Tuesday, April 24, 2007
YouTube - Will It Blend? - Marbles
The latest addition to this wonderful collection is an ipod - it's basically reduced to dust, as most ot the things are in this nutty testament to the power of blenders. YouTube - Will It Blend? - Marbles. Just been running on the beach, then tried a body hack I learnt from Wired magazine - reducing the temperature of my blood by plunging my hands into cold water immediately after I stopped training. On the basis of an n of one, with no control groups of any kind, it actually seemed to have some kind of effect - I stopped sweating quicker and I think my pulse came down faster. cool.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Donnie Darko (2001)
Theres only a few films that I cannot watch again, for all the right reasons. Donnie Darko (2001) is among their number, as is Brazil, K-Pax, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest and possibly the Seventh Seal (which my father suggested I watch as a 15 year old, I mark that evening as the official end of my childhood). These films are obviously not bad, its just that - for example with Donnie Darko, K-Pax or OFOTCN I cannot get through them without blubbing horribly and having to spend the next day basically moping (as they like to say on the continant). The last few minutes of Donnie Darko will stick with me forever and I don't really want to go back to them again. Yes, the film would be just as affecting but I don't want to spoil that connection that the combination of acting, direction and writing managed to make on that perfect evening when I watched it. You don't have to me much of an armchair pyschologist to spot the obvious themes running through these movies. However, I have no desire to see, for example, Water World, The Postman or Dances with Wolves again simply because they all have Kevin Kostner in them.
Speaking of Indians and stuff, I find it a bit wierd that E came home from daycare the other day brandishing the bow he'd made as part of the Red Indian theme they had had that day. Sure daycare is important for equiping him with social skills and such, but do they really have to arm him as well? Next he'll be stripping AK-47s blindfolded.
About to Listen to: Steaming Wolf Penis.
And finally, Swedish authorities objected to a couple (in Sweden) trying to call their baby Metallica. Which is a shame. I mean, c'mon, they could have been trying for Lawn Mower Death or King Crimson.
Speaking of Indians and stuff, I find it a bit wierd that E came home from daycare the other day brandishing the bow he'd made as part of the Red Indian theme they had had that day. Sure daycare is important for equiping him with social skills and such, but do they really have to arm him as well? Next he'll be stripping AK-47s blindfolded.
About to Listen to: Steaming Wolf Penis.
And finally, Swedish authorities objected to a couple (in Sweden) trying to call their baby Metallica. Which is a shame. I mean, c'mon, they could have been trying for Lawn Mower Death or King Crimson.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Don't Tell Your Parents: Schools Embrace MySpace -
More social networking wimsy..Don't Tell Your Parents: Schools Embrace MySpace -
The top audiobooks on Podioboks.com
I seem to be so busy these days (partly because I have entered the world of proper, grownup work) that I barely have time to shit, never mind sit around and actually read (other than the 10 minute commute to work, and the 6 minute commute to never never land) so this may provide somewhat of a solution.....The top audiobooks on Podioboks.com...now I can listen to 3rd rate authors when I'm in the gym, wrestling with the children or stalking the locals. Groovy.
One of the nice things about my work is that part of it means keeping an eye of things cool in the internet world....it intrigues me that most of my customers will not even consider using our website to find out about the quality of the education we offer, or what other students have said, but will instead turn to social networking sites instead. The Trust Barometer supports this notion, with the comment '"Person like yourself or peer" is seen as the most credible spokeperson about a company...'. I also like the fact that they refer to Europe as the skeptical continent (a little shaky geographical, but I know what they mean) with trust in business registered at 'dismally low levels'.
Did you know: Many legitimate findings from the IPCC scientists were frozen out of the IPCC report, according to the New Scientist, because the peer review process was so rigorous that research deemed controversial, not fully quantified or not yet incorporated into climate models was excluded. Such research findings include the physical collapse of the greenland icesheet, a shut down of the gulf stream and the release of green house gases from melting permafrost. One of the interesting things about the IPCC report preparation was the time spent arguing over whether it was 'extremely likely' or just 'likely' that humans were to blame for global warming, unusally the Brits wanted the go the 'extreme' route but the chinese and saudi's wanted it to be 'likely'. The eventual compromise was, wait for it, 'very likely'.
Reading: Just got my hands to two Charles Stross books - one scifi the other concerning his Cthulhuloid special agent. Excellent.
Watching: Casino Royale (7.5 out of 10), and about to watch the The Devil's Backbone, in preparation for watching Pan's Labyrinth.
Hurting: My feet, as I'm halfway through the preparation for a 10k race next weekend. That's right, my training period is a carefully thoughout and well planned (not) two weeks.
One of the nice things about my work is that part of it means keeping an eye of things cool in the internet world....it intrigues me that most of my customers will not even consider using our website to find out about the quality of the education we offer, or what other students have said, but will instead turn to social networking sites instead. The Trust Barometer supports this notion, with the comment '"Person like yourself or peer" is seen as the most credible spokeperson about a company...'. I also like the fact that they refer to Europe as the skeptical continent (a little shaky geographical, but I know what they mean) with trust in business registered at 'dismally low levels'.
Did you know: Many legitimate findings from the IPCC scientists were frozen out of the IPCC report, according to the New Scientist, because the peer review process was so rigorous that research deemed controversial, not fully quantified or not yet incorporated into climate models was excluded. Such research findings include the physical collapse of the greenland icesheet, a shut down of the gulf stream and the release of green house gases from melting permafrost. One of the interesting things about the IPCC report preparation was the time spent arguing over whether it was 'extremely likely' or just 'likely' that humans were to blame for global warming, unusally the Brits wanted the go the 'extreme' route but the chinese and saudi's wanted it to be 'likely'. The eventual compromise was, wait for it, 'very likely'.
Reading: Just got my hands to two Charles Stross books - one scifi the other concerning his Cthulhuloid special agent. Excellent.
Watching: Casino Royale (7.5 out of 10), and about to watch the The Devil's Backbone, in preparation for watching Pan's Labyrinth.
Hurting: My feet, as I'm halfway through the preparation for a 10k race next weekend. That's right, my training period is a carefully thoughout and well planned (not) two weeks.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Websurdity » Blog Archive » Uncomfortable Questions: Was the Death Star Attack an Inside Job?
Websurdity » Blog Archive » Uncomfortable Questions: Was the Death Star Attack an Inside Job?: "Uncomfortable Questions: Was the Death Star Attack an Inside Job?".....most excellent satire.
And yes, my act is slowly getting back together. Things I did recently: ran some, ate some carrot cake, narrowly avoiding going down the road of burn out at work (by realising that I could not do everything by, like, next tuesday).
And yes, my act is slowly getting back together. Things I did recently: ran some, ate some carrot cake, narrowly avoiding going down the road of burn out at work (by realising that I could not do everything by, like, next tuesday).
