Jun
21
2009
Erica Firment
This is my dad, the best joker in the world.
Who else would dance to “Re: Your Brains” (Jonathan Coulton’s Zombie song) at his daughter’s wedding?
My dad, the legally blind man who taught me to drive a stick shift.
This is the guy who plopped me in front of a VIC-20 when I was 5 years old and taught me LOGO.
He kept Adobe font catalogs and WIRED magazine around the house, inspiring a lifelong love of design and geekery.
I owe him most of my bad jokes, and all of my pedanticism.
It’s a good life. Thanks Dad!
2 comments | tags: father's day | posted in Family, Life, Parents
Oct
13
2008
Erica Firment
My mother, the real librarian (not a digital muckety muck thingamajig like me), will be visiting me here in San Francisco next week. Since she will be hanging around with non-Midwesterners, I thought it would be good to provide her with an introduction to west coast language. I know, right?
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I know, right?
Rumored origin: L.A.
Literal meaning: “Can you believe this thing we are talking about? It goes without saying, and yet we are saying it.”
Connotation: “We are all in agreement here. Also, I have never read Beowulf.”
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Hella
Rumored origin: NoCal.
Literal meaning: Intensifier. “Their pie is hella good.”
Connotation: “I am twelve.”
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Yeah yeah yeah
Rumored origin: Coffee-fueled Berkeley undergraduates
Literal meaning: “I agree so strongly that it can be quickly dismissed with a rapid exclamation.”
Connotation: “We are getting things DONE in this conversation.”
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Chill
Rumored origin: The 1960s.
Literal meaning: “Good. Calm. Without trouble. Easy.”
Connotation:”I have had lots of therapy and/or drugs.”
Got more? Send ‘em in!
6 comments | tags: california, funny, Humor, language, librarian, linguistics, slang | posted in Avenging, Life, Parents, San Francisco, linguistics
Sep
12
2008
Erica Firment
I have a life-threatening peanut allergy. My lungs fill up and my throat closes and WOW are nuts a bad thing. Which is why I want these vinyl “No Peanuts” stickers by Jeeto.
Chuck and I have been trying to translate the word “peanut” into 30 languages whenever we go to a restaurant. It would be nice to have a visual aid.
When I was a kid, nobody had heard of “allergies”, so I didn’t get a lot of cred when I pouted and refused to eat my snickerdoodle. My folks fought for me when they could, but there were plenty of incidents. There was the Evil Girl Scout Leader with the PBJ, the home economics class with the peanut brittle, my forgetful grandma and the cracker jacks.
Having it in writing might help a kid stick up for herself.
So, yay to Jeeto and a generation of militant parents! Yay for continued access to oxygen!
8 comments | tags: Allergies, kids, nut allergy, parenting, Parents, peanut allergy, peanuts, Shopping, stickers | posted in Avenging, Parents, Products, Shopping, Women's health
