Return! Again!
Yep. I'm back. Expect a post or two coming shortly. I've noticed that I don't write if I don't have a client, so I'm rocking the Mars Edit for the time being.
id/ego?
Recent Posts
- Return! Again!
- The Onion's view on porn saturation
- Instructing Generation XXX
- Emma Thompson, voice of the London underground, was fired.
- Italy has gone entirely over the top.
- Sex Pistols to reform for one show - Yahoo! News
- London Shuts down roads to cars for one day.
- Rudeness and Manners in Modern Society
- More news from the "No shit" department
- This is called "getting involved in local affairs."
The archive of the Youth.
September 2, 2008
February 21, 2008
The Onion's view on porn saturation
Needless to say, it's pretty different from the National Post article.
Instructing Generation XXX
Instructing Generation XXX is a fantastic article on the effect the internet has had on kids in specific relation to the accessibility of porn. There's some really, really interesting stuff in here.
November 27, 2007
Emma Thompson, voice of the London underground, was fired.
Which is shitty enough on its own, but more than that, she was fired for posing some really funny spoofs of her own announcements on her website. Where's your sense of humor, London Underground? I'm reposting them here for everyone's enjoyment, and to show a little support.
Also, her website is here, but it looks like she's been pretty swamped. Check it out when you can.
"Do not drop litter on the train. Please use the tramps provided."
boomp3.com
"Warning, this is an emergency. I've chipped a nail."
boomp3.com
"Would the passenger in the red shirt pretending to read a paper, but is actually staring at that woman's chest, please stop. You are not fooling anyone. You filthy pervert."
boomp3.com
"We'd like to remind our American tourist friends that you are almost certainly talking too loud."
boomp3.com
"Passengers should note that the bearded gentleman's rucksack contains the following items only: Some sandwiches, a library card and a picture of a bare ankle and is no cause for concern."
boomp3.com
"Passengers are reminded that a smile is actually a friendship signal - not a sign of weakness."
boomp3.com
"Would the gentleman in the pinstripe suit and £1000 glasses who obviously works in the media, please take one step forward on to the track as the train arrives. Thank you."
boomp3.com
"Residents of London are reminded that there are other places in Britain outside your stinking shithole of a city, and if you removed your heads from your arses for just a couple of minutes, you may realise that the M25 is not the edge of the Earth."
boomp3.com
"Passengers are reminded that, like all voiceover artists, I probably look nothing like you imagine and may turn out to be somewhat of a disappointment."
boomp3.com
"Would passengers filling in answers on their Sudokus please accept that they're just crosswords for the unimaginative and are not in any way more impressive just because they contain numbers."
boomp3.com
"Here we are again, crammed into a sweaty tube carriage. And today's Wednesday - only two more days before you can binge drink yourself into a state of denial about the mediocrity of your life. Oh, for Goodness sake, if you're female, smile at the bloke next to you and make his day. He's probably not had sex for months."
boomp3.com
Emma Clarke [From The Wally World Front Page]
October 1, 2007
Italy has gone entirely over the top.
This is just too much. Hot, yes, but not at all appropriate.
The DA Wears Prada: Italy Orders Stilettos For Lady Cops (Jezebel)
September 26, 2007
Sex Pistols to reform for one show - Yahoo! News
September 24, 2007
London Shuts down roads to cars for one day.
And gives over to bicyclists. This is pretty awesome, and I really wish places in the states would do stuff like this. The more I read, the more appealing England is.
BBC NEWS | England | London | Cyclists enjoy car ban in London:
August 6, 2007
Rudeness and Manners in Modern Society
Manners, eh? Some of us were taught early on that "Please" and "Thank you" would get us pretty far in this world. Other weren't. I've been told repeatedly that I'm more polite than the overwhelmingly majority of people that we encounter on a daily basis (it's something I believe, but simultaneously shocks the hell out of me).
Here's the thing, though. This is what I think is lacking is so many people, and I really think it translates from interpersonal interaction to almost every aspect of our lives: I'm not exceptionally polite. I just try to treat people in a way that I'd like the be treated. It was a common trait when my parents were raising me, so common, in fact that it's built into the name: Common courtesy.
Excuse me. The above diatribe was inspired by the article that I'm about to link to. A well thought-out, and well-written piece that explores manners in modern society. Clearly, they suck.
July 11, 2007
More news from the "No shit" department
The British fashion industry arranged for an informal study to be done, researching health problems among fashion models. You know what they found? Get this: It's damaging for a young girl to be viewed as a sex object.
June 18, 2007
This is called "getting involved in local affairs."
A group of activists, calling themselves the Other Urban Repair Squad, are painting Toronto red. Well, more like bright pink. And they aren't really painting the whole thing. Just bits of the street.
Ok, fine. They're adding unofficial bike lanes to city streets. But, that's pretty freakin' awesome. They see a need, they've gone all through the legal means, and the city isn't responding. So these guys are hitting the city with a type of pain it understands. Financial pain. With a clean-up cost of nearly $2k per street, the city should get sick of paying the bill, and bump the priority of this project up. If not, the citizens will be more than a little upset that their taxes are being used for clean-up rather than sanctioned bike lanes.
TheStar.com - News - Bike activists going guerrilla :
Technorati Tags: art, awesome, government, health, travel
June 13, 2007
The first thing in nearly a week on the web that's worth mentioning
Is an article almost entirely about Pete Wentz, bassist and lyricist for Fall Out Boy. The article outlines the management company behind Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and The Academy Is..., and through a thick screen of bitterness and loathing, praises them for being so fucking shrewd.
I love rock, and a couple of these guys' songs are solid. The whole concept, though. The whole idea that this was entirely disguised (though not very well) to appear as an honest-to-god movement in shit-rock designed specifically to appeal to 13 and 14 year old girls? Yeah that makes me happy that I pirate their fucking records.
TEENAGE TASTELAND By MAUREEN CALLAHAN - Music News | New Music | Charts:
Technorati Tags: psychology, music, art
June 2, 2007
A great interview with the stars of Oceans 13
Time put up an awesome interview with Ellen Barkin, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. Reading the interview, you can see how much fun this group has together. I think it's interesting how each of the actors seems to mirror the parts they most often play. Pitt is the quietest, Clooney is a clown, Damon is to the point but very funny, and Barkin is really just coping with being around these guys. I really like interviews like this.
June 1, 2007
Joey Comeau has a new book and there is no reason not to order it
May 30, 2007
In a giant step backwards for gay men
A Melbourne hotel that promotes itself primarily to gay men has won the legal right to ban straights from its bars. Supposedly this was done to keep the primary clientele from being threatened by the straight men. "If I can limit the number of heterosexuals entering the Peel, then that helps me keep the safe balance," the hotel owner, Tom McFeely, told Australian radio.
Why is this alright? Why would a sane judge think this is a good idea? If the hotel management actually wanted to help its patrons, they'd throw out anyone who wasn't treating people with respect.
Gay pub wins right to ban straights | Oddly Enough | Reuters :
Technorati Tags: society, relationships, government
May 29, 2007
The Story Map
This is one of the coolest ideas I've seen in a long time. A little personal project which, I'm sure, made one couple's wedding much more fun and interesting for all of the guests. From Andrew Enright's flickr page:
The context is relatively straightforward: When my wife and I were married last year, we had a fairly small wedding with a few groups of very tightly-knit friends and family. Wanting them to chat one another up easily, we made this graphic to help start conversations and allow, say, our college friends to enjoy my wife's father's friends without too much awkwardness.
We also wanted a program-like document, something that would tell the roles of each member of the wedding party. (Hence my wife, Heather, and me in the middle, and the ring around us of the major players.)
We collected our favorite stories (and solicited some from our parents--at least one for each guest), and Heather distilled them all to the teaser text you see between each "node". I then rendered the map in Illustrator and we had them printed on newsprint. My mom and my sister tied them around cardboard tubes filled with sunflower seeds (later to be thrown at us as we walked back up the aisle), and each guest received one as they took their seats.
Flickr Photo Download: The Story Map:
Technorati Tags: art, relationships, awesome
Army recruiting office acts shady about doing its job.
And parents rightly try to hold military recruiters to the same standards that college recruiters are held to.
When I was in school, I was never quite comfortable with the means that military recruiters were willing to take to talk to some kids. It wasn't uncommon to see recruiters standing in hallways flagging kids down, pulling kids out of class, or wandering around the lunchroom looking for those who fit their profile. I was always relieved when I did not fit the mold that the recruiter was looking for that day, because I dreaded the scare and guilt tactics that would be used when I rationally explained why I would prefer to seek out the military if I decided to enlist. It is certain that these recruiters did help my decision, but only by encouraging me to stay the hell away from them.
Of course military recruiters should be held to the same standard as college recruiters. It's ridiculous to approve of the tactics they've used, and it's even more ridiculous to give them carte blanche in the school.
Parents Challenge Request By Army - washingtonpost.com:
Technorati Tags: law, government, education, military
May 25, 2007
Aardvarchaeology : Are Humans Polygamous?
Humans choose, and that means we're responsible. Very few wives would accept "My genes made me do it" as an excuse when they catch their husbands cheating. And the research I mentioned suggests that most women actually choose to get impregnated by their steady partners, no matter how friendly the mailman is. It strikes me as an odd interpretation to suggest that the reason that most babies are sired by their mom's steady partner is that culture conditions women (against their nature) to turn down the friendly mailman. I'd like to suggest another interpretation: humans have free will, and some screw around a lot, some very rarely, and some not at all beyond the officially sanctioned serial monogamy that most cultures cultivate.
I've spent a lot of time thinking about this over the past couple years. There's a common opinion (as there so often has been in youth) that you have to sleep around to be happy. I feel like it's replicated pop-culture in shows like Sex and the City (of course, my issues with Sex and the City are numerous).
Yeah, this probably is arbitrated by societal norms. But, the fact of the matter is that we're a thinking, feeling, emotional species. And the overwhelming majority of us look for an emotional connection with one person, not a solitary life of fucking around. This isn't to say that people's needs don't change. They clearly do. However, it seems like we're slow to admit that, and it's a shame, because that unwillingness leads to a lot of strife.
But, can you imagine the conversation if the excuse given above by Dr Martin Rundkvist did work? "I can't believe you'd cheat on me!" a wife would scream. Looking a little bewildered, the man stammers, "M-my genes made me do it?" A pensive look crosses the woman's face, followed by an expression of relief. "That's true," she says, "You do have those!"
Aardvarchaeology : Are Humans Polygamous?:
Technorati Tags: society, education, sex, psychology
Percentage of population having extramarital affairs
Durex did a study, two years ago, on the sexual behavior of people in 41 countries. The results are pretty interesting. Turks are the most likely to cheat on their spouses, with 58% of those surveyed having an affair outside of their marriage. Interestingly enough, the US falls just below the Global average, at least according to the poll, with approximately 17% of participants having affairs.
But the US is near the top of the charts when it comes to other sexual behaviors, such as threesomes.
So, what's it mean? Honestly, I don't know. Pull from it what you will, I think that it largely means that the participants from the US were quick to brag about their bedroom conquests, readily admitting to three-ways, having one-night-stands, or using sex toys. But when it comes to cheating, they weren't so quick to fess up. Perhaps they don't think that the one-night-stand they had six months ago, while the wife was out of town, counts as an affair.
I don't remember where I read it, but I read, once, that from the point of view of most women, "the instant something happens that you wouldn't want me to see, hear about, or read about, it's cheating." I can respect that.
Technorati Tags: psychology, health, relationships, sex
May 24, 2007
Clothes that pick up where your mom left off
Artist and clothing designer Fiona Carswell has designed some interesting clothes. Somewhere between high-concept fashion and a cancer-deterrent, we see the smoking jacket. Designed with two big lungs that darken as you puff down your smokes, and blow into a small valve in the collar, it may help you quit. Or it may be just ironic and in-your-face enough to keep non-smokers off your back when you light up.
Her other piece, is awesome. The malignant-mole bikini looks like your standard women's two-piece. But, the longer you're in the sun, the more spots you notice on it. And the larger those spots become.
If you live in DC and have a problem with National Police Week
Then you should check this out. Not living in DC, I can't comment, but I do think that this is important to figure out. We've all seen police abuse their power, be it an illegal search, or flipping on their cruiser's lights to run a red light. This kind of behavior, though, directly conflicts with "to serve and protect."
TheAgitator.com: Police Rampage Update & Contact Info: Comments:
Technorati Tags: law, government, education
Naked American tourist wanders around German city, gets in trouble Naked U.S. tourist shocks German city | Oddly Enough | Reuters
It's this kind of blatant disregard for the actual laws and customs of other countries that makes the citizens of other countries shake their collective heads at us.
Naked U.S. tourist shocks German city | Oddly Enough | Reuters :
Technorati Tags: travel, government, education
May 23, 2007
Why exactly is Trent Reznor so fucking cool?
Trent takes on pirates, and the record industry simultaneously. What a badass.
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails | Herald Sun:
Technorati Tags: awesome, puppy, music, Nine Inch Nails
A tale of two cities?
Kottke noticed something funny in a couple articles about Baltimore. I emailed him my response, and I'll post it here, as well:
Jason,
Regarding your " A tale of two cities" post, I felt compelled to respond. I'm a Baltimorean, and a part of a growing group in the city: young professionals.
I think what you've seen in these two contrasting viewpoints is a problem that Baltimore is facing, and will continue to face, as any city facing sectional-gentrification does. Basically, we're looking at the growing "nicer" areas (populated largely by young professionals) are forcing the original, poorer residents into smaller and smaller areas.
By doing this, by sectionally gentrifying the city, we're seeing huge spikes of crime in these lower-income areas. It doesn't help that in some situations, the government has seen fit to actively try to move the older residents out of areas undergoing "revitalization" by raising taxes to a height well out of reach of most anyone whose house was paid off while their grandfather lived in it.
It's something I struggle with, and I know my friends do as well. I love living in this city, and I love the city itself. Nowhere will you find people like those in Baltimore, and the culture is definitely booming. However, it's a shame to think of the people that were displaced by the house I bought.
We're seeing some active change, though. In my area, for example, a lot of the original residents are selling at a massive profit and moving before taxes go up, which is helping everyone to be happy. I spoke to one woman who told me "I'm selling this house that my mother left me, but the money I make will put my daughter in college."
So, I guess to recap, it's not a tale of two cities. It's a tale of one city, but there's two sides to every coin. Take is easy, man!
Jehan Alvani
A tale of two cities (kottke.org):
Technorati Tags: society, government, Baltimore, education, drugs
May 22, 2007
Larry Flynt on Jerry Falwell
Yes, it's true, I think Larry Flynt is an important figure to any American. As the founder of Hustler magazine, the lawsuits that have followed him have done more to uphold free speech than any other person I have heard of (granted, I'm not the world's foremost authority).
And, honestly, this is the type of memorial I was waiting for. I don't approve of Jerry Falwell at all. Actually, I'm glad that we won't have to listen to his views anymore. But he was a person, and despite his views, someone would write a thoughtful remembrance. It does shock me that it comes from Larry Flynt, though.
May 21, 2007
Cop Suspended After Porn Star's 'Favor'
This is hilarious. Especially the end. My god, man. People are something else.
ABC News: Cop Suspended After Porn Star's 'Favor':
Technorati Tags: humor, puppy, sex, society, government, drugs, law, internet
May 18, 2007
This is the first time I've read a news story of a parent thinking outside the box in a long time
The mother of a teenager who acted out came up with a good plan, recently. Rather than accept the school's punishment as enough, she enforced her own punishment. She made her daughter stand just off of school grounds, holding a sign describing what she's done, as well as the consequences of her actions - for everyone nearby to see.
She's teaching her daughter personal responsibility, and how to stand up when people are looking at you funny for doing the right thing. More than that, she's teaching her daughter that good things can come from admitting when you were wrong. Well done.
Mom makes daughter who bullied hold a poster in front of schools
May 16, 2007
Compilation of the worst bits of movies of all time
I'm pretty sure that this is accurate. This entire list is terrible...LY FUNNY! WOOOOO!
May 15, 2007
Improve your night vision
I've always wanted to be able to see really well at night. I still eat carrots by the truckload thanks to my mom's promise that it would improve my vision in the dark. I was 3, yeah, but that doesn't make it any less true. Or awesome.
May 14, 2007
Unmedicated hyperactive 6 year olds
May 9, 2007
Baseball's a great sport
People argue that baseball is no fun, boring, jacked-up, or a number of other things. But baseball has always had a soft spot in my heart, and this illustrates why.
I can't think of any other sport where the crowd and the players interact on a closer, more personal level. The pace of the game, the separation of the defensive players, the isolation of the offensive players all are designed to do one thing: freak each and every player out.
Imagine, you're in centerfield, there's a runner on first who has been threatening to steal for two batters, now, and nobody is really paying him much attention anymore. There's two outs, it'd be ridiculous for him to run. So you're spacing a little. Starting to think about how thirsty you are. And you're fading despite constant reminders to yourself to concentrate. It's tough.
It's a game that takes a hell of a lot of focus, and that's why baseball hecklers are the most famous in all of pro sports. They are a huge distraction when you're on the field all alone. And this is the best response to heckling that I've ever seen. Well played, Vernon Wells. Well played, indeed.
Followup on the Vernon Wells Heckler Ball - A Home Run Derby Exclusive:
Technorati Tags: psychology, sports, humor, awesome
This is priceless, A Jewish girl calls her parents and tells them she's dating an Italian
Seriously, perfect. You have to listen to this. It's stellar. Racism? Yeah. More than a little.
fuvoo - Jewish Girl Prank Calls Her Parents:
Technorati Tags: society, humor, evil, relationships
Reduce Junk Mail: Five Money Saving Tips
Several tips for reducing the amount of snail-mail spam we all receive. As a new homeowner, I've seen the amount of total crap mail I get shoot through the roof since I moved into my house, so these options are pretty awesome.
Queercents » Reduce Junk Mail: Five Money Saving Tips:
Technorati Tags: awesome, government, marketing, society
Cool business card designs | creativebits
A collection of really creative business card designs. These range from the simply well-designed, to the totally unique. Fantastic.
Cool business card designs
A collection of really creative business card designs. These range from the simply well-designed, to the totally unique. Fantastic.
The Nice Guy Paradox has been Solved
I've been saying this stuff for years. Brilliant, and well written. Now, go apply some newly-found knowledge!
dmiessler.com | grep understanding knowledge:
Technorati Tags: awesome, relationships, society
May 8, 2007
Jesus Christ, the Government is pissing me off, today.
Morons. They're all morons.
Mooninites, meet the Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act :
Technorati Tags: evil, government
TSA's: Too much power, and not enough balances
This makes me a little ill. A 12 year old boy was coming back from LA, when his birthday money was stolen out of his suitcase. There are no checks and balances with this system. And, it's also pretty sad that the blogger's reaction (keep in mind, this is Consumerist. They're usually awesome about telling us where to get information about how to change stuff like this) is basically "it sucks, but there's no way to do anything about this."
No. This is unacceptable. The entirety of the governmental system is built upon the idea that no one group of governmental authority should go unchecked. It's ridiculous that TSA's are gaining more and more power and authority, while checks aren't being put in place to balance that authority. I've been hassled enough by these new laws. This is beyond criminal, it's horribly reprehensible, and there's no way that anyone should be willing to continue to stand for this.
Crime: 12 Year Old Boy: TSA Stole My Birthday Money - Consumerist:
Technorati Tags: evil, travel, government
May 7, 2007
Starbucks actually does good? has customer steaming
It's rare that I'd congratulate an international mega-corp such as Starbucks, but this is awesome. Starbucks has printed quotes submitted by customers on their cups for a couple years, now, and one of them offended a woman, because it questions God. And she's mad. And Starbucks doesn't seem to be backing down.
Companies should be more willing to offend people. We're so afraid of offending one another that we are walking on eggshells and speaking with feathers. It's bullshit. Good on you, Starbucks. Keep up the good work!
WorldNetDaily: Anti-God Starbucks cup has customer steaming:
Technorati Tags: marketing, psychology, religion
The Jeans Beetle.
VW's a funny company. They have a serious fetish for special editions, and they've put out some really oddball sets. I'd never heard of this one, but it's pretty funny. And it's been out in many iterations. I present: the VW Jeans Beetle.
Overview (Jalopnik)
1974 Jeans Beetle (SE Beetles)
1975 Jeans Beetle 2
1982 Jeans Bug
1995 Jeans
2000 Jeans Edition
Technorati Tags: cars
May 2, 2007
Scientists discover that it looks like cells don't die from a lack of oxygen Newsweek Health - MSNBC.com
Instead cells die from the resumption of proliferation of oxygen to the cells. That's nutso, and my well change how all sorts of procedures are handled. I imagine there'll be a lot more research about this before any major changes take effect, but it's yet another example of how science helps us see that even the things we think we know for sure are worth questioning. Awesome.
City life really is getting faster
BBC News reports that life in the world's big cities actually is speeding up. Impressively enough, the average walking speed of a pedestrian has gone up by 10% in the last decade.
BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Life in the fast lane 'speeds up':
Technorati Tags: health, psychology, workout