Interesting Things to Fill Your Beautiful Skull.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Cyborgs

This is simply amazing.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Store Wars




Ham Solo.....

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

SHALOM!!!!!

Orientate Yourself

The term "orientate yourself" originally arose because if you knew which way the Orient lay, you could correctly point east.

Thank you Bob Berman.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Two Styles

Over the past four days, both President Bush and Senator Obama have given speeches that addressed major issues for both men. President Bush spoke on the morning that investment bank Bear Stearns collapsed about the state of the American economy. Senator Obama spoke about incendiary comments made by his former pastor about the evils done by white America.

I watched both and I was very taken by the differences. One man was slammed almost immediately afterwards on CNBC by one of the station's reporters as nearly delusional. One man addresses directly criticism about him and turns that around to raise questions about fundamental problems in American society.

Just fascinating, as these, I believe, are the two most important political figures of the 21st century so far. I cannot embed the video from the White House, but it can be found and watched (only using Internet Explorer) here. Below is the Obama speech. Please watch both.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Tibetan Protests

Lhasa is in lockdown, apparently. Protests turned violent and while the Chinese government says only 10 people have been killed, there are other reports of dozens. A terrible thing to happen to some of the nicest people I've ever met. All eyes are on China as these Olympics roll on. I wonder if anything good will come of it?


Jockeys

Why do jockeys get so excited after winning a horse race? It's not like they do any of the work (Unless you count the kicking and saying "Faster" as work). Why?

Friday, March 14, 2008

Tibet, China and Power

Here is a sad story:


Tibetan People

It's Magic!

Winter Soldier

As the war in Iraq approaches its fifth anniversary, veterans of that conflict and the war in Afghanistan will give first-hand accounts, supported by photographs and video evidence, of the true nature of the wars, including attacks the vets say killed innocent civilians.

Iraq Veterans Against the War is organizing the "Winter Soldier" conference outside of Washington, DC, to share their experiences from the front lines. The conference, which begins Thursday and will continue through the weekend, aims to build on a 1971 gathering in which Vietnam veterans gathered in Detroit to share their view of atrocities they witnessed in that war.



watch here...

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Rick Astley

20 years ago on March 12, Rick Astley's song 'Never Gonna Give You Up' hit the number 1 spot on the Billboard Top 100. Oh, 1988, it seems like just yesterday...

The Industrial-Consumer Paradigm

I read an article by an academic named Joel Springer. The title of the article is "The Triumph of the Industrial-Consumer Paradigm and English as a Global Language." The article discussed the differences between 19th century colonialism and current day relations to English. One dealt with colonial dominance, and today we see outer cultures opening the gates wide. With this warm invitation of English, it brings with it certain characteristics and values. The very reasons for studying English are, mainly, for economic gains, buying into the industrial-consumerism paradigm (consumerism). Springer lays out a few lists I wanted to share.

The Industrial-Consumer Paradigm is based on the following:
  • A fear that industrialism will create more leisure time that will corrupt workers and make them more difficult to control
  • The goal of industrialism should be the constant production and consumption of new products promoted by the psychological techniques of the advertising profession
  • Advertising and production of new products should create new "needs" for consumers and seduce them into working harder so that they can be purchased
  • The consumption of products is supposed to provide personal fulfillment
  • Planned Obsolescence, particularly by changing designs of products and adding new features, is to heighten the desire to continually consume
  • Brand names are used to create consumer desires for higher status and new personal images

The major problems with the industrial-consumer paradigm:
  • There is no concern with happiness and satisfaction in employment. The emphasis is on happiness and satisfaction through consumption. This is a problem because most people spend more time at work than they do at consuming
  • The emphasis is on working hard, often meaning longer hours, to increase consumption activities. Of course, many subsistence farmers and poor people working long hours just to survive. However, the industrial-consumer paradigm model does not promise fewer working hours, only more products
  • The model is premised on a fear that industrialism might provide more personal freedom by reducing work time. Some people fear that more leisure time would make the masses uncontrollable
  • The issue of what makes humans happy has been clouded by the advertising emphasis on personal satisfaction through consumption
  • Can the world's natural resources sustain an industrial-consumer paradigm society for all the world's peoples?
  • If the world's natural resources cannot provide an industrial-consumer society to all the world's peoples, then will the world continue to be divided between the richand poor and the hungry and overfed?
  • Will the industrial-consumer model with its voracious appetite for resources and disregard for the environment destroy Mother Earth?
Springer ended the article saying he didn't have all the answers to all the problems, but he hoped that the next generation would be able to come closer towards answering these questions:
  • How can we organize technology and industry so that work is a source of happiness and satisfaction for all people? Rather than thinking about technology as a source of profit and new products, we should think about it as a way of freeing people from meaningless, harmful, and dissatisfying occupations.
  • How can we organize the economy so that all people have the nutrition, medical care, and shelter necessity to survive and have long and satisfactory lives?
  • How can we organize the economy so that people have more leisure time?
  • What are the social, political, and economic conditions that promote human happiness?
  • How can we organize the economy to maximize human happiness without depleting the world's resources and while protecting the biosphere?
The article provides information from studies about attitudes in Asia about the advancement of English and these values that the world is moving towards.

I thought these lists were interesting.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Biking Around the World

Life on Wheels

Joketty Joke

A drunk was proudly showing off his new apartment to a couple of his friends late one night. He led the way to his bedroom where there was a big brass gong and a mallet.
“What’s that big brass gong?” one of the guests asked.
“It’s not a gong. It’s a talking clock,” the drunk replied.
“A talking clock? “How’s it work?” the friend asked, squinting at it.
“Watch,” the drunk replied. He picked up the mallet, gave the gong an ear-shattering pound, and stepped back. The three stood looking at one another for a moment.
Suddenly, someone on the other side of the wall screamed, “You asshole, it’s three-fifteen in the morning

Monday, March 10, 2008

Report from the North

When the New York Philharmonic went into North Korea for a concert, the government allowed an unprecedented number of foreign journalists to enter and have more freedom than ever thought to be allowed. Here is an interesting article about the experience:

Platypus

Janggo

This is Kim Woongsik, a Korean drummer. He gets serious around the fourth minute.

Friday, March 7, 2008

So easy an 8-year old can do it....

As per our conversation, Ed, I found this article about an 8 year-old boy who passed the bar exam. I'd probably let him defend me in court. The cuteness factor would probably pull the win out.

Link

Food

Great resource on all things eatable I just found. There are loads of information that look to be regularly updated with new sources. It has not just links on how to prepare food, but also links to discussions about food, like a discussion on MSG and why a 'lighthearted letter' in the 1960s created a sort of 'urban legend' of fear in Americans.

http://food.alltop.com/

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Bleubird





duct tape rub(bear)room- video by shortfacedbear!

Ben Stein

Comedian, writer, politico, and beltway insider Ben Stein recently gave this speech about the state of the United States.

It's very interesting and quite funny as well. Click on the podcast button.

Link.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Death Star Hotel























To be built in Azerbaijan. It will have a laser capable of destroying a planet.

Link.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Superbowl, baby....Superbowl

Magneto Man

Here's another person that is naturally charged with electricity and destroys electronic gadgets he touches. How funny.

Linky.

The Awful Truth

Here's a quick article on 5 common grocery items and how the companies behind them defy common agreement of what's in good taste. Slavery on Nestle's cocoa plantations, deliberate use of banned pesticides in Dole bananas, land grabs and massacres for Chiquita bananas, animal cruelty by dog food companies (irony?), union busting through assassination by Coca-Cola.

It's amazing what you can do with money and without morals.

Link.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Food Fight





www.touristpictures.com
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