interesting things

Randomness for 3/12

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This is my 666th post on my WordPress blog. Continue reading… if you dare!

1) Would you recognize Der Fuehrer?

2) Money as motivation: “It’s certainly true that motivated workers need to feel that they are being paid fairly and adequately. Pink’s thesis, however, is that beyond that threshold, performance bonuses may actually be counterproductive, particularly when the work requires initiative, judgment and creativity.” The article directly addresses Wall St bonuses, but it covers a lot of other interesting ground, too. I have the referenced book on hold for my wife, but maybe I should read it, too.

3) How to make an origami swan.

4) Nathan Bransford’s Choose Your Own E-Book Adventure.

5) A pseudonymous TV writer/producer on Florida’s new morality restrictions on filmmaking in the state. This link will expire within the next two weeks. Update: Link dead.

6) Korean man marries pillow. In all my life, I never thought I would be in a position to type a sentence like that, but this is the internet age, and we must share all manner of human oddity.

7) New book reveals evidence that infamous French hallucination epidemic was actually CIA LSD experiment. In school I did a report on MKUltra, but I never heard of this incident before (not surprising, since so many of the MKUltra files were destroyed.

Dept of Education buys shotguns

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The Dept of Education is buying 27 Remington Brand Model 870 police 12-gauge shotguns. Why?

“The Office of Inspector General is the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Education and is responsible for the detection of waste, fraud, abuse, and other criminal activity involving Federal education funds, programs, and operations. As such, OIG operates with full statutory law enforcement authority, which includes conducting search warrants, making arrests, and carrying firearms.“

So, the Dept of Education has a law enforcement division, and they carry weapons, and they investigate fraud cases. And there are only 27 of them? Maybe?

There’s a mystery novel in there somewhere.

My next blog post will be my 666th.

Randomness for 3/10

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1) For once, it’s a good idea to read the comments: “Dear Prudence” gives some unfortunate advice about a sexual fetish, and readers take her to task.

2) A woman enters a comic book shop and asks for recommendations…

3) Venus de Slusho. That snow woman give me impure thoughts.

4) Bayonet 2.0

5)

My first visual Randomness

Godzilla Haiku

6) Social networking site allows you to register a credit card number and automatically post every purchase (with the price!) online. In other news, satire passed away quietly at home surrounded by loved ones. Next month: a 3G toilet that automatically tweets every time you flush.

7) xkcd makes me laugh out loud. Don’t forget to mouseover the comic to read the second punchline.

Watch the green lava!

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I did my first voice-over job today. The writer/director trusted me quite a bit when he gave me this role, and I hope I did a good job.

My son made his first Lego stop-motion animation all by himself. He even did the editing; I’m planning to ask him for tips on using iMovie later. Comments on YouTube are disabled because he’s eight, but any kind words would be welcome here.

Randomness for 3/4

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1) Admiral Akbar leading the votes to become new sports mascot at Ole Miss. Shockingly, this particular “rebel” has students threatening to transfer if he shows up at games. Because that’s what important about college: the sports mascot.

2) Major retailers caught selling used lingerie. Oh, Victoria’s Secret, you’re so sexy!

3) Another way to lower health care costs. Quote: “Only about half of patients who are prescribed a medication for a chronic condition are still taking the drug regularly after a year, says Daniel Touchette, assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Illinois at Chicago.”

4) Comic artist accused of copying another artist, with added moral complications. Lightbox ftl.

5) All 137 years of Popular Science Magazine in a searchable online format.

6) Quote of the day: “The problem with hockey is that everyone has a stick.” From http://www.postcardsfromyomomma.com/

7) Movies condensed into six-panel comics. Spoilers for various and sundry.

Incoming Tsunami

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The Chilean tsunami is expected to reach Seattle around 4:30 this afternoon. It’s also expected to be about 6-feet high according to one source, but the BBC is saying it could be either nothing or 10 meters.

Of course, Seattle is on Puget Sound, not the Pacific Ocean. We have a huge peninsula between us and the sea, and while we get waves, their tiny little lapping waves, not the relatively strong crests you can see in a place like Ocean Shores.

So how crazy would it be to go relatively close to the water’s edge and watch the wave come in? I know better than to actually stand on the shore: six inches of running water can sweep a person off their feet and two feet of water can carry away a car. I don’t want to see my son swept out to sea, obviously.

And yeah, we do live close to the water, but well uphill. Our home wouldn’t be in any danger. We could go to either a bayside spot well over six feet above the typical waterline, or we could go to a cliff-side park at the top of a hill.

It’s something I’d like to see, and that I’d like my son to see; I just don’t want my tombstone to read “He was stupid.”

edited to add: The National Weather Service says there won’t be any tsunami in this area, only slightly higher tides and “dangerous currents”. Nothing to see here. No need to head out.

Ah well. At least this means there’s no danger to the city. Maybe we’ll find some video online to show my son what a tsunami looks like.

Randomness for 2/24

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1) A Book by its Gorey Cover. And Part 2.

2) That Old Spice “I’m on a horse” commercial–and an interview with the guys who made it. CGI or no? via madrobins

3) The Brad Pitt Guy, part 4.

4) “It’s like MOBY DICK, right, but with a white dragon!“ I’d better get started on my ROBO-MEO AND POD-PERSON JULIET story, quick!

5) A restaurant dessert like no other. I don’t even know what most of this is, but I want it.

6) Twilight invades every aspect of our culture.

7) The Brad Pitt Guy, Part Last. With bonus note-arguing.

Chatroulette

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Here’s the “Safe For Work” version–an article in the NY Times describing the program. Short version: it’s social networking with complete strangers. You and your webcam get onto video chat. You click “Next”. A completely random person from anywhere in the world appears in their webcam image. You chat with this stranger.

Of course, you could be looking at a guy in a cat suit (see link above). Or a naked fat guy. Or some dude’s penis. Or a woman sitting on the toilet. Or someone in a freaky mask.

Here’s the NSFW version, with screencaps of unlikely/unfortunate/basically weird interactions between strangers.

Seriously, that’s NSFW. Don’t even open that link with kids in the room.

Randomness for 2/22

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1) Part two of the screenwriter stalker story! with bonus Brad Pitt at a urinal. And here’s Part 3. (Here’s part 1, in case you missed it.)

2) More OKCupid data crunching: this time about “older” women.

3) Remember the American version of Godzilla from 1998? Well, an early draft of the script was written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, the guys who wrote PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, SHREK, MASK OF ZORRO and ALADDIN, among others. Although their script was very different from the version that was filmed and released, some elements were kept and they ended up with credit. Sometime in the last 12 years, they posted their final draft online so people could compare the work they did with the finished movie. Well, someone has taken it upon themselves to turn that script into a webcomic. It’s not finished, but it is pretty cool.

4) Hot dog salad dressing??? 20 Unholy Recipes, Dishes So Awful We Had To Make Them. via Jay Lake

5) An insider’s guide to writing for Mills & Boon. Interesting stuff.

6) That “Ten Rules For Writing” article in the Guardian Part one, Part two. Those are fun to read, even the ones I disagree with.

7) Bertie Wooster as Bruce Wayne.

Apropos of nothing at all

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How to fold a fitted sheet: