer: An old Saks bag under the bed. (credit: Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Points: 5

Question 7: What is Dr. MonkeyPig's specialty?
[Ca Loc, Wah Toh, 3-fish, Handicapped, MonkeyPig, and Freelance Midget are not permitted to answer.]
Answer: OB/GYN. (credit: Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Points: 3

Question 8: What was the weather forecast for Nonny Nu's first Phleger Estate hike?
Answer: Rain was predicted for that afternoon. (credit: Stillman)
Points: 6

Question 9: According to Professor Know-It-All, what is the proper name for the Yellowstar Galactica?
Answer: Goldwire Hypericum Concinnum. (credit: Stillman)
Points: 3

Question 10: What is Nonny Nu's favorite radio channel?
Answer: #118 Radio Classics (credit: Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Points: 6

Question 11: What body part is MonkeyPig missing?
[Ca Loc, Wah Toh, 3-fish, Handicapped, and MonkeyPig are not permitted to answer.]
Answer: Spleen. (credit: Stillman)
Points: 6

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TWoNNCotY Competition Questions I

(Click here for explanation of competition.)

For other TWoNNCotY Competition Questions, see the scoreboard at the upper left hand corner of the blog.

RULES (subject to change)
1) The first person to post an answer will receive points associated with the question.
2) Either Mr. Nonny Nu or Nonny Nu will roll a standard Monopoly 6-surface die to determine the points for a question after it has been answered.
3) If by Nonny Nu's misguidance someone is cheated, Mr. Nonny Nu will right things during the appropriate closed-door setting.
4) At least one question and up to three questions will be in play per day.
5) All answers must be found on the blog (either blog entry, photo, or comment) existing on the blog by the date that the question is posted. For example, Elton Brown may or may not be one of 3-fish's idols, but no text existing on the blog by the date that question 3 was posted indicates that this is true.
6) Shy people may request the assistance of others to post an answer, but the answer is considered submitted when it is posted to the blog and NOT when it is provided by the shy person to his/her helper. (This rule is for the benefit of Cl. Panic's FAA, but applies to all other shy persons as well.)
7) Nonny Nu will check this blog entry for answers at the top of each even hour during business hours, and will randomly check outside of business hours.

Helpful Resources
1) Labels listing at the bottom left of the blog.
2) Hints from Nonny Nu or person(s) not permitted to answer the question in play.
3) Score board at top left of the blog.


Questions and Answers
Question 1: What was Ca Loc's stance on whether Nonny Nu should hike alone?
[Ca Loc is not allowed to answer this question.]
Answer: Against! (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 3

Question 2: Who is the only celebrity that Nonny Nu believes looks better scruffified than clean-shaven?
Answer: Viggo Mortensen. (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 2

Question 3: Name one of 3-fish's idols.
[3-fish is not allowed to answer this question.]
Answer: Princess Di. (credit: Cl. Panic)
Points: 6

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TWoNN Hall Meeting: TWoNN Citizen of the Year Award

Hello, world!

Today, I want to share a conversation with you. It is a deep and meaningful conversation that just puts a different perspective on things. I don't want to scare you, but I actually do have plans for our little blog. I like to call them "festivities," but feel free to apply your own labels.

In February, I challenged myself to post one blog entry per day. Okay, okay, so I chose the shortest month (but it is a Leap Year), might have underperformed sometimes, and deliberately announced the challenge in the marquee so there wouldn't be any actual evidence (e.g., a blog entry) of the promise I made. But it really got me to see that I can't just expect our blog to run itself. I must participate. I must treat it as a job (for lack of a better word, since this is one of the most enjoyable of the semi-regular activities in my life). I must make it a point to post here because "trying to" doesn't do it (the last entry I posted was four days ago).

But, this recent decline of blogging frequency is just one half of the participation puzzle. Another event has now forced my hand. I wasn't going to unveil this until March 15, but I fear it may be too late, so I will do it now. The one-year anniversary of TWoNN is coming up! April 15 is the date. Easy to remember, right? So, I had planned to conduct a trivia contest whereby a TWoNN Citizen of the Year is chosen. Of course, the selection will have a random slant to it (more on that later). But first, allow me to share with you the conversation that occurred earlier this week. This is the event that forced my hand.

Freelance Midget is favorite niece (don't tell your sister), and we chat during the day (via gmail) sometimes. She is a graduate of a prestigious university, and a very bright individual. One chink in her armor, I am grieved to reveal, is her knowledge of TWoNN history. Check it out (chat and email to be read in conjunction with each other):



Are you witnessing this? It seems that America's general blase attitude toward anything educational has seeped into TWoNN and its citizenry. One of the most important topics of TWoNN--Maggi Sauce, its origins and uses--completely forgotten by one of our brightest. Hang your head in shame, Midge. I hope your mom (3-fish) isn't reading this.

The above conversation and the realization that I must commit myself [insert crazy joke here] has encouraged me to launch the next TWoNN activity ahead of schedule. Okay, so, TWoNN Citizen of the Year--WHAT IS IT?? TWoNNCotY is a competition to determine who might be the most knowledgeable TWoNN citizen alive. The reason why I say "might be" is because I have devised a scoring system that has a random component. In the next month, I will try to come up with a trivia question each day* and the person who gets the answer first gets the points associated with the question. And, how many points does the answerer get? That will be determined by this. Yes, that's right. Either Mr. Nonny Nu or I will roll a die to determine how many points the person will get (and we won't do that until the question is answered--so don't even try to get all efficient and select only high-value questions to go after, Stillman).

The winner will be determined on April 15, and will receive a TWoNN trophy along with a certificate of appreciation. TWoNNCotY begins tomorrow, so be sure to look out for it!

Note: Play is suspended on the Chinese Idiom Game until TWoNNCotY is over, or it is revealed that Man from U.N.C.L.E. is actually Man from C.H.I.N.A., whichever occurs first.

* Like the Chinese Idiom game, the trivia question will change either when it is answered correctly, or when I can't stand it anymore.

[edit] Due to popular demand, the number of questions have been capped at 3 per day.

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Don't Stare at The Sunsby Man from U.N.C.L.E. (guest blogger)

The Phoenix Suns (Mr. NN's favorite team) made a big trade right before the NBA trade deadline that was supposed to secure the top spot in their Western Conference playoff run over 2006-07 chumps San Antonio, the Dallas Mavericks and the hated L.A. Lakers. When I say big, I mean man mountain big. All 340 pounds of Shaquille O'Neal, all 340 pounds squeezed into his little Suns uni, all 340 pounds brought in to Phoenix to add strength and toughness to the formerly run and gun Suns. And after Shaq's first 6 games, it appears that all those 340 pounds do is to block out the Suns. The Suns have a 2-4 record with Shaq in the line-up and have fallen out of the top spot in the Western Conference.

Is this a case of the rich getting greedy? Was it worth the sacrifice to get a formerly great player that had been slowed in recent years by injuries sustained from the constant pounding he had taken over a 15 year playing career, one that really could never fit into the system that had been successful all these years? Was Shawn Marion, the main player let go by The Suns, such an unsettling force in the locker room that Suns G.M Steve Kerr had to get rid of him even if it destroyed the magical chemistry that The Suns seemed to have on the court? Marion (who was my favorite player on the Suns) has such a unique combination of outside shooting touch, the ability to fill the lane on a fast break to be on the receiving end of all those miraculous Steve Nash passes, and is capable of defending all five other positions of the opposing team's line-up. Shaq, by comparison, is just a huge immobile mountain of - yes, I'll say it - fatness, and it has completely changed the Suns game.

Have you ever thought something looked so good you had to have it, but then when you got it home it just didn't fit with the rest of your stuff? Has something seemed so desirable until you had a chance to try it out, and discovered that what you had before was better? I think the Suns are finding that out the hard way.

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Vail Tripby MonkeyPig (guest blogger)

I promised NN that I'd post my Vail picture last week. But, work had been busy.

It was a really good trip. Travel tip, instead of staying in Vail where a cup of tap water will cost you 50$, there are several towns outside of Vail and within 10-20 minute's drive. The lodging is as good and much cheaper. I stayed in Avon. It was advertised as a 1 1/2 star "motel" on Expedia.com. I thought it'll be a dump. To my surprise, the room was good size, clean and there was a kitchenette - a must in any FOB style travel. To save on tips, I hung the do-not-disturb sign out for the entire stay.

We had class from 7-10am, break, and return to class again from 4-7pm.

I had a lot of fun and it was pennies (Vail pennies) a day. Rented snowshoes and hiked the national forests. Didn't see any critters. Saw a lot of their interesting tracks. . Some of the tracks were of two different prints -- one look like a deer (hoofed) and the other look like some kind of cats (lynx / bobcats) . You can see the cat tracks are circling around itself as it its sniffing out a scent. It was great! At time, its you and nature. .

I tried cross country skiing one day. I won another medal that day...I was falling every 5 minutes. I had the most fall and received the idiot award that day.

All-in-all, it was a great trip. I saw a side of Vail not many people see when they visit Vail.

Thanks to Wal-mart, I made about 40$ a day on the per diem.

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Beer Festby MonkeyPig (guest blogger)

There were more people this year - 1250. Here is the opening. There were Tamahumara Indians in their native dress of the Copper Canyon in Northwestern Mexico. There is also a Mini-Marathon for the kiddies. I saw two guys in somberro.

I guess I was anticipating the wind and the fact that I finished the 07's Marathon -- I concentrated on running a bit faster to compensate for the wind. After a PB&J (extra PB) sandwich, 400 mg caffeine, and 3000 mg ibuprofen strategically taken lastnight,

this morning and around mile 18, and one pack of sugar-gel, I crossed the finish line. The official time was 4:23. I made 4 piss stops, 1 p--p stop. , waiting in line for the porta-potty, I think my run time is 4:10 - 4:13.

I was totally surprised. I didn't expect anything but to raid the free food and get free pens after the race. I was talking to Ca-Loc when they called my name. After the 2nd call, I realized they were calling me. The guy (26 years old) that won finished the race in 2:43 and the gal (40 years old) that won finished it in 3:22. From the grand scheme of thing, 4:10 aren't that good. I guess if you are old enough, they'll give you a medal for the amount of sunspots and wrinkles on your face. My little "medal" is really small. Thank you for all your encouragements.

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Husband Pleasin' Beans

Have you ever tried Ranch Style beans? I had never even heard of them until after I met Mr. Nonny Nu. Growing up in Arizona, Nevada, and California, Mr. Nonny Nu is a true son of the Southwest. (You wouldn't think it by looking at him, though.) But, we ran into a problem when we initially tried to procure these beans: the rabbit assigned to get the beans didn't know what they were and the bear who knew what they were only knew them by their old slang name--husband pleasin' beans.

I was sent to the bean aisle at the Sherman Oaks Gelson's for the HPBs. None of the beans were labeled as such. I asked the store clerks but they didn't know. I was so desperate that I asked several of the other women who were walking through the bean aisle. So, there I was, asking everyone walking through there, "Do you know where the husband pleasin' beans are?" Needless to say, I looked and sounded like an Asian idiot in my floral summer dress. On my last try, I asked an old lady, thinking that she had been cooking so long that, if anyone knew, she'd know. Her husband was standing next to her at the moment, and he responded, "Hm. Those sound like something we could use." HAHAHHAHAHHHAHAHHAHA!!! I love old people!!

Anyhow, the proper name for this food item is actually "Ranch Style Beans." The "husband pleasin' beans" nickname derives from an old description that appeared on the label. Nowadays, the manufacturer has switched to "appetite pleasin'."* It is a favorite of many people, some of them Texans and homesick. Even celebrities, like Elizabeth Taylor, Humphrey Bogart, and Grace Kelly have enjoyed them, and of course LBJ, our president from Texas (before the beans were "wussified"). It is a versatile bean, good for putting into chili and also as a side for filet mignon (like the Nus will be doing tonight).

*It's too bad that they got PC-ified and aren't still called husband pleasin' beans because Mr. Nonny Nu really loves them.

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My Favorite Gymnast

This morning, Mr. Nonny Nu and I watched the Tyson gymnastic competition on TV. Even though there were quite a few excellent gymnasts there, none of them really caught my eye. Nobody had any distinctiveness to them. Right now, a mere three hours later, I can't even remember what I saw. But, one gymnast I will always remember is Svetlana Khorkina.

Svetlana is the tallest female gymnast I've ever seen. Here she is as a child with her teammates (she's the one on the left). At an early age, all the coaches said she was too tall and wouldn't work with her, except for coach Boris Pilkin. He stuck with her through it all, and what a treat they've given the world. Svetlana isn't just a pretty face. She has been described as the Anna Kournikova of gymnastics, but this is a complete insult to Svetlana, since Svetlana is actually GOOD at her sport. But, because she is really so talented, I felt very bad for her at the 2000 Olympics. She and her teammates were just completely failing at the vault, but it wasn't until after her entire team had warmed up and done their first runs (scored) did they discover that the vault was 5 cm too low. Unfortunately, the whole team had either messed up their landing, if not outright hurt themselves:


Svetlana has a huge number of fans all over the world, and what happened to her at the 2000 Olympics only won her more fans. She is an innovative gymnast (there are 8 gymnastic moves named after her, more than any other gymnast) who never gave up her dream, even though all the "experts" told her she couldn't do it.

Transworld interview (including historical info):



Vault:


Uneven Bars:


Balance Beam:


But, BY FAR, my favorite is her floor exercises. She always has the best choreography and she is always completely into her routine. Her expressions are fantastic. This is my all-time favorite routine (especially the toe taps at 1:06 and the end):


Sorry about the commentators on this one. The lady is saying that Svetlana is too skinny and isn't womanly. Um, that's her signature, genius. The wondrous thing about Svetlana is how old she is and how tall and skinny she is. How she doesn't knock her head on her routines is a mystery:


At her last Olympics in 2004:

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