I am pleased that Arby's has finally started to clear up their confusing menu. If you wanted a roast beef sandwich, would you have known the difference between a Regular, a Giant, a Junior, and a Super? Okay, the Junior was the smallest. And the Giant had tomatoes... or was that the Super.
I was at an Arby's in Platte City, Missouri yesterday. They now have three sizes: Regular, Medium, and Large. Okay, they are still losing points on the weird we-don't-have-a-size-that-says-small thing. But, at least you know which one has the most, or middle, or regular amounts of roast beef on them.
Yeah, that's about it. Don't blog for a week or two and then come back swinging about a fast-food menu...
--gh
Monday, October 31, 2005
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
"jai alai fantasy league"
Some day, someone is going to search for a "jai alai fantasy league," and they will be brought here.
--gh
--gh
Monday, October 03, 2005
Obligatory Dream Blog
Sooner or later every blog describes the author's recent dreams, as if anyone really gets them ...or cares.
Okay, this weekend I had one of those vivid dreams that makes total sense when you are dreaming it, but are bizarre in the morning light. Basically, the dream was about completing random scientific experiments that people somehow skipped. Some government agency came up with thousands of things that were never studied, but probably should have been. Maybe science was moving too fast when it should have been done, and no one went back and did some of the basics.
These things were so basic that they had 5th graders working on some of it. They found university professors to team up with children on a number of experiments. The two that I was responsible with were simple enough. Apparently, no one has ever studied the mating habits of goldfish. Someone did a search and realized that no one has observed this and wrote about it. Sure, you are 99.999% sure that goldfish do the same things that guppies do, but you can't be sure unless you find out for yourself.
So, the government sent me an aquarium and some goldfish. Of course, I had my doubts because I have had goldfish before, and never had baby goldfish. Maybe they should have given this task to some biologist or something. I was also nervous about selecting a fifth grader, hoping they were up to the task. My kids are too old to choose one of them, unfortunately.
The other study that I was responsibile for was a little more up my alley. For some unkown reason, every time someone has studied lightning, they did it at night. (Think about Nichola Tesla in Colorado Springs...) Well, no one ever studied if lighting adds light to the daytime sky. So, I had to find a good storm during the day and use photo-sensitive equipment and make several measurements.
I was a lot more excited about lightning than the goldfish. I was afraid I would fail.
--gh
Okay, this weekend I had one of those vivid dreams that makes total sense when you are dreaming it, but are bizarre in the morning light. Basically, the dream was about completing random scientific experiments that people somehow skipped. Some government agency came up with thousands of things that were never studied, but probably should have been. Maybe science was moving too fast when it should have been done, and no one went back and did some of the basics.
These things were so basic that they had 5th graders working on some of it. They found university professors to team up with children on a number of experiments. The two that I was responsible with were simple enough. Apparently, no one has ever studied the mating habits of goldfish. Someone did a search and realized that no one has observed this and wrote about it. Sure, you are 99.999% sure that goldfish do the same things that guppies do, but you can't be sure unless you find out for yourself.
So, the government sent me an aquarium and some goldfish. Of course, I had my doubts because I have had goldfish before, and never had baby goldfish. Maybe they should have given this task to some biologist or something. I was also nervous about selecting a fifth grader, hoping they were up to the task. My kids are too old to choose one of them, unfortunately.
The other study that I was responsibile for was a little more up my alley. For some unkown reason, every time someone has studied lightning, they did it at night. (Think about Nichola Tesla in Colorado Springs...) Well, no one ever studied if lighting adds light to the daytime sky. So, I had to find a good storm during the day and use photo-sensitive equipment and make several measurements.
I was a lot more excited about lightning than the goldfish. I was afraid I would fail.
--gh
Friday, September 30, 2005
Old guys
Okay, the Rolling Stones just issued a new CD called A Bigger Bang. I don't care how many records Bridges to Babylon sold (it went Platinum!), this one better be a good one.
Have you noticed the commercials for the other antediluvians lately? If you stay up past midnight, you will see advertisements for new CDs by Neil Young, Paul McCartney, and Eric Clapton. It is as if the record company has to invest in television advertisement to say "hey, remember that you like these guys..."
Neil Young's commercial shows him singing something that could be on pretty much any of his albums, except Rust Never Sleeps. Eric Clapton is looking long in the tooth singing "you wanna revo-loo-SHUN!"
McCartney might be the biggest disappointment. Rule number one, never hire a producer that is 1/2 your age. Can you imagine Nigel Godrich telling McCartney how much he liked that "Say, say, say" duet with Michael Jackson?! Apparently it was this producer that said something like "play all your instruments yourself, like on that suckish album in the early seventies." What's worse, he allowed McCartney to make up for his fading voice by doubling the vocals. I hate that.
McCartney is my favorite Beatle, though. I got a lot of flack for that because Lennon was supposed to be the cool one, or something. I like John Lennon enough, but he was a poser of sorts. The boys did not make much use of their humble origins when they worked together. That just was not done in the 1960s. However, Lennon tried to push his "Working Class Hero" image in the 1970s with only one problem -- he was the only Beatle that was not working class! I have come to the conclusion that John Lennon did not really experience life, he just looked at it from the outside and wrote songs about it. (Darn good songs, most of them.) Someone would not get away with that today. Either you are "Jenny from the block," or you aren't.
Of course, McCartney's problem was that he wrote escapist lyrics, trying to get you to forget about your world and envision something entirely different, and possibly irrelevant. Imagine Lennon's horror when McCartney wanted to sing about meter maids, being 64 (is he yet?), picking rice up after a wedding, and silver hammers.
Maybe that is why I have now settled on Ringo being my favorite Beatle. He has had more solo top ten hits than Lennon or McCartney (I am not kidding). Also, if you go back and listen to those Beatles recordings, you can hear how much his drums contribute. They are not a backdrop any more than McCartney's bass. (McCartney being the real musical genius of that bunch, some of those bass lines are incredible for the mid-to-late sixties.)
--gh
Have you noticed the commercials for the other antediluvians lately? If you stay up past midnight, you will see advertisements for new CDs by Neil Young, Paul McCartney, and Eric Clapton. It is as if the record company has to invest in television advertisement to say "hey, remember that you like these guys..."
Neil Young's commercial shows him singing something that could be on pretty much any of his albums, except Rust Never Sleeps. Eric Clapton is looking long in the tooth singing "you wanna revo-loo-SHUN!"
McCartney might be the biggest disappointment. Rule number one, never hire a producer that is 1/2 your age. Can you imagine Nigel Godrich telling McCartney how much he liked that "Say, say, say" duet with Michael Jackson?! Apparently it was this producer that said something like "play all your instruments yourself, like on that suckish album in the early seventies." What's worse, he allowed McCartney to make up for his fading voice by doubling the vocals. I hate that.
McCartney is my favorite Beatle, though. I got a lot of flack for that because Lennon was supposed to be the cool one, or something. I like John Lennon enough, but he was a poser of sorts. The boys did not make much use of their humble origins when they worked together. That just was not done in the 1960s. However, Lennon tried to push his "Working Class Hero" image in the 1970s with only one problem -- he was the only Beatle that was not working class! I have come to the conclusion that John Lennon did not really experience life, he just looked at it from the outside and wrote songs about it. (Darn good songs, most of them.) Someone would not get away with that today. Either you are "Jenny from the block," or you aren't.
Of course, McCartney's problem was that he wrote escapist lyrics, trying to get you to forget about your world and envision something entirely different, and possibly irrelevant. Imagine Lennon's horror when McCartney wanted to sing about meter maids, being 64 (is he yet?), picking rice up after a wedding, and silver hammers.
Maybe that is why I have now settled on Ringo being my favorite Beatle. He has had more solo top ten hits than Lennon or McCartney (I am not kidding). Also, if you go back and listen to those Beatles recordings, you can hear how much his drums contribute. They are not a backdrop any more than McCartney's bass. (McCartney being the real musical genius of that bunch, some of those bass lines are incredible for the mid-to-late sixties.)
--gh
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Wikis
Ah, we have reached the time of the evening that has Sanford and Son followed by Good Times on TV Land.
Oh, and there is a new Strong Bad email. It is a marked improvement of the last 2-3 episodes. It references the fact that Strong Bad makes fun of his "get up" noise when he moves his chair - from episode 95.
Of course, the Homestar Runner Wiki helped me make that connection. Wow, that is an amazing source of information about absolutely nothing. Obviously, this caused me to waste about 10-15 minutes...
I am impressed by the wiki "movement." Sometimes you see crazy stuff on wikipedia (the best example of an open-source database), but for the most part, it is the work of people honestly trying to share information.
I haven't shared anything on a wiki.
--gh
Oh, and there is a new Strong Bad email. It is a marked improvement of the last 2-3 episodes. It references the fact that Strong Bad makes fun of his "get up" noise when he moves his chair - from episode 95.
Of course, the Homestar Runner Wiki helped me make that connection. Wow, that is an amazing source of information about absolutely nothing. Obviously, this caused me to waste about 10-15 minutes...
I am impressed by the wiki "movement." Sometimes you see crazy stuff on wikipedia (the best example of an open-source database), but for the most part, it is the work of people honestly trying to share information.
I haven't shared anything on a wiki.
--gh
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Hot Chicago
Today I ate a stromboli in the Old Chicago restaurant in Columbia, MO. I can't believe they did not offer pepperoni strombolis, or spinach, which are my favorites. I had italian sausage instead. It was cooked very hot, and was spicier than I thought for a chain restaurant.
About half-way through the meal the waitress came out and asked if it was okay. She stammered, and then offered that the cook had asked about it, but offered no details. I told her that it seemed fine. It then occurred to me that I was eating a sandwich that was probably three times spicier as I should expect from a place like that. I bet the cook was adding a some hot flakes or something to it and the lid came off. Rather than start all over, he attempted to scrape it off, but later realized he probably didn't get it all.
I thought about telling her that I figured out what the cook was worried about. I even thought about playing with them and saying that maybe it was a bit salty or something. However, I didn't feel like talking and lying.
--gh
About half-way through the meal the waitress came out and asked if it was okay. She stammered, and then offered that the cook had asked about it, but offered no details. I told her that it seemed fine. It then occurred to me that I was eating a sandwich that was probably three times spicier as I should expect from a place like that. I bet the cook was adding a some hot flakes or something to it and the lid came off. Rather than start all over, he attempted to scrape it off, but later realized he probably didn't get it all.
I thought about telling her that I figured out what the cook was worried about. I even thought about playing with them and saying that maybe it was a bit salty or something. However, I didn't feel like talking and lying.
--gh
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Banking and Best Products
It amazes me how much banking has changed in the last 20 years. I think that is how long I have been consistently using banks. Maybe it's 22 years. It was a necessity for cashing the paychecks of the first couple of jobs that I held, starting in the 11th grade.
I have never stepped inside the bank that I have used this last year. I opened the account using the web and mailed the first checks in. I went through the drive-in window once. All of my banking is done at the ATM (three blocks from my house), or online. In fact, I only mail three bill payments now: water, trash, and my wife's tuition (which will be done this semester). Everything else is electronic.
That reminds me, I mentioned earlier that I should blog about several of the jobs that I had (at least the early ones). So, I will state that my first official job was for Best Products, a general merchandise store that sold jewelry, guns, stereos, and maybe even clothes. I worked in the sporting goods section, with all of the hunting rifles. This was in the fall of 1984, eleventh grade.
I was sixteen, and was able to work without special age documentation that previous summer, but for some reason I did not feel compelled to get a job in my sixteenth summer. Maybe I was lazy, or didn't want to start growing up.
I liked that job. I generally worked after school starting around 3-4pm, and most weekends. By November, I was pushing 30 hours per week, which started to interfere with other activities -- like friends, or school.
I stole a flashlight from that store, and a Sony walkman tape player. I don't think I will ever forget those infractions. The walkman was a return unit, because the case was busted. It was probably going to be sent back to the distributor, or Sony, but it was in this bin in the back for weeks. I figured out how to fix it, and then slipped it in my pocket before leaving one day. I gave it to my brother for a Christmas present. Yeah, I are sucked. The flashlight was even worse -- because it came straight off the floor. I knew it was wrong, and I was so afraid that I would be caught before I got to the parking lot. I'll remember that for the rest of my life. If you are thinking about stealing something, even if it is small, don't. It will haunt you forever. That store chain doesn't even exist anymore!
I met my first real girlfriend at that job. She was in the 10th grade and had the most awesome name: Shawnalyn Disney. I saw her at school a few times, and visited her house about five times. I don't even think I took her to eat out, or even to a movie. I think I kissed her only once. She met a guy (college dude!) at the store and broke up with me New Years Eve, on the phone. I cried for hours that night. Man, I was a loser.
Best Products let me go around that same time because the Christmas rush was over. That was probably their plan the whole time.
The salary was $3.45/hour, which was a dime above minimum wage!
I only had one incident where I got in trouble. Every night we cleaned the glass counters, and one of the sales associates was talking with a customer. The store had technically closed, so I was annoyed that the customer was hanging around. I cleaned the counter very close to where they were standing, and I shielded the spray of cleaner with my arm, making it obvious that I was cleaning, and "protecting" them from getting sprayed. I must have made too much of a show of it because the guy found a manager and said that I was "insolent." The manager talked to me the next day and said that it was the only complaint I had received and it surprised him. So, I got off on that okay and watched my attitude and demeanor in every job since then.
Insolent. No doubt about it, that was probably a nice way to describe my attitude.
--gh
I have never stepped inside the bank that I have used this last year. I opened the account using the web and mailed the first checks in. I went through the drive-in window once. All of my banking is done at the ATM (three blocks from my house), or online. In fact, I only mail three bill payments now: water, trash, and my wife's tuition (which will be done this semester). Everything else is electronic.
That reminds me, I mentioned earlier that I should blog about several of the jobs that I had (at least the early ones). So, I will state that my first official job was for Best Products, a general merchandise store that sold jewelry, guns, stereos, and maybe even clothes. I worked in the sporting goods section, with all of the hunting rifles. This was in the fall of 1984, eleventh grade.
I was sixteen, and was able to work without special age documentation that previous summer, but for some reason I did not feel compelled to get a job in my sixteenth summer. Maybe I was lazy, or didn't want to start growing up.
I liked that job. I generally worked after school starting around 3-4pm, and most weekends. By November, I was pushing 30 hours per week, which started to interfere with other activities -- like friends, or school.
I stole a flashlight from that store, and a Sony walkman tape player. I don't think I will ever forget those infractions. The walkman was a return unit, because the case was busted. It was probably going to be sent back to the distributor, or Sony, but it was in this bin in the back for weeks. I figured out how to fix it, and then slipped it in my pocket before leaving one day. I gave it to my brother for a Christmas present. Yeah, I are sucked. The flashlight was even worse -- because it came straight off the floor. I knew it was wrong, and I was so afraid that I would be caught before I got to the parking lot. I'll remember that for the rest of my life. If you are thinking about stealing something, even if it is small, don't. It will haunt you forever. That store chain doesn't even exist anymore!
I met my first real girlfriend at that job. She was in the 10th grade and had the most awesome name: Shawnalyn Disney. I saw her at school a few times, and visited her house about five times. I don't even think I took her to eat out, or even to a movie. I think I kissed her only once. She met a guy (college dude!) at the store and broke up with me New Years Eve, on the phone. I cried for hours that night. Man, I was a loser.
Best Products let me go around that same time because the Christmas rush was over. That was probably their plan the whole time.
The salary was $3.45/hour, which was a dime above minimum wage!
I only had one incident where I got in trouble. Every night we cleaned the glass counters, and one of the sales associates was talking with a customer. The store had technically closed, so I was annoyed that the customer was hanging around. I cleaned the counter very close to where they were standing, and I shielded the spray of cleaner with my arm, making it obvious that I was cleaning, and "protecting" them from getting sprayed. I must have made too much of a show of it because the guy found a manager and said that I was "insolent." The manager talked to me the next day and said that it was the only complaint I had received and it surprised him. So, I got off on that okay and watched my attitude and demeanor in every job since then.
Insolent. No doubt about it, that was probably a nice way to describe my attitude.
--gh
Monday, September 12, 2005
Weird domain names
Have you typed blogspot wrong yet? (blogpsot).
So what is the technical term for getting domains with mispelted words trying to attract sloppy (or drunk) typists?
UPDATE: the term I was looking for was typosquatting. It is sort of a form of cybersquatting, except that it doesn't use up the useable domain name. It is not as nefarious as pharming, which is really fooling the user with a fake web page intended to look like the real one.
--gh
So what is the technical term for getting domains with mispelted words trying to attract sloppy (or drunk) typists?
UPDATE: the term I was looking for was typosquatting. It is sort of a form of cybersquatting, except that it doesn't use up the useable domain name. It is not as nefarious as pharming, which is really fooling the user with a fake web page intended to look like the real one.
--gh
PigeonKam!
I really want to buy flash. When I look at something like the Pidgeon Kam, ...it inspires me.
It is brought to us by the fine makers of those bunnies movies in 30 seconds. (Of which, Pulp Fiction is the best.)
--gh
It is brought to us by the fine makers of those bunnies movies in 30 seconds. (Of which, Pulp Fiction is the best.)
--gh
Saturday, September 10, 2005
How to lie with architecture...
Okay, the big flap about the Flight 93 memorial is about to hit talk radio, fox news, msnbc, and consblogs across the US. If you haven't seen it yet, this is what the architect has proposed, and jury panel has accepted.
Of course the Park Service has to sign off on it. When I first saw the picture above, I did not see the loving embrace of an Islamic crescent. Instead, I thought I was supposed to see something more subtle, and I saw a shadow. The first thing that I thought of was the cover of Mark Monmonier's book, How to Lie with Maps. On that cover, we see the shadow of a Pinocchio moving across the landscape.
I saw the shadow of Pinnochio in the bottom of the architectural image. In fact, he has taken off his hat in approval of the design. Then, I realized that not everyone is a geographer and would immediately recognize the cover of that book.
You don't hear much from me regarding political issues on this blog. 90% of the blogs out there are authored by people who are trying to make you think just like them, or are trying to make you like the things they like. I prefer to provide amusement (in the real sense of the word, a+muse means to not think). But I am pretty confident in suggesting that the design is not appropriate. It is also not a coincidence, unless the architect is feckless and incompetent. Architecture is about symbolism (luckily we have engineers that figure out how to actually build structures safely). This guy knew what he was doing.
It is also inappropriate from a Muslim's perspective as well. Basically, it looks like it says "uh, we did this to you" on the Pennsylvania landscape. I propose re-shaping the downtown of Fallujah and making the central part of the street networks look like a big cross from aerial photography. Now do you get it? It's what marketing folk call branding.
--gh
Of course the Park Service has to sign off on it. When I first saw the picture above, I did not see the loving embrace of an Islamic crescent. Instead, I thought I was supposed to see something more subtle, and I saw a shadow. The first thing that I thought of was the cover of Mark Monmonier's book, How to Lie with Maps. On that cover, we see the shadow of a Pinocchio moving across the landscape.
I saw the shadow of Pinnochio in the bottom of the architectural image. In fact, he has taken off his hat in approval of the design. Then, I realized that not everyone is a geographer and would immediately recognize the cover of that book.
You don't hear much from me regarding political issues on this blog. 90% of the blogs out there are authored by people who are trying to make you think just like them, or are trying to make you like the things they like. I prefer to provide amusement (in the real sense of the word, a+muse means to not think). But I am pretty confident in suggesting that the design is not appropriate. It is also not a coincidence, unless the architect is feckless and incompetent. Architecture is about symbolism (luckily we have engineers that figure out how to actually build structures safely). This guy knew what he was doing.
It is also inappropriate from a Muslim's perspective as well. Basically, it looks like it says "uh, we did this to you" on the Pennsylvania landscape. I propose re-shaping the downtown of Fallujah and making the central part of the street networks look like a big cross from aerial photography. Now do you get it? It's what marketing folk call branding.
--gh
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