Songs and stories
August 18th, 2008 — Odds and ends
From the AP story, “China has yet to approve protest applications: Critics accuse officials of using process as trap to discover potential trouble.”
“This is not realistic,” Wang (Wei, vice president of the Beijing Olympics organizing committee) said. “We think that you do not really understand China’s reality. China has its own version and way of exercising our democracy.”
July 23rd, 2008 — Odds and ends
I don’t want to be in Texas right now, but I wouldn’t mind warning signs that mention large funny birds.
July 22nd, 2008 — Odds and ends
Yes, there is!
The term is grawlix, and it looks to have been coined by Beetle Bailey cartoonist Mort Walker around 1964. Though it’s yet to gain admission to the Oxford English Dictionary, OED Editor-at-Large Jesse Sheidlower describes it as “undeniably useful, certainly a word, and one that I’d love to see used more.”
– From typography.com
July 22nd, 2008 — Odds and ends
Whenever you hear a scary story about some common food or ingredient being toxic, remember this fundamental principle of toxicology:
It’s the size of the dose that makes something poisonous.
I’m quoting from StatsBlog, which is run by the Statistical Assessment Service at George Mason University.
A recent sad story about a British woman illustrates the point about toxins.
Tragically, Dawn Page, who is now 52, was persuaded by a nutritionist to go on a detox diet that required consuming an extra four pints of water per day and reducing her salt intake. Within days, she began vomiting. Her nutritionist advised her to increase her water intake to six pints and cut back further on salt. Before a week had passed, Page suffered a massive epileptic fit because too much water and too little sodium in her blood (hyponatremia) caused her brain to swell. She now has permanent brain damage.
The point is not that drinking water will kill you. The point is that it’s the dose that counts.
– Photo by obo-bobolina on Flickr
October 6th, 2007 — Odds and ends, Story and design
Just thought this was pretty awesome.
[youtube FExqG6LdWHU]
(I saw this on someone else’s blog a while back. I’ll gladly give a hat tip if you tell me!)
August 2nd, 2007 — Odds and ends
One of my favorite comic strips has come to an end: Bo Nanas.
According to The Kansas City Star:
The Washington Post Writers Group, which syndicates the strip, said only 14 newspapers were carrying
July 20th, 2007 — Odds and ends
You wanna stay cool, right? (Available only in Japan. Of course.)
July 19th, 2007 — Odds and ends
Certainly this is just too cool for me to own, and a good bit expensive at $30.
But it seems front-pocket wallets are gaining in popularity for those guys who are tired of bustin’ out their back pockets with a George Costanza wallet.
This is the Slimmy, what they call a slim front pocket wallet alternative. It’s kept in your front pocket for security and convenience
But it takes discipline, as the Koyono web site says:
STYLE WARNING: This slim wallet is not a magic trick. If you have a “George Castanza (sic) wallet,” with over 10 credit cards, pictures of distant relatives, and 5 years of financial records, you WILL NOT be able to magically conceal the same contents in the Slimmy.
The Slimmy experience is about security, comfort and minimalism. Carry only what you need so that you are less exposed to theft, less encumbered, and look better.
Would I have the necessary discipline to use a slim front-pocket wallet? Since I do not own one, I really don’t know.
In unrelated news, my birthday’s in early September.
Hat tip: Uncrate
July 18th, 2007 — Music and lyrics, Odds and ends
This is the version of Psalm 84 an elder at my church — yes, it would be Tim — would like to work on with me:
July 18th, 2007 — Odds and ends
The most jarring product placement ad ever:
Hat tip: Test Pattern
