29
Jan
Chinese New Year
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1700 hrs
Today is the Chinese new year! Kung hei fat choi!
Today is the Chinese new year! Kung hei fat choi!
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet.
The Official Ramen Homepage [del.icio.us]
While I sincerely doubt the validity of this site's claim to be the Official Ramen Homepage, it certainly is stuffed to the gills with noodly goodness. TFSM would be proud.
Little Dead Birds [del.icio.us]
Actually, the site is called Zoological Museum Amsterdam Bird Type Specimens in 3D, but that doesn't stop it from being a page full of little dead birds, with sticks up their asses, slowly spinning for your macabre delight. Or if you happen to be studying birds. You know, either way.
Bed Books [del.icio.us]
Oh. My. God. This is so fantastic! I like to read in bed, but it's often a pain in the neck, literally. I can't get comfy and read at the same time. Now I can!
Birds [del.icio.us]
Birds. A movie about dogs.
S.T.A.T. [del.icio.us]
You're a doctor with a defibrillator. You have to revive patients. Carefully.
For the first time ever, the Seattle Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl. I actually had the NFC championship game on and was, more or less, watching it. For once, I'll be watching the Super Bowl for more than just the commercials.
It's already nuts in Seattle, and I'm sure that Spokane will also be crazy. I wonder how crazy it will be if they actually win the Super Bowl.
At any rate, Go Hawks!
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet.
I recently ran into a bunch of cool stuff that uses Google Maps, so here's another theme week!
Google Maps Mania [del.icio.us]
Need I say more?
Google Sighseeing [del.icio.us]
Just as the name suggests. This site is pretty well layed out, with locations and categories. I also found another sightseeing page, but it isn't as pretty. I would venture to guess that there's a fair amount of cross-over.
Essential Resources for Google Maps [del.icio.us]
This page contains some =really= cool uses of Google Maps. So does this one.
Cell Phone Reception and Tower Search [del.icio.us]
What happens when you mash together FCC broadcast tower records and Google Maps? You get this cool, if somewhat useless utility.
Google Maps EZ [del.icio.us]
So what if you want to add Google Maps to your website? Here's a great guide to help you out.
Today I received this pathetic looking box.
WTF?
How hard is it to deliver a box without totally destroying it? It really makes me wonder how frequently things like this happen. And what about the postal employee at fault? Does she just look at the crushed box, shrug her shoulders, and toss it in the bin? At the very least, I would have appreciated an apologetic note.
I sat with the box for about an hour, trying to decide whether I should just open it now, or take it to the post office and open it in front of an employee, so that they could see that I was not at fault if the item inside was broken.
I eventually decided to open it, as I hadn't paid the extra $1.35 for insurance, which meant that the post office wasn't likely to be sympathetic, no matter how hard I cried. Moreover, I don't like the people who work at our local post office. Back in Cheney, Nancy and Joe (that's right, I know them by name) were the friendliest postal employees I had ever met. Now I'm stuck with three mean guys. One of them is particularly evil, and =every time= I go in there, he's the one who ends up helping me. I'm not kidding.
Fear not, however, as the item I had ordered was unscathed. Perhaps next time I'll pay the extra $1.35, just to be sure.
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
I think it's about time I had another theme week. This week's theme is Flash games. Try not to waste too much of your employer's time. -)
Pandaf Golf II [del.icio.us]
After I completed the first hundred levels, I decided to move on to another game. It's addicting, if only because you get really frustrated. Make sure you write down the code to each level in case the ball gets stuck in a loop (which happens from time to time). You can also edit your own levels.
Planarity [del.icio.us]
So far, I'm up to level 18 on this one. It's hard, but I think it's a lot of fun. I tried to jump up to level 100, just to see what it was like, and my browser crashed (but the level looked sweet). If you don't want to play using their weird window, try this link.
Sheriff Tripeaks [del.icio.us]
Kind of a neat little card game, although it's amazingly simple. Perhaps if you have kids, this is one you can play with them.
Samorost [del.icio.us]
I have no idea, but I managed to beat it in about ten to twenty minutes (I wasn't paying attention). I linked directly to the .swf file on this one because I was confused at one point about what I was supposed to do next, and it turned out that I needed to scroll down to see what I needed to click on.
Cororo The Maze [del.icio.us]
This one will scramble your brain. Ack.
And even though this doesn't fit in with the theme, I couldn't help but toss it in there. I'm pretty sure Kris made this.
Tiger 10.4 Release Party [del.icio.us]
A vide of the Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Release Party at the Seattle Mac Store.
Yes, another post about Geico. Man up.
Has anyone else noticed that Geico has three different styles in their commercials? They have the spots with the indentity-crisis suffering gecko, their classic "I have some great news..." reversal spots, and those weird ones with the "cavemen."
I'm willing to let the reversal spots go, simply because they've become such a popular part of society (in case you don't understand what I mean by "reversal spots," I'm referring to those ones where you think the commercial is for one product, but then someone says, "I just saved a bunch of money on my insurance by switching to Geico!"), but why in the world did they ever make the caveman ones?
Granted, the one that I see the most (where the Geico representative takes the two cavemen to lunch at a country club to apologise for belittling them in the Geico commercial) is moderately funny and there's =a lot= of really nice, subtle action (not to be confused with acting; this subtlety is clearly in the writing. No guff to the actors or the director, but it was clearly the writer(s) who came up with the good stuff) in the spot. I just don't see why they're making these, unless they're trying to phase out the gecko.
We know they aren't trying to phase out the gecko, however, because they just overhauled his image (*cough* worse *cough*) and produced a whole slew of new spots in which he appears. Moreover, he was named as a favorite advertising icon late last year. Plus, the gecko is all over the Geico website, but only the gecko. Nowhere on the site was I able to find a single Neanderthal.
According to a page on Geico's own website, the spots that feature the gecko, "are consistent favorites among viewers." So the question remains, if the gecko is their image, and if he's such a strong image, why dilute the brand with other, non-image spots?
Mike has tagged me. Now I'm required to answer these questions, and tag four more people:
Four jobs they couldn't pay you enough to do: Manual masturbation of farm animals, anything that has to do with human waste (bodily or otherwise), crime scene cleaner upper, work at the DMV.
Four movies you used to love and watched over and over to the point that now you have them memorized and the prospect of watching them again causes your eyeballs to bleed: There was this Sesame Street bedtime movie I loved when I was really little. I guess I've seen Wayne's World enough times that if I see it again, my will bleed. I have State and Main pretty much down pat. And can you really ever see Rushmore enough times? The answer is no.
Alternatively, four movies you loved when you saw them in the theater but don't dare watch again for fear they won't hold up: Jury Duty, In the Army Now, The Son in Law, Bio Dome (obviously I'm kidding, although I actually did see Jury Duty in the theatre).
Four places in the United States you've always thanked God you don't live even when you were living in a really small rathole in Kentucky: Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana (just to name a few).
Four places you would like to visit on an extended vacation: Italy, Greece, Bora Bora, Nepal (again, just to name a few).
Four TV shows you are strangely tempted to watch but have so far resisted: Lost, Scrubs, Commander in Chief, Beauty and the Geek.
Four Websites that aren't on your blogroll that you visit daily: Well, I don't have a blogroll (yet, but it's on my list of things to do), but a few great sites I check out daily are: Emily's Blog, Katie's Blog, Andrea's Blog, and Alli's Blog. Can you tell who I'm going to tag?
Four foods you don't really like and can't understand why you eat them but you eat them anyway and feel bad about it afterwards: I really don't eat food that I don't like, yet oddly enough, I can name three off the top of my head: mushrooms, olives, and beer. I don't like any of them, but I eat them every once in a while because I want to like them. Yet, try as I might, I just can't find the taste for them.
Four albums you never listen to anymore but can't bring yourself to trade in at Tower Records: If I don't listen to them, it's because I either already have sold them back, or they're in a box and I've forgotten about them, but probably would sell back if I knew they existed.
Four places you'd rather be but sadly won't be any time soon: Hawaii (because I miss my aina), Scotland, England, Bora Bora.
Here's a subject near and dear to my heart: the coelacanth is in danger of extinction.
In case you don't know what a coelacanth is, it's an ugly, oil-filled fish that is so old, it's often referred to as a "prehistoric fish," (seriously, the species has been around for like 400 million years). It was long thought to be extinct, but a fisherman caught one off the coast of Africa in 1938. Since then, many of the fish have been found and studied, giving scientists a rare glimpse into the past.
Now, deep-trawlers off the coast of Tanzania threaten to kill the coelacanth once and for all. This article has all the details, but the basics of the story are that (once again), the local fishing trade is accidentally killing fish that it shouldn't be.
Not all hope is lost. Groups dedicated to helping the coelacanth are educating local fishers about the fish, its rarity, and its importance. Someone has even developed a fast and safe method of returning the fish to its normal depth (between 100 and 300 meters). The Deep Release Kits, as they're called, are small, highly portable, and extremely easy to use. Along with the kits, T-shirts were made and the instructions for using the Deep Release Kits were printed on the back.
The story of the coelacanth is truly amazing (you can read it here) and it would be a shame to see humans destroy what was described as, "the most important zoological find of the century."
Long-time readers (I mean, =really= long-time readers), will recall my previous complaint about the way auto insurance company Geico was using their mascot.
Well, they've done it again.
Now the gecko's voice has magically changed. I think they were going for Australian, but wound up with an East-end British accent. Which is funny, because most people get it the other way around (for example, Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins).
Ironically, they actually =do= want a British accent because even when he's annoyed, "he always maintains his decorum in a very proper English tone." That's according to this page I found on GEICO's website. Trouble is, I'm pretty sure an irritated East-ender would have a more... Robust vocabulary.
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
thebar.com [del.icio.us]
Jack, the swanky bartender, will make you drinks and tell you stories. He may even say your name and ask you how the weather is where you live (for example, "So, Thomas, how's the weather in Spokane?"). Well, check it out and you'll see what I mean.
Ditch Lumbergh: The Game [del.icio.us]
"It's Friday afternoon, and you just know that Lumbergh is gonna ask you to come in on Saturday. Finish all your TPS reports and sneak out the side door before Lumbergh catches up with you!"
GhostTownGallery.com [del.icio.us]
Over 1,300 pictures from 174 ghost towns in the United States. Ghost towns kick ass.
Image to Text Converter [del.icio.us]
Totally pointless and so damn cool.
RAF Global Rescue [del.icio.us]
This reminds me a lot of a old Macintosh game that I used to play. Fairly challenging and rather addicting.
I had meant to do this back on Sunday, but I've been so busy (see infra) that I haven't had a chance until now.
Back at the beginning of last year, I wrote a rather passionate post declaring my resolutions for 2005. In July, I posted an update on those resolutions, and admitted that I hadn't been as... Successful as I had hoped.
Now that the year is over, not much has changed. I still don't eat as well as I had hoped; I've had a few spurts where I exercise daily, but I always find some excuse to stop; I haven't flossed since... Well, probably since I wrote that last post; from time to time, I do my traction and I still use my block at work, but it pretty much ends there; and I haven't made any significant strides toward saving money.
For 2006, my old resolutions still apply and I've added a couple of new ones. I'll go through the old ones first:
Eat right - Life change. I have to keep reminding myself of that. It's not a diet; diets are interstitial. They're something you do for a period of time in an attempt to reach your target weight, and when you quit the diet, you return to your bad habits and, often times, gain back all the weight. I need to eat the right foods and the right amounts of foods. Much like many Americans, I know I have a problem with portion control. I must be conscious of how much I'm eating and strive to eat less. Morah and I have been eating out a lot lately and we really need to stop. Most restaurants serve too-large portions and, depending on where we eat, the food tends to be greasy as opposed to healthy. Life change. Life change.
Work out more frequently - Not just more frequently, but regularly. During my spurts, I would usually feel really great for a few days and actually look forward to working out. Then, inevitably, I would come up with an excuse why I didn't need to work out for one day. One day would become two days, then three, then, "I'll start up again next week," and soon the elliptical machine would resume its second life as a coat rack. I guess we'll just have to find a new place to hang our coats.
Floss my teeth - Think of the children.
Do my traction - Using my block at work simply isn't enough. Granted, it's helped a lot, but there's just no substitute for traction. I've been wanting to keep the traction equipment in the living room so that we see it and remember to do it, but Morah doesn't want to (I guess it's unsightly or something). Sod that, I'm sick of neither of us remembering. I've invested far too much money into my back to =not= do my traction.
Save money - Honestly, how do people do it? I asked Morah and she pointed out that a lot of people don't, and that at least we're not in debt. Good point. I think a large part of the problem is that we go out to eat a lot. Last year, there was a span of a couple of months where I was going to McDonalds a lot (have I mentioned I work right next door to one?). Oh sure, I never spent more than five dollars, but even if you spend three dollars a day, that's almost a hundred dollars by the end of the month! The little things really do add up, so you can't say, "oh, it's only a few dollars," because it's not. The other major fund-sucker is the car. Just last month we spent... I don't know, how much we spent on the car, but it was a lot. Too much. All the money I had been saving up and was about to transfer into the wedding account went toward paying for the car instead. It's just one damn thing after another. On the up-side, Morah has been working full-time, so we're never really in trouble.
Drink more water - Have you seen those Aquafina commercials where everyone is singing, "Drink! Drink!" and pounding back Aquafina water? They got me thinking that I should drink more water. This is something that I've been thinking about doing for years, and have actually sort of started to do (I always have a water bottle at work). Water is not only really good for your body, but it acts as a filler, so if you're trying to lost weight and you're hungry all the time, drink water! By the way, bottled water is usually not as clean as tap water. Filtered tap water is usually your safest bet.
Use my electric toothbrush - I asked for this for... Was it Christmas? My birthday? I can't even remember. What I can remember is that I really wanted one and my parents got it for me. Anyway, we've had this thing since we were living in Cheney and I've barely used it. When we first got it, I used it quite a bit, then I slowly used it less and less. Lately, I haven't been using it at all. I've already taken steps to help ensure that use it more frequently, by putting my regular toothbrush in a drawer. So far, it's working.
Get caught up - I'm so behind on so many things. We have magazine subscriptions to WIRED, Popular Science and Popular Mechanics. I haven't read any of the three for months, possibly even a year now. We spend money on these, so I really should be making it worth my while (especially WIRED, what a kick-ass magazine). I'm also starting to fall behind on my podcasts. I listen to three podcasts, which have about a show a week each, but lately I haven't found the time to listen. As Merlin Mann suggested in his 43 Folders podcast (which I also listen to and so should you), I need to take a media day. Perhaps I can also set aside one hour every day for reading magazines or listening to podcasts.
Stay caught up - Because otherwise, what's the point of getting caught up?
Build my business - As some of you know, I recently (officially) started my business. It's predominately a web design business, but I can also do audio, video, graphic, print, et cetera. I have some really great ideas on how to make money, but I have a hard time coming home from work, only to go to work again. Regardless, with money being tight, I need two jobs, so getting the company launched is one of my top priorities. I'll be sure to announce the official kickoff when it happens.
And that's it. Not too hard, is it? Some of the resolutions will be easier than others, some of them I'm already working toward, and some of them will challenge me like nothing else I've ever done in my life. Say it with me, "life change. Life change. Life change."
ALLO v5.13 © 2008 Thomas J. Brown under a Creative Commons License.
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