Ship of Fools: Stuff You're Embarrassed to Admit You Did

Thread: Stuff You're Embarrassed to Admit You Did Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Squirrel (# 3040) on :

All of us have done things that we don't want others to know about. I'm not talking about morally unacceptable behavior, or things that happen to us that are embarrassing. No, I mean just plain stupid stuff that made sense then, but which we'd like to forget. Here's one true tale:

Back in my undergraduate days I was a big fan of Pat Robertson and his "700 Club" television show. I thought old Pat was brilliant and that he really did receive "words of knowledge" when he prayed with his eyes closed. "Right now God is curing somebody of cancer..." How this could all happen on a show that was videotaped never occurred to me. I'll even admit to occasionally kneeling by the television and praying along with him.

That was eons ago, of course. Now I regard Robertson as a complete kook for thinking stuff like the Haitian earthquake was caused by voodoo.

So, friends, do you have anything you'd like to admit to?

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Squirrel:
"Right now God is curing somebody of cancer..." How this could all happen on a show that was videotaped never occurred to me.

It was? Now I've lost my faith. Gor blimey.

Posted by Squirrel (# 3040) on :

Another time he announced God was healing somebody of a headache.

Posted by Yerevan (# 10383) on :

Well statistically speaking he might have been right, but I doubt Pat had anything to do with it.

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

I am extremely embarrassed to remember that when I was eleven years old my favorite television program was "The Dukes of Hazard". That's not even the worst part of it, though... I used to watch it wearing a black felt cowboy hat and screaming "Yaaaaaaahooooo!" like the actors did...

Oh, God... oh, dear God...

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

That... actually makes me respect you a little, Paddy. Takes moxie to admit that.

My crime is not so benevolent, I'm afraid. I spent the first few months of the year 2000 defending George W. Bush to my fellow Democrats. "He's a compassionate conservative", I'd say earnestly. "Give him a chance..."

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

I shall pray for your redemption, Kelly. On the other hand ...
.
.
.
.
.
.
[gulp]
.
.
.
.
.
I once liked Neil Diamond
.
.
.
.
[Paranoid]

Posted by QLib (# 43) on :

The first record I ever asked for was a Cliff Richard record. [Hot and Hormonal]

To be fair, I was only about 5 years old.

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Kelly Alves:
That... actually makes me respect you a little, Paddy. Takes moxie to admit that.

My crime is not so benevolent, I'm afraid. I spent the first few months of the year 2000 defending George W. Bush to my fellow Democrats. "He's a compassionate conservative", I'd say earnestly. "Give him a chance..."

Hol-ey shit, Kelly! Me, too! I'm pretty damn liberal but had started to hang around with some Republican and N.R.A. types because they were fun to be around (mostly) and I was interested in learning to shoot handguns (still am, does that make me eeeeeeeevil?! LOL). Anyway, I was getting rather irritated with my tree-hugging "it takes a village to raise a child" mystical chakra crap liberal friends and started to get into extremely heated arguments with them... to the point where one of them said she wasn't sure if she could be my friend if I voted Republican. Ha ha ha... ohhhh, dear, oh dear. I ended up voting Democrat but I had my moments again when George W. started the Iraq mess. I was actually ON HIS SIDE for almost a year...

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

I used to read the Daily Mail every day.

I should point out that this was a long time ago, when it was not the pile of sensationalist crap it is now. I was actually far more right wing then, at a time when it seemed like a different political approach might work.

30 years ago the politicians, journalists and bankers were not quite the fucking pond life they are today.

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Squirrel:

I'll even admit to occasionally kneeling by the television and praying along with him.

Awwwww. There's great power in the prayers of the innocent homwever tacky the instigator.

Squirrel on his knees in front of the tube and Paddy in her cowboy hat doing the rebel yell make me a little misty eyed. See. I don't have to dig up the past to embarrass myself.

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :

I...

oh dear.

I used to watch "America's Next Top Model". first and second seasons. It was addictive.

I'm so ashamed.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

Voted Conservative - but i was only 18 at the time.

Posted by Gamaliel (# 812) on :

And you've ... admitted it?! [Ultra confused]

Seriously, I hope you confessed it to your priest ...

[Biased]

Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :

quote:
Originally posted by leo:
Voted Conservative - but I was only 18 at the time.

Me too... one and only time. I was young, I was foolish, I was beguiled by the glorious thought a woman was Prime Minister. [Hot and Hormonal]

quote:
Originally posted by Gamaliel
And you've ... admitted it?!

Seriously, I hope you confessed it to your priest ...

I have. It was nearly the end of a long time friendship, and the penance I had to do. [Eek!]

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :

quote:
Originally posted by comet:
I...

oh dear.

I used to watch "America's Next Top Model". first and second seasons. It was addictive.

I'm so ashamed.

Well if we're going to go there. I've never missed an episode of "Survivor." Once we lost our electricity just before show time, so I drove to the nearest public place that had lights burning. It was a biker bar and I asked them to switch from the sports they were watching to "Survivor." I think they were afraid not to.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

I'll see your "survivor" and raise you "Bad Girl's club." I've had people walk out of the room uttering phrases of disappointment and disgust at me for watching this show, and rightly so-- it's like a primer in female self-hatred.

I kept tuning in hoping they'd, y'know, LEARN something.

Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :

I remember loudly defending to my high school friends my belief that the lyrical stylings of Bon Jovi were far, far superior to those of Nelson.

Posted by Flausa (# 3466) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Zappa:
I once liked Neil Diamond

Shame on you for only liking him ONCE!

I once lost eight hours of my life playing SIMS. I never played it again, because I didn't want to lose that much time again.

Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :

Happily, Squirrel, Jesus no longer thinks you're a jerk.*
*If your workplace has issues with subversiveness and/or Frank Zappa, you probably shouldn't click that.

We're not going to talk about those really truly awful Eastern European metal albums I actually paid for back in college. There's bad lyrics, and then there's bad. These are still worse.

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Flausa:

I once lost eight hours of my life playing SIMS. I never played it again, because I didn't want to lose that much time again.

I host one of the SOF forums I feel your pain.

Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :

I was in the Kajagoogoo fan club.

I think I win [Big Grin]

Posted by birdie (# 2173) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Paddy O'Furniture:
I am extremely embarrassed to remember that when I was eleven years old my favorite television program was "The Dukes of Hazard". That's not even the worst part of it, though... I used to watch it wearing a black felt cowboy hat and screaming "Yaaaaaaahooooo!" like the actors did...

This is all perfectly normal. Nothing to be embarassed about.

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Flausa:

quote:
Originally posted by Zappa:
I once liked Neil Diamond

Shame on you for only liking him ONCE!

The first step is admitting you have a problem. We are here for you Flausa, when you are ready to renounce your evil ways.

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jack the Lass:
I was in the Kajagoogoo fan club.

I think I win

Well you did until I let on that, as a young teenager, I was a fan of the Bay City Rollers, and made myself tartan trousers, slightly too short, so I could look like them at the weekends.

And, when I went to Scotland, I spent my whole time looking out of the coach window, hoping to catch a glimpse of them walking down the street.

Posted by Mr Curly (# 5518) on :

There is stuff . . . but I'm too embarrassed.

mr curly

Posted by Kaplan Corday (# 16119) on :

If we can project as well as retroject, I'm going to see the Three Stooges movie tomorrow, DV.

Posted by Meg the Red (# 11838) on :

quote:
Originally posted by lilBuddha:

quote:
Originally posted by Flausa:

quote:
Originally posted by Zappa:
I once liked Neil Diamond

Shame on you for only liking him ONCE!
The first step is admitting you have a problem. We are here for you Flausa, when you are ready to renounce your evil ways.

Sigh. . .

I just loaded Sweet Caroline and Forever in Blue Jeans onto my iPod.

I know, I'm beyond redemption [Hot and Hormonal]

Posted by Squirrel (# 3040) on :

At one point I donated money to Anita Bryant's organization. Got tons of junk mail from her.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Squirrel:
Got tons of junk mail from her.

Don't you love self-generating penance? [Big Grin]

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :

I love reality cop shows: COPS, Bait Car, The First Forty-eight, Alaska State Troopers, Body of Evidence: From the case files of Dayle Hinman, and all the Animal Cops shows. The somewhat embarrassing thing is that I'm admitting it here; more embarrassing is that I'm not that embarrassed; and my final degradation is that I'm still going to watch the damned things!

Oh, and I still rather like Neil Diamond. [Razz]

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :

[aside]

quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
Alaska State Troopers

was there ever an episode about a crazy guy who lit himself on fire in a village park? 'cause I was there when they filmed it. (and arrested him, etc) He had earlier been throwing beers at kids and cussing at them, and I was on my way over to give him what-for after my son told me what had happened. that was a few days after he stole a lady's baby stroller and got his kicks by rolling it into the street in front of cars. Not. Cool.

I've never seen the show but they've gotten quite a bit of footage from our bizarre little corner of the state. apparently we're a reality show gift that keeps on giving.

keepin' it real, yo.
[/aside]

Posted by Kaplan Corday (# 16119) on :

In the late Sixties I regretfully protested against the Vietnam War.

I am not embarrassed about that, because there was a reasonable argument that the conflict contravened one of Aquinas’s principles for a just war (which is that it should, on balance, do more good than harm) on the grounds that the Vietnamese people were suffering more from the war than they would from living under a communist dictatorship.

What is embarrassing is that I marched alongside ideological, racist arseholes who were drooling at the prospect of Asians being forced to live under a tyranny which they themselves, as Westerners, would have found intolerable.

They carried icons of not only neo-Stalinist thugs such as Che and Ho, but history’s worst mass murderer, Mao.

Not that they were completely ethically insensitive – after all, they went into paroxysms of moral panic a few years later over Watergate.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:

quote:
Originally posted by Jack the Lass:
I was in the Kajagoogoo fan club.

I think I win
Well you did until I let on that, as a young teenager, I was a fan of the Bay City Rollers, and made myself tartan trousers, slightly too short, so I could look like them at the weekends.

And, when I went to Scotland, I spent my whole time looking out of the coach window, hoping to catch a glimpse of them walking down the street.

I saw them for real at Leeds Grand Theatre.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gamaliel:
And you've ... admitted it?!

Seriously, I hope you confessed it to your priest ...

I was certainly over-scrupulous and went to confession far too often.

However, the priest from the neighbouring parish, whom I idolised, was very tory so I would probably have got an indulgence of three.

[ 02. July 2012, 15:15: Message edited by: leo ]

Posted by Erroneous Monk (# 10858) on :

I played a nine-hole round of pub golf (it was a good round - I got a hole in one on the bitter and the guinness) then used one of my colleagues' phones to text my boss.

But I'm a lot older now.

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :

comet:

quote:
was there ever an episode about a crazy guy who lit himself on fire in a village park?

That would be one to see. But no, I haven't seen that one.

Posted by Holjo (# 10912) on :

I got extremely drunk at a works residential in a country house.....I had what I thought was a Malcolm X moment and as a protest at the lack of black senior leaders within the national charity I am part of, took a permanent marker pen and wrote the word black on all of the walls of the training room and around the original portrait of the founder of the movement. In the morning I was so mortified I did a runner....

I once took my wife to a posh B and B and whilst waiting for her to pay found an interesting little button by the front door. It was to much for me to resist and I depressed it only to find that the whole house went into full alarm, all of the residents were evacuated , and police were contacted directly to attend. To make matters worse the car wouldn't start and I had to ask the owners of the house to give my wife and I a bump start..

I did the same thing in Prague , whilst on the tube ( buttons and me don't mix) and stopped a packed escalator by pressing the emergency stop....

Posted by Sober Preacher's Kid (# 12699) on :

I used to have a mullet. [Hot and Hormonal]

Posted by Zacchaeus (# 14454) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sober Preacher's Kid:
I used to have a mullet.

I take it you don't mean the fish either..............

Posted by Sober Preacher's Kid (# 12699) on :

I probably would have looked better with a fish on my head.

Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sober Preacher's Kid:
I used to have a mullet.

So did I

Posted by Kaplan Corday (# 16119) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Holjo:
I got extremely drunk at a works residential in a country house.....I had what I thought was a Malcolm X moment and as a protest at the lack of black senior leaders within the national charity I am part of, took a permanent marker pen and wrote the word black on all of the walls of the training room and around the original portrait of the founder of the movement. In the morning I was so mortified I did a runner....

I once took my wife to a posh B and B and whilst waiting for her to pay found an interesting little button by the front door. It was to much for me to resist and I depressed it only to find that the whole house went into full alarm, all of the residents were evacuated , and police were contacted directly to attend. To make matters worse the car wouldn't start and I had to ask the owners of the house to give my wife and I a bump start..

I did the same thing in Prague , whilst on the tube ( buttons and me don't mix) and stopped a packed escalator by pressing the emergency stop....

It is a miserable, freezing, wet morning here, I have just reluctantly got up and checked my emails, and my half-awake wife is seriously disturbed at my manic guffaws.

Thank you for a brilliant start to the day.

Posted by Zacchaeus (# 14454) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sober Preacher's Kid:
I probably would have looked better with a fish on my head.

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Curly:
There is stuff . . . but I'm too embarrassed.

mr curly

Aw, c'mon. We're all friends here [Snigger]

I should admit, however, that as a mature nearly-40 adult(ish) I became addicted to Lara Croft, playing with her pointy bits (OMG that heavy breathing ...) until the wee smalls, waking up shaking and with headaches, waking from nightmares of giant leaps across hot molten choco ... er ... lava.

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :

I used to love Chris de Burgh and I had all his albums and knew all the words and I thought they were good.

Posted by Mr Curly (# 5518) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sober Preacher's Kid:
I used to have a mullet.

Me too. But not in the Biblical sense.

Those who've seen Abba The Movie will remember that one of the concerts was (in the film and in real life) disrupted by a bomb scare. I was at that concert.

mr curly

Posted by Bob Two-Owls (# 9680) on :

I was a member of the Federation of Conservative Students. I was at a good university, studying a good subject with a job giving me a fair bit of disposable income and a lovely girlfriend and I thought that I had it made. I went to a very upper-middle-class church and all was well with the world. In short I was a typical 80s loadsamoney dickhead.

Within a year the meningitis outbreak robbed me of many of my friends, much of my eyesight, my girlfriend, my job, my place at university and all contact with the church. Karma is a bitch like that.

Posted by Squirrel (# 3040) on :

I had two Partridge Family records.

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Curly:

Those who've seen Abba The Movie will remember that one of the concerts was (in the film and in real life) disrupted by a bomb scare. I was at that concert.

mr curly

You shouldna let Zappa bully you to admitting that. There is embarrassing, then there is embarrassing.

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
I love reality cop shows: COPS, Bait Car, The First Forty-eight, Alaska State Troopers, Body of Evidence: From the case files of Dayle Hinman, and all the Animal Cops shows. The somewhat embarrassing thing is that I'm admitting it here; more embarrassing is that I'm not that embarrassed; and my final degradation is that I'm still going to watch the damned things!

Oh, and I still rather like Neil Diamond.

I like most of those shows too but "Animal Cops" I can't watch, even for a minute because I get so furious at all those sick, twisted motherf*ckers who abuse animals and don't think there's a thing wrong with that! Grrrrrrrrr! Animal hoarders are too sick to be believed and the rest of those... "people" (I hesitate to call them that...) are so evil, too.

Posted by Mr Curly (# 5518) on :

quote:
Originally posted by lilBuddha:

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Curly:

Those who've seen Abba The Movie will remember that one of the concerts was (in the film and in real life) disrupted by a bomb scare. I was at that concert.

mr curly
You shouldna let Zappa bully you to admitting that. There is embarrassing, then there is embarrassing.

Don't worry. He hasn't yet bullied me into admitting I saw The Human League live in concert.

mr curly

Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Curly:

Don't worry. He hasn't yet bullied me into admitting I saw The Human League live in concert.
mr curly

Ah - had it been the original Human League (pre "Dare") that would have been very cool indeed. They never toured Australia in that form though I don't think.

Posted by Mr Curly (# 5518) on :

It was the Dare tour. [Hot and Hormonal]

But I have a pre-Dare CD, and yes, they were cool.

mr curly

Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :

Little House on the Prairie. I am kind of embarrassed but would probably watch a re-run. [Hot and Hormonal]

Posted by Silver Faux (# 8783) on :

Having spent the last several days in and around Yellowstone National Park, today, as a desolating sacrilege to mark July 4th, I wore my Canadian Flag boxer shorts all day.
That wasn't enough to cause the super-volcano below Yellowstone Lake to erupt, which was probably a good thing.

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Paddy O'Furniture:

quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
I love reality cop shows: COPS, Bait Car, The First Forty-eight, Alaska State Troopers, Body of Evidence: From the case files of Dayle Hinman, and all the Animal Cops shows. The somewhat embarrassing thing is that I'm admitting it here; more embarrassing is that I'm not that embarrassed; and my final degradation is that I'm still going to watch the damned things!

Oh, and I still rather like Neil Diamond.
I like most of those shows too but "Animal Cops" I can't watch, even for a minute because I get so furious at all those sick, twisted motherf*ckers who abuse animals and don't think there's a thing wrong with that! Grrrrrrrrr! Animal hoarders are too sick to be believed and the rest of those... "people" (I hesitate to call them that...) are so evil, too.

I understand. But I like the parts where the animals get rescued and get great new homes. And the court scenes where the malefactors get reamed. But usually not hard and deep enough. [Mad]

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
I love reality cop shows: COPS, Bait Car

Yes! And Operation Repo and Campus PD also.

Posted by M. (# 3291) on :

Ah. I think this might be the time to come clean. This embarrassment, however, is of a completely different order from having had an ill-advised haircut (though I, too, admit to having had a mullet at one stage). So here goes: Macarius and I have 6 pet logs. We were in a café on the first floor in Keswick , taking a few days out when Macarius’ mother was dying and we suddenly saw all these cheery little faces smiling up at us. We needed cheery at the time. So we bought half a dozen.

As it was near Christmas, Macarius made them little santa hats and I knitted them cosy scarves… and it sort of developed from there. They live in the porch and we put them in different scenes – spring on the river, say, or Christmas* or tea on the terrace or (at the moment) Doctor Who. The photographs are kept in the Log Book.

There are people that ‘get it’ and people that just think we’re sad. Most, as one of Macarius’ cousins pointed out, do both.

So, is confession good for the soul? I’m not sure it’s good for the reputation.

M.

*They occasionally get their own Christmas cards.

Posted by Bob Two-Owls (# 9680) on :

I knew I had a boring day waiting in the office with no electricity or other work to do so I went to the newsstand and bought the current issues of Commando Comic...

As soon as the laptop battery fails (about ten minutes or so) I shall be tucking into "Freedom - Or Death" and "Cold Steel" while thinking of a way to sneak them past my good lady and into the loft. She would understand porn but I don't think she would forgive me buying war comics.

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :

Pet logs, M? Is that anything like pet rocks? How do logs have faces?

Yes, sad indeed!

Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :

quote:
Originally posted by PeteC:
Pet logs, M? Is that anything like pet rocks? How do logs have faces?

Yes, sad indeed!

I wonder if they are at loggerheads? [Biased]

Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :

I still have my Petra cassette tapes, and they truly are the cheesiest Christian plastic rock in the English-speaking world. However, I must admit that I liked Whiteheart more.

Don't Youtube them unless you have a high tolerance for the extremely naff.

Cattyish, enjoying Zappa's "Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk."

Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :

quote:
Originally posted by PeteC:
Pet logs, M? Is that anything like pet rocks?

I had a pet rock. My defense was that I was 11, but I'm still kind of embarrassed at how funny and cool I thought the whole idea was till I came across a drawing in the little booklet that came with it depicting several rocks lurking in grass; the reader was told not to attempt to tame "wild rocks." It dawned on me only then that I could have just picked up a rock in the back yard and called it a pet.

Posted by ToujoursDan (# 10578) on :

I'll see all your crappy TV shows and raise you one:

I used to like Christian Rock - especially Amy Grant and Sandi Patty. When I was bored I'd watch Trinity Broadcasting Network and the 700 club.

[Hot and Hormonal]

Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :

Crossrhythms (Christian) radio used to broadcast a couple of things on Sky TV by putting cameras in their studio. I thought the presenters were cool. As I recall, they had mightily spiky hair.

Cattyish, fond memories.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

I ran naked across the campus of Leeds University - but it was at 4am and i had a better body then - aged 20 in 1971

Actually, I am not ashamed - it was fun!

Posted by Yerevan (# 10383) on :

The rowing team at my old university (Trinity College Dublin) used to run round campus naked once a year. Alas (for they were quite easy on the eye) this tradition came to an end when they clamboured all over an elderly female visitor's car back in the early 2000s.

Posted by Yerevan (# 10383) on :

Anyway, embarassment...

I LOVED Neighbours back in its late 80s heyday (in my defence I was about eight at the time). I had all the Neighbours merchandise and Kylie and Jason were my favourite singers. I remember watching Scott and Charlene's wedding really vividly even though stuff like the fall of the Berlin Wall totally passed me by [Hot and Hormonal]

Posted by Jenny Ann (# 3131) on :

I had the 'neighbours' board game.

Posted by Lev (# 50) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jenny Ann:
I had the 'neighbours' board game.

Oooo Jenny.... [Disappointed]

Posted by Nanny Ogg (# 1176) on :

OK...confession time [Hot and Hormonal]

I wrote "I love Donny Osmond" in Esperanto on a school blackboard.

There was one good thing come out of it - I met my best friend through the act and we'll be celebrating our 40th friendship anniversary in September this year [Big Grin]

Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jenny Ann:
I had the 'neighbours' board game.

So did I.

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:

quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
I love reality cop shows: COPS, Bait Car
Yes! And Operation Repo and Campus PD also.

Campus PD, Beach Patrol, yeah. Operation Repo is soooo cheesy, though! That fat blonde woman with the frightening eyeliner? Oh, and "Lizard Lick Towing"... makes Southerners look even more stupid and rednecky than SOME of them already are!

Posted by Niteowl2 (# 15841) on :

In my late teens my almost 24/7 dress code was army fatigues with Mickey Mouse t-shirts. Work was about the only exception.

Posted by Jenny Ann (# 3131) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Lev:

quote:
Originally posted by Jenny Ann:
I had the 'neighbours' board game.
Oooo Jenny....

I was around 7ish.

Also - I must get bonus points for scaring up a post from Lev, right?

Posted by Kasra (# 10631) on :

quote:
Originally posted by M.:
Macarius and I have 6 pet logs. We were in a café on the first floor in Keswick , taking a few days out when Macarius’ mother was dying and we suddenly saw all these cheery little faces smiling up at us. We needed cheery at the time. So we bought half a dozen.

I have a feeling I know where you got those. How do I know... I had one, too. Sadly, x-many moves later (I really can't remember how many!) the Pet Log didn't make it.

Kx

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

quote:
Originally posted by cattyish:
I still have my Petra cassette tapes...

We actually saw them in concert when our kid was a teenager!

Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :

Re: Petra, we went in Edinburgh when we were fans. I have a signed t-shirt. I had actually forgotten that until you mentioned you'd seen them.

Cattyish

Posted by no_prophet (# 15560) on :

I thought the thread was about stuff you did, not TV shows you are embarrassed you liked. But maybe liking is doing?

I once washed a car in winter, and it went down to circa -40° (that's either °F or °C at that level). All car doors froze shut. I tried lock de-icer, a hair dryer, and no go. So I got out a blow torch and heated up the door key. It melted and came apart in the lock. About two hours later I had the loan of some very pointy pliers and managed to extract it. I don't recall how we ever got into the car though.

Can I blame my car adventure on McGyver? Given that TV shows are the general theme, I definitely fantasized about being McGyver. All us geekier types wanted to move in a cooler direction, and thus, he was our idol. You know, give me some pine cones, some drain pipe and you can make a bazooka.

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :

no_prophet:

quote:
I thought the thread was about stuff you did, not TV shows you are embarrassed you liked. But maybe liking is doing?

Maybe watching is doing. [Razz]

But I do like your story about the winter car wash. Some of us just don't live in such interesting times and have to make do with vicarious embarrassment like those of the jokers on World's Dumbest Criminals. [Biased]

[ 07. July 2012, 02:30: Message edited by: Lyda*Rose ]

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

quote:
Originally posted by no_prophet:
I thought the thread was about stuff you did, not TV shows you are embarrassed you liked. But maybe liking is doing?

I think watching is doing. I watched Jason King. Scheizenhauer, he was coooooooooool.

Posted by Starbug (# 15917) on :

quote:
Originally posted by ToujoursDan:
I'll see all your crappy TV shows and raise you one:

I used to like Christian Rock - especially Amy Grant and Sandi Patty. When I was bored I'd watch Trinity Broadcasting Network and the 700 club.

I'm going to an Amy Grant gig in London tomorrow! That's not the embarrassing thing - the embarrassing thing is that I used to belong to Barry Manilow's fan club. When I was SIXTEEN! [Disappointed]

Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:

quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
I love reality cop shows: COPS, Bait Car
Yes! And Operation Repo and Campus PD also.

I watched Cajun Justice. Twice.

eta: And I'm quite fond of Neil Diamond.

[ 07. July 2012, 18:13: Message edited by: Janine ]

Posted by rolyn (# 16840) on :

Both me and my partner like Neil Diamond . No shame in that . Whatsmore the guy is still drawing crowds at 71 .

Embarressment would had to figure large over my liking of 70s Glam-rock band "The Rubettes".
I owned not just one, but three of their albums [Hot and Hormonal]

Think what they'd been worth if I kept them . Pretty much zilch I should imagine.

Posted by Doc Tor (# 9748) on :

I used to be a member of the SDP.

I have no excuse. None at all. I'm just very, very sorry.

Posted by no_prophet (# 15560) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Doc Tor:
I used to be a member of the SDP.

I have no excuse. None at all. I'm just very, very sorry.

What is it? I did a search and come up with a host of social democratic political parties from countries as diverse as Croatia and Japan, the Society for Descriptive Psychology, and various other things.

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :

I am embarrassed and ashamed to admit that I used to steal bulbs out of buses just so that I could enjoy they 'pop' sound when I smashed them on the pavement.

I would like to go back and slap my silly face for that.

[Hot and Hormonal]

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I am embarrassed and ashamed to admit that I used to steal bulbs out of buses just so that I could enjoy they 'pop' sound when I smashed them on the pavement.

I am interested in the fact that you had access to bulbs. I never noticed that I did.

Moo

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Moo:

quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I am embarrassed and ashamed to admit that I used to steal bulbs out of buses just so that I could enjoy they 'pop' sound when I smashed them on the pavement.
I am interested in the fact that you had access to bulbs. I never noticed that I did.

Moo

It was a looooong time ago - they had screw-in light bulbs in the buses then.

Posted by Doc Tor (# 9748) on :

quote:
Originally posted by no_prophet:

quote:
Originally posted by Doc Tor:
I used to be a member of the SDP.

I have no excuse. None at all. I'm just very, very sorry.
What is it? I did a search and come up with a host of social democratic political parties from countries as diverse as Croatia and Japan, the Society for Descriptive Psychology, and various other things.

I can't link it directly on wikipedia as it's got brackets in the URL, but here's the TinyUrl.

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

Petra is pretty bad but "Stryper" is far, far worse!
And, I've heard they're making a 'comeback', Oh, goody! Pass me the barf bag...

Posted by Pancho (# 13533) on :

I once posted at forum.ship-of-fools.com.

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

Here's embarrassing... I cry my eyes out every time I see that PBS (Public Broadcasting, for you non-Americans) is showing 'Riverdance'. I don't know what it is about that show but I just get so choked up and almost immediately begin to cry. I really like the music and the dancing just floors me but normally stuff like that kind of makes me roll my eyes and make snotty comments.

OTOH, watching that dreadful Michael Flatley ego-masturbation that is 'Lord of the Dance' is just awful. Stupid-ass story and way too much of Michael Flatley. Or however his name is spelled.

Posted by Gay Organ Grinder (# 11833) on :

Having it away with a soloist in the organ blower room many, many years ago. The oragn and church are long gone.

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :

When I was a child I developed an obsession with fairies, fueled by reading some of the Flower Fairies books as well as a book about house fairies by some long-dead author. I attempted to make contact with our house fairies by leaving little morsels of my favorite foods in various quiet spaces of our house, like the far reaches of the closet that ran from my playroom under the attic stairs. My mother eventually discovered these offerings -- long after they'd become mummified -- and demanded to know how they'd gotten in such odd locations inside the house. I was too embarrassed to admit that I was trying to communicate with the little people, so I just stonewalled, leaving my mother to shake her head and express doubts about my sanity.

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :

I bought 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' by Yes. Four sides based on, allegedly, Shastric scripture. I listened to it, straight through just once. It was the worst four quid I ever spent.

I reckon it did more damage to 'progressive rock' than punk, disco and heavy metal combined.

Posted by Bob Two-Owls (# 9680) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
I bought 'Tales from Topographic Oceans'...it did more damage to 'progressive rock' than punk, disco and heavy metal combined.

Oi! I'm listening to it right now, it is my second favourite Yes album (after Close to the Edge of course).

Posted by Silver Faux (# 8783) on :

Once, it fell to me to clean out an old workshop in the back of a garage, to settle an estate of an extended family member. Unfortuantely, they had already held an auction sale there, without including the contents of the workshop, which they apparently considered to be worthless junk.
I found several containers of old, sometimes rusty springs, of all shapes and sizes. Having a few half-sheets of bristol board from my days of teaching Sunday school, I fashioned some springs into a piece of artwork, entitled Spring in Springbank Park with springs running off one another to form scenery.
This became somewhat addictive, and several family members each received one of these masterpieces. In deep and proper appreciation of my artistic abilities, they threw the creations out fairly quickly. But I had fun making them.

Posted by pimple (# 10635) on :

I wrote an entirely fictional tale about somebody who took off - literally - under the power of the Holy Spirit - and died laughing when he crashed to earth.

My beloved sister found it and asked me if it was true. If anyone deserved to know it was true, she did. When I told her I'd made it up, I felt dreadful.

Which is perhaps why my sig. gives me some comfort!

[ 11. July 2012, 19:56: Message edited by: pimple ]

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :

When I was 14 in Middle School we once watched a movie in U.S. History class on President Johnson and how he was saved from impeachment by one vote. When the teacher turned on the lights everyone could see that I was crying. [Hot and Hormonal]

Posted by Olde Sea Dog (# 13061) on :

I was a member of a Hindu cult, the Hare Krishnas, about 30 years ago. Most people who have seen them in public think they're simply some sort of Buddhist group that does some chanting and singing, but nothing could be further from the truth - their beliefs are truly bizarre. You only get the strange stuff after they trust you not to laugh, after a few weeks of contact.

Could I possibly onced have believed that God is a ....... well never mind, no need to completely humiliate myself.

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

Gotta love their food though!

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

Ah, yes, food. Miss Amanda's downfall.

I once consumed eight ears of corn at a single sitting.

When I was a schoolteacher, once at a class picnic one of my students challenged me to an eating contest. We each had to match what the other was eating, item for item. The first one to cry "Hold! Enough!" lost. I won.

The Dairy Queen ice cream franchise once featured something on their menu called the Pig's Dinner. It was something like eight scoops of ice cream with every topping that they offered. If you could eat one, you'd get a medal. I ate one. The medal was a pin that read "I was a pig at Dairy Queen."

But all that was many, many years ago . . . .

Posted by Timothy the Obscure (# 292) on :

I once voted for a Republican (for Congress), and once for a Libertarian (for president).

I own a copy of the New Seekers single of "Georgy Girl," and I keep trying to work out an arrangement of it for me and one guitar.

I had this terrible drunken (on my part only) conversation with Peter Tork in a bar in Marin County, in which I was trying to tell him how much I'd admired him when I was 13, and he was obviously just wishing I'd go away...

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Timothy the Obscure:
<selective snip>
I own a copy of the New Seekers single of "Georgy Girl," and I keep trying to work out an arrangement of it for me and one guitar.

I had this terrible drunken (on my part only) conversation with Peter Tork in a bar in Marin County, in which I was trying to tell him how much I'd admired him when I was 13, and he was obviously just wishing I'd go away...

Timothy , you are the coolest.

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Olde Sea Dog:
I was a member of a Hindu cult, the Hare Krishnas, about 30 years ago. Most people who have seen them in public think they're simply some sort of Buddhist group that does some chanting and singing, but nothing could be further from the truth - their beliefs are truly bizarre. You only get the strange stuff after they trust you not to laugh, after a few weeks of contact.

Could I possibly onced have believed that God is a ....... well never mind, no need to completely humiliate myself.

Hey, look, if you want to wallow in anguish over that, be my guest. But you REALLY don't have anything on the "practitioners" of this hilariously made-up middle American white man "religion" known as Eckankar. Trust me on this, okay? One of my sisters is an "Eckist", which is what these loonies call themselves. It's a conglomeration of a lot of Eastern mumbo-jumbo and New Age silliness. You'll have to look it up and get the whole ridiculous story but let me tell you what happened at my sister's wedding... I wasn't there because this particular sister and I really don't like each other all that much (she says I'm a "loser". Nice!) but my other sisters and some cousins were there and this is what they told me, when they weren't keeling over with laughter.

After the actual marriage ceremony, the minister, who was an "Eckist" as well as the bride and groom announced to everyone in the room that they were all encouraged to join in as he and the blessed couple chanted the "sound of God". God has a sound? Why yes, apparently it's "HU". Hu. Huuuuuuuuu. Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. ROTFLMAO! Everyone in the room except for my sisters and cousins all joined hands and chanted "Huuuuuuuuu. Huuuuuuuuu. Huuuuuuuuu..." over and over again for about three minutes. My relatives were trying so hard not to fall to the ground laughing.

So. Hindus are weird. Yep. So are Hare Krishna folk and Eckists! Huuuuuuuuuuge surprise! [Killing me]

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
The Dairy Queen ice cream franchise once featured something on their menu called the Pig's Dinner. It was something like eight scoops of ice cream with every topping that they offered. If you could eat one, you'd get a medal. I ate one. The medal was a pin that read "I was a pig at Dairy Queen."

But all that was many, many years ago . . . .

There used to be a chain of ice cream stands called
Farrell's: I think it was regional and headquartered in southern California. They had a Hog Trough which was only five scoops of ice cream, but with five different toppings! You did get a medal for finishing it, though if you were really hungry or just wanted to be the largest person in your city you ordered THE ZOO! It was ten scoops and the two waitstaff that carried it to your table made the procession like a little parade inside the restaurant, complete with a siren! I had been there several times but only saw a Zoo once and I think it had been ordered to serve several people at the same table. I did get through a Hog Trough once... [Hot and Hormonal]

Posted by Niteowl2 (# 15841) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sir Kevin:
There used to be a chain of ice cream stands called
Farrell's: I think it was regional and headquartered in southern California. They had a Hog Trough which was only five scoops of ice cream, but with five different toppings! You did get a medal for finishing it, though if you were really hungry or just wanted to be the largest person in your city you ordered THE ZOO! It was ten scoops and the two waitstaff that carried it to your table made the procession like a little parade inside the restaurant, complete with a siren! I had been there several times but only saw a Zoo once and I think it had been ordered to serve several people at the same table. I did get through a Hog Trough once...

They were up and down the West Coast. When I was very young we were visiting my grandparents on my birthday and they ordered the zoo for my birthday celebration. It was impressive and yes, it did serve everyone at our table. But I got first dibs.
[Yipee]

There were also tiny plastic and glass animals in the ice cream that I had for years afterwards. It was great for a kid.

[ 18. July 2012, 14:28: Message edited by: Niteowl2 ]

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

Farrell's was nationwide, or at least on both coasts. I grew up in Falls Church, Virginia (outside Washington, D.C.) and we went to Farrell's a lot. I vaguely remember their television commercials--music with some stupid words about "Farrell's is fabulous fun for everyone!". And I DO remember that big honking trough of ice cream and the siren. The thing I hated, even as a little kid, was all the screaming children. I loved Farrell's ice cream and cakes but the general mayhem of a little kid's birthday party in full swing didn't quite do it for me. [Razz]

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Paddy O'Furniture:
Farrell's was nationwide, or at least on both coasts. I grew up in Falls Church, Virginia (outside Washington, D.C.) and we went to Farrell's a lot. I vaguely remember their television commercials--music with some stupid words about "Farrell's is fabulous fun for everyone!". And I DO remember that big honking trough of ice cream and the siren. The thing I hated, even as a little kid, was all the screaming children. I loved Farrell's ice cream and cakes but the general mayhem of a little kid's birthday party in full swing didn't quite do it for me.

Sounds like sheer hell to me. And I would have said that as a kid, too.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

We had a Farrell's in my neighborhood. The arrival of the Zoo was fucking terrifying. In our restaurant, they set off a klaxon fire alarm, hammered on a timpani, and a team of strapping young men literally ran the thing in on a stretcher, which I presume is what they carried you out on once you finished.

The hot fudge sauce was not to be equaled, though.

Posted by Niteowl2 (# 15841) on :

I must have been a very warped kid 'cause even though I was very young I thought it was great and enjoyed it when it was for other people too. There was an element of comedy to it that I think some missed. I'd have to say these days I'd probably be a tad irritating, but I put up with other celebration nonsense in restaurants. I HATE any of those done for me as well these days.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

Meh. I was easily terrified when I was a kid. I loved the ragtime music they piped in, though.

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

I know somebody... a close acquaintance, actually, who used to masturbate while reading the book of Revelation! Ha ha ha ha... poor child was Catholic and didn't have access to "normal" masturbatory reading materials and/or pictures... [Killing me]

Posted by FooloftheShip (# 15579) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Paddy O'Furniture:
I know somebody... a close acquaintance, actually, who used to masturbate while reading the book of Revelation! Ha ha ha ha... poor child was Catholic and didn't have access to "normal" masturbatory reading materials and/or pictures...

In my more biblioclastic moments, I have wondered whether this wasn't the secret to the rather overblown prose style and the utter incoherence of some of the imagery....

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Paddy O'Furniture:
I know somebody... a close acquaintance, actually, who used to masturbate while reading the book of Revelation! Ha ha ha ha... poor child was Catholic and didn't have access to "normal" masturbatory reading materials and/or pictures...

How can I incorporate that knowledge into the book I am writing on said text ... ?

Posted by Niteowl2 (# 15841) on :

Speak of the devil, there is a Farrel's Ice Cream Parlor opening in my city in the near future and they're going to recreate the restaurant from top to bottom. The shop will be 8,000 plus square feet and the ad chuckled about the poor wait staff who will have to do the zoo run.

Posted by Niteowl2 (# 15841) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Kelly Alves:
Meh. I was easily terrified when I was a kid. I loved the ragtime music they piped in, though.

It just occurred to me that perhaps the reason I wasn't terrified was because I had 3 older brothers who were better at scaring me than any ice cream parlor or horror movie could ever hope to be.

Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :

There was once someone who tried to take advantage of me when I was under the influence of alcohol (going back a long time to university days). I managed to resist just in time but still feel guilt even now. I am a wiser person now.
Thanking you all for confessional.
At the age of 200 I can finally move on to my next conquest!!

Posted by Sighthound (# 15185) on :

I too voted Conservative, just once, in a council election as a protest vote against the sitting Labour councillor. (This is in a ward where Hitler or Stalin would get in as long as they called themselves 'Labour')

I also got horribly drunk one time in France, and joined in some unsuitable songs. Sorry France. I was only about 23, and if it's any consolation I made myself so ill I didn't drink again for 10 days. (Memo to self - never, ever touch Breton cider in big bottles.)

I have also been unfeeling and intolerant in the past - God cured me of this by giving me a demonstration of my own weakness. I wish he would do the same to the people in power.

[ 21. July 2012, 08:19: Message edited by: Sighthound ]

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

I'm embarrassed and ashamed of this one:

When I was seven or eight, a neighborhood kid came over to my house with a friend of her's. They were the same age and wanted to know if an older neighbor ad I wanted to play with them. Linda, the younger neighbor introduced her friend as "Tonya" and for the life of me I will never understand why I blurted out, "Tonya, the Onion!". I laughed and laughed and told poor Tonya that she looked and smelled like an onion and then my older neighbor (she was two or three years older than Linda and I) and I started chanting, "Tonya, the onion! Tonya, the onion!" until Tonya started to cry. Linda yelled at us, "Stop it! You're being so mean!" but we were laughing ourselves silly and kept right on chanting, even as poor Tonya cried. Finally, Linda and Tonya ran back across the street to Linda's house...

What a nasty thing to do! Poor old Tonya. She DID NOT smell like an onion, I don't know why I said that. I still feel bad about it to this day. A few years ago, I found out that Tonya had had a really bad childhood and had died of a drug overdose when she was in her mid-twenties... shit! [Frown]

Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :

Oh, dear.... have I killed yet another thread?!

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

No - I suspect many of us have a childhood memory like that one. Lord of the Flies was never far off the mark.

Posted by Hugal (# 2734) on :

On our honeymoon (Gill H tells this story as well so it is OK) Gill and I went to Stratford on Avon (being broke). We had not decided where we wanted to go or the sort of thing we wanted see.
We came down to breakfast and I promply announced that we were on our honeymoon and didn't know what to do. There was silence on the table for a second and then someone said 'well I could draw you a picture. Was I embarrased? Yes. We celebrated our 17th anniversary this year so it all turned out alright.

[ 27. July 2012, 14:33: Message edited by: Hugal ]

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