MEME: Monday Music Mambo - A Hero Is Just A Sandwich

Rfduck is hunting for new thrills: “Hello readers! Another mambo is upon us. Today's theme isn't very useable, so I'm going to go with Saturday's theme - Sandwich Day. “

“Make a musical sandwich. Pick a band, musician or instrument for each ingredient.”

Bread (holds everything together) – Bass and drums
Meat (the main attraction, the superstar) – Lead Guitar, Singer, Mick Jagger; Leonard Cohen
Vegetables (crunchy and cool) – U2,
Condiments (makes everything smooth) – Eric Clapton

If you want to, add a side of fries (hot and salty) - Side singers, Perla Battala

Get your copy of the question here.

R.I.P. Monday Madness

It's seems to be semi-official. A month has passed without a posting to the Monday Madness site. I guess it's over. It was a good run, while it lasted. Mistress Otto's Pizza Palace and Massage Parlor of Doom is no more. Gone to that big pie in the sky, where every day is "Yes, Mistress. Three bags full, Mistress."

Otto, we'll miss you.

MEME: Monday Madness

Mistress Otto has been dealing with her weird offspring and things have just gone to hell in a hand basket around the Monday Madness Bordello and Barbershop lately. Here's what she has to say THIS week:

Since around here, school has just begun again after summer vacation, my questions this week will be based on school and education... Thanks for playing and I hope you all have a great week! =)

1. Do you have children in school? No, our kids are all grown up with families of their own.
2. Are YOU currently in school (any level)? Nope, not this year. I sometimes take a class to keep my brain working. ;)
3. Did you (or your children) attend a public or private school? Public school.
4. As far as formal education, what level have you completed? Some college and extensive self-directed study beyond college. I'm somewhere close to a doctorate level these days, if my education were to be judged in light of academic levels. In reality, all I can point to is a high school diploma.
5. Do you, or did you have loans out for your (or your children's) education? No, that was a personal choice each child made on their own and for which they're entirely responsible (thank goodness for pointy heads!) I, on the other hand, worked my way through three years of college and have paid for all additional courses taken over the years. Working to pay for college really isn't an option with tuitions what they are today, sad to say.
6. What are your thoughts on the cost of tuition for colleges and universities? It is sadly out of reach of most deserving students and the situation is worsening. I really wouldn't be surprised to see a return to the elitism of the past, driven by the widening gulf between the haves and the have-nots.

MEME: Monday Madness - Wicked Weather

Mistress Otto has been experiencing some stormy weather in her neck of the dungeon, hence this week's theme:
“Here are some weather-related questions.... Thank you for playing and have an awesome week!” =)

1. Where you live, what kind of weather (or weather-related tragedy) do you fear the most? Ice storms that knock out the power for more than a few days. Along the coast, hurricanes and full gales are always of concern. Here in the flatlands, a blizzard is nothing to be trifled with, either.
2. What kind of weather do you MOST enjoy? Early autumn weather, temperatures in the mid-sixties, sunny with a mild breeze. I live for those conditions. No bugs, no tourists, no hassles.
3. What kind of weather do you LEAST like to drive in? Torrential downpours – because you just can't see the end of the truck, let alone the rear of the one in front of you...
4. What is the scariest weather-related experience you've had in your lifetime? I “weathered” a tornado in a ditch alongside Interstate 70 one spring afternoon.
5. Share a "weather picture" with us! Sure, here's one for all those folks wilting in this summer's wicked hot conditions – winter in the North Country:

MEME: Monday Madness - Head Noise

Mistress Otto was having a quiet moment this morning when it suddenly occurred to her that she'd forgotten something... and I don't mean “Baby Ricky” and his little anal probe, either. It was time for another Monday Madness! Here's what she has to say for herself:

"More questions from right off the "top of my head!" Have fun and enjoy your week, everyone. Thank you all for playing." =)

1. How many desktop computers in your home? Two; one old and another even older...
2. How many laptops? One. Inaccessible.
3. What kind of internet service do you have? (i.e. phone modem, dsl, etc.) DSL via Verizon
4. Do you tend to use more than one email account regularly? No.
5. Do you use email as a main source for communicating to your family and friends? Me, yes. SWMBO is still addicted to telephones... :(
6. What kind of computer monitor do you own (flatscreen, or other)? Flatscreen.

So you need a good spanking, eh? Just hie thee to Mistress Otto's Boutique of Rosie Reds and Blushing Pinks to get your own personal copy of the questions for this week.

MEME: Monday Madness -- Compounding The Problem

I was wrong; it seems that Mistress Otto did post questions last week. But the Blogger gods weren't accepting new posts at the time, so off to the ether they went. All is copacetic this week, and Otto had this to say, “ Good Monday to you all! We're going to try something a bit different this week. Thank you for playing my meme, and have a great week!” =)

Please fill in the following blanks, to make a compound word:

1. GROUND_swell_
2. FIRE_fighter_
3. HOUSE_fire_
4. OVER_haul_
5. SUN_shade_
6. UNDER_cut_
7. OUT_side_
8. SOME_where_

If you'd like to play along, just click the banner up there and you'll be instantly transported to Mistress Otto's Brothel and Harness Shop, where satisfaction is guaranteed or double your lashes back!

MEME: Monday Madness - OCD or Neatfreak? You Decide...

It seems no one's immune from computer problems. For example, it seems our favorite dominatrix wasn't getting her way:

“Since I doubt if anyone received my notification regarding last week's questions, which I was unable to post due to not being allowed into my blogs, I want you all to know that I did try to post questions. The good news: I'm back and we have new questions! Here we go...”

1. What ONE thing would you like to accomplish before the end of the day? Clipping my toe nails.
2. What one goal would you like to attain before the end of the month? Paying off my property taxes.
3. Are you a "to-do list" writer? If so, do you stick to your list and cross things off as you complete them? Not really. As I age, I find it necessary to prepare lists, but I am just as likely, having prepared a list, to lose it.
4. In general, how organized do you feel you are? I am wanted by, and in hiding from, that organizational program on cable, “neat!”
5. How many piles of papers/junk mail/etc. do you have laying around your house? I lost count when I hit 21... when I knocked over a pile onto another one.
6. Which ONE surface in your home do you have trouble keeping clean? Kitchen counter. Impossible!

To play along, obtain a blank list of questions, or simply to escape my evil influence, go visit Otto here.

MEME: Monday Music Mambo – Too Cute

Rfduck must be scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel. See what I mean?

“Hello good people! It's time for another Music Mambo. Today is Cutesy-Wootsie Day. Awwww, isn't that just cute? Today, we'll celebrate all things cute in music.”

Cutest song: My Favorite Things, sung by Julie Andrews in “The Sound of Music”



.
Cutest band: Herman's Hermits – Then: and Now:

Cutest instrument: Mandolin

And finally, your nominations for
King and Queen of Cute: Donny and Marie Osmond (creepy!)

Then:

and Now:

Want to play along? Too cute! Just click the cute little freckle-faced fellow up there and he'll hustle you along to the Big Kahuna himself, RFDUCK! Yay!

Hi, y'all. Mistress Otto must have been planning a dinner party:

This week's questions are all about food. Let's begin! =)

1. Are there any weird "food rules" you have? Feel free to list as many as you like. Never serve live elvers and mung bean sprouts in the same dish – the thought of wriggling sprouts gives me the willies.

I didn't get to 300 pounds by being picky...

2. When you were growing up, what ONE thing did your parents always remind you of, when it came to meal time (or cooking)? “Wash your hands, you filthy buggers!”
3. Is there anyone you know whose food you won't eat (for one reason or another)? Yes. Discretion being the better part of valor, they shall go unnamed.
4. Is there anything you "specialize" in cooking, that people actually ask for? My wife likes my meatloaf and the garlic smushed potatoes I make...
5. When you were growing up, what one meal do you remember as being your favorite? Beef Stroganoff on a bed of wide egg noodles.
6. Today, what is your IDEAL meal? Simple, not too bad for you, not too tough on my diabetes: Steamed lobster with a large tossed salad, olive oil and apple cider vinegar for a dressing. Lemon Sorbet (artificial sweetener) for dessert. Yummy!

You can play along – just visit Mistress Otto's Barbershop and Pleasurable Pain Parlour, where, for one thin Benjamin Franklin, you, too, can have your pudenda and pate waxed simultaneously!

MEME: Monday Madness - Discipline

Ms. Otto tries valiantly to cover the fact she and her “Master” visited PornCon'07 last week in Vegas with this lame excuse:

“Sorry about last week. We were off to the windy city for our daughter's freshman orientation. Thanks for playing and have a great week, everyone!” =)

1. Do you feel that children these days are disciplined enough? Judging by the behavior of children I see in public, the answer must, perforce, be “Not at all.”
2. What are your thoughts about the "time out chair?" Fine for minor infractions and to offer a “cool down” for the overwrought child. Useless beyond that as a general rule.
3. When YOU were a child, what form of discipline did your parents use most often? “NO.”
4. Did your parents have to constantly remind you of the guidelines they set for you, or did they just have to LOOK at you as a "gentle" reminder? With three boys, each about a year apart, my mother mastered the “death ray” early in the game. Father merely had to clear his throat. Beyond that, there be dragons.
5. What are your thoughts about screaming kids in public places? Parents, if you don't shut them up – I will. I AM the monster in their nightmares.
6. What do you feel is the BIGGEST mistake parents make when it comes to disciplining children? Listening to claptrap on TV. Oprah and Dr. Phil haven't a freaking clue, folks. Set boundaries, explain expectations and let no transgression go unpunished – ever. “Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.” doesn't mean you let children get away with murder; it means you strike the fear of DEATH into their little brains as soon as they can distinguish right from wrong. Earlier, actually. Let your babies know there are rules and if those rules are broken there are consequences. Often times, severe consequences. Forget about “damaging their wee minds.” The real world they will have to inhabit beyond your protective sphere of influence doesn't give a flying fig about their psyches or whether they live or die. Life is hard and life is earnest. There's no such thing as “fair.” The world simply is. For so long as you are within the gravity well of this planet, things fall on your head when you pull them down. One tantrum at work gets you fired. Period. No appeal. No second chance. One rude gesture on an LA freeway may get you killed. That is the way it is – shielding children from the harsh realities of life does them and the rest of us a terrible disservice. So stop it.

You can get your own copy of this week's questions by visiting Ms. Otto at the Monday Madness web site. You'll be glad you did when those boils on your butt heal overnight!

MEME: Monday Morning Madness – Laundry Time

Good Monday to you all! This week's questions are all about laundry; something we all have to do (or have done). Have a great week and thank you so much for playing! =)

1. Do you do your own laundry or do you send it out? We do our own laundry. Before I married a second time, I had my shirts done and ironed by a local laundry.
2. Do you laundry at your home or a laundromat? At home.
3. Are there certain articles of clothing that you need to have dry-cleaned on a regular basis? Yes. Most woolens.
4. How often do you do laundry? Is there a certain day of the week that you consider "laundry day?" It seems like every day is a laundry day. My personal favorite is Mondays, however.
5. Do you iron your clothes as you pull them out of the dryer or do you wait until just before you wear the clothing to iron? If I iron at all (the joy of not working) I iron just before wearing.
6. Do you hang your clothes outside to dry or do you dry them in a dryer? The dryer is broken – everything gets hung out to dry. In winter, a lot of things will get dried inside the house.
7. Do you own things that need to be hand-washed or do you try to avoid buying things that you can't wash in the washing machine? I own such things as does my wife. I ordinarily avoid them like the plague.

If you want to play along, clean copies of the questions can be had by clicking on the “Madness” banner above.

MEME: Monday Madness – Summer's Heat

Since it's summer here in North America, the following questions are all about this season. Have fun and thank you all for playing! =)

1. In your opinion, what is the perfect summer daytime temperature? Same as the perfect anytime temperature, 72° Fahrenheit for a high.
2. What is the perfect nighttime temperature? 50°F. for a nighttime low-- good sleeping weather.
3. Do you plant many flowers around your yard? No. Messing about with gardens was never a favored activity – seasonal allergies make me miserable enough as it is without inviting more of the same. I like flowers so long as someone else plants and tends to them.
4. How much lawn do you have to mow? Do you enjoy mowing lawn? Way too much. Same issues as above, so it's all grown over – I used to end up sick for three days after mowing the lawn. Now, I'd probably end up in the ICU. So no lawns here. Neighbors hate it. But with no outside income, hiring it done by a professional landscaping contractor is out of the question. No neighborhood kids beating down the door, either...
5. Of the summer months, which is your favorite? August.
6. Do you take a long vacation each summer? No. Vacation is out of the question – no money, no play.
7. Is summer your favorite season? If so, why? If not, why not? Nope, Autumn is actually my favorite season. No more bugs, cool enough to wear a shirt or jacket, overnight snow melts in the morning sun light. Dry weather is wonderful on the lungs, even the rainy weather is tolerable if you can curl up next to a woodstove with a good book.

MEME: Monday Madness - Car Craziness

Taking another sip of her cafe au lait, Mistress Otto took a moment to exclaim, “Good Morning! Here are this week's questions. Have fun and have a great week!” =)

1. Do you listen to the radio, or a CD, when you're driving in your car/truck/SUV? Both, actually. Not at the same time, of course. Depending on the vehicle, we even listen to cassette tapes.
2. Do you have one of those GPS systems in your vehicle? We have a handheld unit that we can take with us.
3. About how many miles do you put on your vehicle in a month? About 1500.
4. Do you have your oil changed regularly? Not nearly as often as I should. Now that you can't treat your dirt in the driveway with the oil, disposal is a problem.
5. Do you take your vehicle to a car wash or do you wash it at home? Car Wash, baby!
6. How often do you have the inside of your vehicle cleaned? Do you do it yourself or do you pay someone to do it? Not very often and then I do it. Reluctantly.
7. What is the color of your vehicle? One is Midnight Blue, another is Champagne and then the other is Silver.

You can play along, too, by clicking on the title link above...

MEME: Monday Madness -- Birthdays!

Otto's been very busy, but she had this to say about that, “This week's questions; all about birthdays! Have fun and thank you for playing each week.” =)

1. Name one thing you received as a gift on your last birthday. A copy of John Scalzi's The Ghost Brigades.
2. What would be the "perfect" birthday gift? A surprise gifting of something I have been wanting for a while.
3. Do you look forward to birthdays? Not really, although I like a nice meal out with my wife.
4. On your birthday, do you treat yourself to something special each year? I often buy a book or a CD I want, September being the “fattest” time of year in our budget.
5. Do you bother keeping up with your horoscope on a regular basis? No. It's on the same level as tales of carpenters with stigmata rising from the dead.
6. What zodiac sign are you, and do you think you fit the description for that sign? Virgo and no, I don't.

Don't forget to click on the title up top if you want to play along. You'll be magically transported to Mistress Otto's Parlor, where you, too, may join in the madness for price of a few moments of your time answering the questions and posting to your blog or web site.

MEME: Monday Madness -- Lobotomized?

Otto awoke as the gray light of dawn slowly filled the room. She tried to stretch, but the straight-jacket prevented all but the tiniest of movements. Her head felt like they'd been hammering railroad spikes into it for days. Then her vision cleared momentarily and she realized where she was. It was the State Institute for the Computer Insane. With horror, the realization of what that truly meant crept silently through her neurons on stocking feet. Hawking up a loogee, Otto managed to squawk out, "This week's questions are straight off the top of my head again... Here we go! Thank you so much for playing and have a wonderful week ahead." =)

1. Which web browser do you prefer? Firefox
2. Are you a PC user or MAC user? PC user.
3. Will your next computer purchase happen within the next year (do you think)? Not likely.
4. Will you purchase your next computer at a local store or via the internet? Depends. If the next one is a laptop, probably will buy online. A desktop will probably be just a motherboard and other upgraded components.
5. Have you had any experience with Windows Vista? No.
6. What are your feelings about this new operating system (if any)? I used to stay current with Micro$oft's operating systems as I was constantly being asked by others for support. I no longer do computer support. Windows Vista isn't for me. I think that Windows XP is the last Micro$oft product I will buy.

Want to play along? Click the title link (up there at the top ^) for a clean copy of Otto's questions and leave a link to your answers at the Monday Madness web site.

Monday Madness - Reruns

Mistress Otto has had a busy week. First, there was the visit from the “Postmasters of America” attending their annual convention in Las Vegas and all seeming to be in need of “attitude adjustment.” So Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are a mental blur of whips, lashes, welts and agonal screams. Thursday saw a visit to the chiropractor, where an adjustment of a different sort was administered ... he's been such a bad boy lately. Finally, the annual Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas BDSM and Leather Boys held their annual convention (Kinkfest '07) at the Bellagio. Otto was co-chair of the convention planning committee and the job had her running her tuchus off!

So have a smidgen of pity when she says, “I know some of you aren't particularly fond of naming your most favorite and least favorite of things, but that's all I got this week, my friends! Thanks for playing and have a great week. (Also, I really have been sending notifications to you all; for some reason you're not receiving them?) Just check in every Monday, won't you?” =)

1. Currently, what television commercial is your least favorite? “Head On” Headache remedy. It is so loud it gives me a headache.
2. And which commercial is your most favorite? There's a Home Despot spot with NASCAR driver Tony Stewart as an instructor/inspector during a floor laying class in which one of the students creates a parquet seal (similar to the USA Presidential Seal) commemorating Tony and his #20 Home Depot car. Tickles me, for unknown reasons.
3. Of the sitcoms that are on during "prime time" how many do you watch on a regular basis? Please share. After careful consideration I am forced to conclude there isn't a single “sitcom” on TV today that I watch. Ever. Not just infrequently. Never, ever watch them.
4. Is there a television series that you enjoy watching that is ending this season? Sopranos.
5. Is there any type of program you'd like to see more of on television? Dramas. Particularly half hour dramatic series. They seem to have gone the way of the Dodo Bird.
6. Is there any type of program you'd like to see less of on television? Less of so-called “Reality TV” please. The Amazing Race, American Idol, Dancing With The Stars crapola has got to go before I return to watching mainstream television.
7. Is there a series that is no longer aired that you wish would come back? The original BBC series from the late 70's I, Claudius is one. Also, the 10-part Flame Trees of Thika is another.
8. Do you watch re-runs of anything on television? Yes, I watch reruns of House, The Deadliest Catch, CSI and Crossing Jordan.

Monday Madness -- Musical Chairs

Otto rolled out of bed to the dulcet tones of the clock radio wafting the strains of that classic show tune Summertime from “Porgy and Bess,” poked an eyestalk past the curtain and found the temerity to say, “Good Monday morning, everyone! Here are this week's questions. Have a great week, and thank you for playing.” =)

1. Name a song you know most (or all) of the words to. The aforementioned Summertime is one. I sing it often when cruising down the Interstate if I find myself getting drowsy with some miles to go before an exit (up here they can be 15 – 20 miles apart). I do this only when alone or accompanied by the dog.
2. Name a movie that you have watched more than once and would watch again. All of the Harry Potter movies, The Crying Game, Gone With The Wind, Harvey, Arsenic and Old Lace, Dune, and the LOTR trilogy all come to mind. At Christmas I try to see as many versions of The Christmas Carol as I can find.

3. Have you ever read a book more than once? Please share. Many books. Some I try to read every year, such as Robert Heinlein's Time Enough For Love and Friday. Anne McCaffrey's “Pern” series and her “Pegasus” series I try to get through every couple of years. Bill Geagan's Nature I Loved. There are others, of course.
4. Share an inspirational quote with us. Well, I posted this one over on my writing blog, Snoozelets, not too long ago:

“The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history
may be the hijacking of morality by religion.”
-- Sir Arthur C Clarke, science fiction writer (1917- )

5. What day of the week does (or did) your birthday fall on this year? It will fall on a Wednesday this year, according to the calendar.
6. Have you ever bought a book or cd or movie more than once because you forgot you bought it already? Yes, I have. It's happening more often now that my CRS¹ is worsening with age.

¹CRS = “Can't Remember Shit”

Click the banner to get a clean copy of the questions. You know you want to. No West Nile Virus and MRSA-free!

MEME: Monday Madness -- Tricia Turns A Trick

Otto has finally come off her chocolate bunny high long enough to explain, “This week's questions come from tricia.... Thanks, Tricia! Hope you all have a wonderful week ahead. Thank you all for playing.” =)

1. Who do you think is cuter, the host of Survivor, or the host of Amazing Race? Never having seen the host of TAR, it's got to be Jeff Probst of “Survivor”, of course!
2. Have you seen any movies in a theater recently? No. It's been years.
3. Do you read manga? Why would I read my graprefruit?
4. For people living in the US: Have you ever traveled outside of the state you were born in? No. I wasn't born in a state – I believe it was a hospital and I was quite calm, actually, even if I did have to squeeze through a hole the size of a... For people living outside of the US: Have you ever traveled outside of your country?
5. Do you have a Yahoo! 360 page? No. I don't know my way around Yahoo very well, so it's only a Yahoo 120° page...
6. How many blogs/online diaries do you have total? Actually in use? There are three including this one. All the rest tripped while drunk and fell down, failing to rise from the ashes ever again.

Go visit Otto at the Monday Madness web site, sign up for the mailing list and leave a link to your answers in the comments there.

MEME: Monday Madness -- April Showers Edition

Otto took a minute from her Spring Cleaning to say, “This week's questions, once again, come right off the top of my head! If you've emailed me with suggestions, please be patient. I haven't checked my email lately but will soon. I hope you all have a great week and thanks for playing Monday Madness!” =)

1. Where did you go on your last vacation? Niagara Falls
2. Would you go there again? Why or why not? Yes, but next time I'd stay on the Canadian side of the Falls because there's more to do with kids. These are typically joint vacations with the children & the grandmonsters.
3. How many vacations do you take in one year? About 0.5, judging by the past three years.
4. Where would you REALLY like to go on your next vacation, if money was no issue, and how long would you stay? I'd love to visit Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Shetlands for about a year.
5. Do you put a little money aside each week (or month) to save up for your vacation? I would if I could; no income means no savings.

MEME: Monday Madness

Here are this week's questions. Have a great week and thank you all so much for playing! =)

1. What kind of automobile do you drive? A '97 Saturn SC2 sedan with a little over a hundred thousand miles on it.
2. What kind of automobile do you WISH you drove? An H-1 Hummer with a .50 caliber machine gun and a bed full of RPG's.
3. When is the last time you bought a vehicle (new or used)? About 10 years ago...
4. What is your color of choice as far as vehicles go? Up here, it's something darkish that stands out to other drivers – red is good. Anything that heats up and melts snow is very good. Down South, I think I'd go with white or a pale yellow pastel...
5. Do you regularly have your oil changed? Not as often as it should be, sorry to say.
6. How long do you generally keep a vehicle before thinking about buying a new one? Generally, I start thinking about a new one far, far sooner than I ever actually buy one. I only get serious when it is evident that permanent mechanical death is imminent. I'd guess it's ten to twelve years on average with new cars, five to seven with used (they're already five to seven years old when I buy them).
7. What kind of automobile will you buy next? An SUV or Pickup. Depends on SWMBO – getting a new pickup while I still own my '78 Chevy will be a trick, let me tell you...

Get your own copy of the questions by clicking on the banner above.