Random thoughts and observations from a guy with a lot on his mind…
OK, if you can light your tap water on FIRE you have a BIG problem (or, you might be a redneck). Fracking has been in the news a lot this year. USA Today (among others) reported Fracking is causing earthquakes and introducing methane into the water supply. I don’t think the Culligan Man can help you here lady…
I can’t begin to imagine how much code was necessary for this robot to work like this. Very cool concept that could be suited to planetary exploration. This thing reminds me of a hermit crab.
Every once in a while you find a website that really stands out. I’m not sure how I came across TheBloggess.com but I’m glad I did. Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess) is about as crackpot as they come, and this is a designation I believe she would appreciate. Borderline bipolar and definitely a little manic her writing style ranges from casual to hilariously quirky, usually within the same paragraph.
My appreciation for her humor started out with a post on her blog titled “And that’s why you should learn to pick your battles.” [NSFW] Go ahead & click the link and have a read for yourself (be sure to come back though!).
Beyoncé the metal chicken is just one of many “characters” dreamt up by Jenny. She also has a fascination with taxidermied animals that died of natural causes (thanks to her father) and dresses them up in clothing that, I assume, she makes herself. One blog post explained how she traveled with “Hamlet Von Schitzel”, a stuffed mouse dressed like Hamlet who graces the cover of her book.
Recently Jenny published a book (10 years in the making) called “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” which chronicles her childhood, how she met her husband Victor, and explains how she became who she is today. The book is already #1 on the NY Times List a week after its release. I per-ordered the Kindle Edition of the book back in January and when it arrived I couldn’t put it down. It had me laughing uncontrollably starting with the introduction.
If you’re looking for some offbeat humor from a great story-teller check out TheBloggess.com.
Remember the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010? Well, all of those dispersants and solvents used to break up the oil are now possibly linked to some serious genetic defects being found in the area sea life. Pretty scary stuff!
From Gizmodo: Al Jazeera just published an astonishing report on the after-effects of the BP oil disaster, and it’s not pretty. There are an alarming number of deformities in sea creatures: mutated shrimp, fish with sores and lesions, eyeless crabs and more. It’s unlike anything local fisherman have ever seen.
Where was this guy when I got my last ticket?
From Engadget – When most folks get ticketed for running a stop sign, most people wind up writing the court a check. UC San Diego physicist Dmitri Krioukov wrote a mathematical paper instead.
Remember back in the 90’s when Bluetooth started became available in Cellular Phones? It took what seemed like a LONG time for it become a standard feature on everything from phones to laptops to cars. Now Bluetooth is everywhere. Near Field Communication (NFC) has a lot of potential. It’s already used, in limited applications, at gas pumps and checkout stands. Google Wallet was supposed to help spur the adoption of NFC but, like other technologies, it’s not being implemented very quickly.
The following video shows some things you can do with NFC Tags and a phone that supports the technology.
I still feel like the “Noob” (and sometimes Seizure guy) at my Gym. I think some of those people live there. There are a few guys that are there EVERY time I go and they’re still working out when I leave. Don’t these people have jobs?
I tried the “Super Shower Cleaner” this weekend but used Simple Green instead of dish detergent. Worked like a charm! I’ve used vinegar to clean tea kettles and glassware but I’ve never thought about using it on glass shower doors/walls.
I spent Easter weekend in Washington DC visiting my brother in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and taking in the sights. I REALLY enjoyed the Newseum and the Spy Museum. These are two of the museums in DC that are NOT free. Just about every other museum is though. I also had the opportunity to take part in Easter Services at the National Cathedral. Pictures are located at the end of this post.
On the way out I mounted the iPod Touch to the windshield and shot some time-lapse videos of the 9-hour journey. I really wanted to get a time-lapse of me driving inbound on the George Washington Memorial Parkway but a low battery prevented me from doing so.
While in DC I attended my first professional soccer match (DC United). This was not just any introduction, I was invited to sit with the Barra Brava Fan Club. The pre-game tailgating was fun but the game itself was crazy! Non-stop chanting, taunting, and jumping. There was also the occasional unexpected beer shower. The game ended in a 0-0 tie so I didn’t get to see the Barra Brava club perform their famous Goooooooal celebration.
Capitol Hill has a neighborhood market with all kinds of meat, seafood and produce and hosts an incredible outdoor market on both Saturday and Sunday. Parking was surprisingly easy to find as well. It helped that my brother secured a visitor pass that let me park anywhere in Zone 6 for free.
All in all it was a great trip and I’m already thinking about going out there again soon. Forget the politics, DC has a lot of cultural and historic significance as well as enough museums to keep you occupied for weeks!
Cathedral pictures shot with a 4th Gen iPod Touch
Remaining pictures shot with a Nikon D2x using a Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 G AF-S
