Archive for 2009
« Older Entries | Newer Entries »Brains – They’re Not Just For Breakfast Anymore
[ Comments Off ]Posted on April 17, 2009 by admin in Editorial & Opinion
Friday, April 17th, 2009Does taking quizzes on Facebook mean you’re stupid?
As a person who (like many) spends a little too much time on Facebook lately, I’m a little perplexed by reasonably intelligent people who spend a lot of time taking inane personality and pop culture tests, and then publicly displaying the results. I guess it’s a kind of vanity combined with curiosity, which in an ideal world would be true self examination. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that when given expert advice, the brain shuts down, which this Wired article tries to use to explain why we listen to idiots like Jim Kramer of CNBC. Be careful though, because if you listen to Jim too much, you’ll end up poverty-stricken, and that’s not good for your brain either. It’s kind of sad that in a world where people’s brain development suffers because of malnutrition, people are not only eating perfectly good brains (I mean, you’d expect this from a politician, but y’know…), they’re also slicing them up for research to figure out how they work. Don’t they realize that HowStuffWorks.com already has it figured out? I also find it interesting that in spite of the fact that we have mindmapping tools to offload some of our processing, a tech support person can still be dumb enough to be indistinguishable from a chatbot. Which is pretty disturbing to know if you’ve ever tried to carry on an intelligent conversation with the award-winning artificial intelligence named Elbot. Anyway, if you really feel like taking a quiz, try these tests on the BBC Science site. They have the benefit of not making you look like an idiot on Facebook. I personally scored perfectly on everything except morality. And if you want to enhance your brain power, read Brain Rules
April Needs Better Holidays
[ 2 Comments ]Posted on April 16, 2009 by admin in Holidays
Thursday, April 16th, 2009Or: Why I refuse to celebrate National Pigs-In-A-Blanket Day
 Charlie and Raymond Looking For 400 Oak Street |
April is probably noteworthy as a month that needs better holidays, if only because Tax Day probably causes more emotional duress than all the others combined. Sure, much like Christmas, Easter is fun for the kids, but tends to be a little exclusionary. So here are some other exciting April holidays for you. Ironically, it’s Autism Awareness Month. I say ironically, because some victims of Autism may not know it’s Autism Awareness Month, but would be able to tell you what day of the week it starts on in the year 2093 . Also of note is Administrative Professionals’ Day, the only holiday I can think of that exists simply because no one wants to be a secretary any more. And although you’d think caring about the Earth would be an ongoing concern, April 22 is Earth Day. Lastly, if you’re really desperate to celebrate something, the The American Farm Bureau Foundation has a list of holidays including everything from National Cheeseball Day (April 17) to National Pigs-In-A-Blanket Day (April 24). Happy Holidays!
Brewing Discontent: Since When Is The GOP Anti-Deficit?
[ Comments Off ]Posted on April 15, 2009 by admin in Politics
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009While liberals kick back with their lemon-grass tea, conservatives brew theirs with Astroturf…
I shouldn’t be as astounded as I am that the GOP has once again taken ownership of a public sentiment that has absolutely no real foundation in a partisan stance. Tell me. Who in America (besides a bunch of bailed out bank executives) is NOT angry that tax dollars are being funneled into a mind-boggling array of government subsidizing of business and bailouts of epic business failures? And more importantly, how the hell did the GOP spin this out so cleverly and so quickly into their issue, when it is, plain and simple, their fault? This is the party that from Reagan to Cheney has said that deficits don’t matter. And now, suddenly, deficits are a horrible monster created by Barack Obama. The GOP is even benefitting from the humor and confusion that a typical witty liberal will enjoy when watching a pun-laden rant against tea parties, as in the MSNBC clip featured at left. Who’s behind this masterpiece of Astroturfing? Mostly the conservative lobby groups Freedom Works and Americans for Prosperity. Nice job, Dems. Read the rest of this entry »
Five Effective Habits Of Highly Annoying People
[ 3 Comments ]Posted on April 14, 2009 by admin in Lifestyle & Culture
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009You’re probably too busy to read this, but these are excerpts from a draft of one of two books I’m working on.
1.) Not Having Time
 I’d love to! But I’m just buried with these spreadsheets! |
How many times a week does someone tell you how busy they are? I mean, you yourself are probably busy, right? Admit it. At least once in the last two weeks, when someone asked you if you want to have lunch or coffee, you’ve probably hesitated, and said something like “I’d love to, but I’m SO BUSY lately. Can I get back to you?” Well. Where the hell did you find time to read this crap I’m typing right now? I mean, I’M busy. I’m writing crap for YOU to read, so you can tell people you’re too busy to have coffee with them.
And what about the people telling you that THEY’RE too busy? Well, they’re lying. I caught them on Facebook. They really should ponder the fact that when they take a “What Kind Of Intestinal Microbe Am I?” quiz, it shows up Read the rest of this entry »
McMonday McMotivators – Would You Like Fries With That?
[ 1 Comment ]Posted on April 13, 2009 by admin in Editorial & Opinion
Monday, April 13th, 2009Set your fast food ass back down for the Fast Food Edition of our Monday Demotivators.
Going to work on Monday morning is WAY over-rated.
I’ve always said that they call it fast food because you eat it fast, not because you get it fast. Which is applicable for this week’s Monday Demotivators, because most of these links load so slowly that the designers really should visit the PrettyLoaded preloader museum for pointers. First up: Given the general take on fast food employment, it’s kind of odd that someone would build a detailed simulation for entertainment purposes. Which is why Fast Food Frenzy is a little odd. Probably more popular is Fast Food Follies, wherein you play a black-clad “Michigan Militia” type who shoots up a fast food joint. Fast food games for educational purposes make a little more sense to me, which is why I find McVideogame amusing. The game requires you to manage every aspect of a fast food corporation, from cow to counter. Along the way you learn a little. For example, in the agricultural sector of the game, they point out that “If we had to rear all the cattle we need in our part of the world, our cities would drown in an ocean of cow shit. Pastures and soy culture need a lot of land and South America is one of the best places for it. Obviously you have to conquer your land as our forefathers did. Remember the old saying: “under every forest there is a lawn“. Lastly, for a mind-numbingly pointless fast food flash game (all you Stack The Cats addicts take note; you know who you are!), we have Fast Food Fiasco. Just re-arrange the fast food items to clear the grid. And if we’ve succeeded in our weekly attempt to make you late for work on Monday, hopefully you won’t stop at McDonald’s on the way. Between this fast food calorie counter and these nutrition fact comparison charts, it’s kind of a no-brainer. But if you need more demotivation, check out 15 signs you need to go on a diet. Would you like fries with that? Read the rest of this entry »