Not sure why they are in three's this year. The Nobel in Medicine went to 3 as well...Odd. All 6, btw, are American. Apparently the Nobel committee doesn't share the same anti-US sentiment as the IOC.
Oct 6, 2009
News: Memorial cruise to trace Titanic's route
Anyone else think this is a bad plan? Irony is a powerful thing...I'd be nervous as all get out on the trip.
Oct 5, 2009
Review: Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas
No, it's not a new movie. But, odds are pretty good that you haven't seen it. Slightly better than the odds that you've heard of it. You should see it though, bottom line.
The writing is something the probably drives both the metaphysics and philosophy crowds insane. The 'cool ideas' are probably either common theories or complete crap, it's hard to tell. But to a layman (i.e. me), it seems like pretty heady stuff. The Book is anyway.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Bickford Shmeckler is a screwed up kid. But, his attention to detail and dedication to a unified theory of everything has brought him to hold, in his own hands, a book. A book with mind orgasmic powers. Trapped within are an insane Matthew Lillard, a entranced groupie John Cho, and super-cutie Olivia Wilde.
From there...it really doesn't GO anywhere... per se. But, maybe that's the point. In his quest to find The Book, it has a quest of its own. And they both find themselves: The Book an audience and Bickford a life. Pretty interesting stuff. I wish I had cool ideas...and that people thought so.
*SIGH*
Maybe if I had a name like Bickford Shmeckler, I could have cool ideas.
The writing is something the probably drives both the metaphysics and philosophy crowds insane. The 'cool ideas' are probably either common theories or complete crap, it's hard to tell. But to a layman (i.e. me), it seems like pretty heady stuff. The Book is anyway.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Bickford Shmeckler is a screwed up kid. But, his attention to detail and dedication to a unified theory of everything has brought him to hold, in his own hands, a book. A book with mind orgasmic powers. Trapped within are an insane Matthew Lillard, a entranced groupie John Cho, and super-cutie Olivia Wilde.
From there...it really doesn't GO anywhere... per se. But, maybe that's the point. In his quest to find The Book, it has a quest of its own. And they both find themselves: The Book an audience and Bickford a life. Pretty interesting stuff. I wish I had cool ideas...and that people thought so.
*SIGH*
Maybe if I had a name like Bickford Shmeckler, I could have cool ideas.
Op-Ed: Anonymous movement
Good Wired article about the Anonymous 4Chan crusade against the Church of Scientology.
Oct 4, 2009
News: Seasonal flu shots DOUBLES risk of getting swine flu (H1N1)
That makes me laugh. Not because people are getting swine flu, but that the flu shot that was supposed to prevent it makes you twice as likely to get it. The exact opposite result. Ha!
Sep 18, 2009
Philosophy of a Bachelor Party
Most women don't really get the bachelor party. They don't understand the rationale behind it. But, to be completely honest...I don't think most guys do either.
Most guys use it as an excuse to do all the things they want to do, but can't or won't because they can't properly explain it to those they care about. This isn't really all so bad. The mainstays of a bachelor party - strippers (either in a club or a private show), drinking to the point of sickness and passing out, and all sorts of other frivolity - aren't exactly things most guys are happy to admit to, even if they do indeed enjoy it. The bachelor party gives them an out - the all too familiar peer pressure excuse.
But, it's not the worst excuse either. Bachelor parties are all about the single man. Those things are staples of the single life. The night is supposed to be about men being men. Not partaking in these things can be a very big hit to your self-image as a man. Especially if you've been in couples coma for too long. Not going out, not having weekends with the guys, and dare I say some onset of monogamy monotony. Not that these things are necessarily bad. But, having a good long weekend of these things can be just the thing a guy needs to remember who he is...as a man.
As cheesy as that sounds, it's true. Guys can easily forget who they are, separate from their significant others. They become the Bennifer, the Brangelina, the lame two-person-as-one. Not that it's a bad thing for the guy either. Guy friends are awesome, the best! But there's always one things guys like more...and except for a minority born with a different disposition, only a woman can give it to them. And they seem to require a bit more constant attention. Small price to pay for what you get in return.
This brings us to the reason for this diatribe...the Brandon Block bachelor party. As I've mentioned, bachelor parties follow a pretty regular script. One night, the best man gets all of the groom-to-be's best friends together for a night of drinking, strippers, and stupidity. It's supposed to be a vision of what the guy will be missing when (if?) he gets married and throws it all away. To take a quote from one of the greatest bachelors of our time, Dr. Gregory House, M.D., "If what you do before the marriage is the same as what you do after the marriage, the ceremony and commitment itself has no meaning." You MUST do stupid stuff you shouldn't do in a commitment as a show of reverence to what you are giving up for the woman you want to marry. To show that the commitment really means something.
Britten, Beto, and Diesel say 'Hi!'
At least, that's the big idea. But what if those things aren't really something the groom-to-be is really going to miss? What if strippers and strip clubs and dumb bimbos aren't really the guys cup of tea? What then? You might think that this doesn't happen very often, but it's strangely common. The last two bachelor parties I've been to (and probably the next one I go to) will have this strange conundrum. So what do you do?
It's surprisingly easy. You find out what the groom-to-be really enjoys, what he really loves about being out and about without the misses, and give him an overload of it! Show him that if you get married, you'll still be able to do the things he loves. He just won't be able to do it on a grand scale very often. That he must sacrifice the amazing all out weekend. So that's what we did. [Ed. No this is not everything we did. I'm just going to select the key activities that are A) important to my point and B) least embarrassing to explain.]
Poker and Beer
Leaving Friday afternoon, we set out for Lake Superior. Arriving meant the drinking. It meant some poker, too. An amazing night was had. But, that wasn't enough! We could do this anytime...and have for that matter. We must stay up all night! Like we used to before living with girlfriends, graduating college...before growing up essentially. So we did.
Now, Brandon likes fishing. Loves the outdoors, really. So, we could just go fishing. Again, not thinking big enough! So, our best man, Matt "Diesel" Winegar found the perfect "Think Big" activity. Charter fishing for trout and salmon on Lake Superior. Great fishing...good times. Can't fit 9 people on one boat, so 5 went with one and 4 went to the other. If feel bad that Beto picked the wrong boat - his caught only 6 for 5 people; the other caught 17 for 4 people, but then again, his boat had the beer on board. So maybe it was a wash. This was, however, the perfect example of an activity fit for a bachelor party. Not something you would normally do, not something a guy with a serious relationship would do otherwise, but still an amazing trip.
FisherMEN
The next morning, Beto did join us for a golf outing. What we realized, while we were out, was that this was much better than some simple golf outing. If we tried to put this event together like a normal golf session, we'd be split up. You can't have 6-8 people golfing in one group on any legitimate golf course. You have to be in groups of three or four. But on this little, neglected, "executive" course...we could all play together. And, with no one else in sight, we could play any way we wanted. Another perfect activity.
Beto drives
So, what have we learned?
First, I think, is that you HAVE to do this over a weekend, not just one night. One night doesn't do justice to what the goal is supposed to be. One night doesn't leave enough time to do all the things you can do to make the weekend legendary. And, one night leaves to much room for error - if one activity goes wrong, that may be a good 25-33% of the activities. That can ruin, or at the very least tarnish, an otherwise good bachelor party.
Second is that it is NOT necessary to include activities of the risque variety. If that is something the gentleman in question enjoys, then by all means include them. But, if it's not enjoyable, it isn't essential or even encouraged to include them. Something else can be arranged that will be just as enjoyable. Which brings me to my third lesson.
Enjoyment is key, not activity. It doesn't really matter what you do. It only matters that everyone (though especially the man of honor) have a good time. Neh! Have a GREAT time. This is the most important lesson. Find out what the guy likes. Do it to an EXTREME level, a level at which the guy is not likely to have again. This will be the lasting impression. This will be the example of commitment he will show to the love of his life.
Beto's having fun
And, ladies. Please remember - regardless of all the things he may/may not do that you will disapprove of, he (AND his friends) are showing you what he is giving up to be with you. As strange as it sounds...he's showing you how much he loves you. Showing you that he is happy to CHOOSE you...even over fun he might have without you. He's saying that YOU make him happy. Happy enough to say that it is more than what his friends can give him.
Beto and Missy
That's gotta be one hell of a commitment...because this weekend was DAMN fun.
Most guys use it as an excuse to do all the things they want to do, but can't or won't because they can't properly explain it to those they care about. This isn't really all so bad. The mainstays of a bachelor party - strippers (either in a club or a private show), drinking to the point of sickness and passing out, and all sorts of other frivolity - aren't exactly things most guys are happy to admit to, even if they do indeed enjoy it. The bachelor party gives them an out - the all too familiar peer pressure excuse.
But, it's not the worst excuse either. Bachelor parties are all about the single man. Those things are staples of the single life. The night is supposed to be about men being men. Not partaking in these things can be a very big hit to your self-image as a man. Especially if you've been in couples coma for too long. Not going out, not having weekends with the guys, and dare I say some onset of monogamy monotony. Not that these things are necessarily bad. But, having a good long weekend of these things can be just the thing a guy needs to remember who he is...as a man.
As cheesy as that sounds, it's true. Guys can easily forget who they are, separate from their significant others. They become the Bennifer, the Brangelina, the lame two-person-as-one. Not that it's a bad thing for the guy either. Guy friends are awesome, the best! But there's always one things guys like more...and except for a minority born with a different disposition, only a woman can give it to them. And they seem to require a bit more constant attention. Small price to pay for what you get in return.
This brings us to the reason for this diatribe...the Brandon Block bachelor party. As I've mentioned, bachelor parties follow a pretty regular script. One night, the best man gets all of the groom-to-be's best friends together for a night of drinking, strippers, and stupidity. It's supposed to be a vision of what the guy will be missing when (if?) he gets married and throws it all away. To take a quote from one of the greatest bachelors of our time, Dr. Gregory House, M.D., "If what you do before the marriage is the same as what you do after the marriage, the ceremony and commitment itself has no meaning." You MUST do stupid stuff you shouldn't do in a commitment as a show of reverence to what you are giving up for the woman you want to marry. To show that the commitment really means something.
Britten, Beto, and Diesel say 'Hi!'At least, that's the big idea. But what if those things aren't really something the groom-to-be is really going to miss? What if strippers and strip clubs and dumb bimbos aren't really the guys cup of tea? What then? You might think that this doesn't happen very often, but it's strangely common. The last two bachelor parties I've been to (and probably the next one I go to) will have this strange conundrum. So what do you do?
It's surprisingly easy. You find out what the groom-to-be really enjoys, what he really loves about being out and about without the misses, and give him an overload of it! Show him that if you get married, you'll still be able to do the things he loves. He just won't be able to do it on a grand scale very often. That he must sacrifice the amazing all out weekend. So that's what we did. [Ed. No this is not everything we did. I'm just going to select the key activities that are A) important to my point and B) least embarrassing to explain.]
Poker and BeerLeaving Friday afternoon, we set out for Lake Superior. Arriving meant the drinking. It meant some poker, too. An amazing night was had. But, that wasn't enough! We could do this anytime...and have for that matter. We must stay up all night! Like we used to before living with girlfriends, graduating college...before growing up essentially. So we did.
Now, Brandon likes fishing. Loves the outdoors, really. So, we could just go fishing. Again, not thinking big enough! So, our best man, Matt "Diesel" Winegar found the perfect "Think Big" activity. Charter fishing for trout and salmon on Lake Superior. Great fishing...good times. Can't fit 9 people on one boat, so 5 went with one and 4 went to the other. If feel bad that Beto picked the wrong boat - his caught only 6 for 5 people; the other caught 17 for 4 people, but then again, his boat had the beer on board. So maybe it was a wash. This was, however, the perfect example of an activity fit for a bachelor party. Not something you would normally do, not something a guy with a serious relationship would do otherwise, but still an amazing trip.
FisherMENThe next morning, Beto did join us for a golf outing. What we realized, while we were out, was that this was much better than some simple golf outing. If we tried to put this event together like a normal golf session, we'd be split up. You can't have 6-8 people golfing in one group on any legitimate golf course. You have to be in groups of three or four. But on this little, neglected, "executive" course...we could all play together. And, with no one else in sight, we could play any way we wanted. Another perfect activity.
Beto drivesSo, what have we learned?
First, I think, is that you HAVE to do this over a weekend, not just one night. One night doesn't do justice to what the goal is supposed to be. One night doesn't leave enough time to do all the things you can do to make the weekend legendary. And, one night leaves to much room for error - if one activity goes wrong, that may be a good 25-33% of the activities. That can ruin, or at the very least tarnish, an otherwise good bachelor party.
Second is that it is NOT necessary to include activities of the risque variety. If that is something the gentleman in question enjoys, then by all means include them. But, if it's not enjoyable, it isn't essential or even encouraged to include them. Something else can be arranged that will be just as enjoyable. Which brings me to my third lesson.
Enjoyment is key, not activity. It doesn't really matter what you do. It only matters that everyone (though especially the man of honor) have a good time. Neh! Have a GREAT time. This is the most important lesson. Find out what the guy likes. Do it to an EXTREME level, a level at which the guy is not likely to have again. This will be the lasting impression. This will be the example of commitment he will show to the love of his life.
Beto's having funAnd, ladies. Please remember - regardless of all the things he may/may not do that you will disapprove of, he (AND his friends) are showing you what he is giving up to be with you. As strange as it sounds...he's showing you how much he loves you. Showing you that he is happy to CHOOSE you...even over fun he might have without you. He's saying that YOU make him happy. Happy enough to say that it is more than what his friends can give him.
Beto and Missy
That's gotta be one hell of a commitment...because this weekend was DAMN fun.
Sep 3, 2009
Infographics: Mapping the 7 Deadly Sins (US)
These are awesome maps. They show the hot and cold spots for the various deadly sins. For example, Greed is the average income compared with the number of people living below the poverty line. No surprise that California comes in as devilish and South Dakota comes in as saintly. All seven are present and accounted for. And the Midwest comes out looking pretty in all of them...almost.
West river seems to have a problem with lust (Number of STD cases reported per capita), though East river seems to be on the saintly side. Must have something to do with going stir crazy seeing nothing for miles and miles and miles and....
***Note: I tried to find some direct links to the research or the maps, but couldn't find any. Beyond the hot spot maps the Wired article shows (linked in the title), there are some that are broken down by COUNTY in each state. I think those would be interesting. I'll post links for them here, if I can find any.
West river seems to have a problem with lust (Number of STD cases reported per capita), though East river seems to be on the saintly side. Must have something to do with going stir crazy seeing nothing for miles and miles and miles and....
***Note: I tried to find some direct links to the research or the maps, but couldn't find any. Beyond the hot spot maps the Wired article shows (linked in the title), there are some that are broken down by COUNTY in each state. I think those would be interesting. I'll post links for them here, if I can find any.
Jul 3, 2009
News: Woman jailed, punched, violated for carrying pug in subway
There are so many things wrong with this. I'm not even sure where to start.
First, the male cop was a misogynistic dick. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that the woman didn't do anything wrong. She was carrying her pug around, which she shouldn't be doing. But nothing could make her deserve how this D-bag allegedly treated her. Arresting, abusing, and maybe even so far as groping her. And, witnesses are saying that he was making sexist remarks while doing all this. I really don't know if she was resisting or anything of the sort, but disorderly conduct? Seems weird.
Next, we have the issue I think that is just as disturbing, but, I think, most people will miss. She was jailed with two other women. These women spit on her and hit her. Why did they do these things? Because she was crying and scared.
Seriously...people suck. I hate them. Why are people STILL trying to change my disposition on this? Do I really need to keep posting things like this? And, yes. I realize that there ARE plenty of examples of people being good. And they make me feel just a bit better. But people are SUPPOSED to be good, and they usually aren't. That sucks.
If the cop did these things, he should be fired and charged. If any other police officers did anything to aid or cover up any of the activities of the officer in question, they should be fired and charged. If those women did those things, they should be brought up on additional charges. There...I said it. Let's go, Karma. Kick it into gear.
We need some justice now and again.
First, the male cop was a misogynistic dick. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that the woman didn't do anything wrong. She was carrying her pug around, which she shouldn't be doing. But nothing could make her deserve how this D-bag allegedly treated her. Arresting, abusing, and maybe even so far as groping her. And, witnesses are saying that he was making sexist remarks while doing all this. I really don't know if she was resisting or anything of the sort, but disorderly conduct? Seems weird.
Next, we have the issue I think that is just as disturbing, but, I think, most people will miss. She was jailed with two other women. These women spit on her and hit her. Why did they do these things? Because she was crying and scared.
Seriously...people suck. I hate them. Why are people STILL trying to change my disposition on this? Do I really need to keep posting things like this? And, yes. I realize that there ARE plenty of examples of people being good. And they make me feel just a bit better. But people are SUPPOSED to be good, and they usually aren't. That sucks.
If the cop did these things, he should be fired and charged. If any other police officers did anything to aid or cover up any of the activities of the officer in question, they should be fired and charged. If those women did those things, they should be brought up on additional charges. There...I said it. Let's go, Karma. Kick it into gear.
We need some justice now and again.
Jul 2, 2009
Update: Judge overrules jury conviction, acquits Lori Drew of Cyberbullying
WTF? Seriously. We finally get a JURY to convict Lori Drew of being a psycho B!7(#, and the judge overrules the jury and acquits her? Who blew who to get that reversed?
I really want to know what the hell happened here. Something awfully fishy is going on here.
I really want to know what the hell happened here. Something awfully fishy is going on here.
Apr 3, 2009
Google debuts 'eyes-free' touchscreen controls
I'm not really sure why. But for the longest time, accessibility issues have always been at the forefront of my mind when it comes to software design. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I spent a couple years as the chair of the student body legislature (Speaker of Forum) at the University of Minnesota. While I was there, I got to know a lot of the representatives to the body, especially those from the cultural centers. The one that really sticks in my mind is John Lukanen on the Disabled Student Cultural Center (DSCC). John had a visual handicap. But he was still one of the smartest people in the room and could generally recognize my voice, or at least pretend well enough to make me believe that he could. :-)
I liked John. Always made sure I said 'Hi' when I saw him. And his work with us made sure I kept accessibility in mind, especially when I was making changes to the student government's website.
Maybe that's why this is so cool. The problem with the newest trend in technology, touchscreens, is that they form a huge accessibility/usability problem for those with visual handicaps. And I don't know why nobody thought of this before.
Google shows off their newest idea for allowing touchscreens to be used even by those who can't necessarily see the screen. By opening the dialing controls wherever the user first touches, you can dial without looking. Which would actually be useful for anyone, not sure those who CAN'T see, but also in times where it would be more convenient to be able to dial without looking.
I really hope this kind of thing catches on. And even if it doesn't catch on as a feature for ALL dialing, I at least hope it becomes an essential OPTION for those who can't see.
Bravo, Google!
I liked John. Always made sure I said 'Hi' when I saw him. And his work with us made sure I kept accessibility in mind, especially when I was making changes to the student government's website.
Maybe that's why this is so cool. The problem with the newest trend in technology, touchscreens, is that they form a huge accessibility/usability problem for those with visual handicaps. And I don't know why nobody thought of this before.
Google shows off their newest idea for allowing touchscreens to be used even by those who can't necessarily see the screen. By opening the dialing controls wherever the user first touches, you can dial without looking. Which would actually be useful for anyone, not sure those who CAN'T see, but also in times where it would be more convenient to be able to dial without looking.
I really hope this kind of thing catches on. And even if it doesn't catch on as a feature for ALL dialing, I at least hope it becomes an essential OPTION for those who can't see.
Bravo, Google!
Jan 30, 2009
School allowed to bar from extracurriculars for ...
Should a school be allowed to bar a student from extracurricular activities for Internet speech?
A federal court (it's unclear to me which one) has again denied a student damages. A girl running for student body president at a Connecticut's Lewis S. Mills High School called members of the school's administration the "douchebags in central office" on her LiveJournal, an online journal website. The school found out and barred her from running for Student Body President.
I could see this if she wrote it while in school. But, that's not even a factor. It's basically saying that if it COULD be read by members of the school's community and is vulgar, that they can discipline based on that speech. This is not to say that they could discipline her academically via suspension or expulsion, the decision was quick to point out that the school has much more leeway in doling out discipline when it comes to extracurricular activities.
I just think that speech on the Internet, even if she DID write it on school grounds, is speech made to the void...and, therefore, not under the authority of the school.
A federal court (it's unclear to me which one) has again denied a student damages. A girl running for student body president at a Connecticut's Lewis S. Mills High School called members of the school's administration the "douchebags in central office" on her LiveJournal, an online journal website. The school found out and barred her from running for Student Body President.
I could see this if she wrote it while in school. But, that's not even a factor. It's basically saying that if it COULD be read by members of the school's community and is vulgar, that they can discipline based on that speech. This is not to say that they could discipline her academically via suspension or expulsion, the decision was quick to point out that the school has much more leeway in doling out discipline when it comes to extracurricular activities.
I just think that speech on the Internet, even if she DID write it on school grounds, is speech made to the void...and, therefore, not under the authority of the school.
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