| your daily whaaaaaaa |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|03:59 pm] |
Okay, so this is the most BIZARRE MARKETING EVER.
Maybe not, but pretty close to it.
Go to http://www.eppendorf.com/int/hawkpopup.php?contentid=13. Let the video load and watch it.
No seriously, go watch it.
Yes, this is from an actual global manufacturer of pipettes (and other biotech equipment.) And yes, they really did make a music video about their latest product as a marketing tool. Using quasi-boy-band music.
Brain scrubbers will be distributed on the way out. |
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| Sale announcement: ROME |
[Jun. 17th, 2008|02:33 pm] |
More than a couple of you drooled a lot over HBO's series Rome, so I thought I'd point this out.
Amazon's selling both seasons at a discount, but only for today - 60 bucks total for both seasons (instead of the usual 120. So now's your chance to own it on the semi-cheap.
More substantive content about my pretty-busy last couple of weeks coming soon (maybe tonight!). |
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| For all my Pittsburgh friends |
[Jun. 10th, 2008|04:30 pm] |
Picture posted at The Onion's website:
Evil Red Wings Owner Wario Lemieux Steals Stanley Cup
Next year, Sidney! |
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| Stonehenge: an expert theory |
[May. 25th, 2008|10:28 am] |
National Geographic has a new special coming out about the results of a massive archaeological project at Stonehenge.
Naturally, they interviewed noted Stonehenge expert Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap about the landmark and its origins:
It's a five-part interview, the other parts can be found here for viewing. |
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| Heroic! |
[May. 19th, 2008|12:21 pm] |
A bunch of guys built a 7' tall boulder out of a few million LEGOs.. and then rolled it down a San Francisco hill in pursuit of a guy dressed like Indiana Jones.
(and, ultimately, into a parked car.)
Video of the stunt here. |
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| Bring forward the goose liver! |
[May. 14th, 2008|10:10 pm] |
The city of Chicago repealed the ban on foie gras in restaurants today.
As it turned out, it involved some amusing political maneuvering from Daley:
The alderman whom Mayor Daley derisively calls Joe "Foie Gras" Moore (49th) now knows how the geese and ducks feel.
Two years after the City Council banned the liver delicacy made by jamming a steel pipe down a bird’s esophagus, Daley essentially did the same to Moore on the City Council floor.
By a vote of 37-6, the foie gras ban that Daley claims made Chicago an international laughingstock was repealed, thanks to a legislative end-run that set a new standard for violating protocol and rolling over the opposition.
A repeal ordinance quietly introduced last year and referred to the friendly Rules Committee — bypassing a Health Committee that had approved the foie gras ban — was moved to the Council floor without a hearing, something that is seldom, if ever done.
When Moore objected and tried to exercise his right to postpone the vote, Daley ruled him out of order.
When Moore tried to debate the merits, Daley ruled that the measure was not debatable. He ordered the clerk to call the roll and to continue, even as Moore shouted for the right to be heard.
"If it can happen to me, tomorrow it could happen to you," Moore warned his colleagues.
"Thank you, Ald. Joe ‘Foie Gras’ Moore," Daley said.
Full article from the Sun-Times here. |
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| Photos: playing with fire |
[May. 14th, 2008|09:41 pm] |
For the heck of it, I brought out my camera while setting up the grill for cooking last night. I'd noticed before that the super-glowing red coals looked pretty interesting on my mostly-dark porch, so I took a few pictures. Also, I was curious as to how the photos would turn out with or without the flash, and whether or not my relatively basic digital camera could even produce decent results with just the natural light.
( Results and probably-boring musings following the cut. ) |
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| Veering even further into absurdity... |
[May. 14th, 2008|01:30 pm] |
A film sequel to Point Break is in the works, with Jan de Bont directing (never a good sign). They're titling it Point Break Indo because it's set in Indonesia. No word on if Keanu, Gary Busey or Swayze are even being considered for involvement.
Here's the rumored plot synopsis:
When Billy Dalton, military special ops and star surfer, is disqualified from the pro-surfing tour, he takes off for the coast of Bali looking for the perfect wave. While there he’s recruited by a private security force who are trying to find a gang known as The Bush Administration, surfing outlaws and modern day pirates who work like “The Ex-Presidents,” a bank robbing crew from Malibu twenty years ago.
Housemate Eric's comment: "But how can something be one hundred and TWO percent pure adrenaline?" which doubly amused me when I realized he'd actually deliberately memorized the tagline from the first movie at some point. Either that or it's been indelibly scarred into his brain. Both are equally likely. |
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| two demerits for flinching! |
[May. 13th, 2008|03:15 pm] |
Check out This article from the APA (American Psychological Association) on the following chart, developed in the 1930's to supposedly be used to rate the behavior of a wife:
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| preparing for summer, or at least summer cooking |
[May. 12th, 2008|12:10 pm] |
My old grill (which ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) rickthefightguy and I bought for 20 bucks about 5 years ago) is starting to show its age and cheapness. The ashpan has basically rusted into pieces, and it's become increasingly hard to keep clean. Plus it does a poor job of keeping the heat going; the last couple of times I've used it for a party I've had to refill it with new charcoal several times to keep any sort of heat going over time.
Accordingly, I drove around town with mars19 and januarynext yesterday running errands, and one of the errands was to Home Depot to pick up a new Weber model (This one, if anybody cares.). Since I don't have a car, refilling the propane tanks of a gas grill would be an extra chore and I didn't care to spend hundreds of bucks for a shelftop-style grill. This one fits nicely on our porch and should last a long time.
We put it to immediate use for dinner last night, and whooo boy is it a noticable improvement in lots of ways. Plus it's just bigger. This means that for our usual Memorial Day party we'll have TWO GRILL ACTION going, and then we'll happily dispose of the old one.
I'm sure it'll get used before then, too - perhaps I'll see if I can get a picture to post of the nuclear-fire-red coals the other new purchase (charcoal chimney) produces in it, because that looked really cool in the post-sunset cooking last night. |
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| Sloppy Joe.. of THE DAMNED |
[Apr. 21st, 2008|12:32 pm] |
The cashier in our cafeteria was very apologetic when she realized my lunch came to $6.66.
"I'm sorry - That's not a very good number, is it?"
Who knew that my lunch was so tainted! |
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| heard over the cubicle wall |
[Apr. 8th, 2008|05:07 pm] |
Boss: "Aww.. I wish my Peeps were hard already..."
Yes, my boss was pouting because her Peeps weren't stale enough for her to eat yet. |
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| beware, I live |
[Mar. 25th, 2008|10:43 am] |
Found at BoingBoing
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| Democracy |
[Mar. 22nd, 2008|11:11 pm] |
Johnny Carson, 1991:
"To me, democracy means placing trust in the little guy, giving the fruits of nationhood to those who built the nation. Democracy means anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who doesn't grow up can be vice president.
Democracy is people of all races, colors, and creeds united by a single dream: to get rich and move to the suburbs away from people of all races, colors, and creeds. Democracy is having time set aside to worship — 18 years if you're Jim Bakker.
Democracy is buying a big house you can't afford with money you don't have to impress people you wish were dead.
And, unlike communism, democracy does not mean having just one ineffective political party; it means having two ineffective political parties.
Democracy means freedom of sexual choice between any two consenting adults; Utopia means freedom of choice between three or more consenting adults. But I digress. Democracy is welcoming people from other lands, and giving them something to hold onto — usually a mop or a leaf blower. It means that with proper timing and scrupulous bookkeeping, anyone can die owing the government a huge amount of money.
Democracy means a thriving heartland with rolling fields of Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Spanky, and Wheezer. Democracy means our elected officials bow to the will of the people, but more often they bow to the big butts of campaign contributors.
Yes, democracy means fighting every day for what you deserve, and fighting even harder to keep other weaker people from getting what they deserve. Democracy means never having the Secret Police show up at your door. Of course, it also means never having the cable guy show up at your door. It's a tradeoff. Democracy means free television. Not good television, but free.
Democracy is being able to pick up the phone and, within a minute, be talking to anyone in the country, and, within two minutes, be interrupted by call waiting.
Democracy means no taxation without representation, and god knows, we've just about had the hell represented out of us. It means the freedom to bear arms so you can blow the "o" out of any rural stop sign you want.
And finally, democracy is the eagle on the back of a dollar bill, with 13 arrows in one claw, 13 leaves on a branch, 13 tail feathers, and 13 stars over its head. This signifies that when the white man came to this country, it was bad luck for the Indians, bad luck for the trees, bad luck for the wildlife, and lights out for the American eagle.
I thank you." |
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| office candy taste test |
[Mar. 18th, 2008|03:40 pm] |
Skittles Chocolate Mix was found in our vending machine, so I plunked down some change in the name of Science! and bought a pack to share with the department (and to use them as taste-test guinea pigs).
The office consensus is that the flavors are identifiable as what they claim to be, and taste okay - but the typical Skittles texture detracts from it. They're texturally like eating a slightly crunchy Tootsie Roll (and not far off in flavor from a Tootsie Roll for the "Brownie Batter" ones, just far enough to not be as pleasant). A couple of coworkers felt like knowing they were Skittles brand and being texturally exactly like the normal fruit Skittles meant that they kept expecting a different taste than 'some variety of chocolate' and it was confusing them in a bad way.
And really, the flavors aren't that stellar either. 'Brownie Batter' got people making icky faces. Smores and Chocolate Pudding are pretty bland. Vanilla tastes kinda like a vanilla milkshake, only not as strongly so. But people kinda liked the Chocolate Caramel flavor and went back for a second try.
Yes, this is the sort of thing that happens when our workday drags and it's grey and foggy outside - the occasional group diversion to keep us from going crazier.. |
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| In honor of St Patrick's Day |
[Mar. 17th, 2008|11:07 am] |
The Leprechaun Brothers perform "Danny Boy"!
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| mmm beer |
[Mar. 14th, 2008|01:45 pm] |
After a long week trying to force my sleep schedule back into line after a weekend of staying up way too late and daylight savings adjusting, having beer with lunch was definitely a good thing.
Not that I'd normally do that, but r_ness was passing through town, so we met up for lunch at the microbrewery across from my office and caught up. It's literally been a decade at least since I've seen him in person, even though we probably talk in passing online at least every couple of weeks or so.
And my afternoon work gets broken up with a wedding shower for a coworker, so this weekend is definitely starting off on the right foot! |
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| Second verse, same as the first |
[Mar. 13th, 2008|04:40 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  cynical | ] |
As the Democratic campaign has progressed, the following duality has come to the forefront in differing sections of my friends both online and offline:
1) People outraged over a Clinton campaigner (Geraldine Ferraro) making basically racist statements in the media combined with no real apology or denouncement from the candidate.
2) People outraged over some Obama campaigners (multiple gospel musicians at Obama capaign events back in October) making basically bigoted anti-gay statements in the media combined with no real apology or denouncement from the candidate.
And in both cases different sets of friends denounced the candidate and vowed not to vote for them as a result, and so on.
To me, it's unfortunate but not at all surprising that all of the available candidates each have some reprehensible positions and behavior on the campaign trail. But after all, they're _politicians_, so expectations really ought to be decidedly low all the way around. The only truly blameless, high-road candidate in your lifetime is undoubtedly someone you've never heard of before or since, because they got eliminated from the campaign early on and with little to no fanfare or support.
Is it too late to vote for Kang (or Kodos)? |
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| and another thing |
[Mar. 11th, 2008|01:05 pm] |
The local (useless!) drugstore had aisles devoted to Easter baskets and candy.
In mid-February. |
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