Category Archives: Tomfoolery

I’m Thinking About Becoming Amish

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Hello 3.5 Englishes,

Your old pal BQB here.

So check it out.

I’m thinking about becoming Amish for the following reasons:

#1 – Too much stress.  Too much technology.

That’s two reasons. Too much stressful technology? OK now it is one.

Cell phones were a great invention but really never should have evolved other than you have a device you can use to call someone and ask for help if you find yourself in a jam.

YES – “I’ve run my car off the road and need help!”

NO – “Hello this is your boss. I know you are on vacation but I need to talk to you on the phone right now while you are sitting on the toilet in the bathroom of a Tijuana Señor Frog’s.”

3.5 READERS: But BQB what about your blog?

Good riddance, infernal blog! Who needs you? Always pestering me to update you just to entertain 3.5 readers.

NOTE: I’m just kidding. I love you blog and 3.5 readers.

#2 – Health – Diet and Exercise

Have you ever seen a fat Amish guy? No!

Why? First they’re always exercising. But they’re not going to gym like assholes and running around on a treadmill like a goddamn hamster on a wheel are they?

No. They are not. They are raising barns and churning butter and planting crops and so on.

Shit actually happens when they exercise.

Wait. You know what? Up until like 1950 people didn’t even think to call strenuous activity “exercise.” They just called it “doing shit.”

Here’s what people were like:

CHESTER: Hey Bob! You doing some shit on your farm?

BOB: Sure am, Chester. I’m doing all this shit on my farm, then later I’m going to pickup some heavy shit and move some shit and dig up some shit and plant some shit. You off to do some shit of your own?

CHESTER: Of course. Gotta get to my farm where I will also do a ton of shit. In fact, I got a long ass fuckin’ walk to my farm and I’ll tell you even that wears the shit out of me. But once I walk to my farm I’m going to do a lot of shit.

BOB: Boy howdy, doing shit sure does keep you from becoming a fat fuck doesn’t it?

CHESTER: What’s a fat fuck, Bob? I’ve never seen or heard of one before.

BOB: I think I saw one in a picture book once. Some egghead scientist theorized that if people ever stop doing shit they’ll get really fat.

CHESTER: Aint that some shit?

 

But now we’ve got cars and computers and gadgets and shit so a lot of the heavy lifting is gone.

Second reason why you never see a fat Amish guy – they’ve got good diets.

Seriously. They don’t have Amish McDonalds. They no quiero Taco Bell. They don’t have processed foods.

You know what their food process is? They pull a damn carrot out of the ground and shove it in their suck hole and then if they want a steak they cut it off the ass of the cow that has been their family friend for years.

That in and of itself would get me to stop eating meat and become a vegetarian.

I love steak and burgers, but only as long as some nameless butcher in some factory somewhere is hacking the cow to pieces somewhere far, far away where I never see it.

If I have to hack the cow up then I’ll just eat carrots instead. I’m not going to bond with Bossy the cow and then be all like, “I’m hungry so time to die, Bossy.”

And I love chicken, especially chicken tenders and chicken nuggets…but not enough to wrap my hands around a chicken’s neck and strangle the ever loving shit out of it until I watch all of that chicken’s hopes and dreams fade from its eyes as the last bit of its life force exits its feathery carcass.

No thank you. Fuck that. Pass the broccoli.  And no matter how many reports I get that broccoli is good for you, I will never forego red meat and chicken meat in the name of broccoli unless I’m Amish.

#3 – Romance Simplified

Oh my God.  Dating is such bullshit.

Just arrange my marriage when I’m five.  Or you know what? Just let me choose.  The one in the bonnet or the other one in the bonnet.

And let her choose too. This isn’t Communist Russia.  Let her choose between me, the one in the beard and the hat or the other one in the beard and the hat.

I’m sure there is a modicum of bullshit that enters into Amish dating.

“Oh, I was going to marry Ezekiel but Jedediah has raised far more many barns!”

But that’s fine. I’ll just raise a lot of barns. At least then I know what to do. Here in the modern world women get mad at you and you never know why and even they don’t know why.

But in Amish world its simple. You just haven’t raised enough barns and you need to raise some more and then you will be able to get your hands on an Amish babe’s sweet, sweet ankle.

CONCLUSIONS

So that’s it.

Those are my three reasons.

I want to be Amish so I can kick technology to the curb, exercise more, eat less and eat more nutritious food and impress women by raising barns.

What say you, 3.5 readers? Am I on to something here? Do you want to become Amish with me?

Who’s down?

 

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How Trump Won With Social Media

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Hey 3.5 readers.

Your old pal Bookshelf Q. Battler here.

So my usual disclaimer. I’m not going to talk politics or the pros and cons of one side or the other.

This is a nerd blog for nerd things so I want to talk about social media.

I figured a year ago Trump would win based on one thing:

He had way more Facebook likes and Twitter followers than Hillary.

Really. That’s it.

I don’t remember what it was a year ago but his Facebook and Twitter followers were more than hers and as of today he’s got roughly 4 million more Facebook likes than she does (not an exact figure, I am too lazy to do the exact math but it is close.)

I don’t have Mitt Romney and Barack Obama’s figures from 2012 but I’m willing to bet Barack had more than Mitt.

And I believe this is a sign for all political watchers and armchair quarterbacks to consider:

He or she who has the most follows and likes on social media will win.

Yup. That’s how we will one day end up with President Kardashian.

But I digress.

3.5 READERS: Oh but BQB is the number of social media followers a good way to decide an election?

On the face of it, no, but the social media numbers don’t decide the election. They are an early warning sign that the public digs one candidate more than the other.

Think about it.

Social media starts out as a good idea.  You can talk to like your 5 closest friends and family members that you actually want to hear from.

But then to be polite you have to add your third cousin twice removed, your long lost uncle, your pet hamster’s geography teacher’s sister’s yoga instructor.

Before you know it, your Facebook feed is filled with the rantings of tons of asshats saying things you don’t want to hear.

No pet hamster’s geography teacher’s sister’s yoga instructor! I do not give a shit what you ate for lunch today!

Your Facebook feed is valuable virtual real estate in your eyes and you give it away only if you have to.

Ergo, if you really dig a candidate, you’ll click that like so you can get brainwashed by your favorite candidate.

This isn’t a perfect science. I’m not saying someone with less followers will never win but I think that yeah, it does make a win less likely because the candidate with more followers is getting his/her message out to more people.

2008. 2012. 2016.  These are the only three presidential elections where social media was a thing. And in each election (though I’m just guessing via McCain vs. Obama and Romney vs. Obama but I believe I’m right) the person with the most follows and likes won.

That’s my theory.  Don’t get bogged down into the politics. Just talk about the social media science of it all.

Because as I always say, it doesn’t matter what side of the political aisle you are on, the really important thing is that you all love me and you all come together and buy the books I have yet to write if I ever get around to writing and publishing them.

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Give Each Other a Hug

Dear 3.5 readers,

This long campaign has come to an end.

Go vote, then give someone who voted other than the way you voted a hug.

If you’re a Republican, hug a Democrat.

If you’re a Democrat, hug a Republican.

If you’re a Gary Johnson supporter, finish your weed then hug a Republican and a Democrat.

Everyone hug…but obviously in these difficult times, be sure to get the huggee’s written notarized signed in triplicate permission before you do the hugging.

Never lose sight of what is truly important – helping me in any way you can to make this blog go viral so that I can get super rich and fill BQB HQ with lots of supermodels.

Oh and also democracy. Gotta love democracy.

(Supermodels!)

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Douglas Adams Quote on Elections

Hey 3.5 readers.

I’ve written about this quote before but since Election Day is tomorrow, it made me think of it again.

I love Douglas Adams. With his Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and subsequent sequels, he is one of the great humorists.

Funny, if you read The Hitchhiker’s Guide, he also more or less predicted the invention of the iPad as the guide itself was this great computerized technological book.

What Douglas Adams says about elections and politicians in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe:

“The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.

To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.

To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”

Accurate? Not accurate?

What say you, 3.5 readers?

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POLL – Which Bookshelf Battle Blog Character Would You Like to See as President?

Official Poll.

Choose the BQB-a-verse character you’d like to see as America’s Chief Executive:

  • Bookshelf Q. Battler
  • Video Game Rack Fighter
  • Bookshelf Q. Battledog
  • Alien Jones
  • The Mighty Potentate (all hail the Mighty Potentate)
  • The Yeti
  • Vinny Baggadouchio, Host of Stop Sucking with Vinny Baggadouchio
  • Dr. Hugo Von Science
  • The Many Characters who Live on BQB’s Shelf
  • Uncle Hardass
  • Aunt Gertie
  • Nerdstradamus
  • Search Engine Optimized Poet
  • Professor Nannerpants

I’m sure I forgot someone but vote for your favorite in the comments.

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Halloween on a Monday

shutterstock_113293567Yeesh.

What a load of crap.

Who wants Halloween on a Monday when you’re just getting the work week started?

As the Count would say, “Bleh.”

It has been a fun month here on the Bookshelf Battle Blog with Count Krakovich, Asshat Vampire and Schecky Blargfeld, Zombie Comedian.

Hope you had a good time, 3.5 readers.

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How My 3.5 Readers Can Multiply Themselves

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Dear 3.5 readers,

We’ve had some good times, haven’t we?

There was that first year where I didn’t post that much because I was still learning what all the damn buttons do.

Not gonna lie. I’m still learning. It doesn’t help that WordPress changes shit around everyday. Hell, sometimes I’ll step away from the computer to drop a deuce and come back and shit has been changed.

No two visits are ever the same.

Then there was that second year where I concentrated on the blog, tossing up tons of material, doing my one post a day for a year challenge.

And finally, year three is the year where I finally finished the first rough draft of a novel.  Now I just have the long journey to getting it published and out there.

Let’s take a moment to talk about you, my 3.5 readers.

Oh how I adore you, 3.5 readers. I really do.

Many authors have humongous egos where they desire millions of readers.

Meanwhile, I have decided that I will always keep blogging as long as at least 3.5 people keep showing up to look at this drivel.

1.5 readers? I give up. 2.5? No thanks. 3.5? OK. Cool. I’ll keep posting.

But can we talk about how you, my 3.5 readers, can help me, BQB?

You guys are cool. You’re great. But what I need you do to is to become MORE than 3.5 readers.

You need to multiply, 3.5 readers. You really do.

Have you tried to multiply yourselves yet, 3.5 readers?

Here are some ways that you can be more than 3.5 readers:

  • Tell your friends about my fine blog.
  • No friends? Make one, then tell your new friend about my fabulous blog.
  • What do you mean, you don’t have any friends?
  • OK so go make a friend then.
  • Yes, I know that’s easier said than done, but look at your life, you need a friend.
  • I don’t know to make a new friend. How does anyone make one? You attend some type of social gathering, strike up a conversation with a person in attendance, develop a rapport, and then perhaps after six months of friendship you slide it in to your new friend that he/she should check out my blog.
  • No, I didn’t say to give your friend the boot after. Sheesh, I’m not heartless. I’m not telling you to engage in an elaborate scheme to make a friend, get them to look at my blog, then kick them to the curb after. You can keep being friends with your new friend if you want.
  • Bring my blog up in casual conversations. Example:

RANDOM PERSON: You know I’m really concerned about global warming, genocide, war, and the extinction of the East Pango Tangonian Tree Bird.

YOU: Cool. You know what I do when I’m worried? I read the Bookshelf Battle Blog.

  • Hire a sky writer to inform the masses about my fine blog.
  • Conduct massive amounts of research into discovering the cure to an exotic disease. When the press interviews about your amazing discovery, devote the entire interview to talking about my blog.
  • If you have a blog, tell your 3.5 readers about my blog. Then, my 3.5 readers and your 3.5 readers can mingle.
  • Become an astronaut.  Once in outer space, deploy a sign directing Earthlings to read my blog. Note the sign must be large enough to be read from outer space. Block out the sun if necessary.
  • Use Jurassic Park technology to bring a dinosaur back to life. Ride through the streets on said dinosaur whilst telling all the Looky Lous about my splendid blog.

OK.  So out of those, I suppose the most reasonable requests are to ask you to follow me on Twitter on Facebook.

So go do that.  And then, if you can find the time, the dinosaur thing.

Thank you, 3.5 readers.

 

 

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BQB in NYC – Freedom Tower – 9/11 Memorial Museum – One World Observatory


Howdy 3.5 Readers,

Your old pal BQB here.

The Big Apple. The big..I don’t know…does New York City have any other nicknames?

Recently, I visited the Freedom Tower and had the chance to tour the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

At the museum, you can see preserved parts of the original World Trade Center and foundation, pieces of wreckage, materials saved from the scene, photos, timelines, videos etc.
It makes me sad the Twin Towers are gone but I’m glad they built this to keep future generations remembering what happened.

Finally, I had the chance to check out the observatory at the top of the Freedom Tower.

What a view, 3.5 readers:

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BQB in NYC

Happy Saturday 3.5 readers.

Like Jack Kerouac, I’m on the road, only with much less style and self-reflection.

With Count Krakovich, Asshat Vampire and Schecky Blargfeld, Zombie Comedian holding down the fort (God help us), I’m free to wander.

What’s your favorite thing to do in New York City, 3.5?

I had a chance to check out Times Square. 

Grown man in a baby costume. Adults in off brand super hero costumes. Scantily clad ladies with “I Love NY” on their booty cheeks. (I only looked so I could give a full, thorough report because I go the extra mile for my 3.5 readers.)

BQB in Times Square:

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Top Ten Halloween Candies (Best and Worst)

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Hey kids, avoid strangers all year along.

Except on October 31.

Then put on a dumb costume and knock on strangers’ doors and demand free foodstuffs.

Who the hell invented this dumb holiday?

Oh wait. I forgot.

We here at BQB HQ love Halloween.

So without further ado, the Top Ten Halloween Candies

#10 – Candy Corn (Best)

An old staple.  Sweet.  Delicious.

Do you like the chocolate candy corn?  You know the ones where the bottom stripe is chocolate?

Eh, I do like chocolate but I prefer my candy corn to have the white stripes at the bottom.

I don’t know why.  I’ve done a lot of thought on this though and that white stripe tastes better than the chocolate strip.

The white strip basically tastes like the candy corn flavor and I can only get that candy corn flavor at Halloween time, whereas I can get chocolate all year long.

#9 – Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (Best)

So much of my ass fat is compromised of peanut butter cups.

Mmmm.

You got chocolate in my peanut butter. No, you got peanut butter in my chocolate!

Yum. Delicious.

#8 – Coupons (Worst)

Fast food joints, stores, restaurants – they often sell coupons to pass out as Halloween treats.

Hey, here’s a coupon for a free ice cream cone.

What the eff, lady? Don’t give me an IOU for a treat.  I want my snack now.

These go right in the garbage and the corporations make big money essentially selling people nothing.

#7 – Large Candy Bars (Best)

There’s always one fine citizen who will go out and buy a bunch of regular size candy bars to pass out.

That’s right. Screw those “fun size” bars.

What’s fun about tiny candies?

The only thing that happens with a fun size candy bar is you trick your mind into eating twenty of them because they’re so small and that you end up with an ass the size of a barcalounger.

Bless you, citizen who went the extra mile and got big candy bars.

By the way – if a tiny candy bar is fun size, is a big candy bar boring size?

There’s a noodle scratcher.

#6 – Pennies (Worst)

Ugh.

Come on, old people.

I know you’re trying to get rid of your loose change.

I know those pennies are actually worth something.

But pennies aren’t edible. They aren’t delicious.  They will not make my ass fatter.

#5 – Unwrapped Baked Goods (Worst)

Well, thanks lady I gotta trash that because for all I know it could have a razor blade or a laxative or poison or something.

#4 – Popcorn Balls (Best or Possibly Worst)

Love ’em, but only if they’re wrapped.

#3 – Gum (Best)

Good for a minute or two, then it just becomes a sticky mess under your chair…sigh…just like my life.

#2 – Smarties (Best) 

Mmm.  Sugary crack.

You ever try to unwrap them and keep them together in a line without the wrapper?

Good times.

#1 – Kit Kat

Give me a break, give me a break…aww, you know the rest.

Did I leave your favorite Halloween candy off the list, 3.5 readers?

Discuss in the comments!

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