so this guy walks into a bar(ista)...

some wisecracks should be banned. not because they're racist or homophobic or begin with "knock-knock" (though, generally speaking, these also deserve the axe). but because they're so tired that they're just not funny anymore. case in point: in ottawa, there are two seasons: winter and construction. yuk yuk yu(c)k...

same goes for certain songs. or, rather, certain appropriations of certain songs. personal remixes whose formulas are so tired that the "clever" spin-off renditions drive everyone crazy in the moment, not to mention for hours afterwards. case in point: earlier today, one of the baristas is singing la bamba. typically among the worst earworms. however, since the guy (being colombian) knows the spanish lyrics, it's actually delightful to overhear him launch into para bailar la bamba, instead of pa la ba la ba la bamba (the way most of us -- myself included -- usually gringo-garble our way through it). the trouble begins shortly after this. when the second barista (the one who, last week, hadn't been clear on nova scotia's elusive whereabouts) jumps on board and -- like a sprinter in a relay race, taking the (inadvertent) baton pass from Colombia -- just runs with it: pa la ba la ba la bamba, i need s'more es-pres-so...

¡ay caramba!

and now back to pa la ba la ba la translating...