Missing the Point with Binder Clips?

Either binder clips are about to get really big or they're about to jump the shark.

Here are the signs:

• They now have their own fan blog;
• CBC radio is negotiating with several local bloggers for an interview on their uses (sticking point: use of aliases); and
• Mumsnet dissed my use of binder clips to hold up my sleeves.

Yes. It's true.

On April first, I noticed a spike in my traffic. This was odd because I hadn't posted for weeks. I thought maybe someone had picked up on a clever joke I blogged. Except I don't remember blogging any clever jokes other than the chia keyboard and it wasn't my idea.

It turns out the hits were coming from a discussion forum on Mumsnet (by parents for parents) that was started by someone calling herself Dumbledoresgirl who wrote:

I've just driven past a couple of young men, ok boys and one had his sleeves pushed up and I couldn't take my eyes off his naked forearms. But it isn't naked forearms per se otherwise men in t-shirts would be sexy, it is the pushed up sleeve business.

Why is this, do you think? (assuming you also find it sexy and it is not just me with some weird perversion)

This generated 142 comments: responses to the question, discussion of what makes a sexy forearm, how exactly the sleeve should be rolled, the importance of the shirt being tucked in, and other fine points. Other comments linked to photos with examples of rolled sleeves. Sexy examples and non-sexy examples.

And at 14:06:33 on 1-April-2010, on the fifth page of comments, FalafelAtYourFeet wrote:

this man has totally missed the point

and linked to Uses for Binder Clips - Holding Up Sleeves, which features this photo:

If you mouseover the picture you'll see it comes with excellent advice. I don't think I missed the point at all.

Brewing Beer

I recently had the pleasure of joining some other bloggers for a Saturday brunch at the Clocktower. I brought my camera. I didn't take photographs of any of the bloggers because most of them blog under secret identities, but I've learned that if I don't bring my camera somewhere, there will be something I wished I'd taken a picture of.

The Clocktower is a brewpub. This means that they make their own beer on the premises.

This also means that people who work at the Clocktower have to clean out the beer vats.

And it means that I had something to photograph while I was there.

One of the bloggers expressed the hope that the staff at the Clocktower are actually learning the art of brewing beer, rather than learning how to follow a set of steps like you'd follow in making Kool-Aid.

I can see what they mean. I made home brew beer a few times back in the '80s. My beer was never very good, but since then I've figured that if I'm ever in one of those apocalypse situations where they're deciding which people get to stay in the bomb shelter, I'll say "I know how to make beer" and my life will be saved.

Uses for Binder Clips - Thoughtful Gifts and House Forts

In her latest delightful post, the elusive Woodsy demonstrates two prime uses for binder clips. First we learn that one of her cherished gifts from her father was a metal box of binder clips.

Then we learn that one of her innovative uses for binder clips was building indoor forts with her sons:

My favourite use for binder clips will always be the bed sheet forts that the boys and I would build using clips to secure the half dozen or more sheets to tables and chairs - hours of fun.

Of course, long-term readers of this blog already knew that binder clips are a perfect gift for hipster indie girls, but now you know that they are also a perfect gift for single moms (and especially so for hipster indie single moms).

A Cat Pee Solution

A while ago, we were having a the sort of problem I am reluctant to share with you. This is because even though it's the sort of thing many Ottawa bloggers love to report, it could be embarrassing to one or two feline members of my household. However, I am going to blog about it because:

• The potentially embarrassing activity has stopped;
• I may be anthropomorphising, for all I know the cats were actually proud of their behaviour; and
• The solution I found may benefit you.

Before Christmas, at least one of the cats started peeing on the carpet in the hallway outside our bedroom door. Drexl was caught doing it twice, but that doesn't mean Magi was innocent.

In addition to aggressive cleaning of the wet carpet, we tried a series of measures to get the cats to restrict themselves to the litter box. The most fun of these methods was placing the Hallowe'en mat over the spot. The Hallowe'en mat is a little plastic mat that is wired to a box with batteries and a speaker. When a person or cat steps on the mat, horrifying screams come out of the box. For a couple of days we'd hear screams and then see a cat run for the staircase. But then the wet spot moved to a nearby location.

This is the same thing that happened when we covered the spot with a garbage bag or applied cat repellent spray. The spot just moved somewhere else.

Late in January, I brought some photocopy paper boxes home from work. Within minutes of putting them down on the floor, Drexl had hopped into one and reminded me that she loves being in boxes. This gave me an idea.

I took one of the boxes upstairs. I put the bottom of the box on the primary pee-spot and the lid on the secondary pee-spot.

There has not been an incident anywhere in the house since and it has been at least six weeks (even though the box and the lid have been replaced with what I am told are more aesthetically pleasing alternatives).

My theory is it's about feeling safe and not messing up the place where you sleep.

Two notes:

• A friend told her cat's veterinarian about our situation and the vet suggested that Drexl go on drugs. This has made me skeptical of veterinarians.
• If you need to borrow a small steam cleaner for carpets, we have one that we haven't used since January.

Uses for Binder Clips - Cleaning the Ceiling

Hats off to Megan Butcher for finding a second terrific use for finder clips this week -- attaching a wet rag to a broom so she could clean cobwebs off the ceiling.

Megan gets extra points for this because cobwebs are made by spiders and even though Megan has an overwhelming fear of spiders (it's true), she was able to keep her head clear enough to come up with this solution and execute it.

Uses for Binder Clips - Scarfs

Just the other day, someone I live with was expressing displeasure that her beautiful scarfs are tucked away out of sight. And now, Megan Butcher and Mae Callen have found a solution to this problem that makes excellent use of binder clips.

I understand that the real joy with this scarf display method comes when you shhhhk the scarfs back and forth in a satisfying manner.