Cold Cuts
The bad news, for anti-circumcision advocates, is that, in a study in Africa, circumcision was found to reduce the risk of HIV by as much as half. Cells on the foreskin turn out to be especially receptive to the virus.
The…
Next time, F7.
Another reason I’m a Mac man: Microsoft steals one of Apple’s icon’s, and misspells “business.” Really?
Another Map Quiz
Nasty world map quiz. Click-and-drag the water to move around. I got a 47. Comment triumphantly with your scores.
Headaches: Can’t Live With ‘Em, Can’t Cut Your Own Head Off
- I think I’ve found an explanation for my headaches and fatigue: More or less constant exposure to Wi-Fi waves. The science is somewhat unpersuasive, as I recall, but if it’s good enough for highly-ranked British schools, it’s good enough for…
Life Imitates Art
Old news by now, but, from Wikipedia:
On June 3, 2006 while presenting the award for best movie at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, Jackson declared that Snakes on a Plane would win the award the following year, jokingly stating:
No movie shall triumph…
Science Roundup
- “‘If it does work, you could receive the signal 50 microseconds before you send it.’” Essentially, it’s a test of quantum entanglement.
- Power without wires. I’ve wondered about this for a long time. Radio waves are energy, too why not convert them…
Office Space 2
(Not really.) I assume this gag trailer is funnier if your memory, like mine, is bad enough that you can’t remember what actually happens in the movie.
Also, check out my old stomping ground: Rochester’s abandoned subway.
Top Grocery Stores
Wegman’s and Trader Joe’s. But you know what they say: A tie is like kissing your sister.
Aves Maria
According to this piece, those of us who aren’t musicians won’t think think that the second clip below sounds “unpleasant” when compared to the first. (Both are
MIDI versions of “Ave Maria.”) I’m skeptical. Take a listen—just to the second one,…
Surprise Song That Makes You Cry
[Such was the title of an email conversation with Jay. The entire thread appears below. Add your picks in the comments. —D.]
———
Subject: Surprise Song That Makes You Cry
From: Jay
(And that song cannot be “Do You Realize” by the Flaming Lips…
Sciences Explains Me to You
- Why I’m absent-minded: Alcohol affects the developing teenage brain, impairing performance on “tests of verbal and nonverbal memory, attention focusing and exercising spatial skills like those required to read a map or assemble a precut bookcase.” These consequences persist in…
Chi-Town Shots
Token Skyline Shot
Originally uploaded by devanpgh.
Check ‘em out here.
Keep your eye on the ball
Sharon Begley, one of the better science journalists (and science editor for the Wall Street Journal), wrote an article in 2003 called “This Year, Try Getting Your Brain into Shape.” (Sorry for the link to a reproduction; the original’s not…
Openers
This isn’t really as impressive as it sounds at first, but I think I’ve done something somewhat innovative in my digital life.
I was thinking about how the first track on many albums has or develops a “first track” feel. (This…
Sushi again today
So, I went to a different place today, but I had tuna again. The fish was sliced thinner than at the first place, and was slightly more wet, if that makes any sense. And this time, I ordered nigiri sushi,…
Making my vices easier to indulge
- They’re making round salt to facilitate flow from the shaker. My blood pressure will double.
- Coffee can stave off cirrhosis caused by alcohol. I guess I’ll be drinking more of both.
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Somebody got into the Department of Homeland Security with a fake Mexican ID. Brilliant.
I met Tom Ridge once, when he was still DHS head and king of pork. The president of the company I worked for at the time had…
Sashimi in me
I ate (most of) this today
Originally uploaded by devanpgh.
You can’t tell, but there are three pieces of tuna there. I ate the two you can see (plus all of the avocado roll, and every molecule of garnish).
I am a…
Fast Food Nations
- According to The Economist (jumping on the Freakonomics bandwagon, perhaps, the nations which consume the most Coca-Cola are healthier, wealthier, and more democratic (or “freer,” as they so impartially put it).
- Separately, Wendy’s is ditching the “Biggie” designation in favor of the more contemporary…
Four New Flicktures
The Train and the Heat
Originally uploaded by devanpgh.
Three from Philly, one from State College.
Shakespeare Update
It seems a bunch of the expressions attributed to Shakespeare from a couple days ago have earlier citations in the OED. Two of the three “surprises” I noted turn out not to have been Shakespeare’s invention, which makes me feel both…
State College in the Summer
I’m not sure why this is, but apparently, to work at a restaurant here in the summer you have to be:
- under the age of 19,
- male, and
- offputtingly earnest and eager to please.
This morning I asked for my breakfast burrito sans bacon or…
Hazelton (That’s Right)
I’m pretty sure I took the big picture on this page. It was me or Jay for sure.
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I do have some nice pics coming; I swear. Probably crank it out from the hotel tonight. Meanwhile:
- A list of the largest cities throughout history. I’ve wanted to see something like this for a long time, believe it or not.
- Mentos…
Union Station, DC
I’m on a layover on my return trip, thinking anxiously about how to get this post out before my battery dies, and trying to figure out what’s stuck under my H key, when I realize that I forgot the cable…
Bottle Rocket Beta
The original Bottle Rocket on YouTube. Quality’s not great, but it could be this machine I’m on. It’s funny, but mostly it just makes me want to see the feature film again.
Usabilijitsu
Jakob Nielsen’s fighting styles (with photos). For the user experience AND kung fu nut in the crowd. Great stuff. Somebody could do something similar and also hilarious with Steve Jobs photos, I think.
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- Another reason I’m glad Google exists: I’ve never seen a more clear representation of the Tour de France’s brutal route than this one made with Google Earth. Maybe it’s OLN’s low budget for motion graphics, but they’ve never come CLOSE…
Valleyschwag
Valleyschwag 3
Originally uploaded by devanpgh.
My first shipment from Valley Schwag on Flickr.
Top Ten Albums
Here’s how the Brits voted:
- “Definitely Maybe,” Oasis.
- “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” The Beatles.
- “Revolver,” The Beatles.
- “OK Computer,” Radiohead.
- “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” Oasis.
- “Nevermind,” Nirvana.
- “The Stone Roses,” The Stone Roses.
- “Dark Side of the Moon,” Pink Floyd.
- “The Queen Is Dead,” The Smiths.
- “The…
In Other News
- Really badass plans for a portable USB device (e.g., iPods) charger. Tiny enough to fit mostly in one of those Altoid gum tins.
- Why I can never move to L.A.: Smog aggravates high cholesterol. That, and the constant threat of earthquakes, wildfires,…
Scooter Love
This weekend, I had my first taste of two-up riding — it went very well — and, separately, I got the scooter up to 57 miles per hour. It felt remarkably stable, although for obvious reasons it’s not something I…
Some things about Oakland
Ripped from the similarly-named Sebak special:
- One of the last pistol duels fought in the US ended in the death of a man named Bates in what would become South Oakland.
- One large plot of land in Oakland was called the Bellefield…
Dispatches from IMDB
From Danny Aiello’s entry:
85. Annie Hall (1977) (scenes deleted)
Interesting. Also, apparently Man on Fire (2004), with Denzel, was a remake. (Here’s the original [1987]. Jonathan Pryce is a personal favorite among character actors.)
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Poker night update: I won both games, a first for me. I think I was channeling Wolverine.
Still Not Gonna See It
- Harvey Weinstein on Clerks II’s 8-minute standing ovation at Cannes: “In my thirty years of coming here, I’ve never seen a standing ovation last that long at a midnight show in Cannes. Ever.”
- Taking a scooter to the grocery store. Inspirational.
…
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From CNN.com:
Darryn Lyons, the chairman of Big Pictures, which runs Mr. Paparazzi.com, said in London that [Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie] are certain to gain more attention by taking up residence in a poor corner of Africa [while they have…
First Post; News Roundup
First post. Sick of sending emails.
- I hate to share it, but here’s more evidence that teens are smarter and more creative than the rest of us.
- They’ve finally found a direct link between HIV and other primate viri.
- What this guy’s doing with the motion…
