Cupcake Cannon

Looks more fun than work today, and I hate cupcakes.

..via The Daily What

Things I Forgot Today

Option #1
Option #2


Variety is the spice of life. "It is by will alone I set my mind in motion"

Possibly. Maybe. Perhaps.

Why Don't I Own This?

Time to upgrade my couch. I'm pretty sure knowing how much I already hurt all of the time thanks to running this is a good plan to own, no matter how satisfying it would really be.

I'm a Dork

If I owned this, I'd probably just fill it with origami. Nonetheless, fantastic.

What if the Teabaggers weren't White?

Imagine that white members of Congress, while walking to work, were surrounded by thousands of angry black people, one of whom proceeded to spit on one of those congressmen for not voting the way the black demonstrators desired. Would the protesters be seen as merely patriotic Americans voicing their opinions, or as an angry, potentially violent, and even insurrectionary mob? After all, this is what white Tea Party protesters did recently in Washington....

Protest is only seen as fundamentally American when those who have long had the luxury of seeing themselves as prototypically American engage in it. When the dangerous and dark “other” does so, however, it isn’t viewed as normal or natural, let alone patriotic. Which is why Rush Limbaugh could say, this past week, that the Tea Parties are the first time since the Civil War that ordinary, common Americans stood up for their rights: a statement that erases the normalcy and “American-ness” of blacks in the civil rights struggle, not to mention women in the fight for suffrage and equality, working people in the fight for better working conditions, and LGBT folks as they struggle to be treated as full and equal human beings.

Depressingly truthful.

Things I Want #45454545

So as awesome as the ridiculous pun is for this product, I totally want to get several rolls of this and then send completely inane objects to anyone everywhere.

Apropos

Re-found

Excuse the handwriting, found this recently. Not one for letting go, but trying desperately.
I have recently been reminded of things of the past I had forgotten. Significant things that I determined at one time to be worth discarding because I thought i was the past that was done and gone. I keep coming up against that past lately and have found myself wanting for evidence of the evolution that is me.

Elsewhere, 1.0 was a bad protoype. I think this new version non-1.0 is much better, I just have not determined what version this really is, or if it is really in the period of flux to something else.

Either way, still, despite everything, there are parts of the world that make you wake daily with a smile.

Outdone

KFC double down wrapped in Krispy Kreme doughnuts

This makes me want to vomit by looking at it. I get that I hate fried chicken and doughnuts, but this really is above and beyond.

Art by Adrian Johnson

Over the years, Liverpool born Adrian Johnson has developed a unique and strongly identifiable body of work. His trademark economical, highly crafted, graphic work is constantly evolving, whilst always maintaining a healthy distance from current trends and passing fashions. Adrian's work has already led to a prolific working career and a client list which includes Paul Smith, Adidas, Stüssy, Monocle, The New York Times and Unicef. Attention to detail, humour and a simple timeless sophistication mark him out as one of the leading illustrators currently practicing.

Personally, I love the simplicity and how he manages to get the point across in a very subtle way.

Happy 40th Earth Day

North Atlantic Garbage Patch

Because really, one in the Pacific wasn't enough.

Self Discovery: The Scientific Version

(Non)Religion as a Mating Strategy:

William F. Buckley was a Catholic and a staunch Conservative, and though many educated people found his attitudes annoying, he was clearly a brilliantly intelligent fellow. Statistically speaking, though, it’s a lot easier to find someone like Richard Dawkins or E.O. Wilson – brilliant folks who espouse ideas atheistic or liberal. Satoshi Kanazawa, who seems to enjoy stirring things up, has posted a couple of blog entries on this topic, complete with graphs suggesting that people who say they are “not at all religious” have about 6 IQ points on those who say they are “very religious,” and that those who are “very liberal” have an average of about 12 IQ points over those who are “very conservative.”

So, read the article. Basically, I'm liberal and non religious because I am biologically governed to be have sex. Lax morality causes sex without being married and procreating, but avoidance of procreation causes my lax morality. This really causes a conundrum about which came first. And, evidently, evolution believes that morality is governed by early procreation. Hmm.

Why I'm justified to hate cilantro:

If the flavor doesn’t fit a familiar food experience, and instead fits into a pattern that involves chemical cleaning agents and dirt, or crawly insects, then the brain highlights the mismatch and the potential threat to our safety. We react strongly and throw the offending ingredient on the floor where it belongs.

On the floor, where it belongs. Fully agreed, and pig-headed enough to not re-train my tastes to accept it as food.

Damaged People

"When I feel the warmth of your very soul
I forget I'm cold and crying
When your lips touch mine and I lose control
I forget I'm old and dying"

Depeche Mode, 2005

Not old as expected. Cynicism is actually attached to the lyrics, not just as expected by sound or situation. Who knew. Strangely off at the beginning and reminiscent of the Beatles during the first verse.

It has been a Depeche Mode night. I stand by my choice.

Recycled Island - Reinventing the North Pacific Gyre

Flaunting mixed-use environments, the island with the coverage of 10.000Km2 will seek to provide an inhabitable space for the urban masses. The resources of power, the island will rely on, are solar and wave energy. As the island bears a floating character, it will avoid long transports. You would see the island doing on-site recycling, and supporting self-sufficient plantations with seaweed and compost toilets.

On my way home from work

So evidently the Tea Party protesters have been set up all day at Preston and Park in Plano. These people frighten me. Until the private sector will step up and provide the same services at a reasonable rate (reasonable, not free) that the government currently provides, reducing or eliminating taxation makes no sense. Unless of course, you'd prefer a country without roads, defense, education, etc. Great way to think it through, especially here in Plano, when most likely these people have driven to the protest in their Lexus's and BMW's and always grown up in a situation where they benefited from the government resources. Yes, we are lucky to not have a caste system and the ability of changing from a level of poverty to privilege, it doesn't mean that is possible for everyone. Don't whine about having to spend money on taxes instead of going on vacation when there are still areas of the country without clean drinking water.

This Explains Everything

The case for ignoring people at work

Thanks for the link, I suppose it really does make it better this was received during a rather long meeting when I couldn't watch it. Too much joy would have been found. This really is perfect, although what he fails to remember is that normally there is always another manager above the first one wanting you to call a meeting. Anyone who knows me knows there is never a time I would willingly call a meeting.

State of the Nation

Sarah Palin recently had this to say...
"That bumper sticker that maybe you'll see on the next Subaru driving by -- an Obama bumper sticker -- you should stop the driver and say, 'So how's that hopey, changey thing workin' out for ya?'"
This is my answer...

Personally, I am really digging that the poll choice of 'Pie' beat out the Palin option.

..viaDaily Kos

Sanity Check

So my company is transitioning to Oracle and while they are developing the system we have been placing bugs we find in an online program so the team can process changes.

Today, evidently, a new status was created. I'm not sure if this is meant for the Oracle team or meant towards me, both seem valid.

Um...Yeah

So I just gave an encouraging talk to my contact lens, telling it that it should hold on and I wanted it to live.

I think I have problems......

Pretty Accurate.....

So this was me all day today, except with red hair. And except by today I mean all weekend. And by all weekend, I mean I am salaried. :(

New week today, today being with only 4.5 hours of work to possibly show for 10.5 hours of doing something. I subtracted the WTF, Means Nothing, and Not my Dept. Did not subtract the GRRRRAJDJSDFJSDJj from multiple Monday meeting schedule that allows neither a bathroom break nor lunch.

And tomorrow is only Monday.

Damn Straight

"Scotch whisky is made from barley and the morning dew on angel's nipples."

"Did you ever want to set someone's head on fire, just to see what it looked like? Did you ever stand in the street and think to yourself, I could make that nun go blind just by giving her a kiss? Did you ever lay out plans for stitching babies and stray cats into a Perfect New Human? Did you ever stand naked surrounded by people who want your gleaming sperm, squirting frankincense, soma and testosterone from every pore? If so, then you're the bastard who stole my drugs Friday night. And I'll find you. Oh, yes."

Cheers, Warren.

..via Nag on the Lake.

Feathers

Allen and Patty Eckman's paper craft. Amazingly amazing. I'm jealous.

Terraform Sculpture

Art by Robert Cannon

AKA I'm Dumb

It's terrible when it is a beautiful day like today. High 76°, nice wind, perfect weather to go out and enjoy at a nature preserve or a lake or somewhere similar. Unfortunately, my increase in running lately gave me shin splints. This is what happens when you try to be healthy. And no, replacing cycling with a much less impact sport such as cycling doesn't feel anywhere as nice as running.

So rather than enjoy the nice weather, I sat inside most of the day and accomplished nothing. Yay!

Quarantine: The Fully Sick Rapper

I was eventually let out of hospital on the 2nd Jan, but then brought back in on the 18th Jan and diagnosed with a more serious form of TB... As a result, I have been back in quarantine since the 18th Jan, and all up now I have spent 55 days on the inside of a single room in hospital... This is starting to take it's toll on my mental stability, and this song is about the impact (or lack thereof) it has had so far.

I Hate Time

Seriously...

Haven't they predicted this every year since Katrina? How it turns out still amazingly, completely built upon fearmongering!

So Much Simpler

Work still sucks, being pulled mostly to the conversion and ignoring my actual job. This demonstration I gave at my desk today would explain things so much easier if it could be used for process flows for my department.